The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-06

! prised
why, the lad whose mare thou'rt leadin'!a
''4lile an half away by now.n
Allows thatI'
Freshly horsed, :" explains Joan.
The trooper@they were all around her BIZ
this-swore' twas lie, but luckily, being
down in the hollow, could not see over the
next ridge. They began string Of questions
all together but at last little tun bellied ser
geant called Silence" and asked the girl,
did she loan the fellow horseF'
Here viii quote her again:
g Sir, TO thee, answered, no loan at all,
but fair swap for our Gray Robin
THAT'S lie,' he says; an I won't believe
thee
might so weI,' says I: but 20 to the
stable an see for thyseT' CNever had gray
horse to my name, Jack; but, thinks I, that's
hisn lookout.l"
They went, did these simple troopers, to
look at the stable, and, sure enough, there
was no Gray Robin. Nevertheless, some
amongst them had logic enough to take this
as something less than proof convincing, and
spent three hours and more ranSacking the
| house and barn, and searching the tor and
the moors belowit. learned, too. that Joan
had come in for somes rough talk-to which
she put a stop, as she told me, by Offering 10
fight any man Jack of them for the buttons
! on his buff coat. And at length, about sun
down, they gave up the hunt, and rode away
over the noors toward Warleggan, having
! las the girl heard them say to be at Brad
| dock before night.
Where is this Braddockl'
Nigh to Lord Mohun's house at Boconnoc;
/ seven mile away TO the south, and seven mile
or so from Bodmin, as a crow flies"
! ''Then so | must, cried l and hereupon I
| broke out with ali the trouble that was on
/ my mind, and the instant need to save these
| gallant gentlemen of Cornwall ere two
armies should combine against them l told
/ of the kings letter in my breast and how l
found the Lord Stamford's men at Iaunce-
/ ston; how that Ruthen with the vanguard of
| the rebels, was now at Liskeard, with but
| bare day march between the two, and none
| but TO carry the warning. And. ooh, JOAN"
l cried, my conrade l left upon the road.
Brighter courage and truer heart never man
proved, and yet left by me in the rebels
hands Alas! that l could neither save nor
help, but must still ride on; and here is the
issue-to lie struck down within ten mile Of
my goal-I, that have Travelled two hundred.
And if the Cornishmen be not warned TO give
fight before Lord Stamford comes up, ais
! lost Even now they be outnumbered. So LIT
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, so simply spoken; but stared at
her like an owl
''There's horse in stall, lad, she went on,
though no Gray Robin. Tearaway's the
name and strawberry the COLOR
But, Joan, Joan, if you do this-feel in
side my coat here, TO the Ieft-you viii save
an army, girl; may be a thronel Here It's,
Joan, see-no, not that-herel Say the seal
il that of the governor of Bristol, who stole it
from me for 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 50, I'm sure. But larn me what to
say, lad. for I be main thick witted."
So told her the message over and over,
till she had it by heart.
"Shan't forgit now" she said at length |
cam so hearken 10 me for "a change. Bide /
still, nor fret thysep. Here's pasty an oat
cake, an a keg o water that I'll stow beside /
thee Pay no heed to feYther, an if he wills /
toget drunk an fight wi Jan Tergagle-that's /
the cat-why, let'n. Drunk or sober, he'S.no /
count"
She hid the letter fh-fier bosom and stepped !
to the door. On the threshold size turned.
Jack. forgot to ak; what be all this blood /
shed aboutg"
For church and king, joan
HIN; same knowledge ha O. both-an' /
that's nought. Gut l dearly loves fair play" /
She was gone. In e minute or 50 heard |
the trampling Of a horse; and then, with 4
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 I
flake, till only a glowing point remained. /
The door ratified now and then on the hinge; /
out on the moor the light winds kept noise
persistent as town dogs at midnight; and ali /
the while my wound was stabbing, and the /
bracken pricking me till | groaned aloud.
A 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-stacked, drew up
his chair to the warmth and breakfasted on
oat cake and a liberal deal Of liquor. Observ-
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 l woke twas high noon. The door
stood open, AMI outside on the wall the winter
sunshine was lying very bright and clear
Indoors, the old savage had been drinking
steadily, and still sat before the fire with the
cat on one knee and his keg on the other /
sat up and strained my ears. Surely if Joan
had not failed the royal generals would march
out and give battle at once; and surely, If
they were fighting, not ten miles away, some
sound Of it would reach me. But beyond the
purring Of the cat heard nothing
1 crawled to my feet, rested a moment to
stay the giddiness, and tottered across 70 the
door, where | leaned, listening and gazing
south. No strip OF vapor lay on the mOors
that stretched-ali batbed in the most Won
derful bright colors-tO the lip Of the horizon /
The air was like sounding board. / heard
the bleat Of an old wether a mile of upon the
tors, and was turning away detected, when,
far down in tie south, there ran a sound that
set my heart leaping.
Twas the cracking Of rnusketrv.
There was no mistaking il. The noise ran
ike wildfre along the hills. before the echo
could oyertake il q lo1 rumbiing followed,
AMI then the bris4er cracking again.
caught at the door p7ss and cried, faint with
the sudden joy:
Thou angel. Joa1.-thou anzel:7
And then, a. something sooz ne bv the
throat-"Joan. Joau-to SO VIVA: thou seectr7
A long time L leaned BY the door post there.
drinking in the sound that now was renewed
81 ---s~tyar T. - z