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The Wicksteed Murder

           Andsoswiftanddecidedwastheactionoftheauthorities,sopromptanduniversalwasthebeliefinthisstrangebeing,thatbeforenightfallanareaofseveralhundredsquaremileswasinastringentstateofsiege. Andbeforenightfall,too,athrillofhorrorwentthroughthewholewatchingnervouscountryside. Goingfromwhisperingmouthtomouth,swiftandcertainoverthelengthandbreadthofthecountry,passedthestoryofthemurderofMr.Wicksteed. 

           IfoursuppositionthattheInvisibleMan'srefugewastheHintondeanthickets,thenwemustsupposethatintheearlyafternoonhesalliedoutagainbentuponsomeprojectthatinvolvedtheuseofaweapon. Wecannotknowwhattheprojectwas,buttheevidencethathehadtheironrodinhandbeforehemetWicksteedistomeatleastoverwhelming. 

           Ofcoursewecanknownothingofthedetailsofthatencounter. Itoccurredontheedgeofagravelpit,nottwohundredyardsfromLordBurdock'slodgegate. Everythingpointstoadesperatestruggle—thetrampledground,thenumerouswoundsMr.Wicksteedreceived,hissplinteredwalking-stick;butwhytheattackwasmade,saveinamurderousfrenzy,itisimpossibletoimagine. Indeedthetheoryofmadnessisalmostunavoidable. Mr.Wicksteedwasamanofforty-fiveorforty-six,stewardtoLordBurdock,ofinoffensivehabitsandappearance,theverylastpersonintheworldtoprovokesuchaterribleantagonist. AgainsthimitwouldseemtheInvisibleManusedanironroddraggedfromabrokenpieceoffence. Hestoppedthisquietman,goingquietlyhometohismiddaymeal,attackedhim,beatdownhisfeebledefences,brokehisarm,felledhim,andsmashedhisheadtoajelly. 

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