Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-08-16
The day wore on without Incident.

SuCu 5tIduSc NOlCS6 duu UuISl6 Va
music filled my ears, sometimes beau
tiful and sometimes frightful Again
! heard Marion singing her English
songs. again | charged into the battle,
cut and rode and shouted; again I sat
beside Princess Barbara of Cloburg in
her coach and made mock love the
while she flashed at me her gray blue
eyes | went back to my childhood,
when Harry and played soldiers in the
hall with wooden swords and raced
down the avenue on our first poniea
eat up. and it was evening by the
shadows. and cried for more water A
young fellow brought it, quickly
enough. and held it to my lips BAIL
It was some foul stuff from ditch.
and turned away and cried like
girl The fellow roared at his brutal
joke.
Late at night can of clear water
and more bread were brought and I
drank eagerly but ate nothing For
hours lay, my brain as clear as a
glass and listened to the men singing
around their fires At last slept, only
to dream Of horrible shapes and cries
When awoke. the fever was on me
again. 1t was early dawn. There was
just tinge of gray light on the tree
tops. l crawled out. strong with one
determination. and that to drink my fill
Of water-good or bad My guard was
fat on his back. snoring like pig. ]
crawled silently past him down the
hill. and my ears were cheered by the
sound of a running stream Sliding and
staggering. 1 at last reached the brink
and felt the cool spray in my face. /
thrust my lips to the surface and drank
In long, gasping drafts, like heated
horse. heard cries and shots and the
clashing Of weapons behind. but lay
down on the bank in a sweet delirium,
and the sounds meant nothing to me-
What cared for battle now that my
thirst was quenchedi
Twice saw the captains face gax-
ing down at me. and said something
about the duel. But for the most Of the
time | was going through feats Of skill
on horseback with cut and thrust
sword; on foot with sapier For some
unaccountable reason drew blade on
Harry and. to my horror. ran him
through first thrust Then I wrote
poetry-sheets and sheets of it-about
the king and the Princess Barbara,
which read aloud to circle Of
strange faces waiting around me for
some dark purpose. One rhyme went
wrong, and shouted for Red Harding
to come and set it right And whether
fought or rode or played poet beheld
always the winsome figure of the Eng
lish Marion somewhere near watching
me with sad eyes And all this time !
seemed to be in some strange land, and
up to me. through miles and miles Of
cloud and dream. sounded familiar
voices entreating me to come back !
heard my brothers. voice among them,
and I cried "What is the matter. Lord
Harry Have put burs in your pony's
tail or eaten your tariff Then came q
far strange ringing laughter. followed
by sudden. peaceful silence in my
own brain. and opened my eyes
Opposite the couch on which lay
stood the deep seated turret window.
with the easement open to the evening
light A swallow darted past; the voice
of one Of the stablemen trolling love
song came up to my ears In the corner
stood my sword and my riding boots
cleaned and polished 1t was very quiet.
save for the song and the futter of bird
wings, after my years of continual
music and action wondered where
the buzzing music and stony faces had
gone to- turned my head on the pillow
to look for them In big chair drawn
TO my bedside, with book open in her
Hap. sat Marion. looking at me with
dreaming eyes. | smiled wondering
what she was Sinking about. and fell
away into q, childlike slumber
| When awoke the light was still at
the window. but it was the light Of
morning My mother bent over me and
kissed my forehead Harry was at the
footboard in hat and hunting dress
"Well, old fire eater, it is fine to see
| you back again" he said as man
greets another on returning from q
long journey.
Behind my mother stood Marion.
clad in cleaning white, with little
glass Of medicine in her hand. had
been afar in the land of fever dreams
fer almost two weeks after my rescue
from the mountain robbers, and it was
about this rescue that Harry and my
| father came to tell me later on that
same day,
Thus came the story in my fathers
slow. clear voice
1.-THE captain and Red Harding and
the men reached home shortly after
noon, bringing word that you were go.
ing to stay few days in the city at his
majesty's command In the evening
one Of the men found Hagart, heated
and nervous. standing at his stable door.
with saddle all askew. There was won
der in the house at first. then panic
for we imputed that our old enemies
had been up to their play. But how
Hagart had escaped and why you had
taken the road SO soon after the cap
tain we could not imagine Within
half an hour of the horses appearance
16 of us were well on the road to the
mountains
"But we had not Travelled far before
we came face to face with stalwart
rogue on long haired pony. he told
US what ransom his chief wanted anG
that if he did not return to the camI
before dawn you would be stabbed il
your sleep For moment we thought
Of falling upon him and making him
guide US to the camp. but he leapei
back and clapped pistol to his head
It was no use promised him thu
money-promised to put it into hi.
hands on the fourth hour of the after.
noon two days later
"'If any man follows me- the boy
dies, and with these words he gal
loped away But Pierre. the woodchop
per. sprang from his horse and followed
swiftly and noiselessly on foot Will,
we turned and rode home Thanks t.
Pierre's wonderful endurance. the tricl
served. and next night he was back a
LISTENS with the path to the robbers
camp clear in his memory
l AZ