Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-04-16

the cat-why, Ietn. 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 aboutl"
'fFor church and king, Joan"
HIN: same knowledge ha' / o. both-an'
that's nought But dearly loves fair play"
She was gone In minute or so heard
the trampling Of a horse; and then, with
scurry Of hoofs, Joan was of on the kings
errand, and riding into the darkness.
Little rest had l that night, but lay awake
on my bracken bed and watched the burning
peat turves turn to gray, and drop, fake by
fake, 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 all
the while my wound was stabbing, and the
bracken pricIling 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 key and
lay back-this time to sleep.
When 1 woke twas high noon. The door
stood open, and outside on the wall the winter
sunshine was lying very bright and clear.
Indoors, the old savage had been drinking
II 1afo fbo rr-ifl fisa
cat on one knee and his keg on the other. 1
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 to the
door, where l leaned, listening aud gazing
south. No strip of vapor lay on the moors
that stretched-all bathed in the most Won
derful bright colors-to the lip of the horizon.
The air was like a sounding board. l heard
the bleat of an old wether a mile off upon the
tors and was turning away detected, when,
far down in the south, there ran a sound that
set my heart leaping.
Twas the cracking of musketry.
There was no mistaking it. The noise ran
like wildfre along the hills; before the echo
could oVertake it a low rumbling followed,
and then the brisker cracking again. l
caught at the door post and cried, faint with
the sudden joy:
Thou angel, Joanl-thou ANGELO
And then, as something took me by the
throat-"Joan, Joan-to see what thou seestl"
a long time l leaned by the door post there,
at quicker intervals Yet, for as far as
could see, twas the peacefulest scene, though
dreary-quiet sunshine on the hills, and the
sheep dotted here and there, cropping. But
down yonder, over the edge of the moors,
men were fighting and numbering each
other, and yearned to see how the day went
Being both weak and loath to miss sound
of it, 1 sank down on the threshold, and there
lay with my eyes turned southwark through
a gap in the stone fence. In a while the mus
kerry died away and Wondered, but thought
could still at times mark low sound as Of
men shouting, and this, as learned after,
was the true battle.
1t must have been an hour or more before l
saw a number of black specks coming over
the ridge of hills and swarming down into
the plain towards me, and then denser body
~
ing at great pace, and l 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; lean, hawk eyed
man, with pinched face and two ugly gashes
one across the brow from left eye to the
roots of his hair; the other in his leg below
the knee, that had sliced through boot and
AaeI, 1flrao lie 70 -o1
with blood and he carried a musket.
"WaterI" be barked out as he came trailing
into the yard. "Give me water-Im dead
maui"
He was stepping over me to enter the
kitchen, when he halted and said:
'Art a malignant, for certainI"
And before had a chance to reply his mus
ket was swung up, and felt my time was
come to die.
But now the old savage, that had been sit
ting all day before his fire, without so much
as a sign to show if henoticed aught that was
passing, jumped up with yell and leaped to-
wards us. He and the cat were on the poor
wretch together, tearing and clawing can
hear their hellish outcries to this day; but at
the moment they turned me faint. And the
next thing recall is being dragged inside by
the old man, who shut the door after me and
slipped the bolt, leaving the wounded trooper
on the other side. He beat against it for some
time, sobbing piteously for water, and then
heard him groan at intervals till he died At
least, the groans ceased, and the next day be
was found with his back against the cottage
wall, stark and dead
Having pulled me inside, Joan's father must
have thought he had done enough, for on the
floorI lay for hours and passed from oneswoon
to another. Heand the cat had gone back to
the fire again, and long before evening both
were sound asleep.
So there l lay helpless, till, at nightfaI,
there came the trampling Of a horse outside,
and then a rap on the door. The old man
started up and opened it; and in rushed Joan,
her eyes lit up, her breast heaving, and in her
hand naked sword
Church and King, JackI" she cried, and
flung the blade with a clang on to the table
Church and Kingl o brave days work,
lad-O bloody work this dayI"
And swooned again
CHAPTER Kill
MEET WITH Mr. HANNIBAL TNGCoMB.