Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-30

Surprised at what they took for the
premature advent of their master, the
fellows turned and stood for moment
undecided. But. by thrustiag my sword
among them. | enabled them 10 make
up their minds. They could but blindly
obey their Instructions, asd so they
came towards me with feeble pretense
~ attack. In the darkness IT was inn
possible for them to mako out my
features. mct their sham assault with
much greater vigor than DE Berquin
had led thcrh to expect from him, This
they might have been moved TO resist,
10 earnest, but for the fear OF losing their
paw. which DE Bcrquin, in order to
secure himself against treachery on their
part. would certainly have represented
AS being, not on his person, but some
where awaiting his call Thus deferred
from making a sufficient defence against
my sword-pay. and rs mademolselie,
awakened hy the noise. had FASTENED TO
her door and was looking on, the four
Adventures soon considered that their
prctcnse of battle had lasted long
enough. 4 howl Of pain from Barbe-
mouchc, evoked by n wound IN the
groin, was the signal Tor their general
flight. As ! still stood IN the doorway
to bar al exit, there, they sought other
wsvs ng egrcss. The slim jacques ran
past madcmoiselle into her room and
holted through the window. Barbc-
mourhe managed to 90 through the
rear window of the kitchen, and the fat
Antoine tried 60 follow him, but sue
cec,lcd only as To his head. arms, and
shoulders. Squeezed tightly into the
opening, he remained AN irresistible
temptation 10 the point of my sword,
and AZ every thrust he beat the air with
his legs, and shrickcd piteously. The
tall Francois. in attempting to reach
th,s window az one stride, had stumbled
against the bodies of the terrified inn
keeper and his wife. and he now labored,
vainlv. 10 release his leg from the grasp
IL the old woman. who clug TO 1t with
the strength Of desperation. | took
mademoiselle hy the hand and led her
out INTO the air. Here we were joined
by Hugo and Pierre. who had run
around from the she'd at the noise.
was Just about TO answer her look OF
hewilderment and inquiry, when there
came a loud cry:
stand off, rascalsr
And on rushed De Berquin from the
NNeuS, lbAhiflE "a Nitdt hphA i'h " - 80
sword as he came. In the darkness,
seeing madcmoiselle standing with three
men. one OF whom had led her rapidly
from the ian. the inventive Nicomte
had taken us three for his own Jealous
henchmen>
Md 50 he came, like some giant
shaving chevalier of the old days, crying
again: stand of, rascalsl' and adding,
You hounds. release this lady,
Fear not for the lady; her friends
are herer' | said, motioning Hugo and
Pierre aside and stepping forward with,
madcmoiselle, my drawn sword IN my
right hand.
The moon reappeared, and showed
DE Berquin standing with open mouth,
a. II turned 10 stone. In a moment this
astonishment passed.
Thousand devils!' he cried! The
cursed laekeyr'
And he made wrathful thrust at me,
hut I disarmed him now as neatly as at
the inn Thereupon, he picked up his
sword and made rapidly off to the
woods. Turning towards the inn, ! saw
the tall fellow and his fat comrade
leaving il. the former bearing his huge
sword on his shoulder. They avoided
a. by detour. and followed De Berquin.
The two who had escaped by windows
had. doubtless, already reached-the pro-
lection of the trees | began TO explain
20 msdemoiselle, and was asking my