The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1913-05-23

a charm against the ravages Of time,
and ethereal though 1t was. had rested
like a crown on the grim head Of the
rock through the ages.
Once a place for quiet meditation,
the cloister had, through a whirligig
of change, become the favorite resort
Of the Governor. for dejeuner, or after
dinner dram, and, on occasions, for
the transaction of much profane
though necessary labor pertaining to
his office and private concerns. He
busivd himself there now; or had been
busying himself, but paused to look up
from the large book before him, whose
pages were inscribed with items and
figures. His finger, following the men
tai computation, remained stationary.
Fouage-tax upon fires banvin-du-
ties on wine; vingtain-the lords
right to his share Of the produce; mi
nage-his due from each mine or half
settler OF coin-consideration Of these
usually all-important matters seemed
for the moment to have been forgot
ten.
He leaned back, and as he sat thus,
the light and shadow playing on him,
the dark, steely eyes looked the more
sunken, the hard, cynical lips beneath
the white mustache the more cruel,
the spare figure the more alert and
ready, as If to grapple with some hid.
den danger.
"Jarrive en- ce pays
De Basse Normandie-'
AZ one Of the apertures looking out
to the barren waste of sand stood the
Lady Elise; the words of the old Nor
man chant she was singing in desul-
tory fashion rang softly, oddly, in that
spot, where black-clad brethren for
centuries had been wont to tread Me-
chanically the Governor listened, but
the voice soon ceased abruptly and
again, after the manner of one of or
derby habits, he bent over the big
book; once more the curving finger
slid up and down, and parsimony, the
vice of the aged, had begun to shine
from his pinched features, when
footstep rang on the marble pavement.
Your Excellency sent for me?" The
commandant stood respectfully near.
The Governor closed the book with
elaboration; lifted his eyes. "The
prisoners that were taken last night
are safely housed?"
Housed? Yes, your Excellency!
But we have little room. The upper
cells are all occupied the dungeons,
fairly full! Even the In-pace and Les
Deux Jumeaux have been pressed into
service"
"Hum!" The long hand tapped rest
lessly moment; the cold eyes
cleaned, then shot an inquiring look.
There are no new particulars about
last nights encounter with this
Black Seigneur?"
None, your Excellency, except" the
commandant drew a paper from his
breast pocket, Il have here in writing
the detailed account of the officer in
charge Of your Excellency's boat, who
was wounded himself in the encoun-
ter"
Read It,"
The commandant obeyed. "'Our
schooner belonging to his Excellency,
the Governor, was returning last night
to the Mount with troops-reinforce
ments for the garrison from st. Da-
lard-when 1t happened quite by acct
dent near a ship, maneuvering at
respectful distance from the island of
Casque. The night was dark and
cloudy, but our men got look at her
and suspecting who she was and
knowing her armament, against our
will, we felt obliged to bear away.
She, having no reason to think us 9TH
er than a fishing schooner, |or that
we were freighted with troops instead
of cod, did not follow and we had
| passed out of sight, and were round
ing the island when we ran into two
small sail-boats that had just s%t cut
from there"
"To join the ship of this outlawl"
interposed the Governor. go on"
shortly.
1--WE hailed; their answer was I'M
! satisfactory; we ordered them to halt,
whereupon they tried to sail away. We
| followed and overtaking them, com
manded them to surrender. Their
leader, who was the Black Seigneur
himself, refused, and We attacked"
"Bien! We attacked But what
then? Eth, what them"
"'With fury they responded; in
spite Of their inferiority of numbers
tried to- board us. Bravely our men
repulsed them; yet still they persist
ed; led by their captain, the Black