The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-17

forest, and you alone with him-that Is,
unless they've succeeding in relving the
belt away from your
mo, they have not robbed me, and to
show you that / am not such tool as
you take me for, I may add that the mo-
ment you came up resolved to give to
my rescuer every gold piece that rs IN
my belt. So, you see, if you thought OF
by force what a man is more than willing
TO give you of his own free will
The giant threw back his head and the
wood resounded with his laughter
What have said seems TO amuse
you said the King, not too we'll pleased
at the boisterous merriment OF his com
Danion-
1T does that, replied the stranger, still
struggling with his mirth; then, striking
the King on the shoulder, he continued:
II suppose there is not another man in
all broad Scotland today but me that
wouldn't give the snap of his finger f)r
all the gold you ever carried.
'Then you must be wealthy comment
ed the King. "Yet it cant be that, for
he richest men I know are the greediest.
mo, it isn't that, rejoined the strang-
err but if you wander anywhere about
this regiou you will understand what
mean when l tell you that I'm Badly
Hutchinson
'Baldy Hutchinson" echoed the King,
wrinking his brows, trying to remember
where he had heard that name before;
then, with sudden enlightenment:
What, not the man who is to be
hanged today at st. Ninians?'
The very same: so you see that all
The gold ever minted is OF little Use to a
man with a Tightening rope around his
neck. And the comicality of the situa-
ton again overcoming MIR. Hutchinson,
his robust sides shook once more with
laughter.
The king stopped in the middle Of the
road and stared at his companion with
amazemcnt.
Surely you are aware" he said at last,
that you are on the direct road TO st.
Ninians"?
Surely, surely replied Badly, ''and
YOU remind me that we must not stand
yammering here, for there will be great
gathering there to see the hanging All
my friends are there now, and if / say it,
who shouldn't. I've more friends than
possibly any other man in this part Of
Scotland"
'But do you mean that you are going
voluntarily to your own hanging? Bless
my soul. man. turn in your tracks and
make for across the border
Hutchinson shook his head.
IF had intended to do that he said,
Il could have saved myself many a long
step yesterday and this morning, for
was good deal nearer the border than
am at this moment. No, no; you see, |
have passed my word. The sheriff gave
me d week among my own friends to set
lie my worldly affairs and bid my wife
and BARNS goodby. So l said TO the
sheriff: I'm your man whenever you are
ready for the hanging"
I've heard many a strange tale, said
the king, "but this beats anything in my
experience.
'Oh. there's great deal to be picked
up by trampirg the roads" replied
Hutchinson sagely.
What is your crime?" inquired His
Majesty.
"Oh, the crimes neither here nor
there. If they want to hang a man,
they'll hang him, crime or no crime"
But why should they want to hang a
man with so many friends?'
"Well, you see, man may have many
friends and yet two or three powerful
enemies. My crime, as you call it. is
that I'm related to the Douglasses. That's
the real crime. But that's not what I'm
to be hanged for. Oh, no, it's all done
according to the legal satisfaction Of the
lawyers. I'm hanged for treason to the
king?"
But surely exclaimed the beggar,
they will not hang man in Scotland Tor
merely saying hasty word against the
king
There's more happens in this realm
than the king kens of. and all done in
his name, too. But, to speak truth, there
was a bit extra against me as well. A
wheen of the daft bodies in Stirling made
up a slip OF a plot to trap the king and
put him in hiding for while until he
listened to what they called reason.
There were two weavers among them,
and weavers are always plotting; cob
bier and such like people, and they sent
word would 1 come and help
them. was fool enough to
write them note and intrusted
it to their messenger. l told them to
leave the king alone until came to Stir
ling, and then 1 would just nab him my
self, put him under my oxter and walk
down toward the border with him, for I
knew that if they went on they'd but
lose their silly heads. And so wishing
no harm to the king I made my way to
Stirling, but did not get within mile
of it, for they tripped me up at ST.
Ninians. having captured my letter SO
was sentenced, and it seems the king
found out all about their plot, as knew
he would, and pardoned the men who
were going to kidnap him, while the man
who wanted to stop such foolishness is to
be hanged in his name
THAT seems villainously unfair" said
the beggar. Didn't the eleven try to
do anything for your"
How do you know there were eleven?'
cried Hutchinson, turning around upon
| him.
Il thought you said eleven"
| well, maybe l did, maybe I did. Yes
there were eleven of them. They never
got my letter. Their messenger was q
traitor. as is usually the case, and merely
told them 1 would have nothing to dc