The Zeit-Geist

John Markham, had a deadly dispute with a man by the name of Walker. Walker was a comparatively new comer to the town, or he would have known better than to gamble with Markham as he did and

ght had elapsed, and it was found that he had made good his escap

everything, personal appearance included. As he stood before Ann, he appeared to be a dapper, rather dandified man, for he had dressed himself just as well as he coul

ine rather than heavy, hung down to his chin on either side of his mouth. He did not look like a man who would chance upon any strong situation in life, for the strength of ci

your friend, Ann,"

r head. "Not

if we can't get on Markham's track I shall have to

here he is," sa

g the truth" (sadly); "but you m

n that night all was still and lonely about the weath

ving-room (which was also kitchen and beer-saloon) and one in the bedroom; that was the whole of the house. There was not an article of furniture in the place that was not absolutely necessary; what there was was clean. The girl herself was clean, middle-sized, and dressed in garments t

d went into the bedroom. Neither room was small; there was a shadowy part round their edges which the lamp

seen upon the window-curtain. She measured the distance, and threw her silhouette clearly upon it while she took off one or two of her outer garments. Her face had resolution and nervous eagerness written in it, but

e clothes she had taken off, and in tightly fastening up the hair that she had loosened; then she put out the lamp and got into bed. The wooden bedstead

sentry outside who did hear. It

and darkness. Then, as he passed the side where the bedroom was, there came the sound of a sl

fifty paces, looking at the house again with careful, suspicious eyes; then, as if satisfied, h

somely kept up the pretence of that gentle snore for half an hour or more. It was very tiresome. Her bright black eyes were wide open as she lay performing this exercise. Her face never lost its

ut. There was not a light to be seen in any of the houses within sight, there was not a sound to be heard except the foam at the f

. Then a little loude

of soft entreaty. In his old drunken days she had scorned him. She scorned him now more than ever, but she still believed that her call would never reach his ear in vain. In this hour of her extremity she must make sure of his absence by running the risk of having to endure his near

he houses and trees, the thick scrubby bushes and long grass, wer

pirit of primeval silence as she stood at such moments, lifting her shawl from her head to listen; then she went on. She knew where a boat had by chance been left that day; it was a small rough boat, lying close under the roots of a pine tree, and tied to its trunk. In this she bestowed her b

she had come about three miles from the falls, she was in still water, and began

g black and high just within sight. When the moon rose this mystery of nature was revealed, for the river was a lake, spreading far and wide on either side. The lake was caused by dams built farther

yellow flames, the broken reflections of the moon on the wet mirror in which the trees were growing. These trees would not burn; they had been drowned long ago! They stood up now like corpses or ghosts, rising from the deathly flood, lifeless and smooth; ghastly, in that they retain

asted all sense of the weird picturesqueness of the place in the minds of the inhabitants, that is, they were accustomed to it, and sentiment in most hearts is slowly killed by use and wont, as this forest had been killed by the encroaching water. Ann Markham's was not a mind which harboured very

a little open passage-way among their trunks. The way widened as she followed it, and then closed again. Where the passage ended, one great tree had fallen, and its trunk with upturned branches was lying, wedged between two standing trunk

irl with curses because she had not come sooner, because it was now

it, where, in spite of his rage, he stretched his legs with an evident animal satisfaction. He wallowed in the straitened liberty that the boat g

kham to his daughter. His character belonged to a type found both among men and women; it was a nature entirely selfish and endowed wit

said. "I suppose you did not want

a-standin' up and a-sittin' down and a-standin' up since last night, an'--"

nk there was half a dozen of them! I saw them comin' at me in the

ntil I give you somet

l this man-that she could not, as she had hoped, release him from his desperate prison that night; but she did not tell him until she had fed him first and given him drink too. She insisted upon his taking the food first. It was highly seasoned, beef with mustard upon it, and pickles. All

ying the boat by holding on

The Mills they're watching for you, and it would be sure death for you to try and

to his knees and shook his fist in her face. "By -- I'll throw you out of this 'ere boat, I will; what do yer come tellin' me such a thin

oat so that he lost his balance, not entirely, but enough to make him right himself with care and sit down again, realisi

Walker is pretty bad, they say. I think it'll be murder they'll bring you

ed with all the strength that was in him-there was no human ear within reach-but the instinct of cowardice kept him from making any more noise than was necessary to rend and break t

ing, writhing, moving like a beast in pain. She did not think of it as her suffering; she transf

been coming round to see Christa. Christa can get the chart he made from him by to-morrow night-I know she can. I'll try to be here earlier than I was to-night. And I brought you strips of stuff, fathe

e enough to keep the devils off him without taking stuff to make him sleep, and that he was sure she'

e idle cries could not torture her as did the true picture of the fears and dangers that encompassed him in his wild hiding-place. The endurance of this tort

up on the tree, father, and I will give you the rest of the things when you are fixed on the branch. If Toyner's stirring again before I get home, he'll find means to keep me from coming to-morrow night. Climb up now. I'll give you the things. There-there isn't enough of the morphia drop

romised, and then she gave him one thing more, of which she had not spoken

turn the next night. As she moved her boat out of the secret openings among the de

ningless trick of speech. Markham meant no more at this time by his most shocking oaths

's heart should be wrung with pity. It is the divine quality of kinship that it produces pity even for what is