The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-07
CHAPTER XIX.
IN WHICH A LAWYER HATH HIS
FEE.

enmeshed, we were spared the knowing
For when he. said, ''She is not here" two
happenings interviewed to give US both other
things to think of.
The first was the advent, at the far end
of the oak-lined avenue, of astroop of Brit
ish light horse trotting leisurely, the sec
ond was the swinging inward of the door
of unwelcome, with old Anthony grinning
and bowling behind it.
Now when you have fairly surprised a fox
In the open, he asks nothing more than
hole to hide him In. There were hunters
coming up the avenue; and here was our
dodge hole gaping before us. So. as hunted
things will. we took earth quickly; though,
truly, twas an ostrich trick rather than
foxs, since we left the horses standing
without to advertise our presence to all and
sundry.
1t was Richard who first found the wit to
realize the ostrich play
THE horses.-we may as well have left
the town crier outside to ring his bell and
tell the redcoats we are here" he would
say; and before / knew what he would be
at he had snatched the door open and was
whistling softly to the big gray.
Hearing his masters call, the gray
pricked his and came obediently. with
the sorrel tagging at his heels. A moment
later. when the up-coming troop was hidden
by turn in the avenue, we had the pair OF
them in the hall with the door shut and
barred behind them.
$50 far, so good" quoth Dick. Then to the
old black. who had stood by, -saucer-eyed
and speeches., the while: Anthony, do you
be as big numbskull as you were born to
be, and hold these redcoat gentlemen in
palaver till we can win out at the back"
The old majordomo nodded his good will,
but now my slow wit came in play. We've
done it now" said L. 1.-The horses will go
out as they came in, or not at all. Had you
forgotten the stair at the back?'
Judge for yourselves, my dears, IL this
were the time. place or crisis for a man to
fling himself upon the hall settle, grip his
ribs and laugh like any lack-wit. Yet this
is what Richard Jennifer did.
1t was in the very midst of his gust of ILL
timed merriment. while the horses were
nosing niftiy at their strange surroundings,
and the hoof-strokes of the redcoat troop
could be plainly heard on the gravel Of the
avenue that 1 CHANGED to lift my eyes to
the stair. There. looking down upon us with
speeches. astoundment in the blue-gray
eyes. stood our dear lady.
Another instant and she was with us.
stamping her foot and crying: mon Dieu!
what is this? Are you gone mad, both of
your"
Dicks answer was another burst of laugh
ter loud enough, you would think, to be
heard by those beyond the door.
Behold four witless brute beasts, Mis-
tress Madge-two horses and two asses" he
said. And then to old Anthony: open the
door, Tony, and invite the gentlemen in"
But Margery was before him. All, my
dears, a mans wit is like Matchbox
fixing and sputtering its way noisily to find
the powder whilst the enemy hath time to
ride up and saber the musketeer; but a
woman's is like the spark in a finder box
a quick snip OF flint and steel and you have
your fire. In a flash my lady had torn down
the heavy curtains from an inner doorway
and was carpeting a horse path for us to
the rear.
Quick she cried; lead them gently, for
the love of heaven!'
She went before us. padding the way with
whatever came first to hand. rugs. cur
tains, table coverings and 1 know not what
besides; and by the time the British troop
ers were hammering at the outer door. we
were deep within the old mansion and had
made shift to drag the unwilling horses by
one and two-step descents to a room half
under and half out of ground, which served
as a sort of ante-dungeon TO the wine cellar.
Here L thought might be safe for the
moment, but not so my lady. Calling Dick
to help her-in all the fierce haste of it 1
che ~.
me-she unlocked and opened the door to the
wine vault, and in trice we two and the
luckless horses were safely jailed in pitchy
darkness. with the stout oaken door
slammed behind us, the bolt shot in the
lock. and the key Withdrawn. as we could
see by the spot of light which came through
the keyhole.
Richard was the first to break the grave
like silence of our dungeon.
'Lord,' said he; did you ever see such
sharp-wit work in all your adventures Z?
What a soldiers wife she maker
l smiled at that being safe to smile in
the darkness. For was she not a soldier S
wife? / Rugged that saying as we cling to
the thing that is slipping from us. True. |
was here to give her freely over to another
and better soldier but while she was mine
| would claim her. in my heart. at least
The excitement of the narrow escape
somewhat overpast we sat long on the edge
of a wine bin. specializing in whispers as to
what would befall and listening vainly for
the footsteps which would forecast our re-
lease our capture by the enemy But
when no sounds. threatening or encourage
Ing came from the upper world, we CROPPED
about till we found the cellar candle lighted
il with flint and steel and finder box and
took survey OF our jail.
Twas the same old varenouS wine vault
Of my youthful remembrance, such an one
as has not its mate in all Carolina TO this
5ood day, as firmly believe. My father s
lobby was TO build FOR adj eternity: and
this stone-arched cellarage was more like a
cathedral crypt than a stOre-room for a
country gentlemans table stock of wines
Dick held the candle aloft and scanned
the bottle racks, none so greatly depicted
as they might have been, had any hand but
that close-fisted one OF Gilbert Stairs taken
he key in charge after my father.
There is no lack of potablcs.' says my
candle bearer; but unhappily there &;
never much as dry crust to soak i'm
them. And as for the horses, I'll venture
they'd give 1t all, pint for pint. for a good
feeding of oats"
Truly" said l. and then we fell to strip
madeira to give the poor beasts a feed of
rye stalks which had grown and ripened
their grain many year before either the
sorrcl or the gray was foaled.
Having no time measure save our own
mpatence. ii seemed a weary while before
|e heard the key rasping in the lock of our
Prison door.
Its Madge" said Dick with a true
overs gift OF second sight: and twas he
who went TO help her swing the thick
Stabbed oak.
What passed between them 1 did not hear
nor want To hear. But when the door was
swung 10 and locked again knew we were
moi fra.. 20. aHrx.o