The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-03-04

at taDle with their cards and ale.
overlooked the game. They exchanged
glances and prepared to cave off
whereat I apologized and begged then
not to let me disturb them. Claude de.
clared he had only waited for me, ant
being tired he would shut the house
He went on up to bed and his FRIEND
took a seat beside me by the fire.
He was q simple looking young fell
low, dressed after the fashion Of g
peasant farmer, with mild blue eyes
and struggling yellow whiskers on his
chin. l thought to question about The
city.
We'll, friend, how goes the world in
Parls?"
Much the same as ever, yet your
Paris is new to me-"
Indeed? You are not of the city; of
what place, then?"
"Of ~Languedoc, in the south, where
the skies are bluer and the wind does
not cut you through as it does in
this damp Paris Of yours"
yes, | thought you of Languedoc,
from your speech. SO the climate is
with us in our parts beyond the seas.
Beneath u southern sun ice is a
thing almost unknown, and the snow
never comes"
And where do you live, my lord ?'
his eyes wide open and shallow.
| felt somewhat flattered at his
artless recognition of the difference in
our stations.
I'm Biloxi; the southern provinces,
louisiana" 1 explained, whereof
Bienville is governor"
Afterward l thought I could remem-
Der q knowing twinkle in the fellows
eye,w which passed unnoticed at the mo-
ment.
"Ah, l near much of the colonies; it
must be a goodly land to dwell in, but
the savages and the cannibals."
l laughed outright.
Verify, friend, we have no canni-
balls worse than the barbarous Span
iards who wait but the chance to
slaughter our garrison" and before L
was aware. I had told him of my voy-
g from Biloxi, and of going to Yer
s%ailles, stopping short only of giving
the purpose of my visit to Paris. 1
was sore ashamed of the indiscretion.
When | ooked | found him laughing
silently to himself, laughing at me.
Then you are Captain de Mouret?'
he asked with pureSt Partisan intona-
ton, n the courtesy of Il gentleman.
How did you know" I attempted
to be stern, but somehow my effort fell
fiat. How do you knoW?"
We'll, I've been expecting you" and
he brushed his hand across his chin,
wiping the yellow whiskers away be-
fore my astonished eyes.
Il am jerome de Greville. Claude
told me of your coming, nut l wished to
make sure. We have e amined your
baggage" he went on frankly, I'M
mindful Of my ill-concealed disap-
prevail, but found nothing in the way
OF identification. You see,' he apollo
gized, these things are necessary here,
In affairs of this nature, if a fellow
would preserve the proper connection
between his hea and his body
He rolled up his whiskers, laid
aside a yellow wig, and l could see
he was as Serigny had described. He
and some two good years my senior.
captain, if o will allow me I will
take these traps of yours to our apart
ments. You lodge with me-"
was nettled hat 1 should have
spoken so freely to a stranger, and felt
ill-disposed to be pleasant, but he soon
drove away n lingering animosity.
When we had settled in our rooms,
which adjoined, de Greville thew him
self across his couch and said:
Look here, de Mouret, we have a
hard task before us, and you may as
well know it. M. de Serigny tells me
he has instructed you himself, but de-
tails he would leave to me. What's
your name?"
"Placide," I replied as simply as a lad
of ten.
well, I'm Jerome. We are to stand
together now, and men engaged in
business like ours have no time for ex-
ira manners"
His bon camaraderie was contagious,
and l gladly caught it. agreed, Jer-
ONE; so be it. Go on"
First we must locate our friend
Carne Ward, the very fiend Of a fellow,
who stops at nothing. . Then to catch
him with the papers, take them, cost
What it will. For that work we have
GtrOnr 1nHo. arnl1u1, ND WV ---a
all we must make no mistake when we
strike, for If he scents our suspicious
Of him he'll whisk them off to Spain
before you could bat your eye"
I listened to him intently, yet en-
joying to the utmost my prospective
triumph. He Went on:
Then there is that other fellow: We
don't know who he is, the one tina
came over with you. He will probably
exchange dispatches with Ward, then
off to the colonies again. There Is not
50 much trouble about him, for he can
be captured aboard ship. 1t Is Ward
we want, and his dispatches"
I said very quietly, still looking into
the fire:
THAT much is already DONE"
Jerome raised up on his elbow and
stared at me as if he thought me mad.
Il have taken those dispatches from
your friend. Here they are
Liz uSNll you lldNe, lie cIleQ out,
reaching the middle of the floor at a
single bound. How and when?"
He would not leave off until I had
related the whole of my adventure be-
ginning with meeting the girl. and end
ing when I found him, at the inn. fIe
was as happy as a school boy, and
laughed heartily at my being so read
lily made a victim Of by the girl Florine.
Such tender doves to pluck she does
not often find, and 1 warrant you she
lets not many go so easily
l thought it unnecessary to tell him
of my encounter with Ward, only
that I had found the packet where he
dropped it.
You lucky dog; it's well he did not
see you, or you might not now be
talking to ME with a whole skin"
1t was better though to let him know
of Wards wound, for that would per-
haps assist us in a measure to deter
mine upon u future course. So that
part Of the affair 1 detailed in full.
Verify, lad, your savage accom-
plishment stood you in good stead"
He recognized the description I gave
of the fellow with Ward, but said he
was a bully, hired merely to fight, and
perhaps Knew nothing Of consequences.
Then we examined very closely the
envelope containing the papers. It
had, from all appearance, come over
from the colonies, and bore traces Of