Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1907-07-26
On the Queens Highway.
BY woLMrR wnsTE.f i

Il L.
/ fear, sore trial to him, and fire.
quently he has upbraided me in
anger, but not of late. He does in
deed love me well and sometimes
| even fancy that he is softening
| toward you somewhat, but I cannot
tell with certainty, for he has ever
refused to mention your name"
At times this passage would raise
a spark OF hope in Carey's breast.
but the recollection of his interview
with Sir Richard convinced him that
there was no hope while he remained
poor.
These unhappy thoughts pursued
him as he walked through the vii
lage, and 1t occurred to him that he
was not approaching his new calling
in the proper spirit. He pulled him
self together and decided to think
of the business in hand. The first
necessary Of a highwayman was a
horse. He had none. A heavy pistol
he had, and sword; a horse was all
he wanted.
He turned up lane to the left,
opposite an old Grange, and passed
through the two little hamlets of
Brantensbury and Mapes. The road
passed through wood outside
Mapes, and as he stepped into the
gloom of the trees he heard the faint
sound of horses hoofs ahead.
1t appears that shall not lack
mount" he said to himself, and after
walking little way on to get fur
Their from the village he stepped off
the road and stood among the trees
| to await the coming of the horse.
1t approached at a walking pace, and
when nearly abreast of him Captain
Carey stepped out and stood in it's
path. The suddenness of his appear
ance made the animal shy violently.
| With bound the soldier sprang at
! horse and rider, and, selling the lat
ter around the waist with his right
| arm (holding the horses rein the
while with his left hand) he brought
him heavily to the ground. In a
trice Captain Carey had hitched the
horses rein to tree and returned
to the fallen man. The latter was
sitting up rubbing his head, and to
Carey's establishment he saw that he
wore a black mask.
"So!" said Captain Carey. ct is
to a gentleman of the road that I
owe my horse''
The detected highwayman grunted
sullenly.
Il fear me-" continued the soldier,
that you do not make the gift
freely, so to teach you better man
ners, will ask you to hand over
what gold you have upon you-gold
gained, l doubt not, nefariously,
against the laws of this country"
The highwayman protested that
he had not a gold piece upon him.
Times were bad, he said, and trav-
elers upon the road few and we'll
armed. Not for weeks had he held
up single chaise
The Captain did not believe him. |
He proceeded to search the highway
man, and was soon rewarded by feel |
ing fat silk purse. He drew it |
forth, and found that it contained |
not less than twenty guineas The |
highwayman was low, scoundrelly |
looking knave, and Carey did not |
doubt that he deserved to be robbed |
of all he had, but recollection of his |
own absolute penury made him re-
luctant to reduce another to the |
same state, so he drew forth about |
half of the guineas and flung them |
into the highwayman' lap.
Here is half of your gold, fellow"
he said, {" tbs more than you ever |
left a traveller on the road, l war
rant. Take off your mask; it's a pity |
that you should conceal your beauty. |
Take it off, say"
The highwayman, who had been |
disinclined to obey at first, tore off |
the mask. Carey took it from him,
and mounting the horse, rode off. |
AS he trotted down the road he |
heard the highwayman cursing vol
ubly, but his spirits, seldom at low
ebb, rose to their highest at the feel
Of the horse between his knees and
the chink of the guineas in the
purse.
"But they will not take me far"
he said, thinking of the guineas, and
coming to a lane on the right, he
turned into it, guessing by its nor
therly direction that it must lead |
him to the Edgeware Road again.
The lane passed through the Crikle
Woods, and, although he slowed the
horse to walking pace, in about a
quarter of an hour he emerged into
the great high road where it rose
over considerable hill Riding to
the summit he found that the road
stretched straight for miles both
ways, and not light was to be seen
save the distant lights of London.
1t was a dark night-just the
night for highwayman, thought
Captain Carey-and he felt we'll con-
tent as he dismounted to cast an eye
over his horse. 1t was a fine beast,
and Carey, although a foot soldier,
was a good horseman, and knew
enough of horsefesh to tell a good
mount. Ever and anon as he passed
his hand over the animal he raised
his head and looked either way along
the road, but no light told of an ap-
preaching chaise. He examined the
mask which he had taken from the
highwayman, and did not at all rel
ish the idea of wearing it after the
dirty fellow he had left sitting in the
lane. He realized, however, that if
he were going to have any luck that
night he needs must wear it so, with
a grimace, he wiped the inside of the
little piece of black cloth vigorously
on his coatsleeye.
He was getting tired of being a
highwayman, when a light, which he
had not noticed before. caught his
eye. 1t was in the direction of Edg-
ware, and he gazed at it eagerly and
was satisfied to see that it was COM
ing toward him. There was a clump
of pines by the side of the road, and |
he led the horse under the trees.
hitched the rninS to a branch and