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

BOW JOAN SAVED TIE ARMY OF THE WEST.
But the pain Of my hurt followed into my
dreams. / woke with a start, and tried to
ut up.
Within the kitchen all was quiet The old
savage was still stretched on the floor; the
cat curled upon the hearth. The girl had
not stirred; but, looking towards the window
hole, saw night outside, and frosty star
sparkling far down in the west.
Joan, what's the hourp
"Sun's been down these four hours" She
turned her face to look at me
1--WE no business lying here"
"Chose to come, lad; none axed thee, that
Knows by"
where's the marei Must set me across
her back, Joan, and let me ride on"
MARES in stable, VII fetlocks swelled like
puddens Chose to come, lad; an choose or
no, must bide."
"'Tis for the General Hopton, at Bodmin,
am bound, Joan; and wound or no, must
win there this night"
"And that's seven mile away; wi bullet
IN thy skull, and peat quag thy burial. For
they went south, and thy road lieth more
south than west.
THE troopersl"
a v, L
those same bloody warriors; but take a sup
at the key, and bite this manchet of oat-
cake while I tell thee"
And So having fed me, and set my bed
straight, she sat on the floor beside me for
the better hearing, and in her uncouth tongue
told how had been saved. l cannot write
her language; but the tale, in sum, was this;
When dropped forward into her arms,
tel oho
ing me dead. But Ito quote herr " no good
said I, in cuddlin' lad pom the hillside, for
folks to see, though he have a-got curls like a
wench; an dead or live, no use to wait for
others to make sure.'n
So she lifted and carried me to a spot hard
by that she called the Jews Kitchen" and
where that was, even with such bearings as /
had, she defied me to discover. There was
no time to tend me, whilst Molly stood near
to show my whereabouts; so she let me lie,
and went to lead the sorrel down to stable
Her hand was on the bride when she heard
a whoopl up the road, and there were half a
dozen riders on the crest, and tearing down
hill towards her. Joan had nothing left but
10 feign GOODNESS, and went on leading the
mare down the slope.
In a while up comes the foremost trooper,
draws rein, and pants out, "Wheres he tor
''Whor' asks Joan, making out to be sur
prised.
"Why, the lad whose mare thourt leadin'r'
Smile an half away by now"
Allows thatq"
Freshly horsed, >" explains Joan.
The troopers-they were all around her by
this-swore twas a lie, but luckily, being
down in the hollow, could not see over the
next ridge. They began a string of questions
all together, but at last little tun beIled SER
geant called ''Silence!" and asked the girl,
did she loan the fellow horsel"
Here I viii quote her again:
"'Sir, to thee, answered, no loan at all,
but fair swap for our Gray Robin
"'That's a lie he says; AN won't believe
thee
Knight 50 well,' says 1; but go to the
stable an see for thyseP.' (Never had gray
horse to my name, Jack; but, thinks 1, that's
his'n loOkOut)"
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 enougr-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 below it. learned, too, that Joan
had come in for some rough talk-to which
she put stop, as she told me, by offering to
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 moors toward Warleggan, having
las the girl heard them say to be at Brad
dock before night.
"Where is this Braddock!n
Nigh TO Lord Mohun's house at Boconnoc;
seven mile away to the south, and seven mile
or 80 from Bodmin, as a crow fliesn
Then 60 must, - cried /; and hereupon l
broke out with all this 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 /
found the Lord Stamford's men at Launce-
Tton; how that Ruthen with the vanguard of
the rebels, was now at Liskeard, with but
bare day S march between the two, and none
but to carry the warning. And, ooh, Joan!n
cried, my comrade left upon the road.
Brighter courage and truer heart never man
proved, and yet left by me in the rebels
hands Alasl that 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, that have Travelled two hundred.
And if the Cornishmen be not warned to give
fight before Lord Stamford comes up, alT's
lost Even now they be outnumbered. So lift
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, 50 simply spoken; but stared at
her Ike 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 left-you viii save
an army, girl; may be thronel Here tits,
Joan, see-no, not that-herel Say the seal
is that Of the governor Of Bristol, who stole it
from me for while; but the handwriting
viii be known Tor the kings, and no hand
but yours must touch 1t 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 be main thick wittedn
So told her the message over and over,
til she had it by heart.
''Sha'n't forgit now" she said at length;
SAN % hearken to me for a change. Bide
stsn, nor fret thyssr. Here's pasty an oat
cake, an key O. water that III stow beside
thos. Pay no he'd to fsythsr, an il be wills
81 p. IL,