The sunny South. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1875-1907, November 20, 1875, Image 1
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VOL. i.
JOHNfi. SEALS, j i^iopRxKTOi?
ATLANTA, GA., SATURDAY, NOV. 20. 1875.
r FF , 'R\f^ i * 3 R ER ANNUM,
1 Tilt, Alb, \ IN ADVANCE.
XO. 27.
[For The Sunny South.]
l SILVER LIXIVG.
BY JAY.
I am blind!— I am bliud!
I thought it at first a terrible doom,—
Deemed the Master unkiud,
And prayed for the tomb,
Where earth’s beauty and bloom
From my vision were vailed;
But light gleams thro" the gloom—
Light that never has failed.
In my sun-brightened youth,
I pressed stoutly on thro’ the surging throng,
Feeling nothing of ruth, *
Thinking nothing of wrong,
Though the weak met the strong,
To be pushed from the road
Already too long
For such limbs and such load.
But He tenders the wind;
And since the Good Shepherd has darkened my sight.
I find every one kind.
This compensative light
Silvers all the sad night;
And I walk on the flowers,
And feel their rich dowers
Of beauty and bloom
In their souls of perfume.
[Written for The Sunny South.]
WHITTEN IN BLOOD;
OR.
The Midnight Fledge.
-1 Story of' the Lost Xapoleon’s lteiijn.
B V M. (U’AD.
CHAPTER VII.
Walter drew his revolver, Imt realizing the
hopelessness of attempting to light his way out,
he restored the weapon to his pocket.
The four men advanced until they stood close
beside mm. lour more villainous laces coaid
not have heen selected from any prison in the
world.
“What are you doing here?’' demanded the
leader, after a moment.
“I am a stranger, an American,” answered the
young man. “I was fastened into the back yard
and could not escape. I was seeking to reach
the street by this route.”
“You are one of the Americans who had the
fight in the t'afe Imperial the other night?”
queried the man.
“Yes.”
“And you had an adventure with assassins on
the street a few hours ago?”
“Yes. I dodged into the yard to escape them;
the gate locked itself, and I could not get out.”
“He speaks the truth,” said one of the others,
“for I saw his friend at the hotel an hour ago,
and heard him relating the adventure.”
“All I ask is that you will guide me to the
street,” replied Walter as there was a pause.
The nu n consulted together, and then the
leader said:
“We cannot let you go; you have seen too
much. It would be offering our heads to the
guillotine.”
“Rut I have seen nothing,” replied the young
man: “I came in here only a moment ago, and
could not remember your face if I were to see
you again to-morrow. 1 care not wlio you are
or what the object of your meeting here; 1 desire
to reach my hotel as soon as possible, and we
shall leave Paris within three or four days.”
The men consulted again, and the leader said:
“We will see about it by and by. Follow
me.”
He led the way down the hall and through
several rooms and passages, and Walter followed.
He believed that after further interrogation they
would permit him to depart, as they must l»e
convinced of the truth of his assertions, and he
therefore felt less alarm than at first.
The guide halted in a room about forty feet
square. It was a conical chamber, dimly lighted
by lamps. In the centre was a raised platform
and a desk, and behind the desk sat tin* person
who was acting as chairman or president of the
meeting. The basement windows had been
boarded over so that no ray of light could be
seen from the inside, and the floor was covered
deep with saw-dust, so that moving feet made
no noise.
Seated around the room were upwards of thirty
persons. Some of them had a respectable, intel
ligent look, and others were undoubtedly rob
bers and ruffians.
Not a word was said as Walter was conducted
into the room. Three of the men sat down, and
the fourth stood beside him in front of the desk.
The silence was deep and impressive. Walter
saw that every man in the room was looking at
him, and it was only by a strong effort that he
shook off a feeling of fear anil awe.
“Does any one prefer clmrges against Walter
Travelick?” asked the president at last, in a low'
voice.
“I do,” answered the man beside him.
The American started as he heard his name
spoken. He had entered it on the hotel regis
ter, but lie did not suppose that a single inhab
itant of Paris knew him.
“What are the charges?” demanded the pres
ident.
“Seeking to steal the secrets of the Red Rand
of Paris,” replied the accuser.
“Walter Travelick, you hear the charges; are
you guilty or not guilty?” inquired the pres
ident.
Walter’s surprise and amazement were great,
but he replied that he was not guilty.
“Have you witnesses?” asked the president
of the accuser.
“I have,” he answered, and he beckoned for
the three men who had heen with him in the
hall to come forward.
I Each one was sworn, and their testimony was
/alike. The guard at the door had heard the
“Prisoner, last night yon were sentenced to
die ! You have spent the day hoping that, your
iriends would rescue you, but it was a vain
hope. V lien the Red Rand marks a victim for
death, he cannot escape !”
I here was a pause for a moment, unbroken
by any sound, then the president continued:
“Prisoner, you are under sentence of death!
In a ijnart'T of an hoar from now yon icill he a
corpse!”
repeated every
WALTER TRAVELICK BROUGHT BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL OF THE RED BAND.
American moving down the hall, and had called
them out of the council ehamuer to assist in his
capture.
“Prisoner, you may speak,” said the president
when the witnesses had been sworn.
Everything had turned so suddenly that Wal
ter could hardly realize liis situation. It was evi
dent that he was in the midst of one of the numer
ous political hands of conspirators which infected
every city of France during the reign of the
last Napoleon, and it was also evident that they
were all desperate men. and would show him
little favor if he were convicted of having played
the part of a spy. It was the work of the police
to hunt out and break up such bands, and the
Emperor visited terrible punishment on those
captured^ Each conspirator was in daily dread
of the guillotine, and he would go to any length
to secure revenge on any one who had attempted
to give him up to the police.
••I have but few words to say,” commenced
Walter in reply, “and it will be easy to show
that I speak nothing but the truth.”
He then went on and related the incidents
already known to the reader, except that lie sup
pressed tlie fact that lie had seen five of the
conspirators enter at the alley gate. They had
not seen him, and the president might infer
that the young man had not left the gate by
which lie had entered.
“Prisoner, you are adjudged innocent of the
charges brought against you,” said the presi
dent, in reply to the statement.
Walter's heart grew lighter.
“Rut,” continued the official, “you are now
possessed of our secret. You know why we
gather here, or at least suspect, and we must
either regard you as an enemy or as a friend
and brother.
•*I am an American; I have no interest, pecu
niary or political in France; I care not whether
Napoleon reigns or a republic is founded, and it
would be no object for me to betray you,” an
swered Travelick.
“That is true, in a measure,” answered the
president: “but the police may see you when
you leave here: they may catch a look or a word,
and they would dog and press you until they
learned more. They are sharp, keen fellows,
and only such men as feel, in imagination, the
sharp knife of the guillotine on their necks will
be prudent and discreet.
“I will take a solemn oath never to betray
you by word or sign,” said Walter.
“That is not sufficient,” was the answer; “you
must join us and work with us. You are young—
we know you are brave, and we shall welcome
you as a brother.”
“Rut I am to leave Paris in a day or two with
my friend, perhaps never to return,” answered
Travelick.
“Fate is a greater master and a more power- \
ful tyrant than will,” answered the president.
“I do not wish to plot against the govern
ment, neither do I care to uphold it,” continued j
Walter. “I shall soon return to America.”
“You have your choice,” was the answer. “If
you do not become a brother, we shall consider
you as an enemy.”
It was a strange position to be placed in, and
for two or three minutes there was a silence so
deep that the ticking of the president’s watch
was plainly heard.
.“ 1 will not join you,” said Walter at last, in a .
decided voice.
“Then lead him to the dungeon, and at this
hour to-morrow night he shall die," answered the
president.
Three men rose up, and one of them beckoned
to the American to follow.
CHAPTER VIII.
For an instant Walter was determined to re
sist. He had one of the famous American six-
shooters lmndy to his grasp, and lie hud the
courage to make a brave tight.
" The prisoner will follow,” said the president
in the same tone of voice lie had used all along.
The American looked around him. Nearly
forty faces were turned toward him, and there
was not a whisper to break the awful silence as
lie stood there and waited. If there had been
shouting and excitement, he would have fought
the Red Rand without thinking of consequences.
They maintained silence, and they looked at
him so sternly and with sueli menace that liis
determination to resist soon vanished.
There was the same deep silence as lie left the
room behind liis guides. They knew he was
armed, but they did not even care to deprive
him of his weapon. The guides passed out of
the room by a side-door, along a ball, narrow
and chilly, and at the further end they swung
back an iron door and stepped aside for him to
pass in.
Y'ou can retain your pistol,” said one of the
men as Walter passed them. “Sometimes a
brave man prefers to be liis own executioner.
If we should find you dead when we open the
door again, it would be sent to your friend at
the hotel. ”
The young man's cheeks were very pale as the
Walter judged that the block of houses was
empty, or rented by some one in sympathy with
the conspirators. The police might discover
this fact, and make a descent. The shrewdness
of Colonel Rurton might solve the mystery, or
perhaps the fellows only meant to frighten him,
and then let him go, trusting in liis solemn
promise not to betray them. There was hope,
and Travelick would not allow himself to be
cast down in spirit.
It might as well have been night outside for
ever ’’ Die daylight which could reach the
close, o ult. An hour or so after being
locked lip, ti.e young man heard a movement
outside, and placing liis ear to the air-hole in
the dooij lie made out that the conspirators were
leaving the building. It was three o'clock in the
morning, he judged, and he realized that the
long hours which must pass before another mid
night would seem like weeks to him. Deep
silenee reigned as soon as the movement of feet
subsided, and then he knew that he was alone.
He sat down again and pondered over tlie inci
dents of the night, and the solemn stillness un
strung liis nerves more than the threats uttered
by the president of the council.
Computing time as best lie could, Travelick
finally decided that it was morning. He could
hear a faint rumble, as of vehicles passing along
the street, but he could hear no movement
around the building. The police should be
dungeon-door shut up on him, and left liim in * 1 searching for him by this time, and perhaps lie
midnight darkness. He stood in liis tracks had tlie means of attracting their attention,
until the sound of their retiring footsteps had Placing the muzzle of his revolver at the air-
died away, and then lie groped around to ascer
tain what kind of a place lie had been confined
in. The dungeon was no more nor less than a
vault, constructed for the use of some one who
had owned or occupied the house at some time.
hole of tlie door, he fired the whole six bullets
down the hall. The reports sounded like
shocks of thunder, and tlie smoke came floating
back until he was nearly stilled. Such a roar-
ini; must be heard for a whole blocks around, lie
It was seven or eight feet long, about five feet thought, and he trembled with expectation as he
wide, and tlie shelves and hooks were proof that put liis ear to the door and listened,
it had been used tor the storage of valuables.
heard outside, or. if heard, had not been traced.
He had no more cartridges with liim, and if the
it
The walls were of brick, solid as the walls of
the building, and but for » hole in the door, the
vault would have been as close as a grave. Es
cape from such a prison was simply impossible.
Walter's coolness had not entirely deserted pistol reports had not been heard outside,
him at any point in the whole affair, and when would be useless for liim to raise liis voice,
he had investigated liis prison, he sat down on ~
the door and considered what had occurred.
What had transpired in the council chamber
seemed like a dream, and it was difficult to re
alize liis situation. Why had lie not chosen the
CHAPTER IX.
"In a quarter of an hour!’
voice in the room in chorus.
Walter did not know wliat to say. as no more
questions were asked, and he passed his eyfes
' around on the collection of evil faces. The gas
was turned only part way on, and thus every
face was darkened, and the dim light served to
increase the burden of awe which the prisoner
could not help but feel. Did they mean to mur-
: der him in cold blood ?
“Prisoner, in ten minutes more you will be a
corpse!” said the president.
“In ten minutes more!” was repeated by the
band.
There was something so solemn and awe-in
spiring in the situation that Walter felt the per
spiration start on his forehead, and he found
himself trembling. He counted the band, and
; he counted just seventy-two. Then, turning to
the president, he asked :
“Do you mean to murder me in cold blood?”
There was no reply, and the silence was more
terrible than before.
; “ I give you my word of honor that I will
never betray your secret!” continued Travelick.
Not a man even moved to break the awful
silence, which lasted for a few minutes. Then
the president said :
“Prisoner, in five minutes more you will he a
1 corpse !”
“Five minutes more !” answered every voice.
“ Would you murder me—a stranger to all-
one who only discovered your meeting by acci
dent?” demanded Walter, advancing a step
toward the president.
Silence alone answered !
“You shall answer me!” shouted Travelick,
becoming desperate and shaking his fist at one
| and another,
i Silence yet !
" Some of you shall pay dearly for my blood !”
| he exclaimed, feeling that desperation wnioii
comes from dark despair.
There was a stout chair near him, and lie
j seized it and retreated back to the partition wall,
| so that they could not surround him. Not a
? man moved—not a whisper was to lie heard !
There was something awful in the silence !
Walter knew that they would kill him, but he
would tight them and die fighting !
The silence grew more impressive as the last
■ moment drew nigh. Walter grasped his chair
as he saw that the president was about to speak,
and at that instant the tinkle of a bell was heard.
The band looked from one to another, and signs
of excitement were plain to be seen in every
part of the room.
Three of the band left the room on tip-toes,
and the president rose and said in a low voice :
“ Let every brother be prepared for the worst!”
They gave Walter no further attention, and he
wondered what was about to take place. The
band were excited and alarmed, and pistols and
knives were to be counted by tlie score.
There was another moment of suspense, and
then a second bell tinkled loud and clear.
“ It was a false alarm, brothers !” said tlie pres
ident, seeming greatly relieved; and all faces
were turned toward tlie door.
Steps and whispers were heard, and when tlie
door opened Walter beheld a female, who was
followed by the three guards. The entire band
sprang to their feet, waved their hats, and in
hoarse whispers shouted:
" Hurrah ! hurrah ! hurrah !”
The lady bowed in acknowledgment, and as
she walked to tlie centre of the room, Travelick
saw that she had a face surpassingly beautiful, a
graceful form and a commanding demeanor.
“I am glad to see the full band here to-night,”
she said, in a sweet voice, as she looked around
her. “Our cause is prospering, and recruits
will soon dock to us by hundreds !”
The president had abdicated liis seat in her
favor, and she was about to accept it when she
for the first time caught sight of the American,
who was in tlie shadow.
“ Ah ! who is this ? What does it mean ?” slie
asked.
It is an American who stumbled in upon ns
The minutes passed away until it bad been
long half hour since lie fired the first shot, and last night, and lie would not join the band,” re-
then lie knew that tlie sounds had not been plied the president. “ He has onr secret, is bold
and reckless, and I had condemned him to
death.”
«She approached Travelick and peered into his
face. After a brief look she drew back and said
to the band:
*• Proceed with the regular order of business !
One of the guides had hinted at suicide. YVal-
ter was not deprived of tlie means of taking his
life, for lie had liis pocket-knife left, but he I will speak with the prisoner and see if I can
would not even entertain the idea. He was now not induce liim to become a brother! ’
as anxious to live as he had been once to die. Walter had heard that voice before, but he
other alternative, and by that means saved liis When assured of the fact that the pistol reports could not tell when nor where. He was looking
life, if gaining nothing more ? He had made liis had failed to excite a search, he sat down on the down upon her in astonishment, when slie beck-
choice after deliberate thought, and lie was not floor and did not move again for hours. Onee oned him to follow and led the way out ot the
sorry, although he had every reason to believe lie fell asleep, but awoke with a start, and lie room by a door which he hail not before ob-
that lie would not live beyond a few hours. He could not tell whether he had slept for a moment served. * As they entered a smaller room, slie
had no sympathy with the motive which in- or for hours. He was growing desperate under motioned toward a chair and turned up the gas.
duced the ruffians and plotters to league to- the awful stillness, when lie heard footsteps in Walter had never seen her before, though he
getlier. Their object was insurrection andmur- the hall, and before lie could rise up the door was certain of the voice. She took a chair near
der, and he would not uphold it. The look of of the vault swung open. him, and as he caught a fair view ot her face, ho
each stamped him as an outcast from society, Travelick’s thought that friends had come to could not conceal his astonishment and admira-
and the American would not submit to the deg- rescue him was dispelled at once. The three tion.
radation of associating with them when he had men whom he had followed from the council
nothing to gain. He knew wliat the brave old chamber the previous night stood before him.
Colonel would do under like circumstances, and j “Come forth !” said one of them, as Walter
he would do the same—die ! ; stood up.
And yet there was a faint hope. IMace a man He followed them down the hall and into the
“You would not heed the warnings!” she
said, dropping her eyes before liis earnest gaze.
“ I have the secret!” lie exclaimed, springing
from his chair. “You are the one who warned
me. Y'ou are Queen Imogene, and this is your
in the middle of the ocean, with only a broken chamber. His eyes had looked upon the intense , Red Rand !”
oar to cling to. and he will hope. The Colonel darkness so long that when he entered the “Hush ! do not speak so loud . she continued,
must have missed him, or lie would not have lighted room he could not for a moment tell and at the same time motioning for him to re-
wlieeled round and fired into the crowd. Bur- whether it was occupied or not. After a mo- suine his seat. _
ton would either suspect that Traveiick had been i ment, he looked around and saw that the cham- i “Y'ou warned me at the jeweler s wirdow—
captured and murdered by the assassins, or that , her contained sixty or seventy men. The presi- you sent me the note in the theatre ! he contin-
he had dodged in somewhere to escape them, dent sat at the desk, as before, and the crowd of ued, in a whisper.
In either case he would bestir himself. If the men made no more noise than men of stone. “It is true,” $he answered,
police were put on search at the spot where the As the American and one of his guides were “And you claimed that it was on account of
van broke down, they would be apt to make left standing before the president, that official : friendship !”
some discovery to benefit the prisoner. said: i “It was.”