Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1902-11-19
oHAprER YII.-continued.l

factorily answered at the Star and
Garter.
IL Dunno" he said, las the young
gentleman is wasteer or nowt better
nor he should be- l don't have much
faith In strangers as comes by road
on fine 'osses and hangs about pretend
ing they're fishermen. when they don't
.now how to throw a fly or bait a
pool; but as the Bible says, they be
various of the fisher tribe, and the
party about whom I'm alludin' seems
10 know plenty about other kinds of
nshing, to-wit, as the constable says,
nshing for a pretty woman. And If
be amt looked Mary Lockwood, new
or seed gal as was ooked in all my
barn days"
1t was something on this strain of
thought that the 'Squire's reflections
had travelled as he trotted on his way
to Harrogate. He found himself won
dering who this young buck could be;
this stranger who had cut out Jack
Meadows so completely. He remem-
bered the night of his arrival with
another fellow whose looks he thought
OF rogue, he thought. rhe younger
OF the two seemed frank sort of
chap. outspoken, and decent air and
manner; but what was he doing in
company with a man whom any jury.
he being charged with capital of
Tense. would hang on the evidence of
his own face? we shall doubtless
meet again" the Squire had said,
when leaving the inn and addressing
Parker.
They did meet again, only too soon
for the well-being of all concerned.
CHAPTER VIII.
1t was a night of storm and tempest.
There wes a moon nevertheless; but
1t only appeared at fitful moments
from behind the driving clouds. Ii
would have rained, but the wind VIA
too higS.
There was damp feeling in the air
as II the wind had come across the
sea Squire l3ellingham 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 l. was well known by every
body that his Pistols were heavy, and
that he would not scruple to use them
il he was attacked. Indeed, 1t was
said that the fine old 'Squlre-merchan
rather courted than feared attack
though this was not quite correct.
He was content to be allowed to go
on his way rejoicing; but he was
man without fear. There were many
in the Yorkshire of those days, as
there are now. He little thought, as
he galloped along towards Kirkstall
that his courage and his skill were
about to be sorey tried.
Not far on the side of the Abbey
nearest the high road two horsemen
had tethered their steeds under
ctump Of trees, through which the wind
moaned and laughed. now like some
hysterical demon. now like some fend
In an agony.
They were well 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 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 fellow conspirators
not to use firearms in the enterprise
upon which they were engaged.
The two robbers had prepared a
surprise and 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 a
aefarious hostler at the 'Squlres pre-
vious hating place, had his pistols
emptied.
They had contrived method of OBJ
istruction upon the road near the Abb
bey an ingenious but cruel contriv-
ance of rope and wire stretched across
the road that could not fail to entangle
the surest-footed 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
pltality OF the old coaching house; but
Wilson was there for the first time.
They found several other customers
In the bar. and Morley. the landlord
holding forth upon the prowess OF his
Mary.