The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-05-04

below 1ull or men screaming and run
ming. and Colonel John Digby's dragons
after them, chasing. cutting and killing.
wet muzzle was thrust into my hand,
and turning, I found Molly behind me.
with the groom to whom had given her
in the morning. The rogue had counted
on crown for his readiness.
I determined to see the end Of it, and
paying the fellow, climb'd into the saddle.
Billy Pottery strobe at my stirrup,
munching at a biscuit he had found in
the rebels camp.
We turned into lane, which gradu.
ally led Us to westward, out Of the main
line Of the rout, and past hamlet. where
every door was shut and all silent. And
at last a slice Of the sea fronted us,
between two steeply shelving hills. On
the crest Of the road, before it plunged
down toward the coast, was wagon ~
| ing against the hedge with the horses
gone; and beside it, stretch'd across the
road, an old woman. Stopping, we found
her dead, with a sword-thrust through
the left breast; and inside the wagon a
young man lying. with his jaw bound up
dead also. And how this sad spectacle
happen'd here, so far from the battle
fed, was more than we could guess.
I was moving away, when Billy, that
was kneeling in the road, Glanced to cast
his eyes up toward the sea, and dropping
the dead woman's hand, scrambled on his
feet and stood looking, with a puzzled
face. Following his gaze, / saw small
sloop moving under shorten'd canvas.
about two miles from the land. She made
pleasant sight, with the last rays of
sunlight flaming on her sails; but for
Billy's perturbation l could not account,
so turn'd an inquiring glance to him.
"Suthin' i the wind out yonder," was
his answer. whats sloop doing on
that ratch so close in by the point. There
she goes again"-as the little vessel
swung off a point or two further from
the breeze, that was breathing softly up
camel. thine to sup. lad, for the both
of u.s." he broke off shortly.
Indeed, / was faint with hunger by
this time, yet had no stomach to eat
thus close to the dead. So turning into
a gate on our left hand, we cross'd two
or three fields. and sat down to sup of
! Billy's biscuits, the mare standing quiet
ly beside US, and cropping the short
grass.
The field where we now found our
selves ran out along the top of a small
promontory, and ended at the cliffs edge
| As sat looking southwark, could only
observe the sloop by turning my head
but Billy, who squatted over against me
hardly took his eyes off her. and between
this and his meal was too busy 20 speak
a word. stretch'd myself out, and
| found 1t very pleasant to lie still; nor
when Billy stood up and sauntered of
toward the far end Of the headland, die
I stir more than to turn my head and
lazily watch him.
He was gone half an hour at the least
and the sky by this time was so dark
that l had lost sight of him, when, ris
ing on my elbow to look around, I noted
a curious red glow at point where the
turf broke off, not three hundred yards
behind me, and a thin smoke curling ur
in it, as it seem'd, from the very face
of the cliff below. In a minute or so the
smoke ceased almost; but the shine
against the sky continued steady, tho no
very strong. BILLY has lit a fire."
guessed, and was preparing to go ant
look, when l spied black form crawling
toward me. and presently saw twas Billy
| himself. Coming close, he halted, put &
finger to his lip and beckoned; then be
gan to lead the way back as he had
come.
Thought 1, these are queer doings;'
but left Molly to browse, and crept aftel
him on hands and knees. He turn'd hi.
head once to make sure was following
Once more he pulPd up, and after con
sidering for a second, began to NOV,
again; only now he worked little to tn,
right. And soon / saw the intention o.
this; for just here the cliffs lip was clef
by a assure that ran back into the field
and shelved out gently at the top, so tina
a man might easily scramble some wa,
down it. And twas from this fssur,
that the glow came.
Along tie right lip Of this Billy led me
skirting it by a couple Of yards, ant
wriggling like a blind worm. Crawlin,
closer now, 1 stopp'd beside him ant
strove to quiet the violence Of my breath
ing Then, after a minutes pause, to
gether we pulled ourselves to the edge
and peer'd over.
The descent of the gully was broken
some eight feet below US, by a small
ledge, sloping outward about six feet
and screen'd by branches Of the wild tam
arisk. At the back, in an angle Of tn
solid rock, was now set a pan piercet
with holes, and full of burning charcoal
and over this a man in the rebels uni
form was STOPPING.
He had a small paper parcel in his lef
hand, and was blowing at the charcoal
with all his might. Holding my breath
heard him clearly, but could see moth
ing of his face, for his back was towar
US, all sable against the glow. The char
coal fumes as they rose chok'd me so tina
was very near a fit Of coughing, whel
Billy laid one hand on my shoulder, an
with the other pointed out to seaward.
Looking that way, 1 saw a small ligh
shining on the sea, pretty close in. 'Twa
lantern hung out from the sloop, as
concluded on the instant; and now be
gan to have an inkling Of what was to
ward.
But looking down again at the ma
with the charcoal pan / saw a black hea
Of hair lifted, and then a pair of re
punPd cheeks, and pimpled nose with
scar across the bridge of it-all shinin
, in the glare Of the pan.
IT'S that bloody villain, Luke Settle!
gasped.
And springing to my feet, took
jump over the edge and came springin
on top Of him. The scoundrel was stool
} ing with his nose close to the pan. Il
with a thud on his shoulders, dattenin
him on the ledge and nearly sendin
/ his face on top of the live coal. 'Twa
| On suddou fh Of hoforo ho cou1d en- ru11c