There seemed something indescribably evil, malignant, and cruel, in those bleary eyes which thus sought Bob out, fastened themselves upon him, and seemed to devour him with their gaze. There was a hideous eagerness in her look. There was a horrible fascination about it,--such as the serpent exerts over the bird. And as the bird, while under the spell of the serpent's eye, seems to lose all power of flight, and falls a victim to the destroyer, so here, at this time, Bob felt paralyzed at that basilisk glance, and lost all power of motion. He could not speak. He tried to scream. No cry came. He was dumb with horror. He was like one in a nightmare; but this was a waking night-mare, and not the fanciful terrors of dreamland. But the horror was too great to be endured. He closed his eyes tight, and thus shut out the sight. But though he shut out the sight, he could not shut oat sound; and soon he became aware of something which brought a fresh terror over his soul. It was a stealthy step. It was advancing towards, him. Slow, cautious, cunning, yet steady, and nearer and still nearer, came the awful step! Bob opened his eyes, to assure himself once more of the worst. He opened them by a resistless impulse. The figure was now half way between the opening and the bed. The old hag stood now fully revealed. Her bleary eyes were fixed on Bob. One hand upheld the flickering lamp, and in the other was a sharp weapon. Bob closed his eyes in an anguish of horror. He was dumb. He could utter no cry. He could not move. The blow was coming. The destroyer was here, yet he could not make one motion to ward off that blow. His brain whirled, his heart seemed to stop beating. There was a terrible moment of dumb, motionless, breathless expectancy. The old woman knelt by his side. She put the lamp on the floor. Then she reached out one of her long, lean, bony, skinny, shrivelled hands, and took Bob by the hair of his head, while with the other she raised her sharp weapon. CHAPTER IX. _The Cavalcade in Pursuit.--Hopes and Fears.--Theories about the lost Boy.--A new Turn to Affairs.--Explanations.--On to Salerno.--Inquiries.--Baffled.--Fresh Consternation and Despondency.--The last Hope._