Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-22

@A@ 1NAAH-e - - ANAAh
that a man so nobly gifted by nature would
never take from her. Bet. her only pro.
tcctor, her master and lord. Billy Marshall.
But at the very FIRST glance Maurice
Raith knew the man. aud resolved. II POSI-
BILE, to attach him to his own calvacade.
He recognized the prisoner az Billy Mar.
shall, the famous gypsy from Keltonhill in
Galloway. Also. What was more strange.
an answering CLEAN shot from underneath
the sombre slumberous eyelids Of the
gypsy. In spite OF the disguise Of carte,
dress and walnut stain the old expert in
concealments recognized HIS sometime ON
Ger. But not a word or look betrayed that
either had ever seen the other.
Pierre, the waggoner, did not hesitate A
moment. He halted his horses with a long
drawn professional shout. dubbed his vhip
by twisting the lash round his arm and
wrist and strobe maaterfuily into the crowd
What are you doing here, you sulky
runaway knave." he cried, striking the
bound man again and again with the whip
across his thickly matched bullet head and
naked shoulders till he moaned aloud with
the apparent pain.
The woman rose with a shrek and wouId
have flown upon her lords new enemy. but
the prisoner stopped her with a peculiar
clucking noise.
See. you" cried Pierre Of Roche-a-
Bayard and Hoo. holding up his papers to
the sergeant, here is this fellow, who was
given to me to be my 'ostler and under
roulier on the kings servicei He mus,
needs get tipsy on liquor meant for his bet
tiers, and then. to make bad worse, overrun
me, in the night. I am deeply Indebted to
you, gentlemen. all. for OBTAINING him till
/ came up"
And pray who may you be that can at
/ AAa1 - III - Ill "a
ice 2" cried the sergeant.
Pray cast your eyes over that" ouoth
Pierre the carrer, quietly, land you will
ind that the king has many servants, and
that he has a few more useful than those
who carry his own good Moselle wine to his
own faithful servants"
Here. Manse, read the scrawI aloud"
cried the sergeant, holding the certificate
upside down between his finger and thumb.
1T is writ in your ~plaguey running script"
A tall grenadier came forward and took
the paper out of the hand Of his superior
of1cer.
He read the commission through, the SER
geant punctuating the sentences with mods.
That is very we'll" he said. but in IL
I hear no mention Of my prisoner, or de-
s~cription of his person. He is an able
bodied, sturdy knsve. and 1 had just pressed
him for his majesty's military service. I
cannot let him go without cause shown
or-(here he coughed behind his hand)-lts
equivalent. He is worth a gold louis to me
at headquarters any day."
Louis doris are none so plenty with us
lads Of the road that we can afford TO scat
tor them broadcast 10 buy back our drunken
hoStlers. But" Maurice made a grimace
and jerked hfs thumb behind him, all is
not the kings sealed wine which I carry.
1 Z 49,. al - A. - 1877 i -
service Of my friends, and If" here he
lowered his voice and spoke into the ear Of
the soldier.
well. we'll. cast him loose" the sergeant
ordered, 'far be It from me to interfere
with the kings wine. But when you meet
with the Marechal de Montravel, do not for
get to inform his excellency what an excel
lent and deserving fellow is Sergeant Passy
OF the Twenty-fourth regiment Of grena-
diersl"
Indeed I shall not ~forgeti" said the wag-
goner heartily, but in the meantime give
me a hand at unslinging this, which 1 carry
under my third wagon. 1t does not bear the
seal royal, but 1t will trickle down thirsty
Threats like divine nectar for all that!'
The soldiers piled their pieces with looks
Of expectation. and with right good will as
sisted In broaching a small cask OF white
wine which was attached underneath the
third Of Pierrers wagons.
The sergeant looked after Billy a tribe
regretfully.
"a sturdy capable fellow that" he said,
shaking his head. "'Tis as we'll that l am
no cavalry recruiting sergeant, else might
not have let him go so easily. should ad-
wise you to obtain a letter of protection for
him before you are a day older.
Pierre the waggoner thanked him pro-
fusely for his advice.
81 will see to It this very day." he said.
The sergeant of grenadiers looked at him
a trife strangely over his cup.
For a man 80 generously provided with
papers, he said slyly, you are strangely
ignorant, 1t is not on the Cause de Larzac
that one can provide oneself with such let
ters OF protection"
And where may I be able to obtain
them?" said Pierre humbly. "I am from
the far north as you may hear He had
the blank forms Ii his breast pocket at that
moment, but 1t was Just as we'll to know.
why. as to that. either from the governor
Of the Cevennes at Mende. Mons de Broglie.
or when you come to the camp OF the Mar
shall de Montravel."
but you. sergeant, must give me a paper
, saying that you have tried this man and
discharged him as worthless"
That I WILL" the soldier laughed, "or
. at least so will Philip Manse. Once Philip
was a Protestant, as rare a psalm singer as
Z any, but a few matches in the palm OF his
hand applied by Monsieur the Able du
Chaila converted him for good. A rare
fearful man is this Manse. but he can corr
D pose hand-of-writ like an angel"
The tall soldier with the lantern jaws,
9 who had not been thought OF SUFFICIENT I'm
portance to warrant him drinking along
with the fellows was now called forward
9 and ordered to write a protective paper
Z which would have some merit In IT. the
= sergeant prompting him before he set quill
y to paper.
e Write It in name OF my colonel. sirrah.
/ De Breslin, do you hear7" ordered the
g sergeant. That will carry more weight
e than the name Of a mere halbert carrier.
a Beside. we march Immediately TO the north
to counter the English duke on the nhins
who will be the wiser? There-done like
a good fellow. A bumper OF wine for
!, Manse. What-you do not drink1 Well,
. your health. Mansel ! at least have no
. scruples."
And the soldier swigged down the tall
can Of wine provided for the scribe. who
q meantime was looking at his own rubIca-