The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-06-19

Then they talked again, and the
end of it was that they backed their
horses into the coppice and waited
for his coming forth.
The man sat on the edge of the
table just as 1 had left him. "They
are Without l says, turning to-
ward the fire. "They will wait your
going forth and then follow you to
Marshford common, where they
purpose to take you in the rear"
"Do they soa'' says he "But
come, master farmer, are we to be
outwitted by three crop cared
Roundheads'
'Tis the kings dispatch, "says l.
His eyes fixed themselves on mine,
and I saw the white teeth shut slow
ly down ON his lip.
There is some plan in your
head, says he.
I sat down on the settle. He look
ed at me for moment and then put
his hand within his doublet and
drew out thin packet of paper. 1t
was tied about with skein of blue
silk, and there was writing on each
side of the knot. His finger pointed
to word in the corner Come"
says he, ''your plan, farmer" and
he put back the packet.
II am not without horses" says
I. l glanced him up and down. 1--WE
are much of build" says. eff 1
were on one horse and in your uni
form and you were on another in
my clothes,' says, land if took
the road across the common, and
you followed one that can tell you
Of Do you see what I mean2"
says I.
by heavenl'' says he. "And if we
come through with it the king shall
reward you fittingly. But tits more
like to end in your DEATH" he says,
and shakes his head.
"I'll take my chance of that, :"
says I. Come, is it settled between
us2"
"Are you married man2' says
he. 'Have you wife and children2"
Neither the one nor the other, "
says I.
"A mother, them" says he.
''In. the churchyard, two miles
away" says I.
He nodded and once more looked
me up and down, ending with a
long stare into my face.
81 take your offer, FRIEND" says
he and held out his hand. my
name is Eustace Blunt"
Mine is Stephen Mann" says 1,
with my hand in his.
''No better man in England, "
says he, with a laugh at his own
wit. Come, am in your hand,
Stephen. What do we do first2"
First I shall set out, leading my
horse across the paddock to the
front gate, thence to ride along the
highroad. Give me a good ten min
utes' start ere you set forth your
self. When your time is up, follow
the highroad for half mile and
then turn to your right. You will
find yourself in grass lane. You
will follow it for a good three miles
ere you come to signpost, but
when you come to that you are OF
the straight road to York again
And SO farewell" says /.
Before / had ridden quarter of 6
mile along the road l heard the
steady pounding of their horses
feet behind me. l turned in the sad
die and looked back. They came
over slight rise in the road, riding
abreast. There was that in thu
steadiness of their pace that gave
me a notion of their resolution il
the matter
I might have been half way be
tween the end of the lane where
Blunt was to turn off, according tt
my directions, and the frs stretcl
of the common, when a suddel
: thought caused me to clap my hant
to the pocket of my coat. The sur
: prise that came to me as my finger
closed on the dispatch that shoult
have been in Blunt's care and no
in mine made me pull up the horse
There was in possession of hi
majesty's dispatch, a thing of tn
strictest importance, and behin'
me rode three Roundhead trooper
that were anxious enough to la,
fingers on it. AS for Blunt, tina
1 should have had it in keeping, h
was by that time riding into tn
narrow lane a mile in the rear.
The common suddenly widene
I out before me. / saw Dick Pritt
granary roof shine white in tn
' moonlight, for all that we were
good mile and half from it.
The three of them, still ridin
= close together, were within 20
: yards of me. The moonlight struc
K the polished steel of their breas
9 pieces.
There were four square miles c
d common, and twas as tricky b
a of land as a man might find in
9 days march. There was ditc
Il here and a marsh there and bot
well hidden by the long, rank gras
8 that grew thick all over the plac'
n A ,,oo,, +1,of Aid not IpoU the Law 4