passing.

Every time I looked behind after this, my pursuer appeared to be gaining,
although he took care not to overtake me. He could easily have done so
had he wished, because I was becoming extremely tired, the more, no
doubt, because of the fear which oppressed me. As this gained strength,
I did the worst thing possible--playing, as it were, into the tramp's
hands if his purpose was what I suspected. But this walk along the
straight, open road as evening fell became gradually more and more
unbearable. I even began to ask myself whether it could be actually a
nightmare, and I should presently awake to find myself in bed at Ascot
House, scarcely knowing which would be preferable.

Seeing a stile leading to a field-path on my right, I suddenly determined
to climb over it, and though I had no notion whither it lead, to take to
my heels, regardless of everything but the chance of leaving the tramp
behind. In a second I was over, and, doubling my fists, began to run.
There were some cattle in the field, and the path appeared to end at
another stile, beyond which was a plantation of chestnut-trees. To the
left, beyond a hedge, lay a large plot of waste ground; to the right, a
dense wood, where I could hear some pigeons cooing.

I did not stay to look back until I reached the farther stile, a good
deal out of breath, and then, to my intense relief, I saw nobody in the
path. I persuaded myself that the tramp must have reached the first
stile before now, and that, as there was no sign of him, he had gone on
his way. Perhaps, I thought, as I climbed over the second stile, I had
wronged the man after all, and had simply been the prey of my own
timidity. Resting on the top of the stile a moment, I began to look
around. In front was a narrow path through the chestnut plantation, and
it must lead somewhere, though I knew not where. But I determined to
follow it, thus making a slight divergence from the main road, and
finding a way back to it to-morrow. Meantime, I might come to a village,
where it would be possible to obtain some supper and a bed. So,
rejoicing to have shaken off my nightmare, I sprang to the ground on the
other side of the stile, when immediately I felt a hand on my collar,
and saw the dark eyes of the tramp once more peering into my own.

He had, of course, dived into the wood when he saw me climb over the
first stile, and, cutting off the corner, had been coolly awaiting my
arrival. On the whole, I think th