Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-02-21
CHAPTER xx1v.
"A NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH.

The morning light was growing
stronger every minute as Mason, after
bidding young Thomas goodby, started
on his walk back to Trecoed.
Presently he became conscious of a
feeling that he was being followed.
He turned abruptly, but he had just
rounded bare bowlder, and he could
see no more. The fancy was so strong
upon him, however. that he retraced
his steps and looked round the pro-
truding rock at the path he had
traversed. There We're footmarks
which he had not previously noticed
ascending the path to the top Of the
rock, but still he saw no one.
| There descended upon his spirits
with irresistible force belief tina. he
had not escaped from the mysterious
| dangers of AIonachlog after all Go
which way he would, he could not get
beyond the malign influence which he
felt to emanate from that uncanny
household. He was Swallowed, even
. now that he had left the house, by an
evil influence, impalable, but unmis-
| taxable, which seemed to hang like
| veil over him, shutting him in, closing
him in. He began to feel dreadful
doubt whether he ever should get out
| Of this valley; whether he should not
share the mysterious, unknown fate
! which had overtaken his unhappy
brother.
/ With eyes and ears on the alert, with
! his teeth fast set, with savage des-
/, peration at his heart, he pressed for
ward, bent on reaching once more the
open ground in the valley below, where
| ut least no ambush could be laid for
him.
The path which he was following, on
the other hand, now turned to the
right, and II he pursued it he would
have to take IL winding course, with
more fatigue and loss of time, for he
could see that it reappeared on the hill
opposite to him, the very hill on which
the old monastery stood. He felt that
he did not want to go so near the place
again. In spite Of his tenderness for
Gwyn the sight of the ruined gray
walls filed him with very definite
horror and sense of danger.
He resolved, therefore, to attempt
the difficult task of leaving the path at
this point and scrambllng down the
rugged hillside. which was at this point
both rough and precipitous. into the
valley below.
He had scarcely taken the first step
downward, however, when he heard a
low, suppressed cry Of warning from
above, and looking up saw the head of
Coch Tai looking at him from behind
a jutting point Of rock.
'1Take care" said the peasant, take
care"
He had hardly uttered these words
when Mason, who had already discov.
cred the need of great caution, as he
found himself slipping down the snowy
surface with n rapidity he had not cal
culated upon, saw that Coch Tai was
not looking down at him, but that he
had got his eyes fixed intently upon a
figure on the side Of the opposite hill.
In his desperate situation, for he was
slipping every moment faster down the
hill. Mason had no chance of taking q
very accurate survey. But he had az
unpleasant sense Of being surrounded
hemmed in by enemies, which was con
siderably increased when his descent
was suddenly stopped by juttine
piece Of rock, by his perceiving thai
the figure which had attracted Coct
Tails attention was that of old Mrs
Tregaron, who in her cap and shaw
was crouching on the side of the oppo
site hill on the outskirts Of small
patch of frs and leafless bushes.
She was watching him furtively
with her lean neck outstretched, ant
one skinny, dark hand pointing to som'
spot little way behind her.
Mason had scarcely had time to rec
ognize her and to wonder what con
nection her appearance had with tina
of Coch Tai, when he heard the repor
of gun, saw flash from out Of tn
trees behind the old woman and hear,
bullet whistle past him.