The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-05-28
CHAPTER II (continued).

and sat down with his short legs dang
ling over an ancient wall, Is feet shee
down. He sat there, quite cornfortabl,
and secure, and kicked his heels, ant
thought OF his brilliant future. an,
also of the story of the great dog ant
the treasure. This ruin, the ancien
chateau of Vicques, had a legend. Eacf
child of the village knew 1t before he
could remember how-it had been sc
with all of them Undergraduates
had heard 1T from g~randfathers fol-
hundreds of years. The tradition rar
that ages back, in the time OF Cesar
so years after Christ, a Roman gov
ernor in this Gallo province had built
a formidable castle on this hill out
side the village-"Vicus," the Romans
called it simply, the village"-and
"Vicus," changed to "Vicques," 1t has
stayed. The castle had great granaries
TO hold the grain which the governor
tortured from the peasants and sen to
Rome to sell. This little "vicus" was
On the main road to Rome. which made
1t convenient for the governor. So he
grew rich by oppression. and the gold
wrung from the people he piled in
cellars deep in his castle. When It
came to be q great amount he sent far
to the north and got a huge dog, and
this dog he trained to a terrible
fferceness, SO that any one coming near
him In the long underground corridors
where he guided the treasure was sure
to be town in pieces, except always the
governor. The governor knew we'll
that the people hated him, even those
closest to him, n this savage beast
was his only friend. and his reliance.
For years things went on In this way,
the governor grinding the peasants. and
the giant dog guarding him and his
treasure, till at last there came a
thunderbolt-the governor was sent for
to come to Rome to give an account Of
the riches which he nae kept from the
emperor. He had to go, but he left the
dog in charge, and the night after he
was gone the p%easantry gathered and
set fire to the chateau and burned it to
the ground, and the dog and the treas
ure were burned in 1t, and there they
are to this day. The people of yicques
believe that If a man will go to dig for
that treasure and will stay till midnight
that at IL exactly a colossal dog will
rise from the ruined stones and come,
breathing flames; in his mouth will be
the key of the treasure vault, and back
of him will stand the ghost of the
Roman governor wrapped in white, his
face covered. And If the mar will be
bold enough to take the key from the
flaming mouth, then dog and governor
VIII vanish in a clap of thunder. and
In front Of the daring one will rise the
of the treasure vault and he may
turn h key and go in and help HIM
self. The people of Vicques believe
this because the g~randfathers have
known from the grandfathers how
there were men in old times Drawer
thar common who stayed till midnight
In the ruins and saw the dog inc the
ghost-but none brave enough ever to
take the key from the dogs mouth.
The child Francois, his heels hanging
over the drop of the ancient wall. the
shadows of a large chestnut tree
playing back and forth across his lit
tie figure and across the broken piles
OF grass-grown stones which had been
In his mind. The picture of the huge
dog breathing fire and that ghostly
vision OF the pitiless governor, white.
dimly outlined in the
shadows. gave the boy a thrill Of
horror, but not a thrill of
fear. Fear has been, those who knew
him said, left out Of this lad.
He does not think Of HIMSELF said
the grandmother proudly, $50 he can
not fear for himself"
Francois considered, and, feeling no
In his soul, decided that he was
the man destined to AXE the key out
Of the dogs mouth and get the treasure,
which he would at once transfer intact
his mother. He had no need for
NseS NAAS llIlEk6 IlOEo ill.,
portant. 1t was for him to become q
Of France. Napoleon had said
SO; 1t must be so; but he should like.
the way to this goal, to face the dog
and take the key and give his mother
the treasure. He knew she would like
1t, for he had heard her say to his
only yesterday, "Ah, Francois. il
we had a little more silver we could do
that" 1t would be pleasant to mi
for his mother. and shortly after
become q marshal OF France.
In the gaiety OF the thought, and
feeling both ambitions all but ac-
by his decision, he lifted
himself on the palms Of his hands and
kicked out lightly over the abyss. As
he kicked there was a sudden strong
grip on his shoulder; he was jerked
and rolled on the grass.
Are you tired of life at this age
a strident voice demanded, and
lay on his back and regarded.
wondering, at east, the bronzed lined
face o. q big man standing over him.
" stared, n then: "You be-
lieve yourself TO be an eagle, and you
are on the point of flying? Is that
Il? z" The abrupt virile voice threw the
questions at him, and Francois smiled
snnnily. He knew this to be
though he did not know that name for
1t, and from h sweet soundness Of his
S0ul LIE AAlOW VI SAICdSn SllQ OFT AL
ways as q CHANGING brightness and left
no poison. Francois smiled; then
laugher with assurance Of the others
friendlaness up into the strange mans
face. He got to his feet and stood.
No m'sieur.' he said. Il did not think
myself an eagle. was only pleased al
thinking what I am going to be some
day. Something much better than an
eagle" and he nodded with a confi-
dence in the strangers sympathy.
.Ahl" The deep strong voice seemed
to be fred like a cannon shot from the
ambush of the bristling mustache.
Great things are likely to happen to
you. It seems then, you small peasant.
Issit permitted to ask what magnifi-
cence II Is that Q are to beg"
"Certainly It is permitted. m'sieur..
francois answered in his
courteous way. I ana one day to be q
marshal OF France, rn'sieu."
The man, big. soIdierly,s aggressive.
the little peasant boy, gentle. hum
pay clad. unafraid. faced each other q
minute In silence. esch Interested sim
ply IA the other as In q new axperi-
ence.a each unconscious OF himself and
others interest.
Inen All" the man said again. 1T
Els & coed business which you have hon