The Bowbells tribune., 1905-01-27

Ihe SOrCerer
Of St. Giles
By PROF. WILLIAM HI. PECK.
Bv PROF. WILLIAM HI. PECK.

| Her IOreuedQ NdU STRUCK violently
against a sharp stone of his instructive
grapple with her jerked her over upon
him, and from cash across her brow
blood welled rapidly, and fell in drops
upon the face of Neil Bashfort during
the moment his half-upraised arm held
her limp form above his breast.
"'Shames!" he exclaimed, with an
oath of surprise. What has
chanced?'
And pushing aside the insensible
woman with hasty violence, he sprang
to his feet. snatched a pistol from his
belt under his plaid, and glared fierce
ly on every side.
He could see nothing save the over
turned bench and the unconscious
woman at his feet. AT distance of
five feet on every side of him nothing
save mist greeted his eyes. Except the
hoarse, inccssant and weird booming
of the surges as they smote the cliffs S
base far below him, he could hear
nothing.
lie could not locate the direction of
the sea- Had the bench not been over
turned and swung around during his
recent fall he might have been able to
say:
"The verge of the cliff is there, and
the ruins of Dun Acngus are there;
for the bench faced the sea due south
when we sat down to watch, and
slept"
But now the booming of the sea
! {.>r +
invisible caverns amid the mist; and
whether the verge Of the cliff was on
his right or his left, or before him or
behind him, Neil Bashfort could not
decide.
well did they say to me in Galway:
Beware of getting under the beard Of
the spirit of Aengus Cliff" he NUT
tered, after long moment Of listening,
and then he turned about. "Did bab-
BILE as l slept--and did she hear?" he
continued, his hands nervously finger
ing, one the breech of his pistol, the
other the heft of his dagger, while his
eyes glared from beneath his brist]ing
red brows at his senseless wife. eff l
did, | hope she is dead! If l did, and
she is not dead. l will will"
What, he did not even mutter, but
murder, then and there was doubtless
in his heart as step by step he drew
nearer to the woman.
| A scream in the air--a vail, or
shout, Oh shrek, coming up from the
! sea.
Ne! Bashfort recoiled pace from
the woman, and with a quick move
,nent with both arms, drew his plaid
across his bosom and crouching to the
ground in guilty alarm.
| He started about and listened. He
saw only mist. He heard only the
hoarse booming of the sea.
"The scream was the cry of gull"
he thought, after a long moment of
silence. The other-what was it?"
The woman stirred, groaned, sat up,
pressed a hand to her forehead, stared
vacantly at the stained palm, and said,
/ in husky voice:
"Blood Why, where am II"
Here, Martha Bashfort," said her
husband, standing erect again, but
keeping his drawn weapons concealed.
"You are on the shelf of Dun Aengus
cliff. You and were asleep here on
! this bench-at least know that, ere
I fell asleep, you were already so.
Well, while slept, you awollc, eh?"
"And l would not have awakened
you-for you are ever a surly creature
when your sleep is cut short-but
kind Of fright came upon me as could
see nothing but this wall of mist
around me, and as heard
| She paused and looked wildly
around her, still seated upon the
rocky ground.
Heard me say something in my
sleep, eh?" put in Bashfort, his face
again lowering and his eyes rolling
warily on every side of him.
"No--I swear by all that deem good
and holy, Neil Bashfort!' almost
shrieked Martha, terrified by the ex-
preston of his face. mo, as God is to
be my Judge hereafter, swear l heard
you--"
Heard me say-ha!-what? what?"
exclaimed Bashfort, as he showed his
weapons and bent threateningly to-
ward her.
"Nothing-nothing-s help me
heaven! Mercy! do not harm me, hus.
band!' moaned Martha, covering as
he leaned and stopped toward her.
He g!ared into her upturned eyes
keenly for long moment, as if striv-
ing to pierce to the deepest hidden Sc,
crcts Of her brain, and then said harsh
; ~:
"Get up and sit on the bench, wom-
an! 1t is well for you that believe
YOU or that have never caught you
lying to me. Let me see your hurt"
"You shot out your clutch at me like
a reused tiger, and dragged nc over
with you," replied Martha, sullenly, as
| she bound about her forehead strip
OF stuff she tore from the skirt of her
I dress. II understand it all now! How
long was I senseless?'
l "Ten minutes or so. But why did
: you seize upon me? 'SAames! You