The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-11-10

ing and detected. Then we went
toward the house.
1t was a long walk. The path bent
n twisted, and now and then we lost
1t. We were climbing as we went.
Oddly there were no lights ahead, al
though it was only ten o'clock-not
later. Hotchkiss kept a little ahead
OF me, knocking into trees now and
then, but finding the path in half the
time should have taken. Once, as
felt my way around a tree in the
blackness, / put my hand unexpected
ly on his shoulder and felt a shudder
go down my back.
What do you expect me to do?" he
protested, when demonstrated. Hang
out a red lantern? What was that?
Listen"
We both stood peering into the
gloom. The sharp patter of the rain
on leaves had ceased and from 1ust
ahead there came back to us the
stealthy padding of feet in wet soil.
My hand closed on Hotchkiss' shout
der and we listened together, warily.
The steps were close by, unmistak-
able. The next fash Of lightning
showed nothing moving: the house
was in full view now, dark and unin-
viting. looming huge above a terrace,
with an Italian garden at the side.
Then the blackness again. Some
body's teeth were chattering: &C.
cused Hotchkiss but he denied It.
"A I'm NOT unry oDr,e,rtoHtn
I'll admit" he confessed; there was
something breathing right at my ell.
bow here a moment ago"
"Nonsense!" | took his elbow and
steered him in what / made out to be
the direction Of the steps Of the Ital-
ian garden. Il saw a deer just ahead
by the last flash; that's what you
heard. By Jove. I hear wheels"
We paused to listen and Hotchkiss
put his hand on something close to
us. Here's your deer" he said.
Bronze"
AS we neared the house the sense
of surveillance we had in the park
gradually left us. Stumbling over
flower beds, running afoul Of a sun
dial, cropping our way savagely along
hedges and thorny banks, we reached
the steps finally and climbed the ter.
race.
1t was then that Hotchkiss fell over
one of the two stone urns which, with
tall lockwood trees in them, mounted
guard at each side Of the door. He
didn't make any attempt to get up.
He sat in a puddle on the brick floor
of the terrace and clutched his leg
and swore softly in government Eng
lish.
The occasional relief Of the light
ming was gone. / could not see an
outline of the house before me. We
had no matches and an instant's in
v~estigation showed that the windows
were boarded and the house closed.
Hotchkiss, still recumbent, was ascer-
tanning the damage. tenderly peeling
down his stocking.
Upon my soul" he said finally, 81
don't know whether this moisture is
blood or rain. l think I've broken a
bone"
"Blood is thicker than water" |
suggested. as it sticky? See if you
IA move your toes"
There was a pause: Hotchkiss
moved his toes. BY that time l had
found a knocker and was making the
night hideous. But there was no re-
spouse save the wind that blew sod
den leaves derisively in our faces.
Once Hotchkiss declared he heard a
window sash lifted, but renewed VIC
lence with the knocker produced no
effect.
There's only one thing to do" l
said, finally. "Pll go back and try to
bring the buggy up for you. You can't
walk, can you?"
Hotchkiss sat back in his puddle
and said he didn't think he could stir,
but for me TO go back to town and
leave him, that he didn't have any
family dependent on him and that IL
he was going to have pneumonia he
had probably got it already. / left
him there and started back to get a
horse.
If possible. IL was worse than be-
fore. There was no lightning and
only by a miracle did l find the little
gate again. i drew a long breath OF
relief followed by another. equally
long, of dismay. For ] had found the
hitching strap and there was nothing
at the end of It! In q lull of the wind
! seemed to hear. far off, the eager
thud of stable-bound feet. So for the
second time l climbed the slope to
the Laurels and on the way | thought
of many things to say.
| struck the house at a new angle.
for | found a veranda, destitute OF
chairs and furnishings, but dry and
evidently rooted. 1t was better than
the terrace, and SO, by cropping along
the wall, ! tried TO make my way to
Hotchkiss. That was how | found the
open window. ! had passed perhaps
six, all closed. and to have my hand
grope for the next one and to find in
stead the soft drapery Of an inner
curtain was startling, to say the
least
found Hotchkiss at last around an
angle of the stone wall, and told him
that he horse was gone. He was
Disconnected. hut not ahased. main.