The Van Buren press., 1898-01-29


taking short, well-worn pipe from his
pocket, sat down to smoke. From an
other pocket came flask. They made
themselves comfortable, and seemed to
forget all about bed.
At any rate neither of them attempt
ed to go to it. They sat on and smoked
and drank occasionally, and whispered
| together in hushed tones. At last the
clock struck two. One of them rose,
drew aside the window curtain and
looked out.
A suppressed shout of exultation
broke from him. "Wade! Wade! the
night has changed. It's raining and
the moon is gone. / knew rain was
coming"
''Man alive, don't make that row."
retorted the other. 'We don't want the
house woke up"
Putting away their pipes and TASKS
they opened the window with crafty
gentleness and dropped down on the
ground outside it, one after the other.
| The night was very dark; no light, nor
| glimmer of it, was to be seen anywhere.
Making their way round cautiously
to the coach house and stables, Jim pro-
duced a master key which undid the
locks. The stable door he undid was the
one that had the valuable horse in it,
and he was surprised to find out what
an easy lock it was. Then, while the
other man kept watch he hastily and
noiselessly attached the horse to their
own gig, using the harness he had adj
| mired so greatly. The rain was dash
ing down smartly, which tended to
deaden other sounds. When all was
ready they cautiously led the horse
and gig out of the yard and to dis
tance beyond it, and drove away at a
spanking pace.
So far they were well satisfied with
their nights work, and congratulated
themselves on the valuable prize they
had captured in the horse and harness.
It's true the horse appeared TO require
the whip pretty frequently, and Jim,
who was driving, did not fail to admin
lister it.
Lazy beggar! He has stuffed him
self out with corn" cried he. "Yon
shall fast all this day, my gentleman,
and that will bring you into working
order What pelt it isl" docking up
at the pouring rain.) "Should say this
was the clearing shower"
"What1l the job bring us in. Jim?"
"Twenty pounds clear, I reckon. And
an old hack thrown in to complete the
bargain"
On the heath now, they began laugh
ing over the past nights adventure
there, as related to them by the land
lord. They had no fear of the high.
waymen themselves-not they; such
gentry do not prey upon one another.
Hang it, Jim, can't you drive
| faster?" cried Wade, suddenly.
Jim made no answer. He was begin.
ming to feel somewhat puzzled; for un-
less he was greatly mistaken the beauti-
| full horse betrayed unmis taxable signs
Of giving in. Their own wretched ami
NAL could do as well as this. Presently
it stopped-stopped dead from exhaus-
| ton.
"What the DEVILS the matter with
| him?" demanded Wade.
DC oIOl IL l. hllOW. IlC SNCllo dCdd
beat. It's so dark one can see nothing,
| Wish that moon would come OUT the
rain has ceased"
"Well, this is pretty go!" exclaimed
the other, as the horse, in spite of whip
and word, refused to move. Brought
up, before ones half beyond danger,
with stolen horse! You must have
| IL, h1 ~ |, r,f+ hn ~
NAL, Jim; never knew you mistake one
| before"
He jumped out of the gig and began
feeling the animal with his hands. At
the same moment the coy moon burst
out from behind the clouds and shone
down in all her splendor. Jim felt the
horse, stared at it and stared again.
The other one in the gig was also gazing
curiously. simultaneously shout of
dismay, followed by an imprecation,
burst from both of them. They had
stolen their own horse!
| Some mutual recrimination ensued,
Wade accusing Jim Of having made a
mistake and opened the wrong stable,
Jim vowing by all that's blue that he
Hdu OpeHeu tHe rlRlt one.
"Any way, we've got the harness."
pleaded Jim.
The remark caused Wade to turn his
eyes on it; its silver points were glitter
ing in the moonlight. A closer glance,
and then another angry shout broke
from him.
Look here, you fool, here's crest"
"Hey-what?" cried Jim, turning
round.
Sure enough; the silver-mounted har-
ness bore family crest with its Latin
motto, and could no doubt be identified
anywhere. Certainly this nights an
ticipated spoil was not lucky in any
way.
Next morning the landlord of the inn
was intensely surprised at the disap-
pearance of the travellers and at the
spiriting away of some harness that be-
longed to the young Viscount Dare. He
stood in the stable yard talking with his
bostler.
But for me his lordship's hoss would
ha' gone, too," cried the ostler, stolidly.
'When / see one O. they two gents a
poking and peering about here last
night under cover o. the dusk and see
him gazing at the fine animal with hun
cry eyes and next watched him a-fnger-
ing the stable lock, IL struck me what
he might be after-the wanting to have
a try at changing their own sorry hack
for this one. So the last thing at night
before turning in changed the hosses