wing
every inch of the ground, every bush and clump which could give him
shelter; and besides, he was dressed for running, his pursuers being
heavily hindered by their thick garments, steel protections, and heavy
boots.

Still the pursuit was kept up, and the piquets round, alarmed by the
sounds of firing, began to close in.

It was a desperate game to play, but Scarlett played it. He made
straight for the lake, and kept as near to its bank as he could for the
overhanging trees, till he neared the eastern end, where, with the
shouts of his pursuers ringing in his ears, he slowly lowered himself
down by the steep rocky bank, stepped silently into the clear water,
which looked terribly black and treacherous, waded out a short distance,
with the water rapidly rising to his chest, then to his chin, and began
swimming as easily as an otter for the opposite side.

It was a cold plunge, but Scarlett did not notice it in his excitement.
His mind was too much taken up with endeavouring to swim steadily and
quietly, so as not to betray his whereabouts by a splash.

As he swam, he could see lights moving about in the Hall, and he could
tell by the shouts that his pursuers were not very far distant, while
soon after he began to realise, with a profound feeling of satisfaction,
that the men and their leaders had come to the conclusion that they had
only to form a line across from the house down to the shore in two
places to succeed in capturing him, for the lake would be an effectual
bar to his escape in that direction.

"And all the time this is the high-road to freedom," Scarlett said to
himself, as he swam on, thinking of how long it would take him to reach
the further side, and reaping now the advantage of having acquired an
accomplishment in his earlier days, whose value he little appreciated
then.

The distance seemed greater than he had reckoned upon, and he had not
been in the water for a long time before that night, the consequence
being that after he had been swimming about ten minutes, a peculiar
weary sensation began to make itself felt in his arms, and a strange
aching at the nape of his neck, as if he had been forcing his head too
far back so as to enable him to keep his lips and nostrils above the
surface.

Then, too, he became aware that swimming without clothes was one thing,
with them clinging to his limbs another; and the thought occurred to
him, as unpleasant thoughts will, just when they are not wanted