“Great Heavens! then I am lost!” she murmured, seeing how basely she had been betrayed, and how unwarily she had surrendered herself into the clutches of the villains.
The fact that Hank Putney and the leader of her abductors were one and the same person, was more than she could seem to realize. To her, the greatness of the man’s crime was only equaled by his perfidy.
Her spirit was almost crushed by the acknowledged treachery of him in whom she had reposed so much confidence, and she resigned herself to her fate.
The party continued the remainder of their journey in silence. The moon had risen bright and full, when they arrived near the house in which the ruffians had left their companion to await their return.
As they emerged from the forest to cross the lawn leading to the dwelling, a slight breeze shook the tall pines—a peculiar sound reached their ears—the lengthened shadow of a human body stretched across the moonlit sward, reaching nigh to their very feet in its vacillating course.
They stopped—looked up—when, oh, horror! they beheld a spectacle sufficient to harrow up their very souls.
There, pendent between heaven and earth, with its form clearly outlined against the bright sky, was a black, frightful, hideous corpse, once their own cheerful comrade, now no more.
As it slowly swayed to and fro, moved by the gentle wind, with the pale moonbeams reflecting on the grim, distorted countenance, with features ghastly and repulsive, with eyes staring and glassy, that seemed to protrude from their sockets in their endeavors to pierce, as it were, the impenetrable darkness that enveloped the path of the soul, the ill-boding, shrill screams of the birds of prey, as they struggled and fought over their ghostly banquet of flesh, was a sight too dreadful to look upon.
The ruffians turned their heads in disgust from the horrible sight, and dragging more than leading Imogene, who seemed chained to the spot by some terrible fascination, they hurried away.
The ominous cries of the carnivorous birds still rung in their ears—sounds that penetrated the deepest chambers of their own dark hearts, pricking their consciences with the knowledge of the loathsome deeds there secreted.