The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-05-08
into the coppicc and waited for his COM

! just as l had left him. They are with
OUT l says. turning toward the fire;
they will wait Your going forth ANA
then follow you to Marshford common,
where they propose to take you in the
rear"
DO they so?' says he. "But come,
master farmer, are we to be outwittcd
By three crop-cared roundheads"
Ills the kings dispatch" says l.
His eyes fixed themselves on mine and
saw the white teeth shut slowly down
on his lip.
"There is some plan in your head"
says he.
| sat down on the settle. He looked ut
me for a moment, and then put his
hand within his doublet and drew out
q thin packet Of blue silk, and there
was writing on each side of the knot.
His finger pointed to a word in the cor
ncr. Come says he, your plan,
farmer" and he put back the packet.
II am not without horses" says I. I
glanced him up and down. I'VE are
much of a build" says. IF were on
one horse and in your uniform and you
were on another in my clOthes,' says,
land If took the road across the COM
mon and you followed one that can
tell you of-do you see what l mean"
says I.
by heavens" says he. can we come
through with it the king shall reward
you fittinsly. But it's more like to end
in your DEATH" he says, and shakes his
head.
III take my chance Of that" says l.
"Come, is it settled between u.s."
Are you a married MANI says he.
"IIave you wife and clildren?'
"Neither the one nor the other"
says I.
"a mother, then?' says he.
"In the churchyard, two miles away"
says l.
He nodded and once more looked me
up and down, ending with q long stare
into my face.
II take your offer, friend" says he,
and he held out his hand MY name is
Eustace Blunt"
"Aline is Stephen Manu." says I, with
my hand in his.
mo better man in England" says he,
with laugh at his own wit "Come, l
am in your hands, Stephen. What do
we do tirst?"
First, I shall set out, leading my
horse across the paddock to the front
gate, thence to ride along the high road.
Give me good ten minutes start ere
you set forth yourself. When your
time is up follow the high road for half
a mile, and then turn to your right. You
will find yourself in grass lane. You
will follow it for good three mile ere
you come to a sign post, but when you
come to that you are on the straight
road to York again. And so FAREWELL
says.
Before had ridden 4 quarter Of a
mile along the road l heard the steady
pounding of their horses feet behind
me. | turned in the saddle and looked
back-they came over a slight rise in
the road, riding abreast. There was
that in the steadiness Of their pace that
gave me notion Of their resolution in
the matter.
I might have been half way between
the end Of the lane wh"re Blunt was to
turn off, according to my directions, and
the first stretch of the common when a
sudden thought caused me to clap my
hand to the pocket Of my coat. The sur
prise that came to me as my fingers
closed on the dispatch that should have
been in Blunt's care and not in mine
made me pull up the horse. There
was in possession of his majesty's dis
patch, thing Of the strictest import
ance, and behind me rode three round
head troopers that were anxious enough
to lay fingers on 1t. AS for Blunt, that
should have had it in keeping, he was
by that time riding in the narrow lane
a mile in the rear.
The common suddenly Widened out
before me. l saw Dick Pritt's grlnary
roof shine white in the moonlight for
all that We were q good mile and
half from it.
The three Of them, still riding close to-
gether, were within POO yards of me.
The moonlight struck the polished steel
of their breast pieces.
There were four square miles Of CON-
mon and twas as tricky a bit of land
as a man might find in days march.
There was a ditch here and a marsh
there, and both we'll hidden by the lorg,
rank grass that grew thick all over the
place. A man that did not know the
lay Of the ground and rode his horse
across it with loose rein was more
likely to come to grief than not; nay, if
he came within measurable distance
Of Butter hole he was like to leave
horse, saddle and bride in its black
he onl 4l,;pl- 3,;,,c,lf l,,l,,, T.,