ed in
vivid darts, which seemed to play along the sides of the pass, until the
attractive adamant deviated the refrangible fluid; which then buried
itself in some deep crevice of the pendent rocks. A few heavy drops of
rain then fell to the earth, and were speedily succeeded by a deluge,
which was driven on the face of a tempest almost irresistible. Still on
sped the rider almost carried on the wings of the storm; until he was
relieved from any pressing anxiety by emerging on the plain; while the
elemental warfare raged with unabated fury.

William, now relieved from apprehension, proceeded leisurely on the
road, which he had to travel for some miles until he reached an inn;
but, as he began to feel extremely uncomfortable, to sooner reach the
shelter of a roof, he determined to accelerate his speed. With this
intention, he clapped spurs to his horse and went off at a sharp pace,
until he came to a track that emerged at an acute angle from the road.
At this spot he hesitated for a moment; but, believing it to be the road
leading to Rosehall, the station of a gentleman with whom he was
distantly acquainted; and as night would be shortly closing in, while
he had a long distance to go before he reached the inn; he decided upon
intruding on the hospitality of his friend. He therefore turned his
horse's head into the path, and rode off again at a brisk pace. As he
proceeded, however, the road became somewhat indistinct; and at last all
appearance of a track vanished; leaving our friend involved in the bush
without the semblance of a path, or appearance of any habitation in the
vicinity. By this time William discovered his mistake in taking this
path (which appeared only to be a bullock track) for the road to
Rosehall; and his only alternative was to find his way back again to the
road he had left. To do this, however, he did not fancy retracing his
steps; and, there being very little time for speculation, he determined
to make a short cut through the bush in the direction he knew the main
road must run.

His resolution was soon formed, and as speedily acted upon; for the idea
no sooner entered his mind than he plunged into the bush without any
further consideration; and continued his course until his progress was
stopped by the intervention of a seemingly impenetrable scrub. The sight
of this impediment by no means tended to animate him with pleasant or
amiable feelings; for he knew, if he was compelled to deviate from his