Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-02-02
TIKI FARM N TIE HILLS
B, FLORENCE WARDEN.
TI.urasIt. I.Ea e. FiarH. nsr' ID
B, FLORENCE WARDEN.
CHAPTER NV

ward or even {" lean FAR enough jn the
right To s"e what had happened To Ia
vid Trcgaron when he fell into the
rlrft between the two hills.
Meanwhile the old woman had re-
lap>cd into silence and Stnud hooking
down at some object hrluw with the
blank. staring gaze which had seemed
So uucanny Ia MaSSuu throughout his
acquaintance with her.
The voice OF Coch Tai from the path
above him now called Masson'S atten-
ton back to the peasant.
Don't you move. sir, don't You move.
You're a dead man if you do"
IAN right" answered the doctor, not
very steadily.
He did not quite realize from which
quarter he was now threatened. whcth-
er by Coch TAI himself or by the farm
erS gun. or 10y his own situation on the
side of the hill. The pause which sue
ceeded seemed unending. There lie re-
manned. with his feet close together.
against the point of rock. his clothing
saturated by the tLawiug snow AT his
back and the now risen sun pouring
upon him across the mountains on the
left
At the end of what seemed n very
long period Of waiting. during which
the old woman had disappeared AMI
the whole valley seemed IL be- STEPPED
Ill Il solemn. awful stiffness, he heard
the voice of Coch Tai above his head
once more.
Put the rope around you, sir, and
come up carefully. You're wanted"
Mason saw by this time that a
strong rope. with n Moose at the end.
was being lowered To him from above.
He made himself fast to it and. with
the help of Coch Tai and Tom. regain
ed the path with some difficulty. IL"
found toch Tai looking very grave
and the lad Tom in a panic of strange
fear. trembling from head to foot. and
unable to speak.
No sooner w:is the doctor on his feet
than Coch Tai drew him rapidly along
the path to a point where there was an
easy descent into the valley below.
Il told you, sir, that You We're want
ad," said he in grave voice. but
don't know as | was right. Look
He pointed To n spot below them,
where, damned between two sharp
rocks, there lay something indistn-
guiShablr, dark. motionleSS, at sight
of which Mason started and turned
toward his companions. His startled.
questioning look was answered by
their faces.
! 1t was Mason who hurried forward
withdrawing the body from its horri-
Bile position. Tregaron had fallen into
the cleft between the hills at point
where two Jagged rocks. rising mp
from the bed of little mountain
stream, formed narrow and fatal
cradle, into which nobody could fall
without being horribly mangled and
/ crushed by the terrible contact.
Into this CHASTITY deathhed David
Tregarou had fallen, and the first
glance which Mason gave when he
got, with some difficulty, close to the
spot showed him that death must have
been instantaneous. The broken gun
lay in pieces within a few feet of the
body.
With much difficulty, since Tom, at
the first suggestion that he should lend
his aid. ran away up the path at full
speed and disappeared. Mason and
Merrick extricated the bruised body
from its position and carried it up the
path. Although the farmer had been n
short spare man, the position in which
his body had been found and the steep
ness of the ascent made the journey a
long and tedious one.
When at last they got on the little
lakeland on which the farmhouse
stood, Mason was seized with a
strange sensation of sick horror on
finding himself once more brought tC
the place which he had hoped never tC
see again.
The thought of seeing Gwyn again
in these shocking circumstances made
him stop and hesitate and look at Cocl
Tai with such an expression of dis
tress that the peasant broke the 81
lence in which they had done their
work.
You'd better come In. sir" said he
with an apt appreciation of the doc
tors mood. You'd better by far heal
all about it, now you've come so far"
At that moment the lad Tom, still il
the same state of nervous excitement
as before. opened the farmhouse door
and came out. His eyes were red as il
he had been crying, and the expression
Of his whole face instead of being sui
len and downcast as usual, was wil(
and disturbed. He came toward then
hurriedly, with a sidelong. shamblins
walk, as If he was anxious to reach tn,
two live men without coming near tn,
dead man they bore.
Come round the back way" said lie
through the clubhouse"
Mason and C0ch Tai, with thei
burden, followed him to the south sid,
Of the farmhouse, making their wa,
with difficulty over the bits of ruined
masonry with which this part of til,
premises was especially incumbered.
Tom opened a little rough woodel
door which had been inserted in til,
massive old wall which had once beer
that Of the north aisle of the church
This admitted them into the clubhouse
where a rough trestle had been alread,
put up for the reception Of the body
They placed the remains Of the farme
upon this resting place, and then" Mas
son and COch Tai, still in silence, turn
ed toward the kitchen door, which Ton
held open for them.
But on the threshold Mason hest
tated. Standing still within the gloon
Of the clubhouse, Of which he had al
ready such uncanny recolectons, h,
felt dread Selling him Of the stor.
that he should have to hear. He wa