The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1898-07-08
A Brave Coward.
By Robert Louis Stevenson.

va VI atCS All Bill us, SOLl'
abutting on the floor, some on thu
roof, and others, in fine, against tn,
opposite wall of the apartment.
Northmour produced some cold meat
to which | eagerly set myself. and e
bottle Of good Burgundy, by which
wet as was, | did not scruple to profit
| have always been an extreme tenn
perance man on principle; but it is
useless to push principle to excess,
and on this occasion I believe that |
finished three-quarters of the bottle.
AS ate, / still continued to admire
the preparations for defense.
I'VE could stand a siege" l said at
length.
"Ye-es," drawled Northmour; "a
very little one. perhaps. 1t is not
go much the strength of the pavilion
L misGoubt: it is the double danger
that kills me. II we get to shooting,
wild as the country is, some II is
sure to hear it, and then-why, then,
it's the same thing, only different, as
they say, Gagged by law, or killed by
Carbonari. There's the choice. 1t is
a deyilish bad thing to have the law
against you in this world, and so I tell
the old gentleman up stairs. He is
quite Of my way of thinking"
Speaking of that said l, what
/ Of person is he?"
oh, he?" cried the other; "he's a
rancid fellow as far as he goes. |
should like to have his necl; wrung to-
morrow by all the devils in Italy. I
am not in this affair for him. You
take me? made a bargain for Missy's
hand and | mean TO have it. too"
That, by the way" said I, 81 I'M
derstand. But how will MIR. Huddle-
stone take my intrusion?"
Leave that to Clara" returned
Northmcur.
| could have struck him in the face
for this coarse familiarity; but l re-
spected the truce, as, / am bound TO
say, did NorthTour, and so long as
the danger continued not a cloud arose
in our relation. | bear him this testi-
mopy with the most unfeigned salts
faction; nor am | without pride when
[ look back upon my own behavior.
For surely no two men were ever left
in a position so invidious and irritat-
ing.
AS soon as I had done eating we
proceeded to inspect the lower floor.
Window by window We tried the diff
ferent supports, now and then making
an incorsiderable change; and the
strokes OF the hammer sounded with
startling louGness through the house.
] proposed, I remember. to make loop
holes: but he told me they were al
ready made in the windows Of the up
per story.
1t was an anxious business, this in
spection, and left me ~down-hearted.
There were two doors and five win
dows to protect and counting Clara,
only four of us to defend them against
an unknown number OF foes. l COM
municated my doubts to Northmour,
who assured me with unmoved com
posure that he entirely shared them.
Before morning." said he, I'VE shall
all be b%utchered and buried in Grader
Floe. For me that is written"
1 could not help ~shuddering at the
mention of the euicksand, but remind
ed Ncrthmour that our enemies had
spared me in the wood.
do not fatter yourself" said he.
Then you were not in the same boat
with the old gentleman: now you are.
~, o. 60 III ~ ,,c n,nrY NV
words"
l trembled for Clara, and just then
her dear voice was heard calling rs
to come upstairs. Northmour showed
me the way, and. when he had reached
the landing. knocked at the door of
what used to be called My Uncle's
Bedroom" as the founder Of the pa
vilion had designed it especially for
himself.
Come in, Northmour; come in, dear
Mr.. Cassilis," said a voice from with |
in.
Pushing open the door, Northmour
admitted ne before him into the apart
ment. AS l came in l could see the
daughter slipping out by the side door
into the study, which had been pre-
pared as her bedroom. In the bed,
which was drawn back against the
wall, instead Of standing, as 1 had
last seen it. boldly across the window,
sat Bernard Huddlestone, the default
ing banker. Little as l had seen OF
him by the shifting light Of the lantern
the links, l had no difficulty in rec
ognizing him for the m
He had a long and sallow counte-
nance. surrounded by a long beard and
side whiskers. His broken nose and
high cheek-bones gave him somewhat
the air of a Kalmuck, and his light
eyes shoGe with the excitement of a
high fever. He wore a skull-cap Of
black silk; a huge Bible lay open be-
fore MIN on the he'd, with a pair Of
gold spectacies in the place, and a pile
Of ether books lay On the stand by his
side. The green curtains lent a ca
shade to his cheek, and. as
he sat propped on pillows, his great
vas painfully hunched. and his