Gunnison news-champion., 1909-04-16

aaa tgrcEss caught nss fuii ia
the eyes Iross ia. ssher -..lc
Il sEs hris-e. Bsi sosa tn. SCENE grew
cs<as and u wa- a ssranse -ccas- The
bridge vas ia its place. At the far cad
~ II stss-. q ssoup Il the agses s.ry
ants Two er three carried the I-bs-
which had dazziod nss. tl.rce eF four
hssd pikes IN rest They w.rc hassliesl
together their Weapons we're f,rssrad
ed before th.tn. their faces were pa,e
and agitated- 10 pat ID plainly tsey
looked in as arrast a fright as l have
seen nseH lsok. and they gazcd apI,r.
heasivcly al a man who -ioSa Ia the
middle Of the brid2e sword ia hand
Rupert ueutzau Was ga his trousers
and shirt. The white linen was stained
with ilsad hui bis easy. bunyau pose
todd me that be- was himself citIssr Mt
touched Vt all or meFcly scratched
There be- siepd boiding the bridge
against them and diriaz th.m 10 come
on. or. rafhaf. bidding them aad BLACK
Michael To- him. aud thry having no
firearms covered bcfore the desperate
man and dared not attack him They
whispered 30 one another. and IN the
backmesi rank ! saw my friend DO
ham lcaning against the portal Of the
door aud siauchlng with handker-
chief the blood which flowed from a
wound in bis cheek
BY Wrrrellus chance l was master
The era us would oppose me no more
than they dared attack Rupert | had
hut to raise my revolver 90 send him
10 his account with his sins ON his
head. lie did not SO much as know
that ! was there did nothing why.
| hardly know 90 this day. ! had XIII
ed one man stealthily that night and
another 10y luck rather than skill-per-
haps It was that. Again. villain as
the man was. | did not relish being
one Of crowd against him-perhaps
It was that But stronger than either
of these restraining feelings came a
curiosity and fascination which held
me spellhound, watching for the out
come Of the scene.
Michael. you dog, Michael, II you
can stand come on cried Rupert
And he advanced step the group
shrinking back little before him.
The answer to his tauuts came in
the Wild cry OF n woman:
Hes dead, My God. he's dead.'
Dead" shouted Rupert Il struck
better than | knew And he laughed
triumphantly. Then he went on /:
Down with your weapons there, I'm
your master nowi Down with them.
say
l believe they would have obcyed,
but as he spoke came new things
First there arose a distant sound. as
II shouts and knockings from the 9th
er side Of the chateau. My heart leap
ed. IL must he my men. come by "A
happy disobedence to seek me. The
noise continued. but none of the rest
seemed 10 heed it. Their attention
was chained by what now happened
before their eyes. The group of serv-
ants parted, and a woman staggered
on to the bridge. Antoinette de Mau-
ban was in loose white robe, her
dark hair streamed over her shoulders,
her face was CHASTITY pale, and her
eyes CLEANED wildly in the light of the
torches. In her shaking hand she held
revolver. aud as she tottered for
ward she fired at Rupert Hentzau.
The ball missed him and struck the
woodwork over my head.
Faith, madam" laughed Rupert,
had your eyes been no more deadly
than your shooting | had not been In
this scrape nor Back Michael in the
lower regions tonight
She took no notice of his words.
With a wonderful effort she calmed
herself till she stood still and rigid.
Then very slowly and deliberately she
began to raise her arm again. takin;
most careful aim.
He would be mad to risk it. He must
rush on her. CHANGING the bullet. or re
treat toward me. ! covered him with
my weapon.
He did neither. Before she had got
her aim he bowed In his most graceful
fashion. cried. Il can't kill where I've
kissed" and before she or l could stop
him laid his hand on the parapet of the
bridge and lightly leaped into the moat
At the very moment l heard a rush
of feet and voice l knew-Sapt's-
cry, God. its the duke-dead,' Then
l knew that the king needed me no
more. and, throwing down my revOlv.
er, / sprang out on the bridge. There
was a cry Of wild wonder The king
and then /, like Rupert Hentzau. sword
in hand. vaulted over the parapet. in
tent on finishing my quarrel with him
where l saw his curly head fifteen
yards OF in the water Of the moat
He swan swiftly and easily. l was
weary and half crippled with my
wounded arm. could not gain on him
For time ! made no sound, but as We
rounded the corner of the old keep
cried:
stop. Rupert. Stop
saw him look over his shoulder. bu,
he swan on. He was under the bank
nov, searching. as guessed, for a spot
r.