The Lamar register., 1912-11-13

is that?"
Bah! You want to know too much!
If now your legs only moved as fast
as your tongue" And the speaker
completed the sentence with a sig
nificant jog on the others shoulders.
Whereupon the mountebank quick
ened his footsteps, once more ceased
his questioning. 1t was the soldier
who had not yet spoken, but who had
been bordering a good deal on the
way up, who next broke the silence.
How did it end, Monsieur Mounte-
bank?-the scene with the devil, ]
mean"
The man who had begun to breathe
ing, or wearied by long pilgrimage
to the Mount, at the question ven
tured to stop and rest, with a hand on
the granite balustrade of the little
platform they had just reached. In
the death of the peasant, and comic
chorus of frogs" he answered.
"a comic chorus!" said the soldier.
THAT must be very amusing"
at is" the mountebank said, at the
same time studying. from where he
stood, different parts OF the Mount
with cautious. sidelong looks; but my
poor frogs!-all torn! trampled!"
"Well. WE'LL" said the other not un'
kindly. you can mend them when
you get out"
"'When!' II only knew when that
would be! What If I should have to
stay here like some Of the others?-
pour etre oublie!-to be forgotten"
IF you don't get on faster" said
the soldier who had first spoken. you
won't be buried alive for some time
to come. at least!"
"Pardon!" muttered the mounte
bank. THE hill-it is very steep"
you look strong enough to climb q
dozen hills. and II you're holding back
for a chance to escape"
mo. mol" protested the man. II had
no thought-do l not know that II ]
tried. your sword"
quite right. I'd"
There. there!" said the other sol.
dier. a big. good-natured appearing fel'
low. Hes harmless enough. and" az
once more they moved on, that tune
Of yours. Monsieur Mountebank." alb
ruptly; at runs in my head. Let me
see-how does 1t go? The second
verse. l mean"
Beat beat!
Mid marsh-muck and mire,
For II any note
Escapes a frogs throat,
Beware my lords iref'
Eyes; that's the one. Not bad!'
humming-
For IL any note
Escapes a frogs throat
Beawre my lords ire!'
Are the verses your own"
"Oh. no! I'm only a poor player"
said the mountebank humbly. Bot
an honest one." he added after a
pause. "and this thieves inn. Mon
sieur?" returning to the subject Of his
possible fate. this auberge des vo
leurs-that sounds like a bad place
for an honest lodging"
at was once under the old monks.
who were very merry fellows; but
since the Governor had 1t restored. II
has become a sober and quiet place.
It is true there are iron bars instead
of blinds. and you can't come and go,
as they used to. but"
rs that it-up there?" And the
mountebank pointed toward ledge OF
rock. with strong flanking buttresses,
outjutting beneath a mysterious-look-
ing wall and poised over a sparsely.
wooded bit OF the lower Mount. THE
gray stone building you can just see
above the ramparts, and that opening
in the cliff to the right, with some
thing running down-that looks like
planking-"
ooh, that is for the wheel"
1.-THE wheel?"
1.-THE great wheel of the Mount! II
was built In the time Of the monks.
and was used for"
Hold your tonguei" said the other
soldier, and the trio entered the great
gate. which had opened at their ap-
proach. and now closed quickly be
hind them.
For the first time in that isolated
domain Of the dreaded Governor, the
mountebank appeared momentarily to
forget his fears and gazed with inter
est around him. On every side new
and varying details unfolded to the
eye; structures that from below were
etched against the sky in flmy lines
here resolved themselves into vast
solid, but harmonious masses.