Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-05-27
CHAPTER II (continued).

dreamer, came alone through the gate
and sat down with his short legs dang
ling over an ancient wall, Is feet sheer
down. He sat there, quite comfortable
n secure, n kicked his heels, and
thought OF his brilliant future, and
also Of the story of the great dog and
Nhe treasure. This ruin, the ancient
chateau Of VicQues, had a legend. Each
child OF the village kneW it before he
could remember how-it had been so
had heard 1t from grandfathers for
hundreds of years. The tradition ran
that ages back, in the time of Caesar,
80 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
stayed. The castle had great granaries
to hold the grain which the governor
tortured from the peasants and sent 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 he people he piled in
cellars deep in his castle. When 1t
came to be a great amount he sent far
to the north and got a huge dog. and
this dog he trained to a terrible
f1erceness, SO that any n 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 q
thunderbolt-the governor was sent for
to come to Rome to give an account OF
the riches which he had kept from the
emperor. He had to go, but he left the
dog in charge, and the night after he
was gone the peasantry gathered n
set fire to the chateau and burned it to
b ground, and the dog and h treas
ure were burned in 1T, n there they
are to this day. The people of Vicques
believe that il a ma will go to dig for
that treasure and will stay till midnight
that at IL exactly a colossal dog will
rise from the inc stones INC 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 IL the man will be
bold enough to take the key from the
flaming mouth, then dog and governor
will vanish in a clap Of thunder, and
in front of the daring n will rise the
door of the reasure vault and he IA
turn h key and go in and help him
self. The people Of Vicques believe
this because the grandfathers have
known from h grandfathers how
there were men in old times PRAYER
han common who stayed till midnight
in tho ruins and saw the dog n the
ghost..-but none brave enough ever to-
take the key from the dogs mouth.
Tie child Francois, his heels hanging
n--- a. ---rN -
shadows Of a large chestnut tree
playing bac and forth across his lit
tie figure and across the broker piles
of grass-grown o which had been
the castle granarteS, revolved this tale
in his mind. The picture of the huge
dog breathing fire and that ghostly
vision Of the pitiless governor, white,
shadows, gave the boy a thrill Of
agreeable 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" a
the grandmother proudly, so he can
not fear for himself"
Francois considered, and, feeling no
fear in his soul, decided that he was
the man destined to take the key out
OF the dogs mouth n get thestreasure,
which he would at n transfer intact
to his mother. He had no need for
treasure; there were things more i'm
portant. 1t was for him to become a
marshal OF France. Napoleon had said
SO; 1t must be so; but he should like,
onathe way to this goal, to face the dog
and TAX the key and give his mother
the treasure: He knew she would like
it, for he had heard her say to his
father only yesterday. "Ah, Francois, If
we q a little more silver we could do
that" 1t would be pleasant. to arrange
that for his mother, and Shortly after
to become. a marshal of France.
In the gafety Of the thought, and
feeling both ambitions all but ac-
complisheda 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 raj jerked
backward and rolled on the grass.
Are you tired Of life at his age
them" a stridcnt voice demanded, and
FRANCOIS lay on his bac and regarded,
w~onderingt at east, the 9bronZed lined
face Of a big man standing over him.
The two stared and tken: You be-
l1eve eynurself to be an eagle, and you
are on the point Of filing? Is that
it?'' The abrupt virile voice threw the
questions at him, and Francois smiled
sunnily. He knew this to be sarcasm,
though HI did not know hat name for
1t, and from h sweet soundness Of his
soul the arrow OF sarcasm slid off all
ways as a glancing brightness and left
no poison. Francois smiled then
laugher with assurance of the others
friendliness up into the strange mans
face. He got to his feet and stood.
mo m'sieurj;.he said. IT did not think
myself an eagle. 1 was only pleased at
thinking what ! am going to be some
day. Something much better than an
eagle" and he nodded with q conf
denco in the strangers sympathy
"Ah!" The deep strong voice seemed
to be fired like q cannon shot from the
ambush Of the bristling mustache
''Gfeat things are likely to happen to
Won. At seems then you small peasant.