Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-01-11

| overthrow of its rider. If it had been
| the horse of Armstrong that had be-
| gun these dancings, his guards would
have been instantly OH the alert for
! an attempted escape, but at the very
moment their eyes should have been
on the Scot their attention was with
drawn. Armstrong did not laugh, but
thrusting back his knife. whipped out
his sword and struck De Courcy's
| horse twice with the broad of it. His
own stced leaped forward under the
prick of the spur, and before the colo
| mel could give word of command the
| two had disappeared in the fog ahead.
| Even then the colonel, who was the
only man that had his wits about him,
did not think there was the least
chance of escape, for he heard the
troop coming toward him, and Arm
strong must run directly into it. He
rose in his stirrups to give the alarm
! to those ahead, when all heard rings
ing shout: Charge. cavaliers! God
save the king! Charger
Out of the fog came scattering
fire, then volley. Two horses and
three men went down, while the other
troopers hastily unslung their carbines
and fired down the street without wait
ing for the word of command.
"Stop, you fools!" yelled the colonel.
"You are shooting your own men,"
Then to the onconers lie roared n like
warning, which was drowned in anoth-
er volley. The Lichfield men We're not
i t< 1,n{ ol. IN, fl,n1, tOd hno nd
the warming With their own eyes
they had seen two cavaliers burst upon
them out of the fog with strident cry
for the king. De Courcy, coming first,
they concentrated upon him, and he
went down before them. Armstrong,
swinging his sword, shifting right and
left, believing like fiend in true cav
alier STYLE very Prince Rupert come
again, dashed ut the weakest spot, and
his impetuosity carried all before him.
"Never mind him!" cried the leader
as some would have pursued. "Fire,
and break their charged" And fire they
did right stoutly until u maddened Of
fcer, with bravery that scorned~ the
bullets around him, galloped along
their front, waving his sword and COM
handing them to stop.
"You are killing your own men!"
There are no royalists, but an interior
ing fool of Il Frenchman and an escaped
Scot. Back to Lichfieldv' Neverthe-
less battle is not quelled at IL word,
and the brave colonel pressed through
among them and galloped in pursuit of
his late prisoner.
Once clear of the clash Armstrong
was not sparing of a horse that belong
ed to some one else. AT great risk to
his neck he raced through the blind
fog, sword in hand, ready for further
opposition should he meet it. He emerg.
ed from the fog with suddenness that
startled him. The sun had set, and
there. barely a mile away, stood out
against the darkening sky the great
red bulk of the cathedral with its wal
broken towers and the little town hud-
died at It's feet. At the same moment
he became aware that some one was
laundering after him, and again he
dug the cruel spurs into the laboring
horse.
A glance over his shoulder showed
him the colonel breaking through the
bank of fog, and he thought of turning
and fighting him on the run, but the
sound of firing had ceased, and hi
knew the colonel would prove stoute
combatant than the Frenclman, SO b,
hurried on. Aside from this, Lichfielt
had been reused by the sound of thu
guns, and he saw the long, narrow
street that lay between him and thu
cathedral becoming alive with pikeme1
and knew he would have his work Gu
out for him if he was to get safel,
through the town. AS soon as he cam,
within earshot he shouted to them:
"Barricade the street! The king Il
upon us. have just escaped Gu
men are on the retreat Defend til,
:. town to the south. Barricade! Barri
= cadet" Thus he clattered through
LichGeld, shouting.
;. The soldiers began the running out o
carts and whatever other obstruction
= they could lay their hands upon t
- make the way difficult for the oncom
: ing colonel, who swore as loudly a
their stupidity as if lie We're the king
u own.
What are you about, you accuses
clodhoppers? Don't you know king
man when you see one? Leave tina
rubbish and follow me to the cathe
= dral."
Armstrong; horse, nearly done, stag
/" gered over the bridge and up the Sigh
# incline that led to the cathedral pre-
>. cincts. Across the gounds surrounding
the church had been raised grea
= earthwork. and the battered west from
Of the sacred building showed tina
n war had been no respecter Of sculr
tured beauty. A lone pikeman pace
@ up and down before the cathedral dool
# but paused as lie saw this impetuou
"a rider, whose horse had stumbled AM
fallen ut the top Of the rubbish heap
+ ,"What do you there" shouted Arm
strong. springing nimbly from his faH
;s ell horse. Didn't you hear the firing
Il Down to the street and help your CON
N rades! The town is attacked RUM
: II was told to stand here" objecte
!. the bewildered guard.
N run, confound you! Do you Ques
ton the word of all officer"
'. The man, trailing his pike, ran an
W disappeared down the street
= Frances, Frances, are you within
Open the small door. 1t is l, Arm
u strong"
10 Eyes, yes; knew you would come.
p he heard her say, and then follows
:. the welcome rattle of the bolts. Blu
Il they must be speedily drawn if the
q were to clear the way for a man har
% pressed. Over the barricade surged
v wave of pikemen, twoscore or more
J. the mounted colonel behind them ure
r. ing them on with pungent oaths.
m Sanctuary! Sanctuaryw shoute
~ Armstrong, raising his sword nloft
n. standing under the arched doorway
# stcadfast as one Of the stone knight
N beside him.
In spite of the cursing of the colo