Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-07-26
tired of the business.

to LYDIA whom had set down for the mo-
ment In the moonlight her lips were parted
as though she were still chattering; so kissed
her once, because had loved her, and dropped
her body over into the Quick Boy Sand. In
three minutes or so l had seen the last OF her.
~ trundled home the barrow mixed my
self a glass of whisky, sat beside it for half
an hour, and then aroused the servants. l
was cunning, sir; and no one could trace my
footprints on the turf and rock of Woeful
Ness The missing hand bag, and the disar-
ray had been careful to make in the bed
room, provided them at once with clew-
but it did not lead them to the Quick Boy.
For two days they searched; at the end of
that time it grew clear to them that grief was
turning my BRAIN Your father, sir, was in
slant with his sympathy-at least ten times
day had much ado to keep from laughing
in his face. Finally two doctors visited me,
and l was taken to madhouse.
81 have remained within its walls twenty
nine years; but mol have never been thor
oughly at home there. Two days ago dis
covered that the place was boring me. So
determined to escape; and this to man Of
my resources presented few difficulties. /
borrowed this pony from a stable not many
yards from the madhouse wall; he belongs, l
think, to chimney sweep, and l trust that,
after serving my purpose, he may find way
back to his master"
suppose at this point he must have de-
tected the question in my eyes, for he cried
sharply:
''You wish to know my purpose? 1t is SIM
pie" He passed thin hand over his fore
head. 81 have been shut up, as l say, for
twenty-nine years, and now discover that
tha mo dhO1cn horac IF thau fol
and the hue and cry must be out long before
this-I shall be dragged back. What, then,
is my proposals. | ride to Bleakrk and out
along the summit of Woeful Ness. There /
dismount, turn my pony loose, and, descend
ing along the ridge, step into the sand that
swallowed Lydia. Simple, is it not? Ex-
cessi, evasi, evanui | shall be there before
sunset-which reminds me" he added, pull
ing out his watch, 'that my time is nearly
up. regret to leave you in this plight, but
you see how l am placed. felt, when saw
you, sudden desire to unbosom myself of a
secret which, until the past half hour, have
shared with no man. | see by your eyes
again that if set at liberty you would inter-
fere with my purpose. 1t is unfortunate that
scarcely soul ever rides this way-1 know
the road of old. But tomorrow is Sunday;
| will scribble line and fix it on the church
door at Bleakirk, SO that the parish may at
least know your predcament before twenty
four hours are out. | must now be going.
The bandanna about your mouth | entreat
you to accept as memento. With renewed
apologies. sir, l wish you good day. and
count it extremely fortunate that you did
not bleed"
He nodded in the friendliest manner turn
ed on his heel, and walked quietly towards
the bridge. AS he untethered his pony, mount
ed and ambled quietly off in the direction of
the coast, lay stupidity watching him. His
black coat for some time lay, diminishing
blot, on the brown of the moors, stood for a
brief moment on the sky line, and vanished.
must have lain above an hour in this alb
surd and painful position, wrestling with my
| bonds, and specializing on my chances of
passing the night by the beck side. My ankles
were tied with my own handkerchief, my
wrists with the thong of my own whip, and
| this especially cut me- 1t was knotted i'm
movably; but by rolling over and rubbing
my face into the turf, contrived at length
| to slip the gag down below my chin. This
done, l SAT up and shouted Justify.
For long time there was no reply but the
whinnying of my mare, who seemed to guess
something was wrong, and pulled at her
tether until | thought she would break away.
1 think called score of times before heard
an answering "Whoo-oopl' far back on the
road, and scarlet coat, then another, and
finally dozen or more, appeared on the crest
of the hill 1t was the hunt returning.
They saw me at once, and galloped up,
speeches. from sheer amazement. believe
my hands were loosened before word was
spoken The situation was painfully ridicu-
hofc,.
had time to laugh, and the rest of it was
gasped to the accompaniment OF pounding
hoofs and cracking whips
Never did the Nether1irk hunt ride after
fox as it rode after the Rev William league
that afternoon. We streamed over the moor,
a thin red wave, like rank of charging cav
airy, the whip even forgetting his tired
hound that struggled aimlessly in our wake.
On the hill above Bleakirk we saw that the
tide was out, and our company divided with
out drawing rein, some four horsemen de-
scending to the beach, to ride along the sands
out under Woeful Ness, and across the Dead
Boy, hoping to gain the ridge before the mad
man and cut him off. The rest, whom | led
by a few yards, breasted the height above
and Numbered past the gray churchyard
wall Inside it l caught flying glimpse of
the yellow pony quietly cropping among the
tombs We had our prey thon nclosed IL
that peninsula as in trap; but there was one
outlet.
remember looking down towards the viii
lage as we tore along, and seeing the fisher
folk run out at their doors and stand staring
at the two bodies of horsemen thus rushing
to the sea- The riders on the beach had q
slight lead of us at first; but this they quick,
ly lost as their horses began to be distressed
in the heavy sand. l looked back for an in
stant The others were close at my heels
and, behind again, the bewildered hounds
followed, yelping mournfully. But neither
man nor hound could see him whom they
hunted for the cliffs edge hid the quicksanG
in front
Presently the turf ceased. Dismounting,
ran to the edge and plunged down the rocky
face | had descended about twenty feet
when l came to the spot where, by cranlns
forward, l could catch sight of the spit o.
rock, and the Quick Boy Sand to the righ
of it.
The sun-a blazing ball of red-was JUS
now resting its neither rim on the horizon
and its level rays fell full upon the man VIZ
were chasing. He stood on the very edge O.
the rocks, a black spot against the luminous
yellow of sea and sand He seemed to b.
neQlCaJlnS. Ills was tOWdI uS air
he perceived neither his pursuers above no.
the heads that at this moment appeared ovel
the ridge behind him, and not fifteen yard
away. The party on the beach had dis
mounted and were clambering up stealthily
Five seconds more and they could spring
upon him.
But they underestimate madman's in
stnct. AS if for no reason, he gave quicl
start, turned, and at the same instant wa
aware of both attacking parties. A last CLEAN
of sunlight fell on the snuff box in his lief
hand; his right thumb and forefnger huns
arrested, grasping the pinch. For fully half
minute nothing happened; hunters and hunteI
eyed each other and waited. Then carryin.
the snuff to his nose, and doffing his hat will
satrical sweep of the hand and low bow
he turned again and tripped off the ledge int
the jaws of the Quick Boy.
There was no help now. At his third stel
the sand had him by the ankles. For mo
ment he fought it, then, throwing up hi
arms, sank forward, slowly and as if bowins
yet, upon his face. Second by second w
stood and watched him disappear. Within
five minutes the ripples of the Quick Bo,
| oboua him,