Produced by Greg Weeks, Geetu Melwani, George P. Snoga and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net * * * * * Transcriber's Notes: A number of typographical errors found in the original text have been corrected in this version. A list of these errors is provided at the end of the book. * * * * * THE DOOMSMAN BY VAN TASSEL SUTPHEN AUTHOR OF "THE CARDINAL'S ROSE" "THE GATES OF CHANCE" ETC. ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK AND LONDON HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS MCMVI Copyright, 1905, 1906, by The Metropolitan Magazine Company. Copyright, 1906, by HARPER & BROTHERS. _All rights reserved._ Published June, 1906. [Illustration: "CONSTANS AND NIGHT WERE DOWN." See p. 28] CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. THE VERMILION FEATHER 1 II. THE NIGHT OF THE TERROR 14 III. THE NEW WORLD 19 IV. THE MAN ON HORSEBACK 25 V. THE RAT'S-HOLE 32 VI. TROY TOWN 41 VII. THE BREAD OF AFFLICTION 50 VIII. IN THE SHADOW OF DOOM 58 IX. THE KEYS OF POWER 67 X. THE MESSAGE 83 XI. THE SISTERS 93 XII. THE HEDGE OF ARROWS 106 XIII. GODS IN EXILE 120 XIV. ARCADIA HOUSE 136 XV. A MAN AND A MAID 150 XVI. AS IN A LOOKING-GLASS 162 XVII. THE AWAKENING 173 XVIII. A PROPHET OF EVIL 181 XIX. IN QUINTON EDGE'S GARDEN 188 XX. THE SILVER WHISTLE BLOWS 199 XXI. OXENFORD'S DAUGHTER 209 XXII. YET THREE DAYS 223 XXIII. THE RED LIGHT IN THE NORTH 231 XXIV. THE EVE OF THE THIRD DAY 238 XXV. ENTR'ACTE 242 XXVI. THE SONG OF THE SWORD 250 XXVII. DOOMSDAY 266 XXVIII. IN THE FULNESS OF TIME 274 XXIX. DEATH AND LIFE 281 XXX. THE STAR IN THE EAST 290 ILLUSTRATIONS "CONSTANS AND NIGHT WERE DOWN" _Frontispiece_ "OUT LEAPED QUINTON EDGE'S SWORD" _Facing p._ 48 "CONSTANS LOOKED ABOUT HIM IN WONDERMENT" " 64 "THE BLOWS RAINED DOWN UPON HIS FACE" " 76 "THEY PARTED WITHOUT FURTHER SPEAKING" " 90 "AN INSTANT LATER THE BOWSTRING TWANGED" " 118 "SHE STOOD MUTE AND WIDE-EYED BEFORE HIM" " 156 "OF DOOM SHALL WE REQUIRE IT" " 220 * * * * * THE DOOMSMAN I THE VERMILION FEATHER A beach of yellow sand and a stranded log upon which sat a boy looking steadfastly out upon the shining waters.