Jack Haydon's Quest

the school gates and turned along the high road. He had leave to go to the little town of Long

f inches in his stockings, and turning the scale at twelve stone five. At the present moment he carried not an ounce of spare flesh, for he was in training for the great match, Rushmere v. Repton, and his weight was compact of solid bone,

coaching road, along which the galloping teams had whirled the mails, but now it had fallen into decay, and was little used except by people passing from Rushmere

seeing a man step from behind a thick holly bush and place himself di

d, "I want to

place the type. The stranger's skin was darker than an Englishman's, but not darker than many a Spaniard's. His eyes were large and black and liquid; their look was now crafty and a trifle me

may you want with me

a letter from your father

asked Jack; "and what if I did? I do

etter. You had better

cheek, my little man," said Jack, "for you'

the stranger in perfect English, yet pronounced with

ek," replied Jack, "and there it will stay. Com

" said the other. "I shall stop y

if you don't clear out quick I shall certainly rush you. In which case, I beg you to observe tha

waved his hand, as if making

ery, "that it would be much better for you to hand over the letter at once. I do not

e stood, though he knew it not, at a great parting of the ways. Behind him lay his happy days of triumph on the football meadow and the cricket field. How was he to know that this dark, slight figure before him meant that a strange, new life was opening out to him, a life of wild adventures in far-off lan

as strong as a young bull, but in this awful, noiseless clutch he was helpless. He fought madly to throw off his unseen assailant, but he fought in vain. He felt a noose close upon his throat, and his eyeballs began to start out and his head to swim. In front of him stood the mysterious stranger, who

nds and pouring water on his face. He gave a deep sigh, and a well-known voice said: "Thank God, Haydon's co

, a gentleman residing in the neighbourhood. The Colonel had been driving Dr. Lawrence back from Longhampton, and his trap stood

an to speak. The two gentlemen hear

ave been robbery. What have they stolen from you, Haydon?" But the mystery now deepened. Jack's watch and chain, his purse, everything he had worth stealing, were perfectly safe and untouche

g over the heath about thirty yards away. He ran and fetched it. "This is

manner, Haydon, in order that this man may read a private letter. Is

s nothing there but what anyone may see. I beg that you and Colone

n had written. "Purely and simply an ordinary letter from a father abroad to his son," sai

ing up his father's note to such rogues to read, whate

his private correspondence. By the way, Haydon, I see your father is on his way ho

t I do not know exactly what he has been doing. I rather fanc

have seen him referred to many

. He had started away after concluding his last speech, and had gone in th

ay, and makes it much stranger in another," he remarked in a grave voice, holding up his find.

was garrotted!" cried Dr.

garrotters. The fact that they stole nothing really disposes

that?" cried

d Colonel Kepp

of stupefaction. "Are you serious? Thugs on th

hugs is a thing truly diabolical. I remember one instance well. One night, just upon dusk, two men of my regiment were entering the gate of the cantonments. The guard saw them pass, and one was relating a story to the other. The man telling the story expected his comrade to laugh at the conclusion of the anecdote. Hearing nothing, he turned and found that he was walking alone and talking to the empty air. T

kill and cunning, Colon

such stories. But why Thugs should be here and attack Haydon s

. "My throat's a bit stiff, but

ot many who have felt a Thug noose and lived to say what it was like. But

. Lawrence. "You are a magistrate

f them on the road, so they must have slipped away over the heath, very probably as soon as they heard the sound of wheels in

ere. Tom Buck, the Rushmere constable, was just returning from a round, and he touched his hat respectf

rprise, "then they are the very

lonel Keppel. "Where h

m, an' they'd ha' stopped him as easy as could be if he hadn't been drivin' a young, fresh, chestnut mare. She's that wild he daren't use a whip to her, but seein' these suspicious characters, he snatches the whip out and gives her a cut as hard as he could lay it on. Off she went like a shot, took t

onel Keppel. "They seem to have been thoroughly posted as to its time of arrival. Miss

"But why they should want to see so simple and ordinary a letter

hom the mystery." He gave orders to Buck, who went off at once to follow, if possible, the tr

n, and see the superintendent. The railway must be watched, and every constab

ke so much trouble, Colo

s use that road continually, and very often they are driving alone in a pony-carriag

ck walked up the hill to the school. Jack had

est a little. Sit down quietly in your study for an hour o

h as a matter of fact I am practically recovered now. Luckil

ppose not. Still, I should be ca

ordinary adventure. Why had those fellows seized him, and what did they want? Would they be caught, and then would their