0VE11 THE BORDER
By WALTS BXaATTT.
'As thick u my thumb," ho said, "and
as heavy a hia cane Dim for blow,
Cousin Mat hew Thw will cuH round his
shoulders and leave IU mark upon lux
legs " '
Morwtck Mill stands upon the River
Coquet, about two ml leu from Warltwortb
Von can easily jjot to It by following the
banks of tbe river, which la perhaps the
best way. though sometimes you inust off
shoes and stockings and wade acroaa knee
deep to the other aide
The mill consist of a square house upon
tho edge of the river, with a great wheel
on one aide, and almost all of the water of
the river la here diverted ao as to form a
sufficient power for the mill wheel At
the back of the mill, which la also a sub
stantial dwelling house. Is a great careless
garden, with pigsties and linntea for cat
tie. and vegetable and fruit tree, and at
the 8ide are two or three cottage, whore
live the people employed at the milt All
the fields which lie sloping up from the
river aide belong, an weil. to the ownor of
the mill The owner at thin present
moment was no other than the scapegrace
Ralph, and hia cousin. Mathew Humble,
was his guardian, who had uothing at
til in the world of hia own but a
little farm of thirty ocrea The thought
of this great Inheritance, compared
with hia own meager holding, filled the
good guardian 'a heart with bitterness,
and bia arm. when it came to correction,
with a superhuman strength Ho would
be guardian for four years more, then he
would have to give a strict account of his
guardianship, and the burden of this ob
ligation, though he had only held the post
for two years, filled him with such wrath
and anxiety that he was fain. when he did
think upou it. which was often, to pull
the cork out of a certain stone ;tr and
allay bis anxieties with a drum of strong
waters He was very anxious, because
already the accounts were confused, the
stone jar was always handy, therefore, be
had become swollen about the neck' and
coarse of nose, which was a full and prom
inent feature, and ttabby. as well as fiery,
about the cheeks In these timeeof much
drinking many men become pendulous of
cheek and ruddy of nose at 40 or so. but
few at 20 Mathew wan not at this time
much more than 26. say ten years older
than Ralph.
The kitchen, dining room and sitting
room of Morwick Mill was a large, low
room, with one long window At the
ides of the room and between the great
joists were banging aides of bacon and
hams, besides pewter pots and pewter
dishes, brightly polished wooden platters,
china cups, brass vessels whips, bridles,
a loaded blunderbuss, cudgels, strings of
onions, dried herbs of every kind, and all
the thousand things wanted for the con
duct of a hotisehuld At one end was a
noble fire of logs burning in an ample
chimney, and before the fire a great piece
of beef roasting, and now. to outward
scrutiny and sense of smell, ready to be
dished A middle aged woman, full,
comely and good nit u red of aspect, was
engaged in preparation for that critical
operation This was Prudence, who hod
lived at the mill all her life
She looked up as Ralph appeared In the
doorway and shook her bead, more in pity
than in reproach And she looked side
ways, by way of friendly warning, in the
direction of tbe table, at which aat an
other rsi in of different appearance Sue
wan pt-i.i.ips, five or sis and tinny with
thin feature and sour expression, not Im
proved uy a cast in ber eye This was
Barbara staler of Mathew Humble and
now acting In the capacity of mistress of
MorwicK Mill, for her brother was not
married She had open before her the
Bible, and slie bod found a must beautiful
collection of texts appropriate to the case
of fools in the book of Proverbs The
table was laid tor dinner, with pewter
plates and block handled knives and steel
forks The beer had been drawn, and
stood in a gTeat brown jug. foaming with
with a venerable silver head Ralph ob
served without astonishment that the
plate set for him contained a piece of dry
bread, ostentatiously displayed It was
to be his dinner
This pleasing maiden. Barbara, who re
garded the boy with an affection almost as
great as her brother's, that is to say. with
a malignity quite uncommon, first pointed
with her lean and skinny forefinger to the
page before her. and read aloud, shaking
her head reproachfully
" 'As a man who costetb firebrands, ar
rows, and death, so is tbe man that de
ceived his neighbor, and saith. Am 1 not
In sportf "
Solomon must surely have bad Ralph In
his mind
Then she pointed with the same finger
to a door opposite, and said, a smile of
satisfaction stealing over her countenance
Go to your guardian. Go to receive
the wages of sin "
"Those." said Ralph, with a light laugh,
feeling confidence in his alder branch,
"are not a flogging on this occasion, but
a fight."
Before she heard his words, or bad be
gun to ask herself what they might mean,
because she was so full of satisfaction
with her texts, he had (lung his bat upon
a chair and gone to the next room If
Barbara bad been observant, she might
have remarked, beside these extraordinary
words, a certain brightness of the eyes
and setting of the mouth which betokened
the spirit of resistance.
The inner room was ono occupied and
used by Mathew aioue. It contained all
the papers, account bonks and" docifmeh'ts
connected with the property and business
of the mill Here, too. was tht stone jar
already rofiwred to The decks had been,
o to speak, cleared for action, that Is to
soy. the table waa thmst into th soroer,
sad nmi tt lay the sacred instrument
with which Mathew loved tn comet his
ward . Thia promoter of virtus, or dla
pensar of consequences, was a strong and
upple sane, than which few Instruments
are mere highly gifted with the power of
inflicting torture. Ralph knew It well,
and had experienced nn many occasions
the full force of this wholesome quality
Ha saw It lying ready for use. and he re
flected cheerfully that the alder branch
partly p bia left sleeve and partly In ilia
coat packet would be mora supple, equally
hay and perhaps more efficacious, re
garded simply oa a pain producer
When tbe boy appeared, Mathew rose
and removed his wig and enat, becatiM the
work before him was likely to make him
warm He then assumed the rod, and
ordered Ralph to take off hia coat and
waistcoat.
"This day," he said, "yon have dls
graced your family I design that yon shall
have such a Hogging as you will not
readily forget He then remembered
that be would be more free for action
without hia waistcoat A man can throw
more heart Into 1iia work "Such a floor
glng," he repeated as he removed It, "as
you will remember all your life "
"Well, cousin." said Ralph. "Mr Car
naby said that the penance was tha pun
ishment I have done tbe peuanca "
"Silence, air1 Do you dare to argna
with your gnordianr lie now began to
roll up his shirt sleeves ao aa to have his
arms quite bare, which is an additional
advantage when one wants to put out alt
one's strength "I shall flog the flesh off
your bones, you young villain'"
But he paused, and for a moment his
jaw stuck, and he was speechless, for bis
cousin, instead of meekly placing himself
In position to receive the stupendous flog
ging t ended for him. was facing him.
resolution in bis eyes, and a weapon in
his hands
"Hogging for flogging. Consln Mathew,"
said Ralph, "flesh for Uosh Strip my
bones. I strip yours
Mathew now observed for the first time
tt was a nio;t unfortunate moment for
making the discovery that Ralph was a
good two Inches taller than himself, that
his arm was as stout, and that his weapon
was of a thickness, length, and pliability
which might make the stoutest quail, also
be remarked that bis shoulders were sur
prisingly broad, and bis legs of length and
size quite out of thecommon And It even
occurred to him that he might have to en
dure hardness
"Flash for flesh." said Ralph, poising;
the alder branch
"Villain' , Would you break the Fifth
commandment?"
Ralph shook bis weapon, making It sing
merrily aud even thirstily through tha
air, bnt made no reply
"Lay down tbe switch "
Ralph raised it above bis head as ono
who is preparing to strike.
"Down on vour kuees. vlrjer. and beer
J for pardon.
"Flesh for flesh. Mathew." said Ralph.
"You will have It theu. young devil I
will kill youl"
Mathew rushed upon bis cousin, rain
ing blows as thick as hall upon him For
the moment bia weight told end the boy
was beaten back Swish "Viper1" Swish
swish 'twas a terrible cane "I will
teach you to rebel Kwisb swish twos
a cane of a suppleness beyond nature "I
will give you a lesson " Swish swish.
"1 will break every bone In your boily "
Swisb the end of the cane found out every
soft place there were not many upon
Ralph's body
But then the tables were turned, for
the boy. recovering from tho first confu
sion, leaped suddenly aside, and with a
dexterous movement of the left foot caused
bis cousin to stumble and fall heavily
De struggled, struck, kicked and lashed
out but be did not get up again A
very important element In the light was
strangely overlooked by Mathew before
he began the attack It was this that
whereas bo was himself out of condition.
tbe boy was In splendid fettle, sound of
wind as well as limb So furious was
Mathew s first assault that, brief as was
Its duration, no sooner was be tripped up
than be perceived that bis wind was
gone and though he could kick and
struggle, yet If be half got up be was
quickly knocked down again. And while
be kicked and struggled, this young
But then tht labia umre turned.
viper, this monster of Ingratitude, was
administering such a punishment as even
he, Mathew, bad never contemplated for
Ralph.
"Gave you had enoaghr cried tbe boy
at last, out of breath.
"1 will murder yon, I wjjl. Oh.
i& jo mm
Umi1' For the punishment began afram
Stripping of Bean. said Ralph "This
feu will remember, cousin, all yonr life "
Tbe aiilm branch was Ilk a flail In the
strong arm The rapidity, tbe pro
emnn hv deiicat pweeptlnn of tendet
pine inns wav tbe auflorer't breath
There was no sonnd plane left In tha
wtml of Mathew body
ila vert had enough?" fried Ralph
"I wil, rJn von alive for this I win
Oh eh I have had enough "
"Then aid Ralph with nna flnal
ftrnt ineaflsti er which would ha. by
fowl! Mi tor a wwea and mora, "got ap
Mgtnw gmannig
W mi bad the last of punishments."
and tha hoy 1 wfll fight you any day
run picas hut I will take no mora pun
tshmetn fmm yon lie threw down his
stick, and put on his mil and waistcoat,
with some tenderness however, for tha
first nan nf the lmt tie had left Its marks
Mow nnlMiil the 1 wn wnmen were lis
tailing "tie with complacency and tho
niliei with pity And the first was ready
with the Bible still , pen at the Book of
Pmverlm winch contains qufte an armory
of text giHid to hurl at a young trans
yrwwnr The second with one ear turned
to tha door of Mathew a room, went on
dishing the beef which she presently
piaml upon the table
vTiwr was unusual delay In the sound
which generally followed Ralph's visits
to tlist mom No doubt Mathew was
wimuienrlng with a short Comminution
Service Presently however, there was
a irrval trampling of 'set. with the swish,
iwish of the cane Mathew s first charge
jnrd ha mercy'" eried Prudence
The rod and reproof give wisdom,"
read bet mistress from the book.
Then they heard a heavy fall, followed
ny a heavier faster mora determined
swishing hissing and whistling of tbp
instrument, till the air was resonant with
is music, aud It woe as if all the boys In
Northumberland were being caned at
once
ird ha mercy' repeated Prudence
flell murder the boy
" A reproof " read the other from her
place " enieretb more Into a wise man
than a hundred stripes Into a foot '"
There was a pause and then a sound of
voicm and then another terrific hailstorm
of blows
Both wftuen looked aghast. Was tho
ouuishnieiit never to eudT
Mistress " she cried, "yon may look on
while tbe boy la cut to pieces I can't and
won t "
She opened the door Heavens what a
Mght whs that which met her astonished
eyes The boy cut and bruised about the
lace was standing In the middle of tbe
mom smiling The man was on his bands
aud knees slowly rising bis shirt was
torn oil his back bis shoulder were cut
in pieces, he was covered with weals and
bruises his face, scarred and seamed with
Ralph s cruel alder branch, was dreadful
to look upon He seemed to see nothing,
tie groaned as he lifted himself up. be
staggered where he stood
Presently he put on his coal, with many
groans and muttered curses, and Prudence
observed that all tbe while be regarded
tbe lad with looks of the most extreme
terror and rage Presently abe began to
understand the situation
"Are you hurt. Master Ralphr she
asked
"No. bnt Mathew la " said Ralph.
Mathew." crVJ bis sister, as the victim
of rebellion staggered Into the room,
what Is this?
He sank Into his ariz chair with a long,
deep groan, aud made no reply
'Why what in tbe world. Master
Ralph?" akrd the servant.
But the lad hod gone- De went np
stairs to his own room, made up a little
bundle of things which he wrapped In a
Handkerchief, picked out the thickest and
Heaviest of his cudgels, aud theu returned
to the kitchen
(live me my dinner." ho said.
Barbara bad brought out her brother!
wig and put it on now. but hetill sat si
ent and motionless De was In such an
ajony of pain all over, and his m?rvous
system had sustained so terrible a shock
that he could not speak.
(rive me my dinner." Ralph repeated
Barbara pointed to the srust of bread,
he was appalled by this mutiny, but she
preserved some pre;nco of mind, and she
vmembered tho bread Then she sat
town again before ihc Bible aud begun to
-ad like a clergy"111" wu" tiie Plttt
tfnes round. "
It Is as sport to the fool to do mis-
"hlef '"
Prudence, the beef being already served,
aid a knife and fork for each
A fool's mouth.' Barbara said, as If
.he was quoting Solomon. " 'calleth for
anted beef aud a stalled ox Bread and
water until submission and repentance
The young mutineer mode no verbal re
ply But be dragged tbe dlah before his
own plate, and began to carve for himself.
largely and generously
"Mathew!" cried Barbara, springing to
her feet.
"Ut It belot It be." said Mathew
'let tbe young devil alone I will bo
even with blm somehow Let be "
"Not tho old way cousin," replied
Ralph with a nod He then helped him
self to about a pint or so of the good old
October, and begun, bis appetite sharp
eued by exercise, to make the beef dls
appear In large quantities Mathew looked
on. saying nothing The silence terrified
his sister What did It mean? And she
perceived, for tbe first time, that their
ward bad ceased to be a boy and must
henceforth be treated as a man It was a
fearful thought She shut her Bible and
sat back with folded bunds, waiting the
Issue.
In course of tlnio even a iiv,rs;?v.i.i'oy '
17 bos had enough Ralph lifted' liTs head
at last, took another prolonged pull at tho
beer and told Barbara, politely, that he
had enjoyed a good dinner
Then ha turned to bis cousin and ad
dressed him with a rortaln solemnity
Cousin." he said, "you have always
bated me. because my uncle left the mill
to me instead of to yourself Vet ynn
knew from tbe beginning that his design
was far ma to have It I have dona you
no wrong Von have novor lost any tip
pmTtimty of abnstng me befora my race
and behind my back Ten became, uu
hoppfly for mo, my guardian Yon have
never neglected any ahanca of flogging
and heating ma. If you sou Id find a eausa
As regards the ghost busineas, I was
wrong I deserved punishment, but was
it the proviiioe of a aousln and a guardian
to go and lay Information before tbe jus
ttce of tbo peace? I shall be I? eume next
month In four years thin mill aud the
farm will be mine own But If I remain
with you hero I can expect nothing but
hatrad and III treatment as far as vol
dara Vou bava give m plow boy s wurl
without a plnwlmys wage, and often with
unt a plowboy food As for Hogging
that Is finished because I think you hart
no more stomach for another fight "
Mathew made no reply whatever, hut
sat with bis bead upon bis hands, breath
lug heavily
"1 am tired of 111 treatment," Ralph
went on. "and I shall go away "
"Whither, boy?" asked Barbara.
"I know not yet I go to souk my
fortune"
"do, If you will." said Mathow; "go. In
tha devil's noma, go, whither you are
bound to go, long before four years are
over you wilt be hanging in chains '
Ralph laughed and took up his bundl"
"Farewell. Prudence." ho said, "thou
wast ever kind to me "
Tho woman threw her arma about his
neck and kissed him with tears, and prayed
that the Lord might bless blm And an
be walked forth from tbe house the voice
of Barbara followed him. saying
" "A whip for the horse, a bridle for the
ass. and a rod for the fool's bock. '"
The fugleman was sitting in the sun be
fore his door in the castle, smoking a pl
and inclined to be drowsy when Rulpu
appeared with bis startling news
As regards the flogging the old soldier
mode light of It Nothing can be done in
the army without the cat Had not he
bimself once received 800 all by a mistake
because they were meant for another man.
who escaped? Did be therefore bear malice
against bia commanding officer? No But
the villainy of Mathew. first to lay Infor
matlon and then to maka an excuse for a
flogging, just for pleasure and to gratify
bis own setflsb desire to he continually
.logging why that justified the mutiny
As for the details of the fight, be blamed
severely tha liiexpenenca In strategy
shown by first knocking down the enemy
He should have expected better things of
Ralph, whose true policy would have been
to harass aud annoy his adversary by
feints, dodges and unexpected skirmishes
This would not only have fatigued htm
but, considering his shortness of breath
would bava worn blm out. so that he
would In the end have fallen an easy prey
and been cudgeled without resistance till
there was not a sound place left Beside.
It would have mode tho fight more Inter
esttng. considered as a work of art
However, doubtless the next time but
then he remembered that tho boy was
going away
"To seek my fortune, fugleman." Ralph
eafd gayly "Look after Drusy for mo.
while I am away "
"Ay ay." the fugleman replied, "she
shall come to no harm And as for money
Master Ralphr
"I've got a guinea." he replied, "which
my uncle gave me three years ago "
"A guinea won't go far Stay. Master
Ralph " Ue went Into hia room and came
back witba slocking In bis hand "(lures
alt I've got. boy tt Is twenty guineas
Take It all I shall do very well Lord'
what with the rabbits and the pheus
ants"
"Nay "said Ralph. "I will not take your
savings neither "
But. presently Ufing pressed, he con
seined to take ten guineas on the under
standing thul when he came back this
fortune made) the fugleman was to receive
twenty And then they parted with a
mighty baud shake
Hull wuv down the street Ralph passed
Sailor Nun who was sitting on a gieut
gtoue I;1 - liei dour, smoking hor short
black pi;.-
"WliiUie; oound. my lad?" she asked.
"I am bound to bindou." he replied. "1
am off to seek my fortune "
"Come here, t will read thy fortuno."
Like most old women. Nun could read a
lad s fortune in the lines of bis band, or
by tho cards, ot by tho peeling of an apple
"A good cruise." she said, "with fulr
wind aft and good weather for tho most
part But storojs belika on leaving port
There's a villain, and fighting, and foreign
parts, and gold, and a good wife. Go thy
ways lad Art no poor, puss faced swab
to fear fair fighting Uo tby ways Take
and give Trust not too many And
stand by all old sbipmets Uo tby ways "
Ue laughed and left her Vat be was
cheered by her kindly prophecy
Uu crossed the old bridge and presently
found himself outside the green pallugs
of I 'time Hotberington s bouse. ' The girl
who bad joined him In church was In the
garden. Ue whistled and she came ran
nlng
"I am come to say good by. Drusy," he
said. "I am running away "
"Oh. Ralph, whither? And you have a
cruol blow upon your faco. "
"I have fought Mathew " be said, "and
have beaten him '!'!)- "ur upon mv
faea Is norniug compared with ttia scan
over bis I twite ho la one lorga bruise.
But l oan no longer andnro bis fll treat
D'snt and Barlwtra a oontlttual reproaches.
Iliersforo I am rosnlvad to remain no
longer but shall go to Undon there to
seek my fort tin as thy father did,
Drusy " , ,
They talked for half an hour, she trying
to persuad htm to stay and he resolved
to go Than ho went with her Into the
house wherv ha must nsds tell all the
story lo Dam nMhrihgtou who scolded
him and hade htm fet hmn again aud
msk submission but h would not
Then Drusllls reiiuiiit-ifd that her
father would gladly aid any lsl tnuu
NorthnmlMTlsnd and sal down and wrote
a loiter very quirk I v '' dex tenuis
with her pun and gave II to Ralph lo
carry
"Vou will find him " she said at the
sign ol the U-y sml Sia m (lisajisiilM
Forget not thai address Stsy I will
write It outside the led mi IIivh it him
with my rwqicei and nlsxhencH , t'li
Ralph shall vou tie loiiu is-lore vriti have
found youi fortune ami am Istrk to hY'
Nay "said Ralph "I a now not what
mav is my lortuna I go to find a, like
niunr a tad nf old "
Then aftfi many fond farwwalla. Ralph
kissed her and trudged away manfully
whlla Drusy leaned Uei head over the
garden gute and wept aud sobbed, and
could not be consoled
(TO UK CONTINUED.!
Jh0 name Jebol Nagous Is given by
tho Bedouins to a mountain nonrlj
three mtloa long and about 1.200 feet
high, composed of white sandstone
bearing quartz pebbles and quartz
veins. Resting on the northern and
western sides are several large bunks
of blown sand inclined at right angles.
The Hiiud of one of these at the north
western end has tho property of yield
ing a doep note when It slides down
the incline either from the force of the
wind or by the action of mini. This
bank of sand 1 distinguished from the
othors by calling it the "Bell slope."
It is triangular iu shape and measures
200 feet across the base, five to eight
feet across the top, and is 391 feet long
(high). It has the high inclination of
81 degrees quite uniformly. It is bound
ed by vertical cliffs of sandstone and
is brokon toward the base by pro
jecting rocks of the same material.
The sand is yellowish white, very fine,
and possesses at this inclination a curi
ous mobility which causes it to flow
i down the slope, when disturbed, like
molasses or soft pitch, the depression
being filled in from above and advanc
ing upward at the same time. The
sand has none of tho characteristics of
musical sand found on so-cuiled "mu
sical beaches." When pulled down
ward by the hands or pushed by the
feet a Btrnng vibration is felt and a low
note is plainly heard resembling the
deep buss of an organ pipe. Tbe loud
ness and continuity of tho note nre re
luted to the mass of sand moved, but I
think that those who compare it to dis
tant thunder exaggerate. The border
ing rocky walls give a murktd echo
whluh nmy bavo the effect of magnify
ing and prolonging the sound, but
which I afterward duuionstated not to
be essential. There are no euvlties
for the sand to full in, erroneously re
ported. The. peuk of Jebttl Nugous
rises above tlo Bell slope to the height
of 01)5 feet above tho sua level, us de
termined by a sensitive anoroid.
Our route was the first to the mon
astery of Mount Sinui, by the route
believed to have been followed by
Moses and tho Israelites. With Bibles
in our hands we followed every step of
the way, "Mitrnh," "Elml," "RephU
dim," and the "Mountain of the Lord,"
bocumo perfectly Iiimiliiir to us.
Mounted on a cnniel one cun rend und
write notes; they walk steudily nt two
and a half miles an hour, and the usual
day's work is eight or nine hours.
Thus a given locality, especially a
mountain peuk, is in sight for many
hours, sometimes for dnys. We exam
ined the rock which, according to tra
dition, Moses struck and from which
wator llowed out for the thirsty Israel
ites. Wo stood on the hill whore
Moses stood during the buttle with the
AmclekitoH, and his hands were sup
ported by his friends. We crawled
Into a cave on tho top of Jebol Monsa,
Jn which, according to tradition, he
wrote the ton commandments, though
this is not according to Scripure teach
ing. The great scarcity of water, tho ut
ter desolation of the wlldernoss, and
eventual grandeur of the granite range
of Mount Sinai impressed us greatly,
Botweon Suez and Mount Sinai there
is only ono place, tho oasis of Folran,
whore palatable drinking water can
be obtained, and the journey requires
eight days. We took with us, of course,
two barrels of good water. Water for
camels und for washing purposes were
had at two places, but even then some
days apart. We spent one night at tbe
"encampment by the sea," and enjoyed
salt baths. At the monastery of St.
Catherine we pitched our tonts in tho
garden undor cypress, almond and ap
rloot trees. Here we mado the ascent
of the highest peuk of Mount Sinai,
about 7,400 foot, and spent a whole day
examiuing Elijah's chapel, Jothro'a
woll and othor sacred placos.--Cor.
Hartford Courier.