The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-10-19
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CONTINUED.
1t was late in the afternoon when rney
started, so that the sun was beginning to
throw long shadows through the noun
tains when they had reached the scene OF
Pierre's death. When they had arrived
at the fatal ledge, the sergeant called to
them to stop. Then he pointed out to the
others the disposition of the ground and
made rough sketch of the place, re-
marking to Robert, in voice of casual
unconcern, which chilled his wife's heart:
''The juge de paix will require you
to tell how and where you passed the
night that Pierre Lamar left his home
and why you predicted that he would go
fora soldier and would probably never be
heard of again unless he got promotion.
Robert made no answer, but scrowled
at his wife when no one was looking in
q way that bodsd i'll for her happiness
and even for her safety in case he should
have her in his power.
The night seemed endless. The rude
cart bumped and shook to q degree that
would have rendered sleep impossible
under the most favorable conditions.
The gendarmes walked stolidly along,
keeping Robert always between two Of
them, for they seemed to fear, that at
any moment he might make an effort to
escape. As for poor Marie. they took lit
tie heed, for they never thought for an
instant that it would be possible for her
fo m a 1ro tho y,o1roonArv o&Fov<
When the morning broke, cold and
gray, and a wider range Of country was
under their view, the gendarmes relaxed
their vigilance so far as to let Robert
walk behind the cart, holding on to it's
back as they ascended hill. Hitherto
there had been to Marie q hideous and
ever increasing doubt as to her husbands
guilt as regarded the death of Pierre, but
his attitude the very instant he got an
opportunity of saying word to her in
private turned the doubt into an appall-
ing certainty.
When his face came opposite the open
ing of the curtains of the tilted cart, she
was struck with the expression which
she saw there-an expression quite diff
ferent from any that she had ever before
seen there. It was one of brutal, un-
mitigated ferocity, such a look as the
galleys or the hulks only can produce.
When man descends in the scale of
humanity to his very lowest, he can be,
where his safety is concerned, more cal
lous than even the brutes. The better
qualities Of mind and heart can disap-
pear altogether. and the relentless in
stinct of self preservation can be seen in
all its possible baseness.
Such was the look which met DOOR Ma
rie's sleep forsaken eyes as they sought
for some CLEAN of hope in the gladness
of the morning and chilled her to pitch
requisite to hear unmoved the terrible
confirmation of her fears.
She hardly knew her husband in the
cruel looking, remorseless wretch who
glared at her and spoke in q fierce
whisper:
''Do you hear: must get away some
how or they will settle me for that affair
of Lamar. You must do it for me.
shall make some excuse to get into the
cart. Be ready to change clothes with
me. Then put out your head and ask to
be allowed to walk a bit. Then lie close,
no matter what happens. or it will be
worse for US both"
She attempted to demonstrate with
him, but with a terrible oath fercely
whispered at her he enforced his order
Half paralyzed with this new fear, she
heard him ask the sergeant to let him
rest in the cart for a bit, as he was tired
to death and chilled with the cold.
The sergeant consented with con-
temptuous oath, but refused to stop the
cart. So with clumsiness quite unusual
to him, for he was man of great strength
and activity, he half scrambled, half
tumbled into the cart, breathing male
dictions on everybody and everything.
Once in the cart and hidden from the
view of the gendarmes the change was
easily effected, and with Marie's petit
coat and cloak over his own clothes he
was ready for the next step of the es-
cape. By his instructions Marie, with
her little shawl over her head and her
body hidden in the interior of the cart,
asked the sergeant to let her walk for a
little while, as her limbs We're cramped
with sitting SO long in the cart.
The sergeant could see no harm in so
simple request, so told the driver to stop
for moment while she got out. But at
the very moment that the cart stopped
Robert slipped down in her stead, inn
itating, with skill that showed that
at some time he must have been an actor,
the popularity of her gait, so that the
soldiers never suspected there was any
trick on hand.
For awhile he walked behind the cart
holding on as If to aid in walking. But
after awhile he began to fall behind.
Now and again the sergeant looked back
to see as in duty bound that his prisoner
was still there. One of the others asked
him If he should not make her hurry up,
but he answered that it was all right. as