Evening star., 1898-12-10
CHAPTER NNNIN.
Betrayed with 81 Kiss.


Betrayed with Kiss.
The earl and his brother were incarcer-
a1ed in the lower chamber of the high
Keep, called David's Tower. which rose
next in order eastward from the banquetins
hall. following the line of the battlements
Beneath the rock on which the castle
was built fell away toward the Nor Loeb
in d precpics so steep that no descent was
to be thought Of; and this indeed was the
chief defense, for the window of the cham
Der was large and opened easily, according
TO the French fashion.
I pray that you permit my young knight,
Sir SHoIto SIackin, to accompany me,''
said the earl TO the officer who conducted
them to their prison house.
Il have no orders concerning him said
the man. gruffiy, but nevertheless permit
ted Shoito to enter after the earl and his
brother.
The chamber was bare save for a prie-
dieu in the angle of the wall at which the
Douglas looked with a strange smile upon
his face.
Right apropos,' said he; they had need
Of religion in this house of traitors"
David Douglas went to the window seat
of low stone and bent his head into his
hands. H. was but a boy, and life was
sweet to him for he had Just begun To
taste the apple and to dream of the for
bitden fruit. He held his head down and
was silent space. Then suddenly ne sob
bed aloud with quick, gasPing nois-,
startling enough in that still place.
For Gods dear sake. David, laddie." said
his brother. going over to him ana placing
his hand upon his shoulder, be silent. They
viii think that we are afraid"
The boy ~tiilei himself instantly at the
word and looked UP at his brother with
pale sort of smile.
No. William. l am not afraid; and if, ill.,
deed. must die. I will not disgrace you.
& never afraid of that. y ct l thought on
our mothers loneliness. She Will mss me
sore, for she heeched and plead with me not
10 come. yet | would not listen to her.
sh"I;o stood by the door erect. as If on
duty at Thrive.
Come and sit with US" said the Earl
William kindly 70 him; we are no more
master and servant. earl and squire. We
arr but three youths Jnat are To die to-
geth-r. and the an 5 edge levels all. You.
Sholt". arr in some good chance To live tha
longest Of the three by some half-scOre Of
minutes ! am glad 1 made you a knight
on the field OF honor. Sir Snolto. for TN N
they cannot hang you to a bough, like a
yariet caught stealing the kings venison"
SholtO slowly came over TO ths window
seat and stood there respectfully as before
with MS arms straight at his side. feeling
more than anything else the lack of his
sword to set his right upon.
Nay. but do / bid YOU" said the earl
looking up AT him, sit down. Sholto"
And Sholto sat down on the window s. at
and looked out upon the lights leaping out
one after the other down among the crowd
burgher lit his lantern at the nearing Of
the hour Of supper.
Far away over the shore lands the narrow
strip Of the Forth showed amethyst and
mysterious, and farther out still the coast
OF Fife lay IN a sort of opaline haze.
Il wonder said William Douglas. after
a long pause. what they have done with
our hundred good lads Had they been
taken perished We had surely heard
more noise. l warrant. Two-score lads of
Galloway would not give up their arms
without a ulZie for it.
They might induce them to leave tn m
behind when they went out to take their
pleasures among the maids of the Lawn
market" said Sholto.
Not their swords said the earl. 1T
needed all your lords commands to make
yours quit your side. 1 warrant these
thirty Will give an excellent account of
themselves"
smurr of rain drifted over from the edges
OF Pentand. which mostly passed high
above. but whose lower fringes dragged as
It Were. on the Castle Rock and the Hill of
CaltOn-
The three young men were stiH silently
looking out when suddenly from the dark
ness underneath there came low voice:
Ware window" II said. stand back
there above"
To Sholto the words sounded curiously
familiar. and almost without thinking what
b, did he seized the earl and his brother
and dragged them away from the open
space Of the lattice, which opened into the
summers night
Ware window" came again the cautious
voice from far below. ShOlto heard the
whistle and spat Of an arrow against thu
wall without. 1t must have fallen again,
Tor the voice came a third time-'Ware
Window
And on this occasion the archer was sue
ceSsTul. guided doubtless by the faint illumi-
nation OF the lantsrn the guard had hung
on nail in the wall. and whose flicker
would outline the lattice against the dark
ness Of the wall.
An arrow entered with a soft hiss IL
struck beyond them with click and its
trOn point tinkled on the floor the plaster of
the opposite wall not holding it
SholtO scrambled about the floor on hands
and knees till he found II. 1t was COM
mon archer's arrow. A cord was fastened
about il and note stuck In the slit along
with the feather.
1T is my brother Laurence" whispered
SbOlto. Il warrant he is beneath with a
rope and a posse of stout fellows We
shall escape them yet"
But even as he raised the letter to read
II by the faint blue flicker of the lantern
there came cry of pain from within the
castle. 1t was woman's voice that cried
and at the sound OF pleading speech in some
chamber above them, William Douglas
started to his feet.
Tho words were clear enough, but in a
language not understood by Sholto Mac
kiEa- They seemed intelligibie enough
however. to the earl.
i knew it,, he cried, the false hounds
nave Imprisoned her also. 1t IL Sybilla'