The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-02-02
CHAPTER XIX.
Continued.

ASSllG udQ d lOOJ anu manu- all
bandaged, and could not stand
what is it, dear?" she asked.
~The cause of a great deal of
misery, I am afraid" he answered,
and then he told his story.
1t was Lawrence Soames she had
seen in the distance walking away
from her, for it seemed that after
having tied her up to the telegraph
post that morning Leslie had only
wandered off some two or three hum
bred yards or so into the bracken
behind her. 1t was a perfect jungle
growth of weed and fern; he could
not see what he was setting his foot
on, and all at once, to his horror, he
felt himself slip through. He
grasped convulsively at the weeds
about him, but they came up by the
roots and only served to break his
fall-which was something, however,
as otherwise he must have dropped
dead weight some thirty feet or
more into sort of gully or rift in
the heath, the presence of which moth
ing indicated until you were in it. AS
it was, he fell heavily enough upon
stones in the dry bed of a torrent and
became insensible at once. When he
came to himself it was evening. He
was lying on some sheepskins on the
floor of rude hut. There was a
wood fire in one corner, with hole
in the roof above it for the smoke to
go through, but most of it preferred
to go out by the door. Over the fire
stood creature scarcely human in
appearance, stirring something that
simmered in large pot, with stick.
1t was man, apparently, but he was
more like huge monkey. He had
short, misshapen legs, long body,
broad at the shoulders, with great
depth of chest betokening strength,
abnormally long arms, upon which
the muscles stood up suggestively,
and small, grizzled head looking out
of all proportion to the rest of the
body, with close-cropped hair stand
ing up on end all over it, as a mon
keys grows. Leslie expected to see
hideous face when the creature
turned, but the face was not hideous.
1t was animal beyond a doubt, but
with sensitive, expressive mouth,
and pair of soft brown eyes, speak
ing and pathetic as stag's. The ami
NAL idea was suggested by the short,
fiat nose and long upper lip, while the
human being appeared in the Whole
expression of the face, which was
gentle and caressing, wanting in
something certainly-and at first
Leslie could not imagine what it was
but still intelligent, though the
intelligence was assuredly not of a
high order. There was something ex-
traordinary about his dress, which
was such as was worn by many of the
poorer shepherds on the heath; and
this, together with the sheepskin bed,
rightly suggested his occupation to
Leslie.
When he came to himself, the
shepherds back was turned to him as
he tended the pot, and he did not
therefore see that Leslie had recov-
cred.
"Did you carry me here yourself?"
the latter asked. 81 think you could
carry an OK in those arms of yours,
oh, son of Milo!"
But the man took no notice. He
had evidently not heard.
Hill" Leslie called, with the same
result. "Stone deaf. suppose" he
muttered to himself, then tried to
rise, but fell back again on the skins
with groan. He thought every bone
in his pody was broken, and he lay
there suffering, not daring to make
another effort for some time.
At last, however, the mild-eyed
monster turned to look at him, and
seeing he was sensible, came forward
with a pleased smile, flourishing his
pot-stick, and making every sort OF
pantomimic demonstration of delight
but without uttering syllable. Les.
lie shouted at him, and he evidently
saw that he had done so, for his coun-
tenance sobered down to the saddest
expression possible, and he shook his
head vehemently several times, with.
out, however, opening his mouth OF
making any sort of sound. Leslie
rolled his head despairingly on his
sheepskin pillow, and groaned aloud
He had taken in the situation at q
glance. The shepherd was a deaf.
mute, amiable, ignorant, and semi.
imbecile, probably, and he himself
was at his mercy, helpless prisoner
lInah1a 10 communicates With hfc ;oiIo,
at present, and, until he could do so
cut off from his friends. Doubtless
they would search for him, and dis.
cover him in time, but the thought OF
his wife's anxiety and suspense was
terrible. He noticed that the day was
waning, and for a moment wondered
what they We're doing not to have
found him already; then suddenly he
remembered Gertrude's position when
he left her She might remain fol
days tied up on that lonely spot, and
never a soul come by that way tc
rescue her. True, she might be seer
by passing train. Then he thought
of the boy, the trains and the boy
and saw all the awful things that
might happen, and in an agony OF
mind struggled to his feet and stag.
gered forward, only, however, to fall
fainting at the first step, and so tc
lose his one chance of immediate de-
liverance, for while he was still in,
sensible Lord Wartlebury's men came
across the deaf and dumb shepherd
standing at the door of his hut, but
not being able to make anything OF