The Washington herald., 1908-09-04
CHAPTER Y.
The Wolf and the Cur.

sou westerly wind began TO hurry up
a battalion Of dark clouds from the fast
nesses Of the Welsh Mountains. BY 8
O'Clock in the evening the wind had in
creased to half a gale. and the rain came
sluicing down on the Stonewold HIS
The cutters in the rough. stony roads
became streams OF water, and at the
foot Of the hill. the village brook roared
through the single street Ike an Alpine
torrent fed with melting snow.
Few people were abroad that night;
but William TankerIane. who had sought
relief from the mental strain Of his in
terview with Laura Vane IN a long ride
round his fathers estate. was returning
home down the very road where John
Shn had encountered Ben Holland the day
before.
As he neared the Round Plantation he
emerged from the shelter Of a high bank,
and encountered the fuu violence Of the
storm. Both steed and rider staggered
as the wind struck them. and the rain
lashed them Ike a whip. The horse be
came nervous. and stumbled more than
once on the wet. loose stones IN the path
It was so dark that Tankerlane could
hardly see his hand before MS face, and
when ne reached the gate Of the plan
tatiou and aHghted 10 open It. he de
cided 10 lead his horse through the wood
Until they reached the broader and
smoother road beyond it He remembered
the quarry with the broken rail-
He moved slowly and cautiously along
the path with one hand on the reins- The
trees afforded some shelter from the
wi2d. but showers Of water came from
their branches as he brushed against
them. and he was dre1ched 70 the skin
Then suddenly the horse stopped. and
no persuasion on the part q his master
could induce him % bulge an inch
Threats. soft words. blows were OF no
avail The animal might have been turn
ed into an image Of stone
Tankerlane knew the ways OF horses
vel. but in this case he could not tell
whether the beast had stopped from sheer
obstinacy. OF from fright. or from that
instinct for unseen danger which belongs
to so many OF the members Of the animal
kingdom. He let go OF the reins. and
tried TO light a match. but the wind was
too strong There was a mCmentary
fare and spIutter. and before he could
again enveloped in darkness.
He stretched out both his hands On
one side he felt the wet bushes. on the
other Re touched nothing He moved
away from the wood cautiously. step by
step. holding his hands before aim When
he had taken three steps. his fingers came
into contact with wooden rail. And
then he knew where he was
Tankerlane was not a s-perstitious nan.
but he shlvered as re felt the damp wood
beneath his touch Slowly he moved
down The hill with his hand on tie rail
until he came 70 the end OF IL Then ne
retraced his steps. and walked Up the
steep path I'll he came 10 a Jagged and
splintered piece of timber Beyond that
there vas empty space. He stretched
out his hand. and. moving toward the
wood. touched the cold nuzzIs OF the
horse The animal had stopped exactly
opposite the place where Ben Holland
had gone down 20 his death
He laughed aloud as though al his own
fears He at any rate had not sent the
wrecched man 10 his doom, and had no
reason 70 shun The spot Then. as he
stood there in the darkness. with the wind
7
that he had let the man die 20 serve his
own purpose, and that the victory he had
won that very morning had been gained
by aCcIhers crime. He caught hold Of
the relns once more and tried 10 drag
his horse down the slope. But the animal
stu refused 20 move.
He decided 20 leave Il, and make the
rest Ct the journey on foot, at the same
time resolving 70 get even with the horse
the next time he was astride Of IL He
knew well enough that II he got into the
saddle at that moment he could not over
come the animals fear Of obscinacy. But
few men would have cared 70 undertake
such a task in the darkness. The narrow
path and the preciplce which bounded II on
one side were enough 10 give pause TO the
boIdest rider. A slip. q stumble, a sud
den swere at the touch OF the spur
would perhaps mean death He gave the
animal three singing blows with the
whip. and. letting 80 the reins, walked
down the hill
Before he had gone more than fifty
yards. however. he caught sight OF a faint
gleam Of light among the trees Il dis
appeared almost instantly.
"Poacbers" said Tankerlane TO him
self He stopped and listened There was
the sound Of some one moving IN The IN
dergrowth. ard the noise came nearer
and nearer to him Il was quite evi-
dent that the man, whoever he was, had
no wish 70 avoid him. OF else was igno-
rant Of his presence
In a few moments some one came crash
ing out OF the bushes. and stumbled into
his very arms with a cry Of terror Tan
kerlane gripped him b ythe collar The
fellow was small and helpless n his pow
erfuI grasp. But it was possible that he
had a knife about him
'Poachfng. ehr' said Tankerlane. swing
ing the man of his feet, and forcing him
face downward on 10 the ground. Some
thing tinkled On tie stones
-POachin' ~ the man spIuttered- NO
swelp me bob, guv'nor- Oi tell yer strife
guv'nOr. Orm an honest man Leave go.
yer chokin' me. Can't a pore. -ard-worI-
ing feller tike shelter from the bloouin
rair2 Leave 60. / say and ne squirmed
and struggled helplessly IN the mud
Tankerlane knew at once from the
mans accent that he was not a native
Of those parts Then he caught sight OF
g tiny yellow CLEAN on the ground-a
mere speck Of Dght IN the darkness. He
stretched out his left hand and touched
the hot metal Of a small lantern. He
picked il Up by the handle. and. thrust
ing il into the mans hand hauled him to
his feet
a dark lantern. eh2~ he exclaimed
Turn the light on and let Us see who
you are I am the owner OF these woods,
and you have no business in them al this
time OF night
7 tike my oath. guv'nor," the man
whined-
Turn on the light" Tankerlane said
sternly- 7 shan't hurt you. and III give
you a job and a half a sovereign If
you'll do it
The man turned round the slide Of the
lantern and a shaft of yellow light
streamed out into the darkness. It fell
on Tankerlane's face and a small. cir
cular patch Of wet bushes and suarzIinr-