The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-08-06

might keep q mans fingers from slip
ping. He had to guess how long the
rope must be, but the bedclothes We're
all used and the rope was many yards
lit must serve. He put the file, with
two candle ends which he had saved,
into his pocket; he made one end of the
strip fast to an untouched iron bar or
his window; he weighted the other end;
then he looked about q omen half to
see II all of his small had
been remembered, half in Il glance Of
farewell to n place where he had passed
hours never to be forgottn.
With that he vaulted to the window
ledge and took he first knot In a firm
grip and let himself out into the dark
still night. His feet hung in the air,
his ha:d slid faSt-fast-down that
poor ladder of torn stuff; the die was
cast; he was going to things unknown;
might not so back And he slipped
down, down. from knot to knot. Sud
denly he came to the last knot; he
had fastened a bit of wood there SO
that he might know when he got to
the end. What was this? It certainly
scraped his hand as he held 1t; but his
fees did not touch ground.
There he hung, swaying in black
ness, not knowing how far he might be
above the earth, not knowing what to
90. only q moment, for Instantly he
~ Shil II oily case he COulQ nor go
back. II he would, up that slight swing
Ing rope; he must drop, whatever hap
pened. He bent his knSes ready for
the fan and let go. With a shock he
landed and rolled. bruised and out Of
breath, but not injured; he looked up
with its bit of wood swinging in air 10
feet or so from the ground.
but ne mad no time given him to con-
slider this point. for at that second,
at the lar end of the closed yard a door
opened, a blaze of light poured out and
q squad of six soldiers stepped from
Ihe castle, torches in the hands Of the
Francois dropped, crouch
ing INTO the shadows against the wall.
put his heart grew sick as he realized
the utility OF this. The soldiers were
coming straight toward him.
With that. a sleam on a brighter SIR
ace IMAM the ground met his. sight.
below the level of the ground. His ewes
searching the darkness, made ont a
great butt of water. sunken by the
castle wall. Instantly he slid into it,
apd his ms neck, It was not quite full,
shadows of the inside, The blaze of
torches swept close, brighter. as Fran
co.'s, shivering in the colo water pl,1ed
himself to the dark side; the blaze of
.ne tofches waved, shadowy, gigantic
acros the water and the casfIe 1vaii.
he heard the soldiers speak In shnrt
oeep words; 1t was like an evil dream
aha II silpped past, torches and dari,
swinging shadows and heavy tread Of
men me- and stern voices, like a dream.
me me heaSy door shut, the lights were
gone. everything was still.
More dead thar alive. Franoois
oripped from the water butt. The hard
EST part OF his nights job. the nart
INA needed all his strength Of body and
he stoa was Immediately before him, and
as limp as the traditional drowned 60
a moment he stood so, utterly die.
S~oofasea. without confidence, without
nope Then with his trembling lin
me hsn framed words, words familiar to
La ann ,b LOT years and with that, in
courage rising in him like a Slow claw
Liooo- 1t was not less a miracle heoousa
there was no sign in the heavens nc
oiQuake or lightning; it was not
d miracle eau many people
fearful need. AS it was once a 1ions
time ago, the water of his blood was
aahge into wine. So the prisone,
seeoo IN the courtyard in the ~blackness
OF midnight and found himself ready.
re groped his way to the shed he
had seen from the governors window.
with his old boyish agility he Scramble
up us sloping roof and felt for the con-
ing ne mad noticed-the coping wide
enough for a mans foot; he had foun6
L; ne a found a water pipe above t.
help MIN stand on it; he was on thu
coping. face flat to the wall, workine
his way with infinite delicate care te
he ind of the governor. He never
knew how long hat part took; i
seemed a great while, though not man,
feet lay between the shed and the win.
dow. Then he felt the stone sill of tn,
his hand crept up; it wa.
open-wide open. With a strong pul
he had swung himself over and stoot
ID the dark, in the governors bedroom
Stood and listened, hardly daring TO,
the first instant to draw the long breath
he sorely needed. Then he smiled. NJ
necessity for that caution at least. TIL,
governor was snoring a heavy aggres
sive snore which would have drowned
most noises. Francois stood quiet til
his eyes had grown accustomed to tn,
shadows, and then they searched abou
quickly. All! there they were, the gov
ernor's clothes. On a chair by his bed
With wary steps he stole across. H,
lifted off n or two things and sud.
denly there, was a jingle.
"Ah!" growled the governor an
flung out his hand, and the snore cam
to a full stop.
The hand searched the darkness
second; all but touched that Of Fran
coils. then fell Imply, the head turned
away, with a deep sigh. Like a statu,
Francois stood, frozen to the floor, ant
dared not look at the figure ~stirrin,
In the bed, for fear his gaze Nigh
awake the sleeper. For he slept; tn
sound Of the keys a only Jared som
chord in his uneasy dream. Long min
utes after the snoring was in full
progress again Francois waited, an,
then with careful fingers he clasped tn
entire bunch of keys softly and car
!, ried them into the mex room.
There was a low light there, on tn
writing table. Francois slipped tn
? thin. old, brass key which he knew of
!. from the bunch: he glanced abou
quickly and found the flint and stee
!, on it's fable and put them in his pocket
: he took down that small saber, wit
: : its well polished scabbard, and buckle
: it about himself; then a thought cam
to him. A sheet OF paper lay on TIL
: governors writing table as IL he ha
: been about to write a letter; pen an,
; ink were ready. The prisoner .droppe,
? into the governors chair Inc wrote:
My dear count, I can not run ava
{ without leaving a good-by for you an
a word of hanks for the kindness yo,
: have shown me. Be sure I shall nc