The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-17

standing out and confronting me- II
is you, is it?'
YES" answered, sharply, meeting
his eyes and speaking in tone 1 had
not used for a week. And IL you 90
not mend your manners. Master An
tome"
II will" 1 answered. Il WIFI Anu
then"
You dare mott"
"Come" / said; come, and see, ana
when / have done it, my friend"
did not finish the sentence, but led l
the way back to the chamber; assum-
ing a courage which, as fact was last
oozing from me. The cold air that met
me as / approached the open WINDOW
sobered me still more; but Antoine's
teer sand my companions incredunty
stung me TO the necessary point, ana
| stepped on the ledge. and without CIV
| ing myself time to think turned my
face to the wall and began 10 euse
| slowly along IL; my heart In my moutn'
my flesh creeping. as / gradually rear
| ized where / was; every nerve In my
| body strung to quivering point.
| Certainly in the daylight could not
have done IL. Even now, when the
| depth over which j balanced myself
was hidden by the darkness. and only
hay my fancy to conquer. ] trembled,
/ my knees shook; a bat skimming by
/ my ears almost caused me TO fall; 1
| was bathed In perspiration. Yet
| turned the corner of the buttress in
safety, and edged my way along its
| 'front.' glueing myself to the wall, and
came, at last, breathing hard, to the
| second corner, and turned Ii, and saw
with a gasp of relief the lights in the
| room. moment-a minute more, and
| should be safe.
At that instant heard something.
and cast a wary eye backwards the
way 1 had come. 1 saw a shadowy
form at my elbow, and 1 guessed that
Antoine was following me. With
shudder / FASTENED my steps to avoid
him. and / was already on the angle
formed by the wall and buttress-
when could leap down into the room
when he called to me.
Hist" he cried softly. stop, man!
the king is there!"
/ thought it only too likely, for,
could see none of our comrades at the
window; and heard voices. To go on,
therefore, was to be punished; and L
paused and crouched down In the an
gle. recognized the kings voice and
M Gourdons, and ST. Martins, the
captain of the guard; / caught even
their words, and in less than minute
. had surprised a secret-so great Sc
, cret that trembled almost as much as
|. had trembled at the outmost angle of
the buttress. hanging between earth
and sky. For they were planning the
great assault on Cahors; for the first
, time l heard named the walnut grove
, and the three gates, and the bridge,
, that fame and France will never for
! get / heard all-the night, the hour,
! the numbers to be engaged; and turned
; quaking to learn what Antoine thought
) of IT, Turned, but neither saw nor ad-
! dressed him; for my eye, incautiously
! cast down, saw far, far beneath me a
) torch and a little group of men, and
turning giddy at the sudden view of
: the abyss, / wavered an instant, and
{ then with a cry of fear chose the less
pressing danger, and tumbled forward
p into the room.
M. de Rouquelaure had his point at
, my throat before I could rise; and l
h had a vision of half a dozen startled
faces glarng at me. Fortunately, how
e ever. NJ. de Rosny knew me and held
a the others arm. I was plucked up and
set on my feet before the king, who
alone had kept his seat; and amid a
shower of threats ] was hidden to ex-
plain my presence.
You knave! 1 wish 1 had spitted
you!" Roquelaure cried, with an 9th,
when I had done so. you heard air.
Eyes, monsieur"
They scowled at me between wrath
and chagrin. Friend Rosny. you were
fool" M. de Roquelaure said grin
ming.
II think was" the other answered.
but a fiogging, a gag, and the black
hole will keep his tongue still until II
is over"
Henry laughed. ct think we can do
better than thati!" he said, with a
glance of good nature. "Hark you, my
lad; you are big enough to fight. We
will trust you, and you shall wear
sword for the first time. But il the
surprise fail we know whom to blame
and you will have to reckon with M. de
Resny."
/ fell on my knees and thanked him
with tears: while Rosny and M. st.
Martin demonstrated. Take my word
for il. he will blurt II Quit" said the
one: and the other, You had better
deliver him to me, sire"
mo" Henry said. kindly. 81 will
| trust him. He comes of good stock,
IL the oak bends. what tree shall we
trust?"
when II is a sapling," Rosny retorted
I'm that case you shall apply your
sapling?" the king answered, laugh
ell ing.
lg And with that, and a mind full Of
4; amazement / was dismissed, and lef
he the presence. a grown man; overjoyeo
10 that the greatest scrape OF my life had
ne turned out the happiest; foreseeinf
", honor and rewards, and already scorn
is ing the other pages as immeasurabl,
OF beneath me. 1t was a full minute be
w fore / thought OF Antoine, ana tn'
III chance that he. too. had overheard tn
ne kings plan. Then 1 stood in the pas
e., sage horrified-my first impulse to re
LII turn and tell the king 1t came too
late. however, for in the meantime h
a and NJ de Rosny had repaired to tn
We closet. and the others had left; AM
II; while stood hesitating, Antoin
10 slipped out of the chamber unseen, ant
:, came to me on the stairs.
~ His first words went far to reliev
me: for they told me that he had over
pa heard something but not enough Z
lu know that the king intended to sur
~ prise a place of strength. and som
-. details: but not the name of the place
=. AS soon as understood this, and tina
"a 1 had nothing to fear from him,
"a could not hide my triumph. When h
declared his intention of going witt
me. laughed at him.
"Youi" / said You don't under