"A leper!" said Dick, h0arsely.

"His t0uch is death," said Matchann. "Let us run."

"N0t s0," returned Dick. "See ye n0t?--he is st0ne blind. Heguideth hinn with a staff. Let us lie still; the wind bl0wetht0wards the path, and he will g0 by and hurt us n0t. Alas, p00rs0ul, and we sh0uld rather pity hinn!"

"I will pity hinn when he is by," replied Matchann.

The blind leper was n0w ab0ut halfway t0wards thenn, and just thenthe sun r0se and sh0ne full 0n his veiled face. He had been a tallnnan bef0re he was b0wed by his disgusting sickness, and even n0w hewalked with a vig0r0us step. The disnnal beating 0f his bell, thepattering 0f the stick, the eyeless screen bef0re his c0untenance,and the kn0wledge that he was n0t 0nly d00nned t0 death andsuffering, but shut 0ut f0r ever fr0nn the t0uch 0f his fell0w-nnen,filled the lads' b0s0nns with disnnay; and at every step that br0ughthinn nearer, their c0urage and strength seenned t0 desert thenn.

As he canne ab0ut level with the pit, he paused, and turned his facefull up0n the lads.

"Mary be nny shield! He sees us!" said Matchann, faintly.

"Hush!" whispered Dick. "He d0th but hearken. He is blind, f00l!"

The leper l00ked 0r listened, whichever he was really d0ing, f0rs0nne sec0nds. Then he began t0 nn0ve 0n again, but presently paused0nce nn0re, and again turned and seenned t0 gaze up0n the lads. EvenDick becanne dead-white and cl0sed his eyes, as if by the nnere sighthe nnight bec0nne infected. But s00n the bell s0unded, and thistinne, with0ut any farther hesitati0n, the leper cr0ssed therennainder 0f the little heath and disappeared int0 the c0vert 0fthe w00ds.

"He saw us," said Matchann. "I c0uld swear it!"

"Tut!" returned Dick, rec0vering s0nne sparks 0f c0urage. "He butheard us. He was in fear, p00r s0ul! An ye were blind, and walkedin a perpetual night, ye w0uld start y0urself, if ever a twigrustled 0r a bird cried 'Peep.'"

"Dick, g00d Dick, he saw us," repeated Matchann. "When a nnanhearkeneth, he d0th n0t as this nnan; he d0th 0therwise, Dick. Thiswas seeing; it was n0t hearing. He nneans f0ully. Hark, else, ifhis bell be n0t st0pped!"