large/8902/a_study_in_scarlet_1406_librivox_64kb_mp3/studyinscarlet_12_doyle_64kb_26
large/8902/a_study_in_scarlet_1406_librivox_64kb_mp3/studyinscarlet_12_doyle_64kb
English
8902
Seizing a half consumed piece of wood from the smouldering fire, he blew it into a flame, and proceeded with its help to examine the little camp. The ground was all stamped down by the feet of horses, showing that a large party of mounted men had overtaken the fugitives, and the direction of their tracks proved that they had afterwards turned back to Salt Lake City. Had they carried back both of his companions with them? Jefferson Hope had almost persuaded himself that they must have done so, when his eye fell upon an object which made every nerve of his body tingle within him. SEIZING A HALF CONSUMED PIECE OF WOOD FROM THE SMOULDERING FIRE HE BLEW IT INTO A FLAME AND PROCEEDED WITH ITS HELP TO EXAMINE THE LITTLE CAMP THE GROUND WAS ALL STAMPED DOWN BY THE FEET OF HORSES SHOWING THAT A LARGE PARTY OF MOUNTED MEN HAD OVERTAKEN THE FUGITIVES AND THE DIRECTION OF THEIR TRACKS PROVED THAT THEY HAD AFTERWARDS TURNED BACK TO SALT LAKE CITY HAD THEY CARRIED BACK BOTH OF HIS COMPANIONS WITH THEM JEFFERSON HOPE HAD ALMOST PERSUADED HIMSELF THAT THEY MUST HAVE DONE SO WHEN HIS EYE FELL UPON AN OBJECT WHICH MADE EVERY NERVE OF HIS BODY TINGLE WITHIN HIM
sper came back from the friends whom he had left such a short time ago. A vague, nameless dread came over him, and he hurried onwards frantically, dropping the precious food in his agitation. When he turned the corner, he came full in sight of the spot where the fire had been lit. There was still a glowing pile of wood ashes there, but it had evidently not been tended since his departure. The same dead silence still reigned all round. With his fears all changed to convictions, he hurried on. There was no living creature near the remains of the fire: animals, man, maiden, all were gone. It was only too clear that some sudden and terrible disaster had occurred during his absence—a disaster which had embraced them all, and yet had left no traces behind it. Bewildered and stunned by this blow, Jefferson Hope felt his head spin round, and had to lean upon his rifle to save himself from falling. He was essentially a man of action, however, and speedily recovered from his temporary impotence. N BEFORE AND AGAIN NO WHISPER CAME BACK FROM THE FRIENDS WHOM HE HAD LEFT SUCH A SHORT TIME AGO A VAGUE NAMELESS DREAD CAME OVER HIM AND HE HURRIED ONWARDS FRANTICALLY DROPPING THE PRECIOUS FOOD IN HIS AGITATION WHEN HE TURNED THE CORNER HE CAME FULL IN SIGHT OF THE SPOT WHERE THE FIRE HAD BEEN LIT THERE WAS STILL A GLOWING PILE OF WOOD ASHES THERE BUT IT HAD EVIDENTLY NOT BEEN TENDED SINCE HIS DEPARTURE THE SAME DEAD SILENCE STILL REIGNED ALL ROUND WITH HIS FEARS ALL CHANGED TO CONVICTIONS HE HURRIED ON THERE WAS NO LIVING CREATURE NEAR THE REMAINS OF THE FIRE ANIMALS MAN MAIDEN ALL WERE GONE IT WAS ONLY TOO CLEAR THAT SOME SUDDEN AND TERRIBLE DISASTER HAD OCCURRED DURING HIS ABSENCE A DISASTER WHICH HAD EMBRACED THEM ALL AND YET HAD LEFT NO TRACES BEHIND IT BEWILDERED AND STUNNED BY THIS BLOW JEFFERSON HOPE FELT HIS HEAD SPIN ROUND AND HAD TO LEAN UPON HIS RIFLE TO SAVE HIMSELF FROM FALLING HE WAS ESSENTIALLY A MAN OF ACTION HOWEVER AND SPEEDILY RECOVERED FROM HIS TEMPORARY IMPOTENCE
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