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

i
plans-for the extension of the old house
| that would never again ywna Fenwick fer
Its master-and SO to set out on his dark
Journey, l felt as much pity for him as
lnathing of the trickster who employed me.
And so far as this ocarried,saand 80 much
| influence had It with me, that when we
reached the room below. and, the landlord
having left us to see to his horses, Smith,
in his joy at our success, clapped me on
the shoulder. shrank from his hand as il
1t burned me; shrank, and burst into child
ish tears of rage.
Naturally Smith. unable to- comprehend,
stared at me in establishment. why,
man., he cried, what Is the matter?
What ails your
You" I said. "Ypu. curse you:'
Chapter xxxvIII.
And doubtless it was this outbreak, or
rather the suspicion of me which it
sowed In Smiths mind. that occasioned the
sequel of our adventure for when he had
cursed me for fool and had put on his
cloak. being now ready to go out, he SEEM
ed to be in two minds about it, as IL he
o Cared neither leave me where was. lest I
! snouio communicate with Sir John, nor
take me with him on his immediate
Grand More than once he went to the
door. and cycling me askance and sourly.
came back but in the end, and after-stand-
ing while irresolute, biting his nails he
made up his mind. and CURLY babe me fol-
low him.
DO you think that am to saddle for
you, you whelp?' he cried BE stirring!
And have care, or shall bore that hole
IN you yet. Take that bag and go before
me. BY G., wish you were at the bot
tom of the nearest horse pondp'
His words had the effect he intended of
bringing me to my senses; but they went
1trther. For in proportion as they cooled
my temper they awakened my fears. and
though l obeyed him abiectly took up nv
bag and followed him, it was with a sud
den and horrible distrust of his purpose
l saw that had not only ceased to be OF
use 10 MIN, but was now in his way, and
Hignt De danger to him, and the night
which enveloped us the moment we crossed
the threshold and seemed the more dreary
ana forplddlng TOR the rudy light and
comfort we had left behind DISCRIMINATING
me OF the long, dark miles l must ride by
MS side, each mile terror to one and an
opportunity to the other, I had much ado
not 10 give way to instant panic there and
then. However, for the time 7 Centralized
myself, and stumbling across the gloomy
yard to the spot where a faint CLEAN of
hght indicated the door of the stables. T
went in.
The landlord was saddling our horses
ana little cheered by the warmth of his
lantern, Went to help him. Smith turned
ASIDE; as thought. into the next stall
Bu5 brown was sharper or more suspicious,
ara IN tWinkling called to him Justify to
know what he was doing. Getting no an
s sNr' Devil take him. the landlord cried
he cannot keep from that horse! Here.
Coming! Smith answered.: but even as
ne spoke caught the smart click of iron
railing on iron. and the horse in the dis
TAM stan moved sharply with hurried
Smith repeated. What is the matter with
you, man?' "''
You had better come" the landlord
answered savagely, 'or 1 shall fetch you
Here, you'll" this to me, lead yours out
VIII you? want to see your backs and ne
quit of your ~ ~
l took my horse by the bride and led It
cut of the stable while. Brown went to bit
the other. And SO, being alone outside, and
tne moon rising at the moment over the
roof OF TIE house and showing me the omen
gates at the end OF, the yard, the impulse
to escape from Smith while / had the on
portunity came on me with overpoWerinp
iorce. Better acquainted than the land
lord with the Villains plan, 1 had NOT a
ia,,iu tHat at that very moment he was
OBTAINING him; and the cold-blooded treach
cry OF the act, filling me with as much ter
ror on my own account-who might be the
n,i1ahs iI.in1as hatred OF the perpetrator,
chmpeo SOFTLY to my saddle, and began to
Walk my morse toward the gates Doubt
Nss smith was too busy cloaking his own
movements to be observant of mine.
instlnct1vely from London-in which direc.
tion fancied that he would be sure to
pursue mel kicked my mare first into a
H ~ walk then into cautious trot final
from speedy, was fresh from its corn. n
.ook mold OF the bit, SHE'D at a chance light
IN IN cotters window, and went faster and
tester. its ears prcked forward Tn a n,i,
ute we had left Ashford behind us. and
were gathering through the moonlight
with one hand on the pommel and the 9TH
er holdlng the shortened reins, 1 urged the
mare on with all the pressure of INV legs.
and albeit l trembled, now at some lofe
seen obstacle. which proved to be only the
SHADOW of tree. thrown across the road.
ana now at the steepEess of a descent that
appeared suddenly before me- never fall
Tered but uphill and downhill drove in NV
heels and, with fear behind me- rode in the
h:ght as had never before dared to ride
in the daylight.
l had known nothing like it since the
summer day twelve years before, when |
mad fled across the Hertfordshire meadows
on my feet. The sweat ran down me, l
stopped IN the saddle out of pure weak
ness.s If the horse pricked it's ears forward
spread mine backward, listening for
sounds of pursuit. But such a speed could
not be long maintained and when we had
gone. as judged, two miles, the mare he
gan to flag, and the canter became a trot
Still for another mile urged her on. until
Keeling her labor under me, and foreseeing
that l must ride far, had the thought to
turn into the first lane to which / came
and there wait in the shadow of a tree
until Smith, if he followed, should pass.
did this, sprang down, and, standing by
my painting horse in a marshy hollow some
200 PAGES from the road, listened intently
For twenty minutes. it may be, but they
seemed to be hours to me. After the life |
had been lea1fng in London, this loneliness
IN the night in strange and wild place
and with relentless enemy on my track
appalled, my very soul. I was hot. and vet |
| shivered and started at the least sound |
The scream of curlew daunted me, the
rustling Of the rushes and sedge shook me II
when sad wall, as of a multitude of lost
souls passed over head, I cowed almost to
my knees. Yet inasmuch as these sounds.
doleful and dreary as they were were all |
heard. and the night air brought no tram
ping of distant hoofs to my ear, had rea-
son to be thankful, and more than thank |
full; and my mare having by this time got |
her wird again, led her back to the road, |
climbed into the saddle and plodded on
steadily, deriving wonderful relief and |
confidence from the thought that Smith
had followed me Londonward. |
Moreover, I had conceived a sort of hor- |
ror of the loneliness of the waste country |
side, and to keep the highway was willing |
to run some risk. took it that the road / |
was travelling must bring me to Romney,
and for a good hour and a half 1 logged |
with a loose rein through the gloom, the |
way becoming even fiatter and wetter, the |
wind more chill and salt, and the night |
darker, the moon being constantly over |
cast by clouds. In that marshy district are |