, 1908-02-06
~.
A Voice from the Lake.

into the night. The wood through
which we nae approached the house
seemed to encompass 1t. The branches
of a great tree brushed the panes. I
was Juggling at the fastening Of the
window when I became aware Of Bates
at my elbow.
Did something happen, sir?"
His unbroken calm angered me.
Some one had fired at me through q
window and / had narrowly escaped
being shot. / resented the n
with which this servant accepted the
situation.
Nothing worth mentioning. Some
body tried to assassinate me, that's
ALL" l said. in a voice that failed to be
calmly ironical. I was still fumbling
at the catch of the window.
ALLOW me, sir,"-and he threw up
the sash with an ease that increased
my irritation.
leaned out and tried to find some
clue to my assailant. Bates opened
another window and surveyed thu dark
landscape with me.
at was a shot from without, was
1t, sir?"
"of course 1t was; you didn't SUP
pose l shot at myself, did you?"
He examined the broken pane and
picked up the bullet from the tabls.
IT'S a rife ball, / should say"
The bullet a ~half-iattened by it,
contact with the wall. 1t was a cart
ridge ball of large caliber hat might
nave been fred from either rife or
pistol.
It's very unusual. sir!" wheeled
upon HIM angrily and found him fum-
bling with the bit of metal, a troubled
look on his face. He at once con-
tinued. as though anxious to allay my
fears. Quite accidental, most likely.
Probably boys on the lake are shoot
ing at ducks"
l laughed out SO suddenly that Bates
started back in alarm.
You IDIOT" / roared, Selling him
by the collar with both hands and
shaking him fercely. You fool, do
the people around here shoot ducks at
night? Do they shoot waterfowl with
elephant guns and fire at people
through windows just for fun?"
1 llle" III bdSh against liz ldDiC
so that it leaped away from him, and
he fell prone on the floor.
Get up!" l commanded, and fetch
a lantern"
He said nothing but did as / babe
him. We traversed the long, cherries
hall to the front door, and | ent him
before me into the woodland. My no.
lions of the geography of the region
were the vaguest, but / wished to ex-
anime for myself the premises, hat
evidently contained a dangerous Prov
Ter. / was very angry and my rage
increased as l followed Bates, who
had suddenly retired within himself.
We stood soon beneath the lights Of
the refectory window.
The ground was covered with leaves
which broke crisply under our feet.
What lies beyond here?" / do
manded.
About a quarter of mile of woods
sir. and then the lake"
go ahead" / ordered, straight to
the lake"
| was oon stumbling through rough
underbrush similar to nat through
which we had approached the house.
Bates swung along confidently enough
ahead of me. pausing occasionally to
hold bach the branches. 1 began to
feel, as my rage abated, that l had set
out on a foolish undertaking. / was
utterly at sea as to the character Of
the grounds; l was following a man
whom l had not seen until two hours
before, and whom | began to suspect
of all Of designs upon me. II
was wholly unlikely that the person
who had fired into the windows would
Turk about, and, moreover, h light Of
The lantern, the crackle of the leaves
and the breaking of the boughs advov-
tised our approach loudly.
A bush slapped me sharply and !
stopped to rub the sting from my face.
Are you hurt, sir?" asked Bates 70
licitously, turning with the lantern.
o course not" / snapped. I'm
having the time of my life. Are there
no paths in this jungle?"
Not Just here, sir. 1t was MI. Glen
arms idea not to disturb the wood at
all. He was very fond Of walking
through the timber"
Not at night, / hope! Where are
we now?"
quite near the lake, sir"
Then 20 on"
| was out of patience with Bates,
with the painless woodland, and. !
must confess, with the spirit of John
Marshall Glenarm. my grandfather.
We came out presently upon a grav.
ely beach, and Bates stamped sud.
denly on %planking.
This is the Glenarm dock. sir; and
that's the boat house"
He waved his lantern toward a low
structure that rose dark beside us. Al