San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-04-08

fight before Lord Stamford comes up all'5
lost Even now they be outnumbered So lift
me- Joan, and set me astride Molly, and I'll
win to Bodmin yet"
Reckon, Jack, thou'd best hand me thy
letter"
Now, did not at once catch the intent of
these words, 80 simply spoken; but stared at
her like an owl.
"Thrrc's horse in stall, lad, she went on,
though no Gray Robin. Tearaway's thS
name and strawberry the color"
But, Joan, Joan, if you do thiS-feel in
side my coat here to the left-you will save
an army, girl; may be a throne! Here it's
Joan, see-nO, not that-here! Say the seal
is that of the governor of Bristol, who stole it
from me for a while; but the handwriting
will be known for the kings, and no hand
but yours must touch it before you stand be
fore Sir Ralph Hopton. The king shall thank
you, Joan, and God will bless you fOr'tn
Hope so, I'm sure. But larn me what to
say. lad. for be main thick witted"
SO told her the message over and over,
till she had it by heart.
''Sha'n't forgit now" she said at length;
AN So hearken to me for a change. Bide
still, nor fret thysep. Here's pasty an oat
cake, an key o water that I'll stow beside
thee Pay no heed to feyther, an if he wills
toget drunk an fight wi Jan Tergagl"- hats
the cat-why, let'n. Drunk or sober, he's no
count"
She hid the letter in her bosom and stepped
to the door. On the threshold she turned.
Jack, forgot to ak; what be all this blood
shed about?'
For church and king, Joan
"Ii'n; same knowledge ha' | o both-an
that's nought. But dearly loves fair play
S|.c wa gone In minute or 50 heard
the trampling of Horse; and then, with
SCurry of hoofs, Joan was off on the kings
errand and riding into the darkness.
Little rest had that night, bat lay awake
on my bracken bed and watched the burning
peat turveS turn to gray, and drop, flake by
flake, till only a glowing point remained.
The door ratified now and then OH the hinge;
out on the moor the light winds kept a noise
persistent as town dogs at midnight; and all
the while my wound was stabbing, and the
bracIten pricking me till groaned aloud
\ day began to break the old man picked
himself up, yawned and lounged out, return
ing after time with fresh turves for the
hearth. He noticed me no more than stone,
but, when the fire was re-stacEed, drew up
his chair to the warmth and breakfasted on
oat cake and liberal deal of liquor. Observ
ing him. the black cat uncoied stretched
himself and climbing to his masters knee sat
there purring and the best of friends. | also
Judged it time to breakfast; found my store;
took a bite or two and pull at the keg and
lay back this time TO sleep.
When woke twas high noon. The door
stood open. and outside on the wall the winter
sunshine wa, lying very bright and clear.
Indoors, the OH savage had been drinking
steadily, and still sat before the fire with the
cat on one knee and his key on the other.
sat up and strained my ears. Surely if Joan
had not failed the royal generals would march
ont and give battle at once; and surely, if
they We're fighting, not ten miles away, some
sound Of it would reach me- But beyond the
pUrring OF the cat heard nothing
| Crawled 10 my feet, rested a moment to
stay the giddinc>S, and tottered across to the
door, where | lcancd listening and gazing
south. No strip of vapor lay on the moors
that strrtrhcd-al bathed in the most won
dprful bright colors-to the lip OF the horizon.
The air was like a sounding board heard
the beat of an old wether a mile off upon the
tors and was turning away detected, when,
far down in the south, there ran sound that
set my heart l"apmg.
'T~.3> ri..rgIr.img of mu-kr.rv
~ re Wa No. mIi~;aHing it. The noise ran
nike wilG,re ;.ur. the miI.,. before the echo
rowIu uvcrtaI;. il a low Iumhliny followed,
and tun ru" bri,kr" cracking again
ca,ILit at the .!uor posi- and cried, faint with
tie >r,id"n joy:
"IHou a"-gel. Joan .-tnou angel"
And teen. rs something took me by the
Inruat--''Joan. JouI.--tJ see what thou seest!"
\ ou- time leaned by the door post there.
drinking in the sound that now was renewed
at quicker intervals. Vet, tor as far as |
could see, twas the peacefulest scene. though
dreary-qUirt sunshine on the hills. and the
sheep dotted here and there, cropping But
down yonder, over the edge of the rnoors.
men were fighting and numbering each
other, and yrarmed 10 SCI how the day went.
Being both weak and loath to miss a sound
of it, | sank down on the threshold, and there
lay with my eyes turned southwark through
zap in the stone fence. In while the mus
kerry died away and | wondered, but thought
| could still at times mark a low sound as of
men shouting, and this, as | learned after,
was the true battle.
1t must have been an hour or more before |
saw number of black SpeckS coming over
the ridge of hills and swarming down into
the plain towards me. and then denser body
following Twas company of horse NOV
ing at a great pace, and | guessed that the
battle was done and these were the first fugi-
tives Of the beaten army.
Twas, maybe, an hour after that a man
came in through the gap; a lean, hawk eyed
man, with a pimrhei face and two ugly gashes
one across the brow from left eye to the
roots of his hnir. the other in his Loo helnu