The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-01

they came upon Herd OF the ferocioui
wild cattle which tho Scottish noble.
still preserved. The greatest bull oil
the herd tossed his head almost al
once. and before the Lord 1leepr collt
collect his presence of mind the brute
was on tho charge, believing and
sweeping his mighty horns from side
to side as he Enlloped.
| Escape there was mono. Lucy sank
to her knees. robbed OF her strength by
terror. The Lord Keeper. equally ter
rlfied. stood helpless. Tho animal was
almost on him and all seemed at an
end. when shot roared from thicket.
witt, mighty below the bull Stun
bled forward and fell within ten feet
OF the trembling man. The Lord
Keeper gazcd stupefed at the beast,
which had been struck so truly between
the skull and the spine that the bullet,
which could not have impeded his ca
recr in time had it struck any other
part of the body, had proved Instantly
fatal.
A man with a short gun in his hand
stepped out and lifted the girl, She
saw handsome, dark face. partially
concealed by black feather that
dropped from tho mans bonnet. He
raised her In strong arms and placed
her gently under tree. The Lord
Keeper stepped forward to offer his
thanks, but the stranger said in a
naughty, stern voice: II am tho Mas
ter OF Ravenswood," and disappeared
In the woods
During the succeeding days the tlmid
mind OF the Lord Keeper fed on the
old fear. aggravated by the new ter
ror of thus having met the Master OF
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.cincts. While he was in this mood
a visitor arrived who concealed under
a cloak of friendship his real mission
as an emissary to win Sir William over
to the opposition by playing OH his
fears. He told the Lord Keeper that
the cause OF Ravenswood was already
being taken up by his friends. partic-
ularly his close kinsman, the most
noble Marquis of A., who was
nightly feared by the ruling party in
Scotland, and whose politics promised
TO end in bringing his faction into
power.
Thoroughly alarmed now. the Lord
Keeper hastily prepared memorandum
written with all his lawyers craft. in
which. instead of presenting the fune-
raj scenes as offenses to be punished,
he rather became the advocate for |
young Ravenswood and his friends. |
ell with still more urgent private let
ters in which no counseled mercy and |
forbearance. Then, packing copies
carefully in his pouch, he ordered his |
retinue out for n hunt, which he So
directed that finally he and Lucy found |
themselves in sight of the old tower.
AS IL To help his plan the Master OF
Ravenswood came galloping up; and at
the same instant n great fash of light
hn oh rv1a
the rolling sea. In the circumstances
there was no way to avoid Offering tho
hospitality OF the ruined fastness to
the pair and the three rode rapidly to
his gate, much to the dismay of the
single servitor, who formed the young
lords sole retinue
Us he clean daft?" muttered that
llobbled down. ITO bring lords and
leddies and host of folk behlnt them
and naething to eat. But dell hac me
If the family shall lose credit"
Rowing TO the ground he cravcd his
ma ster's pardon for having permitted
al the servants of the castle to go forth
to see the hunt, Then lie Inquired
of the visitors II they would
have tokay or old sack or any other
rejection, and stopped only when
Ravenswood turned to the Lord Keeper
and said: Sir and madame. this old
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means of refreshing you arc even more
scanty than my retinue but such as
they may be you may command them"
The Lord Keepers chief servant had
now entered, and the rest of the great
train was not far behind. Seeing this,
Caleb hurried the guests into the hall
and then ran out again and barred the
great gates, flinging them shut with a
crash almost In the faces OF the hunts
men.
He thrust his head through a small
window over the entrance and informed
me angry people that his master and i
he guests were at their dinner, and h
hat the gates OF VOLTS Crag never
we're opened at meal times Then he
disappeared. leaving them to shout
md curse, which they did with right |,
good will till the CHIEF servant. who |,
rad perceived how matters stood, went
10 the window and told them to go to
me village tavern and feast at their
naster'.; charges
II was now laundering furiously--a
which made Caleb saw
Heaven he praised." Running 10 the
kitchen. he waited for u thunderclap
81 extreme force, and with a sweep or
his arm. hurled from shelf almost
all the stock OF crockery that tho place
ooasteu, Iheh he rushed upstairs and
appeared before his master with a
plteous countenance.
Such q misfortune to bcfa tho
house, and I to live to see itm' cried he
wringng his hands. The thunder,s
COME down the kitchen, and the things
are a Wing here ava, there AVA
capons IN white broth roast kid, roast.
cd leyeret, veal florentine, blackcock
piuin danlas, a tart, an forbye the fruit
Ahd we hae nae,hing left In the hons.
NJ 10 present for dinner. But I Will.
gang to Wolf's Hope and bring back
u dinner" ''sN
Ravenswood, who had not contra.
uleted Caleb for fear OF making ihc
scene sti'l more ridiculous, held OUT
ms purse, but the old senescha said
Indignantly; Purse! Purse. indnndi
! trnsf wo are no to pay for our AIM"
and flung out of the room. Outside he
"Couldna he haze slipped II
gently into my hand?" and went forth
to prey on the village.
lie had unfortunately for him ouIte
ruined his standing among tho nepple
by Insisting on the ancient baroniaI
rights OF the Ravenswoods, under the |
cover of which he had eXacted tribute
till the village lawyer had led to a I
nj raUnJf srhapapo,, Y ~ |