Show IAL STORY 4 0 IR h KL LN 0 F ri 0 0 rih 1 by ROBERT W CHAMBERS illustrations by JJ sheridan s copyright G P ms sons SYNOPSIS the story opens in new york roy car the storyteller story teller inspecting a queer reptile owned by george godfrey of atif branys roy and barris and pierpont pont two friends depart on a hunting trip ia 10 cardinal woods a rather obscure locality barris revealed the fact that lie had joined the secret service for the purpose of running down a gang of gold makers pi lagrange on discovering the gangs formula had been mysteriously killed barris ban Is received a telegram of instructions lie and pierpont pont set out to locate the gold making gang A valet reported seeing a queer chinaman in tho the untenanted woods hoy tent hunting CHAPTER ill 11 continued the dog sprang to td tho the front circled daic once zigzagged through ili roUgh the ferns around usand all in a moment stiffened rigid as sculpt sculptured ared bronze I 1 stepped forward raising rn my y gunt fuai f two avo paces fraces three paces ten perhaps haps before a great cock grouse blundered up from the brake and burst thio through ugh the thicket fringe toward the deeper growth there was a flash and puff from my gun a crash of echoes among the low wooded cliffs and through the faint veil of smoke 1 A thing dark dropped from midair mid air amid a cloud of feathers brown as the brown leaves under foot fetch up tp from the ground sprang and in a moment lie he came galloping back neck arched tail stiff but waving holding tenderly tendel ly in his pink mouth a mass of mottled bronzed feathers very gravely lie he laid the bird at my feet and crouched close beside it his silky ears across his paws his muzzle on the ground I 1 dropped the grouse into my pocket held for a moment a silent caressing communion with then swung my gun under my arm and motioned the dog on it must have been live five when I 1 walked into a little opening in the woods and sat down to breathe came and sat down in front of me well I 1 inquired gravely presented one paw which I 1 took we will never get back in time for dinner said 1 I so we might as well take it easy its all your fault you know Is there a brier in your foot lets see there its out my friend and you are free to nose about and lick it if you loll 1011 your tongue out get it all over twigs and moss cant you lie down and try to pant less no there is no use in sniffing and looking rit that fern patch for we are going to smoke a little doze a little and go home by moonlight think of Hew How letts hitts despair when we are not in time think of all the stories you will have to tell to gamin and Al loche think what a good dog you have been there you are tired old chap take 40 winks with me was a little tired iffe he stretched out on the leaves at my feet but whether or not he really slept I 1 could not bo be certain until his hind legs twitched and I 1 knew ho he was dreaming of mighty deeds now I 1 may have taken 40 winks but the sun lemed seemed to be no lower when I 1 sat up and unclosed my lids raised his head saw in my eyes that I 1 was not going yet thumped his tall tail half a dozen times on the dried leaves and settled brick bock with a sigh I 1 looked lazily around and for the first time noticed what a wonderfully beautiful spot I 1 had chosen for a nap it w was as an oval glade in the heart of the forest level and carpeted with green grass the trees that surrounded it were gigantic they formed one towering circular wall of verdure blotting out all except the turquoise blue of the sky oval above and now I 1 noticed that in the center of the greensward lay a pool of water crystal clear glimmering like a mirror in the meadow grass beside a block of granite it scarcely seemed possible that the symmetry of tree and lawn and lucent pool could have been one of natures accidents I 1 had never be foreseen this glade nor had I 1 ever heard it spoken of by either pierpont pont or barris it was a marvel this diamond clear basin regular and graceful as a roman fountain set in the gem of turf and these great trees they also belonged not in america but in some legend haunted forest of france where moss grown marbles stand ne neglected lecter in dim glades and the twilight of the forest shelters fairies and slender shapes from shadow gaind I 1 lay and watched the sunlight showering the tangled thicket where masses of crimson card cardinal in al flowers glowed or e mpr PJ the figure a womans comans turned slowly to me where one long dusty sunbeam tipped the edge of the floating leaves in the pool turning them to palest gilt there were birds too passing through the dim avenues of trees like jets of flame the gorgeous cardinal bird that gave to the woods to the village 15 miles away to the whole county the name of cardinal I 1 rolled over on my back and looked up at the sky how pale paler than a robins egg it was I 1 seemed to be lying at the bottom of a well walled with verdure high towering on every side and as I 1 lay all about me the ati air became sweet scented sweeter and sweeter and more penetrating grew the p perfume and I 1 wondered what stray breeze blowing over acres of lilies could have brought it but there was no breeze the air was still A gilded fly alighted on my hand a honey fly it was as troubled as I 1 by the scented silence CHAPTER I 1 IV V then behind me my dog growled I 1 sat quite still at first hardly breathing but my eyes were fixed on a shape that moved along the edge az of the pool among the meadow grasses the dog had ceased growling and was now staring alert and trembling at last I 1 rose and walked rapidly down to the pool my dog following close to heel the figure a womans comans wo mans turned slowly toward us its she was standing still when I 1 approached pro ached the pool the forest around us was so silent allent when I 1 spoke the sound of my own voice startled me no she said and her voice was smooth as flowing flow ing water 1 I have not lost my way will lie he come to me your beautiful dog before I 1 could speak crept to liar her and laid his silky head against liar her knees but surely said I 1 you did not come here alone alone I 1 did come alone but the nearest settlement Is cardinal probably 19 miles from where we are standing 1 I do not know cardinal Chr dinal she said ste croix in canada is 40 miles least how did you come into the cardinal woods I 1 asked amazed into the woods she repeated a little impatiently yes she did not answer ansier at first but stood caressing with gentle phrase and gesture your beautiful dog I 1 am fond of but I 1 am not fond of being questioned she said quietly my aly name is ysonde and I 1 came to the fountain here to see your dog I 1 was properly quenched after a moment or two I 1 did say that in another hour it would be growing dusky but she neither replied nor looked at roe MO this I 1 ventured is a beautiful pool you call it a fount fountain aln a delicious fountain I 1 have never before seen it it is hard to imagine that nature did all this Is it she said dont you think so I 1 asked 1 I thought I 1 wish when wl I 1 en you go you would leave me your dog it my aly my dog if you dont mind she said sweetly and looked at me for the first time in the face for an instant our glances r mot of then she grew grave and I 1 saw that her eyes were fixed on my forehead suddenly she rose and drew nearer looking intently at my forehead there was a faint mark there a tiny crescent just over my eyebrow bebrow ye brow it was a birthmark Is that a sear scar she demanded demand ed drabin drawing 9 nearer that crescent sh shaped aped mark no no are you sure she insisted perfectly I 1 replied astonished A a birthmark yes may I 1 ask why As she drew away from me I 1 saw that the color had fled from her cheeks for a second she clasped both hands over her eyes as if to shut out my face then slowly dropping her hands she sat down on a long square block of stone which half encircled the basin and on which to my amazement I 1 saw carving 0 went to her again and laid his head in her lap what is your name she asked at length roy cardente Carde nhe mine aline is ysonde I 1 carved these there dragon flies on the stone these fishes and shells and butterflies you see you they are wonderfully delicate but those are not american dragon flies no they are more beautiful see I 1 have my hammer and chisel with me she drew dren from a queer pouch at her side a small hammer and chisel and held them toward me you are very talented I 1 said where did you study 1 I I 1 never studied I 1 knew how I 1 saw things and cut them out of stone do you like them some time I 1 will show you other things that I 1 have done if I 1 had a great lump ol of bronze I 1 could make your dog ful as he is her hammer fell into the fountain and I 1 leaned over and plunged my arm into the water to find it it is there shining on the sand she said leaning over the pool with me where said I 1 looking at our reflected flecked faces in the water for it was vas only in the water that I 1 had darud as yet to look her long in the face the pool mirrored the exquisite oval of her head the heavy hair the eyes I 1 heard the silken rustle of her girdle I 1 caught the flash of a white arm and the hammer was drawn up dripping with spray A the troubled tiou bled surface of tho the pool grow grew calm and again I 1 saw hor her eyes reflected i listen she said in a low voiced do you think you will como come again to my fount fountain jill 1 I will come I 1 said my aty voice was dull the noise of water filled my ears cars then a swift shadow sped across the pool I 1 my eyes where her reflected face had bent beside mine there was nothing mirrored but tho the rosy evening sky with one pale star glimmering I 1 drew raw myself up and turned she was gone I 1 saw the faint star twinkling above me in the afterglow I 1 saw the tall trees motionless in the still evening air I 1 saw my dog slumbering at my illy feet the sweet scent in the air had faded leaving in my nostrils the heavy odor of fern and forest mold A blind fear seized me and I 1 caught up my g gun tin all and sprang 0 into the darkening woods tile the dog followed me crashing through the undergrowth at my side duller and duller grew light but I 1 strode on the sweat pouring from my face and hair my mind a chaos how I 1 reached tho spinney I 1 can hardly tell As I 1 turned up the path I 1 caught a glimpse of a human face peering at me from the darkening thicket a horrible human face yel h low and drawn with high boned cheeks and narrow eyes involuntarily I 1 halted the dog at my heals snarled then I 1 sprang straight at it floundering blindly through b h the thicket but the night had fallen swiftly and I 1 found myself panting and struggling in a maze of twisted shrubbery and twining vines unable to see sea the very undergrowth that ensnared me it was a pale dale face and a scratched 1 one that I 1 carried to a late dinner that ni night ht howlett hewlett served me dumb reproach 4 in his eyes for the soup had bad been standing and the grouse was jul juiceless celess J if SR david brought the dogs in after they had had their supper and I 1 drew my T chair bafo before re the blaze and set m my y ale alb on a table fable beside me me the dogs curled up at my feet fact blinking grave gravely lk a 1 at the sparks that snapped and flew in eddying showers from froin the heavy logs david said I 1 did you say you saw a chinaman today to day 1 I did sir what do you think about it fotr now 1 I may have been mistaken sir but you think not what sort of whisky did you put in my flask today the usual sir 0 Is there much gone about three swallows sir as usual you dont suppose there could have been any mistake about that whisky no medicine could have gotten into it for instance b david smiled and said no sir well said I 1 1 I have had an ex tra ordinary dream when I 1 said dream I 1 felt comforted and reassured I 1 had scarcely dared to say it before even to my self I 1 an extraordinary dream I 1 re heated 1 I tell fell asleep in the woods about five in that pretty glade where the fountain I 1 mean the pool is you know the place TO 1 I do not sir I 1 described it minutely twice but david shook his heid head carved stone did you say sir I 1 never chanced on it you dont mean the now new spring no no this glado glade is way bie beyond yond 1 that Is it possible that any people inhabit the forest between here and the canada line nobody short of ste croix at least f have no knowledge of any of course said 1 I when I 1 thought I 1 saw a chinaman it was imagination of course I 1 had been more impressed than I 1 was aware of by your adventure of course you saw no chinaman david probably not sir replied david dubiously N TO BE CONTINUED t sf iff |