Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-08-06

might keep a mans fingers from slip
ping. He HAD to guess how long the
rope must be, but the bedclothes We're
all used and the rope was many yards
lit must serve. He put the file, with
two candle ends which he q saved,
into his pocket; he made one end OF the
strip fast to an untouched iron bar Of
his window; he weighted the other end;
then he cooked about a moment, half to
see II all of his small resources had
been remembered, half In a glance Of
farewell to a place where he had passed
hours never to be forgottn.
With that he vauited to the window
ledge and took the first knot in a firm
grip and let himself out into the dark
stlll night. His feet hung in the air,
his hand slid fast-fast-down that
poor ladder Of torn stuff; the die was
cast; he was going to things unknown;
might not go pack. And he slipped
down, down. from knot to knot. Sud-
denly he came to the last knot; he
had fastened a bit OF wood there 30
h a he might NOW when he got to
the end. What was this? It certainly
was the last knot; the bit of wood
scraped his hand as he held It: but his
fees did not touch ground.
There he hung, swaying in black
ness, not Knowing how far he might be
above the earth, not knowing what to
90. Only a moment, for instantly he
knew that in any case he could not go
nack, II he would. up that slight swing
ing he must drop, whatever hap
pened. He bent his knees ready for
landed and rolled, bruised and out of
oreatn, hut not injured; he looked up
ana IN the dimness saw the last knot
with its bit of wood swinging in air ~
rect or SO from the ground.
But he had no time given him to con-
slaer tnls point, for at that second,
at the far end of the closed ward a door
opened, a blaze OF light poured out. and
a U OF six soldiers stepped from
the castle, torches in the hands Of fha
foremost. Francois dropped. crouch
ing into the shadows against the wall
nut ms heart grew sick as he realized
.ne rutll1ty OF this. The soldiers were
coming straight toward him,
with that, a CLEAN on a brighter SIR
face than the ground met his s,eh+
below the level of the ground. His EYES
searching the darkness, made out a
great butt Of water. sunken nv tho
castle wall. Instantly he slid into II,
up1o ms neck. 1t was not quite fuli
ana his head did not show in the
SHADOWS OF the inside. The blaze Of
eorches swept close, brighter. as Fran
co.'s. shivering in the cold water piuad
nlnself to the dark side; the blaze Of
the torches waved, shadowy. Gigantic
aefoss the water and the castle wall.
ne heard the soldiers speak in short
oeep words; 1T was like an evil dream
anu ~ shipped past, torches and dark
m nmlaisang snadow and heavy tread of
men .r n stern voices, like a dream
Inc heavy door shut, the lights wars
gone, everything was still. "oeS
more dead Than alive. E,ranco,.
orlpped from the water butt. The hard.
est part of his nights Job. the mar
va. needed all his strength Of BODY and
pr was Immediately before him. and
as limp as the traditional drowned rat
a he stood SO, utterly dc,
without condolences.
= Ihen with. his trenblinp lin
ne framed words, words familiar to
q - ,h aor a and with that. In
courage rising in him like a Slow claw
1000. 1t was not less a miracle hecaasa
mere was no sign In the heavens ne
or lightning: II was ny
less a miracle because MANY neonIs.
livlng now might tell Of a like heln ~
1earrul need. AS it was once a Ihonr
o e1ne ago the water of his blood was
II S a oOE Cno nT3GNnaV
$1,000 ! the courtyard In the blackness
OF and found himself ready.
he CROPPED his way to the shed ha
nad seen from the governors window.
Win ms gid boyish agility he ami
~ lts sloping roof and felt for the con-
ing ne had noticed-the coping wide
enough for a mans foot; he had found
~; ne found a water pipe above to
help him stand on it: he was on the
coping, lace flat to TIE wall, working
his way with infinite delicate care to
the window Of the governor. He never
knew how long that part took: It
seemed a great while, though not many
leet lay between the shed and the win
dow. Then he felt the stone sill or the
window; his hand crept up it was
open-wide open. With a strong null
he a swung himself over and stood
In the dark. in the governors bedroom.
stood n listened, hardly daring for
1he nrst instant to draw the long breath
necessity for that caution at least. The
governor was snoring a heavy agrees
sive snore which would have drowned
most noises. Francois stood quiet till
MS eyes had grown accustomed to the
shadows, and then they searched about
quickly. All! there they were, the gov
With wary steps he stole across. He
Tlifted off one or two things and sud-
denly there was a jingle.
"Ah!" growled the governor ana
rlung out his hand, and the snore came
to q full stop.
The hand searched the darkness a
second; all but touched that OF Fran
co.'s, then fell Imply, the head turned
away, with a deep sigh. Like a statue
Francois stood, frozen t the floor, and
dared not look at the figure stirring
in h bed. for fear his gaze might
awake the sleeper. For he slept; the
sound Of The keys had only Jared some
chord in his uneasy dream. Long min
utes after the snoring was IN full
progress again Francois waited, and
then with careful fingers he clasped the
entire bunch Of keys softly and car
Frted them into the next room.
There was q low light there, on the
writing table. Francois slipped the
thin. old. brass key which he knew OFF
from the bunch; he glanced about
quickly n found the hint and steel
on "a, table and put them in his pocket;
he took down that small saber, with
Its well polished scabbard. and buckled
# about himself; thsn a thought came