The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-03-17

| The village square in Paradise was
nearly deserted. The children had
raced away to follow the newly arrived
gendarmes as closely as they dared,
and the women were indoors hanging
about their men, whom the govern
ment summoned to Lorient.
Far away towards Sainte-Ysole we
saw the blue woods which were our
goal However, we had no intention Of
| going there as the bee flies, partly be-
| cause Tric-Trac might see US, partly
because the Lizard wished any prowl-
| ing passer-by to observe that he was
occupied with his illegitimate profess
sion. All the while we had been twist
| ing and doubling and edging nearer
and nearer to the Sainte-Ysole woods,
until we were already within their cool
shadow, and l heard the tinkle Of a
stream among Ieafy depths.
The Lizards poacher's eyes began to
glisten and simmer in the forest dusk
like the eyes of wild things that hunt
at night.
Presently he beckoned me, stepped
into the moss, and crawled without a
sound straight through the holly
J thicket.
Watch here" he whispered. Count
a hundred when l disappear, then
creep on your stomach to the edge Of
that bank"
Before l had counted fifty l heard
| the Lizard cry out, "Bonjour, Trio
Tract" but counted on, obeying the
| Lizards orders as should wish mine
to be obeyed. l counted one hundred
and crept forward to the messy edge
Of the bank, under the yellow beach
| leaves.
Below me stood the Lizard, intently
watching figure crouched on hands
and. knees before small, iron-bound
| bog
The person addressed as Trio Trac
promptly tried to hide the box by sit
ting down on it.
"F1ute!" he snarled. Like a mud
rat, you creep with no sound-c'ess
pas polite, nom dun nom!"
Whats that box?" asked the Lis
ard, abruptly.
|
You're sitting on it, observed the
Lizard. Whats in it?"
Don't know" replied Tric-Trac,
with brisk interest. 81 found it,
The Lizard was silent.
Did you bring me anything to
chew on?" inquired Tric-Trac, smiling
at the poacher's sack.
ohnncn nh
cider-more than 1 eat in week." said
the Lizard, quietly. ct will cost forty
sous"
He opened his sack and slowly dis
played the provisions.
| looked hard at the tron-bound box.
On one end was printed the Geneva
| cross. Doctor belmont and Professor
| Tavernier had disappeared carrying
| Red Cross funds Was that their box?
Tric-Trac having devoured the
| cheese, bread and an entire pheasant,
made a bundle Of the remaining food,
emptied the cider jug, wiped his beard
less face with his cap, and announced
| that he would be pleased to "broil"
cigarette.
The Lizard laughed, and Tric-Trac,
disguised, stood up, settled his cap
over his wide ears, humming a song as
he Ioosened his trousers belt. who
are you gaping att" he added, abrupt
| ly. Bon; c'est ma geule. Eft apres
Drop that box! The next time you
come here to sell your shared pleas
ants, come like a man, nom de Dieu!
| and not like cat of the Glaciere!--or
I'll find way to stop your curiosity"
He picked up his box and the packet
| OF provisions, dropped his revolver
| into the side pocket of his jacket,
| cooked his greasy cap, blew a kiss to
the Lizard, and started off straight in
| to the forest.
On our way home l drew from the
| poacher that Tric-Trac had named
Mornac as head of the communistic
plot in Brittany; that Mornac was
coming to Paradise very soon, and
that then something gay might be
| looked for.
And that night took Speed into my
| confidence and finally Kelly Eyre, our
| balloonist
| (TO BE CONTINUED