The Hounds of Fate

The Hounds of Fate by Hector Hugh Munro

In a desolate autumn setting, a man named Martin Stoner wanders aimlessly, burdened by hunger and despair. He is at the end of his rope, having failed in various endeavors, and feels an instinctive pull towards the sea. Seeking shelter from the rain, he stumbles upon a neglected farm where an elderly man, mistaking him for his long-absent nephew Tom, welcomes him inside. Stoner, too exhausted to correct the old man, accepts the hospitality and is fed. As he settles into the farm, he learns that Tom is a figure of local disdain due to a past crime, which Stoner is curious about but cannot uncover. He decides to assume Tom's identity, hoping to escape his own destitution. The old man, George, provides him with Tom's clothes and encourages him to ride, suggesting that the locals harbor resentment towards Tom for his past misdeeds. Stoner's initial relief at finding temporary refuge is overshadowed by the fear of being discovered. He experiences the hostility of the townsfolk, who recognize him as Tom and express their bitterness. Despite this, he finds solace in the companionship of George and a dog, Bowker's pup. As Christmas approaches, Stoner feels increasingly isolated in the grim farmhouse, contrasting with the warmth of the holiday spirit outside. One night, George warns Stoner that a man named Michael Ley, who harbors a vendetta against Tom, has returned to the village and threatens violence. George advises Stoner to flee to a nearby town until the danger passes, providing him with money from the old woman. Stoner reluctantly leaves, feeling guilty for taking the money and for the deception he has perpetuated. As he escapes, he begins to feel a sense of liberation from his previous identity. However, his newfound hope is abruptly shattered when he encounters Michael Ley, who confronts him with a gun. Stoner realizes that he cannot escape the consequences of his assumed identity, and the relentless pursuit of fate catches up with him in a moment of violent confrontation. The story culminates in a tragic twist, underscoring the themes of identity, consequence, and the inescapable nature of one's past.

By Hector Hugh Munro · First published 1914 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Drama · 3,245 words

First lines

In the fading light of a close dull autumn afternoon Martin Stoner plodded his way along muddy lanes and rut-seamed cart tracks that led he knew not exactly whither. Somewhere in front of him, he fancied, lay the sea, and towards the sea his footsteps seemed persistently turning; why he was struggling wearily forward to that goal he could scarcely have explained, unless he was possessed by the same instinct that turns a hard-pressed stag cliffward in its last extremity. In his case the hounds of Fate were certainly pressing him with unrelenting insistence; hunger, fatigue, and despairing hopelessness had numbed his brain, and he could scarcely summon sufficient energy to wonder what underlying impulse was driving him onward. Stoner was one of those unfortunate individuals who seem to have tried everything; a natural slothfulness and improvidence had always intervened to blight any chance of even moderate success, and now he was at the end of his tether, and there was nothing more to try. Desperation had not awakened in him any dormant reserve of energy; on the contrary, a mental torpor grew up round the crisis of his fortunes. With the clothes he stood up in, a halfpenny in his pocket, and no single friend or acquaintance to turn to, with no prospect either of a bed for the night or a meal for the morrow, Martin Stoner trudged stolidly forward, between moist hedgerows and beneath dripping trees, his mind almost a blank, except that he was subconsciously aware that somewhere in front of him lay the sea. Another consciousness obtruded itself now and then -- the knowledge that he was miserably hungry. Presently he came to a halt by an open gateway that led into a spacious and rather neglected farm-garden; there was little sign of life about, and the farmhouse at the further end of the garden looked chill and inhospitable. A drizzling rain, however, was setting in, and Stoner thought that here perhaps he might obtain a few minutes' shelter and buy a glass of milk with his last remaining coin. He turned slowly and wearily into the garden and followed a narrow, flagged path up to a side door. Before he had time to knock the door opened and a bent, withered-looking old man stood aside in the doorway as though to let him pass in.

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fate · dogs · mystery · suspense · adventure · nature · human behavior · irony · dark humor · social commentary · character study · conflict

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The Hounds of Fate is listed on Textopian as a short story by Hector Hugh Munro, dated 1914 CE.

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