Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-02-03

1t IS true, rf1)l ed CauFdgudcf luak
they much resem Jle the companions
4 Of Falstan: but never mind, this even
I ing they shall b,. re-clothed, and If
you meet them tomorrow you will
cali them fine fellows
Wei, but return to yourself. l have
nothing to do with your men"
Then one dsy We met the tax
/ eathcrer gon. his rounds; we follow
ed him, and rs / saw his purse filling,
/ ] be-ai. ~ incline to the party Of the
( King. He stopped al little house
which you see there among the pop
lars"
"NanoH's house. murmured the gen
/ tleuan To himself
"Wcll we watched him come out,
ana then Went with him in a boat 10
cross the Dordognc; but when we were
I In the middle Of the stream, ] asked
him with much politeness to give me
the money he was carrying. Would
you believe it, sir, he refused? Then
my companions searched him; but as
he made loud outcries, my lieutenant,
whom You see there holding my horse,
thought that the water might interrupt
this unpleasant sound. and held his
head I'm It, which soon had the de
sired effect We then took his money
and his papers; | gave the money to
my men, who as You have already
judiciously remarked, stand In need Of
it, and kept the papers, among which
was this letter, for it seems he served
us Mercury TO Madlle dc Lartgues."
"Ah"' cried the gentleman, land
what became of the poor wretch
why, would you believe it, though
we hardly held him in the water for
quarter of an hour, when we drew
him out he was dead with rageY
And you replunged him, no Doubt
Certainly
But if the messenger were drown
cd"
"Oh, sir, did not say he was drown
ed"
DO not let Us dispute about words,
If he be- dead, NJ. de Candles did not
ger the letter, and will not come to the
rendezvous"
"Oh, sir, NJ. de Candles received
a duplicate Of this letter, only / kept
the original, thinking it might be yalu-
able"
But what will he think, on not
recognizing the handwriting"
THAT the person who sent it, had
employed a strange hand for safety"
The stranger looked at Cauvagnac,
with a certain admiration for his inn
pudence and presence Of mind He
wished to see if he could not intimi-
date him, and said But the govern
ment, sir; 10 you never fear its re
Searches
"Oh NJ d'Epernon has something
else to do besides l have told you
what | have done 10 secure his good
graces, and he will be very migrate
full If ne does not protect me-
This is a rascal whom win hang
if ever / catch him." muttered the
old gentleman to himself.
what did you say, sir| asked
Cauvagnac
Nothing Now, one more question
What will you do with the signature
which you eXactg'
ooh. upon my word, | do not know.
l asked for IT, as Il useful, elastic kind
of thing. which / can, no doubt, turn
to advantage somehow. Perhaps You
will have it presented to you again
before long; but, mt all events be easy,
it shall be used for nothing Of which
You need be ashamed Have you decid-
ed 10 give it to meE
81 must"
ooh, there is no compuieicu; keep
your paper, and l will keep mine"
Give me the letter"
Give me the signature" and he held
out the letter with one hand while
he received the signature with the
other.
"Now. sir" he continued, (which
way do you wish to go?"
'sTo the right bank Of the river
and | to the left"
"What shall we do? Niy men are
on the side that you wish to 90 TO-
and yours on the other
Nothing more easy; send back my
men in your boat and I will do the
same tyr you"
"You have n quick mind"
II WAS born for a general
Then they parted, and the stranger
began to read his letter attentivcly.
oh" murmured Cauyagnac to him
self. IF It were my pleasure, l could
stop this civil war. But if NJ. d'Eper
non were dead, what would be the
use to me Of this signature? So let
him live"
The two gentlemen reached the op-
posjte banks, and then dispatched the
men who were waiting.
CHAPTER III
The Baron Candles and his Oepidus
Half an hour after the scene we
have Just described, The same window
Of the hotel, which had been shut at