Between Snow and Fire — page 253: what you’re looking at

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

2 . . v ‘ ; r > bs , : b 2 a f Ps iv% A : fs ’ ‘ ; a P 4 j —_ “ha ’ e a : * ’ 4 « Ce, period? He might have gained the sea shore, for instance, and been picked up by a passing ship bound to some dis- tant country, whose captain would certainly decline to diverge many days out of his course to oblige one unknown castaway. Such things had happened. Still, the idea was absurd, he told himself, for, even if it was so, sufficient time had elapsed for the missing man, in these days of tele- graphs and swift mail steamers, to make known his where- abouts, even if not to return in person. He had not seen him actually killed in his conflict with Hlangani—indeed, the fact of that strange duel having been fought with kerries, only seemed to point to tHe fact that no killing was ae -intended. ‘That he was only stunned and disabled when dragged away out of sight Eustace could swear, but why should that implacable savage make such a point of having the absolute disposal of his enemy, if it were not to exe- cute the most deadly ferocious vengeance upon him which lay in his power? That the wretched man had been fast- ened down to be devoured alive by black ants, even as the Pie wizard had been treated, Eustace entertained ardly any doubt—would have entertained none, but that the witch-doctress’s veiled hint had pointed to a fate,if pos- sible, even more darkly horrible. No, after all this time, his unforfttinate cousin could not possibly be alive. The actual mode of his death might forever remain a mystery, but that he was dead was as certain as anything in this world can be. Any Suspicion to the contrary he resolved to dismiss effectually from his mind. Eanswyth would often accompany her lover during his rides about the ve/dt looking after the stock. She would not go with him, however, when he was on sporting intent. © She had tried it once or twice, but the bucks had a horrid knack of screaming in the most heart-rending fashion when badly wounded and not killed outright, and Eustace’s as- surance that this was due to the influence of fear and not of pain,* entirely failed to reconcile her to it. But when on more peaceful errand bent, she was never so happy as when riding with him among the grand and romantic scenery of their mountain home. She was a first-rate horsewoman | * A fact. Thesmallerspecies of antelope here referred to, however badly wounded, will not utter a sound until seized upon by man or ar | when it screams as described. The same holds good of the English hare, . | ~~ -