“I think I’ve got an insight to-night,” said Marston. “Tom Tallington saw a couple of men coming along the road and creep to the edge of the mere.”
“True! I had forgotten that,” said the squire sharply.
“And that shows us that our enemies belong to a party somewhere at a distance, and that we should be wasting time in searching here. Hallo! who’s this?”
The exclamation was caused by the appearance of a dark figure coming towards them from the direction of the Toft.
“Why, it’s Thorpeley, the constable!” said Dick in a whisper to his companion.
“Oh, it’s you!” said the squire gruffly. “Pity you weren’t down here sooner.”
“Has it been an explosion, sir?” said the constable in a smooth unctuous voice.
“Yes,” said the squire abruptly, and he walked on with the engineer.
“Ah, I was going on to see!” said the constable; “but as you’re all going back, I’ll go back too.”
No one spoke, but all walked on in silence, for the man’s coming seemed to have damped the conversation; but the opportunity for making himself heard and showing his importance was not to be ignored.