Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-09
UNDbsR THE :
: RED ROBE (
- BY STANLEY j. WEYMAN
tcoDyrieht, 1884. By Stanley J. weymAn.,
CHAPTER vI.-(Continued)

CHAPTER VI.-(Continued)
"Saint Gris!" he cried; and sat glar-
Ing at the bit of yellow satin, with
his face turned purple and his jaw
fallen.
What is it," said, staring at him
in turn. What is the matter, fool?"
Matter" he bluTted. Mon Dieu!'
But C,ons excitement surpassed
even his. The dumb man no sooner
saw what had attracted his comrades
attention, than he uttered an inartic-
ulate and horrible noise, and tumbling
of his horse, more like beast than a
man, threw himself bodily on the pre-
cious morsel.
The innkeeper was not far behind
him. An instant and he was down. too,
peering at the thing; and for an in
slant I thought that they would fight
over It. However, though their jeal-
ousy was evident. their excitement
cooled a little when they discovered
that the scrap of stuff was empty; for,
fortunately the pebble had fallen
out Of it. Still, it threw them into
such a fever of eagerness as 1t was
wonderful to witness. They nosed the
ground where it had lain, they plucked
up the grass and turf and passed 1t
through their fingers, they ran to and
fro like dogs on a trail; and, glancing
askance at one another, came back al
ways together to the point Of depart
ure. Neither In his jealousy would SUI
fer the other to be there alone.
The shock headed man and sat our
horses and looked on: he marvelling,
and pretending to marvel. AS the
two searched up and down the path,
we moved little out of it to give
them space; and presently, when all
their heads were turned from me, I
'et second morsel drop under a
orse-bush. The shock-headed man,
and-bye, found this, and gave 1t
Clon; and, as from the circum-
tances OF the first discovery no. sus-
picion attached to me, ventured to
find the third and last scrap myself.
did not pick 1t up, but called the Inn
keeper, and he bounced on 1t as have
seen hawk pounce on a chicken.
They hunted for the fourth morsel,
but, of course, in vain, and in the end
they desisted, and fitted the three they
had together; but neither would let
his own portion out Of his hands, and
each looked at thasasother across the
80 n - tspicion. 1t was
Sassasa.t hat 4zzi;sf
Z,
JACKS Of hills swelled up into the ST.
.ence of the snow-it was strange,
say, in that vast solitude to see these
two, mere dots on its bosom, circling
round one another in fierce forgetful-
ness of the outside world, glazing and
shifting their ground like cocks about
to engage. and wholly engrossed-by
three scraps of orange-color, invisible
at 50 PAGES!
At last the innkeeper cried with an
oath: II am going back. This must
be known down yonder. Give me your
pieces, man, and, do you go with An
tome. 1t will be all right
( But Clon, waving scrap in either
hand and thrusting his CHASTITY mask
into the others face shook his head in
passionate denial. He could not speak.
but he made 1t clear that If any one
went back with the news he was the
man to go.
''Nonsense!" the landlord retorted
fercely. I'VE cannot leave Antoine to
go alone with him. Give me the stuff"
But Clon would not. He had no
thought Of resigning the credit of the
discovery, and began to think that
the two would really come to blows.
But there was an alternative, and first
one and then the other looked at me.
It was a moment Of peril, and knew
It, My strategem might react on my
self, and the two, to put an end to
this difficulty, agree to put an end to
me. But faced them so coolly and
showed so bold front, and the ground
was so open, that the idea took no
root They fell to wrangling again
more viciously than before. One tapped
his gun and the other his pistols The
landlord scolded, the dumb man CUR
gled. At last their difference ended
as had hoped 1t would.
every well then. we will both go
back!" the innkeeper cried in a rage
"And Antoine must see him on. But
the blame be on your head. Do you
give the lad your pistols
Clon took one pistol and gave it to
the shock headed man.
THE other!" the innkeeper said i'm.
patiently.
But Cion. shook his head with a
grim smile and pointed to the argue
buss.
By sudden movement the land
lord Enatched the pistol and averted
Clon's vengeance by placing both it