Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-11-02

when we have not so much as half a
louis left-unless perhaps you found
the pockets of those clothes / gave
YOU lined with rouleaux of gold?"
"The sea is not measured with a
bushel, neither is a man always known
by his looks" was the ~enigmatical re-
ply. wait for me here" and Pom
pom glided out of the door and stole
silently down the stairs. He was back
within a half hour, bearing in his hand
a widowed bit of parchment. He
summoned Tonti to the window where
the light was good and carefully I'M
folded it.
"This happens to be a parchment
written upon with a secret ink that
dampness will not blur. The day be-
fore M. Fouquet was taken l learned
of his proposed arrest, and at consid-
cradle risk warned him of his danger
and begged him to fee while there
was yet time. He only laughed and
said he would not run He wrote on
this piece of parchment and handed it
to me, saying: Mon brave Pompon,
I have buried the sum of $4,000 francs
in the place described here. Take this,
and if / am arrested, go and get the
money and leave France at once He
was arrested the very next day, and I
the day after, before | had time to get
the gold. I managed to hide this pa
per with my friend, the cabaretier,
who furnished you with the dye, be-
fore | was imprisoned. You see he
has been faithful to my trust and has
kept it safe for me all these years."
So saying, he thrust the paper before
the astonished eyes of Tonti, who
read the first line as follows:
"'Tis all in cipher!" he exclaimed.
eyes, the same that M. Fouquet
used, and in which | wrote his secret
messages responded Pompon. "But
it is very simple. Each letter is two
places in the alphabet removed from
the proper one. So all you have to do
is to count ahead two letter each time.
The first line will then be:
eco to the village of Ecouen to
the"
''Bfavo!" cried Tonti, 'let us finish
reading It."
They went on, and, after the whole
had been deciphered, the hidden mes
sage read:
go to the village of Ecouen to the
inn called the Striped Ass. Take out
the middle floor brick in the row mex
to the hearthstone and pull on the iron
ring beneath it.. Then go to either
end Of the stone and. bear your weight
upon it. The stone will turn, and in
the hole beneath it you will find two
bags, each containing a thousand PTS
toles. They are yours in token o.
many years of faithful service"
"Corpo di Bacco! Two thousand
pistoles!" exclaimed Tonti. THAT will
leave 10000 francs, after paying M
de la Sale. What will you do witt
it,"
Il think we can find a way to spent
it."
"We?"
Eyes, certainement. Have we no
drunk to the health of M. Tonti ant
Company? We have much to do before
we leave France, and both of us ma,
need to have a goodly sum of gold
1t will be a powerful ally in danger"
Devil take me, Pompon, if you arr
not right. A full purse is better thai
ten friends"
I'VE shall need it, too, when w
reach the new world, forathere will b
many difficulties there to be overcome
Money will make the pot boil, though
the devil pour water on the fire." con
cluded Pompon.
MA fol! mon ami, | accept you
contribution for the adventure. l shall
repay you my share out of the frs
load of beaver-skins / sell. But, wha
am I saying? The money is not cur
yet. 1t may have been discovered be
fore now or we may find the inn de
stroyed. IT'S now IA years since h
gave you this paper" and from a stat
of exaltation, Tonti became suddenl,
sober and crestfallen.
1T is good to fear the worst; tn
best saves ITSELF" said Pompon. 9Th
only way to settle the question is to g
there. Do you know where Ecouen is?
"Ma fol! No"
ut is distant about four league
from Paris. By leaving here at eigh
O'Clock tonight, we a. ride Their
easily in two hours, do what we hav
to do, and be back by day. 1t is 70
you to borrow 100 livres from you
friends and hire a horse and an ass
Leave the ass with the cabaretier i
the Rue de la Tanerie, and be yourself
lear the Porte Dauphin. If you see
monk pass out by the gate mounted o.
an ass, follow him, but do not address
nor try to come up to him, until h
speaks to the animal he rides. I shal
have to have a few livres to get m
disguise with, so you had best be gon
to borrow the money"
"Par Dieu! a good PLAN" said Tont
"I shall do 1t. You beat me at tn
game of cunning, but when real ope
fighting comes, I shall do like this,
and. selling Pompon about the wais'
raised him from the ground, and by
sudden powerful exertion held hir
aloft above his head with his tw
arms extended. II have you now, 20
weazel. Where shall I throw you?"
"Your arm may be strong, but m
wit is not wanting" was the reply
"You know a mouse can gnaw a rop
that a lion cannot break. Come, mo
capitaine, it is time now for work
tomorrow we a play"
ITO Be Continued
20. pnrltsnoU JnI-a nf thu spnr- H'