The Argosy — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

58 The Robbers’ Cave. like demons, but when they found that their enemies had the best of it, they disappeared, leaving their dead behind them. Disappeared ? Where? Nobody knew, but everyone cried: ‘* The Devil is certainly in it.” The following day it was rumoured that Ap Madoc had also disap- peared, and that Plas Werne was shut up. When the Parson recounted these events to Dinah, she was all for taking possession of the usurped domain. ‘We shall die up here in the cold, and be eaten up by the rats,” she said, despondingly, for summer had fled, and the best part of autumn had followed her. Winter was striding on apace. From the tower windows nothing but browns and greys could be seen, for the purple heather was withered, and the snow had not yet fallen upon its Stalks. ‘Anyhow, we will risk it. The soldiers will protect us,” said his reverence. And a few nights after, Dinah and the babe came down from the tower, under cover of Betto’s ghostly sheet. The Parson kept watch while they slept, and no one disturbed the peace of the small dwelling. But there were fine doings at dawn the next morning. Between church and Vicarage, there shone a grand display of gold and crimson, and the astonished mountains looked down on a troop of dragoons, while the mists hurried off in affright, as if expecting pursuit. ‘The sun was not so timid, and burst from behind a mountain-top, as if resolved to see what was astir. Out came the Reverend “David Saunders, carrying the heir, who crowed with delight at the helmeted array, and stretched out his arms to the gallant colonel. He had learnt to walk and even talk a little up in yonder tower, and seemed none the worse for his imprisonment. The colonel took him in his arms, while the Parson mounted his horse, ready at hand, and Betto helped Dinah up behind him. “A fine child, indeed!” exclaimed the Colonel, as Master Ap Madoc stroked his glittering uniform. ‘“ We'll see thee nghted, my boy.” The Parson and Dinah trotted off first down the mountain road ; the dragoons followed. ‘They passed the scattered cottages that com- prised the small parish, and the women at their doors exclaimed at the sight : *‘ Mistress Dinah, Plas Werne, and Parson Saunders!” ‘And the heir, Madoc Ap Madoc!” supplemented the Parson. Dinah did not return by the way she had come, but by the high- road, along which the cavalcade trotted briskly. It was still early when they reached the Plas. ‘They found the lodge deserted, and no one answered to their call for the keeper. Up the long avenue of oaks they rode—a brilliant company. Plas Werne was shuttered and bolted like its lodge. But Dinah knew of a small side entrance that she thought might yield to slight force, and thither she rode with the CORMMICOOOKS GOK ——————