Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-11-15
CHAPTER IL.
COCH tai IS FOUND.

COCH TAI Is FUND.
Reginald Mason turned round and
looked back along the way by which
he had come.
At least 1t would be more correct to
say that he tried to do so. for he
now perceived that the snow had for
the last ten minutes been coming down
so fast as to reduce the wide space
over which he had travelled to a fat
expanse. in which to trace out the
road by which he had come was to
his inexperienced eyes an impossible
Ity.
His very foot tracks, not having
been made in deep snow. were already
obllterated. and the wind was driving
the flakes straight into his eyes as he
stared and stared, vainly trying to rec
ognize some landmark by which he
could find his way back.
He felt that to venture farther with.
out the guide would be madness. Yet
to 90 back. now that the snow was
driving from that direction, was 81.
most equally difficult. AS he paused
for one moment, celebrating and
blinking to keep the snow out Of his
smarting eyes. he heard q mans voice
behind him. evidently at some dis
tance, singing one Of those wild. half
mournful. wholly tender Welsh bal
lads which are forever on the lips Of
these people of the mountains.
Reginald Mason turned again. fac.
Ing the mountains once more. With
his back to the wind 1t was easier to
see, and he managed to distinguish a
dark figure on the rising ground lit
tie way ahead Of him. making Its way
slowly through the snow In the direc-
tion Of the hills.
Reginald shouted, but the man went
on singing and took no notice. Against
the whitening background and through
the veil of falling snow his figure stood
out, seeming to be gigantic in size.
There was nothing for Reginald to do
but to follow this. the only human fig
ure In sight. Quickening his pace. not
without difficulty, for the road had
dwindled into q rough foot track, he
came up with the stranger ut point
where the path began to wind round
the side Of a hill. BY this time the
town was so far behind and the snow
was falling so thickly that Reginald
Mason felt that the only safe thing to
do was to address himself to this
stranger. who could hardly be as ig-
norunt Of the country as he was him
self.
The man had quickened his pace and
was now making his way, still singing
to himself with long strides, which
made it difficult for the town bred
Mason to overtake him. So that at
last Reginald had to speak from be-
hind, without having had one oppor-
tunity Of seeing the face Of the man he
was addressing.
"Can you tell me-" called out he, "if
| am on the right road for Monachlog
and how far off 1t isY
The man in front had stopped with
disconcerting suddenness before his
interlocutor had got to the end Of his
question. His body. which had been
bent nearly double rs he ascended the
hill. stick in hand. had become
upright and rigid. but he did not turn
round. and he did not answer.
Reginald. coming step nearer and
trying to get look at the mans face,
repeated his question.
He might as we'll have poured his
words into the ears Of statue OF
bronze. The stranger. man Of cnor-
nous height dressed In the rough
clothing Of the hillside peasant. his
head and face almost hidden behind
the collar Of a coat which he wore.
cloak fashion. over his shoulders, an
swered never wOrd--did not even
turn his face toward his questioner.
Supposing that the man was deaf,
Reginald, who was now close to him,
touched him on the arm. But the mo-
ment he did so paroXysm Of terror
seemed to seize the fellow. He shook
of the light touch with m abrupt and
violent movement and. still without
turning his head. began to run up the
hillside path as If for his life.