Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-05-11

spoke heard a sudden outcry behind M
and knew the hunt was up. plunged
| forward with my burden, recklessly and
blindly, through mud and over obstacles.
The wherry for which was making WAS
moored in the water q few feet from tho
edge had remarked it idly and without
purpose rs we came down to the wharf
| and had even noticed that the oars were
lying in it. Now, il we could reach it and
start down the river for Leigh, We might
by possibility gain that place and meet
Mistress Bertram's husband. "
At any rate, nothing In the world
seemed SO desirable to me at the moment
as the shelter of that boat. I plunged
| through the mud and wadcd desperately
| through the water to 1t, Mistress Bcrtram
scarce a whit behind Inc. ! reached it,
| but reached it only rs the foremost pursuer
| caught sight of U.S. heard his shout Of
| triumph, and somehow bundled my bur.
den into the boat. / remember that she
chung about my neck in fear and I had to
loosen her hands roughly. But did loosen
| them-in time. With one stroke of my
| hunting knife I severed the rope, and
pushing Of the boat with all my strength
sprang into it as it floated away and was
| in time. Bat one seconds delay would
have undone us. Two men were already
/
| very breath was hot on my face as we
| swung out into the stream.
Fortunately 1 had had experience of
boats on the Avon, at Bidford and STRAIT
ford. and could pull good oar For a
moment indeed the wherry rolled and dip
ped as l snatched up the SOULS, hut
| quickly got her in hand, and bending to
| my work sent her spinning through the
mist. every stroke l pulled increasing the
| distance between us and our now unseen
foes Happily VIC were below London
| bridge and had not that dangerous pas
sage to make. The river, too, was nearly
clear OF craft, and though once and again
| in the pool q huge hulk doomed suddenly
| across our bows and then faded behind US
| into the mist like some monstrous phan-
tom, and SO told of danger narrowly
| escaped, thought 1t best to run all risks
| and 60 ahead as long as the tide should
| ebb.
1t was strange how suddenly wo had
passed from storm into calm. Mistress
| Anne had bound her ankle with n hand
ksrchief and bravely made light Of the
hurt, and now the two women sat crouch
| ing in the stern watching me, their heads
together. their faces pale. The mist had
closed round us, and we were alone again,
/
that runs down to the sea. was oddly
struck by the strange current of life which
| for n week has tossed me from one adven-
ture to anots.-r, only to bring me into
contact at le,,gth with these two and
sweep me into the unknown whirlpool of
their fortunes.
| Who were thcy' A merchants wife and
her sister hyiag from Bishop Ronner's in
| QUESTION? / thought it likely. Their
cloaks and hoods indeed, and all that
could see Of their clothes, fell below such
. condition, but probably they were worn
as disguise. Their speech rose as much
above it, but l knew that of late many
merchants wives had become scholars
| and might pass in noblemen's houses.
Even as in those day IS when London waxed
| fat and set up and threw down govern
mcnts. every alderman had come to ride in
| mail
No doubt the women. watching me in
| anxious silence, were as curious about me.
| / still bore stains of country travel. / was
unwashed, unkempt; my doub,et was torn;
the cloak ! had cast at my feet was the
very wreck Of a cloak. Yet read no dis
trust in their looks. The elders brave
eyes seemed ever thanking me. 1 never
saw her lips move silently that they did
not shape well done!' And though
caught Mistress Anne scanning me once or
twice with an expression 1 could i'll inter-
pref smile took its place the moment her
gaze met mine
We had passed but were still in sight of
Greenwich palace-as they told me-when
| the mist rose suddenly like a curtain
rolled away, and the cold, bright February
| sun, shining out, disclosed the sparkling
river, with the green hills rising on our
right hand. Here and there on its surface
| a small boat such as our own moved to
and fro, and in the distant pool from
which we had come rose little forest Of
masts. ! hung on the oars moment, and
| my eyes were drawn to a two nastcd YES
sci which, nearly half a mile below US,
was drifting down, gently heeling over
with the current as the crew got up the
sails. Il wonder whittier she is bound, Z"
said thoughtfully, land whether they
would take us on board by any chance"
| Mistress Bcrtram shook her head. Il
have no money" she answered sadly. Il
fear we must go on to Leigh if it be any
way possible. You are tired, and no won
der But what is it," with a sudden
change of voice. What is the natter"
| had flashed out the oars with n single
touch and begun to pull as fast as could
down the stream. No doubt my face, too
proclaimed my discovery and awoke her
fears. Look behindr l muttered be-
| tween my set teeth.
She turned and on the instant uttered
a low cry. A wherry like our ewn, but
even ighter--in my first glance up the
river l had not noticed it-had stolen
nearer to us and yet nearer, and now,
throwing aside disguise was in hot pur-
suit of us. There were three men on board,
two rowing and one steering. When they
saw that wo had discovered them, they
hailed us in a loud voice, and l heard the
steer,nan's feet rattle on the boards as he
cried to his men to give way and stamped
in very eagerness. My only reply was to
take a longer stroke and pulling hard to
sweep away from them.
But presently my first strength died
away, and the work began to tell upon
me, and little by little they overhauled us.
Not that / gave up at once for that. They
were still some 60 yards behind, and for a
few minutes, at any rate, might put of
capture. In that time something might
happen. At the worst they were only three
to one, and their boat looked light and
| cranky and ecSy 70 upSef