As Hopcraft was in the cornfield reaping with other men, it was thought best not to say anything to him till evening, when he had gone home. In the meantime, Boddily went to prepare for his expedition after Scammel. In the course of the day he sent to the Grange a coarse brown linen bag to wait for him. In the evening he came hastily into the Grange, and being sent for into the parlour, where Sir Henry Clavering was again, he said, “It is a case! I have seen Hopcraft; I looked in as if in passing, and remarked that I thought he could not be well, his garden was so out of order. He said no, it was bad luck; he did not know how, but everything went wrong. I then asked where Scammel was now-a-days, I had not seen him for long. He was evidently alarmed at the mention of his name. He did not know, he said, and did not want to know; Scammel was a terrible fellow. ‘Do you think he had any hand in that murder at the ferry there?’ said I. “‘Murder!’ said Hopcraft, ‘it was no murder—the horse kicked him.’ ‘Well,’ said I, ‘I’ve some queer thoughts about that, and you know, Hopcraft, there are 300_l._ for any one who can find out who did that; a pretty sum. Suppose you and I were to go shares at that?’ “‘Don’t you meddle with it, Boddily,’ he said, evidently greatly frightened, ‘Scammel is a devil; he will be down on you like a shower of rain. Let him alone, I say, let him alone, in the devil’s name.’ “‘Then he must be somewhere near, to be so quickly down on one.’ “‘I know nothing about that; I say let him alone. Everybody says it was an accident.’ “‘On the contrary,’ said I, ‘a little bird has whispered something to me. There were two people who saw the whole thing.’ “‘What who?’ said Hopcraft, pale and trembling—‘who said so—them Shalcrosses?’ “‘No matter,’ said I, ‘only, Hopcraft, as you live so near and may have seen something of the real fact, if you and I could bring it home to Scammel, that 300_l._ would be a very nice thing.’ “Hopcraft was now thoroughly frightened. ‘Mind,’ said he, ‘I know nothing, and I’ve said nothing; so don’t you bring me in any way.’ “‘Well,’ said I, ‘how can I, when you know nothing, and have said nothing?’ “‘Well, then,’ said Hopcraft, ‘you won’t say that you have had any talk with me, eh’?—you won’t, Boddily?’ “‘Oh, make yourself easy, Hopcraft,’ I said. ‘As you know nothing, what is the use of mentioning you? But now I must go, our folks will be wondering where I am. But, Hopcraft, if ever you _do_ hear anything, tell me first about it, and let us get the three hundred.’ “This seemed to quiet him, and he said, ‘You may trust to me, Boddily; only be snug, eh? You won’t say a word of this?’ “‘What would be the use?’ I said, ‘if we are some day to find out something. As you say, Snug’s the word.’ And with that I came away, Hopcraft uneasily watching me through his garden hedge. He’s got a fright, and it will be well to talk to him a little cheerfully in the cornfield, occasionally, to allay any suspicions.”