Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-02-16
CHAPTER xuu-corrrrrrn

i u
CHAPTER xIn-coNrmuxn
Corporal Cartouche knows his duty,
mon chef will treat your friend a
my own brother, and il he slips through
my fingers. may I never drink wine
again. The Medoc is for me, you say?'
"Yes."
"An OF it?n
"An of it."
'T am your debtor for life. mon chef.
And about what time"
well, the supper will have to be pre-
pared, you know. Suppose we say in
two hours?"
Good! That will be nine o'clock.
And the Medoc is all for me?"
CAL"
"Sacre nom, I shall count the minutes.
A thousand thanks, NJ. lie Chef de Bat
aillon."
"Au revoir," said Lacluse, grasping
my hand. 81 feel pretty sure that the
order for your execution will not be
carried out; so keep up your spirits"
These words were accompanied by a
glance at me which meant that they
were for the benefit of my guardian,
who might otherwise have failed to un-
derstand how we could both be so
cheerful and part as might seem in the
hope of meeting again.
''Of course he won't be executed, ~
said the corporal; land in any case he
will have had his bottle Of LATTE and I
my Medoc. We will drink to your
health, NJ. lie Chef"
Lacluse was no sooner gone than the
corporal began his preparations for the
feast. He sent n passing soldier for a
few sticks and the remnants of pack
ing-case, rugged up table ard made
two things he called tabourets, and ex-
pressed great regret that we should be
compelled to dispense with napery.
At nine o'clock, sharp, the supper was
brought by .sscluse's servant. He
brought also glasses, and, to the corpo-
rails great delight. very dirty table
cloth.
Cartouche handled the bottles as ten
derby as if they had been babies, and
treat them as respectfully as if they had
been generals of division. Then we set
to work. The bottles were uncorked.
Cartouche toasted Lacluse, then me,
then Gen. Bonaparte, then himself. He
swallowed his wine in great gulps, and
in less than ten minutes had drunk it to
the last drop. pushed my bottle over
to him and told him to help himself. In
a few minutes more the greater part of
my Lafitte had joined his Medoc, and
before we were half through with the
supper Cartouche was under the table
His last words were: IL have my
fingers on you, NJ. Roy, and if you slip
through my eye may never drink wine
or see Paris again"
would fain have appropriated his
coat, but feared to walsen him, and time
was precious. At any moment the SEN
try or some other body might look into
the tent. AS the next best thing, /
threw Off my own coat (shirt-sleeves
would be less compromising than the
uniform of the British navy doomed Car
touches hat and buckled on his sword.
Then / cat big slit in the tent and re-
connoitered. Seeing that the coast was
clear, squeezed myself through the
sit, and without either pausing or look
ing back, made briskly for the sea.
1t was fine starlight night; not near
~ so dark as would have liked it to be.
Djezzar's lanterns were cleaning
brightly on Acres blood-stained walls;
anu Lie uNSsstNtOu O1 tuc LII tHc JILL
ing was indicated by an occasional flash
from their guns, fred probably rather
in the hope of disturbing the enemy's
rest than of damaging their works,
which at that time of night it was inn
possible for our gunners to see.
There were a good many soldiers
about, some sauntering and smoking,
others in groups, talking and laugh
ing. Several of them were coatless,
and nearly all shoeless, for the French
army was getting woefully short of
supplies. ! took care not to attract
the attention of these loiterers by any
appearance of hurry; and, seeing that
one man seemed to be cycling me rather
suspiciously, went boldly up to him
and asked leave to light cigar from
mis- pipe.
The ruse succeeded; he politely grant
ed my request, and asked no ques-
lions.
had reached point, as I reckoned,
about a mile and half from the sea-
shore. and was beginning to think I was