The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-03-07
THE TERROR
IN THE SNOW
(Continued.)


by the stars that blinked in their
thousand consultations. Though the
snow lay deep, the air struck mild
ly. Indeed, if 1t were freezing, II
could not have been by more than
two degrees. Upon the edge OF the
distant cliffs robes of confusing mist
curled in wells as thin as moonlight;
but in the foreground the yew walks
and aisles of ancient laurel showed
clearly upon the white carpet. About
the central avenue of frs which
carved the gardens into the dark
ness lay impenetrable pools Of shad.
ow. AS / waited, the silence was
startled by a bell. 1t rang the four
quarters in a tinkling measure, fol
lowed by eleven musical strokes.
knew that the sound must come from
the little church that lay to my
right; but, though 1 leant from my
window, the angle of the wing In
which I was, hid the building from
me.
feel that the story which l have
now to tell may well turn me into an
object for ridicule. l can only de.
scribe that which l saw; as for the
conclusions at which 1 arrived there
are many more practical people In
the world than myself who would
have judged no differently. At best
1t was a CHASTITY business.
had returned to the dressing table
and was changing my dress-coat for a
comfortable smoking-jacket when
heard ia faint and distant cry, yet
a cry which was crowded with such
terror that l chung to a chair with
my white face and goggling eyes star
ing back at me from the mirror on
the table. Again it sounded, and
again; then silence fell like the shut
ter Of camera. l rushed to the
window, peering out into the night.
The great gardens lay sleeping in
the dusky shadows. There was moth.
ing to be heard; nothing moved save
the curling wreaths of mist that came
creeping up over the cliffs like the
ghosts of drowned sailormen from
their burial sands below. Could ii
have been some trick of the imagina
ton? Could it-and the suggestion
which l despised thrust itself upon
me-could it bear reference to that
grim tragedy that had been played
in the old fir avenue so many years
ago?
And then I first saw the thing that
came towards me.
1t was moving up a narrow path
hedged with yew, that led from the
gardens and passed to the right OF
the wing in which 1 stood. The yew
had been clipped into walls some five
feet high. but the eastern gales had
beaten out gaps and ragged indenta
lions in the lines of greenery, so that
in my sideways view of it the path
itself was here and there exposed
1t was through one of these breaches
In the walls that noticed sign OF
movement. l waited, straining my
eyes. Yes. there it showed again, 9
something, moving swiftly towards
the house with clumsy rolling
stride.
1t was never nearer to me than
fifty yards, and the stars gave 8
shifty light. Yet it left me with an
impression that it was about four
feet in height and of a dull white
color. I remember that its body con
trasted plainly with the dark hedges
but melted into uncertainty against
a patch of snow. Once it stopped and
half raised itself on its hind legs as
II listening. Then again 1t tumble6
forward In its shambling. ungainly
fashion-now hidden by the yew wall
now thrust into momentary sight b.
q ragged gap until it disappeared
round the angle of the house. Doubt
less 1t would turn to the left, round
the old chapel, across the snow-bount
park. and so to the woods-where ,
wolf should be!
I was still staring from the win
dow in the blank fear of the unknown
when ! heard the swift tap of fee
upon the road beneath me. Rount
the corner Of the wing came a man
running with patter of little strides
while dozen yards behind him wer,
a pair of less active followers. VIVA
they wanted 1 did not consider: TO
at that moment the sight of my owl
kind was joy enough for me. TIL,
electric lamps In the room benin,
me threw broad golden patch upo1
the snow, and as the leader reache,
1t he stopped. glancing up at where
stood. The light struck him fairl,
An the face. 1t was Addington Peace
did you hear that cry?" he painted
and then. with sudden nod Of recos