CHAPTER XVIII.

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 179, 1 July 1873, Page 2

CHAPTER XVIII.

Another storm brewing ; I hear it sing i' fch 1 wind. When the doctor first discovered that his note» were missing, he was pacified by the 1 recollection that he had left them in his greatcoat pocket — a heavy coat with capes, , which he only wore in driving or ; on horseback. But when he returned homt, he found the greatcoat missing too. Then ' he remembered that he had worn it in the" carriage, when he and Winny Bowlands went to look for the young Englishman. Yes ; "he had tafcen it off in the cave, when he had helped Owen to carry him oat, and he had not returned to put it on j therefore, unless somebody had been there before him, there he would find his notes. Unless ! But perhaps somebody was there now, fingering his coat, 'opening his pocket-book, pocketing his notes. Horrible idea ! How could he reach the place in the quickest and most secret way? Clearly, by walking, for there was a short cut over the hills for pedestrians, whilst the highway wound round the bases of the mountains, making a detour of many a weary mile ; «o he started on his way to the old Walls. When he reached the crest of the hill, and saw the rocky plateaui and the Craigddu lying at his feet, he breathed • sigh of thankfulness : now the entrance to the cave was in view all the way, no one could enter or quit it without his seeing. But his satisfaction was short-lived, and his horror was great, when he saw, on the opposite slope> a black, moving spot, which lie thought was the figure of a man — a spot whioh was moving to the same point as himself, and it had the start of him. It was at least two milfs from the crest of the hill to the craig, whereas, from the opposite slope, the distance wa» not more thant half a mile. . How he ran, and panted, and puffed 1 , and, how slow he moved with it all ! The black speck on the other side was Hearing the treasure-hole much more quickly than he. He couldn't stop him. His leg* were shaking, his calves were quivering like, jelly, he panted, and gasped, and tried with his whole heart to put on. a spurt, but the spurt would not came. At last, fairly spent and exhausted, he threw himself on the rock, and groaned in despair. The black figure was fast approaching the Craigddu. Over above it, where rose the steep peaks of the eastern pass, greot misses of clouds were pouring down into the valley, hardly so much borne by the wind, as carried back towards the sea by some mysterious swaying of the air — some tidal pulse of the ethereal ocean ;• and as they 'wreathed and writhed, and rolled about the mountain's base, they gathered in more thickly over th« black craig, till it seemed as though a cavern of the heavens had been there formed in the skies, the portals of which shone like brass in tho declining beams of the sun, whilst its recesses loomed dark as the darkest pits of Acheron. Thin filmy clouds sprung into being in each terrace of the hiUs, and all among the rocks there roso a •?U>id, w'lich -was hardly so mnrh a whisper of -the wind as a sigh of the earth ; a farewell to the sun by the rooks, who had been warmed in his beams. But taller still and more majestic loomed tho figure now fast approaching the Oaigddu; so majestically he strode along, this tall black figuio, dragging behind what seemed to the heated imagination of the doctor very like a long tail, that he involuntarily shuddered and shivered, and almost forgot the fate of his pocket-book in the superstitious terror caused by the sight of this mysterious visitant. At last the figure disappeared in the shadow of the Craigddu, and seemed to make that very shadow blacker. And then the doctor remembered his pocket book, and rose and tottered forward. Perhaps, afler all, the figure might not visit the cavern ; perhaps it might emerge on the hither side. He strained his eyes ; the figure was no more visible ; no doubt it had disappeared in tho chasm. ' Diaoul !' said tho doctor ; ' perhaps, if he, handles the notes, he'll burn 'em up to. tinder.' The thought gave him fresh energy ; he strode out once more manfully, and at last reached the Craigddu. There was no living thing visible ; but there, dark and mysterious, loomed the entrance to the oftvern. The Ben Doctor seated himself on a- stone near its entrance, and wiped his face tremulously ; between fear and exhaustion, he was almost overpowered. What was this weird figure that had disappeared within the womb of the earth ? On the one hand urged by the fear of the loss of his notes, on the other withheld by the superstitious terror that he felt, the Hen Doctor passed a few moments of anguish, and then plunged desperately into the cavern. All was dark and still. He knew whsre h» had thrown his coat — in the corner to the left | h» pads ibr that at once. The corner was empty I • Who «r» JOT who have taken m v coat ?' ho cried fiercely, groping aJbow in the dark, clutching at imaginary figures in th# f Mjtyjp. Up •tumbled at length, hit bi» foot against

a projecting alone, and putting orit hu otb%* toot to sav*himself, he found noiupport to Miriam him,«d to plopped into the little well. The water was deadly dold, ntt! the doctor*! leg* seemed to him to uhxvrtl np to their sockets as he plunged net fore- a mesi into the" well ; he clung to 'the 1 sides with hi* bands,. w clutched desperately at the'stosei which •unrounded it* raised himself even so ai to get KUtlbowa on. the rooks; but no higher could lie get ;' Hie slimy?|Win of fche,,.wtll afforded him not the dishful; foOthold, to Wat it itemed to him asthough he ha-l fallen into n chasing ice, or fire, he hardly knew which, without sides,' without bottom. Ho thought,, indeed, he had discoweredon* Of the •ntranceo to the infernal regions. • Diaoul !' he cried, *Pm lost at last, body and soul. The. Lord have mercy upon me! Oh, why didn't I say my prayers sooner ?' , ' Wretched man !* said a doep voice cloie to him, I havelong passed you by, thinking you Were too Wcjfoft to die. 1 'Oh, mercy!' shouted the dbctor; *I wtllr bff wickeder still, if you'lfonly let me live a little longe*! 1 " " 1 Will you spit upon yemr grandmother's grave r 1 Indeed I will ! Try me; good CythraMl ' A • Will yon promise never to set foot in ehuMak-or chapel^ and never" to pive a penny to the offering?'- •' < " " ' That I will, gladly 1^ cried the dooton ' Dm ceifiiog t never, bv the serett devils-!' -% ' (- • And' you'll forswear your religion, and ' Htnreo your country?* ' , • ' ' _.' . ' Eeligion! I never had inr.- Oountoyi ' What has my m country done for me, that I should go- down- to the pit • for it?'- ' , : '', < And you shall give * hundred ponnchrforthe disgrace of the church to the wickedest parson' in Wales f r '• <• « It wUI be Owen Qwyar of Peiidyffy thai wUl^'thAt! No j I'll be singed if Ido 1 lit sink for it-flw* !' « You stingy old blackguard 1* «aidthe, ' voifee again in ita natural tone, that of Parson Qittn-f* feet outof this ! Y«m choke the veVy pit with your imsjf Ho* ho, hoi^Plj* «MT ibQt.aown, you bid 'repftibate-; the w#H> jjsrifc WlfWMfc • deep. • You that would forswear the vrttfipri^SblWr that bore you! ltd, ho, ho!' * ' ' ,', « WeU, indeed, Owen,' said the doctor, towabjint; out ofA the well, ' I did think you were the deviL Biit what have -^ joiu don» with my coat ?' ' ,