Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-05-21
ODE Black s@g
VOLTS Breed
c.,,'.N, rs.. as p, H.". Dickson

ina men SnOulQ WltHeSb tHeInl Hth
the last body had been disposed Of,
Ortez led the way to the banquet hall,
Inviting all his rabble to join the feast.
The banquet hall, used as 1t was TO
scenes OF turbulence, never perhaps
had looked upon such a throng as that.
l occupied the head OF my own table,
strapped helpless in my seat. On either
side were vacant chairs. OrteZ sat at
the foot. Between, the soldiery ranged
themselves as they pleased. One OF
the troopers coming in late would have
taken his place beside me, but his cap
tain stopped him:
Not there, Gardier; we have other
and fairer guests for whom those seats
are kept"
either side of me were slipped away,
and after awhile as silently returned
to their places.
Sacrament Of passion! In one Of them
was bound the mutilated corpse OF my
queenly wife, her fingers hacked off
and her ears torn out for the gems
which had decked them. Upon my left
sat little Celia. But for one lurid stripe
Of crimson across her girlish breast she
might we'll have been asleep, SO lightly
death had touched her. Behind them I
saw a tall, gaunt woman, wearing q
mans helm and carrying a pike. She
directed the men. This was a woman's
hellish work.
Ortez rose with studied politeness:
Your wife and child, d'Artin; our
charming family reunion would be in
complete without them" And he
woman laughed aloud.
My brain burned; something seemed
to strain and give way. l lost all sense
Of pain, all capacity to suffer. How
long this lasted 1 know not. When the
revelry was at it's height, when the
wine had dulled every human instinct
in these rough soldiers Of the church."
Ortez raised his voice above the tumult;
he knew his men were in the humor for
a diversion he was abou to propose.
Nov comrades" he said, for the
browning JOY Of this most blessed day,
now for our last sacred duty TO mother
church,
He came round the table and taking
a cord from the hands Of one Of his
man he threw the moose over my head.
With feet bound together, hands free,
1 stood amongst them, this throng of
butchers, each with the white cross OF
Christ in his cap, the white scarf of
Guise upon his arm, drunk and eager
for blood.
Henri Francois Placide d'Artin,
whathast thou to say why we shall not
declare thy blood attainted, thy name
~dishonored, thy estate forfeited, why
we shall not hang thee for a Huguenot
dog, traitor to king and church?
Speak"
All the defiance OF my race burned
fearless In my eyes; l felt my face flush
an instant at the shame OF such a
death, but replied as steadily as might
be:
Not a word to thou Infamous
one. thou baseborn coward, murderer
OF the helpless; not to you!"
The cool, polite manner of Ortez fell
from him like a mask. He seized the
cord with his own hand, Jerking me
prone upon the floor and commenced to
drag me from the hall. A dozen willing
hands lent aid. l clutched ~instinctively
at everything which came in my way,
being torn from each hold by the ruth
less Williams at the rope.
Desperate l grasped the leg OF a
trooper, but a savage kick in the face
wrenChed him free, and down the stair
they started for the open court. At the
end Of the cord came tumbling, rolling,
humping down the STONE steps his al
most senseless heap which was yet a
nan
Arrived beside the we'll, whose great
o~verhanging sweep offered q con
venient scaffold, Ortez paused to look
at his victim. My breath came slow, I
could hardly hear their words.
Think you his senses will return?"
Possibly, SIRE" replied the mar to
whom this was addressed.
Then we will wait; my sweet
brother would weep to miss so brave a
spectacle as his own hanging"
He sat there upon the edge of the
we'll, whence came the groans Of the
dying, the hot, fresh odors Of the dead,
and waited, fenois in the patient
ferocity of his more than mortal hate.
After n little l opened my eyes and
stared about me, scarcely comprehend
ing where l was or what had hap
pened. Ortez called upon his men to
raise me. Being placed erect the cord
was drawn just taut enough to sustain
me standing. Now the CHASTITY woman
/ had seen in the hall pushed her way
through the crowd.
Her son." she Missed, and savagely
struck me in the mouth until blood fol-
lowed the blow. The cord instantly
across the we'll. First only a dizziness
and a parched mouth. Then the tu-
multuous blood surged to my throat,
beating, struggling, ~gurgling like some
pent-up mountain stream against the
rocks. l threw both hands up TO grasp
the rope-heard a laugh, not a human
laugh, yet 1t sounded so far, so very
LAT away, away DICK upOH the e6Itu.
A gigantic merCiful hand seemed to
take my head within it's grippe and press
out all pain.
Fiery circles swan before my eyes;
great crimson blotches floated about
in restless clouds OF flame; then
dreams, dreams, long delicious dreams.
And out OF the endless years of
rhythmic music, the laughter of low
voiced women. and many colored lights
came at length oblivion.
Thus the ale ended. 1t was the
same l had heard in far away Louisi-
ana, told again with oil the grim ear
nestnesS of desperate truth.
/ stood in the great courtyard again,
beside the ancient well, drinking ca
gerly every inspired syllable. When
the speaker had done, he shrank back
into the darkness, and was gone.
1t was as though l witnessed in my
own person the wretched death OF
Henri d'Artin, and stood within his
castles court when the ruthless deed
was done. Verify man knoweth not
the rebellious ~vagaries OF an unhinged
brain; knoweth not what be but un-
meaning phantasies, or what be solemn
revelations from the very lips of God,
In the deep gloom the ruined castle
doomed darkly, a CHASTITY monument OF
evil deeds. l looked about for the mad
man but saw him not. The weirdness
of the place, the horror OF it's secret,
crept into my blood. l became afraid.
Down the bleak road / picked my way,
glancing fearsomely over my shoulder,
l fain would have fled as had the lad.
/ found my horse re-equipped. Still
~shuddering / mounted, scarce daring
to look backwards at the cursed pile.
Then, with the madman's story surging
In my brain, l dug savage spurs into
my steed and galloped desperately on
ward through the night.
CHAPTER Xxx.
FROM THE PATH OF DUTY.
1t was about 10 o'clock when l
reached Diepne. Soon thereafter wa 9