"I thought that I would cut you off, and I have done it! Yield
yourself!"
I reinforced my victory by sundry sound blows on the side of my
antagonist's head, but in a few moments the crowd surrounded and then
separated us, disclosing the bedraggled features of Moore, my captive.
"Thunder and lightning!" exclaimed the Irishman, a broad smile
overspreading his face. "I thought you were a fool as you came straight
towards me, and you must have thought I was a fool coming straight
towards you; and sure both of us were right!"
"Didn't you see him?" I cried, affecting the greatest impatience. "He
turned and ran back this way! He must have passed, as one of the crowd!"
"Aye, yonder he goes, that must be he!" cried Moore, pointing in a
direction that led far away from Mr. Desmond's house. I think that Moore
saw double through the violence of his meeting with me, or perhaps he
mistook the dim figure of some one else for the fugitive. But as it was,
we followed the wrong trail at good speed. Belfort in the lead and I
last, wondering at the escape of Alloway and its singular timeliness,
for however well disposed he might be toward us, he might let slip at
any time, and without intending it, a word or two that would betray us.
I knew that Belfort had no suspicions of my intervention in this case,
but the man Waters was there, and I believed that he was watching me
always. He dropped back presently to my side and said,--
"Do you think that the man will escape, lieutenant?"
"I have no thoughts upon the subject," I said roughly, "and if I had I
certainly would not confide them to you."
"I meant no harm, sir," he replied, "but one sometimes feels a little
sympathy for such poor hunted fellows."
But I was not to be betrayed by such dangerous admissions. I would not
allow a man of his humble rank to question me, and I did not answer
him.
The chase died presently. You cannot keep a fire going without fuel, and
since there was no longer a fugitive, we were no longer able to maintain
a pursuit. At last we gave up entirely and returned slowly and wearily
to Catron's quarters. I was sure that Alloway had been concealed by John
Desmond, and later on would slip out of the city. On the whole I felt
extreme satisfaction with the evening's work. My old wonder about the
timeliness of Alloway's escape returned, but there was no solution. What
Belfort thought of it he did not care to say, being silent like myself.