A Silver Brand — page 233: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A SILVER BRAND. geeky met a rustic cart, and eagerly halting the driver, learned that he himself was just returning from taking a strange man and vailed lady to the turnpike on the other side. “And what became of them—where did you leave them?” interrupted a fierce, high voice, which the cart- man little enough suspected belonged to the royal prince. himself. . | “They got out, sir; they said they had only a little piece further to walk.” “On, on; our horses are mettlesome and fresh. We can not fail to overtake their flying steps, however swiftly they run,” cried out the prince, spurring on at the head of the party. / : fey | The clouds were breaking and a star or two shone down upon their course. All rode in silence and at the top of their speed. A sweet, holy tranquillity which the hot, fiery heart of the leader could not appreciate or under- stand, brooded over the earth. Now and then a lazy in- sect, as if startled from slumber by the noise of the even hoof falls, whirred forth a shrill call which, dying away, left the stillness still more impressive. They all knew when there came an echoing footstep shuffling down the turnpike, and each rider came to an abrupt halt at the imperative wave of the leader’s hand. It was a solitary man, who stopped, hesitated, and then turned in consternation to fly. - “Halt!” commanded a stern voice, and he tremblingly obeyed. | Sate “Who are you, and where have you been?” “Tam Gotfried Hutz. I have—been—over to the beer house in the village,” came in stammering reply. “And it takes you all this time to get home? Tut, man, that isan unlikely story. Where have you been mean- while ?” “T lay down a little to sleep,” was the reluctant ad- mission. _ | : “Then you know nothing of who passed on?” was said in a voice whose disappointment was plainly enough revealed. He started forward briskly. “Mebbe I know what you want. There was a man and & woman came and sat down on the road-side and talked there.” “By heavens! it must be those we seek. Speak! Tell us what they said !” “They seemed in trouble; they were running away from SS) €O GOoOmMmiIcboo