Year: 1865

Yes. 1t happened very strangely
These are very troublous times | know,but
| thought the war had not invaded this
quiet province, al least ! was told so, and
therefore rode along fearless of danger.
When | came to that little glen with rocks
= and woods cresting upon either side, |
thOught--a natural idea for sOldier--that
it was capital place for an ambuscade,
: and so it proved, for | scarcely entered it
r when two carbines were fired from the
| thicket"


: my horse neighed with pain, reared
up, and then fell to the earth, carrying me
along with him. ] knew that he was badly
hurt, for have had horses shot under me
before so quickly snatched my pistols
from their holsters, eXtricated my feet from
the stirrups, and went down quietly with
him. Fortunately he lay stone dead, and
did not kick. lay motionless on his body
and waited for further developments Two
men with carbines in their hands emerged
from the thicket and came rapidly toward
me- When they were within ten feet of
me | rose and called upon them to surren-
der, as | was anxious to learn the cause of
this unprovoked attack, there being moth
ing in my appearance, thought, to sug-
gest the idea of booty. But the rascals, who
evidently thought me dead, were so terri
fled that they beat hasty retreat towards
the woods, so | was obliged to send
couple of bullets after them to stop them
and, being an Indifferent good shot, they
did stop, and unless some good Christian
gives them burial, they are likely to stop
for some time"


"You shot them both 2" stammered the
landlord and his teeth chattered and he
grew very pale, all but the tip of his nose,
which, from contrast with the rest of his
face, looked redder than ever.


"What would you have had me done ?"
asked the soldier, in his usual careless tone
They might have fired with better sue
cess at some other poor devil of a traveller,
who might not have got off 50 easily as
did"


What could have possessed them to
have fired on you ?" exclaimed the landlord,
and it almost appeared that he was asking
himself the question as much as he did the
soldier


Precisely the question asked myself"
returned the soldier and since you have
mentioned the expected arrival of the young
Baron of Ravcnsburg, think have a clue
to the whole affair. Some outlaws, having





a plan to waylay him. There two
men were sent out as scouts to apprise the
others of his approach. Seeing a solitary
hnrSeman approach, they concluded to
plunder little on their own account AS
l was not molested further on my way
hither, the rendezvous of the band must be
beyond there, consequently the Baron will
reach this house III safety. Now, if you
70 hn1 I chan
take up my quarters tonight upon this
bench, for feel it my duty to warn this
young Baron, for know something of his
family, of the danger which threatens him"


The landlord gazcd curiously at his un-
ceremonious guest. There was no mistak-
ing the man. Courage and determination
were highly stamped upon his fair fea-
lures.


"You are an officer ?" he said inquiringly


yes"


Captain ~


Exactly"


Disbanded ?"


"No."


The quiet smile that accompanied this
answer bewildered the landlord. In fact,
the captain was an enigma that the worthy
host Of the Travellers Rest found it i'm
possible to solve


The appearance of the maid of the host
lery with flask of wine and the refresh
ments the captain had ordered, interrupted
! the conversation.


The host whispered to the girl, and then
hurried away.


What did he say to your asked the
captain, abruptly, fixing his keen eyes upon
the girls face.


! "To wait upon you while he went up to
the monastery" answered the girl unhes-
| tatingly.


"The monastery ?" rejoined the captain,
leisugely inspecting the contents of the flask
of Rhenish, which seemed to be much to
his satisfaction. "That old ruin upon the
hill yonder Is it then occupied ?"


Oh yes about year ago a party of
wandering monks, whose monastery had
been destroyed by the soIleFs ofthe league,
occupied it and they have remained ever
since, They call themselves the Black
Brotherhood of ST Bruno And very pious'
and selfdenying men they are. too. They
keep wrapped up in an odor of sanctity all
the time. They never hold any communi-
cation with the world without no stran-
ger is admitted beneath their walls and
whenever one of the brotherhood comes
out, he always has his black oowl drawn
closely over his face. Though have been
: here as long as they have. ! never yet saw
one with his face uncovered"


81 thought you said your uncle was GO
ing there ?" remarked the captain care
lessly slipping his wine,


"Oh he only goes to the porter's wick
ct he meyer goes IN. He supplies the
monks with food"


"And how many bottles of this capital
wine a month ?"


d" ] am sure do not know how many.
but know that we have more empty TASKS
at the end of the week than the number Of
travellers could possibly have drank"
4 thought so. The close neighborhood
: Of these good monks accounts for the ex-
, cellence of the wine St Bruno, your very
good health. Do many travellers pass this
way, sweetheart 2"
Not many and what seems to me
very singular" continued the girl, bending
towards the captain and speaking in a
I low, cautious whisper, none that pass this
way ever return"


t Indeed What kind of road is 1t he.