Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-01

steadily in the face, and never moved
Dick took step, swinging the belt. The
he paused, embarrassed by the large eye
and the thin, weary face Of his cOmpon
ion. His courage began to sudside.
"Say ye were in the wroI g, thep," n
said lamely.
"Esy," said M,tchsm, 'T was in tn
right. Come, cruel! 1 be lame; b
weary; resist not; meier did thee hurt
come, best me, coward"
Dick raised the belt at this last provo
cation; but Matcham wicced ard GREY
himself together with so cruel an sppre
thensiop, that his heart failed him We
again. the strap fell by bis side, and h
stood irresolute, feeling like q fool.
"a plague upon thee, shTew!" he said
"Au ye be so feeble Of hand, ye SHOULD
keep the closer gus.d upon your tongue
But I'll be hanged before 1 beat your
and he put on his belt again. "B IS
you 1 will not" he continued; shut for
give you!-never. I knew ye not; =,
were my masters enemy; lent you N,
horse; my dinner We have eaten; y ~,
called me man o. wood, coward snc
bully. Nay, by the mass! the measur,
Is filed and runneth over. IT'S grea
! thing TO be weak, l trow: Ye can de
your worst, yet shall none punish you;
ye may steal mans weapons In the houl
OF need, yet may the man not take his
own sgain7-y' are weak, forsoothl Nay
! then, II one cometh charging at you with
a lance, and crieth he is weak, ye must
let him pierce your body through Tut!
fool wordsi"
"Aud yet ye beat me not" returned
Matcham.
"Let be-" said Dick-"let be. will
instruct you Y ave been il'-nurtured,
msthinks, and yet ye have the mskipgs OF
some good, and, beyond al question,
saved me from the river. Nay, had for
gotten Il; an as thankless as myself.
Hollywood this night, ay, or to morrow
early, we had best set forward speedily"
But though Dick had talked himself
BACK Into his usu.l good humor, Mstchsm
had forgiven him nothing. His violence,
the recollection Of the forester whom ne
nsd slein-above oil, the vision OF the
up:aised belt, were things not easily to
Do forgotten.
~ Will thank you, for the FORMS sske,"
said Matcham. "But, in sooth, good
Master Shelton, had lever find my way
alone. Here is wide wood; prithee
let each choose his path; owe you q
dinner and lesson. Fare ye WE'LL"
"Nay," cried Dick, SIT that be your
tune, SO be it, and plague be with you'll"
Each turned aside, snd they began
walking OF severally, with no thought OF
the direction, intent solely on their guar.
rel. But Dick had not gone then psces
ere his name was called, and Mstcham
came running sfte:.
"Dick," he said, SIT were unuanlerly
to part so coldly. Here is my hand, and
my heart with it. For all that wherein
you have 80 excellsntly served and helped
me, not for the form, but from the heart,
thank you. Fare ye right we'll"
"Well, lad," returned Dick, taking the
hand which was fired him, "gocd speed
to you, II speed you may. But l mis-
doubt 1t shrewdly. Y are too dispute
tious."
So then they separate d for the second
time; and presently it WAS Dick who Wss
running after Matchsm
"Here," he said, "sske my cross-bow; |
shalt not go unnrmed."
"A cross bowl" said Mstcham. "Nay, |
boy, have neither the strength to benc |
Tor yet the skill to aim with it. Il were !
10 help to me, good boy. But yet 1
hank you"
The night had now fallen, and under
he trees they could no longer read each
,ther's face.
81 will go some little way with you,"
Istd Dick. "The night is dark. l would
ain leave you on q path, at least. Ely
n nd misgiveta me, y are likely to be
ost."
Without any more words, he began to
Walk forward, and the other once more
ollowed him. The blackness grew
Kicker and thicker; only here and there,
With smSll stars. In the distance, tn
oise OF the rout of the Lsucastrian army
till continued to be family audible; but
With every step they left IL further in the
ear.
at the end Of half In hour of silent pro-
,ress they came forth upon broad patch
4 healthy open. 1t gllmmered in the light
t the stars, shaggy with fern and island
d with clumps Of yew. And here they
sused and looked upon each other.
"Y' are weary" Dick said.
"Nay, 1 am SO weary" answered
fatcnam, "that methinks l could lie
own and die"
~ hear the Gliding uf river" return
d Dick. "Let Us go so far forth, for l
N sore athirst."
The ground sloped down gently: and,
ure enough, in the bottom, they found q
tile murmuring river. running among
'illows. Here they threw themselves
own together by the brink; and putting y,
leir mouths to the level Of starry pool, :
ley drank their fill.
"Dick," sid Matchsm, "it may not
e. I can no more"
81 saw pit as We came down." said ,
lick. 'Lst us lie down therein and :
.eepp
"Nsy, but with all my hearth" cried !,
Istcham. ..
The pit wss sandy and dry; a shock Of
ramoies hung upon one hedge, and ,
Jade partial shelter; and there the two )
Ids lsy down, keeping close together =.
n the sake of warmth, their quarrel sill
,rgotten. And soon sleep fell upon
lem like cloud, and under the dew /.
nd stars they rested peacefully. :
CHAPTER VII.
THE HOODED FACE. F.,
They awoke in the grey of the morning
lie birds were not yet IN full song, but @
vittered here and there among the
ODDS; the sun was not yet up, but the 4
Istern sky was barred with solemn b
,lors. Half starved and over.weery as a