The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-24
CHAPTER VI.
Murder Cries From the Ground.

AT the great house or New MINIS and
in the feudal hamlet about it there was
mighty confusion. Murder. MURDER
that word of ugliest sound in all Ian
guages-was on every lip. Yet none
knew of rights whom to blame for the
deed. and many that were unfriendiy
giared at each other, fell suspicion
leaping eagerly up into their eyes
Philip Stansfield and his party ran
hither and thither crying Death To
Umphray Spurway." Some blamed the
minister, Mr.. John Bell. A few cried
even ITO the lodge Yeti" ready to as
sert that the burden of the deed fell
on my poor mother. For that her son
being the heir (my father. Philip STAINS
field. being disinheriD, my mother had
the best reasons for wishing Sir James
out of the way.
Indeed, for two or three hours the
country side was in such a taking. that
the most part hastily armed them
selves, and every man looked askance
at his neighbor.
Meantime, the poor harried corpse lay
on the very dining table where he had
made merry with his friends the night
before, and Philip Stansfield had set
one of his cronieS at the door with a
drawn sword in his hand. ordering him
to cut down any that should attempt TO
go within.
1t was Robin Green who brought this
word to Umphray Spurway at the Min
house, adding that my grandmother,
the poor Lady Stansfield, had shut her
self in her room and summoned to her
the minister, Mr.. John Bell, to hold a
service. At first was too much afraid
of Philip Stansfield, my father, and
overpreSsed with the horror of what
had seen in the blue room to reveal
anything. But as soon as Umphray
Spurway had taken me from the water
side and brought me to his own house
came to myself and told him all that
1 had seen, only begging him to keep
it secret-for 1 was convinced that if
1 were called upon to witness publicly
Philip Stansfield would certainly kill
me.
The EngliShman, who Gas they all
have) had in him a fine instinct of law
abiding, whistled softly while 1 was
telling him all that I had seen. He
narrowed his eyes till the pupil became
no more than a darkly twinkling tri-
angle in his broad, rosy face. Then,
when he had asked a question or two,
he went to a little desk wherein were
many papers and samples of cloth, and
sweeping all aside with a full half cir
Gle of his arm, he sat down and
squared his elbows to write a letter.
This being presently finished. he folded
up and sealed it carefully with his own
seal. Then he called Robin Green to
him.
Take this letter Immediately to Edin-
burgh," he said. Il will saddle you
a horse out of my stable that will carry
you easily and quickly thither. Go to
the house of Mr.. George Hume, cloth
merchant, in the Grass market. He is
great with my lord advocate
Sir" said Robin Green, Il will glad
ly go. But l am an old man and may
not ride so expeditiously as one of the
younger men in your employ-your
prentice, William Bowman, for exam
ple''
Nay" said Spurway, sit will be fit
ter that you should go. Take what
time you need. 1 will keep the castle
here till my lord send a commissary
hither TO make prequisition concerning
the truth of this most foul murder"
Sir" said Robin, SAY no more. For
my poor masters sake l would ride to
London, let alone the little trail to Ed
inburgh- For thirty year he hath been
a good master to me, and now, when
he is cruelty done to death, he shall
not go unavenged gin Robin Green's
aud banes will baud togetheri"
L will accompany you some part of
the way" answered Umphray Spur
way. Il desire not that Master Philip.
who is lording it for the nonce up at
the great house, should take you with
that letter in your possession. 1 will
see you past the lodge Yeti in Safety
So saying. he blew upon his little sill
yer pipe, for in the Walk Mil every
thing was done, by so many blasts of
the Englishman's whistle, just as it is
upon king ship at sea- And scarce
" had the shrill sound died away when
the weavers poured out of their weav-
ing sheds and wooden barracks. where
they were resting, into the quadrangle
and there stood waiting their master in
proper enough ranks and companies.
Umphray Spurway went out and said
something to them, the purport of
which / could not hear at that distance
But he chose some thirty, whom he
babe arm themselves with muskets. pis-
toilets and whingers out of an armory
which he kept in the drying loft over
the dyehouse. For in the unsettled
state of the country. the Englishmen
had drilled his refainers like military
command For sometimes the rumor
had run that the dragons were coming
to search the mills for Hill Folk. and
sometimes that the wild wings We're on
the march to burn it down as an inven-
ton of the devil and a haunt of Epis-
copalians. 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 position and the dismal and
afrighting experiences of the night, /
was wholly consoled by the mere pleas
ure of walking in step with so strong
and military looking company of men,
all well armed and able of body-if
trifie round-shouldered as is indeed the
wont of all weavers of cloth.
Moreover We were going to my moth
er'S house, and it pleased me to think
that she should see me in such COM
pany, walking beside Umphray Spur
way almost like a kind of lieutenant.
and taking as long strides as any one
man in the ranks
We were going through the croft at
the back of the mansion house when
we saw a little cloud of people come
focking out of the gateway of the
great house They were all weaving in
rem playing tick" about preaching
IN the open air In the midst was a
man in black whom they were haling
down the green croft. He had a rope
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
favor with my grandfather.
Umphray Spurway ordered his men to
halt behind some clumps of willows and
gorse bushes that waved and f1uttered
along the waterside. Meantime the rout
came DANGEROUSLY toward us. There
was great fir tree little way up the
croft. perhaps a stones throw or there
by from the bushes where we were hid
den. The hiving cluster of men ana
women who surrounded Mr. Bell halted
beneath it, and we could see that the
poor minister still had the rope drawn