“Good! I thought that would touch you. Remember—you may arouse your father, but he will only find your dead body, and I can escape through the window. Here—now put them on quickly.”
As he spoke, the villain handed Fannie her garments, and tremblingly she donned them, though the brute stood over her with uplifted knife. Haley thrust her shoes into the pockets of his great-coat.
“They would make too much noise. You can put them on when we are safe outside. But wrap a blanket round you, or you might catch cold in the night air. You see how very careful I am of your health? Like a father—ha! ha!” and again his disagreeable chuckle jarred upon her ears.
Scarcely waiting for Fannie to secure her dress, Haley seized her arms and bound them firmly with the string he had provided, then served her ankles the same way. On second thoughts, seeing how trembling and unnerved the maiden appeared, he resolved to carry her, instead of trusting her to walk out of the dwelling.
With knife clenched between his teeth, Haley picked the maiden up in his strong arms and rested her over his shoulder, her arms pinned beneath her. Then he picked up the dark-lantern and stepped out upon the landing.
All was still below, save the monotonous ticking of the clock. The settler slept on, all unconscious of this deadly blow that was being dealt him.
Opening the slide to throw a faint light before him, Haley began descending the stairs. Twice he paused and listened breathlessly as a stair creaked beneath his foot, but fortune favored him, and he gained the outer door in safety.
While he was undoing bolts and bars, Fannie moved restlessly upon his shoulder. Clutching her tightly he hissed a horrible threat in her ear. With a gasping gurgle, she resigned all hope of being rescued. She dared not give the alarm. She felt that instant death would follow, and, even in this great peril, life seemed very sweet to her.
Stepping outside, Haley gently closed the door behind him, then with a chuckle of fiendish triumph, he glided rapidly away from the house, toward the stable. Pausing outside, he deposited the maiden upon the ground, then clutched his knife firmly.
Only one obstacle now intervened between him and absolute victory, and he had strong hopes that he might avoid this. As the settler showed him the horses he wished to dispose of, Haley noticed a huge dog—an almost full-blooded mastiff—and learned that to his care was confided the stock at night. A sight rope held him to his post, but not strong enough to restrain him should an intruder approach. It was merely to keep his duty before him.