The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-01-04
AT0nnG MYTH A Story Of the
4 - ODDO - Cell I'M are
THE DE Att Conspiracy by
i III M IN i Burton Egbert
copynsht BY --L B. Lppanoott company Stevenson
!. B. Lippinoott Company

81. beulS. Two voices answered.
Hurry up" cried Perrault. ITS dew
ilish cold up here"
The W sentries appeared and de-
scended h stairs. We emerged upon
the roof.
You have my sympathy, comrades"
said Perrault. and closed the door.
There was not a moment to lose. I
ran to the nearest chimney, clambered
to the top n felt inside. I found the
prisoners head In an instant. Catching
him by the shoulders, / dragged him
to h top and lowered him to Richeiieu
who awaited, him below. The other
prisoner was soon standing beside him.
"Messieurs." I said to them, I'VE have
returned, as you see. and 1 wish you
remains only one thing for us to do.
That Is to silence YOU I saw them
1T Is necessary only to de-
eide how you are to be silenced. In
short. you must either engage, to keep
silence or we shall be obliged to silence
you once and for all. Which do you
prefer, a hundred pistoles holes each or
the parapet?" / loosened their. gags
as ! spoke. 90" .'
Monsieur" said one of them, "a fool
could choose. I,will take the pistoles.
Will not you, Bastien? %
Il, Also" answered his comrade, read
lily, provided no one else knows Of
your escape, messieurs."
NO n knows. Of II. Every one
thought we were you. At the end of
the watch you will be relieved; you
will go down. Tomorrow you will have
a holiday in which to spend your pis-
toles. If anyone interrogates you,
swear that no one passed this way. You
will be quite safe"
But you, messieurs ?" asked Bastien.
wv fwaftttsva 10 mn nnlIoN Nd ~,
thing Is as 1t was before. Do you
agree?" -.
I'VE agree. they. cried with one
voice, though by the way they looked
at us IT was plain they thought US fools
to have returned.
Very good. Now we will unbind you
and you will 70 to the other side OF
forms and leave them here with your
muskets. After We have descended you
Will. come and loosen the rope which
you Will find secured there. Let II fall,
as we wish to keep It. You UNDER
stand?" t'. .
Yes, yes" they cried. Richelieu
counted out 200 pfstoles and placed
them by the muskets.
Here is the money" he said.
I united the ropes and he two men
retreated to the other side of the roof
~ u OItiS l. q hilOtttu Tic pltCtS
OF rope together, made one end secure
and dropped the other over.
II will go first" I said. 1.-THE knots
may Slip" n before the duke could
protest l was over the battlement. J
let myself down hand over hand until
I was opposite my window, but I found
the bars beyond my reach, BY a su-
preme effort I touched the wall with
my foot and pushed myself. outward,
and as l swung in I grasped of the
bars and pulled myself to the window
ledge. I tied the end IF the rope to
the bars so that the duke could reach
them without difficulty and then slip
ped into the CELL He followed a mo-
ment later n the rope was loosened
from above and fell. I drew It in.
You must get back to your cell at
once" ! a and raised the slab in the
floor, slid the one below It back and
crawled aside for him to pass. -. .
But the window" he asked. eff
they find a bar out they will know ev-
erything."
Leave that to me-" I answered. 81
will replace it."
The duke wrung my hand and drop
ped through the opening into the cell
below. / replaced the slabe, concealing
the rope, for which We might have
further need. Then 7 ran to the win
dow n forced the bar back into place.
/ opened the box OF cement, moistened
1t was water from my can, and rapidly
filled up the places where the old ce-
ment had been broken away, rubbing
fingers over 1t until convinced that
Ii was quite smooth. It was drying
rapidly and would soon set. 1 raised
the slab again and placed the box with
the remainder OF the cement beneath
II. / rubbed my hands on the floor
and then over the new cement, until
I could see by the moonlight which fl
tered through the bars that 1t was dirty
Satisfied that II could not be detected
without close examination. I threw my
self exhausted upon the bench.
Scarcely a I done so when I heard
a noise. in the cell below. In an In
slant I was at the loosened slab.
What is it now" I heard Richie
lieu ask, in a sleepy voice, Of some
one who had evidently entered his
cell. Upon my word" he continued,
I" tits the regent! To what do l owe
the honor of this visit, monsieur"
You see It's as I told your high
ness cried the voice Of Maison-Rouge
THE prisoners are safe. and assuredly
order permitting them to do So"
You are playing with me, gentle
Numbered the regent, In a ter
rible voice. "RichelieU was recognized
half an hour since in the gardens
Of the Palais Royal"
Some mistake, I do not doubt"
said Richelieu, carelessly.
"A mistake, pardieu' Perhaps II
was also a mistake that l met my
daughter returning to her apartment?
Do you deny that it was with you she
had a repdeZvous?"
"Oh, M. lie Regent, I deny nothing"
cried Richelieu, airily.. why should
I? 1t Is so manifestly absurd. You
say I vas at the Palais Royal a few
since. You rusfi here with all
speed. You find me asleep in my cell.
All the doors are bolted, all the draw
raised, every sentry at his
post. I ask you. monsieur. IL the
b~astille is so easily left and entered?
Besides, monsieur could easily interro-
gate the sentries."
The regent caught at the suggestion.
Rouge" he said. call that
In the corridor"
The man was called.
HAS any one passed since you have
been on duty?" asked the regent.
mo pne but yourselves monsieur"
You are certain?"
Perfectly certain, monsieur"
How long have you been on duty?" |
over three hours, monsieur"
Here was a facer for the regent.
Come" I heard him exclaim, sud-
1enly, perhaps the other a not re-
l do not doubt that ii was he
who was with Richelieu."
| was on my bench in an instant.
rhe door opened, and I lifted my head
Is from a heavy sleep. ! saw Maison-
D ,,e ~. tha ~ .nchnIl no ppfno n Ian |