The daily Alaskan., 1907-04-26
4 Tale Of tho Olden Time
lOrIElnaLl


 be put to shame. In the musty records contained In the Tower Of London or in the plain uuvarnIshed history of Scotland there is a plentiful supply of themes for English song and story. Here Is one that needs no elaboration:
 In a cell in a Scottish castle Sir John Cochrane, a knight, condemned by the king to be beheaded. was taking final leave of bis daughter
 Farewell, my child" FaId the father, ''I am to die at dawn tomorrow"
 The girl looked at him Gercely-so dercely that he almost thought th.5 horror had depsived her Of reason.
 Father" she said hoarsely, you must not die"
 The knight folded her in his arms and moaned in broken tones: "The king wills 1t. He has signed my death warrant, and 1t is on Its way. It will be here tonight. The scahold and block are ready. The heausman Is waiting. The sun tomorrow will not rise on your father, My chud, do not deceive yourself. There Is DO hope"
 Withdrawing from his embrace, the girl turned and left him. As she passed out of the door she paused and, tuEu- Ing, said with the energy Of despair:
 Father, you shall not die"
 The night was durk. A courier dash ed and splasbed along a muddy Scot, tlsh road. A mail pouch was sluug to bis shoulder. Now and again the bough of some everhanglng tree would sprinkle his face with ralu water, and his horse was continually plunging into some pool or mudhole in the road. The moOrland stretched ahead of him, be- fore him and behind him. Far ln the distance loomed the castle in which Sir John COchrane was confined, and the messenger was making straight for it. In the east was a faint fOrewarnlng of dawn. Noticing it, be spurred his horse, mutterlug:
 'I shall be late. It would be a pity to keep a man iR suspense. It's to be at dawn, and my presence is as ueces- sary as that of the man who is to part with his head"
 He had scarcely finished his soliloQuy when something sprang up and at him from the road. At first he thought it a beast, but in another moment he felt a pair of arms struggling to deprive him of his mail pouch. The courier was not a weak man. and his enemy was of light and slender build. but 1t seemed as lf heaven were giving to the latter superhuman strength. In vain the courier tried to throw him of. He cluug like a panther. Then the horse, unable to support the two struggling weights, fell. The courier rolled Into a ditch beside the road, and as he clambered out he caught sight Of a figure clad in the garments of a Scot tish knight stan3Ng in silhouette against the line where earth and sky met.
 At the castle those who were to ofa. cIate at the execution emerged from their sleeping rooms to witness the passing of Sir JohD Cochraue, 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 attacked by ln unknown knight and robbed of his mall pouch containing the warrant The headsman rested on bis ay while the others consulted. There seemed nothing to do but send to the capital for another order, and, consld- erlng the distance and the roads of the period, the trip would require two weeks. The messenger was dispatch ed, the officials dispersed and the headsman put away his aL.
 During the period of waiting the fa- ther cOufessor was pleading for Sir Johns life. Gradually a hope sprang like a green sprig from the ground, grew stronger, budded and bloOmed into a belief that the condemned man would be pardoued. But If so which would arrive first, the new death war. rant or the pardon? In those days Of uncertain communication no one could tell
 One morning a sentry on the castle wall looking over the moorland saw in the distance 9 horseman coming at a gallOp. The sentry called the atten- ton of others to the comer, and the wall was soon covered with Sir John COChrane's wcllwishers. As the man came near he waved a paper above hls head and shouted, "A pardOn|
 The prison doors were swung open, and the prisoner stepped forth a free man. Going to his home, followed by a host of loyal friends, be was over whelmed with congratulations. He had expected his daughter to be the first to welcome him, but when he did not see her he was troubled. He ask ed for her and was told that she had not been seen since the evening she had parted from him in his cell All day the rejolcings went on, but when night came the man who had passed from the shadow of death to the light of life was alone. Then came a serv- mt to announce that young knight