"I
will be well on my way to the railway station by that time."
He redoubled his speed to get as far away from the scene as possible,
for, villain though he was, this was his first actual crime, and his
conscience troubled him a little.
Another mile or more he traversed through the heavy snow; then he
suddenly became conscious that there were rapidly approaching footsteps
behind him.
Great heavens! had Lester Armstrong succeeded in making his escape? No,
it could not be. Even if so, he was too weak to run in that rapid
fashion. Involuntarily he paused and glanced backward over his shoulder.
The next instant a wild, panting cry of mortal terror broke from his
lips.
In that backward glance he had beheld a huge black bear, making rapidly
toward the spot where he stood, fairly paralyzed with horror.
It dawned upon him suddenly that only a few days before he had read of
the escape of one of the most ferocious black bears of the zoological
gardens, and, though two days had elapsed and men were scouring all
parts of the adjacent places, no trace of the animal had been found, and
great fears were expressed of the grave damage the bear might do before
he was recaptured.
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