Read Philip Van Doren Stern (ed) Online
Authors: Travelers In Time
"Well, I do call it a fine tower,"
said Fanshawe, the glasses still at his eyes, "whether it's Oldboume or
any other. And it must belong to a largish church; it looks to me like a
central tower—four big pinnacles at the corners, and four smaller ones between.
I must certainly go over there. How far is it?"
"Oldboume's about nine miles, or less," said the Squire.
"It's a long time since I've been there, but I don't remember thinking
much of it. Now I'll show you another thing."
Fanshawe had lowered the glasses, and was still gazing in the Old-bourne
direction. "No," he said, "I can't make out anything with the
naked eye. What was it you were going to show me?"
"A good deal more to the left—it oughtn't to be difficult to find.
Do you see a rather sudden knob of a hill with a thick wood on top of
it?
It's
in
a
dead
line
with
that
single
tree
on
the
top
of
the
big
ridge."
"I
do,"
said
Fanshawe,
"and
I
believe
I
could
tell
you
without much
difficulty
what
it's
called."
"Could
you
now?"
said
the
Squire.
"Say
on."
"Why,
Gallows
Hill,"
was
the
answer.
"How
did
you
guess
that?"
"Well,
if
you
don't
want
it
guessed,
you
shouldn't
put
up
a
dummy gibbet
and
a
man
hanging
on
it."
"What's
that?"
said
the
Squire
abruptly.
"There's
nothing
on
that hill
but
wood."
"On
the
contrary,"
said
Fanshawe,
"there's
a
largish
expanse
of grass
on
the
top
and
your
dummy
gibbet
in
the
middle;
and
I
thought there
was
something
on
it
when
I
looked
first.
But
I
see
there's
nothing—or
is
there?
I
can't
be
sure."
"Nonsense,
nonsense,
Fanshawe,
there's
no
such
thing
as
a
dummy gibbet,
or
any
other
sort,
on
that
hill.
And
it's
thick
wood—a
fairly young
plantation.
I
was
in
it
myself
not
a
year
ago.
Hand
me
the glasses,
though
I
don't
suppose
I
can
see
anything."
After
a
pause: "No,
I
thought
not:
they
won't
show
a
thing."
Meanwhile
Fanshawe
was
scanning
the
hill—it
might
be
only
two or
three
miles
away.
"Well,
it's
very
odd,"
he
said,
"it
does
look exactly
like
a
wood
without
the
glass."
He
took
it
again.
"That
is
one of
the
oddest
effects.
The
gibbet
is
perfectly
plain,
and
the
grass
field, and
there
even
seem
to
be
people
on
it,
and
carts,
or
a
cart,
with
men in
it.
And
yet
when
I
take
the
glass
away,
there's
nothing.
It
must-
be something
in
the
way
this
afternoon
light
falls:
I
shall
come
up
earlier in
the
day
when
the
sun's
full
on
it."
"Did
you
say
you
saw
people
and
a
cart
on
that
hill?"
said
the Squire
incredulously.
"What
should
they
be
doing
there
at
this
time of
day,
even
if
the
trees
have
been
felled?
Do
talk
sense—look
again."
"Well,
I
certainly
thought
I
saw
them.
Yes,
I
should
say
there
were a
few,
just
clearing
off.
And
now—by
Jove,
it
does
look
like
something hanging
on
the
gibbet.
But
these
glasses
are
so
beastly
heavy
I
can't hold
them
steady
for
long.
Anyhow,
you
can
take
it
from
me
there's no
wood.
And
if
you'll
show
me
the
road
on
the
map,
I'll
go
there to-morrow."
The
Squire
remained
brooding
for
some
little
time.
At
last
he
rose and
said,
"Well,
I
suppose
that
will
be
the
best
way
to
settle
it.
And now
we'd
better
be
getting
back.
Bath
and
dinner
is
my
idea."
And on
the
way
back
he
was
not
very
communicative.