CHAPTER XXVII.—Continued.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1977, 4 March 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XXVll.— Continued.

Armytage looked round him as if calculating tho chances of another holt, but lift at once saw tho futility of attempting to escape in that manner, so he again assured the officer that ho would return to Gisbnme that night, and if ho hri'l any for that bo would not he could allow tha detective or Wilberforoe lo accompany him. Tho wretched man had mentally concluded that ho would have a chance of escapa if left in the hands of one guardian. The sergeant was inexorable, however ; and, after telling him ho must conic at once to the house, he noticed that Armytage had lost his bundle. " What have you done with your swag ?" he asked. " Oh ! don't mind about that I can get it afterwards. There was nothing of value in it," remarked the detained man, anxious- " I'll go back through the scrub and find it," Wilborforco answered, suiting the action to the word, in ppilo of the entreaties of Armytage, who begged birr, not to trouble himself. The young nvm bad little difficulty in following tho path taken by tho would-be runaway, as the. newly -broken < reepnrs and shrubs plainly marked it He had not gono more than 1 "jO yards before lie espied the- mining bundle on one side of the path, where it had apparently been thrown when the fugitive found himself pressed. As he picked it up he noticed that it was disarranged by contact with the scrub, and exceedingly heavy. In (he dusk of Iho jungle he did not observe it vry closely, but ■us he emerged to his fomvuuions his eyes caught sight of a con t-skevo hanging from it, upon which were two or three small red stains. At any other tirao ho would not have given tho discovery a second thought, but '■the pattern of the cent imprasW ifcsolf on his mind, for it was the same ;ts he had seen on .the man leaving the w-o'l-splitter's hut on the previons day, and with his brain full of that event the sight aroused a vague suspicion against the owner of the bundle Without saying anything, ho handed back the bundle to Armytage, who eagerly clutchedit. As they proceeded towards the house Wilberforce told Sergeant Fahey what be had seen, but the lattsr only so id : " There may not be anything in that. On ■ a place like this spots like you mention may 'I be easily got, but the pattern of the coat and the suspicious manner in which the fellow Ims just acted mikes me think there may ba something in what you say, and that he is 'trying to hide something from us. I will ask ,him what he has in the swng when we gel to the house." As they near? 1 ! the homestead they saw Constable Wallace corning towards them, and when he got within speaking distance he said : " I thought yon were lost in the" scrub and , came back to hunt you up. Something has ■happened at the house, and thjf doctor wants • you as fast as you can come JF From what I can gather the owner, Sheripin, ha? poisoned hints 3if."' f '•Poisoned himself ! "/excliimed Armytage " J thought he iras in Melbourne to he must hav<j concerned himself from mo. Perhaps be got some information as to your visit here," he added, turning to the bank officer. / '• I don't know How he could have gol such information," answered the dctectivu ; " but I hope he he won't die, or I'll have little chance of tracing the gold. As they hurqfed up to the house they found everything in /(infusion. The servants were running aboVt aimlessly and one of the men was just mrtmting a horse to go for a clergyman. / ■ They eryered tbo largo dining-room and were told ny a servant to go to Sheridan's bed-room, where he was lying. They found he was unconscious and that .the doctcr was busily engaged trying to restore him. The anxiously enquired of the doctor if his patient would Inc. as it was ;mnst important to him that he should. " I don't think he will, but consciousness wi2l return soon." " What is the cause of his illness 't Waljlate said something about poison," asked j Fahey. " There is no doubt it ia a case of poison ; and, as far as I can judge at present, arsenical poisoning. It would be premature for mo to say anything more at present, as I have ■only been here a few minutes." \Wilberforce, who had been looking around the room during the conversation, suddenly exclaimed : t '\Where is Armytage?" Tie detective gave a hasty glance around, and then, followed by the sergeant and the lawyer, rushed from the room ; for their prisoner, profiting by the confusion, had slipped away.' Tht4 doctor and Wallace looked at each other for they were ignorant of what 'tad occurred to their companions since they had separated, and the constable hastily left the room. " Wb,at on earth is the matter now?" said O'Reilly. "This trip seems to be full of surprises."