The Washington times., 1913-01-17

escape from that inferno was not
by any means an easy matter.
Luckily for me, the moment the lights
were extingufshed and the fight began
In earnest. my mind became as clear In
emergency as IL had been confused in
suspense; and presently I made an i'm
portant discovery. In all that yelling,
scrambling mass of furious men. alone
was not anxious to find the enemy.
True, l was on guard all the time. and
found on the bloody brackens, but so
long as kept out of the way | was
tolerably safe. On all sides men roared
or screamed, horse-pistols Numbered in
the darkness Of that confined place, and
] could hear, In an occasional lull, the
hard breathing OF wrestlers rustling in
the brackens, or the quick, expectant
painting of Highlander feeling for a
fresh enemy.
a mans length from me. / would hear
them fall.
Now that the darkness hid the faces
OF men, my temporary situation was
simple: II my people held me an en-
envy. / yet bore them no grudge. My
hatred Of the Mscdonalds was. In
great measure, strengthened By my iate
modification. When a Campbell chal-
iensed me-, l conscientiously replied:
Campbell and when a Macdonald
ana my wound were forgotten, and
must have fought to advantage, for I
live to write these memoirs.
But for Mariposa's sake avoided the
battle which could bring no forgiveness
10 me. Bit by bit 1 fought my way to
the hall. But the castle door was held
by a number of Campbells, who had
been posted there to prevent the escape
Of their. enemy. To my left was the
staircase leading TO the living rooms.
10
enough for me to conceive a plan.
Up 1 ran. At the landing 1 paused
for a moment. Ahead Of me was an
open door, beyond which burned a can.
ole. tiptoed forward. my borrowed
sSSqSaE in s%anss asc IN the
stood at the far end OF the laird's
room. with his back to me. He was
pouring whisky into goblet. and as he
drained II, his arm shook violently.
Then he jumped into the big bed-the
same where Don John and 1 had
fumoling at the wall.
There came snap, and a white
washed door, that had seemed a piece
with the wall, creaked inward. The
coward was going to ny. or hide, from
the danger which he had created.
IT'S over early for bed. Archibald. I"
He lem nes Ss ZEN fla, on the Quilt, SO
great was his fright Then he turned
around. and seeing me, his face became
infiamed with rage
You! You. Traitor" he cried, pick
ing his rapier or the bed and jumping
to the floor.
Then 1 regretted my folly. Although
had Il sword In my hand. am willing
to confess to this day that / am a bet
ter hand with the sythe. Black Archi-
bald knew II, too, as i could see by
the merc!less Hight in his eyes as he
swooped down on me. But | swung
the mighty broadsword like a windmill,
and with such rapidly that the laird
could but stand and wait till 1 was
tired of the game.
But desperation WAS In my strength
and to keep clear of the long blade he
was forced back until his shoulders
touched the bed. Then he spranE at
me. but | was as quick to spring, too
not backward, but sideward-and at the
second lunge and dodge our positions
were reversed. / was cornered against
the bed with hardly room to swing the
claymore. and he was standing with
his back to the door, coolly smiling az
he waited for my next move.
A Continuation Of This story VIII
BE Found In TOmOrrO.x,s