Show A GENDA GENDARMES S STORY I 1 in the autumn ot of IS wr art lound ourselves at an ail elevation of inc meters in 1 I the chalet ot or laile it was well that wo we vero sheltered for a tempest raged on the outside sweeping and howling through the mountain paws aej an 1 hurling itself with fury upon 1 I tile the pines phaes of the swiss jura gathering about abent the atre anre like the rest of us for warmth and comfort the herdsmen smoked and listened while we talked suddenly a violent knocking souni sounded lod upon the door and on the call to enter cuter given by the shepherd who was master of tile hut but a vaudois gendarme wet and weary a black carn canische she following ig nt at I 1 liis is heels showed himself in ill the op opening ering placing liis his capote anil and carbine iu in a corner alth with tile rest of the liia trappings he explained I 1 to us that lie too haa been surprised by the storm and tor for several hours houra lost in the pines As the light ol of the burning lo 10 log tell fell ti upon tipon pon the new arrival I 1 started W in tor for never in my illy lito life before had I 1 seen so strange a countenance tile the was broken and bent beat awry the teeth entirely n wiening from tile the front of the mouth and the ski skin an and flesh a patch patchwork wor of scams and cicatrices cicatrices aci erth olesi in adte opte of its g tire mants inen ts the face wa ana a kind one the face afan of an old and brave soldier the conversation checked fora for a moment by his coming coining was renewed again the painful arty ot of tho cie mountain guards guard the lie tragic story of forming forciE ns the basis or oc our tall talk every one ona had something to relate and when it came to the turn of f the goli gendarme darme cheered by frequent trips trios to ti liis ids gourd antl aad the grater grateful al Av warmth arnith of the lare ahe lie gave us vie the following Mi history story that which I 1 am go going n to tell you said lie is tha saddest ep pi isole sole of irn my hiie life for I 1 i was is but 2 33 5 years of age and without flattering la terian irly myself self a well set boy detailed to tha post of cure the extreme station of 0 the canton of vaud near the I 1 fort des lia in the ANI pitr aitor of IS 13 I 1 I 1 some terrible sufferina sui Terin every 1 day of my lily life expose J to the tha danger and 1 hards hardships hilm of that open frontier and tile the forests of ainora Ai nort ali ah those thosa miserable smugglers route I 1 had to watch bany a night have I 1 passed in ii i a hole in the rocks ps ta tho the branches of ill the pines los trackless booja where one only meets with crows and polso poisonous ous reptiles reptile st but to return to lily stor story one afternoon the corporal came to me anil said Abr Abra aiu iii this evening tho the little francois 31 and his two dos of brothers broth sra will load them themselves at des rousses Rous sea they will be ba obliged to return iiii through tile the hollows of croutz I 1 am going to post myself behind them tho the lieutenant under the vcr millay and aad you in tho the hollow itself As you have a longer route than we ave you must mast start at once and take bijou with you come hurry up boy this trip requires nerve 1 bijou to whom tile the corporal referred was the canische cain she of 0 the post there was nothing like him to scent the smugglers abil moreover to tell the truth lie had bad once been a contraband himself having served to pass jewelry and clock works concealed under his hair through it the lines into F france rance 1 I had found him after a bri brawl al wounded and bleeding had cared for ond cured liim him and muce then he h hd had d never never left me by 4 I 1 was on oil the road the ground was covered with snow and at every step I 1 sank to my knees in spite spit of my snow shoes the tha carbine slung lung across ray lay shoulders the sword at my waist my heavy capote and alpenstock did dialot not render me light of weight I 1 aa is sure sura you but I 1 went cat on with a brave brava heart in spite of my illy difficulties pleased with the thought of measuring ray my strength in open fight with avith this terrible petit francois who daily defied our watchful watchfulness nebs and on sunday openly walked with the girls of tile the neighborhood ile he did it to make us envious to fo the villain knew that we were not made of stone atone and with an ail income of only thirty vents cents a lay day from the government not likely to 10 ue looi ceil upon with favor 1 when I 1 think 0 him that gitil liis his rockets pockets full of gold and jewula enouf i to tempt even the vir virgin in of noire danis dame my blood boils be i ind and but lieten gentle gentlemen melt listen to the end 1 I had already been tr traveling avelin for over two hours when at last I 1 approached the hollow of croutz a narrow defile between the noir mont and mont ballez a mere goats path in fact to the right of it a fearful precipice to the left a polished wall aall and what X a height not less less than man 1000 metres Ini imagine agine tor for yourselves the colland cold and I 1 the gloom of those interminable forests with their centenary pines whose trunks trunk s were with a age ge whose brancho 8 bent beat anil and cracked under the weight ol of banow and not a soul save myself lu in the whole of that ley icy solitude I 1 walked perhaps feet into the defile then seated in the snow to smoke the night was clear and bright but I 1 smoked with composure tor for I 1 knew perfectly well that the smugglers would remain reni aill at des dea rousses until 10 at least in order to arrive at begnins beggins about daybreak by this th time nethe alie cold beginning to affect tile me I 1 was growing very drowsy when suddenly my attention was attracted by the tha strange behavior of bijou iio had burrowed into a pile of snow heaped against tho the arall v all of the hollow and ill instead of squatting 7 himself liim self quietly 01 his haunches as was ills his habit was digging alig scratching and sniffing smiling about the alie excavation as if i seeking to unearth a treasure 1 I must see sea what lie is about I 1 said to myself theres something suspicious over there I 1 and leaning my carbine against dinst tp the 0 rocks I 1 tool took off my sword and began to dig in the hole at which bijou was still pawing ah but it was Avas funny tor for suddenly something giving way be ileath us we fell and were buried out of 0 sight a great pile of snow and ice resting upon our heads when I 1 was tree free again I 1 found myself in a sort of cavern the bloor aioo dry aind covered with graveland gravel and fine sand bijou already on oa ills his feet jumped about me barkin barking and whining displeased or uneasy tit at tho the position in whick lie he found hims himself LIf it was difficult dill cult to tell which by the light lin of my iny lantern fortunately unbroken in t the b e all I 1 began to examine a tile tha surroundings but sacre dicu what did I 1 see stacked ed upon every sido of 0 me packages of wheat and sugars bales ot of tobacco wine vine from berne cigars from vevey bevey and heaven knows what besides beside sl it II was a t complete store hous bouse w in fact and evidently a den of petit francois in which aich to hide away the contraband merchandise brought brough tint into 0 france franc in all there was perhaps 2000 francs worth and as the state gave av us the right to one half the confiscated property you can imagine my state of oe mind I 1 had scarcely time however to recover from the amazement amaza ment which tile lie sight of these things bad given me is hen my illy duty as sentinel ie i e turned to mind but how was I 1 to pt get out ot of chiq hole thirty feet it at least cast I 1 beneath be neatI the surface of the ground and tile the walla ns its smooth as glass it was impossible tc ca cling to it and the ax sweat cat of agony 0 out lit all over as I 1 thou thought glit of atit francois and his devilish devikis h brothers I 1 11 they should return and catala TOO me in till thi 9 11 tuce tco I 1 was lost A slug of lead or a P w in tile ti va vitals I 1 would soon end the asfor tor me inc in vain I 1 roped groped alcy the cavern searching righted right and Ld left th thre there re was avas no aly v ay ot of getting gettin out olat I 1 was caged like an ail an animal and and with my lily lamp drawing to a close the wick ick already leaping and rant bering in its last rays A moment no luent liter later crack it wis was out the darkness of eze ere bus reigned in the meantime ine antime I 1 had noticed a sort of cranny or narrow breal break c extending along the base of the niall ni ti all at the end of tle the cavern and I 1 started in that dirce direction feeling along with my bijou was there before me c it is useless gentlemen cantlen di to to you what v hat I 1 felt re garding Ung this jt strange range anil and perilous aAl adventure venture it I 1 is alliy wa s painful to die at 23 2 and then wha i a death even my illy barbire barbi ne re raised cipo ifil ie path above me fr instead istead of defending it would expose in m my poor old mother I 1 was her only chil id J 1 aa lal sent her my pay by tho the driver of 0 tho nyon dili serca e d just the crying dl ana slie sli had 0 only ali this thi s pay to live upon 1 and rosette who wo would id come cokic to the chalet of Tre lasse tile the following night to meet me MC rosette eliom I 1 loved loved and who who returned return cil that love think of it gentlemen the cruelty of this thas fate and I 1 had only been in that devilish post of cure three months ill all told hut but it is irele is to speak of that or to tell you of the fears the regrets and memories that threw me in into zo ii I 1 sort ot of I 1 torpor I 1 was benumbed stupefied and I 1 at list last tell fell asleep I 1 suddenly I 1 awoke with a start I 1 iliad had heard a voice that to ms hall had the sound of hell liall it was the voice of petit francois speaking to his brothers 1 tile the spy is down there of course said lie but no matter in ill any cass case we ave must try the fire and smoke his ont at tune up the viol violta insl 5 then all was ivas silence I 1 A man in the hour of approaching death hs ho b such need of tenderness anil and affection that I 1 wished even to embrace for the last time my illy little bijou but where was he I 1 felt all around me I 1 called hirn him softly lie he was waa gone ray my only friend had disappeared 16 the silence continued perhaps for half in an hour hou r mechanically grasping the handle of my illy swoll I 1 waited in ill the darkness determined to sell my life as dearly as aa possible in case they should unexpectedly invade the cavern by an all entrance k known only to themselves see my lily hair gentlemen white v hite as the driven snow and I 1 am not lot yet 40 years of agel ael it comes from that awful experience god kee keep you frona from su suI flerin ering the likel like I 1 butt but all at once oace the gendarme continued linued the puce place was filled filici with a fisli fl sll oali 0 liblit alit 1 petit 1 atit francois and his brothers 3 had begun their infernal work they were soking smoking s roe me out to leave my lii hidia dinc place placa behind tho the bales of 0 m and ead endeavor cavo to extinguish the branda would only be ba presenting present ni r myself as a target for their revolvers revolver on oil the other hand tile the acrid smoke 0 of the burning boughs filled my throat and stopped my breathing bre athing sly my ears already runs rung and roared gitil tile the noise ot of a thousand devils at last I 1 could stand it no loll 1011 longer lr and cried for mercy do not burn barn ra me petit francois I 1 begyn do not burn me for I 1 surrender kill me line afterward it you please but air tor for tho the love of god give me air I 1 then it is 13 you abram I 1 lie replied you the spy so much the better I 1 loll 1011 long ago reserved you tor for a morsel tor for the dogs but draw him up boys draw hini him to the top I 1 want to see WCO the grimaces hell make when we ave hang him to the he branches lot down a rac rope hell cling to it fast enough and be sure he added in a lower tone of voice that no one else Is there A moment later the rooe descended and like the d drowning man mail who clings to batraw a I 1 az was not long in seizing and lashing myself to it for between two deaths one is certain to choose that which la 13 furthest 0 off pull UPI cried petit francois but scarcely had I 1 reached the level ot of the path when ho he rushed upon me upset me ma and bound me hand blind and toot foot and with those never to ile bo loosened knots of the contrabandists now cl children said he we must in list decamp from tere liere and as quickly as possible recover tile the opening with pine boughs and snow and then monsieur abram we will mill take you for a promenade the entrance to tho the cavern again concealed petit francois slackened tile the cords which avach bound my feet enough tor for me ine to walk hung upon my back and neck a bundle of merchandise and ordered me to fall in hinline inline line and carry like a beast ol of burden ali ah liow how those scoundrels laughed and jeered as they prodded me along with tile ends of 0 their carbines you may not think it from the position I 1 was in but I 1 bezan acan to have a little hope there was ivas a chance you see a slight one it I 1 is true that some of my colleagues would be on oil sentry at a narrow defile not far from the hollow of the croutz where there was a sort of breach in ia the tha wall for concealment the contrabandists evidently eviden evidently tl y had the same reflection for they turned to th the e right and 1 the ascent bya by a more circuitous passa passage c but which would bring us in rear of any one on guard at that point t it was y S now in the neighborhood of rf 3 wo walked for an how hous longer when petit francois called a hall and taking the package I 1 had bad carried since wo we left the hollow ollow Ii lie concealed it in a crevice of the rocks anich overhung tile the side take a look at your gibbet abram he cried with a mocking laugh ail h you cannot say that ti have chosen it badly and he I 1 a pointed toward a monster pine amo tree occupying the center of tb alie e clearing whose branc branches hs thick as ordinary treo tree trunks extended from the sides like the arms of a huge candelabra all sai urier long the tc tourists ot of the he moun tam will come coma to call upon you as you came to call ulion me ine for which iny icy pretty blackbird 1 app approaching ronchin me avith v ith on curses aes you will ila haag ug ill there I 1 if you had seen the tha fac baca faca of that monster liis his lips trembling with rage his I 1 ig 11 hands as big 0 as battledores ti edores and cover covered etl with nith rough and nd hairy skin you yon would have known at once that prayers and appeals to liis his mercy would simply have bave been time thrown n away it only tel remained aline 1 for me to diemand die and to die bravely for the lionor honor or of my lily division k 11 put up lip the rope louis francois called to his 1113 Lf brother other tie tic it to one lower branches while waiting we will amuse olirs ourselves elvei with the gentleman who explores so v ea elij the ani usel int of petit francois consisted in bandin ine securely to the trunk of a tree tafter which chich lie took oil off liis hiss coat rolled up his sleeves sleeves sl elves and arranging himself some twenty paces in front of me went to I 1 vork ork td make inake a target ot of me the n missiles 1 2 I 1 I 1 CL heavy ja jagged igei stones which ill b waher dater collected tor for him be bc libath the tha cills the first stone ston missed me but grad dahy as 3 warmed to lils his work ard and ar d aimed with 1 greater pre precision clon they begun began to tell one broke my v rist another luied balled itself |