Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-05-16
CHAPTER III.

FIND MYSELF IN \ TAVERN BRAwL
II wanted. maybe, a quarter 10 that
evening, when passing ont at the college gate
on my way to All-Hanows' church. I saw
under the lantern there q man lettering and
talking with the porter Twas Master An
thongs lachey; and as I came up he held out
a note for me:
Deare Jack
Wee coe to the "Crowne' at VI o'clock hav.
ing NETT with Captain Settle who is on dewtv
with the horse to-nite, ana must to Abendonn by
lX. locke for you Your unfayuel loving
4. X.
The bearer has left my seryise, and his helth
conscrns me mott. So Xix him if he taIrie
This last advice l had no time to carry out
with any thoroughness; but being put in
great dread 10y this change OF hour. pelted
or towards the Corn market As fast as legs
could take mo, which was the undoin- of a
little round citizen into whom ran full tilt
at the corner Of Baliol college; who, before
| could see his face in the darkness, was tip
ped on his back in the gutter and using the
most dismal expressions So | left him. con
sderinG that my excuses would be uusatisfv-
Ing to his present demands and TO his cooler
judgment a supertluty.
The windows Of tho Grown" were cheer
fully lit behind their red blinds. A few
straddling grooms and troopers talked and
spat in the brightness of the entrance. and
outside in the street was servant leadingup
and down beautiful sorrcl mare ready sad
died, that was marked on the near hind leg
with a high white stocking In the passare
| met the host Of the Grown Master John
Daveuant, and sure Il thoaghU in what odd
corners viii the Muse pick up he:. favoritcs,
For this slow, loose checked vintuer was no
less than father to viii Dayenaut, our laure-
ate, and had belize read no other verse in his
lile but those at the bottom OF his own pint
pots.
TOP of the stairs says he, indicating NV
way, land open the door ahead of you, if
y'are the young gentleman Master kiiligrew
spoke Of
had my foot on the bottom step, when
from the room above comes the crash Of a
table upsetting, with a noise Of broken glass
chairs thrust bnck and a racket of outcries
Next moment the door was burst open. let
ting out a flood of light and curses: and
down flies a drawer, three steps at a time
with a red stain of wine triclilng down his
white face
"Murder.' he gasped out; and sitting down
on a stair, fell to hopping his face, all sick
and trembling
| was dashing past him, with the landlord
at my heels. whom three men came tumLling
out at tho door and down stairs. squeezed
myself against the wall TO let them pass: but
Master Daveunnt was pitched to the very
foot of the stairs. And then he picked HIM
self up and ran out into the Corn market
the drawer after him, and both shouting
Watch, Watch.' at the top Of their lungs
and so left the three fellows to push by the
women already gathered in the passage, and
gam the street at their ease All this hap
pcncd while a man could count twenty: and
in half minute | heard the ring of steel aud
was standing in the doorway.
There was now no light within but what
was shed by the fire and two tallow candles
that guttered on the mautelshelf The re-
naming candlesticks lay in Il pool of wine on
the floor, amid broken glasses, bottles, scat
tered coins, dice boxes and pewter pots In
the corner to my right covered a pot boy,
with tankard dangling in his hand, and the
contents splitting into his shoes His wide,
terrified ewes were fixed on the far end Of the
room, where Anthony aud the brute Settle
stood, with u shattered chair between them.
Their swords were crossed in terce, and
grating together as each sought occasion for
u hinge, which might have been fair enough
but for a dog faced trooper in a frowsy black
periwig, who, as | entered, was gathering
hapdful of coins from under the fallen liable,
and now ran across sword in hand 10 the
captaiu's aid.
Il was Anthony that faced me- with his
heel against the wnnarot,ng, AMI, catching
my cry OF alarm, he called out cheerfully over