The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-08-14

A Romance of the Crusades
continued from Last Sundays News.
CHAPTER I.-(Continued.)
BY H. RIDER HAGGARD.


continued from Last Sundays News.)
CHAPTER I.-(Continued.)
Now there were two roads. or rather
.-scks. back to the Hall at Steeple-
one a mile or so inland, that ran
+broush the village of Bradwell, and
the other the shorter way, along the
edge of the Saltings to the narrow
later known at Death creek, at the
baad of which the traveller to Steeple
,,ust strike inland, leaving the Priory
of Stangate on his right. 1t was this
latter path they choose, since at low
hide the going there is good for horses
which even in the summer, that of
the inland track was not. Also they
wished to be at home by supper time.
lest the old knight, Sir Andrew Darcy,
the father of Rosamund and the uncle
Of the orphan brethren, should grow
anxious, and perhaps, come out to seek
them.
For the half of an hour or more they
rode along the edge of the Saltings,
for the most part in silence, that was
broken only by the cry Of curleW and
the lap of the turning tide. No human
haing did they see, indeed, for this
Mace was very desolate and unvisited,
save now and again by fishermen. At
length. lust as the sun began to sink,
+hev approached the shore of Death
rreek-a sheet of tidal water which
ran a mile or more inland, growing
even narrower, but was here some 300
Yards in breadth. They were well
mounted, all three of them. Indeed,
Rosamund's horse, a great grey, her
1if IN Famous
that countryside for its swiftness and
mower also because it was so docile
hat a child could ride it; while those
of the brethren were heavy-built but
zvell-trained war steeds, taught to
stand where they were left, and to
charge when they were urged, with
ont fear of shouting men or flashing
steel.
Now the ground lay thus Some
seventy yards from the shore of the
creek and parallel to it, "a tongue of
land. covered with scrub and a few
oaks ran down into the Saltings, its
point ending on their path, beyond
which we're a swamp and a broad
river Between this tongue and the
shore of the creek the track wended
il way to the uplands. 1t was an an
Gent track: indeed the reason of its
existence was that here the Romans
or some other long dead hands had
built narrow mole or quay of rough
stone. forty or fifty yards in length,
ont into the water of the creek, doubt
less to serve as a convenience for fish
or boats. which could lie along side of
it. even at low tide. This mole had
been much destroyed by centuries of
washing, so that the end of it lay be-
low water. although the landward part
WAS still almost sound and level.
Coming over the little rise at the tip
of the wooded tongue, the quick eyes
of Wifi who rode first-for here the
oath along the border of the swamp
was so narrow that they must go in
single file caught sight of large
empty boat moOred to an iron ring set
in the wall of the mole.
Your fishermen have landed, Rosa
mund." he said, land doubtless gone
up to Bradwell."
THAT is strange" she added anx-
iously. since here no fishermen ever
come" And she checked her horse as
though to turn.
whether they come or not, certainly
they have gone" said Goodwin, craning
forward to look about him; so, as we
have nothing to fear from an empty
boat let us push on"
On they rode accordingly until they
pier when a sound behind them caused
them to look back. Then they saw a
sight that sent the blood to their
hearts. for there behind them, leaping
down one by one on that narrow foot
way, were men armed with naked
swords, six or eight of them, all of
whom, they noted, had strips of linen
pierced with eyelet holes tied beneath
their helms or leather caps, so as to
conceal their faces.
"A snare! a snarel" cried Wulf,
drawing his sword. Swift! follow me
up the Bradwell path" and he struck
the spurs into his horse. 1t bounded
forward, to be dragged next second
with all the weight of his powerful arm
almost to it's launches. Gods mer-
cy!' he cried, there are more of
them!" And more there were, for an
other band of armed men and linen
hooded like the first, had leapt down
on to that Bradwell path, amongst
them stout man, who seemed to be
unarmed, except for a long crooked
knife at his girdle and a coat of ringed
mail, which showed through the OPEN
ing Of his loose tunic.
TO the boat" shouted Goodwin,
Whereat the stout man laughed-a
light, penetrating laugh. which even
Ohen all three of them heard and noted.
Along the quay they rode, since there
was nowhere else that they could CO.
with both paths barred, and swamp
ana water on one side of them, and a
steep wooded bank upon the other.
When they reached it, they found why
Ihe man had laughed, for the boat was
--------s-------=