The daily Cairo bulletin., 1883-01-07
CHAPTTR VII.
IN LIE laws OF DEATH.

CHAPTER VII.
IN TIE JAWS or DEATH,
The scene presented an hour or two
later onthe really capital ice placed at
the general disposal was animated and
striking in the extreme. The snow
cleared off the lake had been piled up
round the margin in Enthusiastically
shaped mounds. whereon great bra2iels
of fire were kindled at long intervals,
with admirable effect. The moon
shone clear and bright in cloudless
sky. and on either side the lake the
BACKGROUND Of leatiess trees and shad-
owy b0sket framed picture calculated
to recall sketches of winter in the Can
adam woods OF Christmas Oh the Ne
va
lint those were undeniably English
forms-stalwart men and liSs0m maids
who skinned the frozen surface with
grace and celerity purely insular; for
ceiieS. our British fair ones have a
stately carriage and Syehe movement
peculiar to themselves, AZ they bend
hitler, thithcr, upon the cleaning
blades. swaying like reeds in the wintry
blast, whilst each sturdy unit of the
sterner sex pursues the even tenor of
his wav-even upon his Acmes with
stold dignity and strength of purpose
which foreign caperers seldom emu
late.
The gathering proved but smalt,-
twenty souls. perhaps, all told; and
Dick. fresh from the limitless acres of
lIendon, the Long water, and the Ser
pentine, soon began to weary of the
somewhat monotonous sport OF fol
lowing his nose" in a straight line, half
mile up, half mile down for though
at one point the lake diyerged, and cut
IN in narrow strait some distance
among the trees. yet the ice was held
too sheltered in such recondte regions
to be altogether safe, despite the rigor
of the frost,
so any advance in this direction was
strictly tabooed. Keep to the right
skating up; keep to the left skating
down iigUre-cutting only in the centre
of the pond" Such was the tenor of
the inimction5 laid upon each guest
and in this primitive io"o'e it would
have been regarded Well-nigh as an IN
frIngement OF the rites of hospitality
had any visitor yentlred to disObey
And, indeed, know not that any felt
the inclination, saving perhaps, the ln-
evitable exception necessary To prove
the rule in the shape Of Dick Carlisle,
who hailed as We know from that
seething whirlpool Of iniqUity, popular
" dubbed town. and was consequent
" prone TO evil tendencies happily
confined to metropolitan sinners.
1T must at any rate be confessed that
after two full hours of what he stigma
tised as 'nncoDmonly poor fun, Dick
began 10 weary OF the mcnotony OF tDe
| prescribed course and cast longing
| glances in the direction of the smooth
uncut ice, cleaning like silver ribbon
in and out among the trees,
There might be some amusement now
in exploring the windings of the frozen
stream, and imagining oneself miles
away from the haunts of civilization
and the jostling, "madding crowd,
Dick argued mentally, BY the way,
unless he were much mistaken, the
water extended as far as the gardeners
hut, 4 coign Of vantage where he bad
spent many happy hours, when first he
had been a visitor on probation ut
Bleak House, some half.dozen years
ago.
All! to be sure, there was the twinkle
Of lighted pane visible, even now, be-
tween the branches of the trees; "hed
a mind, a devilish good mind"
But at this junctue, thought became
merged in action: one glance to right,
to left, before, behind, and behold
finding himself momentarily unob.
served, Dick swo0ped round on his
blades, and, executing a sklful retro.
grade movement gIided awayunder the
shadow of the trees, unperceiyed alike
by host, sisters, friends,
Then away-aWay over the CLASSY
surface swift as arrow from the bow,
bending. swaying, now right. now left.
ms the stream mcandered in and ont tili
at length Dick paused, momentarily
out of breath, and, by way of variety.
began cutting hierOglyphic eiphts'
thrccs, nouehts, in The centre Of ii The
ice.
Ii was pretty, too, from here to watch
the effect of the freight scene beyond,
with the m'Ili|ed figures in the dark
apparel skimming the lake like gigantic
birds, the blazing braziers casting high
bright tongues OF living flame, and
shedding lurid rosy glow on the MIN.
ic snow mountains piled around.
Such the prospect on the one hand,
whilst on the othcr all was dark, mys-
terious and drear; only ever and again
belwixt the mterstices Of the trees, the
solitary lamp in the gardeners cottage
twinkled Irostily like fallen star.
Well he'd a mind to wish old Daw-
kins the compliments Of the season; so
Dick veered round. bent his head Ia
the breeze. in order 10 escape some low