The Argosy — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

The Robbers’ Cave. 51 Within a stone’s throw of this abode was a church with ivy-mantled tower ; and church and house were surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills. The figures that bent over the prostrate woman looked almost as ghostly as she did, and were as lightly clad. But they proved themselves of flesh and blood ; for they dragged her into the house. So doing the burden fell from beneath the cloak. It proved to be an infant, and the lusty cry was renewed. Woman and child were soon within a small parlour, and the pair who brought them there looked for a moment aghast at one another. They were, as transpired immediately, master and servant. ‘« Sure, sir, it’s Mrs. Lewis, head nurse at the Plas !” exclaimed the maid. ‘Take the babe, Betto, while I carry her up to my bed, that’s warm, for haven’t I just left it P” replied the master. No sooner said than done. “Hide us! Save us! They have murdered them all,” cried our wanderer, awakening from her swoon. ‘‘ Where’s my baby? Have they killed him too?” The lusty cry reassured her, and she opened her arms. “He’s well enough, Mrs. Lewis, fach,” said Betto, placing him within them. “Betto! Parson! they’ve murdered them all,” said the nurse, glancing round with a bewildered stare. “They ? Who ?” asked the Parson, for 1t was the Reverend David Saunders, of Llanwerne. ‘The robbers. I saw them with their swords in the mistress’s room, and heard the children cry for mercy, and then I took up this precious babe and ran for my life. You must hide us, for they’ll be after us as soon as they find we’ve escaped.” “Feed them; clothe them, Betto, while I dress myself. Put the infant to bed, and then bring Mistress Lewis down to the sitting- room. No more sleep to-night,” said his reverence, leaving his room to the women. Shortly afterwards he was kindling a fire in his tiny parlour, and muttering short prayers and ejaculations as he did so. ‘The country will be depopulated—Lord have mercy upon us! If the woman’s tale be true, it is a case like that of Joash, saved by Jehosheba from that robber-woman Athaliah. The father so lately dead—To slay the widow and children—Impossible! Even bold marauders should have hearts. ‘The Lord preserve us.” The nurse appearec attired in Betto’s sunday linsey. She had left the babe asleep. She gave a coherent account of what had happened, which the parson heard with uplifted hands. The robbers had broken into the mansion, and murdered, she believed, every soul within it, except herself and the babe. ‘“Where’s the Captain?” asked Mr. Saunders; in a low, warning voice, CoOnnicboooks (CO