Этюд в багровых тонах
A Flight for Life.
Thatnighthesatupwithhisgunandkeptwatchandward. Hesawandheheardnothing,andyetinthemorningagreat27hadbeenpaintedupontheoutsideofhisdoor.
Thusdayfollowedday;andassureasmorningcamehefoundthathisunseenenemieshadkepttheirregister,andhadmarkedupinsomeconspicuouspositionhowmanydayswerestilllefttohimoutofthemonthofgrace. Sometimesthefatalnumbersappeareduponthewalls,sometimesuponthefloors,occasionallytheywereonsmallplacardsstuckuponthegardengateortherailings. WithallhisvigilanceJohnFerriercouldnotdiscoverwhencethesedailywarningsproceeded. Ahorrorwhichwasalmostsuperstitiouscameuponhimatthesightofthem. Hebecamehaggardandrestless,andhiseyeshadthetroubledlookofsomehuntedcreature. Hehadbutonehopeinlifenow,andthatwasforthearrivaloftheyounghunterfromNevada.
Twentyhadchangedtofifteenandfifteentoten,buttherewasnonewsoftheabsentee. Onebyonethenumbersdwindleddown,andstilltherecamenosignofhim. Wheneverahorsemanclattereddowntheroad,oradrivershoutedathisteam,theoldfarmerhurriedtothegatethinkingthathelphadarrivedatlast. Atlast,whenhesawfivegivewaytofourandthatagaintothree,helostheart,andabandonedallhopeofescape. Single-handed,andwithhislimitedknowledgeofthemountainswhichsurroundedthesettlement,heknewthathewaspowerless. Themore-frequentedroadswerestrictlywatchedandguarded,andnonecouldpassalongthemwithoutanorderfromtheCouncil.
