Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-08-31
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\ author Of Adventures Of I
I >herl0ct Homes" NE \
moirs Of Sherlock Ho,mes," I
The Refugees. Etc. !


hamlet If Aldershury. just over the
W ltShlre border Our horses. refreshed
bF tAH snort rest, stepped uTr CALAMITY.
anu the brisk motion. with the sunlight
ana the beauty of the morning. combined
10 raise our spirits and cheer " after
tne depression of the long ride through
the darkness. and the incident Of the
murdered traveller. Wild duck. widge0n.
ard snpe Tapped up from either side Of
the road at the sound of the horses hoOfS.
aud once herd of red deer sprang to
their feet from among the ferns and
seanpered away in the direction of the
lofeSI. once. too, when passing 4 dense
clump OF trees. we saw a shadOWy white
creature half hidden by the trunks.
which must. | fancy, have been one of
those Wild cattle of which | have heard
the peasants speak, who dwell in the
recesSes of the southern woods and are
so fierce and intractable that none dare
approach them. The breadth Of the
view, the keenness of the air. and the
novelty Of the sense of having great
work to do. all combined to send flush
of life through my veins such as the
quiet village existence had never been
able to give. My more experienced com
panion felt the influence too. for he lifted
up cracked voice and broke into a
drOning chant, which he assured me was
an Eastern ode which had been taught
him by the second sister of the Hos
pCdar of Wallachia
"Aneut Monmouth, ne remarked,
coming back suddenly to the realities of
our position. 1T is unlikely that he can
take the field for some days. though
much depends upon his striking blow
soon, and so raising the courage of his
followers before the kings troops can
come down upon him. He has, mark
We, not only his troops to find, but their
weapons. which IL like to prove a more
difficult matter. Suppose he can raise
five thousand men-and he cannot stir
with leSs-he will not have one musket
IN hye. so the rest must do as
they can with pixies and bills. or such
other rude arms as they can find. All
this takes time. and, though there may
he skirmishes. there can scarce be any
engagement of import before we arrive
He will have been landed three or
four days ere we reach him. said |.
Hardly time for him, with his small
staff Of officers, to enroll his men and
divide them into regiments. ! scarce eX-
pect to find him at Taunton, though we
were so directed. Hast ever heard
whether there are any rich Papists i'll
those parts?'
II know not, I replied.
''If so there might be plate chests and
silver charges, to say nothing of my
ladys jewels and other such trihes to
reward a faithful soldier. What would
war be without plumber! a bottle with
out the wine-a shell without the oyster.
See the house yOnder that peeps through
the trees. | warrant there is a store
of all good things under that roof, which
You and | might have for the asking,
did We but ask with the swords in our
grip. You are my witness that your
father did give and not lend me this
horse
why say you that. then?"
Lest he claim a half of whatever
booty | may chance TO gain. What saith
my learned Fleming under the heading
An qui militi equum praebuit, praedae
alb go captae particeps esse debeat"
which signitieth whether he who lendeth
a horse hath a claim on the plumber of
him who borrowed it.. In this discourse
he cites a case wherein n Spanish com
mander, having lent steed to one Of
his captains. and the said captain hav-
ing captured thJ general of the enemy,
the commander did sue him for half
share of the 10000 crowns which formed
the ransom of the prisoner. \ like case
is noted by the famous Petrinus Bellus
in his book De Re Militari.' much read
by leaders Of repute." Note c appendix
i can promise YOU | answered. that
no such claim shall ever be made by my
father upon you. See y0nder, over the
brow Of the hill. how the sun shines
upon the high cathedral tower. which
points upwards with its great stone fin
ger 20 the road that every man must
travel"
There is good store Of silver and
plate in these same churches" Quoth my
companion. II remember that nj Leip-
sic when | was serving my first cam
paign. | got a candleStick which ! was
forced to sell to a jew broker for
fourth Of rs value. Yet. even at his
price, it suticed to fill my haversack with
broad pieces
& 4
gained a stride or two upon mine while
he spoke, so that | was able TO get
good view of him without turning my
head. | had scarce had light during orr
ride to see how his harness sat upon
him, but now | was amazed on looking
on him to mark the change which it
had wrought in the man. In his civil
dress his lankneSs and length of limb
gave him an awkward appearance, but
on horseback. with his lean. gaunt face
looking ont from his steel cap. his breast
plate and buff jacket filing ont his fig
ure. and his high boots of Unframed
leather reaching to the center of mis-
thighs he looked the veteran man ut
arms which he purpOrted to be. The
ease with which he sat his horse, the
high, bold expression upon his face. and
the great length of his arms. all marked
him as one who could give a good ac-
count Of himself in Il fray In his words
alone | could have placed little trust.
but there was that in his bearing which
assured even a novice like myself that
he was indeed trained man of war
"That is the Avon which glitters
among the trees | remarked. we are
about three miles from Salisbury town.
1T is q noble Spire.' said he, clancng
NJ the great stone >pire i'll front Of us.
The men of old would seem 10 have
spent all their days in piling stones upon
l4I 4 n ~