Terry set down the lamp, and the four of us lifted up the cart and turned it over into the ditch, close to where our car was lying. The doctor examined the prostrate man, Terry holding the light for him.
“Dead!” cried the doctor. “Dead! My God, it’s awful.”
The blood in my veins became icy cold. I felt I was not only in the presence of death, but in the presence of a mystery still more weird if that were possible.
“What is it, Lynam?” I whispered hoarsely.
“That is the rattle of a cart coming along, Terry?” said the doctor, not heeding my question.
“It is, doctor.”
“Show them the light.”
Terry held out the light in the direction of the approaching cart. It belonged to one of the neighbours. When the cart came up to where we were standing around the corpse it halted. A few words were sufficient to explain what had happened, and the owner of the cart agreeing we lifted the corpse on to the cart and it was taken home.
The doctor, Terry and I returned towards the house. Not a word was spoken by any of us until we were within a few yards of the hall door.