"But where did she go?" asked Mr. Radhurst. "The girl was here until quite late yesterday afternoon."
"That's what the men couldn't find out. The old chief was mighty surly, too, an' wouldn't tell nothin'. But thar was one thing I did notice," he continued. "While the rest was hootin' an' shoutin', a scart look come over Pritchen's face when he heered that the girl had skipped, an' that the chief was cranky. He seemed feered of somethin', an' I can't make out jist what it is."
"Were those the only charges, Mr. Burke?" questioned Constance, anxious to hear more.
"No, thar's another I'm comin' to now, an' a mighty nasty one, at that."
Constance's face became still paler, and her lips quivered as she heard these ominous words. Was there no end to these terrible things?
"They say that the other poke found in the chist has a mighty suspicious look about it."
"In what way?"
"Waal, ye see, thar was two letters on the poke, which seemed to pint to somethin' bad. Pritchen was out huntin' mountain sheep a short time ago, so he says, in the Ibex Valley. While thar he stayed in an old log shanty, an' the place was all upsot lookin', so he says, as if a terrible fight had taken place. Then he finds a book layin' on the floor with the parson's name inside."
"What book was it?" asked Constance eagerly.
"I'm not sure that I kin remember the full name," and the old man scratched his head in a puzzled manner. "But it's a book of poetry written by a chap by the name of Brown or Black, I jist can't tell which. I never heered of 'im afore, 'ave you?"