The Black Box 29

The Black Box 29

This was strange and puzzling beyond measure, and, sun or no sun, must

be enquired into. So, marking down the spot, I urged Kitty to a canter

and soon reached it. Then that which from a distance had been so

mysterious was instantly made plain. A high bank on the left was here

divided by a deeply-rutted, and, by the look of it, now unused lane

which wound down through a maze of bushes to the sea; and doubtless it

was this which had thus swallowed up the flitting figure.

 

So far so good; but having proved the manner of his disappearance I was

minded to explore the matter further.

 

With this intent I turned my mare into the cutting and rode slowly down

the winding track. On either side of me there was a tangle of thick

scrub, and on this I kept a ready eye, for a bullet or a poisoned arrow

might well prove deadly at so short a range. But nothing stirred, and so

at last I came out upon a wide expanse of utter desolation. It was as

though the land had slid down seaward and there broken out again in such

an uncouth medley of rank, twisted growth as seemed to be scarce

English. ’Twas chaos, with the rock-strewn shore beyond.

 

Who could it be that, flashing as it were from space across my path, had

sped to this wild, lonesome place and vanished in its dreary solitude?

Ah, who? As I put the question to myself I swept the dreary waste with

anxious eyes and thought uneasily of Coram’s warning.

 

My vision of the man had been so sudden and his flight across the path

so swift and stoat-like, that, at such a distance, I had been able to

make nothing of him. Nor did he now vouchsafe to help me by discovering

himself to my enquiring gaze. Not he. Sun-loving insects hummed amid

the stifling heat, a dragon-fly hung poised above a bush--a thing of

glorious blue--a gull screamed high aloft, while here and there the

twittering of tongue-parched birds broke forth in sleepy fashion. But

these were the only signs of life; no human being showed himself; my man

had vanished like a dream.

 

What then? To hunt for him among that tangled wilderness in such a

blazing heat were folly worse confounded, for, to begin with, I must do

the thing on foot--a weary, hopeless task indeed, and risky also if the

object of my search were armed with pistol and a bad intention. Yes,

there seemed nothing for it but to let the mystery go unsolved, and

leave the haunter of this desolation lurking in his hiding-place.

 

Reluctantly, and not without misgiving, I turned and rode back through

the opening to the moor, still musing wonderingly on that which lay

behind me. But such thoughts, pressing as they were, gave way at last

before my former keen desire for shade. And this time fortune favoured

me, for, having ridden on another quarter of a mile or so I saw, not far

away, an old grey barn tucked snugly up against the bank, with bushes

overshadowing it. What could be better for our sweating needs?

 

A minute later we were up with it. The entrance lay upon the other

side--that is, the shady side--and here a stout oak door hung idly open,

thus inviting entrance. How came this stony friend in such a wild

deserted spot as that? I could not tell--nor did I care; but verily it

was as welcome as an oasis amid the desert. With a blessing on its

unknown builder, I dismounted and led Kitty in.

 

The place was sweet and clean, and thickly carpeted with well-dried

bracken, while a gentle sea-breeze found its way inside, thus adding to

a most refreshing coolness.

 

Small wonder that my pretty mare let go a gladsome neigh and rubbed her

velvet muzzle on my shoulder. Doubtless she looked upon our new-found

quarters as a stable. Having first eased her girths I looked around for

water. This I found not far away--a bubbling stream amid the rocks.

When poor thirsty Kitty had refreshed herself thereat I led her back to

the barn and put her nose-bag on. Then I fell to with a will upon the

food that old Anne’s forethought had provided. And so, while Kitty

munched her oats, I ate my bread and cheese and pasty and drank my wine,

and each of us was mightily content. After this refreshment, being

wondrous sleepy, I decided to remain there till the sun should have lost

something of his fierceness. But, first of all, remembering that

flashing vision of a man across the track, I judged it wise to close the

heavy door and fasten it, the which I did by running my sword (for lack

of wooden pin) through two stout iron staples, thus making it impossible

for anyone to attempt an entrance without my hearing him. This done, I

lay down on the bracken close beside the door and very soon was

wandering in the land of Nod.

 

Now I count not among my virtues (or, if you will, my vices) that of

being what is called a heavy sleeper. Slight noises will awaken me, and

so it came about that, while I was slumbering thus, a gentle rattling

aroused me thoroughly.

 

Someone had tried the door, and, as the staples were full long, my sword

allowed it to be opened quite four inches. This had been done, and,

even as I stared in breathless silence, a great brown hand crept in and

groped about in search of that which barred all further entry.

 

If you have never seen a hand thus armless--lopped off and blindly

feeling, as it were--no words of mine can picture it aright for you.

’Twas horrible beyond compare; and though the light which flickered

through two narrow slits set high up in the wall was dim enough, it was

yet all-sufficient to make plain a sight so awesome--four straining

fingers and a thumb which lacked a guiding eye!

 

I stared like one bewitched until at last the fingers closed upon the

sword-hilt; then, with a sudden spring, I tried to seize the wrist, but

failed. The hand shot back ere I could even touch it, while next moment

swiftly-running feet proclaimed its owner’s flight.

 

Pulling my sword out from the staples, I drew it, and rushed forth in

pursuit. Yet, though I had thus lost scarce half a minute, there was no

sign of anyone outside; and not a sound came from the bushes which grew

thickly all around, and were the only means of hiding near.

 

Baffled and perplexed, I walked silently along the turf a little way,

stopping every yard or so to listen. Still naught was to be heard. That

sly disturber of my sleep had disappeared as if by magic.

 

This was an ugly state of things--indeed, I liked it not; and so,

bethinking me that to go farther might spell danger to my mare, I ran

back to the stable.

 

The sun had now moved down considerably (thus proving that I must have

slept some hours), and the heat, though still oppressive, was not so

overpowering as it had been; but, even had it still been like a furnace,

I would not have tarried longer in that haunted place. So, with the

memory of a clawing hand to hurry me, I tightened Kitty’s girths, and,

having led her forth, was just about to mount, when something hissed

close past my face and stuck quivering in a tree-stem. It was a small

black arrow! The mystery was explained at last, and the knowledge that

my dreaded enemy lurked thus close to me was so appalling that I shame

not to confess my knees smote one against the other, while a clammy

sweat broke out upon my forehead.

 

Leaping to the saddle I urged Kitty forward, at the same time bending

low by instinct; and well it was I did so, for next moment a pistol

cracked behind me and the bullet whistled just above my shoulder. Two

inches lower and I had been hit!

 

Glancing back, when we had covered some three hundred yards, I saw no

sign of Tubal Ammon, and was just thanking Heaven for such a merciful

deliverance, when suddenly my mare stopped dead and broke out trembling

with fear.

 

The cause of this was just ahead, for there an old man lay upon his back

among the heather. Going close up I gazed down on him, and, to my

horror, found that he was dead. His eyes stared up at me with awful

fixedness. Moreover, he had met his death by violence, as was clearly

proven by the gaping knife-wound in his breast. Stabbed through the

heart!

 

He was well dressed (a yeoman farmer by the look of him), and wore

riding boots with spurs. Thus it was clear he had been riding when

death overtook him. What, then? How came he thus? Where was his

horse? These questions were full quickly answered; for barely had I put

them to myself when from behind there came the sound of thudding hoofs,

and, starting round, I saw Tubal Ammon galloping towards me on a

long-legged, bony beast.

 

This made things clear indeed; yea, verily, I understood it all as in a

flash. Keeping far ahead of us throughout the morning, running when we

walked (though ever making sure of our direction), the miscreant had

reached this lonely spot before us, had met this poor old man and slain

him for his horse, and, having hidden it, had lurked about in hope of

falling me as well by stealth. This having failed, he now pursued me on

his blood-bought steed, intent on further mischief.

 

As this rushed through my mind, I, too, rushed through the air, and such

a wild, mad race began as never was. Kitty knew little of the spur, but

now I used it on her without knowing that I did so. Heavens, how we

flew! The pace we made was such as beggars words. The ugly brute

behind, for all his great long legs and furious speed, gained not a yard

upon us, for what advantage he possessed in length of limb my mare

outwitted by her lightness and agility.

 

Mile after mile we had covered in this headlong, reckless fashion, when

suddenly a shrill cry reached me, and glancing back, I saw that Tubal

Ammon’s horse was down, while he himself had been shot yards in front of

it.

 

Perceiving this, I stopped to look. Perchance the luckless beast had

stumbled in a rabbit burrow, while, by the way its head dropped back

when Ammon pulled upon it with the bridle, I judged it to be either

broken-necked or broken-hearted. And doubtless its rider shared the

same opinion, for, after divers vicious tugs and kicks he dropped the

reins, and, turning, shook a fist at me. I answered in like fashion,

then trotted on my way.

 

And here it seems to me that you may well be wondering why, in the name

of fortune, I did not instead ride back and try to kill the wicked

wretch whose death I so much coveted. But verily, my friends, the

chances were not what, to you, they may appear to have been; nay, rather

were they all against me. For, look you, thick cover lay on every side,

and long ere I could have come up with him, friend Tubal would have

darted into hiding; while, having just most providentially escaped from

death, I had no mind to seek for it again.

 

So I pressed on towards Exeter, whose grey cathedral towers were even