Page:Tomlinson--The rider of the black horse.djvu/386

370 With the coming of daylight, a great glow in the sky before him made him realize that there was more than the light of the sun to cause such an appearance. The man before him evidently was impressed by the same fact, for he stopped, peered intently about him, and then began to advance with quickened speed. It was difficult now for Robert to follow. His weakness, and the pain which came with every step he took, seemed almost unbearable ; but doggedly he held to his way, though he had no conception of what the blazing sky might portend. The one thought in his mind was that he must not lose sight of Russell, and desperately he held himself to the task.

At last it seemed to him that he could go no farther. The road appeared to rise and fall before him like the waves of the sea. Great weights seemed to be attached to his feet, and with every step his sufferings increased. Suddenly he perceived Russell (if, indeed, the man was Russell) stop abruptly, apparently listen intently, and then dart quickly into the woods.

Startled by the unexpected movement, Robert was at a loss to understand what it meant. He prepared, however, to follow, when