Year: 1867

self on Mr.. Darke--hid the effect OF
reviving all my previous convictions.


1t was not without some nervous
ness that | asked Mr. Darke TO step
into one of the windows and give me
a few minutes conversation. He look
ed a little surprised, but stiff1y con-
scented and when we had found a
retired seat in one of the bow wind
ows | told him about the letter, and
my conjecture that the stabIe-help
had either entered his service to aid
the poachers in their scheme Of re-
venge, or had been bribed by them
to give them information At first he
proposed to take couple of police
men in his carriage and try to cap
ture the ruflians but | pointed out
that he would alarm his daughter
perhaps expose her to danger, sup
posing the poachers had firearms.


quite right. Thank you ! had
forgotten that, and more that if she
once fancies | am in danger she will
be frightened to death whenever | am
away from home. What do you pro-
pose ?"


Can you return home by any 9TH
eF route Z"


Yes, by two others, involving r
circuit OF couple of miles or So


Then go by one of those. Miss
Darke will be too tired to observe it ;
besides, it will not be light enough"


"But | should like to catch the
scoundrels"


81 can identify them both, and will
go to the railway and make inquiries
and look about me tomorrow. You
can have them taken into custody :;
and probably after 4 day or two in
the lookup they will man clean
breast of it, and give up the names
of the others"


eyes, perhaps best So" said Mr.
Derke, after some minutes reflection.
"But how can | thank you for this ?"


declined any special thanks, al
leging | was only doing my duty !;
but the squire was very warm and
pressing in his gratitude-inquired
what | was, where | came from, and
how | was employed. On learning
that had no friends or relatives in
the town, he insisted on my coming
to dine with him on Christmas-day


And | hope We shall be able to
drink confusion to. these rascals," he
said, in conclusion


suppose he was in a particularly
good temper this evening for he in
troduced me to his daughter as a
friend of his who had rendered him
most important service. He little
suspected that she knew who | was,
and was terribly puzzled to think
how d post-office clerk could have
laid her father under such an obliga-
ton.


| mustered courage to ask her to
dance with me, and she consented. -
But why try to describe the unex-
pected happiness of the evening |
can only say, when had handed her
into the carriage and watched it
drive off, | walked home as if | had
come new life and a brighter world.
Though did not get home till be-
tween two and three, | was at the
Office again by six to receive the
mails from the district. was tired;
but determined that no one-espe-
cially Chaundy-shouId be able to
accuse me of neglecting work.


One Of the earliest carts to arrive
was that of the Fentley district. The
driver came in looking like a ghost,
and stammered out that an attempt
had been made to rob him, and that
he had been fired al.


Chaundy not being in the office |
examined the man, and took down his
answers in writing. On inquiry
found that his route had brought him
past Grasslands, Mr.. Darke's house,
and that he had been fired at between
there and Cowford, at a very ugly
part of the road, where it ran beside
a canal, on an embankment. The
more l questioned him the more mys-
terious the affair appeared. He had
seen no one, and there was not bush
or stone to hide man just where
he was fired at but as he was jog
ging aIong-not noticing much, he
said, but probably half asleep in re-
ality-he saw fash and heard the
report of a pistol Fortunately the
old horse was steady and knew the
road so he only sprang forward at
a quickened pace. Had the animal
SHE'D or swerved, the driver might
have been upset into the canal or
hurled over the bank into the fields
below-quite sufficient height to
have led TO some serious fractures,
if not a broken neck


I told our man to go home and
keep the affair quiet went to Chaun-
dy, and handed over the report of the
occurrence to him, and told him |
would take the cart and go and in
spect the scene Of the attempted rob-
berry for such, as Chaundy agreed
with me, appeared to be the real so,
luton OF the matter.


took q pair of large horse-pis
tolls, which were kept in the chiefs
room as "a sort of demonstration of
our defensive force, loaded them, bor-
rowed great-coat of one Of the
men, and drove off to the scene Of
the adventure.


1t was keen,icold, but still morn
| ing. As | was whirled through the
| fresh air all the cobwebs spun in the
late hours at the ball were blown ont
Of my brain, and | felt invigoFated
both physically and mentally. Much
of the bewiiderment into which the
drivers story had thrown me melted
as the morning mists were doing
| al +;r,o 7 roooLo1