Wil ton; "for if it
be, there is but little of it: but as much as I have is at your
service."
"I ask, who are you?" replied the other. "I did not ask you for your
money. Are you a King's officer? And which King's?"
"I am no King's officer," replied Wilton, "but a true subject of King
William."
"Pass on," replied the other man, dropping his pistol "you are not
the person we want."
Wilton rode forward, very well contented to have escaped so easily;
but he remarked that his servant was likewise stopped, and that the
same questions were put to him also. He, too, was allowed to pass,
however, without any molestation, and for the next half mile they went
on without any further interruption. Then, however, they were met by
a single horseman, riding at the same leisurely pace as the others;
but he suffered Wilton to pass without speaking, and merely stopped
the servant to ask, "Who is that gentleman?"
No sooner had the man given his name than the horseman turned round
and rode after him, exclaiming, "Mr. Brown! Mr. Brown!"
Wilton checked his horse, and in a moment after, to his surprise, he
found no other but the worthy Captain Byerly by his side.
"How do you do, Mr. Brown?" said the Captain, as he came up. "I have
but a moment to speak to you, for I have business on before; but I
wanted to tell you, that if you keep straight on for half a mile
farther, and taking the road to the right, where you will see a
finger-post, go into a cottage--that cottage there, where you can
just see a light twinkling in the window over the moor--you will find
some old friends of yours, whom you and I saw together the last time
we met, and another one, too, who will be glad enough to see you."
"Who do you mean?" demanded Wilton, somewhat anxiously.
"I mean the Colonel," replied Captain Byerly.
"Indeed!" said Wilton. "I wish to see him very much."
"You will find him there, then," replied the other. "But he is sadly
changed, poor fellow, sadly changed, indeed!"
"How so?" said Wilton. "Do you mean that he has been ill?"
"No, not exactly ill," answered Byerly, "and I don't well know what
it is makes him so.--At all events, I can't stop to talk about it at
present; but if you go on you will see him, and hear more about it
from himself. Good night, Mr. Brown, good night: those fellows will
get too far ahead of me, if I don't mind." And thus saying, he rode
on.
Wilton, for his part, proceeded on his way, musing over what had
occurred. It seemed to him, indeed, not a little