Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-04-19
GALLOPING OFF WITH A BABY,
A Midnight Ride-rhe Timely Eyi.
dence of Brown the Doctor.
CHAPTER I.

II BeaconSfield;" and IA the mlrrnlr of ao-
prevail which rang through the court was
pushed his way 10 the witness box. and then
by his lordship's permission, went into il, and
all eyes were turned 10 him
He was short. StOut, re s0lute 10 3king man,
In appearance fifty. bit whose age was fifGy-
seven; and he had good frank n ,rid face. aad
dark gray eyes. Cooily surveying the crowded
court In front of him. he took the oath as he re-
mOvea MS gloves, and answered 10 his name:
and then, as unembarrasSed ia manner as
though he had made the simplest sJa'em mt
possible. he passed hts hand through ais broHl
hair, and looked at his lOrdshD.
That's the man. Sir" said the prisoner to
his counsel, land he rode cob"
Slielce," cried the Judge. as those in the
court approved, and the wind TVS ratified as the
dust rose up again-tne dust from the crowded
street. where hundreds waited
IL was blowing, guSty day, Friday, the stu
OF March. the second dty of the Leaf Ashes:
and the spacious court in the country town was
completely filled with people, townsfolk AMI
country men, who. in spite or close p1cdny ana
increased discomfort. had kept thef pla;e'
there for many hours. waiting for t1e concin-
sion OF the trial IN whica the majority OF those
there were deeply intereSted-the trial or Salpa
Perks, the poacler, and against whom a true
bill had been returned for the wIlful murder Or
Walter White. the keeper-aeeper 10 Sir NOr-
man Digby, OF Beckton Hall-who- few months
previously. had been found In the Home Wooi,
shot through the chest.
The evidence that was then brought against
the prisoner was purely circumStintiai: Ont IL
seemed conclusive, and he was com nltted 10
TAIL to await his trial on the full CHI arge, But
In q short time he escaped by The cJ11iTa1ce,
as Ii was thought, OF one of his JailerS. m IN
who was known to him, and 1t was only within
q week OF the commencement or the aSSHeS tnlG
he had been retaken.
He was 1.-THE, why, darS-conp.eytn1et
man, thirty years of age. and By tra1e b a3l-
smith: and. although his pOachtng prOpensitieS
were we'll known to ali, his trade stack to hi q
for he was not only the best sheer for miles
round his own neighborhood and shod all the
"hunting horses but he was a Jack-Of-aii-
trades, and clever at most things. from loczs
and clocks TO braSS-wOrk. bells. and baskets;
and at the latter, no 10 alter what thew were,
useful Or fancifu. no basket maker could beat
him. Hence. being able 70 turn his baud to 50
many pursuits, his services were m1th S)1ght
after; for whatever was needed In the melding
line, Ralph, 1.-The handy man." was the man
sent for.
He was a good mOle-man, too. AMI useful tt
the farmers; crack fisherman. and of service
to the villagers; famous runner, and hence
great with hounds.
1t was this latter quality which contributed
so much TO his popularity with those whose
horses he shOd, and with the huntsnen gen.
orally; for, as he was always present during the
season, at every meet within distance, had
much hunt knowledge, and kept well with
hounds his ringing ''Gone aVay!" which llfe
the woodlands echo as the fox broke cover, WAS
always listened for, for 1t was ever reliable:
''Ralph the Runner being an Old hand at w1od-
craft, and 50 we'll verSed in vulpine tactics that
unless the fox went out at one end as the
hounds came in at the other, Ralph was the
man to see him; and as he never gave tongue
till the varinint was wen away, and the holnls
on a line with him, each man then out griDced
his reinS as he heard him, and ga,loOed his
hardest.
such a voice as Ralph had for shout-,oui,
clear, and ringing-feW men had: ft was
Pierce:, like the voice OF the famed Tom Moody:
and as most OF the woods in that part OF the
country West Worcestershire - were thick,
dense, and tangled, when he was our IL was A
gain for the lost ones, many OF whom would
frequently have missed the hounds altogether
had not his rafting, ''done avay!' which could
be heard from one end OF the wood TO the other,
proclaimed 'a vlew,' and plotted them into the
open.
He was apleasant, merry fellow; ever CHEEKY
and always civil; ready to help those who came
to grief, and willing to aid the distressed one 5:
for no matter what was the form 1t took, or
what was the special NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the
catching OF horses, the lifting of beavers, the
pulling out of stakes, or the slipping of puzzle
lOcks-were Ralph but at baud, it was d1ne
with; and though many coin was thrown to
over, his place was with the hounds; and as he
could run and leap better than most men, he
was never far behind them.
He was avery useful man: too, among the cat
tie, and also among the horses as he understood
their ailments, and was up TO docJOrtog them:
and he was clever as breaker with yOang
nerve and plenty OF patience: so he soon male
them lit and handy. With the people Of his
hamlet-the hamlet OF BecktOn-he was great
favorite, and at the wakes and club walks, VII
lage feasts and festivals, Ralph was the main
man there; for he had fiddle, and could play
1t Wen, and he was strong In jigS and dances:
In jumping, running. quoit- pitching, and wrest-
ling were known for miles round. In wre5t-
ling he was especially good, as he knew
Cornish man, and was up to .'chips"-the hypes
and heaves, and hanks and inside cilck-,o
could throw most men; and it was the ability to
do so that made him so daring when pOaching,
keepers. He was the best whistler too, In the
whole district; and as few could beat him at
comic song, he was the very life and soul OF all
the parties, when village lads and lasseS got To-
gether, or old folks cOngregated.
His apprehension, therefore, on such charge
had been great grief to the villagers. and a
loss and an annoyance to the nefghborhood;
and as those who employ ed him considered hts
only fault was pOachfng, and from which no
remonstrance could wean him, they, as their
presence In court duly testified, were one and
III CONSIDERABLY interested In his trial, which,
commenced on the previous day, was now about
70 terminate, and, as they feared, terminate
The evidence, as we have said, was circum-
stantial and hts defense was an alibi: but as it
was an alibi without proof-being entirely un-
supported by the slightest testimony@it was
felt by all there that the verdict would be
"Guilty;" and even If he escaped with his life,
that the sentence would be heavy one, for he
was TOO old poacher not to be made an eX-
ample OF.
AS for Perks himself, black as things looked
against him, he still held his head up, just as
though be were wholly Innocent and he counted
on an 4oniQltal.
'sNo blood Of his, /" said he, sis On these hands
my lord; was miles away, too"
But the tale he told, to strengthen what he
said, sounded more strange than true, and few
believed 1t.
Briefly, the evidence was this:
On the night In QueStiOn-MOnday night, the
2Sd OF NOvember-Walter White. the keeper,
the man who was said to have been murdered,
turned out with three Of the watchers to go
through the cOyerS-the Home Woods, Fox
HE, and the LockettS-hoping to meet with
Perks, OF whose intention 10 visit them that
night they had received intimatlOn; and they
were determined TO capture him IL they could
as few nights previously he had threatened
White that the next time he interfered with
him he should have something for his trouble"
An old grievance, It was stated, had existed
between them, and they had been at elmiJy for
long time; and IL was in no wise leSSened By
the fact OF Whites wife being RalphS Old sweet
heart, pretty village girl who, after she had
promised Perks preferred the keepers cottage
to the blacksInth's shop. It was also shown
that when the two men were lads, and at school
together, they were at enmity even then, for
greatest ease, and did so frequently, as he had
done so since, they having had many bout To-
gether during the past four years, when. Sir
Norman having engaged White as keeper, they
found themselves settled down at last In the
same parish
For many years an inveterate poacher, but
never taken, Ralph Perks after Whites mar
Rage, became more daring than ever; and