Year: 1861

When was fifteen years old, was employed
as an errand boy in ststioner' shop in q small
town in the north country. was youth Of
genteel appearance and good address, and was
popular with the lady customers. Some of
these Joined picnic party one September
afternoon at q ruined castle about Eve miles
from our town, and having forgotten to take
their drawing materials with them, they sent
back word that was to bring them all that
was necessary. Twas proud Of the commission,
and therefore started on my errand in a
pleasant mood. L had not got far from the
door, when my master, Mr.. Blackleas. called:
eli hi!' exclaimed be, "here take these bills
to Lady Disbrowe and Mrs. Carter; they live
not much out Of your road; collect the money
and be sure you hurry back" An excessively
ill-loOking fellow, who was lettering at the
public-hOuse door over the way, most certainly
heard this charge Of my master, for saw him
grin maliciously, though did not think much
about IL at the moment; and by the time got
to Luton Spinney las The wood was called thers)
hsd entirely forgotten the incident.


Well, reached the picnic, did my errand,
and then wsntimmedistely to Lady Disbrowe's
taking care to apologize for the lsteness of my
visit, snd to Mrs. Csrter's, at each Of which
places / received the moneys that were owing
TO my master, and was Hospitality RECALLED by
their respective house-keepers. Their sociality
and plessantness only made me feel the more
lonely when set out upon the deserted road
to return home. The moon was rising but
n
Inclination to see robbers, If any were around,
and still less desire that the robbers should see
me- The air was perfectly still, and my foot
steps, carefully as trOd, reverbersted with a
painful distinctness. As long as my road lay
through the open, was tolerably TRANQUIL but
VIXEN / came in sight Of the Spinney-a heavy
mes Of covert, dsrkening the entire road with
Its shadow-there was another noise beside
THAI made by my boots. Icould distinctly hear
+he beating OF my own heart. am not the
least ashamed to say that was in a state of
profound terror; on the contrary, think it did
great credit to my forethought. had made
up my mind that there would be robbers in
that wood, and there IOsre robbers


As | approached a certain spot, remem-
bered all the circumstances Of a murder which
had been committed there, as had read them
In the old local newspaper, which my master
very religiously preserved. How that the
wretches who did the deed had carried the
body into the wood, and buried it, pack and
au-for the unhappy victim was peddler-so
that ii was not found for very many days; and
how that some children nutting- What
made that branch crack on the left hand of the
road yonder? There was not enough Of wind to
stir my Uhiskers, If had happened to have
any, and yet there Was certainly noise in the
6pinney as of persons-murderers-mo
through the underwood. l was a very feet
runner for my years-fully making I'D in agility
for whatever was wanting in courage-and
made up my mind on the instant what to do.
The movement had taken place at some little
distance from the roadside, and / knew could
get by before any one entangled in the thicket
could make his way down to intercept me- I
therefore started of like arrow out Of bow
intending TO do the half-miie Of defls at Derby
speed. heard q shout behind me as I sped
by the suspicious spot, and the jump of a mans
feet into the road. With the start had got Of
him, Gale 1lated he would scarcely overtake
me, and had less than mile ands half to
run to reach the turnpike that stood at the en-
trance Of our town. Ah me, was ever to see,
thought /, that safe little town again-Which
had sometimes seemed dull and stupid-and
that beloved master of mine, to whom 1 had
more than once applied the epithet Of Curmud-
geon, borrowed from those wicked romances
1t seemed indeed that was never to see them
again. A dark figure stretching out both his
arms to bar my passage suddenly appeared il
the road before me. and called out to my pur-
suer, "I'ye got him, Dick, safe enough 10
Without one seconds pause, made right at
this new antagonist, as though to run him down.
i saw him grin ssvagely as 1 came up quite
close, and recognised the ill-fayored man at
the public house who had sneered at me that
morning when Mr.. Blackleds had called me
back about getting the bills paid. He grinned
this time to think that should sttempt to push
him over with my puny body, although was
far from entertaining any such project. At the
moment of the expected collision, I swerved to
to the left, and passed him, gaining few feet,
while he recovered himself, and indulged in a
hideous execrstion. / had now my enemies
behind me, and had but Just started, could
have dstanced both Of them, but I had been
running my hardest and the second robber
was quite fresh and unexhausted. knew that
he was gaining on me. felt my knees knock
together and my young legs tremblsd as they
dew. His foot steps drew 50 close, that l could
hear his breathing and the angry grinding Of
his teeth: / was conscious that his blood thirsty
hand was even stretshed out to grasp my collar
Then dropped down like Plummet before
him. just as had been accustomed to do at
school. in the way Of some opponent at football,
too gigantic to be dealt with by other Methods,
and with the same happy result. My enemy
performed q summersault in the air, and fell
down motionless in the road as though he had
broken his neck which most deyoutly wished
he had.


Nhen rose up the man was at least thirty
yards behind me, but felt could run no
more. 1 dragged myself rather than plunged
into the thicket, and making my way bat q
very little into il, lay down utterly exhausted,
and painting ss Though my heart would break
If HIhad been pursued, must have been over
taken immediately. / was thankful in deed,
that 1t was not %, and as soon as / recovered
breath enough, crept on 10 q small open space
in the wood where there was q tree covered
with ivy, and up that i climbed some Eve or
six feet, and hid myself like q second Charles
the Second. Once there and in temporary





confessed that broke out into a most profuse
Precipitation. should certainly have fallen
ont Of any tree less admirably constructed, but
the network Of ivy held me closely even in my
sEeon. think must have sEooned, because
have no recollection Of hearing anything pre-
yious 10 q conversation carried on Immediately
beneath me, between my late pursuers, and yet
they must have made some noise in getting TO
the foot Of my hiding place


"I'n kill him" cried the evil faced man
",l kill him, though / wait till morning
lie lsned my left arm for life."


"Hs'n be starting for Blsekleds' as soon as
it's light" returned the other; 1--WE may be
sure of that; and we can cut him of at the angle
Of the S1inney."


"I'll not rest till I get the boy" resumed the
first speaker, with q terrible oath. 'tLet US
work the Spinney together now, for I'll 60 bail
he'll not dare break cover yet awhile. Curse
him well put him under the turf in this very
place"


And interehanging horrible execrations,
these awful men went their way, with murder In