The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-03

lating downs, long green rollers, with
crests of jagged granite foaming up
into fantastic surges. You never tire
of the moor. You cannot think the
wonderful secrets which it contains. 1t
is so vast, and so barren, and SO mys-
FERROUS"
You know 1t we'll them"
ct have only been here two years.
The residents would call me a new
conner. We came shortly after Sir
Charles settled. But my tastes led me
to explore every part of the country
round. and 1 should think that there
are few men who know it better than
l do"
rs it so hard to know"
Very hard. You see, for example,
this great plain TO the north here,
with the queer hills breaking out of it,
Do you observe anything remarkable
about that?"
1T would be a rare place for a gall
lop."
You would naturally think so and
the thought has cost several their lives
before now. You notice those bright
green spots scattered thickly over
it?"
Eyes. they seem more fertile than
the rest"
Stapleton laughed.
That is the great Grimpen Mire,"
said he. "a false step yonder means
death to man or beast. Only yesterday
1 saw one of the moor ponies wander
into 1t. He never came out. 1 saw his
head for quite long time craning out
of the bog-hole. but 1t sucked him
down at last. Even in dry seasons it
is a danger to cross it, but after these
autumn rains it is an awful place. And
yet l can find my way to the very
heart of it and return alive. By George,
there is another of those miserable po-
niesl"
Something brown was rolling and
tossing among the green sedges. Then
a long, agonized, writhing neck shot
upwards and dreadful cry echoed
over the moor. 1t turned me cold with
horror, but my companions nerves
seemed to be stronger than mine.
Its gone!" said he. 1.-The mire has
him. Two in two days, and many more,
perhaps, for they get in the way of
going there in the dry weather, and
never know the difference until the
mire has them in its clutch. It's bad
place, the great Grimpen Mire."
And you say you can penetrate it?"
Yes, there are one or two paths
which very active man can take. I
have found them OUT
But why should you wish to go into
so horrible a place."
well, you see the hills
ands cut off on all sides by
the impossible mire, which has
crawled round them in the course of
years. That is where the rare plants
and the butterflies are, if you have
the wit to reach them"
Il shall try my luck some day."
He looked at me with a surprised
face
For Gods sake put such an idea
out of your mind" said he. Your
blood would be upon my head. 1 as
sure you that there wouldn't be the
least chance of your coming back
alive. 1t is only by remembering Ger
tain complex landmarks that 1 am able
to do it."
"Halloa!" I cried. What is that?"
A long. low moan, indescribably sad,
swept over the moor. 1t filled the
whole air, and yet it was impossible
to say whence it came. From a dull
murmur it swelled into a deep roar,
and then sank back into a melancholy,
throbbing murmur once again. Staple
ton looked at me with a curious ex-
preston in his face.
Queer place, the moor" said he.
But what is it?"
THE peasants say it is the Hound
of the Baskervilles calling for its
prey. I've heard it once or twice be-
fore, but never quite SO loud"
l looked round, with a chill of fear
in my heart, at the huge swelling
plain, notified with the green patches
of rushes. Nothing stirred over the
vast expanse save a pair of ravens,
which croaked loudly from tor be-
hind US.
To Be Continued Next Sunday.