The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-01-01
Godfrey Heathcote, ESQ" .
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CHAPTER observation-disclosures.
I promise you my laughing was ended
!Aend and saw the gates shut, and a
sneuple Of fellows posted there with
smuskets. which were trained upon me
5nstantly. I had known all along that
- John was q wary old soldier whom
did not easily out-manoeuvre and
~tscognixed this az = characteristic
stroke. / checked Whitesock. and she
stood for Q moment while. i surveyed
- state Of affairs at less than forty
yards distance.
I was within easy shot, yet they
ado nc offer to fire, and this eau
teeA showed the danger Of pushing
1Don them. Sir Johns followers had
Nnslt powder ON too many q battle
1aad to be held cheaply, and or
-other OF us would get q bullet, n l
Was as unwilling It should be White
sack as myself. / turned aside and
Owept across the open park once more;
tAey never offered to check my flight
and I saw that I was to be taken alive
- possible. The thud of h pursuing
Stseds came hurrying at my back, and
: ssnt Whitesock along a little faster.
4aAd glanced over my shoulder.
They were pounding stubbornly along
= my wake, hoping to corner me some
Where. when it would be short work
between three men armed with sword
and pistol and one aourishing a quar-
tar-staff. For h first time my heart
4ank within me as I saw the position
II which I stood. A ten-foot paling
could not stop me, and escape was
easy by climbing; but Whitesock, poor
Ao9, must be left on the ron side,
q I go ostt intC the world IN my two
Goet. I cudgeled my brains Cor a gap
- break anywhere, but 1 could not
be1ny n to mind. nor do I believe n
.exists.
last summer of my grandfather's
was spent in overlooking the re-
IDaling of the park, the fancy for which
had struck him in the spring, and he
devoted a whole grove Of oaks to the
work. mi made OF 1t a job tt last a
'Anndred years.
! saw no other way OF help for 1t, and
struck or toward the southeastern cor
Ner. putting Whftesock to the top of
speed. The park was dotted here
With thick clumps Of b~rushwood, n I
soon dropped my rearguard. I wheeled,
and showed myself as II racing back
coward the house, then, in shelter of q
long narrow plantation, turned and
went on my former road.
This would throw them out a good
In minutes, for, through q gap, I had
them riding across to cut me off
- they expected, and SO, when I came
- b barrier, / was riding quite alone.
Had I had the necessary tools 1t would
AVE taken an hour or more to make
gap In that huge solid fence sufficiently
nor IA mare to pass through; SO, with
= heavy sigh, / tossed over my qpar-
itsgsstan and prepared to follow.
gave her a few caresses, then
mounted h pales, an easy thing from
= Inside, where the cross-bars formed
. ladder, dropped to the ground OF the.
other side and plunged Into the heath,
followed the narrow, open strips OF
Grass running between clumps of thorn
q braInble, and was lost to sight from
4 park in q moment.
Whitesock's shrill whinny OF distress
at being deserted went to my heart,
and ! plodded along in the worst evil
case I had ever found myself. No
mare, no money, no weapons, active
1Oes 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 ev-
ery inch of II, and could turn 1t to the
best account.
Hereford" I thought, "if I can win
~ far, there will be a chance for me
yet" and in thought ! ran yer the
route. Oxford, too, came into my mind,
for Roger had heard that Jack Locking
was there, his first harbor proving I'M
safe. I knew two or three places in
Oxford, where knowledge Of my friends
was familiar to me After some ball
.Ancing, however, I settled upon Here
ford, and began to play my march. AS
j walked I came to a rude track cross
Ing the heath, and, following 1t for 200
yards, arrived at a point where 1t
sNOr1ed 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 raj
two parallel lines Of hoof-marks. 1 re-
faembered that I had directed Ieuan
and Dafydd this way. and these must
be hi marks OF their ponies feet. One
OF prints was not clean cut. I
hooked 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 hand
and he hailed me-, but I took 10 heed
of him, and turned to h southeast. /
pushed on rapidly. running where the
| EOuuQ LAY VIII me- WdiklUS Ia6L else.
where, and soon came to. q high ridge
commanding the country / had ira
versed. I looked back and saw 40
signs of pursuit. then hurried forward
at g. round pace.
Four miles Of this travelling brought
me to the edge of the heath, and the
road now ran through cultivated land.
IT took a sudden bend and twisted
through a farmyard, passing between
the house and the barn. Crossing from
the one to the other was a big, round
country fellow with a great
wooden bucket In each hand. He stood
1t gaze when he saw me, and eyed
In open-mouthed curiosity.
stranger, hatless and disheveled,
swinging a great quarter-staff as he
strobe, was a sight worth looking at,
and he took his fill. He was directly
IN my path, and I stared him straight
In the face, walked directly up to him.
0natched his hat from his head, clapped
It on my own, and marched away as
fast as I could. He never made a
sound, but stood there transfixed with
establishment gaping at me, pals in
hand.
At the corner Of the farmyard 1
turned and glanced back. He had Just
found his voice and was roaring u
his anger, but still he did not move,
and I left him there, a statue Of amaze
49, - 49,