The San Francisco call., 1903-01-18
CHAPTER XVII.
TUE ETOpENIENT

Lord WolseV would quickly enough guess
the truth VIXEN he heard that the Princess
was missing, and would have a party in
pursuit. The runaways, however, would
have d least twenty-four hours the start,
and a ship leaves no tracks. When Mary
left me she was perhaps two-thirds OF
league from the rendezvous, and night
was rapidly falling As her road lay
through a dense forest all the way, she
would have a dark lonely ride of a few
minutes, and | was somewhat uneasy for
agreed that if everything was all right a
the rendezvous Mary should turn
loose her horse which had always been
stabbed at Berkeley Castle and would
quickly trot home To further emphas asize
her safety a thread would be tied in his
forelock. The horse took his time in re-
turning, and did not arrive until the sec
ond morning after, the fight, but when
he came 1 found the thread, and, unob-
served, removed it. | quickly took it to
Jane. who has it yet, and cherishes ii for
her In case the horse should not return,
| was to find a token in a hollow tree
near the place of meeting, but the thread
in the fOrelock told us our friends had
When We left the castle Mary wore un-
der her riding habit a suit Of mans at
tire. and as we rode along, she would
shrug her shoulders and laugh as If it
We're a huge joke; and by the most COM
ical little pantomime. call my attention
to her unusual bulk. So. when she found
bGdUuOI, the only ClidllEe necessary "
make man of her was to throw off the
riding ha bit and pull on the jack-bOOts
and sloUch hat both of which Brandon
had with him.
and were soon under way. In a few min
utes 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
a fair one; that is 1t was well defined and
I - g.
there was more danger of losing one :
self in its fathomless mud-hOles and
quagmires. 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 a soaking
driZZle; then the lamps of twilight went
out and even the shadows of the night
darkness. 1t 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 Land :
End and the hOot of an owl. now and
then disturbed by witch. would strike
upon her ear with a volume of sound
infinitely disproportionate to the size of
any owl she had ever seen or dreamed of
before
Brandon wore our cushion. the great
cloak. and had provided q like one of
suitable proportions for the Princess. This
came in good play. as her fine gentle
mans attire would he but poor stuff to
turn the water. The wind. which had
arisen with just enough force to
set up a dismal wall; gave the
Il in at every opening. The flaps of the
comfortable great cloak blew back from
Mary's knees and she felt many chill
ing 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 lodgment in the
5ack-boots. and as the rain and wind came
in tremendous little whlrTs, she felt
wretchedly enough-she who had always
been so we'll sheltered from every blast.
Now and then mud and water would fly
ND fGto her faCe-Striking usually in the
eyes or mouth-and then again her horse
would stumble and almost throw her over
his head as he sunk. knee deep, into some
unexpected hole All OF this, with 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 broken
necks for many were the stories of mur-
der and robbery committed along the
route they were travelling. 1t is true they
had two stout men. and ali were armed
yet they might easily come upon a party
too strong for them; and no one could tell
what might happen. thought the princess.
There was that pitchy darkness through
which she could hardly her horses 5
head-a thing of itself that seemed to
have infinite powers for mischief, and
which no amount of argument ever In
duced any normally constituted woman to
believe was the mere negative absence of
light and not terrible entity potent for
all sorts ofemschief. Then that wailing
howl that rose and fell betimes; no wind
ever made such a noise she felt sure
There were those shining white CLEANS
which came from the little pools of water
on the road. looking 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 I'm him, she felt
need to waste her own energy in being
brave; so she relaxed completely. and had
the feminine satisfaction of allowing her.
self to be thoroughly frightened.
Is it any wonder Mary's gallant but
womanly spirit sank I'm the face of all
those terrors? She held out bravely, how
ever, and an occasional clasp from Bran
don's hand under cover of the darkness
comforted her. When all those terrors
would not suggest even n thought of turn
ing back. you may judge of the character
Of this girl and her motive.