The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-03-26

- ''N'N ~ A4.a'A iAD - a
bed and budding on my clothes and
thrusting my feet into nay boots like
n possessed. My heart vas beating
as fast as il | had been running in a
race, and my hands were shaking with
the shock of the alarm. The impa-
tient voice without was Master Prtt-
chard's and ii rang with all the venge
ful passion which l should have eN-
pected that gentleman. duped, ducked
and robbed, to be feeling. There would
be little mercy to be had at his hands.
Moreover, my ears. grown as keen for
the as the hunted hare's dis
ttnguished the tramping of at least
half u dozen horses. so that 1t was
clear that he had come with a force
at his back. Resistance would be use
less. My sole chance lay in flight. IL
flight should still be possible.
Even in my haste l did not forsake
the talisman which had served me so
well, but staid An instant to thrust it
into my pocket. The Cluddes have. l
fancy, a knack OF keeping cool In emer-
gencies. getting indeed the cooler the
greater the stress.
BY this time the inn was thorough
ly aroused. Doors We're opening and
shutting on all sides of me, and ques-
ions were being out in different
tones from room to room. In the midst
OF the hub-bub l heard the landlord
come out. mutteying, and go down
stairs to open the door. Instantly L
Unmatched mine, slipped through it
stealthily, sneaked a step or two down
the passage and then came plump up
in the dark against some one who was
moving as softly as myself. The sur
prise was complete, and l should have
cried out at the unexpected collision
had not the unknown laid a cold hand
on my mouth and gently pushed me
back into my room.
Here there was now a faint glinlmer
of dawn, and by this l saw that my
companion was the serving maid.
Hist" she said, speaking under her
breath. rs it o they want?"
I nodded.
II thought So" she muttered.
Then you must get out through your
window. You cannot pass them. They
are armed. Quick, Knot this about the
bars. 1t is no great depth to the bot
TOM, and the ground is soft from the
rain
She tore, as she spoke, the coverlet
from the bed, and twisting it into d
kind of rope helped me to secure one
corner of 1t about the window bar.
when you are down." she whispered.
keep along the wall to the right until
yon come to a haystack. Turn TO the
left there-you Will have to ford the
water-and you will soon be clear of
the town. Look about you then. and
you Will see a horsetrack, which leads
TO Elstreet, running in a line with the
London road. but a mile from it ana
through the woods. At Elstree any
path to the left will take you to
Barnet and not two miles lost"
Heaven bless you." I said, turning
driving scud without to peer grateful
" at her. Heaven bless you for d good
woman!"
and God keep you for a bonny boy
she whispered.
l kissed her, forcing into her hands
% thing thn ~, ~ $50, ~. - a
is very pleasant to me to his day-my
last piece of gold.
A more and ] stood I'M
hurt, but almost up to my knees in
~ in an alley bounded on both
sides as far as l could sees by blind
walls. Stopping only to indicate by a
low whistle that | was safe, I turned
and sped away as fast as I could run
IN the direction which she had pointed
out. Ihere was no one abroad and in
q shorter time than / had expected. I
found myself outside the town. travel
ing over a kind of moorland tract
bounded In the distance by woods.
Here | picked UP the horseback
easily enough, and without stopping.
save for a short breathing space. hur-
lied along it to gain the shelter OF the
trees. So far so good. I had reason
to be thankful. But my case was still
an Indifferent one. More than once in
getting out of the town j had slipped
and fallen. | was wet through and
plastered with dirt owing to these mis-
haps. and my clothes We're In a woe
full plight. For a time excitement kept
me up, however, and / made good way.
warmed by the thong hit thai l had
again bafled the great bishop. It was
only when the day had come and
grown on to noon, and l saw no sign
of any p%ursuers. that thought got the
upper hand.
Then I began to compare, with some
bitterness of feeling, my present con-
dition-wet, dirty and homeless-with
that which / had enjoyed only a week
before, and 1t needed all my courage
TO support me-. Skulking. half farnished,
between Barnet and Totterham, often
compelled to crouch in bitches or be-
hind walls while travellers went by, and
liable each instant to have to leave the
highway and take to my heels. / had
leisure to feel, and I did feel, more
keenly, / think. that afternoon than at
! any later time, the bitterness of fort
une ! cursed Stephen Gardiner q
dozen times and dared not let my
thoughts wander to my father. / had
said that I would build my house
afresh. Well, truly ] was building Il
from the foundation.
1t added very much to my misery
that it rained all day a cold. half frozen
hiding. shivering n shaking, In a hole
under a ledge near Totterham, being
afraid to go Into London before night
fall lest ! should be waited for at the
! gate and be captured. Chilled and be-
dragglad as ! was and weak. through
want of food. which / dared not 20
out to beg. the terrors OF capture
got hold OF my mind and presented
to me one by one every horrible form
OF humiliation, the stocks. the piliory,
the cart tail-so thai even Master
Pritchard. could he have seen me, and
known my mind. might have pitied me;
so that I loathe to this day the hours
I spent in that fou hiding place. Be-
tween a mans best and worse there
is little but q platter of food.
The way this was put an n to
well remember. An old woman came
into the field where ! lay hid to drive
home o COW. | had had my eyes or
this cow for at least an hour. having
made up my mind TO milk II for my
own benefit as 500 as the dusk fell
In my disappointment at seeing i,
driven off and also out OF a desire to
learn whether the old dame might not
be going to milk it in a corner OF the
pasture. In which case / might still
get an after taste, ] crawIed SO fni
out of my hole that. turning suddenly
She calfqhf sight NJ me 7 oxoanta1 ~