The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-06-25

Oh IlC SIOWu o. INV JON
learned how few we were, nor saw, l
/, think, that It was but a woman who
confronted them. To rush into the low
doorway and storm the narrow wind
ing staircase I'm the face of unknown
numbers was q task from which the
bravest veterans might have fiinched,
n the townsfolk, furious as they
were, hung back. / took advantage OF
the pause. / grasped the halbert my
self and pushed the duchess back.
Drag him upI" / muttered. IF you
cannot manage Il, 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 1 judged
she had reached the room above I,
too, turned and ran UP after her, post
ing myself In the last angle just below
the room. There I 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 q time, and he would be a brave
ma who should storm the stairs in
my teeth.
All this, I remember. was done In a
kind of desperate frenzy in haste and
confusion, with no plan or final .pur-
pose, but simply out or the instinct
OF self preservation, which led me to
DO, from moment 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 enc
mics might not swarm In on US from
q dozen entrances. / had no time to
think OF more than just this-that my
staircase. Of which / did not know,
must be held.
I think I had stood there about a
minute, breathing hard and listening
to the din outside, which came to my
ears a little softened by the thick
walls round me-so much softened, at
least, that / could heal my heart beat
Ing in the midst Of it-when the Ouch
ess came back to the door above.
could see her, there being a certain
amount Of light in the room behind
her, but she cou'l not see me. What
can I DOR she asked softly. f
answered by a question. rs he
aHve?" / muttered.
Yes, but hurt" she answered, strug-
Cling with a sob, with q fiuttering OF
the woman's heart she had repressed
so bravely. Much hurt, I fear. Oh.
why, why, did we come here?"
She did not mean 1t as a reproach.
but I took 1t as and braced my
self more firmly to meet this CRISIS
to save her at least If II should be any
way possible. When she asked again,
can I do a~nything?" I bade her take
my pike and stand where / was for q
moment. Since no enemy had vet made
his appearance above the strength Of
our position seemed to hold out some
hope, and II was the more essential
that I should understand II and know
exactly what our chances were.
I 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 III On the side
toward the town was a long, low win
dow, through which-a score or the
diamond panes were broken already
the fare 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 than a loophole or an arrow slit,
with no opening which ever a boy
could enter. For the present, therefore,
unless the top of the tower should be
escalded from the adjacent houses
and l 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 shiver OF
falling glass to the general din. Nc
wonder the child walled and the girl
sank over 1t in AFFECT terror. Those
vag 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 1t was. ".
AS yet 1t was so desperate that TO,
a moment / leaned against the wall
dazed 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 a borne 1t better. I might
have felt then some Of the joy Of bat
tie and h stern pleasure Of the one
matched against the many. But I was
alone. How was I to save these wom-
en- and that poor child from the yell.
ing crew outside? How indeed? / dic
not know the enemy's language;
could not communicate, with him, could
not communicate with him, could not
not explain, could not even cry fo1
quarter for h women.
A stone which glanced from one o.
the muilions and grazed my shoul-
der reused me from this at OF
cowardice, which, I trust and
believe, had lasted for a few Sec
onds only. At the same moment an un.
usual voiley of missiles tore through the
window as IL discharged at a given sig.
nal. We were under cover. and they
did as no harm, rolling for the most
u part noisily about the floor. But wher
the storm ceased and a calm a. sudder
followed I heard a dull. regular SOUND
close to the window thud! thud
~thud!-and on the instant deyined the
plan and the danger. My courage came
back, and with 1t my wits. i remern'
bered an old ale I had heard and
dropping my sword where I stood,
Jew to the hearth and unlocked thu
great pot. 1t was heavy, half full o.
something - broth most likely. but
rocked nothing OF that. / bore II swift
ly to the window, and just as the fore
most man on the ladder had driven In
the lead work before him with his al
flung the whole Of che contents-theA
were NOT scalding, but they were verl
hot-ln his face. The fellow shriekeC
loudly and, blinded and taken by sur
prise, lost HIS hold and fell against hi
supporter, and both tumbled dowr