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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 1903)
Over the Border A Talc of the Days of Charles I, by Robert T. liarr (Copyright, 190?,, by Hubert llarr.) 1 CHAITKR XXVI. Mitrlmoajr- I rejuvenated the tired man and I .l. n.,lh1 anil In hip right mind, he was once mure th" gallant borderer, ready to fare whatever fortune had in store for him; on this occasion, so Traqualr said, more superbly attired than ever had been the case before merely Interested pralso of thn cant In tailor. Traqualr endeavored to persuade htm not to trust himself again on Knglish soli, but his advice was unheeded, ns la usually the fate of ununited counsel. 'lYaqualr wished htm to take a bodyguard of a score or more, but Armstrong poir.ted nut that un lexs he had an army at his beck able to defeat Cromwell's forces, all other as sistance was useless. He risked everything; upon his belief In Cromwell's common serum, and from this position nothing Traqualr coulil say would (urn him. The Karl rode with him as far -.-i the. K.sfc, and there bude him good luck nnd Oodspeed. When ArniMtrong hud gone once over a road, ho. needed no other instinct of direc tion. Ilu made directly for the farm stoariliiK, where llrst he had been ar rested, and found it deserted; then took the, route over which his emptors hod conducted him, expect Irs; to reach Cor biton Manor before darkness set in. This plan was frustrated by tbs fact that be had allowed too scant time for the cordon across the country to be withdrawn. Crom well was. Indeed, calling in his men. and massing them at Carlisle-. Wcwraatle and Hexham, which tatter town Armstrong's own nncestors had frequently pillaged. Ha learned of this movement from chance wayfarers, and was on the afert not to fall within the scope of any marching company. Thre was evidently no secret about Crom well's Intentions, and the Scot surmised that the general wished his plans to be well spresd over the land, and thus overawe the northerners in any hostile projects they might think of undertaking, showing Ms rertdlnesM to crush them ff they ven tured to set foot across the border. About midday Armstrong caught sight of the llrst large body of men. and he was compelled to hide for several hours In a depression on the moor, until they and the danger was past. This delay retarded his arrive! at Corblton Manor until after nightfall, when the full moon shone upon the ancient mansion, in place of the stiver crescent which hung In the western sky when last he visited the place. It seemed incredible that the space of time could, have ben so short, for the events of a life were crowded In tne Interval. As he approached the ancient house the chal lenge of a sentinel trought him to a stand, and called from the hall several officers, "Is Cromwell here?" asked the new comer. "Thlft l the headquarters of his excel lency. General Cromwell." said one of the officers, with some severity in his tone, a rebuke to the questioner's offhand method of designation. "That's the man I mean," replied Arm strong. "I never beard there were two of the name or the kind. Well, tell him thnt William Armstrong, who carried the commission from the king to Scotland, b here, and requires a private conference with him." The atrong moonlight was shining on the back of the horsemen and In the faces of the officers. The latter did not obey the Injunction laid upon them, but their leader Cave, instead, a brier command, and In a moment two doxen plkemea surrounded the rider, who laughed heartily and said: "My lads, you are too late. You should have done that trick several days since. Oliver will give yn no thanks for it now. Oe In and tell him I am here, and send someone to take charge of my horse while 1 talk with him." The chief officer hesitated for a. moment, then turned and disappeared within the mansion, while Armstrong dismounted and gave to the soldier who took his horse mlnuto instructions touching the treatment of the animal. . "You are all good horsemen." said the visitor In his most genial accents, "and will doubtless respect liruce here, what ever you think of his master, for this Is the charger that louped over the para pet of Carlisle bridge, and, after that, beat the best you had In your cavalry la a race for the border. If your chief should come to a disagreement with me, take ears of the horse, at least, for you haven't another like him." The horse was led away, palpably ad nlred by all the men. for some of them stroked and patted his flank, speaking soothingly to him. William stood with his bands tn his pockets, the center of a ring of armed men. bis gay dress in striking contrast to the more sober uni form of his guards. Cromwell was tak ing his time making np his mind, and the Toung man thought this delay was not an encouraging sign. lie had thrust bis bead between the lion's Jaws, and the minutes that passed before he could know whether the brute was going to bile or not were Irksome to him. especially as there was now both lug to do but await the Issue. At last the officer reappeared, dismissed the guard, and said curtly to the prisoner: "Follow me." Armstrong was ushered Into the huge room which he remembered so well, and found Cromwell rltting alone at the table, as If he had never 'eft It. Kven the two candles stood where they had been placed before, but tho face of the seated man seermd more Inscrutlbie, mora stern, than he recollected it. This was the leader of the Ironsides on tho Northampton road, rather than the urbane man who had pre tended to believe the story of the search for cattle. Armstrong swept off his feathered hat most courteously as he approached the table, bo wed and said: "Hood evening, general," standing then at ease on the spot he had formerly occu pied. The general lifted his heavy eyes to the cropped head, now gllatenlng In the carefully round tho fortifications end would eek no better Job than to hold It agaKst you and your whole army. There would be many a cropped head low before you got mlno In your clutches," and William passed his hnnil sympathetically over his denuded crown, as had become a custom with hhn. Ilk questioner bent forward with more of A.gerness than he had hitherto shown, all thought of tho Indictment ho whs heaping up seeming to pass from his mind. " hero is the weakest spot?" he said, as one expert might seek counrcl from another wf;o hail personal experience of tho subject. "That la the beauty of It. There Is no wen kept spot." "Is (hire not? We shall never need to tako It by assault, but if that were thought best it might be attacked from the south." Armstrong raised his eyes to the celling and meditated for a moment. none paying heed or anything else to him. but let him die the death of a martyr and his tired bones are more patent than JO.C03 live men. Ma rang. I d like to seo ye hang me! There's poor Traqualr. at his wit's ciid for discouragement, through dissen sion among the people and their leaders. You hang me and you've done the trick for him." Cromwell leaned back In his chair, his lids partially closed, but they could not Tell the look of admiration he cast upon the men standing before him, who rpoke en thusiastically of his own execution, as If it were rather a good Jok'j on his opponent. For some mormnts the general kept si lence, then be said abruptly: "Will you take a commission In my army?" "I will not." "I thought you were a fighter?" "I am. but I prefer to engage under Tra- totnhell sat rjgid not a muscle of ihe Jace or body moving . Vhe s&ord &as held as '& steady as a beam of the roof .ftrKJ light, and although his Arm mouth re mained Immobile, the slightest suspicion of a twlr.k!e scintillated for one brief mo ment In his searching ghuice. 'Qood evening. You wlhhed to seo me?" "Yes. goneral. and have come from Scot land this very day for no other purpose." "You, are out of employment, perhaps, and are looking for a re-engagement?" "Well, general. If I was. you aro the man I should come to for a recornmeudation. In a manner of speaking, you are in the right. I have been riding hard thU while back for other folk, and now I hae taken a bit of journey on my own account. You see my case la " "I will state the case." Interrupted Crom well menacingly. "You stood here and lied to me." "You sat there and did the same by me." "You stood here and lied to me. You crime as a spy. mixing with affairs that did not concern you." "Pardon me. general. I took service for my king, and you wl'l te good enough to remember that Charles la king of Scotland, even if It pleases you to forgvt that he Is king of England, and 'that he will be till he dies, your king as well as mine." "He la king of Oxford solely." "Very well. Let me tell you. you'll find that same Oxford a very hard nut to crack, if you attempt to take It by asshtilt. I went "I thJtik you're rtgh-V he said, "but it would cost a wheen o" men." "Yes, better men than are within Its walls, and they shall not m sacrificed. I can wait, and the king cunuot. You deliv ered the king's imaiuigo to Traqualr?" "Yea. That's what 1 camarfor." "And ou have the Impudence to come to me thinking I will allow you to return?" "Say confidence, rather. I am very sure you will allow mo to return." "Yej, confidence Is the word, but with a mlxturo of impudence ns wll; tho malt and the hops. It never croest ri your mind that It was a dtingixn you were approaching?" "I thought if you Old ;t. thing it would be hanging." "And why r.o'T' Tecum e r.jy dath ly rrpe would hi Just the lit 1 1 - tUlip t'ru t fxolb.-rd nfeds at the prts nt moment. Von Irmw my neck and the Scuta ere tit : O'irs Iri'crs I am fairly happlt in tho g r.v.t d." "You lo k ui oti you m If ns important to your ecur.tryn-en, Ihcr.?" "I do nothing of the kin. Mm. I won der at both you and the k'ng. Neither of you understand the Scottish nature In the least. If the king had any comprehension he would have had the heather afire years since. A man may dawner about S:xitland all his life, hungry and athlrat. cold and In rags, getting fewer kickshaws thau kicks, quaur's banner H he raises It." :' "Against mer ? "Just that." "And you think I will let you go?" "I'll take my oath on it." "You are right. Your way in clear ts Scotland, to Oxford, or where you please. What have you come tf me for? "For Frances Wentworth." "I thought as much. In this I cannot obuVe you. With you I have nothing to do. and you are at liberty. The wench off Went worth's stands on different footing, inasmuch as she has proved traitor to her own. I hall do nothing to Injure her, but she shall taste captivity until she con fesses her error." "She is no traitor, but did well the work you set for her." "1 set no work for her. Twas given to her brother, and his folly brought her into the business." "You gave your consent at Northampton, thus I say you set her to the tksk. and well sho performed It. If your men had done your bidding aa faithfully, I had never crowed the Ksk." "She connived at your escape front Lich field, and elsewhere." "Trua, but she was a free woman then having fuluiled her duty to you." "You are quibbling. She Is a traitor,