Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-03-19
into the coppice and waited for his COM

es.S HOASAs
The man sat ON the edge of the table.
just aa l had left him. 'They are with
out" says. turning toward the fire;
"they will wait your going forth and
then follow you to MarshfOrd common,
where they propose to take you il the
rear"
do they soy SAYS he. but come,
master farmer. are 0e to he Outwitted
by three c%rop-earcd roundheadsy"
Ills the kings dispatch:' says 1.
His eyes fixed themselves OH mine and
1 saw the white teeth shut slowly down
on his lip.
"Tlere is some plan in our head"
says he.
1 sat down on the settle. He looked at
me for a moment, and then put his
hand within his doublet and drew out
a thin packet of blue silk, and there
was writing on each side of the knot.
His finger pointed to a word in the cor
her. Come" says he. your plan.
farmer" and lie put back the packet.
II am moi without horses" sayA 1. 1
glanced him up and down. I'VE are
much of a build" l says. "If 1 were on
IL horse and in your uniform and yo.
We're on another in my %clothes." I says.
and If l took the road acros the COM
mon and you followed one that 1 can
tell you Of-do you see what l nean.'
says l.
by hcavens!!' says he. "An' we come
through with it the king shall reward
You tittingly. But tits more like to end
in your DEATH" he says. and shakes his
head.
I'll take my chance of that says 1.
Come, is it settled between us:'
Are YOU a married many" says he.
Have you wife and children:"
Neither the one nor the other.'
says l.
"A mother. tlleny' says he.
"ln the churchyard, two miles away"
says l..
He nodded and once more looked me
up and down, ending with a long stare
into my face.
Il take your offer. FRIEND" says he,
and he held out his hand. MY name is
Eustace Blunt"
Mine is Stephen Manu." says 1, with
my hand in his.
NO better man in England!" says he,
with a laugh at his own wit. Come, 1
am in your hands. Stephen. What do
we do tirst!"
First, | shall set out. leading my
horse across the paddock TO the front
gate. thence to ride along the high road.
Give me II good ter 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 a grass lane. You
will follow 1T for a 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 1.
Before l had ridden a quarter of a
mile along the road l heard the steady
pounding of their horses feet behind
me. l turned in the saddle and looked
~back-they came owe Il slight rise in
the road. riding abreast. There WAS
that in the steadincss of their pace that
al Z " a ONlOl u Z III
the matter.
L might have been half way between
the end of the lane where Blunt was to
turn off. according to my directions. and
the first stretch of the common when n
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 OH the dispatch that should have
been i'll Blunt's care and not in mine
made HE pull up the horse. There l
was in possession of his maiesty's dis
patch, Il thing of the strictest import
lnce. and behind me rode three round
head troopers that were anxious enough
to lay fingers OH it. AS for Blunt. that
should have had ii i'll keeping. lie was
by that time riding i'll the narrow lane
IL mile in the rear.
The common suddenly widencd cut
before me. saw Dick Pritt's grnnary
roof shine white in the moonlight, for
all that We We're a good mile and IL
half from it.
The three of them, still riding close to-
getiler, were within 300 yards of me.
The moonlight struck the polished steel
of sheir breast pieces.
There We're four square miles of COM
moa and twas as tricky a bit Of land
as a mai might find in a days march.
There was a ditch here and Il marsh
there, and both well hidden by the long,
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 a loose rein was more
likely to come to grief than not: nay, if
he came within measurable distance
of Butter-Bum hole he was like to leave
horse, saddle and bride in its black
depths. and think himself lucky If lie
escaped with his own life.
Ere I had ridden twenty yards into
the rank grass the three men gave a
sudden shout and dashed across the
common to intercept me. 1 could have
laughed with glee-they had not gone
u dozen strides before the foremost
horse went knee-deep in a ditch and
flung its rider over its head. I was in