Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-04-27
The Great Hesper
by FRANK RARRErr.
CHAPTER X-CoNr1NuEp.

ward, his arms swinging from side
to side, bearing down upon us with
long strides, and rapidly diminishing
the distance between us.
There is no one in sight-no one
we can call to for helpP" he asked.
mo one. / see footpath through
the wood, il you think that will be
safer"
Eyes, yes-anything is better than
this open road"
But we advanced now with great
difficulty. There was room only for
one in the path, yet l had to keep
hold of Van Hoeck's hand and guide
him. for the brake met before US;
the trailing brambles that crossed
the path caught his feet; at every
step he stumbled. 1t was hopeless
to continue. Already l fancied l
caught a glimpse through the trees
of the Judge swinging along the
bridle-way.
"Your only chance is to get among
the brake, and throw yourself down
while / go on" / said al can go
quicker alone. ard coming behind,
he may imagine that you are still be-
fore me-"
"Show me where to GO"
opened way through the brake.
led him behind thicket, and babe
him lie down. AS he carried out
this instruction, i got back into the
footpath, and was then enabled to
rrot along at brisk pace.
" was only just in time, for look
ing back a couple of minutes later. |
perceived the Judge blowing his way
through brake and bramble, which
came well up to the level of his
breast. with az little difficulty as
though it had been meadow-grass.
and with the same steady swing of
his bent shoulders. He had caught
sight OF me from the bridle-way, and
struck out at once into the thick OF
the underground.
l did not in the slightest degree
participate in Van Hoeck's suspicious
and fears, and having, as / hoped,
succeeded in diverting from him the
object of his dread, was Indifferent
as to whether the Judge overlook me
or not. Had / been in the humor to
enjoy joke, think l should have
enjoyed giving him long chase for
nothing; but circumstances were too
grave for that | pursued the path
until it dipped down into hollow,
and there finding fallen tree across
the path, sat down and waited for
the Judge to come up. In few min
utes he stood before me with his
arms folded on his chest, his feet
planted apart, and a particularly
stern look on his gauut, weather
beaten face.
HE has given me the slip; has he
given it to you likewise?" he asked.
NO" replied; al gave it TO HIM.
/ helped him to escape"
"Stand up, Gentleman Thorne, and
let US look each other in the face. !"
he said.
stood up. He held out his hand
and | gave him mine.
"Now, standin' here hand in hand
and face to face, say, air we the
noblest works of natur' or air we
not?"
could not GO so far as to admit
that his appearance realized my
highest ideal of nobility, but l un-
derstood his allusion, and replied:
al believe you are an honest man.
II that is what you mean, Brace"
at is; and that is my opinion OF
you likewise. Let us sit down and
hold committee. Now, pardner,
will you tell me why you let Israel
git?"
because the poor wretch is half
distracted with the loss of the dia-
mond and his fear of YOU.
"Why do he fear me?"
"He believes that you took the
diamond, and intend to have his life,
IN order to get the reversionary
share, or something OF that kind.
And now, tell me why you pursued
him when you saw how he wished to
avoid you?"
because he did so wish for one
thing" and. he added, with empha-
sis, because he's got to speak. Is
rael's got to speak" he repeated,
with still greater decision. "a man
what has presentiments as thing s
going to be took so accurate as his'n,
must naturally have presentiments
what's gone of it when it's took.
"Wo must get back to the house
The police must be sent for"
IL don't see any harm they can do,
and it's the regular thing, and so
they ought &c oe called in," he said,
rising from the trunk on which we
had been holding this discussion, al
am going for Israel SO longm
hesitated to separate from the
Judge.
"You rs-st promise me, Brace, not
to commit violence on Van Hoeck. ="
''If you mean by violence taking OF
his life away, | will give you my
word not TO be violent with him.
There's my hama on It, 4"
or this understanding we shook
hands and parted. He plunged again
into the wood; returned TO the Abb
hey. That was between z and s
o'clock.
At two o'clock | went once more