Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-07
CHAPTER VIII.
NV Daughter Yvette.

assiduously strengthened by the Camisards.
As Maurice Raith approached the place
for the first time he saw wonderful sight.
Hundreds OF men, women and children were
engaged in building up, even as the lrraei-
ties had done of old time, the bulwarks OF
their Zion. The men had their guns and
swords close at hand as they worked Many
of them welded the trowel or mixed the
mortar with pistols in their belts ana great
basket-hilted swords a-swing by their sides
Thus for many years were the high
Cevennes held against the king.
The women were running to bring lime
and sand The very children fetched the
water in pals, or, though they played a
game, carried building stones ON handcarts
Meanwhile, a little erected above the rest.
an old man stood and intoned a chapter OF
the Bible in a loud voice or with uplifted
hand led the solemn psalm.
The intrenchments, as Maurice soon OBJ
served, were laid out with the natural eye
of a soldier, and the aid of the Duke of
Marlborough soon found himself thinking
with more respect of the armed peasants
who could thus keep at bay the soldiers of
the first military power In Christendom.
But, being a young man, Maurice Ralth
thought of other things besides the mill
tary ordering and intrcnchment of the viii
lage Of La Cavalerle. The heart within him
leaped up with a certain rejoicing to know
that he was so near the girl who of all
others had power to move him. 1t was
also whet to his delight that she did not
know it.
His dispositions were soon made. For
Flower-o' -the-Corn as well as himself the
night had been disturbed one He would
leave her to her repose till the evening.
Then It was certain that she would come
out to breathe the high air of the cause,
with the clean. tart grip in it. When that
occurred he would be near to thank her
for having saved his life. That would be
an opportunity not to be lost. Moreover,
he would find out whether or no she recog-
nized him.
Maurice Raith had scarcely set foot upon
the wide closely cropped space, which in an
English or Scottish village would have been
called the green than he was hailed from
afar by his herchman, Billy Marshall. The
corporal of Cameronians standing by
one of the cart wheels with a carefully
packed bundle of clothes on the ground be-
fore him. A dozen men were round about
him. He carried a huge thorn stick in his
hand, and was making valiant passes to de-
fend his position.
Master" he cried, as soon as he caught
sight of Maurice, "thae blackyards will ma
even let your honors breeks alane-no
though hae telled than till 1 was tired
that they are a We hae to cover your
nakedness. and Bet has glen them the Office
in their ain lingo!''
man with the blood trucking down from
a broken head came running to Maurice.
holding a cloth to his brow.
This mao fellow of yours" he said in
rapid and imperfect French. will not give
up your clothes to be brushed. I had the
oTueT 10 dlIeNu 10 your Ouunt from Jean
Cavalier himself. 1 dare not face the gen.
eral unless | can inform him that 1 have
obeyed his instructions. Yet this savage
has broken my head for me-the head of an
old soldier of his majesty's guards and a
good Protestant of forty years repute."
Maurice laughed a little, but, instantly
checking himself, in remembrance Of his
self-chosen state as Pierre the WAGNER he
apoloSZed humbly, at once fastening to
patch up the wound and attempting to
pacify the belligerent Billy.
But this was somewhat easier said than
done. For the deeps of Billy Marshall were
aroused by what he considered the uncalled-
for and shameless plumber of his masters
goods and chattels. He felt that so much
SOod and warlike gear was being deliberate
iy thrown away on pack of psalm-singing
knaves.
But with Bet on one side and Maurice
Raith on the other, the wrathful Bill was
finally removed to the stables protesting all
the way that he was more than match for
all the cheatery Trenches in creation
BY this time 1t was more than suspected
that Master Billy had been looking upon
the redness Of that which remained of the
liquor in the lower part of my Lord MARI
boroughs false-bottomed casks.
tall and somewhat dignified man. who
after the rescue of Maurice's uniform had
drawn upon himself the gypsy's anger by
continuing to follow them to fhe stable
now came forward, If to offer some ad-
vice.
Il would advise you to take yourself off"
said Maurice. My man is somewhat irri-
table and uncertain, at best He Is not ac-
Quanted with the language and is ant to
take oftense even where no offense is meant.
His wife and will attend to the horses our
selves"
But" said the man, speaking in hest
tating manner, and in tone of apology,
here are also my own horses. Who will see
TO them?"
Whose horses are they?" said Maurice,
much astonished.
will your highness do me the honor to
enter said the man, taking his hat from
his head. II am the hostler of this place,
ana nave the commands of Jean Cavalier
himself to lodge both you and your equi-
page"
The young man descended certain steps
or stone. little crumbling and followed out
In spoon fashion in the middle with use and
wont, and presently found himself in wide
stables: The floor was of hard-trodden
earth, black and glossy like a blacksmith's
apron. not at all like the limestone of the
cause or the fioury footing which Ii natI1-
rally makes. There was plenty OF Iipbt
however. for on the further side the stables
gave upon little steep ravine or cleft in
the Causse, and withal cheerful sound of
horses moving their blinkers and headstalls
as they terked their necks upward and
whisked about the more easily to reach
their manager feed or the hay in the racks
above.
On pegs here and there were hung saddles
and accouterments of war all ready for use.
FOR the Camisards obtained many of their
most celebrated successes simply by the
speed with which they were able to move
from one place to another
sun hlgher rows Of iron head pieces
wlnked as the level shafts of sunlight fell
through the narrow triangular openings in
tne wall above each horses head At the
Farther end, in the widest and best stalls
were placed in the order the nine horses
or Pierre the wagner, while opposite. in a
KIND or square alcove, empty, swept and
Sarnished with good clean straw Billy the
gypsy, and his wife. Bet, had made their
encampment. The package Of clothes which
had been the cause of the loud disagree
ment without was carefully slowed AWAY
In the corner behind Billy. Maurice rec
ognized the bundle as containing his best
stan uniforms, which he had taken with
MIN at the last moment. with some vague
idea that the possession of II might tell
In MS FAVOR. IL he were apprehended as
spy IL had, however, been inclosed in the
same hiding place as the field piece sent to
the Camisards by the states general Of
Holland, so that the chances were small
indeed that 1t would do him much good
should he have fallen Into the hands Of M
lie Marechal de Montrevel He had. how
ever, somewhat carelessly tossed the hun
die In at the last moment, chiefly with
sort or dfsinclination to cut all ties which
bound him to his old life
Maurice saw to Ii first of all TINT pu,,,