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Show 160 TtlE LtLY AND THE TOTEM. Dis guardian angel was withdrawn. Tiis mortified >!lnity had driven from l1is side the only person whose vigibncc mi.;ht kwc sa led him. His own unrcgub tcd will had yielded him, bound, hand and foot, into the power of a relentless enemy. 111.-"I'H E MIDNIGIIT ARREST. SwEET were the slumbers of Monsieur I~audonnicrc, commandnot of the fortress of La CMolinc. Anxious Wl\.!1 the wakening of Stephen Lc Gcncvois, the conspirator, who, in g.nbing himself after the fashion of the Iudi:m, had not succeeded in clothing his mind in the stolid and stoic nature of his s:wagc companion. Tho conspirators watched together in one of the inner chambers of tho fortress. They had not restricted themselves to wutcl1ing merely. Already hnd Lc Gcncvois mnde his purpose known to ona of his ancient. comrades. Tho name of this person was J~n Croix. Uc was one of the trusted followers of Laudonnicro, whose superior cunning alone had saved him from suspicion, even tlmt of D'Erlach, at tho detection of the former conspiracy. I~a Croix, in tho absence of the latter, was prepared for more decisive measures. Tic w:ui one of those whose insnnc craving for gold had surrendered him, against all good policy, to tlm purposes of tho conspirators. H e was now in charge of the watch. As captain of the night, he led the way to the gates, "hich, at midnight, he cautiously threw open to the two companions of Le Gcncvois. ]?oumcaux and R oquettc had been waiting for this moment. 'fhey were a.dmitt':!d promptly and in silence. Darkness 'vas around th('m. Th:~ fortres.'l slcpt,-none more soundly than its commander. h TilE SEDITION OF LA CA ROLtNE. 181 silence the outla,vs led by La Croix, all armed to the teeth, made their way to his chamber. The sentinel who 1\'lllth"d before it, joined himself to their number. They entered without obstruction nnd without noise; and, ere the eyes of the slc('pcr could unclose to his d:mgcr , or his lips cry aloud for succor, his '·oicc wns stilled in his throat by thick ba.ndagings of silk, and his limbs fnstcned with cords which, at every moYemcnt of his writhing fr:unc, c~t into the springing flesh. He was n. prisoner in tho very fortress, where, but that dn.y, he exulted in the consciousness of complete command. A light, held above his eyes, revealed to him the persons of his assailants ;- the supposed Indians, in the outlaws whom he had bani~;hcd, and others, whom, for tl1e first time, he kucw as enemies. 'Vhcn his eyes were suff..:rcd to take in the aspects of the whole group, he w:.s addressed, in his own tongue, by the lc:.ding conspirator. "lt('nC Laudonnicrc," said StcJJhen Lc Genc,•ois, in his bitter tones, "you nrc in our power. What prevents that we put you to death as you merit, and thus revenge our disgrace and banish· mentr" The wretched man, thus addressed, had no power to answer. The big tears gathered in his eyes and rolled silently down his checks. ITo felt the pang of utter feebleness upon him. "W c will take the gag from your jaws, if you promise to make no outcry. Nod your head in Wkcn that you promise." The prisoner had no altcrnati\·e but to submit. Tic nodded, o.nd the kerchief W:ui t:-.kcn from his jaws. ' (You know us, RcnC L nudonnicrc ?" demanded the conspir:~.tor. " Stephen Lc Gencvois, I know you ! " was the answer. "'Tis well! You sec to what you have reduced me. You have held a. trial upon me in my absence. You have sentenced |