Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-05-06

What would they do? 1 could just, by
STOPPING forward, command side view
of the gallery, and the scene passing
there was such that I forgot IN it our
own peril.
For surely in all his reckless life
Beers had never been SO emphatically
the man for the situation-had never
shown to such advantage as at this
moment when he stood confronting the
sea OF faces, the sheer on his lip,
smile in his eyes; and looked down I'M
blenChing. figure of scorn. on the men
who were literally agape for his life.
The calm defiance of his steadfast look
fascinated even me. Wonder and adj
miration for the time took the place of
dislike 1 could scarcely believe that
there was not some atom of good in
this man SO fearless. And no face but
one--no face, think, in the world. but
one could have drawn my eyes from
him. But that one face was beside
him. [ clutcbed Marie's arm and
pointed to the bareheaded figure at
Beers right hand.
It was Louis himself; our Louis de
Pavannes. But he was changed indeed
from the gay cavalier / remembered.
and whom 1 had last seen riding down
the street at Caylus, smiling back at
us, and waving his adieuX to his mis-
tress! Beside the vidame he had the
air of being slight. even short. The
face which I had known so bright and
winning, was now white and set. His
fair, curling hair-Scarce darker than
Croisette's = hung dank, beda bbied
with blood which flowed from a wound
| in his head. His sword was gone; his
| dress was torn and disordered and COW
cred with dust. His lips moved. But
he held up his head, he bore himself
bravely with it all: so bravely, that
choked, and my. he lrt seemed bursting
as looked at him standing there for
lorn and now unarmed. l knew that
Kit seeing him thus would gladly have
died with him; and l thanked God she
did not see him. Yet there was a
| quietness in his fortitude which made
a great difference between his air and
| that of Beers. He lacked, as became
one looking unarmed on certain death,
| the sncer and smile of the giant beside
him.
What was the vidame about to do?
I shuddered as I asked myself. Not
surrender him, not fling him bodily to
| the people? No, not that; I felt sure
he would let no others share his venge-
ance, that his pride would not suffer
| that. And even while I wondered the
| doubt was solved. I saw Beers raise
his hand in a peculiar fashion. Stimuli
| tancously cry rang sharply out above
| the tumult, and down in headlong
charge towards the farther steps came
the band of horsemen, who had got
clear of the crowd on that side. They
were but ten or twelve, but under his
| eye they charged. as if they had been
| 1000. The rabble shrank from the col
lision. and fed aside. Quick as thought
| the riders swerved; and changing their
| course, galloped through the looser
part of the throng, and in a trice drew
| rein side by side with us, laugh and
jeer on their reckless Fps.
1t was neatly done; and while it was
| being done the vidame and his knot
of men, with those who had been search
ing the building, hurried down the gal
| lery towards us, their rear cleared for
| the moment by the troopers feint. The
| dismounted men came bundling down
| the steps, their eyes aglow with the
war-hre, and got horses as they could.
Among them l lost sight of Louis, but
perceived him presently, pale and be-