Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-12-07
Gales aud Sketehss.
THE CHARCOAL BURNER.
Continued from yesterday.)

Have you ever seen wild bird beat
itself to death against the bars of its cage?
"Well. should have done that but for
one thOught-the thought of Elmire. The
burning desire to avenge her kept me
alive, and sustained me through all nv
miseries
"Ihis gave me hope to study plan OF
escape; this gave me courage and forti-
tude to pursue it.
" God is just God said to myself.
continually. therefore shall not fail in
my purpose
"And did not. / escaped, but how.
and by what means. am bound never to
tell
-Four years OF prison had 80 changed
me that none of my old companions.
looking on my face. would have said.
There goes Pierre the charcoal-burner.'
ITO free man of the woods like me.
chains had been living death, and nv
anguish had made me old and ghastly
when. once more at liberty, | breathed
again the fresh air of the forest.
81 knew it was dangerous to return
hither, nevertheless | came. | trusted
one OF my old friends. and he proved
faithful. He hid me and supplied me
with food till the heat of the search for
me was over. 1t is a hard thing for gen
d'armes to find a man In the forest: as
we'll hunt for wolf or wild boar with
ont dogs as look for a fugitive in this
wilderness.
lin six months my hair and beard had
grown long and thick-it had become
gray, nearly white. as you see, and felt
that the eye even Of detective would
scarcely recognize the escaped forcat,
much less then would the villagers see in
this white-haired, aged man, Pierre, the
charcoal burner
Claude, | said to my friend Il shall
hire myself as a servant to Madame Le-
roy
'He was frightened at my scheme, but
he could not dssuade me tro,n il.
~ had heard from him that Luc Leroy's
mother had married again. but her new
husband had died suddenly, leaving her
with an infant. of whom she was passion
ately fond. This child was the source
OF constant quarrel between Luc and his
mother, and in this dissension | hoped to
lind a weapon Of defence and retribution.
"Moreover, Pere Martin, no longer
supplied with drink by young Leroy. was
now his sworn enemy. Thus the ground
was prepared for me, and | entered on
the battle without fear.
DO you mean to hire that old man? p
said Luc Leroy to his mother. He is a
fool. and past work
"'lie can work hard enough returned
Madame. 'and his age is In his favor: old
fools are scarcely such fools as Young
ones
Words grew high between them; but,
after bitter dispute, the widow had her
own way, and hired me for year.
''Look here. said Luc Leroy 10 me
the next day, whose servant do you
mean to he. hers or mine? If you are
hers, I'll put your bones under the harrow
every hour Of the day; If you are mine,
and you please me, you may have as
much drink as you like, and we'll cheat
the old woman together
I'm yours. young master, body and
SOUL l answered; give me drink now.'
IL never touched anything but water.
Monsieur, and had hard time striving
to deceive Luc Leroy with regard to my
drinking .propensities; yet, nerved as I
was, and knowing failure would be death.
succeeded in this as all else.
81 grew apparently so helpless and
drunken that the villain at last put his life
in my hands.
"'See here,' he said to me one dav, as
be seized his little stepbrother by the arm,
isn't it hard man should be cheated out
OF his inheritance by weazel like this!
Why don't you take the fever and die, lit
tie miserable Pshaw! not you! there's
no such luck as that for me y
81 watched him more narrowly after
this. and twice saved the child when a
seeming accident would have crushed it
to death. First, when stumbling against
the boy. he flung him beneath the heavy
wheel of loaded wagon; and again in
the mill. when only desperate exerton
of strength on my part extricated him
from a frightful fate.
but this constant watch over the child
wore out my nerve and strength. and | re-
solved to put an end to it. So one night
late. when Madame Leroy and SAT up to-
gether, waiting for her dissipated son,
said suddenly:
Madame, if you wish to save your
little child's life. send it away
"'What do you mean. mbecile p SIZE
Grid, angrily; are you drunk again to-
nightP"
~ thought Madame, you knew by this
time that | am not so fond of drink as |
pretend TO be. | tell you your son Luc is
resolved to kill the little Henri
1.-The woman turned pale and looked at
me in ghastly terror.
81 believe you,' she said 4 know Luc
is capable of any wickedncss'
"'l am worn out with watching the
child. | returned, and will not promise
you that can save his life again.
Here told her what had happened,
and though she had heard this before from
the child's imperfect speech, yet, now that
il came to her circumstantially, she trem-
bled.
~ will send the child to his fathers
friends to morrow, she cried. and will
delay no longer to make my will. Luc
shall gain nothing by his wickedness.'
Keep your own counsel as to that,
answered, and take care not to betray
what have said to your son. If he dis
charges me you will have no friend
"She knew this, and fear made her
cautious.