The Red Cloud chief., 1879-07-17

rowly watched the COMMUNISTS fea-
lures. The pale face, dark, sparkling
eyes, dry voice, and general feversh-
ness Of manner, were such a. may be
often seen in melancholic madmen, Ia
boring under a fixed hallucination.
Roblard noticed the glance that was be-
ing fixed upon him, and caught the
tone Of doubt in his i~nterlocutor :
words; but he paid no heed 10 them
"You know Whist Was the crime a.
legged against mep" he asked.
"Yes; you were sentenced To death
contumaciously for having instigated
the shooting OF the banker y under
the Commune. However, IS you
had escaped 10 London before Paris fell
into the Power Of the Versaillists, you
were never arrested; and on the whole
you have escaped pretty cheap"
"Well," continued Roblsrd, speaking
lower than before, and looking Monsieur
A steadily in the face, al have been
accused Of shooting y from mo-
tives of private malice, and for the pur-
pose Of robbing him"
"Who accused you the prosecu-
tion?"
.N'T 'hA D'oftS- 'AAA ~ - S
Communists" replied Roblard with a
kind Of gasp, which was meant TO be one
of Indignation, but which was more ike
fear. al had been in London about Il
month, when one night three men call
ed upon Inc at my lodgings. They were
Dorielle, Faucher, and Vuilleux, all three
my enemies. My landlady and the
servant were out, So / WAS all alone.
Faucher, who is a kind of revolutionary
fanatic, began 10 abuse me, saying had
brought disgrace on the Communist
cause, and had been playing the game
of the Bonapartists by shooting y,
who knew all the ins and-outs Of the
Mexican expedition, and held documents
damaging 10 the Empire, which he would
have published had he lived. Then
Dorielle spoke out, taxing me with hav-
ing seized all Y's securities and val
uables, and having appropriated them
t. my own use; Just as il y would
have been silly enough to keep MS mon
ey within reach Of hooters under sgch Il
regime as ours"
by the way, was L really you who
had y shot" inquired the police
official carelessly.
THAT is beside the question:" an
swered Rohlard, on his guard. "All |
can say is, that these three enemies OF
mine took il for granted | had done so,
and when they had finished abusing me,
Vuilleux pulled n rope out of his peck
ct"
"a rope! What was that for?"
"To hang Inc with" rejoined Rob
lard hoarsely, rs il the mere recOiiec-
ton of the affair ~strapgled him. "They
announced that they had sentenced me
To death, and that they would hang me
out of hand. My death, said they,
would look like a ~suicidc.... We'll,
they did hang mc......"
"Come, come" cxpostulated Mon
sieur A., doubtful whether the Com
munist ware r%omancing or speaking
from hallucination, yet bethinking him
self that somehow the man might be
saving the truth after all.
"They did hang me-" repeated Rob
lard impressivcly. alt was all III vain
that | struggled, screamed, and prayed
for Justice; | was forced on To my knees
and u handkerchief stuffed into my
mouth. Then those three butchers
passed Il halter ovcr my neck aid strung
me up TO II curtain rod. L suppose,
however, that they maze oil pretty
fast, for less than a Quarter of an hour
afterwards (having lost consciousness
in the meanwhile) | was cut down by
my landlady and the servant, who re-
turned. Both these poor women con-
cluded | had tried TO make away with
myself"
"Of course, though, you went and
lodged a complaint with the police?"
"No; what would have been the use
of it?" returned Roblard, with a shrug.
"Mv enemies had taken their precau-
tions so well that | should not have been
believed, and the English magistrates
would either nave pat ME into "A mad
house, or nave sent me to prison for
having tried to commit suicide, contrary
To their laws. Beside, on the day after
this affair | received an anonymous let
ter, ~enigmatically worded, hut from
which | gathered that, As L had escaped
the halter, | should be allowed 10 live,
provided | did not return to France.
Dorielle, Faucher, and NuilleuX o n
dcmned me to perpetual exile"
"Have you this letter about you?''
asked Monsieur A. who seemed
more and more doubtful about Rob
lard's story.
"Yes; here it is" said the Commun-
list, and he handed his interlocutor Il
strip of creased paper, on which the lat
ter read: "You have got luckily cured
of your sore throat, but for such a deli
cate constitution as yours the climate of
France will not do. Keep clear of the
country for your own sake, or there will
be a relapse"
"Humph!" muttered the police Of
fetal. "And have you ever seen your
enemies since the event YOU relate?"
"Yes; / have seen Nuilleux frequent
ly at Geneva" responded Roblard in
agitation; shut there is the horror of
the thing. Whenever Ispoke to him of
his attempt on me, he said he did not
know what l meant, and limited that l
was a monomaniac. l half got to be-
lieve that was so myself, and that pre-
vented ne from ever speaking on this
subject TO others"
Monsieur A rubbed his head.
Richards narrative might be true or
untrue; anyhow, it was expedient to
have the man watched, in order to pro-
tect him from others If he were really il
danger, or against himself if he We're in
sane. After n few moments reflection
the police official said: swell, Rob.
lard, l will lend you n of my detec-
| tives, who shall be your companion till
you feel safe. He is quite a new man
nobody knows him, so that you will not
be compromised if seen in his society,"
"Thank you, A." said Roblsrd,
with a sigh. "Fancy my needing the
: protection of the police! However, ]
will pay your man whatever is wanted
he must be absolutely at my disposal,
s like a servant"
"You have grown rich, then?" asked
Monsieur A, with a smile.
"No, but make some money by my
books" rejoined the Communist, color
: ing.
$50 much the better" continued The
: official, in the same vein OF banter
e then, suddenly changing his tone: 81
say, Roblard, TIL ne the truth; what
e became of Y-is papers, for they wer,