THE CURSE OF THE CARDEWS OR AFTER THREE HUNDRED YEARS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 149, 22 April 1909, Page 3

THE CURSE O F THE CARDEWS OR AFTER THREE HUNDRED YEARS.

(All Rights R»w?r ro-rj.)

By W. MI HftAV GRAVDON, Vuthor of "Th- lUacknmilers." 'Hvai>iiuc the Whirlwind," "Tb# H*ir of the Loudouns," Etc.

J*AHT XVIII

More l»y chance than by design. Ocollrey presently found himself a» the spot wh«it* he had conceal *d hit ancestor's treasure chart a >car ago. on the day of the memorable fight b-twmi Black Tom and the Chinaman. The moonlight shone brightly down through a rift in the fol iage. and altera brief hesitation hj« y ieldetl to an impulse that he couli not resist. He remo\etl the grow ing fern from the cleft of the l>oul«j«t—it had taken root there—am drew out the tiny cylinder of parchment. which *os dry and,uninjured He thrust it deep Into one of his l»oot». '•ft was safer where it was," hr. thought. "I don't know why lan taking it with me. for there i* no! a chance in a thousand that 1 shall ever xeanch for the gold. But I won't Mop now to put it buck."

The ineiilent was soon forgotten ami after pushing on toilfully for an hour. haliiing bin cours; by th>- info e»j»icnt glimpses of moon nnc •iiar", lie nuchwl the hiplitr am r»>ck> ground mentioned by Frrgnson. illocks of sandMone. large and »«hbII. lav Kattrml about in profusion. and a shallow casern was not for to seek.

tinting en'en a f«*w mouthful-* ol fotxl ami gathered grn.«* f«*r n pillow. Ihe nc#rv fugitixe %%rap|>ed hiiwlf in hi** blanket, ami was quickly dead to J(K troubles. Mis slumber lasted for some hours, wh'-n he suddenly woke to find thi morning sun streaming into hi* shelter. and to hinr a distant sound that ma*l«* hi* l»l»»o«l run cold anil l>rought him to hi* feet in alarm.

CHAI'TKH XXV. A HACK WITH TIIK M AX-IH*X-TKUS. There was not the slightest doubt a* to the nature of this new and terrible misfort un<£ that had now mine with the beginning of anuther da>. The throaty clamour thut *«> waking evhoe.* up and down the valley of the Ksscquilio. now rising to a high pitch and now subsiding n little so that the vague shouting of men could Ic heard, was nothing les* than the yelping of bloodhounds. Kor a moment Owflrey felt «> If be hod l»-en "i.» an icy chill, and every ntimi of courage and hope M-ennil t.« 00/e out at hi- finger-ends. At f-rv.. quite despairing and lielieving that he nn.< lo«-t. »e rnnteinI'la ted holding h«s (Him-iil position and fighting to the la-t against recapture. On second thoughts—grit and shrewd judgment iiumedintely raUied to his aid —he decided on a diwrmt plan of action, and one that he was inclined to put some failh in. It was clear to him. of courw. that Ihe party of pursuers HI by t'apf«(n Itirardo. aiter ba\ '"P HuitlessU -ought hi ill at the bstngaloW. h.i'i either learned of or sus|>ected s |.r-s«>ncc in the neighbourhood, .ml wanted no time in sending to 'i- Hrehards estate t«» lwtrr«»n- the owner's park of nian-huntets. Tb- brutes have picked up the r r r|. nnd ar- following it hotly."

h t.»M himself : "but <rom th«:« •»uml lhe> can't b#vc more than r--»»ch»-d the »|H»t where I enlefed tin- I.»r*t l«"t night. Thai means • »tnr( n( two gmnl mile*. and il ought to take me to the Ited S«n>»i> Dikc there I J»hall '** all right, for I know the path across H. Tb«> hounds Will have to stop nl the edge, and in the foru*»t on the other aide I can find a fres>h huling-placv. And even if they overhaul me Kiofc I get »0 far, what Li to |irrvenl mc from making a "•land and wiping out the whole l»»« k ? It is not a» ii I was ununwil " To think WBH lo act. and already Iboffrey hnd put Iha cavern of his .hm>F,r» twenty jard# behind hjm, Tbe m*;e»JM«y for eluding |Ni» four-bjot-d pursuers—he was confident enough of maintaining the safe dtstwnfe thai separated him from his human foe*—entirplv ab«orl«cd his mind, and It wa* well |hat |t «lid «... That he imijtt d<in-nd on him«t«|f for the future, that he wait fleoinjp !»•>oml the reach of word or l»el|» from his friend*, that #»c would not dare venture back to open coin* munication with them— these thing* did not as y«t cause him the distre 9 that would tc incvitoblo Inter.

*m• goal which be had in view lav l*yoml the first line of hifls. in a low valley that inter*enPd l«eforc th® mount ainous ret;i«»u l>egan in earmj»t. The K«l Swamp was half a do»en niil«* long by a mile and a half in width, ami it took its name from tin* peculiar tinge of the scatlereo pool* of brackish water—a phenomenon ildUbtlrw fnwcl •'?' tlie rain washings fir om >bi: adjacent soil of red sandstone. During the term of hi* emplm inent at Sail I'flrlmo tJeofi rey had vbdiod the spot in company with Ferguson in pur* *iiit of a Jajuar which they daily tracke«l to the further >lde of the marshy fa-tlnef*"*. He felt hopeful, hut by no means certain, of finding the path he hod followed on that occasion.

-At least I »ha)l be able to penetrate deep enough for safety." he iMtftuiVKl hlnuclf, femembering several landmarks of » Fpn»picuoUß Mturv.

He had now crwrnwd tho gontlyrising ground, bearing in an oaster* ly counc. and wan at the baso of a steep hill that towered above taiiu for eight or nine hundred feet. He toiled up the ascent, half the time exposed to the scorching rays of the sun, sparing himself «* much exer(ion as possible os he scrambled mer rocks and loose amung deiw# thickets and vegetation. Ily haogry and thiratv. j"*t theft:

no un'ir to If had. nii'l h< <!.ir.• ■ 1 not Mop to snatch ;l mouth'l of food. Though tli.- bloodh' ■ l l n«i - were still at a reassurinp d:-tance—ho judged that they had i.a i,f<l about n mile— they hod th< I'l'-xiit advantage of fairly level i r,n filing. The deep, fierce baying, ih>- exultant notes that told of a Harm and easy scent, rang nearet nml louder. From (he trees overhead counties monkc.\» and parrots HTeamifi at the'fugitive, chattering with shrill and querulous excitement, a.s if they jx-rfectly understood that something was amiss

The crest of the hill at last ! Or one side the .steadily-advancing peril on the other the gloomy solitudes of the Heil Swamp. Weary and breathless, fleofTrey paused for a brie! moment, listening to the canine hu< and cry while he ga/'*d far across th< forest at the cane-fields of San Parima. and distinguished the grey anc white blur that he knew 10 Ih the roof of Ferguson's bungalow Then he turned, a choking lump ir his throat and a mist in his eyes, anc i»egan the descent of tlu valley l>elow.

lie went down at a faster pact than was prudent. but reached the bottom without mishap, though he was severely scratched and bruis-d. His relentless foes were baying in Concert somewhere Iwhind and abov< him—they were rapidly approaching the hilltop—ami he forgot his fatigue as he press**!, on. A quarter of a mile, and he was through the stretch of bushes and stunted timlier. interspersed with clumps of boulders. that led to the low ground. He looked back, up to the rugged face of the mountain spur, and his heart throbbed as he saw a huge livrr-coloureil animal ••merge on a sh«-lf of si one two-thirds of the way down. It lcn|>ed forward and dis-nplwar.-d. and live more catnc after it in quick succession. "Ily heavens, how close they are !' gasped (Jeoffrey. "J'm afraid I can't do it."

Il<- thought of taking refuge on a rock and picking oIT his pursuers one by on«\ which would have been a wise measure nml n safeguard against futur«* trouble: but it did not ort-ur to him in this light, and his second impulse, since he had always Inen fond of dog*, was to strain ev-.-ry n<rve to win the race rather than slaughter half a dozen poor brute* for merelj doing what th«y hail been trained to do from birth.

"I'll save my cartridges for the (iiiman trackers." he vowed : and a murderous rage possessed him as he thought of his bitter wrongs. "God help them if they ever come to close quarters, and I have v»> choose between surrender and death

,Hc ran on. bifathimr hard, 'flic edge of the swamp proper was now in plain view, separated from bim »>■ two or thr.c hundred >ar»Js of doubtful and comparatively open *oil. fir was opposite the middle of the vast tract of ten and jrake and timber, pool and stream, snd straight In-fore him. so fortunniilr a course had he tin wittingly •»te«-red. were the weH-reim:mln.*red marks thai showed where a path was possible for for one who was sure—footed and agile. The chase narrowed fast, grew more painfully exciting to the fugitive. The zealous pack, in full sight of their quarry, were giving tongui loudly and fiercely as they bounded on with prodigious leaps to the finish. f.'eoflrey had no longer any alternative. since there was no sheli.»r to Ih* had nearer than the -wamp itself, but to reach that Ifoal or l»e overtaken in the attetii|»t. The ground quivered under him u-s he sprang from spot to spot, not knowing what instant he would land waist-deep in a quagmire. H»* dashed on with teeth set anil muscles braced, not trusting himself to throw a glance back, though the deep-throated baying seemed to Ik* at his heels. Ten \ aids more and the worst would Ih* o\er. temporary safety won. and «*sca|»: within oasy reach. Tin* distance les»ened to six—fourtwo. A last stride, a cry wrung from his lips by fervent gratitude, ami CeofTivy had l<*ape<l upon a dead tree of massive girth which years ago had fallen thirty feet out into the swamp. With hideous vp||»ing thr dogs followed him singly. the foremost snarling at his h«A*ls. as he ran along the slipper* trunk. He turned. **nt the leader of the pack hendlong into the water with a blow of his rifle, and nimbly darted on. bracing himself for the final ordeal on which so much depended. He gathered sj*vd in the next three yards, which brought him ctosv to the tapering end of the tr« e. and then, boldly and with all his might, he sprang into the air.

A do/en feet or so to ihe left wa.« a wooded island that reached far into the swamp. and about half-wa> lieiwivn : rising above the slimy, reddish water, was a tussock of gra.«s and bright-coloured flowers. This? wan Oeortrey'B first stage, anil though It wan uot strong enough to support a man standing, it had held him for a brief instant when he made the leap with Ferguson, as he hoped it would do in the present crisis. And it did. Clearing the skeleton limbs that reached towards him like snaky tentacles, he atruek squarely In the middle of th; tuKHock. and as quickly leaj>ed again. ilut the quivering foothold, short though it was, nearly cost him his balance ; and cither that retarded his second effort. or he had miscalculated the tlinfoncp- He felt a sickening conviction* even while he was In the act of springing, that disaster awaited hU l ', Down he ;ninc with a splashing, oozy sound, ftillv a vard short of the grassy edgi ,f ihe island. PI! n deceptive-looking patch of green soil. He must have speedily met with a horrible end. but for a bushy crabtr«r that overhung the spot, and was fortunately within reach. As it was. he sank instantly to the knees, in spite of his quick and successful grab at the lowermost branch. Ha clung to it with his left hand, and then with both, having in the bripf interval tossed hit rifle on to the firm ground. The

branch sagged with his weight—it was too tough and pliable to break—and he swung half-round with his back to the Island. There he held di-s----l>eraloly and his frantic struggles onlv caused the sticky mire to drag him down, slowly dco|>cr and deeper, until he wfls* buried t" the thighs The support of 'he branch now np-

(Kit how I'>Etr hj" co'jid remain in this trying position. To I'-' 1 go would ).» fatal, .-'.mi to extricate hi 111s"!f unaided was out 01 the question.

Thr hound."-, as lie had forescei. would be Iho caw, showed 110 inclination to venture beyond the fallen tree- The one he had knocked into the water had swum ashore, and the others were lined up along the trunk. The great brutes, deop-chett-ed and pendulous-jowled, l»aycd fur iously at their elusive quarry as they watched him with bloodshot eyes.

CHAPTER XXVI. A FRIEND IN" NEED

A.s the minutes wore slowly on tin physical discomforts of UeofTrey'f position grew almost unendurable Sunk nearly to his waist in the treacherous quicksands of th< swamp, only the bent limb of the crablree intervened between hin and death, and that must soon fail him and let hiin down to his doomThc hounds yelped and dinned at him and more than once or twice, above the snarling chorus, he fancied he heard far off the shouting of his human foes.

"C»od hasten them he groaned, though he dared not entertain any ho|«! of rescue from that quarter.

Vet it would have l>een welcome. (JeofTrey's feelings had undergone a swift change, as was natural. He was no longer in a mind to end his troubles—to fight to the death rather than submit to recapture. Th<* terrors of the quicksand the thought of the bottomless grave that was ynwning for him, had weakened his resolve. I.ife had never seemed so swe»et a.s now. He wanted to keep it for Violet's saki*. who had given him such proofs 01 h«*r love and devotion. lie was willing to endure any hardships, to I .-ear his burden cheerfully, if only he could live and look forward tc the <iay when he had been assured that truth and justice must triumph. So he would gladly have hailed t.fio arrival of his pursuers and In-sought I heir aid. and gone back with them to the hateful prison on the Mazaruni, where at least his existence would lie cheered by the knowledge that friends were working to establish his innocence and set him free. Hut be did not deceive himself. There was not one chance in a thousand that he could c.-cape his itu|K*nding fate, ami he knew it. Colowl Ricarelo and the warders had fallen behind from the moment they unleashed the hounds, and it was doubtful if they had as yet reached the crest of the hill, though the frantic cry of the pack must urge them to the greatest speed 01 which they were capable. Turning his head slightly. (JeofTrcy gazed with longing e-yes. with white arid haggard face, across the narrow rim of the valley. There was nobody in sight. He imagined he heard a shout ; but it might have been only an echo 01" the yelping dogs. They will Ixs too late," he thought. *"»y the time they get here this foul quagmire will have closed over me for ever. To die in such a hideous manner, sufHocatcd by slime and mud—it is too hard. God help 111 c His parched lips framed a prayer, though he felt that it was futile to apiHral to Providence. He yielded to utter despair, and cried aloud 'in the agony of his mental sufferings. A minute dragged by, and he knew that another would probably test his endurance to the breaking point. His hands slipped a little furtherdown the branch, and he was sucked just that much deeper into the quicksand. He hung a dead weight, tortured as one on the rack of the Inquisition. Every muscle throbbed with pain, as if the limbs were being wrenched apart. The strain was maddening—intolerable. "I must drop," he told himself. "The sooner it is over the better.

Ilut he did not let go- At this crisis a lusty shout fell on his oar*, and the next instant he was clinging with desperate energy, cheered and strengthened by what he had never expected to see. lleaxen'had answered his prayer, and the prospects of rescue were strong enough to bo worth struggling for. Th«» first glimpse, when the shout roused him from his stupor, had fhpwn him two men breaking out of the green vegetation that clothed the lower slopes of the hill. They rapidly lessened the intervening stretch of between two and thr'v lundred yards, and as they drew nearer, running across the ircuchurous, oppn ground, Geoffrey recognised one as Li Shcn, the Chinaman, and the other as a West Indian negro from the Richards estate, (•umbo by name. That both were actuated solely by a desire to capture him, and thereby earn their reward. Hp did not doubt ; nor at the fiioment did he care, so intense was nig relief. Being the fleet«*st of foot, they had evidently outdistanced their Companion*, for no one wise was visIblo as yet. "Help ! help !" (ieofTicv appealed at the top of his voice. Tho two saw and heard him, and a few more strides brought th'-m to the edge of the swamp, ut which the pack of bloodhounds gave tougue more noisily than ever. "You no fear. Massa Hardinge."

cried Oumbo. "We soon g-t j»u out ob dat. Prison men want >ou —pay much gold nn<l the negro'? ;yes glittered with grceil, " You holdpc tight liule biiee," ihoutcd the Chinaman. "Vou no fjill—wail for Li. Savey ?" "Yes, I can manage* to hold on." Geoffrey answered. "Hut hurrj up." With that, from hhwr surprise at what immediately followed, he al but released his grip of the branch It was quickly done and over. I p went Li Shen's right arm, ami Uu short, thick cudgel that he carried descended with no little force 01 Gumbo's skull.. t)»>wn dropped the fimazed and unsuspecting negro like a stricken ox. and Li. having snatched a pistol from his victim's belt, leapt upon the end of the dead tree, along which the ml ire pack of barking bloodhounds were htill squatted in single file. (To be Continued).