The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-03-18

from Ward, and are now in safe keep
ing for the king. The lie. ah. we'll. IN
| pardon that for the while. You can
not leave here. and I have ample time
for avenging my honor after / have
had the pleasure OF YOU delightful
conversation"
He leaned morosely against the wall,
staring at me, as I went IN.
Nov listen to me quietly. You have
those dispatches upon your person. I
want them, and by all the gods / Will
lhave them. If I nave to kill you for
them. then so much the worse for you.
Now listen. Give me those. dispatches.
We Will the get out OF here together,
and once outside, I will give you full
four and twenty hours, That time
to the authorities. II you car. escape
with your miserable life so be it. Do
YOU agree"
II have no dispatches" he sullenly
replied. and who are you to dare
charge me with treason?"
There was no ring Of resentment in
his tones. though he strove manfully
to stimulate offended and indignant in
nocence. 1t was necessary to keep him
in Ignorance for a while, because I
feared he might set upon me. and be-
Ing really an excellent swordsman. the
issue OF conflict would be doubtful. But
the weightier reason lay in the fact
that the clash of steel might draw
down upon us the occupants Of the
house. Here I was in a much worse
plight than he, though he knew 1t not.
For whether those occupants were the
friends of Broussard or the mershal's
men, the result would be equally fatal
to me. A man must think quickly un-
DER SUCH straits, and I vas sorely put
to 1t for some device. No strategem
would be too base to use against such
a villain, for he would not hesitate to
knife me in the back.
.Broussard, let us understand each
other here and now. You know me.
1 am Placide de Mouret," removing my
mask n looking him sternly in the
eye.
Great God, de Mouret!"
me same. L am your master at the
swords, and you know 1T. Now turn
out those papers," / had been quietly
drawing my blade during this speech.
as the dazed ma tried to collect his
senses, SO l was ready while he still
stood u~nprepared.
Throw up you hands.'
He mechanically obeyed; the dis
covery of his villainy had completely
unnamed him..
Now unbuckle your belt, and drop
1t to the ground" He did as he was
bid. "NS
Kick 1t across the floor" The
weapon Was tossed out OF his reach,
l walked up closer to him. and forced
MN to loose his coat that I might find
tne papers, n was rewarded by the
of a packet, much similar to
mat dropped by Ward. 1t was sealed
IN such a manner it could not be
opened. and bore no address. re-
lIlOVeC ina n orc f-N~ a a. -1
having. as 1 thought, completely dis
armed him, felt no further uneasiness.
Inc man was thoroughly cowed. and
never once raised hts eyes to mine.
Verify treason doth rob the stoutest
heart of half its courage.
NOV do as I bid you. and I will keep
my promise to let you go. And mind
that you make not the slightest sound
"hlch may attract the soldiers
An. you fear the soldiers too?" he
asked, vaguely trying to puzzle out
why l should be afraid Of those in
whose service I was.
II Is not our purpose to talk. I
sinply want the credit myself, and do
not want to share it with those fell
lows out there. We must work to
leave this place at once. Do YOU stand
where you are"
l gathered up the scattered
and piled them all in one corner,
aAllleSt from the door,, where I now
proposed to set about getting free.
With the fearful blight of uncovered
treason in his soul. Yroussard obeyed
me cringingly as a servant and worked
as hard, for his safety lay in mine. We
went first to the door by which we en-
tered, and after a tedious examina-
ton failed to find any means by which
1t could be opened or broken down. A
stout latch, Of some pattern we could
not tell. held 1t fast from the outside.
There was no catch or fastening of
any sort within. The age-hardened
oak. studded as 1t was with heavily
wrought nails, forbade the plan of cut
ting through. This would require DAYS
and days Of patient labor, and I was
already faint from lack of food and
the exhaustion of the night. Plainly
the room was intended for a prison.
and as such 1t served well its
Baffled and disheartened I turned my
thought to the window. 1t looked out
upon the street; this was SO much In
my favor. The irons that guarded it
were close set, bending out toward the
street in the shape of a bow. 1 Judged
this was in order that archers sta
toned there might shoot the more
easily into the street in times of siege.
Continued Next Week.)