Blake nodded.
“Stone dead,” he said. “They thought at first he’d just died natural, as there was no mark o’ violence on ’im, but when they got a doctor to examine ’im he soon found out very different. The poor ol’ feller ’ad been poisoned, missy; the doctor said ’e must a’ bin dead twelve hours when the Bowens found ’im. Everything of value was gone from the hut along with his mate, old Harris—the black-hearted villain he must be!”
“Why, do they think he killed the other man?” Norah asked.
“Seems pretty certain, missy,” Blake replied. “In fact, there don’t seem the shadder of a doubt. He was comin’ straight from the hut when the Bowens met ’im—an’ he’d cleared out the whole place, gold an’ all. Oh, there ain’t any doubt about Mr. Harris bein’ the guilty party. The only thing doubtful is Mr. Harris’s whereabouts.”
“Have the police been looking for him?” asked Norah.
“Huntin’ high an’ low—without any luck. He seems to have vanished off the earth. They’ve bin follerin’ up first one clue and then another without any result. Now the last is that he’s been seen somewhere the other side of your place, an’ two troopers have gone out to-day to see if there’s any truth in the rumour.”
“I think it’s awfully exciting,” Norah said, “but I’m terribly sorry for the poor man who was killed. What a wicked old wretch the other must be!—his own mate, too! I wonder what he was like. Did you know him?”
“Well, I’ve seen old Harris a few times—not often,” Blake replied. “Still, he wasn’t the sort of old man you’d forget. Not a bad-looking old chap, he was. Very tall and well set up, with piercin’ blue eyes, long white hair an’ beard, an’ a pretty uppish way of talkin’. I don’t fancy anyone about here knew him very well—he had a way of keepin’ to himself. One thing, there’s plenty lookin’ out for him now.”
“I suppose so,” Norah said. “I wonder will he really get away?”
“Mighty small chance,” said Blake. “Still, it’s wonderful how he’s managed to keep out of sight for so long. Of course, once in the bush it might be hard to find him—but sooner or later he must come out to some township for tucker, an’ then everyone will be lookin’ out for him. They may have got him up your way by now, missy. Is your Pa at home?”