The Splendid Spur

n my way to All Hallows' Church, I saw under the lantern there a man loitering and talking

re

t with Captain Settle, who is on dewty with the hors

nfayne

.

e, and his helth conserus me

me, which was the undoing of a little round citizen into whom I ran full tilt at the corner of Balliol College: who, before I could see his face in the darkness, was tipp'd on his bac

a beautiful sorrel mare, ready saddled, that was mark'd on the near hind leg with a high white stocking. In the passage, I met the host of the "Crown," Master John Davenant, and sure (I thought) in what odd corners wil

y, "and open the door ahead of you, if y'are t

n glass, chairs thrust back, and a racket of outcries. Next moment, the door was burst open, letting out a flood of li

ng down on a stair, fell to moppin

very foot of the stairs. And then he picked himself up and ran out into the Corn Market, the drawer after him, and both shouting "Watch! Watch!" at the top of their lungs; and so left the three fellows to push

t cower'd a potboy, with tankard dangling in his hand, and the contents spilling into his shoes. His wide terrified eyes were fix'd on the far end of the room, where Anthony and the brute Settle stood, with a shattered chair between them. Their swords were cross'd in tierce, and

coting, and, catching my cry of alarm, he call'd out cheerfu

ake off the second cur

tween the shoulder blades; and with a yell of pain he spun round and came toward me, his point glittering in a way that turn'd me c

d describe a small circle of light, and next moment, with a sharp cry, Anthony caught a

awl'd Settle, tugging out his

th, we were in darkness. I felt, rather than saw, his rush toward me; leap'd aside; and brought down my chair wit

another, and the two dark forms had clambered through the purple

wall, with his feet outstretched. There was something he held out toward me,

here: pocke

osed on it they met a damp smear, th

n thy breast: now

tend thy hur

say 'dear lad.' A cheat to die like this-could have la

im, found the hil

y, and the letter to take. Say to Delia

the Watch, their lanterns held high and shining in Anthony's whit

gilt chain over his furr'd collar. Behind, in the doorway, were huddled half a dozen women, peerin

k up, Mast

t-he of the wryneck. "One, two, three-" He look'd round the room, and finding but one capab

rest you all-so help me G

g up from my work of sta

ear, and d

een forbearin' these ten minu

he knows the law, an' all th

, which is to say, that other forbearing is n

, the man of

as honest men

ort, why you've just l

stay so-in the king's nam

creaming at the sight of blood, put him out of all patience. Dragging them back by t

ead softly back, "you are too late: whi

man, thou mus

e al

, or manslaying, with or

insensible, and my eyes fell on Mast

he, stolidly: "lost twenty p

ndurance. "The guilty ones have escap'd t

have seized me, I clear'd a space with Anthony's sword, made

tumbling downstairs at my heels, and yelling to stop me. Turning sharp to my right, I flew up Ship Street, and through the Turl, and doubled back up the High Street, sword in hand. The people I pass'd were

tes, which were well guarded at night. My hope reach'd no further than the chance of outwitting the pursuit for a while longer. In the end I was sure the potboy's evidence would clear me, and therefore began to enjoy the fun. Even my certain expulsion from

about L200 (which was all my inheritance), and spending the same jealously on my education. He was a very small, precise lawyer, about sixty years old, shaped like a pear, with a prodigious self-important manner that came of associating with great men: and all the knowledge I had of him was pick'd up on the rar

t as you turn into Logic Lane: and I was ten yards from the front doo

d was on my shoulder, and

. We are two of

out a leg as I pass'd. He was pricking up his ears now to the cries of "Thief

He dragged me into the shadow of the

hy

w shillings of my pocket money. "Now pitch thy sword over the wall here, and set thy foot on my hand. 'Ti

r's," said I; "and

mark a pretty piece of play. 'Tis pity thou

t the coping of the wall, I pull'

below-ta-ta

pping about eight feet on to good turf, as the

e?" call'd one, a

" "Hush!" "Up the lane, I'll be sworn

suddenly out, and up the lane for his life. "There he goes!" "Stop him!" the cries broke out afr

hurry past by ones and twos. As soon as their shou

hat I knew for Master Carter's. But what puzzled me was a window in the first floor, very brightly

rog leap'd

, went souse

s better than m

th

ve some pity! What hideou

-la-tweedl

l-iddif

nnot sing the dreadful stuf

se; 'tis choicely well sung

a fa

r and clinking of glasses. Then came an interval of mou

he tadpoles, an

dy-all head

my! Oh,

y! it makes me s

ing, which now I carried across and planted beneath the window. I had a shrewd notion of what I should find at the top, rememb

rs, and desserts: his wig askew, his face white, save where, between the eyes, a medlar had hit and broken, and his glance shifting wildl

More, Master

nky, here's co

a f

whereon Prince Maurice starts up with an oa

and pull'd myself past him into

oughly drunk) dropped a decanter on the floor, and lay back staring in his chair. While as for my kinsman, he sat with mo

vening,

is this?" gasps

Master Timothy Carter here is my guardian, and has the small sum of L200 in his possession for my use, of which I happen to

Rupert, fumbling for his sword, a

Thou jackanapes-"

fifty to-night," said

went on, "'tis very simple.

a ta

a game

ic

young man

ss puppy! A m

worst is they say 'tw

ing mad!" exclaim'd my kinsman

es. Oh, dear!" and I burst into a wild fit of laughing, for the

a-la-tweed

at medlar on thy

Maurice. "Am I mad, or only drunk? Rupert, i

is brother. "I for one w

k," said I, "and able at that to sign

or

e city gate

" groan'd Prince Rupert

ou see, this young man was kill'd, and they charg'd me with it; so away I ran, and the Watch after me; and therefore I wish to p

Master Carter. "Oh well is t

ey," I wound up, sipping the wi

l of laughter. And in a moment his brother took the jest also; and there we three sat and shook, and roar'd unquenchably ro

it me on the b

aster Carter, for pity's sake, look

High

; pay it: 'ti

y pou

aid I: "I'm sic

I do!" snapp'd

hall hear to-morrow of the frog and the

is better than mo

"if, to please you, I sang that idiocy, wh

Prince Rupert, waking

or. To make up the deficiency, their highnesses had insisted on furnishing me with a suit made up from the simplest in their joint wardrobes-riding-boots, breeches, buff-coat, sash, pistols, cloak, and feather'd

we've forgot a hors

holds the same, I shall find one by the road." (H

the wicket at once. Long after it had clos'd behind me, and I stood looking back at Oxford t

rog leap'd

hugging the king's letter in my breast,