Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-06-05
I'LL USTRATIONS BY RAI WAh7=7

fash of quick surprise. well, I'm not
hungry, but you can leave them"
mot hungry" And the soldier,
who seemed a little the worse for
liquor, but more friendly in conse-
quence, walked in. II don't wonder,
though" he went on, closing the door,
hanging his lantern above and plac-
ing the jug OH the ground; gin such a
foul hole? What you need, comrade,
is company, ana" touching significant
ly his breast, Something warmer than
flows from the spring of st. ALBERT"
81 tell you," began the mountebank,
when the soldier, staring, got fair
look at the other for the first time and
started back
"Eh? What's this?"
"Oh, ! took them off! You don't sup
pose I'd sleep in my white clothes in
such dirty"
Fright you are, contradict" re-
turned the other, seating himself be-
fore the door on a three-legged stool
he found in a corner. But for the
l
thought you some other person"
"What-person?"
mo one in particular. You might"
unbuttoning his coat to draw forth a
bottle. have been any one! But dare
say you have had them off In worse
places than this-which. after all, Is
not bad, compared to some of the
rooms for guests at the Mount"
| You meant" The mountebank
looked first at the closed blinds; then
at the door, and sudden determine
| ton came to his eyes.
| Those especially prepared for the
followers of the Black Seigneur, taken
prisoners near Casque, for example,
"They are dungeons?"
"With Jacques for keeper! The lit
tie sexton, we call him, because the
| prisoners go generally from the cells
to the pit, and the quicklime is the
hunchback's graveyard"
"This jacques" A growing impa-
thence shone ominously from the pris-
| oner's glance; his attention, that Of a
| man straining to catch some expected
sound without, focused itself on the
speaker. "This Jacques-what sort OF
! quarters has he?"
ooh, he lives anywhere; every
where! Sometimes at the thieves
inn; again in one Of the storehouses
near the wheel They say, though, he
is not great hand to sleep, but pass
es most Of his time like a cat, prowl-
ing in and out the black passages and
tunnels Of the Mount. But" abruptly
breaking off, "the play--thats what
want to know about! The end! How
did it end?"
I'm in no mood for talking"
Take the bottle, an it'll loosen
your tongue!"
mo"
"What! you refuse?"
"Yes."
"Then," philosophically, must
drink alone?"
"Not here!"
"Eh?"
"Will you get out, Or" ana the
mountebank stepped toward the other
with apparently undisguised inten'
ton.
so that's your gamer" Quickly the
soldier sprang to his feet. Il must
teach you little politeness, my friend
how We deal with uncivil people In
the ARMY" And throwing off his coat,
as ready for a bout at flsticuffs as for
an encounter Of words, the soldier
confronted the clown. When I'm
done, you'll sing that song Of the sticl;
out of the other side Of the mouth,
and think your wicked peasant re-
ceived a coddling from his master in
comparison!"
But the mountebank did not answer
with words-and the soldier was
still threatening, and painting dire
prophetic pictures Of what he intend
ed doing, when a strong arm closed
about him; fingers like iron gripped
his throat, and, for some moments
thereafter, although Of unusual size
and vigor, the man was more con
cerned in keeping his feet than in
searching his vocabulary for pictur
esque imagery. Then, in spite Of his
struggles and best endeavors to free
himself, he felt his head forced back
wards; the grasp on his neck tight
ened. Still he could not shake off that
deadly hold. and, aware that conscious
ness was gradually leaving him, his
efforts relaxed. After that, for an in
terval, he remembered nothing; but
with returning realization and vague
sense Of stiffness in his throat, in {
rough sort Of way was prepared to &C
cept defeat; acknowledge the other:
supremacy, and seal that acknowledg
ment over the bottle.
Only the mountehank afforded hin
no opportunity thus to toast the "bes
man." with long strap Of leather
snatched from one of the pegs, he hat
already bound the hands and feet O.
his bulky antagonist, and was just ris
ing to survey his handiwork, when thu