Something undoubtedly disturbed him, but it was a mystery to Roderic, who could not quite catch the words he let fall, and which might have simplified matters had he heard them.
The closer he drew the more cautious he became.
Everything depended on the successful issue of his plans; even his own future happiness was at stake in the matter.
It may be taken for granted, therefore, that he exercised his utmost care, for after all there is no motive so positive of good results in a general way, as self interest—it makes a success of co-operative factories wherever tried.
Roderic was finally in a position to lay his plans for a finish.
He waited until the man's back was turned and then slipped forward to a certain dark doorway previously selected.
Then he awaited the return of the sentry—awaited him as the tiger lies in cover for his advancing prey, with muscles tense and drawn, and every small nerve on the alert for the desperate charge.
Ah! the fellow in pursuing his eccentric tactics had reached what appeared to be the terminus of his beat, and wheeling had started back, utterly unconscious of what lay in store for him and that each nervous step took him closer to his fate.
Roderic was perfectly cool and collected—he was not in the habit of giving way to excitement and losing his advantage.
As he thus lay in wait and watched the advance of the dusky figure which he had set out to overcome, he even selected the very portion of the sentry's person upon which he should throw his full force.