OCR Text |
Show 154 TUE I.IJ.Y AND TH£ TOTEM. l1im, were his confederates. The object of the youth w:.s to opcrat. c in S:!Curity, free from their .mrt·ti!lanct. Still, IJiS proceedings were conducted with great caution. Laudonnicrc neither suspected his industry nor its object. Arms and ammunition were accumulated in his chamber. ll cauvais, ami one or two bra,·c and trusty friends, were plac ed there without the privity of nny one, and the chcss-pnrty, including Marchand, Lc Moyuc and Cballus, were properly appri1.cd of the nnangcmcnts for tho game between the former and J~audonnicrc. They were all amateurs, and tlJcrc wns good wine to be had on such occasions. They did not refuse. Alphonse took pains to noise about tho expected meeting, and its object, nnd showed his own interest by betting freely upon his captain. JJc soon found those who were willing to risk their gold upon l\Iarchand i and the lively Frenchmen of La Caroliue, were very soou all agog for the approaching contes t. But the labors of the youth did not ccnsc here. Tie explored the cellar of the building in which he and Lnudonniere slept, and there, as he c:rpeeted, the arnmgements lmd been already made for sending the Chief and hims:Jlf by the shortest possible road W heaven. A keg of powder had been wedged in beneath the beams, with a train, following which, on hands and knees, Alphonse waa conducted under the old bath-house, till be found bimaclfbcneath that of Le Genre. He did not disturb the train. ITe simply withdrew the keg of powder, carefully putting back, in the numner he found them, tho old bo::res and piles of wood, with which the incendiary had wcdg~d it between tho beams. This dono, he rolled the keg before him over the path, by which it had evidently como, beneath tl1c bath-house, and to that of Le Genre. Hero• he left it, still connected with the train of powder, but rather less distant from the match than Lo Genre had over con- THE. CONSriRACY OF L'l!: C!:NRt. 155 tompb.tcd. Pcrhap.!!, he sprinkled the train anew wi.th fresh po,vdcr-it is certain tha.t he went away secure and Stltisficd, long b~fore Lc GenrC returned from his e:rpedition, with tho canoe of Satouriov:a.. CHAPTER AT the hour appointed that night, for the conte.!lt between the chess players, Marchand, accompanied by J~ e Moyna and Challus, ruad~ hi.!! appearance in the apartments of Rcn6 J~audonniore. Those of Alphonse D1Ethch were already occupied by four or five trusty fellows; and tho arms which fill ed tho apartment were ample for the defence of the party, while in the building, agninst any number 11ssailing from without. Tho fore sight of Alphonl!O had made all tho n2CCSS.'l.ry preparations, to encounter any foe, who might, after the explosion, attempt to carry their object in 3 bold \V:ty. Tie had no fear of this, but his habitual forethought lcJ ro the precautions. 1\lennwhile, of the designs agniost him and of the means taken for hia Stlfcty, Laudonnicro had not the slightest suspicion. llis thoughts were occupied with one danger only-thttt of being beaten by 1\Iarclland. lie nlued himself upon his play-was one of those persona who never suffer themselves to be beaten when th ey can possibly help it--even by a lady. If our captain made any preparations, that day, it was for tl1c supper that night, and the contest which was to follow it. His instruetion,on the first matter, given to his cook, he retired to his chamber and c:rereiscd himself throughout the day in a. series of studies in the game-planning now combinations to bo |