The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1895-03-08
That Winter Night,
CHAPTER Iv-CoNT1NUED.
BY ROBERT BUCHANAN.


'They are in Rouen, mademoiselle!
They have cut the telegraph wires!
Lord deliver u.s.
In these elements of alarm Blanche
did not think of her self, nor of the
personal peril which might soon
threaten her; all her thought and care
was for her father. She prayed for
him necessarily. While all the dis
trict was in an uproar, and the chat
eau itself like startled rookery,
with old Hubert wildly holding forth
and the female servants chattering in
terror, she remained outwardly calm,
seldom leaving the privacy Of her own
apartments. But one cold, still after
noon. when the first autumnal frost
was on the ground, she left the chat
eau and walked out into the woods,
which looked beautiful in the sere and
yellow leaf. Clad in simple dress of
black velvet, with an ivory cross, her
fathers gift, suspended around her
neck. she seemed almost like re-
ligeusc. Her only companion was an
old Norman deerhound, christened
"Gaston," after her father.
Aimlessly wandering, full of her
own sad thoughts, she passed down to
the cliffs by the sea, and standing
near to the little chapel, looked down
on the village. A diligence had just
come in, and an excited group was
gathered round it before the inn door,
while people were moving to and fro
in all directions, some running. Then
glancing toward the church, she saw
Father Andre at the gate, conversing
with q man who, with excited ges-
lures, was eagerly pointing up the st.
Valery road.
The sun was sinking over the sea,
and inland the prospect was already
growing dark; yet she did not
hasten her footsteps, though she now
turned her face in the direction of
home. Before she reached the wicket
gate leading into the home woods the
full moon had arisen, mingling its
bright beams with the last faint rays
OF daylight.
Suddenly she was startled by the
sound of horses hoofs, and almost the
same moment she perceived two men
on horseback rapidly approaching
aero IS the field. The moonlight struck
full uron them and flashed upon some
thing Ike glittering steel She knew
at once that they were soldiers, for
their spurs iingled as they came, and
each of them carried a long weapon
like spear. Quick as thought she
drew back among the bushes, and
selling the dog CASTOR by the collar,
made it lie down at her feet.
They were Uhlans!
She knew them at once by their
dress and the spears they carried; for
pictures OF the wild cavalry were ia
miliar to her from the illustrated
journals. She had read and heard too,
of the reckless deviltry and cruelty of
these men, who, more than any other
portion of the German army, had
awakened the superstitious horror of
the population.
Fortunately she was safely hidden,
and the strangers would have ridden
by unsuspiciously had it not been for
the conduct of the dog. In spite of
her attempts to quiet him, CASTOR be-
gan to howl, show his teeth, and
struggle for escape; and suddenly, as
they passed the wicket-gate, he tore
himself free, and leaping from the
bushes, rushed iercely at the horses
heels.
Utterly terrified, Blanche remained
in her hiding place, watching what
followed in trembling fascination. AS
the dog darted out, showing his teeth,
one OF the horsemen wheeled swift as
lightning and covered him with a
pistol. There was fash and re-
port and the poor animal lay dead on
the ground.
Crouching in the bushes, Blanche
felt her heart swell with mingled hate
and horror. To her simple mind the
men seemed scarcely human, re-
sembling rather the savage monsters
OF popular imagination. They spoke
together for some moments; then, to
her terror she saw the younger.soldier
pointing eagerly TO the place where
she lay hidden, and saying something
which was received by his companion
with an incredulous shrug OF the
shoulders. Then she heard the eharp
click of pistol-lock, and simulta-
neously saw the elder man ride close
up to the bushes, pistol in hand.
Som ethIng clearly attracted his at
tention, for he uttered a loud ex-
clamation in German. at the same
time pointing the weapon straight
toward the hiding place OF the un-
lucky girl The other called to him
impatiently, as il requesting him to
leave the spot, but he was determined.
Blanche, still unseen, looked straight
into his cruel eyes, then unable to
control herself any longer, and ready
90 face her fate, whatever 1t might be,
she rose to her feet, and. parting the
bushes, stood erect before him. For
a moment her fate hung in the bal
ance; his finger was upon the trigger
ard he was in act TO fire. But sud-
donly his companion uttered cry Cf
warning and, riding quickly to his
side, placed hand upon his arm.