The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-03-07
CHAPTER XvI-(Continued.)

~ - - - ~ . l. N'Nh~N
.nent.
monsieur knows, or should know
answered The man, that all signalling
10 the prisoners is prohibited under
pain Of Imprisonment. Put UP your
handkerchief and follow me, monsieur.
/ followed without a word, but IN
Tardly cursing my i'll fortune and for
the second time that morning the outer
gate opened to admit me, this time
without question. ! was led straight
10 the governors office, a sentry on
either side. Maison-Rouge looked at me
with establishment as 1 entered, and
heard with evident impatience the
statement Of the guard who had ar
rested me.
THAT will do" he said, as he con-
cluded his story, and as the door closed
behind them he turned to me. IN. de
Brancas, l need not tell you that your
offense is a serious one, and that many
persons have been imprisoned for much
less"
II had desired only to let Richelieu
know that his friends had not forgot
him." ] protested.
"The regent has ordered that no COM
munication be held with him." said
Saison-Rouge, Sternly, AN / tell you
plainly, monsieur, that at another at
Iempt OF this kind he will be placed
IN a cell where he will not only not see
his friends, but where he will also
never see the light of day. 1 intend
taking no chance Of offending the re-
gent a second time"
Every we'll, monsieur" l said, reflect
sng that anything was better thar that
Richelieu should be plunged into an
oubliette; las for me, l promise to hold
no further communication with him
until the regent permits 1t. Am l also
q prisoner"
kindly. II do not intend to imprison
you. / wish merely to warn you. You
may GO"
The messenger was waiting and l left
the Bastille for the second time, to the
obvious establishment of the sentries
at the outer gate. AS it changed shut
behind me / decided that there was
only one thing more l could do, to see
the regent and mitigate his anger
against Richelieu. j had deferred this
to the last, for / had little hope of
success. and indeed thought 1t not UNI
likely that I should leave his presence
escorted by q squad Of soldiers: but
everything else had failed me, and /
turned toward the Palais Royal. Two
o'clock was striking as / reached the
Rue ST. Honore, which was crowded
with the usual throng Of carriages and
pedestrians. l pushed my way through
these, meeting no n whom / knew,
cnd soon reached the palace.
/ was shown into a large ante-cham-
Der where a score of people were
awaiting an audience, and among them
i perceived Herault. He was walking
up and down with a gentleman whom
I did not know, but who wore the uni
form OF a captain of the guards. In a
Herault perceived me and
came toward me, holding out his hand.
Good day, M. de Brancas," he cried.
81 am glad to see you. l trust you SUI
fered no i'll effects from your bath OF
yesterday evening""
"None whatever, monsieur" i an
swered, smiling, for / liked the hearty
good humor of the man and perceived
that my liking was returned.
m. de Brancas," he continued, "al-
low me to present my friend the Mar
Quis d'Ancenis, captain OF the guards.
/ was just relating to him the details
of your leap into the Seine"
in faith twas worth relating" re-
clared d'Ancenis, warmly. Il know no
neatly. monsieur"
i bowed my thanks.
1T was really nothing, / protested,
land after all accomplished nothing,
since the friend whom l wished to res
cue Is at this moment In the Bastille."
"Ah, we'll, n cannot accomplish
miracles, monsieur" said d'Ancenis,
and / looked with pleasure at his smil-
ing face, which reminded me OF Richie
lieu. do you know, you have become
famous during your brief residence In
Paris. Only last night 1 heard a hand
some woman ~discoursing on your many
feats.'
My heart leaped within me.
And nay / ask the lady's name,
monsieur" l stammered.
Twas Madame du Maine" said
d'Ancenis, n my heart sank again,
for 1 had hoped to hear another name.
w had a little dinner together with
half a dozen others, and the duchess
was the life of 1t. She is a wonderful
woman only l fancied last night that
she cooked careworn."
l thought to myself that If he knew
what l knew he would not wonder that
she looked careworn.
We'll" he continued. "she told us a
story concerning o which seemed to
me well-nigh impossible: h do you
think 1t was. Herault?" he asked, turn
ing to the latter. 1T was that this
devil of a fellow, together with Richie
lieu, not only managed to escape from
the Bastile the other night. out after
keeping an appointment killed w or
xhree of the regents attendants, and
then actually forced their way back
into their cells. leaving no trace Of their
passage, before the regent could get to
the Bastile. When he reached there
they were asleep in their cells. all the
gates were barred, and not a sentry
had seen them pass. What think you
of that?"
1T sounds like a story from the
Thousand and One Nights" and He
rault looked at me questioningly. But
Is IT true, monsieur"
THE facts were very much as M.
d'Ancenis says, though I have never
told the story" and I smiled at the
establishment of the two men.
But how was this miracle accom-
plished?" asked Herault.
"Ah, do not ask him that, Herault,'
cried d'Ancenis, gayly. HE may, per-
chance, have need to work 1t again
some time, and as for me. I hope II
will again succeed" q
IF l had known you were a magician
Of that sort, monsieur" laughed He
rault, II should hav placed 20 guards
in your room instead Of six. There
might then nave been three or four
whom you could not ave interested in
Sfat game Of yours"
He would have salt more, but an
usher interrupted him.
1.-THE regent awaits h Marquis
d'Ancenis and M. Herault," he said.
The two hurried after him and dis
appeared through a door at the farther
enc OF the room. I walked up and
down iInpatiently, for I knew no one
else in the antechamber, and as the
moments passed I wondered what bust
| ness OF" importance II was which kept
them 60 long with the regent. II was