The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-08


~IF NOT, BACK YOUR sTEED PAcn,
AND SUFFER ME TO PASS"
within the borders of Hainaut. Hast
thou fed before the cloud that threat
ems Brussels? That, own, haveI."
"For me, / too am bound towards
Mons. Lead on, and / will follow after"
The stranger obeyed, then fell TO
abusing all Netherlanders in good set
terms, and showed, by other matters of
conversation, n sound judgment and
most just discretion. Neither did he
make any secret of his own affairs. Don
Galyn-for so he called himself-was re-
turning TO Spain ere long, having failed
in certain ventures of merchandise.
The moonlight presently sholasd him
to be n small person, mounted on steed
shorter by hand and a half than the
beast Manrique bestrode.
The bigger mans doubts disappeared,
therefore, and he soon found himself
Jogging abreast of his companion. Man
riaue's head lowered high above the
pon's, but, despite repeated efforts,
he failed to get a sight of the strangers
face. for a wide-brimmed hat with
heavy feather partially shrouded ir;
and, as surely as the riders came into
CLEAN of moonlight, where it sill
vered their road from point TO point,
so surely would Don Galyn turn away
his head, and thus render any view of
his features impossible. He rode upon
the troopers right, and ceased not TO
talk until the sequel Of the entire in
cident. This now suddenly happened
with the appalling swiftness of thun-
derbolt.
They were then riding through mar
row gorge, and at point where the
path sank sharply and wound in cim-
merian darkness under beetling crags,
the soldier spoke;
such place might be worth Jews
eye in time of war" said he. Truly,
ten men we'll posted with muskets could
slay thousand"
AS though the words had been sig-
nal, they were pointed by fash of fire
which leapt suddenly from the crown
of rock not fifty PAGES ahead of the
travellers. But no leaden ball screamed
by them, though preciplces to right and
left rang loudly out, magnifying the
solitary discharge into a volley. Man
rique's life, however, was none the less
assaulted, and that viciously; for, as he
reined back his horse and turned to
fly the ambush, he felt heavy blow
on his right breast and heard the sharp
crack of swapping steel. His own COM
panion Ii was who had seized the oppor-
tunity and struck him hard and deep
"a blow which must have certainly
enacd the soldiers interest in worldly
affairs, save for that armor beneath
his doublet. TO draw and hotly engage
the traitorous fiend was the work of
moment; but the Spaniard, despite his
statements to the contrary, possessed
evident knowledge of warlike affairs,
and when Manriquc's heavy weapon
beat down his enemy's rapier and fell
with crash upon Don Galyn's shoulder
the tables were turned. for his sword
blade shivered on proof Already that
dark gorge was alive with hurrying
figures, and before the assaulted man
could retreat a dozen mai-clad foes,
rising like spirits from the gloom, were
upon him.
Don Galyn made no further effort TO
hide his face; and Manrique now OBJ
served with some horror that it was
black-coal black, with piercing eyes
shining bead-likc from il. No hooded
devil of the Inouisition heating flesh
pincers or screwing a rack could have
appeared more hideous. Four others
of the band had similar faces. and the
discounted soldier, seeing escape im-
possible, alighted. submitted TO bc
bound and then asked briefly what
might be the will of his captors-a ques-
tion To which Don Galyn replied:
"Why, tits first TO learn thy business,
friend. From whence comest thou?
And upon what enterprise art thou en-
tarked?"
"My name II Feria Manrique. soldier
ofiSpain. and privileged by his Majesty
20 enjoy liberty from arms II I will.
My mission IL from the court OF Brus.
sells 10 Mons. And You, seigneur. would
have murdered mel Wherefore"
IT'S for va, not thee. go put tho
question. I struck thee not, but only
stroye &C. disarm thee" answered Don
Galyn. with coal mcndacity. "Now. let
ms seek the bonfire and light torch or
so; this matter needs illumination"
They turned through cleft among
the cliffs. and found themselves within
n small thsater of stone and sward, sur
rounded BY high rocks, Here prepara-