Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-09-28

fascinated ever me. Wonder and adj
miration for the time tool the place of
dislike. / could scarcely believe that
there was not some atom Of good In
this man SO fearless. n no face but
one-no face, / think, In the world, but
~one-could have drawn my eyes from
him. But that one face was beside
him. / clutched Marie's arm and
pointed to the bareheaded figure at
Beers right hand.
1t was Louis himself; our Louis dc
Pavannes. But he was changed indeed
from the gay cavalier / remembered,
and whom / had last seen riding down
the street at Cay!us. smiling back at
us. and waving his Gdieux to his mis-
tress! Beside the vidame he had the
air of being slight, even short. The
face which / had known so bright ana
winning, was now white and set. His
fair, curling hair-scarcely darker than
Croisette's--hung dank, bedabbled with
blood which flowed from a wound In
his head. Ills sword was gone; his
dress was torn and disordered and COW
cred with dust. His lips moved. But
he held up his head, he bore himself
bravely with 1t oil; so bravely. that l
choked, n my heart seemed bursting
as l looked at him standing there for
lorn and now unarmed. i knew that
Kit seeing him thus would gladly have
died with him; and ! thanked God she
did not see him Yet there was "a
quietness In his fortitude which mad
n great difference between his air n
that of Beers. He lacked, as became
one looking unarmed on certain death,
the sneer and mile of the giant beside
him.
What was the vidame about to do?
l shuddered as l asked myself. Not
surrender him. not fling him bodily to
the people? No, not that; / felt sure
he would let M others share his venge-
ance. that his pride would not suffer
that. And even while I wondered the
doubt was solved. / saw Beers raise
his hand In n peculiar fashion. Stimuli
taneously a cry rang sharply out above
the tumult, and Town in headlony
charge towards the farther steps came
the band Of horsemen, who had got
clear OF the crowd on that side. They
were but ten or twelve. but under his
eye they charged, as II they had been
1000. The rabble shrank from the col
lision, and fled aside. Quick as thought
the riders swerved; and changing their
course, galloped through the looser
part Of the throng, and In a trice drew
rein side by side with us, a laugh ana
q jeer on their reckless lips.
1t was neatly done; and while 1t was
being done the Vidame n his knot
OF men, with tnOSe VINO nau DSell
searching the building, hurried down
the gallery towards us, their rear
cleared for the moment by the troop
ers' feint. The dismounted men came
bundling down the steps, their eyes
aglow with the war-flre, and got horses
as they could. Among them l lost sight
OF Louis, but perceived him presently
pale and bewildered, mounted behind a
trooper. A man sprang UP before each
of us, too, greeting our appearance
merely by a grunt Of surprise. Fol- 1t
was no time to ask or answer. h
mob was recovering itself, and each
moment brought 1t achievements,
while It's fury was augmented by the
trick we had played 1t, and the pros
pect OF our escape.
We were under 40, all told; and some
men were riding double. Beers eye
glanced hastily over his array n lit
on us there. He turned n gave some
order to his lieutenant. The fellow
spurred his horse, a splendid gray, as
powerful as his masters alongside Of
Croisette, threw his arm round the lad
and dragged him deXterously on TO his
own l did not understand tho
action, but I saw Crolsette settle him.
self behind Blaise Bure--for he II was
and supposed no harm was intended.
The next moment we had surged for
ward and were swaying to and fro In
the midst OF the crowd.
Continued Next Weekly