The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-09-06
SELECTED STORY.
Morley Fell.
CONCLUDED
CHAPTER II,

Scarce had he set his foot upon the fell,
than, issuing like shadows from the wood he
had so lately left, there came forth two men,
speedily Joined by third
swell, Bill" muttered one of the two to
the last conner, ''this is a rum go; our games
gone to earth somewhere"
SAY, curse him! the birds flown," re.
sponded Bill who was none other than our
former acquaintance, the mas.er OF the de-
ceased Sunday. 81 tould thee we sud be
DER late; but I'll be even wi EN- yet.'
"HistP' whispered the third man, clutch
ing Bill by the sleeve, and pointing towards
the tell.
by -, there he goesp' uttered Bill in
great excitement. ''Noo, my lads. let's all
slip ava to TIL ould wall. We maun keep to-
either; he's devil 10 deal vii.
Without more ado, they soon gained the
wall and had Harry gazed more earnestly,
on looking round, he would have seen them
halfconcealed, just about to slip over it. On
they went; they reached the fell step by step,
each choosing his own path, up the side they
crawl, carefully picking their way, and paus-
ing TO rest only behind the larger bouders of
rock here and there jutting out. They are
desperate men, bent upon a desperate task.
Revenge pure and simple actuates one man
he s-Billy. He had easily induced his COM
panions-his companions in more than one
outrage which might have sent them all
swinging-to join him in his plan, plan
which promised them some fun and which,
at any rate, promised one of the three the
possession of a good breech loader. Aud
now they are but short way below him. o
warning instinct, warn him once again! But
instinct now is quiet. All, nothing now can
save him! On they stealtbily creep, those
lawless men. Harry is climbing unconscious
ly but pretty vigorously now; but the men
ura uainipu fac eft him A do
pausing for supreme effort, before they
MAKE their rush, when, i'll the providence OF
God, Harry, in scrambling along loosens a
large stone; he nearly slips, but recovering
himself, turns to see how soon ia mad career
it may reach the bottom. An instant more,
and he had been too late. With a startled
shout OF alarm, he sees two men only
couple of yards below him, and had he no
by some half-dozen springs, light and rapid
as the chamois, leaped into comparative safe
ty, they would have had him IN their grasp.
In that one glance he had seen enough, and
more than enough, to convince him of his
dangerous position. In the upturned face
and vindictive eyes of the man Just below
him, he recognized clearly enough the villain
Gus features of his old antagonist; and now,
as he rested for al instant to get bis wind, he
saw not only one but three men straining ev-
cry nerve to come up with him, and beard
theireager shouts as they followed in pursuit.
Suddenly bis foremosv pursuer halts, appar-
emily almost beaten. Now is Harrys chance
once more to collect himself. He immediate
ly sits down, facing the man below him, and
pulls out his fiask-empty-every precious
drop gonel Billy eyes him without speaking,
but with the ferocity of wild beast. Harry
wisely does not waste his breath in talking.
Billy is the first to move, followed by his
companions; he does not plunge away now
as he did at the beginning of the chase, but
quietly and yet with speed works his way up.
Harry too set himself deliberately to work !;
he knows that his only chance now is to gain
the top at least a minute before the men
come up, for he has already had experience
of the way in which hlll-men can in an in
credibly short time make their way TO the
bottom again. A very awkward and abrupt
piece OF climbing comes now, which Harry at
any other time would have gladly shirkeu;
but the difficulty is past, and he turns with a
degree of assurance he has not felt before to
see if it will in any way damp or hinder his
pursuers' ardor, while he gains once more his
breath. His breath is nearly all knocked out
of him again, though by seeing his pursuers
strike off to the left, and climb with redoubled
vigor and seeming ease a path encirliUg
round the projecting rock, and which he won
ders that he missed seeing. 1t was evident
the men knew their ground, and poor Harry
shuddered to think of the consequences, il,
by unforeseen difficulties, he is at length
brought to bay. The weary chase once more
proceeds. Harry rather sickens at the
thought of being hunted in this way, and l
am proud to believe his statement that in
that awful hour he thought of and wished
for me. He could hardly credit his senses
Londoner as he was-that all this was taking
place in England. Once more he halts, and
planting himself firmly on the ledge formed
by sleepy-run, he awaits the human hounds
running steady on the trail. For the first
time he challenges Billy as he draws near,
and aiming his gun, cries: ''Stop! If you
come on one of you must die"
Bills comrades pull up, but only for an in
slant. "GuD amt loaded" he sputtered out,
knowing that Harry would have used the
same persuasion long since if the piece had
been really charged. Harry seized the gun
BY the muzzle, ana whiriing it over his head,
threatens smashed brain-pan to the first
who comes within reach his higher ground,
too, makes him look formidable. But the
undaunied Billy, signing to the two ruffains
beside him to climb up right and left, creeps
little closer, but quite out OF HaIry's reach.
This was too much for Harry; that three
men should make simultaneous attack upon
him on all sides, in such place must be fatal
to him. he knew, should he manage to dis
pose of even one or two of his antagonists
He turned and fed. Once more be struggles
gamely on; he nears the summit-the top is
gained no; the fell rises up still higher. His
throat is parched, his legs feel not his own !;
climbing, and such a climb as this, they have
not been accustomed 10. Faint and in de-
spair, he almost gives up; the thought of
Maud, however, comes to help him; while
there's lite there's hope; he springs to his
feet, and now the real summit is close by.
With handc hlppdipO alothao Id
by his terrible exertions, and scarce hearing,
with a terrible singing in his ears, another
feeble struggle lands him on the top. AT full
length he lies for few seconds, while the
cold breeze Jnvigorates his exhausted erer-
gies, and then, with murmur OF thanks to
God, he hastily crosses the ridge, about thirty
yards broad. As he sees the huge stones and
fragments of rocks scattered here and there,
he has thoughts Of trying the effect of hurting
them upon the wretches below, but again
thinking that they must be close upon him
now, and feeling quite unequal to the despe-
rate task OF settling three men in as many
minutes, he dashed to the other side, and
steadying himself by sitting on his heels, be
began to slide at a good pace down the slope,
made slippery by the short and stunted grass.
No sooner had he got well underway than
his pursuers reached the top on the other
side, and despite their anxiety to commence
tnelr descent, Wnere, from great practice IN
sliding. they hope at length to attain their
object, like Harry, they are compelled for a
moment to stop before they resume the chase.
On glancipg below Billy chances to see poor
Harry in difficulties. He had been sliding
along fairly well, when the ground suddenly
became rougher, and loose stone more fire.
quent; lie was compelled, therefore, to assume
an upright position, and scramble down as
best he could; but, as every one knows who
has tried It, it is easier to start than to stop
when once one has set off. Harry was de-
lighted at the rapidity of his new motion, as
compared with the slow rate of sliding; he
had good legs, and kept his feet where many
would have lost them, but faster and faster
he went; his strides down the fell-side were
almost ludicrous, had they not been so dan
gerous. In vain he tried to moderate his
pace; he went like the wind; he felt that in
another instant he would c.dashed to atoms.
his only chance was to throw himself back
wards. This he barely accomplished for he
was almost rowerless, but his heel catching
in a small tuft ofgorse at the same moment,
he spun around like top, and after turning
few somersaults. he only came to an anchor
by LAYING hold of another tuft. He felt him
self terribly bruised and out of breath; and
perceiving warm something gushing down
his cheek and neck, he found by putting up
his hand that the hard rock had inflicted