Year: 1875

well mounted, she on the second day


reached in safety the abode of her ol'


nurse. who lived on the English side o


the Tweed. tour miles beyond the town


OF Berwick. La this woman she couI'


place implicit confidence, and TO her


therefore, revealed her secret. She hat


resolved, she said, TO make an attempt


TO save her fathers life by stopping The
the postman. an equestrian like herself,
and forcing him TO deliver up his bags in


which she expected TO find the fatal war
rant. In pursuance of this design. she
had brought with her brace oi pistols,
together with horssman's cloak tied up
in bundle, aud hung on the crutch OF
/ her saddle, and now borrowed from her
nurse the attire of her foster brother,
which, as he was slight made lad. fitted
her reasonably well.


Al that period all those appliances
which al this day accelerate the progress
of the tra, eler were unknown and the
mail from London, which now arrives in
twelve hours. took eight days in reaching
the Scottish capital. Miss Cochrane thus
calculated on delay of sixteen or sew.
enteen days in the execution OF her
fathers sentence-s space of time which
she deemed amply sufficient TO give a
fair trial TO the treaty set on foot for his
liberation. She had. by means which 1t
is unnecessary here TO detail. possessed
herself oil the most minute information
with regard 10 the places at which the
postmen rested on their journey. one oil
which was a small public house kept by
widow on the outskirts OF the little
town oil Bedford. There the man who
received the bag 81 Durham was aecus-
toned to arrive about six O'Clock in the
morning. and take few hours repose
before proceeding on his journey. She
arrived al this inn about an hour after the
man had composed himself 10 sleep.
Having put her horse in the stable which
was duty that devolved on the guests
at this little public house. from its mis-
tress having 10 hosller-she entered the
only apartment which the house afforded,
and demanded some relreshment.


"Sit down at that table" said the old
woman, ''for the best / have 10 give you
is there already; and be pleased, my
benny man. to make as little noise as
you can. tor there's one asleep in that bed
that like i'll to disturb"


Miss Cochrane promised fairly and
alter attempting to eat some OF the
yiands. which were the remains OF the
sleeping mans meals. she asked for some
cold water.


What" said The old dame. as she
handed il to her. "Ye are water drinker
are ye' It's but an i'll custom for
change house"


Il am aware OF that" replied her
guest. "and. therefore. when 10 public
house. always pay for 1t the price OF the
strong potaiion. which cannot take"


Indeed well, that is but just," re
sponded the dame; land | think the
more of you for such reasonable conduct. "


lis the well where you get this water
near at hand ?" said the young lady "for
if you will take the trouble to bring me
some from il. as this is rather tepid, it
shall be considered in the reckoning"


1T is good bit off. said the woman;
"but cannot refuse TO fetch some for
such q civil. discreet lad. and will be rs
quick as can. But. for nay sake, take
care and don't msddle with these pistols"
pointing 10 pair OF pistols on the table.
"lor they are loaded. and | am always
terrified Tor them


Saying this. she disappeared; and Miss
Gochrane. who would have contriyed
some other errand Tor her had the well
been near, no sooner saw the door shut
than she passed. with trembling eager
ness, and cautious but rapid step,
acIoss the hoor to the place where the
man lay soundly sleeping. In one OF those
close wooden bedsteads common In the
houses of the poor. the door Of which
she opened still wider. in the hope OF
seeing The mailbag. and being able to
seize upon it. But what was her dismsy
when she beheld only part OF the in.
tegument which contained what she
would have sacrificed her life thousand
times to obtain just peeping out from
below the shaggy head and brawny
shoulders of its keeper, who lay in sVch
a position upon it as 10 give not the
smallest hspe OF its extraction without
his being aroused from his nap A few
bitter moments of observation served to
convince her that if she obtained posses
sion OF this treasure it must be in some
other way aud again closing the door OF
the bed room, she approached the pistols
and having taken them one by one from
the holsters, she as quickly as possible
drew out their loading, which having
secreted. she returned them to their
cases, and resumed her seat at the foot
of the table. Here she had barely time
to recover from the sgitation into which
the fear of the mans awaking during her
recent occupation had thrown her, when
the old woman returned with the water
and having taken draught, oi which