Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-08-12

1N~.s~~0Ne4
CHAPTER 1.
BY
S. Barring GOULD

There also, at a place called New
Quay, barges discharge their burdens
of coal, bricks, &C., which thence are
conveyed by carts throughout the
neighborhood. A new road, admirable
as one of those of NapOleon's construc-
ton in France, gives access to this
quay-a road constructed at the outlay
Of a Duke of Bedford, to whom belongs
all the land that was once owned by
the Abbey of Tavistock. This engi-
neered road descends by zigzags from
the elevated moorland on the Devon
side of the lamar, through dense
woods of oak and fir, under crags OF
weathered rock wreathed with heather.
From the summit Of the moor this
road runs due north, past mine shafts
and ramps or rubble heaps thrown
out of the mines, and meets other
roads uniting from various points I'M
der the volcanic peak of Brent
Tor, that rises in solitary dig
nifty out of the vast moor to the height
of twelve hundred feet, and is crowned
by perhaps the tiniest church in Eng
land.
Seventy or eighty years ago no such
roads existed. The vast upland was
all heather and gorse, with tracks
across it. An old quay had existed on
the river, and the ruins remained OF
the buildings about it erected by the
abbots of Tavistock; but quay ana
warehouses had fallen into decay, and
no barges came SO far up the river.
The crags on the Devon side of the
sheer precipices, broken by CULTS filed
with oak coppice, heather, and dog
wood.
In a hollow of the down. hall a mile
from the oak woods and era IS, with
an ancient yew aud Spanish chestnut
before it, stood, and stands still, Nor
well House, the hunting-lodge OIL the
abb0Ls of Tavistock, built where a
moor-well-a spring of clear water
gushed from amidst the golden
gorse brakes, and after a shorl
course ran down the steep side of the
hill, and danced into the lamar.
Seventy or eighty years ago this
house was in a better and worse con
diton than at present; worse, in that
it was soreIy dilapidated; better, in
that it had not suffered tasteless mod
ern handling to convert it into farm
with labOrers' cottages. Even forty
years ago the old banquetting haH and
the abbOts parlour were intact. Now
all has been restored out of recognl-
ton, except the gatehouse that opens
into the quadrangle. In the interior
Of this old hall, on the tWenty-fOurth
of June, just eight years ago, sat the
tenant: a tall, gaunt man with dark
hair. He was engaged cleaning his
gun, and the atmosphere was foul
with the odour eXhaled by the piece
that had been recently discharged, and
was now being purified. The man
was intent on his work, but neither
the exertion he used, nor the warmth
of June afternoon, accounted for the
drops that beaded his brow and
dripped from his face.
Once-suddenly-he placed the muz-
zle of his gun against his right side
under the rib, and with his foot
touched the lock. A culver ran over
his face, and his dim eyes were raised
to the ceiling. Then there came from
near his feet a feeble sound of babe
giving token with its lips that it was
dreaming of food The man sighed,
and looked DOWN at a cradle that was
before him, He placed the gun be
tween his knees, and remained for
moment gazing at the childs eric,
lost in dream, with the evening sun
shining through the large window ana
illumining his face. 1t was a long
face with light blue eyes, in which
lurked anguish mixed with cat-like
treachery. The mouth was tremulous,
and betrayed weakness.
Presently, recovering himself from
his abstraction, he laid the gun across,
the cradle from right to left, ana It
rested there as a bar sinister on a
shield, black and ominous His head
sank III has lIllu SudhAlIS ud1US5 o4Iu
bowed over the cradle. His tears or
sweat, or tears and sweat combined,
dropped as a salt rain upon the sleep
ing child that gave so slight token of
its presence.
All at once the door opened, and a
man stood in the yellow light, like a
medieval saint against a golden
ground. He stood there a minute
looking in, his eyes too dazzled to dis
tinguish what was within, but he
called in a hard, sharp tone, Eve!
where is Eve?
The man at the cradle started up,
showing at the time how tall he was
He stood up as one bewildered, with
his hands outspread, and looked
blankly at the new conner
The latter, whose eyes were becom-
ing accustomed to the obscIrity, aftel
a moments pause repeated his ques
ton. Eve! where is Eve?'
The tall man opened his mouth 70
speak, but no words came.
Are you Ignatius JOrdan?'
Ct an, bo answered. with an effort