Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-02-08
MICAH CLARKE
> y By A. Conan Doyle. :. >
CHAPTER XXv.-(Continued1


All that night. rode hard. without
drawing bride. through sleeping hamlets,
hy moon-bathed farmhouses, past shin
ing, stealthy rivers, and over brch-clad
hills When the eastern sky deeDened
from pink into scarlet, and the great sun
pushed his rim over the blue North
Somerset hills, | was already far upon
my journey. 1t was Sabbath morning.
aud from every village rose the sweet
tankling and calling of the bells. | bore
40 dangerous papers with me now. and
might, therefore, he more careless as To
my route. At one point | was cues
toned by keen-eyed tollkeeper as to
whence l came, but my reply that | was
riding direct from his grace Of Beaufort
put an end to his suspicious. Farther
down, near AxbridGe. | overlook a
Srazler who was Jogging into Wells
upon his sleek cob. With him | rode for
some time. and learned that the whole
Of North Somerset, as we'll as South, was
now ia open revolt, and that Wells. Shep-
ton Mallet and Glastonbury were held
by armed volunteers for King Monmouth
The royal forces had all retired west or
east until help should come As | rode.
through the villages | marked the blue
dag upon the church towers. aud the
any sign of trooper or Dragon to mn
h9ld The authority of the StuartS
My read Jay through Shej4tou MaLet
liperS inn, Bridgewater, and North
Petherton, until in the cool of the even
ing l pulled up my weary horse at the
ross dahos, and saw the towers OF
taunton In the valley beneath me \
ttaSen of beer for the rider. and a sieve
ful OF oats for the steed, put fresh met
Tie INTO b0th of us, and we Were i0cpina
on our way once more, when there cam
%allopIng down the side of the hill shnu.
Iorty cavaliers, as hard as their horses
conid carry them. So wild was Their
fldlnS tltat L pulled up uncertain whetb-
ef lheE were friend or foe. until, rs they
came Whirling towards me. / recognized
mat the two officers who rode in from.
on theln were none other than Rcubau
Is0ckarhy and Sir Gervas Jerome. At
ne sight of me they flung UP their
handS, AND Reuben shot on to his horse :
neck, where he sat for 4 moment aStrdc
OF the name, until the brute tossed him
back into tho saddle.
Its Micahi It's Nicah!' he gasprd
with his mouth wide open ANA the tears
hopping down his honest face.
odds pItikins, man! how did You
come here| asked Sir Gervas. pokin.
II / were really flesh and blood I'VE
were ieading a forlOrn of horse into
BeaufoT,s country to beat him IN. and
10 burn his fine house about his cars #
YOU had come to harm. There has lust
come Il groom from some farmer in those
parts who hath brought us news that
ygu were under sentence of death. on
which came away with my wig half
frizz!ed, and found that Friend Lock
arby had leave from Lord Grey to 90
NORTH with these troopers. But how have
YOU fared?"
We'll and ILL.," l answered. wringing
their kindly hands. II had not thought
last alght 10 see another sunrise. and vet
We see that ] am here sound in life and
limb. But all These things will take
some time in telling
'&y. and King Monmouth will be on
thoI1ls to see you. Right about my lads,
and back for the camp. Never was err
rand SO rapidly and happily finished ms
this OF ours. 1t would have Jared i'll
with Badminton had you been hurt
The troopers turned their horses, and
trptted slowly back to Taunton, while I
rode behind them between my two faith
full friends, hearing from them ali that
mad occurred in my absence, and telling
my own adventures in return. The night
had fadlen ere we rode through the gates.
where l handed Covenant over to the
mayors groom, and went direct to the
castle to deliver an account of my mis-
sion.