Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-03-12
CHAPTER XVIII.

a great chImPanZee waiting an
to attack. His back was bent with age
so that his Ieathery hands with tnelr
crooked and snarled fingers hung peiow
his knees and to look up at me has mead
was thrown back. Summer and winter
ne wore a pea-jacket with a guernsey
underneath and a fur cap which spread
his ears outward ana covered his fore
head. His shirt was the color OF an old
tanned sail. Between his protruding
cheek bones and lower jaw his cheeks
fell in, and bis great beak of nose al
most touched his brstled UNDERLYING chin.
His legs were bowed. and he stood with
his feet we'll apart; altogether he was
the oldest specimen of humanity you
could well meet, and quite the most I'M
pleasant.
His attitude was openly defiant, and
seemed to say: Here l am, and I'm not
afraid of you. What have you got to say
to me?"
] was not disposed to say anything to
him. That was not the place to bring
HIM to account for his misdeeds. was
anxious to get back to The cottage. his
presence alarmed me for the safety OF
Psyche for it was clear that her escape
was no longer secret from old Peter,
who | could not doubt had followed me
into the town and had lain in wait for
my return.
Mind he don't bite ye, sir" said
man at the door, grrnning.
l brushed past OLD Peter, and pursued
my course. He overlook and kept pace
with me, swinging along coupie"ot feet
from my side with a queer plantlgrade
Eait-setting his long foot fat on the
ground and rolling his bent body from
side to side. My pace was about four
miles an hour, but he kept up with me
in a surprising manner, his features set
in an expression of logged determination.
Neither of us spoke a word till we were
clear of the town aud out in the lonely
road, then seeing thai his purpose was to
dog me home and that i must shake him
OF by some means, l stopped. He stopped
rs well. What do you mean by this"
/ asked
What do / mean. you varmintF" he
answered. why / mean TO do what l
like. I've as good rights to walk along
this road and stop when / choose as you
ave. If You think you can prevent me,
have try" He slipped his hand in the
pocket of his pea-jacket and brought out
an open knife. lin ninety-four, but
I'm wurth a dozen such as you. Have
try. You'd rather not. You've got no
fight in you. You're only sinking thief.
You're afraid on me, amt you? You
would like to call policeman to help
you, wouldn't ye? Why amt ye set the
policeman on 10 me? Because you're got
more reason to fear 'em AN what l ave.
] amt robbed you; but you've robbed
me. don't want no one to help me;
I'm just going to do this business my
self. I'm goin' to hunt you down, and
when I've found where you've slowed
away that gal I'm goin' to get her, dead
or alive. Now yea know. Do what you
like; but say your prayers afore you try
to prevent me-"
To old Peters disgust, tacit!y declin-
&c to be drawn into a fight, or even
wordy dispute. The distance to the cot
tage was over three miles, and it seemed
TO me that. extraordinary as the old mans
physical powers were, he could never
keep up to my pace for more than half
that distance. / started afresh, increas-
ing the pace as / went. The old man
with his bearlike tread kept by my side,
and lost not an inch of ground for the
first mile, with no visible sign of ex-
haustion. / determined to strike away
from the main road and make for the
village of EccleSham, whence l could re-
turn by the footpath over the downs to
TIE old London road; doubling the dis
lance to the cottage, and coming to the
byroads, i turned off sharp. The pace
tried me, but still with indominable per-
tinacity old Peter stuck TO my side. We
came in sight OF the village, and here /
saw that l must make a vigorous effort
to outstrip the dreadful old man, for if
OF getting through the village he found
me doubling to regain the old road, he
would at once conclude that Psyche was
there, and that / had simply gone out
of nay way to mislead him.
There was a pretty steep hill before
us; l put on squirt. Old Peter kept
up with me for hundred yards, and
then dropped. as if his strength had sud
denly given away.
''You think you've done me, do you.
We runnin' varmin," he gasped Don't
make no mistake, old Peter takes more
beatin' than you can give him"
He had disappeared from the road
when ] turned round on the brow of
the hill to look back / was fairly ex-
hausted and sunk down by the roadside.
whence I commanded view of the hill.
to recover my breath and strength As
soon as l was somewhat relieved, / rose,
cut through the village, and took the
path through the oernfelds The sun
had already sunk. and the first star
~ ~. tAA 81, "
by nay own fatigue, L reckoned that old
Peter would certainly give up the pur-
suit for to-day.
The lingering twilight was net yet past
when l reached the cottage, and to my
great satisfaction could see no one
O., the road IN either direction. 1 I'M
locked the door and entered closing it
behind me.
1--WE are safe for at least another
night" thought l.
l called ''Psycher' There was no re-
spouse. IL was unusual At the first
sound Of my football at this hour she
would cry TO me Brother - Going
down the passage toward the stairs |
stopped abruptly at the angle facing
the entrance of the back garden. The
door was wide open. 1t was easily ae-
counted for, | said 10 myself. Psyche.
rising at the usual hour and finding me
not in the house. HAD Gnbolted the door
end gone out to seek me in the garGszas
That was why she had not responded 10
my call. But for all that it was with
annoying fear that ran down the gar
den, calling her under MY breath at ey-
cry turn and alley, pee-ing into all her
fayorite haunts with the hope that she
might be hiding from me in sport. as
she sometimes did. Not sound broke
the silence. could see no sign of her.
/ ran back into the house and search
ed every room. calling upon her again and
again with despai- in my voice that
told me how dear she had become to me.
Once more 1 explored the garden with
eyer-fading hope. and coming at last to
tho wicket at the side OF the house which
communicated with the front garden.
found that open.
Then it occurred TO me that old Peter