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Show 74 Til£ LIT.Y .A!\D Til£ TOTEll . s.'ltellitcs, going the rounds, was circuitous. Tho sentries \VCro doubled with singular secrecy and skill. Such soldiers as were ooncciYcd to be most particularly bound to l1im, were awakened, nnd placed in positions most convenient for action nnd obscrnt.~ lion ;-for Albert :md Renaud, alike, conscious as it would seem of their own demerits, had come to F-u<lpcct many of the soldiers of treachery and insurrection. These, pcrhap!!, arc always the fears most natural to a tyrnnny. Accordingly, with everything prepared for an explosion of the worst description, Captain Albert, in complete armor, made his appearance upon the scene. Meantime, however, the proceedings of Renaud had not been carried on without, at length, eomm:mding the attention and awakening the fears of so good a soldil'r as Lach11.nc. Having discovered, on his round!!, that the guards were doubled, and that the sentinel at the sally-port had not only received a companion, but that tho individual by whom Monaletta had been admitted was now removed to make way for another, he hurried away to the dungeon of Guernache. Here, whispering hurriedly l1is apprehensions, ho endeavored to hasten the dcpnrturo of the Indian woman. Dut his efforts were made too late. He w:as arrested, even while thus busied, by the Commandant himself, who, followed by Renaud and two other soldiers, suddenly came upon him from the rear of the building, where they had been harboring in ambush. Lacho.no was taken into immediate custody. An uproar followed, the alarm was given to the garrison, torches were brought, and Gucrnachc, with tho devoted l\foualetta, ''l'crc dragged forth togc,ther from the dungeon. She was wrnpped up closely in tho cloak of Ln.chanc, but when Renau·lwavod a torch before her eyes, in order to discover who sho was, she boldly throw a.sido tho disguise, and stood revealed to the malignant 75 scrutiny of the astonished but delighted despot. Upon beholding her, the fury of Albert knew no bounds. Tho secret of Guernache was now apparent; and the man whose vanity she had outraged, by preferring another in tho dance, was now in full possession of tho power to revenge hi.nself upon both off·nders. In that very moment, remembering Ids mortification, he formed a resolution of vengeance, which declared nll tho venom of a mean and malignant nature. Ho needed no art beyond his own to devise an ingenious torture for his victim. A few words sufficed to instruct the willing Renaud in the duty of tho executioner. He commanded that the Indian woman should be scourged from tho fort in tho presence of tho garrison. Then it wns that tho sullen soul of Guernache shuddered and succumbed beneath his tortures. With husky nnd tr<>mbling accents, he appealed to his tyrant in behalf of the woman of his hen.rt. "Oh! Captain Albert, as you arc a man, do not tllis cruel thing. Monalotta is innocent of any crime but tlmt of loving . one so worthless as Guornache. She is my wife! Do with me as you will, but spare her-have mercy on the innocent woman!" "Ah! you can humble yourself now, insolent. I have found tho way, nt la.st, to make you feel. You shall feel yet more. I will crush you to the dust. What, ho ! there, Pierre Renaud! Have 1 not said? the lash ! the lash ! Wherefore do ye linger?" " Do not, Captllin Albert! I implore you, for your own sake, do not lay tho accursed lash upon this young nod innocent creature. Remember! She is a woman-a princess-a blood relation of our good friend, King Audusta. Upon me-upon my back bestow tho punishment, but spare her-spare her, in mercy!" But the prayers and supplication' of the wretched wan were |
