"I wouldn't believe you, Morgan, if you swore on a

stack of Bibles as high as this wall."

"Thanks!" he ejaculated mockingly.

Like a flash he swung the hammer over his head and

drove it at me, and at the same moment I fired. The

hammer-head struck the pillar near the outer edge and

in such a manner that the handle flew around and

smote me smartly in the face. By the time I reached

the ground the man was already running rapidly

through the park, darting in and out among the trees,

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and I made after him at hot speed.

The hammer-handle had struck slantingly across my

forehead, and my head ached from the blow. I abused

myself roundly for managing the encounter so stupidly,

and in my rage fired twice with no aim whatever after

the flying figure of the caretaker. He clearly had the

advantage of familiarity with the wood, striking off

boldly into the heart of it, and quickly widening the

distance between us; but I kept on, even after I ceased

to hear him threshing through the undergrowth, and

came out presently at the margin of the lake about fifty

feet from the boat-house. I waited in the shadow for

some time, expecting to see the fellow again, but he did

not appear.

I found the wall with difficulty and followed it back

to the gate. It would be just as well, I thought, to

possess myself of the hammer; and I dropped down on

the St. Agatha side of the wall and groped about among

the leaves until I found it.

Then I walked home, went into the library, alight

with its many candles just as I had left it, and sat

down before the fire to meditate. I had been absent

from the house only forty-five minutes.




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