They think he was struck down--from the marks of a blow that they found." "Aye, just so," said Mallalieu, "but he could get many blows on him as he fell down them rocks.

Look for yourself!--there's not only rough edges of stone down there, but snags and roots of old trees that he'd strike against in falling.

Accident, my lad!--that's what it's been--sheer and pure accident." The policeman neither agreed with nor contradicted the Mayor, and presently they went down to the bottom of the quarry again, where Mallalieu, under pretence of thoroughly seeing into everything, walked about all over the place.

He did not find the stick, and he was quite sure that nobody else had found it.

Finally he went away, convinced that it lay in some nook or cranny of the shelving slope on to which he had kicked it in his sudden passion of rage.