Argosy All-Story Weekly, August 9, 1924 — page 61: what you’re looking at

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

WITHOUT FEAR. “What has come over you, D’Albret?” he asked solicitously. ‘“‘ Surely you are not in your right mind!” D’Albret uttered an impatient ejacula- tion. ‘‘T was never saner, De Sauvole,” he re- plied. ‘ But, come—I am overly anxious to be on my way.” “It is forbidden,” was the governor’s hesitant answer. D’Albret drew himself erect and glared. ‘Nothing is forbidden Antoine d’Albret, monsieur,’ he retorted; and De Sauvole fidgeted under that imperious glance. “I demand that you comply with my request.” The governor stood irresolute for a mo- ment, and then he entered the building and bade D’Albret follow. He opened the door leading to a room which was stacked high with all manner of arms, and, selecting two wide-mouthed muskets, he returned and gave one to each of the waiting men. He called a soldier in from the guard room, and, handing him two powder flasks and two small leather bags, he commanded him to fill them with powder and shot from the magazine. ‘Be seated, monsieur,” he invited the Gascon. ‘‘ Mayhap before Revillon re- turns from the magazine I can induce you to change your mind.” D’Albret sadly shook his head. ‘IT am determined to do this thing,” he declared, “and nothing you could say would prevail against my firm intention to carry out my design.” He stood beside the proffered chair, look- ing reflectively down at it for a moment, then he unbuckled his sword belt and slipped its supporting strap from his shoul- ders. “ Take this, monsieur,” he said, and his voice momentarily broke. He swallowed and looked De Sauvole in the eye. “ The Duchess—the one member of her sex who has never proved fickle to me,” he said bit- terly, “‘ has never before left my possession. If I do not return, I would ask you to give this blade into the keeping of Jean Bap- tiste le Moyne. He has always coveted it, and in his keeping the vow I whispered to the Duchess will never be dishonored. If I * return, I will seek it back from you.” 211 De Sauvole took the polished belt and shining weapon into his possession, and D’Albret pointed out to him the little pock- et in the shoulder strap in which reposed the cryptic note over which they had puz- zled short days before. ‘““Use your best endeavor to solve the meaning of that missive,” he urged, “ an you wish to find the motive for Bourdelais’s seeming treachery.” De Sauvole nodded his head and he looked narrowly through the door into the sun-drenched inclosure without. He point- ed toward a far corner of the fortress where Bourdelais, now allowed the freedom of the fort, stood conversing with Tesoto, one of the many Biloxis who squatted about the hot courtyard upon their heels. “The man is forever engaged in talk with one or other of those dirty savages,” he declared; “but as no Chickasaw could possibly remain undetected among so many Biloxis, I doubt that he is planning any fresh treachery. Yet I would rather see the man imprisoned and safe under bolt and bar, where he could not possibly work us hurt.” D’Albret looked disinterestedly toward the Swiss and he grunted indifferently. ‘“‘ He can do you no harm,” he said. He patted the short dirk which he carried thrust into the waistband of his breeches. “Tf he tried to escape—” His expression was significant. Revillon entered the room with the pow- der and shot, and, by the curious looks directed toward them from the soldiers who worked within the fortress, D’Albret knew that the soldier’s tongue had been busy and that the rumor of his contemplated expe- dition had been noised abroad. He hoped that Felice would hear of what he was about to do and that she would understand his motive in undertaking so rash an ad- venture. “Come, André, let us be going,” he said at length, when the flasks and powder sacks had been adjusted about their persons. De Sauvole accompanied the two men to the gate, and, as they passed the house in which Felice was quartered, D’Albret’s face flushed and he was hard put to keep the tears from starting, From the corner GOMIIGIOO SS CO nn