The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-05-18
CHAPTER xxII.-(Continued.)


ner waving on the crest Of the road. and
gatherd about it the vanguard of the
troop-some score Of Dragons; and
these, having caught sight OF us. were
pauslng a moment to watch.
The shout presently was FOLLOWED by
another; to which / made no answer, but
held on my way, with the nose OF Della s
morse now level with my stirrup; for I
guessd that my dress had already be-
trayed Us. And this was the case; for
AT the next glance / saw five or six dra-
goons detach themselves from the main
pody, and gallop in a direction at an
acute angle to ours. On they came, yell
ang 20 US to halt. and scattering over the
moor to intercept us.
Not choosing, however, to be driven
eastward, l kept a straight course and
trusted to our horses f1eetness to carry US
oy them, out Of reach Of their shot. In
the pause Of their first surprise we had
stolen two hundred yards more. / count
ed and found eight men thus in pursuit
or US; and to my Joy heard the bugle
blown again, and saw the rest Of the
troop move steadily along the road with
out intention to follow. Doubtless the
news OF the Cornish success made them
"ots u tuel[ SOOQ order.
Sui, eight men were enough to run
from; and now the nearest let fly with
his piece-more 70 brighten us, belize,
than with any other view, for we were
Tar out Of range. But it grew clear that
II we held on our direction they must cut
Us off.
Only now with good hope 1 saw hill
rising not half a mile in 'front.' and some
what to the right Of our course. and,
thought /, ''if we can gain the hollow to
the left Of it, and put the hill between
US, they must ride over it, or round-in
either case losing much time" So, point
ing this out to Della, who rode on my
left. l drove my spurs deep and called
to Molly to make her best pace.
The enemy divin'd our purpose; and in
a minute twas a desperate race for the
entrance to the hollow. But our horses
were the faster, and we the lighter rid
ers' so that we won, with thirty yards
TO spare, from the foremost-not without
damage, however, for, finding himself
baked, he sent bullet at us which near
~ cut through my rein, so that my bride
was henceforward useless, and / could
guide Molly with knee and voice alone.
Down the hollow we raced, with three
dragons at our heels, the rest going
round the hill. But they did little good
by so doing, for after the hollow came
a broad, dismal sheet of water, about a
mile round and bank'd with black peat.
Gauoping along the left shore Of this,
we cut them of by near half mile. But
the three behind followed doggedly,
though dropping back with every stride.
Beyond the pool came a green valley,
and a stream flowing down 4, which we
jump'd easily. CHANGING at Della as she
landed on the further side. noted that
her cheeks were glowing and her brimful
OF mirth.
Say, Jack" she cried, 'is not this bet
ter than love of women?p
I'm heavens NAME" called out,
take carev
But twas too late. The green valley
here melted into treacherous bog, in
the which her bay was already plunging
over his fetlocks and every moment sink
ing deeper
Throw me the rein-' shouted, and.
catching the bride close by the bit.
lean'd over and tried to drag the horse
forward. By this Molly also was over
hoofs in liquid mud. For a minute and
more we heav'd and splashed, and all the
while the Dragons, seeing our fix, were
shouting and drawing nearer and nearer.
But just as a brace of bullets splashed
into the slough at our feet we staggered
to the harder slope and were gaining on
them again. So for twenty minutes along
the spurs Of the hills we held on, the
enemy falling back and hidden. every
now and again, in the hollows-but al
ways following; at the end of which time
Della call'd from just behind me:
Jack, here's to-do; the bay is going
lamev'
There was no doubt of it. I suppose
he must have wrung his off hind leg in
fighting through the quag. Any way.
ten minutes more would see the end of
his gallop. But at this moment we had
won to the top Of a stiff ascent, and now,
looking down at our feet. had the low
fullest surprise.
Twas the moor Of Temple spread be-
low like map, the low sun striking on
the ruin'd huts to the left of us, on the
roof Of Joan's cottage, on the scar of
the high road and the sides of the tall
tor above 1t.
I'm ten Minutes" said I. 1--WE may be
safe"
So down into the plain we hurried; and
I thought for the first time of the ,oyal
girl waiting in the cottage yonder, of my
former ride into Temple, and of the
light heart with which I left il.
Past the peat-ricks we struggled, the
sheep-cotes, the struggling fences-all so
familiar; cross'd the stream and rode into
the yard.
Jump down." I WHISPERED; I'VE have
time, and no more" CHANGING back. /
saw a couple Of dragons already coming
over the heights. They had spied us.
Dismounting, ran to the cottage door
and flung it open. A stream Of light,
flung back against the sun, blazed into
my eyes.
I rubbed them and sslted for q mo-
ment stock-still-
For Joan stood n n { OF me, dressed
in the very clothes I had worn on the
day we first met-buff- coat, heavy
boots and all. Her ba * was toward
me, and at the shoulder. where the coat
had been cut away from my wound, L
saw the rents all darned and patched
with pack thread. In her hand was the
mirror had given her.
At the sound Of my step on the thresh-
pdl she turned with q short cry--a CRY
the like Of which I have never heard.
30 full was it Of choking joy. The glass
dropped to the floor and was shattered.
In q second her arms were al out me.
ood en- eho hing IN NV nork eof,h;r< "A