Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-20
CHAPTER <N.


In an hour Sholto followed them, having
ridden fast and furious across the long
broomy braes OF Boreland and wet tho
fringss OF the silken coverture Of his horse
by vain -gloriously swimming the Dee at
the Castle pool instead of going round By
the fords. This he did in the hope tha:
Maud Lindsay might see him. And sc
she did, for as he came round by the out
side of the moat. making his horse caracole
and thinking no little OF himself, he heard
a voice from an upper window call out:
"Sholto MacKim, Maude says that you look
like a draggled crow. No, l will not be
silent"
Then the words were shut off as If n
hand had been set over the mouth which
spoke. But presently the voice out of the
unseen came again-"And hate you, Sholto
Mackim. For we have had to keep in our
chamber this whole day, because of the two
men you have placed over us. as If we had
been prisoners in Black Archibald This
very day I am going to ask my brother to
hang Black andre and John, his brother, on
the dule tree Of Carllnwark."
eyes, indeed, and truly" cried another
voice, which made his very heart hutter.
land set his new captain OF the guard
a-dangle in the midst, decked out from head
10 loot IN peacock featherS.
Sholto was very angry, for, like a boy,
ne took not chatting lightly and had neither
the harshness Of hide which can endure the
rasping Of woman's tongue nor the quick
ness Of tongue to give her the counter re-
tort.
So he cast the reins Of his horse to a
stable varlet and stamped indoors, carrying
his masters helmet to the armory. Then,
still without speech to any, he brushed
hastily up the stairs toward the upper floor,
which he had set Andrew the Penman and
his brother to guard.
At the turning OF the turnpike David
Douglas, the earls brother, stopped him.
Sholto moved his hand to salute and would
have passed by.
But David detained him with an i'm
petuous hand.
"What is this?" he sald "You have set
two archers on the stairs who have sho,
and almost killed the ambassadors two
servants-Ponthou, the man-at arms, and
Henriet, the clerk-just because they
wished to take the air upon the roof. Nay.
even when I would have visited my sister,
l was not permitted. None passes here
save the earl himself, till our captain take
hiS orders off U.S. That was the word they
spoke. Was ever the like done in the castle
OF the Thrieve to q master of Douglas be-
fore?"
"I am sorry, my Lord David" said
Sholto, respectfully, "but there were mat
ters within the knowledge of the earl which
caused him to lay heavy charge upon me-"
"Well," said the lad quickly relenttng, "let
us go and see Margaret now. She must
have been lonely all this fair day Of sum-
merit
But Sholto smiled, well pleased, thinking
Of Maud Lindsay.
II would that had lifetime OF suck
1oneliness!" he said to himself.
At the turning Of the stair they were
stayed, for there. his foot advanced, his bow
ready to deliver its steel bolt at the click
Ing of a trigger, stood andre the Swarthy.
From where he stood he commanded the
stair and could also see along the corridor
as WE'LL
David Douglas caught his elbow on some
thing which stood a few inches out Of the
oaken panellng Of the turnpike wall He
tried to pull 1t out. 1t was the steel quar-
rell OF cross-bow wedged firmly into the
wood and masonary; he cried:
whence came this? Have you been
numbering any other honest men?"
The archer stood silent, glancing this way
and that like sentinel on duty. The two
young men went on up the stair.
AS their feet were approaching the sixth
step, a sudden word came from the PEN
man like bolt from his bow.
Halt" he cried, and they heard the
gur-r-r-r OF his steel ratch, It
Sholto smiled, for he knew the nature Of
the man.
at is I, your captain" he said. "You
have done your duty we'll, Andrew the Pen
man; now get down to your dinner. But
first give an account OF your adventures"
"Do you relieve us from our charge?'
said the archer, with his bow still at the
ready.
Certainly" quoth Sholto.
Come, Jock. we are eased," cried andre
the Swarthy up the stair, as he slid the
bolt out of Its grip with little click
Faith. my belly is toom as a !2st years
beef barrel"
"Did any come hither to vex you?" asked
Sholto.
"Not to speak Of" said the archer
"There were the two varlets OF the French
man, and as they would not take bidding
10 stand / had perforce to send a QUARREL
buzzing past their lugs into the wall. You
can seq it there behind you'll"
Rascal" cried David Douglas. indig-
nantly "you do not say that first OF all you
shot 1t through the arm OF the poor clerl
Henriet."
at is like enough" said andre, coolly
''if his arm were in the way!'
Then there came voice from the stir:
from above.
"And the wretches would neither let any
1.-THE pet name OF the deepest dungeon OF
Castle Thrievc, yet eXtant and plain to be