The sun., 1892-10-23
THE GREAT SHADOW.
BY A. CONAN DOYLE,
Author Of "The Adventures Of Sherlock Holm e. v
Micah Clarke" 10


never felt quite tho same to our lodrer
after that little business nt tho pecl tower. It
was always in my mind that he was holding u
secret from me: indeed. that he WAS all n Sc.
cret together. seeing that he always hung a
| veil ovcr his past And when. by chance, that
veil was for an instant whisked away. we al.
ways caught Just u glimpse OF something
bloody and violent and dreadful upon tho
| other side. Tho very look OF his body WAS tor.
| rible. l bathed with him oncc in the sum mer
and l saw then that ho was haggled with
wounds all over Besides seven or eight scars
and slashes. his ribs on one side were twisted
| out OF shane. and II pnrt Of one OF his calves
had been torn way. lie laughed in his merry
way when lie saw my face OF wonder.
"Cossncks! Cossarks!" said he. running his
| hand over his scars And the ribs were broke
by an artillery tumbri. 1t Is very bad to have
| the guns pass over one. Now, with cavalry It
is nothing A horse will pick its steps. how
over fast 1t may go. l have been ridden over
by fifteen hundred cuirassiers and by tho Rus
| sian hussars OF Grodno. and had no harm
from that. But guns are very bad"
| And tho calt?' asked.
"Poof! 1t Is only n wolf bite" said hc.
"You would not think how I camo by 1t?
You will understand that my horse and had
been struck. the horse killed. and with my
rib. broken by the tumbril. WE'LL IL was cold
oh. bitter. bitter!-the ground like iron.
and no one to help the wounded. SO that they
frozo into such shapes us would mako you
smile. l. too. felt that was freezing. so what
did do? ltook my sword aud opened my
| dead horse So well as l could. and mado
space in him for me to lie with ono little hole
| for my mouth. Snp.isi! 1t was warm enough
there But there was not room for tho cntro
OF me. so my feet and part OF my legs stuck
out Then in tho night when slept. thero
cnme the wolves to eat tho horse. and they had
II little pinch OF me also. as you can soc: but
after that was on guard with my pistols. and
| they had no more VI me- There lived. very
warm and nice. for ten days"
| Ten days" cried What did you eat p
"why. alto the horse. It was what you call
board and lodging to me. But. Of course.
have sense to cnt tho legs and live in tho body
| There were many dead about who had their
water Lottles. 40 had all could wish. And
| on the eleventh day there camo n patrol OF
light cavalry. and all was we'll"
| 1t was BY such chance chats as thcso-hardly
| worth repeating In themselves there
came light upon himself and his past. But
the day was coming when We should know
all. and how it came shall try now to tell you.
| The winter had been n dreary one. but with
March came the first signs Of spring. and for a
week on end we hal sunshine and winds from
the south. On the 7th Jim Horscroit was to
come back from Edinburgh. for though tho
session ended the with lst, his examination
would take week. Edie and were out walk
ing on the sea beach on the Gth and could
talk Of nothing but my old friend. for. indeed.
he was the only friend OF my own ago that
had at that time. Edie was very silent. which
was rare thing with her. but she listened.
smiling. to all that had to say.
Poor old Jm!" said she. once or twice. un-
der her breath. Poor old Jiml"
And II he has passed." said I. why then.
OF course he will put up his plate. and havo
his own house. and we shall be losing our
Edie." tried to make a Jest Of 1t. an to
speak lightly. but the words still stuck in my
sfs Sf II @ se ;sa she She nsssa sa nd
poor OLD jock she added: clipping her hand
not that @ o sweet little ship o1a gut yoeder oDe
ltwasa dainty cutter Of about thirty tons.
south under jib. foresail. and lnainsail but
her wings. and We saw the splash Of hor an
q ms
| the shore-so near that could see Il tall man
with peaked cap. who stood at the quarter
ward and forw ard along the coast;
" What can they want here: ASKED Edie.
!; Tor that was how We explained syery,hins
was n9"ye %Hs W sfoaa in the
Of an hour watching the bonny craft. and then.
as the sun was lying low on u cloud bank and
there wasa nip IN the evenin. air. We turned
As you come TO the farmhouse from the front
you pass up garden. with little enough in il.
the same gate at which We stool on the night
when tho heaSons were lit. tho night
his way to, Edinburgh. On the right OF this
gate. ON the garden side was bit OF
many 70 yes aso sSe ha
fashioned It out OF watsr-worn stones and sea
sneIls with moses Snd ferns in tho c!inks.
fell upon this stone heap and there was a let
ter stuck in cleft st sti;S * nnon the tor Of it.
Edic sp-ang in front Of me. and. plucking it of.
she thrYst it, j. into n her E1skEst', sEs ,ou,n,n.
But sona '%i "ons @ at 's hsr @i,h sce which
drove the laugh from her lips,
| WHO Is 1t from. I'd - asked.
! She pouted. but made no answer.
possible ha. a yon have been as false to Jim as IS
How rude you are Jnck" ahe cried. II
do wi.i, THAI you would mind your own bust.
,"Thers is only one person that it could be
And suppose that you are right Jackr'
rsssi @ NJ %,a.. s%Tts,ss Is, III sriSd. b"Vo
Why shoul ID not receive letters from this
| gentleman
Because it is Infamous"
And Why"
| because he is stranger"
"On the contrary" sud she. he Is my hus-
| band"
CHAPTER IX.-TuE DoINas AT WEST inch.
can remember that moment SO vol.
have heard from others that great sudden
blow has dulled their senses. II was not SO
with mo. On the contrary, l saw and heard
and Thought more clearly than ! had ever
caught a little knob OF marble as broad as my
palm. which was imbedded in one of the gray
stonos Of tho rockery. and found time to nd-
mire its delicate nothing. And yet to look
upon my face must have been strange. for
ram on TO the hou,r.. ! followed her. and
tapped at tho window OF her room. for could
See that she was there.
go nway, 1artkii g" "awa9ym she srisd You
won't open tho window! Go awayw
Ent cogp,'nued nue.. ,ot"p' "lnust have word
"Whnt is il. then ?" she asked. raising the