The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-12-21
v-(continued).

loose and can easily be raised"
was painting with excitement. so
this was how his voice could reach me!
"A moment!" / cried, and my fingers
CROPPED for the loosened slab. 1t was
4 soon found, but how to raise II was a
/ question, for / could get no hold OF it.
In an instant I had torn the buckle
/ from my hoe and inserted its edge
into the creek. / prled the stone up,
but a dozen times IT slipped back before
I could arrest II. Finally. 1 raised it
half an inch. grasped the edge with
desperate fingers, n with an effort
which made my muscles crack tilted
It up. looked into the hold. but could
see nothing.
THE slab is out, monsieur I called.
Good" said Richelieu, and then
there. was an instant's pause. Now"
he went on. at last, "as :! raise this
other stone do you slide 1t Jack o Il
of the way"
In a moment It was done, and / found
myself looking down into his eyes so
near they almost startled me, for he
had placed his chair upon his bench
and was standing on 1t.
The guard will be back" he said.
Bring your bench to the corner and
lie down upon It."
did as he directed. and saw that
ne had jumped down from his chair and
was walking carelessly about his cell.
Again the sentry reached the door,,
paused an instant to glance within,
and then went on his round.
Richelieu was back upon his chair
In an instant.
Now" he said. Il can pay you a 10
minutes visit. 1 know the routine of
this place.. and he held out his hands
10 me. I reached down, graspod them,
and he scrambled lightly up beside me.
l began to think that, after all. es-
anna rafuhf NOT he GIIph- a 6ifHpnlt
thing. What other secrets'o of the prison
might he not possess?
TITS not the first time I hav made
that trip and he laughed as he
brushed the dust from his. sleeve.
when the king sent me here" to re-
,pect of that affair at Marty he permit
ted my tutor to accompany me. But
in the evening we were separated, and
he was locked UP in this cell. to spend
the night. We were both dying Of
ennui, and determined to spend the
nights together. So with infinite pa
tience he picked away the cement
around this slab and the one under 1t.
AS you see. they rest on the Orders II
so remain in place. The guard cannot
see into the cells after night falls, so
we were not disturbed. 1t is fortunate
the corner Is dark" he added, land
that the cracks OF the floor are filled
with dirt, else the ruse might have
pCGn ulSSON IN l. loot
"And now what2" / asked, trembling
with impatience.
Nov to escape," said the duke, and
sat down on the bench to consider.
But to escape, and with only our
bare hands for tools! What a problem!
Yet / was determined that it should be
solved. Others had escaped from the
bastille. Why not we?
CLEARLY" / said, after q moment, we
cannot hope to break Gown the door
nor penetrate these wallis"
My companion nodded in gloomy ac-
Quiescence.
There remains, then, only one pos
sible way" / went on. THAI Is by the
window.
But the bars7"
I'VE must remove one. Luckily they
are single, so that one will be enough
TT Is 80 feet from the ground"
I'VE must get a rope"
"A rope? Yes. But where?"
II do not know" I said, but ! arose
and went to the window. Yes, 1t was
not less than 80 feet from the ground.
We'll" said Richelieu, at my elbow,
suppose we had a rope. Suppose we
had the bar out. What then? Do you
not see the Dur is full OF
soldiers7 We could not hope tc
did. there is the outer wall still to pass
40 feet high and with a sentry al
every 20 PAGES"
I saw what he said was true. TIC
descend into the court would berto en-
ter a nest Of hornets. But Of a sudden
q new thought came to me. .
We'll" I asked, III one way Is i'm
possible. why not try the other?"
"The other7" exclaimed Richelieu
What other, de Brancas?"
"The roof" / cried, and I knew l hat
found the key to the problem. ut is
battlemented, Is II not"
YES" and Richelieu looked more
and more astonished. "But I do no
yet understand, my friend"
Wait" ! said. Let me think &
moment" and l sat down upon the
bench, my head between my hands
Richelieu paced feverishly up n dow
the cell. At last 1 had 1t.
m. lie Due" i said, as calmly as
could, for my heart was beating mad
perhaps. but I believe 1t is the best tina
offers. I will remove one Of the bar.
of the window. We will secur q rope
I will stand upon the sill without ant
throw the rope over a merton of tn
battlement. We will mount to the roo.
There must be some way down, and i
these is, we will n It,"
Richelieu's eyes were blazing.
But can we do all this 2" he asked
I'VE must" / said. 1.-THE most diff
cult thing is the rope 1t must be 90 OF
30 feet long, and strong enough to beal
us. Ii we had our cloaks-"
II will get our cloaks," cried Richie.
lieu. II will make the rope. Come,
must return. The guard will soon bt
here. Slip the stones into place aftel
me-" and he dropped lightly into hi'
cell.
l dropped the stones back INTO plac,
and heard him pounding at his door
The sentry answered him.
There is 10 bedding In this place.
called Richeiieu. land il will be cole
tonight. At least i and my friend shoulC
have our cloaks. Ask M. de Maison,
Rouge IL he will not send to my hote
and secure us two good. heavy ones.
The guard went away but soon cam
back again.
Your request is granted, monsieur,
he said. You st,aN have your cloak,
and hen he mounted TO my door am
repeated the message to me.
I had the slaps out again in q mo-
ment.
That provides the rope" ] said
looking down into the dukes eXciteC
face. "Now II Is for me to remove TIL
bar. 1t will make some noise. DO yol
listen for the sentry and warn m
when ne approaches"
2lcheiieu nodded and turned ava.
TO listen at his door.
IL bar by bar. None OF them showet
any sign Of weakness. but at one ent
cf the second bar from the bottom Their
- lNAIA 2..aI. - IL. A-.-