Belle-Rose — page 296: what you’re looking at

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

ye ay phe ft 8 : THE BEGGAR. O88 it: “While Belle-Rose and Cornelius were fiving. Bouletord was in hot pursuit of them; Monsieur de Pomereux and Monsieur de Charny had preceded him, accompanied by four or five of the count’s servants. At Franconville Mon- sieur de Pomereux and his lackeys, better mounted than Bouletord, left the police behind. The young count and his followers had horses of English stock accustomed to hunts. Monsieur de Pomereux and Monsieur de Charny rode in front, the lackeys followed at twenty steps, then came the archers. At the end of half an hour the distance which separated them had increased, and the two troops lost sight of each other. Bouletord’s spurs were red with blood, Meanwhile Belle-Rose and Cornelius kept their steeds at a rapid pace without being pressed. ‘‘We must spare them,’’ said Déroute; ‘‘when we have passed the Pontoise, we will take across the country and _ tranquilly retrace our steps in order to throw the police off the scent.”’ As their little troop reached Pierrelaye, Grippard and Deroute heard a neigh some distance behind them. » The mare which Belle-Rose was riding answered it by another neigh. Déroute jumped in his saddle. ‘““We are being followed!’ said he, quite low. ‘I believe it,’’ replied Grippard. Déroute reached Belle-Rose in two bounds. But before he had opened his mouth, he understood by the increased speed of the cavalcade that the horses had felt the spur. On hearing his horse neigh, Monsieur de Pomereux pricked up his ears. | “There are cavaliers before us,’ said he, and leaning over his stallion’s mane, he hastened rapidly on. Belle-Rose and Cornelius exchanged a look, and each of them strrounded his companion with a firmer arm. Their horses had already crossed eight leagues at a gallop; they did very well even as far as St. Ouen-l’Aumone, but in traversing the village, Belle-Rose felt his mare totter under him; at the same moment Cornelius’ horse stum- bled and sank upon its knees; two digs of the spur made them rise again, and the animals bounded, neighing with pain. Another neigh resounded upon the route, more sonorous and still nearer. Déroute loaded his pistols. ‘‘In ten minutes they have gained half a league,’’ said he; “‘in half an hour, if they keep on in this fashion, they | will be upon us.’’ Belle-Rose’s and. Cornelius’ horses, sustained by the bridle and the spur, fled along the route, but their flanks —_ GOmicboo cS (E(0)