Glacier County chief., 1939-01-27

selves at a place where the path
widened suddenly to become a natural
balcony about 20 feet long and II feet
deep-and then stopped. A natural
wall of rock screened it from sight of
the valley or hills on the other side.
Masquerouge followed them into the
niche, leading the two mules which he
tied up to an iron ring by the mouth
of cave that opened in the rock wall
at the end.
close by the mouth of the cave. The
bandit stirred them with his foot, and
threw on couple of pine logs.
Perhaps you are hungry" said Mas
querouge. Il have little to offer my
there is
Il should like cigaret as much as
anything" said the. Saint. But I'm
not a very good contortionist."
The bandit considered him.
Il could unite you m'sieu, if YOU
gave me your word of honor not to
attempt to escape. 1t is, I believe,
usual in these circumstances
His speech had an elaborate theat-
realism which came oddly out of his
rough and ragged clothing.
I'll, give you my word for two
ment's thought. 1T can be renewed
If necessary"
"C'est assez. Eft vous, Madame?"
"D'accord'
Pour deux heures, alors."
MaSquerouge laid down his rifle and
united the Saints hands, but Simon
noticed that he picked up the gun
again at once, and that he kept it al
ways within easy reach. The Saint
understood the symptom well enough
not to be disturbed by it. He lighted
a cigaret and stretched himself out
comfortably beside the fire and beside
Louise Baudier, while the night closed
down like purple blanket and Mas
querouge brought out the bread and
cheese and dried ham and coarse red
wine which are the staple fare in the
mountains.
He said presently: II take it that
you have ideas about ransom
The bandit shrugged
Il regret the necessity But I am
a poor man, and you must be charita-
BILE. Let us say that it was unlucky
that you chose to travel this way"
But we were looking for you,' said
Louise.
Masquerouge stopped with a knife
load of broccio halfway to his mouth.
For me?"
Yes" she said. "I wanted to see
you, and this gentleman was good
enough to help me. We were not I'M
lucky. We came here on purpose.
you pay me an unusual compli-
ment, Madame. Could one ask what I
have done to deserve such a distin-
guished honor?"
II am looking for my husband" she
said simply.
He sat watching her.
II &c
true that I often have the pleasure
of entertaining travellers in the noun
tainS. But, alas, they never stay with
me Tor long. Either their friends are
so desolate in their absence that they
bride me to ensure their safe and
speedy return-or their friends are so
unresponsive that am forced to con-
clude that they cannot be very desir-
able guests. I am incapable of believ-
ing that gentleman who had won
the heart of Madame can have be-
longed to the latter category
1T is possible" she said. without
bitterness. But knew nothing of it,
She was silent for a moment.
1T was two years ago" she said. He
came here, to Corsica, to Corte. He was
going into the mountains. No one ever
heard of him again. I know that you
were here then, and 1 wondered if
you might Aforementioned him.
Perhaps I was foolish . -
Masquerouge dug his knife in the
cheese.
"Tenez," he said. rs it like that that
one lives in Paris? You have lost your
husband for two years, and it is not
until today that you want to find
him?"
Il don't want to find him." she said.
Il want to know that he is dead
She said quietly, without any force
of feeling, as if it was a thought that
she had lived with for so long that
it had become a commonplace part
of her life. But in the very passionless-
ness of that matter of-fact statement
there was something that sent an cleo
trio ripple up the Saints spine.
He had finished eating and he was
sitting smoking with his feet towards
the warmth of the fire and his back
leaning against the rock. On his left,
Ill, =