The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-06-13
CHAPTER III.
ON THE BLACK BANK.


CHAPTER II. ~
ON THE BLACK BANK.
Dunford set off for the town at a quick
walk After few PAGES he broke into a
run. He had fought against his terrible
suspicion until the last moment, but doubt
seemed impossible longer. He could now
believe that his unanswered hail had
passed over a corpse!
In MS wild haste away from that guilty
plerhead Dunford's first intention was to
rouse the town. But after running a hun
dred yards tumultuous question arose. and
he slackened his speed.
AS he dropped into walk he thought, .
Suppose Bolger reached the Black Bank,
is now on it, and could not or would not an
swer my hailr'
instead of striking into the town he hast
ened along by the river to where his own
punt lay moored. With struggling and
splashing he pulled her to the bank and
getting aboard opened the paddock of the
chain, freed the oars, let go, and showed
out into the stream
Turning the punt's head to the open sea,
pulled with might and main down the river
The tide was with him. The boat flew He
shot down along the pier, and in a few min
utes was in the open water of the channel
1t was still pitch dark but the phos-
phorescence of the showed up the bluff
of the pier. Keeping the pier dead aft
he rowed at racing pace for a few minutes
eased, and looked over his shoulder Right
ahead just above the phosphorescence water
a ragged patch blotted the sky. That was
the skeleton of the wreck.
He pulled a few strokes more, and ran
aground. Jumping into the shallow water
he drew the punt up and stood upon the
Black Bank, the only land between Fiix-
ED and France.
"Bolger.' he called in strong voice car
you here, Bolger?'
He stood listening, with the water washing
his feet.
'Bolger" he called louder. cts T. Dun
ford. l have the punt to take you Off Car
rngton is very sorry. Answer like a good
fellow"
Not a sound but the sounds of the sea-
Ankle deep in the water he began to walk
along the inner side of the Black Bank. A
swimmer might faint in the shallow water
after getting ground. The night was too
dark to see a floating or partly submerged
body; it would be best to wade up and
down the whole length of the bank
Who could tell the moment his foot
might touch something! He shuddered and
kept on He was careful not to raise his
feet high, lest in putting them down he
might step on something. For all the
world he could not feel anything but sand
under his foot! Up and down that strip
of lonely sand he waded in the weird dark
ness, but never to his feet came stay or
jar.
The Black Bank at half-tide measured 100
feet by 20. On the outer edge lay the
wreck, a black line shoulder high above
the sand with stripped ribs standing higher
against the smooth, blind darkness of the
sky.
eff he came ashore here exhausted, faint
ing" thought Dunford, "he would struggle
to the wreck. He may be lying uncon-
Scious close to it.
The vesuvians in his match box were
useless. There was nothing for it but to
go down on his knees and feel about the
old schooner with is hands.
1t took a long time to crawl round the
wreck. When the circuit was made Dun
ford had nothing for his toll but bruises.
cut hands and the certainty that the body
of Bolger, his unpopular colleague at the
brewery, had been carried out into the
channel, and that Darlington, his friend
was responsible for the dead mans death,
Dunford launched the punt, scrambled in,
and began pulling back over the Stacking
tide.
He had made certain of Bolger's fate
his death, his death by violence, his death
by violence at the hands of Darlington, and
Darlington was his friend.
What in the name of heaven must he
do?
He must not keep to himself what he
knew; could he deliver up his friend to the
hangman?
He tried to deaden thought by grinding
the chaffed flesh of his hands on the SOULS
The pain of his hands was only an exas-
peration. He thirst his burning hands into
the water to cool them. He scooped up the
water and flung it over his face his head.
his throat. With fierce resoluteness he
drove his mind on the points of the di-
lemma. Were there only these two points.
these two courses? At last he thought of
a third. It was desperate but it was
best.
Let what may come of it come. I'll do
it," he muttered. what may come of it
there is no telling; another murderer a
suicide.
He pulled doggedly until he reached a.
landing place. Making fast the punt, he
assembled the slip to the quay.
He struck into the town. Not a soul was
abroad, not a sound stirred the air save
the distant, faint wash of the waveletS on
the sands. It was dark as grave No
light burned in any window of the streets
BLACK enough to hide the crime, he
thought, with a shudder.
Il wonder what Darlington is doing? I
wonder how his nights work sits on him?
l wonder is he in bed or thinking of sleep?
1 wonder has he got back to his sane mind
and does he feel the blast of his deed?
When ] get around the corner 1 shall be in
sight of his pace-of his bedroom. Great
heavens! Can man go to bed and sleep
with the tingling Of such work still in his
hands?"
AS Dunford turned into the High-street
ana looked toward the mouse Wnere Car
rington lived, his eye caught one bright
spot in the long line of black. A light
burning in Caring IONS chamber!
II knew no man could sleep after such
work." whispered Dunford.
The lighted window was on the first floor.
Dunford drew near, stopped down, picked
up pebble and flung it against the glass.
81 am the only one who knows he was
quarreling with Bolger on the pier tonight.
When he sees me will he blow out my
brains--or his own?''
A mans shadow fell on the blind, the
light in the room was put out, the blind
was pulled up, the window raised, and
Darlington thrust his body, dim and broad
and black, between Dunford and the night
sky.
whats that? Who's there?' asked Car
rington, in a sharp, eager whisper.
ct" whispered back Dunford.