The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-01-30
CHAPTER XVII.
CONTINUED.

of 1t rolled over the mouse, WHICH
shook as if with an earthquake. 1t
seemed to them that they could hear
the despairing cry OF the Americans
as they fell crushed and bleeding un-
der the victorious columns of their
enemies. Mrs. Vernon kneeling in
agony prayed and wept. Mademoi-
selle de Sezannes cast herself upon a
couch and hid her face in the pillows;
but Pauline stood at front window
straining her eyes and ears to see and
hear.
Before the middle of the forenoon
the thunder and the patter of the
fight gradually ceased, and soon
enough the broken and fear-crazed
columns of the British came wildly
struggling back across the PLAIN.
What had been solid walls of red uni
formed soldiers moving with rhythmic
vigor and eteadiness was now O con.
fused rabble, leaderless and dis
persed, all flying away from an i'm.
aginary charging column of Ameri-
cans.
"Heaven be praisedr' cried Paul
inc. 'They are flying! They are de-
feated! They are driven back all wild
and routedr"
She precipitated herself upon her
mother in an ecstasy of Joy.
Mademoiselle de Sezannes sprang
up and ran to the window. Offin the
distance, as she looked between the
orange trees, she saw men bearing
litters, rolling cannon, running, limp
ing, gesticulating, assisting wounded
comrades, leading horses on which
lay dead oficers-it was a terrible
sight; but in the first rush CT her
realization of triumph she felt no
horror from the scene. She clasped
her hands together and gazed with
wide open fearless eyes.
It was nearly noon when the SER
wants brought in breakfast; meantime
the British had disappeared, and
great silence lay upon the plain and
the woods. The ladies had eaten
nothing for twenty-four hours, and
now, with the great reaction from the
strain of terrible anxiety, there came
hunger. But food did not seem to
attract them; they ran to the windows
and doors every minute or two only
to turn away, disappointed, from the
desolate scene.
At last, however, football on the
doorsteps was accompanied by the
voice of Colonel Loring.
''Mlss Pauline, will you let me in,
Ilease?" he called.
Pauline ran to the door and opened
it. At first she did not notice that
Loring was bloody. He stood quite
erect, and his face showed no sign of
suffering.
"Come in," she cried, "come in,
Colonel Lorlng. 1t is SO good of You
we are 80 frightened, so bewildered,
80 lonely"
She extended both hands with the
impulse of her delight OF the relief
his presence afforded.
He inclined his hatless head and
smiled in acknowledgement of her
greeting, and now she saw that both
his arms hung powerless, dangling
and bloody.
"Oh, you are hurt, wounded" she
exclaimed. "You have been shot"
''It is of no consequence; some light
hurts that will give no trouble"
He came in with firm step and sat
down in q large armed chair.
General Gibbs is killed; so is
Pakenham; indeed, they are all killed;
the army is destroyed, it destroyed it
self. What set of dolts they all
werer' Loring spoke rapidly, but
seemingly without much feeling.
Before he had finished there was q
knock at the door. Mademoiselle de
Sezannes, who chanced to be nearest
it, flung it open.
Vasseur came in without ceremony
and stood before Loring, his face
twitching with the ecstasy Of terrible
passion. Immediately he began to
pour forth the most horrible curses,
and between them lie sandwiched what
he knew of Loring's past history. 1t
was denunciation at once eloquent
and brutal beyond description. Lor-
ing for once was unable to meet an
exigencY with prompt bar. He sat
calmly enough; but he could not stop
the current. Vasseur, in his wild
wrath, seeing that his victim was mp
parently helpless, went with q rush
into the revolving details OF the life
which he and Loring had passed to-
gether as outlaws in Spain. They had
robbed a convent, killing nun to get
the jewels and precious stones after
ward taken from Vasseur by Pierre
Rameau. He went on to tell how Lor-
ing and Pierre Rameau were the SAM e
man, and how Margaret, the robber' 9
wife, had been murdered by him in
cold blood because she sought the
protection Of priest to escape bru-
tality.
It was story to chill the blood OF
any hearer, and its double climax was
reached when Vnsseur dwelt upon the
whipping that Ramesu had caused
him to submit to and the attempt to
murder old man Burns in the wilder.
ness of the Pearl-Rlyer country.
The ladies retreated before the bias
phemous torrent of mingled confes-
sion, denunciation and profanity.
Yasseur spoke so rapidly that his
say was soon ended. and then he
sprang at Loring with dagger.
"Die, Pierre Rameau!" he shrieked,
in creole patois. "Die! Die!"
But Pierre Rameau had heard such
tragic commands before this. He had