Therefore Mr. Perrowne and Mr. Douglas proposed to go with Ben
Toner to get the Richards' scow, and meet Mr. Bangs with the colonel and
Mr. Terry at the encampment. The two parties armed and drove away. One
of the Richards boys, namely Bill, joined the three watermen, and
together they propelled the punt to the extent of a punt's travelling
capacity; but it was between four and five when the explorers of
Tillycot, leaving Ben, Timotheus and Richards on the shore, entered with
difficulty through the veiled channel, into the beautiful hidden lake.
They saw the skiff on the shore near the house, and soon perceived the
numerous blood stains in it. They ran up the bank, entered the chalet,
and, at last, in the library, beheld him whom they sought, extended upon
the floor. He had died by his own hand, his fingers being still upon the
pistol whose bullet had pierced his brain. Mr. Bangs seized a scrap of
writing lying on the table, which ran thus:--
"Curse you, Tilly, for leaving me to die like a rat in a hole. I have
stood the pains of hell for thirty-eight hours, and can't stand them any
longer.
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