Year: 1865

OF the door, and threw il open. Ii


one stride L was at the turn-it wa


empty in another / was at the stair


head. My brother threw a torch int,


the kitchen, and down we ran, m,


hrst act after ascertaiping that tn,


kitchen was clear, being to look unde


the stairs; my brother directing hi


attention toward the door to see tha


no one entered, while the Others


searched the little bedroom, that Dor,


marks of having been recently slep


IN, but was now untenanted. w,


then secured the front door, and open


ing the one leading into the ward


rushed out in body, hoping by that


means to scatter our enemies should


they be collected to attack MS but al


was quiet as the grave, and on enter.


ing the stable we were no less sur


prised than rejoiced to find our horses


and carriages untouched.


We then began to breath; and as
the morning was breaking our spirits
rose, and | suggested that while two
We're putting the horses to the car
riages, one should accompany me to
search the cellar and loft, as it would
be piece of good fortune if we could
secure only one rascal and deliver him
up to justice; but we found no one
and, indeed, nothing save a bag of
meal and cask of wine, which we
let run over the meal, as the only
mode of revenge left open to us.


When all was ready to start, we
went round the house and examined
under the window of our bedroom.
where we found pool of blood but
did not deem it prudent to follow the
traces further than the outskirts of
the wood. up to which blood was dis
tinct.y visible. This over, we set off
at a gallop, expecting every moment
to receive a volley from our foes. We
had full two hours ride in the forest,
and it was not till we were out of it
that we found the use OF our tongues.
BY that time the sun was up; and
when we had leisure to look into each
others faces we agreed that we had
more tho savage look of murderers
than of men flying for their lives
From the first moment Of attack our
had been so strained, our
whole thoughts exclusively occupied
in guarding against the dangers that
threatened us on all sides, that it was
not until we were in the open country
that we began fully to realize the hor-
rors Of the dreadful fate we had es-
capped from-an escape we owed TO
the prudence and coolness of my
brother-in-law; for if the wretches
had been able to obtain entrance into
our bedroom they would have cut us
to pieces with their hatchets; and
brothers belt--the prize it was evil
dent, they most coveted, from their
having left the horses and carriages
untouched-they would have burned
the carriages, killed the horses, taken
off the booty to the woods and moth
ing would ever have been known of
us or our fate.


About a year and half after, on
from Paris, influenced prob
ably by strong desire L had to know
if any thing more had ever come to
light on the matter, / again passed
along the same road, but this time in
a diligence in the middle of the day,
and heard from the driver an ex0gera-
ted account of our adventures there,
with the additional information that
soon after a troop of geada'ms had
been dispatched to the place, and,
while making researches, discovered
the bodies sf young girl and
gendarme buried in the celar-that the
house had been destroyed by order of
the government, and nothing had ever
been heard or seem of the old woman
or servant girl, who were supposed to
have gone off into the woods since the
night of our extraordinary escape.