The Ozark spectator., 1916-07-28

ter s DelOnS1nSS IL started 70 Dark ana all but got me by the trousers. This woke up the herd who stood bawling at the carriage door in the belief that I had committed suicide.
 I crawled through the thicket. reach ed the edge of the stream and in cover of the bushes put hundred yards or so behind me.
 Then from my shelter peered back and saw the guard had several passen- gers gathered around the open carriage door and staring in my direction. could not have made a more public de parture if had left with a bugler and a brass band
 Happily the drunken herd provided a diversion, He and his dog. which was attached by rope to his waist. sud denly cascaded out of the carriage. landed on their heads on the track and rolled some way down the bank to- ward the water In the rescue which followed the dog bit somebody, for could hear the sound of hard swear ing.
 Presently they had forgotten me. and when after a quarter of a miles crawl l ventured to look back the train had started again and was vanishing in the cutting
 was in a wide semicfrcle of moor land. with the brown river as radius and the high hills forming the north erp circumference. There was not a cA- NR hxs{r nv1N the splashing water and the intermina ble crying of curlews. Yet, oddly enough. for the first time felt the ter hor of the hunted or me It was not the police that 1 thought | of, but the other folk. who knew that I knew Scudders secret and dared not | let me live I was certain that they /, would pursue me with a keenness and vigilance unknown to the British law and that once their grip closed on me should ind no mercy
 looked back, but there was nothing In the landscape.
 The sun glinted on the metals of the line and the wet stones in the stream | and you could not have found a more 1 peaceful sight in the world. Neverthe less I started to run. Crouching low in the tunnels of the bog. I ran till the sweat blinded my eyes. The mood did not leave me till I had reached the rim of mountain and flung myself, panting, on ridge high above the young waters of the brown river. From my vantage ground | could scan the whole moor right away to the railway line and to the south of it. where green fields took the place of heather. have eyes like a hawk. but could see nothing moving fin the whole countryside.
 Then I looked east beyond the ridge and saw a new kind of landscape low green valleys with plentiful fir plantations and the faint lines of dust which spoke of highroads.
 Last of all looked into the blue May my pulses racing. Low down in the | south a mOnoplane was climbing into | the heavens. I was as certain as if | l had been told that that aeroplane was looking for me and that 1t did not belong to the police. For an hour or l :wo 1 watched it from a pit of heather
 It flew low along the hilltops and then in narrow circles back over the valley up which had come. Then It seemed to change it's mind. rose to great height and hew away back to the south
 l did not like this espionage from the | air. and I began to think less well of the countryside l had chosen for q refuge These heather hills were no sort of cover If my enemies were fin the sky. must find 6 different kind of sanctuary.
 1 looked with more satisfaction to the green country beyond the ridge for there I should find woods and stone houses.
 | About 6 in the evening l came out of the mOorland to a white ribbon oi road which wound up the narrow vale of a lOwland stream. As followed Il fields gave place to banks. the glen became plateau, and presently l had reached kind of pass where soli l
 The road swung over a bridge. and leaning on the parapet was a man.
 He was smoking a long clay pipe and studying the water with specta cled eyes. In his left hand was a small book, with a finger marking the pls e Slowly he repeated
 Az when a Gryphen through the wild ar ness,
 With winged step, OCT hill and moory | dale
 | Pursues the Arfmaspian He jumped round as my step runG on the keystone. and saw a pleasant sunburnt. boyish face. | Good evening to you," he said grave l N. Its a fine night for the road" l The smell of wood smoke and of some savory roast hoated to me from the house. 'Is that place an inn" l asked.
 At your service" he said politely II am tho landlord, sir, and I hops | vou will atav the nf1ht. for. to tell you