Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-09-26

Tor the most part, who eyed the rabble
ABOUT them With grim disdain. and
We're by no means chary of their blows.
We're all in colors and armed to the
OF his making; the revenge of his
seeking. A grasp as of steel had set
tied upon our friend, and felt that his
last chance was gone. Louis de
PaNannes might as we'll be lying on his
threshold with his dead servant by his
side, as be in hiding within that ring
of ordered swords.
IT was with despairing eyes we looked
at the old wooden houses, They seemed
to be bowling themselves towards us,
their upper stories projected so far,
they We're so decrepit. Their roofs
We're q wilderness of cutters and
Crooked gables, Of tottering chimneys
ana wooden pinnacles and rotting
beams. Amongst these 1 judged kits
lover was hiding. Well, 1T was good.
pace FOR hide and seek-with any other
player than death. In the ground
floors of the house there were no Win
dows and no doors; by reason, L learned
afterwards. of the frequent flooding of
the river. But long wooden gallery
raised on struts ran along the front,
rather more than the height of man
from the ground, and access to this was
gained by wooden staircase at each
end. Above this first gallery was sec
ond and above that line of windows
set between the gables. The block
1t may have run for 70 or so yards along
the shore-contained four houses, each
with a door opening on to the lower
gallery. saw indeed that but for the
Vidame's precautions Louis might we'll
have escaped. Had the mob once poured
helter- SHELTER into the labryrinth of
rooms and passages he might with
luck have mingled with them, UNDECIDED
and unrecognized, and effected his es-
cape when they retreated.
But now there Were sentries on each
gallery and more on the roof Whenever
one OF the latter moved or seemed to be
looking inward-where a search party,
i understood, We're at work-indeed if
he did but turn his head, thrill ran
through the crowd and a murmur arose,
Which once or twice swelled to a savage
roar such as earlier had made me
tremble. When this happened the inn
pulse came, 1t seemed to me, from the
farther end of the line. There the
rougher elements We're collected and
there I more than once saw Beers
troopers in conflict with the mob. In
that quarter too a savage chant WIS
presently struck up. the whole gather
Ing joining in and yelling With an in
describably appalling effects
fldu. f1uu. ftuSueIOtS.
Faites place aux Pupegots,"
In derision of the old song said to be
popular amongst the Professionals But
In the Huguenot version the last words
were of course transposed.
We had worked our way by this time
to the front of the line, and looking in
to one another's eyes, mutely asked a
Question; but not even Croisette had an
answer ready. There could be no
answer hut Ona What co,1l1 ,ro fjr,o
Nothing. We We're too late. To late
again! And yet how dreadful it was
to stand still among the cruel, thought
less mob and see our friend, the touch
of whose hand we knew so We'll, done
to dtath for their sport! Done to death
as the old woman had said like amy
rat. not soul save ourselves pitying
him! Not soul to turn sick at his
cry of agony, or shudder at the glance
of his dying eyes. 1t was dreadful in
deed.
'Ah, WE'LL" muttered woman be-
side me to her companion---there We're
many women in the crowd-"it is down
With the 1Iuguenots, say l. 1t is Lor-
,raine is the fine man! But after all yon
us q bonny fellow and proper. Mar
got! l saw him leap from roof to roof
over Love Lane, as II the blessed saints
had carried him. And him heretic.!"
1T Is the black art" the other an
swered, crossing herself
Maybe 1t is! But he will need 1T all
to give that big man the slip today"
replied the first speaker, comfortably
That DEVIL Margot exclaimed,
pointing With a stealthy gesture of
hate at the vidame. And then in a
fierce whisper. with inarticulate
threats. she told story of him. which
made me shudder HE did. And she
in religion, tool" she concluded. May
our Lady of Loretto reward him"
! The tale might be true for all /
know, horrible as it was! l had heard
similar ones attributing things almost
from that poor fellow lying dead on
Pavannes' doorstep. for one. and from
others besides. And the vidame In his
pacing to and fro turned towards us,
gazed at him fascinated by his grim
vsage and that story. His eye rested
on the crowd about us, and | trembed.
lest even at that distance he should
recognize us.
And he did! l had forgotten his
!Seenness of sight. His face flashed
suddenly into grim smile. The tail
of his eye resting upon us, and seem
.ng to forbid us to move, he gave
some orders. The color fled from my
facS. To escape indeed was inapos-
sible, for we We're hemmed in by the
70.
Yet did make one effort
"Croisette!" l muttered-he was the
rearmost-Sstoop down. He may not
have seen you. Stoop down, lad"
But st. CroiX was obstinate and
would not stoop. Nay, when one of
the mounted men came, and roughly
ordered us into the open, II was Cros-
cite who, pushing past us. stepped out
first with a lordly air. /, following
him On, w tbof hi c line ,.rora
pressed. and that there was an eager
light in his eyes. AS we emerged the
crowd In our wake broke the line. and
tried to pursue us; either hostilely or
through eagerness to see what ii
meant. But dozen blows of the long
pixies drove them back. bowling and
cursing to their places.
/ expected to be taken to Beers.
what would follow / could not tell. But
he did always it seemed what we least
expected. for he only scowled at us
now, u grim mockery on his lip, and
cried: See that they do not escape
again. But do them no harm, sirrah,
until l have the batch of them,
He turned one way and / another,
my heart swelling with rage. Would
he dare to harm us? Would even the
vidame dare to murder Caylus'
nephew openly and in cold blood? / did
not think SO. And yet-and yet
Croisette interrupted the train of my
thoughts. / found that he was not
following me. He had sprung away,
and In dozen strides reached the
Nidame's stirrup ana was clasping his
knee when ] turned could not boar
at the distance at which / stood wliat
he said. and the horseman To whom
Beers had committed us spurred be-
tween u.s. But ] heard the yidame's
answer.
No. no. no." he cried, with "A ring
of restrained fury In his voice. "Let
my plans alone. WHAT 40 you know of