Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-04-23

"; and she must, at last, have known
him as well as if they had been &C
quainted for years.
"You are clever young fellow" said
she; cit is disgrace such power of
adaptation should be thrown away. 1t
comes of being an Englishman-so stiff
and so starched you all are. In any
other country you would have had a
career. You would be rich man as
well as a clever one. For example-it
is not the soldier who becomes rich in
war. All the plumber goes somewhere
but where? Yet it can not 60 into
the air.
care you not tired, Countess?" he
asked. "And are you not hungry,
too?''
"oh, no. Are y0n. then' We will
rest if you are; but"
He was ashamed to be beaten by a
woman. And so they rode on till dark
ness fell around them, and in the great
silence of night the flow of the river
could be heard. For they kept close by
that, as their only guide. ''Well, she
must give in at last" thought Dick, too
hard set for even such slight love-mak-
ing as a Countess might have allowed
from trooper. But he never wished
he had never met her-the ride was be-
ginning to feel like dream.
Look there"
They had issued from a dry water
course; and it was Dick who saw, some
three hundred yards or so in front, a
dull red glow.
"Hushr' whispered she. Not so
loud! A campfire; but French, or
Spanish. or English-who can say?'
"Hark!'
Calls wellr' was the welcome chant
that greeted Dicks hungry ears. And
never had those good words a gIadder
ring.
Gan English outpost!'' said he; ''may
be the English lines. We're all right
now. By the Lord Harry. believe I'm
the luckiest dog unhung!"
..Hush, my friend! can not ride
into the English lines; all alone as am.
l dare not go among those rough men.
| trust yOu; but l trust none else in the
whole wide world. l shall be pris-
( oner; and you, too. l must find Gen
eral Cuesta tonight, if tonight he is to
be found. l have no papers-no pass,
remember; and l will not risk what
may come of that again. 1t is simple
for YOU. You are strayed from the
Spanish lines, and have lost your way.
You will get put in the road. Then you
will join me here and we will 90 on.
Oh, do not mind being left alone. My
whole life is alone If they give you
food, take it; for | can well believe you
must be hungry, my poor friend! You
have not your own heart to eat, like me.
All, it is good l have an Englishman at
my side! You may seek that fire with
out fear
And if your General is still miles
awav?"
''Then we will see. When you have
found out everything we shall know
what to do"
The lady had by this time so completely
taken the command; and besides, this
| time she had reason on her side. 1t
| would have seemed, no doubt, a queer
business for lady to be riding into the
British camp at midnight, escorted by
an Anglo-Portuguese, with no better ac-
count to give of themselves than that
he, for a lady's sake, was absent from
his corps with nothing better than
French leave. 1t would certainly be
better if she could get at once to the
Spanish lines, quietly, where the Gen
eral-in-chef was her friend and would
understand, and would set everything
| right for Dick himself besides.
So, leaving the Countess at the mouth
of the water-course, he rode up towards
the fire, round which some score of
Enthusiastically British soldiers were di-
vided between talking and snoring.
Having answered the challenge to the
best of his power, to the effect of his
instructions. he was brought to repeat
them to a sleepy subaltern, who snubbed
him sharply, for fool. but showed no
desire to retain him. No uniform could
make Dick Blackthorn look like any
but the most honest of Englishmen;
while an Englishman in that coat could
be worth no special care. go to your
beggarly Spaniards, as King George
isn't good enough for you" said the
lad in command of the outpost ''Fol-
low the river and your nose, and you'll
their barracks. You'll have to fight in
the open if you stay here"
Dick, having had his dismissal, would
have returned at once to the lady, with
the good news that she had but Il
couple miles more to ride, when it
might have been twenty for aught he
knew. But there was an iron pot over
the fire that gave forth fumes we'll
| IlSn to telhp1lHS 'to liio Sl'ihCcS VI
| black eyes.
Said he, to the man who had taken
him in charge:
''Mate, did you ever go forty-eight
hours on half an ounce of goats milk
chalk; | can't call it cheese?'
''Did l? Didn't l, you mean. What
chance has an Englishman got that
mustn't take without moneys worth
against Frenchman that may, and
Don that does, and Portugee like
yourself. that's long sight the worst
of EN- all? l say, my lads, here's a
rare sight; hun CRY Portugeer'
That's dead again nature" said
young fellow. but then tbs true It's
nought but half-breed Throw him
| bone"
Starved as it was, Dick Blackthorn's
British blood began to boil under his
| Portuguese skin.
cay" said he, ''throw me bone;
and when I've gnawed it, so sure as nv
names Dick Blackthorn, I'll fight the
best man among you for the meat,
and
.Blackthorn?'; asked the other.
You'd better see the Quartermaster,
as you've come off the same stick, you
two. But chaff be hanged! Put your
hand in the pot and take the luck of it.
There'll be enough for breakfast; and
then come what come may
And there was bottle as we'll as
pot, which somehow seemed to have no
bottom. Dick never forgot for an in
slant the eyes of his Countess; but man