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Show 118 RICHARD IJURDIS. such n doom, I tell you, John Hurdis, l1c siHlll have compnny. You arc ri ch, John Hurd is, and I am poor; but kuow from me that there is energy and resolu tion enough in this withcrrd bosom to follow you in ~111 your secret mnchinntions, to tmce your steps in any forests, and to bring you to the same punishment, or a worse, thnn that which you bring on llim ! I am poor and old: men scorn me, and my own sex turns awny, :md, bi cl, cning nt my }JO\'Crty, forget for n while tlwt they nrc lnmwn, in ceasing to believe me so. But the very scorn of mankin d will strengthen me; and when I am nlonc-wlt cn tl1c wonk man whom you entice with your money to do tltc deed from wltich you sl11·ink, bccbmes yom victim- beware of n1e; for so surely as there is a God in heaven, he will h elj) me to find the niclcncc which shall bring you to 1mnishment on earth !" "The woman is a fiend-a very devil!" cried Hurd is, ns he rushed from the strong ::mel resolute spirit before him. H er tall form wns lifted beyond l1cr ordinnry height as sbc spoke, and he shra.nk from the intense lire that shot through her long, grny eyebrows. " I would soouer face the devil!" he muttered, as l1e fl ed . "There's something speaks in her that I fea r. Curse the chance, but it is terrible to haYe such an enemy, and to (eel that one is doing wrong!" lie looked back but once ere he left the forest, and l10r eyes were still fixed upon him. H e ventu red no second glance; but, nnnoycd with a thousand appreiJcnsions, to ·which the interview hncl given existence, he hurried homeward like one pursuedstarting at every sound in the woods, though it were only the falling of a leaf in tiJC sudden gust of November. THE TltAVELLERS FALL A~IONG TITIEVES. CUAPTER XVI. TilE TRAVEl.LEUS J:ALL A:'>l0:\'0 TIIIEVES. "You must cnt men. Yet 1hnnks, I must you con, 'l'hnt you Rl'C thieves prof~S!!e,l; thnt. you wo1·k nol Jn holi..r ~ h npes; for there is bouudl~ss th eft In limit.•d Jll'ofe~si ons. Jl,1 ~cnl thieve!!, I! c J•e's gold."-'lltno•t of .Atllcu8. "So T lcnve yon To the protection of 1l1c pt·ospel·ous goch, As thie"es to keepcrs.''-/bid. 119 IN the meanwhil(', Ben Pickett, moYed with no such consid· ora tions as those which touched his wife, set forth in pursuit of his dest ined victim. ] I is footsteps I may not pmsue at present. 1t will be enough that I detail my own progress. 'l'he render has already seen t hat I :trriYed safely at 'l'usca loosn. How I came to escape him so far, I can not say; since, allowing that !10 pursued me with even moderate avidity, he mu8t have overtaken me if he had so purposed it. ]3ut, it is bclie\·ed, that he mistook my route. lie believed that I had st ru ck din'ctly for the river, on my nea rest path to Chochuma. H e had no knowledge of my companion's business in Tuscaloosa; and John llurdi s, being equally ignorant on that subject, could 110t counsel him. "\Vhatever may have been the cause of my esca11e so far, from a foe whose aim was certain, .and who had overcome all scruples of policy or conscience-if, indeed, he ever held them - I had 1·eason for congratulating myse1f upon my own good fortune, which had availed for my protection ngainst his murderous purpose. But, conscious of no evil then, nml wholly ignorant of the danger I had thus escnpecl, l ga\"e myself no concern against the future; aml with nil the buoyant reckle ssness of youth, p1eascd with novelty, and with fac('s turned for a new |
