The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1910-09-08

stair.
Blindly ! bent and Kissed the red lips
still raised to mine, put away the
clinging hands-with what aching OF
the heart may be tmagined!-and fol-
lowed M. lie Comte without daring to
look back. Down we flew, half smoth-
cred by the fumes of sulphur and
clouds of dust, down into that black
pit which yawned to swallow us, one
flight, two-then M. lie Comte held me
back.
Wait he said; wait" and he de-
scended cautiously some few steps. He
was back beside me In a moment.
They have made a breach he said.
Il could see the CLINT of their torches
through it. But they must clear away
the debris before they can enter. We
have perhaps five minutes"
We a hold the STAIR" I said. TT
Is steep and narrow. Two swords can
keep an army back"
But once they gain entrance below
us, they can burn us out. No, we nus
it. Better death by the SWORD than by
fire"
"And the women?"
For Them" he said, with set teeth,
the same death as for us-it is the
only For me, my wife; for you,
Charlotte. Are you brave enough to
thrust your sword init her ileart, my
frIeud?"
A cold sweat broke out upon me,
head to foot.
God In heaven, mol" I cried hoarse-
iy. Not tnat-anything but that"
cas- for me-" said my companion,
with q terrible calmness, "I prefer to
kill my wife rather thar abandon her
to the mercies Of Goujon. Come,
Tavernay, be a man! You love her
and yet you hesitateI"
Love her! Oh. God!" I groaned.
Come! We have but a moment.
They are almost through" and, In
deed, l could hear the frantic blows
with which the debris was being swept
aside, could see the reflection of the
torches glare. BY a supreme effort I
controlled the trembling which shook
me.
Very well, monsieur" l said, as
calmly as l could. 81 am ready. What
is 1t you propose2"
By the dim glare of the torches I
could see his white face, poised like
a phantom's in the air before me
Spoken like a mani" he said and
gripped my hand. What 1 propose is
this-we will hold his stair until they
ind they cannot carry it by assault;
then, as they prepare their fire, we
is that?'
|, too, heard the blood curdling sound
which rose suddenly in one corner of
the room. 1t was a sort of snarling
whine, which rose and fell and rose
again, mixed with a hideous painting
which never stopped. There was some
thing bestial about it-something APP
paling, inhuman-yet what beast could
produce a sound like that?
Cautiously We approached the cor
n,er, sword in hand. Whatever it was,
however formidable, we must have it
out-we could run no risk of being taxi
en- in the real The great, draped bed
loomed through the darkness, sinister
and threatening. The sounds came
from within 1.-THE thing had taken
refuge there. AS ] stared with smart
ing eyes, l fancied I could see the cur
talns culver, as though the thing be-
ness to spring upon us.
A light! We must have a lightln
cried M. lie Comte, stamping his feet
IN an agony of 1mpatience. Goods
blood! What is 1t. T~avernay?"
Gripping my teeth to restrain their
c~hatter1ng, | advanced to the bed and
jerked down the rotting curtains. Thew
fell in a suffocating shower Of dust.
yet even then I could see nothing Of
what ny behind. But the noise ceased.
A suddenly beside me rise a
pts In, which, even as I drew back
my arm to strike, seized my wrist and
held 1t in a grip Of steel.
NO SO fast, monsieur" sal,
hoarse voice.
"Pasdeloup! Was 1t you. them"
to his master.
II have a rope, NJ. lie Comte," he said
simply.
"A ropel A rope! But where did
you get 1t, Pasdeloup?"
eFrOm the he'd oh r boa $500,
enough loosening those knotsl They
been frightened by I know not what
weight! The people who Law in that
bed We're giants! And at the end. I
thought 1t would be too late. But II Ia
mott is notl Come-there is vet a
chance!" -
He started for the stair. and ~ tho
same instant there came from below
a crash of falling stone ana q chorus
of e%xultant yells.
They have broken through said
M. lie Comte. They Will be upon us in
a moment. T~avernay, to you I confde
my wife. and to you, Pasdeloupi HAS
ten! Hasten! I will keep them back
and he took his station at the stair
head.
Without a word Pasdeloup threw the
rone to me, sprang to the corner
Whare the bed stood, inc with a single
JERK tipped off one of the heavy posts,
NPpSN NiiCLp pushing his
master aside, roughly and yet tenderiv
he seized for himself the post of dan,
ger, from which there could be no re-
treat.
GO, m~essieures," he cried. go
quicklyl There is yet time!"
We stood uncertain. It seemed such
a cowardly thing to run away, leaving
this man to face the frenzied mob
to abandon him, to permit him to Law
down his life for us-such a cowardly
thing!
He glanced around to see us stiIl
standing there.
"NotZgoneln HI cried f~.,r,onsIy
Body OF Godi Are we all to die. then
and the women, too? Foolsi Cow
ardsi"
He is right" said M. lie comte.
hoarsely. He is right, Tavernay-it is
~cowardice holds us here! We must 70.
IL we would save the women. Pasde.
loup," he said, II thank thee. I honor
thee. Thou art a better man than n"
GO, monsieur. go!" urged Pasde-
loup. II am paying my debt. NV life
has been yours, any time these 90
years. 1t is nothing. Co.
Without a word NJ. lie Comte turned
and started up the stair. I followed
him, my eyes blurred with tears. And
as we went. we heard a rush OF feet