Shepherd, a retired quarry-owner, who lived in a picturesque old stone house in the middle of Whitcliffe Moor, with nothing to occupy his attention but the growing of roses and vegetables, and an occasional glance at the local newspapers, listened to Prydale's request with gradually rising curiosity. Byner had at once seen that this call was welcome to this bluff and hearty Yorkshireman, who, without any question as to their business, had immediately welcomed them to his hearth and pressed liquor and cigars on them: he sized up Shepherd as a man to whom any sort of break in the placid course of retired life was a delightful event. "A dead man i' that old shaft i' one o' my worked out quarries!" he exclaimed. "Ye don't mean to say so! An' how long d'yer think he might ha' been there, now, Prydale?" "Some months, Mr. Shepherd," replied the detective. "Why, then it's high time he were taken out," said Shepherd. "When might you be thinkin' o' doin' t' job, like?" "As soon as possible," said Prydale. "Tomorrow morning, early, if that's convenient to you." "I'll tell you what I'll do," observed the retired quarry-owner. "You leave t' job to me. I'll get two or three men first thing tomorrow morning, and we'll do it reight. You be up there by half-past eight o'clock, and we'll soon satisfy you as to whether there's owt i' t' shape of a dead man or not i' t' pit. You hev' grounds for believin' 'at theer is----what?" "Strong grounds!" replied the detective, "and equally strong ones for believing the man came there by foul play, too." "Say no more!" said Shepherd. "T' mystery shall be cleared up. Deary me! An' to think 'at I've walked past yon theer pit many a dozen times within this last few o' months, and nivver dreamed 'at theer wor owt in it but watter! Howivver, gentlemen, ye can put yer minds at ease--we'll investigate the circumstances, as the sayin' goes, before noon tomorrow." "One other matter," remarked Prydale. "We want things kept quiet. We don't want all the folk of the neighbourhood round about, you know." "Leave it to me," answered Shepherd. "There'll be me, and these men, and yourselves--and a pair of grapplin' irons. We'll do it quiet and comfortable--and we'll do it reight." "Odd character!" remarked Byner, when he and Prydale went away. "Useful man--for a job of that sort," said the detective laconically. "Now then--are we going to let anybody else know what we're after--Mr. Eldrick or Mr. Collingwood, for instance? Do you want them, or either of them, to be present?" "No!" answered Byner, after a moment's reflection. "Let us see what results. We can let them know, soon enough, if we've anything to tell. But--what about Pratt?" "Keeping an eye on him--you mean?" said Prydale. "You said just now that in your opinion we should find him at his desk." "Just so--but that's no reason why he shouldn't be looked after tomorrow morning," answered Byner.