Mexico Missouri message., 1913-06-19

setter or cOfn-cOpslderatiOb OF tneso
usually all.importsnt 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. stcely 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 IL to grapple with some hid
den danger
"J'Arrive en- ce pays
Dc Basse Normandle-"
At 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
| derly habits, he bent over the big
book; once more the curying finger
slid up and down, and parsimony. the
vice OF the aged. had begun to shino
from his pinched features, when a
footstep rang on the marble pavement
Your Excellency sent for me?" The
commandant stood respectfully near
The Governor closed the book with
| deliberatlon 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 inqulring 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. II 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 it happened quite by acci-
dent near a ship, maneuvering at a
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.-snd were round
ing the island when we ran into two
small sail-boats that had just set out
from there
ITO join the ship OF this outlaw
.nterposeG the Governor. go on
shortly.
| we nailed; their answer was un
satisfactory; we ordered them to halt
whereupon they tried TO sail away. We
followed and overtaking them. com
manded them to surrender. Theil
leader, who was the Black Seigneul
himself, refused. and we attacked
"Bien! We attacked But wha
then? Eth, what then?"
with fury they responded; IL
spite of their inferiority OF number
tried to board US. Bravely our mel
repulsed them; yet still they persist
ed; led by their captain. the Blacl
Seigneur, had gained the deck when
chance shot struck him. AS he fel
back, the others tried to escape; on
boat was sunk"
And the other. bearing their lead
: or, got away" interrupted the Go,
ernor harshly.
I'm the confusion-yes. your Exec
lency."
. The Governor waved his hand in
patiently.
CTo BE CoNTINUEDJ