Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1893-02-23
Saint Maru's Beacon
CONTINUED from LIST page.)

shaking IN Ma SANDALS; VIII nave
him bound over to keep the peace
'Yon had best compromise the
matter with him, suggested another
servant. He is cousin to Jim Mug
gins, called the Long Lance, VINO
never rides with less than five hum
bred spears at hrs back; and they
would make no more bones of
bouncing on us here, and driving
rs out with fire and sword, than /
would Of eating a chicken for break
fast, by the same token that i am
fasting from all but sim
Old Piper began to feel over
powered. The strange dresses and
the stranger lingo were almost too
much for him. especially since he
received it all on an empty stomach.
We must get ont Of this, he said,
feebly. j will take the frat train
for any place where Jack and Jim
Muggins are not riding about, with
spears at their back
Where would you go:' returned
the domestic, with a melancholy
shake of the head. 'You cannot
ride through the forest with less
than five hundred men; for they
say Robin Hood is up with his men,
and there is green tunic and a
long bow behind every bush and
under every leaf; and there are the
knight Templars. who would offer
you protection, and serve you worse
than Jack Muggins; and there is
the Baron Pound of Beef, who
would pounce upon you as hawk
on chicken, and never release you
from his wettest, greenest, nastiest.
darkest dungeon, till You had hand
ed over all the money you have; and
granting yOu escape all these perils.
to whom would you appeal for help?
King John won't help you against
the Muggineses, fer if Richard
comes to his own again, there will be
hot work, and John will press every
spear into his service. And there
is talk, too, Of "a war with France.
in which case the country will be-
so burned, and ravaged, and torn.
that you jump from the frying pan
into the fire.
Il will write to the-the govern
ment about it, cried old Piper. 1t
is shameful, scandalous.'
And who will bear your message?'
asked the servant. Men are not
made of steel, nor do they bear
charmed lives, to run safe through
such perifs as we talk of; and in
the months before We could get the
answer, Jack Muggins and Long
Jim may hang us twice over if they
chose
But what right has the murder
ing rascal to come here and demand
my money! cried old Piper. He
ought to be sent to Jail. | will
write to the papers about it,
Just then tall, stern-looking
warrior rode up to the gate, follow
ed by dozen rascally-looking men.
Dog! Numbered the man at old
Piper, of with your cap And
then, as old Piper stood still-'Take
that, and learn another time to un-
bonnet before the lord of Mortier. ,
That was a tremendous blow.
which ought to have killed Piper.
and which felled him Hat to the
earth. He was on his feet again in
moment.
what was that for:' said old
Piper, trying to wipe the blood from
: his eyes.
BE silent, churl!' answered the
amiablc lord Of Mortier. Know
that saw yesterday in thy stables
such horse as no churl should ride.
If dogs like you were kept under
the foot, as in the good old times.
We shoald hear less of the evil times;
but when base-born churls ride
horses fit for mobiles, and live in
houses like this, they grow proud,
and rebel against the authorities
What have l done:' quavered
Piper.
'Dost thou parley with me, viii
lain" roared the lord of Mortier.
Il say thou hast a horse that no
churl should ride. Send him to
my stables, or abide the consequent
ces.'
But the horse is mine, argued
Piper; Il bought him.
Slave, nothing is thine. Thou
and thy fellows live only because
we have need of thee. But truce