"What do you think of that, Crotchet?" said Sir Richard, as they made
their way into the very meadow across which Todd and Lupin had run to
get to Caen Wood. "It's the finger o' Providence, yer worship." "Well, I cannot deny, Crotchet, but that it may be so. At all events,
whether it be Providence or chance, one thing is quite certain, and that
is, that we are on the track of those whom we seek." "Not a doubt o' that, sir. Into the wood here they have been, but
whether they have staid here or not, you see, sir, is quite another
affair. But it's worth looking well to; at all events yer worship, and I
shan't leave an old tree in this here place as we is coming to, that I
shan't walk right round and have a jolly good look at, somehow or
another." "Nor I, Crotchet. They may know of some hiding-place in this wood, for
all we know to the contrary, and if they do, it strikes me we shall
ferret them out." "In course we shall, sir; and here we is." They had reached the wood by this time, and before plunging into its
recesses the magistrate looked carefully about him, and Crotchet did the
same. "Do you think, your worship, there's a chance of such a fellow as Todd
staying long here?" "Why do you think that?" said Sir Richard. "Why, sir," said Crotchet, putting his head on one side, "this here is a
sort of place that makes a man think; and always when I am in a quiet
place like this, with the beautiful trees all about me, and the little
birds a singing, and the frogs a croaking, it makes me think of things
that I don't always think of, and of those as has passed away like
spirits, and as we may meet in t'other world nor this, sir." "Indeed, Crotchet, I do not wonder that the silence and solitude of
nature should have that effect upon you." "Exactly, sir. In course, it ain't for me to say whether in this ere
world there ought to be prigs, and sneaks, and cracksmen, and all that
sort of thing or not; but I will say, sir, as I'm not a little surprised
how anybody can do anything very wrong, sir, in the country." "Indeed, Crotchet?" "Yes, sir; it has an effect on me. When I gets among the old trees and
sees the branches a waving about, and hear the wind a moaning among 'em,
it makes me think as there ain't a great deal in this world as is worth
the bothering about, you see, sir; and least of all is it worthwhile
doing anything that ain't the right thing." "You are quite a philosopher, Crotchet, although you are not the first
nor the only one upon whom the beauties of nature have produced an
elevating effect. The reason I fear is that you are not familiar with
such places as these. You are town-bred, Crotchet, and you pass your
life among the streets of London; so such places as this affect you with
all the charm of novelty, while those who are born in the country know
nothing and care nothing for its sights and sounds." "That's about it, sir, I shouldn't wonder," said Crotchet; "but I feels
what I feels and thinks what I thinks." They now had fairly penetrated into Caen Wood; and we may here
appropriately remark, that Caen Wood was much more of a real wood then,
than it is now, when it is rather an imitation of one than one in
reality. The smoke and the vegetation-killing vapours of London have
almost succeeded in begriming the green trees even at that distance off;
and in a few short years Caen Wood, we fear, will be but a thing of
tradition in the land. So time works his changes! Sir Richard Blunt, with long practised sagacity, began his hunt through
the wood. It could scarcely be said that he expected to find Todd there,
but he would be satisfied if he found some conclusive evidence that he
had been there, for that would show him that he was upon the track of
the villain, and that he was not travelling wide from the course that
Todd had taken. The idea that he might have at once, on foot, made his
way to some part of the coast, haunted Sir Richard, notwithstanding all
the seemingly conclusive evidence he had to the contrary; and knowing
well, as he did, how very little reliance ought to be placed upon
personal descriptions, he did buoy himself up with many hopes consequent
upon the presumed identity of Todd with the person who had been seen by
those who had described him. Taking a small piece of chalk from his pocket, the magistrate marked a
few of the trees in the different directions where they searched, so
that they might not, amid the labyrinths of the wood, give themselves
increased trouble; and in the course of half an hour they had gone over
a considerable portion of the wood. They paused at an open spot, and Crotchet lifted from the ground a thick
stick that appeared to have been recently cut from a tree. "This is late work," he said. "Yes; and here are the marks of numerous footsteps. What is the meaning
of this strange appearance on the ground, as if something had been
dragged along it?" Crotchet looked at the appearance that Sir Richard pointed out, and then
with a nod, he said--

"Let's follow this, Sir Richard. It strikes me that it leads to
something." CHAPTER CXLVIII. SHOWS HOW TODD HAD A VERY NARROW ESCAPE INDEED. There was something in the tone of Crotchet that made the magistrate
confident he suspected something very peculiar, and he followed him
without a word. The track or trail upon the ground was very peculiar, it was broad and
defined, and had turned in the direction that it went every little weed
or blade of grass that was within its boundaries. A number of decayed
leaves from the forest trees had likewise been swept along it; and the
more any one might look at it the more they must feel convinced that
something heavy had been dragged along it. What that something heavy was, Mr. Crotchet had his suspicions, and they
were right. "This way, your worship," he said, "this way; it goes right into this
hedge as nicely as possible, though the branches of these bushes are
placed all smooth again." As he spoke, Crotchet began to beat the obstructing branches of a wild
nut tree and a blackberry-bush, that seemed, by their entwining arms, to
have struck up a very close sort of acquaintance with each other; and
then he suddenly cried out--

"Here it is, sir." "What, Crotchet?" "The dead 'un." "Dead! You don't mean to say that one such is here, and that the dead
body of Todd is in the thicket?" "Come on, sir, I don't think it is him. It don't seem long enough; but
here's somebody, as safe as possible, sir, for all that. Push your way
through sir: it's only prickles." The magistrate did push his way through, despite the vigorous opposition
of the blackberry-bush; and then--lying upon its face--he saw the dead
body of a man. The readers of this narrative could have told Sir Richard Blunt what
that body had been named while the breath of life was in it; but neither
he nor Crotchet could at first make up their minds upon the subject. "Do you know him?" said Sir Richard. "I guess only." "Yes, and you guess as I do.