Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-12-16

DacK.
And as he did so his heart gave an
odd leap within him. for, standing a
few feet from him and evidently on
his track. was David Tregaron, the
| farmer.
The men looked at each other for a
moment in silence. Tregaron had been
taken by surprise, for there was on his
face scowl which 1t had not worn
on their last meeting and which he in
stantly tried to exchange for smile.
Mason, on his side, was considerably
disturbed to find that he had been fol-
lowed. The farmer spoke first.
81 thought" he began. that you
mightn't be able to find your way up
again so easy as you had thought to-,
sir. It's still slippery up here and not
altogether safe"
Mason heard or fancied he heard
in these words something more than a
warning-a kind Of threat.
"Thank you." said he coldly. II can
find my way about better than you
think"
Even If he had wished to 60 forward
on his way to Trecoed he saw that to
carry out such a plan in the face Of
what would be determined opposition
was impossible. Tregaron was armed
with q huge az for one thing. and in
his position above the other to aim
fatal blow at the doctor below would
have been easy enough. and in the Sec
ond place If Mason had attempted to
escape and to trust to his heels he
would have had no chance against the
man who knew every chink and cram
ny of the hills and of the valley be-
| tween.
He at once. therefore. began to reas-
cend the hill, while the farmer waited
for him. and then dropped few steps
behind.
"We are getting on nicely. sir" went
on Tregaron In as buoyant a tone as
usual, with the snow clearing. If
you'll come up with me l can show
you just what we've got to do. The
last of the sheep will be reached by to-
morrow. If things 60 on as well as
this"
He took Mason across the little Ia
bleland in a different direction from
that by which he had come. Instead
or going near the farmhouse, they
went round by the south side Of the
old church walls and up the smooth
slope where Mason had already been
with Coch Tai.
Mason, who for the first time had
begun to feel some mistrust of the
farmers motives toward him, took
care to keep by his side and not to al
low Trcgaron to drop behind him. He
remembered the cleft In the hillside
toward which they were bending their
steps. and he resolved to be on his
guard against accidents at that peril
Gus point AS, by good fortune, he
knew exactly when to look out for it,
he managed to drop behind In his turn
as the farmer and he reached the open.
ing. and just rs he took the backward
step he was shocked to see on Tregar-
on's face look which betrayed hos
tile feeling in every line Of the eagle
face
At that moment Mason felt sick
horror at his position. How was he,
unused to the mountain life. to the
steep paths and unexpected precipiccs
and chasms. to hope to escape from the
hardy hill born farmer. whom he now
knew to be his enemy?
"A nasty place. this" said Masson at
last. with glance down toward the
chasm they had reached.
The farmer. who was u step in ad'
vance. laughed shortly.
you've been here before. then"
"Yes."
Tregaron wheeled around briskly.
"And have you been up the rock to
Pen Uchaf." asked he abruptly. that
looks straight down into Llyn Foel?'
"No. This Is as far rs I've been"
"Come along, then. I'll show you
sight you won't forget
If Mason could have declined the
invitation, he would have done so, but
the tone In which 1t was given made 1t
rather a command than q request. so
he went on. keeping to the farmers
side or a step or two behind and evad-
ing all attempts. real or fancied, on the
farmers part to make him go first
They branched off sharply to the
right, walking alongside the chasm un.
til they reached point where 1t could
be crossed without difficulty in the
stride. After this the ascent became
much sleeper. although. owing to the
nature Of the ground and Its compara-
lively sheltered position. they found 1t
less incumbered by snow than the 9TH
er parts Of the mountain.
AS they got higher the way became
more difficult. Here the patches Of
bare rocks were frequent, and these
dark gray labs were slippery and
steep, so that the short winter after
noon had begun to darken toward
evening by the time they reached the
top.
There a grand and awful sight broke
suddenly upon the view.
The point Of hill on which Mason
and the farmer stood seemed to hang
right over the black waters Of the
mountain pool, and Mason turned gid