The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-12
R {. D. BLACKr10RE
"a 2 5.... 1 900


'Then why don't you do it. JohnT' said Lorna, with a flash of her ola fun.
 It turned out that the behavior Lorna had alluded to was Johns not answering her letters. and further investigation showed that these letters had never been sent. having been sup pressed by Gwenny Carfax. now acting as Lorna's maid, who had determined that her born lady should not continue to think of a yeoman. "As soon as I am my own mistress, John," said Lorna, T will come to Plover's Barrows and marry you out of hand"
 Earl Brandir. who was very old and as deaf as a post, received John as he would any other yokel who had done him a good service by rescufng his ward from the Doones, but had no more thought of love between the young people than he would of love between a plough boy and queen. And the young people. somehow, put off telling him about it--,he was so deaf. Then a great piece of good fortune befell John. He was lettering in the neighborhood of Earl Brandir's house one night as lovers will lofter near the object of their devotion. when he saw three burglars enter 1t by a win dow Following them he came upon them in the EarI's room just as they were threatening the aged nobleman with death if he did not give up the keys to his strong box.
 With his great cudgel, which he always carried in London at night. John broke the skull of one robber. knocked the other two senseless, bound them with cords and turned them over to the watch. It happened that these two prisoners were two of the most notorious false witnesses of Titus Oates and his fellows. whom the King had much desired to lay hands on, but had been unable to catch. So John was summoned to court and stood be- fore the last Stuart King of England The Queen was there also. and came down the room graciously to encour- l age the yeoman, who stood abashed at finding himself in such great company.
 This is the great Jonann Reed" said Her Majesty in her foreign way, flor whom I have so much heard from | my lovely Lorna She is not of this black countree; she of the bright | Itaiie.''
 John Ridd," said the King thou hast done a great service to this realm and. to religion. It was good to save Earl Brandir, a loyal Catholic noble | catch two of the vileist bloodhounds ever laid on by heretics. Now. ask us anything in reason: thou canst carry thy honors on thy club. like Hercules What is thy chief ambi- | tion?"
 Well" saI John. who had now quite recovered himself, my mother always thought we ought to have a coat of-arms We have been free- | l. as the crops are good, we might sup port coat of arms: but for myself want 1t not"
 "A good lad" cried the King. Thou | shalt have a coat: but it must be a large one to fit thee" And, motion ing to an attendant, who brought him sword, he said: ''Kneel down, John Ridd." The yeoman kneIt. His Majesty tapped him three times on the shoulder. saying: Arise, Sir John Ridd."
 Sir" said John, springing up in astonishment. T am very much obliged to you-but what be to do with it?' | However. the heralds answered that question and Sir John Ridd rode home with as fine a coat of arms as ever came out of the Herald's Office.
 When Jshn reached home he found the country at last exasperated to a degree which boded i'll for the Doones. The robbers had broken out again and on one of their forays had carried off the wife of small farmer and killed her child before her face. The slow wrath of the slow moving people. which had been gathering through many years. was at last at full tide and they had assembled in force to do what the Kings troopers and the militia had failed to do. and extirpate the race of the Doones.
 All demanded that Sir John, as the greatest and most trusted man of Ex- moor, should take command of the array; and John consented, provided they first would let him barley with | Carver Doone and demand from him the return of the abducted woman and the giving up to justice of the Doone who had murdered the child.
 John approached the Doone Gate with a handkerchief tied to his staff and demanded speech with Carver Doone Tho bIackbearded giant came out to meet him with scornful smile and when John had made his demands, replied with curl of his lip: ''Sir John, your new made honors have turned your head as might have been expected If there be q man on Ex- moor who has grossly misused us, thou are that outrageous rogue. John. We are not accustomed to giving up any | thing that belongs to us Have we not used you well in not burning down | your house and cutting your throats? oh, you ungrateful viper!'
 How the balance hangs between us." replied John, God knows better than thou or I. thou low miscreant Carver Doone: The day of our reckon ing Is nigh
 Fool. 1t is come!" cried Carver, and as he sprang aside. volley fired from under the archway sent a shower of bullets out of the gate. But Sir John | Ridd was as nimble as ever was plain John Ridd. and he jumped at the same time Carver did, so that the bullets passed him by unharmed as he made use of the protection of a projecting | rock.
 That settled the fate of the Doones The armed yeomahry fell upon them and exterminated them, root and branch. smiting and sparing not. and | leaving their valley a desolation. Only Carver and the Counselor escaped CArver's escape was due to his great strength and the speed of his horse and 1t was John himself who let off the Counselor.
 While the fight was raging he espiec the old man stealing off amid the long grass. crawling on all fours, John could not kill him. It was too much like numbering man in cold blood