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Show ' - 188 RYCH ARD JIURDJS. compnnions fnll a. lutlf mile off; nnd the increased mnlig11ity embodied and look ing green in his visage, left me little doubts as to thr motive which l1ad made him lag behind. If I had doubts at the beg-inning, he did not suffer me to entert ain them long. His words removed them. "And now," he sa id, "my brave fellow, tiH~ time is come for yrour qni:trmce. You hn...-o had the word of me long enough. 1' ou arc m my power. "\\"ll::tt ha,·c you to say for yonrsclf1" , "What sh_ould l sa~ 1" was my re:uly :md indignant reply. Truly and mJsernbly d1d I feel nt the cotwiction, thnt I was in. deed in the power and nt the mercy of this vile wretch; but if worlds had depended upon it, I could not have answered him other than in la11gungc of the most unadulterated scorn. "Jln, ! do you 11ot understand me?" l1e cr ied . "Your life I te11 you, is in my power! The only man in tho world wJ10 could have kept me from taking it, is l\fat VVobber, and he's ou~. of rea:h and hearing. It is but a blow, and with all your pncle and msolence I let your blood out upon this floor! 'Vhat do you sr~y that I should not 1-wlutt prayer will you mnke to me tlw.t I should spare your li fe 1" Tho fellow lenned upon the table which, occupying the middle of the floor, stood between him :mel tl1e place where I Jay. 1\Iy feet were half under it. lie leaned over it, and sl1 ook at me a long knife, bared ready for the stroke, in sundry 8avage movements. I gave him look for look, and a full defiance for nil his threntenings. "Prayer to you !" I exclaimed; "that were putting myself indeed, within your }lOwer! You may &tab! - I can not hel; mys~~f-but,J'Oll shall only mnrdcr!- wretch! you slutll have no tuumph! and, grown utterly reckless, ns I belie' eel there was n? hope of e~cap e, and that I must die, I lifted my feet, and thrustm.g them wtth all my might against the table, I sent it forward w1th such fOrce as to hurl it upon him, when both came to the floor together. 'l'hc fellow was not much hurt, and a few moments sufliced for his extr ication. 'Vith accumul::lterl fury, that foamed but did not speak , he was about to rush upon me, when a sudden footstep behind him drew all his attention to the new-comer. Never could I haYe believed, till then, that fear could so suddenly succeed to rage in any bosom. rrhc villain -- N AltllUW ESCA PI~ . 189 grew white as a sheet the moment that he lJCard the soutHland saw the person. I t was \V ebbcr •rho looked upon him with the eye of a master. "You're a pretty fellow l ain't you 1 So you kept behind for til is 1 Geoffrey warned 1ne to expect it, as soon as I found you missi11g; and it's well I got back in time. You arc a fool, bully boy, and you' ll be stretched for it. ){ount before me, and if you're wise, forget you' \'e ever seen this chap. Come - begone, I say l uo word-not one-Grafton's under way al-ready!" The assassin was actually incapable of answer. Certainly he made uone. The main vill ain of this precious set must have seen a various life of serv ice. 'l'he whole train of proceedings which be had this day witnessed-the first assault upon \Villiam and myself-the pursuit of the fanner-his death-and the subsequent attempt of my enemy upon my person-all sccmeJ to awaken in him but little emotion. 1l'here was but one suUject upon which he could not preserve his temper, and that was his old employer, Colonel Grafton-but with regard to n.\1 oth~rs, his self1 shness had schoolecl him successfully to sull'er no feeling or passion to interfere in the slightest degree with what might be his prevailing policy. \Vith the inflexibility of a superior, suspicious of his t;\ave, l1e waited until he f:;aw my enemy mount ancl set forth, then nodding to me with the freedom of an old friend, he left the entrance, and I was once more left alone. |