“Ah, but little things sometimes lead to great results,” retorted Sir Neville, buoyantly. “You know that there was sleeping on the premises at the Blue Lion, on the occasion of the first robbery committed there, a person whose presence there was known to you only?”
“Yes,” faltered Nell, and burst into tears.
CHAPTER XXI.
In the meantime Clifford was proceeding slowly on his way to Shingle End. It was dark by this time, and the way seemed even longer than it had done when he was on his way to Courtstairs that afternoon. There was a faint light over the gray sea, but on the right, over the marsh, and away as far as the ridge of hill on which old Fleet Castle stood, there was inky blackness. It was a lonely road at night, this long, dreary stretch of straight, hedgeless highway, with only an occasional bit of ragged bush or a still more infrequent wayside cottage, to break up its wearisome monotony.
Even the cry of the sea-birds was startling, as it came to Clifford’s ears on the clear air. An ugly fancy took possession of him, too, as he drew near to Shingle End at last, that the cries he heard were not all those of the sea-birds; that it was a human cry, shrill and weird, which came to him over the flat meadow land by the sea.
He stopped. He heard the sound again. And, forgetting his promise not to hurry, he went on toward Colonel Bostal’s house as fast as his tired feet could carry him. He was sure now that the cries had not been those of the birds; sure, too, that they had proceeded from the direction of the spot to which he was hastening.
There was a ragged plantation of untrimmed trees and thorn-bushes on the right side of the road before he came to Shingle End. Just as he approached this, the darkest part of the whole road, a man sprang out upon him from the shade of the overhanging trees, and seized him from behind. Clifford shouted, struggled, trying in vain to turn, so that he might see the man’s face. But his assailant, who did not utter a word, frustrated all his efforts, and held him fast.
Clifford’s cries, however, soon brought help and deliverance.
From out of the darkness there appeared a figure which Clifford thought he knew; and a voice which he recognized called out, in authoritative tones:
“Now, then, stop that!”