Evening star., 1899-02-04
CHAPTER INn.
The Tower of Death.

The Tower of Death.
Throughout La Vendce and all the coUn-
sry Of Retz ran a terrible rumor.
The Marshal Dc 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
he searched. His soldiers are forsakiuS him.
The names of the dead are written in black
and white and in the hands Of the head
men oI the villages Hasren-it is the hour
of vengeance, 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 gathering Of
the v.-r wolves in the dark forests around
MacheeJUl upon the night Of the fight b.
the hollow tree, far more threat entng and
terrible was the rising Of the angry com
mons.
In whole villages there was not man
left. and mothers. too. marched in that
mus-ar- armed with choppers and Kitchen
kuivn= wild-eyed JnEry-heaTtad, as lion
esses robbed of their cubs. From the deep
gleus and deeper woods Of the country of
Retz ra-y poured. They disgorgcd from the
caves If The earth. whither the greed ana
rapa"ity of their terrible lord had drlven
them
Sghgplmasters were there with the elder
OF their pupils For many Of the children
had been Ios- on their way 10 school. AMI
these men We're in danger OF losing both
their credit and occupation
Toward Tiffauges. Champ11ce. Machecoul.
the angry populICe, long TcpreSStd, SurSea
tunuItucusly. and with them. much won
dorius al their orders. went The soldiers Of
the duke
Bur i; is with the columns that concea-
tr8--1 upon NlChecOUl jEIt We have chiefly
To DO. our three Scots accompanied thcs--
and with Them Went John of BRITTANY MN
self with his councillor, Pierre de liOpital.
by his side
Night feu as they journcyed on. ever
joined by fresh Contingerts from all the
country round In the van pressed forward
th- folk of s. Fhilhert, fresh from the Ut
ter destruction of the house of the witch
woman La Neffraye. so that not one stone
was left upon another. Guided by these,
the duke and his party made their way cas-
fly through the forest even in the darkucss
Of -he night. And they passed hamlet or
cottage ever and anon some frenZ!ed moth
e. would rush upon them and fall upon her
knees before the duke. praying him to look
well for her darling, and bringing mayhap
some pi,ifuI shred Of clothing or lock Of
hair by which Tho seJrchers might identify
the lost innocent.
As they went forward the soldiers
pricked on ahead and caused the people
to fan 10 the rear, lest any foreknowledse
of their approach might reach the wizard
and warn him 10 escape.
The woods Of MachecouI were dark ana
silent that night. Not the howl of a quest
ing wo,f was heard. Truly the marshars
demons had deserted him. or mayhap they
We're all busy at that last carnival in the
keep Of the castle Of MachecOul.
As the stOrmiHg party approached nearer,
and while yet they We're several miles dis
taut, they became aware of a great red
light that CLEANED forth above them. They
could not see it, but the peasants of st.
Fh!b-rt with afrightened elanCes told how
il badcon@d only after the disappearance
Of some little one from their homes. what
strange cries Were heard ringing out from
that lofty tower. and how for days after
the smoke of a great burning would hang
about the gloomy turrets Of dev!l-Eaunted
Ma hecOul.
FierCer and even fiercer shOuc the red
glare. and the faces Of the soldiers were lit
mp 50 that Pierre de TIopita! ordered them
L. keep TO the gloomy arcadts OF the forest.
Then by midnight the Gordon was drawn
50 closely that none might pass in or out
And behind the sOldicTy the common folk
lay crouched. anger in their hearts and
their ea-S turned toward the open windows
'u III" keep OF Machcc0ul, from whieh
Gared the Tad light Of bale.
Then. covering their lanterns. the three
Scots. with Duke John. Pierre de TIIoPita'
and a score of officers stole silently toward
the tower by which the Lady Syhilla had
promised that an entrance should De gained
10 the castle Of Nachecou1
Il was situated at the western corner to-
ward south. and was Joined to its fc!-
l.-s at 'he corresponding angles of the
fortress by Ealleried walls Of great height
Ten feet above the ground was n HttIC
door gf embossed iron. but ordinarily no
Steps .ed to u when the castle was in a
sta'a Of defense But when ShoIto advon-
rurad first into the angle Of the wall he
Stumbled upon a ladder that leaned against
tle little landing ledge. above which was
tH. door denoted on the plan.
Sh'lto a~grudeG first, being the lightest
and most agile Of all As he had expected
,. found 'he door unlocked. and a lit 6
passage leading within the tower. He lay
moment and listened. and then. being GER
tam there WAS light and the sounds OF
hog within. he crawIed back to the lad
Ger rHat and whispered to the Lord James
IN order FOR total silence.
Then. with SholtO holding the ladder al
the top. Duke John and his councillor
mounted Tx" shadows. and. with NIalise
ana Jams bpucl las. they were present y
CrputEet in The passage. with the door
shut behind them and the officers keenins
watch AT the foot Of the tower without
Iue five listened to the sounds of busy
picks within the tower. They could hear
the ring II iron on stones and the psntiu,.
OF mon rnEag gei in severe toll
Inc marshal Is preparing for flight -
Whispered the duke, eNultiugIy. lie is
iLterriug his treasures. He has been warn
ell. But we viii be over speedy for him -
And he chuckled In his satisfaction so
loudly that Malise, using no ceremony Wfrh
duke varlet at such d season. nut his
hand over his mourn
Then, one by one they crawled along the
narrow passage on their hands and knees
and presently from a little balcony pIas-
tered on the inner wall Of the tower like a
swallows nest they found themselves look
ing down upon strange scene.
A flight of steps led slautwisc to the hot
tom and at the foot of the tower, stripped
to the skin. they beheld two men busily
filling great sacks with curious cargo
The turret had never been finished II
contained nothing whatever except the