The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-12
Copyright, 1898, by s. r. Crockett)
SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAP


TIERS.
William, sixth Earl of Douglas, falls IN
rove with the Lady SybiIla, the niece "
the French ambassador. Marshal de re-. re-
who chances to be crossing the Doueids
estates. Sholto MacKim, son OF tnS
Douglas armorer, distinguishes hlmseiI
IN archery and is MADE captain OF thS 80 -
tie guard, and later is knighted for pT Ti
conduct in the tournament. James, EaIi
of Avondale, Sir Alexander LiylngStoh'
guardian Of the kings person. Slf WI
liam Crichton chancellor OF the rea I'M,
and Marshal de Retz begin TO POT
against the Earl of Douglas Lady oy-
billa agrees to become their tool ana 70
lure William into their power Earl Doug
las visits Castle Crichton and falls deep
er into love with .Sybilia. She confesses
her love for him, repents her agree;in l
with his enemies. and then urges MIN 70
return home with all speed. Marshal de
Retz takes Sybilla to Edinburgh ana VII
liam accepts the invitation of the young
king of Scotland to visit the court. AT
the banquet huge boars head Is
brought in, sign of treachery. Inc carr
and his brother are arrested ana lInPlls-
oHed. Early the next morning, the Doug
Eases are brought before the king court
and sentenced TO be executed at once.
Sybilla declares her love before the court
and the two brothers go forth 10 their
death. Sholto stirs up the countrymen
and in three days every man OF the
Southland is on his way to Edinburgh 10
avenge the death of the young earl Al
the gate OF Castle Thrieve, the three
MacKims meet tell the Lady Douglas
of the loss of her sons and learn in turn
from her that Maud Lindsay and little
Margaret have been kidnapped by DE
Retz The Lady Douglas gives Sholo d
priceless suit of armor, blesses MN as as
her son and starts him out 10 search IoI
the two girls Sholto with his father ana
brother and Lord James Douglas lolIoW
the Marshal de RetZ to Paris and then 70
Brittany. Lawrence MacKim enters INTO
service with De Retz. The search party
battles with the wolves. Lawrence is
discovered by De RetZ to be an lmpostor,
is shown the two girls ana told lhdI II ne
tries to escape or help comes, the IN nia 1l
OF Galway and Maud l-lnuesay VIII ne
murdered. lie Meffraye taunts the scot
fish maidens. Lady Sybila finds ShoIto
and his companions and sends them 10
John of Brittany for help. De Retz ana
his assistants continue in their crimes;
not mindful of punishment being deceived
by Sybilla as 10 the whereabouts OF the
Scotchmen. De Retz murders several
children in his search for perpetual
youth. John of Brittany agrees to help
IN the rescue of the maidens, and the
countryside joins in the attack on the
tower of death. The rescuing party et
feet en- entrance to one part OF the castle
while at the iron altar De Retz Is prepar-
ing TO sacrifice the Scottish girls.
Giles de Retz waited till his acolytes
had retired TO their appointed places
where they stood like craven statues
watching what should happen. Then
slowly and deliberately he assembled to
the broad platform from which the iron
altar rose. and stood with his arms
folded over his flame colored robe, look
ing gloatingly down upon his innocent
victims. Maud Lindsay was the nearer
TO him, and her unbound hair fell back
and touched the peak Of his pointed
shoe of crimson leather.
With a quick movement he caught
up a handful of its rich luXuriance and
allowed it to run through his fingers
like sand again and again, With appar-
ent delight in the sensation.
Even as he did so the dim figure Of
the horned demon above appeared To
lean forward as il to touch him, and
with a rushing noise the great hour
Sass set upon d pedestal at the foot OF
the image turned itself completely
over. Giles turned also with a startled
air, and seeing what it was, he laughed
d strange, hollow laugh.
1T is indeed the hour, the hour of
doom, fair maids he said looking
down upon them as deferentially as II
he had been paying his court in the
great hall of 1hrieve, but it shall not
pass without taking with ii your souls
to another, and, l trust, a higher
sphere"
He paused, but no complaint nor APP
Qtdl CdIiit 10 iilS II OCl cillNt AAAI-AD4 e-A1lC
ear. The certain graciousness Of Provi-
Gence to those in extreme peril seemed
TO have blunted the eCge or fear IN the
innocent victims. They lay still and
apparently without consciousness upon
the iron altar The red glow played
upon their faces, shining through from
the inner chamber, and the figure of the
marshal shood out black against it.
On the floor lay the goblet from which
ne had drunk the red milk.
Give me the knife" he cried, sud
denly as a trumpet that is blown.
And, reaching a withered hand with
in the marshars chamber as if to de-
tach something from the wall La AIef-
fraye hObbled quickly across toward
the altar platform, bearing in her hand
a shining blade OF steel, broad of blade
and curved at the point She placed
the ebony handle in the marshal-s
hand, who weighed 1t lovingly IN his
grasp.
Then, for the first time since the men
had bound her, the sweet, childish eyes
OF little Margaret were Enclosed. and
looked up at Giles de Retz with the
touching wonder of helpleSsness and
innocence.
AT that moment the image appeared
to Laurence TO becken to him out of
the gloom. 4 quick and nervous re-
solve ran through his veins His
flesh. He rose to his feet and rushed
without pause for thought across the
chapel from the niche where he had
been hidden.
Murderer, Fiendl I will kill youi''
he cried and with his dagger bare in
his hand he would have thrown him
self upon the marshal. But swifter
than the rush of the young man in his
strength there came another from the
door of the inner chamber.
With a deep-throated roar of wholly
bestial fury Astarte, the she wolf,
sprang upon Laurence, and, though he
sank his dagger twice deep into her
hairy chest, she oVerbore him and they
fell to the ground with her teeth grip
ping his shoulder. Laurence felt the
hot blood of the beast squirt forth and
mingle with his own. Then q flood of
swirling waters seemed to bear him
suddenly away into the unknown
When Laurence MacKim came to
himself he. emerged into a chill world in
which he felt somehow infinitely lonely
and forsaken. Next he grew slowly
conscious that his feet and arms We're
bound tightly with cords that cut pain
fully into the flesh. Then he realized
that he, too, had taken his place be-
side the maids upon the altar of iron
strangely enough he did not feel afraid
nor even wish himself elsewhere He
only wondered what would happen
next.
He opened his eyes and To- they look
ed directly into the leering countenance
of the monstrous image. Yet there
seemed something strangely encourag-
ing and even benefcent about the as
pect of the demon. But so often as
GILES de RetZ passed the array of his