The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-02-04


now let me drive you home"
We went out together, met nobody, and she
drove me to my lodgings. That afternoon,
when called upon Miss Mallette, found her
filled with an idea
"You know Madame ronnn, the little
French teacher!" said she.
| knew Madame Tonnin very well. She
came every day to give French lessons TO my
landlady's little boy.
"If anybody can tell who Will be good per
son to do your work for you, she can" said
Miss Mallette "Shc knows all about the
Mlnorcans and other white people OF the place
of course you don't want laundering negro
and she herself is the very person 10 keep a
secret. Let us walk around to her house and
tell her about it. You know you have got to
tell somebody, or the thing can't be done"
did not wish to give up my original idea
but at last consented. had become convinced
could not do the necessary digging and If
the matter was to be carried on nj all, must
get somebody to help me.
We put on our hats and started for the house
of Madame Tonnin. Before we had gone half
way we met her In st. Augustine you meet
everybody every time you 90 out We took
the little lady to retired seat in the Plaza,
and there told her my plans. did not cX'
actly desire to communicate these to the
French lady, but Miss Mallette had talked
with such practical force on the subject that |
really had no arguments with which to answer
her Had she been man | should not have
allowed her to take command in this way.
We found Monsieur Simon at the house of
his aunt. The house was a very small one,
with the front door opening directly into the
parlor. Monsieur Simon was seated at back
window reading IL very old copy Of French
newspaper. He was small man with bald
head, a shining, animated face, ana rusty
coat of bombazine. We were duly introduced,
and after few prellmnaries and injunctions
told him my plans and desires. As spoke
the eyes of Monsieur Simon sparkled, and
when had finished he sprang to his teet.
"Arcbpoo gle, my friend, is that which pos
sesses me. 1t fills me up. 1t floats me into
thin air abuf the misaries of life" He spoke
better English than his aunt, merely pepperlng
his sentences with French accents and pecull.
arltles sufficiently to give them foreign fla
vor. 81 follow in my soul those great leaders
Belzoni, Layard, and even that eXecrabe
Schlemann. GIf me the money and the men,
sir"
told HIM that after had entered and eX
amlned the chamber in the southeast bastion,
he might have threequarters OF the glory, or
all of it if he chose. AS for the three dollars
Il day, thought 1t pretty high pay for man
who had not the strength and ability of regu
lar laborer; but ] felt sure the work could not
continue very long, and | agreed to pay IT.
After all, the element of intelligence should
not be dsregarded Monsieur Simon was
therefore engaged for the work of exploration
gave him full explanations and instructions,
Miss Mallette occasionally adding u shrewd
suggestion, and Madame Tonnin wagging her
head III continual affirmation. He agreed
with me IN my hypothesis of the interval be.
tween the two walls being filled in with sand,
and was certain he could soon dig enough
away to leave passage to the inner wall; but
he differed with me III regard to the means OF
making an entrance through this inner wall.
had provided some large chisels and maet
which | had left with the other tools in the
dark chamber, but he thought it would be bet
ter to make use of some of the modern inven
tons. With one or two cartridges OF dyna-
mue he said he could blow hole through the
wall in an instant, whereas 1t would take hours
to cut one with Chlsel and mallet But this
absolutely forbade him. | wanted no eXplo,
sions to wake up people in the vicinity, and to
blow, perhaps, my Frenchman into atoms
Monsieur Simon insisted that as the dwelling
of the old sergeant was some little distance
outside the fortress, he would not hear slight
explosion; but remained firm in my prohi-
bition of dynamite, and he consented to break
through the wall In the way desired.
Operations were to begin Immediately, and
that evening Monsieur Simon and went TO
the fort, and Selling a favorable opportunity,
conducted him INTO the dark chamber |
took him by the hand and cautiously led him
to the inner wall making him feel with his
hands the hole had discovered, | led HIM to
the corner where the tools had been placed,
and left him supplied with matches, candles
or nd u litt1a bn,tln of
For two nights Monsieur Simon worked at
his explorations. Each morning visited HIM
at his house and received report No one
had noticed his ingOngs or OutcOmingS, he
he said, and on the second day he reported that
he had made a passage which extended some
feet All the sand which had fallen from
above he had removed and scattered over the
floor of the dark chamber, and he confidently
expected In two or three nights more to reach
the inner wall. ! then strictly enjOlned him.
as | had done before, that when he had reach.
ed this wall he was not to make the hole thro'
it, as intended to be present when that was
done, wishing to be first to make the discover
les in this hidden chamber.
On the morning of the third day went to
the house of Madame Tonnin. She was not
in, and neither was Monsieur Simon. A girl
handed me a letter from the latter parsonage.
| opened it and read it Ia the little parlor.
Then with the open letter in my hand | walk
ed, or rather ran, to the cottage Of the Nal
lettes.
Miss Mallette was sitting on the front porch,
She ran down the steps to meet me. whats
the matter ?" she said.
81 want you to read this letter with me-" |
answered 81 can scarcely understand it,"
And SO we sat down on the steps of the
porch and read the letter together, shall not
give the words OF Monsieur Slmon's epIstle.
1t was long, and was written in English con,
siderably worse than which he used when
speaking. This is the purport of it. The
night before he had penetrated INTO the cham
Der in the southeast baston. He had unex-
pectedy reached the wall of the chamber, and
had been unable to resist the temptation OF cat
ting hole through it. Then, with candle
IN his hand, he had entered the hidden dun
gecn. The wonders OF the place were more
than he cnuld describe ApalnSt the northern