The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-03-02
CHAPTER /.

Twas on NOV. -, a. ~. lQtz-d ciedr,
frosty day-that the King, with the
Prince of Wales, the Princes Rupert and
Maurice, and a great companr of lords
and gentlemen, horse and foot, came
marching back to us from Reading. |
was a pupil OF Trinity College in Ok
ford at that tiue, and may begin my
history ut O'Clock on the same after
noon, when going to Mr.. Rob Drury for
M fencing lesson, ! found his lodgings
empty.
They stood at the corner of Ship street.
"a you turn into the Corn Market
low wainscoted chamber, i'll lighted but
commodious. He is off to see the
show" thought as l looked about me-
and finding an easy cushion in the win
dow, sat down to await him. Where
presently, being tired out and in despite
of the open lattice, 1 fell sound asleep.
1t must have been an hour after that
/ awoke with chill and was stretching
out a hand to pull the window close.
but suddenly sat down again and fell to
watching instead.
The window looked down, at the
height Of ten feet or so, upon bowling
green at the back of the Grown" Tav-
ern, and across it to a rambling wing
Of the same inn; the fourth side, being
but ar. old wall, with broad sycamore
growing against it. Twas already twi-
light, and ia the darkening house, over
the green, was now one easement bright
ly lit, the curtains undrawn, and within
q noisy company round q table. They
were gaming, as was easily told by their
clicking Of the dice and anon the below
of some chorus would come across.
Twas one of these catches, dare say,
that woke me; only just now my eyes
were bent. not toward the singers, but
on the still lawn between us.
The sycamore, | have limited, was
broad tree, and must, in summer, have
borne a gocdly load OF leaves; but now,
in November, these were strewn thick
over the green, and nothing left but stiff,
naked boughs. Beneath it garden
bench rested. On this a man was now
seated.
He was reading in q little book; and
this first logged my curiosity; for twas
unnatural a man should read print at
this dim hour, or he should choose a
cold bowling green for his purpose. Yet
he seemed TO study his volume very at
tentiyely, with a sharp look, now and
then, toward the lighted window, as if
the jewellers disturbed him. His back
was partly turned to me; AID what with
this and the growing dusk, / could but
make a guess at his face; but a-plenty
of silver hair fell over his fur collar.
and his shoulders were bent a great deal,
judged him between fifty and sixty.
For the rest, he wore a dark, simple
suit, very straitly cut, and a hat rather
tall, after the fashion Of the last reign.
Now, why the mans behavior so en-
gagged me, / don't know, but at the end
Of half an hour l was still watching him.
By this. twas near dark. bitter cold. and
his pretense to read mere fondness; yet
he persevered-though with longer
glances at the easement above, where the
din at times was fit to wake the dead.
And now one Of the dicers upsets his
chair. and gets on his feet Looking up,
/ saw his features for a moment-a
slight, pretty boy, scarce above eighteen.
with fair curls and flushed cheeks like
girls. 1t made me admire to see him
In this ring of purple, villainous faces.
Twas evident he was a young gentle
man of quality, as well by his bearing
as his handsome cloak of amber Sc tin
barred with black Il think the demon
Is in these dicei" / heard him crying, and
a pretty hubbub all about him; but pres
emily he sits down quietly to a fresh
game.
As soon as twas started, one Of the
crew, that had been playing but was
now dropped out, lounges up from his
seat. and coming TO the easement pushes
1t open for fresh air. He was tall
bully, with a gross pimpled nose, and led
the catches in bulls voice. The rest of
the players paid no heed to his rising.
and very soon his shoulders hid them,
as he leaned out, drawing in the cold
breath.
During the late racket had forgot for
while my friend under the sycamore
but now, looking that way, to my aston
ishment | saw him risen from his bench
and stealing across to the house Oppo-
site He kept all che way to the darker
shadow of the wall, and besides had
curious trailing motion with his left f,
as though the ankle of it had been wrul-
or badly hurt. As soon as he was come
beneath the window he stopped and call
ed softly:
"Histr'
The bully gave a start and looked
down. l could tell by this motion he did
not look to find any one in the bowling
green at that hour. He now moved so as
to let it fall on the man that addressed
him. The other stands close under the
window, as if to avoid that, and calls
again:
'.Histr' says he, and beckons with q
finger.
The man at the window still held hi:
tongue, and so for a while the two mer
studied one another in silence, as If con
sidering their next moves. After a bit
however, the bully lifted a hand, ant
turning back into the lighted room, walk
mp to one OF the players, speaks a wore
or two and disappears.
sat up on the window seat, where til
now / had been crouching for fear tn,
shat. of light should betray me, ant
presently heard the latch Of the bacl
porch gently lifted, and spied the heav,
form of the bully coming softly over tn,
grass.
The bully must have closed the doc
behind him but carelessly, for hardl,
could he take dozen steps when it open
ed again with a scuffie, and the larg'
house dog belonging to the Grown" fie
ut his heels with a vicious snarl al
snap of the teeth.
Twas enough to scare the coolest. Blu
the fellow turned as K shot. and befor'
he could snap again had gripped hin
fairly by the throat. The struggle tina
followed l could barely see, but l hear,
the horrible sounds Of 1.-THE hard shor
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