The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-25

of the question; my private honor was
| not to be smirched, and the few hours
1 had yet to live were not to be spent
in the breaking of my faith. A few
hours to live Involuntarily L stretch
ed out my arm and drew it back, feel
| ing the muscle rise at the movement.
| Good Lord? 1t was cruel! When one
| is Internationally, and strong as
bull, it is hard to die One death, that
on the field, could face with an equal
mind; but if the chances of tomorrow
were not kind, then there was the other
matter, and the last of the d'Auriacs
would swing like a croquemort from
| the branch of a tree. MOrbleu! 1t was
| not to be borne, and 1 sWore that my
| own hand should free my soul, rather
| than it should choke its way out to
| eternity at the end of a creased rope.
The slight flesh wound 1 had received
from de Gomeron beginning to sting at
this moment, 1 thrust my hand into my
| pocket, and pulling out my kerchief,
! placed it over the spot. With the
| kerchief l drew out the knot of ribbon,
| and the sight Of this, as l picked it up
and held it between my fingers, chang
| ed the current of my thoughts. Almost
in spite of myself 1 began to think of
madame, as 1 called her, by the only
name 1 knew. 1t was a strangely for
| NAL title for one so young! Who was
| She? Some great. lady Of the court,
| perhaps. The wife--the thought Jared
on me, and I put it aside, and then
grew cold all over at the recollection of
the danger she had escaped. At any
| rate, it was my hand that had rescued
| her from her peril. If we met again,
it must surely be as friends, and it
was pleasant to dwell on that. AS
my mind ran on in this way, noticed
| a pin attached to the dainty bow, and
| at first l had a mind to fasten the
token to the side Of my hat, saying
half aloud to myself, Par Dieu! But
l will bear this favor to the king to-
! morrow" and then 1 felt L had no right
to wear the ribbon, and, changing my
intention to do so, thrust it back with
| a half smile at my folly.
| Gradually the moonlight faded into
a shimmering mist, through which pur-
/ PIE shadows came and went; gradually
! the mist grew darker and darker, and
1 J. fell asleep. My-sleep could not have
/! lasted much more than an hour; but
| so profound was it that ages seemed
| to have passed when l aWoke with a
start and the consciousness of move
| ment around me. The moon was on
| the Wane; but l saw that the camp
| was astir, and that the men were be-
ing mustered as silently as possible.
so things are about to happen" 1
said to myself, recalling de Rone's
/ words, and hastily saddling my horse,
i sprang on his back and moved towards
| the generals tent. All around me was
the muffled tramp of feet, the jingle of
chain bits and steel scabbards, the
plunging of impatient horses and
| subdued hum of voices, above which
| rose now and again a hoarse word of
| command. as regiment after regiment
| wheeled into position on the level
stretch before. US. Three long black
lines were moving noiselessly and rap
idly towards the Disc. l knew they
were de Leyva's brigade of Spanish in
fantry, veterans of the war of Flan-
| ders To my right the occasional flash
of a lancehead through the thick haze
that was coming up, but which the
| morning sun would disSipate, showed
| me where the cuirassiers of Aumale
were and ! thought of de Gomeron
with regret that 1 had not finished him
before de Rone's inOpportune arrival.
| / had to die, and it might have been
| some consolation, in such a mood was
I. to have sent Adam de Gomeron on
the dark way before me.
When 1 reached the generals pavilion
de Rome was just mounting his horse,
a lackey standing near with sputter-
ing torch, and his staff in little clump
a few yards away. 1 saluted, and he
gave me keen look, saying:
80 you have come, M. d'Auriac-
take your place with the staff. will
give you your work later on-and re-
member"
Il am not likely to forget, NJ. lie Mar
quis." and 1 moved off in the direction
| indicated.
rs that you, d'Auriac?" why have
you left the outposts?' "Sangdieu! but
why did you not come to us last
night? ?" How is NJ. de Rethelois, and
have you seen the abbess OF Ste. Gene
| yieve?"
These and suchlike greetings met me
as I was recognized and welcomed by
! de Relin, the young Tavannes, de
! Cosse- Brissac and others Of my ac-
ouaintance. I replied as best I might,
| But there was no time for much talk,
as the general was moving EDWARDS at
a rapid pace and we were compelled to
| follow at once. 1 dropped a little to
the rear, to husband the strength of
my horse as far as possible, and was
| joined by another rider.
rs that you, Belin?"
Ma fol! Yes. 1t is the devil being
| hustled up so early in the morning
1 am yet but half awake"
II was surprised to find you here. L
! thought you were with the archduke
and de Mayenne."
| What, have you not heard?"
"What in the DEVILS name could
hear on those cursed outposts?
Then in your ear-the Remols nave
| gone from us, and de Mayenne ana lle
| Guisard have passed over 10 the kllis'
| The news is certain, ana tHe dl CIu.'hc
has sent CIPHER to de Rome, pldding
hin, retreat at once on Amiens.'
but does this not look like re-
treat?" 49,, 80 4,o
CIPHER" 1o,,u ,,+ an.
eft was droll. 1 saw him receive the
message. which the old fox must have
read at a glance. But he turned it
This way and that, and, looking at
Egmont, said as calmly as possible:
Ride back to Amiens and fetch the
kew. I have lost mine and cannot fol-
low the cypher'-but bark" and Belin
interrupted himself, there is de Reth-
elois' good morning"
Even as he spoke three bright flashes
came from the citadel of La Fere, and
the big guns from the bastion of Ste.
Genevieve doomed suddenly into the
morning. Then long streak Of fire
ran across the grey mist, followed by
the angry craclxle Of the petronels,
above which the reports of the bonn
bards of the trench-masters, as they
replied to de Rethelois' artillery, sound
ed like the strokes on war drum.
"Vente ST. Girls! The Spaniards have
drawn first blood, Belin."