Wichita eagle., 1886-09-28

most have sworn caught a smothered ex
clamation from Harold as Mrs. Cargills foot
was brought smartly round upon the side OF
his head, owing to the professors unreasona-
BILE haste
have grown weaker. Of course there was &c
hesitation in the avenue, Ind a very evident
absence of such feeling when palings had tc
be surmounted; but once on the dewy grass
things might bo taken more easily. l went
back to the palings to join Harold, and we
left the pair to themselves till they got fairly
across the field. Then the professor seemed to
recognize tho proximity Of another palinS,
and we had to run to be in time to help them
over. We were getting more used to it now,
and Mrs. Cargill was bearing up wonderfully.
We handed them over without any nli1lAap,
save that the professors foot got twisted in
the fence, and his boot lone of those elastic
sided monstrosities and very old came off in
the struggle to extricate him.
1t was by this time thoroughly light; we
must have been out for nearly half an hour
and as yet had done nothing but climb palings
and get our feet very wet Still, it certainly
seemed that there might be some method in
this madness, and so on we went, moro slowly
now, owing to the brrshwood which happily
was not very thick. Suddenly the professor
stopped, in SO decided manner that could
not but think it possible that we were near the
object of our search. He was at the moment
just opposite a thick laurel bush. looked
hastily at Harold, who appeared as confident
as myself that we must have como to some
thing to cause such a decided and prolonged
stop. A few minutes of silence and suspense
passed like hours; then, step forward, and
the professor commenced to stoop slowly
downward, when we heard a rustling among
the laurel leaves, and q fox skunk out from tho
other side Of the bush and made off through
the wood. This distracted my attention for
moment, and when l looked round the pro-
fessor had resumed his usual stif-backed atti-
tude. We waited for full five minutes.
What had gone wrong! Where was the pro
fessor's promise. Was there nothing in the
bush after all.
He slowly relaxed Mrs. CargilIs hand: 1T
is no Use, gentlemen; can do nothing moro
just now!' But why. What was the rea-
son! Why stop himself just as discovery ap-
pcared certain! The professor could under
stand it no more than we Il came here" no
said, "guided by Mrs. CargilTs thought. l
don't know where am. l had the diamond
or tic c!ew to it, five minutes ago; now it is
lost Whether Mrs Cargill had ceased to as
sist me Or not / cannot tell But know
can do nothing more just now"
It seemed best, if we wished to preserve any
in the matter, to make our way home
as quick as we could. l gave the professor
his boot, and Mrs. Cargill (who was some
thing exhausteD my arm; and we returned,
gloomily, almost as we had come, that is to
say, by the shortest and most direct way.
We were all too disguised with the professor
to be able to discuss the matter amicably with
him at the moment, SO We parted quietly end
like guilty creatures in the hall to court the
sleep which we all began to feel would be
beneficial.
His explanations later in the day made the
matter no clearer. He was certain that no
had been on the track land it certainly had
looked like it), but tho reason for tho sudden
stop he could no. tell. Still, in the end, he
TO talk us over, and Mrs Cargill
was induced to so through the experiment
ngain; but this time we were to start where
We had left Off. One thing alone the pro-
fessor would swear to; the diamond could not
be in the house, else he would never have gone
lis thick stocking, was con-
siderably the y7cije for wear.
The hour st lcagth came again. Harold
and lad decitie,: to dispense with sleep. Mrs.
Cargill ard the professor turned up very pune
tually within few seconds OF one another.
Tho morning vas clear and frosty. Wc
walked to the laurel bush, where, having
blindfolded The professor as before, Mrs. Car
Gill took his kcrd lie soon started OF, TAX
inr 70 notice of the laurel bush, but away
through the wood. We must have been walk
ing for several minutes, and a0 q pretty quick
pace. when, like al evil oIlen, q fox (proba-
blv the one We had ceen Ca the previous night
s,rang out of ciurip OF underwood and van
ished among the trees.
1t was the same story over again. Our
leaders pace slacicued, then he stopped
Could it be that fox was, as it were, non
conducting agent! put the question to the
professor: nay, further limited that, perhaps,
when in rlesncric state the sense OF smell
might be 50 heightened that he had been fol-
lowing like q foxhound, for two nights in sue
cession, this evil denizen of the woods Hc
put the suggestion aside with scorn, but the
moro thought the more felt there might be
something il il, and Harold so far agreed
With mo as 10 question the learned professor
next day as to whether he had ever been fond
OF haunting.
VIC had gone homo as before i1.,T l,..;;sed; !;
we had retired to our rooms, siam5ered late
and met for fresh discussion, ell TO no pur-
pose. Mrs Cargill wished to give up the ut
tempt ana call in the detectives. Harold and
were inclined somewhat ANONYMOUSLY to
lol tho
his blood was up: cur taunts on tho subject
of fox hunting had aggravated him more
than we had fanciei Prove himself right he
would; his honor, he insisted, was at stake; he
must be successful in tho end. He appealed
to Mrs. Cargill to stand by him, and the long
and the short of it was that she agreed to
make o third and last trial, the professor
on his side promising that it should DO the
very last.
1t rained hard all the evening, and at day
break when we met it waS so damp, dreary
ard misty that we oil felt relieved when the
professor asked us to leave matters alone fol
a day and give his last attempt every possible
chance.
All this tirne things in the household hai
been going on quietly enough, and it seemed
rs though the servants had quite made NJ
their minds that no further search was in
tended. The only fresh circumstance the
came to light was that the gardeners kennel
formerly occupied by tame fox for whicl
he had great affection, was observed to b
empty. The man affirmed that the anima
had slipped its collar the day before w
could only question him casually on the sub
ject, but it seemed likely that the animal
whose scent had proved too strong for the pro
fessor. was the one which the gardener affirrnes
only to have escaped on the previous day
The animal, he said, was bound to come bacl
for its meals sooner or later, but We did no
altogether agree with him on that point
Daybreak next morning saw us again as