Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-04-11

night to her father
"A kind man who loved the Coch-
rahes has written ballad about Grizzly
The ballad says-I only change the
words that you will understand:
"'She kissed her fathers tangled locks,
Unkempt for many day,
And she said TO save my fathers life
| aiblins ken way.
Give me thy love, that fortune proyei
Quoth Cochrane's bonny daughter
"But Sir John, while it made him
happy to see Grizzly, would not believe
that she could help him. He told her
that Lord Dundonald had kneeled down
before the King and asked his sons life
in vain.
"Truly enough of this King did one
of his courtiers say to poor suppliant,
while he touched the marble mantel:
This marble is not harder than the
Kingp
Nevertheless Grizzly felt sure that if
Lord Ddndonald could raise the money
he could briLe some of the Kings Coun-
Gil.
But, dearie, said her old nurse,
who had come after her, bouncing her
poor old bones on the gentlest horse she
could find, for you must know there was
no such thing as carriage in that part
of the Highlands then, 'dearie, the
warrants out F."
"What's warrantl" said Harry.
His aunt explained. IA warrant is the
order that the King writes to have any
enc put to death. Until the warrant
comes the Sheriff has no right to execute
a prisoner.
swell, Grizzy's nurse cried that they
had word from sure hand that the
King had signed the warrant, and it
would be coming by the London mail,
reaching Edinburgh the very next day.
No sooner should the warrant come than
the prisoner must die So the poor nurse
threw her apron over the gray head and
wept; for Sir John was kind master.
"'Hist, hurse! said Grizzly, 'hist |!
there's no time for greeting'-that is the
Scotch for crying-'ye maun get me
your short lads claithes And mind ye
: let nae soul on earth ken I'm in the
house mourning like to dee.
THE nurse was made to understand
somehow what Grizzly wanted. And very
soon she came out again, mounted her
horse, and all alone, rode across the long
bridge of the Tweed,
"She gelloped over the moor to d
ciump Of trees, A pretty girl Of sixteen
went into the shade Of the larches, but
what do you think3 A handsome, black
haired boy came out!'
MT was only her dressed up" said
Harry.
eyes, it was only she, dressed up-in
the clothes of her old nurses short son.
She dressed herself in laddies' claithes, ;
! says the ballad. Now she rides boldly
into Bedford town, to the tavern door
Presently, as she expects, the post
clatters up with the London mail. Can't
/ you see poor Grizzly staring at the great
leather bag that holds her fathers life2
But she didn't let any one see that she
was frightened, Oh, no, she laughed
and told stories and made so much fun
at The inn supper table that the post,
very full Of wine BY this time (for every
time his cup was half empty Grizzly slyly
filed it,, roared out: 'Blaw my pipes,
you're the crack o the wall, and the best
amang the hail'
SIN fact, Harry, they made so merry
that it was past midnight before they
went to bed, and then the post saw
double. He was sound asleep the in
slant his head touched the pillow. When
the house was still inside, and outside the
cocks were growing Grizzly came softly
through the hall. Softly she stepped to
the mail carriers bed. She cut the side
of the bag. She pulled out the great
sealed packet that she knew Yes, it
was the death warrant But floating
down the Tweed in a hundred wee
pieces, it will not shake hair Of Sir
Johns head-and there's where Grizzly
left it She did not touch the other
letters, but stole away ani before morn
ing she twas safe in her old nurse 5 room.
THAT made a gain Of fourteen days
for mercy. Because, you see, it took
fourteen days to get message from Edin-
burgh to London and back again. To,
day fast train called the Flying Scotch
man makes the journey in a night, but
there were no railways in 1886"
81 guess Id rather live now said
Harry; "but did Grizzly get her father of
that way, being a robber9"
'Poor robber" said Aunt Alice. "Sht
was to have a bitter disappointment
! There was a hitch about the money, OF
the King was more than usually obdu
rate. Six lords begged Cochranes life
No, he would not grant it. Cochrane,
he said, must die Another warrant was
sent. The same secret, swift messenger
brought the news. When it came Sir
John bowed his head. Heavens will
be done' said he.
Amen, said Grizzly, 'but my father
shall not diel
"The red sun was sinking behind the
sea. And the sea wind raced over the
moors, wailing as if to sound her fathers
death bell.
"'But never despair, thought Grizzly,
riding as fast as her horse could gallop,
in her laddies claithes, Otis kittle
carlel twill fright the post MAR thar
men
"Wilder and wilder grew the night.
THE larch and the tall fir shrieked wi pain,
As they bent before in the wind
And down there fell the heavy rain,
I'LL sense aud eyes were blind
"A lang night it's ne'er sees dayr
/ Quoth Cochrane's undaunted Grizzly.
Through the mire plunged the luck
less pest, half out OF his wits with ter
ror, his eyes rolling in his head and a
pistol shaking in his hand What a
night be muttered. Just as he passed
Fenwic&'s Woods from the whin bushes
shot out a fame, at the which his mare
reared, fiuging the heap of him back
| ward.
Before he could recover there was q
hand Oh his throat and cold rim Of
steel above his eyebrow.
"'Ill not take thy life, said voice
in his ear, but give me the London
news
"He gave up the bag and the warrant,
glad to escape thus easily
Doing him no more harm than de-
| priving him of the pistol, Grizzly peck
eted the warrant
And away she few,
With the speed and the strength OF the wild
curlew