The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-08-06

to rustic the paper, deadening the
sound under his bedclothes, he read IL,
kneeling by the bed. IL was four let
ters-from his mother and Alike and
the general and Pietro; but the first
three were short. He felt indeed, read
ing them, that no words had been writ
ten, that only the arms OF the people ne
loved had strained about him and their
faces laid against his, and that 30,
wordlessly, they had told him but one
thing-their undying love. Weak, lone
", his intense temperament stretched
TO the breaking point by the last three
months OF fearful hope, It was more
than he could bear. He put the papers
against his cheek and his head dropped
On the bed, and a storm OF tears tore
his soul and body.
But II was dangerous; he must not be
on his guard; he remembered that
swiftly, and with shaking fingers he
opened Pietro's letter--Ptetro's letter
which, yellowed and faded but distinct
yet In the small clear writing, In guard
ca today with those other letters In the
mahogany desk in Virginia
My dear brother Francois" the LETT
ter began. and quick tears came again
at that word brother" which said 30
much. MY dear brother Francois
this il not to tell you how have
searched for you and never forgotten
Il
You. This IL 10 tell you how to get out
OF that house OF mine which has held
you as q prisoner when you ought to;
have been Its welcome guest. When
Italy Is free we will do that over; but
we must get you free first. Francois,
I am now within Ave miles OF you"
The man on his knees by the prison
bed gasped; the letters staggered be-
fore his eyes.
4 am living on ship, and will ex-
plain how i got II when see You, In
few days now, Francois. Every night
for week, beginning with tonight.
there Will be a person watching for you
In Riders Hollow, from midnight till
daylight. After that we shall 60 away
for two weeks so as TO avoid giving
suspicion, and then repeat the arrange
ment again every night for a week. You
do not know Riders Hollow, and II Ia
unnecessary to tell you more about Ii
than that II Is lonely place hidden In
trees, and supposed to be haunted by
ghosts OF men on horseback; the peo-
pie about will not 90 there for love
or money except by broad daylight.
This is the way you are to get there.
In the wine cellar Of the castle, which
opens from the governors room--in old
times always the room of the lord--in
that wine cellar, on the north wall Ia
a square block OF stone projecting
u
the lower corner on the left-hand side
OF the stone under this, the big stone
above will swing out and show an
opening large enough for a man to
pass Going through, you close the
door by pressing the same stone, and
you then win find yourself IN an un.
derground passage which leads straight
half q mile through the earth to Riders
Hollow. The passage Is 500 years old
and only the family OF the Zappis has
ever know OF it. went through 1t once
In my boyhood with my father, and Ii
was in perfect condition, so believe
that 1t will be now. It was built with
solidity--as one may believe, for II the
old Zappis wanted IL at all they wanted
1t In working order.
your part will be difficult, Francois,
but belive yeu can do it. You will
have to get the key OF the wine cellar,
or else force the lock. Can you do
that? 1t is necessary to do 1t. Francois,
for we can not get on without you. and
we shall from now live only to set you
free. / send you something which may
be useful"
Francois dropped the letter and
picked up the long loaf and tore 1t
apart. There YVES file in the center. AS
| IL a powerful tonic had been infused
into him he felt strength and calmness
pour through him. He read the letters
over and over till he had them by heart;
then he concealed them carefully, with
the file, In his mattress. After that he
sat down and concentrated his mind,
with the new force working in 1t, on
his plan. ......,... III s
The governor was almost certain to
have him down TO dinner again In two
or three days; II was q pity that while
he was there, all but on the spot he
could not possess himself OF the key
and escape. He thought over one or
A - 49, A. a r. IL. 49, 49, Ill
shipwrecked on the fact that the guards
were accustomed TO take him back to
his room at IL, and that, failing notice
l from the governor, they would certain
| ly come to find out why IL they were
not called. They would start the pur-
suit; he must have the night clear. So
The unwiIling1y let 30 OF the great adj
/ vantage OF his own presence in the
governors room, 80 near the scene OF
4 action, and planned otherwise. With
i infinite forethought with an eye to
every contingency possible TO imagine,
he planned. and when the notice came,
two days later, that the Count Won
that night, Francois heart leaped
madly but exultantly, for he was
ready.
Never had the young Frenchman
been moro entertaining, more winning
to his tyrant than tonight, but the ex-
element OF what was De1oro MIN made
4 Ii almost out OF the question 20 eat
the counts dinner. AS before, the
4 count prescribed old wine as tonic,
/ and took Francois with him to get It.
! Tonight there were three bottles
/ brought up-the count was preparing
/ to drink hard. And Francois had some
trouble In not drinking with him; but
4 he kept up his end with singing and
acting, with dance or two out OF the
peasant repertoire OF the Jura. with
e mock drill of an awkward squad at
saint Cyr with clever limitations OF the
4 few people whom he had seen about
the castle, Battista'g gruffness and
mangied German words, and the sniff
fling mixed with grandiloquence Of one
4 Of the guards: finally he grew daring
and initiated the governors superior
officer who had visited the prison six
1 months ago and had seen Francois
among. the others Francois, with his
body bent out, and a fat waddle, and
an improvised eye glass and q pursy
short breathed manner. spoke OF the
governor severely putting at him be
i tween sentences, reproving him, among
other things, for having prisoners dine
with him.