Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-09


took up its march. Flight after flight of
steps was passed. the roar of the pillaging
mob above grew fainter and fainter. Stauf-
fer found lanterns and they entered that
dim system of vaulted chambers and pas
sages that lead to the secret catacombs of
the Hotel de Vile
There was a vast underground hall, light
ed by double rows of lamps and Uttered
with packets of documents, printed forms
and musty papers, later to be sorted and
arranged for the archives of the city OF
Paris. The huissiers in charge rose in a
bCdy, protesting. Buckhurst and his SOL
diers entered. Nonsense" said Buckhurst.
I'VE only want to shoot a man. Don't let
US disturb you, gentlemen Pray keep your
long tables. laid his revolver in front of
! him. mOtioned Mortier and Stauffer to
withdraw with their men and beckoned
BCurke TO sit in front of i'm.
Beurke listened to the footsteps of the
carbineers they retreated into the adj
joining chamber. He looked at the huis
siers, who gazad back a him, fascinated
by the sight of condemned man. Even
hen Bucknurst had begun to speak.
Bourke scarcely heard him. The despair
of his position, the healthy and natural
| horror of death occupied his thoughts. He
could not realize that he was about to die
he could not believe it, and when he no.
ticed that Buckhurst was speaking he lis
tered without understanding. Buclkhurst
was talking of himself. For now the DOM
mating trait of most criminals was reveal
Keen. shrewd. merciless. daring, he was
not above the weakness of vanity, although
he was too reticent. too shrewd to exhibit
* to any human being who might live to
raproach him with his weakness. But now
it different; this was about to
def necessary, by Buckhurst's own hand.
So Buckhurst blabbed and blabbed on
about his crimes He eagerly owned up to
robbery and forgery; he claimed his
own a notorious murder long wrapped in
mystery BY degrees he grew confidential,
speaking in the easy slang of the period.
He became reminiscent, even sentimental,
about New York. Then. suddenly chang
ing, his pale eyes cleaned with ferocity
understandable he spoke of his prison
days. his jailers, and his hope that their
T, ckoning would coma. He boosted of wo
n en-, of conQuests made, of receptions
practiced. At times the spasm which served
him for laughter twitched his pallid face.
Once Bourke asked him if he would let
him go for money but the CHASTITY smile
of Buckhursts face was answer enough.
No" said Buckhurst, you know too
much. You knew too much beforehand
now you know I'm id fool besides He
rose abruptly and went to the passa geway
where Mortier, Stauffer and the carbneers
were waiting. The carbina ers- had found a
Y inc bin and were rifiing it and cracking
the necks of the municipal claret bottles.
Tbey objected to leaving off, and Buck
hurst strobe into the passage, revolver
raised.
In an instant Bourke turned to the huis-
siers who stood grouped behind him and
said hurriedly: lone of you run to the
Breton Mobiles in the Napoleon barracks
and bring them by the underground pas
ge. Hurry o. they Will murder the min
listers as they are going to murder met'
The huissicrs hesitated, then Buck
bursts voice was heard in the passage
enc of them opened a door behind the table
where Boufke was sitting and pointed.
Rourke jumped for the door and ran as he
had never run in his life. Twice, as he ran,
between unseen walls holding his arm be-
fore him, he fell but sprang up again and
plunged en-, his hands before his face. How
long h had been running he did not know,
when. rounding corner, he saw light
. ahead. The floor of the passage became
visible, the rough stone walls, the ceiling.
Little by little the passage assembled, grow
ing lighter and lighter as he advanced I'M
til he staggered out into a stone paved
c, urt. where soldiers were passing carry
ing pals and kitchen utensils, and an OFF,
GER mounted a horse, stood looking on.
He stammered cut his tale to the officer
and ne had not firishcd before The bugles
were sounding the ASSEMBLY and the OIL
GERS were shouting and the brave Breton
Mobiles came tumbling into the parade.
In ten minutes they were entering the tun-
rel; their officers could rot hold them back:
Bourke. carried away with the onset, neld
| tightly to a lantern that somebody thrust
! into his hand. and hurried along with the
soldiers. who even wounded each other
/ with their bayonets in their eagerness to
| be in at the death.
And they were in at The death. for. even
when Bourke entered the underground hall
/ they had dozen half-drunken carbineers
Icy the throat. Buckhurst had vanished, so
also had Mortier and Stauffer. Bourke
| lead the way to the council chamber above:
the stairs were stormed, the halls carried
by the bayOnet. He saw the Mobiles burst
into the council chamber. hurl the. insur
gents out And beat them with dubbed
rifles until they howled for mercy. He
saw the pale-faced ministers withdraw,
protected by the bayonets of the brave
BTetons: he witnessed the stampede of
Flourens and his cohorts-a flight as ridc-
ulous it was p, ecipitate.
Outside in the rain enormous crowd
stood and watched the fight in the palace.
Night had fallen swiftly. end in the fright
! full upIoar and confusion the Insurgents
I escaped with broken heads, Flourens.
Stauffer, Buckhurst and Mortier among
them. But the Bretons had some hundred
so of the carbineers prisoners, and now,
as other loyal battalions began to arrive,
the ministers left the Hotel de Vile, where
what once threatened to be brutal mas
! sacre had turned into a farce grotesque
as 1t was unexpected.
Bourke had pushed his way out into the
crowd. There we've no street lamps lighted,
a few of the cavalry, escorting Gen. Du-
crot, who arrived on the scene, carried
torches with the long butts resting in their
stirrups, but the darkness seemed denser
for the few scattered lights, and Bourke
was glad of the lantern he still held, to
guide himself across the bridge and through
dusky alleys toward the Boulevard St.
Michel AS he stopped at the Cafe Cardinal
to swallow a little brandy he heard a SOL
der say that a company of carbineers I'M
der Capt. Speyer had sacked house the
iamparts during the riot at the Hotel dc
Vile.
What house?" said Bourke, pushing
| through the group that surrounded the SOL
| der.
Il don't know" replied the cavalryman
| lit was somewhere on the Rue d'Ypres."
| He added mischievously You needn't look
| so frightened, my friend-unless it was your
| house. Heyi Wait Sacre noA dune pipel
take a drink with us, comrade."
| But Bourke had already vanished.
| CHAPTER XXII
| BOurke Does What He Can.