The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-09-07


when he can not depend on that re
treat?"
There are, my lord His principal
harbor and resort is a little isle far
ther north-English. they call it-that
offers refuge at any time to mis-
creants from France There may they
lie peacefully, as in a cradle; or 20
ashore with impunity, and the like.
On, he is safe enough there. Home
! Tor French exiies, they designate the
; place. Exiles! Bah! 1t was there
he first found means to get his ship
sharing his profits, no doubt, with the
islander who built her. There, too. he
mustered his crew-savage peasants
who had been turned off the lands of
the old Seigneur; tisher-folk who had
become outlaws rather than pay to
the governor just dues from the sea;
men fed from the banalite of the mill,
or the oven, of the wine-press-"
"Still must he be redoubtable fel-
low, to have done what he did to-
night; to have dared mingle with the
people under the governors very
| guns!"
THE people, He has nothing to
fear from them. An ignorant, low,
disloyal lot! They look upon this fel-
low as a hero. He has played his
cards well, sends money to the lazy,
worthless ones, under pretext that
they are poor, over-taxed, over-bur-
dened. In his company Is one Gabriel
Gabarie, a poet of the people, as he is
styled, who keeps in touch with those
stirring trouble in Paris. Perhaps
they hope for an insurrection there,
and then"
AN 1nsurrection?" The MARQUIS
delicate features expressed ironical
protest; he dismissed the possibility
with an airy wave Of the hand. "One
should never anticipate trouble, Mon
sieur lie Commandant," he said lightly
and rose. Good night"
Good night, Monsieur le MARQUIS"
returned the officer with due defer
ence, and accompanied his noble Wis.
itor to the door.
g..
marquis walked easily on, but soon
the steepness Of the narrow road.
becoming more marked as 1t ap-
preached the commanding structures
at the top OF the Mount, caused his
gait gradually to slacken; then he
paused altogether. at an upper plat
form.
From where he stood. by day could
be seen, almost directly beneath, the
tiny habitations of men clinging like
hmpets to the precipitous sides OF the
rocks at the base; now was visible
only a void. an abyss, out of which
swan the sea; so far below, q boat
looked no larger than a gull on it's
silver surface; so immense, the dane.
Ing waves seemed receding to a limit
beyond the reach Of the heavens.
"You found him?" A girls clear
voice broke suddenly upon him. He
wheeled.
Elise! You!"
"Yes! why not? You found himY
The commandant?"
AT your command. but"
"And learned all?"
"All he could tell"
1T is reported at the castle that the
man escaped" quickly.
1T Is true. But" in a voice of Ian
guid surprise. II believe you are
glad"
mo. mol" She shook her head
"Only," smile curved her lips, "Bep.
TO viii be so disappointed! Now"
seating herself lightly on the low wall
OF the giant rampant, tell me ali
you have learned about this Black
Seigneur."
The marquis considered; with GER
tain reservations obeyed. At the con.
clusion of his narrative, she spoke no
word and he turned to her inQuiring-
ly. Her brows were knit; her eyes
dOwn.bent. A moment he regarded
her in silence; then she looked up at
him suddenly.
II wonder" she said, her face
bathed in the moonlight, "if-if 1t was
this Black Seigneur I danced with?"
"The Black Seigneur?" My lord
started; frowned Nonsense! What
an absurd fancy! He would not have
dared!"
"True," said the girl quickly. You
are right, my lord. 1t Is absurd. He
would not have dared"
CHAPTER VII.