The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-04-03

LULU y hAo bOhoo VI hObACA ~ ~ OF
wholly unlike anything he had ever hoard
before, yet the speakers knowledge of
English appeared to be perfect.
And what do you wantP was McLeod's
next question.
Ii was now nearly dark. and in the gloom
the strangers eyes seemed to CLEAN with
sudden light as he replied:
Il want many things; all who live do"
From mef' asked Mcleod. derlsively.
Il did not say so; besides. you have moth
ing to give that / would a~ccept-now."
Dye mean that / may yet have an op-
portunity of showing how generous / can
bef" continued Mcleod. in the same tone of
mockery.
"You may; should we meet on the day of
your nativity"
Then. should that happen, 1 hope you'll
wear your proper dress"
And thatf'
els G woman's." said the soldier, bluntly.
Again that low. enhancing laugh rippled
out on the night.
1T might DO done if I were a woman"
said the unknown. "Or l might even be q
woman for the time"
Don't talk stuff. You can't be any other
b one Of twO-either q man or a woman"
And what if L tell you / am neither"
I'd say you're q -. What are you,
thenp
"One whom time has forgotten"
The utterance of the words seemed to
send a cold chill to McLeod's very heart:
they were so full of hopeless sadness. of IN
utterable despair. Then. too, he noticed
Tor the first time q strange thing. though
the unknown was himself perfectly motion
less, bis robe kept swaying to and fro, as il
waved by a gentle wind: and yet there was
not a breath of air stirring. The discovery
startled Mcleod q good deal. and for a
moment he felt almost afraid. Then he
shook OF the feeling and laughed.
Then there's ali the moro reason that |
should not forget you" he said. "And as
my birthday falls no farther away than
next Saturday, I'll meet you-the woman,
remember-where you WILL"
Agreed. Then let it be at mOonrise,
and here; or rather yonder by the tower.
But there Is a condition"
What is III"
"Who meets me at such q time must
That's easily done. / have none."
Say 1t again.
Il have none."
THAT is well. Goodnight"
And before the surprised soldier could ar
rest the movement the speaker had gone.
seeming rather to glide thar walk over the
rough ground. In another moment he had
vanished in the darkness, and Mcleod,
more convinced than ever that he had to
do with q woman more or less insane, lit his
pipe and slowly returned to Wanowrie.
The appointed day came and found
Mcleod in one Of his darkest moods, but,
nevertheless. quite resolved to keep faith
with the mysterious stranger. 1t Is prob
able that he would have done SO without q
soul in the lines being aware of his alb
sence had not the fat captain taken it
into his head to conn up to Wanowrle
about midday on q surprise visit. Mcleod
was mess orderly for Ybe day, and as,
among other discoveries evincipg laxIty of
discipline. the captain found the lamps
untitled, be instantly gave rders for the
culDrits Incarceration in the guard-room.
Mcleod heard the command given. and set
ting discipline at defiance, made for the
The latter kept up the search during the
whole afternoons; until. indeed. the APP
proach of sunset suggested that il was time
to sit down undor q tree and curse both the
captain and the runaway, a suggestion on
which they acted with positive pleasure.
Tell We what. boys" SAID the corporal.
as he sat throwing pebbles into the nuliah,
upon the bank of which the tree grew;
this wark's like Dothin' for canaries in q
coal-hole. We'd better gang ava back to
We're no like to catch him this gete, an
even if W. did. / question whether the
three os wad be able TO TAX him n"
"Wheyi" asked one of the men, sharply.
He was six rect high, had the streng 9Th and
sinews of a bull, and rather resented the
notion of inability.
Because" replied the corporal, g~ravely,
1.-The dark hours on him. / saw that afOre
he gaed DOT. and We ken what he is at sic
either hurt US or we'd hurt HIM; sac we'll
AVA hame and let the captain wbussle.n
AS oil appeared to think that q "whussle'
would do the captain good. an immediate
move was made, and the last of the white
helmets was speedily opt of sight.
Then there came O scraping, r~attling
sound among the pebbles at the bottom of
the nullab. and an instant later Mcleod as
cended the steep bank and seated himself
tered his %pursuers. His face was pale as
ashes. his brows were heavily knitted. and
in his eyes shone a strange light. like the
reflected flicker of inner and hidden fire.
He leaned back against the tree and
looked In the direction taken by the search
party. a derisive smile curving his lips the
while, He had hoard the conversation of
q few minutes before, and had not the
slightest intention of gratifying the cap
tain by presenting himself with undue
haste at the euard-room door. In lis then
state OF mind the very thought of restraint.
or oven human c0mpanionship was hateful,
and he determined to wait until morning
before going In: But where was he to go
meanwbilef IL be remained where he was
there was always the probability that he
might be seen and
His eyes had suddenly fallen upon the
Tower of Silence. burning blood-red against
and with the sight the recollection of his
appointments with the stranger. which he
had for the time forgotten, returned to
him. But that was hours away for the
moon would not rise until near midnight.
Yet. If he were to go mp TO the tower now
he would. In its vicinity. be safe from con-
tact with undesired companions, seeing
that the sOldiery were expressly forbidden
TO approach 1t, and that the superstitious
fears of the natives barred its environs
against feet of theirs.
Rising. he made his way cautiously along
the nullah until he reached its termination
at the slope whereon the. tower stood. Then.
after n careful scrutiny of the ground lying
towards WanOwrie. he felt himself safe
and began to ascend the hill.
BY this time the sun had set and the
night was rushing down like rain. AL.
ready the eastern landscape was lost In the
dark. above which the stars seemed to
as the ebbing tide of day swept westward
the burning bars of the sunset began to
grow dull and dim. a little longer and
they shut down wholly, the last Rlimmer
of light went ont and night was every
where. So swift was the transition from
Messing the long. magical glOamings of his
far Norlan' home, was startled, and looked
around him wonderingly.
He had nearly reached the crest of the
hill. Right before him. black as ink In
the night. and seeming TO rest Its grim
head among the stars. rose the tOwor.
Familiar though he had become with the
sight of it. this was the first time he had
approached il closely. and In some way its
aspect filled him with o feeling OF deepen
ing awe. Perhaps It was due TO the work
ing of fancy-an outcome of the darkness
and his own gloomy frame of mInd-but
whatever the cause. he felt a sudden shud-
dering chill pass over him. making his
heart thrOb heavily. and awaking An lnde-
Unable sense of near and deadly poril.
rs soon as lt came. however, it
passed away, and he laughed aloud at his