The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-13

| Madeira before you go; VIII you JON
me, sir, tis toward noon"
As night was falling two mounted
messengers, spattered with mud from
| cap to stirrup, were riding wearl!y
along q deep, worn country lane. They
were in the north part of the county of
Somerset near the waters of the Sev-
ern The lane itself, deserted enough
that night, was IL great thoroughfare
for those who came from the south and
| west to cross over into Wales. BY this
immemorial stream of travel and the
| wearing of the weather it had been
| worn like II swift streams channel.
deep below the level of the country.
one of the riders kept glancing fear
fully at the bushy banks above him, as
If he expected to see head in the
| thicket peering down. The other man
rode straight and stern in his saddle,
and took no notice of anything but his
horse and the slippery road.
AS they came riding northward side
by side, to the top of Il little hill. Rog
ers, who wore q strangely pale and
craven look. gave sigh of relief, and
his horse, which limped and bore the
marks of having been on his knees.
whinnied as if in sympathy. The wide,
gray Severn spread before them; the
high headlands sloped gently away on
the right, and fell off like cliff on the
left; below the land was edged by a
long line of dyke which fenced the sea
from marsh and meadows that stretched
| ba IA vida
| water drifted low clouds of fog and
| rain, and in the southwest dull red
| gleam of fading winter sunset light
| tened but little the cold and stormy
color of the sky. High above the Sew
ern, at the roads end, stood a group of
| low buildings perched on the headland
| together, like a convent or a place of
military defense.
As the travellers rode into the yard of
the old Black Eagle inn in the twilight,
the inn itself and all its stables and out
houses seemed deserted. There was a
bare and empty look everywhere. The
sunset just struck last whip of rain at
the two tired men, and Weymouth
! called impatiently to the hostler, and
| then got stifily to the ground and
stamped his feet and stretched himself
as he stood holding his horses bride.
| The creature dropped his head low and
steamed in the cool air.
There were two windows in the inn
ITSELF dimly lighted as if by freight,
and in another window in the land
ward corner a candle flickered family.
| The whole place seemed dull and
| unfriendly with its stony walls and
| roofs. Rogers grumbled with plant
| i've whine, his companion shouted
again with a strong, honest voice, and
presently stable door was flung open
and two men came out. Inside, the
light of an early lantern beamed COM
fortably, and the horses turned their
| heads that way, as If eager for their
| supper and warm bedding. There was
no sound from within of stamping hoofs
or cry of crowded and biting horses.
| The business was evidently at lowest
ebb.
Rub them down well and give them
good feed as soon as you dare; full oats
and scant hay. We must be on our
| way again two hours from this at least
| we lost the road and We're in haste at
any rate" said Weymouth. "I'll come
out and look after them in an hour
Mind they're not in the wind" he add
| ed. Come, get down." he said in a
colder tone to his fellow-traveler, who.
| through WEAKNESS or uncertainty, still
sat his horse like "a dropping statue.
Strike the mud off you; here, I'll help
you, then" as the man gave groan
and tried to dismount. After the
first wrench you're all right. Gomez
you're none the worse for your cropper
| into clay and mud! Queer inn they
| keep here" he said, angrly, as they
crossed the yard toward the door
whittier one of the hostlers had pointed
them They could hear a woman :
| scoldng voice inside before it was
opened.
AS the mistress flung it open wide
and stood on the threshold. she bade
her guests good evening in a civil tone,
but insisted somewhat ostentatiously
| that she desired no guests that night.
| She had ceased to keep the tavern since
| the travel had all gone, or been stolen
away to the lower ferry. She had some
| people already whom she must make
| shift to care for. old Welsh folk who
| had been put into the only room that
! could be used. She was giving up her
| lease 60 leave the place
1--WE only ask for supper and a fire,
it's but to rest our horses" said Wey-
| mouth, boldly making his way into the
| inner kitchen where the freight looked
| cheerful. Rogers followed ruefully.
| limpng and holding his shoulder as IL
| ne were badly hurt. When he sank
| into the corner of the settee his head
| dropped back as If he were i'll, and his
eyes smut as If their sight swan with
giddiness Such distress of weariness
| and squalor of mud and wet could not
| but appeal to the beholder.
Weymouth stood before the fire
steaming like the horse he had Just
| left and regarding his companion with
| pity and surprise. Then he gave him
self another stretch, and yawned COM
fortably, and taking off his short cloak
spread 1t carefully upon IA bench
There was stout leather wallet at his
| side which he unslung and put by the
cloak at the fireside. handling 1t as
| lightly as he could, but not concealing
| the fact of its weight or that such a
| road-shouldered man as himself was
glad to get rid of 1t. AS he turned
again he. saw that the lahdlady had
t>stopped> her work among pans and
! crooks atNthe table ard was watching
him sharply but Rogers g,roaned as if
| in his sleep and Weymouth repented
his contempt and harsh words on the
way" His fellow-niessenger had been
ofilcieus in, his pretense Of knowing
every turn II of road that would bring
them quick aud safe to Bristol, but he
had taken the worst of his mistake
with SO bad q falIN IL the color of his