Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-21
CHAPTER ".
Pierre the Waggoner.

Pierre the Waggoner.
The great folk being done with for q
while, issue we forth upon the clean-waslle
high road Of middle France ;.
HE! Ola! Aleu- cried a certain nut
| brown carter to his leading beast as 1t
tugged up the long ascent of the Cause de
| Larzac.
And the cracking Of huge Languedocian
whip, bought over against the Church Of
Mazamet, punctuated the appeal.
stout young man, an absolutely respee-
| table man. man of his fists and other
folks affairs was Master Pierre. Had he
not the kings own seal for the right of
entry and exit out OF France? He was
licensed carrier of wine from the recently
added province Of Alsace to the kings most
excellent and wine-bibbing majesty.
But in that case what was he doing
cracking his whip down upon the steep rise
Of the Cause de Earzac, this bluff northern
Mons Pierre Of Roche-a-Bayard and Hoo?
All. that was another story, and he had
| another certificate for that. Were there not
servants Of the Hing in these semi-savage
solitudes leading strange lives, hunters Of
men. scourges Of fanatics, shooters at sight
Of Comisard and Huguenot? What more ma
tural than the bulk of the sparkling wine of
the Mouse and Moselle having been de-
hvered at Marty for the throat of royalty,
the thoughtful King Louis should bid so
safe a messenger to continue HIS way south
ward. with s1ndry casks Of the same vim
tage to cheer the hearts Of his faithful
servants. ~ u r" -
Three great and three little casks of
wine Of the Meselle, committed to the care
Of Master-carrier Pierre Dubois of the
towns Of Roche-a-Bayard and Hoo - the
property on his most Christian majesty,
Louis, King of France and brittany; to be
carried free aef all duty, local and imperial,
to the kings servants, the Marechal de
Montreva1r and the Brigadier General de
pIcv1 frpr r.
majesty" IL ~,
Surely5as simple. convincing, irrefragible
manifest as ever was written upon sheet
Of paper with the royal arms of France at
the top! Nevertheless, there were other
things in the barrels besides Moselle wine,
and the handsome, jolIy-faced carter had,
in early life and. indeed. till within the last
two weeks, owned to the name of Maurice
Raith, while his most convincing papers had
been obtained-well. such things can al
ways be obtained when "the highest quar-
tiers" interest themselves in wine carriers
and their passports.
And certainly Mons Pierre lie Flamand
played his part with vigor and resolution.
He wore no false hair or beard. The stain
on his complexion was not deeper than that
which bronZed the cheeks of many sturdy
follower Of the crawling road wagons and
blue shirted carriers carts Pierre of Roche
a-Bayard and Hoo had been careful not to
overdo his part.
It CHANGED that inst as this sturdy Pierre
left the town of Millau behind him he came
suddenly upon curfously assorted group.
Half a dozen kings troopers stood hector
ing and storming upon the broad. irregular
paving stones Of the Ponte Royale. Three
Of them were holding down a huge, half
naked giant Of a. man, whose abundant
shaggy hair was bound about with bloody
rag His hands were tied behind his back
with a rope.
The sergeant in charge Of the soldiers was
laughing at the uncouth actions and speech
Of a woman who alternately raised her
hands to heaven imprecating curses upon
all recruiting parties In broad Scots. and
threw herself on her knees before the SER
geant Of infantry. caspstg his feet and de-
claring In quite ineligible French that
man so nobly gifted by nature would never
take from her Bet her only protector her
master and lord Billy Marshall.
But at the very first glance Maurice
Raith knew the man. and resolved, If posi-
ble to attach him to his own cavalcade,
He recognized the prisoner as Billy Mar
SHALL the famous gypsy from Keltonhill in
Galloway. Also, what was more strange,
an answering CLEAN shot from underneath
the somber slumberous eyelids of the gypsy.
In spite of the disguise of carter dress and
walnut stain the old expert In concealments
recognized his sometime officer. But not a
word or look betrayed that either had ever
cen the other.
Pierre the waggoner did not hesitate a
moment He halted his horses with long
drawn professional shout dubbed his whip
by twisting the lash around his arm and
wrist and strobe masterfully into the crowd.
what are you doing here you sulky run
away knaye" he cried, striking the bound
man again and again with the whip across
his thickIy matched bullet head and naked
shoulders till he R9aned aloud with the APP
The woman ross with shrek, and would
have flown ,dsen .Her lords rev enemy but
the prisoner stoieed her with peculiar
c' "see you' "sied Eierre Of Roche-a-Rayard
and Hoo holSing1Np his papers to the SER
geant, here IS fhts fellow, who was given
to me to be fay oatler and under roulier on
the kings service He must needs get
tipsy on iqnbr meant for his betters, and
then, to make bad worse. overrun me In the
night. I am Reeply Indebted to you. gentle
men, all. for detailing him till came up
and pray Ehe may you be that can af-
ford to talk 20 briskiy of the kings sery-
ice?" cried the SERGEANT.
pray, casEsyouE eyes over that" quoth
Pierre, the CARRIER quietly. land You win
find that the king has many servants and
that he has few more useful than those who
carry his own goods Moselle wine to his own
faithful seryants,r
"Here Manss. Tread the serawi aloud.
cried the sergeant. holding the certificate
upside down between his finger and thumb.
A tall grenadier came forward and took
the paper out of the hand Of his superior
officer.
He read the commission through. the SER
geant punctuating the sentences with nods
THAT Is all very WE'LL he said, but In 1t
hear no mention of my prisoner or descrip-
ton OF his person. He Is an able-bodied
sturdy knave. and had just pressed him
for his matesty's military service. / cannot
let him go without cause shown-0r-{ there
he cougiied behind his handpsts equivalent
He II worth gold louis to me at headquar-
tefa any day!
Louis d.ors are none so plenty with us
lads OF the road that we can AFFORD to scat