The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-12-27
q norseman vas rlalng Lose up on

/
either side, but there was glass in
,Afront OF the carriage. and through this
| he could gain sci3e idea rs TO his where
@bouts. The clouds Lad cleared now,
| End the moon was shining brightly,
bathing the whole wide landscape in
it's shimmering light 10 the right Iay
the open country, broad plains WITH
clumps of woodland and the towers Of
castles pricking out from above the
groves. On the left. but far away, lay
hthe glimmer OF Paris. They were ieav-
|lstn2 it rapidly behind Whatever his
wIestination. it was neither the capital
iblor Versailles. Then he began to count
II he chances Of escape. His sword baG
.ioeen removed, and his pistols were stilI
/ In the holsters beside his unfortunate
yaiorsc. He was unarmed, then, even If
nie could free himself, and his captors
exere at least dozen in number. There
Elevere three ahead. riding abreast
yslong the white moonlit road. Then
here was one on each side. and he
should Judge by the CHATTER of hoofs
n hat there could not be fewer than half
al dozen behind. That would make ex-
tactly twelve, including the coacliman-
n 100 many, surely, for an unarmed man
a
aioachman be had glanced through the
class front at the broad back of the
nan, and he had suddenly in the glim-
-,ner of the carriage lamp observed
,omething which struck him with hor-
or
The man was evidently desperately
Wounded. 1t was strange indeed that
le could still sit there and flick his
whip with so terrible an injury. In
he back of his great red coat, just I'M
\, er the left shoulder blade, was a cash
N the cloth where some weapon had
o'assed, and all round was a wide patch
\ dark scarlet which told its own tale.
Tor was this all. AS he raised his
vhip the moonlight shone upon his
land, and De Catinat saw, with a
aihudder, that it also was splashed and
logged with blood. The guardsman
raned his neck to catch glimpse Of
!, ne mans face, but his broad brimmed
! lat was drawn low. and the high col
= lir OF his driving coat was raised, SO
Il lat his features were in the shadow.
And now they had come to a spot
there the main road ran onward, but
III smaller side track wound away down
Il ne steep slope OF a hill. and 50 in the |
|ifrection of the Seine. The advance
Uard had kept to the main road and
lie two horsemen on either side were |
fotting in the same direction when, to |
n Catinaps amaZement, the carriage
III eI!y swery ed to one side and in !
-~tant PLUNGED Gown the steep in
IN a, the two STOUT horses galloping
m tsc.r t1nlost s.eed, the coachman
fes.ncing up and lashing furiously at
leaen ana the clumsy old vehicle bound
ssg along in way which threw him
n lckward and forward from one seat |
II the other. Behind him he could hear
shout of CONSERVATION from the es-
(rt aud then the rush of gallopipg
bofs. Fast as the coach went, its
krsuers went faster still. The rattle
~ their hoofs was at the very back,
ld suddenly at one of the windows
ere came into view the red, distend-
ncstrils OF horse. Slowly it drew
rward, the muzzle, the eye. the ears,
tt,1e Eanc. coming into sight as the
&isler still gained. and then above them
Q fierce face of Despard and the
MEAN of brass pistol.
at the horse. Despard: at the horse.'
SIZED an authoritative voice from be-
nd.
The pistol flashed. and the coach
convulsive spring. But the driver
i'll shrieked aud dashed with his whip,
lile the carriage bounded onward.
But now the road turned a sudden
rye. and there, right in front Of