distance ahead, and fairly discernible in the gathering twilight.
Immediately the song ceased and he steadied himself, gazing
incredulously after the form that had attracted his attention.

"Hello!" he said. "Avast, my dear!" he called out.

Echoing in that still place, his harsh tones produced a startling
effect, and the figure before him moved faster and faster, casting a
glance behind her at the man from the river, who with snatches of
song, started in uncertain but determined pursuit. As the heavy
footsteps sounded nearer, she increased her pace, with eyes bent upon
the distant gate; darker seemed to grow the way; more menacing the
shadows outstretched across the path. Louder crunched the boots on the
shell walk; more audible became the words of the song that flowed from
his lips, when the sound of a sudden and violent altercation replaced
the hoarse-toned cadence, an altercation that was of brief duration,
characterized by longshoreman oaths, and followed by silence; and then
a figure, not that of the tuneful waterman, sprang to the side of the
startled girl.

"Miss Carew!" exclaimed a well-remembered voice.

Bewildered, breathing quickly, she gazed from Edward Mauville, who
thus unexpectedly accosted her, to the prostrate form, lying
motionless on the road. The rude awakening from her day-dream in the
hush of that peaceful place, and the surprising sequence had dazed her
senses, and, for the moment, it seemed something tragic must have
happened.

"Is he dead?" she asked quickly, unable to withdraw her glance from
the immovable figure, stretched out in the dim light on the path.

"No fear!" said Mauville, quietly, almost thoughtfully, although his
eyes were yet bright from the encounter. "You can't kill his kind," he
added, contemptuously. "Brutes from coal barges, or raftsmen from the
head waters! He struck against a stone when he fell, and what with
that, and the liquor in him, will rest there awhile. He'll come to
without remembering what has happened."

Turning moodily, the land baron walked slowly down the road, away from
the gate; she thought he was about to leave her, when he paused, as
though looking for something, stooped to the ground, and returned,
holding out a garment.

"You dropped your wrap, Miss Carew," he said, awkwardly. "The night is
cold and you will need it." She offered no resistance when he placed
it over her shoulders; indeed, seemed unconscious of the attention.

"Don't you thi