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

nave no neeu TO resist CTleu
strong with affected indignation, altho
none realized so we'll as he that the game
was up. I'VE are peaceful travellers. under
safe conduct from General Cromwell him
self"
1.-THE lieutenant will be here directly"
said the man, and as he spoke a party OF |
horsemen came galloping down the lane.
WHO fired that shot?" cried the officer |
in charge, but before an answer could be
given he came upon the two captlVes.
WHO are you?" he demanded.
Travellers to Carlisle, who have lost
their way in the mist, and are seeking |
the high road go
IF you have pass let me see it."
''Your name Is Armstrong, perhaps?"
1.-THE pass does not say so.'
do you deny 1t?''
mo"
You are prisoners. Where Is tho
bugler?
Here, SIR"
Sound the recall" .....
The man placed the bugle to his lips and
the merry notes rang out into the obscur-
ity. All remained silent, then like an echo
from east and west, almost in unison,
came a similar call: and family in the fur
Their distance enother The company
seemed to increase mysteriously, as If
pikemen were being distilled out of the
fog, and after a roll call, every name be-
ing answered, the lieutenant gave the
word to march, and horse and foot set out
ter Of the phalanx. The head Of Frances
dropped, and VIII rode close by her side
as cheerful as ever trying to comfort her.
Clever man, that CROMWELL he Whis-
pered with admiration in his tones. "You
see what he has done? He has run thin
lines across the country so fast as horses
could gallop, stringing out the local men
G nCOh9blV
Numbered thru one or two of these lines
but wore bound to be caught sooner or
later unless we made for the coast on
either side, and that would have delayed
things q bit, for there was little chance
Of us getting ship with all ports IN his
hands. It serves me right. I should have
killed De Courcy and then galloped for it.
However, the Lord stands by u.s. Frances;
never forget that"
1T doesn't look much like it," said the
girl despondently.
20, we'll, nothing looks like itself in this
accused fog. Why couldn't we have had
this mist on the road from York? Still, I
don't thinkgit would have made much diff
ference, once Cromwell's riders got to the
north Of US. Resourceful man, Oliver.
like him. f., ...~.
And don't. Yet you are supposed to
for him. I fear him; fear him."
"Oh. there's no danger, not the slight
est for either Of us. You have done your
task, and have done it we'll. I am the
blunderer But stand on my status as a
Scot, and I will argue the matter out
with him. The man I tumbled into the
ditch was the kings chamberlain, and not
a parliamentarian, and foreigner at that
The docum ent am supposed to carry was
not given to me by the king, but taken by
! force from a mnion Of the king, and a
| Frenchman. I have assaulted no Eng
! lishman, and Cromwell knew was trav-
| cling on this pass. He canHot deny that
| he wrote it, and for exactly the purpose it
has served. Oh, I shall have a beautiful
legal argument with Old Noll, and will up
set him with his own law. I'm in no dan
ger; neither are you" -.-
! Il trust it will appear So" ..--
1T cannot appear otherwise. He was
| trying to frighten you when he said he
would hang me. He is a sly capable dog,
who will be satisfied with having beaten
me, and will not court trouble with my
countrymen by hanging even borderer.
It cost one of our kings his throne to do
| the like Of that. sE-.. .-
, This conversation, with which there
| was no interference on the part Of their
| their arrival at the main road. Here a
| halt was called and the bugle was sounded
again, to be answered, as before, from diff
| ferent directions. .
"Dismount." said the officer to Arm
strong, whereupon the latter, without a
word, sprang to the ground. Against the
next move he protested, but his opposition
was unavailing, and. indeed, unreplied to-
| The officer gave the lady and the two
| horses in charge Of a party Of six, with
orders to take them to Lichfield and insta
them in the cathedral. A guard was to be
set at the door, and no communication
was to be allowed with anyone outside
Orders from headquarters were to the eff
feet that the lady was to be treated will
every Difference, and these orders were
impressed upon the six men. The de-
tached squad disappeared down the ROAD
in the fog and Armstrong stood dscon
, solate and angry, but helpless surrounded
by troopers. ....
The monotony Of waiting was relieve,
by the frequent arrivals of companie
from the east and from the west, VIII
did not stay at the cross roads, however
but marched south toward Sutton Cold
field and Birmingham. Thus the littl
company standing at arms was continu
ally augmented, and continually reduce
to its original size. It was waiting TO
some one higher in command than tn
mild lieutenant, and nearly two hour
passed before this man set in authorit
arrived. Armstrong heard the tramplin
| of horse to the south, and presently tn
sound of voices became quite audible thr
going forward which was something I'm
usual In the parliamentary forces. where
| | If discipline seemed lax, instant obedienc
was invariably required.
| Il tell you colonel, am to take charg
Of the lady and escort her to Cromwell.
| II have no orders to that effect
| II have come direct from Cromwell, an
| those were his orders.'
| II do not take orders from you. I hol
written instructions relating both to tt
| man and the woman, and these I sha
| carry out" .4"
you will be wise to hang the man c
| the nearest tree and take his papers
| Cromwell" -a
To this there was no reply, and Arm
| strong now knew that De Courcy had NJ
| been SO badly hurt as he had pretende
| for he had taken a long ride to the mort
| since then. The prisoner recognized h
| voice before his cavalier costume emerge
| from the mist. De Courcy had n,
changed his apparel, and it formed
! strange contrast to the parliamentary
| uniform, as indeed did Armstrong; ON
| dress.
| 'Ah, my young friend" cried De Coure
| the moment he recognized the prisone
! you had your laugh in the morning ar
| have mine in the evening.
| There is a time for everything" r
] piled Armstrong indifferently, land n
= time for laughing Is in the morning.
was brighter then"
Yes, 1t looks rather dark for you
the moment, and you seem less mer