Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-06-26

! lfti 10 INV lC" VIC N0Its ilOl I'd W. 4
think, that II was but a woman who
confronted them. To rush into the low
doorway and storm the narrow wind
ing staircase in the face of unknown
number was a task from which the
bravest veterans might ave flinched,
and the ~townsfolk, furious as they
We're, hung back. / took advantage of
the pause. 1 grasped the halbert my
self and pushed the duchess back.
Drag him up!" I muttered. IF you
cannot manage ii, call Anne"
But grief and hard necessity gave
her strength, and despite the noise In
front of me / heard her toll painting
up with her burden. When l judged
she had reached the room above l.,
too, turned n ran up after her, post
ing myself in the last angle just below
the room. There l was sheltered from
missiles by the turn in the staircase
and was further protected by the dark
ness. Now | could hold the way with
little risk, for only one could come UP
at a time, and he would be a brave
man who should storm the stairs in
my teeth.
All this, | remember, was done in a
kind OF desperate frenzy in haste and
confusion, with no plan or final pur-
pose, but simply out OF the instinct
or self preservation, which led me to
do, from to moment, what /
could TO save our lives. / did not know
whether there was another staircase
TO the tower, nor whether there were
enemies above us, whether indeed ene-
niles might not swarm in on us from
a dozen entrances. / had no time to
think of more than Just this-that my
staircase, of which l did not know,
must be held.
| think | had stood there about a
minute, breathing hard and listening
to the dir outside, which came to my
ears a little softered by the thick
walls round me-so much softened, at
least, that | could hear my heart beat
Ing in the midst of it-when the duch-
ess came back to the door above. 1
could see her, there being a certain
amount of light in the room behind
her, but she cou'l not see me. What
can l do"" she asked softly.
answered by a question. rs he
alive?" | muttered.
Yes, but hurt" she answered, strug-
Cling with a sob, with a fluttering of
the woman's heart she had depressed
so bravely. Much hurt, I fear. oh,
why, why, did we come here?"
She did not mean 1t as a reproach.
but | took 1t as one and braced my
self more firmly to meet this crisis
to ave her at least If it should be any
way possible. When she asked again,
"can | do anything" / bade her take
my pike and stand where / was for a
moment. Since no enemy had yet made
his appearance above the strength of
our position seemed to hold out some
hope, and it was the more essential
that should understand it and know
exactly what our chances were.
l sprang up the stairs into the room
and looked round, my eyes seeming to
take in everything at once. 1t was a
big. bare room, with signs of habi-
tation only in one corner. On the side
toward the town was a long, low win
dow, through which-a score of the
diamond panes were broken already
the flare of the besiegers' torches fell
luridly on the walls and vaulted roof
BY the dull embers of a wood fire, over
which hung a huge black pot, Mas
ter BERTHE was lying on the boards,
breathing loudly and painfully, his
head pillowed on the duchess kerchief.
Beside him sat Mistress Anne, her face
hidden, the child wailing in her lap.
A glance around assured me that
there was no other staircase, and that
on the side toward the country the
wall was pierced with no window big
ger han a loophole or an arrow slit,
with no opening which even a boy
could enter. For the present, therefore,
unless the top of the tower should be
escalded from the adjacent houses
and | could do nothing to provide
against that-we had nothing to fear
except from the staircase and the win
dow | have mentioned. Every moment,
however, a missile or a shot crashed
through the latter, adding the SILVER of
falling glass to the general din. No
wonder the child walled and the girl
sank over IL in abject terror. Those
savage yellS might we'll make a wom-
an blanch. They carried more fear
and dread to my heart than did the
real danger of u position, desperate
as ii was.
AS yet it was so desperate that for
a moment l leaned against the wall
da2ed and hopeless, listening to the in
fernal tumult without and within. Had
BERTHE been by my side to share the
responsibility and join in the risk, /
could IA borne 1t better. | might
have felt then some OF the joy of bat
tie n the stern pleasure Of the one
matched against the many. But l was
alone. How was l TO save these wom-
en- and that poor child from the yell
ing crew outside? How indeed? did
not know the enemy's language;
could not communicate with him, could
not communicate with him, could not
not explain, could not even cry foY
quarter for the women
A stone which glanced from one OF
the mullions n grazed my shout
der reused me from this fit OF
cowardice, which, l trust and
believe, had lasted Tor a few Sec
onds only. At the same momen an un.
usual volley OF missiles tore through the
) window as II discharged at a given sig
, nal. We were under cover. and they
I, did US no harm. rolling for the mos,
part noisily about the fioor. But wher
l the storm ceased and a calm as sudder
followed l heard "a dull, regular SOUND
] close to the window-a thud! thud
I thud.-and on the instant devined TIT
plan and the danger. My courage cams
z back. and with IL my wits. l remem
: bered an old tale l had heard and
: dropping my sword where l stood.
= flew to the hearth and unlocked tn
great pot. 1t was heavy, half full o
, something - broth most likely. but
rocked nothing of that. l bore 1t swift
: liz to the window, and just as the fore
, most man on the ladder had driven II
!. the lead work before him with his a,
) flung the whole of the contents-the
!. were not scalding. but they were YER.
! hot-in his face The fellow shrieke'
: loudly and, blinded and taken by sur
: prise. lost his hold and fell against hi
= lsupporter. and both tumbled dow
! again more quickly than n e ha'
a come up.
= Sternly triumphant. / poised the grea
: pot itself In my hands. thinking to ninl
IL down upon the sea of savage UP
Il turned faces, 81 which l a a brie
view. as the torches fiared nov On one
: now on another. But prudence pre-
Mod x.,ara ,fkr