Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-09-28
/ understood the scene better now,

teeth. The order and discipline were
Of his making; the revenge of his
seeking. A grasp as of steel had set
tied upon our friend, and I felt that his
last chance was gone. Louis de
Pavannes might as well be lying or his
threshold with his dead servant by his
side, as be In hiding within that ring
OF ordered swords.
1t was with d~espairing eyes we looked
at the old wooden houses. They seemed
TO be bowling themselves towards us,
their upper stories projected SO far,
they were so decrepit. Their roofs
were a wilderness of cutters n
Crooked gables, of tottering chimneys
and wooden pinnacles and rotting
beams. Amongst these l judged Kits
lover was hiding. Well, It vas a good
place for hide n seek-with any other
player than death. In the ground
floors OF the house there were no win
dows and no doors; by reason. i learned
afterwards, OF the frequent flooding Of
the river. But a long wooden gallery
raised on struts ran along the front,
rather more than the height OF a man
from the ground, and access to this was
gained by a wooden staircase at each
end. Above this first gallery was a sec
ond. and above that line of windows
set between the gables. The block
II may have run for 10 or 80 yards along
Wv lOuE hOuSCSt tdCil
with a door opening on to the lower
gallery. | saw indeed that but for the
Vluame's precautions Louis might we'll
nave escaped. Had the mob once poured
helter-skelter into the labyrinth OF
rooms and passages he might with
luck nave mingled with them, UNDECIDED
and un~recognized, and effected his es-
cape when they retreated.
But now there were sentries on each
gallery and more on the rnnf ANnanaNnr
one of the latter moved or seemed TO be
looking inward-where q search party,
l understood, were at work-indeed II
he did but turn his head, a 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 were collected, and
there l more thar once saw Beers
troopers In conflict with the mob. In
that quarter too a savage chant was
presently struck up, the whole gather
Ing Joining in and yelling with an in
describably appalling effect:
"Hau! Hau! Huguenots!
Faites place u Papegots!"
In derision OF the old song said to be
popular amongst the Protestants. But
In the Huguenot version the last words
were or course ~transposed.
We had worked our way by this time
to the front Of the line, and looking In
to n another's eyes, mutely asked a
question; but not even Croisette had an
answer ready. There could be no
answer but one. What could we do?
Nothing. We were too late. To late
again! And yet how dreadful 1t 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 any
rat, not q soul save ourselves plying
him! Not a soul TO turn sick at his
cry Of agony, or shudder at the glance
OF his dying eyes 1t vas dreadful In
deed.
"Ah, WELL" muttered a be-
sid me to her companion-there were
many women In the crowd-'it is down
with the H~uguenots, say 1! 1t Is Lor-
raine is the fine man! But after all yon
Is a bonny fellow and a proper, Mar
gotl l saw him leap from roof TO roof
over Love Lane. as II the blessed saints
had carried him. And him a heretic!"
1t Is the black art" the other an
swered. crossing herself.
Maybe 1t Is! But he will need It all
to give that big man the slip today"
replied the first speaker. comfortably.
mat ueNl' MdIsot exclaimed,
pointing with a stealthy gesture OF
hate at the vidame. And then in a
fierce whisper, with inarticulate
threats, she told a story of him, which
made me shudder. He did! And she
In religion, tool" she concluded. May
u Lady Of Loretto reward him.
The tale might be true for all
know, horrible as 1t was! had heard
similar ones ~attributing things almost
as nnnd1G tn him fiTnn nn1 nrat,.
from that poor fellow lying dead on
Pavannes' doorstep, for me-, and from
others besides. And the vidame I'm his
pacing to and fro turned towards US,
/ gazed at him fascinated by his grim
visage and that story. His eye rested
on the crowd about us, and l trembled.
lest even at that distance he should
recognize us.
And he did! I had forgotten his
keenness of sight. His face flashed
suddenly into a grim smile. The tail
OF his eye resting upon us, and seem
Ing to forbid us to move, he gave
some orders. The color fed from my
face. To escape indeed was impos-
sible. for we were hemmed in by the
press. and could scarcely stir a limb.
Yet i did make one effort.
"Croisette!" / muttered-he was the
rearmost-"stoop down. He may not
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, 1t was Crois-
cite who. pushing past us, stepped out
first with a lordly air. /, following
him, saw that his lips were firmly COM
pressed, and that there was an eager
light in his eyes. AS we emerged the
In our wake broke the line, and
to pursue us; either hostilely or
through eagerness to see what ii
meant. But a dozen blows Of the long
pixies drove them back, bowling and
to their places.
l expected to be taken to Beers:
would follow 1 could not tell. But
he did always it seemed what we least
expected, for he only scowled at US
now, a 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 n way and I another.
my heart swelling with rage. Would
he dare to harm us? Would even the
dare to murder a Caylls'
openly and in cold blood? | did
not III SO. And yet-and yet
Croisette interrupted the train of my
thoughts. l found that he was not
following me. He had sprung away,
md In a dozen strides reached the
vidame's stirrup, and was clasping his
knee when / turned. / could NOT hear
at the distance at which I stood what
said, and the horseman TO whom
Beers had committed us spurred he
tween us. But I heard the vidame's
answer.
No! no! mol" ne cried, with a ring
If restrained fury in his voice. Lei
plans alone! What do you know of
hem! ana II you speak to me again,
VI. st. Croix-I think that Is vour
name, boy--I will-no, I Will not kiu1
5ou. That might please you, YOU are
stubborn, I "a see. But / will have
you stripped and dashed like the mean
st of my scullions! Now go and take