The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-12-15


morning was fine, the air Of those bills
delicate and stimulating, and the sun
light struck the woods and valleys Will
golden glory. Smoking cigarette
l strollcd round the edfice, surveying
with admiring eyes the details OF the
design. The entrance by the portcullls
lay between two solid drum towers
very forI 'dable 10 look on. The bat
Elements. which were extremely plain
and'by no means perfect. the machlco.
lntions being worn into great chasms
here and there. stood two stories az ay
from the base OF the castle. and three
II the bottom of the moat be counted
Upon III side OF the irregular
squais which the buildings made the
stonework, as have said, had fallen
into dlsrepalr. and. indeed, no rooms
were hnbltable here. The detrltus OF
centuries had flowed over into the
courtyard. and the stones were heaped
In solid accumulation and overgrown
with masses Of huge Irish Ivy. The
southern face Of the castle was. so to
speak. but hin " rock II was nj the
+ junction OF the southern and western
walls that the keep stood. itself raised
some twenty feet above the level Of the
battlcmcnts and the termination OF the
hahitahlc portion OF the fortress. The
moat. which was some ten feet deep
was grown upon with grass. aud It's
sides were covered with blackberry
and furzc ana divers Wild creeNers
Completing my circuit OF the castle. |
struck upon a stream which ran In n
full body through the park and. reach
Ing the verge OF the woodland. leaped
suddenly into a torrent aud scattered
Into waterfall down the steep face
OF the hill While was wandering
upon the margin. watching the tide and
swirl Of the tiny eddes with lazy sat
isfaction, ! encountered my host. who
greeted me courteously.
You are admlring my little brook"
he said. Yes. II Is pretty. but prcttier
In the copses below. where think you
must have observed II yesterday. Here
II runs very gravely: below II Is n noisy
vardbond You see II has uses here"
"You draw your water here?' I ask
ed. fascinated with the primitive idea.
Not unusually" he replied. "bu
there IL we'll within the castle. doubt
less from the same springs. Yet tho
brook rendered a more important serv
Ice in my predecessors times"
i BOXED ut him inqulringly. liz
smiled.
'Iet me see" he resumed. III | cai
sivc you ocular proof. II should b.
here" He stopped and, dipping hi
stick into the water. poked among la
pebbles Of tho stream. "Ah. here II Is
think | have ity' lie looked towar,
the castle. above the battlements
which now famed the morning sun
They rose some fifty yards away
There is a connection with the moai
by means OF conduit" explained Mr.
kestcven.
uttered an exclamation OF dellgh
and vowed that must explore farther
Asserting graciously. he led the wa.
toward the house and, letting hlmsel
gently down the slipping bank. walked
pcering about him, along the bottom
of the moat. "lou will find II over
grown, no doubt" he said But yom
eyes are better than mine. IL Is ten
years since looked for IT,"
searched amid the trailing crecpers
and presently discovered the mouth of
the conduit. II was OF thick stone and
mortar and from its appearance must
have been Of very ancient construction.
But the opening was choked with earth
and grass and probably had been SO
for centuries. | said as much TO Mr..
Kestevcn.
NO." he returned IL think not. l
believe my predecessor In the tenancy
of the castle had II opened some fifty
years ago and Hooded the moat for
his own amusement. | understand that
the experiment was quite successful
and entertainef n party Of guests, one
of whom" lie added dryly, fell into
the water and was only rescued with
some difficulty. But you shall make
better acquaintance with our neigh
borhood after breakfast. assure you,
Mr.. Greatorex, II is worth your study,
and this castle OF mine is by no means
singular"
was quite at his disposal for a
stroll later In the morning and upon
that occasion got my first knowledge
Of the topography of the Gwent, a
which. rs you shall hear,
was glad enough to profit by at little
later period. Aud here may set forth
In few words the character of that
country which was destined TO be so
connected with my fortunes.
The castle stood upon little em.nencc
toward the higher parts Of the Kills
and looked down toward the east upon
a long. broad valley ms upon its special
domain. This valley, which was some
three miles long and little more than a
mile across, was lnclosed by undulat-
Ing hills and enveloped in IA dense |
growth of forest. Two roads ran from
the castle toward the east downward. |
one upon either side of the fayine. One |
Of them not that by which | had
Mounted on the previous afternoon
we took upon this walk together.
We had gone about q mile or rather |
less upon thls road when We came up |