The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-10-31
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stood and looked breathlessly at on
another within what might have bee
. q cenOtaph.
The chamber seemed at one time t
have been prepared for such a con
tingency as had occurred, for Their
were wool rugs on the stone floor
though they had rOtted and partly dis
integrated from the dampness.
IN. Duchaine, he make this place IL
case gov'ment come take him." ex
planned Pierre as he placed the rugs
No can find, no can break dowI
stone door. Other way Simon no
knOw-only m'sieur and me. Old Carl
bou he come that way; he see you tieC
and know 1t time to come here. Soor
time to kill Simon come as WELL"
"When, in heavens name, will II
come?" / cried.
Come soon. His diable tell me-
answered Pierre Caribou.
IL go now" he announced. "To.
morrow / come for you, take all
through tunnel. You stay here till ]
come; all sleep till morning"
Il will go with you, Pierre" 1 said,
still under my obsession. But he laid
his heavy hand upon my arm and
pushed me away.
you no kill Simon" he answered.
"Why you no kill him again when you
have sword? Only diable can kill him.
When time come diable tell old Carl
bou. You sleep now. I go for take
my woman and gal safe through tun-
ne TO place l know. When my woman
and gal safe l come back to m'sieur
and ma'm'selle."
l lay down. The silence was loneli-
ness itself, and not rendered less
lonely by the occasional cries of the
old man and the drip, drip of water.
l could not see anything, and Jacque-
line might have been a woman of
stone, for she made not the least move
ment.
At last / spoke to her.
"Jacqueline !"
Iheard her start, and knew that she
had raised her head and was looking
after me. / crawled toward her, drag
ging my blanket after me. I felt in
the darkness for the place where I
knew her hand must be and took IL In
mine.
"Jacqueline ~ I said again.
"Ah, NJ. Hewlett"-the WEAKNESS In
her voice went to my heart-'it might
have been so different-if-"
IF what, Jacqueline?"
IF there had not been the blood Of
a dead man between u.s." she moaned.
"If-you-had not-killed him"
Her words were a revelation to me,
for 1 learned that she had mercifully
been spared the full remembrance of
what had happened In the Tenth street
apartment. She thought that 1t was I
who had killed Louis d'Epernay.
And how could I deny this, when to
so would be to bring to her mind the
knowledge of her own dreadful guilt?
The hours wore away, and we three
lay there. two waiting and one dream
Ing Of the old days Of youth, no doubt.
/ tried to light the candle to see the
time. but my shaking hand sent it fly
ing across the cave, and when 1
searched for my matches I found that
the box vas empty.
1t seemed an eternity since we had
come there. 1t is one thing to wait for
dawn, and quite another thing to wait
where dawn will never come.
I resolved to follow the exit for a
little distance TO see whittier 1t led,
and IL I could discover the light Of
day.
So I took my sword and sailed out
through the passage In the cliff.
I had only proceeded a few steps
when the air grew cold and sweet.
And before I had traversed two hun
dred yards / saw a dim light In the
distance. This was no candle light
but that of day. So I had endured all
those agonies Of mind with the open
air but a short distance awayl
As / advanced / fancied that I heard
the soft pattering Of feet behind me.
I halted and listened ~intently. I
crouched against the wall and waited.
But I heard nothing now except the
distant roaring Of the cataracts. How
sweet they sounded nowl
I listened intently. leaning against
the wall and facing backward. holding
sword ready to meet any intruder.
But there was no sound from within,
except the soughing which one hears
In q tunnel. and satisfied at last that
/ had been the victim of an over
wrought imagination I pursued my
course. But I had not gone SIX PAGES
before ! heard q scream that still
rings in my ears today. and q shadow
sprang out Of the darkness and rushedY
at me. 1t was old Charles Duchaine.
His white hair streamed behind him ;
his face bore an expression Of indelIble
horror and rage. and In his hand he
held the other sword.
he struck at me. q great, sweeping
blow which would almost have cut me
In two. I had Just time to parry Il,
aud then he was upon me, raining
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