His new idea was to use the
faculties of Oolanga, so far as he could, in the service of discovery. His first move was to send Davenport to Liverpool to try to find the
steward of the _West African_, who had told him about Oolanga, and if
possible secure any further information, and then try to induce (by
bribery or other means) the nigger to come to the Brow. So soon as he
himself could have speech of the Voodoo-man he would be able to learn
from him something useful. Davenport was successful in his missions, for
he had to get another mongoose, and he was able to tell Adam that he had
seen the steward, who told him much that he wanted to know, and had also
arranged for Oolanga to come to Lesser Hill the following day. At this
point Adam saw his way sufficiently clear to admit Davenport to some
extent into his confidence. He had come to the conclusion that it would
be better--certainly at first--not himself to appear in the matter, with
which Davenport was fully competent to deal. It would be time for
himself to take a personal part when matters had advanced a little
further. If what the nigger said was in any wise true, the man had a rare gift
which might be useful in the quest they were after. He could, as it
were, "smell death." If any one was dead, if any one had died, or if a
place had been used in connection with death, he seemed to know the broad
fact by intuition. Adam made up his mind that to test this faculty with
regard to several places would be his first task. Naturally he was
anxious, and the time passed slowly. The only comfort was the arrival
the next morning of a strong packing case, locked, from Ross, the key
being in the custody of Davenport. In the case were two smaller boxes,
both locked. One of them contained a mongoose to replace that killed by
Lady Arabella; the other was the special mongoose which had already
killed the king-cobra in Nepaul. When both the animals had been safely
put under lock and key, he felt that he might breathe more freely. No
one was allowed to know the secret of their existence in the house,
except himself and Davenport. He arranged that Davenport should take
Oolanga round the neighbourhood for a walk, stopping at each of the
places which he designated. Having gone all along the Brow, he was to
return the same way and induce him to touch on the same subjects in
talking with Adam, who was to meet them as if by chance at the farthest
part--that beyond Mercy Farm. The incidents of the day proved much as Adam expected. At Mercy Farm, at
Diana's Grove, at Castra Regis, and a few other spots, the negro stopped
and, opening his wide nostrils as if to sniff boldly, said that he
smelled death. It was not always in the same form. At Mercy Farm he
said there were many small deaths. At Diana's Grove his bearing was
different. There was a distinct sense of enjoyment about him, especially
when he spoke of many great deaths. Here, too, he sniffed in a strange
way, like a bloodhound at check, and looked puzzled. He said no word in
either praise or disparagement, but in the centre of the Grove, where,
hidden amongst ancient oak stumps, was a block of granite slightly
hollowed on the top, he bent low and placed his forehead on the ground. This was the only place where he showed distinct reverence. At the
Castle, though he spoke of much death, he showed no sign of respect. There was evidently something about Diana's Grove which both interested
and baffled him. Before leaving, he moved all over the place
unsatisfied, and in one spot, close to the edge of the Brow, where there
was a deep hollow, he appeared to be afraid. After returning several
times to this place, he suddenly turned and ran in a panic of fear to the
higher ground, crossing as he did so the outcropping rock. Then he
seemed to breathe more freely, and recovered some of his jaunty
impudence. All this seemed to satisfy Adam's expectations. He went back to Lesser
Hill with a serene and settled calm upon him. Sir Nathaniel followed him
into his study. "By the way, I forgot to ask you details about one thing. When that
extraordinary staring episode of Mr. Caswall went on, how did Lilla take
it--how did she bear herself?" "She looked frightened, and trembled just as I have seen a pigeon with a
hawk, or a bird with a serpent." "Thanks. It is just as I expected. There have been circumstances in the
Caswall family which lead one to believe that they have had from the
earliest times some extraordinary mesmeric or hypnotic faculty. Indeed,
a skilled eye could read so much in their physiognomy. That shot of
yours, whether by instinct or intention, of the hawk and the pigeon was
peculiarly apposite. I think we may settle on that as a fixed trait to
be accepted throughout our investigation." When dusk had fallen, Adam took the new mongoose--not the one from
Nepaul--and, carrying the box slung over his shoulder, strolled towards
Diana's Grove. Close to the gateway he met Lady Arabella, clad as usual
in tightly fitting white, which showed off her slim figure. To his intense astonishment the mongoose allowed her to pet him, take him
up in her arms and fondle him. As she was going in his direction, they
walked on together. Round the roadway between the entrances of Diana's Grove and Lesser Hill
were many trees, with not much foliage except at the top. In the dusk
this place was shadowy, and the view was hampered by the clustering
trunks. In the uncertain, tremulous light which fell through the tree-
tops, it was hard to distinguish anything clearly, and at last, somehow,
he lost sight of her altogether, and turned back on his track to find
her. Presently he came across her close to her own gate. She was
leaning over the paling of split oak branches which formed the paling of
the avenue. He could not see the mongoose, so he asked her where it had
gone. "He slipt out of my arms while I was petting him," she answered, "and
disappeared under the hedges." They found him at a place where the avenue widened so as to let carriages
pass each other. The little creature seemed quite changed. He had been
ebulliently active; now he was dull and spiritless--seemed to be dazed. He allowed himself to be lifted by either of the pair; but when he was
alone with Lady Arabella he kept looking round him in a strange way, as
though trying to escape. When they had come out on the roadway Adam held
the mongoose tight to him, and, lifting his hat to his companion, moved
quickly towards Lesser Hill; he and Lady Arabella lost sight of each
other in the thickening gloom. When Adam got home, he put the mongoose in his box, and locked the door
of the room. The other mongoose--the one from Nepaul--was safely locked
in his own box, but he lay quiet and did not stir. When he got to his
study Sir Nathaniel came in, shutting the door behind him. "I have come," he said, "while we have an opportunity of being alone, to
tell you something of the Caswall family which I think will interest you.