Well, and how reluctant am I myself to leave all these pleasant scenes, and bring before the mind"s eye an event so terrible and a deed so dark that I almost shudder as I describe it; but as the evolution of this ower-true tale depends upon it, I am obliged to.
First, I must tell you that just two days before joining his ship, Reginald had to go to Aberdeen to see friends and bid them adieu.
But it happened that Craig Nicol had made a visit on foot to Aberdeen about the same time. Thirty, or even forty, miles was not too much for a st.u.r.dy young fellow like him. He had told his housekeeper a week before that he was to draw money from the bank--a considerable sum, too.
This was foolish of him, for the garrulous old woman not only boasted to the neighbouring servants of the wealth of her master, but even told them the day he would leave for the town.
Poor Craig set off as merrily as any half-broken hearted lover could be expected to do. But, alas! after leaving Aberdeen on his homeward journey, he had never been seen alive again by anyone who knew him.
As he often, however, made a longer stay in town than he had first intended, the housekeeper and servants of Birnie-Boozle were not for a time alarmed; but soon the a.s.sistance of the police was called in, with the hopes of solving the mystery. All they did find out, however, was that he had left the Granite City well and whole, and that he had called at an inn called the Five Mile House on the afternoon to partake of some refreshment. After that all was a dread and awful blank. There was not a pond, however, or copse along from this inn that was not searched.
Then the river was dragged by men used to work of this sort.
But all in vain. The mystery remained still unrevealed. Only the police, as usual, vaunted about having a clue, and being pressed to explain, a sergeant said:
"Why, only this: you see he drew a lot of cash from the bank in notes and gold, and as we hear that he is in grief, there is little doubt in our minds that he has gone, for a quiet holiday to the Continent, or even to the States."
Certain in their own minds that this was the case, the worthy police force troubled themselves but little more about the matter. They thought they had searched everywhere; but one place they had forgotten and missed. From the high road, not many miles from Birnie-Boozle, a road led. It was really little more than a bridle-path, but it shortened the journey by at least a mile, and when returning from town Craig Nicol always took advantage of this.
Strange, indeed, it was, that no one, not even the housekeeper, had thought of giving information about this to the police. But the housekeeper was to be excused. She was plunged deeply in grief. She and she only would take no heed of the supposed clue to the mystery that the sergeant made sure he had found.
"Oh, oh," she would cry, "my master is dead! I know, I know he is. In a dream he appeared to me. How wan and weird he looked, and his garments were drenched in blood and gore. Oh, master, dear, kind, good master, I shall never, never see you more!" And the old lady wrung her hands and wept and sobbed as if her very heart would break.
Reginald"s ship had been about two days at sea. The wind was fair and strong, so that she had made a good offing, and was now steering south by west, bearing up for the distant sh.o.r.es of South America.
And it was now that a discovery was made that appalled and shocked everyone in all the countryside.
CHAPTER SIX.
A VERDICT OF MURDER.
About half-way up the short cut, or bridle-path, was a dark, dingy spruce-fir copse. It was separated from the roads by a high whitethorn hedge, trailed over with brambles, the black, shining, rasp-like fruit of which were now ripe and juicy. They were a great attraction to the wandering schoolboy. Two lads, aged about eight or ten--great favourites with Craig"s housekeeper--were given a basket each in the forenoon and sent off to pick the berries and to return to tea about four o"clock.
There was a gate that entered from the path, but it was seldom, if ever, opened, save probably by the wood-cutters.
Well, those two poor little fellows returned hours and hours before tea-time. They were pale and scared-looking. In their terror they had even dropped their baskets.
"Oh, the man! the man!" they cried, as soon as they entered. "The poor, dead man!"
Although some presentiment told the aged housekeeper that this must indeed be the dead body of her unhappy master, she summoned courage to run herself to the police-station. An officer was soon on the fatal spot, guided by the braver of the two little lads. With his big knife the policeman hacked away some of the lower branches of the spruce-fir, and thus let in the light.
It was indeed Craig, and there was little doubt that he had been foully murdered. But while one officer took charge of the corpse, he did not touch it, but dispatched another to telegraph to Aberdeen at once for a detective. He arrived by the very next train, accompanied by men with a letter. The news had spread like wildfire, and quite a crowd had by this time gathered in the lane, but they were kept far back from the gate lest their footsteps should deface any traces of the murder. Even the imprint of a shoe might be invaluable in clearing up an awful mystery like this. Mr C., the detective, and the surgeon immediately started their investigations.
It was only too evident that Craig Nicol had been stabbed to the heart.
His clothes were one ma.s.s of gore, and hard with blood. On turning the body over, a discovery was made that caused the detective"s heart to palpitate with joy. Here, underneath it, was found a Highlander"s _skean dhu_ (stocking dirk). The little sheath itself was found at a distance of a few yards, and it must evidently have been dropped by the murderer, in his haste to conceal the body.
"Ha! this is indeed a clue," said the detective. "This knife did the deed, George. See, it is encrusted with blood."
"I think so, sir."
"And look, on the silver back of the little sheath are the letters R.G."
He took the dagger in his hand, and went back to the little crowd.
"Can anyone identify this knife?" he asked, showing it to them.
No one could.
"Can you?" said the detective, going to the rear and addressing Shufflin" Sandie. Sandie appeared to be in deep grief.
"Must I tell?"
"You needn"t now, unless you like, but you must at the inquest."
"Then, sir, I may as well say it now. The knife belongs to Mr Grahame."
A thrill of horror went through the little crowd, and Sandy burst into tears.
"Where does he live, this Mr Grahame?"
"He did live at Bilberry Hall, sir," blubbered Sandie; "but a few days ago he sailed away for the Southern Seas."
"Was he poor or rich, Sandie?"
"As poor as a church mouse, sir. I"ve heard him tell Miss Annie Lane so. For I was always dandlin" after them."
"Thank you; that will do in the meantime."
Craig had evidently been robbed, for the pockets were turned inside out, and another discovery made was this: the back of the coat was covered with dust or dried mud, so that, in all human probability, he must have been murdered on the road, then dragged and hidden here. There was a terrible bruise on one side of the head, so it was evident enough to the surgeon, as well as to the detective, that the unfortunate man must first have been stunned and afterwards stabbed. There was evidence, too, that the killing had been done on the road; there were marks of the gravel having been sc.r.a.ped away, and this same gravel, blackened with blood, was found in the ditch.
The detective took his notes of the case, then calling his man, proceeded to have the man laid on the litter. The body was not taken home, but to the barn of an adjoining cottage.
Here when the coroner was summoned and arrived from Aberdeen, part of the inquest was held. After viewing the body, the coroner and jury went to Birnie-Boozle, and here more business was gone through.
The housekeeper was the first to be examined. She was convulsed with grief, and could only testify as to the departure and date of departure of her master for the distant city, with the avowed intention of drawing money.
"That will do, my good woman; you can retire."
The next witness to be examined was Shufflin" Sandie. He was exceedingly cool, and took a large pinch of snuff before answering a question.
"Were not Craig Nicol and Reginald Grahame particular friends?"
"Once upon a time, sir; but he was awfully jealous was Craig, and never brought Grahame to the Hall; but after the fight with thae devils of poachers, Grahame was carried, wounded, to Bilberry Hall, and nursed by Miss Annie. Not much wonder, sir, that they fell in love. I would have done the same myself. I--"
"Now, don"t be garrulous."
"Oh, devil a garrylus; I"ll not say another word if ye like."