Page:William Le Queux - The Czar's Spy.djvu/152

138 the consequences if it fell into your hands," I suggested.

"Of course they might have watched you from behind the trees, and when you had gone they came and carried it away somewhere else," he remarked dubiously; "but even if they did, it must be in this wood. They would never risk carrying a body very far, and here is surely the best place of concealment in the whole country."

"The only thing remaining is to search the wood at daylight," I suggested. If the two men came back here during my absence they may still be on the watch in the vicinity."

"Most probably they are. We must take every precaution," he said decisively. And then, with our lanterns lowered, we made an examination of the vicinity, without, however, discovering anything else to furnish us with a clue. While I had been absent the body of the unfortunate Armida had disappeared — a fact which, knowing all that I did, was doubly mysterious.

The pair had, without a doubt, watched Muriel and myself, and as soon as we had gone they had returned and carried off the ghastly remains of the poor woman who had been so foully done to death.

But who were the men — the fellow with the broad shoulders whom Muriel had recognized, and the slim seafarer in his pilot-coat and peaked cap?

The enigma each hour became more and more inscrutable.

At dawn, Mackenzie with four of his men made a thorough examination of the wood, but although