Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-03-05
CHAPTER XIV.

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CHAPTER XIV.
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 q
feeling that he was being followed.
He turned abruptly. but he had just
rounded a 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 were 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 that he
had not escaped from the mysteriou,
dangers Of Monachlog after all. &C
which way he would, he could not get
beyond the malign influence which he
felt to emanate from that uncanny
household. He was shadowed, even
now that he had left the house, by an
evil influence, impalable, but unmis.
taxable, which seemed to hang like a
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 a savage des-
peration at his heart, he pressed for
ward, bent on reaching once more the
open ground in the valley below, where
at least no ambush could be laid for
him.
The path which he was following. on
the other hand, now turned to the
right, and if he pursued 1t he would
have to take 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 scrambling 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
low, suppressed cry Of warning from
above. and looking up saw the head Of
Coch Tai looking at him from behind
jutting point Of rock.
Take 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 a 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 an
unpleasant sense Of being surrounded,
hemmed in by enemies, which was con-
siderably increased when his descent
was suddenly stopped by jutting
piece of rock, by his perceiving that
the figure which had attracted Coch
Tails attention was that Of old Mrs.
Tregaron. who in her cap and shawl
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, and
one skinny, dark hand pointing to some
spot little way behind heA
Mason had scarcely had time to rec
ognize her and to wonder what con-
nection her appearance had with that
Of Coch Tai, when he heard the report
Of q gun, saw a flash from out of the
trees behind the old woman and heard
a bullet whistle past him.
The next instant the old woman
sprang up with cry, and another fig
ure rushed out from among the trees.
1t was David Tregaron, gun In hand.
What followed happened so rapidly
that it was like confused dream.
1t was not until he thought 1t all over
afterward that Mason understood the
exact sequence Of events.
Then he knew that the gun was lev
eled once more; that the old woman
met her son; that the weapon went of,
discharging itself harmlessly in the
air, and that the next moment the
farmer slipped and, with cry, fell,
gun in hand. down the side Of the hill
out Of Masson's sight into the cleft be-
low between the hills.
And the old woman clasped her
hands and, breaking the hideous. aw-
full silence which followed with the
accents Of her quavering, shrill voice,
cried, with a thankfulness which made
Mason shudder:
"Thank God! It's over! Thank God!
Oh, thank God!