The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-09-12
TX.

No2SAlS GlOllC,
gates We're almost down now. The
gang or ruffians without, reinforced
each ome by volunteers eager for
plunder, rained blows INCREASINGLY on
nlnge and socket: n still hotter and
raster, through a dozen riffs In the
tlnbers, came the fire of their threats
and curses. Many grew. tired, but others
replaced them. Tools broke, but they
Drought more and worked with savage
energy. They had shown at first a
measure Of prudence; looking to be
fired on, n to be resisted by men, sur
prlsed, indeed, but desperate; and the
ooluer or them only had advanced. But
now they pressed around unchecked,
meeting no resistance. They would
scarcely stand back to let the sledges
have swing; but hallooed and ran in on
the creaking beams and beat them
with their fists whenever the gates
sWayed under a blow.
One stout iron oar still held its place.
And this l watched as if fascinated. 1
was alone in the empty courtyard,
standing a little aside, sheltered ny II
of the stone pillars from which the
gates hung. Behind me the door II the
house stood ajar. Candles, which the
daylight rendered garish, still hUrned
IN the rooms on the first floor, Of which
the tall narrow windows We're open. On
the wide stone sill of one of these stood
Croisette, a boyish figure, looking
silently down at me-. his hand OF the
latticed shutter. He looked pale, and 7
nodded and smiled at aim. 1 felt rather
anger than fear myself; remembering,
as the hendish cries half-deafened me,
old tales of the Jacquerie and its doinGS
and how we had trodden it out.
Suddenly the din and tumul flashed
to a louder note: as when hounds on
the scene give tongue at sight. l
turned quickly from the house, recalled
TO a sense Of position and peril. The
iron bar was yielding to the pressure.
Slowly the left wing of the gate was
sinking inwards. Through the widen
ing chasm l caught a glimpse of wild,
grimy faces and %bloodshot eyes, and
heard above the noise a sharp cry
from Croisette-a cry of terror. Then 1
turned and ran, with a defiant gesture
and an answering yell, right across
the forecourt and up the steps to the
door.
l ran the faster for the sharp report
of a pistol behind me, and the whirr of
a ball past my ear. But 1 was not
scared by it; M as my feet alighted
with a bound on the topmost step, l
glanced back. The dogs We're halfway
across the court. l made a bunsling
attempt to shut II lock the great
door-failed in this; n heard behind
me a roar Of oarse triumph. I waited
for no more. 1 darted up the oak stair
case, four steps at a time, and rushed
into the great drawing-room on my left
banging the door behind me.
The once splendid room wa. in p state
Of strange disorder. Some Of the rich
tapestry had been hastily torn down.
One window was closed and suffered;
no doubt Croisette had done it. The
other two We're open-as if there had
not been time to close them-and the
old light which they admitted cor
trasted in CHASTITY fashion with the vel
low rays Of candles still burning in the
sconceS The furniture had been hlld-
died aside or piled into a barricade, a
| chevaux de frise of chairs and tables
stretching across the width of the
room, its interstices stuffed with, and
its weakness partly screened by, the
torn-down h%angings. Behind this frati
defense, their backs to a door which
seemed to Lead to an inner room, stood
Marie and Croisette, pale and defiant.
The former had a long pike; the latter
leveled a heavy, b~ell-mounted argue
buse across the back of a chair, and
blew up his match as I entered. Both
had in addition swords. I darted like
a rabbit through a little tunnel left on
| purpose for me in the rampant, and
took my stand by them.
rs all right" calculated Croisette,
turning to me ~nervously.
"All right, 1 think" I answered. I
was breathless.
You are not hurt?"
mot touched!"
I had just time to draw my sword be-
fore the assailants streamed into the
room, a dozen ruff1ans, reeking and
tattered, with flushed faces and
greedy, staring eyes. Once inside.
however, suddenly-so suddenly that
an idle spectator might have found the
change ludicrous-they came to a stop.
Their wild cries ceased, and tumbling
over n another with curses n oaths
they halted, surveying us in muddled
surprise; seeing what was before
them, and not liking it. Their leader
appeared to be a tall butcher, with a
pole-ax on his half-naked shoulder;
but there, were among them two or
three soldiers in the royal livery and
carrying pixies. They had looked for
victims only, having met with no re-
sistance at the gate. and the foremost
recoiled now on finding themselves
confronted by the muzzle Of the argue
buse and the lighted match.
I seized the occasion. 1 knew, in
deed, that the pause presented our only
chance, and l sprang on a chair and
waved my hand for silence. The In
stinct Of obedien nee for the homer as
serted itself; there was a stiffness in
the room.
"Beware!" 1 cried, loudly-as loudly
and confidently as / could, considering
that there was a quaver at my heart
as I looked on those savage faces
which met and yet avoided my eye
Beware of what o do! We are Ca
tholics and all like yourselves, and
good sons Of the church. Ay, and good
subjects, too! Vive lie rol, gentlemen!
God save the king! l say" And
struck the barricade with my sword
until the metal rang again. God save
the king!"
"Cry Vive la Messe!" shouted one.
Certainly, gentlemen" I replied
with politeness. with all my heart
| Vive la Messe! Viye la Messe!"
This took the butcher, who luckily
was still sober, utterly aback. He haL
never thought of this. He stared at US
as If the OK he had been about to fel
had opened its mouth and spoken, and
~grievously at 2 loss, he looked for helI
to his companions.
Later in the day, some Catholics
We're killed by the mob. But thei,
deaths as far as could be learned after.