"And not after?" said the vicar, fixing his eyes on the young man. "I object to this cross-examination," said Richard, hotly. "This is not a magistrate." "Parson asked thee a plain question, lad; give him a plain answer," said Joe, quietly. "Thou'st nowt to fear." "No, then," said Richard, loudly. "I was at home." "Mr Banks, then, you had better take twenty men; you go with these twenty, Podmore; and--" He hesitated a moment, when Joe Banks said: "Master Richard will take another twenty." "And another score will perhaps go with me," said the vicar. "Then we'll each take one road; and mind, my men, every ditch, copse, and pond must be well searched; and, above all, mind and ask at every cottage on the road, who has passed, and what carts or carriages have gone along since last night." The parties were soon told off, when the vicar exclaimed: "But stop! There were two strangers here yesterday." "Yes," chorused several. "Two ill-looking chaps from one of the big towns." "Ay," cried big Harry; "and I sin 'em go up towards the chalk pit." "So did I," said another. There was silence for a moment or two, and Tom Podmore seemed to feel the place go round, but he roused himself directly as he heard the vicar's clear ringing voice: "Then if some treacherous, unmanly scoundrel has not carried off, or persuaded this poor girl to leave father, mother, and home, for his own bad ends, we have found the clue. But mind this, my lads, we are going to run down those two men, but no violence. Let's take them, but we must prove that they have been guilty." "Aw raight, parson;" and the whole party were for a rush up the road towards the chalk pit; but the vicar kept them to their separate tasks; and, glancing upwards, he caught a glimpse of two pale faces at the Big House, and the faces were those of Eve Pelly and Mrs Glaire. Then each party started, and the search began. Volume 2, Chapter X. A FRUITLESS SEARCH. The chalk pit naturally formed the great attraction, and on reaching it, the spots were pointed out where basket and shawl were found; but though a careful search was made by a portion of the force, nothing was for some time found to account for the disappearance. The party had, however, divided here, and a portion of them, under Big Harry, had hastened along the road toward the Four Alls, the name of the little public-house where it was expected to hear some tidings of the men who had been seen in the town, and who must have passed, even if they were guiltless of wrong. The vicar, however, chose to remain behind, with about ten of his party, and together they began to make a more careful search about the pit--the first investigation being of the low post-and-rail fence which ran along the edge, to see if it was perfect in every part.