Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-07-06
CHAPTER XIV.


lights twinkicd aud the smoke Of the town
went up, we were like to meet with a
savage reception And IL was no time for
weighing alternatives. The choice had to
be madc-nade i'm n moment. marvel
to this day at the quickness with which I
made il for good or ill.,
I'VE must get into the town." cried
impcrativcly, and before tho alarm is
given. 1t Is hopeless to fly, Master Berthe,
and we cannot spend another night in the
fields Quick, madgmI' l continued to
the duchess as she came up. did not
wait to hear his opinion, for saw he was
stunned by tho catastrophe. We have
hurt one Of the town guard through n
mistake. We must get through the gate
before Ii Is discovcrcd!'
l seized her rein and f!oggcd up her
horse and gave her no time to ask quCs-
tions, but urged on tho party at n hard
gallop until the gate s'as reached. Tho
attempt, l knew, was desperate, for tho
two men who had escaped had ridden
straight for the town, but 1 saw no other
Resource, anu IL seemed To mo to DC better
To surrender pcaccaDly, If that were pos
siblc, than to expose tho women to anoth.
or night Of such cold and hunger as the
last. And fortune 30 far favored us that
Probably, tho patrol having ridden
through to get help, 10 one had Thought
fit to close it, and, no one withstanding
us, we spurred our sobbing horses under
the archway ana entered tho street.
III was u curious entry, ana curious
scene we camO upon. l remember now
low strange it all looked. The houses,
leaning forward in a dozen quaint FORMS
clear cut against the palo evening sky,
caused u darkness rs of cavern in the
narrow street below. Hero and there In
The midst OF THIS darkness hung a lantern,
which, mahirg tho gloom away from 1t
seoM deeper, lit up tho things about 1t,
throwing INTO iafihS prominence some
barred WINDOW win a scared lace pecring
from II, some corner with puddle,
Sinking dog, broken hight OF steps.
just within the gate stood brazier full OF
glowing coal, ana beside 1t n halbcrt rest
cd against tho wall. / d!vincd that The
watchnan had run into Tho town with
tho riders and / drew rein In doubt, lis
tcning and looking. ! think ii VIC had
ridden strnight on then all might havo
been wei, or ut least we might haVc ncon
allowed tn give Ourselves up.
But We hcsiiatci hioiheht ana Wcto
lost. No douDt, though we 81" Dus one
thorc were score ol po"pie w"tcniEH US,
VINO tooh US ZOE iour ihcn, !haster bcr'io
ana being III front, anu thcSe, Judging
from the badness OF our entry tbnt thcrc
WV i,'oi' poi.,''' ...'' ..i' "'a
ioi"! "poii 'io 'o"h 40 ""' in'oON!
,,.,. i''S.. .t. '",'.n''so Vi oui p'"ao
." Nv ",', on ~ ~ ~ sa,ii
.''h i"', ..' 40, .',, nna7,.i ~,
- .'N VI -, ~ 80. 80,
- ~ - - III
" az 80 " ,D...i -
u' us 10 " $1,000, w.,
~ -. -. - 10
~, '"'''''' w ~ "'' ~,
"s ~ 20 "' o. y. va,
,'',, , " 80 or 'i,',i.
. .eit pesai W rips' .:iu nun",eu !a.us
,io"', ",,n' Wv $50 pi"'',"'' o,' w
1,S"' an" "i', 'no ""y s'.,''u a"'hiy
alive ifoin wal! u wall WIN Hsh1s ana
voices ana bFifhaiShed arms, inc eieaih Oh
s'ec' anu INV "i",' VI iur'''us 'ioMui-"
crow" iiiahihs Gown 'o"aro us WIN "
P"rpoSo W. h''"]" 'o "'ii''h W ia'ef
Pfc''
IL was horrlbic moment, the more
horrible that hau EoU expected TINS Jury
and was unnervcd III wei as taken nback
by it. Remembering that had brought
my companions hc:c, and that two wcrc
women. ono was child, quailcd. low
could protect thcm? There was no mis-
taking the stern meaning OF those cries,
Of that rage 80 much surprising anything
: had feared Though ( did not know
that IL. man wc had strnoL down was n
bridcrruo,n. ard that there yerc those in
tho crowd IN whose cars tho soupg wifc's
nicrriny scream s,ill rony I vet ouail,d
hoforn their vcIIs and cnrscs.
All GLANCED rnurl for :, pIace If refurc
my rvcs liz on nm opcu doorway close 10
mo and cIoso also to tho bro,icr and hal
hort II was a low stone doorway beetle
brovod with n coat OF arms carved over
IT saw in an Instant That IL must lead
To the tower above us-tho catehouso-
and / sprnur from nv horse. n fresh yell
from tho Lnu-cs b,ilirr the net saw
that, II wo v.oro to cain moment for
rarlcyinr. we must tako refuge there. l
do not know how di, II. but somehow 1
made ,u,s,lf understood Inv tho others and
got tho wnmcn OF their horses and drag
I'D lI;s,r,ss No ;rsido rLor ,t orcc
we both fcu in the darkness over the low
or steps Of u spiral staircase. This him
dcrcd the duchess, who was following,