The Footsteps at the Lock · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Footsteps at the Lock by Ronald A. Knox.

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Chapter 1
Dedication
A brief dedication to David, in memory of the Uncas.
Chapter 2
The Footsteps at the Lock
Miles Bredon and Angela investigate the lock where the canoe was found empty, discovering footprints and clues that suggest foul play rather than an accidental drowning.
Chapter 3
I: Two Cousins
This chapter introduces the two Burtell cousins, Derek and Nigel, who are both students at Simon Magus College, Oxford. Derek is dissolute in a conventional, unimaginative way, while Nigel is an affected aesthete who cultivates a persona of rebellion and shock. Their mutual dislike is fueled by their physical resemblance and social circles. Derek, expecting a substantial inheritance at age twenty-five, has recklessly borrowed money, leading his creditors to insist he insure his life. After being rejected by a standard company, he is insured by the Indescribable agency on condition he follow Dr. Simmonds' medical advice. The chapter sets up the financial stakes and the cousins' antagonism.
Chapter 4
II: Shipcote Lock
The Burtell cousins, Derek and Nigel, canoe down the upper Thames, indifferent to the natural beauty around them. Nigel disembarks at Shipcote Lock to catch a train, leaving Derek to continue alone. The chapter provides a detailed description of the river landscape and the lock-keeper's garden, contrasting the cousins' detachment with the serene environment.
Chapter 5
III: The Canoe Adrift
Nigel Burtell, having returned to Oxford, discovers his viva examination is not until the next day. He travels to Eaton Bridge and waits at the Gudgeon Inn for his cousin Derek, who is overdue from a canoe trip. Growing anxious, Nigel enlists a local man, George Lowther, to walk upstream with him. They find Derek's hat floating in the river and the canoe adrift, full of water and damaged. A search ensues, but Derek is not found. The chapter includes a newspaper-style account of the incident and reflects on Derek's isolated life.

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Dedication

The Footsteps at the Lock

I: Two Cousins

II: Shipcote Lock

III: The Canoe Adrift