The Saint Paul globe., 1899-03-19

BOSOM. There was something in Guardas s
% soile that terrified her-a. hidden mockery,
Suolie nance in his eyes, that chilled the
blood in her veins, and filled her with dread
and horror.
Dreaming! 1 was thinking" she faltered
shrinking from him and rising from her seat
'It'S-it's-'
Its late-yes, and I've a long ride before
me. me ne said, briskly, rising too. 81 must
olo you goodnight l shan't you tomor-
row, you know, Abe"
"but-'
And I've my own wheat to see after-not
such a crop as yours, but good field, for all
that, he said, carelessly. well, goodnight,
Huldah; goodnight, Mrs. Beamish. Satur
day evening. maybe, I'll be over here again"
And so he left them.
lie reached home a couple of hours later
ana stabbed his horse himself, then sitting
down in the stoop he gazed, with a dark
froWnlng brow, out into the night, till the
moon sank and the stars began to blink and
twinkle with the first suspicion Of approach
ing dawn; then, taking up his rifle and ex-
amlnlng it carefully to see that it was load
ed, he left the, house again, and strode away.
taking the road that he had lately traversed
and which led back to Abe Beamish's farm.
He walked quickly for some time and
then turning off the high road struck into
a path that led across a piece of loW-lying
waste land, and presently found himself on
the borders of q swamp which stretched
away to the right and left for considerable
distance, and which was plentifully studded
With clumpS of alder and OvergrOWn by long
grass and dank bruShWood.
He picked his way from tussock to tussock
OF brown coarse grass, as if the trail he was
following were well known to him, and then
pausing he looked searchingly around, and,
with cautious footsteps, struck across the
morass out of the track, till he found him
self beside large clump of thick bushes,
which he entered, and, seating himself on the
ground, beneath the overhanging branches
and amidst the rank herbage around him, he
was presently hidden from sight-even from
the ken of the most prying eyes.
The dawn was now breaking, and surely
daylight never Illuminated a more lonely
dreary-looking spot than the swamp around
him. hundred yards from him the trail,
descernible only to a practised eye passed
between it and the little oasis that formed
his hiding place, lay an eXpanse of dark fetid
water, mud and weeds, and far and wide on
either side it spread for at least mile All
was silent around, save for the occasional
harsh cry of recently awakened bittern, or
the cawing of a carrion crow in an inacceS-
sible cump of underground hard by. Devos
smiled grimly he heard it, and if the
harsh grating sound were like music to his
ears.
Scents his food from affair."" he muttered.
"Ha! what's that?" And raising himself on
his elbow, he listened attentively.
"A water rat, [ reckon" he muttered, as
he presently fell back. into his old position,
and the crow, who had f1uttered noisily, re-
sumed its monotonous cawing. It's getting
late-it's dawn" he added, uneasiy The
wind is rising; l can hear the dry reeds
rustling. Hang those rats! they're enough to
startle any fellow and make him aim un-
steady
For while all was silent again. Even the
crow ceased his cawing, and perfect stiffness
"a stiffness that made even Guarda feel un-
canny-reigned around.
1t was broken presently by the sound of a
horses feet. The rider and the horse too,
evidently knew the trail well, for they were
approaching quickly. Devos raised himself
from
ing branches of the alders rief1 in hand,
leaning out for a moment, his hand resting
the limb of of the larger trees, out
over the inky water.
Then, suddenly, without a cry, without a
sound, he threw up his arms wildly, and
fell with sudden splash, face foremost into
the muddy ooze beneath him.
AS if startled by the sound the crow in
the neighboring alder clump futtered and
cawed Mostly, rising and whirling round and
round above the stunted trees, whilst the
reeds and long grass rustled mysteriously,
as if the wind had swept suddenly over them,
and the musk-rats plunged from their places
OF concealment amonst the numerous hlocks,
that rose here and there out of the swamp,
into the water, as though startled by some
thing strange to them. Then again, as the
rustling died away, all became still, save for
the signing of the morning breeze, which had
risen as the sun rose, and wandered careSS-
ingly over the newly awakened earth.
AS the rays of the morning burst forth
from behind the grey bank of cloud that had
covered them at first rising, horseman ap-
peared upon the scene, followed the trail
Devos Guarda had taken foot an hour
previously. He proceeded at a quick pace
and every step of the way seemed familiar
to him, for the rider was none other than
Abe Beamish, to whom the dangerous track
across the swamp presented no difficulties
the trail seeming easy TO him to follow as
if it were a beaten road.
He had been making an early morning tour
around his fields, and had ridden mile or
two farther on to pay a visit to a neighbor,