The daily Alaskan., 1907-01-10
A Tale of the OldeH Time
Original

| contained in the Tower of London or | in the plain unvarniShed history of ! Scotland there k plentiful supply of l themes for English song and story. ! Here fS one that needs no elaboration: In cell in a Scottish castle Sir john Cochraue, a knight, condemned by the king to he beheaded was taking final leave of his daughter
 Farewell. my child" said the father. II am to die at dawn tomorrow" The girl looked at him tiercely-so tercely that be almost thought this horro. had dcprTved her of reason. '"Father." she said hoarSely, you must not die
 The knight folded her in his arms and mOancd iu broken tones: The kiug wills it. He has signed my death warrant. and it iS on it's way. It will | be here tonight. The sCaffold and block are ready. The beadSman is waiting. The sun tomorrow will not rise on your father My child. do not deceive yourself. There k 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 night was dark. A courier dash ed and SplaShed along a muddy Scot tlsh road. A mail pouch was Slung to bis shoulder Now and again the bouch of some overhangin" tree would sprinkle his face with rain water. and his horse was continually plunging into some pool or mudhole in the road. The moorland stretched ahead of him. be- fore hun ana behind him. Far in the distance lOomed the castle in which Sir John COChraue was confined. and the messenger was making straight for it. In the east was faint torewIrning of dawn. Noticing it. he Spurred his horse. muJueriug.
 ''I shall br late IL would be q pity to Keep man in suspense. It's to he aJ dawn and ny presence iS aS ueceS- Slu, a> tha- of JAr mau who is to part win h> hv,pd."
 He uad scarcely finished his SOlilOquy when ~".nrJHu- ~prauS up and at him from tAr road At ursl he thought it a uruSt. but ia another moment he felt a pair uS urmS struggling to deprive him uf his u.au puurh The courier was mol weak muu aud his enemy wHS ot light aud slender build. hu, it seemed
 F 'If Superhuman strength. In vain tue courier tried .o throw hiw oI. He ,.uu- like paurh"r 'rI"u 'h" horse. uuahl,. to ~upp,r, Jhr TWO struggling weights. r.l Th. cuursrr roiird into q ditch hr,r,l' rhr r"ud. auI a> he rlambrrri out h,. caught sight of figure rlai im ,hr garments of a Scot- tfSh hugNl >,ug4g in silhouette against rhr nu. where earth aud sky Mtt
 At thr castle. those who were to off ciatr a, rll- execution emerged from their sleeping ruum> To witness rhe passing uf SIT John Cochraue. Nothing Was wanting but the official order for ,hr execution. auI that was not forth coming. Dawn grew into daylight, and rir sun ro>r. Then came rhe courier wf,h his story that he had been attacked ny an unknown knight and robbed of lis mail pouch containing the warraur. Ilr hrld~mau rested on his ax wh.lr rh. others rouSutrd There seemed nothing 'u Io but >rud to the capital for aup'.n'r nmI"~. and. conSid- rrfu- ih.. Gt~r.u"r aul the rnH,l> of the n"riuI rhr trip w"uld require two weeks Thr .grS~"ugcr waS dispatch ,d. rh" officials diSprr>rd and the hral~mau pu' away his aN.
 gur.u= 'h. prr.nI of waiting the fa- rnrr ,uur,.>>,r waS pleading for Sir Iohu'~ ufr. Gradually hu,r SpranS lfll" a green >prtg from tn" ground. grew >truu-r". huddcd and hlo0mcd into a bclirf that thn condemned man would hr parIoued. Eur if >o which would lrriv" first. the new death war rant ur tue pardon: In Jh"S" days of uncertain communication no one could l tell.
 One morning a sentry uu the castle wall looking over the mOorland saw l n the di~raurr nDrSpmau coming at d gIllop. The sentry called the attcu- | ton of others tn the comcr. and the wall wuS soon covered with Sir John | COchrano'> wellwi>hrr>. AS the man i came near h" waved a paper above ! his head and shouted. "A pardOn.' The prison doors were swung open. Ind lhn prisoner stepped forth d free muu Going jn his home. followed by l host of luyI friends. he was over whrlurd win congratulations. He uud rNprrtrd his daughter rn be the ] first tu welcome him. but when he did ] uut >,.r her be was troubled He ask rti for her :md waS tuid that she had l uul urru >rru since the evening she 1 had parted from him In his ,,'ll All lay thr rrjuicin-~ went ou hur when night came rlr man who hal passed from tn" shadow of death tD l.r light uf life w..S aIr,u. Then r;Imr 30 srry- ant tu auuuuurr That I young kuIgLu 1 desired To see him Hoping that Lhe stranger bore news of his daughter. l Sir John ordered his admittaHce \ l slender young man of feminine ap-