The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-02-07

OF the yard; Heaven knows but my
ear had been well trained to such
steps as those.
/ crept softly to my window and
peered out. The man was almost
across the yard, moving in the shadow
of the pig-sties. AS he stopped at the
wicket-gate that opened on to the
moor, he turned his head to the moon.
1t was Hearne again.
/ decided on that instant. slipped
on my boots and ran down the stairs.
The landlord was locking up for the
night as / came to the front door.
I'm going to take your advice" l
said with laugh
very good, sir; I will sit up for
YOU"
mo, no, give me the key. Has Mr..
Hearne gone to bed?"
Yes, sir, about ten minutes ago."
Ills room is on the first floor,
isn't it?"
mo, sir; he chose one on the
ground floor. He preferred It,"
The wiser man, thought l. He need
ed no door when he had but to open
his window and step out.
When got to the back OF the inn
Hearne was good four hundred
yards away, climbing a low ridge. AS
he disappeared over it's edge j set or
running at top speed, for | saw that
In so broken and rugged a place |
should have to keep close to his heels
or I should lose him altogether. 1t
was we'll did so, for when l reached
the crest of the rise he had vanished.
Presently, however, I caught sight
of him again, walking very fast down
a hollow at right angles to the line he
first took. 1t led in the direction of
the cairn hill.
1t was hard work, that two miles
stalk across the moor. Sometimes
ran, sometimes crawled, sometimes
lay fiat on my chest with my head
buried in the heather like an ostrich
Once l tried to cut corner across
what seemed plot Of level turf and
struggled back, painting, from the
grasp of the bog with the black slime
almost to my waist But took great
credit for my performance since the
old man tramped steadily forward,
showing no sign of having seen me.
He did not climb the cairn hill as
/ had half expected, but skirted along
the base until he came to the track
which led to the ruined farm. Down
this he walked quickly and passed
fbrouoh Tho dnoruyou Of ha oip build.
ing. l remained upon the slope of the
hill, waiting for him to reappear.
Five, ten minutes went by, and then
my curiosity got the better Of my
prudence. l determined to go down
and see what he was about.
The place was sheltered from the
gale, but l could hear 1t yelping and
humming in the rocks above, now and
again gust came curling up the val.
ley, setting the heather whispering
around me. crept forward over the
soft turf of the cart track, reached
the gap where the door had been, hes
ltated, listened, and then stuck in my
head.
l had been a boxer in my time, or
that would have been the end of me.
AS I ducked, the heavy stick fiicked
off my cap and crashed into the wall |
with a nasty thud l jumped back,
and he came ,storming s.out through |
the doorway like a mailman. / never
saw more beastly fury in mans
eyes. / side-stepped, and he missed
me again-it was a knife this time.
Then l woke up and let him have it
with my right under the ear. He
staggered, dropping the knife. AS he
stopped to pick it up, I jumped for
him and in ten seconds more was
sitting on his chest, pegging out his
arms on the turf. He tried a strug-
was far the stronger man, and SO
lay painting, with hopeless despair
in his face, that, in man Of his ago
was shocking to witness. He had
tried to kill me, but, on my honor, !
felt sorry for him.
We'll, Mr.. Hearne," said, land
what does this mean?"
TOO DID," no gasped Twenty
years ago-different. How did you
suspect? 1t was justice-nothing but
bare justice, by Heaven!"
Now, what in the world do you
think l ann" / asked him, In great
surprise.
"A detective. You couldn't deceive
me-"
l got to my feet with curse at
the muddle l had made of 1t, and he
sat up staring at me as If he thought
1 had gone clean crazy of a sudden.
I'm no detective" l said angrily,
Though | was fool enough to believe