Evening star., 1927-04-11
CHAPTER I.
The Men Of the Moor.


above the rattle and roar of motor
engines as the old car grunted and
groaned up the steep hill.
The lights Of TraVistock had long
since disappeared. Princetown was
three miles beyond the crest Of the
hill About them was an Infinite
loneliness and the sobbing of wind
that drove the needle-sharp sleet
into their faces. The yelloW-face
old man who drove did not speak
he had not spoken since they lett
Travistock: would not willingly
break his silence before they reached
I.xeter-or after
The car labored noisily up the
twisting road, skidding and shdlnS
from left to right and with every
lurch the girls heart came into her
mouth.
At the top of the hill the full force
OF the gale caught them and all but
brought the car to standstlll Ram
smacked viciously against the screen,
whipped under the lower brim OF her
hat thrashing her face till it
smarted intolerably.
Don't you think we'd be wise If
we went back to Tavistock?"
She had to raise her voice to
scream before he heard her.
"No,"
The answer came like a pistol shot
and she said no more.
DR.. Latin had bought the car cheap
at sale of army dereHcts--it had
been old before the acquisitions of
war had called it into military serv@
ice. 1t served him well enough; gave
him the illusion of economy a mo-
ment when economy was necessary.
He had a small starvehng property
1f
where a plowshare touched rock every
rod or so. His tenant was a man
who complained regularly and paid
his rent occasionally The further
Illusion of proprietorship almost com
pensated DR.. Latin for other def
ciencies.
West Of Princetown the wind
slackened and normal speech was
possible.
you won't try to get beyond Exc
ter tonight?" asked the girl nerv-
ousIy. 1t was beyond the bounds
of possibility that he would continue
the Journey to London.
Il don't know" His tone was un-
Betty could have said something
unpleasant but wisely held her
tongue. They skirted the prison
fields: the lights of the car showed
momentarily the ugly arch before the
tail and a muffied figure leaning upon
q rife beyond the gate, and in an
other minute they had passed
through Princetown and were facing
the winds of the open moor.
In spite of her oilskin coat the
girl was soaked through, she was cold
and stiff and hungry, and for the
first time in her life thought long
., hnI1GQ Camden
road. Then, to her surprise, the man
spoke.
"This is better than play acting,
living reality there
are spirits in this place !
can feel them. Hail thou!"
His hand came off the driving
wheel and was raised in stiff salute.
Betty. shivering with terror, shut her
PLAY acting! If that wretched road
engagement hadn't come to an
abrupt end-at Tavistock of all
places in the world-and. by hide
Gus coincidence, at the very moment
Joshua Latin was making nam
yearly visit to his property"
"There are evil things chained to
the dark" His voice, prim, emotion
less. pierced the whine and furry OF
gale and engine. "Terrors undreamt
of by shallow minds what OF
the 40. .000, 900 spirits of Atlantis
She put her hands to her ears and
the next moment could nave
shrieked her fears. Ahead OF them
cleaned a red spot of light in the
very center of the road. 1t was IKE
a fiery eye Towering from some
cyclopean socket.
The car tangled and shuddered to
4 y, a ficIfYa
with the red lantern.
The lights of the car were poor
aged oil-burning lamps, and the man
who had swung the lantern showed
dimly. He seemed to be dressed In
a long, close-fltting gown like the
habit of a monk her NOUN
opened wide in wonder and fear-the
head was shrouded in cowl that
covered the face; she saw only
CLEAN of eyes behind narrow Sits
cut in the cloth. -,
MAY l speak to you, pleaseF SAID
the cowled man, and now she saw
that he had a companion, somper
companion similarly attlred
What is it-what is the meaning
of this foolery?" grated Joshua
Latin.
The man walked to his side and
said something in a tone so low that
Betty could not hear word.
''Huh-well, 1 am
Lafins voice sank to rumble
and for a minute or two they carried
on a conversation in an undertone.
Presently:
'rH draw the car up by the side
of the road" said DR.. Latin, and,
twisting his head toward the girl,
You'll wait here"
ssIJarafu che said a apbaSf I'm the
middle Of artmoor-alone!"
This gentleman win look after you
there is no occasion for panic. /
would not leave you if there Were"
He indicated the shadowy form Of
the second monk" standing just
outside the spread Of the lamps rays.
Betty made no answer, but watched
Latin and his sinister companion till
they disappeared in the darkness.
The second man did not stir;
vainly she tried to keep her eyes
away from the cowled face.
Latin had been gone a quarter of
an hour when there came a sound
that added to the fearfulness of the
night. The deep boom of a bell.
Betty tried to locate it and failed.
Dong!
Again, and then
The faint sound of yoices-deep
chested voices OF men, chanting.
Dong!
She was trembling in every limb
What did ell this portend? She
looked around nervously. The man
still stood where he had been watch
S=1-what? She had a feeling that
he was listening, too, his ears
strained--for what?
An hour passed before she heard
feet on the hard road and somebody
saying Good night" 1t was the
doctor and he was returning alone;
he must have left his guide some
where in the darkness. When she
looked the second man had disap'
peared as If he had vanished -intc
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