It had no
beauties for him. These profound woods conveyed nothing to his
unimpressionable mind; not even danger, for fear was quite foreign to
his nature. This feeling of security was more the result of his own
lofty opinion of himself, and the contempt in which he held all
law-breakers, rather than any high moral tone he possessed. Whatever
his faults, fear was a word which found no place in his vocabulary. A
nervous or imaginative man might have conjured weird fancies from the
gloom with which he found himself surrounded at this point. But Leslie
Grey was differently constituted.

Now, as he neared the summit of the hill, he leant slightly forward
and gathered up the lines which he had allowed to lie slack upon his
horses' backs. A resounding "chirrup" and the weary beasts strained at
their neck-yoke. Something moving in amongst the trees attracted their
attention. Their snorting nostrils were suddenly thrown up in startled
attention. The off-side horse jumped sideways against its companion,
and the sleigh was within an ace of fouling the trees. By a great
effort Grey pulled the animals back to the trail and his whip fell
heavily across their backs. Then he looked up to discover the cause of
their fright. A dark figure, a man clad in a black sheepskin coat,
stood like a statue between two trees.

His right arm was raised and his hand gripped a levelled pistol. For
one brief instant Grey surveyed the apparition, and he scarcely
realized his position. Then a sharp report rang out, ear-piercing in
the grim silence, and his hands went up to his chest and his eyes
closed.

The next moment the eyes, dull, almost unseeing, opened again, he
swayed forward as though in great pain, then with an effort he flung
himself backwards, settling himself against the unyielding back of the
seat; his face looked drawn and grey, nor did he attempt to regain the
reins which had dropped from his hands. The horses, unrestrained,
broke into a headlong gallop; fright urged them on and they raced down
the trail, keeping to the beaten track with their wonted instinct,
even although mad with fear. A moment later and the sleigh disappeared
over the brow of the hill.

All became silent again, except for the confused, distant jangle of
the sleigh-bells on the horses' backs. The dark figure moved out on to
the trail, and stood gazing after the sleigh. For a full minute he
stood thus. Then he turned again and swiftly became lost in the black
dep