e Celebrated New York Detective. CHAPTER XXV. (Continued.)

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 381, 29 June 1889, Page 4

c Celebrated New York Detective. CHAPTER XXV. (Continued.)

Wat leaned his head out of the window. 'Driver!' , ' Yes, sir.' * Do you see that carriage ahead ?' ' The grand duke's? Yes, sir.' ' Catch ifc. I want to speak to the occupant. ' The driver whipped his horses, and as they went along YVat made a few changes in his face, so that in case the countess should remember him as having been in the antechamber with Gresser she would be deceived. The result proved that Wat's fears in case of trying to pass the countess were not foolish. jN~o sooner did the sound of the horses' feet behind her reach her ears than she leaned out and looked back at the pursuing carriage. Wat was prepared for this, and instantly ■waved his handkerchief. Sofia, after a moment of indecision, spoke to her driver, and he drew up. Wat was moved to admiration of the •woman's quick wit when he saw that the driver, at a word from her. turned his horses so that thej r blocked the way across the street, for they were still in the outskirts of the town, Wat's driver drew up near the other carriage, and Wat jumped out with every appearance of haste, and, first throwing a handful of roubles to his driver, ran over to i where Sofia sat, regarding him with a stern air of suspicion. 'The grand duke wished me to say,' whispered Wat, breathlessly, 'to please hurry to the fortress and transact your business there as quickly as possible, as Gresser has been received by his master and was making an impression on him ; also, to send his carriage back without keeping it a minute, as he wished not to have his part known if possible. ' ' Who are you ?' demanded Sofia. • A confidential equerry in his service, and one of the initiated,' answered Wat, under iiis breath. •Very well,' answered Sofia, not very trustfully. But Wat, without seeming to notice her looks, sprang with great agility to the driver's seat and settled himself, as if that was what he bad been bidden to do. Sofia looked for a moment as if she would order him down, but thinking better of it, bade the driver hurry. The latter did so, and Wat sat by his side as carelessly as if he had nothing at stake in the issue of this drive. As for Sofia, she soon forgot the man on the box, and, buried in her own thoughts, tapped the floor of the carriage impatiently with her foot. 1 Quicker !' she said, at last. And Wat, who had been studying how he should make a beginning, caught at the opportunity and repeated to the driver : ' Quicker 1' At the same time he snatched the whip from the man's hand and brought it down with a cruel cut on the two horses. 'What are you doing? 1 exclaimed the driver, and then his attention was taken up with trying to calm the fiery animals, little used to such toeatment. Sofia had not seen Wat's action, and only knew that the animals were becoming unmanageable. But she was too much accustomed to horses to become alarmed, and only held more firmly to the s'.de of the carriage. Again Wat brought the whip down on the angry horses, and this time they fairly leaped into the air, and taking the bits into their teeth, broke into a mad gallop. The driver had only time for a reproachful glance at Wat, and then began that hopeless sawing at the bits which is so familiar to every spectator of a runaway team. Sofia now saw that the horses had become unmanageable, and, though she turned a little pale, said nothing but waited for what would happen. ' Give me the reins, 'said Wat, taking them by main force from the hands of the frightened driver. Wat slackened the reins as if to take a better hold, and the horses feeling the freedom became more outrageous. The carriage rocked and swayed in a frightful manner. The driver in his alarm made ready to leap from the box, but Wae bade him keep bis seat in such a tone that the man obeyed him. A little farther on, Wat saw a ditch at the side of the road, and toward it he directed the furious horses. Too mad to notice where they were going they plunged right into it, and in an instant the whole equipage was a wreck. Fortunately, nobody was severely hurt, as Wat made haste to ascertain. The driver was indeed stunned, bub the countess was only frightened, and Wat had r.o difficulty in extricating her from the ruins of the carriage. And, except for a few bruises, the horses were not materially injured. With an appearance of great efficiency, Wat worked himself, and directed the people who flocked around, until he had got one horse free. He had cut the harness all to pieces in his efforts to get the struggling animal out of the ditch, so that all it had on was the bridle. The driver by this time had recovered his wits, and was loudly upbraiding Wat for the mischief he had done. Sofia, who had been watching Wat with hardlj -restrained wrath, no sooner heard the driver's words than a quick suspicion seized her, and, with wrathful eyes, she sprang toward him, and exclaimed : 1 You say it was his fault V 'Yes, madam; he took the whip from 'me and lashed the horses until they were furious.' Wat had kept his eyes on the countess all the time, and now, as he saw her turn - angrily to some of the men, as if to order "them, ' he sprang on the horse he ; had freed. ' > * 1 will go for help, madam !' he shouted, as he put heels to the horse, and went away '- in the' direction of the fortress. ■ The other horse by this time had been fre.ed, was standing, trembling, with .'the harness hanging on it all awry. • Wat, looking around,- saw the countess by the side of the horse, tearing the harness from his back. • ' ' ' - ' As I live, I believe Bhe is going to have me followed: No- she is going to follow . me herself.; * She will not trust anybody but herself to carry •ithe". message- of death for poor Vera.'

He was right. The countess had grasped the idea that this was a ruse to deprive her of her revenge, obtained at such a cost, and, like the fury she was, had determined to ride the horse herself rather than run the risk of losing what was, after her love for Ivan, the dearest passion of-her heart. Wat saw her mounted on her horse, and saw her set out at full gallop after him, riding with the fearlessness of an Amazon. Ho had a good start, and, riding as well as he did, he could nevertheless get more out of his horse than she out of hers. He could not gain half an hour, but he would do the best he could, and by rapid work might yet save the girl. If he found the passage readily, and everything worked as easily as Grosser had said, he might be in time. At any rate, it was now or never, and he rode as if his own life depended on it. And Sofia pursuod him as only hate can pursue. It seemed as if she had smelt the blood of her victim, and thirsted for it. Would she drink it, or would it be snatched from her ?