Adventure Magazine Cover — page 122: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

878 to procure his death he had seen. If Dr. Oscott were come to Assynton—Dr. Oscott who had hunted heretics down all over the diocese—the danger was imminent. He knew how to act. In a moment he was climbing the down to the windmill. He saw his way. He would abolish all evidence of his science. He would let the good gentle- men come and search and, when they had found nothing, break in upon them. It would be hard if he could not make the fanatic doctor’believe his cousin a knave. In the whirl of his own concerns he paused . again and again to wonder at the silly shep- herd. Who could have dreamed that the dull, heavy lout had such a clear brain in him? Why had he chosen to hide it? Why was he pleased to reveal it now for the ser- vice of Mr. Rymingtowne? They were questions that could wait for an answer, but questions that insisted on being heard. And Mr. Rymingtowne would have found them more insistent if he had known all, the plan on which the brain in that heavy head was working placidly. VI THROUGH the twilight Sir Ralph gj led his guests up to the windmill. = They were in a good humor with him, fave persuaded themselves that they were on the track of guilt. But as they came to the door the shepherd rose out of the ground, grinning and pulling his fore- lock, and Mr. Saunders, a suspicious mind, was disturbed. He did not understand why the shepherd had always to assist, and moreover it seemed to him that Sir Ralph made signs at the shepherd and certainly the shepherd nodded and gave a silly laugh. Sir Ralph opened the door. “Oh dear, you’m bold, you’m bold!” said the shepherd, and they came into darkness. Lanterns were lit and they found themselves inside an empty shell of stone. The mill had been all dismantled. All the timbers were gone, and the stones and wheels. Only a ladder ‘reached up through the darkness to the room beneath the roof. Sir Ralph began to climb and the shepherd came last. Before he was at the top he heard ex- clamations. When he came through the trap-door he found them hunting nervously about a room “bare as your hand.” It had in it no more than two wooden chairs and a table, and on the table a little book. Adventure Dr. Oscott turned, flushing, upon Sir Ralph: “It seems you have deceived your- self, sir! At least you have sought to de- ceive us!”’ Sir Ralph, who was pale and unsteady, stammered out: ““I—I am amazed! The man Is certainly a sorcerer! Perhaps this is sorcery. I 3 Mr. Saunders had been looking at the book on the table. ‘‘ Perhaps this is heresy,” he suggested and held it out. It was a breviary printed at Rome. : Sir Ralph recoiled from it, saw the silly shepherd stand gaping and sprang at him. ‘What is this, knave? You told me the place——” ‘““No, no!” the shepherd cried. “It was you as told I! You told I to ss Sir Ralph struck him aside. “Must you prate, rogue? Get you gone, I say!” and tried to drive him to the ladder. “What was he going to say?” said Mr. Saunders. Sir Ralph turned and forced a laugh. ‘Oh, ’tis a dull fool! Come, gentlemen, I doubt we must search more cunningly. Doubtless there is some secret place.’”’ He pointed them into the corners of the room and himself made a bustle of search- ing. At the worst he hoped for the Testa- ments. The shepherd began to whimper. ‘You ha’ come too soon,” he whined. Sir Ralph started round. “What dost mean by that?” he cried. ‘‘Come, Diccon!”’ He took the shepherd’s arm and began to draw him aside. “The Testaments, lad!”’ he whispered. Mr. Saunders, who had been affecting an interest in the walls, laid a finger on Dr. Oscott and swung round. “Certainly. What does he mean?”’ said he. ‘And why do you whisper, sir?” Dr. Oscott cried and advanced upon them. The shepherd shuffled back, whining: “*Tiddn’t my fault! Ihadn’tnotime. You come too soon!”’ Sir Ralph cried out: “Nay, doctor, ’tis an innocent, a natural! He knows not what he says. You must not heed him!” made frenzied signs to the shepherd. ‘“‘T know not who is innocent, sir, nor why you fear the lad so!” Dr. Oscott said sternly. ‘‘Come, lad, tell me the truth and thou’lt have no harm. Why did we come too soonP”’ “Sir Ralph he bade me put they little Comiclbook And he ©