Cañon City record., 1904-01-14

She feto her bird and gdllopcd after Il.
me. When they came up. was greet
ed in chorus. where is the princess?'
/ said she had gone of with her hawk
and had left me to bring them after
her. held them talking while could.
and when we started to follow took up
| the wrong scent. A short ride made
| this apparent. when / came In for my
full share of abuse and ridicule. for ]
had led them against their Judgment.
was credited with being a blockhead
when. in fact. they were the dupes.
We rode hurriedly back to the point
| OF Mary's departure and wound our
horns Justify. but my object had been
accomplished. and knew that within
twenty minutes from the time l last
| saw her she would be with Brandon
on the road to Bristol. gaining on any
pursuit we could make at the rate OF
three miles for two. We secured the
forest far and near. but of course found
no trace. After time rain set in and
| one of the gentlemen escorted the Ia
dies home. while three of us remained
to prowl about the woods and roads all
night in a soaking drizzle. The task
was tiresome enough for me. as 1t lack
ed motive. and when we rode into
Berkeley castle next day sorrier set
Of bedraggled. rain stained. mud GOV
cred knights you never saw. You may
know the castle was wild with excite
ment. There were all sorts OF conjec-
lures. but soon we unanimously con-
cluded it had been the work Of high
waymen. of whom the country was
full and by whom the princess had GER
tainly been abducted.
The chaperons forgot their gout and
each other, and Jane, who was the
most affected Of all. had a genuine ex-
cuse for giving vent to her grief and
went to bed-by far the safest place
for her.
What was to be doneI First. we sent
4 message to the king, who would
probably have us all hayed alive, a fear
which the chaperons shared TO the full
est extent. Next, an armed party rode
back to look again for Mary and. IL
possible. rescue her.
The fact that had been out the en-
tire night before. together with the
email repute in which I was held for
deeds of arms, excused me from taking
part In this bootless errand. SO again l
profited by the small esteem In which
was held l say l profited, for
stayed at the castle with Jane hoping
to find my opportunity In the absence
Of everybody else. All the ladies' but
Jane had ridden out, and the knights
who had been with me securing the
forest were sleeping, since they had not
my incentive to remain awake. They
had no message to deliver, no duty to
perform for an absent friend. A thou
sand! Only think Of It! wished "
had been million, and 30 faithful was
I to my trust that l swore in my soul
I would deliver them, every one
And Jane loved me! No more walk
ing on the hard, prosaic earth now.
From this time forth I would fly; that
was the only sensible method of loco
motion. Mary had said, "She told me
So Could 1t really be true? You
will at once see what an advantage
this bit Of Information was to me.
I hoped that Jane would wish to see
me to talk over Mary's escape; so I
sent word to her that I was waiting.
and she quickly enough recovered her
health and came down. I suggested
that we walk out to n secluded little
summer house by the river. and Jane
was willing. All, my opportunity was
here at last!
James whole attitude toward me was
changed. and she seemed to cling to
me In shy. unconscious manner, that
was sweet beyond the naming, as the
one solace for all her grief.
After l had answered all her ques-
tons and had told her over and over
again every detail OF Mary's flight and
had assured her that the princess was
at that hour breasting the waves with
Brandon on their highroad to paradise.
J thought IL time to start myself in |
the same direction and to say word |
In my own behalf. 30 I spoke very
freely and told Jane what l felt and |
what wanted.