Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-11-03
DAILY. STORY.
A TALE OF THE oLDEN TIMES.
lOriginal.l

GOriginaLl
If 1.-THE of the romance contained
In history could be recorded the in
ventors of fictitious happenings you'd
be put to shame III the muSty records
contained i'll the Tower of London or
i'll the plain unyarnished history OF
Scotland there is Il plentiful supply Of
themes for English song and story.
Here is one that needs no elaboration:
In a cell in Il Scottish castle Sir John
Cochrlne. Il knight. condemned by the
king To be beheaded. was taking Il final
leave of his daughter
Farewell. my child" said the father.
Il am to die at dawn tomorrow"
The girl looked at him 1iercely-so
ferceiy that he almost thought this
horror had deprived her OF reason.
Father she said hoarscly, you
must not die
The knight folded her in his arms
and moaned in broken tones: The
king wills ii. He has signed my death
warrant. and it is OH its way. 1t will
be here tonight. The scalTold and block
are ready. The headsnan is waiting.
The sun tomorrow viii not rise on
your father. My child. do not deceive
yourself. There is no hope
Withdrawing from his embrace. the
girl turned and left him. As she passed
out of the door she paused and. turn
ing. said with the energy of despair:
Father. you shall not die
The highs was dark. \ courier dash
ed ana splashed along 4 muddy Scot
fish road. y mail pouch was slung to
his shoulder. Now and again the
bouGh of some overhanginG tree would
sprinkle his face with rain water, and
his horse was continually plunginS into
some pool or mudholc in the road. The
moorland stretched ahead of him, be
fore him ana behind him. Far in the
distance lOJmcd the castle in which Sir
john Cochraae was confined, and the
messenger was making straight for it.
In the east was Il faint fOrewarning Of
dawn. Noticing it. he spurred his horse,
Hiutterin%:
Il shall be late. 1t would be Il pity
TO keep man in suspense. It's to be
at dawn, and my presence is as neces-
sary rs that of the man who is to part
with his head"
He had scarcely finished bis soliloQuy
when something sprang up and at him
from the road. At first he thought it Il
beast. but in another moment he felt a
pair of arms struggling to deprive him
of his mail pouch. The courier was
not Il weak man. ana his enemy was of
light ana slender build. but it seemed
as If heaven were giving to the latter
strength. In vain the
courier tried to throw him off He
cling like 4 panther. Then the horse.
unable to support the two struggling
weights. fell The courier rolled into
Il ditch beside the road. and as he
clambcred out he caught sight of
figure clad in the garments of Il Scot
fish knight standing in silhouette
against the line where earth and sky
met
At the castle those who were to Off
ciate at the execution emerged from
their sleeping rooms TO witness the
passing of Sir John Cochrauc. Nothing
was wanting but the official order for
the execution, and that was not forth
coming. Dawn grew into daylight,
and the sun rose. Then came the
courier with his story that he had been
by an unknown knight and
of his mail pouch containing the
warrant. The headsman rested on his
Ak while the others consulted There
seemed nothing to do but send to the
capital for another order, and consid- |
erinS the distance and the roads of the
period, the trip would require two
weeks The messenger vas disn2t.b-