“‘Who are you, and what do you want here at this late hour?’ I demanded in a loud tone.
“‘Fly for your life, Ed--your hiding-place is discovered; you have no time to spare--the officers are after you--large rewards have been offered for your capture, dead or alive--get away as soon as you can!’
“Those words were uttered in a suppressed tone, while the speaker still remained concealed behind the tree, only exposing his head to my view, which I could plainly see every time the lightning would flash.
“‘Hush! Ed, for Heaven’s sake don’t talk so loud, else we will be discovered, for I saw the detective tracking you last night. They will hang you if they catch you! fly immediately, or it will be too late--think of your pretty darling, and for her sake escape while you can.’
“‘Leave these premises this instant, you drunken vagabond!’ I angrily exclaimed, ‘else I will call a policeman and have you sent to the station-house.’
“‘Hush! I tell you, Ed, this is no time to crack jokes--it is a question of life or death; and if you are determined to throw away your life, you cannot say that I failed to do my duty--I have given you fair warning. You need not be afraid to trust me, for I would die for you if necessary--you may depend on me to fetch your darling to you in any part of the world.’
“I at last arrived at the conclusion that I was in the presence of an escaped lunatic, and that it would be good policy to keep at a respectful distance from him. An unusually bright flash of lightning now played for several seconds among a heavy bank of dark clouds that were hanging very low overhead, spreading a brilliant light over the space around me, which enabled me to get a plain view of the features of this mysterious intruder. The face was that of a young man--rather pale, but very handsome, and I could see that he was well dressed in a close-fitting suit of black cloth, and in the bright light I noticed a heavy watch chain glittering on his vest. Again I inquired of the man his name, and as it was the third time I had made the same demand, I accompanied the inquiry with a threat that I would instantly call a policeman if he refused to give me a definite answer.
‘“Ed, are you crazy!” exclaimed the strange intruder; ‘you know well enough who I am; I have encountered serious risk in making my way here in order to warn you of the approaching danger; fly to-night, else you are lost beyond question.’