The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-14


| the creak of a door and the crisp
sound of boots upon gravel. The steps
passed along the path on the other side
of the wall under which l crouched.
| Looking over, 1 saw the naturalist
pause at the door of an clubhouse in
the corner of the orchard. A key turn
ed in a lock, and as he passed in there
was curious scuffiing noise from
within. He was only a minute or so
inside, and then l heard the key turn
once more and he passed me and re-
entered the house. l saw him rejoin
his guest, and 1 crept quietly back to
where my companions were waiting to
tell them what l had seen.
You say. Watson, that the lady is
not there?" Holmes asked, when 1
had finished my report
mo"
Where can she be, then, since there
is no light in any other room except
the kitchen?"
Il cannot think where she is
have said that over the great Grim
pen Mire there hung a dense, white
fog 1t was drifting slowly in our di-
rection and banked itself up like a
wall on that side of US. low, but thick
and we'll defined. The moon shone on
it, and it looked like great simmer
ing icefield, with the heads of the
distant tors as rocks borne upon it's
surface. Holmes face was turned to-
wards it. and he nuttered impa tiently
as he watched its sluggish drift
Its moving towards us, Watson"
as that serious?''
Very serious, indeed-the one thing
upon earth which could have disar-
ranged my plans. He can't be very
long, now 1t is already ten o'clock
Our success and even his life may de-
pend upon his coming out before the
fog is over the path
The naght was clear and fine above
US. The stars shone cold and bright
while a half-moon bathed the whole
scene in a soft uncertain light. Before
us lay the dark bulk of the house, its
serrated roof and bristling chinneys
hard outlined against the silver-span-
gled sky. Broad bars of golden light
from the lower windows stretched
across the orchard and the moor. One
of them was suddenly shut off. The
servants had left the kitchen. There
only remained the lamp in the dining
room where the two men, the murder
Gus host and the unconscious guest,
still chatted over their cigars.
Every minute the white woolly plain
which covered one half of the moor
drifting closer and closer to the house.
Already the first thin wisps of it were
curling across the golden square of the
lighted window. The farther wall of
the orchard was already invisible, and
the trees were standing out of a swirl
of white Vapour. AS we watched it the
fog-wreaths came crawling round both
corners of the house and rolled slowly
into one dense blank, on which the up
per floor and the roof floated like a
strange ship upon a shadowy sea.
Holmes struck his hand passionately
upon the rock in front of us, and
stamped his feet in his impatience.
"1f he isn't out in a quarter of an
hour the path will be covered. In half
an hour we won't be able to see our
hands in front of US"
Shall we move farther back upon
higher ground?"
Yes. L think it would be as WELL"
So as the fog-ba flowed EDWARDS
we fell back before it until we were
half a mile from the house, and still
that dense white sea, with the moon
silvering its upper edge, swept slowly
and ineXorably on.
We are going too far" said Holmes.
1--WE dare not take the chance of his
being overtaken before he can reach
us. At all costs we must hold our
ground where we are" He dropped on
his knees and clapped his ear to the
ground. Thank God, l think that
| hear him coming"
| y sound of quick steps broke the 81
| lence of the moor. Crouching among
| the stones we stared intently at the
| silver tipped bank in front of us. The
steps grew louder. and through the fog
as through a curtain, there stepped the
man whom we were awaiting. He
looked round him in surprise as he
emerged into the clear, star-lit night.
Then he came swiftly along the path,
passed close to where we lay, and went
on up the long slope behind US.
AS he walked he glanced continually
over either shoulder, like man who is
| i'll at ease.
Hist" cried Holmes, and 1 heard
| the sharp click of a cooking pistol
| Look QUIT It's comingi"
There was thin, crisp continuous
| patter from somewhere in the heart of
that crawling bank. The cloud was
| within fifty yards of where we lay, and
we glared at it, all three, uncertain
| what horror was about to break from
the heart of it, I was at Holmes ell
! bow, and l glanced for an instant at
his face. 1t was pale and exultant, his
| eyes shining brightly in the moonlight
! But suddenly they strated forward in
| rigid. fixed stare, and his lips parted
! in amazement. At the same instant
] Lestrade gave a yell of terror and
1 threw himself face downwards upon
inert hand grasping my pistol, my
mind paralyzed by the dreadful shape
| which had sprung out upon US from
| the shadows of the fog. A hound it
was, an enormous coal-black hound
! but not such hound as mortal eyes
| have ever seen. Fire burst from its
open mouth, it's eyes glowed with a
| smouldering glare. it's muzzle and
hackles and dewlap were outlined in
! pickering flame. Never in the delir-
| ious dream of a disordered brain could
| anything more savage, more appalling,
more hellish, be conceived than that
! dark form and savage face which
| broke upon us out of the wall of fog.
| With long bounds the huge black
creature was leaping down the track,
| following hard puon the footsteps of
| our friend So paralyzed were we by
| the apparition that we allowed him to
| pass before we had recovered our
| nerve. Then Holmes and l both fired
! together, and the creature gave a hid
eous howl, which showed that one at
least had hit him. He did not pause
however, but bounded EDWARDS. Far