The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-02

You knave.'' he cried. do l keep you
as a woman keeps her best gown, for fine
| weather only? Do you eat my bread that
you may shoot always at a fair mark
with the sun a your back? See to it that
you shoot we'll. both OF YOU"
He turned from the archer to the boy.
Master Cobbold." he said, Il doubt that
you farewell. II you escape my 5owmen,
| you are not likely to forget the Lord Hun
gerford's mercy. l know that you have
| courage; but if l may counsel one of your
| discretion, before you shoot | would have
you think on the Earl of Oxford's ear No
thanksi l have no leisure for them. You
| have while | count fifty to reach the tree.
| So. begin"
My lord set to counting deliberately; and
| Cobbold, needing no further hint TO be
| gone, strobe swiftly across the turf. The
clamor among the men had died down into
an excited silence. Hood and B!rdingheld
fitted arrows to their strings and waited
| The evening was fallen very still; there
was never a sound save the singing of
! belated blackbird in bush hard by. and
! lords memorable counting. Cobbold heard
him count twenty as he passed beneath
| the first tree, where hung the bodies of
| the late master of the house and his SER
! wants. The former was big, handsome
man, with great beard that hung upon
| his breast. A glitter Of gold in the beard
caught the boys eye. He stopped, fasci--
mated as 1t were, to gaze at the sight.
Forty" cried Hungerford loudly from
the bridge; and with that Cobbold recoy-
cred his wits. and set to running for the
cover of the second tree.
Here hung Goring and the rest of the
Yorkists. He glanced up at them as he
ran under the shelter of the boughs. they
hung up very still in the shade who. three
hours ago, had been compact OF leaping
blood and tense muscles. and vivid hopes
and fears. They, and these others that
lay dead in the TO- st. had represented
for him the intimate fellowship Of men;
and here at stroke, was his world de-
populated, and he left solitary as one upon
a lonely rock In the sea. The fading light
and the thickness of the twigs prevented
their faces being easily visible. but as his
eyes grew Injured to the dusk, he began
to make them out one by one. There were
Burling and Marsh, and Teresham-those
that had done him many a small kindness,
and those that had exercised upon him
their petty tyrannies; and on branch
by himself, Goring. the old man who had
spoken up for him out of the very grip
of death. AS he looked up rage boiled Up
suddenly in his heart like whirl on
March road. Here we're his comrades
hanged like so many pads-strung up
like vermin on the rail-for no crime, save
that they held their duty of more account
than a perilous chance of life. For him
self, the measure of mercy that was
melted him was small enough. Hungerford
had given him as much law as he might
have done to any hunted animal that had
fallen alive into his hands, fraction OF
a chance of escape. ito make a sport fc-
the archers. The sight OF the dead men
had purged him of any sentiment of grati-
tude he may have held toward his Enare-
tor. Gratitudei 1t wss due indeed to Cor
ing who. in his own extremity. had
thought of the boys safety; not surely
to that sneering devil Hungerford. who
ordered a score OF men to death as ne
would order his horse to be saddled.
The voice of Hungerford cut sharp into
the tumult of his anger. Fifty" and
almost with the word, Two arrows came
crashing through the lower branches OF
the beech. One rooted itself in the ground
beside him, the othef grAzed the skin OF
his thigh. The pain bFaeed and steadied
his nerves like a COLI plunge. He sprang
behind the trunk and peered out cautiously |
at his enemies
The fame OF his anger died out as swift |
Iy as il sprang up, leaving in him the glow
Of a set and deadly purpose. His friends
had died for their duty; and here was he |
at liberty. and with his weapons in his |
hand. Very well. then. 1t was to Corning |
that he owed these gifts. His duty was |
plain; he must discharge the debt to Ger |
ing Before the end came, he must exast |
what payment he could for the lives OF |
Goring and those who had died with him. /
This was the least that he must do
He had six arrows and knew himself for 1
a marksman. A less sober habit of mind.
despairing of escape, might have urged |
him to choose the six easiest marks among /
his foes. and then the chances of a run /
in the falling light. But his thoughts !
worked over deliberately. like the mills
of the gods and to the same purpose. Six
of Hungerford's men dead were but
poor revenge: there were a score of his
friends overhead. Escape was what he
must work for: must seize the chance of
it If it presented itself must make the
chance if he could. once in the woods
the way could not be far to Sir John and
Lis men-at-arms. Sir John would gather in
his scattered posts, come down swiftly.
and exterminate this murderous gang, so
that not a ruffian of them should be left
to stretch the necks Of honest men. He
looked out again from his shelter. to see
how this end might be comprised.
Upon the parapet of the bridge sat the
lean figure of Hungerford, his men round
him. watching intently. Hood was steal
ing out to the right. but Birdingfield =
nowhere to be seen. Cobbold glaI
1uicly round. and decided that Bird
field was hidden by the first tree. =
Hood drew farther to the right, the boy
must shift round the trunk to avoid his
shot. uncovering himself 10 Birdingfield.
So Il seemed. he was to be chased round
The bole like a woodDecker until lucky
shot should pin him to the bark. II there
we're only one man. now, Hood was not
a difficult mark as he paused and craned
10 get a sight of the quarry. Cobbold fit
ted an arrow to the string; but. even as
he drew the bow. Hungerford's advice to
the Earl of oxford required to
him. II he were to shoot Hood, he might
have the whole pack upon him. Still,
there was Hungerfords word passed. and
for all his hatred of the man, he had
,ause to trust him: moreover. it must
come to il sooner or later. AT last" he
thought, my Lord Hungerford shall see
me make better practice than | did a year
igo.''
Hood threw uD his arms with choking
cough. and fell forward with the arrow in
MS breast. There was a growl like ris-
ng wind from the men about the bridge;
but HungerfOrd raised his hand for 81
cnce and laughed lightly
"A fair shot" he cried Now, Bir-
lingfeld!"
Cobbold intent on his aim at Hood. had
moved a little out OF the cover of the tree
runk-an opportunity which was not
ost by that willy bowman Brdingfeld. [ ,
an arrow pumped into the bark within
IN inche of the boys cheek 1t chilled
lis momentary citation. and brought him
ace to face with the exigencies of his /
ase.
So long as he and Brdingfeld remained