Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-01-07
"Geoffrey Heathcote, Esq"
-------------------------
BY JOHN FNNIMORE Copyright
CHAPTER XXx1y.-continued.

CHAPTER NXX1v.-Continued
| 1 promise you my laughing was ended
n minute later, when ] turned the last
bend and saw the gates shut. and a
| couple of fellows posted there with
| nusketE, which We're trained upon me
instantly. / had known all along that
Sir John was wary old soldier whom
one did not easily o,lt-manoeuNre and
L recognized this as characteristic
stroke. i checked Whitesock, and she
stood for moment While l surveyed
the state of affairs at less than forty
yards distance
l was Within easy shot, yet they
made no offer to fire, and this eau
tion showed the danger of pushing
upon them. Sir Johns followers had
smelt powder on too many battle
field to be held cfleaply, and one or
other OF us would get bullet, and |
was as unwilling it should be White
sock as myself. l turned aside and
swept across the open park once more;
they never offered to check my flight
and | saw that ] was to be taken alive
If possible. The thud OF the pursuing
steeds came hurrying al my back, and
l sent Whitesock along Il little faster,
and glanced over my shoulder.
They We're pounding stubbornly along
in my wake, hoping to corner me some
where. when it would be short work
between three men armed with sword
and pistol and one f1ourishing quar-
ter-staff. For the first time my heart
| sank within me as / saw the position
In which l stood. a ten-foot paling
could not stop me, and escape was
easy by climbing; but Whitesocll, poor
lass must be left on the wrong side,
and 30 out into the world on my two
feet. l cudge!ed my brains for a gap
or break anywhere, but l could not
bring one to mind, nor do i believe one
exists.
The last summer of my grandfather s
life was spent in overlooking the re-
paling of the park, the fancy for which
had struck him in the spring, and he
devoted a whole grove of oaks to the
work. and made of it job to last a
hundred years.
saw no other way or help for it, and
struck off toward the southeastern cor
ner putting Whitescck to the top of
her speed. The park was dotted here
With thick clumps of brushwocd, and l
soon dropped my rearguard. wheeled,
and showed. myself as if racing back
toward the house, then, in shelter of a
long narrow plantation. turned and
Went ON my former road.
This would throw them out a good
ten minutes, for, through a gap, | had
seen them riding across to cut me off
| as they expected. and so, when | came
to the barrier, | was riding quite alone.
Had had the necessary tools it would
have taken an hour or more to make a
gap in that huge solid fence sufficiently
for the mare to pass through; so. with
n G. tyh I my r.
ter-staff and prepared to follow.
gave her few caresses. then
mounted the pales, an easy thing from
the inside, where the cross bars formed
O ladder dropped to the ground on the
other side and plunged into the heath
followed the narrow, open strips OF
grass running between clumps of thorn
and bramble, and was lost to sight from
the park i'm a moment.
Whitesock's shrill whinny of distress
Mt being deserted went to my heart
and j plodded along in the worst evil
case | had ever found myself. No
| mare. no money, no weapons, active
foes behind me, and a country before
where hiding would be another matter
| altogether to my last refuge. The only
thing in my favor was that | knew ey-
cry inch of it, and could turn it to the
| best account.
"Hereford," 1 thought eff can wiz
as far, there will be a chance for ms
yet" and in thought 1 ran over the
route. Oxford, too, came into my mind
for Roger had heard that Jack Locking
was there, his first harbor proving UNI
safe. knew two or three places III
Oxford, where knowledge of my friends
quarters might be come at for the city
was familiar to me. After some bal
ancing, however, settled upon Here
ford. and began TO play my march. AS
I walked / came to a rude track cross
ing the heath, and, following it for 2ot
yards. arrived at point where i,
forked into two branches
One ran southwest and in that direc-
ton lay Hereford, the other full south
east The road was soft and sandy
and along the southwestern path ran
two parallel lines of hoof-marks. l re-
membered that | had directed Ieuar
and Dafydd this way, and these must
be the marks of their ponies feet One
set OF prints was not clean cut.
looked closer and saw that the pony
WAS Very lame.
AS raised my head ! noticed a peas
ant at work in the heath not far away
His bill-hook rested idle in his hanG
and he hailed me, but | took no heeG
of him, and turned to the southeast.
pushed on rapidly, running where the
ground lay With me, walking fast else
where, and soon came to high ridge
commanding the country | had tra-
versed. l looked back and saw nc
signs of pursuit, then hurried forward
al IL round pace.
-Four miles of this travelling brodght
me to the edge of the heath. and the
road now ran through cultivated land
1t took sudden bend and twisted
through a farmyard, passing between
the house and the barn. Crossing from
the one to the other was big, round
faced country fellow with great
wooden bucket i'm each hand. He StooC
at gaze when he saw me. and eye6
me in open mouthed curiosity.
A stranger, hatleSs and disheveled
swinging u great quarter-staff as he
strode was a sight worth looking at
and he took his fill. He was directly
in my path, and | stared him Straight
in the face, walked directly up to him
snatched his hat from his head, clappec
1t on my own, and marched away as
fast as 1 could. He never made !;
sound, but stood there transfixed witt
establishment, gaping at me, pals il
hand.
At the corner of the farmyard
turned and glanced back. He had JUS
found his voice and was roaring ou
his anger, but still he, did not move
and left him there, statue of amaze.
ment. | am aware that this was using
Thomas Buck-for l knew him we'll
very unfairly. But i was playing {
game fol; my life, and this forcible bor-
rowing of hat was an essential move
in that game.
1 wanted hat very badly, and
wanted Thomas to remember and be
ready to testify that | had passed his
way, and l had attained my object
fully A mile again l reached little
inn, and the landlord stood at the door
serving ale to couple of drovers. Al
three looked very hard at me. but