Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-23
CHAPTER XVIII.
A Shot in the Wood.

his last blow at my life. The miscar-
rfage of his plot of the previous night and
the knowledge l had of the character of
this enemy should. now that the hour
had come when my fate was to be de-
cided by the village. have kept me more
than ever upon my guard lulled, how
ever, by the belief that he would leave
my affair to the judgment of the fisher
men. that he would confidently think to
swear me into guilt by chain of perjury.
1 relaxed caution. One o'clock-one hour
until the assemblage of Lavouche in old
Gaspard's boatshop-surely ! could feel
myself safe for that interval. Yet it
would have been simple. had / reasoned
the matter. to know that the Frenchman
could feel his situation naught but des-
perate. Swear me into a murder he
might, make out Descarte hero. per
haps; but during the process of investi-
cation might / not bring forth damag-
ing tale of D'Urville himself? l should
have remembered the character Of the
man, / have said he was not the one to
leave any affair of his to public arbitra-
ment: that were to leave 1t to chance.
and in such matter chance should be
excluded
1t was at 1 o'clock that I was walking
back and forth upon the lawn with An
drew. His fond hope to see me the be-
trothed of Elizabeth had at last been
was joy to see the bloom of happiness
that came upon his cheek. We were
speaking OF the event. To him almost
would have spoken my innermost
thoughts as to a father. We entered
little way upon the path where that
morning l had met Betty. / pointed a
finger up it's alley and turned to him.
Suddenly he halted abruptly in the words
Of satisfaction which he uttered, half
lifted a hand startled; then with loud
l,n H,yrc n oh hnf0ro
my body.
1.-The Frenchman-"
His words were never finished. A shot
rang through the wood. clear, loud, vim
dictive, and Andrew caught his breath
with a sobbing gasp. Whirling about, /
had an instant vision of a mans figure.
the flutter Of q coat skirt, then nothing
was to be seen. Andrew stood with his
hand to his left breast, blood slipping be-
tween his fingers.
II am hit, Master Charles" he said,
with pale lips.
He began to sway Catching his form
in my arms, I lowered him tenderly to
the ground. Horror filled my mind, hor-
ror and an immense disbelief that what
happened could be true. Andrew Shot;
good, faithful, innocent Andrew, who had
fearlessly flung himself forward to pro-
tect me! l took few rapid steps to pur-
sue the villain who had fired this as
sassins shot from ambush; then the
panion, was, perhaps. losing his life's
blood overwhelmed me. / fell on my
knees by his side, sought to stanch the
yelling blood with my handkerchief. Oh
that this faithful servitor should suffer
for my quarrel! Then a rage Of murder
filled my heart. Let what might happen
I should kill D'Urville. if it were with
my last breath. Beside Andrews I'M
conscious body. under the green boughs.
where the sunlight played hide and seek
md mill thn CT oil hon
us, swore 1t looking up to heaven.
Harrington had heard the shot as he
sat upon the veranda. Casting aside his
magazine, he leaped upon the turf and
raced to me. shouting. In a few swift
words l explained what had happened: as
swiftly he opened the old mans clothes
and made an examination. Truly the
army trains men to cope with emer-
GencieS.
I'VE must take him into the house and
to bed he said. Through the lung-a
dangerous wound. A surgeon must be
had at once. He has half a chance
Into the lodge, therefore, we bore An
drew, with as little physical jar as might
be. My guest brought into operation his
knowledge of first aid" to stop the
hemorrhage and succeeded in checking
the flow of blood. With each succeeding
minute my cold rage against Del Her.
vale grew, my passion to revenge the
wanton crime darkened. Time seemed to
the clock was hard on 2; and with a last
look at the white face. white now as the
diSordered hair above it, which lay upon
the pillow, with a final grip of the hand
from Billy. who remained. ] placed my
hat on my head and set out for La
vouche. Through the wood strode now
knowing no fear. Something told me 1
was not to fall by hidden blow, and
had j sighted the man who had COM
mitted that outrage against my servant l
I'D
or compunction. Past tree, bush and vine
| went, Yesterday SO light with happi-
ness, now heavy with the tragedy in
which they We're shrouded. No bird notes
fell in music through the branches: as If
to typify the mood in mems minds, the
fog spread its darkening veil, trees drip
ped and all was somber.
When | emerged from the wood and
walked up the hundred yards or SO of
sands to the village | perceived the
shadOwy forms of the boats standing
where they had rested since the previous
evening. What an age had passed since
the few hours back, when l looked into
the blazing eyes of DeScarte seeking my
life there among the inanimate huls,
Like hideouS nightmare the memory of
that struggle assailed me. One instant
he had been alive. vicious, powerful,
strangling the breath in my throat; next
he lay an inert, sprawlng mass, at which
Esper and ! stared unbelieving The tide
w
empty stretch of sands here and there a
nearer pool family visible, the others hid
den in fog; overhead and unseen wheeled
a few gullS, Squalling their raucouS,
mournful cries; while strong in my nos
trils was the scent of brine and sea- A
sense of loneliness. of WEAKNESS of desc
lation came over me. All the world
seemed barren and life useless struggle,
man somehow caught in a mesh of fate
from which there was no escape
distance q
village was that good friend Jean. His
face was sober. but his greeting sincere
which was all that | cared for, and when
he clapped me on the shoulder while ask
ing how / was. it was with a smile. NV
news dumfounded him.
Andrew shot.
Through the lung-it is serious You
must find some one, Jean. to go to the
railway station with message for a
doctor; some one who IS trustworthy
who is intelligent enough to spur the OPP
orator to instant action and to see that
the telegram is sent"
wait here" said he. and hurried away
While ] bided his return l wrote the
message on leaf of my notebook to a
banker in Bangor. with whom my father
had formerly conducted certain business
while spending summers here on the is
land. Urgency was essential | stated,
at the same time ordering him to hire a
special train or fast tug. The telegram
finished l could only think of poor An
come speedily.
A moment later Jeans shape took form
out of the fog and with it that OF Louis
Milan, a sturdy youth of quick wit. Him
| bid run all the way to the railroad
station. Could he do it? Louis laughed