Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-01-18
MICAH CLARKE
= = BY A. Conan Doyle. i =

ing reduced myself TO some sort of or
der. next rubbed down my horse as
! pest l could and rearranged his girth
and his saddle. | then led him by the
/ birdie to the top of a sand-hll hard by,
whence / might gain some idea as to
! my position.
| The fog lay thick upon the Channel,
but all inland was very clear and bright
/ Along the coast the country was dreary
and marshy, but at the other side a
/ goodly extent of fertile plain Law before
/ me, Wei titled and cared for. 4 range
/ Of lo1ty hills, which | guessed to be the
MendipS. bordered the whole skyline.
/ and farther north there lay second
chain in the blue distance The glitter
ing Avon wound its way over the coun-
| try-side like silver snake in Il flower
| bed. Close TO its mouth, and not more
than two leagues from where | stood,
rose the spires and towers of stately
Bristol, the Queen of the West, which
was and still may be the second city in
the kingdom. The forests of masts which
shot up like Il pine grove above the roofs
of the houses bore witness to the great
trade both with Ireland and with the
| Plantations which had built up so flour
ishing a city.
As | knew that the dukes seat was
miles on the Worcestershire side of the
city, and as l feared lest / might be ar
/
TO pass the gates, i struck inland with
intent 10 ride round the walls and SO
avoid the peril. The path which | fol
I lowed led me into Il country lane, which
in turn opened into broad highway
crowded with travellers, both on horse
| back and on foot. As the trOuhlouS
times required that q man should journey
with his arms, there was naught in my
outfit to excite remark and | was able
10 jog on among the other horsemen
without question or suspicion From
! their appearance they were. | judged.
country farmers or squires. for the most
part, who were riding into Bristol to hear
the news, and TO store away their things
of price i'll place of safety.
by your leave, zur.'' said burly,
| heavy-faced man i'll a velveteen jacket,
riding UP upon my bridle-arm. Can you
| tell me whether his Grace of Beaufort is
in Bristol or at his house O Badmin-
TOM"
| answered that could not tell. hut
that [ was myself bound for his pres
encC.
He was in Bristol yestreen, a-drilling
o the trainbands," said the stranger;
but, indeed. his Grace be that loyal,
and works that hard for his Majestys
cause that he's a over the county, and
| 1t is but chancework for 10 try and to
catch him. But if you are about to GEEK
| Nun. WLllHtE SIlull YOU SOs
Il will to Badminton." ! answered,
land await him there. Can you tell me
the way?'
What! Not know the way to Bad
mintOn"' he cried, with a blank stare OF
wonder Why, l thought all the warld
knew that, You're not fra Wales or the
border counties, EUR, that De very clear"
Il am Il Hampshire man." said l. Il
have come some distance to see the
duke"
"Ay, so ! should think he cried,
laughing loudly. If you doan't know
the way to Badminton you doan't know
much! But III go with you, DANCED if
| doan't, and I'll show you your road,
and run my chance o finding the duke
there. What be your name!'
Micah Clarke is my name"
And Warmer Brown is mine-J ohm
Brown by the register, but better knowed
as the Warmer. TAX this turn TO the
right off the highroad. Now we can trot
| our beasts, and not be smothered in other
folks dust. And what be You going IT,
Beaufort for?'
"0n private matters, which will not
bl oOk discussion" | answered
''llor, now! Affairs o state. belize
said he, with a whistle. Well a still
tongue saves many neck. I'm Il eau
tiOUs man myself, and these he times
when | wOuldna whisper some o my
thouEhts-nO. not i'll ears o my old
brown mare here-for fear I'd see her
some day standing over against me i'll
the wltness-bOX."
They seem very busy over there"
remarked, for we were now in full sight
of the walks of Bristol. where gangs of
men We're working hard with pick and
shovel improving the defenses
"Ay, they be busy, sure enough, aking
ready in case the rebels come this road.
Cromwell and his tawnies found it Il
rasper in my Yathers time and Mon
mouth is like to do the same.
1T hath strong garrison. TOO, said
|. bethinliing me of SaxOns advice ut
Salisbury. i see two or three regiments
out yonder on the bare open space
They have four thousand foot and a
thousand horse" the farmer an
swered; but the foot are only train
bands, and there's no trusting them near
Administer. They say up there that the
rebels run to nigh twenty thousand. and
that they give no quarter. Well. if we
must have civil war. hope it may he hot
and sudden, not spun out Tor a dozen
years like the last one If our throats
are to be cut, let it be with a sharp
knife. and not with a blunt hedge
shears
What say you TO stoup Of ci-
DER | asked. for we were passing an
ron-clad inn. with The Beaufort Arms
printed nDol the sign.
With all my heart. lad" my compan-
ion answered. ''IIu. there. two pints of
the old hard-brewed. That will serve 10
wash the dust down. The real Beaufort
Arms is mp yonder at Badmin;on. for at
the buttery-hatch one may call for what
Che will in reason aud never put hand
~ pocket"
You speak of the house as though
ynu knew it well, sand 7.
And who should know i better
asked the sturdy farmer wiping his ills.
as we resumed our journey. "Why. it
seems but yesterday that | played hide
and-seek Wi my brothers in the old Botc-
er castle, that stood where the new house
o Badminton, or Acton Turrille as some
calls it, now stands The duke hath
built it but few years, and, indeed.
his dukedom itself is scarce older. There
are some who think that D. would nave
done better to stick by the old name that
his fOrebears bore.
What manner Of man is the duke:"
| asked
Hot and has,y. like all his blood.
Yet when he hath time to think, and
hath cooled down. he is Just in the main,
Your horse hath been in the water this
morning. vricnd.
IVES said I shortly The hath had