The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-25
CHAPTER I.
The Justice of NJ. de Rome.

Scattered the little spotted cubes on
TO the floor of the deserted ana nall
ruined hut, wherein We were begulllhS
the WEAKNESS of our picket duty peIore
Ia Fere with a shake of our elbows,
and a few flagons of wine, captured
from Monsieur the King of Navarro,
as we. In our folly, called him still.
A few DAYS before we had cut out a
convov which the Bearnais was sending
into the beleaguered town. Some OF
the good things the convoy bore found
their way to the outposts; and on the
night l speak of we had made such play
with our goblets that it was as II a
swarm Of bees buzzed in my head. AS
for de Gomeron, he was in no better
case. and his sun tanned face was burn
Ing purple rsd with anger at his losses
and the strength of the d'Arbois, both
of which combined to give "a more than
usually sinister look to his grim and
lowering features. In short, we were
each of us in a condition ripe for any
mischief: 1 hot with wine and the fire
OF five-and-twenty years. and de Go
meron sullenly drunk, restrained fury
smouldering in his eyes.
a horn lantern, and as the flame of
Ii flickered to and fro in the wind,
which hustled in unchecked through a
wide gap in the wall of the hut, where
the remains of a door chung to bent
and twisted hinge, the shadow of de
Gomeron on the wall behind him moved
its huge outlines uneasily, although the
man himself sat silent and still and
there was no word spoken between
us. HideOus and distorted, this phan-
tom on the wall may have been the soul
OF de GOmeron, stolen out Of the mans
body and now lowering behind him,
instinct with evil; and this conceit of
mine began to appear a reality, when
I turned my glance at the still figure
Of my companion, showing no sign Of
life, except in the sombre glitter of
the eyes that gazed at me steadily.
I knew little of de Gomeron, except
that he was of the Camargue, and had
followed the fortunes of d'Aumale from
Argues to Ivry, from Ivry to the Exile
in the Low Countries, and that he held
a commission from the duke as captain
in his guards. He carried a de before
his name, but none of us could say
he came; and it was shrewdly suspected
that he was one OF. those weeds tossed
up by the storms of the times from
the deep where they should have rotted
forever. There were many such as
he, canaille who had risen from the
ranks; but none who bore de Gomeron's
reputation for intrepid courage and
pitiless cruelty, and even the hardened
veterans of Velasco spoke with lower
tones when they told of his deeds at
the sack of Dourlens and the pillage of
Ham. OF our personal relations it is
enough to say that we hated each other,
and would have crossed swords ere now
but for the iron discipline maintained
by de Rone-a discipline the bouquet
of which 1 had already scented, having
escaped by the skin of my teeth after
my affair with de Gonnor, who trod
on my toe at the generals levee and
was run through the ribs at sunrise the
TIE next morning, near the pollard elms,
hard by the Red Mill on the left bank
of the Serre.
Up to the time this occurred I had
been attached to de Rone's staff, with
ten or twelve other young gentlemen
whose pedigrees were as long as their
swords; but after the accident to de
Gonnor-my foot slipped and I thrust
half inch too low was sent with
the stormers to Laon, and then ban
lSReQ
self lucky to escape with that.
At any rate, the outpost was under
nv command. Imagine, therefore, my
disgust when I found that de Gomeron
had been detached to examine into and
report upon my charge. He did this
moreover in so offensive manner,
hectoring here and hectoring there,
that l could barely restrain myself
from parading him on the stretch OF
turf behind the thorn hedge that fenc-
ed in the enclosure to the novel. Inc
very sight of that turf used to tempt
me. 1t was so soft and springy, SO
level and true, with no cross shadows
of tree trunks or notified reflections
of foliage to spoil thrust in tierce.
Our feelings towards each other be-
ing as they were, 1T would seem odd
that we should have diced and drunk
together; but the situation was one
of armed peace; and, besides, time had
to be killed as for the past week nj.
de Rethelois, formerly as lively as a
cricket, had kept himself close as
nun of Port Royal behind the walls of
La Fere and affairs were 1neffaply
dull. I was certain, however, that we
should soon break into open quarrel,
and on this night, whether 1t was de
Gomeron's manner of losing or whether
IT was the d'Arbois I cannot tell, but
I felt a mad anger against the man
as he sat staring at me, and it was
eII I could do to restrain myself from
finging the lees Of the wine in my
glass in his face and abiding the re-
suit. I held myself In with an effort,
drumming with my fingers on the table
the while, and at last he spoke in an
abrupt and Earring voice;
what says the scorer"
7 looked at the once blank card on
which had jotted down the points and
nassed it to him with the answer: "One
hundred and twenty livres of Paris, NJ.
Gomeron."
"De Gomeron, If you please, NJ
d'Auriac. Here is your money, see 1t
IS not Tournois," and he slid rouleau
across the table towards me. l made
no effort to take it; but, looking at the
man with a sneer, gave answer: L was
not aware that they used the de in
the Camargue, monsieur"
young fool! l heard him mutter
between his teeth, and then aloud.
your education needs extension, chew
alier"
'"There is space enough without"
answered holly, laying my hand On my
sword land no time like the present;
the moon is at her full and STANDS
perfectly" We sprang to our feet at
these words and stood facing each 9TH
er. All thought of de Rome had flown
from my mind, my one desire was to
be face to face with the man on that
patch Of turf. Peste! I had much to
learn in those daysi
We stood thus for a second, and then
8 short mirthless "Ha! hal" burst from
de Gomeron, and he made turn to the
corner of the room where his rapier
leaned against the wall It was at the
moment of this action that we heard
the quick challenge Of the sentry out
side the password as sharply an