Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-02-15


newer wonder. pulled myself together
in babe me enter; the door. opened
under my hand and 1 stood in the
presence of the man who, as / made
no doubt. would shortly summon his
GUARDS and have me out to my rope
and tree. My Lord was busy at his
writing desk when entered; but when
he looked up I saw the light of in
slant recognition in his eye. Never. 1
think. did another prisoner at the bar
strive harder to read his sentence in
his judges eyes than l did in that mo-
ment Of suspense.
"Ah, Captain Ireton tits you. is it?
We are well met, at last. They told
me you were gone to join the rebels.
did they not?"
Here was an opening for a bold man.
ard In a flash l came to the right
about. choked down the defiance I had
meant to hurl at him. and took quick
counsel of cool audacity.
Indeed, my Lord l know not what
they have told you. In times past. the
king had no truer soldier than I; and
when 1 came across seas twas not to
fight against him. But that l have not
joined the rebels is no fault of certain
of your Lordships officers"
Say you so? But how is this
Surely I am not mistaken. 1 could be
certain Colonel Tarleton reported your
taking as a spy. and his trying of you.
And was there not something about a
rescue at the last moment by a band
of these border braves? But stay; let
us have the colonel's story at first
hands. Have. the goodness to ring the
bell for me. will you. Captain"
The crisis was come. A pull at
the bell-cord would summon the guard,
and the guard would be sent after
Colonel Tarleton. Well, said the de-
mon Despair. tbs time you were gone
to make room for Richard Jennifer;
and l laid a hand upon the tasseled
rope. But when 1 would have rung,
all the man pride. of race and of SOL
der training, rose up to bid me fight
for space to strike one good blow In
freedoms cause by way of leave TAX
ing.
So, as 1t had been an afterthought,
i "A
my Lord, and then, If you please |
will call the guard. All you remember
is true, save as to the principal fact.
so far from being spy in intent, or
even a partizan of either side, l was
at the time but newly come into the
province, knowing little Nof the cause
of quarrel and caring still less. But
Captain Falconnet and Colonel Tarle-
ton did their earnest best to make a
rebel of me out If hand"
"Ah? But the proof OF all this, Cap
tain Ireton."
1.-The best I can offer is the present
fact of my coming to place myself at
your Lordship's disposal, being moved
thereto by your Lordships own de-
sire expressed in an order sent some
weeks since to Sif Francis Falconnet"
"So?-then you knew Of that order?''
Captain Falconnet showed 1t to me
after I was condemned and the firing
squad was drawn up to snuff me out
My Lord Charles gave me the cour-
tier smile that so endeared him to his
soldiers-he was well-loved of his men
and babe me sit.
THE plot thickens, as Mr.. Richard
son would say. Let me have your
story, Captain Ireton. / would rejoice
to know why Captain Sir Francis Fall
comet saw fit to disobey his orders.
was clear of the lee shore and the
breakers at last, but / was fain to be-
lieve that not Michiavelli himself could
hope to weather the storm in the open
How much or how little did Lord
CORVALLIS remember OF Colonel Tarle-
toms report? How explicit had that
report been?-was there any mention
in it of my eavesdropping at the con
ference between Captain John Stuart
and the baronet; of my attempt to
warn the over mountain men against
the Indian-arming? Could l hope to
tell his Lordship a tale so near the
truth as to be unassailable by Tarle-
ton and his officers, by Gilbert. Stair
and the spiteful little pettifogger, and
yet so deftly garbled as to keep my
neck out of the halter for the time
being?
All these questions thronged upon
me as mob to pull cool reason from
her seat. and 1 could only play the
part of the trapped rat and snap back
at them. Yet my Lord CORVALLIS was
waiting for his answer, and single
moments hesitation might breed sus-
picion.
You must forgive me, my dears. II
confess 1t beyond me to set down here
in measured words the tale 1 told his
Lordship. A lie IS lie, be it told In
never so good cause; thing deplor-
able and not to be glozed over oil
boosted OF after the fact. So l bef
you to let these quibblings to which
was driven rest in oblivion, figurins
to yourselves that l used all the truth
| dared. and that l strove through 4
all not wholly to sink the gentleman
and the man of honor in the spy.
Twas but a bridge of glass when al
was said; bridge that carried m,
safely over for the moment into my
Lords confidence. yet one which a peb-
BILE flung by any one of a dozen hand:
might shiver in the dropping OF al
| eyelid.
vTruly, you have had a most roman.
tic experience" said his Lordshsp
when / had made an end. Then HI
lay back in his chair and laughed til
the stout body of him shook again
And all about little wench of tbs
provincials But all this was in tn
early summer. you say; where have
you been SINGER
Here was q chance for more romano
| ing. this time Of sort less danger
GUS So l drew breath and plunge'
| again, telling how l had been carries
| of by my captor-rescuers; how hal
fallen into the hands Of the Indians
not all of whom, / would remind hi
Lordship. were friendly to the king
and lastly how l had but lately es
| capped from the mountain fastnesse
back OF Major Ferguson's camp at Gil
bert Town. AT this point my Lord in
terrupted the tale-telling.
SO You know OF the major and nj
doings? l would you had brought m
late news OF him. Ills week sine
his last courier reached US"
This was the moment for the play
ing OF my trump card--the only one
| Nara rosa hov-s,S fooE from, m