The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-04-22


4 disturb them"
Whose man are your
"Ah belong ia tn Yerl o. Traquair."
"And very rood friend of mine the
Earl Of Traquair is. Will you just go
inside and tell him William Armstrong
is sitting here on his horse?"
THAT wull All no, fur II tn king
himself were ia ask All munna let him
by tn door. Sa jist TAX fule's adj
vice fur vince and gang ava ia tn
next inn afore it gets darker an ye're
like to lose yer rod amang tn hills"
II must get something for my horse
to eat. He's done and should not be
pushed farther. I'll wait outside until
their lordships have finished their coun-
cil."
9TH stalls are a. fou already, an,
If not wi better nags, at least wi the
nags O. noblemen, an Ah'm thinkin'
that's neither you nor me-"
"The stalls may be fou, but my
beasts empty, and must get feed Of
corn, noble or simple. Ye tell the earl
it's me and yen be thankit."
Indeed, me Draw man, All taxi or
ders fra the yerl himself an fra name
| else. Jist ticket yer beast WI the spur,
or Ah'll gle him jab wi tn point O.
this spear"
The descent of young Armstrong was
so instantaneous that the man at arms
had no opportunity Of carrying out his
threat or even of leveling the unwieldy
weapon in his own defense. The
horseman dropped on him as if he had
fallen from the clouds, and the pike
rang useless on the rough cobble-
stones. The black horse showed no
sign Of fright, as might have been
expected, but turned his intelligent
head and calmly watched the fray as
if accustomed to any eccentricity on
the part of his master And what the
fine eyes of the quadruped saw was
startling enough. The wide spread
limbs of the surprised soldier went
whirling through the air like the arms
Of windmill in a gale.
Armstrong had grasped him by the
waist and turned him end for end, re-
volving him. Catherine wheel-wise, I'M
til the bewildered wits of the victim
threatened to leave him through the
action of centrifugal force. By the
time the unfortunate sentinel lost all
reckoning of the direction in which
solid earth lay with regard to his own
swiftly changing position he found
himself on his assailant's shoulder,
gaping like newly landed trout, and,
thus hoisted aloft, he was carried to
the closed door, which a kick from
Armstrong; foot sent crashing inward.
The intruder flung his burden into the
nearest corner of the large room as if
he were a sack of corn. Then, facing
the startled audience, the young man
cried:
''Strong orders should have a strOn-
ger guard than you set, gentlemen. l
hold to the right of every Scotsman to
enter a public dram shop when he
pleases."
A dozen amazed men had sprung to
their feet, overseeing a chair or a stool
here and there behind them and here
and there a flagon before them. Elev-
en- swords flashed out, but the appraised
! right hand Of the chairman and his
commanding voice caused the weapons
to hang suspended. -.
"The very man! The very man we
want! Will. where have you dropped
fromY"
From the back of my horse a mo-
ment since, as your henchman here
will bear witness, TraQuair."
Armstrong, your arrival at this
juncture is providential. That's what
it is, providentialv'
at must be, my lord, for you did
your best to prevent it. Your stout
pikeman would not even let you know
l was within call, so l just brought
him in to give the message properly
The sentinel had by this time got
on his feet and was staring at the COM
pany like one dazed.
"Where's your pike?" demanded Ira
QUAR-.
ION the stanes ootside, ma lord.''
Every well, go out and lift it, and see
that you hold better grip of it when
the next man comes along. Attend to
Armstrong; horse and keep an eye up
and down the road"
aight in the city now so hateful to her.
She wrote letter which was forward
el to him by messenger, but said moth
Ing of her visit to Whitehall, telling
him his estimate of De Courcy had
been correct, promising to send the
thousand pounds to be replaced in her
fathers treasury as soon as she reach
ed her home in the north, and asking
pardon that his counsel had been de-
elined.
Two hours later Frances was on her
way to the north. She paused on High
gate hill and looked back on the babel
she had left, vast and dim in the rising
mist of the mild spring evening. ooh,
cruel city! Oh, faithless man! The
bloodthirst Of London may be whetted
and not quenched, perjured king of
Englandv' She bowed her head to her
horses name and wept helplessIy.