Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1904-03-24
By MAURICE

i 4AS " SOluC SSllSlSSSu0SS there WAS III.
deed an explosion of twenty-si G
pound cartridges, which made mighty
roar and struck the newly installed
garrison into heap, so to say, scatter
ing things terribly and wounding six
men, among them Captains Bowman
and Worthington.
After the thunderous crash came a
momentary silence. which embraced
both the people within the fort and the
! wild crowd outside. Then the rush
| and noise We're indescribable. Even
Clark gave way to excitement, losing
command Of himself and of course of
his men. There was a stampede to-
ward the main gate by one wing of the
troops in the hollow square, They lit
orally ran over Beverley and Alice,
flinging them apart and jostling them
hither and yonder without mercy. OF
course the turmoil quickly subsidized.
Clark and Beverley got hold Of them
selves and sang out their peremptory
! orders with excellent effect. 1t was
like oil on raging water. The men
obeyed in a struggling way, getting
back into ranks as best they could.
| "Ventrebleu!" squeaked Oncle Jazon.
"Ef didn't think the ole world had
busted into million piecesv'
He was Jumping up and down not
three feet from Beverley's toes, waving
his cap excitedly.
But wasn't skeert! va, Va, va!
Vive Ia banniere d'Alice Roussillon!
| viyp ZhOrZh VaSintonV,
Hearing Alice's name caused Bever-
ley to look around. Where was she?
In the distance he saw Father Beret
hurrying to the spot where some Of the
men burned and wounded by the en-
plosion were being stripped and cared
for. Hamilton still stood like statue
He appeared to be the only cool person
in the fort.
"Where is Alice - Miss Roussillon?
Where did Miss Roussillon go?' Bev.
erley exclaimed. staring around like a
lost man. "Where is sheY'
"D'know," said Oncle Jazon, resum.
ing his habitual expression of droll dig
nifty. "She shot apast me jes' as thet
thing busted loose, an she Went like Ell
hummin' bird, skitch--jes' tibet way
an | didn't see 'er no more. cause
was skeert mighty nigh inter seven fits
'spect that 'splosion Elowcd her clean
away? Ventrebleu! Never was sc
plum outen breath an dead crazy weak
O. bein' afeard!''
Lieutenant Beverley roared Clark
in his most commanding tone. Ego to
the gate and settle things there! That
mob outside is trying to break in"
The order was instantly obeyed, but
Beverley had relapsed. Once more his
soul CROPPED in darkness while the
whole of his life seemed unreal, Il wav-
ering. misty. hollow dream. And yet
his military duty was all real enough.
He knew just what to do when he
reached the gate.
Back there at once!" he command
ed, not loudly. but with intense force,
back there!" This to the inward surg
ing wedge of excited outsiders. Then
to the guard:
"Shoot the first man who crosses the
line!'
"Ziff! me voici! Moi! Gaspard Rc.ls
l s>eAOAA' A/AA'''S>7AA1o1 ItssSS1s hiSsS1St.--.
| A great body hurled itself frantically
past Beverley and the guard. going out
through the gateway against the wall
OF the crowd. bearing everything be-
fore it and shouting:
Back. fools! You'll all be killed. The
powder is on fire! Tiff! RUM
Wild as Il March hare, he bristled
with terror and foamed at the mouth.
He stampeded the entire mass. There
was wild howl, rush in the other
direction followed, and soon enough
the esplanade and all the space back to
the barricades and beyond were quite
deserted.
Alice was not aware that serious
| accident had happened. Naturally she
thought the great, rafting, crashing
noise of the explosion mere part Of
the spectacular show. When the rush
followed. separating her and Beverley,
it was great relief to her in some
way, for sudden recognition of the
holiness of her action il the little scene
just ended came over her and bewil-
dered her. An impulse sent her run
ming away from the spot where. it
seemed to her, she had invited public
derision. The terrible noises all around
her were, she now fancied, but the
jeering and hooting Of rude men who
had seen her unmaidenly forwardness.
With burning face she few to the
postern and slipped out, once more TAX
ing the course which had become SO ia
miliar to her feet. She did not slacken
her speed until she reached the Bour-
cier cabin, where she had made her
home since the night when Hamilton's
pistol ball struck her. The little domi-
cile was quite empty of its household,
but Alice entered and flung herself into
| q chair, where she sat quivering and
breathless when Adrienne, also much
excited, came in, preceded by stream
Of patois that sparkled continuously.
1.-The fort is blown up!' she cried,
sesticulating in every direction at once,
her petite figure comically dilated with
the Importance Of her statement. "A