Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
oo do, and considering that the colt had had rest enough, he ~
-went back’ to the hotel, and ordered him to be brought
-round.. -
_. The colt was in excellent spirits. and Blair rode along,
humming a song and thinking of Margaret—and his din-
4156 = WILD MARGARET, * | |
_ . “Confound all this mystery and concealment!’ he mut. —
_tered; impatiently. ‘t By George! I'll have no more of iti!
“‘T hate this skulking about like a bank-clerk who has bolted. .
with the till and is dodging. the detectives. Dll have ‘no
more of it! I'll take Madge to the earl. next week, and |
' make a clean breast of it. Even he can’t be such a savage
as not to melt at that smile of hers.” . Dt
~ The resolution brightened him, as all good resolution
ner..
_- The color tubes rattled in his pockets, and his bulging .
-. pockets banged against his side, but he didn’t mind in the
~ least; he was doing something for his Madge. -
_. By this time—he had not hurried going, and had been @ ~
good spell in the pretty town—the sun was setting, and the |
black mass of cloud was rising portentously.
'. We shall get wet jackets, my friend,’’ he said to the |
“colt, and he put him to a quicker pace. ee
Mindful of the-‘short cut which the men had pointed out
jn the morning, he rode up the rather steep hill, and with-
out any difficulty found thelane. >
It was, as they had said,'a narrow lane, between two
high banks. . There was a tree here and there, and every
"now and then a gate opening into the fields on either side;
‘it was steep, too, and not very easy, and Blair was obliged
to go slowly. ys .
‘Seems to me,” he said to the colt, ‘‘ that we could
’ move faster going across the downs, my friend. Never
mind, it’s a long lane that has no turning! Jove, here it.
comes!’ he broke off, as a flash of lightning and a clap of
thunder burst forth. —
“Steady, old man, you are master, you know; I’m a
stranger.” SS
. The rain dropped suddenly, in a sheet, as it seemed, —
-and_ Blair stopped to turn up his coat collar, and see that
_ Madge’s tools were protected by the lappets.of his pockets.
’ He had very little objection to getting wet himself, but be
meant to carry home the day’s spoil to her uninjured, if
he could manage it.. a
At the moment he was fumbling with the reins, held
loosely in his hand,.a shout,.a yell was heard behind him.
. It was a man’s voice, presumably; but it was so un-
earthly, so discordant, that even Blair started. As for the
. ‘colt, he gave one side-way jump, then started off helter-
skelter, mad with fright,”
%
- '