Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 2 — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

220 ‘But she said I could be trusted,” I as- sured the crestfallen Jack, who had stopped short in the reading and was Suni at me with comicai dismay. ‘* Aye—well, ’tis done,” said he resigned- ly. ‘‘ But ye bear witness the sin was inadvertent. ‘Born of thine own honest nature, Jack!” I declared. ‘““And maybe ’twas Heaven made my tongue slip,” said Bunyan, “ knowing, in the Great Wisdom, I might ha’ need of a comrade’s help against this further devil’s work of which she makes hint.” I having agreed with him that the All- Wise surely had a hand in the game, he seemed much relieved and read the letter over again, this time very slowly, and in- sisting that I follow each word in case ay hidden meaning escaped him. Finding no other explanation for the mes- sage than appeared on its face, we at once decided upon the only course open to us— to repair at once to the manor garden. That is, we would both go there, but in case my known presence might discomfit Ruth it was agreed that while Jack approached the summer-house alone and: awaited develop- ments there, I should conceal myself where I could observe and be in readiness were ‘assistance required. As we were neither of us likely to be called to duty—for some hours, at least— we obtained permission ‘to leave the camp, and started at once for Eveleigh Manor. Before we came within sight of it on the Naseby-Sibbertoft Road, Hobgoblin sepa- rated from me after we again carefully re- hearsed our agreements. While Jack con- tinued up the road toward the back gate in the garden wall, I dropped behind the belt of willows of which I have made men- tion as hiding a small trout-stream from the road. Along a faint anglers’ path I made my way until I was opposite that point of the wall where the elm-tree stood and thrust its branches in over the garden. As soon as I felt that Jack had had time to reach the summer-house, the position of which I remembered marking on our pre- vious visits, I emerged from the willow belt, saw that the road was deserted, climbed THE ARGOSY to the top of the wall, and swung myself to a place of observation among the overhang- ing limbs. From this place of vantage I commanded the greater part of the manor gardens around the summer-house. The latter was situated a little to the left of the manor— that is, toward me. The gardens in front were of designed shrubbery and lawns. At the rear of the manor was the kitchen gar- den of vegetables through which a path led from the back-gate in the wall. At the left side of the manor and around the summer-house there was what is called an “ old-world”? garden—a maze of little walks meandering through a -disordered profusion of all’ kinds of flowers. the summer-house, which was a rustic struc- ture, with a rough-hewn bench and a weather-worn table, stood a _ sun-dial, which told me the hour was one after noon. Jack Bunyan was not in the summer- house yet, although he might have been there, for one angle of it was hidden from ‘my direct vision. But he was not there, for presently I saw his red head emerge from a clump of wild-rose bushes directly behind the rustic house. He peered intently at the manor and then all around the garden. No one was in sight, and probably he himself had reached thus far unobserved. Satisfied that it was safe, he swiftly came from the rose-bushes and darted across the few yards of open space between his last cover and the summer-house. Around -the little structure he stole, and made as if to dive into the shelter of the bower. But then he suddenly halted at the very entrance, with a look on his face which was as eloquent of his astonishment as my own at what happened then, when Jack Bunyan, at least, got one of the caer surprises of his life. There was some one in the bower—a man whe stepped swiftly out of the shade of that angle which had been hidden from my direct vision. 7 In his right hand he held a cocked horse- pistol, and he pointed it straight at Jack Bunyan’s head. Yet the voice of the per- son behind the pistol was strangely in con- trast with his menacing attitude. cComiclbool Before CO