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"\u . | Armstrong started from. Raymond` 311. where he- had been dining, at] -15p.m. He was the last to leave, his host, who was likewise a mag- We, kept; him .-some minutes a,t"the Id of the evening .to. discuss the re- Em rinvg ..-..I 4|... .\_'nL-1\In -1-uncu`f~a' ,Mr. Armstrong was a man almostl without nerves, but he zrecognized perfectly the condition of the coun- try, the estimation in which he- per- sonally was held, and the lawlessness oia large proportion of the inhabit- A ..r......_,l ---....1.I ....-I__I_I;_ 4- -A rmtr T ,.oooodooo.09oo (continued from Last. Week) ' Chapter` III. The Vendetta. Th,-ee nights after the scene out- Edethe Court-house the banlcex w`as_ iodine with a friend some SIX miles tom his own house. Saturday had dsiom Tuesday was the _day named pithe dinner. An1ong_his. letters 511 morning was a m1s_s.we `which,-did Wt look particularly _1nvitn,1g. The mm was dirty, the direction .a,l.m'ost guegible, either by intention or from sheer ignorance of penmanship.-' The my; he knew pretty well what the might be anything. There is a_fa_s- ciuation .about the unknown. Within was a long sheet of, paper loosely folded. Opening it, there appeard at me top of the page the words, B_et- morder your," and below .a, grim`- ' `g coffin, not badly drawn. iln fact, the whole indicated. .a better knowledge of draughtsmanship than penmanhip. The cofn had been supplied with some large nails all round near the edge, to indicate, pro- din .the preparations for the pros- pective interment. H. .\...a.-. ...A_-... ---o- - A--A `W (By Mori1c'eGerar"cl.){ T` i ' aways. th I I ` ago.;'\ i .-violently. with his riding-whip, cans-I W the day of the rna_gist1`ate.s de- magistrate opened it first, out of cur- others were likely to contain. Ge9rge Armstron'g? strove" to , e thought~of the wrong which ought to have ..been Onceiih forgotten long e struck the black hottse 1ng"ttt to-`r _ear and_plunge, simply be- causedhe was angry with himself -that his thoughts would keep running into: one. ehannelf ' .. =f In a wood through which/the road .ran,ga curious sight might haveibeen seen by anyone with the eyeof a` fox,` an owl, or `a hawk; any .tirn;e the last hour or `two. , Agman` was crouching in the dense"cox{er, with 'his head' peeping careifull out everyyojndw and; then to catch` the." mos`t distantl sounds. Now and again an. armwould come out bare and brawny, `as, ittol prevent itself from getting craniped. The handgrasped a,_thick, but lithe switch. Nqone would have doubted that the: bro of the ,wood was" ta poachers; ut if so, it was _curious_ that"`his "attention -was turned rather to the road before him_ than tothe wood behind him, \There was ai*,~'pa.- tient watchfulness, too, about the"sil- .cnt gure which certainly scented to augur ill for somebod-yoor sorniething. The bankerrode along at a quiet W), that no expense need be 593,- pae, it was almost midnight wihen. he entered` the wood, -which .was;;.-not[ very, far from his own door. As" he: .nnf9r9rl if n ennnrli cl-o-um-'I.r'I-Ina An. A5 -v- rtIU&$IC Barrie Branch. Fiv 8/P\"!l$-`%:uf.;%%!Gld . ::A*c%'rma% M; _NAGER \ 2 Books and Statements dfttj-i The a strictly independent audit. ' . go : - V n - -7 ~ ' ' ' i.,s:.n ss.ooo.oA;ohr..}yf%.. Head Offiqe. V`. nooooooouuuuuoou J `i " -n. :3.` Lloyd Gourlen I ` ` :- I ,, _ ,3, ` 5.`: .. _ ,3`. " : Q; 3; .- V . |` > I < 1 . ` V ` n . . ` u \ II)_. II`. ,',. I V I` -u I . `V . ` -A1. ; Q. .` . . ` `~' X: ,, ' 11., i `J ._x-. - , .. a. .` .1 v .-1 2 A v: A 3 , . - . . , ` - . ` _ , . - "3 K . ` ` A " V One d3` P`5"5 a-99?`?3$?.T*?9t%*' Vadded hear yearay; ._. v; V to-day} ' Ini prdiferrien'ii ` 1h_ regulteq % ter unsung deuibii BE:rTER. TO-DAY` THMJ __?...._ .-n-In-1'7 7 2Y9 %nJ.: my I % -'1.`h; .f"?";9.`9i!91 .`..9"??" : a1:L` % :1. jxrxi x:'6'7_I'e!!iht' 'l`U-U111 Luna `Luv .u:.\-5-- JUST TRYA _V " 1. , nulls. . V .. _ . Armstrong,.wa_1 -not dead,.only dy-I ping. He lay _. with his hbrsc `across! `his chest_ Vuigt-i1 morning,` barelya; ,b1-eathing. 'T'h`t';s they we'r.Afoun%d by} l - I-....~u ln`\t\IIAP 0) goreatmug. .l.u|.}= Lucy. vvwny .u7...... .._,, I a . farm labourer, _a hq1rseke;e%perV, ~_gom-gj {early to hxs dunes. `Thrsm-Van `soon: GIILI bllb lllall VV.II\J \-Gill-C... iv, `The former rose` up to his ofulli : height. -His eyes blazed.-A _The, strong . The horse was opposite to him, and switch swayed nervouslyfin` `his hzind. then he sprang out. One second to satisfy himself that this was the man he wanted, which the white splash? on the black `horse determined ` at; I once, then he seized the bridle and rained blow after blow upon the ban.- ker s faceand head. The rst knock-l led his hat off; the rest `descended _on' [brow _and'f_cheek and__,shoulder, mak- ing himj reel in the, saddle.x Take that, and that, and that! shoutedthe assailant, -a_s'.he dealt fthe. merciless blows. There could`?-be no question now who .this midnight `Watcher was. It was Ben Manser , the blacksmith` at Tol-lington. But Armstong, though daunted for a moment *by the sud- denness_ of the.attack,- was not a man f l J 1 lightly to b`e`bea.ten without a return. Quick as ligh.tni_ng he drew this re- volver and, -fired; ~As hec,,red, half blinded 'b'y~the;blo'ws, eityer his aim. was uncertain , ` or the good horse-, .r.i_gl1tened too, vs,we,rved beneath him. `At any ra_te,~whatever, the cause, the `bullet, intended"fo_r" Mlansr, struck` Vibe `horse itself behind the ear, a blow Iwhich would be fatal in a few sec- !onds.f Ranger ujeared-`up straight on- `end , and then fellback heavily,-"on its . lmastei-,._ Big Ben bent for a moments! `over the -crushed` form,"saw that the. -horse was dead and its rider nearly 1 `so, and_ then ed. 2iThe vengeance` 1 I was more, complete than. he expected" "it '-to `be, not'w'it,hs_tanding__t_he sugges-I g tive coffin? `with its adornment of: _: nails. " . ` c . jug -..1_-,h.`. _---- -, g.u_, vus. vvnuu IJIC CJC U1 3. IUX, an `a hawk; anytime the last , was dense"cov er, head; peeping careful] _ every; now -then catch most ' distant' Now armwould . come out bare as if to hand grasped but switch.` Nqone would `em ofgthe was poacher;_ so, curious rather the road him to the behind ltient ent scented laugur ;som_;ething. rp`___ 1____g__.___ ___J- ,1. I ""u"- --- --- -v---vv-.v -9v-,oq~I--uu5- 'l`he qiiieti pace`, almost midnight wood, '-which wa.s ;.~not[ his own door. A3` ,entered it a sound struck` theear off the watcher. It was that of a. ho_se s 1 hoofs, advancing at a.cautiou ._pace.! All around was verycstillrand dark.I The man, whoever it`w`as,.could*-noti even see the oposite hedge. A-white` stone in the middle of the road was, the only thing visible, beside .tli eu stars which gleamed through the-I opening which separated the tree tops ` on either side of the road. It'_'WaS the very spot.a_nd night for a ven- detta, if such were contemplated. ---v-, -- -..--_ .. '-v v-ov---_ ,pu~-v`.- . . ' I The sounds became . nearer and; clearer. The horseman approached.` Now there couldhbie no `guestio-n that`: there was a` connedtviogjhetween the two, between the mangywho waited land the man who came;._ I 'I"`L -, ___....,_ 4... ~_-_ L- LE- [Mil I 5u.-_ vuuc uc auucx me mack horse! v`v.i_ole?1tly with `his caus- ing tit to rear simply be- cguse he ,'was himself -that his running into one. channel; wood through ma ran, ,3. curious might have,b,een seen anyone with eye of a ; an OWL 0' '9 "lullh nouns blown. A-1-- `--* I, :But to no purpose. Summer gave` 5 place to autumn; autumn to winter. l i It was the night described in the op-l ening sentences of this story. Snow had been falling heavily all 'day. After dinnerywhich was served in the small dining room, Vivyan was strangely restless. H'er usual quiet had given place to a /nervous irrita- , _ bility which was wholly strange to' her. Throughout the day the `pre-, sence of her old lover had been more] than usually with her. The feeling 'strengthened as the night advanced. Vivyan rang her bell_.early for tea, retired to her roomiinmediately she` had partaken `of it, .dismtissed her maid after she had taken down her, hair andput on . a light Wrap. `Some- thing impelled he; to take out the` ro'se- from-its hiding-place. She had not done so ,for,a* long time. She. loioke' and xedly at it, living over again the past; Then she shut theedravvcr, closedthe escritoire, and went and sat down in an easy chair 2 by the re. The wind sounded in the chimney,` and the icy cold even made penetration `which re and curtains not exactly" cold, but suggested cold -without. Vivyan? "heaped a couple of tags from a_ wood basket on 'thejre, , `shaded herhead. with her hand, and liell into` areverie. _ =Th`e reverie be- 'came sleep; In her `sleep a horror [.f'l1 'up9n? rhe,_r'-:j -~-r.5.he SPZW a~gaii'1' jibe, (ro6m.,_fn :gvrfhil1=:"`tl1=i:= ,.nil.,8;r. lmdying. mg": `crates Vth _Walls`~j;;t itself flt._`iI1. the warm: room, with a a could not effectually prevent.-' It was ` h'::P?;. "' l '\1l1llVll1C'l'1IlllBllUlIso [ "Mr. Lloyd Courtenay is requested] to at once return to hisefriends. A11` `Ti-sunderstood. .A A welcome awaits }_him. - ~ ' A These were the last words.'Arm-' [strong heard.` The light deepened |for a moment, then ickered, then `went out altogether.` With the light !.the life was gone, to the Unseen I-whence-_i_t had i come. ' l I ~ Chapter IV. V ' The ExiIe s Return. l . `After the death recorded at `the end` leaf the` last chapter, Vivyan Mel- `comsbe-Leigh spared, no- expense` in advertising the fact, and in inviting !'.the exile to return. The following aclvertisement, put together by her llawyers, appeared from time to time: (in the principal `American, Colonial, iamdt Fnglish newspapers, beneath an anncnuncement of the ___death of George l I-Granville Armstrong: l T ll\1rr' I`;-xcnu-L-psocromn. :n _A---an-I--J lllllo vat yvu, .w1u yuu lUl'glV] me? He looked at her wistfully,| `as a" strange, far-away, unearthlyi .light seemed tb play about his lips,` [and {to shine (me of` his -eyes.` For a, `moment Vivyan was silent. Then! she said, very reverently and slowlyzl I `fit-rrzxrn Iynn-' Iii/it` T now... 5...`... -zany vnlu, `vylj lCVC_CLlJ auu blUWlyQ "I forgive you; and I pray from !the bottom of. my heart God to for- i_ give you too. . ,- These words.Arm:} ..-.--..... L......-1 TL. 12.1.; 1 u\.| ubau |UVC' Llldll. LUI lllllla ` I Armstrong waited a little while, and then he said, very gently: "1 sent fo1-`you for tworeasons. In the first place to undo as far as I could! my great -wrong. In the second place, to ask you to forgive at dyi_ng man. Can you, .will you forgtve m ?,, HA has nv:can.- I --no ruvlwlqb I; I-Ill G LUuLIlv1l ' -'1lhe sight that greeted her gaze as she entered was engraven on. Vivy- .an s mental vision `ever `afterwards with a freshness never to be eaced. The venetian blind had been drawn down, but stood partially open. On the sofa,' supported by pillows, layi Armstrong with his white drawn face; a -muscular contraction. passed over the upper part of his limbs, a.f-' fectingthe coverlet `every now an.d then; all the lower partwas strange.- ly'still, with _a stillness that pervaded the onlooker. 'It was dead already. Vivyan, in spite of herself, in spite of the repulsion `she had ever felt to- wards this man, was deeply moved. ' Her womanhood went out to this aw- : gful spectacle of ruined manhood, an.d ivthe tears came and fell unbidden. ~ :1- ..st...A L.-- A -A--- ----- -" .tI1\ u.eua uaunc auu ICU uIlUl(l(lCIl. ' I He asked her to come near, and! told his tale, that tale of seven years HUG 1 usv. ' Vivyan heard himhin silence, and then she cried to herself, more for, heredead love than for hi ! . A...-.....L_......._ _.__:L..I _ sun, I '- . ;,v.;a. r,y__s;qration:rot, consciousness.` I ,(he';_was successful. i As soon ` E 3.51;; `v;ass.;accomplishd -Mar. Armstyron-g` put=`;the_T most gsearchingi inquiries as to-,~`possib_ility~"of_` recover , declining at the "same -' time evenf tos hazard a _-s'ugge_st_ionas'Tt`o his assailant. _'1`hei _doctox_" sought' at first to evade his inquiries,` _'but: although the -lower `limbs were a wreck, the grey eyes were as clear as ever, anduthe dying man would-know` the truth. There. never.` had been a chance, as` all the Ic"ount_ryside were aware, offevadingr =George~ Armstrong s `scrutiny. "There _ wasjust aselittle now. When he had extracted the truth he directed his groom to be summoned, and ordered him to ride over and ask Vivyan `Leigh to come over and see him. Naturally puzzled at this strange request, she complied at once, and in less than an hour Vivyan was inthe house; She was expected, and im-. mediately on her arrival was shown to the doctor himself `into the.room. {in which the patient lay on a couch. ! ma E:rv`-It 41...; _ _ _ A A-J `-- ! I `i..} F31' d`f{the ibzxiket to .1115 own the _ 1stan_c3 _ ;being slightly greater than to the neare;st:/laibourei-`s `dwelli`1_1.g,4 but the alternative :accom-! modatxon was ,not- cgslsidered tc.-| zlnt for the dying s re. A octor` SOON iI1 Iffnv-In-I-sun -- L- ' V` ct. /14.} o,, Oct. :t. 12. I _.`. pus glans 3\{\lll'Ca GOC .-IO! 'wa: soon_in'atAtenAdanc, and he," a1_ though. pronouncing - the case -`hope-L lss, 1romvthe.rst,1directed his efforts t_o :a r"e.sto:-atnon of consciousness, -In this he was gm-.-..;..n A- .--- -.. v..... `on: nvn so l\a'V uvuta oxbcp. I { Iihad been unfortunate. enough to `choose a place directly beneath the window, and the chilly breeze kept playing over my uncovered_body. Ii burrowed into the hay, and` found myself on the hard ground, feeling cramped and cold. The others must . . have been aected in the same man.- ner,- forwone of the_party rose in the 'early hours of _ the morning, and clearing away a bare spot in the cen- tre of the oor, litla. re fromthe _ scattered hay and~twigs around. A the building. It smoked a good deal at grst, `but soon ared` up into a. cheer- ful blaze, and we vgerre all enjoying the heat which was thrown out, when it was discovered that the sparks were yingupwards and lodg- ing in `the straw roof, which com}.-" menced to crackle and burn `where the straw. Vwas dry. There was ;a wild rush Aforthve door, and every~ body frantica.1ly- searched aroundfor. 's ome~'n1'ean.s[' to quench the -rfe. `An ` nl)-I kn;-4-'......l .-mu ........' .. 1.._.....1. 1-4--.__1' run! u|\.au,a LU` \.1u.cu\. u LIICV 'Hrc'. [1Il | I iold battered pail was at, length found .` -- vw--cu \lIDJ VI I551 \5\llI\r =We started out in a buckboard thel night before, with the _necessary equipment for a successful: shoot, [consisting of four, ten bore guns, gwhich we managed to procure in~the' . village, enough ammunition to stock` a rst-class battleship for a week, land provisions calculated. to last the day. .We had about a dozen good decoys, and suicient white cotton cloth to- make more if we required them. I`was informed that a piece of stick with some white cloth wrap- ped around it and stuck in the` ground was quite su1ci'ent in the] early gray of the morning to fool the wariest goose into approaching within gun-range, and I found that it `really was. Thus equipped, we set 1 out in the evening for a disused stable on one of the old Hudson {Bay sections, about a mile from the place where we intended to com- mence operations in the morning. It] was a glorious moonlight night, with just the suspicion of frost in the air, land not a breath of wind was blow- ing. "Houses were scarce in the dis- trict in which we were driving ow`- Uing to the fact that the country was .largely hay-at, stretching away to |the lake, and of little use for farm}- 'ing of any kind, The stable when we reached it proved to be little` better than a shelter from the sun, being built of rough lumber which `had shrunk, `and left large chinks be- ltween the boar'ds; the roof was of. straw spread" on poles about a foot apart, and the windows _andI`door "were gone. Altogether, good venti- lation was its only merit as a dwell- ing for the night." Our horse we `blanketed, and tied outside, feeding it some hay which we found at the [edge of a slough nearby. Then -we [spread some of the hay on. the floor T of the building for beds and compos- - ed ourselves for a few hours -sleep. ; I \1'I9d" `Nana un:n-bu.-...L.. .\.....--.-L L- ; I had been told that the days of. |sti1-ring `adventure were past in. the West,- or at least, in! that part of the "West where I then was located, and `so -was content with the prospect of la goose hunt In company with three other young fellows of my acquaint: ance. I changed my mind about the reported docility of the ~W.'est before {another day was done.. ! KIT- -L_,,..,I _ - ' I I yocouu auu _ DIIC 'd.nWUl\-3. * "It was .midnight.. f_The V-xe. hd knearly burnt itselfout; only a new red~ embers nemained. .The bedroom was gettingdeathly col_d. .StiIl;Viv- *yan did not seem inclined to go to! ibed. The inuence of the visions re} 'mained upon her. She fe-1;--and 'nothing could shake off - th'at her llover was near to her. C.-.I.I-_.iI__ .1__,,_ , 1 I .1vv\.l was ucal LU MCI. -Sudxdenly there came a loud. ring at the] bell, which reverberated. through the silent, echo-full "house. _This was followed` by the baying of Ithe carriage dog from his kennel in [the courtyard. An awful darkness of 11.5 I o . `M. Chisholm. inRod and Gun. t -%[}-W..._.......%-..*_.%_x. 2 OOOOOOOOOCO+0OOOO 3 ".0 ,Go_o se Shooting i the West A _s.u\.Iu5u a vcxy V.l])C_l'. _ _ ` V ' ' ' - - [Now she Was` `on boa:-d`a boat alone with Lloyd on the water. He took -her -hand and gazed into her eyes with looks of adoring love, as he had done the ,.nigh,t_._of the,be- .trothal;. ':_He was.-; groing .to embrace her, when Armstr`o,ng s` fage a'p1)eat:- `ed behind, and t1_ng.1_11i__rn*int;> the rsea. `As she saw him with a look `of mortal agony o-nhis features,~and al despairing cry on hislips, the visions passed and she a.woks.' ` "Ta. ........ ...:.I..:._L.. l"'I._ c,,- I 1 .14 ' /c}ate iFret_1ch=_ipxpi:r, gth,e`_ jrbed,` half-2' tes_ter, [with ' its i heavy hagiggs, the `till limbs. .It_.a.lmos't seemed=l?tha'tVi;u . her :s1eq15 Jshe strove. not,.{'t9`.l"ddk' _ on the `bed's hfead; and` the. pillow upon which...:;a- face _...rest,ed~i' _ Never- theiess fate was too strong for her.- She did look -upon it; `but, with "a~ shudder which convulsed her framei` without waking her, she `recognized that it was not Geprge Arrp.vstro;mg~,-,:- but Llyd Courtenay, who lay therei coid and still. i - ' L ' 'l"I___- L`-, -, ` I -I i -1* puns cuts` auu, Then the scen. cl'1a.ngo;d' ahd `Cour-j; tenayvs offering -her; rose . As; he did-so. hebecame dinyand vanish-' ed. The_ rose died in herhands, and seemed to sting her by its touch as though a very viper. Nnnr clung. wants` an L.`-.4-...I'.. 1.--; u v nuns. gvtqps ugun. {U DICCI). _ o,:.~;_...-go`c>se s`hootii1g,.; gt `ggdvgntdres. of_ ' the night, eernedwta tn compgrxsqy. V_~an\cV1 our. 1 .` :-. sv u\.. ;\:a.u_y ulBq5lCCdUlC again. After all the hairbreadth escapes _ and hair-raising adventures of the. night, our tempers were in no state to endure quietly the next misfor- tune which met us. Our horse, which we had tied securely outside,i' ; had broken loose terried, `no doubt,- _ by the-howling of our midnight vis- . itors, and when we came to the `place Where we -had left him _we found nothing but the broken halter, still "securely tied to the polesiout-! side the shed. Our, hearts were too full` for words, but the few which we did,-"utter;-m_adeV the moon hide her `face behind~a_,cloud for shame. There I -_was nothing for it but to set out on 3a .sys_temtic hunt, which we did,-go- lng _`out in` all directions `from the -:,;buildi'ng.i=VVce were on the point of -3}'givit'zg`::.iip`<: - `/the xjsearch ; `till- daylight, Wh, 3 31'e ;9f; '.tl__1_e Tsfearchers -to::; the no $I.1e:d,:i~:.. I.t<;>..-us.. that .he.. had, ~`sight d"I `Had n`o- dif- ` ,u}ty?_in.;,capturin.g him, as; he was ` feedings. q;uiet1y.a_fat~ ea.` . hjay-coil on". the` `h1 }`$idif;0`<:?ithF*i`i910i1gh We led . " _'A ;:?hcks triumphantly, by, the ;fo5r.e-. I _ ."-e nde.d_iour iadvei"gtur'es i_.:~:._-._-; at .m- `it `av: `tn ` fllsflh v>_ . . ,;_By {1ius.t1me the moon was smkmg `in the. west, and, _everything indicated {shat it would not be long till dawn. QVV-e` . cbnc h_1 it was. rm: is; `"th_ w 1:1: <`j;i?;;" .,b`*c1ce;o s1ep.: .g3I.,...d.`..... - anu we CQ|1l(l near its sott pad, pad as it scurried away a short distance . and then sat down to consider mat- ters. We all made for the door, and could perceive numerous gures it- ting about in the moonlight among the scattered shrub, looking preter- naturally large and weird in the moonlight, for when we `had fully` wakened up and recovered} from the rst shock of fear we realized that were merely the cowardly, harmless, prairie prowlers known as coyotes. They had been accustomed to use the 'place as a general rendezvous for their evening concerts, A and were :probably more surprised and fright- ened at our appearance than we were at their's-`-though I doubt that very much. We had a. couple of shots at them as they slunkaway, but our aim was uncertain in the moonlight, and our shooting only served to as- celerate their departure. Their tful howls could_ be heard all night, but they never approached near enough to`. be really disagreeable again. "I'I;;I"\cIAnr,4-bu n A A n n An l thesenoisy breakers of our peace ....-_y wvuxu uuL cqucu IL. 1.11:: Hlltllu.` er, more frightened than I, leapt down from its point of observation`, and we cquld hear its soft pad, pa n if crurv-{pr} qrnnur on ;~kn..4. .I:..4......',... vpuu 111:! .u._cL.n. .u-:5u.,t ,na us. m` M reverie, for ..thoughts of the; 91 `and the futt1r:.e.~ .Am.=ong the: .515. wn}. whom he had. recentlryi -ed. hurl been int-:1udedgSi"r 'Free`l-' g}]COlII'?L`I11)', LlOyd s elder1brat`h_e1'._ e_"" the ladies retired `theyfhad,-Sat! *t'ucl1_r:ther. Borth proba'b1y.'.had_*` e?t`l`18'1t M the absent one,_-a1t_hough' an er mcnnoned him; T1i:s;c1rc1I1- ,5 C1c'n1.'1_\' account for the fact_;_ta.t' ti - I1.::gr1t_1 forcing himself me, or 9 -`.'H11`c s mind,a~s he -r_odc a:1:o_ng,; 469 thzm he had ever do-11 56" I`cars that had `elapsed. T96 `ht rrmgh sentence `Of b2.1"liS.h;-I -U1 -v-.~ . . t `I uf` 1) -SScd' ' ~ _ -- 1 . L ' :, '. .'~. ldiscords possible between the rst land the fth. It froze the blood, it lset the teeth on edge, it sent a cold shiver down the spine, and it made you wish for home. And while I was shivering and holding my breath in fear lest my very breathing might `discover my whereabouts to the sing- ers of the infernal chorus, a gure reared itself between" me and the moon in the narrow window" aper- |ture, a gure which framed itself, lhuge, and shaggy and grim against the white light of the full moon, and looked within at us lying there. I was too much paralyzed to so much. as call out, but when I did sufficient- ly gain control of my faculties, I ut-; tered such a yell as` made the chorus.` without cease for very shame that `they could not equal it. The intrud-! Ar rnnrn 5-3.-u-L4......\,l 4.1..'.. T Q I can hardly explain the effect `which was produced by. the sound which` shattered our slumbers, for it resembled nothing in the. world which I had ever heard. It was as if -all the demons of the infernal re- gions had broken loose. in one hor- rible, inharmonious, endish chorus. It ran into all the keys of about ve octaves, and was composed of all the discords possible first lunar` `kn Q55`. `'4 _-__ AI, LI, I `. ........~uuu., uu; uul uclvcb wcrt: HUI lin a condition to allow of sleep for `some time. When we `did [nally _d1_;op off, it was only to be awakened im` a somewhat rude manner. .among a pile of rubbish at the end! of the shed, and While. one of our` party mounted the_ now burning roof : the others kept running to andfrom the nearby slough, carrying water until the incipient conagration was put out. The exercise warmed us somewhat, but our nerves were not in 0| nr\r|1`:L:A-q ;. -11-..- -: -1, r l His deeplpassion had guided him back at last to the haven o-f light and hope and love. Only` the delicate attendance, the innite care lavished upon` him could have won Lloyd `Courtenay back from that bourne which had yawned so near. But love `accomplished it; love triumphed. ""I, 1*-I vvuzu. uavc nuguc lI_Cl' IILUIC SUYC. f'Dur.ing;,thegweek,s' that followed Lloyd. Courtenay lay between death and` life,-the `sleep that knows here [no waking and the pulsing of 3'. new life.- Weary and wan= and white he looked; `generally knowing no one; sdm`etim_es with a icker of intelli-_ g__e_nc_e,' and at length with a re-born light" of l ove'in his eyes, made more beautiful to the woman who looked {on byoqthe experience she read in s=*=s9.=- - um xyuxg uuu use _g;1uuLcs,` nau:._ asleep. -Together they descended the stairs. =Beoret,he gieat hall. door could. be !.nnloek*ed"'they were joined by a."_foot- 'r nan;` who: had taken a minute longer [.to`dx`ess,.. At last `the door was un- ;fas'tened a'nd_.thrown open. Beyond, all` w_a_s'_ darkness in the thiekly fall- ing snow, but at the door was some- thing, not yet quite covered. It was 'ae~man lying at the every doorstep, who must have had just strength: enough to pull the bell and then have fallen. An awful sinking at the hearttitold Vivyan _who~it was. If she had seen" him clearly nothing could` have made her more sure. I 'lT:n-inn .1-I-In nnaalns` +1-ma-` n'II.........,! .-hygnsi`; nnuvc \.f_',-$3l",y,Ul.ll-V .l1`0."(.5}l l.(1-' cal:/, `iifiifhcrs w_faj$i=a coura;geotis :*i1atu:e _1'7vhi ct;{~;soon'.r$,ll1es. She; put _on a pa;ssage,.`.carryin'g a. ch_amber candle- stick withva candle` in it`, hastily .lighted. Soon the butler appeared, hurrying into his clothes,` half asleep. I fkn en;-o heavy cloak,`and went out into the` E%:su;s`p`ei:; ;W,=% ,7` superstitious " d_rad `sewed, ngpon V1vyan s heart-strmgs. } She: strove to-.cry,but no 'soynd-i' came.: I?` 'Bf1f.'hers w:`1s"a cn11rnannhc-"nan"-A "I"i1e -~. \1I\. v.v\.nu.u5 .|.v, I_-uB\v|-19 \-V `V , tn: riots. and the_.probable +resu_lts ithe polls which were yet undead- ;`;=B`.:-btvhnlc, me Auctioneer, Birnz, __hmdles.credit sales of" firm stok - v\._;,\.u. Lu auxanc. .Lu\: auu waa lull `up`$h4in`i_ng -gold across the stubble, which crackled in the heat. The `chilliness had gone out of the atmos- phere, and the warmth was very- .grateful.to our cramped and numbed climbs. We were contented with. the -1'sui)re'me content of successful spvor-t.s.-- imen,g "after -`a good bag. ' And we _siIentIy `voted that life" was Vworth `.-l;iving,_e.-and that we. had had a good: ; :1$*"1I%. 1ing Ssport-"...,` -e e 2 . ll-C IL3 Luuuauuu. _ The great grey leader caught sight gof the decoys before the ock was within range, and swung aside to contemplate them, giving vent to friendly questioning cries. The en- tire ockdeviated after the leader, and began circling in ever converg- ing arcs, as if in the attitude to alight. Nearer and nearer, lower and lower they came, till we could see their eyes, and mark the great strength of pinion, and mighty width of breast. Their `line was broken, and they were dissolved into a dis- orderly, screaming ock. Then -it was that we let loose, and pumped all the eight barrels of our ten-bore artillery into their disorganized ranks, reloading quickly before the surprised and scattered ock could get out of range, and letting them have four more barrels. With a. .mighty roar-of wings, they ung [themselves back, the great grey leader screaming commands, and lseeming himself impervious to the rain of B. B. shot which rained around him, and strewed the stubble with the white bodies of` his com-- rades. Then they were out of range, forming ranks again with angry sur- prised screams at the treachery which had been perpetrated upon them. And, then we came out of our lairs, and counted the dead. There. were twelve in all and four badly .wounded, which .we pursued, and quickly put `out of mi_sery,-n0t bad E`qr=`three minutes - shooting. No'more , ;_;cks, ._hdwe the rest of the morning. t`x1D'_"`o'?;x2i . 1 1. _i_er,"came `our way xfo`rA_ .-., ,_A'.`_.;.'. .,. snnv . '14: We set back, ht our pxpes and sur~ Vie};ed_the scene.-~ T he -.sun wa.s fung- Iih 'cH1'Id;;nr mrniri 01"!-txcc 1-kn nluckkl- a.uvau\,u|5 atlcusul. LUWd.lU5 L13. On they came, a. long V-shaped line, with a great grey goose at the apex, and his followers in- regular order behind, the ends of the line tremulous, and seeming to sway with} the breeze}, The rst shaft of the. rising sun shot up behind us turning the stubble- to gold, and as the great ,wavy line came on, their snowy pin- ions ashed silver in its rays. Near- er they came, cleaving the air with the apex of the V as the prow of a ship might cleave the water. In my` adrmiration of the sight, I almost forgot that we were there for the ex-- press purpose of breaking up that`. line, and spoiling its .symmetry,-- ambushed enemies lying in wait for- that well-marshalled host, to deal havoc _among its ranks and dis.organ~ l izemits formation. '1" 1 vi. - qr- `For. a few moments we waited, tense with excitement, with our eyes `VGA scuuc was UH Lut: Wlllg. lake for any sight of the oncoming ock. The noise had somewhat sub- strained over the grey reaches of the sided by this time and was more or- derly in character. And suddenly out of the grey of the sky 21 trem.ulous wave of misty forms became visible, advancing straight towards us. \T ..L-..-.I nan I-tinny no-no-can I/\o4If~- 1|: I.uaL UCIIU DLIIIIICSS. How long we lay there, alternate- ly dozing and watching dreamily those ghostly decoys, I don t know, but it seemed hours. We were sti and cramped on account of the close quarters in which we lay, and too lethargic to think of changing our positions. And then suddenly,all our `senses became alert, every vestige of {sleepiness left us, and we were in a (moment.-wide-awake, eager sports- men,` with guns tight gripped and nervous nger on the trigger guard. For, suddenly, from over the lake to westward, there came to our list- ening ears the faintest sound imagin- able, one solitary, querulous little cry, as of a child just.half awake. It was repeated at different points, till` the whole lake seemed alive with it, and nally it became merged into one volume of sound, which ever in- qreased in loudness, till it became a clanging, cackling discord of calls and cries and screams. The day was awake!! Then when the screaming was at its loudest, the air boomed with the roar of rushing pinions, and our game was on the wing. `par 9 `nnr fY|I'\Q'IfIno14>a urn ---...'L..J ..__- v.. v. V`! vs. vyylllllvblb. ' The moon was very low in the west, and the sky in the east had the ieaden grey color which presages the dawn. The decoys, scattered around; us, looked singularly ghostlike in the uncertain light, and altogether everything `seemed about us as dead and discouraging as it well could. I commenced to doze, and awakened with a start as a great white owl Iapped low above our hiding places, attracted, ndl doubt, by the appear- ance of the white decoys, and then passed noiselesslyiaway on its early morning quest. Th 9D\:oqIn`An I----AJ ,__ v --_--= xi-as/nun The minute `passed on leaden wings, the sky in the east took on a. reddish tinge and a strange whistling little breeze began to play in the stubble,--the rst intimation of life in that dead stillness. `LI... 1...... _-, L -` vr u nuns },lIU1J\Jl LIUIL U1 LIIC IIIIICUIL` ants. A coward would probably not have ventured out at night for some time to come--there was no danger inthe d;ty1ight-a fool would have gone and thought no more about it. George Armstrong was neither. He reached down a trusty -revolver, primed it, put the weapon in the breast pocket of his coat, and thus armed thought no more on the. [sub- ject. The banker rode the black horse with a white splash, dressed in he evening costume which is come.` con to the opposite poles of the so-| rial scaIe--the waited on and the raiters--cove1=ed-with an overcoat of the texture, with his dress shoes -in Spocket. , . On the way and at the dinner no`- ` ling particular occurred. ` It was re. arked afterwards, by his host and hers, that there `Was an angry read eracross his brow all the evening, if the result of a blow, but no frmment was made upon it at. the! ma ' ` ~ _T:hese holes we lined with straw and. stubble, on which we lay, cover- ing`ours_elves over with like mater- ial. The ground was fairly warm, and we were more comfortable in our lairs than` we had been in the shed, and there we lay watching,too sleepy and tired to be optimistic. TL- ...- A ` i 4 In 11101106 `nw<;=`~fj1t :.1ve!1ded~- in -an 2." yllables, " fdfy. uiireaslonablpej , _sbp,t;:~:`c>f jivay ,~foi-.\,th_ e lossi7-" of our ;mig1.1t"-,s_' sl_eep.';Neye_rthe'1ess, -n-we hitch- ed up, bundled into the buggy, and set out for our destination, which was a stubble eld at some distance` to windward of .A the lake. Thither we expected the geese to y on their way to their feeding grounds from `their, night quarters on the lake. -Wle `unshippe`d our equipment, and while. one of `the party proceeded with.` `the horse some distance, and tied him to the buggy, the others set to work to x the decoys, and to scoop outholes in the ground some dis- tance apart, where we might lie con- cealed; as the morning ight came OVEI`- ,