Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-07-30
"Geoffrey Heathcote. Esq
--------------------
BY JOHN FINNIMORE Copyright 1892 S. Mcclure Coy


marked track which 1 was just cross
| ing, and which led, as expected. to
ford. Here the stream ran across .
| level belt Of living rock, without bub-
| BILE or swirl.
1t was my first experience of such a
brook, and / never dreamed OF the ter
! rible force hid In that 12-inch race OF
| flying water. The child was now with
| in half a dozen yards of where
Stood and leaped into the middle OF
| the stream. OF the next few minutes
| have the most confused idea. l
know that my feet failed to touch the
bottom. but at once We're swept from
under me, and down 1 went, whirling
and noundering, to pool below, to
find myself and the child floating In a
| bao kwater and q mountain ash sweep
| ing my face.
AS l was now in some three feet of
| fairly quiet water and had in some
wonderful fashion shot through the
whirling eddies between the rocks
4 without a single blow, swung the Mt
| tie boy on the bank and climbed after
him. AS / blinked the water out OF
my eyes, saw u swiftly running figure
bearing down on us, a woman In snort
ragged petticoats, and. by the way Sne
Rugged and kissed the child. who had
| escaped as luckily as myself. judged
| her to be the mother.
She poured forth to me flood OF
| language of which understood no Sin-
gle word, to her great surprise, as she
| showed plainly when she discovered
| that / was English. When she saw
| me wringing the water from my
clothes, She pointed to the house and
| pulled my coat.
We were reduced to signs, as l have
| read OF merchant Adventures among
sayages, but plain and common wants
are easily understood, and / stepped
away briskly toward the fire to which
she invited me.
Whitesock was standing just where
| had left her and saw her safe under
| cover of shed before / entered the
| house.
The latter was the rudest and sim
| plest construction, built of rough, un-
shapen stones, their chinks plastered
with mud, and rooted with thatch Of
rushes. But inside, at one end of the
house. was great turf fire glowing
redly on the hearth, the smoke escaping
through hole above.
| The shepherds wife drew stool to
the fire, and fairly thrust me down
upon 1T, talking all the while with ner-
vous energy, and patting me every
now and then, and pressing my arm
as if she could not make enough of me.
the house but herself and the child, who
had placed himself on the other side
OF the fire, and within a moment the
| steam began to rise from both of us
in clouds.
Tho woman, busting about with
great activity, placed small table at
my side, loaded 1T with what she lad-
barley loaf, cheese. a pitcher of
milk, and a wooden dish containing
food which l had never seen before.
but have since found 1T to be a very
nourishing preparation of oatmeal,
called in their tongue. uwd.
With many words, of which I knew
not one, but also with many striking
and expressive gestures which, being
the language of nature and the heart
understood very we'll. she begged of
offer.
| I made shift to thank her in the
same manner, and fell to without de-
| lay, for the mountain air sharpens APP
petite. With much natural delicacy
she busted herself about other matters
while ate, yet glancing from time to
time to see If she could mark any want
| which she had the means of supplying.
| When l had finished my meal, / was
still loath to start. for I was by no
means dry, and the wind would be keen
I after sitting by this noble fire My
hostess had disappeared, carrying a
huge pitcher, and, as I suppose, about
some household task, when heard a
rattle of hoofs on stony patch near
the house. 1 looked up. and as did
SO, a head thrust itself into the patch
of sky commanded by the little vim
| dow. The latter was a mere hole in
the wall. unglazed. and closed at night
by a wooden shutter, now hanging
back.
The head was that of man of So
| to 40 years of age, with fiery red hair
mustache and beard His eye was
blue gray, and bright and hard as a
1 falcons, his nose IS slightly hooked,
his mouth shut like spring trap. But
| 1t was more the general expression Of
his features which impressed me than
any special point among them.
His face was purely Roman In its
outline My grandfather who was
curious In such matters, formed at But
ley Croft collection of ancient coins,
and often to my delight he had shown
/ me the contents of his cabinet and told
Inc the stories connected with them.
Twelve hundred years or more had
passed since that great conquering
race had left our island and yet here
WAS their impress stamped as strongly
and freshly as if this man had marched
with sword and shield and plum UNI
der the shadow of the eagle standard.
had ample time to make my observa-
lions, for the horseman remained per-
fectly still, his eye fixed as IL watching
the far distance.
Then he started forward, and paused
again before the open door. He was
riding a small pony of the mountain
breed, and, dismounting, he tied his
! relns to a wooden peg fastened in the
wall then entered the house without
ceremony. He was a tall, straight fell
low, six feet high at least, spare and
sinewy. He advanced directly to the
fire. and spread bis hands to the
warmth.
There was but little light in the house
and the flame had died out of the turf,
leaving it a ruddy glow, SO that he
could not distinguish me clearly. See
ing some one he greeted me in the lam
guage of the country, and made re-
turn in English. He turned sharply up
on me.
You are an Englishman?" he said.
Certainly l am" said I. He dragged
stool up to the other side of the fire
and set himself to examine me. He
| looked me over from top to toe. and
every moment with increasing dis
favor The very hair upon him seemed
| to brlstle with anger. and his eye shone
fiercely in the freight. This was be-
yond my comprehension, since I had
never set eyes upon him before.
You are not a common man, after
ponies and Sheep said he, at last
You are gentleman. I know 1t by
your fine clothes" To this had moth
over my riding suit of blue and silver.
For what are you coming to this
country, and from Where do you come.
and what is your name?" he de-