Richland beacon., 1888-04-07

If he had rescued Jean Faptiste from
a terrible fate, the Acadian could not
have bee- moe vehement in his expires.
sions of gratitude. In queer patois OF
French and Ehgl sh, mixed with hvster-
ical sobs, he noured forth his thanks
The stranger Sauntered ,eisurely after
him, and watched with keer eyes the
workmanship of the Acadians.
Jean Baptiste ,sn't half bad shot, .
ne said to himself, but the boys 100
nervous. Dare say he'd have done bet
ter If he hadn't been tearing his nerves
to fiddle strings this evening. Funny
people, these Acadians Too excitable
and noisy ever TO make good marksmen. "
| That night, in the loft which Jean Bap-
tiste shared with him, the boy confided
to him his reasons for wishing to win
the great prize. He sat on his mattress.
his great brown eyes luminous with ex-
citement, and his expressive gestures
piercing out his imperfect speech.
You sec, monsieur, l vas born here,
and nevaire haf been feefty mile from
re prairie. You sec a tall tree far off in
re m0rois' | haf nesaire beer more far
/ climb it, look far out. | say, Jean
Baptisle Avran, if you had a pony
for your own, you could run away. You
could gallop, ga'lop into re big world,
and, who knows, make a heap If money.
All, gr na, Dieu, is so tired throw
ing out has arms with a tragic gesture.
| is Iot COW l is not a ho,s Sc, to be
glad and satisfy because re grass is fine.
want go far off to see people. to lear
to read. Monsieur, when strangers come
here, not good. not kind Ii you zey
laugh at IS. ley say: You cannot read
or write; you knJw nothin'; you are no
more zal your beasts Noa, non, strik-
ing his breast, 90. will GO away, 4 will
not stay here,"
You would leave your father. your
fr'ends:" the officer said gently. my
poor boy, the word isn't quite heaven"
" II may be bad, yes. 1t may hui. me.
tIt it will not be ze pra; lie. All, Ichoke
here"
- In nlain words, yu want change"
and the officer laughed. "You want the
pony to gallop of into pitfalls, and
stumble against walls, and to get SO
many knocks and tu ubles that all the
Kings horses an6 all the Kings men
couldn't piece you into the old Jean
Baptistc again. You don't understand a
woro | say, was just talking to N.Y.
self you SEE, and you needn't understand
Go to sleep, and sleep soundy if you
want to shoot well. Nothing like good
nights rest to steady the nerves"
About ten o'clock next morning sew
eral hundred people assembled at the ap-
pointed place. In the open prairie, the
?atgo taste led to a tall pole tiuttered its
gay strcamers in the breeze, and the at
tention Of the Acadians seemed divided
between the bird and the stately young
officer who lowered above them all, his
keen eyes taking in every detail of the
scene.
"He looks like st. Michael, " whispered
one. "The picture in the church."
BAH" answered the other. st.
Michael is angry, he is trampling the
dragon. That m an looks as cold as ice,
his face never changes, though he is
Ye' he is beautiful.
The shooting began, but somehow it
was unusually bad. After twenty shots
the Patgo's ribbon plumage still waved
defiance. Neither wings nor head had
been brought down.
"Will not monsieur take some chance."
said one of the Judge, in very good Eng
lish, app. oaching the stranger.
"Yes, will take four, but after Jean
Baptiste Avran. 1t is his turn, now."
Jean Baptiste's first shot was tolerable,
as it struck the wing of the bird, but
without bringing it down. In the next,
his nervous excitement had got the bet
Ter of him, and his shot few over the
head of the BIRD. He hid taken but
three chances, and his last shot was so
wide of the mark, that
laugh from the competitors
,aluted it.
".Aha, Jean Bapt:ster' cried one.
thou didst not say thy prayers last
hight. Get out of the way mon gars',
md let the strange monsieur try his
uck."
The officer took his rife from Jean
Baptistc. and smiled at his downcast
ace. He examined the weapon, loaded
t in his cool, deliberate manner, and
ak 'ng his position, carelessly raised it,
md, without apparently looking at the
oatgo, called out:
This for the right wing of your
,ird!"
The shot rang out, and the wing lay
IN TIE ground.
"This for the head!'
Toe ribbons which had adorned that
,ortion of the Pa'go gave last Autter
IS it swooped down.
"And this for the pony"
As the bird fell, a perfect storm OF
age arose in the crowd.
'Unfair." sc "Cheatery,'' "The Patgo
hould not have fallen for an hour yet."
He is q sorcerer." He is a devil"
'Robber" "Vilc American"
The officer did It understand them,
,ut he saw thre itening faces and gcstic-
Ilsting arms, as the crowd pressed
loosely to him. He coolly loadel his
life, and, standing with his back to
arge tree, waited for Al attack, his i'm
'assive face as calm as if he had been
mong friends. Jean Ba, tiste, his boy
n face glowing with indignation, aud
is eyes flashing defiance, sprany to his
ide.
'Zey is mad :" he cried. "2cy wants
0 fight you. Cowa,ds. Aha. I has
un !" holding it up. ~ will help you.n
1.-TWO against two hundred" said the
fiicer coolly, with a smile. 'It's long
dds, my boy, ''but I'll try to ho'd nv
ost. You must keep out of the mess.
or the life of me l don't know what
be beggars are howling about, but all
he same if they attack me, I'm ready
But there were some cool heads in that
rowd. They dashed about among the
crowd, scoIdng at the very top
( their voices, and giving heavy blows
lght and left to some of the furious
oungsters who were shaking their fists