Show I Shon Sor of tb Day i I A BRETONS BRETON'S REVENGE REV NG j I was was' a the hour of ot the siesta sleta In In a a. corner of f his room room closely cI selY curtains from the rays of the th burning sun sunt Col reclined ed ur 3 a. made of ot the skins of ot twenty tigers ti ci Jept l pt pt like a man thoroughly tired tired a heavy placid dreamless sleep and itly did not stir Ur w when en th the awnIng parted a and d a lithe figure fI ur supple stole in on tiptoe and stood qui quietly watching him e gum gure ft wore the uniform o of ot the the Turcos the stripes on his arm prod prod pro- pro d his rank of or sergeant the gl gleaming barrel harrel of a pistol protruded from the bout his waist J r I lj instant only Sergt Pub o h held ld his breath and listened The guard guard- guarde w j re e the soldiers mustered was next but hut one that occupied by tile Uie I 1 and id it was wac precisely this guardroom which was his most formidable V l' Yet et he hp had acI really nothing to fe fear The guard was as oblivious of e sound nd as fil the Coon Colonel l himself the sentrIes dozed at their posts and sl slouched ched out in disorderly fashion arid and w were re more mor than half asleep as ched along the ramparts s. s I ng the table the sergeant serg deftly slipped under his tunic the an watch which th the Colonel ad thrown wn he took uniform l This is done he glanced round again and satisfied that he was eed quitted the chamber chambel as noiselessly as he had entered faint sound startled him as aJ h he stepped into the corridor and his h hand nd to his girdle But another hand swiftly descending caught his w V th A grip of steel and he wa was vas selz seized r l and held powerless it t the wall IV a 11 looking round he lie recognized Jacques the Breton who vho had hadine hadt t the ine regiment a fortnight ht ago The rhe recruit as taller and 17 tM stronger of the tho two and the sergeant sers Qua e under under his frank blue JIK Release eleane me he said hoarsely H Hush Sh replied the other If It you arc rc not a born fool tool as ag well veil as a a. thief j yer Should the Colonel hear hear- V l. l What That do you mean to do i. i I J J Well ell I will wUl tell teU you While m my comrades comrades' s slumbered I lay lar awake ing of t many thing of of my mother in sunny Brittany and and of on one who is dear PS dear and then I saw y you yu u creep creel away away- I followed for your face be be- ou You have robbed an officer I s j I i c ea looked at him hina almost admiringly j. j ro o u aTC are a I. I cool customer sergeant th there re ought aught ugh to tp b 1 be some om good In you ou sad to see a soldier of ot France fall tall so Io lo low or i Listen now You Xou will ale the watch and purse where you found them And then I e Br reton's color came and went x give e yo you yon a a. chance of ot your life he said t Then redeem the past the Ire e Is yours Live as a true man and show v that you can be be- be-as be as merciful hers as I am to toy you u Is my turn to o o make mak conditions returned Public Publio suddenly Unless J. J ego of oC f me at once I will denounce you as a mere barrack prowler whom red red handed handed with tho the Col Colonels Colonel's nels nel's property in his possession on A chill crept over Jacques as he heard these bitter words he could elleve believe in such baseness a l It comes to a a. trial before the regimental officers continued the ser eer- wj whom do you ou suppose they will credit you credit you you who are but a raw r Uster ter or the veteran soldier who can count more y years ars of service than an number days It will be my word against yours remember and ands W s worth j just grimace Right that He made a contemptuous about f March Ia-ch said he ne To ao me the guardroom with wim you You Jacques Jacque the me moralist A the he familiar word of ot command the Bretons Breton's hands fell feU to his side so soU U was the Instinct of or military obedience TIen hen rhen it flashed upon him that his only hope was was- in immediate flight The TheP P parts ot of the fort formed of or earth and bricks bricks- had fallen apart on the ern eB side and although it would have been difficult to scale the steep slope IDS ig upwards a to the breach a desperate pata man num might make the attempt of rolling down to the bottom from the heights above at the risk of pa a a broken neck Escape in any other way was impossible The m moment ment then that they approached the end of the corridor Jacques who had been walking in front made a sudden r with a bound the steps leading to the ramparts and gaining the gap in the wall wriggled through it like an eel i j I II IL I. I At sunrise les Jacq Jacques awoke and shading his eyes with his h forth from his bower bOIVer on the strange scene around him v Far as his Vision ext extended he beheld enormous trees unknown fi flowers sweet smelling shrubs weeds of uncouth height and thickets of bramble PHun- PHun Run Run- of ot teath feathered red creatures of every very size and hue perched hue p perched on the hr bran branches n hes es parrots and Jays jay rent th the air with their screaming t whole troop of monkeys m gamboled among the foliage and mewed and grinned as they boul bounded ded to to and fro 1 About midday he was he-was was disturbed 1 by a noise in the brushwood and saw be below below below be- be low the hated figure of Sergt t. Publio On the Impulse of the moment moment he caught hold of the br branch o on which he leant and swinging himself down with the dexterity of ot a cat alighted on his feet within three thre paces p of his enemy enen They both started back and Indeed at any ot other er time they could scarcely have recognized each other i f The half-caste half laughed loudly and the laugh VIS was yas like the howl of of a wild beast t It stopped topped short In his throat at sight of the the Bretons Breton's pistol Yet he did not blench though he had no weapon but his sword Accustomed to tj the hazards attendant nt it on the frontier a soldier he was merely cons conscious ious of his detected and sheathing the blade which he had half-drawn half I he grimly waited waited for fior what would happen next Suddenly a violent thunderclap thunderclap thunderclap thunder thunder- clap hurtled ov over r their heads and pd seemed to shake sha the th whole forest What were their puny passions amid this terrific outbreak which seemed like the rending and upheaval of all nature The knew enough to understand his dang dangar r. r The the thunder stunned him and then h hd heard from behind the bellowing and tramping of ot infuriated animals Jacques ran ran and ra ran with limbs as pliant as' as springs of steel At length At-length t length to his unspeakable Joy he reached the l last st t plantation of all and perc perceived ived be beyond beyond beyond be- be yond an river liver along who whose e strong current a score Core of b helpless animals animals animals ani ani- mals were borne In their frantic efforts to reach r ach the opposite shore He HO stood tood on a sandy beach about eighty feet teet broad and ansi e extending for a considerable dist distance dis Wa- tance t nce ana and round th the bend he sawa sava boat bat approach approaching ng In the rower slowly and with many a furtive glance at the sky he recognized one one of the the scouts or native guides guide's s of the regiment when engaged on n outpost duty deity Soldier nied the scout hailing him bin what are you dj doing Ing here Watching answered the Breton The other other drew drew close in with a few vigorous strokes and rested on hi his oars It is w Well I have met you YO Look soldier A dense cloud obscured the sun There was a crackling ri rending d sound Impo Impossible to mistake and a column olumn of rose flame lame ro e in fn the air and spread far tar farand farand and wide on the horizon The had kindled the dry branches resinous trees before the rain came and ancl the forest was on fire tire I IThe Tho The a moment and then stepped quickly into the boat hoat Row a way lower lower down lower down where the bushes stretch toward the shelow she she- shallow shallow low water I h he haye yc e a comrade with me and must rescue him if-I if can can The boat glided on on n. n bout About bout bout- a hundred yards yard further a naj maS of crumbling masonry which had once b been n a a. tower rose st steeply ly above the be bed J of the river and there on on oil a projecting point where part of the stonework stretched forward for tor- ward over over water he saw a human form It It was the sergeant Very gently they raised the unconscious unconscious' figure and Jacques rested reste the heavy head on his shoulder The fresh air revived tile the prostrate prostrate pros pos man he opened his eyes and a sort of thrill thoU ran through h hii hirn on seeing the tho Breton His left arm hung helpless his face tace was of a dull gray hu hue he spoke with labored breath and end In a husky whisper You are ar too late for your revenge revene my soy lad Tad I hear the bugle calling galling and I go The Breton gave a gulp and a rising sob seemed to choke him Oil Oh hush hueh he said I tried to save you ou Is that revenge The other mad ma I no lO reply but looked at him birTh with a strange smile gathering at his pallid lips Bear y u he said addressing the scout that that I have wronged this brave fellow v I robbed Col T I I lone I J charged Jacques with the crime crime I I alone I drove him to desert I desert I alone But he win will forgive me He stopped a sort of stupor overcame him then he spoke again for tor the last time I would have told the Colonel COlonl m myself self Jacques b but t it is better perhaps rne remember v OX as it Is La Adieu comrade Remember me v. v t |