Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-03-26

tramp Of hurrylng feet and the stern hail of the law. It was maddOEing to think of this and to know that we had only to cast JIr a rope or two in order to escape and to know also that we wcro absolutely help less.
 Iexpcctcd that Mistress Bertram, bravo as shc had shown herself, would burst into n passion of rage or tears. But apparently she had ono hope left. Sho looked at me.
 tried to think-tu think hard. Alas, I seemed only nblc to listen. An hour had gone by since we parted from that rascal in the court. and We might expect him to appear at any moment, venecful and OK ultant. with a posse At his back. Yet l tried hard tn think, and the fog presently suggested u possible course. Look here, :" l said suddenly, speaking for the first time, If you do not start until the fog lifts, cAptain, we may as well breakfast ashore and return presently"
 That is as you please" ho answered indirrrcntly.
 What do you think" said, turning to my companions with as much careless ness as I could command. Had we not better do that"
 Mistress Bcrtram did not understand, but in her despair she obcyCd the motion of my hand mechanically and walked to
 
 moro slowly, so that l had to speak to her with Sumc curtncss, bidding her make haste. for 1 was in fever until VIC were clear of the Whelp and tho Lion wharf. It had struck mo that, if tho ship wCro not to leave at once, wo wCro nowhere in so much danger as on board. At largo in the fog wU might escape detection for a tmc. Our pursurrs might as well look for a needle in a haystack as seek Us through it when once We were clear of tho wharf And this was not tho end of my idea. But for the present 1t was enough. Thcr2- fore took up Mistress Annc very short Come, said, ''bc quick! Let mo hclp you"
 She ohcycd, and I was ashamed of my impatirncc when at tho foot of tho ladder she thanked me prrttily. It was almost with good cheer in my voice and a rebound of spirits that explained as I hurried my companions across the raft what my plan was.
 The moment wc wcrc ashore fclt safer Tho fog swallowed us up quick, as tho Bible says. Tho very hull of tho ship van ishrd from sight before we had gone half a dozen pacuS. had never seen a London fog before. and to mo it seemed portentous and pruvidCr tial-a marvel as great as the crimson ail which fell in tho London gardens to mark her majrsty's accession.
 Net after all, without my happy thought, the fog would haNc aVailcd us little. We had scarcely gone score of yards before the cautious tread of several people has trniuG down the strand toward the wharf struck my car. They wCrc proceeding in silence, and We might not have noticed their approach if the foremost had not by chance tripI'ci and fallen, whrrrupon one laughed and another swOrC. With warn ing hand gra~p,d my companions arms and hurried 'hvm forward some pacCs un- til felt surr that our figures could not be srvu through the mist. Then halted, and We s;uud listening, gazing into one an others strained CyC$, while the step came nearer and n""rvr cruserd our track and then with noisy rush thundcrcd on tho wooden raft My ear caught the jingle of harnr>s and clank of weapons.
 1t i, tho watch" l muttCrrd. "COmr, and make no noise. What l want iS a lit tlo t!.iS way fancy saw it as we passed down ;hr wharf.
 They turned with me, but We had not taken many steps before Mistress Anne, who was walking on my left side, stum hlrd over su!nrthing. She tried to say, herself. but failed and fell heavily, utter ing ;lS shr did su a loud cry. I sprang l.
 
 brr hid my hand lightly on her mouth "Hush!" I said softly. For safety: | sake, mak" nu noise. What is the mat | ter"
 'Oh!' sl.r muanrd, making no effort [, risr, my ankle, my ankle! I am suro have irul,,u it.
 Imuttvrd my diSmay while Mi>,rcs l B,ltrlm. st,o l.in:. auAiuu. .!y, rXanll,, thu injured lni''. Gan !uu st,Ind:" sh, | askru.
 But il Was no timo for questioning, an, I put her aside, The troop which ha, passed Were within easy hearing, and i there should bC unc among them familiar with the girl 's NuiCo wu might be pouncct upon, fo, vr nn fuy, felt that it was Ii, | time for ceremony and picked Mistrrs Anur up in lny hrmS. whispering to tn | elder woman: 'tio on ahead! I think see the huut It is straight before you. Luckily I was right. It was the boat and so fLr we'll. But at the moment | spoke 1 heard a sudden outCry behind Il | and knew the hunt was up. 1 plunge l forward with my burden, rrCklCSsly am l blindly. through mud and over obstacles | Tho whrrry for which l was making wa moorvd in the wa;or few feet from th edge. lad remarked it idly and withou I aEd had even noticed that the oars wrr lying in it. Now, if we could reach it an start down the river for Leigh, We migh | by possibility gain that place and mrc | Mistress BvItraln ; husband.
 At any rate. nothing in the WUrl l seem, I eo desirable tu mo At tho muInrr a> rh, shelter uf that beat. I plunge t!.5. ,.A the mud and watlcd dcsprraIcl through the water tu it, Mistress BrrtraI scarrr Il whit hhind me. 1 reached il hut reached il only as the foremost pursu, caught sight uf uS. l heard his shout , i triumph, and >urnvhow bundled my huI den into the lnpat. 1 remember that sl ClUnE about my neck ill fear, and had { loosen her hands roughly But did luns,' thrIu-in time With one stroke of m hunting knife s,'vrrcd tho rope, an pushing, off the boat with all my etrrngt sprang into it aI il tluatrd away and W; in tinlv Hut "nr seconds delay wuul have undurlr u,. Two men wcrr nlrtad in the water up tU their knees, and the very breath Was hot on my face as W swung cut into the stream.
 | Fortunately | had had experience boats on tine Avon. at Bidford and Stra ford, and c"uld pull a good oar. For moment indeed the whrrry rolled and dil ped as l snntchrd up tho scullS. but quickly got hrr i'll hand, and bending ] my work sent her spinning through u mist, every stroke I pulled increasing u distance between us and our now unsCt foes. Happily WIG were below LondC bridge and had not that dangerous pa I sago to make. The river, too was near clear of craft. and though once and agai i'll the pool huge hulk loomcd sudden
 across cur bows and then faded behind into the mist like sOmo monstrous phal tom and so told of a danger narrow
 escaped. l thought it best to run all risl
 and go ahead as long as the tido shou
 Cbb.
 It was strange how suddenly wo hs
 passed from storm into calm. Mistre
 Anne had bound her ankle with han ! k"rchicf and bravely made light of u
 hurt, and now the two women sat crouc
 ing in the ,evrn watching me, their hCa, F.