Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-23

| most foul murder.
Sir" said Robin say no more For my
poor masters sake I would ride to Lon
| don, let alone the little trail to Edinburgh.
| for thirty years he hath been a good mas
ter to me. and now, when he is cruelty done
to death, he shall not go unavenged gin
| getheft'
Il win accompany you some part Of the
| way answered Umphray Spurway. Il
| desire not that Master Philip, who is lord
Ing 1t for the ponce up at the great house,
should take you with that letter in your
Yeti in safety"
| So saying he blew upon his little silver
| pipe, for in the Wauk mill everything was
done by so many blasts of the English
| mans whistle, just as 1t Is upon a kings
| ship at sea- And scarcely had the shrill
! sound died away when the weavers poured
| out OF their weaving sheds and wooden
the quadrangle, and there stood waiting
| their master in proper enough ranks and
| companies.
Umphray Spurway went out and said
| somewhat to them the purport of which /
could not hear at that distance; but he
| chose some thirty, whom he babe arm them
| with muskets. pistolets and whingers out
OF an armory which he kept in the drying
| Ioft over the dye house. For in the I'M
| settled state of the country the English
man had drilled his retainers like a mill
tary command For sometimes the rumor
| had run that the dragons were coming
| TO search the mills for hill folk and some
times that the wild wings We're on the
| march to burn 1t down as an invention of
the devil and a haunt of Episcopians. So
| that Umphray Spurway reckoned to make
| himself safe in either case
Now, the heart Of a boy is ever the same.
| In spite of the dreadful nature of my posi-
| ton and the dismal and afrighting expe-
riences of the night was wholly consoled
by the mere pleasure of walking in step
with so strong and military looking a com
pany of men. all well armed and able of
body-if a trif1e round-shouldered, as is in
| deed the wont of all weavers of cloth.
Moreover, We were going to my mothers
mouse, and il pleased me to think that she
should see me in such company, walking
beside Umphray Spurway almost like
| KIND of lieutenant. and taking long
strides as any one man in the ranks.
We We're going through the croft at the
PACK or the mansion house. when we saw
little cloud Of people come fiocking out of
| the gateway of the great house. They
were all weaving in and out in a sort of
turmoil, like children playing tick about
a preaching in the open air. In the midst
was a man in black, whom they were hal
| about his neck. and when we came near
We could see that it was Mr.. John Bell,
| the minister, who had been so high in IA
vor with my grandfather.
Unphray Spurway ordered his men to
halt behind some clumps of willows and
gorse bushes that waved and tiuttered along
the wpterside. Meantime the rout came
DANGEROUSLY toward us. There was a great
fir tree little way up the croft, perhaps
stones throw or thereby from the bushes
where We were hidden. The hiving cluster
of men and women who surrounded Mr..
Bell halted beneath 1t, and We could see
that the poor minister still had a rope
drawn about his neck SO tight that he was
half strangied.
Up with him. cried the voice of Philip
Stansfield. He has as good as confessed
his guilt. We may not be able at once TO
put an end to his partner, the Englishmau,
but We will execute vengeance upon this
itp -ta,Nf
red-handed. Up the tree with you dcIIs
tailor, and throw the rope over a branch.
l am magistrate, and L order you 20 do
The poor minister stood silent his IfDs
moving, but not a sensible word coming
from them He seemed turned TO stone
only his wild and CLASSY eyes turning this
way and that. Then Philip Stansfield read
from paper a sort of warrandce for the
execution" Of which l could only make
out the words: Art and part in the crime
OF cruelty Staying Sir James Stansfield, de-
priving him of his life and even of his
pocket book, with sundry papers and
moneys therein
And ever he read he continually in
terrupted to tug at the moose which was
about the neck of the poor dumb victim,
crying out at each pull, Il will have his
life, the black-hearted rogue Or. again,
How like you that, murderer of my
phray Spurway, the Englishman. and all
that have crossed and harassed mel"
And all the tail that followed the young
man cried out fawningly, Aye, serve him
so. Sir Philip
At this Umphray Spurway smiled grfmly,
but dld not offer to move hand or foot to
save the minister till the man called the
deiPS tailor had descended to the ground
with the end of the rope in his hand.
Make ready" cried Philip Stansfleld TO
his company. who at his word set their
hands to the rope like so many kinds play
ing pranks at hiring fair, laughing and
jesting with drunken jollity about the poor,
trembling, white-gilled minister, and with
what plump he would find himself in an
other world.
Now pray your best, Mister Minister"
said Philip Stansfeld to Mr.. Bell, for by
my faith as a gentleman. in five minutes |
you will be in Abraham's bosom-and right |
Sorry l am for the patriarch |
Then he counted "One, two, TIL"
But Umphray Spurway was before him, |
stepping coolly into the midst of them.
Surround them, menu he cried at the |
pitch of his great voice, and at his words |
the thirty weavers came forth from their |
hiding places with cooked pistols and drawn |
swords, to the great confusion of the bold, |
drunken sotS who had been 50 light-heart- |
eddy hauling the minister to his death. Only 1
Philip Stansfeld himself stood his ground, |
for with all his Mathematical fury, no one |
denied him a sort of brute courage. He |
was indeed even resoIutely and even inso- |
iently ready to accept the consequences of |
his acts.
The rope that had been in the hands of |
branch of the fir tree. And presently, as |
Mr.. Bell sank on his knees to give thanks |
for his deliverance from his prosecutors, it |
slipped and fell to the ground with the |
sound of a whip cracking.
And now, sir, what means this farce?' |
said Cmphray Spurway, looking sternly at |
the young man, whose face, usually bloat- |
ed with drink and passion, was now OF an |
unpleasantly melted pallor, like freshly |
cooled potted meat.
NAY" returned Philip Stansfieid, brav- |
ing it out with his hand on his hip and his 1
feathered bonnet cooked on his head; were |
1t not for your weavers L had served you |
the same. And I will yet you swing |
each beside the other in the Grassmarket |
If not here. You two were last seen with |
my father. You We're drinking with him |
both in the change houses and in his own |
chamber. You were forth of your house |
all night, and there is evidence to prove |
that you were seen casting his body into
the river at past II of the clock yestreen,
nigh to the old bridge of ESk''
The mans arrogant effrontery amazed
and dazed me, and think that was about
to cry out in denial, but Umphray Spurway
CURLY bade me be silent.
''Well,'' he said, for that which 1 have
done L am ready and willing to answer