Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-07
CHAPTER VI.
UNDER THE PIC Du MIDI.

white glittering wall sLTeIcneu east anu west above the brown woods. Be- kond that lay Spain. Once across the border, I might be detained, if no worse happened to me, as prisoner of war; for we were then at war with Spain on the Italian side. Or l might be handed over to one of the savage bands, half smugglers, half brigands, that held the passes: or be delivered worst fate of all-into the power of the French exiles, of whom some would be likely to recognize me and cut my throat
 Tt is long way into Spain, nut tered. watching in kind of fascina- ton Clon handling his pistols.
 .1 think you will find the other road longer still" the landlord answered grimly. "But choose, and be quick about it"
 T They were three to one, and they had firearms. In effect I had no Jchoice. Well, if I must I must!" scried, making up my mind with seem sing recklessness. Vogue la galore! Spain be it. It will not be the first s&ime have heard the dons talk"
 q The men nodded, as much as. to say that they had known what the end would be; the landlord released my rein; and in trice we were riding down the narrow track. with our faces set towards the mountains.
 < On one point my mind was now more Hasy. The men meant fairly by me; end I had no longer to fear, as I had feared, pistol shot in the back at the first convenient ravine. As far as that went I might ride in peace. On sthe other hand, if I let them carry me across the border my fate was sealed A man set down without ere dentials or guards among the wild des- speradoes who swarmed in war time in Ethe Asturian passes might consider Himself fortunate if an easy death fell ito his lot. In my case could make xa shrewd guess what would happen. "A single nod of meaning, one nut stered word, dropped among the say rage men with whom I should be left. sand the diamonds hidden in my boot would go neither to the cardinal nor Sback to mademoiselle-nor would it .smatter to me whither they went. So while the others talked in their tfaciturn fashion. or sometimes grinned at my gloomy face. l looked out over the brown woods with eyes that saw. yet did not see The red squirrel sswarming up the trunk. the startled pigs that rushed away grunting from 5their feast of mast. the solitary rider Swho met us. armed 10 the teeth and passed northward after whispering with the landlord-all these I saw. But my .-mind was not with them It was grop- sing and feeling about like a hunted znole for some way of escape. For time pressed. The slope we were on was 4growing sleeper By-aEd-bye We fell sinto southwardi FRifJi and began to Hollow it steadily upwards. crossing and recrossing swiftly rushing stream. The snow-peaIs began 10 be Hidden behind the rising bulk of hills that oyerhung us: and sometimes we could see nothing before or behind but the wooded walls of our valley rising sheer and greer a thousand paces on either hand, with gray rocks half masked by fern ard ivy getting here and there through the frs and alders
 It was a wild and sombre scene even at that hour. with the midday gun shining on the rushing water and drawing the scent out Of the pines: but I knew that there was worse to come and sought desperately for some ruse by which might at least separate the men. Three were too many: with oae I might deal A last. when had cud- gelled my brain for an hour and almost resigned myself 10 a sudden charge on the men single-handed-a last desper- sste resoTt-I thought of a plan. dan Eerous, toe, and almost desperate. but which still seemed to promise soE,e- thing. It came of my fingers resting ir my pocket on the fragments of the orange sachet, which. withou. having any particular design in my mind I had taken care 10 bring with me had torn the sachet into fcur pieces -four corners. As I played mechanical iy with them. one of my fingers fitted Into one. as into a glove: a second finger into another. And the plan same
 still. before could move in it, I had zio wait until Vs stopped 70 bait the Tagging horses which ~e id about noon s' the head of the valley. Then. sretcnding 70 drink from inc stream. 2 mana ged to s,cura unsesn I handful T pebbles. slipping them into ihe same
 =cket win the rngrsels Of stuff On rzttfnE to horse again. I carefully fsted pebble. not too tizhtIy. into the larg- sst scrap and made ready for the at- tempt.
 The landlord rode on my left. abreast of nc: tbs other tw0 knayss behind The road st this stage favored me. for The rallsy. which drained the bare ID
 snds that lay befveen the lower sparz and the base of the re1l mountains. rhsd heooue wide and shslIou Here were no trees and the path vss a mere shser-trsck covered with short crisp grass and running soEeiine on this bank of the stream and sometimes on hat.
 zaifsi until the rEzr bssi6e ne urned 10 spsaE uorhs men b@hi1G TEs moment ke did 90 ard his eyss Tsrs tvsr1ed. ] siippsd oaf ths scrap of attn fn Ehich had placed the pebble