Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-09-06

"Assuredly, so far as is possible I
directed the troopers to ride in front
and keep out of ear-shot; my tive
men followed the prisoner at a like
distance, with their carbines on their
knees. Last of all I rode myself, with
my eyes open and a pistol loose in my
holster. NJ. de Cocheforet, l saw. was
inclined to sneer at so many precau-
tons and the mountain made of his re-
quest; but I had not done SO much
and come so far, / had not faced scorn
and insults, TO be cheated of my prize
at last. Aware that until we were be-
yond Auch there must be hourly and
pressing danger of a rescue, | was de-
termined that he who would wrest my
prisoner from me should pay dearly
for it. Only pride, and, perhaps, II a
degree also, appetite for a fight, a
prevented me borrowing ten troopers
instead of two.
We started, and | looked with a lin
gering eye and many memories at the
little bridge, the narrow woodland
path, the first roofs of the village;
all now familiar, all seer for the last
time. Up the brook a party of soldiers
were dragging for the captains body.
A furlong farther on, a cottage, burned
by some carelessness in the night, lay
a heap of black ashes. Louis ran be-
side us, weeping; the last brown leaves
futtered down in showers. And be-
tween my eyes and all, the slow, steady
rain fell and fell and fell. And so |
left Cocheforet.
Louis went with us to a point a mile
beyond the village, and there stood
and saw us go, cursing me furiously
as l passed. Looking back when we
had ridden on, l still saw him stand
ing; and after a moments hesitation |
rode back to him. Listen, FOOL
said, cutting him short in the midst
Of his moving and snarling, "and give
this message to your mistress. Tell
her from me that it will be with her
husband as 1t was with M. de Regnier,
when he fell into the hands of his en-
emy-no better and no worse"
"You want to kill her, too, I sup
pose?" he answered, glowering at me.
mo fool! l want to save herr" I
retorted wrathfully. "Tell her that,
just that and no more, and you will
see the result"
81 shall not" he said sullenly. Il
shall not tell her. A message from
you, indeed" And he spat on the
ground.
"Then on your head be it," I an
swered solemnly. And l turned my
horses head and galloped fast after the
others. For, in spite of his refusal
I felt sure that he would report what
had said--if it were only of curiosity;
and it would be strange If madam die
not understand the reference.
And so we began our journey; sadly
under dripping trees and a leaden sky
The country we had to traverse was
the same I had trodden on the last
day of my march southwards, but the
passage of a month had changed the
face of everything. Green dells, where
springs yelling out of the chalk hac
made of the leafy bottom a FAIRIES
home, strewn with delicate ferns ant
hung with mosses-these were now
swamps into which our horses sank tx
the fetlock. Sunny brows, whence
had viewed the champaign and TRACED
my forward path, had become bare
windswept ridges. The beech woods
which had glowed with ruddy light
i were naked now; mere black trunk
and rigid arms pointing to heaven. Al
earthly smell filled the air; a hundred
PAGES away a wall of mist closed tn
view. We plodded on sadly, up hill
I and down hill; now fording brooks al
, ready stained with f1ood-water, nov
crossing barren heaths.
But up hill or down hill, whateve
/ the outlook, l was never permitted tt
forget that l vas the %jailer, the ogre
the villain; that l, riding behind il
| my loneliness, was the blight on all
the deathspot. True, I was behind tn
others; l escaped their eyes. But ther
Q was not a line of mademoiselle's droop
ing figure that did not speak scorn t
l me, not a turn of her head that di'
not seem to say, ooh God, that sucl
a thing should breathe!'
/ l had only speech with her once dur
: ing the day and that was on the las
ridge before we went down into the va
t ley to climb up again to Auch. The raj
had ceased; the sun, near it's setting
r shown family; and for a few moment
we stood on the brow and locke
southwark while we breathed tn
T horses. The mist lay like a pail O
all the country we had traversed; bu
q beyond it and above it, cleaning pearl
g like in the level rays, the line of tn
t mountains stood UP like a land Of er
chantment, soft, radiant, wonderful
or like one of those castles on tn
S Hill of Glass of which the old re
mances tell us. I forgot, for an in
slant, how we were placed, and erie
TO my neighbor that it was the flares
pageant l had ever seen.
n She-it was mademoiselle, and 81
had taken off her mask-cast n loo
at me; only one, but it conveyed dis
I gust and loathing SO ~unspeakable the
scorn beside them would have bee
. a gift. l refined in my horse as
she had struck me and felt myse
: go first hot and then cold under he
:, eyes. Then she looked another wa,
= / did not forget the lesson; afte
that I avoided her sedulousl
:, than before. We lay that night
, Auch and l gave M. de Cocheforet til
!, utmost liberty; even permitting hill