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

; The House OF The Wolf,,,,s,|
< By STANLEY j. WEYMAN
BY STANLEY j. WEYMAN

l can shut my eyes now and see the
stupid wonder, the baked f~erocity of
those gaping faces. Dull and savage
as the men were they were impressed:
they saw reason indeed; and all seemed
going well for Us when some n in the
rear shouted: Cursed whelps! Throw
then oyer!!"
I looked swiftly in the direction
whence the voice came-the darkest
corner of the room-the corner by the
shattered window. I thought 1 mad
out a slender figure, cloaked and
masked-a woman's it might be, but |
could not be certain-and beside 1t a
couple Of sturdy fellows, who kept
apart from the herd and we'll behind
their fuglemen.
The speakers courage rose no doubt
from his position at the back of the
room, for the foremost of the assail-
ants seemed less determined. We We're
only three, and we must have gone
down, barricade aud all, before a rush.
But three and three. And IN arque-
buse-Croisette's match burned splen-
didly-well loaded with slugs is an ugly
weapon at five PAGES, n makes nasty
wounds, besides scattering its charge
~fa1nously. This, a good many of them,
and the leaders in particular, seemed
to recognize. We might certainly take
two or three lives; and life is valuable
to its owner when plumber is afoot.
Besides most of them had o1nmon
sense enough to remember that there
We're scores of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
heretics-to be robbed for the killing,
so why go out of the way, they
reasoned, to cut q Catholic throat and
perhaps get into trouble! Why risk
Montfaucon for a whim? and offend a
man Of influence like the Vicomte de
Caylus, for nothing!
Unfortunately at this crisis their
original design was recalled to their
minds by the same voice behind crying
out: "Pavannes! Where is Pavannes? 2"
"Ay!" shouted the butcher, grasping
the idea, and at the same time splitting
on his hands and taking a fresh grip
of the ak. "Show us the hereto dog,
and go! Let US at him.
IN. de Pavannes," said coolly-but
I could not take my eyes off the shining
blade of that mans AK, it was SO very
broad and sharp-'is not here!!"
THAT is a lie! lie is in that room
behind you!" the prudent gentleman
i'll the background called out. Give
him up!"
"Ay, give him up!" echoed the man
or the pole-ax almost good-humoredly,
cor it will be the worse for you. Let US
have at him and get you gone!"
This with an air of much reason,
" 'AAS ~ , L " sio VI u 4 % fill
through the crowd, mingled with cries
of "a mort les Huguenots! WV Lor-
raine!"-cries which seemed to show
that all did not approve of the induul-
gence offered us.
Beware, gentlemen, beware" 1
urged, II swear he is not here! I swear
it, do you hear?"
A howl of Impotence and then a sud
den movement of the crowd as though
the rush We're coming warned me 10
temporize no longer. Stay! STAY"
I added hastily. Zone minute! Hear
me! You are too many for us. Will
you swear to let US &c safe and I'M
touched, If we give you passage?"
A. dozen voices sarieked assent. But
1 looked at the butcher only. He seemed
to be an honest man, out Of his profess
SION.
LAY, I swear it," he cried with a
nod.
by the Mass?"
by the Mass"
I twitched Croisette's sleeve, and he
tore the fuse from his weopon, and
to us longer-to the ground. 1T was
done in a moment. While the mob
swept over the b%arricade. and smashed
the rich furniture Of it in wanton
malice, we filed aside and nimbly
slipped under it one by one. Then we
hurried in sigle file to the end of the
room, no one taking much notice Of us.
All were pressing on, intent on their
prey. We gained the door as the
butcher struck his first blow on that
which we had guarded-on that which
we a given up. We sprang down the
stairs with bounding hearts, heard as
we reached the outer door the roar of
many voices. but stayed not to look be-
h~ind-paused indeed for nothing. Fear,
to speak c%andidly, lent us wings. In
three seconds we mad leapt the nros-
trate gates, and were in the street. A
cripple, with two or three dogs, a knot
Of women looking tirnidly yet curious
ly, a horse tethered to the strap
we saw nothing else. No one stayed
us. Nc one raised q hand, and in an
other minute we had turned a corner
and were out of sisat Of the house.
They will take 4. gentleman's word
another time" I sa.,t with a quiet smile
us ] put up my sw2y9.
"1 would like to So: her face at tf;'
moment" CroisetLs replied. you saN
Nine, d'O?"
1 shook my head. not answering.
was not sure, and ( had a queer, sick
ening dread of the subject. If l lla6
seen her, / had sten-oh! it was toe
horrible, too unnatural! Her own sis
ter! Her own brother-in-law!
l FASTENED to change the subject
1.-THE Pavannes,' I made shift to say
must have had five minutes start"
More" Croisette answered, "if ma.
dame and he got away at once, If al
has gone well with them, and they have
not been stopped in the streets, they
should be at Mirepoix's by now. The,
seemed to be pretty sure that he would
take them in"
Ali" / sighed. what fools we were
to bring madame from that place! Il
we had not meddled with her affair.
we might have reached Louis long agt
: our Louis, 1
True" Croisette answered, softly
but remember that then we should no
have saved the other Louis-as I trus
we have. He would still be in Palla,
vincini's hands. Come, Anne, let u.
, think it IS all for the best" he added
his face shining with a steady courag,
that shamed me. ITO the rescue
! Heaven will help us to be in time yeti
/. "Ay, to the r~escue!' I replied, catch
} ing his spirit. First to the right,
think, second to the left, first on III,
$ right again. That was the direction
given US. was it not? The house oppo
site a book shop with the sign of tn,