The Prelude to Adventure

take my word, Mr. Dune, sir, it was one of them there nasty tramps-always 'anging round they are, and Miss Annett was onl

ndeed, Mr

avy blue jaw you ever saw on

indeed, M

r. And that Sannet Wood too-nasty lonely place with

quiries as t

at it like the pore natives, and there's a ugly lookin' stone in that very wood where t

grant you,

s they catch 'im, that's all I say . . ." with further reminiscence concerning Mrs. Birch who had worke

of Mrs. Ridge

ee it lying there with the leg bent underneath, the head falling straight back, the ring on the finger. . . . Curious, too, that th

en a strange lassitude. He

some one immensely old. The world had seemed the easiest, the simplest of places, his years at Rugby had been delight. Fully free from shocks of any kind. Good health, friendship, a little learning, these things had made the days pass swiftly. Rupert Craven had been yesterday, a child precisely typical of the system in which he had been drilled; now he was something diff

gh they had ever been very intimate, but Craven seemed to

the change in her brother. He had suddenly, as he looked at Craven, a perception of the number

rt. He seemed puzzled, awed; there were dark lines under his eyes, his cheeks were pale and his mouth had lost its

ace him, then with a deliberate summoning of the resources of his

is a

es

to me, but I knew the fellow so awfully well. It's h

uch a bad way to die-swift enough. I don'

d left the money-it was all lying about on the grass. But then Carfax was mixed up with so many ruffians of one kind and another. It may have been revenge or any-thing. I believe they are searching the wood now, but they're not

believe, if you catch a

usation of another would bring the truth from him of course. His dark eyes moved across the room to Craven's white, tired face. Within himself there moved now with every hou

e was re

il nini bonum . . . and all the rest of it. But it

n bro

ng there. I know there were things he

s shop-his daughter. Carfax ruined her, body and soul .

and a good friend. They must catch the man, they must. It's a duty they owe us all. To have

lp

ake a clue. Perhaps this girl. I had heard something about her, of course; but

hink too much about the whole business. A thing like that is cer

everything as though you weren't alive at all. Why, I believe, if yo

o take my advice about not getting morbid over it. By the

suppose it's better to go on doing one's ordinar

want me after al

yawning. He was obviously better for the talk. His eyes were less strained, his body more alert. "I'm tired

on his trial. Craven's eyes still followed him. Nerves, of