Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1913-08-07
CHAPTER Xxx.
The mountebank and the Soldier.

ne mOunNCDa0N ana inc SOlOleTs
As the mountebank walked out OF
| the apartment OF the Governors
| daughter. he drew himself up with an
{ air of expectancy. like man prepar.
ing for some sudden climax. Once be-
| yond the threshold. his eyes glanced
/ furtively back at the closed door. and,
| descending the stairs to the floor be.
| low, he carried his head q little for.
ward, as If intent to catch unwonted
sound or outcry. But no raised voice
or unusual noise reached his ear, and
his footsteps. as the party issued forth
into the street, responded briskly to
the soldiers pace. Still with the same
air Of strained attention, now mingled
with trace OF perplexlS. he followed
his guard until called upon 10 stop.
You are to sleep bere!" AS he
spoke. the commandant opened the
door Of what seemed a low out-build.
ing. not very far from the general bar
| racks, and motioned the mountebank
10 enter. The latter. after CHANGING
quickly at the speaker and the sol
diers behind, bent to step across the
L 1AAA n AAAA+0AlbiAt anu sun cAgbpiuEs bll
! account of the low roof. looked around
! him. By the faint glimmer OF light
| from a lantern one OF the soldiers
held, the few details of that squalid
place were indistinctly revealed: A
single stall whose long-eared occupant
turned its head inquiringly at the abb
rupt appearance Of a companion
lodger; bits of harness and a number
Of traps hanging from pegs on the
wall, and, near the door, on the
ground, q bundle OF grass. rough fod-
Z der from the marshes close by the
shore. This last salt-smelling heap,
/ the officer. peering in with fastidious
sniff. indicated.
That's your bed, A softer one than
you would have had but for the Lady
/ Elise"
The prisoner returned no answer,
and in the voice OF a man whose HUI
NOR was not Of the best, the command
ant uttered brief command. A mo-
ment or two the light continued to
pass ftfuliy about the stable: then 1t
and the moving shadows vanished; a
Z ny EAeALs-h III AA4f AbOis anu iLlt HUNUu
Of the officers receding footsteps was
/ followed by the diminishing clatter OF
mems heels on the tagging stone. Not
until both had fairly died away In the
/ distance and the silence was broken
l only by certain indications Of FESTIVE
ness from the stall. did the prisoner
move.
aW=s n -r-Lg -. 4 n
and shook; then, avoiding the pile of
fodder. 10 the wall, where. feeling
about the rough masonry with The
energy Of one who knew he had no
time 10 spare. his hands, ere long.
encountered the frame OF a small win.
dow. Any qualification, however. he
might have experienced thereat found
its offset in the subsequent discovery
that the window had heavy iron blinds
closed and fastened, and was further
guarded by single strong bar set
in the middle, dividing the one incon.
siderable aperture into two spaces o,
impossible dimensions. But as n
spurred by obstacles 10 greater exer
tons, fercely the man grasped the
metallic barrier, braced himself and
put forth his strength. In its setting
OF old masonry, the rod moved slight
; Is; then more and more, and the pris
oner, breathing moment hard. girded
himself anew. A wrench a tug. and
the bar, partly disintegrated, snappet
IN The middle, and holding the pieces
; the prisoner fell somewhat vloleptl,
back. Armed now with an implement
that well might serve as a lever. he
nevertheless, paused before endeayor
ing TO force the formidable fastening,
: OF the blinds; paused to tear of IN,
e ught'htung clowns cap; to don tn,
. costume Of the mountebank GOVERN,
e the rough, dark garments beneath. apf
vigorously to rub his face with som,
r mixture be took from his pocket II.
! had made but few passes to remoy,
the distinguishing marks OF paint apt
j pigment, when sound without. in m.
distance. caused him to desist.
} Footsteps, that grew louder. wer.
! coming his way and. gripping his ba,
tighter the prisoner grimly waited
but soon his grasp relaxed. The soun,
e was that OF single person, who nov
paused before the entrance; tumble,
a at the lock. and. with an impatien
I exclamation, set something down. A
+ the same time the prisoner droppe,
his weapon and stopped for the dis
l. caFded garments; In the dark. they es