Ch. 4: The Grave By the Handpost - Page 2

In that direction they
accordingly went; and as they ascended to higher ground their attention
was attracted by a light beyond the houses, quite at the top of the lane.

The road from Chalk-Newton to Broad Sidlinch is about two miles long and
in the middle of its course, where it passes over the ridge dividing the
two villages, it crosses at right angles, as has been stated, the lonely
monotonous old highway known as Long Ash Lane, which runs, straight as a
surveyor's line, many miles north and south of this spot, on the
foundation of a Roman road, and has often been mentioned in these
narratives. Though now quite deserted and grass-grown, at the beginning
of the century it was well kept and frequented by traffic. The
glimmering light appeared to come from the precise point where the roads
intersected.

'I think I know what that mid mean!' one of the group remarked.

They stood a few moments, discussing the probability of the light having
origin in an event of which rumours had reached them, and resolved to go
up the hill.

Approaching the high land their conjectures were strengthened. Long Ash
Lane cut athwart them, right and left; and they saw that at the junction
of the four ways, under the hand-post, a grave was dug, into which, as
the choir drew nigh, a corpse had just been thrown by the four Sidlinch
men employed for the purpose. The cart and horse which had brought the
body thither stood silently by.

The singers and musicians from Chalk-Newton halted, and looked on while
the gravediggers shovelled in and trod down the earth, till, the hole
being filled, the latter threw their spades into the cart, and prepared
to depart.

'Who mid ye be a-burying there?' asked Lot Swanhills in a raised voice.
'Not the sergeant?'

The Sidlinch men had been so deeply engrossed in their task that they had
not noticed the lanterns of the Chalk-Newton choir till now.

'What--be you the Newton carol-singers?' returned the representatives of
Sidlinch.

'Ay, sure. Can it be that it is old Sergeant Holway you've a-buried
there?'

"Tis so. You've heard about it, then?'

The choir knew no particulars--only that he had shot himself in his apple-
closet on the previous Sunday. 'Nobody seem'th to know what 'a did it
for, 'a b'lieve? Leastwise, we don't know at Chalk-Newton,' continued
Lot.

'O yes. It all came out at the inquest.'

The singers drew close, and the Sidlinch men, pausing to rest after their
labours, told the story. 'It was all owing to that son of his, poor old
man. It broke his heart.'

'But the son is a soldier, surely; now with his regiment in the East
Indies?'

'Ay. And it have been rough with the army over there lately.