Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-05-24
Hat weighed heavily, bore him back to
the inn Of St. Nicholas.

the inn Of St. Nicholas.
This pestilent fellow with his red hat, "
he murm1lred, as with the assistance of
the landlord, he bore him upstairs and
laid him in the bed which had been pre-
pared for quite another purpose, "seems
fated to be mixed up with my life. And
shall have to sleep in the armchair, for.
sooth, because he chooses to get waylaid
and stabbed
"Whore am I?' family whispered the
wounded man, when his wounds had been
bound up, and he had recovered con:
sciousness.
"Among friends, BROTHER" replied the
honest burgess consolingly, at he bathed
the temples of the sufferer with vinegar.
"Friendsr repeated the Red Hat bit
terly, 6 I have no friends! Who was at
the trouble of saving the life of such a
miserable wretch as I am2' -
"Well, for the matter of that, twas l
who picked you out of the mud, and set
the rascals to fight who were besetting
you. Three to one, the cowardly knaves!
How they scampered! And then, you see,
| I brought you here, pick-apack; for walk
! a step you could not"
and you-you then are my preserverm
the Red Hat exclaimed in voice of
agony, and pressing the burgess hand:
Yes, if you like to call itso. Wouldn't
| you have done so for me?'
The inn-keeper was down stairs. The
wounded man made signs to the burgess
to close the door securely, and to come to
the bedside. Then he put his lips to the
burgess ear, and in hOarse whisper
said:
"Had you not an appointment at nine
o'clock this evening with his eminence2'
"Of course had, and shall get pretty
scolding for being late. But perhaps the
existence of a poor devil like me has
"Then," quoth the Red Hat solemnly,
II can give life for life. You have
saved mine. 1, too, was bound to wait
upon his eminence at nine this night;
and have but little doubt that it would
have been my dreadful duty to strike
your head from your body"
At this appalling intimation the Ro-
chellois. with horror in his countenance,
made for the door, thinking the Red
Hat to he in q state of delirium; but the
other called him back.
"'Tis not l, unfortunate, that thou
must fly" he said. "Escape rather from
this horrible neighborlood. Listen to
what I say. The merciless Cardinal had
doubtless condemned you without hear
ing; and itwould have been my task to
execute the sentence; for Yes, whose
hand you have pressed-1 whose life you
have saved-1 who have eaten and drunk
with you'll am the most miserable, the
most abandoned, the most accused of
mankind. I am the executioner of Char
ters
He paused for moment, keenly eye.
ing his companion, who, brave and hon
est as he was, could not Danish from his
countenance the expression ofrepugnance
he felt at being on familiar terms with
the abhorred headsman.
"You may we'll shun me-" continued
the Red Hat, gloomily. "But fate has
decreed that we must yet have some fur
ther communion before we part, for every,
time that his eminence has deed OF
secret vengeance to consumate I am sum-
moned to the chateau. At this inn !
always alight. The villagers know me
and my red hat we'll, and shudderingly
avoid me. They call this inn the House
of the Headsman, and sometimes, the
Devils Inn"
II don't wonder at it, muttered the
poor Rochellois.
"But fear nothing" continued the Red
Hat; although everything concurs to
point out that you were the person was
sent to execute, it may be some other vic
tim who awaits my axe. Come have your
horse led forth. must convey you to q
place of safety"
But you are wounded" urged the
Rochellois.
"A mere scratch! with draught OF
strong cordial shall be strong and valid
again. Strong enough he continued
with his ugly smile, for my work to.
night, if work there be. Come, Dispatch
As, with many groans, and murmurs
the lately wounded man arose, and the
two left the chamber, they found the inn
keeper on the staircase. He sought to give
them the slip, and had evidently been lis.
tening to their conversation.
The Red Hat was accustomed to act
promptly. He seized the inn-keeper by
the throat, pinned him to the angle of the
stair, and whispered to him: ..D
"Son of dog, and nephew Of SOW
dare to speak one word concerning ON
conversation; and I denounce thee to the
Cardinal for harboring traitors, and thy
neck. is. not worth an hours purchase
Swear, issue of a NANCY swine!'
The inn-keeper, half-terrifed out Of hi:
; wits, swore as he was commanded; bu
the Red Hat kept his eyes sharply upo1
him till they were clear Of the Devils Inn
There was need to employ every precau
ton; for the lower room was by this tim'
fulllofa company of arquebusiers, tn
body guard of his eminency. The Rel
Hat watched the commandment of the bant
draw the host to one side and apparent!
; interrogate hi" but his answers seemed
perfectly satisfactory, and the two trav
, elers were permitted to depart.
[ They. started at gallop, and wer
. soon immersed in the forest of Butart]
leading toward the chateau of Ruel.
Suddenly the Red Hat reined in hi
horse, and pointing out to his preserve
the gloomy dwelling Of the Cardinal
said:
"N[ark we'll that turrct in the center
high up yonder, with the pointed ROOT
Mark we'll that little arched window wit
: grated bars before it. 1t can only b
seen from the place where we now are
In that turret the dreadful DEGREES Q
/ Richelieu--the sentences; from whic
there is no appeal--are executed. Whe
my bloody task is accomplished, trap
door opens, and the headless corpse fall
hundred feet into vault filed wit
. quicklime. Every trace Of the TRACED
thus disappears. Remain here for on
!. hour. Keep yourself concealed behin
I the trunk of this withered elm. IF dun
: ing that hour you see light glimmerin
!, from that arched window, you may a
sure yourself that I have been s',m1none
not on your account, but on that of som
: other unhappy victim. In that case 20
: may present yourself without fear befor
$ his eminence; for it never happens that
am sent for to ply my hellish trade twic
t in the same night. But i during IL
: boar the light does not appear, you Al
!, the destined victim waited for. Cha
r isnnrs II, vOlr horse. and make the hest