Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 4 — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

644 silence to shield others. In any event he had apparently decided that the only profit to be derived was in making my execution a daunting spectacle to others. Then I felt a faint tremer run up the timbers of the ladder, as if a heavy hand had fallen upon it. My hour had come! The ladder stirred under me, but the first effort to dislodge it from the gallows post failed. I heard the hangman summon another fellow to “ bear a hand.” But be- fore solid footing could be removed from under me there came a welcome interrup- tion. It was heralded by a roar from that side of the square to the left of Cromwell. Through the formation burst a trooper whose shaggy head, without a helmet, glowed ruddily in the sunlight. It was Hobgoblin Jack Bunyan! With his powerful right arm he almost dragged a young woman after him and pushed her toward Cromwell. I had a thought that she was Mistress Prynne, but my eyes were all for Bunyan ‘in that moment. With a bellow of battle wrath he hurled aside the hangman, also the fellow who was about to assist in pull- ing the ladder from under me. Then, guarding the ladder from any who might lay hands on it, John Bunyan: faced Crom- well. He did not salute. In that moment his saluting any ordinary mortal weuld have | been an odd thing, for there was that about him which was above men, something more than merely heroic—a Moses come from the mountain! “In the name of the Most High God!” he cried. “J command you—stop!”’ No one could have been more astounded than I, and certainly every one must have been less elated. There was an uproar, . but no one took any immediate action, be- cause no one seemed to command—ercept Jobn Bunyan. All eyes were fixed upon Oliver Crom- well, eyes wide with dismay, excitement and expectation. What would the iron man do in the face of this amazing act of insub- ordination and defiance? But Knoll sat his horse unmoved. Only a faint smile igitizec sy Google lickered about his set mouth. ‘“ ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. 2 “Seize that man!” he commanded quietly, altheugh his voice boomed in the stillness. That broke the spell. A dozen men rushed toward Bunyan. But they laid no hands on him. Almost they seemed glad of a second interrupting disturbance. Under the feet of Cromwell’s horse that young woman had thrown herself upon her knees! ‘“‘Oh, I prithee stay one moment!” she cried. that thing ye were come to do!” Cromwell shot one look at the wroth face of Ruth Prynne, and raised a hand. “‘ Hold!”’ he cried to the men who still hesitated to lay hands on Bunyan. And so matters still hung fire, while Cromwell looked steadily into the face of that maid and said: “Which do ye come to save, mistress— that red-haired madman or this dastard on the ladder?” “ Both!” cried Ruth, who had risen to her feet and now stood facing up at Crom- well with her hands laid flat on-her heaving bosom. Then she must have seen something dut of the corner of an eye, for she spun around, pointing a finger at the retreating figure of Jonas Slythey. Master Shedskin was steal- ing toward that gap in the square from which the men had rushed to seize Bunyan. ‘* Stop him!” cried Ruth. : | “ Bring that man back!” snapped Crem- well. And instantly Slythey found himself alse in the toils. Presently, amid a silence in which one could almost hear the breathing of the many there assembled, Oliver Cromwell sat his horse like a wrought image, his great brows lowering over boring eyes which moved slewly from me to Ruth Prynne, from the pasty-hued face of Jonas Slythey to Bunyan. The latter’s countenance was illumined by a great radiance. Over the general’s face there crept gradu- ally a look of dawning comprehension of matters still obscure, and about his mouth stele a slow smile of satisfaction. “Conduct these four,” he ordered Ser- geant Okey, who had charge of the escort; conduct these four to my quarters.” “‘ Listen to me, and ye will not do