Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-05-28
CHAPTER III.
THE ROAD TO PARIS.


gray town, and the towers above II
A little thoughtful we all were, l thinl,
The times were rough and our errant
was serious. But youth and early morn
ing are fine dispellers Of care; and ono,
on the uplands, we trotted gayly for
ward, now passing through wide glade.
N the sparse oak forest where the treel
oil leaned one way, now over bare, wind
swept downs; or once and again de
scendlng into chalky bottom, where
the stream dubbed through deep beds
of fern, and lonely farmhouse mes
tied amid orchards.
Four hours riding, and we saw be.
low us Cahors, filling the bend Of the
river. We cantered over the Vallandre
bridge, which there crosses the Lot,
and SO to M uncle's house Of call in
the square. Here we ordered break
fast, and announced with pride that
| w "Sic gums W al io'
Our host raised his hands. "Now
there" he exclaimed, regret in his
voice. sand If you had arrived yester-
day you could have Travelled up with
vldame de Beers. And you a small
party-savlng your lordships' presence
and the roads but so-so!"
"But the yidame was riding with
only half dozen attendants also!" !
answered, ficking my boot in care
less way.
The landlord shook his head. "Ah,
NJ. lie Vidame knows the world" he
answered, shrewdly. HE is not to be
taken off his guard, not he! One Of
his men whispered me that 20 stanch
fellows would join him at Chateauroux.
They say the wars are over, but"
and the good man, Struggling his Shout
ders, cast an expressive glance at some
fine fitches OF bacon which were hang
Ing in his chimney. However, your
lordships know better than I do" he
added, briskly. " am poor man. I
only wish to live at peace with my
neighbors, whether they 60 to mass or
sermon"
This was O sentiment so common in
those days and SO heartily echoed by
most men Of substance both in town
and country that we did not stay to
assent to 1t; but having received from
the worthy fellow token which would
insure our obtaining fresh cattle at
Limoges, we took to the road again.
refreshed in body, and with some food
for thought.
Fve-and-twenty attendants were
more than even such man as Beers,
who had many enemies, travelled with
in those days; unless accompanied by
ladies'. That the vidame had provided
such reinforcement seemed to point |
to q wider scheme than the one with |
which we had credited him. But we |
could not guess what his plans were:
since he must have ordered his people
before he heard Of GATHERINGS engage
ment. Either his jealousy therefore
had put him on the alert earlier. or
his threatened attack on Pavannes
was only part Of larger plot. In
either case our errand seemed more
Urgent, but scarcely more hopeful.
The varied sights and sounds how.
sver Of the road-many Of them new
% us-kept us from dwelling over
much on this. Our eyes were young,
md whether it was pretty girl lin
gering behind troop of gypsies, or
,air of strolers from valencia-jong-
eurs they still called themselves-sing-
ng in the old dialect of Provence, or
! Norman horse dealer with his string
If cattle tied head and tail, or the Puy
e Dome to the eastward over the
Suvergne hills, or tattered old soldier
rounded in the wars-fghting for
ither side, according as their lord
hips incllned-we were pleased with
Ii.
Yet we never forgot our errand. We
ever, think, rose in the morning
90 often stiff and sore-without think
ng; To-day or tomorrow or the next
|ay'-as the case might be--''we
hall make all right for Kit!' For
Ill Perhaps it was the purest en-
husiasm we were ever to feel, the least
elfish aim we were ever to pursue.
or Kit
Meanwhile we met travellers of rank
n the road. Half the nobility of
rance were still in Paris enjoying the I
astivities which were being held to
lark the royal marriage. We OBJ
aimed horses where we needed them
'ithout difficulty. And though we
ad heard much Of the dangers of the
'ay, infested as it was said to be by
isbanded troopers, we were not once
topped or annoyed.
But it is not my intention to chron- l
lie all the events Of this my first jour
ey, though dwell on them with pleas
re; or to say what | thought of the t
owns, all new and strange to me, ,
trough which we passed. Enough !
hat we went by way Of Limoges, I
hateauroux and Orleans, and that at
hateauroux we learned the failure of :
ne hope we had formed. We had
bought that Beers when joined there
y his troopers would not be able toget
elays; and that on this account we ,
light by travelling post overtake him; =
nd possibly slip by him between that 5
lace and Paris. But we learned at
hateauroux that his troop had re-