The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 28, 1904, Page 14

THE SAN - FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. ambition has before sen into difficulties. 2d completed a poem as entitled “The nd the prime requisite i is an audience to e man, it was that James pr red to bave such pra i who knew . i & a @ 1 p #b “omiod aro d royal end of a low- er the hills of t ercest storms eld, which drove him an on the out- The place of shel- rbidding enough, but en a Scottish storm urst in on a ging a swirl of d with him; so e wind that one to spring to his feet r to the door before it closed again. He yme in the com- seated on the benches by m, and the land- but & beggar, did spleasure to so sllent a fierce of tt rink t in the flend's name,” he cried “does the like of you want in ere b'Jh» King nonchalantly shook the water from his rags and took a step nearer the fire. “That is a Very unnecessary question, lendlord,” said the young n, with a smile: “nevertheless, I will answer it. 7 want shelter in the first place, and food and drink as soon as you can bring them.” I'll take your order for a meal wi en I have seen the color of your money.” - Ty = == N (HE FOUND | BUT \:i THE’ (Gw by 1s * said the King, a tish *caution.” Then ¢ of that quality he had just com- jed drew belt out from un- his coat and xakinz a gold piece it threw the in on the table esfrance of th King and the r of his reception exposed him to er almost sure to attend the y of so much wealth in such for- country. A moment later he r!al.z&d the jeapordy In which his rash- ness had placed him by the significant nces which the half-dozen rough 1en there seated gave to each other. He was alone and unarmed in a dis- reputable bothy on the edge of a forest, well known as the reru;e of desperate characters, When the time came to retire, his host brought the King by a ladder to a loft which occupied the whole length of the building, and muttered some- thing about the others sleeping here as well, but thanked heaven there was room er 1ough for an army. Ch * sald the beggar, coming down again to the storm first. What is this cham- ber leading out from the taproom?” “That is my own,” replied the land- lord, with some return of his own in- 1 ‘and I'll give it up to no beg- gar The King without answering opened the door of the chamber and found in a room that could be bar- Taking a light with him, he d it more minutely. matchlock loaded?” he . pointing to a clumsy gun, h had doubtless caused the death of more than one deer In the forest. The landlord answered in surly fashion that it s, but the King tested the point for himself. " he said, “I rest here, and you will sce that I am not disturbed. Any man who attempts to enter this room gets the contents of this gun in him, and I'll trust*to my two daggers to take care of the rest. He had no dagger with him, but he sooke for the benefit of the com- pany in the taproom: Something in his resolute manner seemed to im- press the landlord, who grumbled, muttering half to himself and half to his companions, but he nevertheless retired, leaving the King alone, where- upon James fortified the deor, and afterward slept unmolested the sleep of a tired man, until broad day woke him. “Which way may your honor be Journeying ?” asked the inkeeper, “for I see that you are no beggar.” “I am no beggar at such an inhos. pitable house as this,” replied the wayfarer, “but elsewhere T am a beg- gar—that is to say, the gold I come SCANT wWELCOME- ”*!«rrl for ot earned.” said the other “but for such a trade you ed your weapons by vour side.” “The deadliest weapons,” rejoined the King, mysteriously, not al- ways those most plainly ting of the wa before it is seen. The landlord was plainly disturbed by the intelligence he had received, and now made some ado to get the change for the gold piece, but his guest replied airily’ that it did mu matter. “With whatever’s coming to me,” he said, “feed the next beggar that applies to you on a rainy night with less at his belt to commend him than I have.” “Well, good day to you, and thank you,” d the innkeeper. “If you're going Stirling way, your road's straight through the forest, and when you come to St. Ninians you'll be in time to see a fine hanging, for they're throttling Baldy Hutchinson to-day, the biggest man between here and the border— yes, and beyond it, I warrant.” The felt on view. D is generally “That will be interestin replied the King. “Good day to you.” Entering the forest at last, he re- laxed no precaution, but kept to the middle of the road with his stout stick ready in his hand. At the second turn- ing five stalwart ruflans fell upon him, two armed with knives and three with cudgels. The King's early athletic training was to be put to a practical test. His first action was to break the wrist of one of the scoundrels who held a knife, but before he could pay any attention to any of the others he had received two or three resounding blows from the cudgels, and now was fully occupied warding off their strokes, backing down the road to keep his assailants in front of him. His great agility gave him an advantage over the comparative clumsiness of the four yokels who pressed him, but he was well aware that any unguarded blow - might lay him at their mercy. He was more afraid of the single knife than of the three clubs, and, springing through a fortunate opening, was de- lighted to crack the crown of the man who held the blade, stretching him helpless in a cart rut. The three who remained seemed in no way disheart- ened by the discomfiture of their com- rades, but came on with greater fury. The King retreated and retreated, bafling their evident desire to get In his rear, and thus the fighting four came to the corner of the road that James had passed a short time previ- ously. One of the trio got in a nasty crack on the top of the beggar’s bon- net, which brought him to his knees, and hefore he could recover his footing a blow on the shoulder felled him. At this critical juncture there rose a wild shout down the road, for the fight- ing party, in coming round the turn, had brought themselves within view of a sturdy pedestrian forging along at a great pace, which he nevertheless mar- velously accelerated on seeing the me- lee. For a moment the dazed man on the ground thought that the landlord had come to his rescue, but not so. It seemed as if a remnant of the storm had swept like a whirlwind among the aggre: for the newcomer in the fray, with savage exclamations which showed his delight in a tumult, scat- tered the enemy as a tornado drives be- fore it the leaves of a forest. The King raised himself on his elbow and watched the gigantic stranger lay about him with his stick, while the five, with cries of terror, disappeared into the forest, for the two that were prostrate had now recovered wind enough to run. “Losh,” panted the giant, returning to the man on the road, “I wish I'd been here at the beginning.” “Thank goodness you came at the end,” said.the King, staggering un- steadily to his feet. “Are you hurt?” asked the stranger. 'm not just sure yet,” replied the King, removing his bonnet and rub- bing the top of his head with a cir- cular movement of his hand. “What's wrong wi’ those scamps to lay on a poor beggar man?” asked the stranger. Nothing, except that the beggar man is not go poor as he looks and has a belt of gold about him which he was foolish -mouch to show last night lat the inn where these lads were drink- ng."” “Then the lesson hasn't taught you much, or you wouldn't say that to a complete stranger in tke middle of a black forest, apd you alone with him— thet is, unless they’'ve succceded in relving the belt away from you?" ‘“No, they have not robbed me. and to show you that I am not such a fool as you take me for I may add that the moment you came up I resolved to give to my rescuer every gold plece that is in my belt. So, you see, if rou thought of robbing me, there'~ little use In taking by force what a man is more than willing to give you of his own free will.” The giant threw back his head and the wood resounded with his laughter. “What I have said seems to amuse you,” sald the King, not too well pleased at the boisterous merriment of his companion. << “It does that,” replled the stranger, still struggling with his mirth; then, striking the King on the shoulder, he continued: “I suppose there is not an- other man in all broad Scotland to-day but me that wouldn't give the snap of his finger for all the gold you ever car- ried.” “Then you must be wealthy,” com- mented the King. “Yet it can't be that, for the richest men I know are the greediest.” “No, It isn’t that,” rejolned the stranger, “but if you wander anywhere about this reglon you will understand what I mean when I tell you that I'm Baldy Hutchinson.” “Baldy Hutchinson echoed the King, wrinkling his brows, trying to remember where he had heard that name before; then, with sudden en- lightenment: ““What, not the man who is to be hanged to-day at St. Ninians?" “The very same; so you see that all the go!d ever minted is of little use to a man with a tightening rope around his neck.” And the comicality of the situation again overcoming Mr. Hutch- inson, his robust sides shook once more with laughter. The King stopped in the middle of the road and stared at his companion with amazement. “Surely you are aware,” he said at last, “that you are on the direct road to St. Ninians “Surely, surely,” replied Baldy, “and you remind me that we must not stand yammering here, for there will be a great gathering there to see the hang- ing. All my friends are there now, and it I say it, who shouldn’t, I've more friends than possibly any other man in this part of Scotldnd.” “But do you mean that you are going voluntarily to your own hanging? Bless my soul, man, turn in your tracks and make for across the border.” Hutchinson shook his head. “If I had intended to do that,” he said, “I could have saved myself many a long step yesterday dnd this morn- ing, for I was a good deal nearer the +the disappointment Wo!? moment. No, no; you see, I have passed my word. The Sheriff gave me a week am my own friends to settle my \\orlm. affairs and bid my wife and bairns good-by. So I sald to the Sheri fr: ‘I'm your man whenever you are ready for the hanging.’” “I've heard many a strange tale. sald the King, “but this beats any- thing in my experience 5}1‘ there’s a great deal to be picked up by tramping the roads,” re- plied Hutchinson sagely. “What is your crime? " inquired his Majesty. “Oh, the crime’s neither here nor there. If they want to hang a man, they’ll hang him, crime or no crime.” “But why should they want to 1, & man with so many friends? “Well, you see, many friends and powerful enemies. call it, is that I'm rel lasses. That's the 7 that’s not what I'm to be ha Oh, no, it's all done ac legal satisfaction of the hanged for treason to the K “But surely,” aimed t “they will not hanz a m land for merely saying a I against the King?” ““There's more happens in t than the King kens of, and in his name, t But, to s there was a bit extra a well. A wheen of the d Stirling made up a slip of trap the King and put hi for a while until he 1 they called reason. 3 weavers among them, and weavers always plotting; a cobbler such like people, and they sent i would I come and help them. 1. fool enough to write th and trusted it to thelr r the King, I 1 but did not for they trip having captur v sentenced, and It seems the K about their plot, ind pardoned to kidnap him, anted to stop s to be hanged in his name ms villainously unfair, eleven try to g for you? ou know Hutch! there we: turni ald elev: 1did; maybe I did. Ye! there were eleven of them. ¥ never got my letter. Their messenger was a traitor, as usually the -case, ad merely told them I w d have nothing to do with their foo that brings me to the poin coming to. The mor at liberty, a week since, I got a me senger I could trust and sent him to the cobbler, Flemming by nar I told Flemming I was to be hanged, but he had still & week to ;;rr me a Xr“vrlt‘\' o of the hun‘.l ds to the hanging will be waiting see great.” “Good God!” aghast, cried the beggar, stopping dead in the middle 3 regarding his com- with you?” asked the ing also. occurred to you that away from the palace the place able to find in and no one him?” No one able to find the King of Scot- land? That's an unheard of thing.” “Listen to me, Hutchinson. us avoid St. Ninlans and go direct to Stirl- tered figu form. by understood that e cheated of a s “Losh, I'll King indignant Sheriff as steps, and before comrade coul official with I howl they the ing. It's only a mile or two farther on. them down among the assemblage at Let us see the cobbler before running the foot of the scaffold. The King your neck Into a noose.” and his henc staggered to l{t*l! “But, man, the cobbler will be at St. nd bea oft well as they Ninians, either with a pardon or to ses could ,“”" maultitude that pressed voci- me hanged, like the good friend he Is.” ferously upon them. A soldler strug- “There will gling through tried to arrest the beg- be no pardon at St Bt - . Ninians. Let us to Stirling; let us to Sar man, but ths King nimbly wresu:d Stirling. I know that the King has not sword from him and circled the - sy 4 lade in the air with a venomous hiss B s e N of steel that caused the nearer portion N T B now it. Will you ©f the mob to press back eagerly, as a do what I tell you?" oment before xhay hmlv;rn‘ss d for- “Not I! I'm a lad o' my word.” Th§ man “1h‘v‘ swung a blade “Then you are a do-med man. I tell RIS Wi SONtaiaty: WRETRY of. v pect, be he beggar or monarch. The you the King has not been in Stirling ¢obbler's face was grimed and bleed- since you left St. Ninians.” Then, ing, but the King's newly won sword a _burst of impatience, James cleared & space srounid htm. And '?luflstuhhlornmfnol- I am ‘h“dh ng q Tov the bellowing voice of Baldy rst the big man seemed inclined Hutchinson made itsel - to laugh, and he looked over the beg- (ha di WL Theeus: dpyve gar from top to toe lnu presently an . nd back fr im.* g s d back fro shoute expression of pity ov 4 his coun- wrpeyire gecen ‘:Tn:st bo '}::<‘a\-x:1? tenance, and he spoke soothingly to his comrade. “Yes, yes, my man.” he said, “I knew you were the King from the very first. Just sit down on this stone for a 1 ute and let me examine that clip got on top of the head. I worse than I thought it was they've gone clean mad.” t and a rescue “\lmn"v roared the Trooper MacKenzie, ing; to \ur'm: man, _ and bring ith you a troop of the King's “Nonsense,” cried the Kinz “my man getting to head is perfe: right; it is yours that 1 have the is gone aglee.” ar a way for “True enough, true enough,” con- then you tinued Hutchinson mildly, in the tone t to the for- that he would have used d a est” fractious child, “and you are not the 5 nd where you are,” said the beg. first that's said it. But let us ge ; : t I wan t 8t N st get o is what I want “No, let us make direct ior Stir- d’'s, you'll see > them soon enough. llr}l;.;.‘“ i iR B Look at that gallc ou what we'l, do,” con- “Believe m x tinued Hutchinson in the same tone of his two. frie . Y l_?:.r-‘:s:\l-.);llg exasperating tolerance, “T'll to St. your legs e your throttle. This is a N!r‘}ém@ and let them know the King's hanging affair for you as.well as for ardon’s comins. Youll trot along o e 3 2 g Blirling, put on your Kine's ciothey o [0 YoU'Ve interfered with t o S and then .ome and set me free. That's (Continued on Page 15.)