The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-05-13

| 1t was thus l ever afterward remem-
bered her.
She made no other sign; withdrew
swiftly as 1 came. From across the
! wall, unobserved. l watched her leave
the place. downcast of eye and slow of
step. In rebellious and uncertain
mood / rode away.
| Though the, relish In my task was
| done, I made all haste toward Dieppe.
Scarcely stopping for food. changing
| horses as often as I could. 1 pushed
on without adventure until | reached
the Chateau Cartlllon, then a formess
ruin.
Here my saddle grth broke and
was nearly thrown to the ground.
scrambled off, walked to the little inn
where l inquired how far l had yet to
go.
Ihree leagues yet to Dteppe," the
host replied. but monsieur cannot go
on tonight; he must wait the morrow:
he can go with comfort in the morn
ing"
! sent my groom for "A new grth
and found it would take quite an hour
to procure one from the village.
Probably monsieur would visit the
castle upon the hill there" persisted
the landlord, pointing across the way
ut is worth his while. 1t is said to have
been destroyed by the Great Henry In
his wars with the duke of Mayenne.
True 1T is that sounds of battle and
screams are yet heard there on stormy
nights. Probably monsieur would rest
here several days"
] cSsayed to silence the fellow, for l
was in no mood to listen to his chat
ter. Yet there was something in his
eulogy of the locality which he gave
as hawker crying his wares that
fixed my unwilling attention.
.h1,
see old Mad Michael What, you know
naught of him? Country folk do say
ms grandson witnessed the murder of
the count, and that 1t sent her feeble
mind a-wandcring. Her child through
all her life did fancy herself the count
ana made strange speeches to the peo-
pies fear And now this grandson of
hers has grown old in frenzy like his
mother and grandam, possessed of an
evil spirit which speaks through him
betimes-it Is a curse of the blood,
monsieur, grleveous curse OF the
blood"
IT aroused something OF curiosity
WITHIN me, yet l was loath to pause
upon my journey. Forced, though, to
wait an hour, l thought to walk over to
the chateau, couple Of hundred yards
distant. Taking a lad who loungel
about the inn. to shcw me the way, l
sauntered up the path. pausing a while
at long disused spring, and idly
Tplucked an apple from branch which
overhung it. a little further up and
mounting the steep ACTIVITY, | stood
within the ancient fortress.
This castle, since rebuided you, my
children, are of course familiar with,
FOR you were all born here. At that
date the great central tower alone
stood erect amid the universal de-
strnction, A black VOLTS head reared
itself high above the portcullis The
moat was filled with drift of Crumbling
years. and the walls, fallen in many
places, ran hither and thither In aim
less curves and angles much as they
do today.
Up to this hour my chronicle has
been only of such adventures as might
befall soldier upon any enterprise,
put now strange thing happened.
Until that moment | had never seen
the Chateau Cartillon, still there was
not corner or Il passage that did not
seem well known to me. l seemed to
know irtuitivey what each building
was for, and even imagined most vivid
~ scenes which had transpired there
The whole place had the most intense
personal interest for me, why | knew
not.
| am not superstltious, but the ruin
oppressed ne, made me restless and I'M
easy; yet | was loath to leave. The
loneliness Of it all filled me with grave
apprenensions as ! picked my way
across the grass encumhered court
yard toward the road again. A thou
sand haunting fancies OF half familiar
things thronged from out each dis
mant.ed doorway. Faces / all but rec
ognized peered at mo through the
broken easements: voices l almost
knew called to me from many n silent
corner. Yet all was still, all was soil
tude. Heartily shcmed at my quick
ening step | hurried on and having
consumed a quarter OF my hour sat
down by the spring mentioned before,
just beyond the castles utmost bound
airy.
The haze of late afternoon had deep
cned into night upon the peaceful
meadows and lazy sweep of river A
distant peasants song came family
from ,he fields.
While sitting there beside the spring
gazing listlessly into It's placid depths
an uncanny figure made its way
through a breach in the bastion, and
stood before me- At first l confess I
WAS startled. the wild uncouth thing,
bent and dccrepit. with hair Of long and
tangled gray, fiery sunken eyes, seemed
born Of another world than this He
bent his gaze with searching scrutiny
full upon ne!
1 A.s ltli NiilsljclSl. llJ OiJt MAD
Michaei: he lives UP there" pointing
to q tunshed down tower, and be-
lieyes himself the couut--the count
'tld him iorg dead lying yonaer in the
we'll"
rhe boy shpddered and crossed him
self.
The old man gazed steadily at me for
son1e moments then bowling low, he
cried;
Hail: son os d'Ar;in' Hast come to
view thine own again? Let us into the
walls"
lie, US 70, monsieur. quick" urged
the lad tuSging at my coat, sit is
late"
The dusk In fact was coming on
round the grotesuue masonry. I'M
needing the lads fear, l was strongly
in:pe,led to talk with the daft creature.
1t was an Impulse born not wholly of
idle curiosity. ! felt strangely moved.
What do You want of me. Old man
| asked.
Il am Henri dArtin, by murders
hand laid low: would tell yol, much"
Let us CO., monsieur, let us so. He
speaks of unholy things the boy
pleaded fearfully. Meeting no response
he turned and filed down the slope.
away in the twilight beneath the trees.
''Dost hear the clanking arms. the
rolling drums of war? List unto the
shouts the cries within. Dost not
know 1t is the day after the feast of the
most blessed saint Bartholomew
The mans wild earnestness5 fixed n
spell upon me, and to the end of his
narrative / listened until the tale was
done. l cannot hope to set down here
as / heard 1t what the mailman said,
nor to have any lines breathe forth the
vigor of his speech. Carried beyond
mortal energy by his frenzy, overmas-
tered by some mysterious power of
which we men know naught, he threw
into his strange, weird story a life and
az -1uhich -entered YelY soul