Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-06-02
CHAPTER VI.
THE CAPTAINS PAPERS.

We rode hard all the way, till we drew
up before DIR. Livesey's door. The
house was all dark in front.
Mr.. Dance told me to jump down and
knock. and Dogger gave me a stirrup
to descend by. The door was opened
almost at once by the maid.
rs DR.. Livesey in ?" asked.
No, she said; he had come home in the
afternoon, but had gone up to the hall
to dine and pass the evening with the
squire.
$50 there we go, boys" said Mr.
Dance.
This time, as the distance was short.
stirrup-leather to the lodge gates, and
up the long, leafiess, moonlit avenue to
where the white line of the Hall build
ings looked on either hand on great old
gardens. Here Mr.. Dance dismounted,
and, taking me along with him, was adj
mitted at word into the house.
The servant led us down a matted
passage, and showed US at the end into
great library, all lined with book
cases and busts upon the top of them,
where the squire and DR.. Livesey sat,
pipe in hand, on either side of the
bright fire.
I had never seen the squire so near
at hand. He was a tall man, over six
feet high, and broad in proportion, and
he had bluff, rough-and-readyf face, all
roughened and redeemed and lined in
his long travels. His eyebrows were
very black, and moved readily, and this
gave him look of some temper, not
bad, you would say, but quick and
high.
Come in, Mr.. Dance" says he, very
stately and condescending.
Good evening, Dance" says the doc
| tor. with a nod. "And good evening to
you, friend Jim. What good wind
brings you here?"
The supervisor stood up straight and
stiff, and told his story like a lesson;
and you should have seen how the two
gentlemen leaned forward and looked
at each other, and forgot to smoke in
their surprise and interest. When they
heard how my mother went back to the
inn, DIR. Livesey fairly slapped his
thigh, and the squire cried 'Bravo!"
and broke his long pipe against the
CRATE. Long before it was done, Mr..
Trelawney Chat, you will remember,
was the squire's name) had got up
1rOIu his seat, anu was ABOUT
the room, and the doctor, as if to hear
the better, had taken off his powdered
wig, and sat there, looking very strange
indeed with his own close-cropped,
black poll.
At last Mr.. Dance finished the story
''Mr. Dance" said the squire, 'tyou
are very noble fellow. And as for rid
ing down that black, atrocious mis-
creant, I regard it as an act of virtue,
sir, like stamping on a cockroach. This
lad Hawkins is trump, 1 perceive.
Hawkins. will you ring that bell? Mr..
Dance must have some ale"
"And so, JIM" said the doctor, '-you
have the thing that they were after,
have you?"
Here it is, sir" said I, and gave him
the oilskin packet.
The doctor looked it all over, as if his
fingers were itching to open it; but, in
stead of doing that. he put it quietly in
the pocket of his coat.
Squire" said he, when Dance has
had his ale he must, of course, be off
on his majesty's service; but I mean
to keep Jim Hawkins here to sleep at
my house. and. with your permission,
propose we should have up the cold pie,
and let him sup"
s'As you will, Livesey," said the squire;
Hawkins has earned better than cold
pie.