Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-01
valleys, hsd spread out to right and left,
and outflsnked the lads on either side.

valleys, had spread out to right and LEFT
and outfanked the lads on either side.
Dick plunged into the nearest cover
1t was tall grove Of oaks, firm unde
foot snd clear OF undsrbrush, and as
lay down hill, they inside good speed
There followed rex' piece of open, whic
Dick avoided, holding to his left. Tw
minutes after. snd the same obstacle arts
ling they FOL owed the same course. Thu
IL followed thst while the lads. ben3in
consinu.lly to the l'it, drew nearer an
nearer 20 the high road SDd the rive
which they bad crossed ~ hour or tw
before. the gcsst bulk of their pursuer
we're lesning 70 the other hand, and rur
ming towards Turs,all.
The lads paused 10 breathe. There wa
no sound Of pursuit. DICK puf his ca
to the GROUND, and still there wss moth
ing; but the WIND, to be sure, still mad
turmoil ia the trees, and 1t WAS hard +
make certain.
"On again" said Dick; and, tired 8
they were, and Mltcham limping with hi
Injured foot, they pulled themselves to
gether, and once more pelted down tn
hill.
Three minutes later. they were breast
ing through low thicket OF evergreen
High overhead, the tall trees made q con-
tinuous roof Of folisge. 1t was great
Dillared grove, as high as cathedral
and, excepting for the hollies among
which the lads were struggling, open and
smoothly swarded.
On the other side, pushing through the
last fringe Of evergreen, they biuudered
forth again into the open twilight OF the
grove.
tStandl" cried voice.
And there, between the huge stems. not
fifty feet before them, they beheld stout
fellow 10 green, sore blown with running,
who instantly dr-w an arrow to the head
and covered them. M,tchsm stopped
with cry; but Dick, without pause,
ran straight upon the forester, drawing
his dagger as he went. The other,
whether he WAS startled by the daring of
the onslaught, or whether he WAS ham,
pered by his orders, did not shoot The stood
wsverlng; and before he had time to come
to himself, Dick, with great cry, bound
ed at his throat, and sent him
spraying backward on the turf
The arrow went one wsy and
the bow another with sounding twsng
The disarmed forester q applied his assail-
anti but the dagger shoDe and descended
twice. Then came q couple Of groans,
sud then Dick rose to his feet again, and
the man lay motionless, stabbed to the
heart.
"Oni" said Dick; and he once more
pslted forward, Matchsm trailing in the
rear. To say truth, they made but poor
speed Of 1t by now, laboring dlsmally as
they ran, and catching for their breath
like h.h. Matchsm had cruel stitch,
snd his head swan; and as for Dick, his
knees were like lead. But they kept up
the form of running with undininished
Presently they came to the end of the
grove. 1t stopped abruptly; and there,
'4w yards before them, was the high road
rom Risingham to Shoreby, lying, at
his point, between two even walls Of
Jrest
At the sight Dick paused; and as soon
Is he stopped running, ne became aware
# confused noise, which rapidly grew
ouder. II WAS at first liks the rush Of
'er. high gust Of wind, but soon it be
:hme more definite, aud resolved itself
nto the galloping of horses; and then, In |
! & ssh, whole company of men-st-srms |
anne driving round the corner, swept be- |
IRE the lads, and were gone again upon
he instant. They rode as for their hives, |
q complete disorder; some of them were |
riderless horses g,llopedl at |
heir side with bloody saddles. They |
we're plainly ifugitives from the great
,attle.
The noise OF their passage had scarce
'egun to die away towards Shoreby, be-
ore fresh boots came echoing in their
wake, and another deserter clattered
Iown the road; this time a single rider,
nd, by his splendid armour, q man of
Ugh degree. Close after him there fol.
owed several baggsge-waggons, fleeing
t an uDgsinly cauter, the drivers fisil-
ne at the horses IS If for life. These
must have run esrly in the day; but
heir cowardice was not to save them.
or inst before they came abreast
( wnere the lads stood wonder
az, c man in hacked armour, and seem
ugly beside him self with fury, overlook
ne wagons, and with the truucheon of a
word began to cut the drivers down: Some
.aped from their places and plunged into
l. wood; the others he sabred as they
It, cursing them the while for towards
8 voice that was scarce human.
All this time the noise In the distance
sd continued to increase; the rumble of
arts, the clatter of horses, the cries OF
len, great, confused Iumor, csme
yelling on the wind; and it was plain
lat the routof a whole army was pouring
he en- inundatlon, down the road.
Dick stood sombre. He had meant to
,llow the highway till the turn for Holy
God, and now he had to change his
Ian. But above all he had recogniz d
lie colours of Esrl RisInghsm, and he
new that the battle had gone finally !
,.inst the rose OF lancaster. Had Sir
aniel joined, and was he now a fugi-
We and ruiDed2 or had he deserted to ,
lie side OF York, snd was he forfeit to
onour? 1t WAS an ugly choice.
"Come," he said sternly; and, turning
q his heel, he began to walk forward
trough the grove, with Mstcham limp
70 in his rear.
For some time they continued to thread
lie forest in silence. Il is now growing
tie; the sun is setting in the plain beyond /
ettley; the tree tops overhead gloWed ,
olden; but the shadows had begun to
row darker and the chill of the night to
IL.
"If there were anything to eati" cried
lex suddenly, pausing as he spoke.
Mstcham sat down and began to weep. t
"Ye can weep for your own supper, but '
hen II was to save mems lives, your e
cart wss hard enough" said Dick, con- C