The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-12-26

the shadolc OF the trees. sprang ont.
he. "Methinks that il were well for me
TO pass my dagger through his throat.
Not for your life.' cried the leader.
III he die without wound. they cannot
lay ii TO our charge. Turn now TO the
other
The man bent over De Catinat and
placed his hand upon his heart As he
did so the soldier heaved long sigh.
opened his eyes and gazed about him
with the face of one who knows neither
where he is nor how he came there.
De vivonne. who had drawn his hat
down over his eyes and mufiied the
lower part of his face in his mantle.
took out his flask and poured little
of the contents down the injured mans
throat. In an instant dash Of color
had come back into the guardsman's
bloodless checks and the light of mem
DRY into his eyes. He struggled up on
TO his feet and strove furiously to push
away those who held him. But his
head still swan, and he could scarce
hold himself erect.
Il must to Paris he gasped. II
must TO Paris. 1t is the kings mission.
You stop me at your peril
He has no hurt save scratch" said
the ex-doctor
Then hold him fast And first carry
the dying man to the carriage"
The lantern threw but a small ring
of yellow light. SO that when il had
been carried over TO De Catinat Amos
Green was left lying in the shadow.
Now they brought the light back to
where the young man lay. But there
was no sign of him. He was gone.
De vivonne caught the false doctor
by the throat and. hurting him down,
would have choked him upon the spot
had the others not dragged them apart
"You lying dog" he cried. lis this
your skill? The man has fed, and we
are ruined.'
HE has done it In his death strug-
gle." gasped the other hoarsely. He
cannot be far on
That is true. He cannot he far on
cried De vivonne. He has neither
horse nor arms. You. Despard and
Raymond de Carnac, guard the other.
that he play us no trick. DO you. La
tour, and you. Turberville, ride down
the road and wait by the south gate.
If he enter Paris at all he must come
in that way. Ii you get him, tie him
before you on your horse and bring
him to the rendezvous. In any case. 1t
matters little, for Ne b a stranger, this
fellow. and only here by chance"
The two horsemen rode on In pur-
suit Of the fugitive. and De Catinat.
still struggling desperately to escape.
was dragged down the st. Germain
road and thrust into the carriage.
which had waited at some distance
while these incidents were being en-
acted. Three of the horsemen rode
ahead, the coachman was curtly or
dered to follow them, and De Niyonne.
having dispatched one Of the band
with a note to his sister. followed after
the coach with the remainder of his
desperadoes.
The unfortunate guardsman had now
entirely recovered his senses and
found himself with strap round his
ankles and another round bis wrists.
captive inside n moving prison which
numbered heavily along the country
road He had been stunned by the
shock of his fall. and his leg was badly
bruised by the weight OF his horse
His mind. however. panied him more
than his body He sank his head into
his pinioned hands and stamped madly
with his feet. rocking himself to and
fro In his despair What fool, ire
BILE fool. be had been. He, an old sol =
der. who had seen something Of war.
to walk with open eyes into such .
trap,
But then came a return of that com
mon sense which lies so very closely
beneath the impetuosity OF the Celt-
The matter was done now, and he must
see il it could not be mended- Amos
Green had escaped. That was one
grand point in bis favor. And Amos
Green had heard the kings message
and realized its importance. 1t was
true that he knew nothing OF Paris,
but surely a man who could pick his
way at night through the forests OF
Maine would not be baked in finding
SO well known house az that Of the
archbishop Of Paris.
And then the thought OF escape &C.
CURED 10 his mind. Might he not even
now be In time perhaps to carry bis
own message? Who were these men
who had seized him? And where were
they taking him to: Full of curiosity,
he peered ont of the windows.
fTo Be ContinuSd.)