The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-27

as into her heart stole some strange, unac-
countable foreboding of evil. He felt her
say something cheerful and cheering, he
could find no words; for in his heart, too,
there stirred the dark shadow of dread, the
forecast of a formless horror he knew not
how to shake of or how to explain.
Marie stood in the gloom and heard him
ride away, and it was as if the beat of those
swiftly falling hoofs was over the graves of
all the hopes of her life. Never before had
she been afraid; but now she was so OPP
pressed that her breathing was difficult.
Louis Capdau went home bearing with
him a sense of final loss, like that which
must have succeeded the death and burial
of Marie.
That night was memorable one-one
that has its dark page in the history of Lou.
isiana. A little past midnight Louis Cap
dau's faithful servant came to awake him
and say that there was great danger moving
were in arms, and were marching through
the country, bent upon blood, robbery. fire
and all the nameless crimes of servile in
surrection. He spranR from his bed.
snatched clothing and arms, and with but
one thought in mind, mounted his horse
and dashed away to the quarters of his own
slaves. Jean, his brother, WAS absent from
home at the time.
The Capdau slaves, it seemed, had not
shared in the horrible plot, and they readily
responded to their masters order that they
should arm themselves with clubs, axes.
hoes and whatev = other weapons they could
So, at the head of his black band, Louis
Capdau marched forthwith, going directly
toward the Chateau de Beret. He felt sure
that the insurgents would naturally aim at
the chateau. knowing the amount of
before he reached the plantation, he heard
the wild din of the savage mob. as it went
howllng and blowing horns, in the direction
Of the Beret landing on the river.
At New Orleans it had come to the ears of
Carondelet, the governor, that an uprising
dispatched Don Manuel Cortinas with a
company of soldiers to protect the planters.
Naturally enough, CortinRs led his little
force directly to the Chateau de Beret, think
ing TO make that his headquarters, and thus,
at the same time that he was quelling the
Chevalier de Beret and Marie. He landed
his men at the little wharf above the Beret
plantation, and marched hem thence by a
roundabout roBd (Which, however, was the
directest route possible) toward the man.
sion.
Meantime, the furious mob of blacks
were approaching from one direction, and
Capdau with his slaves from another. All
three of the parties came together in the
near vicinity of the Chateau de Beret; but
an advance crowd of the insurgents had
reached the house first, and set it, on fire.
The inmates had locked and barred all the
doors, and Chevalier de Beret, firing with
deadly aim from the windows, prevented an
entrance. t,s3
Louis Capdau found himself and his little
band of slaves wedged in, so to speak, be-
tween the main body of the insurgents and
the bowling advance mob that was surging
| around the now burning mansion. Fired in
many places at once, the dry, resinous
wood, of which the building was construct
ed, was soon SO afame throughout the lower
story that escape from the upper, in which
the family had taken refuge appeared i'm
possible; but even death by fire was pre-
cradle to falling into the hands of the ne
froes.
Taking in the situation at a glance, but
all unaware of the party of soldiers from
New Orleans, Louis Capdau called his
trusty band of slaves about him and made
a rush for the burning mansion. At that
moment he caught glimpse of Marie at an
upper window. The apparition, pale, de-
spairing, shone upon him through the
i glare Of the flames, filling him with very
rage of wild emotion. What could bar him
away from her at such a crisis? Sword in
hand he plunged forward, striking down
every opposing form and forcing his way
to corner of the veranda, where strong