There was no moon, but the stars were shining brightly, and it was far from being absolutely dark. Carney had gone off in the direction of the main road, and soon I caught sight of him some distance ahead. I made as little noise as possible as I drew nearer to him. The man walked rapidly until he passed Hallett’s house; then he made for the lake, and I rightfully conjectured that he was going to his boat, which he had left some distance up the shore. As he approached the water, I drew nearer to him. He passed down a bed of rocks, and there hidden in the bushes was his craft. Just as he prepared to cast off I hailed him. He was startled, and turned as if to pull out his pistol. “Stop that!” I ordered. “I have a gun now, and I can fire as straight as you.” “So you’ve followed me,” he sneered. “I have. Just you hand over that stuff.” “Not much! I took some trouble to get it, and I mean to keep it. It isn’t much; but every little counts.” “I’ll give you just one minute to hand it over,” I went on; and I pointed the gun at his head. Suddenly he jumped behind the mast, and shoved the boat from the shore. I fired one shot in the air, to scare him,――for it was not in my heart to shoot any one,――and then plunged into the shallow water after him. But he was beyond me, and the next instant he had his sail up, and was leaving the shore rapidly. He kept well out of range, so I could not have hit him even if I had wanted to do so. “You’re not smart enough for me!” he called back tauntingly. And in a moment he passed out of sight in the gloom. I stood still for a while, not knowing what to do next. Following the fellow had been of no avail. He had got away and taken with him all the valuable stuff that was lying around the mill. There was nothing to do but to return home and make the best of the matter. And this I did, pausing in front of the Hallett homestead and wondering if it would do any good to awaken old Mr. Hallett and ask him for his assistance in going after Carney. But this I decided not to do, for the old man was very fussy, and we were not exactly on the best of terms. When I reached the mill all was quiet and just as I had left it, less than an hour before. I looked at the old clock that stood in one corner of the living-room and was astonished to find that it was already past midnight. I sat down in the rocker with my brain busy thinking. But as moment after moment passed, my head sank back and my eyelids gradually closed. Everything was quiet save the loud tick, tick, of the old clock, and this soon put me into a sound sleep. Once or twice I came very near waking up. Then I thought I was aroused by the flash of a bright light and a peculiar sensation in my nose and throat. But I immediately sank back, and went into a deeper sleep than ever.