The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-12-27

< dDpfts HHssl Bdt Nv Su3kllI.
and frowning, was now nodling ans
smiling. al instant later the heaf
disappeared. the door swung open mp
on screaming hinges, aud the carria z.
drove OIL into the courtyard beyond
leaving The escort. with the exception
Of De NiFofne, outside As the horses
pulled up, knot Of rough fellows cl.s
tered round. and the two prisoner:
were dragged roughly out. In the light
of the torches which Jared around
them they could see that they were
| hemmed in by high turreted walls
upon every side. 4 bulky man with :
bearded face, the same whom they had
seen at the grating, was standing II
the center of the group OF armed mea
issuing his orders.
TO the upper dungeon. Simon be
cried And see that they have two
bundles of straw and a loaf Of bread
until we learn our masters WILL
Il know not who your master may
be- said De Catfnat, but l would ask
YOU by wh@. warrant he dares TO stop
two messengers of the king while
travelling in his service:"
"By st. Denis. If my master play
the king trick, ii will be but tie and
tie," the stout man answered, with a
grin. But no more talk, Away with
them, Simon, and you answer to me
for their safe keeping"
1t was in vain that De Catinat raved
and threatened, invoking the most ter
rible menaces upon all who were con-
cerned in det: Ang him. Two stout
knaves thrusting him from behind and
one dragging in front forced him
through narrow gate and along n
stone tagged passage. They made
their way down three successive CORR
doris and through three doors, each of
which was locked and barred behind
them. Then they assembled a winding
stone stair, and finally they We're
thrust into a small square dungeon,
and two trusses Of straw were thrown
in after them. An instant later a
heavy key turned in the lock, and thly
were left to their own meditations.
Very grim and dark those medita-
tons were in the case OF De Catinat
A stroke of good luck had made him
at court, and now this other Of i'll for
tune had destroyed him. There were
his people in Paris, too-his sweet
Adele, his old uncle. who had been as
good as father to him. What pro-
tector would they have in their
troubles now that he had lost the
power that Eight have shielded them7
But his energetic ccmrade had yielded
to no feeling Of dependency. The in
slant that the clang Of the prison door
had assured him that he was safe
from interruption he had felt all
round the walls and flooring to see
what manner of place this might be.
His search had ended in the discovery
of a small fireplace at one conner and
Of two great clumsy billets of wood.
which seemed to have been left there
to serve as pillows for the prisoners.
Having satisfied himself that the CHM
ney was so small that it was utterly
impossible TO pass even his head up it,
he drew the two blocks of wood over
10 the window and was able by plac-
ing one above the other and standing
on, tiptoe on the highest to reach the
bars which guarded it. Drawing him
self up and fixing one toe in an in
equality of the wall, he managed to
look out on to the courtyard which
they had just quilted. The carriage
and De Vivonne were passing out
through the gate as he looked, and he
heard a moment later the slam of the
heavy door and the clatter of hoofs
from the troop of horsemen outside
The seneschaI and his retainers had
the torches, too, were
gone, and, save for the measured tread |
Of pair of sentinels in the yard TWEEN
ty feet beneath him, all was silent |
the great castle.
The window was large enough to /
pass his body through if it were not |
for those bars. He shook them and /
hung his weight upon them, but they /
were as thick as his thumb and firmly i
then, getting some strong hold
for his other foot, he supported him. /
self by one hand, while he picked with I
his knife at the setting of the iron. II /
was cement, as smooth as glass and as /
hard as marble. Ills knife turned i
when he tried to loosen it. But there /
was still the stone. 1t was sandstone, I
not so very hard. If he could cut .
grooves in it he might be able to draw
put bars. cement and all. He sprang
down to the floor again and was think
ing how he should best set to work
when a grcan drew his attention to his
Something on your mind! said
Amos Green, sitting down upon his
Dliets of wood. what was it. them
The guarosman here made move
nent of impatience. What was it!
low can you ask me when you know
is well as / do the wretched failure
If my mission? 1t was the kings
wish that the archbishop should marry
hem The archbishop should have
,een at the palace by now. All, can
zee the kings cabinet. l can see him
Waiting. l can see madame waiting, l
an hear them speak of the unhappy
De Catinat''-
II see all that" said the American
tolicsy. 'an.. l see something more"
Whist tlcn:"
Il see the archbishop tying them up
ogether F"
HE could rot be at the palace"
"On the contrary, he reached the pal
&c about half an hour ago
De Catinat sprang to his feet. At the
alace.' he screamed. Then who gave
i'm the messare2"