The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-05-22

which ne did not mention at all, and
the place of meeting, which he said he
had engaged not to reveal.
The master smiled the smile OF a
kindly patron, and said he was quite
right. A certain amount of secrecy was
a matter OF course in affairs of the kind.
Ralph apologized again for keeping
anything back, and the minister re-
peated that he would on no account
press for confidence on the point.
What indeed was the need for press
ing when all that was required in order
to know the place of meeting was to
have Ralph followed on the appointed
day? The unsuspecting youth had not
made secret of the day. The day
once known, the little arrangement con-
templated by Burley could easily be
carried out.
On Sunday morning soon after ten
alph walked out to Wandlebury, TAX
ing the old Roman road right over the
ridge of the Cog Magog hills. As he
went along he could see many parties
converging on the same spot, and here
and there the 81, IS of Cog Magog lit
tie groups were visible, the members of
which seemed to him to be lying or
squa tting in mere idle enjoyment until
he observed that they invariably inter
cepted anybody moving in the direction
of the old camp. From this he judged
that they were acting as outlying pick
cts.
He himself was hailed by the COM
mandant of one of those posts just as
he gained the crest of the hill. The
man came down from the bank where
he was lying with his companions, and
asked Ralph whittier he was going.
Ralph twirled the straw in his mouth
and answered, "To Wandlebury.
''You don't know me?" said the man,
with a smile. He was dressed like a
well-to-do laborer in his Sunday
clothes, closely shaven, red hood over
his head with a long iiripip hanging
down behind. A very respectable fig
ure he looked in his gray kirtle reach
ing to the knees, and his worsted gait
ers of color to match the hood.
Ralph started at the voice and looked
again. 1t was Simon d'Ypres at last.
The disguised merchant called to one
of his comrades to take his place, and
walked along with Ralph towards the
camp.
Lawrence has told me of your mes
sage he said.
"And what do you think of it?"
asked Ralph, eagerly.
The merchant was silent for little.
81 fear it comes too late," he said at
last. "The stone is rolling too fast to
be stopped"
'tBut the king" said Ralph, sis
most anxious to do justice. You should
have seen how his eyes sparkled and
his face glowed. How can it be too late
ii he sets wise and just men to find out
what is amiss, and uses all his power
to undo injustice and give tie poor
commons the protection that they ask?
How can it be too late if he is will
ing and able to do this?'
The merchant shook his head.
"Willing-yes. / rejoice to hear of
his willingness. But is he able? That
is more doubtful. The king is in the
hands of his mobiles. They will not
let him grant what the poor commons
ashland indeed" he added, thought
fully, 'many of them ask more than
Justice"
but you should not encourage them
in this cried Ralph. "Justice they
should have, but more than justice-if
they ask this they are no better than
tyrants themselves, and honest men
should not aid and abet them
Ralph spoke warmly, and in the
heat OF his eloquence turned his face to
his companion. trying as it were to
catch and hold his eyes with his own.
The merchant smiled and said, "You
seem to accuse me-"
Ralph FASTENED to discaim this.
"No," said the merchant, earnestly,
81 do not aid and abet them. | do
not encourage them in asking more
than justice. But who shall measure
what justice is! Men who have long
suffered injustice are not good judges of
their own claims. They are hot for
revenge: when they think that all
they want is their own rights, they are
really burning to avenge old injuries.
| have done my best not to encourage
them in this, but to discourage them.
But they listen to others more than to
me. They listen most willingly to
wild babblers who shout against the
rich and their luxuries and promise to
drag them down. You will hear them
today. l have brought you to this
place that you might hear them, and
see how greedily the poor commons