The Savannah morning news., 1902-08-10
Continued From Last Sunday.
ruAPTER VII.-CONTINUED.

eoi5 I What do you think is the
o.use of so strange a sound?"
.Bogs make queer noises sometimes.
re the mud settling, or the water
rising. or something"
mo. no, that was a living voice."
"Well. perhaps it was. Did you ever
hear A bittern booming?"
mo. I never did"
IFS a very rare Independently ex-
+irct-in England how, but all things
are possible upon the moor. Yes, I
.bould not be surprised to learn that
what we have heard is the cry of the
last of the bitterns."
IT'S the weirdest, strangest thing
that ever 1 heard in my life"
Eyes, it's rather an uncanny place
altogether. Look at the hillside yon-
der. What do you make of those?"
The whole steep slope was covered
with grey circular rings of stone, a
score of them at least.
What are they? Sheep-pens?"
.No. they are the homes of our
worthy ancestors. Prehistoric man
lived thickly on the moor, and as no
one in particular has lived there since,
we find all his little arrangements ex-
actlv as he left them. These are his
wiewams with the roofs off. You can
even see his hearth and his couch If
Won have the curiosity to go inside.
But it is quite a town. When was
it inhabited?
"Neolithic man-no date"
What did he do?''
He grazed his cattle on these slopes,
and he learned to dig for tin when the
bronze sword began to supersede the
stone ak. Look at the great trench in
the opposite hill That is his mark
Yes, you will find some very singular
points about the moor, DR.. Watson. Oh,
excuse me an Instant 1t is surely
Cyclopides."
A small fly or moth had futtered
across our path, and in an instant Sta
pleton was rushing with extraordinary
energy and speed in pursuit of it To
my dismay the creature flew straight
for the great mire, and my acquaint-
ance never paused for ain instant,
bounding from tuft to tuft behind it,
his green net waving in the air. His
grey clothes and jerky, zigzag, irreg-
ular progress made him not unlike
some huge moth himself. l was stand
ing watching his pursuit with mix
ture of admira ton for his eXtraordina-
ry activity and fear lest he should lose
his footing in the treacherous mire,
when l heard the sound of steps, and
turning round found a woman near
me upon the path. She had come from
the direction in which the plume of
smoke indicated the position of Mer-
ripit House, but the dip of the moor
had hid her until she was quite close.
I could not doubt that this was the
MISS Stapleton of whom / had been
told, since ladies of any sort must be
lew upon the moor, and remembered
that 1 had heard someone describe her
as being a beauty. The woman who
approached me was certainly that, and
of a most uncommon type. There
could not have been a greater contrast
between brother and sister, for Sta
pleton was neutral tinted, with light
hair and grey eyes, while she was
darker than any brunette whom 1 have
seen in England-slim, elegant, and
tall. She had proud, finely cut
face, so regular that it might have
seemed impressive were it not for the
sensitive mouth and the beautiful
dark, eager eyes. With her perfect
f&lre and elegant dress she was, in
deed, strange appartion upon a
lonely moorland path. Her eyes were
on her brother as l turned, and then
she Quickened her pace towards me. 1
had raised my hat, and was about to
make some explanatory remark, when
her own words turned all my thoughts
into a new channel.
GO back" she said. 60 straight
back to London, instantly"
| could only stare at her in stupid
surprise. Her eyes blazed at me, and
she tapped the ground impatiently with
her foot.
Why should I go back?" i asked
Il cannot explain" She spoke in a
low, eager voice, with "a curious lisp
IN her utterance. But for Gods sake
DO what ask you. Go back and never
set foot upon the moor again.
But have only just Gomez
Man, mani" she cried. Can you
not tell when a warning is for your
own good? Go back to London. Start
Tonight! Get away from this place a
all costs! Hush, my brother is comingi
Not a word of what 7 have said. Would
YOU mind getting that orchid for me
among the mares tails yonIer' We are
Very rich in orchids on the moor,
though, of course, You are rather late
to see the beauties of the place"
Stapleton had abandoned the chase
and came back to us reathing hard
and flushed with his exertions.
'Halloa, Beryl" said he, and it
seemed to me that the tone of his
greeting was not altogether a cordial
enc.
Well, Jack, you are very hot"
es, | was chasing a Cyclopides.
lie is very rare and seldom found in
tne late autumn. What a pity that
should have missed him!" He spoke
unconcernedly, but his small light eyes
sIanced necessarily from the girl to
me.
You have introduced yourselves, I
can sae"
Yes. was telling Sir Henry that
was rather late for him to see the
true beauties of the moor"
Why who do you think this is?''
imagine that it must be Sir Henry
Baskerville"
No, no." said I. "Only a humble
Sommoner, but his friend. My name
Is DR.. Watson"
a flush of vexation passed over her
expressive face. I'VE have been talk
ing at cross purposes" said she.
g why, you had not very much time
Tor talk" her brother remarked, with
"e same questioning eyes.
talked as if DR.. Watson were a
i'esldent instead of being merely Wis
.tor' said she. 1T cannot much matter
y. MIN whether it is early or late for
le orchids. But you will come on, VIII
'ou not, and see Merripit House,"
N short walk brought us TO it, a
oteaK moorland house, onpe the farm
~ some grazier in the old prosperous
.Ss' but now put into repair and
oerhed into a modern dwelling. an or
Ss lard surrounded 1t, but he trees. as