Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-04-30

how soon 1 must look TO mis- speed for
safety. II was necessary also that I
should see the two fellows who
watched the Versailles road before
they caught sight OF me. Possibly an
arti1ce might avail me where force
would fail.
Presently from a slight eminence the
broad highway could be seen winding
out OF Paris, glistening in the starlight,
for II wns now after dusk, twisting i'm
dusty fluctuations toward the distant
palace of the king. 1 drew rein amsng
some trees which served for shelter,
and scanned the way to see IL the
watchers were in sight. The lane, be-
fore IT entered the Versailles road,
branched out into two portions, one
bearing away toward Paris while the
other traversed a piece OF low ground
that struck the main road several hun
dred yards in the other direction.
Within the irregular Triangle thus
formed the two grooms had thrown
themselves upon the ground, being dis
tinctly visible In a little clearing.
The position commanded quite a
considerable stretch of road toward the
city, and as by going that way 1t would
take a good hour and d half of hard
riding to get so far, 1t was certaiH they
did not, expect me to pass for some
time. That cutoff through the lane
must have been ten miles the shorter
journey.
This reflection gave me some hope
that | might be able to slip by in a
gallop before they could take horse.
Yet / could not afford to waste much
time. for Jerome might perchance find
means to follow. and would not be in
a pleasant humor. There could be no
accounting for the lengths to which his
desperation and folly might carry him.
l had need for both haste and caution.
/ was now at the top OF a slight hill
lock, the grooms resting at the foot.
AS Ill fortune would have It, my horses
hoof loosened a stone, and one of them
looking up recognized my figure clear
drawn against the fading colors of the
sky. They both jumped up with an
alertness which would have done credit
to old woodsmen, and before l could
dodge by, had remounted and taken
possession of the road. My more ele-
waited position and perhaps better
hearing, too, enabled me to detect the
coming of persons along the road from
Paris. Certainly as many as three or
-four horsemen, perhaps a vehicle. II
could hardly be possible hat Jerome
had made the trip so quickly, yet i
did not know what other and shorter
way he might find. At any rate ev-
cry instant intensified the danger, for
If it were Jerome, then, indeed, l could
not hope to make Versailles that night.
Listening more critically l decided
they were travelling too slowly to be
Jerome's party.
l would then most gladly have
charged the insolents in front and TAX =
en- all chances, but my half hour of
quiet thought had brought me the con-
clusion 1t was too much to risk my life,
at least until Serigny vas acquainted
with the information we had gained.
/, too, was the only person who knew
of the traitors on board lie Dauphin.
who are you, and what do you
mean stopping a gentleman's path?"
called to the twain, who had drawn q
little away from the DOT of the hill
seeing the disadvantage of their former
position in case / charged them, and
preferring to receive me on the open
ground.
mo harm, monsieur, we only mean
to detain you until NJ. de Greville comes
up" the slender man spoke quite po-
litely.
IN. de Greville will not come up this
night-may God have mercy on his
SOUL" 1 added solemnly.
why not, fine sir?" the gruffer fell
low on the big bay questioned with
some heat. / made no bubble on his
manner, but replied:
II doubt l have slain him. He lies
back yonder in the road to SceauX, and
l know not whether he be dead or still
lives"
Continued Next Week.)