There was a local policeman on duty and to him was deputed the ungracious task of warning his fellow villagers to keep their distance.

The ground had already been searched very carefully.

The two roads crossed almost at right angles and at the corner of the cross thus formed, the hedges were broken, admitting to a field which had evidently been used as a pasture by an adjoining dairy farm.

Some rough attempt had been made to close the gap with barbed wire, but it was possible to step over the drooping strands with little or no difficulty.
It was to this gap that T.X.devoted his principal attention.

All the fields had been carefully examined without result, the four drains which were merely the connecting pipes between ditches at the sides of the crossroads had been swept out and only the broken hedge and its tangle of bushes behind offered any prospect of the new search being rewarded.
"Hullo!" said Mansus, suddenly, and stooping down he picked up something from the ground.
T.X.took it in his hand.
It was unmistakably a revolver cartridge.