The Stories of the Three Burglars

by Frank Richard Stockton

of her own age and tastes, andsuch a one, she assured me, she had never known before, and probablywould never know again."

  "There was some excuse for her," said Aunt Martha; "but still she had noright to act in that way, especially as she was so soon to be married."

  "I do not think that she reasoned much upon the subject," said the youngman, "and I am sure I did not. We made no plans. Every day we thoughtonly of what we were doing or saying, and not at all what we had done orwould do. We were very happy.

  "One morning I was sitting by Marie in the very place where I had firstmet her, when we heard some one rapidly approaching. Looking up I saw atall man in military uniform. 'Heavens!' cried Marie, 'it is ColonelKaldhein.'

  "The situation was one of which an expectant bridegroom would not belikely to ask many questions. Marie was seated on a low stone with herdrawing-block in her lap. She was finishing the sketch on which she wasengaged when I first saw her, and I was kneeling close to her, lookingover her work and making various suggestions, and I think my countenancemust have indicated that I found it very pleasant to make suggestions inthat way to such a pretty girl. Our heads were very close together.Sometimes we looked at the paper, sometimes we looked at each other. Butin the instant I caught sight of the Colonel the situation had changed.I rose to my feet, and Marie began to pick up the drawing materials,which were lying about her.

  "Colonel Kaldhein came forward almost at a run. His eyes blazed throughhis gold spectacles, and his close-cut reddish beard seemed to besingeing with the fires of rage. I had but an instant for observation,for he came directly up to me, and with a tremendous objurgation hestruck me full in the face with such force that the blow stretched meupon the ground.

  "I was almost stunned; but I heard a scream from Marie, a storm ofangry words from Kaldhein, and I felt sure he was about to inflictfurther injury. He was a much stronger man than I was, and probably wasarmed. With a sudden instinct of self-preservation I rolled down alittle declivity on the edge of which I had fallen, and staggering to myfeet, plunged into a thicket and fled. Even had I been in the fullpossession of my senses, I knew that under the circumstances I wouldhave been of no benefit to Marie had I remained upon the scene. The lastthing I heard was a shout from Kaldhein, in which he declared that hewould kill me yet. For some days I did not go out of my castle. My facewas bruised, my soul was dejected. I knew there was no possible chancethat I should meet Marie, and that there was a chance that I might meetthe angry Colonel. An altercation at this time would be very annoyingand painful to the lady, no matter what the result, and I considered itmy duty to do everything that was possible to avoid a meeting withKaldhein. Therefore, as I have said, I shut myself up within the wallsof old Wulrick, and gave strict orders to my servants to admit no one.

  "It was at this time that the strangest events of my life occurred.Sitting in an upper room, gazing out of the window, over the fields,through which I had walked so happily but two days before to meet thelady whom I had begun to think of as my Marie, I felt the head of a doglaid gently in my lap. Without turning my head I caressed the animal,and stroked the long hair on his neck.

  "My hound Ajax was a dear companion to me in this old castle, although Inever took him in my walks, as he was apt to get into mischief, and whenI turned my head to look at him he was gone; but strange to say, thehand which had been stroking the dog felt as if it were still resting onhis neck.

  "Quickly drawing my hand toward me it struck the head of the dog, and,moving it backward and forward, I felt the ears and nose of the animal,and then became conscious that its head was still resting upon my knee.

  "I started back. Had I been stricken with blindness? But no; turning myhead, I could plainly see everything in the room. The scene from thewindow was as distinct as it ever had been. I sprang to my feet, and,as I stood wondering what this strange thing could mean, the dog brushedup against me and licked my hand. Then the idea suddenly flashed into mymind that by some occult influence Ajax had been rendered invisible.

  "I dashed down-stairs, and although I could neither see nor hear it, Ifelt that the dog was following me. Rushing into the open air, I saw oneof my men. 'Where is Ajax?' I cried. 'A very strange thing has happened,sir,' he said, 'and I should have come to tell you of it, had I not beenunwilling to disturb your studies. About two hours ago Ajax was lyinghere in the courtyard; suddenly he sprang to his feet with a savagegrowl. His hair stood straight upon his back, his tail was stiff, andhis lips were drawn back, showing his great teeth. I turned to see whathad enraged him, but there was absolutely nothing, sir,--nothing in theworld. And never did I see Ajax so angry. But this lasted only for aninstant. Ajax suddenly backed, his tail dropped between his legs, hishead hung down, and with a dreadful howl he turned, and, leaping thewall of the courtyard, he disappeared. I have since been watching forhis return. The gate is open, and as soon as he enters I shall chainhim, for I fear the dog is mad.'

  "I did not dare to utter the thoughts that were in my mind, but, biddingthe man inform me the moment Ajax returned, I reentered the castle andsat down in the great hall.

  "The dog was beside me; his head again lay upon my knees. With a feelingof awe, yet strangely enough without fear, I carefully passed my handover the animal's head. I felt his ears, his nose, his jaws, and hisneck. They were not the head, the ears, the nose, the jaws, or the neckof Ajax!

  "I had heard of animals, and even human beings, who were totallyinvisible, but who still retained their form, their palpability, and allthe powers and functions of life. I had heard of houses haunted byinvisible animals; I had read De Kay's story of the maiden Manmat'ha,whose coming her lover perceived by the parting of the tall grain in thefield of ripe wheat through which she passed, but whose form, althoughit might be folded in his arms, was yet as invisible to his sight as thesummer air. I did not doubt for a moment that the animal that had cometo me was one of those strange beings. I lifted his head; it was heavy.I took hold of a paw which he readily gave me; he had every attribute ofa real dog, except that he could not be seen."

  "I call that perfectly horrible," said Aunt Martha with a sort of agasp.

  "Perhaps," said the young man, "you would prefer that I should notcontinue."

  At this both my wife and Aunt Martha declared that he must go on, andeven I did not object to hearing the rest of the story.

  "Well," said the young man, "Ajax never came back. It is generallybelieved that dogs can see things which are invisible to us, and I amafraid that my faithful hound was frightened, perhaps to death, when hefound that the animal whose entrance into the courtyard he had perceivedwas a supernatural thing.

  "But if I needed a canine companion I had one, for by day or night thisinvisible dog never left me. When I slept he lay on the floor by theside of my bed; if I put down my hand I could always feel his head, andoften he would stand up and press his nose against me, as if to assureme that he was there. This strange companionship continued for severaldays, and I became really attached to the invisible animal. His constantcompanionship seemed to indicate that he had come to guard me, and thathe was determined to do it thoroughly. I felt so much confidence in hisprotection, although I knew not how it could be exerted, that onemorning I decided to take a walk, and with my hand on the head of thedog, to make sure that he was with me, I strolled into the open country.

  "I had walked about a mile, and was approaching a group of large trees,when suddenly from behind one of them the tall figure of a man appeared.In an instant I knew it to be Colonel Kaldhein; his was a face whichcould not easily be forgotten. Without a word he raised a pistol whichhe held in his hand and fired at me. The ball whistled over my head.

  "I stopped short, startled, and frightened almost out of my senses. Iwas unarmed, and had no place of refuge. It was plain that the man wasdetermined to kill me.

  "Quickly recocking his pistol, Kaldhein raised it again. I involuntarilyshrank back, expecting death; but before he could fire his arm suddenlydropped, and the pistol was discharged into the ground. The
n began astrange scene. The man shouted, kicked, and beat up and down with hisarms; his pistol fell from his hand, he sprang from side to side, heturned around, he struggled and yelled.

  "I stood astounded. For an instant I supposed the man had been overtakenby some sort of fit; but in a flash the truth came to me,--Kaldhein wasbeing attacked by my protector, the invisible dog.

  "Horrified by this conviction, my first impulse was to save the man;and, without knowing what I was going to do, I stepped quickly towardhim, but stumbling over something I did not see I fell sprawling. BeforeI could regain my feet I saw Kaldhein fall backward to the ground, wherea scene took place, so terrible that I shall not attempt to describe it.When, with trembling steps, I approached, the man was dead. Theinvisible dog had almost torn him to pieces.

  "I