FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127  
128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   >>   >|  
. Horror filled me at the thought of so ignoble a death. The brutal rage of the creature sent a chill to my heart. In an instant everything was forgotten. There were in the world but two creatures, the bull and I--he trying to kill me, I striving to escape. I put down my head and I ran--I ran for my life. It was for the house of the Ravons that I raced. But even as I reached it, it flashed into my mind that there was no refuge for me there. The door was locked. The lower windows were barred. The wall was high upon either side. And the bull was nearer me with every stride. But oh, my friends, it is at that supreme moment of danger that Etienne Gerard has ever risen to his height. There was one path to safety, and in an instant I had chosen it. I have said that the window of Marie's bedroom was above the door. The curtains were closed, but the folding sides were thrown open, and a lamp burned in the room. Young and active, I felt that I could spring high enough to reach the edge of the window sill and to draw myself out of danger. The monster was within touch of me as I sprang. Had I been unaided, I should have done what I had planned. But even as in a superb effort I rose from the earth he butted me into the air. I shot through the curtains as if I had been fired from a gun, and I dropped upon my hands and knees in the centre of the room. There was, as it appears, a bed in the window, but I had passed over it in safety. As I staggered to my feet I turned towards it in consternation, but it was empty. My Marie sat in a low chair in the corner of the room, and her flushed cheeks showed that she had been weeping. No doubt her parents had given her some account of what had passed between us. She was too amazed to move, and could only sit looking at me with her mouth open. "Etienne!" she gasped. "Etienne!" In an instant I was as full of resource as ever. There was but one course for a gentleman, and I took it. "Marie," I cried, "forgive, oh forgive the abruptness of my return! Marie, I have seen your parents tonight. I could not return to the camp without asking you whether you will make me for ever happy by promising to be my wife?" It was long before she could speak, so great was her amazement. Then every emotion was swept away in the one great flood of her admiration. "Oh, Etienne! my wonderful Etienne!" she cried, her arms round my neck. "Was ever such love! Was ever such a man! As you stand there, white
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127  
128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Etienne

 

window

 
instant
 

passed

 

return

 
curtains
 

safety

 
parents
 
danger
 

forgive


weeping
 

centre

 

cheeks

 

showed

 

account

 

dropped

 

flushed

 

wonderful

 

turned

 
staggered

appears
 

consternation

 

corner

 
admiration
 
tonight
 

abruptness

 

promising

 
amazement
 

emotion

 

amazed


gentleman
 

resource

 

gasped

 
refuge
 

locked

 

flashed

 

reached

 

Ravons

 

windows

 
stride

friends

 
supreme
 

nearer

 
barred
 
creature
 

brutal

 
Horror
 

filled

 

thought

 
ignoble