Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-18

on the day that l set foot upon France. I
swear it upon the honor of a French gen.
tleman.'
But 1 only got headshakes for reply.
pleaded, argued, l spoke of the English
hospitality, and the fellowship of brave
men, but l might as well have been adj
dressing the two great wooden clubs which
stood balanced upon the floor in front of
me. There was no sign of sympathy upon
their bull faces.
Business is business, mounseer.'. the old
lairer repeated. Besides, how am / to
put the Bustler into the ring on Wednesday
If mes jagged by the beak for adm and
abettin prisoner of war? I've got to look
after the Bustler, and l take no risks"
This, then, was the end of all my strug-
giles and strivings. / was to be led back
AGAIN like a poor, silly sheep which has
knew M who could fancy that l should
submit to such a fate. I had heard enough
to tell me where the weak point of these
two men was. and l showed. as 1 have
often showed before, that EtienRe Gerard
is never so terrible as when all hope seems
to have deserted him. With a single spring
l seized one of the clubs and swung ii over
the head Of the Buster.
Come what may" cried 'syou shall he
spoiled for Wednesday,"
The fellow growled out an oath. and
would have sprung at me. but the other
flung his arms round him and pinned him
to the chair.
Not if know 1t, BUSTER" he screamed
None OF your games while l am by Get
to see your back. Run away, run away, or
he'll get looser'
1t was good advice. 1 thought, and I ran
to the door. but as came out into the open
air my head swan round, and 1 had 70
lean against the porch to save myself from
falling. Consider all that 1 had been
through, the anxiety of nay escape the long.
useless light in the storm, the day spenf
amid wet ferns. with only bread for food
the second journey by night, and now tha
injuries had received in attempting to de-
prive the little man of his clothes. Was 1t
wonderful that even I should reach the
limits of my endurance? l stood there in
my heavy coat and my poor, battered bus
by my chin upon my chest. and my eyelids
over my eyes. l had done my best and 7
could do no more. 1t was the sound of
horses hoofs which made me at last raise
my head, and there was the gray-mustach-
ed governor of Dartmoor prison not ten
PAGES in front of me, with six mounted
warders behind him.
so. colonel" said he, with a bitter smile.
we have found you once more"
When brave man has done his utmost
and has failed he shows his breeding bv
the manner in which he accepts his defeat.
For me, took the letter which had in nv
pocket and stepping forward, l handed Il
with such grace OF manner as L could sum-
mon to the governor.
1T has been my misfortune, sir, to detafn
one of your letters said /.
He looked at ME in amaZement and heck
oned to the warders to arrest me. Then he
broke the seal of the letter. l saw a GU
riouS expression come over his face as he
read it.
This must be the letter which Sir
Charles Meredith lost said he
1T was in the pocket of his coat"
You have carried ii for two days?"
''Since the night before last"
And never looked at the contents?"
/ showed him by my manner that he had
committed an indiscretion in asking a ques-
ton which one gentleman should not have
put to another.
To my surprise he burst out into roar
of laughter.
Colonel" said he, wiping the tears from
his eyes. you have really given both your
self and us great deal of unnecessary
trouble. Allow me to read the letter which
you carried with you in your flight"
And this is what heard:
ION receipt of this you are directed TO re-
lease Col. Etienne Gerard of the third
hussars, who has been EXCHANGED against
Col Mason of the horse artillery, now IN
Verdun."
And as he read it he laughed again. and
the warders laughed, and the two men from
the cottage laughed, and then, as 1 heard
this universal merriment and thought of ali
my hopes and fears. and my struggles and
dangers what could debonair soldier do
but lean against the porch once more and
laugh as heartily as any of them? And OF
them all was 1t not who had the hest
reason to laugh, since in front of me +
could my dear France, and my mother
and the emperor, and my horsemen: whiIe
behind me lay the gloomy prison and the
heavy hand of the English king?
No Compensation Expected.