The Watchers

ead were marching down St. James's Street on their way to embark for Canada, and the tune to which they marched sang in my head that day as I rode out of

suddenly reined in my horse to one side and sat stone-still. To my left, the road ran straight and level for a long way, and nowhere upon it was there a living thing; on each side stretched fields and no one moved in them, and no house was visible. That way I had come, and I had remarked upon the loneliness. To my right, the road ran forward into a thick wood, and vanished beneath a roof of overhanging boughs. It was the aspect of that wood which took my breath away, and it surprised me because it was familiar. There was a milestone which I recognised j

e has stumbled?" Clutterbuck had asked. "What if he is lying at the roadside under the trees?" I could see that picture very clearly, and at last, very clearly too, the rider's face. I looked backwards down the road with an instinctive hope that some other traveller might be riding my way in whose company

ion of danger. I drew to one side of the road where the leaves had drifted and made a carpet whereon I rode without noise. But now the silence seemed too eerie--I heard, and started at, the snapping of every twig. I strained my ears to catch

an inn; the landlord was already at the threshold, and in a very s

ly guest to-n

and as he spoke I heard a footstep in the passage. The door was

said he, as he came into the room. "I took the libe

ise of his horse, and I warmed to my new acquaintance. "We are both, it seems, sle

man shoo

ch were thickly covered with dust. "My horse fell some half-a-dozen miles from here and snapped a leg. I must needs walk to-morrow so far as where I trust to procure another--that is to say,"

, it seemed strange that he should have gone to the pains of removing his spurs. However, I was soon diverted from this speculation by the distress into which Mr. Featherstone's cold threw him. Featherstone was his name, as he was

any for a while. For I shall not sleep, upon my word I shall not sleep a wink," and he was so positive in his assu

eat canopied bed, with a big fire blazing upon the hearth, and a

which I have ever since suffered many inconveniences;" he poured out the

from the heat of the room. But what with the hot August night, and the blazing fire, and the closed

ed, and to-morrow we shall wave a farewell each to the other. Le

at I should most certainly appear so if I fell asleep while w

at. "I have a bottle of salts here which will infallibly persuade you from any thought of sleep," and he dre

ince I handled a ca

picquet," h

good game

he cards with his thumb.

game then

said he, shuff

stakes mu

a gamble

sat down on the be

ur elder,

sconsolately

t to discard. I have no hand for picquet at all, thou

d throug

putt cards th

likely,"

a wager of

o eagerly, he sprang up on his elbow a trifle too quickly. I looked

you are right: I have two treys and an ac

e most natural burst of laughter imaginable. "Two tr

ry curious about Mr. Featherstone. I had recalled his great politeness of manner. I remarked his face, which was of an almost girlish delicacy. I reflected that here was a man in a great hurry to travel by the same road as myself, and I remembered how I had learned that trick by which he had tried to outwit me of my horse. Even as it was I h

"that this is a capote,"

ling," said I, "and I

have kept your horse," and as I wished him good-night, he added

seized with so violent a paroxysm of shivering that

fevers," said

re intermittent," and latching the door as he

to occupy my mind. I had little doubt that Mr. Featherstone was Cullen Mayle: I had little doubt that he was hurrying as fast as he could to the Scillies, since he had received no answer to the message which he sent with the negro. But s

o Tresco, a prospect to be welcomed or deplored? Did he come as a friend to that distracted girl alone in the lonely house by the sand? I could not answer these questions. I knew Cullen to be a

broken leg I entirely disbelieved, and with the best of reasons. I had travelled myself along that road yesterday, and I had passed no disabled horse upon the way. I had therefore the advantage of Cullen. I would journey on without say

y door. The noise came from the direction of Cullen's room. I hastily slipped on my coat and ran down the passage. I could hear Cullen's voice very loud above t

in the room, though Mr. Featherstone still lay

e the last to leave me last night. You closed the door b

was wondering how in the world you could put

t the door behind him, and this morning I find it wide open and my breeches gone. There is a thief, sir, in your in

eches, sir," be

re was money in the breeches' pockets. Fifteen guineas in gold

aid the landlord. "We are but

my breeches are found, and, burn me, if I don't eat up everything in the house," and immediately he began to roar

gain to me, and

ave not a stiver left. But I woke up this morning in the sweetest good-humour, and here am I in a violent passion at nine o'cloc

eches. They were of red cloth, and a be

, contemplating the landlord who was of a large figure.

as," said I, "my purse is to

munificence. No, I will walk in my host's red cloth breeches as far as Rockbere, which to be sure is no more than twelve miles, quite penniless

ever occurred before, that he had searched the house even to the servants' boxes, and that he coul

said he, "and of course I shall char

oke up with so happy a disposition towards the world;" and dismissing the women he got up and dres

be taken for a Hollander. That is hard for a person of some ele

lived honest all my days. There is no one in the house who woul

owly. I crossed over to the empty fireplace heaped with the wh

doubt did him

vel. Suddenly, the landlord uttered an exclamation and threw up the window. I heard the clatter of a horse's hoofs upon the

I shou

hand as he rode by, "you may hold very good

of it, a form of repartee to which there is no reply. In any case I doubt if I could have made any r

he landlord joined me. We both kn

to something blackened and sco

piece of

He came here without a penny piece and burnt his breeches last night. He has robbed you,

ve mi

k those twe

es

et a hors

s dou

's start then

lie quiet by the roadside, he did not ride out of the forest a