eam, the silence was broken by the quick
rattle and creak of oars; my enemies were in hot pursuit. I put my
best leg foremost and ran on. After a break of a couple of minutes I
looked back, and by a gleam of light through the ragged clouds I saw
several dark forms climbing the bank behind me. The wind had now begun
to rise, and the water beside me was ruffled and beginning to break in
tiny waves on the bank. I had to keep my eyes pretty well on the
ground before me, lest I should stumble, for I knew that to stumble
was death. After a few minutes I looked back behind me. On the dyke
were only a few dark figures, but crossing the waste, swampy ground
were many more. What new danger this portended I did not know--could
only guess. Then as I ran it seemed to me that my track kept ever
sloping away to the right. I looked up ahead and saw that the river
was much wider than before, and that the dyke on which I stood fell
quite away, and beyond it was another stream on whose near bank I saw
some of the dark forms now across the marsh. I was on an island of
some kind.

My situation was now indeed terrible, for my enemies had hemmed me in
on every side. Behind came the quickening roll of the oars, as though
my pursuers knew that the end was close. Around me on every side was
desolation; there was not a roof or light, as far as I could see. Far
off to the right rose some dark mass, but what it was I knew not. For
a moment I paused to think what I should do, not for more, for my
pursuers were drawing closer. Then my mind was made up. I slipped down
the bank and took to the water. I struck out straight ahead so as to
gain the current by clearing the backwater of the island, for such I
presume it was, when I had passed into the stream. I waited till a
cloud came driving across the moon and leaving all in darkness. Then I
took off my hat and laid it softly on the water floating with the
stream, and a second after dived to the right and struck out under
water with all my might. I was, I suppose, half a minute under water,
and when I rose came up as softly as I could, and turning, looked
back. There went my light brown hat floating merrily away. Close
behind it came a rickety old boat, driven furiously by a pair of oars.
The moon was still partly obscured by the drifting clouds, but in the
partial light I could see a man in the bows holding aloft ready to
strike what appeared to me to be that same dreadful pole-axe which I
had before e