6
[COPTRICHTED-l
I CHAPTER V. |
Finally he begun to speak of what
the English call sport, and he told
such stories of the money which he had
lost over which of two cocks could kill
the other, or which of two men could
strike the other the most in a fight for
a prize, that I was filled with astonish
ment. He was ready to bet upon any
thing in the most wonderful manner,
and when I chanced to see a shooting
star he was anxious to bet that ho
would see more than me, twenty-five
francs a star, and it was only when I
explained that my purse was in the
hands of the brigands that he would
give over the idea.
Well, we chatted away in this very
amiable fashion until the day began to
break, when suddenly we heard a great
volley of musketry from somewhere in
the front of us. It was very rocky and
broken ground, and I thought, al
though I could see nothing, that a gen
eral engagement had broken out. The
Bart laughed at my idea, however, and
explained that the sound came from
the English camp, where every man
«TTDDENLY WE HEARD A GREAT VOLLEY
OF MUSKETRY.
emptied his piece each morning so as
to make sure of having a dry priming.
"In another mile we shall be up with
the outposts," said he.
I glanced around at this and I per
ceived that we had trotted along at so
good a pace during the time that we
were keeping up our pleasant chat that
"the dragoon with the lame horse was
altogether out of sight. I looked on
every side, but in the whole of that
vast rocky valley there was no one save
only the Bart and I —both of us armed,
you understand, and both of us well
mounted. I began to ask myself
■whether after all it was quite neces
sary that I should ride that mile which
(would bring me to the British out
posts.
Now I wish to bo very clear with you
ion this point, my friends, for I would
Hot have you think that I was acting
(dishonorably or ungratefully to the
man who had helped me away from the
brigands. You must remember that of
4b.11 duties the strongest is that which a
commanding officer owes to his men.
You must also bear in mind that war is
a game which is played under fixed
rules, and when these rules are broken
one must at once claim the forfeit. If,
for example, I had given a parole, then i
I should have been an infamous wretch
had I dreamed of escaping. But no
parole had been asked of me. Out of
•overconfidence and the chance of the
lame horse dropping behind, the Bart
had permitted me to get upon equal
terms with him. Had it been I who
had taken him I should have used him
as courteously as he had me, but at the
eamo time I should have respected his
enterprise so far as to have deprived
him of his sword, and seen that I had
at least one guard besides myself. I
reined up my horse and explained this
to him, asking him at the same whether
he saw any breach of honor in my leav
ing him.
He thought about it, and several
times repeated that which the English
say when they mean "Mon Dieu." "You
t WAS DETERMINED NOT TO HURT THIS
YOUJTO MAN.
would give me the slip, would you?"
said he.
"If you can give no reason against it."
"The only reason that I can think
of," said the Bart, "is that I should In
stantly cut your head off if you should
attempt it."
"Two can play at that game, my dear
Bart," said I.
"Then well see who can play it
best," he cried, pulling otit Iris sword.
I had drawn mine also, but I was
■quite determined not to hurt this ad
mirable young man who had been my
benefactor.
"Consider!" said I. "You say that I
am your prisoner. I might with equal
reason say that you are mine. We are
alone here, and though I have no doubt
that you are an excellent swordsman,
you would hardly hope to hold your
own against the best blade iu the six
light cavalry brigades."
nis answer was a cut at my head. I
parried and shore off half of his white
plume. He thrust at my breast. I
turned his point and cut away the other
half of his cockade.
"Curse your monkey tricks!" he cried,
as I wheeled my horse away from him.
"Why should you strike at me," said
I. "You see that I will not strike
back."
"That's all very well," said he. "But
you've got to come along with me to the
camp."
"I shall never see the camp," said I.
"I'll lay you nine to four you do," he
cried, as he made at me, sword in hand.
But those words of his put something
new into my head. Could we not de
cide the matter in some better way than
by fighting? The Bart was placing me
in such a position that I should have to
hurt him, or he would certainly hurt
me. I avoided his rush, though his
sword point was within an inch of my
neck.
"I have a proposal," I cried. "We
shall throw dice as to which is the pris
oner of the other."
He smiled at this. It appealed to his
love of sport.
"Where are your dice?" he cried.
"I have none."
"Nor I, but I have cards."
"Cards let it be," said L
"And the game?"
"I leave it to you."
"Ecarte, then—the best of three."
I could not help smiling as I agreed,
for I do not suppose that there were
three men in France who were my mas
ters at the game. I told the Bart as
much as we dismounted. He smiled
also as he listened.
"I was counted the best player at
Watier's," said he. "With even luck
deserve to get off if you beat me."
So we tethered our two horses and
sat down, one on either side of the
great flat rock. The Bart took a pack
of cards out of his tunic and I had only
to see him shuffle them to convince me
that I had no novice to deal with. We
cut and the deal fell to him.
My faith, it was a stake worth playing
for. He wished to add a hundred gold
"I HAVE A TROPOSAL," I CRIED.
pieces a game, but what was money
when the fate of Col. Etienne Gerard
hung upon the cards? I felt as though
all those who had reason to be inter
ested in the game, my mother, my
hussars, the Sixth corps d'armee, Ney,
Messena, even the emperor himself,
were forming a ring around us iu that
desolate valley. Heavens, what a blow
to one and all of them should the cards
go against me. But I was confident,
for my ecarte play was as famous as
my swordsmanship, and, save old
Bouvet, of the hussars, who won sev
enty-six out of one hundred and fifty
games off me, I have always had the
best of a series.
CHAPTER VI.
The first game I won right off, though
I must confess that the cards were
with me, and that my adversary could
have done uo more. In the second I
never played better and saved a trick
by a finesse, but the Bart voled me
once, marked the king, and ran out in
the seojad band. My faith, we were
so excited that he laid his helmet
down beside him, and I my busby.
"I'll lay my roan mare against your
black horse," said he.
"Done," said I.
"Saddle, bridle and stirrups!" he
cried.
"Done!" I shouted.
I had caught this spirit of sport from
him. I would have laid my hussars
against his dragoons, had they been
ours to pledge.
And then began the game of games.
Oh, he played, this Englishman; he
played in a way that was worthy of
such a stake. But I—my friends, I was
superb! Of the five which I had to
make to win I gained three on the first
hand. The Bart bit his mustache and
drummed his hands, while I already felt
myself at the head of my dear little ras
cals. On the second I turned the king,
but lost two tricks, and my score was
four to his two. When I saw my next
hand I could not but give a cry of de
light. If I cannot gain my freedom on
this, thought I, I deserve to remain for
ever iu chains.
Give mo the the cards, landlord, and
I will lay them on the table for you.
Here was my hand—knave and ace of
clubs, queen and knave of diamonds
and king of hearts. Clubs are trumps,
mark you, and I had but one point be
tween me and freedom. As you may
think, I declined his proposal. lie
knew that it was the crisis, and he un
did his tunic. I threw my dolman on
ground. He led the ten of spades. I
took it with my ace of trumps. One
point in my favor. The correct play
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1898.
waa to clear the trumps, and I led the
knave. Down came the queen upon it,
and the game was equal. He led the
eight of spades, and I could only dis
card my ace of diamonds. Then oaiun
the seven of spades, and the hair fairly
stood straight up on my bead. We each
threw down a king at the finale. Ho
had won two points, and my beautiful
hand had been mastered by his inferior
one. I could have rolled on the ground
as I thought of it. They used to play
very good ecarte at Watier's in the
year 'lO. I say it—l, Brigadier Gerard.
The last game was now for all. This
next hand must settle it one way or the
other. He undid his sash and 1 put
away my sword belt. He was cool,
this Englishman, and I tried to be also,
but the perspiration would trickle Into
my eyes. The deal lay with him and I
may confess to you, my friends, that my
hand shook so that 1 could hardly pick
my cards from the rock, iiut when I
raised them what was the first tiling
that my eyes rested upon? It was the
king, the king, the glorious king of
trumps. My mouth was open to de
clare it when the words were frozen to
my lips by the appearance of my com
rade.
He held his cards in his hand, but
his jaw had fallen and his eyes
were staring over my shoulder with
MY BEAUTIFUL ITAJTD HAD BEEN MAS
TERED.
the most dreadful expression of con
sternation and surprise. I whisked,
round, and I myself was amazed at
what I saw.
Three men were standing quite close
to us —fifteen meters at the farthest.
The middle one was of a good height,
and yet not too tall —about the
height in fact that I am myself. He
was clad in a dark uniform with a
small cocked hat and some sort of white
plume upon the side. But I had little
thought for his dress. It wis his face,
his gaunt cheeks, his beak of a nose,
his masterful blue eyes, his thin firm
slit of a mouth which made one feel
that this was a wonderful man, a man
of a million. His brows were tied into a
knot, and he cast such a glance at my
poor Bart from under them that one by
one the cards came fluttering down
from his nerveless fingers. Of the two
other men, one, who had a face as brown
and as hard as though it had been
carved out of old oak, wore a bright
red coat, while the other, a fine portly
man with bushy side whiskers, was in
a blue jacket with gold facings. Some
little distance behind three orde.rlies
were holding as many horses, while an
escort of lancers were waiting in the
rear.
"Heh, Crawford, what the devil's
this?" asked the thin man.
"D' you hear, sir," cried the man with
the red coat. "Lord Wellington wants
to know what this means."
My poor Bart broke ipt.o an account
of all that had occurred, but that rock
face never softened for an instant.
"Pretty fine, 'pon my word, Gen.
Crawford," he broke in."The dis
cipline of this force must be main
tained, sir! Report yourself at head
quarters as a prisoner."
It was dreadful to me to see the Bart
mount his horse and ride off with hang
ing head. I could not endure it. I
threw myself before this English gen
eral. I pleaded with him for my
friend. I told him how I. Col. Gerard,
would witness what a dashing young
"REMOVE THE PRISONER TO THE REAR."
officer he was. Ah, my eloquence
might have melted the hardest heart;
J brought tears to my own eyes, but
none to his. My voice broke and I
could say no more.
"What weight do you put on your
mules, sir, in the French service?" he
asked. Yes, that was all this plilegmatio
Englishman had to answer to these
burning words of mine. That was his
reply to what would have made a
Frenchman weep upon my shoulder.
"What weight on a mule?"' asked the
man with the red coat.
"Two hundred and ten pounds,"
said I.
"Then you load them deucedly bad
ly," said Lord Wellington. "Remove
the prisoner to the rear."
His lancers closed in upon me, and I
—I was driven mad, as I thought that
the game had been in my hands and
I ought at that moment to be a free
man. I held the cards up in front of
the general.
"See, my lord!" I cried, "I played
for my freedom and I won, for, as you
pecceive, I hold the king."
For the first time a slight smile soft
ened his gaunt face.
"On the contrary," said he, as ho
mounted his horse, "it WRa I who won,
for, as you perceive, myking holds you."
|THE END.]
Clear Case.
Justice—You are accused of resisting
a police officer.
Toots—Then I plead guilty to instill
lty.—N. V. World.
EUGENE FRANCIS LOUD.
California Congressman w.th a Ro
mantic Career.
In a lieffliilnHve Way lie linn llcrome
Fnmoun u* Ilie Chnlrmun of the
Iloune Committee on
Pont Office*.
Eugene Francis Loud, named, it is in
teresting to note, for Napoleon's step
son, Eugene Beauharnais, member of
congress from the Fifth California dis
trict and chairman of the committee on
post oflices and post roads, who has
made himself conspicuous through his
agitation of postal matters, especially
for his opposition to the present law
regarding newspaper postage, which
he says is now subject to great abuses,
is of Puritan descent. He was born in
the picturesque old town of Abington,
Mass., on March 12, 1847. His father,
Reuben Loud, was known by his neigh
bors as a man of independent and rad
ical spirit.
Young Loud, says the New York
Tribune, inherited this spirit and gave
evidence of it at the early age of 13 by
following in the footsteps of so many
youths of the Bay state and running
away to sea. A sailing vessel carried
him around the Horn. By the time he
reached California he had seen enough
of adventure, and was content to set
tle down in the state which has since
been his home, and which he has repre
sented for four congresses in the lower
house.
But Mr. Loud's romantic experiences
were not to end with his service before
the mast. This ardent young Yankee
enlisted fit the beginning of the war in
the California cavalry, and served until
the end of the struggle. He was with
the army of the Potomac, with Sheri
dan in the Shenandoah valley, and it
fell to his lot to be frequently in the
midst of the hottest fighting.
After the close of the war Mr. Loud
returned to California, and was hon
ored by the state of his adoption with
several political offices. He was for
some time in the customs service, a
EUGENE FRANCIS LOUD.
(Chairman of the House Committee on
Post Offices and Post-roads.;
member of the California legislature in
1884, and cashier and collector of the
city and county of San Francisco, nis
experience in the house began with the
Fifty-second congress, and he has
been elected to every congress since.
Mr. Loud occupies a unique position
on the money question, lie is, first,
last and for all time a gold man, but the
convention which nominated him
adopted resolutions in favor of free
coinage, and pledged their candidate to
It. On hearing this, Mr. Loud proposed
to withdraw, but his friends refused to
allow him to do so. and he was nomi
nated and elected. He informed his con
stituents that the honor they had be
stowed upon him had in no wise
changed his opinions; that he was, as
ever, for the gold standard, and re
fused to accept if there was any mis
understanding on this point. They
were,however, willing to have him serve
them, and since he has been in the
house Mr. Loud has remained loyal to
his principles, voting with the advo
cates of gold when the contest has been
close, but casting his vote for silver
when a vote either way made no differ
ence. During his last campaign Mr.
Loud made many gold speeches.
His ideas concerning the national
post office have been thoroughly ex
ploited and are well known, and no
one but a layman would deny that some
of the reforms he proposes would, if
they could be properly initiated and car
ried out, be an improvement to the serv
ice; but, like all reformers, his zeal
sometimes carries him too far. On sev
eral occasions Mr. Loud has enjoyed a
tilt with Lemuel Ely Quigg, of New-
York, and Mr. Quigg does not always
come out winner. Only recently Mr.
Loud said, in characterizing one of Mr.
Quigg's statement as false and un
founded :
"I have oftentimes regretted that the
gentleman from New York could not
know as much as he assumes to know."
Tile Value of Antiseptic*.
The following facts were recently
quoted by Prof. ICober, of the George
town university, in illustration of the
good that has been accomplished in hy
giene through the introduction of
germicides and aintiseptics. During the
Crimean war many more than half the
amputations that were performed re
sulted in the death of the patient, the
exact percentage of mortality being
C.1.5. During the American civil war
the mortality from amputation was
still 48.7 percent. Then the new meth
ods came to be more .and more em
ployed, and iiii 1890 the statistics of am
putation showed that the mortality was
but 6.9 per cent.
No City Councils There.
Under the laws of China the man who
loses his temper in a discussion is sent
to jail for five days to cool down.
In lnilil tn nt* of tin* Sen.
A statistician asserts that every
square mile of the sea is inhabited by
180,000,000 finny creatures
LOVELIEST IN THE WORLD.
Dut It Sefinn That lie Wan Referring
to Another Woman.
"I know what I nm talking about," re
marked a member of congress, "when I say
that a congressman his troubles of his own.
It's a tine thing to be a statesman and show
up in the national parade of greatness at the
capital, but there's a good deal more to it
than that. And one of the things that is
hardest to bear is what they say about us.
Why, a lady can't come up here and ask to
see a member that there aren't half a dozen
people to wink and shake the head and a
lot more of the same to make him wish all
the women were in hades. Of course, there
is *oine ground among us for remarks, just
as there is among preachers and doctors
and hod carriers and everybody else human,
and I know a woman or two who find their
chief delight in trying to involve congress
men and other officials in any kind of a flir
tation that comes handy. 'I hey are pretty
and persuasive, and before a man knows
what he is about he is down in the senate
restaurant paying for a lunch and listening
to some kind of a tale of woe.
"But they miss it now and then, and I
mi glad to note an instance which occurred
only a day or two ago. A member from a
northern state had been invited to call at the
lady's hotel the next day and she had asked
him to let her know if he could come. He
wrote saying among other things: 'To
morrow, madam, I hope to see the loveliest
woman in the wholtjfworld.' Naturally she
was pleased and told all the people around
the hotel about it. The next day he did not
appear, and the next she saw him at the
»apitol and asked him what he meant by
treating her so.
" 'What did I do?' he asked, innocently.
" 'You said you were coming to see me,'
<he said, blushing at the remembrance of his
words.
" 'I think not.'
" 'lndeed, you did,' she insisted. 'You
said you would see the loveliest woman in
the world,' and she blushed again.
" 'Oh, I Seg your pardon,' he said, smiling,
'I meant my wife. She just arrived yester
day.' " —Washington Star.
A Benefactress' Kind Act.
From the Evening News, Detroit. Mich.
Mrs. John Tansey, of 130 Baker Street,
Detroit, Michigan, is one of those women
r.ho always know just what to do in all
trouble and sickness. One that is a mother
to those in distress. To a reporter she said:
"1 am the mother of ten children and have
raised eight of them. Several years ago
we had a serious time with my daughter,
which began when she was about sixteen
years old. She did not have any serious ill
ness, but seemed to gradually waste away.
Having never had consumption in our fam
ily, as we come of good old Irish and Scotch
stock, we did not think it was that. Our
doctor called the disease by an old name
which, I afterward learned, meant lack of
blood.
"It is impossible to describe the feeling
John and I had as we noticed our daughter
slowly passing away from us. We finally
found, however, a medicine that seemed to
help her, and from the first we noticed a
decided change for the better, and after
three months' treatment her health as so
greatly improved you would not have recog
nied her. She gained in flesh rapidly and
was soon in perfect health. The medicine
used was Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale
People. I have always kept these pi 11a in the
house since and have recommended them to
many people. I have told mothers about
them and they have effected some wonderful
cures.
"Every mother in this land should keep
these pills in the house, as they are good for
many ailments, particularly those arising
from impoverished or diseased blood, and
weakened nerve force."
February Hscnrslona.
Opportunities for visiting the South dur
ing this month, via the Louisville & Nash
ville Railroad, are as follows:
Home-Seekers' Excursions on first and
third Tuesday at about one fare for the
round trip.
Florida Chautauqua at DeFuniak Springs
begins on the 14th inst. Splendid pro
gramme, beautiful place, low rates.
Mardi Gras at Mobile and New Orleans
on 22d inst. Tickets at half rates.
For full particulars, write to C. P. At
more, General Passenger Agent, Louisville,
Ivy., or Jackson Smith, D. P. A., Cincin
nati, O.
Thin In How to Make Graln-O.
In directions last, week in this paper for
making Grain-O, it should have been stated
that a tablespoonful (not « teaspoonful) be
used to two cups of cold water. Try it this
way.
We wonder why preachers always pray
longest when we are standing.
To Cure fl Cold In One Day
Take Laxative Bromo Quinine Tablets. All
druggists refund money if it failn to cure?. i!sc.
Miss Johnsing—Yes, sail. Mistah Smiff,
I wouldn't stoop tub do sum ob dc things
dese heah white sassiety wimmin do! Yo,
hain't nebbah seen me wif black cou't
plastah on mah face, has you?—N. Y.
Journal.
A 50-year-old man down in New Jersey,
it is reported, is just learning to talk. It
takes most of us that length of time to learn
not to talk. —Providence Journal.
Family Tradition.—"Did you read about
that mince pie ten feet in diameter, Mrs.
Jones?" "Yes: but I presume my husband's
mother has made bigger ones." —Chicago
Record.
A Recommendation.— Customer—"ls this
the latest thinff in sealskins?" Salesman
(impressively) —''Yes, madam. This is a
pelagic sealskin."—Puck.
"I fear," said the manager, as the living
skeleton sat on him and intermittently
hammered him, "I fear that my curiosity
has got the best of me." —Indianapolis Jour
nal.
"Yes, my sight improved just as soon as I
was 'p'inted postmaster." "How do you
account for it?" "Readin' postal cards."—
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The difference between an optician and an
editor is, the former may wear his own
glasses, but the latter was never known t.»
read his own paper.—Washington Demo
crat.
0
It's easier for a camel to get through the
eye of a needle than it is for a Chinaman to
get through his need of an idol. —Chicago
Daily News.
A banana peel on the sidewalk is a nuis
anee and the man who steps omit usually
tumbles to the fact. —Chicago Daily News.
The man who dyes his whiskers and the
woman who bleaches her hair never fool any
one but themselves. —Chicago Daily News.
-——-—• —
Because a man is apt at quoting from
great writers is no Kign that he knows auy
♦•hiiii/ else.—*.'■ «»v'iiußtou Democrat.
A LETTER TO WOMEN.
A few words from Mrs. Smith, of
Philadelphia, will certainly corroborate
the cla rn that Lydia E. Pinlcham's
Vegetable Compound is woman's ever
reliable friend.
"I cannot praise Lydia E. Pinlc
ham's Vegetable Compound too highly.
able; but as soon as I would put my
feet on the floor, the pains would
come back.
" Every one thought it was impossi
ble for me to get well. I was paying $1
per day for doctor's visits and 75 cents
a day for medicine. 1 made up my mind
to try Mrs. Pinkham"s> Vegetable Com
pound. It has effected a complete cure
for me, and I have all the faith in the
world in it. What a blessing to wo
man it is!" — MRS. JENNIE L. SMITH, NO.
324 Kaufman St., Philadelphia, Pa.
VFive-Firmer Exercise^
\ ***>"% Ko * z
A word which in the Estey
Organ construction means
experience, best material, deft
fingers and improved machin
ery. All this accounts for the
marvelous way the " Estey "
will stand in tune and re
sist bad climate. Many an
" Estey," twenty-five years
old, is as good as new.
Onr (i.e-pointed dia- EstCV Of'PCM CO.
course complete with °
catalogue seat free. TitClttlebOYO,
■> ■ TnjVi * i
It Cures Colds, Coughs, Bore Throat. Crcup, Influ
enaa. Whooping Cough, Bronchitis and Asthma.
A certain cure for Consumption in first stages,
and a sure relief in advanced stages. Use at one®.
You will see the excellent effect after taking the
first dose. Sold by dealers svdrywbare. Price,
25 and 60 cent* per bottle.
lfrs Go to your grocer to-day
and get a 15c. package of
I Grain=o
IPk It takes the place of cof-
Vv fee at i the cost.
Made from pure grains it
is nourishing and health-
Insist that yonr irmcer gives you GRAIN-O.
The 9!
j Klondike ■ j
t If you are interested and wish to 1
I post yourself about the Gold Fields A
of the Yukon Va'./ey, when togo I
and how to get there, write for a 2
Descriptive Folder and Map of ▼
Alaska. It will be sent free upon y
application to T. A. GRADY, Ex- A
cursion Manager C. B. & Q. R. R., £
a 211 Clark Street, Chicago. A
In 34 Years
An Independence is Assured
l lf you take np YoUB
fci&SPtfY WzP tsJ Ilom « 111 WIIBTEUN
ff
I phlets. yivtnn exporleuos
of farmers who have be
\fv /■ come wealthy In growing
iViij wheat. Reports of dele
■itfiynf MmMB KQtes, etc.. ami full Infor
mation as to reduced railway rates, can be had on
application to Department Interior. Ottawa.('anada,
or to M. V. MCINNEB, No. 1 Merrill Block. Detroit*
Mluh.
&2EEEEEEI332|n^I
* CURES WHIRL ALL ELSt MILS. ~ CT
n Best Cough Syrup. Tastes l*ood. Use
x In tlmo. Sold by druggists. r^l
■ j <UWMMHIIIift i*