Year: 1866

AHip'ssiolc CTlcu Inc HoSt W'll III


aacrity which rather surprised the sol


dier; even as it is | shall be compelled


to make some of the Barons servants


sleep in the open air, My house is bu
small, as you perceive, and the Baronl


retinue is large Ten miles further OF
there is an excellent inn. You are uscC
to marching said the host with an at


tempt at tacetiousness, 'and the dis'anc,


will be nothing to you


Excuse me- answered the soldier
tapping the heel of his boot with hi.
heavy steel scabbard, and all the while
suhjcctlng his hos; to scrutiny OF which
he was unconscious, Il am not foot
soldier; and in my long marches have
been accustomed to use four legs instead
of two. | dld not come all the way or
foot


Where is your horse 2 asked the
landlord quickly, and with some anxiety
the soldier thought.


Some two NILS from here he ans,
cred carelesSly.


Two miles from here! !! echoed the
land ord there is no house there. -.
Why did you leave HIM ?


Simply because he could carry me no
further, and had not been in the habit
of carrying him. He was dead ?


Dead (?


Yes 1t happened very strangely
These are troublesome times, | know,
but thought the war had not invaded
this quiet province, at least was told so,
and therefore | rode along fearless of
danger When | came to that little glen
with rocks and woods cresiing in upon
either side, l thought-a natural idea
for soldicr-that it was capital place
for an ambuscade, and so il proved for
J. had scarcely entered it when two car
bines were fired from the thicket. My
horse neighed with pain, reared up and
then tell to the earth, carrying me along
with him, knew that he was badly
hurt, tor | have had horses shot under
me before so l quickly suatched my
pistols from my holsters, extracted my
feet from the stirrups and went down
quietly with HIM. Fortunately he lay
stone dead and did not kick. l lay mo
tonlcss on his body ard waited for tur-
ther developments Two men, with
carblncs in their hands, emerged from
the thicket and came rapidly toward me.
When they were within ten feet Of me |
arose and called upon them to surrender,
as was anxious to learn the cause of
this unprovokel attack, there being
nothing in my appearance, thought, to
suggest the idea of booty, But the
rascals, who evidently thought me dead,
were so terrified that they beat a hasty
retreat towards the woods, and so | was
obliged to send couple Of bullets after
them aud being an Indifferent good
shot, they did stop, and unless some
good Christian gives them burial, they
are likely to stop there for some time.


You shot them both ? s,anmered
the landlord and his teeth chattered,
and he grow very pale, all but the top
of hi- nose, which, from contrast with
the rest of his face, locke! reader than
ever.


'What would you have me do p asked
the soldier, in his usual tone. They
might have fired with better success at
some other poor traveller. who might
not have got of so easily as l did 2


What could have possessed them to
fire upon You p exclaimed the landlord,
and it almost appeared that he was ask
ing himself the question as much as he
did the soldier.


Precisely the question l asked myself
the soldier; 'and since you
have mentioned the expected arrival of
the young Baron of Ravcnsburg, | think
| have clue to the who'e affair. Some
outlaws having heard of the Baron's
journey, have formed plan to wa, lay
him. These two men were sent forward
as scouts, to apprlse the others of the
Baron's approach Seeing q solitary
horseman approach, they concluded to
plunder little on their own account. -
As was not molested further on the
way hither, the rendezvous OF the band
must be beyond there, consequently the
Baron will reach this house in safety.
Now, If you cannot accommodate me
with bed, shall take up my quarters
TO night upon this bench, for feel it my
duty to warn this young Baron, Qor l
know something Of his family, OF the
danger which threatens him.


The landlord gazed curiously at his