He has been dead at least
eight hours. Lift him carefully, men. We can do nothing more
here--unless by chance the one who did it flung his weapon after him,
and we could find it."
They scattered, and searched the whole dark bay minutely, but found
nothing. Then with rough gentleness they bore the body to the boat and
laid it under the thwarts.
"Men!" said the Senechal weightily, as they were just about to climb
back into their boats. "This matter brings another matter home to all
our hearts. You have been persecuting another man under the belief that
he killed Tom Hamon. From what some of us knew of Mr. Gard, we were
certain he could have had no hand in it. This, I take it, proves it?" He
looked at the Doctor.
"Undoubtedly!" nodded the Doctor. "The man who killed this one killed
the other, and that man could not be Stephen Gard, for he is on L'Etat."
"It's God's mercy that you haven't Mr. Gard's blood on your heads. Some
of you, I know, have done your best that way. Suppose you had killed
him that other night--what would you have felt as you stood here to-day?
Take that thought home with you, and may God keep you from like
misjudgment in the future!"
And they had not a word to say for themselves, but crawled silently
aboard, and in silence pulled back to Creux Harbour.
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