The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-08-18
TAVERNAY
"A TGls of the Red Terror
BY BURTON E. STEVENSON.
Asaher Of .Ths Marathon MydnGyr "Ths Holiday Case" "a Soldier Of
Virginia" etc.
% Copyrighted. 1909. by Burton z. Stevenson.

<hhp az tiC oNtICit Will a .
Of relief. II am glad 1 was so lenient.
1 might have decreed the gallows or
the wheel for the miserable poacher."
"Oui da, monsieur agreed Pas
deloup, with a grim smile. But after
all your clemency was a mistake, for
there are some men who prefer the gall
lows to the white-hot iron. That mis-
though he has since become Citizen
Goujon. a deputy of the republic"
"A deputy?"
Fl arrived at DANCE q week ago."
You mean 1t Is he who aroused
these ~peasants?"
Undoubtedly. 1t was also he who
sent Laroche to o with the message
that madame was ILL.,"
Then, in a flash / remembered where
l had heard the name.
"Pas3cloup is right" / cried. when
Dubcsq was placing the sentries in The
garden l heard him say hat it was
from Citizen Goujon he had his orders.
But this Goujon cannot be such q bad
fellow, since he gave a peremptory
command that the women were not to
be harmed
did he do that?" asked NJ. lie Comte,
with q quick breath of relief. Then
1t Is only me he hates-it Is only me
he seeks. Well, 1 can face death. But
when l saw that we were abandoned
to this mob, / f~ancied-I fancied-"
Dc not fear, monsieur" said Pas
deloup in a strange voice. This mob
has leaders who will also take care
to deliver madame unframed into the
hands Of Citizen Gouton."
We'll, and what them" demanded
his master. why do you speak in
that toner"
Because, monsieur" answered Pas
deloup grimly, you do not 'snow Gou-
jon. Hatred Of monsieur was not the
only reason which led to this attack"
What Is the other reason?"
Pasdeloup looked down at the mob,
then away to the east toward DANCE,
his lips compressed.
Come, tell mel" commanded his
master. This is not the time for
hesitancies."
Pasdeloup cleared his throat gruffy.
Citizen Goujon has the audacity to
love Madame la Comtesse." he said
finally.
M. lie Comte burst into a laugh.
Amy fool may worship a star" he
said. He cannot drag 1t down to
him."
"Goujon is trying t. drag this one
down, monsieur" added Pasdeloup
quietly, "as he tried once before. But
this time, he believes hat success is
certain
His master grew suddenly sober.
LAS he tried once before?'" he re-
peated. Your meaning, Pasdeloup!"
"Ah, monsieur" answered Pasde-
loup, with a gesture indicating that
the matter had been taken out of his
hands, sit was not by mistake that
GouJon entered the attic three years
ago. 1t extended also. you will remem-
Der. above the apartment of madame;
he a planned to descend some night,
when you were absent"
"Ah. If I had known cried his mas
ter hoarsely. IF I had known. But
how do o know all this, Pasdeloup?'
he demanded, turning upon the other
fercely, a sudden red suspicion In his
eyes.
"Goujon himself told me-" replied
Pasdeloup, calmly, 'two nights ago
at DANCE, when he had drunk too
much wine. Shall / continue the
story. monsieur. or have you heard
enough"
Continue" said his master; 'let
us have 1t ALL" and he bowed his head
upon his breast.
your service" went on Pasdeloup,
"Coujon spent his days and night
watching the chateau. in the hope that
chance might yet give Madame into
his hands. He lived by poaching, as
you happened to discover. After you
had punished him, he still fingered for
a time in YOU woods, defying death.
He was half mad. I think; he was
willing to suffer torment, face any tor
ture, IL he could die with the con-
seriousness of having possessed Mad
anne. Not only his love for her, but
his hatred of you urged him on. Al
last, he thought of a better way. he
Joined h assassins at Paris, and now
he has returned. armed with q power
xHvk ~ ~..sll 49, - .
OF this" he added, with q gesture to-
ward the hell below, sis for the u
pose OF enabling him to taste that
revenge. You al guess now why he
ordered that Madame should be de-
livered into his hands unframed"
nj. lie Comics face was livid.
rs he in this mob?" he asked
hoarsely. Point him out to me, Pas
deloup!"
II do not think he is here, M. IL
Comte," answered Pasdeloup. mot yet
knows, fate may give you a chance al
him."
NJ. lie Comte grew suddenly silent
searching the others face with eyes
intent.
How came you to be with Goujor
two nights ago?" he demanded. Have
you been consorting with these scoun-
drels
IF / have, M. lie Comte," answered
Pasdeloup simply, lit was that / nigh,
better serve my master-that 1 might
pay my debt"
your debt?"
"Ah, that is another thing he doe.
not remember" said P~asdeloup, turn.
ing to me with a sad little smile. Blu
he was only a boy at the time and i
was to him a little thing, not worth
remembering. We lived in a hut OF
the edge of h wood yonder, m,
mother and L. Every morning, m,
mother cleaned the sites here at tn,
chateau and gave the pigs their food
For this she received every day q loa
Of black bread, and she managed nov
n then to snatch a few morsel
from the trough, when no one wa
near. Eor the rest, we lived on tn
roots and nuts we gathered in tn
forest and we were permitted ais,
to use such wood as the storms swep
from the trees. In this manner, w,
somehow managed to keep alive.
But n day, my mother fell Ill
h could not go to her work; instead
she grew worse and worse, and / ha,
no food TO give her. In the course O
three days. ! myself grew so hungr.
that i could think of nothing better t
do h to sit in the sun at the doc
OF u hut and weep. 1t was while
was doing this tina i heard n noise