Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-11-17

mistake-those wild-looking forms which
he had so lately beheld lying about the
Smoldering embers of the cavern fire.
! Three or four were in sight, but one was
far before the others, and dashing for
ward with mad speed. 1t was Gasparde!
with his unshorn hair streaming wildly
about his face, and long and glittering
knife brandished in his hand
With sudden and firm resolution, Louis
turned, unarmed as he was, save with
the stick which had served thus far to
clear his path, and prepared to meet him.
With a louder yell of triumph at be-
holding his anticipated victim so near,
the brigand rushed on.
81 have you, monsieur he cried, with
a fiend's laugh-'I have you! Who will
win Rose now?'
mot you, villainv' answered Louis,
sternly. And meeting the assassin, in his
mad career he struck down, with his
stick the uplifted knife that was ready
to drink his hearts blood.
''Ah" shouted Gasparde, raging and
gnashing like a wild beast, as he snatch
ed a pistol from his belt; 81 will know
l will know who is to win! Come on, my
men! Strike-stab-slayg And, blind
with rage, he dashed at his adversary.
What was to be the fate of Louis ?
There were four to one! But the other
three, tearing forward to the assistance
of their master, suddenly paused, and
then hastily turned and fed. Neither
Louis nor Gasparde, however, saw any
thing beyond each other; while the young
count, with firm courage, grappled with
the brigand chief, and wrenching the dis
charged weapon from his grasp, cast him
at full length upon the turf.
And now aid was at hand; for the
Marquis of Montauban and Francis Egg
erton, followed by two or three of the
villagers, dashed into the little glade, to
the scene of combat. With EXPLANATIONS
of joy, Louis and his uncle threw them
selves into each others arms; while Fran
els Egerton waved his cap gaily in the
air, and stepped lightly forward to greet
Louis, calling, "Found-found! my dear
dear fellow!" and he clasped the young
man in a cordial and laughing embrace;
but his handsome deep-blue eyes spar
kled with tears.
But their attention was attracted in an
other direction; for Gasparde had risen
to his feet, and his cry of rage and de-
spair rang through the forest. Deserted
by his companions, who had fled on wit
Messing the numbers of the approaching
patty, and destitute of weapons, he turn
ed and was bounding away, when a shot
from one of the villagers struck him.
With one horrible cry he sprang into the
air and then fell heavily to the earth.
There was a convulsive movement of the
limbs, a contraction, a sudden spasm,
and the form was stretched out in mo-
tionless silence. Gasparde was dead!
There was time of silence, and then
Francis clasped the hand of Louis and
drew him gently away from the scene.
sit is too horriblev' he uttered, with a
shudder. 'Come, dear Louis, to where
a fairer sight awaits you; let US go and
meet Rose, our sweet little blossom, who
owes to you her safetyv'
"She is safe, thenr' said Louis, with
animation; ''ah, that repays me for all!'
''Ay-safe! We found her in the wood
an hour or two since; and without wait
ing longer than to meet Helen, and assure
her of her safety, the dear girl insisted
on guiding us instantly in the direction
of the cave in which she had been con-
fined. We were proceeding thither, with
the domestics and villagers, armed with
any weapons at command, when we per-