The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-03-21
ne. followed by the nurse. no

men, anc. followed by the nurse. no
left the room.
Very well, then" said d'Ancenis,
drawing 81 chair to the bedside and
usain tuking my hand. Proceed with
your questions. de Brancas."
First" / said. after a moments
rausc to enable me to marshal my
the regent safer"
quite safe" and d'Ancenis smiled
moTe than c.er. That night ride of
yours. my friend, did not deserve to be
otherwise than successful. l have
heard the regent tell the story a dozen
times. He and lis party heard first the
rapid Feat of horses hoofs. They
paGs.d to listen, when from the wood
in front of them came a rider, clingllig
to his horses neck and fired a pistol
into the air. There was a volley or
shots behind him and he was seen to
reel and almost fall. He caught himselI
by IA supreme effort, chung to the sad
die until 10 PAGES from the regent,
cried 20 him to save himself, and
dropped senseiess from his horse and
rolled to the side Of the road. 1t was over
In a moment, the scoundrels VINO nad
shot him remaining concealed In the
shelter OF the trees. The regent, sus-
pecting some treachery, Immediately
drew his pistols, rs did the gentlemen
with him and retreatcd until some dis
tance from the wood, so that surprise
was impossible. Then q courier from
Paris, who had reached him a few mo-
nIents before, was sent back hair q
league to st. Cloud for re-enforcements.
AS soon as these arrived the wood was
entered, but no one was found. The
regent examined the body by the road,
and ut once recognized you, my friend.
He knew not what to make OF 1t, but
ordered you picked up and Dug
back to Paris. There he heard from the
commandment of the Versailles gate how
you had got through. A little later,
he learned from me how you had es-
capped from the hall and OF the efforts
made by Madame du Maine to stop
you. for she was not so circumspect IN
this affair as is usual with her, ana
betrayed herself completely. The re-
gent can put two and two together as
well as any man, and he was not long
in arriving 1T ii conclusion. This con-
clusion became a certainty when a con-
fession was secured from one or Car
touches rogues, who attempted to re-
enter Paris the next morning and was
captured. He told all of the details of
the ambuscade, and how Car
pan!Cns, was to have attacked
the regent should he get past the wood
alive. Cartouche has left Paris and is
across the frontier b this time. Real
~. de B?ancas," and d'Anccnis paused
a III TO look at me, you are a
devil OF a fellow. This was quite in
line with your escape from the Bas-
tile"
And Richelieu?" | asked.
els still in prison, and likely to re-
main there for some time TO come. to
say no worse. Ills offense is nothing
less than treason, monsieur, and the
re gent has sworn to have his head"
l g:naned aloud
It's what l feared" said. Il must
set up" and l raised myself on one
elbow.
Gently, gently, de Brancas," and
across the frontier by this time. Real
d'Arccnis pushed me bach again, nor
did / resist him greatly, for I
was weaker than had thought.
ready half dead. would be able to NIB
crate Richelieu? You propose to take
the Eastille by storm, l suppose, single
handed and alone. l should not be sur
pfised to see you undertake such an
exploit"
l remained for a moment silent.
Tell me the rest" 1 said, finally.
Madame du Maine. Cellamara, Mile.
de Launay,-what has happened to
thCm?"
'Ccl!aE;are was conducted out of
Paris and started for Spain under a
strong escort the morning after his ar
rest" answered d'Ancenis. He pro-
tested, of course, but 1t was of no use.
The papers which were found in his
possession exposed all the details Of the
plot, which was marvellously well ar
ranged, and which almost makes one
admire n duchess. Madame du
Maine submitted very quietly until she
found she was to be taken TO the cit
adel OF Dijon, when she fought like a
tigress, but it was to no avail, n she
was safely lodged in the dungeon, VOW
ing Il hundred kinds of vengeance
against her ~jailers. Mile. du Launay
wished to accompany her mistress, but |
the regent was afraid to allow those
two women to remain together, so
mademoiselle was given a cell in the
Bastille, as were all the other prison. |
ers arrested at the Tuileries. We found |
Polignac lying senseless on the floor,
and he was quite hysterical for a time, |
protesting his innocence. De Mesmes
did the same. but both were silenced
when they were confronted by their |
own statements of their share in the
conspiracy. The Due du Maine was |
also arrested" .
THE Due du Maine?" 1 cried; but
he knew nothing about it. I have new
er even seen him"
CONTINUED Next Weekly