The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 182: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE RAMBLE 165 was searched for the weapon or weapons with which the double murder was accomplished? ”’ “TI don’t think it was,’ answered Hawkshaw, “ and indeed I should have fancied that it would have been useless.”’ ‘““ Not so useless as you would imagine,”’ said Mr. Denison. ‘“ An assassin frequently flings away the weapon with which his foul deed has been perpetrated, and your own memory must furnish you with several instances of crimes having been thus brought home to their authors.” ‘““T have heard of knives, when stained with blood, being thrown away in the manner you describe,’”’ responded the squire, “* but pistols — ”’ “And why not pistols?” asked Mr. Denison. “ Is not one weapon as often gifted with a telltale tongue as another? { mean in respect to its identification as belonging to some particular individual. A murderer throws away his weapon under several influences: first, in order that nothing crimi- natory may be found upon him, if he be stopped, suspected, and searched; secondly, in the sudden horror which super- venes after the commission of the deed; thirdly, on being alarmed by the sounds of voices or of footsteps. And now that I bethink me, in the case of which we are talking, the murderer or murderers were thus alarmed, for our friend the Marquis of Eagledean and Mr. Deveril were almost instantaneously on the spot. Assuredly it was a great fault if the river was not thoroughly searched at the time.”’ “ Well, I am almost sure that it was not,” replied Mr. Hawkshaw, “‘ for I was present at the inquest, and I heard the head constable of Gainsborough give his evidence, stating all the measures he had adopted to discover some clue.. The rain, you recollect, fell in torrents that night, and all foot- marks were obliterated on the soft soil. He looked about for string or brown paper, to discover if possible a clue to the direction which had been taken by the author or authors of the crime after its perpetration, and he found nothing. All these details do I recollect.’’ “ Well, then, it will perhaps be useful,’’ observed Mr. Denison, * to give the head constable a hint, and he may yet have the bed of the river searched for the purpose I have described. You, my good man,” added the old gentleman, now addressing himself to the peasant, ‘‘ can tell him so Irom me; because the best thing you can do is to take this (SO) CONNIE DOOKS