The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-03-12

length convinced OF the fact he
| left the room. In q moment the
Kings attendants had softly en-
tered the room and barred the
door against all intruders, had hurried
ly dressed the King, and made all their
preparations for departure. Fortunate
", SQUIRE, one OF the Kings gentle
men, happened to remember small!
postern-door at the end of passage
leading from the kitchen. which opened
at the back of the castle on a faubourg
of Cracow outside of the walls. This
door, which had been made for the use
of the servants of the palace, had often
been found useful by the cavaliers Of
Henry's court when they wished to go
out and in unobserved. SQUIRE having
found that no sentinel had been posted
there, sent Miron, the King physician
to reconnoiter, and see if they could get
out by that way. He found the door
ajar, and joyfully returning to report,
when suddenly the steward of the
household, Alemanni. appeared from
the kitchen, where he was evidently on
the watch, and carefully looking about
him-though without discovering Miron
who was sheltered by the staircase
gave orders for the postern to be locked
and the key to brought to him.
This was terrible blow to all their
hopes. The King was in despair and
about to return to bed, but SQUIRE en-
couraged him to persist and rely up
on him to get him out of the dilemma.
So they cautiously left the apartments
of the King and crept softly down the
stairs until they came to the passage,
where another fight of steps led down
to the kitchen. Here they got q great
fright from hearing the voice of the
steward just at the foot of the stairs.
| He heard their steps, and called out,
I" Who goes there?'
ssIt IS I, monsieur" said SQUIRE,
boldly descending q few steps, while he
made sign to the others to go on
toward the door.
/" And what do you wante" asked the
steward.
:. The key of the postern-door," re-
Piled SQUIRE. al have q private
errand, now that the King my master
can dispense with my services"
!. What errandP'' persisted the stew
ard.
:. The truth is" replied SQUIRE,
haughtily, e have an appointment in
the faubourg. l pray you, therefore,
monsieur, give me the key of the little
door without further parley."
This naughty manner impressed the
steward, who knew that SQUIRE was
high in his masters favor, and he some
what reluctantly gave the key. and
offered to accompany SQUIRE to open
the door for him. He, however. only
laughed at this, and bounding up the
staircase long before the steward, who
was old and infrm, could reach the top,
he found the King and his companions
concealing themselves as much as pos
sible in the shadow of the walls, opened
the door, through which they hurriedly
passed, and locking it behind them they
made all possible speed toward the lit
tie ruined chapel, the place Of rendez-
vous.
The night was pleasant, though very
dark, and after losing their way once or
twice, they finally reached the chapel.
There they found the equerry with the
horses, but Chemerault. who was to be
their guide, and several other gentle
men Of the Kings household, had not
made their appearance. They waited
for them as long as they dared. but
finally SQUIRE persuaded the King to
mount and trust to God and fortune for
safety.
They set out, therefore, but their diff
| ficulties had only just begun In the
first place, not one Of them knew the
way, being all absolute strangers in
Poland; and they did not even under
stand the dialect Of the country, so that
they could inquire. The night was dark
and the roads were horrible, though
that did not matter 80 much, as they
could not keep in them, but continually
found themselves wandering away and
noundering in deep morasses, blunder-
ing about in pine forests and getting en-
tangled in brambles.
Sothey went on, stumbling over stones
sinking into boys, and wading through
brooks, till think they must have
wished themselves safe back in their
beds in Cracow.
At length SQUIRE saw faint light
! glimmering in the distance, and on APP
| preaching it Ire found it came from the
hut of a charcoal burner deep in the
forest.
The poor charcoal burner was so ter
rified by the approach of the horsemen
that he darted up into his loft by lad
der ON the outside, which he drew up
after him. The cavaliers shouted and
knocked, and knocked and shouted, but
all in vain. Not an inch would the
charcoal burner stir; SO at last they be-
0an to batter down the door
Finally SQUIRE managed to scramble
up to the loft, where he found the poor
man crouching in q corner in perfect
agony of terror. He tried to calm his
fears by speaking gently, but the
strange language only made him more
terrified.
So there was nothing for it but to
drag him down, and carry him OF to
the King. which they accordingly did.
Henry had learned few words Of the