Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-08-13
CHATTER XII.
1 MEET owA1N VAUGHAN.


turned Whitesock and moved gently
toward the approaching horseman, In
order to give as much ground as pos
Sible to the fugltiNes, but to nay sun
prise the sound of hoofs had died
away.
l pulled up and sat listening for a
moment, and heard them again The
riders had stopped to water their
horses at a little stream which | re-
m m, passing some distance back.
This did not seem very much like n
pursuit, and l cantered sharply down
toward them to settle the matter.
At thirty yards distance checked
Whitesock and challenged the two
horsemen coming up the hill. They
halted at once and called upon me in
the language of the country. Perccv-
| ing they We're not the men expected
/ spoke to them in English and ad-
vanced in their direction; but they,
| wheeling their horses round, and clap
ping in their spurs, returning down the
hill at full speed.
Ills false alarm" thought j. trot-
ting back, we'll pleased at the outcome
of the affair. They are two fellows
who have escaped from the inn and got
to the nags saw In the stable
i pushed on rapidly to regain my
companions but was not to do So for /
| fell into a mistake easy to be made
among such rude tracks as l WAC fol-
lowing. But a few hundred yards from
the stop where we had parted. the
chief road took sudden bend to the
right and seemed to disappear down a
narrow gully. yet straight on run a
road, white In the moonlight, and to
| be sure, no one would have any sus-
picion that in following 1t he was going
directly out OF his way, and merely
heading for u lonely farm far among
the hills.
This is what did, and on I went for
three or four miles, thinking to see the
ponies at every turn OF the road. yet
seeing nothing.
When / became convinced that had
missed them In some fashion, for at the
pace I had ridden / knew that they
could not be before me, / was puzzled
what to do. ] still felt certain that /
was following the main road, for I had
ridden past the mouth of the gully into
which 1t turned without glance aside;
and, after a little thought, l could see no
better plan than to pursue my Journey.
| Three miles further. the road turned
| directly into one OF those narrow val
| leys with steeply sloping sides, such as
| the Welsh call cwm. and ran up the
middle of 1t. The sides of the valley
were dotted with sheep, and l looked
eagerly forward for some habitation
| Soon / saw light at the head Of the
glen, where the hill seemed to close In
upon either side. l came nearer and
saw something white stretching across
the road. | cantered up and found my
| self staring across a gate into farm
| yard, where the road abruptly ended.
and, facing me. long. low, white
washed house. through whose naked
windows Il bright freight was stream
ing.
| AT this moment man came out of
an clubhouse with q lantern in his hand.
| | hailed him, and he came toward the
gate. Luckily he had n little English,
and at once told me where l had gone
| wrong, assuring me that 1t was uncom-
| mon misfortune so easily was the road
missed at that point
| He Hospitality desired me to come In
and stay, and knowing that Whitesocls
had earned her rest and would be bet
| ter to make a fresh start with the day
| light, thanked him and rode through
| the gate, which he unbarred.
| He led the way back to the building
| from which he had come. and helped
me to attend to the mare, and then led
| the way to the house. The door opened
directly to the kitchen, where a cheer
| full fire was blazing, and his wife and
| two or three children We're gathered
| round 1t.
The universal and cheerful hospital
| ty Of the Welsh was busted at once to
make me comfortable. was placed In
q chair in the snug chimney corner,
and the good wife at once set small
round table at my elbow, and arranged
| food upon it, No one had any English.
| except my host, and his was so fluent
but that occasionally we arrived at
cross-purposes. Still. when we came
to fix. we tried back and started
again, and in the end managed to find
| where we were.
"Nant-y-B ryn." said he. on hearing of
my destination. II am taking sheep to-
morrow. and must to go that way. We
shall go, the two. now"
This was welcome news to me when
found that he was bound to a spot
| within few miles of my journeys
end and I gladly agreed to accompany
him.
The next morning I arose to And that
the fine weather Of the past few days
had departed and that sharp. sleety
drizzle was falling. AS stood looking
at 1t through the window OF the great
kitchen. my host Joined me. Where
Is the big coat with your" said he.
Spoil the fne clothes, this weather. /"
and he rubbed his finger. smilingly, up
and down the silver lace Of my riding
suit.