The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-11-23
CONTINUED.


Pierre's interlocutors did not, however,
as may be conceived, share his views as
to the good fellowship Of gendar1nes.
Their "reminiscences Of stretches of road
traversed in company with such gentry
were unpleasantly associated with hand.
cuffs and stout rope, at one end of
which they pursued their unwelcome
journey. while the other was attached to
the saddlebow of an individual whom
they did not find at all "capital COM
pany." Nor were they at all reassured
when Pierre went on to inform them that
Roger, the brigadier, and his men were
out after couple of forcats who had
escaped from the prison of Lyons, and
who, according to the latest intelligence,
were supposed to be lurking in the forest
of La Marche desperate ruffians, too,
finished Pierre. "The brigadier has or.
ders to bring them in alive or dead" Sc
saying, he turned away to attend to
something else, when Bertrand. frighten.
ed out of all self control. started to his
feet as if to run.
''Infame.' nluttered his companion
would you ruin us? Sit down, tell
you" And he had only just time to force
him back into his scat when the door
opened, and the brigadier clattered into
the room armed to the teeth; his profes.
sional eye takingin the room and it's oc-
cupants at a glance.
Marie, who, sunk in thought, had heard
nothing of Pierre's conversation, was
reused by the sudden entrance of the
armed man and gave him startled look
which he did not fail to perceive. But
his eye passed on to rest more searching
ly on the two men, whose appearance
did not at all please him. "It seems to
me l have seen them before" he said to
himself as he looked at them more in
quiringly than they found at all agree.
able, for they at once recognized him as
the gendarme who had inspected them
and their passports SO suspiciously the
previous day. The brigadier very soon
recalled where he had seen them and
decided that he would keep his eye on
them.
''Now, Pierre" he saiG, ''hurry with
breakfast and don't forget some ham.
know of old how good your ham is. And
tell my men to hurry with the horses
and come in to breakfast. We have not
much time to lose."
Pierre hurried off to execute his orders,
while the brigadier, still keeping an eye
on the two men, took out his pipe and
began to prepare it for his after break
fast smoke. Marie, who had been watch.
ing for an opportunity to leave the room
unobserved, now got up and slipped
quietly out, much to the relief of Re.
mond, who felt that her absencs vastly
improved the chances of himself and his
companion. So much so that having
finished his breakfast he began to hum a
tune, crossing his legs as he lay back in
a chair filling his pipe and looking at
the brigadier with an dir Of. cas-. .:ssur-
ance which took Bertrand's breath away
and nearly made him choke with sheer
terror as he swallowed his last mouth.
full.
Just then Pierre returned, bringing the
ham and followed by the other gen
dar,nes-four of them. They all sat
down to table and proceeded to discuss
their breakfast with excellent appetite.
The brigadier asking Pierre in a low
tone where those menShad come from,
indicating the pair in the corner by a
slight movement of his elbow, Pierre
informed him that they were strangers,
who had slept that night at Les Bons