Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-04-22

oiN'S VI 'hS hhol. hlS HnStI lSlutNO
to word in the corner. Come,
says he, your plan, farmer" and
he put back the packet
Il am not without horses" says
l. l glanced him up and down. 1--WE
are much of n build" l says. IF
were on one horse and in your uni.
form and you were on another il
my clothes, says, and if took
tho road across the common, and
you followed one that l can tell you
of DO you see what l meani'
says l.
by heavenW says he And if we
come through with it the king shall
reward you tittingly But It's NOR,
like to end i'll your death, - he says
and shakes his head.
I'm take my chance of that, -
says l. Come, is it settled between
us2"
Are you a married mani" says
he. Have you wife and children1'
Neither the one nor the other,
says 1.
"A mother, them" says he
I'm the churchyard, two miles
away" says l.
He nodded and once more looked
me up and down, ending with Il
long stare into my face.
II take your offer, friend, says
he and held out his hand My
name is Eustacc Blunt.
Mine is Stephen Mann, says l,
with my hand i'll his.
mo better man i'll England. ="
says he, with laugh at his own
wit. Come, am i'll your hand
Stephen. What do we do firstf"
First l shall set out, leading my
horse across the paddock to the
front gate, thence to ride along the
highroad. Give me 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 i'll Il grass lane. You
will follow it for good three miles
ere you come to signpOst, but
when you come to that YOU are ON
the straight road to York again.
And SO farewell" says l.
Before l had ridden quarter of II
mile along the road l heard the
steady pounding of their horses
feet behind me. turned in the sad
die and looked back They came
over slight rise i'll the road, riding
abreast. There was that in the
steadiness of their pace that gave
me a notion of their resolution in
the matter.
l might have been half way be-
tween the end of the lane where
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 rs 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 dispatch, Il thing of the
strictest importance, and behind
me rode three Roundhcad troopers
that were anxious enough to lay
fingers on it. AS for Blunt, thai
should have had it in keeping, ht
was by that time riding into tn,
narrow lane n mile in the rear.
The common suddenly widenet
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 ridins
close together, were within 20t
yards of me. The moonlight strucl
the polished steel of their breas
pieces.
There We're four square miles O
common, and twas as tricky hi
of land as man might find in
days march. There was a ditcl
here and marsh there and boil
well hidden by the long, rank gras
that grew thick all over the place
A man that did not know the lay O
the ground and rode his horse acroS
i viii q loose re;r uoO r,oro I;l.aI,
N com. ~ orief +bon No, w. !;
he cam. wi,bir ,,aoSnrahl. d;s+orc
Of Bpr,er Bun, hole he wss 1;raI,
TO leave borse saddIa and l,r;5I- :;
It's black 6er-hs and .f:rl hi
lr~rv G-,.---s 80, :. =
-! 49, p. 49, -. -.
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