The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1906-02-13

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battlements and the termination of the
habitable portion of the fortress. The
moat, which was some ten feet deep,
was grown upon with grass, and its
sides were covered with blackberry
and furZe and divers wild creepers.
Completing my circuit of the castle, l
struck upon a stream which ran In a
full body through the park and, reach
ing the verge of the woodland, leaped
suddenly into torrent and scattered
into a waterfall down the steep face
of the hill While l was wandering
upon the margin, watching the tide and
swirl of the tiny eddies with lazy sat
isfaction, encountered my host, who
greeted me courteously.
You are admiring my little brook"
he said. Yes, it is pretty, but prettier
in the copses below, where l think you
must have observed it yesterday. Here
it runs very gravely; below it is noisy
vagabond. You see it has uses here"
You draw your water herew 1 ask
, ed, fascinated with the primitive idea.
Not unusually" he replied, but
| there is well within the castle, doubt
| less from the same springs. Yet the
| brook rendered a more important serv-
| ice in my predecessors times"
l looked at him inquiringly. He
| smiled.
Let me see,'' he resumed, IF can
| give you ocular proof. 1t should be
here" He stopped and, dipping his
| stick into the water, poked among the
| pebbles of the stream. "Ah, here it is!
| | think | have it, He looked toward
| the castle, above the battlements Of
which now famed the morning sun.
| They rose some fifty yards away.
| There is a connection with the mOat
| by means of conduit" explained Mr..
| KeSteven.
l uttered an exclamation of delight
and vowed that must explore farther.
Asserting graciously, he led the way
| toward the house and, letting himself
| gently down the sloping bank, walked,
| peering about him, along the bottom
of the moat. You will find it over
grown, no doubt" he said. But your
| y
years since looked for it,
searched amid the trailing creepers
and presently discovered the mouth of
! the conduit. 1t 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
fA,. ,.in Il onf6 10 Mn
| kesteven.
NO" he returned, II think not. /
believe my predecessor in the tenancy
Of the castle had it opened some fifty
years ago, and flooded the mOat for
his own amusement. l understand that
the experiment was quite successful
and entertained party of guests, one
of whom" he 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, it is worth your study,
and this castle of mine is by no means
singular"
l 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
knowledge which, as you shall hear, I
was glad enough to profit by at little
later period. And here l may set forth
| in few words the character of that
country which was destined to be so
strangely connected with my fortunes.
The castle stood upon little eminence
| toward the higher parts of the hills
and looked down toward the east upon
a long, broad valley as upon its special
domain. This valley, which was some
three miles long and little more thar a
mile across, was inclOsed by undulat
ing hills and enveloped in dense
growth of forest. Two roads ran from
the castle toward the east downward,
one upon either side of the ravine. One
of them - not that by which l had
mounted on the previous afternoon
we took upon this walk together.
We had gone about mile o, rather
less upon this road when we came up
on the first signs of life. The country
was but sparsely peopled, but here, at
any rate, was some remote and faith
! full settler. The inn-for such it was
| bore the name of the Woodman and
was, as l conceived, of the sixteenth
century at least. 1t was small, but the
eutbuildings attaching to it rambled
away into the forest behind. The sign
swung. creaking on a green patch Of
grass before the door AS we drew
near, a man lounging in front of the
| mouth and touched his hat.
no pE Cn>rTINTrun