The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-04-29

agreed. While we p%arleyed. j worked
myself into a position near his horse,
head. and as he prepared to alight
snntched Fry sword and with a alicl
upper cut severed one rein near the Bit
The blade having cut his horse slight
~ under his throat. he reared ant
plunged. and finding himself uncon-
trolled started madly off down the road
Jerome cursing, screaming and clingins
to his name.
had TO laugh at the success of m,
strategem. for though IL was a scurv,
trick to play an old friend. it was much
the simplest way out of the difficulty
to dispose of him in this bloodless
fashion. | put my horse about now
without interference. When | wheeled
down the lane toward Versailles, Jer-
ONES CHATTER and dust was Just DIVING
away owe the crest of a distant hill,
making most excellent time in the d.
rection of Paris.
Now that this new danger was past.
| rode on heaNy-hearted enough. for j
had grown to love Jerome, and blamed
him little for his sudden touch of fury.
For l was nearly in the same boat.
borne on by the same strong currents
as Jerome.
Verify. what will man not do for
Sii'ah toNe mao lullC&l nm from n
courteous nobleman of France a brave
and kindly gentleman, into the fren-
lied coward who would lie to his mas
ter. STAY his friend, and turn traitor
to his countrymen. a god could not
love and be wise.
l logged along slowly. seeking
to rest my horse. for l could not teIl
nov o o must look 10 his speed for
safety. 1t was necessary also that /
should see the two fellows who
watched the Versailles road before
they caught sight of me. Possibly an
artltice might avail me where force
would fail.
Presently from a slight eminence the
broad highway could be seen winding
u OF Paris. glistening in the starlight.
ior III was now after dusk. twisting in
dusty fluctuations toward the distant
palace of the king. | drew rein among
some trees which served for shelter,
ana scanned the way To see if the
watchers We're I'm sight. The lane, be
iofe IL entered the Versailles road,
praflehed out into two portions. one
bearing away toward Paris, while the
other ~traNersed a piece of low ground
lhat struck the main o several hun
dred yards in the other direction.
Within the irregular Triangle thus
formed the two grooms had thrown
themselves upo the ground, being dis
ttnctly visible in a little clearing.
me position commanded quite a
considerable stretch of road toward the
CITY, ard as by going hat way it would
a X a good hour and n half of hard
rldlnS 10 get so far, it was certai, they
did not eXpect me to pass for some
ume. That cutoff through the lane
must have been ten miles the shorter
journey.
This reflection gave me some hope
thai / might be able to slip by in a
gailop before they could take horse.
Yet could not afford To waste much
Tune, 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.
L was now at the top of a slight hill
LOCK. the grooms resting at the foot.
AS I'LL fortune would have 1T, my horses
hoof loosened a stone, and one of them
drawn against the fading colors of thu
sky. They both jumped UP with an
which would have done credit
TO Old woodsmen, n before / could
by. had remounted and taken
possession of the road. My more ele-
vated position and perhaps better
hearing, too, enabled me to detect the
coming of persons along the road from
Certainly as many as three or
tour horsemen, perhaps a vehicle. 1t
could hardly be possible that Jerome
had made the trip so quickly, yet /
did not know what other and shorter /
way he might find. AT any rate ev-
cry instant intensified the danger, for
II 1t were jerome. then, indeed, I could
not hope to make Versailles that night.
Listening more critically i decided
they We're travelling too slowly to be
Jerome's party.
1 would Their 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-
it was too much to risk nv life.
at least until Serigny was acquainted
with the information we had gained.
too, was the only person who knew
Of the traitors on board lie Dauphin.
Who are o and what do you
mean stopping a gentleman's path?" I
called to the twain, who had drawn a /,
little away from the foot of the hill.
seeing the disadvantage of their former
preferring to receive me on the open
ground.
NO harm, monsieur, we only mean
20 detain you until NJ. de Greville comes
up the slender man spoke quite po-
itely.
M. de Greville will not come up this
night-may God have mercy on his
l added solemnly.
why not, fine sir?" the gruffer fell
on the big bay questioned with
heat. l made no bubble on his
manner, but replied:
II doubt l nave slain him. He lies
pack yonder in the road to Sceaux, and
know not whether he be dead or still
Continued Next Week.)