Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-13

a smack like bursting bomb. Our door
flew to bits, and pieces of cheese with a
shower Of turnipS, apples and splfnterS OF
cases were shot in among us. AS We rushed
out we had to stagger through fmpenetrable
smoke, with all sorts of debris beneath our
feet, but there was a glimmering square
where the dark door had been. The petard
had done its work.
In fact, 1t had done more for US than we
had ventured to hope. 1t had shattered
jailers as we'll as jail. The first thing that
l saw as / came out was man with a
butchers ak in his hand, lying fiat on his
back. with a gaping wound across his fore
head. The second was huge dog with two
of Its legs broken twisting In agony upon
the floor. AS 1t reared itself l saw the
broken ends Tapping like fails. At the
same instant heard a cry, and there was
puroc thrown against the wall, with the
other hounds teeth In his throat. He
pushed 1t off with his left hand. while
again and again he passed his saber
through its body. but it was not until
blew out its brains with my pistol that the
iron jaws relaxed and the fierce bloodshot
eyes were glazed in death.
There was no time for us to pause. A
woman's scream from in front-a scream
of mortal terror that told us even now we
might be too late
There were two other men in the hail.
but they covered away from our drawn
swords and furious faces.
The blood, was streaming from Duroc's
neck and dyeing the gray fur of his pelisse.
Such was the lads fire, however, that he
shot in front of me, and it was only over
his shoulder that 1 caught glimpse of the
scene as we rushed into the chamber in
which we had first seen the master Of the
Castle of Gloom.
The baron was standing in the middle of
the room, with his tangled name bristling
like an angry lion. He was as have said,
q huge man, with enormous shoulders, and
as he stood there, with his face flushed with
rage and his sword advanced, 1 could not
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he had proper figure for grenadier. The
lady lay covering in a chair behind him.
A veal across one of her white arms and
a dog whip upon the floor were enough to
show that our escape had hardly been in
time to save her from his brutality. He
gave howl like wolf as we broke in, and
was upon us in an instant. hacking and
driving with 4 curse at every blow.
1 have already said that the room gave
no space for workmanship. My young
companion was in front of me In the mar
row passage between the table and the
wall, so that I could only look on without
being able to aid him. The lad knew some
thing of his weapon, and was as fierce and
active as wildcat. but in SO narrow space
the weight and strength of the giant gave
him the advantage. Besides, he was an
admirable swordsman. His parade and re-
poSte We're as quick as lightning. Twice
he touched Duroc upon the shoulder, and
then the lad slipped on a lunge he
whirled up his sword to finish him before
he could recover his feet. I was quicker
than he, however, and took the cut upon
the pommel of my saber.
Excuse me-" said 1, but you have still
to deal with Etienne Gerard"
He drew back and leaned against the
tapestry covered wall. breathing in little
hoarse gasps, for his foul living was
against him.
Take your BREATH" said I. IT will await
your convenience"
You have no cause of quarrel against
me-" he painted.
IT owe you some little attention" said
/, "for having shut me up in your store
room. Besides. if all others We're wanting.
l see cause enough upon that lady's arm"
Have your way, them he snarled, and
leaped at me like a mailman. For a min
ute I saw only the blazing blue eyes, and
the red-glazed point which stabbed and
rasping off to right or to left, and
yet ever back at my throat and my breast.
I had never thought that such good sword
play was to be found at Paris in the days
of the revolution. I do not suppose that
in all my little affairs I have met six men
who had a better knowledge of their
weapon. But he knew that I was his mas
ter. He read death in my eyes, and could
read that he read it. The flush died from
his face. His breath came in shorter and
thicker gasps. Yet he fought on, even
after the final thrust had come, and died
still hacking and cursing with foul cries
upon his lips and his blood clothing upon
his orange beard. 1 who speak to YOU have
seen so many battles that my old memory
can scarce contain their names, and vet of
all the terrible sights which these eyes
have rested upon there Is none I care to
think of less than that strange beard with
the crimson stain In the center, from which
had drawn my sword point.
1t was only afterwards that I had time
to think of all this. His monstrous body
had hardly crashed down upon the floor
before the woman in the corner snranp to
her feet, clapping her hands together and
screaming out in her delight. For nv part
was disguised to see a woman take de-
light In such a deed of blood. and 1 gave
no thought of the terrible wrongs which
must have befallen her before she could
so far forget the gentleness of her sex
II was on my tongue to tell her sharply to
PEI, silent zen, when a strange choking smell
sudden yellow glare brought out the fig
rres of the faded hangings.
Duroc. Duroc." 1 shouted, Juggling at
ms shoulder. The castle is on fire."
But the boy lay senseless upon the
ground, exhausted by his wounds. / rush
ed out into the hall to see whence the dan
ger came 1t was our explosion which
had set light to the dry framework of
the boxes Were already blazing 1 glanced
in, and as l did my blood was turn
ed to water by the sight of the powder bar
reis beyond and of the loose heap on the
be more than minutes, before the flames
would be at the edge of It, These ewes
Will be closed in death, my friends, before
they cease to see those crawling lines of
fire and the black heap beyond
How little l can remember of what fol-
lowed. Vaguely l can recall how rushed
into the chamber of death, how 1 seized
Duroc by one limp hand and dragged him
down the hall, the woman keeping pace
with me and pulling at the other arm. Out
of the gateway we rushed, and on down
the snow-eovered path until we were on
the fringe of the fir forest. 1t was at that
moment that I heard a crash behind me,
and glancing around saw a great spout of
fire shoot up into the wintry sky. An in
slant later there seemed to come a second
crash, far louder than the first and I saw
the fir trees and the stars whirling round
me and 1 fell unconscious across the body
of my comrade.
1t was some weeks before I came to my
self in the post house Of Arensdorf, and
longer still before 1 could be told all that
had befallen me. It was Duroc, already
able to go soldering, who came to my bed
side and gave me an account of it. He it
was who told me how a piece of timber
had struck me on the head and had laid
me almost dead upon the ground. From
him, too, learned how the Polish girl had
run to Arensdorf, how she had reused our
hussars, and how she had only Just brought
them back in time to save US from the
spears of the Cossacks who had been
from their bivouac by that same
HlaoN-hearted secretary whom we had
seen galloping so swiftly over the snow
AS to the brave lady who had twice saved