Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-04-10

a warning hand | grasped my compan-
a ions arms and hurried them forward
some PAGES until | felt sure that our
figures could not be seen through the
mist. Then / halted, and we stood lis
tening, gazing into n another's
strained eyes, while the step came near
er and nearer. crossed our track and
then with a noisy rush Numbered on
the wooden raft. My ear caught the
jingle Of harness and clank Of Weapons.
1t is my watch" / muttered. Come,
n make no noise. What | want is y
little this way. | fancy / saw 1t as
we passed down the wharf"
They turned with me, but we had not
taken many steps before Mistress
Anne, who was walking on my left
side. stumbled over something. She
tried TO save herself, but failed, Inc fell
heavily. uttering as she did so a loud
cry. / sprang 10 her assistance. and
even before / raised her l laid my hand
lightly on her mouth. "Hush!" said
softly. For safety's sake, make no
noise. What is the natter"
Q She moaned, making no effort
to rise, my ankle. my ankle. l am
sure ! have broken it,"
/ muttered my disuay. while Mistress
Bertram, STOPPING a~nxiouSy. examined
the injured limb can you stand?"
she asked.
But 1t was no time for questioning,
and | put her aside. The troop which
had passed were within easy hearing.
and If there shoGld be one among them
familiar with the girls voice we might
be bounced pom fog or no fog / felt
that 1t was no time for ceremony aud
picked Mistress Anne up in my arms.
whispering TO the elder woman: Go
on ahead! | think see the boat. 1t is
straight before you"
Luckily | was right. Ii was the boat,
n so far well. But at the moment /
spoke ] heard a sudden cutlery behind
us and knew the hunt was up. /
plunged forward with my burden. reck-
lessly and bllndly. through mud and
over obstacles. The ferry for which l
was making was fnoored In the water a
few feet from the edge. / had remarked
II idly and without purpose as we came
down to the wharf and had even no.
tlced that the oars were lying in Il.
Now. IL we could reach it and start
down the river for Leigh, we might by
possibility gain that place and meet
Mistress Bertram's husband.
AT any rate. nothing in the world
seemed SO desirable to me at the mo-
ment as the shelter Of that boat. /
plunged through the mud and waded
desperately through the water to it,
Mistress Bertram scarce a whit behind
me. | reached IL, but reached ii only
as the foremost pursuer caught sight
OF us. ] heard his shout OF triumph,
and somehow l bundled my burden into
the boat. | remember thar she chung
about my neck in fear, and / had to
loosen her hands roughly. But / did
loosen them-in time. With one stroke
OF my hunting knife / severed the rope
and pushing off the boat with all my
strength sprang into II as Ii fioated
away and was in time. But one sec
n delay would have undone US.
Two men were already in the water up
to their knees, and their very breath
was hot on my face as we swung out
into the stream.
Fortunately / a had experience of
stratford. and eoafG pun a good oar salr
For a moment indeed the wherry rolled
and dipped as l snatched up the SOULS,
but | quickly got her in hand, and
bending to my work sent her spinning
through the mist. every stroke I pulled
increasing the distance between us and
u now unseen foes. Happily we were
below London Lridge and had not that
dangerous passage to make. The river.
too, was nearly clear of craft. and
though once n again in the pool a
huge hulk doomed suddenly across our
bows and then faded behind us into
the mist like some monstrous phantom.
and so told OF a danger narrowly es-
capped. 1 thought 1t best to run all risks
and go ahead as long as the tide should
ebb.
1t was strange how suddenly we had
passed from storm INTO calm. Mistress
Anne had bound her ankle with a hand
kerchie and bravely made light or the
hurt. and now the two women sat
crouching in the stern watching
me, their heads together. their
faces pale. The mist had closed round
us, and we were alone again. gliding
over the bosom OF the great river
that runs down to the sea. WAS oddly
struck by the strange current OF life
which for a week had tossed me from
n adventure TO another, only to- bring
me into contact at length with these
two and sweep me into an
whirlpool OF their fortunes.
Who were they? A merchants wife
and her sister flying from Bishop Bon
ner's inquisition? | thought IL likely.
Their cloaks and hoods indeed, and all
that l could see OF their clothes. fell
below such a condition. but probably
they were worn as a disguise. Their
speech rose as much above il, but I
knew that OF late many merchants
wives had become scholars and might
pass In noblemen's houses. Even as In
those days when London waxed fat and
set up and threw down governments.
every alderman had come to ride In
mail.
No doubt the m watching me In
anxious silence. were as curious about
me. / still bore tains OF country tray
ell. / was ~unwashed, unksmpt. my
duublet was torn. the cloak I had cast
at my feet was the very wreck OF a
cloak. Yet | read no distrUst IN their
looks. The elders brave eyes seemed
ever thanking me. I never saw her
lips move silently that they did not
shape well DONE. And though I
caught Mistress Anne scanning me once
or twice with an expression I could Ill
interpret a smile too it's place the mo
ment her gaze met mine.
We has passed but were still in sight
OF Greenwich ~paiace--as they told me
when the mist rose suddenly like a
| curtain rolled away. and the old.
bright February sun. shining out. dis
closed the sparkling river. with the
green hills rising on our rigat hand,
Here and there on It's surface a small
BOAT such as our Owl moved to and
fro. and In the distant pool from which
we had come rose a little forest Of
masts. 1 hung on the oars "A moment,
and my eyes were drawn TO a two
masted vessel which. nearly half a mile
below US. was drifting down. gently
heeling over With the current as the
crew got up the sails. III wonder whitE-
er she Is bound" ! said thoughtfully.
land whether they woUta AXE US on
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