364 THE WRECKERS OF SAINT AGNES. 



" None that I ever heard of except Beelzebub /' said Knox, peering 

 from beneath his brows suspiciously on the new comer. 



The stranger laughed. 



" The path is dangerous by night/' said Thomas ; " few strangers 

 find the way alone." 



" Then I am one of the few, for here I am/' said he. 



" I've lived here man and boy these forty years/' said Knox, " and 

 I never knew a stranger do that before. And thou must be a stranger, 

 for I've never seen thee. 



" Art sure of that ?" Knox again scanned him attentively. 



" I never saw thee before." 



" You see then a stranger can find his way in these parts. I came 

 by the ganger's shaft. Thou know'st the gauger's shaft/' said he sig- 

 nificantly. 



" Hell !" said the other furiously, " dost thou come here to mock me, 

 if thou dost thoud'st better return afore harm comes of thee." 



" Thou'rt a strong man /' said his opponent ; " but I'm so much a 

 stronger, that I would hold thee with one arm on yonder fire till thou 

 wert as black as thy own black heart. Come, thou need'st not frown on 

 me man, if thou hast a spark of courage I'll put it now to the test." 



" Courage ! I fear neither thee nor Beelzebub !" 



" I'll wager thee this heavy purse of French louis d'ors against that 

 watch and ring that befits thy finger so oddly, that thou durst not go 

 into yonder room alone, and look on the face that shall meet thee there." 



" Thou'rt a juggler and a cheat I'll have nothing further to say to 

 thee." 



" There's my gold," said he throwing a heavy purse on the table; 

 " look at it ; count it ; a hundred as bright louis as ever were coined 

 in France, against thy watch and ring, not worth the half/' The eyes 

 of the wrecker glistened at the bright heap of gold. " What is the 

 wager ?" he demanded. 



" If thou durst go into yonder room, that I will raise the form of one 

 whom thou wouldst most dread to see." 



" I fear nothing, and believe thee to be a cheat." 



" There's my gold." 



" Take the wager !" cried several of Knox's friends ; " we'll see thou 

 hast the gold." 



" Done !" cried Knox, with a sort of desperate resolve, which the 

 cheers of his friends and the sight of the gold helped him to assume j 

 and he placed the ring and watch on the heap of louis. 



" I must have arms and lights." 



" Take them ; said the stranger : " but before you go, I will show 

 you a portion of your property you have never discovered." He took 

 up the ring and touching the inside with the point of a pin a small 

 aperture flew open, and disclosed a small space filled with hair. It 

 was not till that moment it was discovered that the stranger had lost 

 the little finger of the left hand ! For a moment all was still as the 

 grave. A frightful feeling seemed to pervade the breast of every one 

 around. It was as though the murdered stood before them to claim 

 his own ! The stranger broke into a loud laugh. " What the devil 

 ails you all ? are you afraid of a man without a finger !" and his laughter 

 was louder than before. 



" I'll not go into the room," said Knox, in a low broken voice. 



