Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-05-13
Il THE HOUSE 3
m OF THE WOLF.
LN AS8S = = = z
SSfEc BY STANLEY J. WEYkAH.
by STANLEY ]. WEYMAR.
CHAPTER X.-CoNTINUED.


dcrful that I shall never forget them.
/ gaZed on the wide landscape before
me. lying quiet and peaceful in the
sunlight, and could scarce believe in
my happiness. l drew the fresh air
into my lungs, threw up my sheathed
sword ond caught it again in a frenzy
of delight, while the gloomy men about
me smiled at my enthusiasm. 1 felt
the borse beneath me move once more
like thing of life. No enchanter with
his wand, not Merlin nor Virgil, could
have made a greater change in my
world than had the captain of the gate
with his simple key! Or so it seemed
70 me in the first moments of freedom,
and escapc-of removal from those
loathsome streets.
1 looked back at Paris-at the cloud
of smoke which hung over the towers
and roofs; and it seemed to me the
canopy of hell itself. 1 fancied that my
head still rang with the cries and
screams and curses, the sounds of death.
In very fact, / could hear the dull re-
ports of firearms near the Louvre, and
the jangle of the bells. Country folk
were congregated at the crossroads,
and in the villages, listening and gaz-
ing; asking timid questions of the
more Good-natured among US, and
showing that the runor OF the dread
full work doing in the town had some
how spread abroad. And this thong h
/ learned afterwards that the keys OF
the city had been taken the night be-
fore to the king, and that. except a
party with the duke of Guise, who had
left al eight in pursuit of Montgomery
and some of the Protestants-lodger
happily for themselves, in the Eau
bourG ST. Germain-no one had left
the town before ourselves
While am speaking Of our departure
from Paris, L may say what have to say
of the dreadful excuses of those days
ay, and of the following days; excuses
of which France is now ashamed. and
for which she blushed even before the
accession of his late majesty. L an
sometimes asked, as one who witnessed
them, what I think, and 1 answer that
it was not our country that was tt
blame something besides Queer
Catherine de Medici had been Trough
from Italy 40 years before, a something
invisible but very powerful; spirit o
cruelty and treachery. In Italy it haC
done some small harm. But grated OF
French daring and recflessness, and the
rougher and more soldierly manners O.
the north. this spirit of intrigue proved
capable of very dreadful things. For {
time. until it wore itself out, it was the
curse of France. Two dukes of Guise
Francis and Henry; a cardinal of Gulse
the Drince of Condo, Admiral Coligny
King Henry III.-all of these the fore
most men of their day-died by assas
sination Within little more than quar-
ter of n century, to say nothing of thu
prince of Orange and King Henry tn
Great.
Then :,arll-G most curious thing
the extreme youth of those who wer'
in the business. France, subject to tn
uueen-1nother. of course, was ruled a
The time by boys scarce out of thei
tutors hands. They were mere lads
hot-b!ootlcd, reckless mobiles. ready 70
any wild brawl, without forethough
or prudence Of the four Frenchmel
who it is thought took the leading
rarts, one, the king. was %; monsieur
his brother, was only 20; the duke o
Guise was 81 Only Marshal de Tavan
mes was of mature age. For the othe
conspirators. for the queen-mothel
Tor her ADVISERS metz anu NeferS an
Birague, they were Italians; and Ital,
may answer for them if Florence. Man
tua and Milan care to raise the glove.
To return to our journey. A leagu
from the town we halted at q large inr
and some of us dismounted. Horse
were brought out to fill the places o
those lost or left behind, and Bure ha
food served to us. We were famishe'
and exhausted. and ate ravenously, a
If we could never have enough.
The vidame sat his horse apart. serve,
by his page. I stole glance at hin
and it struck me that even on his irol
nature the events of the night ha
made some impression I read, o