Rosebud County news. [volume] (Forsyth, Mont.) 1901-1906, 1902-01-16
CHAPTER vi


CHAPTER vi.
We were admitted to the pavilion by
Cara, and was surprised by the COM
pleteness and security of the defenses.
A barrfcade of great strength, and yet
easy to displace, supported the door
against any violence from without :;
and the shutters of the dining-room,
into which l was led directly, and
which was feebly Illuminated by a
lamp, were even more deliberately for
tilted. The panels were strengthened
by bars and cross bars; and these, in
their turn, were kept in position by a
system OF braces and struts, some
abuttlng on the floor, some on the
roof, and others, in fine, against the
opposite wall OF the apartment.
Northmour produced some cold meat,
to which | eagerly set myself, and a
bottle Of good Burgundy, by which,
wet as l was, did not scruple to profit
| have always been an extreme tenn
perance man on principle; but it is
useless to push principle to excess,
and on this occasion | believe that
finished three-quarters of the bottle.
As | ate, I still continued to admire
the preparations for defense.
I'VE could stand SIEGE" / said at
length.
"Ye-es," drawled Northmour: "a
very little one. perhaps. 1t is not
SO much the strength of the pavilion
l misdoubt; it is the double danger
that kills me. If we get to shooting,
wild as the country u.s. some one is
sure to hear it. and then-why, then,
it's the same thing, only different as
they say, Gagged by law, or killed by
Carbonari. There's the choice. 1t is
devilish bad thing to have the law
against you in this world, and SO I tell
the old gentleman up stairs. He is
quite OF my way of thinking
Speaking of that said l, what
kind of person is he?"
"Oh, he?" cried the other; "he's a
rancid fellow as far as he goes. 1
should like to have his neck wrung to-
morrow by all the devils in Italy. I
am not in this affair for him. You
take me? made bargain for Missy's
hand and mean to have it, too"
THAT, by the way" said 1, 81 un-
derstand. But how will Mr.. Huddle-
stone take my intrusion?" +.
Leave that to Clara" returned
Northmour.
could have struck him in the face
for this coarse familiarity; but | re-
spected the truce, as, I am bound to
say, did Northmour, and so long as
the danger continued not cloud arose
In our relation. bear him this testi-
mony with the most .unfeigned salts
faction; nor am I without pride when
l look back upon my own behavior.
For surely no two men We're ever left
in position so invidious and irritat-
ing.
AS soon as I had done eating we
proceeded to inspect the lower floor.
Window by window we tried the diff
ferent supports, now and then making
an inconsiderable change; and the
strokes Of the hammer sounded with
startling lOudness through the house.
proposed, l remember, to make loop
holes; but he told me they We're al
ready made in the windows of the up
per story.
1t was an anxious business, this in
spectiOn, and left me down hearted.
There were two doors and five win
dows to protect and counting Clara,
only four of us to defend them against
an unknown number of foes. l COM
municated my doubts to Northmour,
who assured me with unmoved COM
posture that he entirely shared them.
Before morning" said he, I'VE shall
all be butchered and buried in Graden
Floe. For me that is written"
I could not help shuddering at the
mention of the quicksand. but remind
ed Northmour that our enemies had
spared me in the wood.
do not hatter yourself" said he.
''Then you were not in the same boat
with the old gentleman now you are.
It's the foe for all of us, mark my
words"
l trembled for Clara. and just then
her dear voice was heard calling us
to come upstairs. Northmour showed
me the way, and, when he had reached
the landing. knocked at the door of
what used to be called MY Uncles
Bedroom" as the founder of the pa
vilion had designed it especially for
himself.