The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1912-03-20
CHAPTER XVII.
aess Leads to Betty


Just where he had parted from
Ware, Darlington sat his horse. his
brows knit and his eyes turned in the
direction OF the path. He was on his
way to a plantation below Birard, the
owner OF which had recently import
ed a pack of bloodhounds; but this
unexpected encounter with Ware had
affected him strangely. He still heard
Toms stammering speech, he was
still seeing his CHASTITY face, and he
had come upon him with startling
suddenness. He had CHANGED TO look
back over his shoulder and when be
faced about there had been the plant
er within a hundred yards Of him.
Presently Carrington's glance ceas-
ed TO follow the windings Of the path.
He stared down at the gray dust and
saw the trail left by Hues and his
party. For a moment he hesitated;
IL the dogs were to be used with any
hope Of success he had no time to
spare, and this was the merest sus-
picion, illogical conjecture, based on
nothing beyond his distrust OF Ware.
In the end he sprang from the saddle,
and leading his horse into the woods.
tied It TO a sapling.
A hurried investigation told him
that i've men had ridden In and out OF
that path. OF the i've, all coming
from the south, four had turned
south again, but the fifth man-Ware,
In other words-had gone north. lie
weighed the possible significance OF
these facts.
Il am only wasting time!" he con-
fessed reluctantly, and was on the
point OF turning away, when, on the
very edge Of the road and Just where
the dust yielded TO the hard clay OF
the path, his glance lighted on the
print of a small and dsintily shod
foot. The throbbing OF his heart
Quickened curiously.
Betty" The word leaped from his
lips.
That small foot had left but the
one impress. There were other signs,
however, that claimed his attention;
namely, the footprints of Slosson
and his men; and he made the in
evitable discovery that these tracks
were all confined to the one spot.
They began suddenly and as sudden
ly ceased, yet there was no mystery
about these; he had the marks OF the
wheels TO help him to q sure conciu-
sion. A carriage had turned just
here, several men had alighted; they
had with them q child, or a woman.
Either they had re-entered the car
riage and driven back as they had
come, or they had gone toward the
river. He felt the soul within him
turn sick.
He stole along the path; the, terror
Of the river was ever in his thoughts,
and the specter OF his fear seemed to
fit before him and lure him on. Pres
emily he caught his first glimpse Of
the bayou and his legs shook under
him; but the path wound deeper still
into what appeared to be an un-
touched solitude, wound on between
the crowding tree forms, q little back
from the shore, with an intervening
tangle Of vines and bushes. He
scanned this closely as he hurried
forward, scarcely conscious that he
was searching for some trampIed
space at the waters edge; but the
Verdant wall preserved its unbroken
continuity, and twenty minutes later
he came within sight Of Hicks clear
ing and the keel boat, where it rested
against the bank.
A little farther on he found the
spot where Slosson had launched the
skin the night before. The keel Of his
boat had cut deep into the slippery
clay; more than this, the impress OF
the small shoe was repeated here, and
just beside it was the print OF q child's |
bare foot.
He no longer doubted that Betty
and Hannibal had been taken across
the bayou TO the cabin, and he ran
back up the path the distance OF a |
mile and plunged into the woods on
bis right, his purpose being to pass
around the head OF the expanse OF |
sluggish water to point from which |
he could later approach the cabin.
But the cabin proved to be better /
defended than he had foreseen; and 1
as he advanced. the difficulties OF the |
task be had set himself became al |
most insurmountable: yet sustained |
as be was by his imperative need, he
tore his way through the labyrinth Of |
trailing vines. or foundered across
acre-wide patches OF green slime ana
black mud. which at each step threat