The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-04-16

~ assuming guilt. That is, they do
little to defend themselves. The mother
Of Miguel is clamOring for legal punish
ment Of the guilty one.
And, now the story
Things were looking blacker and blacker
for the count, but he didn't seem to care.
Then one day the helmsman of a PaimpOl
cOdfisher, hOmeward bound from the
Grand Banks and a bit off his reckoning
coming up channel In the mist so CnaC
he fetched on past that famous little Tort
where the whole fleet is blessed by the
bishop on putting out, came forward and
swOre to. the guilt Of Count de DOmcourt.
His testimony was that, OvershOOting his
mark and installing the point Of jersey
for Les. Sept Isles, he had, on discovering
his error, sailed around Jersey to coast
back to PaimpOl. Through the murk he
had passed a little yaWl built like a fisher
man, but painted white, luffed up into
the wind. He had slipped last on the
weather side Of her, and just as she was
dissolved in the bruno he had witnessed
what appeared to be a struggle between
two men on the far side Of her from his
weather gauge. He could not swear that
one Of these men had thrust the other over
board, but was willing to take oath that
a blow was struck, having seen an arm
flung up.
On the strength Of this evidence the
count was arrested for the murder Of
nephew mad sOn-in-law, Don Miguel do
CASTILLO, and held without bail pending
trial.
1t was then that RaOul de Malartic came
forward with what he claimed to be a
full confession Of the murder of Miguel.
His disposition stated that on Easter
Sunday, the morning Of the crime, the
old butler Auguste had come to RaOuIs
house greatly agitated and begged his sup
port in taking steps to Protect his young
mistress from the brutality Of her husband.
RaOul, who had long loved Annik with
every hope Of marrying her until the COM
ing Of Miguel, had been tOrmented to the
point Of madness at what he knew to be
going on and what he seemed impOtent to
prevent. He laid stress on Annik's injuries
and the counts mistaken efforts to palliate
the situation. He described the count as
timid and retiring, a mild and gentle VI
siOnary who would not have harmed a
fly, whose e%sOteric philosophy was of the
kind to set small Importance on mortal
miseries. Without waiting for Auguste, who
was nearly in a collapse from agitation, too
infirm to climb back up the path, RaOul
hurried by that route to the chateau. AT
a point more than half way to the top,
where the precipice hung sheer over the
surf breaking on the rocks below, RaOul
met Miguel coming down. At sight Of this
pampered brute whom he so fiercely hated,
a madness seized RaOul. The opportunity
Offered by this spot to but an end forever
to his brutalities no doubt suggested the
suppression Of them for all time.
Miguel greeted him with a mOcking jeer.
Then, as they were about to pass, Raoul,
who was on the side Of the cliff, yielded to
an i~nsistent impulse. He turned suddenly,
seized the unsuspecting Argentine by his
shoulders, propelled him violently for the
eight or ten feet to the brink, and thrust
him over.
As the path vent up the cliff at a long
slant, this spot was well last the village,
! just over q sort Of grOtte, or cavern, into
which the waves boiled.
Raoul looked over the edge and caught
a glimpse of the body Of Miguel sWirling
about until disappeared under an over
hanging ledge.
RaOul went on then to the top, where he
met the count, who sent him back, as de-
scribed. The tide was about an hour on
, the ebb, and another hour later RaOul made
his way along the shore to this cavern,
where he found the body Of Miguel On the
shingle-rOund limestone pebbles that Of
ten contained their little free nucleus o.
flint.
So far as RaOuI could ascertain, Miguel,
stunned by the shock Of the fall, had
drowned. The body didn't appear to have
struck the rocks. RaOul secreted it in a
. cTeVice Of the cragS. Then, after dark, a
! thick night but still, he took a small boat
= sculled around there, dragged the corpse
} to the waters edge, secured it to the boat
Z with a turn Of line, and, towing it out into
! the tideway, at that time running swiftly
, ebb, gave it to the current.
RaOuls claim was that the count had
e witnessed his act from the top Of the cliff
e Desiring then to shield RaOul, the count
/ had cOncOcted the whole story of his haV-
Y ing started to sail for eJrsey with Miguel
land of Miguel's falling overheard. RaOuI
. pointed out that the count had ~ingeniOusly
fabricated the incident Of MigueIs twisted
ankle to account for his not being seeT
aboard the boat by any who might bC
> going in or out Of the buVette at the head
: Of the gale or along the quay, though there
was scarcely anybody about. RaOul alsC
kOinted out that so far nobody had testi
= fled to having seen Miguel between the
9 time he left the chateau and was supposed
to have gone aboard the boat. COrentine'i
- lawyers had no thought to purchase suel
witnesses, because the count himself haC
= stated that Miguel had been aboard thu
; boat.
4, TIL count, Raoul averred, had assumed
4 responsibility for what he claimed to hav
happened not only because he desired Il
shield RaOul, for whom he had SINGER
+ affection, but because he thought he saw
Il q way Of doing so with no dange to him
self Of being convicted of the murder o
Miguel, whatever people might suspect
=IHe had sailed off with Miguel and re
turned without him. VOLTA tout! The o
+ held that his story must be accepted legal,
for lack Of any proof against him, an
that when two men go off together in
boat, then one does not necessarily becOm
= the keeper Of the other and responsible t
the law for his safe return. The defens
= Of Cain.
4 In his simplicity he had not counted o
= the bribery Of false witnesses who WOul
swear to threats on Miguels life that b
had never made, quarrels between his sOn
II in-laW and himself that had never OccurreC
n" and, last Of all, the testimony Of a. Twin
= cOdfisher who, in the nature Of thing
could not possibly have strayed so far OF
- Of his course, even in such weather. TIL
ke last assertion, however, didn't bear muc
y, weight, in the opinion Of nautical expert
who considered it more than possible tn,
= IN incoming sailing craft might do pr
- cisely that thing under like condition
~ Of the weather, when it would be prett
IS good navigation to make even so approx
innate a landfall from OLen sea.
" The testimony Of Auguste appeared
IN cOrrObOrate RaOurs confession, thOue
~ given .haltingly and with unWillingness.
rs seemed pretty tough on Auguste, VIII
while devoted to the count, still had affe
Is ton for RaOul, as did about all the Peep
m. Of the place, where he was looked upon
W. a brave gracOn, "bOn IFS, jeune hOmn
tout a fait gentil, bon pour les pauvres
and similar expressions Of local esteem. B
Is. sides, RaOul had come forward like a ms
TO- to save his friend when, however dubiOi
the counts position it meant for RaO
nothing less than the guillotine. For
10 didn't even claim a quarrel in self-defenl
tn a blow from the naughty, overheard
for gaillard Of a Lurse proud Argentine WI
NE was known to knock people about. q.
Inference WAS no 6ouhf nnournfo fh