Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-14

from his mouth and touched the brim Of
his het with Il in salutation.
AN obJect-lesson, sir" said he, and
nodded toward the loathsome mass above.
"A very hideous onev' said ], pausins,
and, I think A very useless one"
He wes as hne a fellow as ever thrust
toe into stilrup" the man went on, point
ing upward with his stick, though you'd
never think SO to look at him nowl"
IT'S a horrible sight" said I.
1T is nodded the man, 'it's q sight
20 turn q mans stomach, that It isl
You knew him. perhaps?" said l.
Knew him." repeated the man. staring
az me over his shoulder, knew hin--ah-
that is, ! knew OF him"
"A highwayman7"
Nick Scrope his name was" answered
the man with a nod, hung at Maidstone
assizes last year, and a very good end
he made OF it too; and here he be-hung
up in chains all natral and reglar. as
warning to all and sundry."
The more shame to England" said I;
ITO my thinking Il is a scandal that our
highways should be rendered odious by
such horrors, and as wicked as il is
useless"
"'od rot me-" cried the fellow. slap
ping cloud OF dust from his coat with
his stick, "hark to that now"
"What2' said /, do you think for one
| moment that such q sight. horrible
though It is, could possibly deter a man
from robbery or murder whose mind Is
already made up to IL by reason OF cir
cumstances or Starvation
"wel. but it's an old custom, as old
| as this here road"
True" said I, and that OF itself but
! proves my argument, for men have been
| hanged and gibbeted all these years, yet
| robbery and murder abide with US still.
! and are OF daily occurrence"
why, as to that, sir" said the man,
| falling into step beside me as I walked
! on down the hill, Il won't say yes and
| ] won't say no, but what do say Is
! as many a man might think twice efore
! running the chance Of coming to that
| look" And he stopped TO turn, and point
| back at the gibbet with his stick. Nick
! can't last much longer, though I've
! knowd 'em hang a good time-but they
made a botch of Nick-not enough tar;
you can see where the sun catches him
| there"
Once more. though my whole being re-
VOTED at the sight, I must needs turn to
f, look at the thing--the tall, black shaft OF
the gibbet, and the grisly horror that
! dangled beneath with its chains and iron
/ bands; and from this, back again to my
/ companion, TO find him regarding me with
a curiously twisted smile, and a long
barrellod pistol held within a foot of my
| head.
W eli Sdlu l. SNdAAil6
Sir" shaid he tapping his boot with
his stick, Il must trouble you for the
! sinner see a-winking at me from your
! cravat, likewise your watch and any
small change you may have"
For a moment 1 hesitated, glancins
from his grinning mouth swiftly over the
( deserted road, and back again.
Likewise" said the fellow, II mus
ask you to be sharp about it It was
= with singularly clumsy fingers that
drew the watch from my fob, and the pir
from my cravat, and passed them to him
Now your pockets" he suggested
turn EN- out"
This command l reluctantly obeyed
bringing to light my ten suineas, whicl
were as vet intact, and which he pock
eted forthwith, and two pennies-whicl
he bade me keep.
For" said he, twill buy you
draught Of ale, sir and there's good stu
to be nad at The White Hart yonde'
and there's nothin like a draught c
good ale to comfort a man in any sue
small adversely like this here. As to this
knapsack," he pursued, eyeins It though
fully, "it looks heavy and might hol
valleybcls, but then, on the other han'
it might not, and those there straps take
time to unbuckle and" He broke o
suddenly, for from somewhere on tn
hill below us came the unmistakabl
sound of wheels Hereupon the fello'
very nin1bly ran across the road, turned
p nodded and vanished among the tree
ana underbrush that clothed the stee
sIone down to the valley below.