HOW HECTOR FOUGHT THE BLOODHOUND
The night before Hector was to leave Haverton he sat with his brother
and Captain Ben in the study. They had been talking over Tearaway's
wonderful trial, and Picton said he should back her to win the biggest
stake he had ever gone for.
"And you shall have half if she wins, as I feel sure she will," he
said to Hector.
"You are too good," said Hector; "but I won't refuse it. I may want
it. I have a difficult and expensive game to play."
"Don't run into danger," said Ben.
"I'll avoid it where possible," said Hector.
"You have not told us how you escaped from prison," said Picton.
"Perhaps it is too painful a subject."
"Painful it is, but I fully intended telling you. I may as well do
it now. I want to recompense the man on the moor, also Brack, without
whose assistance I should not have boarded the _Sea-mew_. I protested
but he insisted on taking me there. I thought my presence on board
might compromise you. Brack asked me what I would do if you and I
changed places and I confessed to myself I would help you to escape."
"Did you doubt what I would do?" asked Picton.
"No, but I did not wish you to run any risk for my sake."
"That was unkind; you know I would do anything for you," said Picton.
"Anyhow, I am glad Brack insisted on my going on the _Sea-mew_," said
Hector, smiling. "I had some luck in getting away. I do not think the
warders thought I would try to escape--I had been quiet and orderly
during the time I had been there. When the gang I was in returned to
the prison I managed to creep away and hide in some bushes. I had no
irons on, I had a good deal of liberty, most of the men liked me, one
or two of them were kind and pitied me. It was much easier to slip
away than I anticipated. When I was alone I ran as fast as I could
across the moor. They were not long in discovering I was missing, and
as I fled I heard the gun fired, giving warning that a prisoner had
escaped. The sound echoed across the moor; I knew every man's hand
was against me but I meant making a fight for liberty. Even the hour's
freedom I had enjoyed helped me. I was out of prison, alone on the
moor, I determined not to be taken back--I would sooner die. I knew
there were many old disused quarries, and limekilns, about. Could I
not hide in one of these? No; they would be sure to search them.
I must get into densely wooded country, among the bushes and
undergrowth, and hide there. I was weak in body, for my health had
broken down, but I kept on until nightfall, when I sank down exhausted
in a mass of bracken and fell asleep. The sun was up when I awoke. I
looked cautiously round, starting at every sound; a bird in the trees,
or a rabbit scuttling away made me nervous. I saw no one about, so I
hurried along, taking advantage of every bit of cover. I passed the
back of a huge Tor, which reared its granite head high above
the country, like a giant hewn in stone. It looked cold, bleak,
forbidding, had a stern aspect, made me shudder; I hurried away from
it across more open country. How to get rid of my clothes and obtain
others puzzled me. I had no money; if it came to the worst I must
watch some farm house where there was a chance of making an exchange.
I dare not face any one; when I saw a man coming toward me I hid until
he passed. I knew the trackers were after me, that a thorough search
would be made, and the feeling that I was being hunted down almost
overwhelmed me. I had nothing to eat except a few berries and roots;
the nights were cold and I lay shivering, ill, and worn out. Two days
passed and I began to think I had a chance. My prison clothes were the
great hindrance. I could not leave the moor in them: it meant certain
capture. I did not know in which direction I was traveling; my one
object was to go on and on until an opportunity offered to rid myself
of the tell-tale garments.
"Almost done up for want of food, and the long tramp, I sat down to
rest on a rock, from which I had a good view of the moor, although I
was hidden from sight. I knew telescopes and glasses would be used,
and that I should be discovered if I showed myself.
"I saw no one about, but about a mile distant was a farm house. It was
in a lonely, bleak spot. I wondered if the people in it were as cold
as the country; they could hardly be blamed if their surroundings
hardened them, made them callous to human suffering. I don't know what
it was, but something prompted me to go toward this house. I walked
along, keeping under cover where possible, until half the distance had
been traversed.
"As I walked I fancied I heard a peculiar sound behind me. It chilled
my blood in me; it made me tremble. I dare not look back, I stood
still, panting with horror. It was not the sound of human footsteps,
and yet something was coming after me; I distinctly heard the thud on
the ground, and whatever it was it must be drawing nearer.
"I cannot convey to you any idea of the peculiar unearthly sound I
heard, no description of mine could be adequate, but you can imagine
something of what I felt, weak and overtaxed as I was, my mind in a
whirl, my legs deadly tired and numbed, every part of my body aching.
The sound came nearer. Then a noise which increased my horror--I
had heard it before, near the prison--it was the bay of a hound--a
bloodhound was on my track. I knew what such a brute would do, pull
me down, tear me, fasten his teeth in me, worry me to death. In
desperation I turned and stood still. I saw the bloodhound coming
along at a fast pace, scenting the ground, then baying from time to
time. He lifted his huge head and saw me. I fancied I saw fire flash
in his eyes, his mouth looked blood red, his huge jaws and cheeks hung
massively on each side. He was a great beast, savage, with the lust of
blood on him, and he came straight at me. There was a chain attached
to his collar, so I judged he must have wrenched away from the man who
held him in leash. He was within fifty yards of me and I prepared
to grapple with him; I had no intention of allowing my weakness to
overcome me. Fight him I must. It was his life or mine; but how could
I wrestle with so much brute strength in my feeble condition? He came
at me with the ferocity of a lion. He leaped upon me, and I caught him
by the collar. He bit and scratched my hands, but I did not let go.
For a moment I held him, his savage face glared into mine, his huge
paws were on my chest, he stood on his hind legs, the incarnation of
brute strength. We glared at each other. Like a lightning flash it
crossed my mind that I must loose my hold on the collar and grasp his
throat with both hands, throttle him. This was easier thought than
done, for once I loosened my grip on the collar he might wrench
himself free and hurl me to the ground; then his teeth would be at
my throat instead of my hands at his. I did it in a second. He almost
slipped me; he was very cunning--the moment I loosened my hold on the
collar he seemed to know my intention. But I had him, held him, put
all my strength with it and felt his windpipe gradually being crushed
closer and closer. At that moment I think I was as great a savage as
the bloodhound, I felt if it had been a man I held by the throat I
should have done the same to free myself. How he struggled! We fell
to the ground and rolled over, but I never loosened my hold and hardly
felt the pain in my hands. He tore me with his feet, scratching,
striving to bite me and failing. We rolled over and over but I did not
let go. I was almost exhausted when the hound's struggle relaxed--in a
few minutes he was dead. No one can imagine the feeling of relief and
thankfulness that came over me. I offered up a prayer for my delivery
from a terrible death, then sank down in a faint by his side.
"When I came to I thought what I should do. There would be another
hound on the track, I must put it off the scent. The smell of my
clothes was what they were following; I knew this from what I had been
told in the prison. I must get rid of the clothes. I stripped them off
and laid them on the bloodhound, then I tied my coarse vest round my
loins and started toward the farm house. As I went I saw a man come
out at the gate with a gun. I determined to face him, risk it,
throw myself on his mercy. He saw me and stood still, staring in
amazement--and well he might. At first I think he thought I was mad.
"I sank down at his feet, utterly overcome, and I saw a look of pity
in his somewhat stern face and eyes.
"'You are an escaped convict,' he said.
"I acknowledged it and pleaded my innocence.
"He smiled as he said: 'They are always innocent.'
"I asked him to come and see what I had done.
"'Here, put this coat on,' he said.
"He wore a long coat, almost to his heels, and it covered me. We
walked to where the hound lay. I explained what had happened, that I
had wrestled with the brute and after a long struggle throttled him.
He was amazed and said I was a good plucked 'un. There was no one in
the house but himself, he said; the others had gone to Torquay; would
I come with him and tell my story? I went, and made such an impression
upon him that he said he believed my tale and would help me. He gave
me some old clothes, food and drink, then hurried me on my way. He
advised me to go to Torquay and try and communicate with some friends.
He promised to put the searchers off the scent if they made inquiries.
I said he would reap a reward for what he had done, but he did not
seem to care about this. He urged me to get off the moor as quickly as
possible.
"Before I left he filled my pockets with cheese, meat, and bread, and
gave me an old cap, and worn-out boots. I said I should never forget
him; he answered that he hoped he had done right in helping me.
"I tramped to Torquay, I--" he hesitated. No, he would not tell them
of the gracious lady who assisted him and treated him as a man, not a
tramp.
"I found Brack. He took me to his home, concealed me there until he
contrived to smuggle me on board the _Sea-mew_," said Hector, as he
finished his story.
"What an awful experience!" exclaimed Ben.
"Terrible!" said Picton with a shudder.
"Can you wonder that I hunger for revenge?" said Hector; and they
understood him.