The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-04-26
stud consists Of mule about as old as he Is,
and that's fifty" ,
t.rr1,e L.. ,o<b;po IN, do with hin, "

sweep. and returned 10 the point at which it
] debouchod into the main drive, the coachman
rapidly pulled up. and beckoned To me most
earnestly to enter. the two servants again
strong impulse, that did not stay 20 analyze,
| ran toward the white coach. In a moment
| was lifted among its cushions. the door shut,
| and with a wild mournful note from the horn,
we few a full gallop down the avenue:
| Sir John laid his fainting wife in the arms
| of a servant. who fortunately appeared Just as
4 she was wanted and rushed few PAGES to-
ward us, calling and gesticulating., but his
| voice was drowned by the sound of the wheels
and he was soon left behind.
| We swung along. past the familiar gates OF
| the drive all fastened back as If in readiness
| for our exit, past the lodge, where naxen,
| haired children stared after -round-eyed
| with amazement-out into the road. but the
horses heads were not toward Churchtown.
Soon we were tearing at headlong speed
over yielding turf, and down the steep slopes
that lay between DENLY and tho North bay
! The tide was up, and presently the SIX steam
| ing blacks were cooling their legs, If not their
tempers. in fording the shadows at the head
| of the bay.
Did Won ever try TO think while you were
being swayed to and fro in the Flying Dutch
man or Wild Ir.hmanI If so, you will ac-
| knowledge that the effort was in vain, though
| you had only even motion to contend against
| / had been sujected TO every variety of
movement. and my thoughts seemed shaken
| into a mere chaos. which endeayored TO mr.
range into some semblance of order as we
splashed heavily through the waves, while
Ipassivey hoped that the white coach was
better built than Pharaoh's chariot, whose
wheels came of in the sea.
was dressed for dinner and not for driving,
int soft, pale-gTeen cachemere, embroidered
with small pearly shells-the square open
body had long sleeves falling from the
shoulder. leaving my arms bare. had
string Of shells round my throat, and white
iesssmine. which Charlie Willet had given mo
and begged me to wear that evening in my
dress and hair.
now attempted TO sift my motives for en-
barking on thi. strange journey. Twas obliged
to confess to myself that Lady Denby's cry
had given me the impression that Charlie was
in danger ny thoughts ran on a railway
accident, and hoped from the drivers signal
TO me that he was about TO take me where |
might be of use to the man loved, since his
sister was incapable, through her own delicate
health. of rendering any service. Though
the drivers face was partially concealed by a
hat with enormous curled brlms, there was
something in the outline that seemed familiar
TO me. and inspired me with belief that my
unknown charioteer was n trustworthy per-
son. / reflected, too that as long as daylight
lasted the whole course we were taking could
be observed from the upper windows Of
DENLY if any one retained sufficient presence
of mind and cOmmon-sense to watch us, and
that il would be easy for Sir John 10 send
armed and mounted servants after me if he
considered me in danger. 10 say nothing of his
favOrites the Irish police.
We now entered kind Of low ravine,
formed by the cliffs on one hand and the
abrupt declivity of a field on the other. Here
we were rs completely hidden from sight as
though the coach had suddenly sunk into
the earth.
The moon had by this time risen. the sea
and open country were flooded with her light.
while we seemed hemmed in a pit of darkness.
Seeing relief for the tension of my nerves in
immediate action-the only remedy | have
ever found of use--I rose from my corner and
was approaching the door, when 1t was flung
wide open from the outside and the driver of
the coach stood before me, hat in hand. 1t
was impossible to distinguish his features in
the darkness but voice, which immediate
| lv recognized as belonging TO Lieutenant
Fred Grayham, of the Churchtown regiment
| said in quite modern English:
Il am sorry TO have led you such n queer
| dance. Miss Norman. If you don't mind
| getting out. will explain matters 10 you,
| How dark il is inEdel"
He handed me down the steps and led me to-
ward low bank more in the light
glanced at the team a. we passed them.
| The horses sides and TANKS were steaming-
| the willing brutes were painting. hanging their
| heads, rolling their tongues out. and giving
| plain evidence that they were beginning to
| feel distressed by the pace at which they had
| been driven.
There were still four men on the coach. two
in some now undistinguishable color slashed
with white. and the terra-cotta-g CARRIED pair
already mentioned.
Barnes and Trefusis of Ours, Blank from
Churchtown, and Dash, his cousin" said
| Grayham.
nto ra,eaJ tbo;r ba.,
The coach belongs to a circus that came
| to Churchtown yesterday; We horsed il as we
do the regimenta drag, adding Dashs black
and mine and bet that we would drive to
meet the 1905 train that everybody goes by"
| (here for the first time began to feel inter
ested), 20 straight through Churchtown,
| and drive three times round the grass plat at
DENLY, without being recognized by a SOU 4"
Did you bet on the possibility of my JOIN
| ing your" asked, rising in state of high in
dignation.
"Oh, no-no-I give you my word-but-I
don't know how TO tell you-prepare for bad
news. Poor Willet is in danger, and there Is
| Just chance that you may be able to save
him. If you don't mind to a certain extent
taking your life in your hands.
Not |. How came you to judge me so
truly
ham, stumbling piteously over this honest
! ayowal, and | know you have plenty of
| pluck"
Can we not start at once?"
| Yes. we have quarter Of mile TO walk
| through an underground passage. can tell
| you as We 60 Dash and Blank will stay with
the team. Barnes and Trefusis will come with
Us. They should all escort you. only don't
want to find the poor Hutes hamstrung on my
return"
He then showed me an opening. hardly
larger than that of a badger earth. in the side
| of the field. Carnes and Trefusis each pos
sessed himself Of q coach-lamp. we crawled
! through the narrow entrance. half blocked by
moss-grown boulder, and after proceeding
| in this abject fashion for few PAGES were
I able to stand upright. and found ourselves in
| rocky passage, wide enough 10 allow us TO
| walk two and two. Air was admitted from
narrow assure. in the limestone above. The
| place is still intact | afterward examined il
| by daylight and found that it branched of
| into several chambers. Ii was loosely sup
| posed To have been constructed by Danes or
sheep-steelers-a wide margin, but as no
sheen could get IN, inclined TO the Danes.
Grayhamnow took one of the lamps, and
holding It so as to throw the light in front Of
| me. began:
II told you we drove to the station We
| knew Millet was leaving by the 7:C5. and we
! thought we'd puzzle him with a grand part
| ing salute; but he was not there. so we con-
| cludcd he had stayed al DENLY, and We would
| try for a rise out of him at home. just as we
were leaving Churchtown we passed a halter
| ed gray that q shock headed fellow was lead
| ing toward a side street The animal was
| going lame from a shot-wound in its shoulder.
| so We asked what was up. The man com
| planned that his boy had been meddlinp Will