The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-03

the English Parliamentary Wav
CHAPTER xxi.-Continued.
+ mt ~ 1IeH %
By ROBERT BARR
copyrighted. 1903. by Robert Barn.

as
"Alas, circumstances are proving too
strong for me- she said sorowfully, 'and
all my old ideas of right and wrong are
being fiouted day and night. just now
have used truth for the purposes Of false
hood, fault which chided in you earlier
In our journey. / wish we We're free of the
entanglements and might be honest once
more You have done we'll Have no
fear. and still insist that the Lord stands
by us. We cannot meet force with force,
and must use what craft we are possessed
OF. Cromwell uses it, and so does the king.
Why should we be debarred? I think We
are we'll out of that trap, and am Won
dering how many hours will elapse before
the commander is sorry he let us CO."
They lunched on bread and cheese at a
wayside hut, and once when they reached
the top of hill, they saw what they took
to be Birmingham away to the west The
byroads they were trayersing proved to be
deserted, and they resolved to keep to
them. rather than seek the main highway
at Sutton Coldfield or elsewhere, for they
considered that their comparative sloWness
would be more than compensated for by
greater safety. This course soon proved
of doubtful wisdom. Without guide the
intricate lanes We're puzzling, and often
came to an end without an apparent rea-
son. When they took to the fields the
soil was heavy in many cases, and ia
tigued their horses, beside entangling them
most marshes. Too add to their difficult
ties the sun became obscured in haze,
and the temperature dropped sharply,
condensing the moisture in the air about
them, involving them in a mist that was
worse than the darkest night Still they
struggled on leaving the direction entirely
to their horses. At last they came upor
what appeared to be a cart track, and
following 1t, they arrived at a labOrer's
hut which faced a lane. Armstrong, with
out dismounting. knocked at the door witt
his sword, and a frightened woman, hold
ing it ajar. answered the summons.
I'VE have lost our way" said the young
man, throwing her coin to bespeak good
will; "can you tell us where we are?'
Where are you going?' asked the wo
man, which proved a somewhat difficult
question to answer.
What Is the nearest town to the NORTH
of us?'
"Litchfeld"
"And how do we get to Litchfleld from
here?'
IF you follow this lane to the cross
road. then take the lane to the left fo1
two miles it will lead you into the mair
road. Turn to the right and Licht1eld l!
five or six miles further on
IF, instead of going to the main road
we keep to this lane, where will it leat
us?"
1T stops at the cross road"
where Will the lane turning to thu
right lead us?"
II don't know
"Is there any way to the north excep
by the main road?'
IT don't know" ~ -
GLOW long have you lived in this cot
tage?"
Twenty three years. SIR"
And you know only the way to Lich
feld?"
Eyes, SIR
He thanked the woman and they rod
on thru the fog. The limited knowledge o
tho English peasantry regarding the geog
raphy Of their own district had baffle'
him more than once during their journey
cnd this. was but. a fair example Of tn
ignorance he had to contend against. III
resolved to take the turn to the right il
preference to the leftward lane. H
feared Lichfield or any other place Of sim
liar size, and he dreaded the main road
It was impossible for Cromwell to patrC
the whole country at moments notice
so the byways would be safer If less di
rect. Their progress had been so sloN
that there was ample time for hard ride
with relays Of horses to have spread
warning far ahead of them, and now eau
ton, rather than speed was their game
These points he discussed with his com
panion as they rode along in the fog, an
she agreed with his conclusions. Fac
tried to cheer the other, but both Wer
undeniably discouraged by the condition
that surrounded them. 49,. r. $500. as.
About mile from the hut they came t
the end of their road with the horzont,
lane at It's head, extending east and ives
AS they turned to the right some objet
doomed In the fog ahead, and there cam
q sharp cry:
"Who goes there?"
ITO the left" whispered Armstron,
turning his horse. Frances obeyed II
stantly, but the man in front fired h
musket into the air, whereupon four otf
ers sprang from the dripping bushes ar
two of them seized the reins Of the sta
tied horses. Resistance Is useless" sa