Adventure Magazine Cover, October 1911 — page 102: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

1048 to procure me an intelligent guide who was present before the body was removed?” “T think I can fill that post myself,” said the General. ‘I was on the ground early. The dogcart is ready, and the groom who will drive us is the man who discovered the pistol. I think if he had known what trouble it would bring on a man who is gen- erally beloved he would have stamped it into the marsh!” ‘“‘One question more,” said Vokes, as the General gave orders for the dogcart to be brought around. ‘‘Does the uncle’s death increase the nephew’s income? ”’ ‘““Not by a copper!” replied the other. ‘When the quarrel occurred the old man changed his will, leaving all his money and the estate, which is not entailed, to a dis- tant relative. Only the night before the murder he added a codicil, but Geoffrey’s name was not mentioned. The codicil left several comparatively small sums to a few persons, myself included. As I told you before, I was one of the very few persons with whom he was on terms approaching intimacy. The chief legatee in the codicil was his valet, who has been with him for a good many years.” “Ah!” said Vokes. ‘And was this ser- vant aware of the condition of his master’s health, and of the bequest?” “Of the first, no,’’ replied the General; “‘of the legacy, yes. He is perfectly candid about it. He says that after the codicil had been signed and witnessed by two of the other servants, in his presence, Variole said to him, ‘I suppose you wonder, Masten, why I did not get you to witness this. Don’t you know that a legatee can’t be a witness without putting himself out of court? I have put you down for five hundred pounds as a reward for faithful service.’ : ‘“Masten thanked him, and then he says he plucked up courage and mentioned Geoffrey. ‘I hope, sir, you’ll not forget the young master,’ he said. “Variole glared at him for a minute, and then he smiled. ‘Yes, Masten,’ he said, ‘Iam going to leave him something to remember me by. We are going to be friends again.’ That was all that was said on the subject, but if the old man really had any intention of changing his will in Geoffrey’s favor, the tragedy next day put it out of his power.” ‘‘T should much like to see this man, Mas- ten,” said Vokes. ‘‘Would it be possible Adventure to have him meet us on the ground? It might save time.” ‘““Assuredly,” replied the General. will send a note over to the Manor, but if you have any suspicions of Masten I assure you they are unfounded. A more faithful fellow never breathed.” ‘IT suspect no one—at present, General Warbury,” returned Vokes quietly. II THE rattle of wheels on the drive cut short any further conversation. General Warbury hastily penned a note which he handed to a servant, bidding him take it to the Manor. In a few min- utes we were bowling along in a tall cart behind a powerful bay. At a stile, leading to a footpath which crossed a field and disappeared in a dark plantation, the General pulled up, and the groom sprang to the horse’s head. “There is the ‘Grove,’”’ said the General, pointing with his whip. ‘‘We will get out here. Tie the horse to the fence, Wiliam, and come with us,” he added. A couple of hundred yards brought us to the wood, a gloomy looking covert indeed. For some distance on either side of the raised causeway the ground was swampy, with bare, sticky mud and little pools here and there, but as we proceeded up a gentle rise it hardened and the path became sim- ply a beaten track. ‘There, gentlemen,” said General War- bury, coming to a halt and pointing through an opening in the trees, ‘“‘there is the scene of the tragedy, and it was from this point that the girl witnessed the quarrel be- tween uncle and nephew.” Some twenty yards away was a fair- sized clearing, and to this the General led the way. “Here,” he said, “is where the two men were standing when they were last seen to- gether, and here—” he advanced a few paces and pointed to the foot of a small dead oak tree, ‘‘is where the body was found. It lay on its back, the feet almost touching the tree. You can see where the head rested, for there is still blood on those leaves.”’ | Vokes swept one lightning glance over the ground and the tree and for several seconds his gaze remained riveted a few yards beyond it. Then he turned to the me C© as Dee MICLOOKS (©