I ran to the window and peered out into the night.

The wood through which we had approached the house

seemed to encompass it. The branches of a great tree

brushed the panes. I was tugging at the fastening of

the window when I became aware of Bates at my elbow.

"Did something happen, sir?"

His unbroken calm angered me. Some one had fired

at me through a window and I had narrowly escaped

being shot. I resented the unconcern with which this

servant accepted the situation.

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"Nothing worth mentioning. Somebody tried to assassinate

me, that's all," I said, in a voice that failed

to be calmly ironical. I was still fumbling at the catch

of the window.

"Allow me, sir,"-and he threw up the sash with an

ease that increased my irritation.

I leaned out and tried to find some clue to my assailant.

Bates opened another window and surveyed the

dark landscape with me.

"It was a shot from without, was it, sir?"

"Of course it was; you didn't suppose I shot at myself,

did you?"

He examined the broken pane and picked up the bullet

from the table.

"It's a rifle-ball, I should say."

The bullet was half-flattened by its contact with the

wall. It was a cartridge ball of large caliber and might

have been fired from either rifle or pistol.

"It's very unusual, sir!" I wheeled upon him angrily

and found him fumbling with the bit of metal, a

troubled look in his face. He at once continued, as

though anxious to allay my fears. "Quite accidental,

most likely. Probably boys on the lake are shooting at

ducks."

I laughed out so suddenly that Bates started back in

alarm.

"You idiot!" I roared, seizing him by the collar with

both hands and shaking him fiercely. "You fool! Do the

people around here shoot ducks at night? Do they

shoot water-fowl with elephant guns and fire at people

through windows just for fun?"

I threw him back against the table so that it leaped

away from him, and he fell prone on the floor.

"Get up!" I commanded, "and fetch a lantern."

He said nothing, but did as I bade him. We traversed

the long cheerless hall to the front door, and I sent him

before me into the woodland. My notions of the geography

of the region were the vaguest, but I wished to

examine for myself the premises that evidently contained

a dangerous prowler. I was very angry and my

rage increased as I followed Bates, who had suddenly

retired within himself. We stood soon beneath the

lights of the refectory window.

The ground was covered with leaves which broke

crisply under our feet.

"What lies beyond here?" I demanded.

"About a quarter of mile of woods, sir, and then the

lake."

"Go ahead," I ordered, "straight to the lake."




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