登陆注册
19856700000118

第118章

The countess was seized with panic, and she darted back through the wild flower-garden, seeking the path by which to leave the forest.

"What is the matter?" cried Blondet, rushing after her.

"I thought I saw eyes," she said, when they regained the path through which they had reached the charcoal-burner's open.

Just then they heard the low death-rattle of a creature whose throat was suddenly cut, and the countess, with her fears redoubled, fled so quickly that Blondet could scarcely follow her.She ran like a will-

o'-the-wisp, and did not listen to Blondet who called to her, "You are mistaken." On she ran, and Emile with her, till they suddenly came upon Michaud and his wife, who were walking along arm-in-arm.Emile was panting and the countess out of breath, and it was some time before they could speak; then they explained.Michaud joined Blondet in laughing at the countess's terror; then the bailiff showed the two wanderers the way to find the tilbury.When they reached the gate Madame Michaud called, "Prince!"

"Prince! Prince!" called the bailiff; then he whistled,--but no greyhound.

Emile mentioned the curious noise that began their adventure.

"My wife heard that noise," said Michaud, "and I laughed at her."

"They have killed Prince!" exclaimed the countess."I am sure of it;

they killed him by cutting his throat at one blow.What I heard was the groan of a dying animal."

"The devil!" cried Michaud; "the matter must be cleared up."

Emile and the bailiff left the two ladies with Joseph and the horses, and returned to the wild garden of the open.They went down the bank to the pond; looked everywhere along the slope, but found no clue.

Blondet jumped back first, and as he did so he saw, in a thicket which stood on higher ground, one of those trees he had noticed in the morning with withered heads.He showed it to Michaud, and proposed to go to it.The two sprang forward in a straight line across the forest, avoiding the trunks and going round the matted tangles of brier and holly until they found the tree.

"It is a fine elm," said Michaud, "but there's a worm in it,--a worm which gnaws round the bark close to the roots."

He stopped and took up a bit of the bark, saying: "See how they work."

"You have a great many worms in this forest," said Blondet.

Just then Michaud noticed a red spot; a moment more and he saw the head of his greyhound.He sighed.

"The scoundrels!" he said."Madame was right."

Michaud and Blondet examined the body and found, just as the countess had said, that some one had cut the greyhound's throat.To prevent his barking he had been decoyed with a bit of meat, which was still between his tongue and his palate.

"Poor brute; he died of self-indulgence."

"Like all princes," said Blondet.

"Some one, whoever it is, has just gone, fearing that we might catch him or her," said Michaud."A serious offence has been committed.But for all that, I see no branches about and no lopped trees."

Blondet and the bailiff began a cautious search, looking at each spot where they set their feet before setting them.Presently Blondet pointed to a tree beneath which the grass was flattened down and two hollows made.

"Some one knelt there, and it must have been a woman, for a man would not have left such a quantity of flattened grass around the impression of his two knees; yes, see! that is the outline of a petticoat."

The bailiff, after examining the base of the tree, found the beginning of a hole beneath the bark; but he did not find the worm with the tough skin, shiny and squamous, covered with brown specks, ending in a tail not unlike that of a cockchafer, and having also the latter's head, antennae, and the two vigorous hooks or shears with which the creature cuts into the wood.

同类推荐
  • The Pupil

    The Pupil

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 慧因室杂缀

    慧因室杂缀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 一诚斋诗存

    一诚斋诗存

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 刘宗周集选录

    刘宗周集选录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 诗人主客图

    诗人主客图

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 雁塔作证:楚雄师范学院校友优秀文集(第1辑)

    雁塔作证:楚雄师范学院校友优秀文集(第1辑)

    本书收录了80篇楚雄师范学院校友文集,抒发了他们对母校的眷恋、师恩的感激、求学的收获、奋斗的干苦、人生的感悟。
  • 村中诡事

    村中诡事

    她不知道自己现在心里在想什么,只是觉得很混乱,不知道为什么,隐隐的觉得会有些事情会在自己的身边发生,这种感觉在自己初次来到这个地方的时候就在自己的心里埋下了种子,到现在这种感觉越来越强烈……
  • 魔甲兵魂

    魔甲兵魂

    霍飞,一个原本在第二领域一座小城池里为生活挣扎奔波劳碌的少年,不知自己真实身份的‘孤儿’,却是因为偶得天地至宝魔甲兵魂,由此开启自己在第二领域里的传奇人生。成武者,筑强体,得秘宝,霍飞一步步开启自己传奇人生的同时,也由此拉开一场关于他自己绝密身世的领域风云,道武,佛武,魔武,霍飞将会为我们揭示一个怎么样的至尊领域。
  • 六星寰宇仙侠道

    六星寰宇仙侠道

    从热血争霸...自宇宙洪荒...他伏羲转世化市井流氓...肩负人间使命,寻找救世之旅...
  • 若往事如昔

    若往事如昔

    性格怪异、飞扬跋扈、自我中心、桀骜不驯的永远自由自在的强悍女主,一连串的事件的搞笑生活下隐藏着的,欺骗和背叛是否会让她动摇?在友情,爱情里固执的不肯改变自我。最终是谁能俘获了她的心?还是她俘获了谁的心?在过去阴影和现在的伤害中,她的爱情是是否甜美如昔?强悍女主,男配类型各异,精彩纷呈!
  • 阴山道士笔记

    阴山道士笔记

    我是一个阴山传人,天生童子,一出生就惹上了死人秽,差点命归黄泉,后来一个糟老头的出现,把我领入了阴山门下。本书讲述民间流传的众多诡异故事,邪神入主家神像,黄牛伏身克水鬼……各种风水刑煞,玄易知识,还有隐藏在民间各个地域隐而不显的民间法脉。风水易数,灵异怪谈……应有尽有。
  • 万界妖仙

    万界妖仙

    洪荒前,狼烟起。五族神,葬雪域。踏仙缘,寻仙器。闯天下,路艰险。持仙器,战诸邪。旧友聚,渡关难。游仙缘,踏宝地。入海域,闯深渊。天狐神魂三分裂,九尾踏破生死关。古有天狐君临天,今有九尾狐妖仙。九死一生入仙境,绝世仙器归为一。九尾的故事,将从《万界妖仙》开始……
  • 庆阳历史文化名人十讲

    庆阳历史文化名人十讲

    本书全面地介绍了历史上十位庆阳的文化名人及其传略,充分展示了他们的风采和在中华文明史所做的贡献,同时也展示庆阳绵长深厚的历史人文积淀。
  • 犹太人经商的奥秘

    犹太人经商的奥秘

    在追求成功的道路上,不知要经历多少的坎坷,对于没有掌握成功方法的人来说,每一次的成功,也许都要经历唐僧取经般的九九八十一难。
  • 我的王爷是面瘫

    我的王爷是面瘫

    狗血穿越!她变成了面瘫王爷的挂名王妃?听说他领兵如神,面无表情,一身王八之气……还不近女色?!这肯定不是好人吧!(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻