Year: 1871




terest and l should be perpetually in the
saddle. BY Jovei | will go over to-mor
row and put the question to her"


A rash vow which was never to be kept
But the making of it did Tom good, for 1t
represented feasible, practical plan. All
was uncertain and surrounded with diff
Guilty at home but if Ju. would consent
to colonial roughing it, their future was
clear, distinct simple. 30 he cheered up,
like the lost traveller who comes upon a
landmark and, instead of hurrying on at
the pace he had started at, he began to
pause where gaps in the wood afforded
him glimpses of the fertile country spread
ing for miles beyond.


A splendid oak some three hundred
yards off, seen at the end of q ride, at
tracted his particular attention-it was 80
lofty, so wide.spreading, and its leaves
were so much thicker than those ON most
trees of the same species round about
Tom was sadly materialistic, even in his
most romantic vein, and as the day was
warm for The time of year, 1t Immediately
occurred to him that it would be pleasant
to smoke pipe under that oak, and medi.
tate upon his new emigration scheme
But he had hardly gone far enough from
home to sit down aud rest yet would it
not be better TO continue his walk? Curl
osity decided this question, for while he
was looking toward the tree, he fancied
one of its low boughs shook, and, as there
was not breath of wind stirring, he won
dered what was the cause, and went toward
it to ascertain.


The motion was not repeated; perhaps
it had been only fancy. But stay-what
was that dark object dimly showing
through the leaves? A queer growth of
wood, surely. Tom sauntered quietly up
to within twenty PAGES of the oak, and
then suddenly sprang into run, for the
object took human form, and presently
he found himself Immediately under the
body of man, who was hanging by the
neck from rope attached to bough,
which spread conveniently above.


By raising his hand, Tom could have
touched the pendant boots, which were in
good repair, and well BACKED The rest
OF the clothes were respectable, though
running little to seed; and chimney
pot hat, which lay on the ground, was
gentlemanly hat But Tom did not want
TO touch the boots, for to pull the leg of
hanging man is not the best way to re-
suscitate him. Neither did he spend time
in examining his apparel; the little mat
tiers l have mentioned were. apparent at





the tree, which was happily easy to climb,
and lay out ON the bough with the readi-
ness of sailor.


In the early and sanguine days of his
secretaryship-hu Tom had provided
himself with a pen.knite of superlative
quality, with which to operate on the
goosequills he had expected to wear down
by the bundle; and with this he now pro-
ceeded to cut down the rope. The blade,
though unused and very sharp, was ex-
ceedingly small; the rope, new, hard and
thick. 1t was terrible long operation,
and seemed hundred times longer than
it was. Fortunately the weight at the
other end helped the incision by stretch
ing the gap, and when strand was half
cut through, it tore the of it.


AS Tom lay there on his stomach, with
his left arm around the bough, his right
arm swaying and hacking, his head and
shoulders leaning over, he noticed decid-
ed kick in one of the legs and motion in
one of the arms of the hangee which could
not be due to the swinging motion given
him by the operation going on overhead !;
and the sight gave frantic energy to the
cutting. When the rope was three parts
severed, the rest tore out, and the body
fell lumpily to the ground, the feet strik
ing first, so that it remained erect while
you could count two, and than tumbled
over with a dead thug.


Tom dropped down beside it in mo-
ment, and proceeded to loose the slip. knot
from about the neck. There was an ugly
deep red mark, showing the pattern OF the
rope, all round, and the face was not
plea SAINT to look upon.


When Tom had turned the body on its
back and raised the head little, he Won
4 g. do but oh fn1 tIsN
hands and the chest, while he pondered /;
and as he was thus occupied, he had the
satisfaction of seeing the choking look
disappear. Whether, indeed, this was a
sign of death or recovery he could not
tell, but it made the face very much less
unpleasant to behold.


He had never in all his life felt greater
sense of relief than he did now on hearing
the sound of wheels. Running in the
direction, he came, after sixty yards, to a
lane masked by underwood; in the lane
was dog cart, just passed.


eli? dog g-cart, ahoy? stop" he cried,
and it stopped. The dog cart contained a
neat gentleman in frock.coat and specta-
cles, who drove, and smart, adoleseent
groom, who folded his arms.


as it Mrs. Sunnythrope asked the
gentleman, as Tom ran up breathless.


"No; its fellow I've cut down. Are
you medical man?"


Eyes"


"What luckl Come along; think he
is alive"


The groom took the reins the doctor
accompanied Tom to the body under the
oak


"Is he alive?" asked Tom.


60 yes; his heart is beating. But he
must be properly attended to as quickly
as possible"


They carried him to the dog-cart easily
enough, but it was another matter to haul
him up; however, it was managed.


Where am to drive?" asked the doc
tor and Tom, who had the one virtue of
promptness, named his own lodgings, re-
gardless of consequences.


CHAPTER III.


Tho annt Uhnre Tom GhatLpria had tenn.