The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-05
CHAPTER LVII.
THE TOWER OF DEATH.


Throughout La Vendee and al the
country Of Retz ran a terrible rumor.
The Marshal de Retz is the murderer
Of our children. He has a thousand
bodies in the vaults of his castles The
duke Of Brittany has given orders that
they shall be searched. His soldiers are
forsaking him. The names of the dead
are written in black and white and IN
the hands of the head men Of the vii
lagos. Hasten-it is the hour OF ven
geancei Let US overwhelm him. Rise
up and let US seek our lost ones, even II
we find no more than their bones"
And terrible as had been the gather
ing of the We're wolves in the dark for
ests around Machecoul upon the night
of the night by the hollow tree, far more
threatening and terrible was the rising
OF the angry commons.
In whole villages there was not a man
left and mothers, TOO, marched in that
muster. armed with choppers and kitch
en- knives, Wild-eyed, angry-hearted, as
lionesses robbed Of their cubs From
the deep gIens ana deeper woods Of the
country OF Retz they poured. Ihey
disgorged from the caves OF the earth,
whittier the greed and rapacity Of their
terrible lord mad driven them.
SchOolmasters were there, with the
elder OF their pupils For many Of the
children had been lost on their way 10
school, and these men were in danger
OF losing both their credit and occuDa-
ton.
Toward Tiffauges. Champdoce, Mach
ecOul, the angry populace, long repress-
ed surged unanimously. ana with
them, much wondering at their orders,
went the soldiers of the duke
But il is with the columns that con-
centrated upon MachecOui that we have
chiefly 10 do. Our three Scots accom-
panied these, and with them went John
of Brittany himself, with his cOunciiC.,
Pierre de FHopital by his side.
Night fell as they journeyed on, ever
Joined by fresh contingents from all the
country round In the van pressed
forward the folk Of St. PhilbeTt, fresh
from the utter destruction of the house
of the witch woman La Meffraye. 50
that not one stone was left upon an
other. Guided by these, the duke and
his party made their way easily through
the forest. even in the darkness Of the
night. And as they passed hamlet or
cottage. ever and anon some frenZied
mother would rush upon them and fall
upon her knees before the duke, praying
him to look wen for her darling, 2-G
bringing, mayhap, some pitiful shred Of
clothing or lock Of hair by which The
searchers might identify the lost limo
cent.
As the- went forward the soldiers
pricked on ahead ana caused the people
total TO the rear, lest any tOreknowl-
edge of their approach might reach the
wizard and warn him to escape.
The woods of Machecoul were dark
and silent that night. Not the howl
OF d guessing wolf was heard. Truly
the marshal's demons had deserted him.
or mayhap they were all busy at that
last carnival III the keep OF the castle
OF Machecoul.
1narr INN he'd
nearer. and while yet they We're sew
eraI miles distant. they became aware
Of d great red light that cleaned forth
above them. They could not see it,
but the peasants OF St Philbert, with /
affrightened glances. told how il bea- |
coned only after the disappearance OF |
some little one from their homes. what |
strange cries We're heard ringing out
from the lofty tower, and how for |
days after the smoke of great burn !
ing would hang about the gloomy tur- |
rts Of deVil-haunted MachecOui
Fiercer ana even fercer sEone the |
red glare, and the faces of the soldiers |
were lit up so that Pierre de FHopital |
ordered them 20 keep TO the gloomy ar |
cades of the forest.
Then by midnight the Gordon was |
drawn so closely that none might pass |
in o.. out. And behind the sOldiery the |
common folk lay crouched, anger in |
their hearts, and their ears turned to- /
ward the open windows in the keep Of
Machecoul from which hared the red |
light Of bale.
Then. covering their lanterns. the
three Scots. with Duke John, Pierre de
THopital. and q score of officers, stole
silently toward the tower by which the
Lady Sybilla had promised that an en-
trance should pc gained to the castle of
Machecoul.
Il was situated at the western corner
the south. and was joined to its
fellows at the corresponding angles of
the fortress by galleried walls Of great
height. Ten feet above the ground was
1 little door of embossed iron, but or
no steps led to II when the
"a stIe was in state of defense. But
when Sholto adventured frst into the
angie of the wall he stumbled upon a
= oder that leaned against the little
'anGine ledge, above which was the
5oor denoted on the plan.
Shoito ascended first, being the light
st and most agile of all. As he had
s~nected. he found the door unlocked,
md a little passage leading within the
o,s,e7. re lay a moment and listened.
md then. being certain there was a
fe-a+ and the sounds of labor within, he
-. z,-led back to the ladder head, and
,.l,ienered to the Lord James an order
or total silence
Then, With Sholto holding the ladder i