Evening star., 1911-10-22

Keen axes could nave done. us Dragging
weight served to enlarge the wound the
PrusSian was gashing low down in the mas
sive trunk. And as the giant swung heavily
under the Bullets of the wind that drowned
the blows Of the ak, and its fbers strained
and broke, so deep groans broke from it, the
sounds that had troubled d'Ormonde, the
rending cries of this mass of timber which
felt its foundation threatened, the swapping
of its muscles, its wordless, deep toned sighs
of anguish:
And beyond doubt the monster would fall
direct upon the house roof, upon the tiled
roof of the upper room where Dagobert and
his wolves and Madame Desroches were.
.Joists and beams of the old house would
much tinder. The Uhlan was helping him.
self to a terrible revenge.
WITH a cry as of a wild beast Antoine
flew at the miscreant. Taken by sur
prise, the Prussian jumped back, aimed a
wild and Intellectual blow with his axe
dropped it, and fled like hare.
For moment Antoine almost had him;
but the Uhlan was the faster sprinter, and
he made a gap of half dozen yards between
him and the pursuer. He had discarded his
long coat. His spurs ratified as he pounded
along, running as he had never run before.
emy ami he felt horribly afraid. He cast a
wild glance round about him. The flood of
moonlight put concealment out of the mat
ter. He renewed his efforts, making straight
for the church on the ridge, as if he hoped to
find sanctuary there.
1t was semiruined church, noted for its
ancient frescos and the height and beauty of
its great crocketed spire. The Prussian did
not dwell on these points of adornment. He
leaped wall of f1ints, caught sight of a
wooden door under low Norman arch, and
hurled his bulk against it. If the portal had
been secured, its massive oak, old as the
wars of the Fronde, would have flung him
back with smashed shoulder. But it was
unbolted: and the German reeled in and fell
headlong upon the stonefoor of tiny chapel.
He picked himself up and rushed to slam
the door; but Antoine flew in like a whirl
wind He dashed past the other, who was
behind the door, and for an instant lost
sight of him.
"Come out, Coqnin!'
The Prussian edged away, and in so doing
revealed himself. Antoine dashed at him,
caught his toes in loose slab, and rolled
over and over.
The Prussian darted from the chapel and
nave, curSing the ruddy tinted mOOnsheen
dow.
II see you, Scoundrel!" how1ed Antoine,
who could do nothing of the sort.
The other made bolt for the shadow, and
once more showed himself He ran into a
second bay in the nave, a semiCircular recess
in which was a tomb of white marble, with
a stone warrior recumbent, holding long
sword from his breast to his feet. For mo-
ment the Prussian seemed to be trapped;
but he caught sight of dark opening in the
curved wall and dashed in. He found him
self on an extremely narrow stairway which
went winding up into pitch blackness, into
icy cold. And without pausing to think he
began to ascend as best he could, barking
his shins, falling on his face, gasping and
swearing: and all the time hearing his pur-
suer clambering after him, relentless, de-
termined.
He was on the stairway built in the wall
that led to the roof of the tower. He emerged
upon this roof at last. From its center rose
the spire, octagonal, Of white stone, with
jutting crockets at spaces of about four feet
He cast wild glance up the tapering height
OF the steeple, which seemed to go up into
heaven, into a fearful abyss of empty air.