Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-08-13
ADmMGd neutrality-suspicious.
TIE MARSHAL
BY N Raymond Shipman Andrews
Aa4Aar The Perfect Tribute. etc
CHAPTER xx11-(continued).
Copyright The Bobb.nerria cea,ar

~ HaHH LEEHF'
Pushing. crashing. staggering through
as if a giant had taken a huge spoon
and scooped out the top Of the earth
deep-very deep. All Of this great hol-
underground. 1t was full of vague
shadows in the glimmer of earliest
dawn. Francois, standing there sob
bling, CHASTITY with p%aleness, with mat
ted hair and wild-staring eyes and
gasping mouth and wet torn clothes,
was a fit demon for h haunted spot.
He saw nothing, no one; with that
there was a soft swapping of twigs and
q movement in the darkness farthest
from him.: a movement toward him.
Tottering he crawled to meet it; In an
other second the shadows a shaped
into figures--a peasant boy on a horse,
leading another horse.
Then he stood close to them, and the
boy. leaning over without a word put
something into his hand, and Francois.
sWaying with exhaustion, saw that 1t
was a flask. He took q long swallow
of cognac and his chilled blood leaped,
and with that he had caught the bril-
die from the lad and was in the saddle.
Silently, without a word spoken, they
climbed the shadowy slope under the
o%verhanging trees Of Riders Hollow.
Silently. fast, they rode through the
pale darkness. through the slow-com-
ing day. down wooded roads, across
fields, always toward the sea. Steadily
the day came; now they were galloping
most of the time. only pulling to let
the horses breathe going up a hill, or
to guard them from stumbling down
one.
In the shadow of trees. in a lonely
lane, the peasant boy stopped his horse
suddenly n made a short gesture to-
WI ri tho f1ncL cffnlriy,er ant re ISuo -
COTS coat pocket. His strength was
going again: it was exactly the right
moment. Another swallow of brandy
and he rode on with fresh courage. But
something in the gesture of the peas
ant boy: something about his seat in
the saddle. about the touch of his hands
on the rein, gave Francois a curious
underlined shock. In the growing day
light he turned toward the silent rider.
The coat collar was up and the broad
brlmlned soft hat drawn down. The
Slim figure, outlined aginst the cool
pink v%astness of the morning sky was
clad like IN ordinary young peasant
yet. There was a poise, a sure grace,
which seemed unlike a peasant, which
seemed like
Have we far to go?n Francois de-
manded suddenly in French.
The head turned swiftly: black ex-
aggerated laslles lifted and under them
-SSAC ~ OIiS cSGS liz KNEW. aA
Alike"
He cried it out loud. reckless. for
getting everything. But she did not
forget. In an instant her hand was
on his mouth. and she was whispering
in terror.
FRANCOIS. dear Francois. be care
ful. We are not safe vet. We have a
village to ride through-see. there is a
house. 1t is almost time for them to
be awake. Ride fast. 1t is two miles
yet"
Ihey We're racing again owe the soft
ground, the horses unshod feet making
little noise. and Francois heart was
playing mad music. No need now of
cognac. Then they We're galloping
down the sand of a lonely beach, and
with that there was a little group of
people az a boat drawn up: and they
mad pulled in the horses. and Francois
ielt himself lifted off like a child and
lying X a very little, worn-out child
In the generals arms: and the
general Was CRYING, swearing, hugging
MIN without shame. Pietro was there;
Pietro was rubbing the thin hands in a
futile useless sort OF way. and hold
inE them by turns to his face. ALIKE,
her peasant hat off now, bent over
them. loveller than ever before. not
mindtng her boys dress. and smiled at
nlnn. wordless. There was a huge man
also who took the horses. and Fran
coils wondered II he had heard Alright
that Alike called. him little Battista."
wondering Very much at everything.
the voices grew far away and the faces
uncertain. and he decided that it was
tista would unlock the door shortly and
bring In his breakfast. And with that
ne knew nothing more till he. awoke in
q boat.