The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-04-09

figures could not be seen through the
mist. Then l halted, and we stood lis
tening, gazing into one another's
strained eyes, while the step came les
then with a noisy rush Numbered on
the wooden raft. My ear caught the
Jingle of harness n clank OF weapons.
1t Is my watch" l muttered. Come,
and make no noise. What 1 want Is a
little this way. l fancy l saw 1t as
we passed down the wharf"
They turned with me, but we a not
taken MANI steps before Mistress
Anne, who was walking on my left
side. stumbled over something. h
tried to save herself, but failed. an fell
heavily. uttering as she did 80 a loud
cry. l sprang to her assistance. and
even before / raised her 1 laid my hand
lightly on her mouth. Hush" l said
softly. For safety's sake, make no
noise. What Is the matter?"
"Oh she moaned, making no effort
to rise. my ankle, my ankle! l am
sure I have broken It,"
l muttered my dtsmay, while Mistress
Bertram. STOPPING anxiously. examined
the injured limb. Can you stand?"
she asked.
But 1t was no time for questioning,
n l put her aside. The troop which
a passed were within easy hearing,
n IL there should be one among them
familiar with the girls voice we might
be bounced upon. fog or no fog. 1 felt
that IT was no time for ceremony and
picked Mistress Anne up in my arms.
whispering to the elder m GO
on ahead! I think l see the boat. 1t is
straight before you"
Luckily l was right. 1t was the boat,
n so far we'll. But at the 1
spoke l heard a sudden cutlery behind
us knew the hunt was up. I
plunged forward with my burden, reck-
lessly and blindly, through mud and
over obstacles. The ferry for which I
was making was moored in the water a
few feet from the edge. I had remarked
1t idly and without purpose as we came
down to the wharf n had even no
ttced that the oars were lying in 1t.
Now. II we could reach it and start
down the river for Leigh. we might by
possibility gain hat place and meet
Mistress Bertram's husband.
At my rate. nothing In the world
semed so desirable to me at the mo-
ment as the shelter of that boat. l
plunged through the mud and waded
desperately through the water to it.
Mistress Bertram tcarce a whit behind
me. l reached it, but reached II only
as the foremost pursuer caught sight
OF us. / heard his shout Of triumph,
n somehow / bundled my burden into
the boat. l remember that she Clung
dpOuI my neck III rear, ana l. mad TO
loosen her hands roughly. But / did
loosen them-in time. With one stroke
of my hunting knife I severed the rope,
n pushing off the boat with all my
strength sprang into it as II 1oated
away and was In time. But one Sec
ond's 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 1 had had experience of
boats on the Avon, at Bedford. and
Stratford. and could pull a good oar.
For a moment indeed the wherry rolled
and dipped as l snatched up the SOULS.
but l quickly got her in hand, and
bending to my work sent her spinning
through the mist. every stroke l pulled
Increasing the distance between us and
our now unseen foes. Happily we were
below London bridge n a not that
dangerous passage to make. The river,
too, was nearly clear of craft. and
though once and again in the pool a
huge hulk doomed suddenly across our
bows and then faded behind US into
the mist like some monstrous phantom,
n SO told Of a danger narrowly es-
capped, / thought 1t best to run all risks
n 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
kerchief and bravely made light of 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. 1 was oddly
struck by he strange current of life
which for a week had tossed me from
one adventure to another, only to bring
me into contact at length with these
two n sweep me into an unknoWn
whirlpool OF their fortunes.
Who were they? "A merchants wife
and her sister flying from Bishop Bon
ner's inquisition? I thought It likely.
Their cloaks and hoods indeed. and all
that l could see of their clothes, fell
below such q condition, but probably
they were worn as a disguise. Their
speech rose as much above it. but 1
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 women. watching me in
anxious silence, were as curious about
me. l still bore stains Of country traV-
ell. ! was ~unWashed, unkempt, my
doublet was torn. the cloak I had cast
at my feet was the very wreck of q
cloak. Yet L read no distrust in their
looks. The elders brave eyes seemed
ever thanking me. 1 never saw her
lips move silently that they liz not
shape We'll done!" And though I
caught Mistress Anne scanning me once
or twice with an expression I could Ill
interpret a smile took its place the mo-
ment her gaze met nine.
We has passed but were still I'm sight
Of Greenwich p~alace-as they told me
when the mist rose suddenly like a
c~uCtain rolled away. and the cold,
bright February sun. shining out, dis
closed the sparkling river, with the
green hills rising on u right hand.
Here and there on It's surface a small
boat such as our own moved to and
fro, and III the distant pool from which
we had come rose 4 little forest of
masts. I 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 IA the