The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1884-06-07
CHAPTER XVI.

|. Reginald. upon leaving his victim.
ssaeeeeed nom the spot; but many
hours bad passed since refreshment Of
any kind had passed his lips, aud the
fearful excitement he had passed through
had made him weak and powerlesa
m vain he struggled on; in vain he
daehed the drops from his brow, and
endAHQred to hurry forward; q mist
came over his eyes. He clung for sup
port q . branch near him missed i,
and fell and then all was blank.
As he thus lay insensible in the gather
ing daxkhesA tan. stern man, in the
dress of . gamekeeper, strobe through
the. tangled brushwood.
He paused and looked round for .
few minutes. =
II could have sworn I heard voices.
he said; '.and I believe those cursed
poachefs are stin at fheir games If I
could catch them" h ssid, With dark
scow1 I'D make them remember Black
Ralph. .sAh, he continued, as the
prostsn4e figure Of Reginald aaught his
eye. Il have one At last, but he seems
already done for"
He klek down and raised the head on
his knee turning the light Of his lantern
Reginald Bowmonti- he said. $50
we have met at last What should him
der me from all I have suffered open
you now, villainl The thought of your
victim as I saw her but tonight, pale,
hollow-eyed, suffering, dying, should
nerve my hand to strike"
He rose from his knees and took the
gun from the ground but q sudden
thought seemed to strike him.
II shall nevertheless be murderer, {"
he said, land it would be merciful
death after all; and I would have him
suffer ten thousand Deaths"
He raised the body of Reginald in his
muscular arms and bore him toward o
cottage situated in the very depths of
the wilderness. He laid him on the
bed. and used means to rusticate him,
and soon Reginald returned to conscious
ness; but 80 thoroughly exhausted was
ne, that he took no notice of who was
his host. and fell into q deep slumber.
As Ralph turned from the bed, some
thing glttered ut his feet he stopped
and picked it up.
.t A broken watch chain, he said. "I
suppose it has fallen from his neck l
viii keep it for him, placing the chain
in q broken teapot
He threw o cloak round him, and lay
down on the rug to sleep.
He hnd not slept more than two
hours, when he was awakened by blows
at the cottage door.
.'What Is it3" he asked, but half
awake.
s.Open the door Z" said the voice of
Graham, Ellen's father; :" I want your
assistance"
Ralph went to the door. and opened
"wenr
ELLEN has disappeared, said the old
man. Something must have befallen
her. She was very weak. but would go
out tonight. She had roamed about q
good deal lately, and we did not notice.
[ have had . message from the Hall
Something has happened there. too !;
and cannot stay any longer. Will you
help to search for her2"
Yes" said Ralph, gloomily and the
old man hurried away, begging him to
find her. Ralph remained for some
minutes in deep thought
:. Ellen disappeared and he here, :" he
sHnd glancing at the bed There has
been foul play. believe Oh, but your
crimes are nearly run up, Master Bow,
mont !" he said, as going out he locked
the door after him.
His first search was among the tangled
underground in the Wilderness and ct
last he came upon the stagnant pool IN
which The unfortunate Ellen was lying
As his eye roved over it lc noticed that
the green slime that covered the pond
lad bean bnokan, and something hoated
on the cleax watse. Quietly cutting
from . txse . hng hooked stick, he
caught tho floating object It was
scax7, ooe tAnk he hd seen upon the
neck a Nm g. viEy day:
A foreboding gloom oppreseed ms
heart and IL Tlmf tho long stick again
down into - pond i Wa not vary
desp Ahd p1ele1tly he %1els IT, hook
otch in o0meRhin8 different %. tho