The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1897-05-08

| just as had left him. They are Wlth-
out" l says, turning toward the fire:
they will wait your going forth and
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 outwitted
by three crop-eared roundheadsT
"'Tis the kings dspatchf" 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 at
me for a moment, and then put his
hand within his doublet and drew out
thin packet Of blue silk, and there
was writing on each side of the knot.
His finger pointed to a word in the cor
ner. Come" says he, your plan,
farmer" and he put back the packet
Il am not without horses" says l. /
glanced him up and down. I'VE are
much Of build" says. IF were on
one horse and in your uniform and you
were on another in my Clothes" | says,
"and If took the road across the com
mon and you followed one that | can
tell you of-do you see what | meanT
says /.
by heavensl" says he. AN we come
through with it the king shall reward
you fittngly. But It's more like to end
in your DEATH" he says, and shakes his
head
IN take my chance OF that" says /.
Come, is It settled between u.s."
Are you married manT says he.
Have you wife and children"
Neither the one nor the other, -
says l.
"a mother. thenT" says he.
"ln the churchyard, two miles away
says /.
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 l, with
my hand in his.
mo better man in Englandr' says he,
with a laugh at his own wit. "Come,
am in your hands, Stephen. What do
we do first?"
First, | shall set ont, 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 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 l.
Before l had ridden a quarter of a
mile along the road | 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 a notion of their resolution in
the matter.
l might have been half way between
the end of the lane where Blunt was ia
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, a 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 1t in keeping, he was
by that time riding in the narrow Ian,
a mile in the rear
The common suddenly widened ou
before me. | saw Dick Pritt's granary
roof shine white in the moonlight. fol-
all that We were a good mile and O
half from 1t.
The three of them, still riding close to
gether, were within 200 yards of me
The moonlight struck the polished stee
of their breast pieces.
There were four square miles of com
mon and twas as tricky a bit of lane
as man might find in days march
There was a ditch here and a marsl
there, and both well hidden by the long
rank grass that grew thick all over IN,
place. A man that did not know tn,
lay of the ground and rode his hors,
across 1t with a loose rein was NOR,
likely to come to grief than not: nay. 4
he came within measurable distanc,
of Butter Bum hole he was like to leav,
horse. saddle and bride in its blacl
depths, and think himself lucky If b,
escaped with his own life.
Ere | had ridden twenty yards int,
the rank grass the three men gave
sudden shout and dashed across tn,
common to intercept me. l could hav,
laughed with glee-they had not gon
dozen strides before the f0remos
horse went knee-deep In a ditch an,
flung its rider over its head. | was il
hopes the horse had broken a leg, poo
beast. but in a trice the trooper ha,
picked himself up and remOunted.
Butter Bum hole was In front. | mus
rid myself of one If not two Of them il
, its black deDthS II all three vould I'm