Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-09

Copyright, 1884, bJ He had completely forgotten in his panic that he had anything to fear from me. His gun dropped loosely across his saddle, his leg rubbed mine. I saw this. and I changed my plan of action. As our horses reached the stones I stopped. as if to encourage mine. and by sudden clutch snatched the gun bodily from his hand; at the same time backed my horse with all my strength. It was done in a mo- menti A second and had him at the end of the gun, and my finger was on the trigger. Never was victory more easily gained.
 He looked at me between rage and terror, his jaw fallen. Are you mad?" he cried, his teeth chattering as he spoke. Even in this strait his eyes left me and wandered round in alarm.
 "No, sane!" retorted fercely. ''But I do not like this place any better than you dol" Which was true enough, if not quite true. "So by your right, quick march," continued i'm peratiyely. Turn your horse, my friend, or take the consequences"
 He turned like a lamb and headed down the valley again, without giv- ing thought to his pistols. I kept close to him and in less than a minute we had left the Devils Chapel we'll behind us and were moving down again as we had come up. Only now I held the gun.
 When we had gone half a mile or so-until then did not feel comfort able myself and though I thanked . heaven the place existed, thanked heav- en also that I was out of it-I bade him halt. Take of your belt!" said curtly, "and throw it down. But, mark me, if you turn, fre."
 The spirit was quite gone out of him. He obeyed mechanically. I jumped down, still covering him with the gun and picked up the. belt. pistols and all. Then remounted and We went on. By-and-bye he asked me sullenly wh at was going to do.
 ''Go back" said, and take the road to Auch when come to ii"
 '1t will be dark in an hour" he an- swered sulkily.
 q know that" retorted. We must camp and do the best we can"
 And as I said, we did. The daylight held until we gained the skirts of the pine-wood at the head of the pass. Here l chose a corner little of the track and well-sheltered from the wind and bade him light fire. I tethered the horses near this and within sight. It remained only to sup. I had a piece of bread; he had another and an onion. We ate in silence, sitting on opposite sides of the fire.
 But after supper l found myself in 3 dilemma; did not see how was to sleep The ruddy light which gleamed on the knave's swart face and sinewy hands showed also his eyes, black, sullen and watchful. knew that the man was plotting revenge; that he would not hesitate to plant his knife between my ribs should I give him a chance. could find only one al formative to remaining awake. Had been bloody-minded, should have chosen 1t and solved the question at once and in my favor by shooting him as he sat
 But have never been a cruel man and could not find it in my heart 10 do this The silence of the noun tain and the sky-which seemed thing apart from the roar of the tor rent and not 10 be broken by it-awed me. The vastness of the solitude in which we sat, the dark void above through which the stars kept shooting, the black gulf below in which the un- seen waters boiled and surged, the absence of other human company or such face upon the deed that I gave up the thought of it with a shudder and resigned myself. instead. to watch through the night-the long. cold, Pyrenean night. Presently he curled himself up like a dog and slept in the blaze and then for a couple of hours sat opposite him. thinking IL seemed years since I lad seen Eaton s or thrown the dice The old life. the old employments-should I ever 20 bark to them 2-seemed dim and dis tant. Would COchefOret, the forest and the mountain. the gray chateau and its mistress seem one day as dim, And if one bit of life could fade so quickly at the unroIling of another, and seem in a moment pale and color less. would all life some day and some where and all the things we-But fsugh: was growing foolish. spranE up and kicked the wood tOgeth- CT and taking up the gun began to pace to and fro under the riff Strange that a little moonlight. a few stars. a breath of solitude should carry a man back to childhood and childish things.
 
 f wss thrse in fhe afternoon of the next day and the sun lay hot on the