Part 3 (1/2)
Leonard hesitated a moment, then answered:
”If Jane fails h in search of some faht A great proportion of the furniture of the old house, including the fa owner A the articles which remained was a very valuable and ancient bible, one of the first ever printed indeed, that stood upon an oaken stand in the centre of the hall, to which it was securely chained Tom led the way to this bible, followed by his brother Then they placed their hands upon it, and standing there in the shadow, the elder of them spoke aloud in a voice that left no doubt of the earnestness of his purpose, or of his belief in their mission
”We swear,” he said, ”upon this book and before the God who made us that ill leave this hoain till we can call it ours once more We swear that ill follow this, the purpose of our lives, till death destroys us and it; and th and reason, we turn our backs upon this oath! So help us God!”
”So help us God!” repeated Leonard
Thus in the home of their ancestors, in the presence of their Maker, and of the pictured dead who had gone before thereat purpose Perhaps, as one of the was childish, but if so, at the least it was sole Their cause seemed hopeless indeed; but if faith can move mountains, much more can honest endeavour attain its ends In that hour they felt this Yes, they believed that the end would be attained by one of theles lay between theely they should be borne thither
On the morrow they went to London and waited there a while, but no word caood or ill the chains of the oath that he had taken riveted themselves around Leonard Outraht the brothers were nearing the shores of Africa, the land of the Children of the Mist
CHAPTER III
AFTER SEVEN YEARS
”What is the time, Leonard?”
”Eleven o'clock, Too at dawn, Leonard You remember Johnston died at dawn, and so did Askew”
”For heaven's sake don't speak like that, To to die, you will die”
The sick h--it was half a death-rattle
”It is no use talking, Leonard; I feelfire My mind is quite clear now, but I shall die at dawn for all that The fever has burnt , Leonard?”
”A little, old fellow,” answered Leonard
”What about?”
”Home mostly, To have we been away now?”
”Seven years”
”Seven years! Yes Do you reood-bye to the old place on that winter night after the auction? And do you remember e resolved?”
”Yes”
”Repeat it”