The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1903-12-31
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/ promise you my laughing was ended
a minute later, when l turned the last
bend and saw the gates shut, and a
couple of fellows posted there with
muskets. which We're trained upon me
instantly. / had known all along that
Sir John was a wary old soldier Whom
one did not easily omt-manoeuvre and
l recognized this as a characteristic
stroke. l checked Whitesock, n she
stood for a moment while i surveyed
the state OF affairs at less than forty
yards distance.
I was within cas- shot, yet they
made no offer to fire, and this eau
ten showed tie danger of pushing
upon them. Sir Johns followers had
silelt powder on 100 many a battle
field TO be held cheaply, and one or
other of us would get a bullet, and 1
was as unwilling it should be White
sock as myself. ! turned aside and
swept across the open park once more
they never offered to check my flight
and l say that l was to be taken alive
If possible. The thud of the pursuing
stee0s came hurrying at my back, n
| sent Whitesock along a little faster,
and glanced over my shoulder.
They We're pounding ~stubbornly along
In my wake, hoping to corner me some
where. when it would be short work
between three men armed with sword
and pistol and II flourishing a quar-
ter-staff. For the first time my heart
sank within me as I saw the position
In which l stood. a ten-foot paling
could not stop me, and escape was
easy by climbing; but Whitesock, poor
lass, must be left on the wrong side,
and / go out into the world on my w
feet. 1 cudgeled my brains for a gap
or break anywhere, but l could not
bring one to mind, nor do l believe one
exists.
The last summer of my grandfather's
life was spent in overlooking the re-
paling of the park, the fancy for which
q struck him in the spring, and he
devoted a whole grove of oaks to the
work, and made of it a job to last a
hundred years.
1 saw no other way or help for it. and
struck off toward the southeastern cor
ner, putting Whitesock to the top of
her speed. The park was dotted here
with thick clu1nps of brushwood, and I
soon dropped my rearguard. wheeled,
and showed myself as if racing back
toward the house, then, in shelter Of a
long narrow plantation, turned n
went on my former road.
This would throw them out a good
ten minutes, for, through a gap, I had
seen them riding across to cut me off
as they expected, and SO, when ] came
to the barrier, l was riding quite alone.
Had I had the necessary tools it would
have taken an hour or more to make a
gap in that huge solid fence sufficiently
for the mare to pass through: SO, with
a heavy sigh, l tossed over my qpar-
ter-staff and prepared to follow.
l gave her q few caresses, then
mounted the pales, an Easy thing from
the inside, where the ~cross-bars formed
a ladder. dropped to the ground on the
other side and plunged into the heath,
followed the narrow, open strips Of
grass running between clumps Of thorn
and bramble, and was lost to sight from
the park in a moment.
Whitesock's shrill whinny of distress
at being deserted went to my heart,
n I plodded along in the worst evil
case 1 had ever found myself. No
mare. no money, no weapons, active
foes behind me, and a country before
where hiding would be another matter
altogether to my last refuge. The only
thing in my favor was hat I knew ev-
cry inch of it, and could turn it to the
best account.
"Hereford,' I thought, .if + can win
as far, there will be a chance for me
vet" and in thought 1 ran over the
route. Oxford, too. came into my mind,
for Roger had heard that Jack Locking
| was there, his first harbor proving I'M
safe. I knew two or three places in
Oxford, where knowledge of my friends
quarters might be come at, for the city
was familiar to me. After some bal
ancirg. however, l settled upon Here
ford, and began to play my march. AS
/ walked 1 came TO 4 rude track cross
ing the heath, and, following it for 200
yards, arrived at a point where it
forked into two branches.
One ran southwest and in that direc-
ton lay Hereford, the other full south
east. The road was soft and sandy,
and along the southwestern path ran
two parallel lines of hoof-marks. Ire
membered that I had directed Ieuan
and Dafydd this way, and these must
be the marks of their ponies feet. One
set Of prints was not clean cut. |
looked closer md saw that the pony
was very lame.
AS raised my head I noticed a peas
ant at worl. in the heath not far away.
His bill-hook rested idle in his hand
and no hailed me. but | took no heed
Of him. and turned to the ~outheas i
pushed on rapidly, runnin wiIere iii
Ground 1ay with me. walking fast else
! Where and soon came to a. high ridge
scan,mandinp the country I had fra
yersea. VI looked back and saw nc