Page:Tomlinson--The rider of the black horse.djvu/371

Rh move, and in a brief time he heard the sound of the men approaching. Once more he drew closer to the side of the house and threw himself at full length upon the ground, pressing against the wall in his eagerness to conceal his presence. The men, however, passed without perceiving him, doubtless so engrossed with their own purposes that they had no mind to be on the watch for other things at the moment. They advanced into the road, and soon could no longer be heard.

For a time Robert did not move from the position he had taken. There was a sense of relief in the fact that he had not been discovered, but even this was soon lost in the raging thirst that once more became his. He realized that it was useless for him to attempt to flee, and the peril of capture was gone, at least for the moment. He gazed up into the heavens, and the sight of the myriads of twinkling stars seemed only to increase his agony, for they were far away. The pain in his shoulder, too, was intense, and, combined as it was with his thirst, made him almost frantic. It was more than could be endured, and at last Robert arose from the ground and in sheer desperation approached the door. There was no one but the woman