Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-22

before MIN only half swake he became
! aware OF something dark that swung to
and fro amopg the branches some hun
d.ed yards in front Of him. The pro-
gressive Frightening of the day and the
return of his own senses st last enabled
him to recognize the object. 1t Wa
man hanging from the bough of tall oak
His head had fallen forward on his breast,
but at every stronger puf OF wind his
body span round and round and his legs
and srms tossed like some ridiculous
plsythiug.
Dick clsm5ered to his feet and, stag
gering and leaning on the tree trunks as
he went, drew near to this grim OBJECT.
The bough was perhaps twenty feet
above the ground, snd the poor fellow
had been drawn up 30 high BY his execu-
TONERS that bis boots swung clear above
Dicks reach; and a5 his hood bad been
drawn over the face, It was impossible to
recognize the man.
DIX locked about him right snd left;
snt ss LIST he perceived that the other end
Of the cord had been made fast 10 the
i trunk Of C. little hawthorn which gre ",
thick With blossom, under the lofty srcade
of the OAK With his Dagger, which alone
remained to hi Il Ct sill his aims, young
| Shelton severed the rope, and Instantly,
with g dead thunD the corpse fell IN C.
heap upo1 tie er. us6.
| Dick rsised tps hood; il WIS Throg
mort n, Sir DsrieP5 messenger. He had
moi gone tar upon his errspd. A paper,
which had apparently escaped the notice
Of the men of the Black Arrow, suck
from the bosom of his doublet, and Dick,
pulling 1t forth, found it wss Sir d anle g
letter 10 Lord Wensleydsle.
"Come," thought he, "if the world
changes yet egsin, l may have here the
wherewithal to shame Sir Daniel-oay,
and perchance to bring him to the block"
And he put the psper in his own bosom,
said q prayer over the desd man, and get
forth again through the woods.
His fatigue end weakness increased;
his ears sang, his steps fsltered, his mind
at intervals failed him, SO low had he
oeen brought by loss of blood. Doubt
less he made many deviations from his
true Attn, but st last he came out upon
the high road, not very far from Tuns-
tall hamlet.
A rough voice bid him stand.
"Sssnd7" repeated Dick. "By the
mass, but 1 am nearer falling"
And he suited the action TO the word,
and fell all his length upon the road.
Two men came forth out OF the thicket,
each IN green forest jerkin, each with
long bow and culver and short sword.
"Why, Lswless," said the younger o.
the two, "it Is young Shelton"
SAY, this will be as good as bread to
john Amend ALL" returned the other.
"Taough, filth, he hsth baen to the wars.
HIRE is tear in his scalp that must "a
cost him many 8 good ounce Of blood;
and blood, Brother Greensheve, is your
most precious fluit, after Sli-better than
right sack when man is cod, and better
than physic when he's sick"
"Aud here" added Greensheve, "is
hole ia his shoulder that must have
pricked him well. Who hath done this,
think ye? Ii it be one of ours, he msy
fall to prayer; Ellis Will give him short
snriit and long rope"
Cup with the cub" ssid Lswless
"Clsp him on my back. IT'S broad
praise the saints for 't!-and could carry
twice the weight Of him"
And then, waen Dick had been hoisted
to his shoulders and ne had taken the lads
arms about his neck and gotten a good
hold OF him, the e1 Grey Friar added:
"Keep ye the post, Brother Green's
hev.. l will on with him by myself"
S. Greensbeve returned to his ambush
on the wayslde sud Lawless trudged down
the hill, whist ing as he went, with Dick,
still In dead faint, comfortably settled
on his shoulders.
The sun rose as he came out Of the
skirts of the wood and saw Tunstsll ham
let struggling up the opposite hill. All
seemed qu'et, but q strong post OF some
half score of srchers lay close by the
bridge on either side of the road, and, as
soon as they saw Lawless with his burden
they began to bestir themselves and set
anew to string like vigilant sentries.
"Who goes?" cried the msn in COM
msnd.
"Will Lswless, by the rood-ye know
me as well as your own hand" returned
the outlaw, CONTEMPORARY.
"Glve the word, Lswless," returned
the other.
CHOW, heaven tighten thee, thou great
fool,n replied Lewless. "Did l not tell
1t thee myself? But ye are al mad for
tais playing at soldiers. When am in
the greenwood, give me greenwood wsys;
and my word for this tide is: "A ng lot
all mock soldieryn"
OSWlesf, yo uu3 SiaSH az AZ SAa.uptoi
give US the word, fool JESTER" said the
commander of the post.
"And If had forgotten it?" asked the
other.
"An ye had forgotten it's know y
ave not-by the mass, would clap an
arrow into your big body" returned the
first.
NAY, sn y are so i'll JESTER" said
Lawless, Eye shall have your word for
me. 'Duckworth and Shelton Is the
word; and here, to the Illustration, is
Shelton on my shoulders, and to Duck
worth do carry him"
"Pass, Lawless," said the sentry.
"And where is John?" asked the Grey
Frisr.
"He holdeth court, by the mss, and
cried another Of the company.
Sc II proved. When Lawless got as
fsr up the village as the little inn, he
found Ellis Duckworth surrounded by Sir
Daniels tenants, and, by the right Of his
good company of archers, coolly taking
rents, and giving written receipts in re-
turn for them. By the faces Of the ten
ants, 1t was plsin how little this pro-
ceeding pleased them; for they argued
very rightly thst they would simply have
to pay them twice.
AS soon as he knew what had brought
L.wless, Ellis dismissed the remainder OF
the tenants, and, wi every mark OF IT,
terest and apprehension, conducted Dick
into an inner chamber o. the inn. There
the lads hurts were looked to; and he
ri, aola n