The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-10-29
CHAPTER xlx-(continued.)

to run. If he lett Nevins go out of his
sight he might neve discover him
again. The ground was soft and
spongy, so that his footballs made no
sound; while Nevins appeared to be
so confident no one was following him
that he did not take the trouble to
look round.
1t appeared to be an aimless kind Of
game on the part of both men.
Neither OF them knew exactly what he
meant TO do. AS far as Nevins was
concerned, the appearance OF the GU
cate on the scene had upset all his
CLANS. Instead OF getting away as he
expected to do, without difficulty and
without suspicion, he would have to
himself and his treasure in
TO a place Of safety.
AS he hurried across the wide
moor, with the night closing thickly
around him and the damp sea fog
throwing everything out of perspect-
I've and proportion, he tried to formu-
late some safe and definite plan OF ac-
ton. II was frightfully annoying to
have everything upset by a stupid
curate. For the life of him he could
not understand why Grayton wanted
60 interfere. 1t was no concern of
his, and had given him no authority
TO act for her.
Those meddling fools ought to be
shot" he said to himself, angrily.
Hell go and tell Blight, no doubt,
and that sagacious arm of the law
will make nc end OF a mouth of the
business. If I'm caught | shall have
to prove my authority for what I've
done, and that will blow up the whole
show"
He fell into a slower pace at length.
Tor the way got more and more diff
cult. and the d. rkness deepened at al
most every step. Moreover. the prob
lem that faced him remained as per,
picking as ever.
Should be hide the box and the bits
OF jewelryi Re had pocketed, and re-
turn for them at a later date, or
should he try to make good his escape
with the booty in his possession? The
latter was no doubt the more heroic
course, but II would involve a good
many risks. To walk across Penny
Downs to the nearest railway station
would take Him several hours, and by
the time he got there Blight might
have a warrant ready for his arrest.
Clearly. the way of the wrongdoer was
beset with diff Guilty. The telegraph,
which he had so often found convent
ent, might rrove a snare. While he
was tramping YEARLY across that
trackless n DOR messages might be
humming along the wires to every pc
lice station in the district.
He cursed the curate again with all
his heart and soul. II he could have
put a shot through his head while he
leaned over the Cliff it would nave
solved the difficulty. Unfortunately
ne had no pistol in his possession,
otherwise he would have been strong
Iy tempted to break the sixth COM
mandment. The only a of Of
tense or defense in his possession was
a lolg-bladed pocket knife.
The longer he reflected, the more
probable 1t seemed to him that he
would get caught. That being so, the
wise thing would be to hide the valu-
ables. Nothing could be proved
against him. Nobody saw him break
open the door. Nearly all the boxes
that had been washed ashore had
been badly damaged by the waves.
He could swear that he had never
touched a single thing. They could
search his rooms, his clothing, his
trunks. but there would be nothing
TO incriminate him-nothing but the
~curate's story. and that, without 0 r
roborative evidence, would mount to
nothing
He began to walk more slowly and
warily. He would have to be sure OF
his ground. Penny Downs was wide
and trackless, and almost without
landmarks of any kind. He might
hide and never be able to find again.
That would be a FOOLS trick, n
must be guarded against at all costs.
The little box under his arm meant
a fortune to him. 1t was the one stroke
OF good luck in a luckless life, n
now that 1t was in his possession he
would fight for 1t to the last gasp.
Such good fortune did not usually
come to a man more than once In a
lifetime, and II he played the fool or
the coward now he might end his days
in a ~workhouse.
II was so dark by this time that he
could see only a few yards in front
of him, and the prospect OF finding a
convenient hiding place for his treas
ure or even OF finding his way safely
across the downs. appeared to be as
arayatingly remote. He looked care
fully round him for some tree or boul-
dor that might serve as a convenient
landmark. and he cursed the curate In
~polyglot oaths as he did so.
Suddenly he started; a creaking
sound fell on his ear, like the spring
Ing back OF heather when It had II
had been crushed under foot He
held his breath. and the sound was
repeated.
Some stray mule or Donkey I ex'
pect," he grunted to himself, and he
strained his eyes In the direction OF
the sound.
sThere IT Is again. and closer" he
muttered and the perspirntion gath
cred In beads on his forehead.
A moment later the figure Of q mar