"He was at work just under this long limb," said Haskell.
Nick bent down to examine the ground. It was a flower-bed which looked as if it had recently been sown.
The spot was excellently chosen for concealment. It was impossible to tell whether the earth there had recently been disturbed.
Deever seized a spade and began to dig. He was a man of enormous strength, and he worked furiously.
The two men who had brought the tools joined in the work, but they did less than half as much as Deever alone.
In an incredibly short time the hole was four feet deep. Then Nick suggested that they proceed with greater caution.
"The body," he said, "was probably buried without protection. If you strike it with your spades you may increase the difficulty of identification."
Thus warned, Deever's two assistants worked with care, but Deever himself continued to ply his spade like a madman.
Not knowing the exact spot, they dug a hole much larger than a grave, and thus the three men were able to work at the same time with advantage.
Suddenly Deever cried: