Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-18


Chapter XXXVI-Continued From Last
saturdays Star.
In fine, / was so far from being per-
suaded that Smith lad expected company
that 1 gravely suspected that he had made
quite other arrangements of the most per-
fidious character. And as the horses noofs
rang monotonously on the hard road and
we rose and fell in the saddle and peered
forward into the gloom. fearing all things
and doubling all things, for certain 1 feared
and doubted nothing so much as / did the
dark and secret man beside me. whose
scheming brain, spinning plot within ploI,
each darker and more involved than the
other, kept all my ingenuity at a stretch
to overtake the final end and purpose he
had at heart.
Indeed. I despair of conveying to others
how gravely this somber companionsnip
ard more sornber uncertainty aggravated
the terrcrs of journey that at the best of
times must have been little to my taste.
To the common risks of the road. deserted
at that hour by all save cut-purses and
rogues. was added suspicion. much
more harassing than these as unseen dang
eTs surpass the known 1t was in
vain that l strove to divert my mind from
the figure by my side; neither the bleak
heath above observation-disclosures we looked:
back at the reddish haze that canopieo
London, and forward to where the Thames
marshes stretched eastward under night
nor The glbbet on hartford Brent. where
body hung in chains. poisoning the air; nor
the light that shone dim and solitary far
to the left across the river. and puzzled me
until he told me that it was Tilbury-
neither of these things. / say. though they
occupied my thoughts by turns, and for a
moment had power to drive him from my
mind. or divert my fears to dangers more
apparent. And in this mood. now glancing
OF ar11 n
under his gaze, i might have ridden to
Rochester if my ear had not caught
think when we were two or three miles
short of the city-the sound of a horse
trotting fast on the road behind US.
AT first it followed SO family on the
breeze. that 1 doubted. thinking it might
be either the echo of our noofs or pulse
beating in my ears. Then hard piece
of ground it declared itself Enthusiastically;
and again suddenly it died away.
AT that 1 spoke involuntarily. He has
stopped 1 said.
Smith laughed in his teeth. HE is cross
ing the wet bottom, fool, by the creek, he
said.
And before I could answer him the dull
sound Of horse galoping fast-but NOV
ing on the turf that ran alongside the road
proved him to be right. Draw up lie
whispered. in something of a hurry; and
then. as / hesitated. DO you hear? lie
continued. sharply, Selling my rein. What
do you fear? Do you think that night
birds prey on night birds?''
Whatever 1 feared. 1 feared him more,
and. turning my horse. 1 sat shiverl1g-
For. notwi .hstanding his confident words,
i saw that he was handling his holster;
and / knew that he was drawing pistol,
and it was we'll that the suspense vas
short. Before had time for many qualIns.
the horseman. dark figure. lurched on us
through the gloom. pulled his horse on to
its launches. and, with raised hands, cried
to to deliver.
..And no nonsenser' he added. sharply,
''or brace of balls will soon
Smith laughed. BOX it about. he cried.
.'Haloor' the stranger answered, taking
a lower tone: and he peered at US. bending
DOWN over his horses neck. Who are
you. in fly By night?'
"A box-it-aboutH' my companion an
swered. with fairness. THAT is enough
for you. So good night And 1 wish you
better luck next time
But
Str Smith answered. cutting him short.
Il am going to my father and the less said
about il the better
$50. Well, give him my love. then. And
backing his horse, the stranger bade US
good night. and with a curse on his bad
fortune, turned and rode off. Smith saw
him go. and then. wheeling, We took the
road again
Safely, however, as we had emerged from
this encounter, and far as it went toward
proving that we bore talisman against
the ordinary perils of travellers, it was not
CT a kind to reassure a law-abiding man.
To ue hung as the acc complete of footpads
ard hightobys was a scarcely better fate
II to be robbed and wounded by them;
ard / was heartily glad when We found
ourselves in the outskirts of Rochester and
stopping at house Of call outside the
sleeping city, reused drowsy hostler. and
late as the hour was, gained entrance and
a welcome.
L confess, that safe in these comfortable
quarters. on d sanded hearth before 4 re-
kindled fire. with lights and food and ale at
my elbow. and a bed in prospect, l found
my dpprehensions and misgivings less hard
TO bear than on the dark road above Til
bury flats. 1 began to think less of the
body creaking in its irons on the gibbet
above hartford, ana more of the chance OF
ultimate safety. And Smith. growing civil.
If not genial. i went on to count the hours
that must eiapse. before our miserable mis-
sion accomplished, 1 should see London
again. After all, why should l not see Lon
don again? What was to prevent me; where
lay the hindrance? In three days in three
days We should he back. So told myself
and looking up quickly. met Smiths eyes
brooding gloomily en- me.
Chapter NXXyII.
Such night ride as 1 have described
would have been impossible, or at least
outrGgeors;y dangerous a year or two
later. when horde of disbanded soldiers,
dismissed from the colors by the peace of
Ryswick. took to the roads for a suhsist-
cree. and for period. until they perished
III iSerably, made even the purlieuS of Ken
siDgton unsafe.
AT the time of which I write we ran risk
enough. as has been demonstrated; but the
reasons which induced Smith TO leave Lon
den at that hour and under cover of dark
reSS may be conceived, Apparently they
cid not extend to the rest of the journey,
Ter. after lying late at Rochester, we rode
50,