“You believe in first impressions?”
“Largely so, for I have very often found them right ones.”
At the fence where the body had been taken out of the barrow the detective and Barnes parted.
The latter returned to the house, while the former remained beside the fence.
One thing that he had noticed here that Barnes had not was that there was a wheel track showing that a wagon had not so very long ago been driven close up alongside of the fence.
After examining this wheel track closely he muttered to himself:
“Here are the tracks made by the wagon in driving up. They show that the wagon contained less weight than when it drove away, for the wheels have not cut as deeply as in departing. This means that Mr. Field’s body, living or dead as the case may be, was transferred to the wagon. Now then, how was this done? Why was it considered necessary to take his body away?”
And he continued:
“As yet that is a mystery. But it can and must be solved. The first thing to do is to find a motive for the assault on Mr. Field. That robbery was not the reason is shown by the fact that nothing was taken. Yet, on the contrary, it would appear that his life was not sought, for if it had been the murderers would merely have made sure of that and left. The taking of his body gives to the case a deeper meaning. He was not killed, is the only conclusion that I can reach under the circumstances, and yet——”
Nick Carter paused.