Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-01-11
WITH = Story s. :, .! III:
rrrr n ~ Conspiracy by
i he Burton Egbert
copyr.rat ; j, --1. n 14pp4neoe. Company Stevenson
Very good. monsieur" answered the
J. ,. Lipptncott Conpaa,

, Very good, monsieur" answered the
lieutenant.
you have nothing to report?" asked
the gocernor. sharply.
Nothing, monsieur. Everything has
gone as usual" I breathed a sigh Of
relief. The prisoners in the chimneys
had not. then. been discovered.
That Is all. lieutenant" said the
governor. Il am going to bed immed-
lately. Awake me II there is need"
We saluted n followed Perrault. 1
blessed the impenetrable darkness Of
impossible to recognize friend or
foe. n W. walked in silence across
the drawbridge and up the winding
staircase.
"Montjoy." cried Perrault, opening
the door which led to the roof.
"st. Denis." two voices answered.
Hurry up" cried Perrault. Its dew
ilish cold up here"
h two sentries appeared and de-
scended h stairs. We emerged upon
tho roof.
You have my sympathy, comrades
said Perrault. and closed the door.
There was not q moment to lose. I
ran to the nearest chimney, clambered
to the top and felt inside. 1 found the
prisoners head in an instant. Catching
him by the shoulders, I dragged him
to the top and lowered him to Richelieu
who awaited him below. The other
prisoner was soon standing beside him.
"Messieurs." 1 said to them, 1--WE have
returned. as you see. and I wish you
to listen to me very carefully. There
remains only one thing for us to do.
That Is to silence you" / saw them
shudder ut 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
q blow of the poniard and a drop over
the parapet7" l loosened their gags
as I spoke.
Monsieur" said one of them, ga fool
could choose. I will take the pistoles,
will not you, Bastien?"
Il. ALSO" answered his comrade, read
NY, provided no n else knows of
your escape. messieurs."
tbo ONO one NE knows know ,,o of it; Every one
the watch you will be relieved; you
will go down.. Tomorrow you will have
q holiday In which to spend your pis-
toles. If anyone interrogates you,
swear that no n passed this way. You
will be quite safe"
But you messieurs ?" asked Bastien.
We return to our cells and every
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 1T was plain they thought us fools
to have returned.
Very good. Now we will unbind you
and you will go to the other side of
the parapet. We will take off your uni
forms and leave them here with your
nuskets. After we nave descended you
Will come and loosen the rope which
you will find secured there. Let 1t fall,
as we wish to keep it. You under
stand?"
counted out 200 pistoles and placed
them by the muskets.
Here is the money!" he said.
L united the ropes and the two me
retreated to the other side of the roof
In a moment had knotted the pieces
of rope together. made one end secure
and dropped h other over.
IT will go first" ] said. "The knots
may Slip" and before the duke could
protest l was over the battlement.
let myself down hand over hand until
! was opposite my window, but I found
the bars beyond my reach. BY a SUI
preme effort I touched the wall with
my foot and pushed myself outward,
and as i swung in I grasped one of the
bars n pulled myself to the window
ledge. I tied the end of the rope to
the bars so that the duke could reach
them without difficulty and then slip
pS0 AASO AZ COls ne lOllOWOU d l1O.
ment later and the rope was loosened
from above and fell. I drew it in.
you must get Jack to your cell al
once" I said n raised the slab in the
floor. slid the one below it back and
crawled aside for him to pass.
But the window?' he asked. "I1
they find a bar out they will know ev-
erything."
will replace It,"
The duke wrung my hand and drop.
ped through the opening into the eel
below. I replaced the slabe, %concealine
the rope. for which we might have
dow and forced the bar back into place
I opened the box Of cement, moistened
; 1t was water from my can, and rapidly
filed up the places where the old ce.
ment a been broken away, rubbing
my fingers over 1t until convinced thai
!, it was quite smooth. It was drying
rapidly n would soon set. I raised
!. the slab again and placed the box witt
the remainder of the cement beneath
It. I rubbed my hands on the fool
and then over the new cement, unit
I could see by the moonlight which fl.
tered through h bars that It was dirty
as the adamant which surrounded It
without close examination. I threw my.
self exhausted upon the bench.
: Scarcely had I done 80 when 1 heart
q noise in the cell below. In an in.
slant / was at the loosened slab.
What is it now?" I heard Richie.
!. lieu ask. In q sleepy voice. OF som
, one who had evidently entered hi,
cell. upon my word" he continued
: it's the regent! To what do I ow,
the honor Of this visit, monsieur?"
"You gee tits as I told your hixh.
ness cried the voice of Ma1son-Rouge