Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-05-29

mute message of comfort it brought
her. In case the horse should not re-
turn was to find a token in a hollow
tree near the place of meeting, but the
thread in the forclock told us our
friends had found each other.
When we left the castle, Mary wore
under her riding habit suit of mans
attire and as we rode along she would
shrug her shoulders and laugh as if it
were a huge joke and by the most COM
ical little pantOmime call my attention
to her unusual bulk. So when she
found Brandon the only change neces-
sary to make Il man of her was to
throw off the riding habit and pull on
the jack boots and SLOUGH hat, both of
which Brandon had with Kim.
They wasted no time, you may be
sure, and were soon under way. In n
few minutes 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 fair one-that
is, it was well defined and there was
no danger of losing it; in fact, there
was more danger of losing ones self in
its fathomcss mudholes and quag-
mires. 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 soak
ing driZzle; then the lamps of twilight
went out, and even the shadows of the
night were lost among themselves in
binding 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 sound that Mary thought might
be heard at Lands End, and the boot
of an owl. now and then disturbed by
witch, would strike upon her ear with
a volume of sound infinitely dispropor-
tionate to the size of any owl she had
ever seen or dreamed of before.
Brandon wore our cushion. the great
cloak, and had provided Il like one of
suitable proportions for the princess.
This came in good play, as her fine gen
tlemans attire would be but poor stuff
to turn the water. The wind, which
had arisen with just enough force to
set up dismal wall, gave the rain a
horizontal slant and drove it in ut every
opening. The flaps of the comfortable
great cloak blew back from Mary 5
knees, and she felt many chilling
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 lodg-
ment in the jack boots, and as the rain
and wind came in tremulous little
whirs she felt wretched enough-she
who had always been so well sheltered
from every blast. Now and then mud
and water would fly up into her face
striking usually in the eyes or mouth
and then again her horse would STUN
BILE and almost throw her over his head
as he sank, knee deep, into some unex
pected hole.
All of this, with the thousand anC
one noises that broke the still worse
silence of the inky night, soon began tt
work upon her nerves and make bel
fearful. The road was full of dangers
aside from stumbling horses and bro
ken necks, for many were the stories
of murder and robbery committed
along the route they We're travelling. l
Is true they had two stout men, and al
were armed. yet they might easll.
come upon Il blrty too strong for them