Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-06-28

one of the garrison dogs in search of
shelter from the inclement weather, he
returned to bed again, after time sink
ing into an uneasy doze, the nearest
approach to slumber that his bodily
anguish would permit. From that
semi-unconsciousne he was aroused
by a touch upon his face, as from some
one cropping about in the dark, and half
started up, to be forced back again by
a hand that grasped his throat and
closed upon it with a grip that stran-
gled him.
Naturally match for any two ordi-
nary men, Antoine was, even in his
present weak state, an antagonist not
to be despised, and, nerved with the
strength that comes to every man when
his life is threatened, he grappled with
his assailant, and rolled off the low bed
to the earthen floor. In the struggle
there, his foot came in contact with the
smouldering embers of the fire, and
stirring them into a momentary blaze.
he saw that his adversary was armed
with a knife. The light died as quick
ly as it had arisen, before the assassin
had sufficiently located his victims po-
sition to strike, and in the darkness
that re-ensued, the struggle was con-
tinued fercer and more deadly than
ever before.
Who can know the features of that
awful contest in that dark cabin, on
that dark midnight, amid the noise of
the storm? No sound of it reached the
sentry-for the fury of the tropical
tempest drowned all earthly noises with
its mighty voice. It was not until long
after daylight that, while the relief was
making its rounds, the door of Antoine
Girls cabin was discovered open, and
the two senseless figures found, stretch
ed on the trampled floor; one bleeding
from score of wounds, but with its
throat Of the other, strangled-dead--
with the CORY knife fallen from the
lifeless hand, which, with it's compan-
ion, had stiffened in last vain attempt
to release the fatal grip from the bruis-
ed neck.
The two bodies were removed to the
hospital, one barely living, the other
dead. Stretched side by side upon the
coarse pallets, [ noticed for the first
time a certain resemblance in the out
lines of the two pallid faces, and was
encouraged to it by an examination of
the persons. On the broad chest Of
Antoine Girls four tattooed marks form
ed minute star, under which the let
tiers A. L. On the same .rtion of Du.
bosq's body, the same marks. Monsieur,
it was the son who had raised his hand
against the father-it was the son for
whose sake Antoine Lemoine had re-
nounced the world, who lay beside the
parent he would have murdered-dead
by that parents hand.
Monsieur, what more is there to
tell? Whether Antoine Girls has any
vague idea of the identity of his assail-
ant on that night, know not. 1t was
months before he rose from the bed
upon which he was laid that morning.
No one but myself was cognizant with
his history, and 1 have breathed no word
of it till now. Perhaps the truth came
to him in his long illness In dream
a whisper from some supernatural
voice, or like an idea that grows upon
one steadily and firmly, admitting of no
dispute. At any rate, when he moved
once more among the scenes which he
had been SO long accustomed, he moved
as a new mana man suffering from
some great shock--weighed down by
some great sorrow-in short; as you see
him, for years after, to-day.
CHOW tell me; Monsieur PAnglais, is
such history a common one even
among settlement Of convicts? AS
you say, Mop