Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

ON THE TRAIL OF A MYSTERY. enter the wood, and, penetrating far enough, take a course parallel to the highway until he reached a point op- posite where he had seen the wounded mountaineer leap to cover, and then stealthily work his way toward the road, but this conclusion was, as | have shown, just as likely to be wrong as right. It is curious how a man placed in our situation, while using marked diligence and caution, often fails to do the thing so plainly to his advantage that a child would perceive it. I cautiously made my way through the tangled under- growth, believing I was doing so with a noiselessness that would have deceived an Indian, when I stopped short, over- whelmed by the absurdity of the whole thing. In the name of all that was sensible why was Tom Auckland staying at the point where he had first taken refuge, and where his enemy would naturally look for him? Being wounded in the arm only, he was as able as ever to travel. His home was but a short distance off, and noth- ing was easier for him than to thread his way through the wood to the cabin where he would be safe. And yet this line of action “ as plain as the road to the mill” had not oc- curred to the veteran mountaineer, nor to mvself, who claimed to have a fair amount of common sense. The first departure from the spot by Auckland would place him and _ his enemy upon equal terms, so far as such a thing was possible, since each would be a fault as to the location of the other. “ T’ll be hanged! ”’ was my disgusted thought; “I'll go right back to Tom and show him what fools we have been Just then, and before I could take more than a single step, a soft rustling caught my ear. It came from the front, and, instantly halting, I crouched low, for I did not doubt that it was made by Zach Peters, and that by a lucky chance It I had not only struck the point where he turned to steal upon Auckland, but had actually passed beyond it. This was providential, indeed. He could not have failed to note the panic of my pony and his headlong dash down the road with me in the saddle. The sight removed all fear that he ‘might have held of my figuring in the game, and the possibility of my reach- ing a point to the rear of his position could, in all probability, never have occurred to him. The gloom was so deep that I could not discern objects more than fifty feet distant. Little more than half that dis- tance I made out the slouched hat and broad shoulders of Zach Peters, the barrel of his Winchester also showing, as it projected just beyond his face. His back was toward me, and he was bent far over and moving with the care and stealth of a panther creeping upon its prey. Why should he think there was any possible danger from behind? He was between two fires and did not suspect it. It would have done him no good had he known the truth, for, from the mo- ment I recognized the dim figure in the deepening gloom, I was his master. If any person ever had the drop on an- other I had it on him. With my revolver in my right hand and at my side, I strode rapidly toward him, never once removing my eyes from the crouching form gliding slowly away from me. The first few steps on my part were made cautiously, but, after that, I was careless. Conseqtiently, when less than half the intervening space was passed, he heard me, and rising suddenly to the upright position, turned and, Winches- ter in hand, confronted me. With an imprecation he demanded in a fierce undertone : “What do you want? your ” “Your master, Zechariah ! Ren that rifle quicker than lighining ey Who are UN| S eco