Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-01-14
"Geoffrey Heathcote, Esq
-------------------------
By JOHN FINNiMORE Copyright 1899, by Coz


and reached the door as third blow
fell and let in light; strip of wood a
couple of inches broad and several
inches long falling away and admit
tinS the flare of the torches and giving
a clear view of their operations. They
were now certain that we had no fire
arms to discharge, and they counted
that their muskeis would serve their
turn when once the barrier was de-
stroyed.
A big man, his doublet flung off, and
arms barred, was assailing the door
with heavy crowbar, and under his
powerful strokes it must shortly go
down. laid the point of the sword in
the gap and ran 1t forward as he de-
livered his next blow. The point took
him in the wrist and the impetus OF his
swing did the rest, ripping his forearm
right up to the elbow.
With shout of pain, he sprang back.
dropping the crowbar, which changed
noisily on the steps. A little confusion
followed and the attack was suspend
ed. / glanced over my shoulder, but
Ieuan and the torch had vanished. Two
or three moments passed and then he
trod stealthly along the passage
toward me.
"a hole in there, eh?' chuckled
Ieuan. "Well, that ISIS very handy.
They shall have something ugh it,"
] put out my hand as he reached my
side, and the first thing 1 touched was
smooth, round metal. ] rang my
fingers up it, and the feel of the big,
bell-shaped mouth told me what it was
he carried.
"A blunderbuss.' said 1. Where did
you get it. Ieuan?'
y thought it wass pretty sure the
landlord had something to keep his
house, so told him to give it to me at
once. And this thing wass under his
bed. There ISIS little bullets in it,"
Ieuan took a peep through the hole to
survey the field, then clapped the broad
mu2le TO the gap and fired. The scat
tering shower of slugs struck home
here and there. for loud yells We're set
up, and we heard the clatter of feet,
was a welcome diversion indeed. Half
a dozen strokes more with the crow
would have brought us face to face
again, and this time they would not
have opened the ball with swords
men.
Ieuan uttered a great shout of tri-
umph,
ut ISIS shooting like a cannon" he
cried.
Have you anything to reload with?"
I asked.
some powder said he; sit ISIS in a
horn in my pocket And a little sheet
of lead. l will cut some pieces from 1T
with my knlfs. ("
He returned TO the room where he
had left the torch, to get light to work
by, and / stationed myself midway In
the passage to watch both the doors.
For some time there was quiet, then
arose q sound of feet coming and go
ing. L ciept to the hole and recon-
noitered for the noise was in front of
the house. / could make out nothing
but that some movements We're in pro-
gress on the other side of the road The
torches had been extinguished and the
work was being carried on by the soft
starlight which fell from a cloudless
sky.
: I fancied the time a Favorable one
for attempting an escape. when a
slight clinle as of q musket touching
the wall beside the door warned me
that a guard was set.
Suddenly brisk fame leaped into
sight twenty yards away. 1t ran up
and mounted, end shot its yellow
tongue swiftly through great heap of
dried furze collected on a bank OPP
posite to the ale-house. Not a soul
was to be seen around the blazing pile.
Everything looked silent and deserted.
AT that inshtant Ieuan called out to
me as he came: There ISIS a big fire
at the back, a little way from the
house. Well!" he cried. and here,
too
And here, too said 1; we shall not
escape unseen. that is clear
The cracking flames rose higher and
higher. we'll fed with air, so loose was
the fuel, till in a few minutes the whole
pile was burning with the steady radi-
ance of Il lamp, the huge flame drawing
clean and clear to a scarcely wavering
point, so still and MINDLESS was the
night.
II would not Hike to go out there
said 1euan, softly, and understood the
feeling which lay beneath his speech.
threatening in the silence which had
fallen upon the place. The great bon
fire, blazing in the solitude and cast
ing its glare over the naked road lately
peopled by active foes, seemed to
watch us with a bright, dreadful eye
In truth. 1T would have been no wise
proceeding to venture out to become
the target for unknown shot. The place,
as | have said, lay open on every side.
and the two fires mace every corner
as bright as day. Enemies were am
pushed around, and one might as cas-
lily be running upon a musket muzzle
as away from 1T.
Fuel was in plenty with them The
landlords rick of furze-which In all
parts is cut and stacked in the autumn
for the firing of ovens and such-was
furnishing out these piles; and I fur
Their marked that the one in front could
be fed from the other side of the bank
without a hand being shown. recon-
noitered the back from a window and
found the fire there as cunningly dis
posed.
What do YOU say. Ieuan?" asked.
II say wait" he replied, and watch
them. Perhaps they will fail to keep
the fires up. or some other chance will
fall in our way. Just before the day
comes, that ISIS q good time to catch
people off their guard. when it ISIS very
cold and they arc very sleepy"
The word sleep seemed to close my
eyes. and l stretched myself. l had been
on the move before dawn the previous
morning, / had been busy for many
hours at various tasks, had finished the
day with twenty miles on my feet, and
been Weakened for our little sllirnlish
after an hour or so of restless slumber.
1T ISIS what you want very badly,
too" said Ieuan, patting my shoulder
as If he loved me; you have had a
hard hard day and we very easy one
Take sleep for bit. We will watch
in turns" I was easily prevailed upon
l confess, and stretched myself upon
the floor. I was asleep almost before
had laid myself along.
CHAPTER XXNVI.