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Show RICHARD H. URDIS. 210 cncd nud stimulated for flight by the :.1ppcurancc of Carrington. lie turned the head of his horse, and, with the movement, the avenger ndvanccd upon him. He felt that thor~ was no escape. There was no l10pe in flight. In dcsp~rntJOll.' he tl1rcw himself from the animal-lift ed his rifle, and, m takmg deadly aim upon the fignrc. was surprised t~ sec i~ move awa~ with rapicl footsteps nnd sink into the ncq;hbonng woods, Ill tlJC slwdow of which it was soon lost from sigl1 t. The conduct of Carr ington wns more mysterious to the criminal th:m was the appearance of the spectre just before. If he came as the aycn(J'cr of his fri end, how strnngc that he should fly l And how ~ould such timid ity be believed of one so notoriously brave as the man ]n question 1 The wonder grew in his mind the more he reviewed. it, and he found it easier to continue in his wonderment than to seck by any reference to his past experience and present thoughts for any solution of the mys· t erPya. le nnd cold with fr ight, he at last entered l1is l1ovel with-out further interruption. 'rhe anxious and searching eyes of his wife beheld in an instant the disor<1erecl emotion so promi· nent in l1i s, and h er fears were renewed. "YVhat ls it, Ben-what disturbs you 1 why do you look around so 1" she demanded. "How long has he been here 1 when did he come 1 what docs he want 1" were the rapid q_ucstious which the criminal uttered in reply: "Who-who has been l1ere 1 of whom do you ask 1" was the 1·esponse of the astonished wife. . •qVhy, Bill Carrington, to be sure- who else1 I saw lnm come out of the door just this minute, and take to the woods. What did he want 1 where's he gone 1-who's he looking for -c"hYo1"u 're sick, Ben," said the wife i your head's disordered. You'(l better lie down." "Can't you answer me a 11lain question 1" was h.is pcre~p-tory answer to her suggestion; "I ask you what B1ll Camng· ton wanted with me or with you 1" "He 1-nothing that I k!fow of. He hasn't been here, Ben." TIH: SPECTRE. 211 "The devil you sny 1 Better t e1l me 1'111 drunk-when I saw him, with my own eyes, come out just n. moment ago, and take to the woods!" "You may haxc seen him in the woods, but I'm snre you didn't see him come out of th is house. I've been in this r oom for the last hour-never once out of it-and nobody but myself and Jane in it-and nobody's been here that either of us has seen." The man turned to J nne, and, rending in her eyes a confirma-tion of her mother's S}1eech, he looked vacantly nrouml him for a few moments; then l ifting his rifl e, wl1ich he had leaned up within the entrance, rushed out of the house, nml lmrriNl to the ·woods in search of the person whom he ha(l seen disappenr there. lie was gone for an hom, when l1e returned exhausted . In that time his search hall been close :md thorough for a circuit of several miles, in all those recesses whi ch he lwd been accustomed to regard as hiding-places, nnd which, it may be added, l1e had repeatedly used as such. 'l'he exk:.ustion that followed his disappointment was an ex!Jaustion of mind rather than of body. The vagueness and mystery which attended all these incidents had utterly confounded l1im, and wl1en he returned to the presence of his wife he almost seemed to lack the facilities of speech and h em·ing. lie spoke but little, and, observing his fatigue, and probably ascribing his strange conduct to a sudden excess of drink, his wife 11rudently forebore all unnecessary remarks and questions. Night hurried on; darkness had covered tl1e face of the eartl1 and in silence the wife and idiot child of the criminal had com: menced their evening meal, Pickett keeping his place at the fireside witl10ut l1eeding the call to supper. A stupor weighed d~wn all his faculties, and he almost seemed to sleep; but a slight tap at the entrance-a single tap, gentle as if made b a woman-hand soliciting admission-awakened in an instm~ all the g~il~y consciousness that could not sleep in the bosom of the crm~mal. lie started to his feet in terror. The keen and searchmg glance of his wife was fixed upon his face, and }Jeedful of every movement of his person. She said nothing. but her loo.ks were so full of inquiry, that it needed no word~ to make P1ckett aware that her soul was alarmed and appro- |
