Page:Tomlinson--The rider of the black horse.djvu/73

Rh must make. Still, for some unaccountable reason, he hesitated. The silence in the room was almost appalling. Even the darkness was rendered more intense by the dim light that came in through the doorway, where the form of the huge guard could be plainly seen, seated as it had been for some time. The time for hesitation had passed, however, and Robert prepared himself for the final effort.

With every muscle rigid and all his reserve strength summoned to his aid, he was on the point of bounding toward the doorway when he was startled by a sound outside the hut. He flung himself back upon the blankets, but his feeling of disappointment was so keen that the tears started from his eyes. He was satisfied that the sound he had heard was made by the man who had come for Russell. Bitterly he blamed himself for his undue caution and delay. To have been so near the attempt and then to fail, even before he had put his fate to the test, was worse than to have failed after he had done his utmost. He could see Josh's great frame as the guard rose and stood in the doorway, and the heavy breathing of Russell by his side was still unbroken. The discovery that he had freed his hands would add to his own miseries, Robert was