It may be that the dog was frightened. Perhaps it made its way on to the moors, and it is still terrified and hiding there. Some people dread such a possibility, because later on the dog itself could become a danger. It is obviously a fierce brute. Early this morning a large dog, belonging to a coal merchant, was found dead in the roadway opposite its master's yard. It had been fighting against a savage opponent. The merchant's dog had its throat torn away, and its belly was slit open as if with a savage claw.

Later The Board of Trade inspector has kindly allowed me to look over the log-book of the Demeter. This was in order until three days ago. However, there was nothing of special interest except the story of the missing men.

The most interesting thing however, is the paper found in the bottle. Today this was shown at the inquest. Between the log book and the message in the bottle a tale unfolds which is as strange as any I have ever come across.

Vocabulary:

Made its way: Went, travelled to
Moors: Open, treeless uplands
Dread: Great fear
Brute: A beast, without intelligence
Merchant: A person who buys and sells things
Opponent: Someone on the other side in a fight
Slit: A long, thin cut
Inquest: When a court investigates why someone died
Come across: Found (usually by accident)