The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-03-14
CHAPTER XVIII.
A RIDE THROUGH THE NIGH

CHAPTER XVIII.
A RIDE THROUGH THE NIGHT.
The streets were still filled with peo-
pie, kept abroad apparently by ru-
mors of the Spanish plot, and I was
compelled to draw rein and go at a
slower gait as l turned into the Rue
st. Louis. Skirting the quays and
crossing the river, I was soon in the
uburb of Paris and c~omparatively
safe from pursuit. Here the extreme
darkness delayed me as the crowds
a In the buster portion of the city,
but l knew that the distance to st.
Cloud was only about six miles and
that the regent could not reach the
trap that had been set for him for an
hour at least. So I gave the horse his
head, confident that I should yet be
able to defeat this last resort Of the
duchess. AS I went I wondered who
IT was to whom she had committed
this desperate mission, and TO this
question l could find no answer. 1t
seemed TO me an enterprise which no
gentleman would undertake and at
which even a rogue would pause I'M
less he were already without the pale
or the law and so with little to lose.
But that the Madame du Maine would
stoop to use such an instrument, even
In her extremity, I could not believe.
So l put the problem behind me and
addressed myself to the question in
hand. that Of reaching st. Cloud in
time.
l a one morning during my first
week in Paris amused myself by loiter-
ing about the barrier and watching
the arrival and departure of carriages
on the Versailles road, and though I
had never been over his road 1 had
little doubt that I should be able to
find the way without difficulty. So my
heart was light as I passed through the
gloomy faubourgs, seemingly inhabited
only by shadows, which skunk along
under the walls Of the houses. It was
not until this m that 1 realized
Whist the failure of the plot meant to
Richelieu, but even upon this point /
soon felt more at ease, for p%erchance
If l succeeded in saving the regents
life he might be more inclined to listen
TO me.
The flare Of a torch at the end of
the street brought me from my reycry
an9 pulled my horse to a sudden halt
! pccrcd through the dark ness
ahc-d. l could dimly discern the bar
rier, and my heart seemed to stop Us
| saw that the gates were closed and
that two sentri2s were pacing up and
Gown in front Of them. It would seem
that / myself was in a trap.
l slid from my horse, led him to n
side street. tied him and Their moved
cautiously forward to examine the sit
uation. Owing TO the darkness I drew
quite close to the gates without being
discovered and concealed myself behind
a flight of steps which projected from
n Of the houses. AS l had seen be-
fore, two sentries were guarding the
gates n had they been alone l might
have had some chance of overpowering
them. But from the guard house at the
side came the sound OF laughter and
the click of dice. and I,knew that there
were others there, who, at the first
cry OF alarm, would rush to the res
4 cue Of their comrades. Force, then.
was not TO be thought Of and strategy
was necessary. But by what strategy
could l hope to persuade these men
to allow myself and M horse to pass
unquestioned, when they had doubt
less received strict orders to allow no
n to leave the city without close
scrutiny? Here was an obstacle upon
which l had not counted. In times of
peace the gates were never shut. and
l had thought to pass them without
difficulty, but the discovery of the plot
must nave alarmed the authorities. At
any rate. the gates were closed and
l did not doubt that some pass word
was necessary to open them.
AS l was cudgeling my brains over
this problem, which seemed on it's face
to battle solution, l heard the rapid
beat of a horses hoofs from the direc-
ton of the city and a m later
a horse and rider came into view. He
was riding with a fine disregard Of the
dangers Of the loose and uneven pave
ment, and the sound OF his rapid ap-
proach, which awoke 1000 echoes along
the gloomy street, drew five or six
guards from the sentry house. (,
who goes there?" cried one of the
men at the gate. stand, monsieur"
evNhn ic In command haroc p oSLaI
the newcomer. refining up his horse just
In time to escape running down one
Of the sentries. Quick. I Ia no time
to lose"
II am, monsieur" answered another
voice from the direction OF the house,
n an officer hurried into the light
cast by the torches over the gate.
What is it?"
Orders for you, monsieur. You will
read them at once. And now. open the
gate. l have further advices for tbs
regent, who is at Versailles"
THE password, monsieur? ?" said the
commandment of the post.
"Rocroy," answered the courier.
Quickly, let me pass"
The gates were opened or the in
slant, and the rider put spurs to his
horse and disappeared into the dark
ness of the road without. The gates
were shut again, and the c~ommandant
retired to the guard house to read his
orders.
In an instant / saw my opportunity.
l crept along the street until reached
my horse. Quickly mounting, / turned
him down a side street. and came out
again a little distance way on the
road by which the courier had come.
With a touch of the spur I urged my
horse into a gallop. and approached the
gate precisely as the first courier had
done.
"Open!" I cried. ION the kings
service
"Pardieu," grovyled the sentry, "it
seems to mo there are many couriers
passing here tonight. Something must
be afoot. The password. II you