The Shrieking Pit

ugh the sea marshes which stretched along that part of the Norfolk coast as far as t

topped on their way down by a young mounted officer, who, on learning of their destination, told them they would have to

a was full of troops guarding a little bay called Leyland Hoop, where the water was so deep tha

uld Old En

e Leyland

rned back to the coast again on the other side of a high green headland which marked the end of the prohi

nd wet flats, with scarcely a stir of life in any part of it, a

ered with green slime from long disuse, the little stone quays were thick with moss, the rotting planks of a broken fishing boat were foul with the encrustations of long years, the stone cottages by the roadside seemed deserted. Here a

ements of Nature before Man had acknowledged his defeat and retreated, leaving hostages behind him. And-significant indication of the bitterness of the fight-it was to be noted that, while the builders of a bygone generation had built to face the sea, the

. Colwyn increased his speed a little, and in a few minutes the car had reached the outskirts of the little hamlet, which consisted of a straggling row of beach-stone cottages, a few gaunt farm-houses on the rise

had departed. Half the stone cottages were untenanted, with broken windows, flapping doors, and gardens overgrown with rank marsh weeds. The road through the village had fallen into disrepair, and oozed beneath the weight of the car, a few boards thrown higgledy-piggledy across in places representing the local effort to preserve the roadway from the invading marshes. The

front," said Police-Constab

shouldered hill. It was built facing away from the sea like the beach-stone cottages, from which it was separated by a patch of common. From the rear of the inn the marshes stretched in unbroken monotony to the line of leaping white sea dashing sullenly against the breakwater wall, and ran for miles north and south in a desolate uniformity

standstill on the edge of th

e to walk acr

he car," said Galloway, scr

e inn," said Queensmead. "You cannot see the pit from here, but it is close to that little wood on the summit. The foot

the pit?" a

was not an easy matte

footprints later," said Mr. Cro

ed from a stout stanchion above the front door of the inn. Some men, wearing sea-boots and jerseys, others in labouring garb, splashed with clay and mud, were stand

ed, and a man appeared on the threshold. Seeing the police uniforms he stepped outside as if to make more room for the party to enter the na

tricken that part of the Norfolk coast with aridity and barrenness. But there was no lack of strength in his frame as he advanced briskly towards his visitors. His face was not the least remarkable part of him. It was ridiculou

he landlord of this plac

rt of him; soft and gentle, with a cultivated accent which suggested t

private room," s

oor, smelling of tobacco, explaining, as he placed chairs, that it was the bar parlour, but they would be quie

proper," said th

our journey?" suggested the innkeeper. "I'm afraid the resource

d him. Colwyn noticed that his hand was long and th

companions the proffered refreshment. "We have much to do and it will be time enough for refreshm

airs,

s to th

d narrow passage. When he reached a door near the

eye that noted the key in the door. "What is that key doing in t

ct something must be wrong, because Mr. Glenthorpe was in the habit of locking his door of a night and placing th

ocked, though the k

the room was just as usual.

und the room empty?" asked Superintendent Gal

it now. I gave orders that

aid Queensmead, indicating the

at that later,

a line with the door, opening on to the other side of the house. The bottom pane was up, and the window opened as wide as possible. A very modern touch, unusual in a remote country inn, was a rose coloured gas globe suspended from the ceiling, in the middle of the room. The furniture belonged to a past period, but it was handsome and well-kept-a Spanish mahogany wardr

r when pushed back swung just clear of a small bedroom table beside the bed, on which the reading lamp stood, with a book beside it. The other side of the bed was close to the wall which divided the room from the next bedroom, so that there was a large clear space o

f a man of sixty or sixty-five; a fine powerful face, benign in expression, with a chin and mouth of marked character and individuality. But the distorted contour of the half-open mouth, and the

y, with something of a tremor in his voice, as he gazed down at the dead man's face. "T

ay, who was standing beside his superior officer. He drew off th

ter. The arms were inclining outwards from the body, and the legs were doubled up. There were a few spots of blood on the left breast, and immediately beneath, a

illed so strong a man," said Mr. Cr

force, and penetrated the heart. The weapon used-a small, thin, steel

?" asked Superintendent Galloway. "Would an o

. The thrust was made horizontally,-that is, across the ribs and between them, instead of perpendicularly, which is the usual method of stabbing. Apparently the

al knowledge of human anatomy on the

an tell how far apart the hum

aded knife, but why do you think it was also round-headed?" asked S

ger?" suggeste

the blood-flow. My theory of a round-headed knife is based on the circumstance of a portion of the deceased's pyja

rintendent Gallowa

s of medical students-"that the victim was killed with a flat, round knife with a round edge, held sideways. Furthermore, the position of the wound reveals that the blow was too much on t

ction, that is, from left to right?" asked Colwyn, wh

his most professional manner. "The blade entered on the

ntered almost parallel with the ribs, though slanting slight

impossible to ascertain, without a postmortem exami

s to prove that the blow was struck f

y," respond