Authors: George W. M. Reynolds,James Malcolm Rymer
They
came to a deep excavation, down which they looked, and when the man held the
torch beneath its surface, they could dimly see the bottom of it, where there
was a number of large pieces of flint stone, and, apparently, likewise, the
remains of broken bottles.
"There
used to be a windlass at the top of this," said Mr. Leek, "and the
things were let down in a basket. They do say that ice will keep for two years
in one of these places."
"And
are there more of these excavations?" said the baron.
"Oh,
dear, yes, sir; there are five or six of them for different purposes; for when
the family that used to live in Anderbury House had grand entertainments, which
they sometimes had in the summer season, they always had a lot of men down
here, cooling wines, and passing them up from hand to hand to the house."
From
the gradual slope of this passage down to the cliffs, and the zigzag character
of it, it may be well supposed that it was of considerable extent. Indeed, Mr.
Leek asserted that it was half a mile in actual measured length.
The
baron was not at all anxious to run any risk of a discovery of the dead body
which he had cast into that ice-well which was nearest to the opening on to the
beach, so, as he went on, he negatived the different proposals that were made
to look down into the excavations, and succeeded in putting a stop to that
species of inquiry in the majority of instances, but he could not wholly do so.
Perhaps
it would have been better for his purpose if he had encouraged a look into
every one of the ice-wells; for, in that case, their similarity of appearance
might have tired out Sir John Westlake before they got to the last one; but as
it was, when they reached the one down which the body had been precipitated, he
had the mortification to hear Mr. Leek say,—
"And
now, Sir John, and you, my lord baron, as we have looked at the first of these
ice wells and at none of the others, suppose we look at the last."
The
baron was afraid to say anything; because, if the body were discovered, and
identified as that of the visitor at the inn, and who had been seen last with
him, any reluctance on his part to have that ice-well examined, might easily
afterwards be construed into a very powerful piece of circumstantial evidence
against him.
He
therefore merely bowed his assent, thinking that the examination would be but a
superficial one, and that, in consequence, he should escape easily from any
disagreeable consequences.
But
this the fates ordained otherwise; and there seemed no hope of that ice-well in
particular escaping such an investigation as was sure to induce some
uncomfortable results.
"Davis,"
said Mr. Leek, "these places are not deep, you see, and I was thinking
that if you went down one of them, it would be as well; for then you would be
able to tell the gentlemen what the bottom was fairly composed of, you
understand."
"Oh,
I don't mind, sir," said Davis. "I have been down one of them before
to-day, I can tell you, sir."
"I
do not see the necessity," said Sir John Westlake, "exactly, of such
a thing; but still if you please, and this gentleman wishes—"
"I
have no wish upon the occasion," said the baron; "and, like yourself,
cannot see the necessity."
"Oh,
there is no trouble," said Mr. Leek; "and it's better, now you are
here, that you see and understand all about it. How can you get down,
Davis?"
"Why,
sir, it ain't above fourteen feet altogether; so I sha'n't have any difficulty,
for I can hang by my hands about half the distance, and drop the
remainder."
As he
spoke he took off his coat, and then stuck the link he carried into a cleft of
the rock, that was beside the brink of the excavation.
The
baron now saw that there would be no such thing as avoiding a discovery of the
fact of the dead body being in that place, and his only hope was, that in its
descent it might have become so injured as to defy identification.
But
this was a faint hope, because he recollected that he had himself seen the
face, which was turned upwards, and the period after death was by far too short
for him to have any hope that decomposition could have taken place even to the
most limited extent.
The
light, which was stuck in a niche, shed but a few inefficient rays down into
the pit, and, as the baron stood, with folded arms, looking calmly on, he
expected each moment a scene of surprise and terror would ensue.
Nor
was he wrong; for scarcely had the man plunged down into that deep place, than
he uttered a cry of alarm and terror, and shouted,—
"Murder!
murder! Lift me out. There is a dead man down here, and I have jumped upon
him."
"A
dead man!" cried Mr. Leek and Sir John Westlake in a breath.
"How
very strange!" said the baron.
"Lend
me a hand," cried Davis; "lend me a hand out; I cannot stand this,
you know. Lend me a hand out, I say, at once."
This
was easier to speak of than to do, and Mr. Davis began to discover that it was
easier by far to get into a deep pit, than to get out of one, notwithstanding
that his assertion of having been down into those places was perfectly true;
but then he had met with nothing alarming, and had been able perfectly at his
leisure to scramble out the best way he could.
Now,
however, his frantic efforts to release himself from a much more uncomfortable
situation than he had imagined it possible for him to get into, were of so
frantic a nature, that he only half buried himself in pieces of chalk, which he
kept pulling down with vehemence from the sides of the pit, and succeeded in
accomplishing nothing towards his rescue.
"Oh!
the fellow is only joking," said the baron, "and amusing himself at
our expense."
But
the manner in which the man cried for help, and the marked terror which was in
every tone, was quite sufficient to prove that he was not acting; for if he
were, a more accomplished mimic could not have been found on the stage than he
was.
"This
is serious," said Sir John Westlake, "and cannot be allowed. Have you
any ropes here by which we can assist him from the pit? Don't be alarmed, my
man, for if there be a dead body in the pit, it can't harm you. Take your time
quietly and easily, and you will assuredly get out."
"Aye,"
said the baron, "the more haste, the worst speed, is an English proverb,
and in this case it will be fully exemplified. This man would easily leave the
pit, if he would have the patience, with care and quietness, to clamber up its
sides."
It
would appear that Davis felt the truth of these exhortations, for although he
trembled excessively, he did begin to make some progress in his ascent, and get
so high, that Mr. Leek was enabled to get hold of his hand, and give him a
little assistance, so that, in another minute or so, he was rescued from his
situation, which was not one of peril, although it was certainly one of fright.
He
trembled so excessively, and stuttered and stammered, that for some minutes no
one could understand very well what he said; but at length, upon making himself
intelligible, he exclaimed,—
"There
has been a murder! there has been a murder committed, and the body thrown into
the ice pit. I felt that I jumped down upon something soft, and when I put down
my hand to feel what it was, it came across a dead man's face, and then, of
course, I called out."
"You
certainly did call out."
"Yes,
and so would anybody, I think, under such circumstances. I suppose I shall be
hung now, because I had charge of the house?"
"That
did not strike me until this moment," said the baron; "but if there
be a dead body in that pit, it certainly places this man in a very awkward
position."
"What
the deuce do you mean?" said Davis; "I don't know no more about it
than the child unborn. There is a dead man in the ice-well, and that is all I
know about it; but whether he has been there a long time, or a short time, I
don't know any more than the moon, so it's no use bothering me about it."
"My
good man," said the baron, "it would be very wrong indeed to impute
to you any amount of criminality in this business, since you may be entirely
innocent; and I, for one, believe that you are so, for I cannot think that any
guilty man would venture into the place where he had put the body of his
victim, in the way that you ventured into that pit. I say I cannot believe it
possible, and therefore I think you innocent, and will take care to see that no
injustice is done you; but at the same time I cannot help adding, that I think,
of course, you will find yourself suspected in some way."
"I
am very much obliged to you, sir," said Davis; "but as I happen to be
quite innocent, I am very easy about it, and don't care one straw what people
say. I have not been in this excavation for Heaven knows how long."
"But
what's to be done?" said Mr. Leek. "I suppose it's our duty to do
something, under such circumstances."
"Unquestionably,"
said the baron; "and the first thing to be done, is to inform the police
of what has happened, so that the body may be got up; and as I have now seen
enough of the estate to satisfy me as regards its capabilities, I decide at
once upon taking it, if I can agree upon the conditions of the tenancy, and I
will purchase it, if the price be such as I think suitable."
"Well,"
said Mr. Leek, "if anything could reconcile me to the extraordinary circumstance
that has just occurred, it certainly is, baron, the having so desirable a
tenant for Anderbury-on-the-Mount as yourself. But we need not traverse all
this passage again, for it is much nearer now to get out upon the sea-coast at
once, as we are so close to the other opening upon the beach. It seems to me
that we ought to proceed at once to the town, and give information to the
authorities of the discovery which we have made."
"It
is absolutely necessary," said the baron, "so to do; so come along at
once. I shall proceed to my inn, and as, of course, I have seen nothing more
than yourselves, and consequently could only repeat your evidence, I do not see
that my presence is called for. Nevertheless, of course, if the justices think
it absolutely necessary that I should appear, I can have no possible objection
to so do."
This
was as straightforward as anything that could be desired, and, moreover, it was
rather artfully put together, for it seemed to imply that he, Mr. Leek, would
be slighted, if his evidence was not considered sufficient.
"Of
course," said Mr. Leek; "I don't see at all why, as you, sir, have
only the same thing to say as myself, I should not be sufficient."
"Don't
call upon me on any account," said Sir John Westlake.
"Oh!
no, no," cried Mr. Leek; "there is no occasion. I won't, you may
depend, if it can be helped."
Sir
John, in rather a nervous and excited manner, bade them good day, before they
got quite into the town, and hurried off; while the baron, with a dignified
bow, when he reached the door of his hotel, said to Mr. Leek,—
"Of
course I do not like the trouble of judicial investigations more than anybody
else, and therefore, unless it is imperatively necessary that I should appear,
I shall take it as a favour to be released from such a trouble."
"My
lord baron," said Mr. Leek, "you may depend that I shall mention that
to the magistrates and the coroner, and all those sort of people;" and
then Mr. Leek walked away, but he muttered to himself, as he did so, "They
will have him, as sure as fate, just because he is a baron; and his name will
look well in the 'County Chronicle.'"
Mr.
Leek then repaired immediately to the house of one of the principal
magistrates, and related what had occurred, to the great surprise of that
gentleman, who suggested immediately the propriety of making the fact known to
the coroner of the district, as it was more his business, than a magistrate's,
in the first instance, since nobody was accused of the offence.
This
suggestion was immediately followed, and that functionary directed that the
body should be removed from where it was to the nearest public-house, and
immediately issued his precept for an inquiry into the case.
By
this time the matter had begun to get bruited about in the town, and of course
it went from mouth to mouth with many exaggerations; and although it by no
means did follow that a murder had been committed because a dead body had been
found, yet, such was the universal impression; and the matter began to be
talked about as the murder in the subterranean passage leading to Anderbury
House, with all the gusto which the full particulars of some deed of blood was
calculated to inspire. And how it spread about was thus:—
The
fact was, that Mr. Leek was so anxious to let Anderbury-on-the-Mount to the
rich Baron Stolmuyer, of Saltzburgh, that he got a friend of his to come and
personate Sir John Westlake, while he, the baron, was looking at the premises,
in order to drive him at once to a conclusion upon the matter; so that what
made Sir John so very anxious that he should not be called forward in the
matter, consisted in the simple fact that he was nothing else than plain Mr.
Brown, who kept a hatter's shop in the town; but he could not keep his own
counsel, and, instead of holding his tongue, as he ought to have done, about
the matter, he told it to every one he met, so that in a short time it was
generally known that something serious and startling had occurred in the
subterranean passage to Anderbury House, and a great mob of persons thronged the
beach in anxious expectation of getting more information on the matter.