| Show dyo D fi f Q 2 L ic E Y JL OP CF v zaff VY 7 DAW ab MD AIL app char af A AC c i 4 co CHAPTER ci 16 all 1 could do was pray and wait perhaps no word would be given me the escape might already be ascom and I 1 left here to my fate et knew noth ng of my deci deel sion slon to accompany DArt D cartigny Igny in his exile it if the way was difficult and dangerous he night m not consider it essential to with me at all D had promised to be sure yet he might have failed to so instruct the younger man mail I 1 clung to the window the agony of this ability driving me wild mon dieu was that a noise over head I 1 could see nothing yet as I 1 heined farther out a cord touched my face I 1 grasped it and drew the dan gling end in it was we gated with a bit of wood A single coal glowed in the fireplace and from this I 1 agni ignited t ed a splinter barely yielding me I 1 enough to decipher the few words priced on the white surface safe so far have bare you any word my veins throbbed I 1 could have screamed in delight or sobbed in sud den jov and relief I 1 fairly crept to the open window on bands and knees animated now with but one thought one hope the desire not to be left there behind alone I 1 bung far out my face staring into the darkness the distance was not great only a few feet to the roof above yet so black was the night that the ede above me blended imperceptibly against the sky I 1 could perceive no movement no outline could they have already gone was it possible that they merely dropped this brief message and instantly vanished no the cord still dangled somewhere in that dense gloom the two men peered over the roof edge waiting my response monsieur I 1 called up softly tin un able to restrain my eagerness yes madame it was D s voice although a mere whisper you have some word for me ay listen Is there any finy way by which I 1 can join you join me ilie here astonishment at my request made him incoherent why madame the risk Is great never ever mind that my reason Is wor thy nor have we time now vow to discuss the matter monsieur Boisrond et Is there a way I 1 heard them speak to each other a mere murmur of sound then another voice reached my ears cars clearly we hive a strong grass rope ma dame which will safely beir your weight the risk will not be great I 1 have made a noose and will lower it I 1 reached it with my hand but felt a doubt as my fingers clasped it very small monsieur but strong enough for double your weight as ind an woven put foot in the noose and bold hold tight there are two of us holding it above the memory of the depth below frightened me yet I 1 crept forth on the narrow sill SID clinging desperately to the taut rope until I 1 felt my foot safely pressed into the noose which tightened tigh tene I 1 firmly about it isow now I 1 said barely able to make male my mv I 1 aps ps speak I 1 am ready then swing clear madame well hold you safe I 1 do abt if it was a full minute in which I 1 swung out over that gulf amid the file black night my heart seemed to stop belting beiting and I 1 retained no sense other than to cl n ng desperately to the staying abing aying cord which alone held me from being dashed to death on the jag ged rocks below inch by inch they drew me up the continuous jerks yielding a sickening sensation but the di was so short I 1 could searce scarcely lv realize the tul full danger before dar D ar digny tigny grasped me w with i th his hands and v me in beside him on the roof I 1 stood upon my feet trembling aiom excitement yet encouraged in my pur pose by h s first words of welcome adele hp exclaimed forgetful of the presence of his comrade surely you had bad serious cause for joining us here am I 1 welcome monsieur can you doubt yet surely it was not merely to say farewell that you assumed such risk no monsieur it was not to say farewell I 1 would accompany you in your flight do not start like that nt at my words I 1 cannot see your face perhaps it if I 1 could I 1 should lose cour age I 1 have made my choice mon I 1 will not remain the slave of M cassion whether tor for good or evil I 1 give you my faith you you his hands grasped mine you mean you will go with me into exile into the woods yes monsieur but do you realize what it all means 1 I am a fugitive a bunted hunted man never again can I 1 venture with in french civilization I 1 must live among savages no no adele the sacrifice 1 Is too great I 1 cannot accept of it do you love me monsieur mon dieu yes then there Is no sacrifice my he be rt would break here god godl I 1 woul I 1 you doon doo n me to live out my life with te wa V I 1 that brute that murderer I 1 am a young woman a mere girl and this is my one chance to sive myself from hell I 1 am not afraid of the woods of exile of inath ng so I 1 am with you I 1 would rather die tt an go to him to coi fess him husband the ady is right rene Bosron det slid earnestly you must think of her as well as yourself of her mon dion of whom else do I 1 think adele do you mean mein your words would you give up all for me yes monsieur but do you know what your choice means I 1 stood before him brive brite in the darkness monsieur I 1 hive hire faced it all I 1 know the choice Is made will you take me then i was in his strong arms and for the first time hia his I 1 ps met mine CHAPTER ak t we reach the river etwas it was the voice of which recalled us to a enbe of danger it la is I 1 ite and we must not linger here he insisted touching D cartigny a sleeve the guard may discover your absence rene ilene before we get beyond the stockade yet how bow can we get ma madame dame safely over the logs she must venture the same as we follow me closely and tread with care so dark was the night I 1 was obliged to trust entirely to D cartigny s guid anee but it was t that both men were tarn fam liar with the way and had thoroughly considered the best method of escape io no doubt de and his young lieutenant had bad arranged all details so as to assure success we traversed tri versed the flat roots roofs of the chain of tog log houses along the west side of the stockade until we came ame to the end the only light vis ble was a dull glow of embers before the guardhouse near the center of the parade wh ch revealed a group of soldiers on duty the stockade extended some distance beyond where we halted crouched low on the flat roof to escape being seen there would be armed men along that wall especially near the gates guard ing against attack but the darkness gave us no glimpse there was no firing no movement to be perceived the two men crept to the edge and looked cautiously over and I 1 clung close to D cartigny nervous from the silence and afraid to beco become ap e ed below us was the dense blackness of the gorge th s Is the spot whispered D ar tigny digny and no alarm yet how far to the rocks de figured the distance at forty feet below the stockade we have fifty feet of rope here the rock shelf Is narion and the greit great risk will be not to stop off in the darkness there k A 4 r il t 4 IF now I 1 said barely able to make my lips speak should be an iron ring here somewhere ay here it Is help me draw the knot taut rene ilene it do we wedo do we go down here mon bleur I 1 questioned my voice 1 falter ing here or not at all there are guards posted yonder every two yards this is our only chance to escape unseen Boisrond et tested the rope letting it slip slowly through his hands down into the darkness below until it hung at full length it does hot not touch he said yet it cannot lack more than a foot or two faith we must take the risk I 1 go first rene hush Us best so the lady would prefer that you remain while I 1 test the passage the devil himself may be waiting there he gazed down balancing himself on the edge the cord gripped in his hands now mind my ray word once on the rock below I 1 will signal with three jerks on the cord haul I 1 up then slow ly so as to make no noise make a noose for the lady s foot and low er her with care cire you have the strength ay for twice her spight goo I 1 there will be naught to fear feir for I 1 will be below to ai I 1 your footing vt X hen I 1 give the signal ag again tin rene will descend and jo n us the rope Is to be left dangling only until I 1 return once I 1 leave you site beyond the iroquois my part to climb this rope again some task that cheerfully yet de deems it best that no evidence connect us with this escape what make you the hour between one and two ap which will give me time before day dawn so here I 1 chance it he ile swung himself over the edge and klippel silently down into the black mystery we leaned over to watch but could see nothing our only evi dence of his progress the jerking of the cord D cartigny s hand closed on mine dear he whispered tenderly we are alone now you are sorry I 1 am happier than I 1 have ever been in my life I 1 answered honestly T have done what I 1 believe to be right ind trust god all I 1 care to know now Is that you love me anith ith every throb of my feirt he said solemnly it Is my love which makes me dread lest you regret that will never be monsieur I 1 am of the frontier and do not fear the woods ah alit be has reached the rock safely the signal D cartigny drew up the cord testing it to make suie the strands held firm and made careful noose into which he slipped my foot now adele you are ready yes sweetheart kiss me first you have no fear not with your strong hands to sup port but do not keep me waiting long below ay but I 1 was frightened as I 1 gwun swung 4 off into the black void clinging de des S pera tely to that slight rope steadily sinking downward my body against the rough logs and then against rock once a jagged edge wounded me yet I 1 dare not release my grip or utter a sound I 1 sank down down the strain ever greater on my nerves I 1 retained no knowledge of distance but grew apprehensive of what awaited me below VI IN the rope reach to the rock would I 1 swing clear even as these thoughts begin to horrify I 1 felt a hand grip me and bo s whisper gave cheerful greeting it la Is all right madame release your foot and trust me good now do not ventu e to move until rene joins us faith he wastes little time he is corn com in ing now I 1 could see nothing not even the outlines of my com companion compin pinion lon who stood holding the cord taut I 1 could feel the jagged face of the rock against which I 1 stood and ventured by reaching out with one foot to explore my immell ate surroundings the groping toe touched the edge of the narrow shelf and I 1 drew back startled at thought of another sheer drop into the black depths aly heart was still pounding when D cartigny found foothold foo hold bes de me As he be swung free from the cord his fingers ringers touched my dress A fine test of courage that adele he whispered but with francois here below there was small peril now what next 4 ticklish passage for a few yards stand close until I 1 get by now cling to the wall and follow me once off th s shelf we can plan our journey madame ta take ke hold of my jacket rene you have walked this path before ay years since but I 1 recall recal I 1 its peril we crept forward so cautiously it seemed we scarcely moved the rock shelf we traversed so narrow in places i that I 1 could scarce find space in which to plant my feet firmly suddenly we clambered on to a flat rock crossed it and came to the edge of a wood with a murmur of water not far away here et paused and we came close about him there seemed to be more light here although the tree shadows were vere grim and the night rested about us in impressive silence here Is where the river trail comes down and Boisrond et made motion to the left ton you should remember that well kene rene t I 1 was first to pass over it it leads to the water edge I 1 yes not so easily followed in the night yet you are woodsman enough to make it so far as we know from above the iroquois have not dincov ered there la is a passage here listen kene rene I 1 leave you now tor for those were de s orders he said that from now on you would be safe alone of course he knew nothing ot purpose monsieur shall not find me a bur den I 1 interrupted I 1 am sure of that he be said gallant ly and so think it best to return while the night conceals my movements there will be hot words when M cas slon sion discovers your escape and my chief may need my sword beside him if it comes to blows Is my decision to return right rene A ay right would that I 1 might be with you but what plan did M 11 de outline for me to follow what I 1 started to tell at the edge of the water but concealed from the river by rocks is a small hut where we keep hidden a canoe ready fitted for any secret service de la galle salle s thought that it might prove of great use in time of siege no doubt it Is there now just as we left it undiscovered ot of the iro quo s th tb s will bear you down the river until daylight when you can hide along shore there Is a rifled two of them with powder and bill lie ile laid his hand on the others other s shoulder there is noti ng more to siy and time is of value ra farewell rewell my fi fl end Ia farewell rewell their fingers clasped there will be other days franco my gratitude to na M de touty co do s rondet condet stepped back and hat in hand bowed to me dieu adieu inflame maharne a pleasant jour ney A moment monsieur I 1 said a til fil ter in my voice you are 11 1 d ar tigny digny s fr end an officer of france and a catholic yes madame and you thinh think that I 1 am right in my choice that I 1 am doing naught un worthy of my womanhood even in the darkness I 1 saw him mike the symbol of the cross before he bent forward and kissed my hand madame he be said gravely I 1 am but a plain soldier with all my service on the frontier I 1 leave to the priests the discussion of doctrines and to god my punishment and reward I 1 can only answer you as D cartigny s friend and an officer of france I 1 give you honor and respect and deem your love and trust far more holy than your mar arlage mv faith and my sword are yours madame I 1 felt his lips upon my hand band yet knew not he had bad gone I 1 stood there my eyes blinded with tears at his gal lant ant words only becoming conscious of his d arance when D drew me to him his cheek pressed against my hair he ile has gone we are alone yes dear one but I 1 thank god tor for those last words they have given me courage and faith 10 so my old corn coa rades believe us right the criticism of of others does not move me lou ion love me adele you do not regret my arms found way about his nee neck nn mi lips uplifted to his big monsieur I 1 shall never regret I 1 trust god and you how he ever found his way along that dim trail I 1 shall never know some memory of its windings together with the instinct of a woodsman must hive given guidance while no doubt h s feet clad in soft indian mocca sins enabled him to feel the faint track in the darl ness it led along a steep bank through low tangled bushes and about great trees trees with ith here and there a rock thrust across the path compelling detour the branches scratched my face and tore my dress confusing me so that had bad I 1 not clung to his arm I 1 should I 1 1 ave been instantly lost in the gloom our advance was slow and cautious eiery step taken in silence snakes could not have moved with less noise and the precaution was well taken suddenly D cartigny stopped gripping me in warning for a moment there was no sound except the distant mur mur of waters and the chatter of some night bird yet some enst net of the woods held the man motionless listen ing A twig chael ed to our left and then a voice spoke low and rumbling it sounded so close at hand the fello v could scarcely have been five y ii Is away another voice answered and we ne were aware of bodies stealing along through the wood there was a fi nt rustling of dead leaves and the bocc occasional illonal swish of a branch we douched low in the trail fairly hold ing |
