Belle-Rose — page 179: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

168 A TRAP. which he was going to accomplish. The road followele ty Deas the three cavaliers crossed a small wooded valley. At ane: oes extremity of the valley a chateau was to be seen. oH “This is the place,’’ said Conrad, pointing out— the ) chateau with his finger. | As they were passing along a copse Déroute heard a noise of troubled underbrush. Conrad quickly turned his — head. sr “Some boar is leaving its lair,’’ he smilingly said. — mae Déroute slipped his right hand under his holsters, seized the butt-end of a pistol, and leaning toward Belle-Rose, te whispered in his ear: Areas “Take care, my lieutenant; we are in the enemy ‘Soca country.’ a8 Belle-Rose paused and looked quickly around him. All at once the hoofs of a horse were heard striking a pebble. = “Oh! oh!’’ said Déroute, “here is a horse whose feet are — shod. ° The Lorraine suddenly raised his hand and fired a pistol at the sergeant; but the sergeant had his eye upon him; — throwing himself upon the horse’s neck, he answered tae Lorraine’s movement by a similar one, and the two shots were fired almost at the same time. The Lorraine’s ball © passed over the sergeant’s head. | ‘‘Ah! my friend!’’ exclaimed Déroute, retursing ball for ball, ‘‘you are too awkward for the trade you carry on.”’ — The sergeant’s shot went through the Lorraine’s arm and struck his horse’s head. The wounded animal neighed — with pain, reared itself, and left like an arrow. Atthe end of a hundred steps if entered a morass whose green water was covered with grass; at the first bound he sank up to his quarters in the mire; a violent dig of the spur ~ caused him to rise; he plunged forward, got involved in the mud and rolled over in the water. For one moment the horse’s legs were seen to beat the surface of the morass in the convulsions of agony; the hands of Conrad were stiffened as they clung to the saddle; a furious — bound brought his head above the bed of grass which was — stifling him. ‘‘Come to me!’’ he cried, ina panting voice; but the horse sank down, and the Lorraine disappeared adele, under the water. All this scene had transpired in a min- ie 58 ute; just as the two pistol-shots. were fired, a troop of — cavaliers appeared upon the edge of the wood. | At their | head rode Monsieur de Villebrais. Déroute looked behind him; three or four men vy ere guarding the path; decidedly — vod ee ies > ru5 COmMIc pak KS:cO im