Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-09-24

he stopped, saluted, called a word. II
was not a day to take anything for
granted; Colonel Couard halted the
regiment.
"The arsenal" the man gasped.,
"They have taken Monsieur de Persigny
Is on his way, but he is distant. 1t is
a step from here. The Third artillery
could arrive there before him-they
would Observation-Disclosures de Persigny
would be released"-he stopped breath
less.
on Francois. AS The princes messen-
ger. as the man whom he had seen clos
est to the princes person, he deferred
to him, and Francois realized that he
must make, and make quickly, a mo
mentous decision.
The arsenal was immense n lightly
guarded. De Persigny had been sent
with a small force to take it, for the
ammunition it held might at any mo-
ment be of supreme Importance. It
seemed that the detachment which
guarded it had been moderated, for it
had made prisoners of De P~ersigny and
his men, and this aide-de-camp had
alone escaped. If they were to be
rescued, if the arsenal was to be gained
for the prince, this very moment must
be seized. General Eoirol, %royalist. the
c-ommandant at Boulonge, was on his
way with reinforcements and the
Third might we'll hold the arsenal
against him out not gain it
from him, with his whole being CON
centrated Francois thought. The or,
derS We're plain-to lead the third artil-
lery to join the Prince on the ra1nparts.
But there are times in history when I'd
obey orders is treachery. Was not thil
moment heavy with the right or wrona
of his decision, one of them? Was il
NOT tha mart nf a mind aanoh1a of r,oo+'
ness to know and grasp the flying Sec
ond of opportunity? Would not tho
Prince reproach him, if he stupidity lei
this one chance in a thousand go by,
for servile fear of disobeying ordersi
He had left his Highness safe with twd
g1men at his back; this other coul1
do nothing at the Place dalton bar,
racks but well the ranks; here, by
a turn of a hand, they might win fol
the cause the very blood and bones OF
success, a mighty arsenal, n for
themselves honor and gratitude from
their Emperor. In Francois mind was
a touch of innocent vanity that he
should have the power to render so sig
nal a service, yet no thought at all for
himself or for the honor he might gain
or lose; who~le-heartedly he weighed tho
reasons why or why not it would be
best for the Prince.
The aide-de-camp's voice broke in,
NhS CoioLCl, L OeS SOu, J. lIlplOTe you,
save Monsieur de Persigny. The Prince
loves him-he will be very angry if he
is left helpless-they threaten to e
cut him-I myself heard-I implore
you. Monsieur lie Colonel. For the rest,
it is indeed the of fate to win
the arsenal
Francois face lit with a fire of de-
cision. My Colonel, it is for the
Prince-it would be his will we must
not let slip the gift of destiny. To the
a%rsenal!"
And while orders rang out sharply
and the regiments wheeled into sliding
lines that doubled and parted and
flowed together again in an elastic
stream toward the looming arsenal,
Francois, with a quick word to De Per-
signy's aide-de-camp, was writing rap
idly on a bit of paper.
You will take this to the Prince at
once" he ordered. and the young Off
Ger saluted, for he, too, knew, as most
of them did. this mans anomalous vet
strong hold OF Prince Louis.
rode again to the colonel's
side, and he did not doubt that he had
decided rightly.