The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1902-01-03
CHAPTER VIII.

It was night of storm and tempest.
There was a moon nevertheless; but
it only appeared at fitful moments
from behind the driving clouds. 1t
would have rained, but the wind was
too high.
There was damp feeling in the air,
as If the wind had come across the
sea. Squire Bellingham rode merrily
through the storm; the noise and bus
tie of it rejoiced him. The Squire car
ried about him large sum of mon
ey, but 1t was well known by every
body that his pistols were heavy, and
that he would not scruple to use them
If he was attacked. Indeed, it was
said that the fine old 'Squire-merchant
rather courted than feared attack;
,though this was not quite correct.
He was content to be allowed to go
ION his way rejoicing; but he was a
man without fear. There were many
in the Yorkshire of those days, as
\there are now. He little thought, as
NE galloped along towards Kirkstall
that his courage and his skill were
about to be sorely tried.
Not far on the side of the Abbey
nearest the high road two horsemen
had tethered their steeds under a
clump of trees, through which the wind
moaned and laughed, now like some
hysterical demon, now like some fiend
in an agony.
They were we'll trained steeds that
stood together like sentinels beneath
the screaming trees.
Neither of them moved a muscle,
except when one of the dismounted
riders came from the outer darkness
into the deeper gloom of the wooded
cover, and, patting his gray mare,
took a brace of pistols from her hol-
sters.
He seemed to do this in sly and
secret manner. The truth was, he had
engaged with his llow-conspirators
not to use firearms in the enterprise
upon which they were engaged.
The two robbers had prepared
surprise and a trap for the Squire,
which should have rendered him an
easy victim without the aid of pis-
tolls.
Moreover, they had, by a clever
strategy, and with the assistance of
nefarious hostler at the 'Squlres pre-
vious hating place, had. his pistols
emptied.
They had contrived a method of OBJ
struction upon the road near the Abb
hey, an ingenious but cruel contriv-
Ne of rope and wire stretched across
road that could not fail to entangle
unrestricted animal.
The Squire was sailing along to-
ward the trap, and two men lay in am
bush awaiting the result, on this au-
tumn night of our story, and about the
same time Mr.. William Taylor and Mr..
John Wilson arrived at the Star and
Garter inn.
Taylor was no stranger to the hos
pitality of the old coaching house; but
Wilson was there for the first time.
They found several other customers
I'm the bar, and Morley, the landlord,
holding forth upon the prowess of his
Mary.
Wilson was a young fellow, though
an old friend Of Taylor. who lived at
Leeds.
Taylor had been telling Wilson how
beautiful Mary was, and Wilson was
anxious to see this paragon OF lowell
ness and virtue. He had travelled and
knew the world. His father and Tay-
lor had been venturers in their time.
and young Wilson was a native OF
Plymouth. and although accustomed
to see men do brave things, 1t was
something new for him to meet a girl
who had. as Taylor said. all the great
qualities Of the masculine hero with
the sweet and gentle virtue Of beau
tiful girl
you are talking Of Mary" said
Taylor to the landlord.