The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-06-18

further emphasize her safety a thread
would be tied in his forelock. The
horse took his time in returning and
did not arrive until the second morning
after the flight, but when he came l
found the thread and, unobserved, re-
moved it. I quickly took it to Jane,
who has it yet and cherishes it for the
mute message of comfort it brought
her. In case the horse should not re-
turn l was to find a token in hollow
tree near the place Of meeting, but the
thread in the forelock told us our
friends had found each other.
When we left the castle, Mary wore
under her riding habit a suit Of mans
attire, and as we rode along she would
shrug her shoulders and laugh as if it
were huge joke and by the most COM
ical little pantomime call my attention
to her unusual bulk. So when she
found Brandon the only change neces-
sary to make 4 man Of her was to
throw off the riding habit and pull on
the jack boots and SLOUGH hat, both Of
which Brandon had with Linn.
They wasted no time. you may be
sure, and were soon under way. In a
few minutes they picked up the two
Bristol men who were to accompany
them, and when night had fairly fallen
left the bypaths and took to the main
road leading from London to Bath and
Bristol. The road was fair one-that
is, it was we'll defined and there was
Of 70
was more danger of losing ones self in
it's fathomless mudholes and quag-
mires. Brandon had recently passed
over it twice and had made mental
note Of the worst places, so he hoped to
avoid them.
Soon the rain began to fall in soak
ing drizzle; then the lamps Of twilight
went out, and even the shadows Of the
night were lost among themselves in
binding darkness. It was one Of those
black nights fit for witch travelling,
and no doubt every witch in England
was out brewing mischief. The horses
hoofs sucked and splashed in the mud
with a sound that Mary thought might
be heard at Lands End, and the boot
of an owl, now and then disturbed by a
witch, would strike upon her ear with
volume of sound infinitely dispropor
tionate to the size of any owl she had
ever seen or dreamed of before.
Brandon wore our cushion, the great
cloak, and had provided a like one Of
suitable proportions for the princess.
This came in good play, as her fine gen
tleman's attire would be but poor stuff
to turn the water. The wind, which
had arisen with just enough force to
set up dismal vail, gave the rain
horizontal slant and drove it in at every
opening. The flaps of the comfortable
great cloak blew back from Mary's
knees, and she felt many chilling
drop through her fine new silk trunks
that made her wish for buckram in
their place. Soon the water began to
trickle down her legs and find lodg-
ment in the jack boots, and as the rain
and wind came in tremulous little
whirs she felt wretched enough-she
who had always been SO we'll sheltered
from every blast. Now and then mud
and water would fly up into her face
striking usually in the eyes or mouth
and then again her horse would Stun
BILE and almost throw her over his head
as he sank, knee deep, into some unex-
pected hole
All of this, with the thousand and
| one noises that broke the still worse
| silence Of the inky night, soon began to
| work upon her nerves and make her
fearful. The road was full of dangers
aside from stumbling horses and bro
ken necks, for many were the stories
Of murder and robbery committed
along the route they were travelling. 1t
is true they had two stout men, and all
We're armed, yet they might easily
come upon party too strong for them,
and no one could tell what might hap
pen, thought the princess. There was
that pitchy darkness through which
she could hardly see her horses head
thing Of itself that seemed to have in
finite powers for mischief and which
no amount Of argument ever induced
any normally constituted woman to be-
lieve was the mere negative absence of
|
for all sorts of mischief. Then that
wailing howl that rose and fell be-
times. No wind ever made such a noise
she felt sure. There were those shin.
ing white CLEANS which came from the
little pools of water on the road, look
ing like dead mems faces upturned and
pale. Perhaps they were water and
perhaps they were not. Mary had all
confidence in Brandon, but that very
fact operated against her. Having that
confidence and trust in him, she felt
no need to waste her own energy in be-
Ing brave. So she relaxed completely
and had the feminine satisfaction OF
allowing herself to be thoroughly
frightened.
Is it any wonder Mary's gallant bu
Womanly spirit sank low in the face
of all those horrors? She held ou
bravely, however, and an occasional
clasp from Brandon's hand under cover
of the darkness comforted her. Whe1
all those terrors would not suggest ever