The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1906-01-19

sist the impost of q tribute tax levy
OF one million carroll. The emperor hal
given over IA Of the ringleaders to
death by fire at the hands OF jacques
Barra. But still his vows of ven
eeance were unsatiated. There re-
NAMED the Tongue Of Roland and the
bellman from whose hand had swelled
the calls to war.
Jacques Barra beat again upon thu
door. De Lannoy stood within with
back set hard against the great oak
panels. Then he shot back the chains,
rolled the door, and bowed low across
the threshold before the gorgeous her
aid. Upon the bell-ringer's right arm
was sewed a telltale band Of white.
1t was the badge Of the rebellion.
Barra looked down upon De LAnnoy.
and with a sheer upon his SCARED and
bearded countenance, grufly interpo-
lated:
II am the man of Charles. BY his
order I am commanded to take posses
slon of this belfry, tear from its roots
the Tongue Of Roland"-he stopped
short a moment, and then added in
tones intended to sink into the heart
OF the bellman-"and should I encoun-
ter resistance, I Am to use my
discretion. Remember Levien Pyl!"
who was Levien Pyl?" sullenly
answered De Lannoy, sparring foc
time, although he well knew the grew
some story.
"a man after your own black heart
"a dog of a traitor with a white badge
upon his arm"-he pointed with his
sword toward the bellman's sleeve. H
dled-but u%nhappily. 1. the man OF
Charles, crushed his fingers one by one
until he swooned from loss Of blood"
He laughed mockingly and threw his
steel gauntlet into De Lannoy's face.
De Lannoy took a quick step behind
n Of the attendants and tore from
his hands his short sword. With 1t he
disposed Of the servant from whoru
ii had been snatched, and turned upon
the herald. The wounded attendant
fell to- the mosaic pavement with a
groan. Like hungry tigers two other
fellows leaped upon the bellman's back
before he could make another move,
and bore him to the ground.
~ lcdIucIh IuOuS Wdo opp
around De Lannoy's wrists and twist
ed taut until cruel channels were
gcuged into the unprotected skin.
Nov for the bell, men," Barra
cried, pointing upward with his sword.
"Tear out the clapper-and make short
work of It,"
It was quickly done; Rolard's
tongue hung upon a coupling which
enc man could readily loosen.
Barra laughed again with the old
sheer. He took the hempen Tops
with which the bellman had been
wont to ring his bell, and, deftly run
ming up the ladder In the wall, fas-
tened 1t to the coupling in the heart
of Roland from which the clapper had
swung.
Then he dropped the coil. It fell
directly in De Lannoy's %upturned face.
The bellman groaned In anticipation
of his fate.
Barra kindled a fire In the corner OF
the tower. He broke the chairs and
table, feeding their kindling into the
flames. Into the heart of the blaze he
thrust the heavy end Of the bell clap
per. In silence he watched it for sew
eral moments. De Lannoy in a frenzy
cursed him once. Barra only laughed
and drew the iron tongue from the
flames. The end was white with heat.
Quickly he carried the tongue to
the hempen rope, and, fastening it
through the coupling, hung 1t over
De Lannoy's face. 1t swung ten inches
above him, yet the heat turned the
bellman's cheek a livid green, and cast
into his eyes the fire of a demon.
Barra drew a fagot from the fire and
touched 1t to the hempen rope. The
strands caught the flame, and a tiny
rlnglet Of smoke fioated out into the
air. Barra thrust his hands deep
into his pockets and with staring eyes
watched first the burning rope, then
the white-hot tongue Of iron, then the
face of his victim. De Lannoy's teeth
were set as in a wise. His jaws stood
out as from a skull. His eyebrows al
ready were burned away.
The room was dark as the blacklist
night. The two attendants huddled,
shivering. against the remotest corner
of the tower. Their eye were fixed
upon the rope In CHASTITY stare. The
wave OF smoke grew heavier. Now
and her the burning strands sput-
tered their threatening warning. The
iron tongue was trembling. It
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. an awful
scream of agony burst through the
tower walls. bounding from the belfry
In terrorizing echo, cleaving the sky OF
Client as had the Tongue Of Roland.
I jumped to my feet with a cry OF
fright. MY face and brow were wet
with cold sweat. I was trembling
from head to foot. Intuitiveiy !
glanced to the mantelpiece for the
Tongue Of Roland. 1t had fallen to
the hearth, and the Nd which lay
In the s~mouldering irc was white with
heat.
L M#N NA.aH.M --... NT.N