Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-08-31


flush on his dark check. THAT is what
mean. Let the priest so. canno. 60 and
will not.
Then you will be hanged!" quoth the
knight warmly. You have been in arms
against the queen, you fooll You will be
hanged as sure as you stay here.''
Then l shall be hanged" replied the
steward sullenly. There never' was a
CluLdo hanged yet without one to keep
him company. To hear of it would make
my grardsirc turn in his grave out there
dare not do it, Sir Anthony, and that is
the fact. But for the rest will do US you
bid nc.
And he had his way. But never had
evening fallen moro strangely and sadly at
Cotton before. The rain battered drcarily
in tho courtyard. The drawbridge, by
Baldwin's order, had been pulled up, and
the planks over tho moat in the rear re.
moved.
They shall not steal upon us again,"
he mutterod. And If We must surrender
they shall sec we do it willingly"
The tenants had gone to their homes
and their wives. Only the servants re-
mained. They clustered, solemn and sor-
rowful about the hearth in the great hall,
starting il dog howled without or O coal
few from tho fire within. Sir Anthony
remained broOding in his own room, Pc
troniila sitting beside him silent and fear
tll, while Ferdidnand and his vito moved
rcstlcssly about listening to the wind
But the evening and the night wore peace
fully away, and So to the surprise of ev-
eryhody, did the next day and the next.
Could the sheriff be going to overlook the
mavtsr! Alas. on the third day the doubt
had been sent ont as scouts, came .n with
news that the-o was q strong watch set ON
the Ridgcway, that the paths through the
forest were guarded, that bodies OF armed
men were arriving in the neighboring vii
lagos, and that soldiers had been demand
ed-or so it was said-frcm Warwick and
Worcester, ard even from u place as far
away as Oxford. Probably it was only the
shcrif's prudence which had postponed
the crisis, ard now it had come Tho net
was drawn all round As the day closed
in on Cotton and tho sun set auerily
among tho forest trees tho boys tale
which grew no doubt in the telling, passed
from ono TO another, and men sworc and
looked out of window, and women wopt
in corners. In the tower room Sir An
thony sat awaiting the summons and
wondered what he could do to save his
daughter from possible rudcncss, or even
hurt, at tho hands of these strangers.
There was one man missing from hall
and kitchen, but few in the suspense no.
ticed his absence. The fool had heard tho
boys story and, unable to remain inactive
under such excitement, he presently stolo
off III the dusk 10 the rear of the house
Hero he managed to cross tho moat by
means of n plank, which he then drew
over and hid in the grass This quietly
Observation-Disclosures be it said, had strict
ly forbidden any one to leave the house
Martin made off with grim chucklo to-
ward the forest, and following the main
track leading toward Wootton Wawen
presently came among the trees upon a
couple of sontincls. They heard him, saw
him indistinctly and made a rush for him,
but this was just the sport Martin liked
and the fun be had como for. His quick
ear appriseG him of the danger, and in a
second he was lost in the underwood his
mocling laugh and shrll taunts keeping
the Poor men OH the shuddcr for the next
ten minutes. Then the uncanny accents
died away, and satisfied with his sport
and the knowledge he had gained the fool
n,ndo for home. As he sped quickly across
the last field, however. he YVES aStonished
by the sight of dark figure in the very
act of launching his (Martin's) plank
across the meat.
''Ho, ho!' tho fool Eluttcrcd in fierce
undertone. THAT is it, is it! And only
one! II they will come one by one, like
the plums in the kitchen porridge, shall
mako a fino meal"'
He stood back, crouchirg down on the
grass, and watched the unknown, his eyes
gIittering. Tho stranger was tall, big
fellow, formidable antagonist. But
Martin cared nothing for that. Had no
not his long knife, as keen as his wits
when they were ut home, which was not
always. IIo drew it ont now, and under
cover Of the darkness crcpt nearer and
nearer, his blood glowing pleasantly,
though the night was cold. How lucky it
was he had come out! He could hardly re-
strain the lilo, ho!' which rose to his
lips. He meant to leap upon the man on
this side OF the water, that there might
DO 10 telltalc traces Oh tho farther bank.
But the stranger was too quick for him
in this He got his bridge fixed and began
to cross before Martin could crawl near
enough. AS no crossed, however, his feet
made slight noise on the plank, and I'M
der cover of it the fool roso and ran for
ward, then followed him over with the
stealthincss of n cat. And, like cat, too,
the moment the strangers foot touched
ihc bank Martin sprang on him with his
Knife raiSed-sprang Oh him silently, with
his teeth grinning and his eyes aflame.
(To be contlnued.)