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Page 92
They commenced the search, but long before this was done Margaret had
run back to the river. She dropped into the rowboat, and rowed off as
swiftly as her failing strength would permit.
"Daddy is dead, after all!" she moaned, over and over again. "And she
is dead, too! I remember it all, now. And the blood! Oh, I must get
away, or they will hang me, or electrocute me!"
Five minutes more and the rowboat came to grief on some rocks close to
the side of the stream. It commenced to fill with water, and Margaret
had to wade ashore, which she did, slowly and deliberately, like one in
a dream. Then she passed into the woods. Coming to a thick clump of
bushes, she sank down exhausted, and there merciful sleep overtook her.
How long she slept, she did not know. The low growl of a dog aroused
her. She sat up, and the growl of the dog became a heavy bark.
Looking from out of the clump of bushes, she saw a mastiff standing
there, eying her suspiciously.
"What is it, boy?" she heard a heavy voice ask. "A woodchuck? Never
mind now, come on."
But the mastiff continued to bark, and came close enough to sniff at
Margaret's foot. She essayed to draw back, but was too weak to do so.
"Won't come, eh?" cried the man. "What's the bloomin' reason, I'd like
to know?"
He came closer and then caught sight of Margaret. For a second he
stared in amazement; then uttered an exclamation.
"You! How did you get here?"
"Oh!" she fairly screamed. She recognized Matlock Styles, and knew not
what to say. For some reason she felt as does the bird in the net of
the fowler.
"This is bloomin' strange," went on the Englishman. "I thought you
were down in the village, under the care of the doctors."
"I was," she managed to falter.
"How did you get here--run away?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I--I do not know. I--they have found me out! They are going to hang
me, or electrocute me! I--I couldn't stand it!"
"How do you know that?"
"Oh, I know only too well."
"So you ran away, did you? 'Twas a bloody cute thing to do, Margaret.
Say, your dress is wet," he went on wonderingly.
"Yes, I was in a rowboat and had to wade ashore." She looked at him
with a face full of wild misery. "Oh, please go away and leave me!"
"Leave you?"
"Yes! yes!"
"I can't do that, Margaret."
"You must!"
"But you are not fit to be left alone. You're sick."
"Never mind--only leave me!"
"Better let me take care of you." And now, having stopped the barking
of the mastiff, he came and sat down by her side.
"No! no!" She tried to shrink away, but was too weak to succeed.
"So you ran away, eh? Are they after you?"
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