Along the deserted little street we searched until we came to the constable's cottage, in the window of which a light was burning, and knocking at the door it was opened by Mr Booth, as the villagers called him, a big, round-faced officer in constabulary uniform. "Oh! beg pardon, gentlemen!" he exclaimed, recognising us. "I thought it were Dr Richards. They've telephoned from the house to call him. He ought to be here by now." "What's the matter, Booth? What has happened?" I asked, stepping into his clean little parlour where his wife greeted us with a curtsey. "Rainer came to us and said that somebody had been found dead, so we came out to hear all about it." "Yes, sir, that's right. John Harris found him some hours ago; but I was out on my beat across at Elsted, and they 'ad to fetch me. I've been up to Charlton Wood and seen 'im, but I've left 'im there till the gov'nor comes. We've strict orders never to move a body without the superintendent sees it first." "But tell us all about it," I urged. "Who's the man, and what has happened?" "Well, John Harris was goin' 'is round as usual, when 'is dog found a man lyin' just inside the wood--stone dead. Shot in the chest. The sight, of course, gave 'im a fright, an' he comes down here quick and informs my missis. She told him to keep it dark, as we didn't want the whole village up there, an' sent him up to the house to telephone to Midhurst to the divisional surgeon. Then they came out and found me." "You don't recognise the dead man?" I asked with trepidation. "No. 'E's a stranger--maybe a tramp." "You haven't searched him?" "Not yet. I'm waiting for the doctor and the gov'nor. I've telephoned to him in Chichester, only 'e may be out on inspection-duty." "And meanwhile the body is up in the wood? Is anybody there with it?" "No, sir. We think it better to leave it there alone, otherwise the news'll spread and they'll tread out whatever marks of a struggle there maybe there." In an instant a serious thought occurred to me. Had the dead man on him any letter of Sybil's or anything to connect her with him? "Well," I said a moment later in as unconcerned a tone as I could, "we're interested to see who the poor fellow is. Therefore we'll walk on up in the direction of the wood, and when Richards comes you'll overtake us." "Very well, gentlemen," was the constable's reply. "But you won't tell anyone yet, will you? And you won't go into the wood and tread about? If there's been murder committed, as there seems to have been, then we must find the guilty party," he added seriously, this no doubt being the first really grave case he had ever had in all his eighteen years' career. "Of course not," answered Eric. "We shall wait for you, as we don't know where the body is."