Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-10-01
CHAPTER XIV,
THE STOLEN LETTER.

The night was falling fast as rode
slowly down the uneven mountain way,
and with every streak that died out of
the western sky the moon frightened
and frightened in the east She was
well UP, and cast strong silvery light
over the thin white mist which chung
to the hollows Of the hills and lay
thicker over the marshy places.
The air was keen and piping. White
sock moved like music under me, and
at q ones spirits do not naturally fall
to the doleful side. thought sweetly
and strongly of the treasure was
leaving behind in Nant-y-Bryn. 1
caught my breath with gasp of de-
light when recalled the look with
which my last words had been received,
and fell to building castles In the air
that pastime dear to young hopes.
was. It may be. three miles from
Nant-y- Bryn, when, of sudden, there
burst into my head. like peal Of bells,
the words Owain had cried out to my
uncle, "Other lives to offer as sop
to the authorities"
Their quarrel was of a surety about
myself. What had Sir Arthur been
proposing TO him?
lead within me, and drew rein. White
sock stopped at once, and tore off
my cloak and thrust my hand inside
my coat. My head fell lower, and
stripped off the coat also and laid 1t on
the Group before me, and, with trem-
bling fingers, searched again and again
in the secret pocket beneath the arm
pit. 1t was empty, and / saw what 1t
all meant. I cursed myself for my
foolish carelessness, and groaned aloud.
From boyhood, had had two great
friends, Roger Brent and John Lock-
ing. We had always marched together.
We rode south, the three of US, toward
Penruddock. We had all three fought
under Sir George Booth at Chester and
all gone into the last affair, and the
word / had to fly came from Roger,
who had got wind OF Sir John Post
gates intentions. / remembered we'll
the hasty words, scrawled on scrap
of paper and sent by sure hand. "All
is known" he wrote, "and off is the
word. shall get cast over to Water
riding as his cousins laclSey to Devon
Farewell, dear lad, till better times!"
At the time of receiving this letter l
had no means of safely destroying It.
as several people were about, and I
had thrust 1t into the secret pocket of
my riding coat-a pocket I had had
contrived, in which to carry important
how I had blamed Roger in my own
thoughts for writing SO openly of in
tended movements. but he was feath-
erheaded fellow, whom Jack and I both
loved and were continually getting out
OF scrapes. Yet whom dare now
blame for carelessness when 1t was
borne in on me that had utterly for
gotten to destroy the letter, and 1t was
now gone. In whose hands was 1t?
had no doubt at all upon that point.
What use would be made of 1t? I had
no doubt there either, and / groaned
again. We had been marked men
since Wilmington Bridge, and short
work would be made of US should we
fall into the hands of those who held
power. All these thoughts, crowding
thick and fast upon me. threw me into
veritable stupor, and sat stock still,
staring at great boulder Just before
me beside turn of the way.
A bright shining streak thrust itself
over the edge of the rock in my direc-
ton, and gazed at 1t mechanically
Matters remained thus for some mo-
ments, when grim chuckle broke up
on my ears, and, with great start, 4
came to myself. / was bitterly cold,
the mare was shivering in the chilli
breeze, and the shining streak was the
moonlight glinting along the barrel of
carbtne pointed directly at my breast.
ran my eye up to the stock and recoR-
nized the face peering at me, and an
impulse came upon me to speak to
him, to any one, to hear my own voice.
"Ieuan," said ]. Ieuan. am in
hard place."
You are meaning, perhaps" said he,
shat you fear am straight shot"
Your shot" said I. feeling all the
careless contempt put into my voice;
III had no more than that to trouble
me, should be a happier man than I
en- now"