Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-04-03
CHAPTER XIX.
? vOR CASTLE, as have explained
more than once, was perched up
ON the heights that crown the

Beyond 1t ana sui IaFiHcI WSs' 'ii'
forest descended into ether valleys
that led toward district Of mines and
furnaces. Sercombe and Hood might
have secreted the treasure IN any
square yard Of this broken tract OF
many miles. The chance Of happening
upon it save by the guidance of some
slew was extremely slight, nor did we
know in which direction to look for II
clew. From our eyrie on the saddle OF
the hill we looked out across the east
ern valley. In any Granny OF that
rough and precipitous forest the gold
and the Jewels and Sercombe's Greeks
might be at this moment slowed In
waiting for safe conduct across the
hills.
BEAT the Gwentw had been Shep-
pard's phrase, and that was very much
what our expedition must come to-
We descended the wooded slopes upon
the northern face Of the gorge, drop
ping slowly from the castle. Few
roads traversed this region = one, In
length of the spur into the plain, the
others merely tracks of grass crossed
and recrossed by footpaths through the
great Wilderness The Gwent was very
sparsely settled, and the only tenants
of these regions We're few wood cut
tiers scattered among the huts through
out the forest. 1t was into this silence
and desolation that we plunged In the
early hours of the night. Darkness
hung about us, conveying our steps
with backer shadows from the copses.
At first progress was leisurely and the
walking Through plantation Of pine)
fairly easy. We had designed to strike
q road that ran over the spur south
ward, mainly out of whim Of Shep-
pard's that he could determine If any
carriage had passed that way.
''These tracks are unfrequented," he
explained, mot pair Of wheels once
a week, and I'll guarantee il Sercombe
drove this way, which leads naturally
to the station at vreachan, he has left
his marks. There was rain last night"
had not SO much hope myself, but
his plan was the only one before us,
and so we directed our steps toward
this crossroad. Down the valley came
the cry of cock pheasant, and then
with whizzing and whirring Of wings
covey sailed out Of the deeps, be-
came a momentary buzz about our
heads and disappeared into the brack-
en- beyond.
1--WE didn't startle those" said Mont
gomery.
"How do you know?" asked, though
the matter seemed Indifferent.
ooh, / know pheasants!' said Mont
gomery emphatically. They've been
scared down in the bottom there"
you mean began.
Don't let's talk so loud" urged the
boy, There's some one down there"
The notion put new blood into us all.
mo noise this time" said l, in warn
ing, land no discovery. Let us go
ahead slowly
1t was impossible to proceed through
that bracken without some sound, the
fern lay so thick about our legs. But
we moved with the utmost caution,
silently making for the distant patch
of forest whence the pheasants had
started. No word was spoken be-
tween us, but we communicated by
gestures, which were just visible in
the faint starlight. Drawing close in
this manner, we halted at length upon
the margin of the spot over which our
suspicious brooded. Sheppard crawled
stealthily forward, and after time
we followed him. He caught my arm
and pointed to the ground.
"Some one has passed here" he whis-
pered. "We're on a side track"
$50 much the better" answered in
the same voice. I'VE shall make less
noise in walking"
With that we resumed our way with
the same microscopic caution, and must
have covered, as should guess, about
the quarter Of a mile, when suddenly
Sheppard came to pause.
"Hear anythingY' he murmured in
my ear.
I shook my head.
Il believe they're just ahead-several
Of them," he continued. "Step lightly,
for heavens sake!'
l needed no reminder, nor did Mont
gomery. We were like church service
for solemnity, and crept rather than
walked as we stalked closer upon our
prey. All Of sudden Montgomery,
who was walking just before me, drop
ped on his knee and moved his hand
back to me. l followed his example
and crawled on all tours toward him.
"What Is it?" | asked
"There's some one behind that tree, "
he whispered, pointing to q huge oak
some ten feet from the path.
There ensued deep silence, and
then, just as began to find my posi-
ton intolerable and was thinking of
changing my feet, twig cracked In
the forest, and there came noise as
of feet among the dry leaves.
what shall we do?" he asked.
To say the truth, had no idea, but
it was plain that if we had been seen,
concealmeut was of no further use, and
IL we had not, that the spy could not
now discover us through the under
growth. So we resumed our path,
rather speedily, and caught up With
Sheppard. He came to meet us in a
state Of excitement, laying his arms
upon our shoulders and drawing our
heads together.