The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-22

his govt
oaths Tor liquor, and / judged that Ferguson
gave them Of his hollands. But it was little
they calling for moro. There is a kcg upstairs"
said he, lin tho back room. But get It FOR your.
ssonid have S"" played hsvS h aRd game me- WITH IL such shlRf io shs'a
They laughed recklessly, a savage note in their
voices; "Ayy, you should have stuck to your
printer hung. But we'll drink your, hcalth be-
fore YOU y wing; Up, 0 Reyes, and fetch the stuff:
Of tho Rotten Orange once more, If 1t bo the last
CHAPTER XXvII.
The terror that had gripped me on their first
entrance. and driving all the blood in my body
to my heart. had there set 1t bounding madly-
to persons who "I have never been in such q
situation, or within a few feet OF death, as
Sas 1h 20 the found wall m ks dons ThS,ii rss aoSia s "na
rifce me to their vengeance II they discovered
me felt certain; and at any moment they
whence | knew Of no exit, and before mo, where
a dlSaS o sv e.. roo ss'% SSiaw to an Si tRS S''isS oSa 's oi iiRaa
that issued from the doorway, forbade the at
tempt; lay sweating and lis e g ,h% 1.-THE, thsnreIore,
OF men betrayed and hopeless; and yet. because
Of tho chance that after all they, might 10 out
within bounds.
Not SO, when l heard Ferguson bid tho man
mount ana IctCn inc kcR. fthu ne come without
q light / might still have controlled myself and
kept quiet. and holding my breath. though !
were suffocated. and silencing my heart. though
| died, might have lain and let him pass In the
darkness. Nay. had l crouched low. he need not
have observed me with a light, for I was a little
beside the stairhead, and to enter the room
whence l had broken out he need not face me.
But when l heard him stumbling upwards a
sudden sense OF the loneliness OF the house
in that far corner of town came on me, and
with 1t an overwhelming perception OF my help
lessness and of the life and death struggle 10
rhtrh thu man halnt NgarA Nam ~ 3 ~ that
death seemed TO be in the air, which together
SO far overcame me that | did tho last thing
stairs, the light In his hand, l rose up and stood
h II ssI FSa s;sI, and held Sna uR Es + light! aWb "T Fss @ aevt ,rs
you'll Here Ferguson, here's your mani"
The only answer from below was a roar for
what are you doing here r. he went on, puz.
Fled as much by my silence as my presence,
rising In my breast at sight Of the mans per-
plexity. He might let me pass.
For aught l know he would have done so. and
1t is possible that | might have gone unseen by
the open door below and gained the street. But
as he stood staring a second man came into the
he said. WHO is thetT"
",Ferguson's man" Keyes answered, But
The other called Ferguson. and he came out
and saw me. looked. and with n scream Of rage
sprang up the stairs. In the fury of his wrath
in his hands. and but for the others exertions.
from Inc. I must have been choked out OF hand.
As 1t was. l was black in the face, dizzy. and
sSiia5ee eGr eG in m%eb T Setrsr ta esse f fse tb m ees f5Gm
For with all they could do he would not re-
lease my shoulder. but, dragging me down,
others to iisten~to iisteni That he had The
traitor. that l was the %informer, the spy. the
blood seller! And with that, and as he partly
forced and partly tugged me down, the men
thickencd around me. until dragged into the
lighted room Ifousd myself hemmed in by a
Gle that look where l might presented no breach
or chance Of escape, no face, that, pitied or un.
authority among them-atterward 1 knew
him for Charnock. the untrocked fellow
and az IKs esses"did M indeed 'u mnte Ferguson srs 3 h' iest
me 60. thrusting him back and calling on him to
tell his tale, and have done with bis blasphemy.
But though / turned that way in momentary
hope of aid. I read no encouragement in a face
as stern and relentless as 1t was fanatical. A
threw its light downward. obscurhd half the
circle and flung a bright glare on the other half,
whether drink flushed it, or passion bianched it.
every face that met my shrieking gaze seemed to
be instinct with coming doom.
In such situations fear which spurs some
minds paraiyzes others; vainly ] tried to think.
to frame a defense,, to deny or avoid. The glare
guson's passionate iterations, The Lord has
delivered him into our hands! tell you, the
is Your informerl / swear il! can prove III
n l sNulf .m find dot ~ w sRsSef s e9ss|nn "a feeble p So nj am
see me better, and another that way, until Keyes
struck me on the, mouth, and, thrusting me
"Hnd YOU. too. Mr.. ferguson" Charnock said.
raising his hand to still the tumnlt. have done
with your yon k siSsph SnG have An no t 5snT. P 4 nE:t Say Say
,,; sf 3, ! h it," cried css''is' the swasFer. "a
"But first what do you know 7" Charnock con-
tinued. b%rusqely. ,"Speak to the point. We
must be gone by midnight IL we are to save our
Then, and then only | think, Ferguson hitherto
blinded by rage. became sensible OF tho fact that
he stood himself in a dubious position; and that
to tell all, particularly, to reveal the visit which
the secretary had paid 70 him at his lodgings.
had made on the Dukes life. place his conduct
in a light far from favorable: Not only were the
tinctions. or take all for granted, but II was on
the credit OF his name and as his tool that l had
come col en to De mixed &c up N Y the the matter and gained
therefore TO foresec that their suspicious once
reused they would punish first and prove after.
ward; and be as ready to turn on the master as
These, when I came to review tho scene after.
tho reflections that gave Ferguson pause at the
last moment; and accustomed a kind OF At into
Which, wnEing he dn fell At th sbd eyes Gl%ring. his law
mar half paralyzed-a At which at the
u temper OF mind always bordering on the in.
sane. ] suppose that in. that moment. and under
cover Of that display, HIS crafty brain, apt In
voice he had his tale pat; and where truth and a
lilo most ingeniously and sometimes inexplica.
bly, mixed would scarcely servo his turn or win
him redence, he imposed ON them, even on
Charnock, by pure scorn and an air OF superior
knowledge.
What know - said he. you shall have
IT.. 1t is enough to blast him ten times. To-day
1t happened that the Secretary camo to me, to
my lodgings"
For u moment the roar of surprise which fol.
lowed this statement silenced him.
But In u moment he recovered himself. "Ay,"
he said, looking around him deiantly. Tho
Recretary. What OF It'll Do you think that you