Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-10-18
A MERCILESS ENEMY

/ 4 mace our house MS AFat-4 uAitN. =
Those who bad escaped were chased 70 th'
gates Of Mort. The Marseillais threw
Gown their arms in the streets and sur
rendered The night advanced; still they
dragged the prisoners into our low-ratted
room. NJ Henri cried with yictoriou,
eemency: Lower your arms and you shal
not be hurt" The republicans were dis
armed, and let go free | pointed out &c
the young chief the danger OF letting hun
dreds of rebels wander about the outskirts
lust when his men were thinking OF moth
ing but victory and Of going each his own
way.
you have some merciless enemies
said. a Marsellais lieutenant named Ri
pard has sworn that he would kill you IN
the combat, or murder you afterwards on
| the first opportunity"
On the young chiefs handsome face there
was a look Of chddlike astonishment at
Ripard's hatred His brow clouded at my
words; but he dismissed the thought with
shake Of the shoulders, and gave the
order to release the rest OF the prisoners.
Eve must show them that we have more
humanity than they he said.
He had scarce finished speaking when
d
deem soldiers dragged a rough-haired man
into the room. He had cruel, bioodshoi
eyes; his face was conyulsed with rage and
hatred
This rebel has been arrested, pistol IL
hand, said one of the Nendeens. Ills liit
and liberty were given him. lie made of,
then turned and fired on his liberators w
dragged his pistol from him; here it is.
And the man placed the weapon upon the
table.
TO the prison, ordered NJ Henri; and
turning 10 the man, be said: our name:
The prisoner grnned savagely: Take
care; my name VIII alarm you. an.
Bipard"
/ trembled. NJ. Henri looked at the Mar
seiilais and said, quietly: Well, Rlpard.
you are free. Col
Where do you expect me to go! Ih,
houses are full; there is no straw The
country is unsafe. Ii you are afraid TO keep
me, kin me, for | am WORKOUT ! cannot
drag another step
'Soti" said NJ Henri We are nc
longer fighting; there is a capitu.atiou. i
sou do not know where TO go, you may
stop here"
! trembIed at the thought Of harboriug
so dangerous a guest, and raised a hundred
objections; we have not even a chair to
spare.
AT least, said NJ. Henri, "he shall share
ms room; the bed is big enough for two.
| was dumb with horror. There was a
painful silence, broken by NJ. Henri begging
me to take the torch and show Rpard TO
his room. The man watched Us narrowly
drop Of blood, hanging from the corner Of
his eyelid, rolled down his cheek, leaving
a CHASTITY stain upon it. ! walked first,
showing the way up the steps; but ay
heart beat fast and the torch trembied II
nay hand, throwing weird shadows, as W.
went Inside the corridor | opened the
s,eeping-room door, and placed the light
upon the chimney. The grin on the Marseil
ais face froze my blood with horror. ]
fingered, hoping to find a chance OF wits
pering to NJ Henri to disarm Ripard, o.
at any rate to let one Of the men sleep IN
MS room; but be had forgotten about
the pistol, or was obstinate in his idea, fol
he cut me short, saying:
Goodnight dsmAin. ! am WORKOUT
with fatigue"
And TO hasten my departure, he com
menced to unfasten his coat
! went away in despair, leaving the doc;
ajar behind me; but heard NJ Henri bid
Ripard close it, saying that they would sleep
more quietly | trembied at the haste with |
which the man obeyed, double-locking the
door behind him. In the anguish that pos
sessed me had a mind to cross the CORR
dor upon which their room gave, to get |
ladder, and climbing up, to watch them !
Il. ~ u l. 20 /
placed high in the wall; but my courage
Jailed. Still, | could not abandon our guest
to the mercy Of his enemy. NJ Henri's Ven !
deem soldiers shared my fears, but they |
dared not disobey the command
When NJ Henri says a thing he means |
i" they said; but persuaded one OF them |
10 place his mattress across the door, beg |
ging him to spend the night there, ready to |
break in at the first alarm This done, |
retired; but ! was still uneasy. Though ] |
threw myself dressed upon the bed, could |
not sleep. An hour passed YEARLY by, then |
another; the suspense became unbearable |
Unable longer to suppress my fears, took |
Ladder from a lumber room at the end |
Of the corridor, placed it noise,essly under |
the oeil de boeut window, climbed up and |
looked into the room. The hight was still |
burning, though the house was in silence.
NJ. Henri was lying on the side Of the bed |
nearest to the wall; and Ripard, having |
placed the light upon the table near to the |
head Of the bed, was standing motionless
beside il watching the sleepers face.
could not see his expression. for his back |
was towards me. He remained thus some
minutes. debating, perhaps, whether the
serenity OF those noble features were not
ruse.
The young chiefs shirt was open at the
neck, showing a medallion attached 10 a
silver cham that reposed upon his breast.
lis breathing was cam and regular. his lips
half open in a smile that betokened 8 peace
iu and happy dream, Ripard's right hand
was half hidden il the shadow Of the table;
! could see that it held the pistol. his finger
upon the trigper lie seemed to hesitate:
then raising hrs arm slowly, he aimed
straight az the sleeper's heart ! was bet
rihtd with horror, my heart ceased to beat.
a cry Of horror and anguish died away in
ms throat stu watched. powerless 10
move, as in q dream. And NJ. Henri slept
on, smiling and breathing peacefully, un.
consciously offering his warm breast 10
the cold muzzle that was meuacing him In
that awful moment | felt the cold sbiv,r