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+The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Mad King, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
+most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
+whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
+of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
+www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you
+will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before
+using this eBook.
+
+Title: The Mad King
+
+Author: Edgar Rice Burroughs
+
+Release Date: November, 1995 [eBook #364]
+[Most recently updated: December 21, 2021]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+Produced by: Judith Boss
+
+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAD KING ***
+
+
+
+
+The Mad King
+
+by Edgar Rice Burroughs
+
+
+Contents
+
+ PART I
+ I. A RUNAWAY HORSE
+ II. OVER THE PRECIPICE
+ III. AN ANGRY KING
+ IV. BARNEY FINDS A FRIEND
+ V. THE ESCAPE
+ VI. A KING’S RANSOM
+ VII. THE REAL LEOPOLD
+ VIII. THE CORONATION DAY
+ IX. THE KING’S GUESTS
+ X. ON THE BATTLEFIELD
+ XI. A TIMELY INTERVENTION
+ XII. THE GRATITUDE OF A KING
+
+ PART II
+ I. BARNEY RETURNS TO LUTHA
+ II. CONDEMNED TO DEATH
+ III. BEFORE THE FIRING SQUAD
+ IV. A RACE TO LUTHA
+ V. THE TRAITOR KING
+ VI. A TRAP IS SPRUNG
+ VII. BARNEY TO THE RESCUE
+ VIII. AN ADVENTUROUS DAY
+ IX. THE CAPTURE
+ X. A NEW KING IN LUTHA
+ XI. THE BATTLE
+ XII. LEOPOLD WAITS FOR DAWN
+ XIII. THE TWO KINGS
+ XIV. “THE KING’S WILL IS LAW”
+ XV. MAENCK BLUNDERS
+ XVI. KING OF LUTHA
+
+
+
+
+PART I
+
+
+
+
+I.
+A RUNAWAY HORSE
+
+
+All Lustadt was in an uproar. The mad king had escaped. Little knots of
+excited men stood upon the street corners listening to each latest
+rumor concerning this most absorbing occurrence. Before the palace a
+great crowd surged to and fro, awaiting they knew not what.
+
+For ten years no man of them had set eyes upon the face of the boy-king
+who had been hastened to the grim castle of Blentz upon the death of
+the old king, his father.
+
+There had been murmurings then when the lad’s uncle, Peter of Blentz,
+had announced to the people of Lutha the sudden mental affliction which
+had fallen upon his nephew, and more murmurings for a time after the
+announcement that Peter of Blentz had been appointed Regent during the
+lifetime of the young King Leopold, “or until God, in His infinite
+mercy, shall see fit to restore to us in full mental vigor our beloved
+monarch.”
+
+But ten years is a long time. The boy-king had become but a vague
+memory to the subjects who could recall him at all.
+
+There were many, of course, in the capital city, Lustadt, who still
+retained a mental picture of the handsome boy who had ridden out nearly
+every morning from the palace gates beside the tall, martial figure of
+the old king, his father, for a canter across the broad plain which
+lies at the foot of the mountain town of Lustadt; but even these had
+long since given up hope that their young king would ever ascend his
+throne, or even that they should see him alive again.
+
+Peter of Blentz had not proved a good or kind ruler. Taxes had doubled
+during his regency. Executives and judiciary, following the example of
+their chief, had become tyrannical and corrupt. For ten years there had
+been small joy in Lutha.
+
+There had been whispered rumors off and on that the young king was dead
+these many years, but not even in whispers did the men of Lutha dare
+voice the name of him whom they believed had caused his death. For
+lesser things they had seen their friends and neighbors thrown into the
+hitherto long-unused dungeons of the royal castle.
+
+And now came the rumor that Leopold of Lutha had escaped the Castle of
+Blentz and was roaming somewhere in the wild mountains or ravines upon
+the opposite side of the plain of Lustadt.
+
+Peter of Blentz was filled with rage and, possibly, fear as well.
+
+“I tell you, Coblich,” he cried, addressing his dark-visaged minister
+of war, “there’s more than coincidence in this matter. Someone has
+betrayed us. That he should have escaped upon the very eve of the
+arrival at Blentz of the new physician is most suspicious. None but
+you, Coblich, had knowledge of the part that Dr. Stein was destined to
+play in this matter,” concluded Prince Peter pointedly.
+
+Coblich looked the Regent full in the eye.
+
+“Your highness wrongs not only my loyalty, but my intelligence,” he
+said quietly, “by even so much as intimating that I have any guilty
+knowledge of Leopold’s escape. With Leopold upon the throne of Lutha,
+where, think you, my prince, would old Coblich be?”
+
+Peter smiled.
+
+“You are right, Coblich,” he said. “I know that you would not be such a
+fool; but whom, then, have we to thank?”
+
+“The walls have ears, prince,” replied Coblich, “and we have not always
+been as careful as we should in discussing the matter. Something may
+have come to the ears of old Von der Tann. I don’t for a moment doubt
+but that he has his spies among the palace servants, or even the guard.
+You know the old fox has always made it a point to curry favor with the
+common soldiers. When he was minister of war he treated them better
+than he did his officers.”
+
+“It seems strange, Coblich, that so shrewd a man as you should have
+been unable to discover some irregularity in the political life of
+Prince Ludwig von der Tann before now,” said the prince querulously.
+“He is the greatest menace to our peace and sovereignty. With Von der
+Tann out of the way there would be none powerful enough to question our
+right to the throne of Lutha—after poor Leopold passes away.”
+
+“You forget that Leopold has escaped,” suggested Coblich, “and that
+there is no immediate prospect of his passing away.”
+
+“He must be retaken at once, Coblich!” cried Prince Peter of Blentz.
+“He is a dangerous maniac, and we must make this fact plain to the
+people—this and a thorough description of him. A handsome reward for
+his safe return to Blentz might not be out of the way, Coblich.”
+
+“It shall be done, your highness,” replied Coblich. “And about Von der
+Tann? You have never spoken to me quite so—ah—er—pointedly before. He
+hunts a great deal in the Old Forest. It might be possible—in fact, it
+has happened, before—there are many accidents in hunting, are there
+not, your highness?”
+
+“There are, Coblich,” replied the prince, “and if Leopold is able he
+will make straight for the Tann, so that there may be two hunting
+together in a day or so, Coblich.”
+
+“I understand, your highness,” replied the minister. “With your
+permission, I shall go at once and dispatch troops to search the forest
+for Leopold. Captain Maenck will command them.”
+
+“Good, Coblich! Maenck is a most intelligent and loyal officer. We must
+reward him well. A baronetcy, at least, if he handles this matter
+well,” said Peter. “It might not be a bad plan to hint at as much to
+him, Coblich.”
+
+And so it happened that shortly thereafter Captain Ernst Maenck, in
+command of a troop of the Royal Horse Guards of Lutha, set out toward
+the Old Forest, which lies beyond the mountains that are visible upon
+the other side of the plain stretching out before Lustadt. At the same
+time other troopers rode in many directions along the highways and
+byways of Lutha, tacking placards upon trees and fence posts and beside
+the doors of every little rural post office.
+
+The placard told of the escape of the mad king, offering a large reward
+for his safe return to Blentz.
+
+It was the last paragraph especially which caused a young man, the
+following day in the little hamlet of Tafelberg, to whistle as he
+carefully read it over.
+
+“I am glad that I am not the mad king of Lutha,” he said as he paid the
+storekeeper for the gasoline he had just purchased and stepped into the
+gray roadster for whose greedy maw it was destined.
+
+“Why, mein Herr?” asked the man.
+
+“This notice practically gives immunity to whoever shoots down the
+king,” replied the traveler. “Worse still, it gives such an account of
+the maniacal ferocity of the fugitive as to warrant anyone in shooting
+him on sight.”
+
+As the young man spoke the storekeeper had examined his face closely
+for the first time. A shrewd look came into the man’s ordinarily stolid
+countenance. He leaned forward quite close to the other’s ear.
+
+“We of Lutha,” he whispered, “love our ‘mad king’—no reward could be
+offered that would tempt us to betray him. Even in self-protection we
+would not kill him, we of the mountains who remember him as a boy and
+loved his father and his grandfather, before him.
+
+“But there are the scum of the low country in the army these days, who
+would do anything for money, and it is these that the king must guard
+against. I could not help but note that mein Herr spoke too perfect
+German for a foreigner. Were I in mein Herr’s place, I should speak
+mostly the English, and, too, I should shave off the ‘full,
+reddish-brown beard.’”
+
+Whereupon the storekeeper turned hastily back into his shop, leaving
+Barney Custer of Beatrice, Nebraska, U.S.A., to wonder if all the
+inhabitants of Lutha were afflicted with a mental disorder similar to
+that of the unfortunate ruler.
+
+“I don’t wonder,” soliloquized the young man, “that he advised me to
+shave off this ridiculous crop of alfalfa. Hang election bets, anyway;
+if things had gone half right I shouldn’t have had to wear this badge
+of idiocy. And to think that it’s got to be for a whole month longer! A
+year’s a mighty long while at best, but a year in company with a full
+set of red whiskers is an eternity.”
+
+The road out of Tafelberg wound upward among tall trees toward the pass
+that would lead him across the next valley on his way to the Old
+Forest, where he hoped to find some excellent shooting. All his life
+Barney had promised himself that some day he should visit his mother’s
+native land, and now that he was here he found it as wild and beautiful
+as she had said it would be.
+
+Neither his mother nor his father had ever returned to the little
+country since the day, thirty years before, that the big American had
+literally stolen his bride away, escaping across the border but a scant
+half-hour ahead of the pursuing troop of Luthanian cavalry. Barney had
+often wondered why it was that neither of them would ever speak of
+those days, or of the early life of his mother, Victoria Rubinroth,
+though of the beauties of her native land Mrs. Custer never tired of
+talking.
+
+Barney Custer was thinking of these things as his machine wound up the
+picturesque road. Just before him was a long, heavy grade, and as he
+took it with open muffler the chugging of his motor drowned the sound
+of pounding hoof beats rapidly approaching behind him.
+
+It was not until he topped the grade that he heard anything unusual,
+and at the same instant a girl on horseback tore past him. The speed of
+the animal would have been enough to have told him that it was beyond
+the control of its frail rider, even without the added testimony of the
+broken bit that dangled beneath the tensely outstretched chin.
+
+Foam flecked the beast’s neck and shoulders. It was evident that the
+horse had been running for some distance, yet its speed was still that
+of the thoroughly frightened runaway.
+
+The road at the point where the animal had passed Custer was cut from
+the hillside. At the left an embankment rose steeply to a height of ten
+or fifteen feet. On the right there was a drop of a hundred feet or
+more into a wooded ravine. Ahead, the road apparently ran quite
+straight and smooth for a considerable distance.
+
+Barney Custer knew that so long as the road ran straight the girl might
+be safe enough, for she was evidently an excellent horsewoman; but he
+also knew that if there should be a sharp turn to the left ahead, the
+horse in his blind fright would in all probability dash headlong into
+the ravine below him.
+
+There was but a single thing that the man might attempt if he were to
+save the girl from the almost certain death which seemed in store for
+her, since he knew that sooner or later the road would turn, as all
+mountain roads do. The chances that he must take, if he failed, could
+only hasten the girl’s end. There was no alternative except to sit
+supinely by and see the fear-crazed horse carry its rider into
+eternity, and Barney Custer was not the sort for that role.
+
+Scarcely had the beast come abreast of him than his foot leaped to the
+accelerator. Like a frightened deer the gray roadster sprang forward in
+pursuit. The road was narrow. Two machines could not have passed upon
+it. Barney took the outside that he might hold the horse away from the
+dangerous ravine.
+
+At the sound of the whirring thing behind him the animal cast an
+affrighted glance in its direction, and with a little squeal of terror
+redoubled its frantic efforts to escape. The girl, too, looked back
+over her shoulder. Her face was very white, but her eyes were steady
+and brave.
+
+Barney Custer smiled up at her in encouragement, and the girl smiled
+back at him.
+
+“She’s sure a game one,” thought Barney.
+
+Now she was calling to him. At first he could not catch her words above
+the pounding of the horse’s hoofs and the noise of his motor. Presently
+he understood.
+
+“Stop!” she cried. “Stop or you will be killed. The road turns to the
+left just ahead. You’ll go into the ravine at that speed.”
+
+The front wheel of the roadster was at the horse’s right flank. Barney
+stepped upon the accelerator a little harder. There was barely room
+between the horse and the edge of the road for the four wheels of the
+roadster, and Barney must be very careful not to touch the horse. The
+thought of that and what it would mean to the girl sent a cold shudder
+through Barney Custer’s athletic frame.
+
+The man cast a glance to his right. His machine drove from the left
+side, and he could not see the road at all over the right hand door.
+The sight of tree tops waving beneath him was all that was visible.
+Just ahead the road’s edge rushed swiftly beneath the right-hand
+fender; the wheels on that side must have been on the very verge of the
+embankment.
+
+Now he was abreast the girl. Just ahead he could see where the road
+disappeared around a corner of the bluff at the dangerous curve the
+girl had warned him against.
+
+Custer leaned far out over the side of his car. The lunging of the
+horse in his stride, and the swaying of the leaping car carried him
+first close to the girl and then away again. With his right hand he
+held the car between the frantic horse and the edge of the embankment.
+His left hand, outstretched, was almost at the girl’s waist. The turn
+was just before them.
+
+“Jump!” cried Barney.
+
+The girl fell backward from her mount, turning to grasp Custer’s arm as
+it closed about her. At the same instant Barney closed the throttle,
+and threw all the weight of his body upon the foot brake.
+
+The gray roadster swerved toward the embankment as the hind wheels
+skidded on the loose surface gravel. They were at the turn. The horse
+was just abreast the bumper. There was one chance in a thousand of
+making the turn were the running beast out of the way. There was still
+a chance if he turned ahead of them. If he did not turn—Barney hated to
+think of what must follow.
+
+But it was all over in a second. The horse bolted straight ahead.
+Barney swerved the roadster to the turn. It caught the animal full in
+the side. There was a sickening lurch as the hind wheels slid over the
+embankment, and then the man shoved the girl from the running board to
+the road, and horse, man and roadster went over into the ravine.
+
+A moment before a tall young man with a reddish-brown beard had stood
+at the turn of the road listening intently to the sound of the hurrying
+hoof beats and the purring of the racing motor car approaching from the
+distance. In his eyes lurked the look of the hunted. For a moment he
+stood in evident indecision, but just before the runaway horse and the
+pursuing machine came into view he slipped over the edge of the road to
+slink into the underbrush far down toward the bottom of the ravine.
+
+When Barney pushed the girl from the running board she fell heavily to
+the road, rolling over several times, but in an instant she scrambled
+to her feet, hardly the worse for the tumble other than a few
+scratches.
+
+Quickly she ran to the edge of the embankment, a look of immense relief
+coming to her soft, brown eyes as she saw her rescuer scrambling up the
+precipitous side of the ravine toward her.
+
+“You are not killed?” she cried in German. “It is a miracle!”
+
+“Not even bruised,” reassured Barney. “But you? You must have had a
+nasty fall.”
+
+“I am not hurt at all,” she replied. “But for you I should be lying
+dead, or terribly maimed down there at the bottom of that awful ravine
+at this very moment. It’s awful.” She drew her shoulders upward in a
+little shudder of horror. “But how did you escape? Even now I can
+scarce believe it possible.”
+
+“I’m quite sure I don’t know how I did escape,” said Barney, clambering
+over the rim of the road to her side. “That I had nothing to do with it
+I am positive. It was just luck. I simply dropped out onto that bush
+down there.”
+
+They were standing side by side, now peering down into the ravine where
+the car was visible, bottom side up against a tree, near the base of
+the declivity. The horse’s head could be seen protruding from beneath
+the wreckage.
+
+“I’d better go down and put him out of his misery,” said Barney, “if he
+is not already dead.”
+
+“I think he is quite dead,” said the girl. “I have not seen him move.”
+
+Just then a little puff of smoke arose from the machine, followed by a
+tongue of yellow flame. Barney had already started toward the horse.
+
+“Please don’t go,” begged the girl. “I am sure that he is quite dead,
+and it wouldn’t be safe for you down there now. The gasoline tank may
+explode any minute.”
+
+Barney stopped.
+
+“Yes, he is dead all right,” he said, “but all my belongings are down
+there. My guns, six-shooters and all my ammunition. And,” he added
+ruefully, “I’ve heard so much about the brigands that infest these
+mountains.”
+
+The girl laughed.
+
+“Those stories are really exaggerated,” she said. “I was born in Lutha,
+and except for a few months each year have always lived here, and
+though I ride much I have never seen a brigand. You need not be
+afraid.”
+
+Barney Custer looked up at her quickly, and then he grinned. His only
+fear had been that he would not meet brigands, for Mr. Bernard Custer,
+Jr., was young and the spirit of Romance and Adventure breathed strong
+within him.
+
+“Why do you smile?” asked the girl.
+
+“At our dilemma,” evaded Barney. “Have you paused to consider our
+situation?”
+
+The girl smiled, too.
+
+“It is most unconventional,” she said. “On foot and alone in the
+mountains, far from home, and we do not even know each other’s name.”
+
+“Pardon me,” cried Barney, bowing low. “Permit me to introduce myself.
+I am,” and then to the spirits of Romance and Adventure was added a
+third, the spirit of Deviltry, “I am the mad king of Lutha.”
+
+
+
+
+II.
+OVER THE PRECIPICE
+
+
+The effect of his words upon the girl were quite different from what he
+had expected. An American girl would have laughed, knowing that he but
+joked. This girl did not laugh. Instead her face went white, and she
+clutched her bosom with her two hands. Her brown eyes peered
+searchingly into the face of the man.
+
+“Leopold!” she cried in a suppressed voice. “Oh, your majesty, thank
+God that you are free—and sane!”
+
+Before he could prevent it the girl had seized his hand and pressed it
+to her lips.
+
+Here was a pretty muddle! Barney Custer swore at himself inwardly for a
+boorish fool. What in the world had ever prompted him to speak those
+ridiculous words! And now how was he to unsay them without mortifying
+this beautiful girl who had just kissed his hand?
+
+She would never forgive that—he was sure of it.
+
+There was but one thing to do, however, and that was to make a clean
+breast of it. Somehow, he managed to stumble through his explanation of
+what had prompted him, and when he had finished he saw that the girl
+was smiling indulgently at him.
+
+“It shall be Mr. Bernard Custer if you wish it so,” she said; “but your
+majesty need fear nothing from Emma von der Tann. Your secret is as
+safe with me as with yourself, as the name of Von der Tann must assure
+you.”
+
+She looked to see the expression of relief and pleasure that her
+father’s name should have brought to the face of Leopold of Lutha, but
+when he gave no indication that he had ever before heard the name she
+sighed and looked puzzled.
+
+“Perhaps,” she thought, “he doubts me. Or can it be possible that,
+after all, his poor mind is gone?”
+
+“I wish,” said Barney in a tone of entreaty, “that you would forgive
+and forget my foolish words, and then let me accompany you to the end
+of your journey.”
+
+“Whither were you bound when I became the means of wrecking your motor
+car?” asked the girl.
+
+“To the Old Forest,” replied Barney.
+
+Now she was positive that she was indeed with the mad king of Lutha,
+but she had no fear of him, for since childhood she had heard her
+father scout the idea that Leopold was mad. For what other purpose
+would he hasten toward the Old Forest than to take refuge in her
+father’s castle upon the banks of the Tann at the forest’s verge?
+
+“Thither was I bound also,” she said, “and if you would come there
+quickly and in safety I can show you a short path across the mountains
+that my father taught me years ago. It touches the main road but once
+or twice, and much of the way passes through dense woods and
+undergrowth where an army might hide.”
+
+“Hadn’t we better find the nearest town,” suggested Barney, “where I
+can obtain some sort of conveyance to take you home?”
+
+“It would not be safe,” said the girl. “Peter of Blentz will have
+troops out scouring all Lutha about Blentz and the Old Forest until the
+king is captured.”
+
+Barney Custer shook his head despairingly.
+
+“Won’t you please believe that I am but a plain American?” he begged.
+
+Upon the bole of a large wayside tree a fresh, new placard stared them
+in the face. Emma von der Tann pointed at one of the paragraphs.
+
+“Gray eyes, brown hair, and a full reddish-brown beard,” she read. “No
+matter who you may be,” she said, “you are safer off the highways of
+Lutha than on them until you can find and use a razor.”
+
+“But I cannot shave until the fifth of November,” said Barney.
+
+Again the girl looked quickly into his eyes and again in her mind rose
+the question that had hovered there once before. Was he indeed, after
+all, quite sane?
+
+“Then please come with me the safest way to my father’s,” she urged.
+“He will know what is best to do.”
+
+“He cannot make me shave,” insisted Barney.
+
+“Why do you wish not to shave?” asked the girl.
+
+“It is a matter of my honor,” he replied. “I had my choice of wearing a
+green wastebasket bonnet trimmed with red roses for six months, or a
+beard for twelve. If I shave off the beard before the fifth of November
+I shall be without honor in the sight of all men or else I shall have
+to wear the green bonnet. The beard is bad enough, but the bonnet—ugh!”
+
+Emma von der Tann was now quite assured that the poor fellow was indeed
+quite demented, but she had seen no indications of violence as yet,
+though when that too might develop there was no telling. However, he
+was to her Leopold of Lutha, and her father’s house had been loyal to
+him or his ancestors for three hundred years.
+
+If she must sacrifice her life in the attempt, nevertheless still must
+she do all within her power to save her king from recapture and to lead
+him in safety to the castle upon the Tann.
+
+“Come,” she said; “we waste time here. Let us make haste, for the way
+is long. At best we cannot reach Tann by dark.”
+
+“I will do anything you wish,” replied Barney, “but I shall never
+forgive myself for having caused you the long and tedious journey that
+lies before us. It would be perfectly safe to go to the nearest town
+and secure a rig.”
+
+Emma von der Tann had heard that it was always well to humor maniacs
+and she thought of it now. She would put the scheme to the test.
+
+“The reason that I fear to have you go to the village,” she said, “is
+that I am quite sure they would catch you and shave off your beard.”
+
+Barney started to laugh, but when he saw the deep seriousness of the
+girl’s eyes he changed his mind. Then he recalled her rather peculiar
+insistence that he was a king, and it suddenly occurred to him that he
+had been foolish not to have guessed the truth before.
+
+“That is so,” he agreed; “I guess we had better do as you say,” for he
+had determined that the best way to handle her would be to humor her—he
+had always heard that that was the proper method for handling the
+mentally defective. “Where is the—er—ah—sanatorium?” he blurted out at
+last.
+
+“The what?” she asked. “There is no sanatorium near here, your majesty,
+unless you refer to the Castle of Blentz.”
+
+“Is there no asylum for the insane near by?”
+
+“None that I know of, your majesty.”
+
+For a while they moved on in silence, each wondering what the other
+might do next.
+
+Barney had evolved a plan. He would try and ascertain the location of
+the institution from which the girl had escaped and then as gently as
+possible lead her back to it. It was not safe for as beautiful a woman
+as she to be roaming through the forest in any such manner as this. He
+wondered what in the world the authorities at the asylum had been
+thinking of to permit her to ride out alone in the first place.
+
+“From where did you ride today?” he blurted out suddenly.
+
+“From Tann.”
+
+“That is where we are going now?”
+
+“Yes, your majesty.”
+
+Barney drew a breath of relief. The way had become suddenly difficult
+and he took the girl’s arm to help her down a rather steep place. At
+the bottom of the ravine there was a little brook.
+
+“There used to be a fallen log across it here,” said the girl. “How in
+the world am I ever to get across, your majesty?”
+
+“If you call me that again, I shall begin to believe that I am a king,”
+he humored her, “and then, being a king, I presume that it wouldn’t be
+proper for me to carry you across, or would it? Never really having
+been a king, I do not know.”
+
+“I think,” replied the girl, “that it would be eminently proper.”
+
+She had difficulty in keeping in mind the fact that this handsome,
+smiling young man was a dangerous maniac, though it was easy to believe
+that he was the king. In fact, he looked much as she had always
+pictured Leopold as looking. She had known him as a boy, and there were
+many paintings and photographs of his ancestors in her father’s castle.
+She saw much resemblance between these and the young man.
+
+The brook was very narrow, and the girl thought that it took the young
+man an unreasonably long time to carry her across, though she was
+forced to admit that she was far from uncomfortable in the strong arms
+that bore her so easily.
+
+“Why, what are you doing?” she cried presently. “You are not crossing
+the stream at all. You are walking right up the middle of it!”
+
+She saw his face flush, and then he turned laughing eyes upon her.
+
+“I am looking for a safe landing,” he said.
+
+Emma von der Tann did not know whether to be frightened or amused. As
+her eyes met the clear, gray ones of the man she could not believe that
+insanity lurked behind that laughing, level gaze of her carrier. She
+found herself continually forgetting that the man was mad. He had
+turned toward the bank now, and a couple of steps carried them to the
+low sward that fringed the little brooklet. Here he lowered her to the
+ground.
+
+“Your majesty is very strong,” she said. “I should not have expected it
+after the years of confinement you have suffered.”
+
+“Yes,” he said, realizing that he must humor her—it was difficult to
+remember that this lovely girl was insane. “Let me see, now just what
+was I in prison for? I do not seem to be able to recall it. In
+Nebraska, they used to hang men for horse stealing; so I am sure it
+must have been something else not quite so bad. Do you happen to know?”
+
+“When the king, your father, died you were thirteen years old,” the
+girl explained, hoping to reawaken the sleeping mind, “and then your
+uncle, Prince Peter of Blentz, announced that the shock of your
+father’s death had unbalanced your mind. He shut you up in Blentz then,
+where you have been for ten years, and he has ruled as regent. Now, my
+father says, he has recently discovered a plot to take your life so
+that Peter may become king. But I suppose you learned of that, and
+because of it you escaped!”
+
+“This Peter person is all-powerful in Lutha?” he asked.
+
+“He controls the army,” the girl replied.
+
+“And you really believe that I am the mad king Leopold?”
+
+“You are the king,” she said in a convincing manner.
+
+“You are a very brave young lady,” he said earnestly. “If all the mad
+king’s subjects were as loyal as you, and as brave, he would not have
+languished for ten years behind the walls of Blentz.”
+
+“I am a Von der Tann,” she said proudly, as though that was explanation
+sufficient to account for any bravery or loyalty.
+
+“Even a Von der Tann might, without dishonor, hesitate to accompany a
+mad man through the woods,” he replied, “especially if she happened to
+be a very—a very—” He halted, flushing.
+
+“A very what, your majesty?” asked the girl.
+
+“A very young woman,” he ended lamely.
+
+Emma von der Tann knew that he had not intended saying that at all.
+Being a woman, she knew precisely what he had meant to say, and she
+discovered that she would very much have liked to hear him say it.
+
+“Suppose,” said Barney, “that Peter’s soldiers run across us—what
+then?”
+
+“They will take you back to Blentz, your majesty.”
+
+“And you?”
+
+“I do not think that they will dare lay hands on me, though it is
+possible that Peter might do so. He hates my father even more now than
+he did when the old king lived.”
+
+“I wish,” said Mr. Custer, “that I had gone down after my guns. Why
+didn’t you tell me, in the first place, that I was a king, and that I
+might get you in trouble if you were found with me? Why, they may even
+take me for an emperor or a mikado—who knows? And then look at all the
+trouble we’d be in.”
+
+Which was Barney’s way of humoring a maniac.
+
+“And they might even shave off your beautiful beard.”
+
+Which was the girl’s way.
+
+“Do you think that you would like me better in the green wastebasket
+hat with the red roses?” asked Barney.
+
+A very sad look came into the girl’s eyes. It was pitiful to think that
+this big, handsome young man, for whose return to the throne all Lutha
+had prayed for ten long years, was only a silly half-wit. What might he
+not have accomplished for his people had this terrible misfortune not
+overtaken him! In every other way he seemed fitted to be the savior of
+his country. If she could but make him remember!
+
+“Your majesty,” she said, “do you not recall the time that your father
+came upon a state visit to my father’s castle? You were a little boy
+then. He brought you with him. I was a little girl, and we played
+together. You would not let me call you ‘highness,’ but insisted that I
+should always call you Leopold. When I forgot you would accuse me of
+lese-majeste, and sentence me to—to punishment.”
+
+“What was the punishment?” asked Barney, noticing her hesitation and
+wishing to encourage her in the pretty turn her dementia had taken.
+
+Again the girl hesitated; she hated to say it, but if it would help to
+recall the past to that poor, dimmed mind, it was her duty.
+
+“Every time I called you ‘highness’ you made me give you a—a kiss,” she
+almost whispered.
+
+“I hope,” said Barney, “that you will be guilty of lese-majeste often.”
+
+“We were little children then, your majesty,” the girl reminded him.
+
+Had he thought her of sound mind Mr. Custer might have taken advantage
+of his royal prerogatives on the spot, for the girl’s lips were most
+tempting; but when he remembered the poor, weak mind, tears almost came
+to his eyes, and there sprang to his heart a great desire to protect
+and guard this unfortunate child.
+
+“And when I was Crown Prince what were you, way back there in the
+beautiful days of our childhood?” asked Barney.
+
+“Why, I was what I still am, your majesty,” replied the girl. “Princess
+Emma von der Tann.”
+
+So the poor child, besides thinking him a king, thought herself a
+princess! She certainly was mad. Well, he would humor her.
+
+“Then I should call you ‘your highness,’ shouldn’t I?” he asked.
+
+“You always called me Emma when we were children.”
+
+“Very well, then, you shall be Emma and I Leopold. Is it a bargain?”
+
+“The king’s will is law,” she said.
+
+They had come to a very steep hillside, up which the half-obliterated
+trail zigzagged toward the crest of a flat-topped hill. Barney went
+ahead, taking the girl’s hand in his to help her, and thus they came to
+the top, to stand hand in hand, breathing heavily after the stiff
+climb.
+
+The girl’s hair had come loose about her temples and a lock was blowing
+over her face. Her cheeks were very red and her eyes bright. Barney
+thought he had never looked upon a lovelier picture. He smiled down
+into her eyes and she smiled back at him.
+
+“I wished, back there a way,” he said, “that that little brook had been
+as wide as the ocean—now I wish that this little hill had been as high
+as Mont Blanc.”
+
+“You like to climb?” she asked.
+
+“I should like to climb forever—with you,” he said seriously.
+
+She looked up at him quickly. A reply was on her lips, but she never
+uttered it, for at that moment a ruffian in picturesque rags leaped out
+from behind a near-by bush, confronting them with leveled revolver. He
+was so close that the muzzle of the weapon almost touched Barney’s
+face. In that the fellow made his mistake.
+
+“You see,” said Barney unexcitedly, “that I was right about the
+brigands after all. What do you want, my man?”
+
+The man’s eyes had suddenly gone wide. He stared with open mouth at the
+young fellow before him. Then a cunning look came into his eyes.
+
+“I want you, your majesty,” he said.
+
+“Godfrey!” exclaimed Barney. “Did the whole bunch escape?”
+
+“Quick!” growled the man. “Hold up your hands. The notice made it plain
+that you would be worth as much dead as alive, and I have no mind to
+lose you, so do not tempt me to kill you.”
+
+Barney’s hands went up, but not in the way that the brigand had
+expected. Instead, one of them seized his weapon and shoved it aside,
+while with the other Custer planted a blow between his eyes and sent
+him reeling backward. The two men closed, fighting for possession of
+the gun. In the scrimmage it was exploded, but a moment later the
+American succeeded in wresting it from his adversary and hurled it into
+the ravine.
+
+Striking at one another, the two surged backward and forward at the
+very edge of the hill, each searching for the other’s throat. The girl
+stood by, watching the battle with wide, frightened eyes. If she could
+only do something to aid the king!
+
+She saw a loose stone lying at a little distance from the fighters and
+hastened to procure it. If she could strike the brigand a single good
+blow on the side of the head, Leopold might easily overpower him. When
+she had gathered up the rock and turned back toward the two she saw
+that the man she thought to be the king was not much in the way of
+needing outside assistance. She could not but marvel at the strength
+and dexterity of this poor fellow who had spent almost half his life
+penned within the four walls of a prison. It must be, she thought, the
+superhuman strength with which maniacs are always credited.
+
+Nevertheless, she hurried toward them with her weapon; but just before
+she reached them the brigand made a last mad effort to free himself
+from the fingers that had found his throat. He lunged backward,
+dragging the other with him. His foot struck upon the root of a tree,
+and together the two toppled over into the ravine.
+
+As the girl hastened toward the spot where the two had disappeared, she
+was startled to see three troopers of the palace cavalry headed by an
+officer break through the trees at a short distance from where the
+battle had waged. The four men ran rapidly toward her.
+
+“What has happened here?” shouted the officer to Emma von der Tann; and
+then, as he came closer: “Gott! Can it be possible that it is your
+highness?”
+
+The girl paid no attention to the officer. Instead, she hurried down
+the steep embankment toward the underbrush into which the two men had
+fallen. There was no sound from below, and no movement in the bushes to
+indicate that a moment before two desperately battling human beings had
+dropped among them.
+
+The soldiers were close upon the girl’s heels, but it was she who first
+reached the two quiet figures that lay side by side upon the stony
+ground halfway down the hillside.
+
+When the officer stopped beside her she was sitting on the ground
+holding the head of one of the combatants in her lap.
+
+A little stream of blood trickled from a wound in the forehead. The
+officer stooped closer.
+
+“He is dead?” he asked.
+
+“The king is dead,” replied the Princess Emma von der Tann, a little
+sob in her voice.
+
+“The king!” exclaimed the officer; and then, as he bent lower over the
+white face: “Leopold!”
+
+The girl nodded.
+
+“We were searching for him,” said the officer, “when we heard the
+shot.” Then, arising, he removed his cap, saying in a very low voice:
+“The king is dead. Long live the king!”
+
+
+
+
+III.
+AN ANGRY KING
+
+
+The soldiers stood behind their officer. None of them had ever seen
+Leopold of Lutha—he had been but a name to them—they cared nothing for
+him; but in the presence of death they were awed by the majesty of the
+king they had never known.
+
+The hands of Emma von der Tann were chafing the wrists of the man whose
+head rested in her lap.
+
+“Leopold!” she whispered. “Leopold, come back! Mad king you may have
+been, but still you were king of Lutha—my father’s king—my king.”
+
+The girl nearly cried out in shocked astonishment as she saw the eyes
+of the dead king open. But Emma von der Tann was quick-witted. She knew
+for what purpose the soldiers from the palace were scouring the
+country.
+
+Had she not thought the king dead she would have cut out her tongue
+rather than reveal his identity to these soldiers of his great enemy.
+Now she saw that Leopold lived, and she must undo the harm she had
+innocently wrought. She bent lower over Barney’s face, trying to hide
+it from the soldiers.
+
+“Go away, please!” she called to them. “Leave me with my dead king. You
+are Peter’s men. You do not care for Leopold, living or dead. Go back
+to your new king and tell him that this poor young man can never more
+stand between him and the throne.”
+
+The officer hesitated.
+
+“We shall have to take the king’s body with us, your highness,” he
+said.
+
+The officer evidently becoming suspicious, came closer, and as he did
+so Barney Custer sat up.
+
+“Go away!” cried the girl, for she saw that the king was attempting to
+speak. “My father’s people will carry Leopold of Lutha in state to the
+capital of his kingdom.”
+
+“What’s all this row about?” he asked. “Can’t you let a dead king alone
+if the young lady asks you to? What kind of a short sport are you,
+anyway? Run along, now, and tie yourself outside.”
+
+The officer smiled, a trifle maliciously perhaps.
+
+“Ah,” he said, “I am very glad indeed that you are not dead, your
+majesty.”
+
+Barney Custer turned his incredulous eyes upon the lieutenant.
+
+“Et tu, Brute?” he cried in anguished accents, letting his head fall
+back into the girl’s lap. He found it very comfortable there indeed.
+
+The officer smiled and shook his head. Then he tapped his forehead
+meaningly.
+
+“I did not know,” he said to the girl, “that he was so bad. But come—it
+is some distance to Blentz, and the afternoon is already well spent.
+Your highness will accompany us.”
+
+“I?” cried the girl. “You certainly cannot be serious.”
+
+“And why not, your highness?” asked the officer. “We had strict orders
+to arrest not only the king, but any companions who may have been
+involved in his escape.”
+
+“I had nothing whatever to do with his escape,” said the girl, “though
+I should have been only too glad to have aided him had the opportunity
+presented.”
+
+“King Peter may think differently,” replied the man.
+
+“The Regent, you mean?” the girl corrected him haughtily.
+
+The officer shrugged his shoulders.
+
+“Regent or King, he is ruler of Lutha nevertheless, and he would take
+away my commission were I to tell him that I had found a Von der Tann
+in company with the king and had permitted her to escape. Your blood
+convicts your highness.”
+
+“You are going to take me to Blentz and confine me there?” asked the
+girl in a very small voice and with wide incredulous eyes. “You would
+not dare thus to humiliate a Von der Tann?”
+
+“I am very sorry,” said the officer, “but I am a soldier, and soldiers
+must obey their superiors. My orders are strict. You may be thankful,”
+he added, “that it was not Maenck who discovered you.”
+
+At the mention of the name the girl shuddered.
+
+“In so far as it is in my power your highness and his majesty will be
+accorded every consideration of dignity and courtesy while under my
+escort. You need not entertain any fear of me,” he concluded.
+
+Barney Custer, during this, to him, remarkable dialogue, had risen to
+his feet, and assisted the girl in rising. Now he turned and spoke to
+the officer.
+
+“This farce,” he said, “has gone quite far enough. If it is a joke it
+is becoming a very sorry one. I am not a king. I am an American—Bernard
+Custer, of Beatrice, Nebraska, U.S.A. Look at me. Look at me closely.
+Do I look like a king?”
+
+“Every inch, your majesty,” replied the officer.
+
+Barney looked at the man aghast.
+
+“Well, I am not a king,” he said at last, “and if you go to arresting
+me and throwing me into one of your musty old dungeons you will find
+that I am a whole lot more important than most kings. I’m an American
+citizen.”
+
+“Yes, your majesty,” replied the officer, a trifle impatiently. “But we
+waste time in idle discussion. Will your majesty be so good as to
+accompany me without resistance?”
+
+“If you will first escort this young lady to a place of safety,”
+replied Barney.
+
+“She will be quite safe at Blentz,” said the lieutenant.
+
+Barney turned to look at the girl, a question in his eyes. Before them
+stood the soldiers with drawn revolvers, and now at the summit of the
+hill a dozen more appeared in command of a sergeant. They were two
+against nearly a score, and Barney Custer was unarmed.
+
+The girl shook her head.
+
+“There, is no alternative, I am afraid, your majesty,” she said.
+
+Barney wheeled toward the officer.
+
+“Very well, lieutenant,” he said, “we will accompany you.”
+
+The party turned back up the hillside, leaving the dead bandit where he
+lay—the fellow’s neck had been broken by the fall. A short distance
+from where the man had confronted them the two prisoners were brought
+to the main road where they saw still other troopers, and with them the
+horses of those who had gone into the forest on foot.
+
+Barney and the girl were mounted on two of the animals, the soldiers
+who had ridden them clambering up behind two of their comrades. A
+moment later the troop set out along the road which leads to Blentz.
+
+The prisoners rode near the center of the column, surrounded by
+troopers. For a time they were both silent. Barney was wondering if he
+had accidentally tumbled into the private grounds of Lutha’s largest
+madhouse, or if, in reality, these people mistook him for the young
+king—it seemed incredible.
+
+It had commenced slowly to dawn upon him that perhaps the girl was not
+crazy after all. Had not the officer addressed her as “your highness”?
+Now that he thought upon it he recalled that she did have quite a
+haughty and regal way with her at times, especially so when she had
+addressed the officer.
+
+Of course she might be mad, after all, and possibly the bandit, too,
+but it seemed unbelievable that the officer was mad and his entire
+troop of cavalry should be composed of maniacs, yet they all persisted
+in speaking and acting as though he were indeed the mad king of Lutha
+and the young girl at his side a princess.
+
+From pitying the girl he had come to feel a little bit in awe of her.
+To the best of his knowledge he had never before associated with a real
+princess. When he recalled that he had treated her as he would an
+ordinary mortal, and that he had thought her demented, and had tried to
+humor her mad whims, he felt very foolish indeed.
+
+Presently he turned a sheepish glance in her direction, to find her
+looking at him. He saw her flush slightly as his eyes met hers.
+
+“Can your highness ever forgive me?” he asked.
+
+“Forgive you!” she cried in astonishment. “For what, your majesty?”
+
+“For thinking you insane, and for getting you into this horrible
+predicament,” he replied. “But especially for thinking you insane.”
+
+“Did you think me mad?” she asked in wide-eyed astonishment.
+
+“When you insisted that I was a king, yes,” he replied. “But now I
+begin to believe that it must be I who am mad, after all, or else I
+bear a remarkable resemblance to Leopold of Lutha.”
+
+“You do, your majesty,” replied the girl.
+
+Barney saw it was useless to attempt to convince them and so he decided
+to give up for the time.
+
+“Have me king, if you will,” he said, “but please do not call me ‘your
+majesty’ any more. It gets on my nerves.”
+
+“Your will is law—Leopold,” replied the girl, hesitating prettily
+before the familiar name, “but do not forget your part of the compact.”
+
+He smiled at her. A princess wasn’t half so terrible after all.
+
+“And your will shall be my law, Emma,” he said.
+
+It was almost dark when they came to Blentz. The castle lay far up on
+the side of a steep hill above the town. It was an ancient pile, but
+had been maintained in an excellent state of repair. As Barney Custer
+looked up at the grim towers and mighty, buttressed walls his heart
+sank. It had taken the mad king ten years to make his escape from that
+gloomy and forbidding pile!
+
+“Poor child,” he murmured, thinking of the girl.
+
+Before the barbican the party was halted by the guard. An officer with
+a lantern stepped out upon the lowered portcullis. The lieutenant who
+had captured them rode forward to meet him.
+
+“A detachment of the Royal Horse Guards escorting His Majesty the King,
+who is returning to Blentz,” he said in reply to the officer’s sharp
+challenge.
+
+“The king!” exclaimed the officer. “You have found him?” and he
+advanced with raised lantern searching for the monarch.
+
+“At last,” whispered Barney to the girl at his side, “I shall be
+vindicated. This man, at least, who is stationed at Blentz must know
+his king by sight.”
+
+The officer came quite close, holding his lantern until the rays fell
+full in Barney’s face. He scrutinized the young man for a moment. There
+was neither humility nor respect in his manner, so that the American
+was sure that the fellow had discovered the imposture.
+
+From the bottom of his heart he hoped so. Then the officer swung the
+lantern until its light shone upon the girl.
+
+“And who’s the wench with him?” he asked the officer who had found
+them.
+
+The man was standing close beside Barney’s horse, and the words were
+scarce out of his month when the American slipped from his saddle to
+the portcullis and struck the officer full in the face.
+
+“She is the Princess von der Tann, you boor,” said Barney, “and let
+that help you remember it in future.”
+
+The officer scrambled to his feet, white with rage. Whipping out his
+sword he rushed at Barney.
+
+“You shall die for that, you half-wit,” he cried.
+
+Lieutenant Butzow, he of the Royal Horse, rushed forward to prevent the
+assault and Emma von der Tann sprang from her saddle and threw herself
+in front of Barney.
+
+Butzow grasped the other officer’s arm.
+
+“Are you mad, Schonau?” he cried. “Would you kill the king?”
+
+The fellow tugged to escape the grasp of Butzow. He was crazed with
+anger.
+
+“Why not?” he bellowed. “You were a fool not to have done it yourself.
+Maenck will do it and get a baronetcy. It will mean a captaincy for me
+at least. Let me at him—no man can strike Karl Schonau and live.”
+
+“The king is unarmed,” cried Emma von der Tann. “Would you murder him
+in cold blood?”
+
+“He shall not murder him at all, your highness,” said Lieutenant Butzow
+quietly. “Give me your sword, Lieutenant Schonau. I place you under
+arrest. What you have just said will not please the Regent when it is
+reported to him. You should keep your head better when you are angry.”
+
+“It is the truth,” growled Schonau, regretting that his anger had led
+him into a disclosure of the plot against the king’s life, but like
+most weak characters fearing to admit himself in error even more than
+he feared the consequences of his rash words.
+
+“Do you intend taking my sword?” asked Schonau suddenly, turning toward
+Lieutenant Butzow standing beside him.
+
+“We will forget the whole occurrence, lieutenant,” replied Butzow, “if
+you will promise not to harm his majesty, or offer him or the Princess
+von der Tann further humiliation. Their position is sufficiently
+unpleasant without our adding to the degradation of it.”
+
+“Very well,” grumbled Schonau. “Pass on into the courtyard.”
+
+Barney and the girl remounted and the little cavalcade moved forward
+through the ballium and the great gate into the court beyond.
+
+“Did you notice,” said Barney to the princess, “that even he believes
+me to be the king? I cannot fathom it.”
+
+Within the castle they were met by a number of servants and soldiers.
+An officer escorted them to the great hall, and presently a dark
+visaged captain of cavalry entered and approached them. Butzow saluted.
+
+“His Majesty, the King,” he announced, “has returned to Blentz. In
+accordance with the commands of the Regent I deliver his august person
+into your safe keeping, Captain Maenck.”
+
+Maenck nodded. He was looking at Barney with evident curiosity.
+
+“Where did you find him?” he asked Butzow.
+
+He made no pretense of according to Barney the faintest indication of
+the respect that is supposed to be due to those of royal blood. Barney
+commenced to hope that he had finally come upon one who would know that
+he was not king.
+
+Butzow recounted the details of the finding of the king. As he spoke,
+Maenck’s eyes, restless and furtive, seemed to be appraising the
+personal charms of the girl who stood just back of Barney.
+
+The American did not like the appearance of the officer, but he saw
+that he was evidently supreme at Blentz, and he determined to appeal to
+him in the hope that the man might believe his story and untangle the
+ridiculous muddle that a chance resemblance to a fugitive monarch had
+thrown him and the girl into.
+
+“Captain,” said Barney, stepping closer to the officer, “there has been
+a mistake in identity here. I am not the king. I am an American
+traveling for pleasure in Lutha. The fact that I have gray eyes and
+wear a full reddish-brown beard is my only offense. You are doubtless
+familiar with the king’s appearance and so you at least have already
+seen that I am not his majesty.
+
+“Not being the king, there is no cause to detain me longer, and as I am
+not a fugitive and never have been, this young lady has been guilty of
+no misdemeanor or crime in being in my company. Therefore she too
+should be released. In the name of justice and common decency I am sure
+that you will liberate us both at once and furnish the Princess von der
+Tann, at least, with a proper escort to her home.”
+
+Maenck listened in silence until Barney had finished, a half smile upon
+his thick lips.
+
+“I am commencing to believe that you are not so crazy as we have all
+thought,” he said. “Certainly,” and he let his eyes rest upon Emma von
+der Tann, “you are not mentally deficient in so far as your judgment of
+a good-looking woman is concerned. I could not have made a better
+selection myself.
+
+“As for my familiarity with your appearance, you know as well as I that
+I have never seen you before. But that is not necessary—you conform
+perfectly to the printed description of you with which the kingdom is
+flooded. Were that not enough, the fact that you were discovered with
+old Von der Tann’s daughter is sufficient to remove the least doubt as
+to your identity.”
+
+“You are governor of Blentz,” cried Barney, “and yet you say that you
+have never seen the king?”
+
+“Certainly,” replied Maenck. “After you escaped the entire personnel of
+the garrison here was changed, even the old servants to a man were
+withdrawn and others substituted. You will have difficulty in again
+escaping, for those who aided you before are no longer here.”
+
+“There is no man in the castle of Blentz who has ever seen the king?”
+asked Barney.
+
+“None who has seen him before tonight,” replied Maenck. “But were we in
+doubt we have the word of the Princess Emma that you are Leopold. Did
+she not admit it to you, Butzow?”
+
+“When she thought his majesty dead she admitted it,” replied Butzow.
+
+“We gain nothing by discussing the matter,” said Maenck shortly. “You
+are Leopold of Lutha. Prince Peter says that you are mad. All that
+concerns me is that you do not escape again, and you may rest assured
+that while Ernst Maenck is governor of Blentz you shall not escape and
+go at large again.
+
+“Are the royal apartments in readiness for his majesty, Dr. Stein?” he
+concluded, turning toward a rat-faced little man with bushy whiskers,
+who stood just behind him.
+
+The query was propounded in an ironical tone, and with a manner that
+made no pretense of concealing the contempt of the speaker for the man
+he thought the king.
+
+The eyes of the Princess Emma were blazing as she caught the scant
+respect in Maenck’s manner. She looked quickly toward Barney to see if
+he intended rebuking the man for his impertinence. She saw that the
+king evidently intended overlooking Maenck’s attitude. But Emma von der
+Tann was of a different mind.
+
+She had seen Maenck several times at social functions in the capital.
+He had even tried to win a place in her favor, but she had always
+disliked him, even before the nasty stories of his past life had become
+common gossip, and within the year she had won his hatred by definitely
+indicating to him that he was persona non grata, in so far as she was
+concerned. Now she turned upon him, her eyes flashing with indignation.
+
+“Do you forget, sir, that you address the king?” she cried. “That you
+are without honor I have heard men say, and I may truly believe it now
+that I have seen what manner of man you are. The most lowly-bred boor
+in all Lutha would not be so ungenerous as to take advantage of his
+king’s helplessness to heap indignities upon him.
+
+“Leopold of Lutha shall come into his own some day, and my dearest hope
+is that his first act may be to mete out to such as you the punishment
+you deserve.”
+
+Maenck paled in anger. His fingers twitched nervously, but he
+controlled his temper remarkably well, biding his time for revenge.
+
+“Take the king to his apartments, Stein,” he commanded curtly, “and
+you, Lieutenant Butzow, accompany them with a guard, nor leave until
+you see that he is safely confined. You may return here afterward for
+my further instructions. In the meantime I wish to examine the king’s
+mistress.”
+
+For a moment tense silence reigned in the apartment after Maenck had
+delivered his wanton insult.
+
+Emma von der Tann, her little chin high in the air, stood straight and
+haughty, nor was there any sign in her expression to indicate that she
+had heard the man’s words.
+
+Barney was the first to take cognizance of them.
+
+“You cur!” he cried, and took a step toward Maenck. “You’re going to
+eat that, word for word.”
+
+Maenck stepped back, his hand upon his sword. Butzow laid a hand upon
+Barney’s arm.
+
+“Don’t, your majesty,” he implored, “it will but make your position
+more unpleasant, nor will it add to the safety of the Princess von der
+Tann for you to strike him now.”
+
+Barney shook himself free from Butzow, and before either Stein or the
+lieutenant could prevent had sprung upon Maenck.
+
+The latter had not been quick enough with his sword, so that Barney had
+struck him twice, heavily in the face before the officer was able to
+draw. Butzow had sprung to the king’s side, and was attempting to
+interpose himself between Maenck and the American. In a moment more the
+sword of the infuriated captain would be in the king’s heart. Barney
+turned the first thrust with his forearm.
+
+“Stop!” cried Butzow to Maenck. “Are you mad, that you would kill the
+king?”
+
+Maenck lunged again, viciously, at the unprotected body of his
+antagonist.
+
+“Die, you pig of an idiot!” he screamed.
+
+Butzow saw that the man really meant to murder Leopold. He seized
+Barney by the shoulder and whirled him backward. At the same instant
+his own sword leaped from his scabbard, and now Maenck found himself
+facing grim steel in the hand of a master swordsman.
+
+The governor of Blentz drew back from the touch of that sharp point.
+
+“What do you mean?” he cried. “This is mutiny.”
+
+“When I received my commission,” replied Butzow, quietly, “I swore to
+protect the person of the king with my life, and while I live no man
+shall affront Leopold of Lutha in my presence, or threaten his safety
+else he accounts to me for his act. Return your sword, Captain Maenck,
+nor ever again draw it against the king while I be near.”
+
+Slowly Maenck sheathed his weapon. Black hatred for Butzow and the man
+he was protecting smoldered in his eyes.
+
+“If he wishes peace,” said Barney, “let him apologize to the princess.”
+
+“You had better apologize, captain,” counseled Butzow, “for if the king
+should command me to do so I should have to compel you to,” and the
+lieutenant half drew his sword once more.
+
+There was something in Butzow’s voice that warned Maenck that his
+subordinate would like nothing better than the king’s command to run
+him through.
+
+He well knew the fame of Butzow’s sword arm, and having no stomach for
+an encounter with it he grumbled an apology.
+
+“And don’t let it occur again,” warned Barney.
+
+“Come,” said Dr. Stein, “your majesty should be in your apartments,
+away from all excitement, if we are to effect a cure, so that you may
+return to your throne quickly.”
+
+Butzow formed the soldiers about the American, and the party moved
+silently out of the great hall, leaving Captain Maenck and Princess
+Emma von der Tann its only occupants.
+
+Barney cast a troubled glance toward Maenck, and half hesitated.
+
+“I am sorry, your majesty,” said Butzow in a low voice, “but you must
+accompany us. In this the governor of Blentz is well within his
+authority, and I must obey him.”
+
+“Heaven help her!” murmured Barney.
+
+“The governor will not dare harm her,” said Butzow. “Your majesty need
+entertain no apprehension.”
+
+“I wouldn’t trust him,” replied the American. “I know his kind.”
+
+
+
+
+IV.
+BARNEY FINDS A FRIEND
+
+
+After the party had left the room Maenck stood looking at the princess
+for several seconds. A cunning expression supplanted the anger that had
+shown so plainly upon his face but a moment before. The girl had moved
+to one side of the apartment and was pretending an interest in a large
+tapestry that covered the wall at that point. Maenck watched her with
+greedy eyes. Presently he spoke.
+
+“Let us be friends,” he said. “You shall be my guest at Blentz for a
+long time. I doubt if Peter will care to release you soon, for he has
+no love for your father—and it will be easier for both if we establish
+pleasant relations from the beginning. What do you say?”
+
+“I shall not be at Blentz long,” she replied, not even looking in
+Maenck’s direction, “though while I am it shall be as a prisoner and
+not as a guest. It is incredible that one could believe me willing to
+pose as the guest of a traitor, even were he less impossible than the
+notorious and infamous Captain Maenck.”
+
+Maenck smiled. He was one of those who rather pride themselves upon the
+possession of racy reputations. He walked across the room to a bell
+cord which he pulled. Then he turned toward the girl again.
+
+“I have given you an opportunity,” he said, “to lighten the burdens of
+your captivity. I hoped that you would be sensible and accept my
+advances of friendship voluntarily,” and he emphasized the word
+“voluntarily,” “but—”
+
+He shrugged his shoulders.
+
+A servant had entered the apartment in response to Maenck’s summons.
+
+“Show the Princess von der Tann to her apartments,” he commanded with a
+sinister tone.
+
+The man, who was in the livery of Peter of Blentz, bowed, and with a
+deferential sign to the girl led the way from the room. Emma von der
+Tann followed her guide up a winding stairway which spiraled within a
+tower at the end of a long passage. On the second floor of the castle
+the servant led her to a large and beautifully furnished suite of three
+rooms—a bedroom, dressing-room and boudoir. After showing her the rooms
+that were to be hers the servant left her alone.
+
+As soon as he had gone the Princess von der Tann took another turn
+through the suite, looking to the doors and windows to ascertain how
+securely she might barricade herself against unwelcome visitors.
+
+She found that the three rooms lay in an angle of the old, moss-covered
+castle wall.
+
+The bedroom and dressing-room were connected by a doorway, and each in
+turn had another door opening into the boudoir. The only connection
+with the corridor without was through a single doorway from the
+boudoir. This door was equipped with a massive bolt, which, when she
+had shot it, gave her a feeling of immense relief and security. The
+windows were all too high above the court on one side and the moat upon
+the other to cause her the slightest apprehension of danger from the
+outside.
+
+The girl found the boudoir not only beautiful, but extremely
+comfortable and cozy. A huge log-fire blazed upon the hearth, and,
+though it was summer, its warmth was most welcome, for the night was
+chill. Across the room from the fireplace a full length oil of a former
+Blentz princess looked down in arrogance upon the unwilling occupant of
+the room. It seemed to the girl that there was an expression of
+annoyance upon the painted countenance that another, and an enemy of
+her house, should be making free with her belongings. She wondered a
+little, too, that this huge oil should have been hung in a lady’s
+boudoir. It seemed singularly out of place.
+
+“If she would but smile,” thought Emma von der Tann, “she would detract
+less from the otherwise pleasant surroundings, but I suppose she serves
+her purpose in some way, whatever it may be.”
+
+There were papers, magazines and books upon the center table and more
+books upon a low tier of shelves on either side of the fireplace. The
+girl tried to amuse herself by reading, but she found her thoughts
+continually reverting to the unhappy situation of the king, and her
+eyes momentarily wandered to the cold and repellent face of the Blentz
+princess.
+
+Finally she wheeled a great armchair near the fireplace, and with her
+back toward the portrait made a final attempt to submerge her unhappy
+thoughts in a current periodical.
+
+When Barney and his escort reached the apartments that had been
+occupied by the king of Lutha before his escape, Butzow and the
+soldiers left him in company with Dr. Stein and an old servant, whom
+the doctor introduced as his new personal attendant.
+
+“Your majesty will find him a very attentive and faithful servant,”
+said Stein. “He will remain with you and administer your medicine at
+proper intervals.”
+
+“Medicine?” ejaculated Barney. “What in the world do I need of
+medicine? There is nothing the matter with me.”
+
+Stein smiled indulgently.
+
+“Ah, your majesty,” he said, “if you could but realize the sad
+affliction that clouds your life! You may never sit upon your throne
+until the last trace of this sinister mental disorder is eradicated, so
+take your medicine voluntarily, or otherwise Joseph will be compelled
+to administer it by force. Remember, sire, that only through this
+treatment will you be able to leave Blentz.”
+
+After Stein had left the room Joseph bolted the door behind him. Then
+he came to where Barney stood in the center of the apartment, and
+dropping to his knees took the young man’s hand in his and kissed it.
+
+“God has been good indeed, your majesty,” he whispered. “It was He who
+made it possible for old Joseph to deceive them and find his way to
+your side.”
+
+“Who are you, my man?” asked Barney.
+
+“I am from Tann,” whispered the old man, in a very low voice. “His
+highness, the prince, found the means to obtain service for me with the
+new retinue that has replaced the old which permitted your majesty’s
+escape. There was another from Tann among the former servants here.
+
+“It was through his efforts that you escaped before, you will recall. I
+have seen Fritz and learned from him the way, so that if your majesty
+does not recall it it will make no difference, for I know it well,
+having been over it three times already since I came here, to be sure
+that when the time came that they should recapture you I might lead you
+out quickly before they could slay you.”
+
+“You really think that they intend murdering me?”
+
+“There is no doubt about it, your majesty,” replied the old man. “This
+very bottle”—Joseph touched the phial which Stein had left upon the
+table—“contains the means whereby, through my hands, you were to be
+slowly poisoned.”
+
+“Do you know what it is?”
+
+“Bichloride of mercury, your majesty. One dose would have been
+sufficient, and after a few days—perhaps a week—you would have died in
+great agony.”
+
+Barney shuddered.
+
+“But I am not the king, Joseph,” said the young man, “so even had they
+succeeded in killing me it would have profited them nothing.”
+
+Joseph shook his head sadly.
+
+“Your majesty will pardon the presumption of one who loves him,” he
+said, “if he makes so bold as to suggest that your majesty must not
+again deny that he is king. That only tends to corroborate the
+contention of Prince Peter that your majesty is not—er, just sane, and
+so, incompetent to rule Lutha. But we of Tann know differently, and
+with the help of the good God we will place your majesty upon the
+throne which Peter has kept from you all these years.”
+
+Barney sighed. They were determined that he should be king whether he
+would or no. He had often thought he would like to be a king; but now
+the realization of his boyish dreaming which seemed so imminent bade
+fair to be almost anything than pleasant.
+
+Barney suddenly realized that the old fellow was talking. He was
+explaining how they might escape. It seemed that a secret passage led
+from this very chamber to the vaults beneath the castle and from there
+through a narrow tunnel below the moat to a cave in the hillside far
+beyond the structure.
+
+“They will not return again tonight to see your majesty,” said Joseph,
+“and so we had best make haste to leave at once. I have a rope and
+swords in readiness. We shall need the rope to make our way down the
+hillside, but let us hope that we shall not need the swords.”
+
+“I cannot leave Blentz,” said Barney, “unless the Princess Emma goes
+with us.”
+
+“The Princess Emma!” cried the old man. “What Princess Emma?”
+
+“Princess von der Tann,” replied Barney. “Did you not know that she was
+captured with me!”
+
+The old man was visibly affected by the knowledge that his young
+mistress was a prisoner within the walls of Blentz. He seemed torn by
+conflicting emotions—his duty toward his king and his love for the
+daughter of his old master. So it was that he seemed much relieved when
+he found that Barney insisted upon saving the girl before any thought
+of their own escape should be taken into consideration.
+
+“My first duty, your majesty,” said Joseph, “is to bring you safely out
+of the hands of your enemies, but if you command me to try to bring
+your betrothed with us I am sure that his highness, Prince Ludwig,
+would be the last to censure me for deviating thus from his
+instructions, for if he loves another more than he loves his king it is
+his daughter, the beautiful Princess Emma.”
+
+“What do you mean, Joseph,” asked Barney, “by referring to the princess
+as my betrothed? I never saw her before today.”
+
+“It has slipped your majesty’s mind,” said the old man sadly; “but you
+and my young mistress were betrothed many years ago while you were yet
+but children. It was the old king’s wish that you wed the daughter of
+his best friend and most loyal subject.”
+
+Here was a pretty pass, indeed, thought Barney. It was sufficiently
+embarrassing to be mistaken for the king, but to be thrown into this
+false position in company with a beautiful young woman to whom the king
+was engaged to be married, and who, with the others, thought him to be
+the king, was quite the last word in impossible positions.
+
+Following this knowledge there came to Barney the first pangs of regret
+that he was not really the king, and then the realization, so sudden
+that it almost took his breath away, that the girl was very beautiful
+and very much to be desired. He had not thought about the matter until
+her utter impossibility was forced upon him.
+
+It was decided that Joseph should leave the king’s apartment at once
+and discover in what part of the castle Emma von der Tann was
+imprisoned. Their further plans were to depend upon the information
+gained by the old man during his tour of investigation of the castle.
+
+In the interval of his absence Barney paced the length of his prison
+time and time again. He thought the fellow would never return. Perhaps
+he had been detected in the act of spying, and was himself a prisoner
+in some other part of the castle! The thought came to Barney like a
+blow in the face, for he realized that then he would be entirely at the
+mercy of his captors, and that there would be none to champion the
+cause of the Princess von der Tann.
+
+When his nervous tension had about reached the breaking point there
+came a sound of stealthy movement just outside the door of his room.
+Barney halted close to the massive panels. He heard a key fitted
+quietly and then the lock grated as it turned.
+
+Barney thought that they had surely detected Joseph’s duplicity and had
+come to make short work of the king before other traitors arose in
+their midst entirely to frustrate their plans. The young American
+stepped to the wall behind the door that he might be out of sight of
+whoever entered. Should it prove other than Joseph, might the Lord help
+them! The clenched fists, square-set chin, and gleaming gray eyes of
+the prisoner presaged no good for any incoming enemy.
+
+Slowly the door swung open and a man entered the room. Barney breathed
+a deep sigh of relief—it was Joseph.
+
+“Well?” cried the young man from behind him, and Joseph started as
+though Peter of Blentz himself had laid an accusing finger upon his
+shoulder. “What news?”
+
+“Your majesty,” gasped Joseph, “how you did startle me! I found the
+apartments of the princess, sire. There is a bare chance that we may
+succeed in rescuing her, but a very bare one, indeed.
+
+“We must traverse a main corridor of the castle to reach her suite, and
+then return by the same way. It will be a miracle if we are not
+discovered; but the worst of it is that next to her apartments, and
+between them and your majesty’s, are the apartments of Captain Maenck.
+
+“He is sure to be there and officers and servants may be coming and
+going throughout the entire night, for the man is a convivial fellow,
+sitting at cards and drink until sunrise nearly every day.”
+
+“And when we have brought the princess in safety to my quarters,” asked
+Barney, “what then? How shall we conduct her from the castle? You have
+not told me that as yet.”
+
+The old man explained then the plan of escape. It seemed that one of
+the two huge tile panels that flanked the fireplace on either side was
+in reality a door hiding the entrance to a shaft that rose from the
+vaults beneath the castle to the roof. At each floor there was a
+similar secret door concealing the mouth of the passage. From the
+vaults a corridor led through another secret panel to the tunnel that
+wound downward to the cave in the hillside.
+
+“Beyond that we shall find horses, your majesty,” concluded the old
+man. “They have been hidden in the woods since I came to Blentz. Each
+day I go there to water and feed them.”
+
+During the servant’s explanation Barney had been casting about in his
+mind for some means of rescuing the princess without so great risk of
+detection, and as the plan of the secret passageway became clear to him
+he thought that he saw a way to accomplish the thing with comparative
+safety in so far as detection was concerned.
+
+“Who occupies the floor above us, Joseph?” he asked.
+
+“It is vacant,” replied the old man.
+
+“Good! Come, show me the entrance to the shaft,” directed Barney.
+
+“You will go without attempting to succor the Princess Emma?” exclaimed
+the old fellow in ill-concealed chagrin.
+
+“Far from it,” replied Barney. “Bring your rope and the swords. I think
+we are going to find the rescuing of the Princess Emma the easiest part
+of our adventure.”
+
+The old man shook his head, but went to another room of the suite, from
+which he presently emerged with a stout rope about fifty feet in length
+and two swords. As he buckled one of the weapons to Barney his eyes
+fell upon the American’s seal ring that encircled the third finger of
+his left hand.
+
+“The Royal Ring of Lutha!” exclaimed Joseph. “Where is it, your
+majesty? What has become of the Royal Ring of the Kings of Lutha?”
+
+“I’m sure I don’t know, Joseph,” replied the young man. “Should I be
+wearing a royal ring?”
+
+“The profaning miscreants!” cried Joseph. “They have dared to filch
+from you the great ring that has been handed down from king to king for
+three hundred years. When did they take it from you?”
+
+“I have never seen it, Joseph,” replied the young man, “and possibly
+this fact may assure you where all else has failed that I am no true
+king of Lutha, after all.”
+
+“Ah, no, your majesty,” replied the old servitor; “it but makes
+assurance doubly sure as to your true identity, for the fact that you
+have not the ring is positive proof that you are king and that they
+have sought to hide the fact by removing the insignia of your divine
+right to rule in Lutha.”
+
+Barney could not but smile at the old fellow’s remarkable logic. He saw
+that nothing short of a miracle would ever convince Joseph that he was
+not the real monarch, and so, as matters of greater importance were to
+the fore, he would have allowed the subject to drop had not the man
+attempted to recall to the impoverished memory of his king a
+recollection of the historic and venerated relic of the dead monarchs
+of Lutha.
+
+“Do you not remember, sir,” he asked, “the great ruby that glared,
+blood-red from its center, and the four sets of golden wings that
+formed the setting? From the blood of Charlemagne was the ruby made, so
+history tells us, and the setting represented the protecting wings of
+the power of the kings of Lutha spread to the four points of the
+compass. Now your majesty must recall the royal ring, I am sure.”
+
+Barney only shook his head, much to Joseph’s evident sorrow.
+
+“Never mind the ring, Joseph,” said the young man. “Bring your rope and
+lead me to the floor above.”
+
+“The floor above? But, your majesty, we cannot reach the vaults and
+tunnel by going upward!”
+
+“You forget, Joseph, that we are going to fetch the Princess Emma
+first.”
+
+“But she is not on the floor above us, sire; she is upon the same floor
+as we are,” insisted the old man, hesitating.
+
+“Joseph, who do you think I am?” asked Barney.
+
+“You are the king, my lord,” replied the old man.
+
+“Then do as your king commands,” said the American sharply.
+
+Joseph turned with dubious mutterings and approached the tiled panel at
+the left of the fireplace. Here he fumbled about for a moment until his
+fingers found the hidden catch that held the cunningly devised door in
+place. An instant later the panel swung inward before his touch, and
+standing to one side, the old fellow bowed low as he ushered Barney
+into the Stygian darkness of the space beyond their vision.
+
+Joseph halted the young man just within the doorway, cautioning him
+against the danger of falling into the shaft, then he closed the panel,
+and a moment later had found the lantern he had hidden there and
+lighted it. The rays disclosed to the American the rough masonry of the
+interior of a narrow, well-built shaft. A rude ladder standing upon a
+narrow ledge beside him extended upward to lose itself in the shadows
+above. At its foot the top of another ladder was visible protruding
+through the opening from the floor beneath.
+
+No sooner had Joseph’s lantern shown him the way than Barney was
+ascending the ladder toward the floor above. At the next landing he
+waited for the old man.
+
+Joseph put out the light and placed the lantern where they could easily
+find it upon their return. Then he cautiously slipped the catch that
+held the panel in place and slowly opened the door until a narrow line
+of lesser darkness showed from without.
+
+For a moment they stood in silence listening for any sound from the
+chamber beyond, but as nothing occurred to indicate that the apartment
+was occupied the old man opened the portal a trifle further, and
+finally far enough to permit his body to pass through. Barney followed
+him. They found themselves in a large, empty chamber, identical in size
+and shape with that which they had just quitted upon the floor below.
+
+From this the two passed into the corridor beyond, and thence to the
+apartments at the far end of the wing, directly over those occupied by
+Emma von der Tann.
+
+Barney hastened to a window overlooking the moat. By leaning far out he
+could see the light from the princess’s chamber shining upon the sill.
+He wished that the light was not there, for the window was in plain
+view of the guard on the lookout upon the barbican.
+
+Suddenly he caught the sound of voices from the chamber beneath. For an
+instant he listened, and then, catching a few words of the dialogue, he
+turned hurriedly toward his companion.
+
+“The rope, Joseph! And for God’s sake be quick about it.”
+
+
+
+
+V.
+THE ESCAPE
+
+
+For half an hour the Princess von der Tann succeeded admirably in
+immersing herself in the periodical, to the exclusion of her unhappy
+thoughts and the depressing influence of the austere countenance of the
+Blentz Princess hanging upon the wall behind her.
+
+But presently she became unaccountably nervous. At the slightest sound
+from the palace-life on the floor below she would start up with a
+tremor of excitement. Once she heard footsteps in the corridor before
+her door, but they passed on, and she thought she discerned the click
+of a latch a short distance further on along the passageway.
+
+Again she attempted to gather up the thread of the article she had been
+reading, but she was unsuccessful. A stealthy scratching brought her
+round quickly, staring in the direction of the great portrait. The girl
+would have sworn that she had heard a noise within her chamber. She
+shuddered at the thought that it might have come from that painted
+thing upon the wall.
+
+What was the matter with her? Was she losing all control of herself to
+be frightened like a little child by ghostly noises?
+
+She tried to return to her reading, but for the life of her she could
+not keep her eyes off the silent, painted woman who stared and stared
+and stared in cold, threatening silence upon this ancient enemy of her
+house.
+
+Presently the girl’s eyes went wide in horror. She could feel the scalp
+upon her head contract with fright. Her terror-filled gaze was frozen
+upon that awful figure that loomed so large and sinister above her, for
+the thing had moved! She had seen it with her own eyes. There could be
+no mistake—no hallucination of overwrought nerves about it. The Blentz
+Princess was moving slowly toward her!
+
+Like one in a trance the girl rose from her chair, her eyes glued upon
+the awful apparition that seemed creeping upon her. Slowly she withdrew
+toward the opposite side of the chamber. As the painting moved more
+quickly the truth flashed upon her—it was mounted on a door.
+
+The crack of the door widened and beyond it the girl saw dimly, eyes
+fastened upon her. With difficulty she restrained a shriek. The portal
+swung wide and a man in uniform stepped into the room.
+
+It was Maenck.
+
+Emma von der Tann gazed in unveiled abhorrence upon the leering face of
+the governor of Blentz.
+
+“What means this intrusion?” cried the girl.
+
+“What would you have here?”
+
+“You,” replied Maenck.
+
+The girl crimsoned.
+
+Maenck regarded her sneeringly.
+
+“You coward!” she cried. “Leave my apartments at once. Not even Peter
+of Blentz would countenance such abhorrent treatment of a prisoner.”
+
+“You do not know Peter, my dear,” responded Maenck. “But you need not
+fear. You shall be my wife. Peter has promised me a baronetcy for the
+capture of Leopold, and before I am done I shall be made a prince, of
+that you may rest assured, so you see I am not so bad a match after
+all.”
+
+He crossed over toward her and would have laid a rough hand upon her
+arm.
+
+The girl sprang away from him, running to the opposite side of the
+library table at which she had been reading. Maenck started to pursue
+her, when she seized a heavy, copper bowl that stood upon the table and
+hurled it full in his face. The missile struck him a glancing blow, but
+the edge laid open the flesh of one cheek almost to the jaw bone.
+
+With a cry of pain and rage Captain Ernst Maenck leaped across the
+table full upon the young girl. With vicious, murderous fingers he
+seized upon her fair throat, shaking her as a terrier might shake a
+rat. Futilely the girl struck at the hate-contorted features so close
+to hers.
+
+“Stop!” she cried. “You are killing me.”
+
+The fingers released their hold.
+
+“No,” muttered the man, and dragged the princess roughly across the
+room.
+
+Half a dozen steps he had taken when there came a sudden crash of
+breaking glass from the window across the chamber. Both turned in
+astonishment to see the figure of a man leap into the room, carrying
+the shattered crystal and the casement with him. In one hand was a
+naked sword.
+
+“The king!” cried Emma von der Tann.
+
+“The devil!” muttered Maenck, as, dropping the girl, he scurried toward
+the great painting from behind which he had found ingress to the
+chambers of the princess.
+
+Maenck was a coward, and he had seen murder in the eyes of the man
+rushing upon him. With a bound he reached the picture which still stood
+swung wide into the room.
+
+Barney was close behind him, but fear lent wings to the governor of
+Blentz, so that he was able to dart into the passage behind the picture
+and slam the door behind him a moment before the infuriated man was
+upon him.
+
+The American clawed at the edge of the massive frame, but all to no
+avail. Then he raised his sword and slashed the canvas, hoping to find
+a way into the place beyond, but mighty oaken panels barred his further
+progress. With a whispered oath he turned back toward the girl.
+
+“Thank Heaven that I was in time, Emma,” he cried.
+
+“Oh, Leopold, my king, but at what a price,” replied the girl. “He will
+return now with others and kill you. He is furious—so furious that he
+scarce knows what he does.”
+
+“He seemed to know what he was doing when he ran for that hole in the
+wall,” replied Barney with a grin. “But come, it won’t pay to let them
+find us should they return.”
+
+Together they hastened to the window beyond which the girl could see a
+rope dangling from above. The sight of it partially solved the riddle
+of the king’s almost uncanny presence upon her window sill in the very
+nick of time.
+
+Below, the lights in the watch tower at the outer gate were plainly
+visible, and the twinkling of them reminded Barney of the danger of
+detection from that quarter. Quickly he recrossed the apartment to the
+wall-switch that operated the recently installed electric lights, and
+an instant later the chamber was in total darkness.
+
+Once more at the girl’s side Barney drew in one end of the rope and
+made it fast about her body below her arms, leaving a sufficient length
+terminating in a small loop to permit her to support herself more
+comfortably with one foot within the noose. Then he stepped to the
+outer sill, and reaching down assisted her to his side.
+
+Far below them the moonlight played upon the sluggish waters of the
+moat. In the distance twinkled the lights of the village of Blentz.
+From the courtyard and the palace came faintly the sound of voices, and
+the movement of men. A horse whinnied from the stables.
+
+Barney turned his eyes upward. He could see the head and shoulders of
+Joseph leaning from the window of the chamber directly above them.
+
+“Hoist away, Joseph!” whispered the American, and to the girl: “Be
+brave. Shut your eyes and trust to Joseph and—and—”
+
+“And my king,” finished the girl for him.
+
+His arm was about her shoulders, supporting her upon the narrow sill.
+His cheek so close to hers that once he felt the soft velvet of it
+brush his own. Involuntarily his arm tightened about the supple body.
+
+“My princess!” he murmured, and as he turned his face toward hers their
+lips almost touched.
+
+Joseph was pulling upon the rope from above. They could feel it tighten
+beneath the girl’s arms. Impulsively Barney Custer drew the sweet lips
+closer to his own. There was no resistance.
+
+“I love you,” he whispered. The words were smothered as their lips met.
+
+Joseph, above, wondered at the great weight of the Princess Emma von
+der Tann.
+
+“I love you, Leopold, forever,” whispered the girl, and then as
+Joseph’s Herculean tugging seemed likely to drag them both from the
+narrow sill, Barney lifted the girl upward with one hand while he clung
+to the window frame with the other. The distance to the sill above was
+short, and a moment later Joseph had grasped the princess’s hand and
+was helping her over the ledge into the room beyond.
+
+At the same instant there came a sudden commotion from the interior of
+the room in the window of which Barney still stood waiting for Joseph
+to remove the rope from about the princess and lower it for him. Barney
+heard the heavy feet of men, the clank of arms, and muttered oaths as
+the searchers stumbled against the furniture.
+
+Presently one of them found the switch and instantly the room was
+flooded with light, which revealed to the American a dozen Luthanian
+troopers headed by the murderous Maenck.
+
+Barney looked anxiously aloft. Would Joseph never lower that rope!
+Within the room the men were searching. He could hear Maenck directing
+them. Only a thin portiere screened him from their view. It was but a
+matter of seconds before they would investigate the window through
+which Maenck knew the king had found ingress.
+
+Yes! It had come.
+
+“Look to the window,” commanded Maenck. “He may have gone as he came.”
+
+Two of the soldiers crossed the room toward the casement. From above
+Joseph was lowering the rope; but it was too late. The men would be at
+the window before he could clamber out of their reach.
+
+“Hoist away!” he whispered to Joseph. “Quick now, my man, and make your
+escape with the Princess von der Tann. It is the king’s command.”
+
+Already the soldiers were at the window. At the sound of his voice they
+tore aside the draperies; at the same instant the pseudo-king turned
+and leaped out into the blackness of the night.
+
+There were exclamations of surprise and rage from the soldiers—a
+woman’s scream. Then from far below came a dull splash as the body of
+Bernard Custer struck the surface of the moat.
+
+Maenck, leaning from the window, heard the scream and the splash, and
+jumped to the conclusion that both the king and the princess had
+attempted to make their escape in this harebrained way. Immediately all
+the resources at his command were put to the task of searching the moat
+and the adjacent woods.
+
+He was sure that one or both of the prisoners would be stunned by
+impact with the surface of the water, and then drowned before they
+regained consciousness, but he did not know Bernard Custer, nor the
+facility and almost uncanny ease with which that young man could
+negotiate a high dive into shallow water.
+
+Nor did he know that upon the floor above him one Joseph was hastening
+along a dark corridor toward a secret panel in another apartment, and
+that with him was the Princess Emma bound for liberty and safety far
+from the frowning walls of Blentz.
+
+As Barney’s head emerged above the surface of the moat he shook it
+vigorously to free his eyes from water, and then struck out for the
+further bank.
+
+Long before his pursuers had reached the courtyard and alarmed the
+watch at the barbican, the American had crawled out upon dry land and
+hastened across the broad clearing to the patch of stunted trees that
+grew lower down upon the steep hillside before the castle.
+
+He shrank from the thought of leaving Blentz without knowing positively
+that Joseph had made good the escape of himself and the princess, but
+he finally argued that even if they had been retaken, he could serve
+her best by hastening to her father and fetching the only succor that
+might prevail against the strength of Blentz—armed men in sufficient
+force to storm the ancient fortress.
+
+He had scarcely entered the wood when he heard the sound of the
+searchers at the moat, and saw the rays of their lanterns flitting
+hither and thither as they moved back and forth along the bank.
+
+Then the young man turned his face from the castle and set forth across
+the unfamiliar country in the direction of the Old Forest and the
+castle Von der Tann.
+
+The memory of the warm lips that had so recently been pressed to his
+urged him on in the service of the wondrous girl who had come so
+suddenly into his life, bringing to him the realization of a love that
+he knew must alter, for happiness or for sorrow, all the balance of his
+existence, even unto death.
+
+He dreaded the day of reckoning when, at last, she must learn that he
+was no king. He did not have the temerity to hope that her courage
+would be equal to the great sacrifice which the acknowledgment of her
+love for one not of noble blood must entail; but he could not believe
+that she would cease to love him when she learned the truth.
+
+So the future looked black and cheerless to Barney Custer as he trudged
+along the rocky, moonlit way. The only bright spot was the realization
+that for a while at least he might be serving the one woman in all the
+world.
+
+All the balance of the long night the young man traversed valley and
+mountain, holding due south in the direction he supposed the Old Forest
+to lie. He passed many a little farm tucked away in the hollow of a
+hillside, and quaint hamlets, and now and then the ruins of an ancient
+feudal stronghold, but no great forest of black oaks loomed before him
+to apprise him of the nearness of his goal, nor did he dare to ask the
+correct route at any of the homes he passed.
+
+His fatal likeness to the description of the mad king of Lutha warned
+him from intercourse with the men of Lutha until he might know which
+were friends and which enemies of the hapless monarch.
+
+Dawn found him still upon his way, but with the determination fully
+crystallized to hail the first man he met and ask the way to Tann. He
+still avoided the main traveled roads, but from time to time he
+paralleled them close enough that he might have ample opportunity to
+hail the first passerby.
+
+The road was becoming more and more mountainous and difficult. There
+were fewer homes and no hamlets, and now he began to despair entirely
+of meeting any who could give him direction unless he turned and
+retraced his steps to the nearest farm.
+
+Directly before him the narrow trail he had been following for the past
+few miles wound sharply about the shoulder of a protruding cliff. He
+would see what lay beyond the turn—perhaps he would find the Old Forest
+there, after all.
+
+But instead he found something very different, though in its way quite
+as interesting, for as he rounded the rugged bluff he came face to face
+with two evil-looking fellows astride stocky, rough-coated ponies.
+
+At sight of him they drew in their mounts and eyed him suspiciously.
+Nor was there great cause for wonderment in that, for the American
+presented aught but a respectable appearance. His khaki motoring suit,
+soaked from immersion in the moat, had but partially dried upon him.
+Mud from the banks of the stagnant pool caked his legs to the knees,
+almost hiding his once tan puttees. More mud streaked his jacket front
+and stained its sleeves to the elbows. He was bare-headed, for his cap
+had remained in the moat at Blentz, and his disheveled hair was tousled
+upon his head, while his full beard had dried into a weird and tangled
+fringe about his face. At his side still hung the sword that Joseph had
+buckled there, and it was this that caused the two men the greatest
+suspicion of this strange looking character.
+
+They continued to eye Barney in silence, every now and then casting
+apprehensive glances beyond him, as though expecting others of his kind
+to appear in the trail at his back. And that is precisely what they did
+fear, for the sword at Barney’s side had convinced them that he must be
+an officer of the army, and they looked to see his command following in
+his wake.
+
+The young man saluted them pleasantly, asking the direction to the Old
+Forest. They thought it strange that a soldier of Lutha should not know
+his own way about his native land, and so judged that his question was
+but a blind to deceive them.
+
+“Why do you not ask your own men the way?” parried one of the fellows.
+
+“I have no men, I am alone,” replied Barney. “I am a stranger in Lutha
+and have lost my way.”
+
+He who had spoken before pointed to the sword at Barney’s side.
+
+“Strangers traveling in Lutha do not wear swords,” he said. “You are an
+officer. Why should you desire to conceal the fact from two honest
+farmers? We have done nothing. Let us go our way.”
+
+Barney looked his astonishment at this reply.
+
+“Most certainly, go your way, my friends,” he said laughing. “I would
+not delay you if I could; but before you go please be good enough to
+tell me how to reach the Old Forest and the ancient castle of the
+Prince von der Tann.”
+
+For a moment the two men whispered together, then the spokesman turned
+to Barney.
+
+“We will lead you upon the right road. Come,” and the two turned their
+horses, one of them starting slowly back up the trail while the other
+remained waiting for Barney to pass him.
+
+The American, suspecting nothing, voiced his thanks, and set out after
+him who had gone before. As he passed the fellow who waited the latter
+moved in behind him, so that Barney walked between the two.
+Occasionally the rider at his back turned in his saddle to scan the
+trail behind, as though still fearful that Barney had been lying to
+them and that he would discover a company of soldiers charging down
+upon them.
+
+The trail became more and more difficult as they advanced, until Barney
+wondered how the little horses clung to the steep mountainside, where
+he himself had difficulty in walking without using his hand to keep
+from falling.
+
+Twice the American attempted to break through the taciturnity of his
+guides, but his advances were met with nothing more than sultry grunts
+or silence, and presently a suspicion began to obtrude itself among his
+thoughts that possibly these “honest farmers” were something more
+sinister than they represented themselves to be.
+
+A malign and threatening atmosphere seemed to surround them. Even the
+cat-like movement of their silent mounts breathed a sinister secrecy,
+and now, for the first time, Barney noticed the short, ugly looking
+carbines that were slung in boots at their saddle-horns. Then, prompted
+to further investigation, he dropped back beside the man who had been
+riding behind him, and as he did so he saw beneath the fellow’s cloak
+the butts of two villainous-looking pistols.
+
+As Barney dropped back beside him the man turned his mount across the
+narrow trail, and reining him in motioned Barney ahead.
+
+“I have changed my mind,” said the American, “about going to the Old
+Forest.”
+
+He had determined that he might as well have the thing out now as
+later, and discover at once how he stood with these two, and whether or
+not his suspicions of them were well grounded.
+
+The man ahead had halted at the sound of Barney’s voice, and swung
+about in the saddle.
+
+“What’s the trouble?” he asked.
+
+“He don’t want to go to the Old Forest,” explained his companion, and
+for the first time Barney saw one of them grin. It was not at all a
+pleasant grin, nor reassuring.
+
+“He don’t, eh?” growled the other. “Well, he ain’t goin’, is he? Who
+ever said he was?”
+
+And then he, too, laughed.
+
+“I’m going back the way I came,” said Barney, starting around the horse
+that blocked his way.
+
+“No, you ain’t,” said the horseman. “You’re goin’ with us.”
+
+And Barney found himself gazing down the muzzle of one of the wicked
+looking pistols.
+
+For a moment he stood in silence, debating mentally the wisdom of
+attempting to rush the fellow, and then, with a shake of his head, he
+turned back up the trail between his captors.
+
+“Yes,” he said, “on second thought I have decided to go with you. Your
+logic is most convincing.”
+
+
+
+
+VI.
+A KING’S RANSOM
+
+
+For another mile the two brigands conducted their captor along the
+mountainside, then they turned into a narrow ravine near the summit of
+the hills—a deep, rocky, wooded ravine into whose black shadows it
+seemed the sun might never penetrate.
+
+A winding path led crookedly among the pines that grew thickly in this
+sheltered hollow, until presently, after half an hour of rough going,
+they came upon a small natural clearing, rock-bound and impregnable.
+
+As they filed from the wood Barney saw a score of villainous fellows
+clustered about a camp fire where they seemed engaged in cooking their
+noonday meal. Bits of meat were roasting upon iron skewers, and a great
+iron pot boiled vigorously at one side of the blaze.
+
+At the sound of their approach the men sprang to their feet in alarm,
+and as many weapons as there were men leaped to view; but when they saw
+Barney’s companions they returned their pistols to their holsters, and
+at sight of Barney they pressed forward to inspect the prisoner.
+
+“Who have we here?” shouted a big blond giant, who affected extremely
+gaudy colors in his selection of wearing apparel, and whose pistols and
+knife had their grips heavily ornamented with pearl and silver.
+
+“A stranger in Lutha he calls himself,” replied one of Barney’s
+captors. “But from the sword I take it he is one of old Peter’s
+wolfhounds.”
+
+“Well, he’s found the wolves at any rate,” replied the giant, with a
+wide grin at his witticism. “And if Yellow Franz is the particular wolf
+you’re after, my friend, why here I am,” he concluded, addressing the
+American with a leer.
+
+“I’m after no one,” replied Barney. “I tell you I’m a stranger, and I
+lost my way in your infernal mountains. All I wish is to be set upon
+the right road to Tann, and if you will do that for me you shall be
+well paid for your trouble.”
+
+The giant, Yellow Franz, had come quite close to Barney and was
+inspecting him with an expression of considerable interest. Presently
+he drew a soiled and much-folded paper from his breast. Upon one side
+was a printed notice, and at the corners bits were torn away as though
+the paper had once been tacked upon wood, and then torn down without
+removing the tacks.
+
+At sight of it Barney’s heart sank. The look of the thing was all too
+familiar. Before the yellow one had commenced to read aloud from it
+Barney had repeated to himself the words he knew were coming.
+
+“‘Gray eyes,’” read the brigand, “‘brown hair, and a full,
+reddish-brown beard.’ Herman and Friedrich, my dear children, you have
+stumbled upon the richest haul in all Lutha. Down upon your
+marrow-bones, you swine, and rub your low-born noses in the dirt before
+your king.”
+
+The others looked their surprise.
+
+“The king?” one cried.
+
+“Behold!” cried Yellow Franz. “Leopold of Lutha!”
+
+He waved a ham-like hand toward Barney.
+
+Among the rough men was a young smooth-faced boy, and now with wide
+eyes he pressed forward to get a nearer view of the wonderful person of
+a king.
+
+“Take a good look at him, Rudolph,” cried Yellow Franz. “It is the
+first and will probably be the last time you will ever see a king.
+Kings seldom visit the court of their fellow monarch, Yellow Franz of
+the Black Mountains.
+
+“Come, my children, remove his majesty’s sword, lest he fall and stick
+himself upon it, and then prepare the royal chamber, seeing to it that
+it be made so comfortable that Leopold will remain with us a long time.
+Rudolph, fetch food and water for his majesty, and see to it that the
+silver plates and the golden goblets are well scoured and polished up.”
+
+They conducted Barney to a miserable lean-to shack at one side of the
+clearing, and for a while the motley crew loitered about bandying
+coarse jests at the expense of the “king.” The boy, Rudolph, brought
+food and water, he alone of them all evincing the slightest respect or
+awe for the royalty of their unwilling guest.
+
+After a time the men tired of the sport of king-baiting, for Barney
+showed neither rancor nor outraged majesty at their keenest thrusts,
+instead, often joining in the laugh with them at his own expense. They
+thought it odd that the king should hold his dignity in so low esteem,
+but that he was king they never doubted, attributing his denials to a
+disposition to deceive them, and rob them of the “king’s ransom” they
+had already commenced to consider as their own.
+
+Shortly after Barney arrived at the rendezvous he saw a messenger
+dispatched by Yellow Franz, and from the repeated gestures toward
+himself that had accompanied the giant’s instructions to his emissary,
+Barney was positive that the man’s errand had to do with him.
+
+After the men had left his prison, leaving the boy standing awkwardly
+in wide-eyed contemplation of his august charge, the American ventured
+to open a conversation with his youthful keeper.
+
+“Aren’t you rather young to be starting in the bandit business,
+Rudolph?” asked Barney, who had taken a fancy to the youth.
+
+“I do not want to be a bandit, your majesty,” whispered the lad; “but
+my father owes Yellow Franz a great sum of money, and as he could not
+pay the debt Yellow Franz stole me from my home and says that he will
+keep me until my father pays him, and that if he does not pay he will
+make a bandit of me, and that then some day I shall be caught and
+hanged until I am dead.”
+
+“Can’t you escape?” asked the young man. “It would seem to me that
+there would be many opportunities for you to get away undetected.”
+
+“There are, but I dare not. Yellow Franz says that if I run away he
+will be sure to come across me some day again and that then he will
+kill me.”
+
+Barney laughed.
+
+“He is just talking, my boy,” he said. “He thinks that by frightening
+you he will be able to keep you from running away.”
+
+“Your majesty does not know him,” whispered the youth, shuddering. “He
+is the wickedest man in all the world. Nothing would please him more
+than killing me, and he would have done it long since but for two
+things. One is that I have made myself useful about his camp, doing
+chores and the like, and the other is that were he to kill me he knows
+that my father would never pay him.”
+
+“How much does your father owe him?”
+
+“Five hundred marks, your majesty,” replied Rudolph. “Two hundred of
+this amount is the original debt, and the balance Yellow Franz has
+added since he captured me, so that it is really ransom money. But my
+father is a poor man, so that it will take a long time before he can
+accumulate so large a sum.
+
+“You would really like to go home again, Rudolph?”
+
+“Oh, very much, your majesty, if I only dared.” Barney was silent for
+some time, thinking. Possibly he could effect his own escape with the
+connivance of Rudolph, and at the same time free the boy. The paltry
+ransom he could pay out of his own pocket and send to Yellow Franz
+later, so that the youth need not fear the brigand’s revenge. It was
+worth thinking about, at any rate.
+
+“How long do you imagine they will keep me, Rudolph?” he asked after a
+time.
+
+“Yellow Franz has already sent Herman to Lustadt with a message for
+Prince Peter, telling him that you are being held for ransom, and
+demanding the payment of a huge sum for your release. Day after
+tomorrow or the next day he should return with Prince Peter’s reply.
+
+“If it is favorable, arrangements will be made to turn you over to
+Prince Peter’s agents, who will have to come to some distant meeting
+place with the money. A week, perhaps, it will take, maybe longer.”
+
+It was the second day before Herman returned from Lustadt. He rode in
+just at dark, his pony lathered from hard going.
+
+Barney and the boy saw him coming, and the youth ran forward with the
+others to learn the news that he had brought; but Yellow Franz and his
+messenger withdrew to a hut which the brigand chief reserved for his
+own use, nor would he permit any beside the messenger to accompany him
+to hear the report.
+
+For half an hour Barney sat alone waiting for word from Yellow Franz
+that arrangements had been consummated for his release, and then out of
+the darkness came Rudolph, wide-eyed and trembling.
+
+“Oh, my king?” he whispered. “What shall we do? Peter has refused to
+ransom you alive, but he has offered a great sum for unquestioned proof
+of your death. Already he has caused a proclamation to be issued
+stating that you have been killed by bandits after escaping from
+Blentz, and ordering a period of national mourning. In three weeks he
+is to be crowned king of Lutha.”
+
+“When do they intend terminating my existence?” queried Barney.
+
+There was a smile upon his lips, for even now he could scarce believe
+that in the twentieth century there could be any such medieval plotting
+against a king’s life, and yet, on second thought, had he not ample
+proof of the lengths to which Peter of Blentz was willing to go to
+obtain the crown of Lutha!
+
+“I do not know, your majesty,” replied Rudolph, “when they will do it;
+but soon, doubtless, since the sooner it is done the sooner they can
+collect their pay.”
+
+Further conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps without,
+and an instant later Yellow Franz entered the squalid apartment and the
+dim circle of light which flickered feebly from the smoky lantern that
+hung suspended from the rafters.
+
+He stopped just within the doorway and stood eyeing the American with
+an ugly grin upon his vicious face. Then his eyes fell upon the
+trembling Rudolph.
+
+“Get out of here, you!” he growled. “I’ve got private business with
+this king. And see that you don’t come nosing round either, or I’ll
+slit that soft throat for you.”
+
+Rudolph slipped past the burly ruffian, barely dodging a brutal blow
+aimed at him by the giant, and escaped into the darkness without.
+
+“And now for you, my fine fellow,” said the brigand, turning toward
+Barney. “Peter says you ain’t worth nothing to him—alive, but that your
+dead body will fetch us a hundred thousand marks.”
+
+“Rather cheap for a king, isn’t it?” was Barney’s only comment.
+
+“That’s what Herman tells him,” replied Yellow Franz. “But he’s a close
+one, Peter is, and so it was that or nothing.”
+
+“When are you going to pull off this little—er—ah—royal demise?” asked
+Barney.
+
+“If you mean when am I going to kill you,” replied the bandit, “why,
+there ain’t no particular rush about it. I’m a tender-hearted chap, I
+am. I never should have been in this business at all, but here I be,
+and as there ain’t nobody that can do a better job of the kind than me,
+or do it so painlessly, why I just got to do it myself, and that’s all
+there is to it. But, as I says, there ain’t no great rush. If you want
+to pray, why, go ahead and pray. I’ll wait for you.”
+
+“I don’t remember,” said Barney, “when I have met so generous a party
+as you, my friend. Your self-sacrificing magnanimity quite overpowers
+me. It reminds me of another unloved Robin Hood whom I once met. It was
+in front of Burket’s coal-yard on Ella Street, back in dear old
+Beatrice, at some unchristian hour of the night.
+
+“After he had relieved me of a dollar and forty cents he remarked: ‘I
+gotta good mind to kick yer slats in fer not havin’ more of de cush on
+yeh; but I’m feelin’ so good about de last guy I stuck up I’ll let
+youse off dis time.’”
+
+“I do not know what you are talking about,” replied Yellow Franz; “but
+if you want to pray you’d better hurry up about it.”
+
+He drew his pistol from its holster on the belt at his hips.
+
+Now Barney Custer had no mind to give up the ghost without a struggle;
+but just how he was to overcome the great beast who confronted him with
+menacing pistol was, to say the least, not precisely plain. He wished
+the man would come a little nearer where he might have some chance to
+close with him before the fellow could fire. To gain time the American
+assumed a prayerful attitude, but kept one eye on the bandit.
+
+Presently Yellow Franz showed indications of impatience. He fingered
+the trigger of his weapon, and then slowly raised it on a line with
+Barney’s chest.
+
+“Hadn’t you better come closer?” asked the young man. “You might miss
+at that distance, or just wound me.”
+
+Yellow Franz grinned.
+
+“I don’t miss,” he said, and then: “You’re certainly a game one. If it
+wasn’t for the hundred thousand marks, I’d be hanged if I’d kill you.”
+
+“The chances are that you will be if you do,” said Barney, “so wouldn’t
+you rather take one hundred and fifty thousand marks and let me make my
+escape?”
+
+Yellow Franz looked at the speaker a moment through narrowed lids.
+
+“Where would you find any one willing to pay that amount for a crazy
+king?” he asked.
+
+“I have told you that I am not the king,” said Barney. “I am an
+American with a father who would gladly pay that amount on my safe
+delivery to any American consul.”
+
+Yellow Franz shook his head and tapped his brow significantly.
+
+“Even if you was what you are dreaming, it wouldn’t pay me,” he said.
+
+“I’ll make it two hundred thousand,” said Barney.
+
+“No—it’s a waste of time talking about it. It’s worth more than money
+to me to know that I’ll always have this thing on Peter, and that when
+he’s king he won’t dare bother me for fear I’ll publish the details of
+this little deal. Come, you must be through praying by this time. I
+can’t wait around here all night.” Again Yellow Franz raised his pistol
+toward Barney’s heart.
+
+Before the brigand could pull the trigger, or Barney hurl himself upon
+his would-be assassin, there was a flash and a loud report from the
+open window of the shack.
+
+With a groan Yellow Franz crumpled to the dirt floor, and
+simultaneously Barney was upon him and had wrested the pistol from his
+hand; but the precaution was unnecessary for Yellow Franz would never
+again press finger to trigger. He was dead even before Barney reached
+his side.
+
+In possession of the weapon, the American turned toward the window from
+which had come the rescuing shot, and as he did so he saw the boy,
+Rudolph, clambering over the sill, white-faced and trembling. In his
+hand was a smoking carbine, and on his brow great beads of cold sweat.
+
+“God forgive me!” murmured the youth. “I have killed a man.”
+
+“You have killed a dangerous wild beast, Rudolph,” said Barney, “and
+both God and your fellow man will thank and reward you.”
+
+“I am glad that I killed him, though,” went on the boy, “for he would
+have killed you, my king, had I not done so. Gladly would I go to the
+gallows to save my king.”
+
+“You are a brave lad, Rudolph,” said Barney, “and if ever I get out of
+the pretty pickle I’m in you’ll be well rewarded for your loyalty to
+Leopold of Lutha. After all,” thought the young man, “being a kind has
+its redeeming features, for if the boy had not thought me his monarch
+he would never have risked the vengeance of the bloodthirsty brigands
+in this attempt to save me.”
+
+“Hasten, your majesty,” whispered the boy, tugging at the sleeve of
+Barney’s jacket. “There is no time to be lost. We must be far away from
+here when the others discover that Yellow Franz has been killed.”
+
+Barney stooped above the dead man, and removing his belt and cartridges
+transferred them to his own person. Then blowing out the lantern the
+two slipped out into the darkness of the night.
+
+About the camp fire of the brigands the entire pack was congregated.
+They were talking together in low voices, ever and anon glancing
+expectantly toward the shack to which their chief had gone to dispatch
+the king. It is not every day that a king is murdered, and even these
+hardened cut-throats felt the spell of awe at the thought of what they
+believed the sharp report they had heard from the shack portended.
+
+Keeping well to the far side of the clearing, Rudolph led Barney around
+the group of men and safely into the wood below them. From this point
+the boy followed the trail which Barney and his captors had traversed
+two days previously, until he came to a diverging ravine that led
+steeply up through the mountains upon their right hand.
+
+In the distance behind them they suddenly heard, faintly, the shouting
+of men.
+
+“They have discovered Yellow Franz,” whispered the boy, shuddering.
+
+“Then they’ll be after us directly,” said Barney.
+
+“Yes, your majesty,” replied Rudolph, “but in the darkness they will
+not see that we have turned up this ravine, and so they will ride on
+down the other. I have chosen this way because their horses cannot
+follow us here, and thus we shall be under no great disadvantage. It
+may be, however, that we shall have to hide in the mountains for a
+while, since there will be no place of safety for us between here and
+Lustadt until after the edge of their anger is dulled.”
+
+And such proved to be the case, for try as they would they found it
+impossible to reach Lustadt without detection by the brigands who
+patrolled every highway and byway from their rugged mountains to the
+capital of Lutha.
+
+For nearly three weeks Barney and the boy hid in caves or dense
+underbrush by day, and by night sought some avenue which would lead
+them past the vigilant sentries that patrolled the ways to freedom.
+
+Often they were wet by rains, nor were they ever in the warm sunlight
+for a sufficient length of time to become thoroughly dry and
+comfortable. Of food they had little, and of the poorest quality.
+
+They dared not light a fire for warmth or cooking, and their light was
+so miserable that, but for the boy’s pitiful terror at the thought of
+being recaptured by the bandits, Barney would long since have made a
+break for Lustadt, depending upon their arms and ammunition to carry
+them safely through were they discovered by their enemies.
+
+Rudolph had contracted a severe cold the first night, and now, it
+having settled upon his lungs, he had developed a persistent and
+aggravating cough that caused Barney not a little apprehension. When,
+after nearly three weeks of suffering and privation, it became clear
+that the boy’s lungs were affected, the American decided to take
+matters into his own hands and attempt to reach Lustadt and a good
+doctor; but before he had an opportunity to put his plan into execution
+the entire matter was removed from his jurisdiction.
+
+It happened like this: After a particularly fatiguing and uncomfortable
+night spent in attempting to elude the sentinels who blocked their way
+from the mountains, daylight found them near a little spring, and here
+they decided to rest for an hour before resuming their way.
+
+The little pool lay not far from a clump of heavy bushes which would
+offer them excellent shelter, as it was Barney’s intention to go into
+hiding as soon as they had quenched their thirst at the spring.
+
+Rudolph was coughing pitifully, his slender frame wracked by the
+convulsion of each new attack. Barney had placed an arm about the boy
+to support him, for the paroxysms always left him very weak.
+
+The young man’s heart went out to the poor boy, and pangs of regret
+filled his mind as he realized that the child’s pathetic condition was
+the direct result of his self-sacrificing attempt to save his king.
+Barney felt much like a murderer and a thief, and dreaded the time when
+the boy should be brought to a realization of his mistake.
+
+He had come to feel a warm affection for the loyal little lad, who had
+suffered so uncomplainingly and whose every thought had been for the
+safety and comfort of his king.
+
+Today, thought Barney, I’ll take this child through to Lustadt even if
+every ragged brigand in Lutha lies between us and the capital; but even
+as he spoke a sudden crashing of underbrush behind caused him to wheel
+about, and there, not twenty paces from them, stood two of Yellow
+Franz’s cutthroats.
+
+At sight of Barney and the lad they gave voice to a shout of triumph,
+and raising their carbines fired point-blank at the two fugitives.
+
+But Barney had been equally as quick with his own weapon, and at the
+moment that they fired he grasped Rudolph and dragged him backward to a
+great boulder behind which their bodies might be protected from the
+fire of their enemies.
+
+Both the bullets of the bandits’ first volley had been directed at
+Barney, for it was upon his head that the great price rested. They had
+missed him by a narrow margin, due, perhaps, to the fact that the
+mounts of the brigands had been prancing in alarm at the unexpected
+sight of the two strangers at the very moment that their riders
+attempted to take aim and fire.
+
+But now they had ridden back into the brush and dismounted, and after
+hiding their ponies they came creeping out upon their bellies upon
+opposite sides of Barney’s shelter.
+
+The American saw that it would be an easy thing for them to pick him
+off if he remained where he was, and so with a word to Rudolph he
+sprang up and the boy with him. Each delivered a quick shot at the
+bandit nearest him, and then together they broke for the bushes in
+which the brigand’s mounts were hidden.
+
+Two shots answered theirs. Rudolph, who was ahead of Barney, stumbled
+and threw up his hands. He would have fallen had not the American
+thrown a strong arm about him.
+
+“I’m shot, your majesty,” murmured the boy, his head dropping against
+Barney’s breast.
+
+With the lad grasped close to him, the young man turned at the edge of
+the brush to meet the charge of the two ruffians. The wounding of the
+youth had delayed them just enough to preclude their making this
+temporary refuge in safety.
+
+As Barney turned both the men fired simultaneously, and both missed.
+The American raised his revolver, and with the flash of it the foremost
+brigand came to a sudden stop. An expression of bewilderment crossed
+his features. He extended his arms straight before him, the revolver
+slipped from his grasp, and then like a dying top he pivoted once
+drunkenly and collapsed upon the turf.
+
+At the instant of his fall his companion and the American fired
+point-blank at one another.
+
+Barney felt a burning sensation in his shoulder, but it was forgotten
+for the moment in the relief that came to him as he saw the second
+rascal sprawl headlong upon his face. Then he turned his attention to
+the limp little figure that hung across his left arm.
+
+Gently Barney laid the boy upon the sward, and fetching water from the
+pool bathed his face and forced a few drops between the white lips. The
+cooling draft revived the wounded child, but brought on a paroxysm of
+coughing. When this had subsided Rudolph raised his eyes to those of
+the man bending above him.
+
+“Thank God, your majesty is unharmed,” he whispered. “Now I can die in
+peace.”
+
+The white lids drooped lower, and with a tired sigh the boy lay quiet.
+Tears came to the young man’s eyes as he let the limp body gently to
+the ground.
+
+“Brave little heart,” he murmured, “you gave up your life in the
+service of your king as truly as though you had not been all mistaken
+in the object of your veneration, and if it lies within the power of
+Barney Custer you shall not have died in vain.”
+
+
+
+
+VII.
+THE REAL LEOPOLD
+
+
+Two hours later a horseman pushed his way between tumbled and tangled
+briers along the bottom of a deep ravine.
+
+He was hatless, and his stained and ragged khaki betokened much
+exposure to the elements and hard and continued usage. At his
+saddle-bow a carbine swung in its boot, and upon either hip was
+strapped a long revolver. Ammunition in plenty filled the cross belts
+that he had looped about his shoulders.
+
+Grim and warlike as were his trappings, no less grim was the set of his
+strong jaw or the glint of his gray eyes, nor did the patch of brown
+stain that had soaked through the left shoulder of his jacket tend to
+lessen the martial atmosphere which surrounded him. Fortunate it was
+for the brigands of the late Yellow Franz that none of them chanced in
+the path of Barney Custer that day.
+
+For nearly two hours the man had ridden downward out of the high hills
+in search of a dwelling at which he might ask the way to Tann; but as
+yet he had passed but a single house, and that a long untenanted ruin.
+He was wondering what had become of all the inhabitants of Lutha when
+his horse came to a sudden halt before an obstacle which entirely
+blocked the narrow trail at the bottom of the ravine.
+
+As the horseman’s eyes fell upon the thing they went wide in
+astonishment, for it was no less than the charred remnants of the once
+beautiful gray roadster that had brought him into this twentieth
+century land of medieval adventure and intrigue. Barney saw that the
+machine had been lifted from where it had fallen across the horse of
+the Princess von der Tann, for the animal’s decaying carcass now lay
+entirely clear of it; but why this should have been done, or by whom,
+the young man could not imagine.
+
+A glance aloft showed him the road far above him, from which he, the
+horse and the roadster had catapulted; and with the sight of it there
+flashed to his mind the fair face of the young girl in whose service
+the thing had happened. Barney wondered if Joseph had been successful
+in returning her to Tann, and he wondered, too, if she mourned for the
+man she had thought king—if she would be very angry should she ever
+learn the truth.
+
+Then there came to the American’s mind the figure of the shopkeeper of
+Tafelberg, and the fellow’s evident loyalty to the mad king he had
+never seen. Here was one who might aid him, thought Barney. He would
+have the will, at least, and with the thought the young man turned his
+pony’s head diagonally up the steep ravine side.
+
+It was a tough and dangerous struggle to the road above, but at last by
+dint of strenuous efforts on the part of the sturdy little beast the
+two finally scrambled over the edge of the road and stood once more
+upon level footing.
+
+After breathing his mount for a few minutes Barney swung himself into
+the saddle again and set off toward Tafelberg. He met no one upon the
+road, nor within the outskirts of the village, and so he came to the
+door of the shop he sought without attracting attention.
+
+Swinging to the ground he tied the pony to one of the supporting
+columns of the porch-roof and a moment later had stepped within the
+shop.
+
+From a back room the shopkeeper presently emerged, and when he saw who
+it was that stood before him his eyes went wide in consternation.
+
+“In the name of all the saints, your majesty,” cried the old fellow,
+“what has happened? How comes it that you are out of the hospital, and
+travel-stained as though from a long, hard ride? I cannot understand
+it, sire.”
+
+“Hospital?” queried the young man. “What do you mean, my good fellow? I
+have been in no hospital.”
+
+“You were there only last evening when I inquired after you of the
+doctor,” insisted the shopkeeper, “nor did any there yet suspect your
+true identity.”
+
+“Last evening I was hiding far up in the mountains from Yellow Franz’s
+band of cutthroats,” replied Barney. “Tell me what manner of riddle you
+are propounding.”
+
+Then a sudden light of understanding flashed through Barney’s mind.
+
+“Man!” he exclaimed. “Tell me—you have found the true king? He is at a
+hospital in Tafelberg?”
+
+“Yes, your majesty, I have found the true king, and it is so that he
+was at the Tafelberg sanatorium last evening. It was beside the
+remnants of your wrecked automobile that two of the men of Tafelberg
+found you.
+
+“One leg was pinioned beneath the machine which was on fire when they
+discovered you. They brought you to my shop, which is the first on the
+road into town, and not guessing your true identity they took my word
+for it that you were an old acquaintance of mine and without more ado
+turned you over to my care.”
+
+Barney scratched his head in puzzled bewilderment. He began to doubt if
+he were in truth himself, or, after all, Leopold of Lutha. As no one
+but himself could, by the wildest stretch of imagination, have been in
+such a position, he was almost forced to the conclusion that all that
+had passed since the instant that his car shot over the edge of the
+road into the ravine had been but the hallucinations of a fever-excited
+brain, and that for the past three weeks he had been lying in a
+hospital cot instead of experiencing the strange and inexplicable
+adventures that he had believed to have befallen him.
+
+But yet the more he thought of it the more ridiculous such a conclusion
+appeared, for it did not in the least explain the pony tethered
+without, which he plainly could see from where he stood within the
+shop, nor did it satisfactorily account for the blotch of blood upon
+his shoulder from a wound so fresh that the stain still was damp; nor
+for the sword which Joseph had buckled about his waist within Blentz’s
+forbidding walls; nor for the arms and ammunition he had taken from the
+dead brigands—all of which he had before him as tangible evidence of
+the rationality of the past few weeks.
+
+“My friend,” said Barney at last, “I cannot wonder that you have
+mistaken me for the king, since all those I have met within Lutha have
+leaped to the same error, though not one among them made the slightest
+pretense of ever having seen his majesty. A ridiculous beard started
+the trouble, and later a series of happenings, no one of which was
+particularly remarkable in itself, aggravated it, until but a moment
+since I myself was almost upon the point of believing that I am the
+king.
+
+“But, my dear Herr Kramer, I am not the king; and when you have
+accompanied me to the hospital and seen that your patient still is
+there, you may be willing to admit that there is some justification for
+doubt as to my royalty.”
+
+The old man shook his head.
+
+“I am not so sure of that,” he said, “for he who lies at the hospital,
+providing you are not he, or he you, maintains as sturdily as do you
+that he is not Leopold. If one of you, whichever be king—providing that
+you are not one and the same, and that I be not the only maniac in the
+sad muddle—if one of you would but trust my loyalty and love for the
+true king and admit your identity, then I might be of some real service
+to that one of you who is really Leopold. Herr Gott! My words are as
+mixed as my poor brain.”
+
+“If you will listen to me, Herr Kramer,” said Barney, “and believe what
+I tell you, I shall be able to unscramble your ideas in so far as they
+pertain to me and my identity. As to the man you say was found beneath
+my car, and who now lies in the sanatorium of Tafelberg, I cannot say
+until I have seen and talked with him. He may be the king and he may
+not; but if he insists that he is not, I shall be the last to wish a
+kingship upon him. I know from sad experience the hardships and burdens
+that the thing entails.”
+
+Then Barney narrated carefully and in detail the principal events of
+his life, from his birth in Beatrice to his coming to Lutha upon
+pleasure. He showed Herr Kramer his watch with his monogram upon it,
+his seal ring, and inside the pocket of his coat the label of his
+tailor, with his own name written beneath it and the date that the
+garment had been ordered.
+
+When he had completed his narrative the old man shook his head.
+
+“I cannot understand it,” he said; “and yet I am almost forced to
+believe that you are not the king.”
+
+“Direct me to the sanatorium,” suggested Barney, “and if it be within
+the range of possibility I shall learn whether the man who lies there
+is Leopold or another, and if he be the king I shall serve him as
+loyally as you would have served me. Together we may assist him to gain
+the safety of Tann and the protection of old Prince Ludwig.”
+
+“If you are not the king,” said Kramer suspiciously, “why should you be
+so interested in aiding Leopold? You may even be an enemy. How can I
+know?”
+
+“You cannot know, my good friend,” replied Barney. “But had I been an
+enemy, how much more easily might I have encompassed my designs,
+whatever they might have been, had I encouraged you to believe that I
+was king. The fact that I did not, must assure you that I have no
+ulterior designs against Leopold.”
+
+This line of reasoning proved quite convincing to the old shopkeeper,
+and at last he consented to lead Barney to the sanatorium. Together
+they traversed the quiet village streets to the outskirts of the town,
+where in large, park-like grounds the well-known sanatorium of
+Tafelberg is situated in quiet surroundings. It is an institution for
+the treatment of nervous diseases to which patients are brought from
+all parts of Europe, and is doubtless Lutha’s principal claim upon the
+attention of the outer world.
+
+As the two crossed the gardens which lay between the gate and the main
+entrance and mounted the broad steps leading to the veranda an old
+servant opened the door, and recognizing Herr Kramer, nodded pleasantly
+to him.
+
+“Your patient seems much brighter this morning, Herr Kramer,” he said,
+“and has been asking to be allowed to sit up.”
+
+“He is still here, then?” questioned the shopkeeper with a sigh that
+might have indicated either relief or resignation.
+
+“Why, certainly. You did not expect that he had entirely recovered
+overnight, did you?”
+
+“No,” replied Herr Kramer, “not exactly. In fact, I did not know what I
+should expect.”
+
+As the two passed him on their way to the room in which the patient
+lay, the servant eyed Herr Kramer in surprise, as though wondering what
+had occurred to his mentality since he had seen him the previous day.
+He paid no attention to Barney other than to bow to him as he passed,
+but there was another who did—an attendant standing in the hallway
+through which the two men walked toward the private room where one of
+them expected to find the real mad king of Lutha.
+
+He was a dark-visaged fellow, sallow and small-eyed; and as his glance
+rested upon the features of the American a puzzled expression crossed
+his face. He let his gaze follow the two as they moved on up the
+corridor until they turned in at the door of the room they sought, then
+he followed them, entering an apartment next to that in which Herr
+Kramer’s patient lay.
+
+As Barney and the shopkeeper entered the small, whitewashed room, the
+former saw upon the narrow iron cot the figure of a man of about his
+own height. The face that turned toward them as they entered was
+covered by a full, reddish-brown beard, and the eyes that looked up at
+them in troubled surprise were gray. Beyond these Barney could see no
+likenesses to himself; yet they were sufficient, he realized, to have
+deceived any who might have compared one solely to the printed
+description of the other.
+
+At the doorway Kramer halted, motioning Barney within.
+
+“It will be better if you talk with him alone,” he said. “I am sure
+that before both of us he will admit nothing.”
+
+Barney nodded, and the shopkeeper of Tafelberg withdrew and closed the
+door behind him. The American approached the bedside with a cheery
+“Good morning.”
+
+The man returned the salutation with a slight inclination of his head.
+There was a questioning look in his eyes; but dominating that was a
+pitiful, hunted expression that touched the American’s heart.
+
+The man’s left hand lay upon the coverlet. Barney glanced at the third
+finger. About it was a plain gold band. There was no royal ring of the
+kings of Lutha in evidence, yet that was no indication that the man was
+not Leopold; for were he the king and desirous of concealing his
+identity, his first act would be to remove every symbol of his
+kingship.
+
+Barney took the hand in his.
+
+“They tell me that you are well on the road to recovery,” he said. “I
+am very glad that it is so.”
+
+“Who are you?” asked the man.
+
+“I am Bernard Custer, an American. You were found beneath my car at the
+bottom of a ravine. I feel that I owe you full reparation for the
+injuries you received, though it is beyond me how you happened to be
+found under the machine. Unless I am truly mad, I was the only occupant
+of the roadster when it plunged over the embankment.”
+
+“It is very simple,” replied the man upon the cot. “I chanced to be at
+the bottom of the ravine at the time and the car fell upon me.”
+
+“What were you doing at the bottom of the ravine?” asked Barney quite
+suddenly, after the manner of one who administers a third degree.
+
+The man started and flushed with suspicion.
+
+“That is my own affair,” he said.
+
+He tried to disengage his hand from Barney’s, and as he did so the
+American felt something within the fingers of the other. For an instant
+his own fingers tightened upon those that lay within them, so that as
+the others were withdrawn his index finger pressed close upon the thing
+that had aroused his curiosity.
+
+It was a large setting turned inward upon the third finger of the left
+hand. The gold band that Barney had seen was but the opposite side of
+the same ring.
+
+A quick look of comprehension came to Barney’s eyes. The man upon the
+cot evidently noted it and rightly interpreted its cause, for, having
+freed his hand, he now slipped it quickly beneath the coverlet.
+
+“I have passed through a series of rather remarkable adventures since I
+came to Lutha,” said Barney apparently quite irrelevantly, after the
+two had remained silent for a moment. “Shortly after my car fell upon
+you I was mistaken for the fugitive King Leopold by the young lady
+whose horse fell into the ravine with my car. She is a most loyal
+supporter of the king, being none other than the Princess Emma von der
+Tann. From her I learned to espouse the cause of Leopold.”
+
+Step by step Barney took the man through the adventures that had
+befallen him during the past three weeks, closing with the story of the
+death of the boy, Rudolph.
+
+“Above his dead body I swore to serve Leopold of Lutha as loyally as
+the poor, mistaken child had served me, your majesty,” and Barney
+looked straight into the eyes of him who lay upon the little iron cot.
+
+For a moment the man held his eyes upon those of the American, but
+finally, under the latter’s steady gaze, they dropped and wandered.
+
+“Why do you address me as ‘your majesty’?” he asked irritably.
+
+“With my forefinger I felt the ruby and the four wings of the setting
+of the royal ring of the kings of Lutha upon the third finger of your
+left hand,” replied Barney.
+
+The king started up upon his elbow, his eyes wild with apprehension.
+
+“It is not so,” he cried. “It is a lie! I am not the king.”
+
+“Hush!” admonished Barney. “You have nothing to fear from me. There are
+good friends and loyal subjects in plenty to serve and protect your
+majesty, and place you upon the throne that has been stolen from you. I
+have sworn to serve you. The old shopkeeper, Herr Kramer, who brought
+me here, is an honest, loyal old soul. He would die for you, your
+majesty. Trust us. Let us help you. Tomorrow, Kramer tells me, Peter of
+Blentz is to have himself crowned as king in the cathedral at Lustadt.
+
+“Will you sit supinely by and see another rob you of your kingdom, and
+then continue to rob and throttle your subjects as he has been doing
+for the past ten years? No, you will not. Even if you do not want the
+crown, you were born to the duties and obligations it entails, and for
+the sake of your people you must assume them now.”
+
+“How am I to know that you are not another of the creatures of that
+fiend of Blentz?” cried the king. “How am I to know that you will not
+drag me back to the terrors of that awful castle, and to the poisonous
+potions of the new physician Peter has employed to assassinate me? I
+can trust none.
+
+“Go away and leave me. I do not want to be king. I wish only to go away
+as far from Lutha as I can get and pass the balance of my life in peace
+and security. Peter may have the crown. He is welcome to it, for all of
+me. All I ask is my life and my liberty.”
+
+Barney saw that while the king was evidently of sound mind, his was not
+one of those iron characters and courageous hearts that would willingly
+fight to the death for his own rights and the rights and happiness of
+his people. Perhaps the long years of bitter disappointment and misery,
+the tedious hours of imprisonment, and the constant haunting fears for
+his life had reduced him to this pitiable condition.
+
+Whatever the cause, Barney Custer was determined to overcome the man’s
+aversion to assuming the duties which were rightly his, for in his
+memory were the words of Emma von der Tann, in which she had made plain
+to him the fate that would doubtless befall her father and his house
+were Peter of Blentz to become king of Lutha. Then, too, there was the
+life of the little peasant boy. Was that to be given up uselessly for a
+king with so mean a spirit that he would not take a scepter when it was
+forced upon him?
+
+And the people of Lutha? Were they to be further and continually robbed
+and downtrodden beneath the heel of Peter’s scoundrelly officials
+because their true king chose to evade the responsibilities that were
+his by birth?
+
+For half an hour Barney pleaded and argued with the king, until he
+infused in the weak character of the young man a part of his own
+tireless enthusiasm and courage. Leopold commenced to take heart and
+see things in a brighter and more engaging light. Finally he became
+quite excited about the prospects, and at last Barney obtained a
+willing promise from him that he would consent to being placed upon his
+throne and would go to Lustadt at any time that Barney should come for
+him with a force from the retainers of Prince Ludwig von der Tann.
+
+“Let us hope,” cried the king, “that the luck of the reigning house of
+Lutha has been at last restored. Not since my aunt, the Princess
+Victoria, ran away with a foreigner has good fortune shone upon my
+house. It was when my father was still a young man—before he had yet
+come to the throne—and though his reign was marked with great peace and
+prosperity for the people of Lutha, his own private fortunes were most
+unhappy.
+
+“My mother died at my birth, and the last days of my father’s life were
+filled with suffering from the cancer that was slowly killing him. Let
+us pray, Herr Custer, that you have brought new life to the fortunes of
+my house.”
+
+“Amen, your majesty,” said Barney. “And now I’ll be off for Tann—there
+must not be a moment lost if we are to bring you to Lustadt in time for
+the coronation. Herr Kramer will watch over you, but as none here
+guesses your true identity you are safer here than anywhere else in
+Lutha. Good-bye, your majesty. Be of good heart. We’ll have you on the
+road to Lustadt and the throne tomorrow morning.”
+
+After Barney Custer had closed the door of the king’s chamber behind
+him and hurried down the corridor, the door of the room next the king’s
+opened quietly and a dark-visaged fellow, sallow and small-eyed,
+emerged. Upon his lips was a smile of cunning satisfaction, as he
+hastened to the office of the medical director and obtained a leave of
+absence for twenty-four hours.
+
+
+
+
+VIII.
+THE CORONATION DAY
+
+
+Toward dusk of the day upon which the mad king of Lutha had been found,
+a dust-covered horseman reined in before the great gate of the castle
+of Prince Ludwig von der Tann. The unsettled political conditions which
+overhung the little kingdom of Lutha were evident in the return to
+medievalism which the raised portcullis and the armed guard upon the
+barbican of the ancient feudal fortress revealed. Not for a hundred
+years before had these things been done other than as a part of the
+ceremonials of a fete day, or in honor of visiting royalty.
+
+At the challenge from the gate Barney replied that he bore a message
+for the prince. Slowly the portcullis sank into position across the
+moat and an officer advanced to meet the rider.
+
+“The prince has ridden to Lustadt with a large retinue,” he said, “to
+attend the coronation of Peter of Blentz tomorrow.”
+
+“Prince Ludwig von der Tann has gone to attend the coronation of
+Peter!” cried Barney in amazement. “Has the Princess Emma returned from
+her captivity in the castle of Blentz?”
+
+“She is with her father now, having returned nearly three weeks ago,”
+replied the officer, “and Peter has disclaimed responsibility for the
+outrage, promising that those responsible shall be punished. He has
+convinced Prince Ludwig that Leopold is dead, and for the sake of
+Lutha—to save her from civil strife—my prince has patched a truce with
+Peter; though unless I mistake the character of the latter and the
+temper of the former it will be short-lived.
+
+“To demonstrate to the people,” continued the officer, “that Prince
+Ludwig and Peter are good friends, the great Von der Tann will attend
+the coronation, but that he takes little stock in the sincerity of the
+Prince of Blentz would be apparent could the latter have a peep beneath
+the cloaks and look into the loyal hearts of the men of Tann who rode
+down to Lustadt today.”
+
+Barney did not wait to hear more. He was glad that in the gathering
+dusk the officer had not seen his face plainly enough to mistake him
+for the king. With a parting, “Then I must ride to Lustadt with my
+message for the prince,” he wheeled his tired mount and trotted down
+the steep trail from Tann toward the highway which leads to the
+capital.
+
+All night Barney rode. Three times he wandered from the way and was
+forced to stop at farmhouses to inquire the proper direction; but
+darkness hid his features from the sleepy eyes of those who answered
+his summons, and daylight found him still forging ahead in the
+direction of the capital of Lutha.
+
+The American was sunk in unhappy meditation as his weary little mount
+plodded slowly along the dusty road. For hours the man had not been
+able to urge the beast out of a walk. The loss of time consequent upon
+his having followed wrong roads during the night and the exhaustion of
+the pony which retarded his speed to what seemed little better than a
+snail’s pace seemed to assure the failure of his mission, for at best
+he could not reach Lustadt before noon.
+
+There was no possibility of bringing Leopold to his capital in time for
+the coronation, and but a bare possibility that Prince Ludwig would
+accept the word of an entire stranger that Leopold lived, for the
+acknowledgment of such a condition by the old prince could result in
+nothing less than an immediate resort to arms by the two factions. It
+was certain that Peter would be infinitely more anxious to proceed with
+his coronation should it be rumored that Leopold lived, and equally
+certain that Prince Ludwig would interpose every obstacle, even to
+armed resistance, to prevent the consummation of the ceremony.
+
+Yet there seemed to Barney no other alternative than to place before
+the king’s one powerful friend the information that he had. It would
+then rest with Ludwig to do what he thought advisable.
+
+An hour from Lustadt the road wound through a dense forest, whose
+pleasant shade was a grateful relief to both horse and rider from the
+hot sun beneath which they had been journeying the greater part of the
+morning. Barney was still lost in thought, his eyes bent forward, when
+at a sudden turning of the road he came face to face with a troop of
+horse that were entering the main highway at this point from an
+unfrequented byroad.
+
+At sight of them the American instinctively wheeled his mount in an
+effort to escape, but at a command from an officer a half dozen
+troopers spurred after him, their fresh horses soon overtaking his
+jaded pony.
+
+For a moment Barney contemplated resistance, for these were troopers of
+the Royal Horse, the body which was now Peter’s most effective personal
+tool; but even as his hand slipped to the butt of one of the revolvers
+at his hip, the young man saw the foolish futility of such a course,
+and with a shrug and a smile he drew rein and turned to face the
+advancing soldiers.
+
+As he did so the officer rode up, and at sight of Barney’s face gave an
+exclamation of astonishment. The officer was Butzow.
+
+“Well met, your majesty,” he cried saluting. “We are riding to the
+coronation. We shall be just in time.”
+
+“To see Peter of Blentz rob Leopold of a crown,” said the American in a
+disgusted tone.
+
+“To see Leopold of Lutha come into his own, your majesty. Long live the
+king!” cried the officer.
+
+Barney thought the man either poking fun at him because he was not the
+king, or, thinking he was Leopold, taking a mean advantage of his
+helplessness to bait him. Yet this last suspicion seemed unfair to
+Butzow, who at Blentz had given ample evidence that he was a gentleman,
+and of far different caliber from Maenck and the others who served
+Peter.
+
+If he could but convince the man that he was no king and thus gain his
+liberty long enough to reach Prince Ludwig’s ear, his mission would
+have been served in so far as it lay in his power to serve it. For some
+minutes Barney expended his best eloquence and logic upon the cavalry
+officer in an effort to convince him that he was not Leopold.
+
+The king had given the American his great ring to safeguard for him
+until it should be less dangerous for Leopold to wear it, and for fear
+that at the last moment someone within the sanatorium might recognize
+it and bear word to Peter of the king’s whereabouts. Barney had worn it
+turned in upon the third finger of his left hand, and now he slipped it
+surreptitiously into his breeches pocket lest Butzow should see it and
+by it be convinced that Barney was indeed Leopold.
+
+“Never mind who you are,” cried Butzow, thinking to humor the king’s
+strange obsession. “You look enough like Leopold to be his twin, and
+you must help us save Lutha from Peter of Blentz.”
+
+The American showed in his expression the surprise he felt at these
+words from an officer of the prince regent.
+
+“You wonder at my change of heart?” asked Butzow.
+
+“How can I do otherwise?”
+
+“I cannot blame you,” said the officer. “Yet I think that when you know
+the truth you will see that I have done only that which I believed to
+be the duty of a patriotic officer and a true gentleman.”
+
+They had rejoined the troop by this time, and the entire company was
+once more headed toward Lustadt. Butzow had commanded one of the
+troopers to exchange horses with Barney, bringing the jaded animal into
+the city slowly, and now freshly mounted the American was making better
+time toward his destination. His spirits rose, and as they galloped
+along the highway, he listened with renewed interest to the story which
+Lieutenant Butzow narrated in detail.
+
+It seemed that Butzow had been absent from Lutha for a number of years
+as military attache to the Luthanian legation at a foreign court. He
+had known nothing of the true condition at home until his return, when
+he saw such scoundrels as Coblich, Maenck, and Stein high in the favor
+of the prince regent. For some time before the events that had
+transpired after he had brought Barney and the Princess Emma to Blentz
+he had commenced to have his doubts as to the true patriotism of Peter
+of Blentz; and when he had learned through the unguarded words of
+Schonau that there was a real foundation for the rumor that the regent
+had plotted the assassination of the king his suspicions had
+crystallized into knowledge, and he had sworn to serve his king before
+all others—were he sane or mad. From this loyalty he could not be
+shaken.
+
+“And what do you intend doing now?” asked Barney.
+
+“I intend placing you upon the throne of your ancestors, sire,” replied
+Butzow; “nor will Peter of Blentz dare the wrath of the people by
+attempting to interpose any obstacle. When he sees Leopold of Lutha
+ride into the capital of his kingdom at the head of even so small a
+force as ours he will know that the end of his own power is at hand,
+for he is not such a fool that he does not perfectly realize that he is
+the most cordially hated man in all Lutha, and that only those attend
+upon him who hope to profit through his success or who fear his evil
+nature.”
+
+“If Peter is crowned today,” asked Barney, “will it prevent Leopold
+regaining his throne?”
+
+“It is difficult to say,” replied Butzow; “but the chances are that the
+throne would be lost to him forever. To regain it he would have to
+plunge Lutha into a bitter civil war, for once Peter is proclaimed king
+he will have the law upon his side, and with the resources of the State
+behind him—the treasury and the army—he will feel in no mood to
+relinquish the scepter without a struggle. I doubt much that you will
+ever sit upon your throne, sire, unless you do so within the very next
+hour.”
+
+For some time Barney rode in silence. He saw that only by a master
+stroke could the crown be saved for the true king. Was it worth it? The
+man was happier without a crown. Barney had come to believe that no man
+lived who could be happy in possession of one. Then there came before
+his mind’s eye the delicate, patrician face of Emma von der Tann.
+
+Would Peter of Blentz be true to his new promises to the house of Von
+der Tann? Barney doubted it. He recalled all that it might mean of
+danger and suffering to the girl whose kisses he still felt upon his
+lips as though it had been but now that hers had placed them there. He
+recalled the limp little body of the boy, Rudolph, and the Spartan
+loyalty with which the little fellow had given his life in the service
+of the man he had thought king. The pitiful figure of the fear-haunted
+man upon the iron cot at Tafelberg rose before him and cried for
+vengeance.
+
+To this man was the woman he loved betrothed! He knew that he might
+never wed the Princess Emma. Even were she not promised to another, the
+iron shackles of convention and age-old customs must forever separate
+her from an untitled American. But if he couldn’t have her he still
+could serve her!
+
+“For her sake,” he muttered.
+
+“Did your majesty speak?” asked Butzow.
+
+“Yes, lieutenant. We urge greater haste, for if we are to be crowned
+today we have no time to lose.”
+
+Butzow smiled a relieved smile. The king had at last regained his
+senses!
+
+Within the ancient cathedral at Lustadt a great and gorgeously attired
+assemblage had congregated. All the nobles of Lutha were gathered there
+with their wives, their children, and their retainers. There were the
+newer nobility of the lowlands—many whose patents dated but since the
+regency of Peter—and there were the proud nobility of the highlands—the
+old nobility of which Prince Ludwig von der Tann was the chief.
+
+It was noticeable that though a truce had been made between Ludwig and
+Peter, yet the former chancellor of the kingdom did not stand upon the
+chancel with the other dignitaries of the State and court.
+
+Few there were who knew that he had been invited to occupy a place of
+honor there, and had replied that he would take no active part in the
+making of any king in Lutha whose veins did not pulse to the flow of
+the blood of the house in whose service he had grown gray.
+
+Close packed were the retainers of the old prince so that their great
+number was scarcely noticeable, though quite so was the fact that they
+kept their cloaks on, presenting a somber appearance in the midst of
+all the glitter of gold and gleam of jewels that surrounded them—a
+grim, business-like appearance that cast a chill upon Peter of Blentz
+as his eyes scanned the multitude of faces below him.
+
+He would have shown his indignation at this seeming affront had he
+dared; but until the crown was safely upon his head and the royal
+scepter in his hand Peter had no mind to do aught that might jeopardize
+the attainment of the power he had sought for the past ten years.
+
+The solemn ceremony was all but completed; the Bishop of Lustadt had
+received the great golden crown from the purple cushion upon which it
+had been borne at the head of the procession which accompanied Peter up
+the broad center aisle of the cathedral. He had raised it above the
+head of the prince regent, and was repeating the solemn words which
+precede the placing of the golden circlet upon the man’s brow. In
+another moment Peter of Blentz would be proclaimed the king of Lutha.
+
+By her father’s side stood Emma von der Tann. Upon her haughty,
+high-bred face there was no sign of the emotions which ran riot within
+her fair bosom. In the act that she was witnessing she saw the eventual
+ruin of her father’s house. That Peter would long want for an excuse to
+break and humble his ancient enemy she did not believe; but this was
+not the only cause for the sorrow that overwhelmed her.
+
+Her most poignant grief, like that of her father, was for the dead
+king, Leopold; but to the sorrow of the loyal subject was added the
+grief of the loving woman, bereft. Close to her heart she hugged the
+memory of the brief hours spent with the man whom she had been taught
+since childhood to look upon as her future husband, but for whom the
+all-consuming fires of love had only been fanned to life within her
+since that moment, now three weeks gone, that he had crushed her to his
+breast to cover her lips with kisses for the short moment ere he
+sacrificed his life to save her from a fate worse than death.
+
+Before her stood the Nemesis of her dead king. The last act of the
+hideous crime against the man she had loved was nearing its close. As
+the crown, poised over the head of Peter of Blentz, sank slowly
+downward the girl felt that she could scarce restrain her desire to
+shriek aloud a protest against the wicked act—the crowning of a
+murderer king of her beloved Lutha.
+
+A glance at the old man at her side showed her the stern, commanding
+features of her sire molded in an expression of haughty dignity; only
+the slight movement of the muscles of the strong jaw revealed the
+tensity of the hidden emotions of the stern old warrior. He was meeting
+disappointment and defeat as a Von der Tann should—brave to the end.
+
+The crown had all but touched the head of Peter of Blentz when a sudden
+commotion at the back of the cathedral caused the bishop to look up in
+ill-concealed annoyance. At the sight that met his eyes his hands
+halted in mid-air.
+
+The great audience turned as one toward the doors at the end of the
+long central aisle. There, through the wide-swung portals, they saw
+mounted men forcing their way into the cathedral. The great horses
+shouldered aside the foot-soldiers that attempted to bar their way, and
+twenty troopers of the Royal Horse thundered to the very foot of the
+chancel steps.
+
+At their head rode Lieutenant Butzow and a tall young man in soiled and
+tattered khaki, whose gray eyes and full reddish-brown beard brought an
+exclamation from Captain Maenck who commanded the guard about Peter of
+Blentz.
+
+“Mein Gott—the king!” cried Maenck, and at the words Peter went white.
+
+In open-mouthed astonishment the spectators saw the hurrying troopers
+and heard Butzow’s “The king! The king! Make way for Leopold, King of
+Lutha!”
+
+And a girl saw, and as she saw her heart leaped to her mouth. Her small
+hand gripped the sleeve of her father’s coat. “The king, father,” she
+cried. “It is the king.”
+
+Old Von der Tann, the light of a new hope firing his eyes, threw aside
+his cloak and leaped to the chancel steps beside Butzow and the others
+who were mounting them. Behind him a hundred cloaks dropped from the
+shoulders of his fighting men, exposing not silks and satins and fine
+velvet, but the coarse tan of khaki, and grim cartridge belts well
+filled, and stern revolvers slung to well-worn service belts.
+
+As Butzow and Barney stepped upon the chancel Peter of Blentz leaped
+forward. “What mad treason is this?” he fairly screamed.
+
+“The days of treason are now past, prince,” replied Butzow meaningly.
+“Here is not treason, but Leopold of Lutha come to claim his crown
+which he inherited from his father.”
+
+“It is a plot,” cried Peter, “to place an impostor upon the throne!
+This man is not the king.”
+
+For a moment there was silence. The people had not taken sides as yet.
+They awaited a leader. Old Von der Tann scrutinized the American
+closely.
+
+“How may we know that you are Leopold?” he asked. “For ten years we
+have not seen our king.”
+
+“The governor of Blentz has already acknowledged his identity,” cried
+Butzow. “Maenck was the first to proclaim the presence of the putative
+king.”
+
+At that someone near the chancel cried: “Long live Leopold, king of
+Lutha!” and at the words the whole assemblage raised their voices in a
+tumultuous: “Long live the king!”
+
+Peter of Blentz turned toward Maenck. “The guard!” he cried. “Arrest
+those traitors, and restore order in the cathedral. Let the coronation
+proceed.”
+
+Maenck took a step toward Barney and Butzow, when old Prince von der
+Tann interposed his giant frame with grim resolve.
+
+“Hold!” He spoke in a low, stern voice that brought the cowardly Maenck
+to a sudden halt.
+
+The men of Tann had pressed eagerly forward until they stood, with
+bared swords, a solid rank of fighting men in grim semicircle behind
+their chief. There were cries from different parts of the cathedral of:
+“Crown Leopold, our true king! Down with Peter! Down with the
+assassin!”
+
+“Enough of this,” cried Peter. “Clear the cathedral!”
+
+He drew his own sword, and with half a hundred loyal retainers at his
+back pressed forward to clear the chancel. There was a brief fight,
+from which Barney, much to his disgust, was barred by the mighty figure
+of the old prince and the stalwart sword-arm of Butzow. He did get one
+crack at Maenck, and had the satisfaction of seeing blood spurt from a
+flesh wound across the fellow’s cheek.
+
+“That for the Princess Emma,” he called to the governor of Blentz, and
+then men crowded between them and he did not see the captain again
+during the battle.
+
+When Peter saw that more than half of the palace guard were shouting
+for Leopold, and fighting side by side with the men of Tann, he
+realized the futility of further armed resistance at this time. Slowly
+he withdrew, and at last the fighting ceased and some semblance of
+order was restored within the cathedral.
+
+Fearfully, the bishop emerged from hiding, his robes disheveled and his
+miter askew. Butzow grasped him none too reverently by the arm and
+dragged him before Barney. The crown of Lutha dangled in the priest’s
+palsied hands.
+
+“Crown the king!” cried the lieutenant. “Crown Leopold, king of Lutha!”
+
+A mad roar of acclaim greeted this demand, and again from all parts of
+the cathedral rose the same wild cry. But in the lull that followed
+there were some who demanded proof of the tattered young man who stood
+before them and claimed that he was king.
+
+“Let Prince Ludwig speak!” cried a dozen voices.
+
+“Yes, Prince Ludwig! Prince Ludwig!” took up the throng.
+
+Prince Ludwig von der Tann turned toward the bearded young man. Silence
+fell upon the crowded cathedral. Peter of Blentz stood awaiting the
+outcome, ready to demand the crown upon the first indication of
+wavering belief in the man he knew was not Leopold.
+
+“How may we know that you are really Leopold?” again asked Ludwig of
+Barney.
+
+The American raised his left hand, upon the third finger of which
+gleamed the great ruby of the royal ring of the kings of Lutha. Even
+Peter of Blentz started back in surprise as his eyes fell upon the
+ring.
+
+Where had the man come upon it?
+
+Prince von der Tann dropped to one knee before Mr. Bernard Custer of
+Beatrice, Nebraska, U.S.A., and lifted that gentleman’s hand to his
+lips, and as the people of Lutha saw the act they went mad with joy.
+
+Slowly Prince Ludwig rose and addressed the bishop. “Leopold, the
+rightful heir to the throne of Lutha, is here. Let the coronation
+proceed.”
+
+The quiet of the sepulcher fell upon the assemblage as the holy man
+raised the crown above the head of the king. Barney saw from the corner
+of his eye the sea of faces upturned toward him. He saw the relief and
+happiness upon the stern countenance of the old prince.
+
+He hated to dash all their new found joy by the announcement that he
+was not the king. He could not do that, for the moment he did Peter
+would step forward and demand that his own coronation continue. How was
+he to save the throne for Leopold?
+
+Among the faces beneath him he suddenly descried that of a beautiful
+young girl whose eyes, filled with the tears of a great happiness and a
+greater love, were upturned to his. To reveal his true identity would
+lose him this girl forever. None save Peter knew that he was not the
+king. All save Peter would hail him gladly as Leopold of Lutha. How
+easily he might win a throne and the woman he loved by a moment of
+seeming passive compliance.
+
+The temptation was great, and then he recalled the boy, lying dead for
+his king in the desolate mountains, and the pathetic light in the eyes
+of the sorrowful man at Tafelberg, and the great trust and confidence
+in the heart of the woman who had shown that she loved him.
+
+Slowly Barney Custer raised his palm toward the bishop in a gesture of
+restraint.
+
+“There are those who doubt that I am king,” he said. “In these
+circumstances there should be no coronation in Lutha until all doubts
+are allayed and all may unite in accepting without question the royal
+right of the true Leopold to the crown of his father. Let the
+coronation wait, then, until another day, and all will be well.”
+
+“It must take place before noon of the fifth day of November, or not
+until a year later,” said Prince Ludwig. “In the meantime the Prince
+Regent must continue to rule. For the sake of Lutha the coronation must
+take place today, your majesty.”
+
+“What is the date?” asked Barney.
+
+“The third, sire.”
+
+“Let the coronation wait until the fifth.”
+
+“But your majesty,” interposed Von der Tann, “all may be lost in two
+days.”
+
+“It is the king’s command,” said Barney quietly.
+
+“But Peter of Blentz will rule for these two days, and in that time
+with the army at his command there is no telling what he may
+accomplish,” insisted the old man.
+
+“Peter of Blentz shall not rule Lutha for two days, or two minutes,”
+replied Barney. “We shall rule. Lieutenant Butzow, you may place Prince
+Peter, Coblich, Maenck, and Stein under arrest. We charge them with
+treason against their king, and conspiring to assassinate their
+rightful monarch.”
+
+Butzow smiled as he turned with his troopers at his back to execute
+this most welcome of commissions; but in a moment he was again at
+Barney’s side.
+
+“They have fled, your majesty,” he said. “Shall I ride to Blentz after
+them?”
+
+“Let them go,” replied the American, and then, with his retinue about
+him the new king of Lutha passed down the broad aisle of the cathedral
+of Lustadt and took his way to the royal palace between ranks of
+saluting soldiery backed by cheering thousands.
+
+
+
+
+IX.
+THE KING’S GUESTS
+
+
+Once within the palace Barney sought the seclusion of a small room off
+the audience chamber. Here he summoned Butzow.
+
+“Lieutenant,” said the American, “for the sake of a woman, a dead child
+and an unhappy king I have become dictator of Lutha for forty-eight
+hours; but at noon upon the fifth this farce must cease. Then we must
+place the true Leopold upon the throne, or a new dictator must replace
+me.
+
+“In vain I have tried to convince you that I am not the king, and today
+in the cathedral so great was the temptation to take advantage of the
+odd train of circumstances that had placed a crown within my reach that
+I all but surrendered to it—not for the crown of gold, Butzow, but for
+an infinitely more sacred diadem which belongs to him to whom by right
+of birth and lineage, belongs the crown of Lutha. I do not ask you to
+understand—it is not necessary—but this you must know and believe: that
+I am not Leopold, and that the true Leopold lies in hiding in the
+sanatorium at Tafelberg, from which you and I, Butzow, must fetch him
+to Lustadt before noon on the fifth.”
+
+“But, sire—” commenced Butzow, when Barney raised his hand.
+
+“Enough of that, Butzow!” he cried almost irritably. “I am sick of
+being ‘sired’ and ‘majestied’—my name is Custer. Call me that when
+others are not present. Believe what you will, but ride with me in
+secrecy to Tafelberg tonight, and together we shall bring back Leopold
+of Lutha. Then we may call Prince Ludwig into our confidence, and none
+need ever know of the substitution.
+
+“I doubt if many had a sufficiently close view of me today to realize
+the trick that I have played upon them, and if they note a difference
+they will attribute it to the change in apparel, for we shall see to it
+that the king is fittingly garbed before we exhibit him to his
+subjects, while hereafter I shall continue in khaki, which becomes me
+better than ermine.”
+
+Butzow shook his head.
+
+“King or dictator,” he said, “it is all the same, and I must obey
+whatever commands you see fit to give, and so I will ride to Tafelberg
+tonight, though what we shall find there I cannot imagine, unless there
+are two Leopolds of Lutha. But shall we also find another royal ring
+upon the finger of this other king?”
+
+Barney smiled. “You’re a typical hard-headed Dutchman, Butzow,” he
+said.
+
+The lieutenant drew himself up haughtily. “I am not a Dutchman, your
+majesty. I am a Luthanian.”
+
+Barney laughed. “Whatever else you may be, Butzow, you’re a brick,” he
+said, laying his hand upon the other’s arm.
+
+Butzow looked at him narrowly.
+
+“From your speech,” he said, “and the occasional Americanisms into
+which you fall I might believe that you were other than the king but
+for the ring.”
+
+“It is my commission from the king,” replied Barney. “Leopold placed it
+upon my finger in token of his royal authority to act in his behalf.
+Tonight, then Butzow, you and I shall ride to Tafelberg. Have three
+good horses. We must lead one for the king.”
+
+Butzow saluted and left the apartment. For an hour or two the American
+was busy with tailors whom he had ordered sent to the palace to measure
+him for the numerous garments of a royal wardrobe, for he knew the king
+to be near enough his own size that he might easily wear clothes that
+had been fitted to Barney; and it was part of his plan to have
+everything in readiness for the substitution which was to take place
+the morning of the coronation.
+
+Then there were foreign dignitaries, and the heads of numerous domestic
+and civic delegations to be given audience. Old Von der Tann stood
+close behind Barney prompting him upon the royal duties that had fallen
+so suddenly upon his shoulders, and none thought it strange that he was
+unfamiliar with the craft of kingship, for was it not common knowledge
+that he had been kept a close prisoner in Blentz since boyhood, nor
+been given any coaching for the duties Peter of Blentz never intended
+he should perform?
+
+After it was all over Prince Ludwig’s grim and leathery face relaxed
+into a smile of satisfaction.
+
+“None who witnessed the conduct of your first audience, sire,” he said,
+“could for a moment doubt your royal lineage—if ever a man was born to
+kingship, your majesty, it be you.”
+
+Barney smiled, a bit ruefully, however, for in his mind’s eye he saw a
+future moment when the proud old Prince von der Tann would know the
+truth of the imposture that had been played upon him, and the young man
+foresaw that he would have a rather unpleasant half-hour.
+
+At a little distance from them Barney saw Emma von der Tann surrounded
+by a group of officials and palace officers. Since he had come to
+Lustadt that day he had had no word with her, and now he crossed toward
+her, amused as the throng parted to form an aisle for him, the men
+saluting and the women curtsying low.
+
+He took both of the girl’s hands in his, and, drawing one through his
+arm, took advantage of the prerogatives of kingship to lead her away
+from the throng of courtiers.
+
+“I thought that I should never be done with all the tiresome business
+which seems to devolve upon kings,” he said, laughing. “All the while
+that I should have been bending my royal intellect to matters of state,
+I was wondering just how a king might find a way to see the woman he
+loves without interruptions from the horde that dogs his footsteps.”
+
+“You seem to have found a way, Leopold,” she whispered, pressing his
+arm close to her. “Kings usually do.”
+
+“It is not because I am a king that I found a way, Emma,” he replied.
+“It is because I am an American.”
+
+She looked up at him with an expression of pleading in her eyes.
+
+“Why do you persist?” she cried. “You have come into your own, and
+there is no longer aught to fear from Peter or any other. To me at
+least, it is most unkind still to deny your identity.”
+
+“I wonder,” said Barney, “if your love could withstand the knowledge
+that I am not the king.”
+
+“It is the MAN I love, Leopold,” the girl replied.
+
+“You think so now,” he said, “but wait until the test comes, and when
+it does, remember that I have always done my best to undeceive you. I
+know that you are not for such as I, my princess, and when I have
+returned your true king to you all that I shall ask is that you be
+happy with him.”
+
+“I shall always be happy with my king,” she whispered, and the look
+that she gave him made Barney Custer curse the fate that had failed to
+make him a king by birth.
+
+An hour later darkness had fallen upon the little city of Lustadt, and
+from a small gateway in the rear of the palace grounds two horsemen
+rode out into the ill-paved street and turned their mounts’ heads
+toward the north. At the side of one trotted a led horse.
+
+As they passed beneath the glare of an arc-light before a cafe at the
+side of the public square, a diner sitting at a table upon the walk
+spied the tall figure and the bearded face of him who rode a few feet
+in advance of his companion. Leaping to his feet the man waved his
+napkin above his head.
+
+“Long live the king!” he cried. “God save Leopold of Lutha!”
+
+And amid the din of cheering that followed, Barney Custer of Beatrice
+and Lieutenant Butzow of the Royal Horse rode out into the night upon
+the road to Tafelberg.
+
+When Peter of Blentz had escaped from the cathedral he had hastily
+mounted with a handful of his followers and hurried out of Lustadt
+along the road toward his formidable fortress at Blentz. Half way upon
+the journey he had met a dusty and travel-stained horseman hastening
+toward the capital city that Peter and his lieutenants had just left.
+
+At sight of the prince regent the fellow reined in and saluted.
+
+“May I have a word in private with your highness?” he asked. “I have
+news of the greatest importance for your ears alone.”
+
+Peter drew to one side with the man.
+
+“Well,” he asked, “and what news have you for Peter of Blentz?”
+
+The man leaned from his horse close to Peter’s ear.
+
+“The king is in Tafelberg, your highness,” he said.
+
+“The king is dead,” snapped Peter. “There is an impostor in the palace
+at Lustadt. But the real Leopold of Lutha was slain by Yellow Franz’s
+band of brigands weeks ago.”
+
+“I heard the man at Tafelberg tell another that he was the king,”
+insisted the fellow. “Through the keyhole of his room I saw him take a
+great ring from his finger—a ring with a mighty ruby set in its
+center—and give it to the other. Both were bearded men with gray
+eyes—either might have passed for the king by the description upon the
+placards that have covered Lutha for the past month. At first he denied
+his identity, but when the other had convinced him that he sought only
+the king’s welfare he at last admitted that he was Leopold.”
+
+“Where is he now?” cried Peter.
+
+“He is still in the sanatorium at Tafelberg. In room twenty-seven. The
+other promised to return for him and take him to Lustadt, but when I
+left Tafelberg he had not yet done so, and if you hasten you may reach
+there before they take him away, and if there be any reward for my
+loyalty to you, prince, my name is Ferrath.”
+
+“Ride with us and if you have told the truth, fellow, there shall be a
+reward and if not—then there shall be deserts,” and Peter of Blentz
+wheeled his horse and with his company galloped on toward Tafelberg.
+
+As he rode he talked with his lieutenants Coblich, Maenck, and Stein,
+and among them it was decided that it would be best that Peter stop at
+Blentz for the night while the others rode on to Tafelberg.
+
+“Do not bring Leopold to Blentz,” directed Peter, “for if it be he who
+lies at Tafelberg and they find him gone it will be toward Blentz that
+they will first look. Take him—”
+
+The Regent leaned from his saddle so that his mouth was close to the
+ear of Coblich, that none of the troopers might hear.
+
+Coblich nodded his head.
+
+“And, Coblich, the fewer that ride to Tafelberg tonight the surer the
+success of the mission. Take Maenck, Stein and one other with you. I
+shall keep this man with me, for it may prove but a plot to lure me to
+Tafelberg.”
+
+Peter scowled at the now frightened hospital attendant.
+
+“Tomorrow I shall be riding through the lowlands, Coblich, and so you
+may not find means to communicate with me, but before noon of the fifth
+have word at your town house in Lustadt for me of the success of your
+venture.”
+
+They had reached the point now where the road to Tafelberg branches
+from that to Blentz, and the four who were to fetch the king wheeled
+their horses into the left-hand fork and cantered off upon their
+mission.
+
+The direct road between Lustadt and Tafelberg is but little more than
+half the distance of that which Coblich and his companions had to
+traverse because of the wide detour they had made by riding almost to
+Blentz first, and so it was that when they cantered into the little
+mountain town near midnight Barney Custer and Lieutenant Butzow were
+but a mile or two behind them.
+
+Had the latter had even the faintest of suspicions that the identity of
+the hiding place of the king might come to the knowledge of Peter of
+Blentz they could have reached Tafelberg ahead of Coblich and his
+party, but all unsuspecting they rode slowly to conserve the energy of
+their mounts for the return trip.
+
+In silence the two men approached the grounds surrounding the
+sanatorium. In the soft dirt of the road the hoofs of their mounts made
+no sound, and the shadows of the trees that border the front of the
+enclosure hid them from the view of the trooper who held four riderless
+horses in a little patch of moonlight that broke through the opening in
+the trees at the main gate of the institution.
+
+Barney was the first to see the animals and the man.
+
+“S-s-st,” he hissed, reining in his horse.
+
+Butzow drew alongside the American.
+
+“What can it mean?” asked Barney. “That fellow is a trooper, but I
+cannot make out his uniform.”
+
+“Wait here,” said Butzow, and slipping from his horse he crept closer
+to the man, hugging the dense shadows close to the trees.
+
+Barney reined in nearer the low wall. From his saddle he could see the
+grounds beyond through the branches of a tree. As he looked his
+attention was suddenly riveted upon a sight that sent his heart into
+his throat.
+
+Three men were dragging a struggling, half-naked figure down the gravel
+walk from the sanatorium toward the gate. One kept a hand clapped
+across the mouth of the prisoner, who struck and fought his assailants
+with all the frenzy of despair.
+
+Barney leaped from his saddle and ran headlong after Butzow. The
+lieutenant had reached the gate but an instant ahead of him when the
+trooper, turning suddenly at some slight sound of the officer’s foot
+upon the ground, detected the man creeping upon him. In an instant the
+fellow had whipped out a revolver, and raising it fired point-blank at
+Butzow’s chest; but in the same instant a figure shot out of the
+shadows beside him, and with the report of the revolver a heavy fist
+caught the trooper on the side of the chin, crumpling him to the ground
+as if he were dead.
+
+The blow had been in time to deflect the muzzle of the firearm, and the
+bullet whistled harmlessly past the lieutenant.
+
+“Your majesty!” exclaimed Butzow excitedly. “Go back. He might have
+killed you.”
+
+Barney leaped to the other’s side and grasping him by the shoulders
+wheeled him about so that he faced the gate.
+
+“There, Butzow,” he cried, “there is your king, and from the looks of
+it he never needed a loyal subject more than he does this moment.
+Come!” Without waiting to see if the other followed him, Barney Custer
+leaped through the gate full in the faces of the astonished trio that
+was dragging Leopold of Lutha from his sanctuary.
+
+At sight of the American the king gave a muffled cry of relief, and
+then Barney was upon those who held him. A stinging uppercut lifted
+Coblich clear of the ground to drop him, dazed and bewildered, at the
+foot of the monarch he had outraged. Maenck drew a revolver only to
+have it struck from his hand by the sword of Butzow, who had followed
+closely upon the American’s heels.
+
+Barney, seizing the king by the arm, started on a run for the gateway.
+In his wake came Butzow with a drawn sword beating back Stein, who was
+armed with a cavalry saber, and Maenck who had now drawn his own sword.
+
+The American saw that the two were pressing Butzow much too closely for
+safety and that Coblich had now recovered from the effects of the blow
+and was in pursuit, drawing his saber as he ran. Barney thrust the king
+behind him and turned to face the enemy, at Butzow’s side.
+
+The three men rushed upon the two who stood between them and their
+prey. The moonlight was now full in the faces of Butzow and the
+American. For the first time Maenck and the others saw who it was that
+had interrupted them.
+
+“The impostor!” cried the governor of Blentz. “The false king!”
+
+Imbued with temporary courage by the knowledge that his side had the
+advantage of superior numbers he launched himself full upon the
+American. To his surprise he met a sword-arm that none might have
+expected in an American, for Barney Custer had been a pupil of the
+redoubtable Colonel Monstery, who was, as Barney was wont to say, “one
+of the thanwhomest of fencing masters.”
+
+Quickly Maenck fell back to give place to Stein, but not before the
+American’s point had found him twice to leave him streaming blood from
+two deep flesh wounds.
+
+Neither of those who fought in the service of the king saw the
+trembling, weak-kneed figure, which had stood behind them, turn and
+scurry through the gateway, leaving the men who battled for him to
+their fate.
+
+The trooper whom Barney had felled had regained consciousness and as he
+came to his feet rubbing his swollen jaw he saw a disheveled,
+half-dressed figure running toward him from the sanatorium grounds. The
+fellow was no fool, and knowing the purpose of the expedition as he did
+he was quick to jump to the conclusion that this fleeing
+personification of abject terror was Leopold of Lutha; and so it was
+that as the king emerged from the gateway in search of freedom he ran
+straight into the widespread arms of the trooper.
+
+Maenck and Coblich had seen the king’s break for liberty, and the
+latter maneuvered to get himself between Butzow and the open gate that
+he might follow after the fleeing monarch.
+
+At the same instant Maenck, seeing that Stein was being worsted by the
+American, rushed in upon the latter, and thus relieved, the rat-faced
+doctor was enabled to swing a heavy cut at Barney which struck him a
+glancing blow upon the head, sending him stunned and bleeding to the
+sward.
+
+Coblich and the governor of Blentz hastened toward the gate, pausing
+for an instant to overwhelm Butzow. In the fierce scrimmage that
+followed the lieutenant was overthrown, though not before his sword had
+passed through the heart of the rat-faced one. Deserting their fallen
+comrade the two dashed through the gate, where to their immense relief
+they found Leopold safe in the hands of the trooper.
+
+An instant later the precious trio, with Leopold upon the horse of the
+late Dr. Stein, were galloping swiftly into the darkness of the wood
+that lies at the outskirts of Tafelberg.
+
+When Barney regained consciousness he found himself upon a cot within
+the sanatorium. Close beside him lay Butzow, and above them stood an
+interne and several nurses. No sooner had the American regained his
+scattered wits than he leaped to the floor. The interne and the nurses
+tried to force him back upon the cot, thinking that he was in the
+throes of a delirium, and it required his best efforts to convince them
+that he was quite rational.
+
+During the melee Butzow regained consciousness; his wound being as
+superficial as that of the American, the two men were soon donning
+their clothing, and, half-dressed, rushing toward the outer gate.
+
+The interne had told them that when he had reached the scene of the
+conflict in company with the gardener he had found them and another
+lying upon the sward.
+
+Their companion, he said, was quite dead.
+
+“That must have been Stein,” said Butzow. “And the others had escaped
+with the king!”
+
+“The king?” cried the interne.
+
+“Yes, the king, man—Leopold of Lutha. Did you not know that he who has
+lain here for three weeks was the king?” replied Butzow.
+
+The interne accompanied them to the gate and beyond, but everywhere was
+silence. The king was gone.
+
+
+
+
+X.
+ON THE BATTLEFIELD
+
+
+All that night and the following day Barney Custer and his aide rode in
+search of the missing king.
+
+They came to Blentz, and there Butzow rode boldly into the great court,
+admitted by virtue of the fact that the guard upon the gate knew him
+only as an officer of the royal guard whom they believed still loyal to
+Peter of Blentz.
+
+The lieutenant learned that the king was not there, nor had he been
+since his escape. He also learned that Peter was abroad in the lowland
+recruiting followers to aid him forcibly to regain the crown of Lutha.
+
+The lieutenant did not wait to hear more, but, hurrying from the
+castle, rode to Barney where the latter had remained in hiding in the
+wood below the moat—the same wood through which he had stumbled a few
+weeks previously after his escape from the stagnant waters of the moat.
+
+“The king is not here,” said Butzow to him, as soon as the former
+reached his side. “Peter is recruiting an army to aid him in seizing
+the palace at Lustadt, and king or no king, we must ride for the
+capital in time to check that move. Thank God,” he added, “that we
+shall have a king to place upon the throne of Lutha at noon tomorrow in
+spite of all that Peter can do.”
+
+“What do you mean?” asked Barney. “Have you any clue to the whereabouts
+of Leopold?”
+
+“I saw the man at Tafelberg whom you say is king,” replied Butzow. “I
+saw him tremble and whimper in the face of danger. I saw him run when
+he might have seized something, even a stone, and fought at the sides
+of the men who were come to rescue him. And I saw you there also.
+
+“The truth and the falsity of this whole strange business is beyond me,
+but this I know: if you are not the king today I pray God that the
+other may not find his way to Lustadt before noon tomorrow, for by then
+a brave man will sit upon the throne of Lutha, your majesty.”
+
+Barney laid his hand upon the shoulder of the other.
+
+“It cannot be, my friend,” he said. “There is more than a throne at
+stake for me, but to win them both I could not do the thing you
+suggest. If Leopold of Lutha lives he must be crowned tomorrow.”
+
+“And if he does not live?” asked Butzow.
+
+Barney Custer shrugged his shoulders.
+
+It was dusk when the two entered the palace grounds in Lustadt. The
+sight of Barney threw the servants and functionaries of the royal
+household into wild excitement and confusion. Men ran hither and
+thither bearing the glad tidings that the king had returned.
+
+Old von der Tann was announced within ten minutes after Barney reached
+his apartments. He urged upon the American the necessity for greater
+caution in the future.
+
+“Your majesty’s life is never safe while Peter of Blentz is abroad in
+Lutha,” cried he.
+
+“It was to save your king from Peter that we rode from Lustadt last
+night,” replied Barney, but the old prince did not catch the double
+meaning of the words.
+
+While they talked a young officer of cavalry begged an audience. He had
+important news for the king, he said. From him Barney learned that
+Peter of Blentz had succeeded in recruiting a fair-sized army in the
+lowlands. Two regiments of government infantry and a squadron of
+cavalry had united forces with him, for there were those who still
+accepted him as regent, believing his contention that the true king was
+dead, and that he whose coronation was to be attempted was but the
+puppet of old Von der Tann.
+
+The morning of November 5 broke clear and cold. The old town of Lustadt
+was awakened with a start at daybreak by the booming of cannon. Mounted
+messengers galloped hither and thither through the steep, winding
+streets. Troops, foot and horse, moved at the double from the barracks
+along the King’s Road to the fortifications which guard the entrance to
+the city at the foot of Margaretha Street.
+
+Upon the heights above the town Barney Custer and the old Prince von
+der Tann stood surrounded by officers and aides watching the advance of
+a skirmish line up the slopes toward Lustadt. Behind, the thin line
+columns of troops were marching under cover of two batteries of field
+artillery that Peter of Blentz had placed upon a wooden knoll to the
+southeast of the city.
+
+The guns upon the single fort that, overlooking the broad valley,
+guarded the entire southern exposure of the city were answering the
+fire of Prince Peter’s artillery, while several machine guns had been
+placed to sweep the slope up which the skirmish line was advancing.
+
+The trees that masked the enemy’s pieces extended upward along the
+ridge and the eastern edge of the city. Barney saw that a force of men
+might easily reach a commanding position from that direction and enter
+Lustadt almost in rear of the fortifications. Below him a squadron of
+the Royal Horse were just emerging from their stables, taking their way
+toward the plain to join in a concerted movement against the troops
+that were advancing toward the fort.
+
+He turned to an aide de camp standing just behind him.
+
+“Intercept that squadron and direct the major to move due east along
+the King’s Road to the grove,” he commanded. “We will join him there.”
+
+And as the officer spurred down the steep and narrow street the
+American, followed by Von der Tann and his staff, wheeled and galloped
+eastward.
+
+Ten minutes later the party entered the wood at the edge of town, where
+the squadron soon joined them. Von der Tann was mystified at the
+purpose of this change in the position of the general staff, since from
+the wood they could see nothing of the battle waging upon the slope.
+During his brief intercourse with the man he thought king he had quite
+forgotten that there had been any question as to the young man’s
+sanity, for he had given no indication of possessing aught but a
+well-balanced mind. Now, however, he commenced to have misgivings, if
+not of his sanity, then as to his judgment at least.
+
+“I fear, your majesty,” he ventured, “that we are putting ourselves too
+much out of touch with the main body of the army. We can neither see
+nor accomplish anything from this position.”
+
+“We were too far away to accomplish much upon the top of that
+mountain,” replied Barney, “but we’re going to commence doing things
+now. You will please to ride back along the King’s Road and take direct
+command of the troops mobilized near the fort.
+
+“Direct the artillery to redouble their fire upon the enemy’s battery
+for five minutes, and then to cease firing into the wood entirely. At
+the same instant you may order a cautious advance against the troops
+advancing up the slope.
+
+“When you see us emerge upon the west side of the grove where the
+enemy’s guns are now, you may order a charge, and we will take them
+simultaneously upon their right flank with a cavalry charge.”
+
+“But, your majesty,” exclaimed Von der Tann dubiously, “where will you
+be in the mean time?”
+
+“We shall be with the major’s squadron, and when you see us emerging
+from the grove, you will know that we have taken Peter’s guns and that
+everything is over except the shouting.”
+
+“You are not going to accompany the charge!” cried the old prince.
+
+“We are going to lead it,” and the pseudo-king of Lutha wheeled his
+mount as though to indicate that the time for talking was past.
+
+With a signal to the major commanding the squadron of Royal Horse, he
+moved eastward into the wood. Prince Ludwig hesitated a moment as
+though to question further the wisdom of the move, but finally with a
+shake of his head he trotted off in the direction of the fort.
+
+Five minutes later the enemy were delighted to note that the fire upon
+their concealed battery had suddenly ceased.
+
+Then Peter saw a force of foot-soldiers deploy from the city and
+advance slowly in line of skirmishers down the slope to meet his own
+firing line.
+
+Immediately he did what Barney had expected that he would—turned the
+fire of his artillery toward the southwest, directly away from the
+point from which the American and the crack squadron were advancing.
+
+So it came that the cavalrymen crept through the woods upon the rear of
+the guns, unseen; the noise of their advance was drowned by the
+detonation of the cannon.
+
+The first that the artillerymen knew of the enemy in their rear was a
+shout of warning from one of the powder-men at a caisson, who had
+caught a glimpse of the grim line advancing through the trees at his
+rear.
+
+Instantly an effort was made to wheel several of the pieces about and
+train them upon the advancing horsemen; but even had there been time, a
+shout that rose from several of Peter’s artillerymen as the Royal Horse
+broke into full view would doubtless have prevented the maneuver, for
+at sight of the tall, bearded, young man who galloped in front of the
+now charging cavalrymen there rose a shout of “The king! The king!”
+
+With the force of an avalanche the Royal Horse rode through those two
+batteries of field artillery; and in the thick of the fight that
+followed rode the American, a smile upon his face, for in his ears rang
+the wild shouts of his troopers: “For the king! For the king!”
+
+In the moment that the enemy made their first determined stand a bullet
+brought down the great bay upon which Barney rode. A dozen of Peter’s
+men rushed forward to seize the man stumbling to his feet. As many more
+of the Royal Horse closed around him, and there, for five minutes, was
+waged as fierce a battle for possession of a king as was ever fought.
+
+But already many of the artillerymen had deserted the guns that had not
+yet been attacked, for the magic name of king had turned their blood to
+water. Fifty or more raised a white flag and surrendered without
+striking a blow, and when, at last, Barney and his little bodyguard
+fought their way through those who surrounded them they found the
+balance of the field already won.
+
+Upon the slope below the city the loyal troops were advancing upon the
+enemy. Old Prince Ludwig paced back and forth behind them, apparently
+oblivious to the rain of bullets about him. Every moment he turned his
+eyes toward the wooded ridge from which there now belched an almost
+continuous fusillade of shells upon the advancing royalists.
+
+Quite suddenly the cannonading ceased and the old man halted in his
+tracks, his gaze riveted upon the wood. For several minutes he saw no
+sign of what was transpiring behind that screen of sere and yellow
+autumn leaves, and then a man came running out, and after him another
+and another.
+
+The prince raised his field glasses to his eyes. He almost cried aloud
+in his relief—the uniforms of the fugitives were those of artillerymen,
+and only cavalry had accompanied the king. A moment later there
+appeared in the center of his lenses a tall figure with a full beard.
+He rode, swinging his saber above his head, and behind him at full
+gallop came a squadron of the Royal Horse.
+
+Old von der Tann could restrain himself no longer.
+
+“The king! The king!” he cried to those about him, pointing in the
+direction of the wood.
+
+The officers gathered there and the soldiery before him heard and took
+up the cry, and then from the old man’s lips came the command,
+“Charge!” and a thousand men tore down the slopes of Lustadt upon the
+forces of Peter of Blentz, while from the east the king charged their
+right flank at the head of the Royal Horse.
+
+Peter of Blentz saw that the day was lost, for the troops upon the
+right were crumpling before the false king while he and his cavalrymen
+were yet a half mile distant. Before the retreat could become a rout
+the prince regent ordered his forces to fall back slowly upon a suburb
+that lies in the valley below the city.
+
+Once safely there he raised a white flag, asking a conference with
+Prince Ludwig.
+
+“Your majesty,” said the old man, “what answer shall we send the
+traitor who even now ignores the presence of his king?”
+
+“Treat with him,” replied the American. “He may be honest enough in his
+belief that I am an impostor.”
+
+Von der Tann shrugged his shoulders, but did as Barney bid, and for
+half an hour the young man waited with Butzow while Von der Tann and
+Peter met halfway between the forces for their conference.
+
+A dozen members of the most powerful of the older nobility accompanied
+Ludwig. When they returned their faces were a picture of puzzled
+bewilderment. With them were several officers, soldiers and civilians
+from Peter’s contingency.
+
+“What said he?” asked Barney.
+
+“He said, your majesty,” replied Von der Tann, “that he is confident
+you are not the king, and that these men he has sent with me knew the
+king well at Blentz. As proof that you are not the king he has offered
+the evidence of your own denials—made not only to his officers and
+soldiers, but to the man who is now your loyal lieutenant, Butzow, and
+to the Princess Emma von der Tann, my daughter.
+
+“He insists that he is fighting for the welfare of Lutha, while we are
+traitors, attempting to seat an impostor upon the throne of the dead
+Leopold. I will admit that we are at a loss, your majesty, to know
+where lies the truth and where the falsity in this matter.
+
+“We seek only to serve our country and our king but there are those
+among us who, to be entirely frank, are not yet convinced that you are
+Leopold. The result of the conference may not, then, meet with the
+hearty approval of your majesty.”
+
+“What was the result?” asked Barney.
+
+“It was decided that all hostilities cease, and that Prince Peter be
+given an opportunity to establish the validity of his claim that your
+majesty is an impostor. If he is able to do so to the entire
+satisfaction of a majority of the old nobility, we have agreed to
+support him in a return to his regency.”
+
+For a moment there was deep silence. Many of the nobles stood with
+averted faces and eyes upon the ground.
+
+The American, a half-smile upon his face, turned toward the men of
+Peter who had come to denounce him. He knew what their verdict would
+be. He knew that if he were to save the throne for Leopold he must hold
+it at any cost until Leopold should be found.
+
+Troopers were scouring the country about Lustadt as far as Blentz in
+search of Maenck and Coblich. Could they locate these two and arrest
+them “with all found in their company,” as his order read, he felt sure
+that he would be able to deliver the missing king to his subjects in
+time for the coronation at noon.
+
+Barney looked straight into the eyes of old Von der Tann.
+
+“You have given us the opinion of others, Prince Ludwig,” he said. “Now
+you may tell us your own views of the matter.”
+
+“I shall have to abide by the decision of the majority,” replied the
+old man. “But I have seen your majesty under fire, and if you are not
+the king, for Lutha’s sake you ought to be.”
+
+“He is not Leopold,” said one of the officers who had accompanied the
+prince from Peter’s camp. “I was governor of Blentz for three years and
+as familiar with the king’s face as with that of my own brother.”
+
+“No,” cried several of the others, “this man is not the king.”
+
+Several of the nobles drew away from Barney. Others looked at him
+questioningly.
+
+Butzow stepped close to his side, and it was noticeable that the
+troopers, and even the officers, of the Royal Horse which Barney had
+led in the charge upon the two batteries in the wood, pressed a little
+closer to the American. This fact did not escape Butzow’s notice.
+
+“If you are content to take the word of the servants of a traitor and a
+would-be regicide,” he cried, “I am not. There has been no proof
+advanced that this man is not the king. In so far as I am concerned he
+is the king, nor ever do I expect to serve another more worthy of the
+title.
+
+“If Peter of Blentz has real proof—not the testimony of his own
+faction—that Leopold of Lutha is dead, let him bring it forward before
+noon today, for at noon we shall crown a king in the cathedral at
+Lustadt, and I for one pray to God that it may be he who has led us in
+battle today.”
+
+A shout of applause rose from the Royal Horse, and from the
+foot-soldiers who had seen the king charge across the plain, scattering
+the enemy before him.
+
+Barney, appreciating the advantage in the sudden turn affairs had taken
+following Butzow’s words, swung to his saddle.
+
+“Until Peter of Blentz brings to Lustadt one with a better claim to the
+throne,” he said, “we shall continue to rule Lutha, nor shall other
+than Leopold be crowned her king. We approve of the amnesty you have
+granted, Prince Ludwig, and Peter of Blentz is free to enter Lustadt,
+as he will, so long as he does not plot against the true king.
+
+“Major,” he added, turning to the commander of the squadron at his
+back, “we are returning to the palace. Your squadron will escort us,
+remaining on guard there about the grounds. Prince Ludwig, you will see
+that machine guns are placed about the palace and commanding the
+approaches to the cathedral.”
+
+With a nod to the cavalry major he wheeled his horse and trotted up the
+slope toward Lustadt.
+
+With a grim smile Prince Ludwig von der Tann mounted his horse and rode
+toward the fort. At his side were several of the nobles of Lutha. They
+looked at him in astonishment.
+
+“You are doing his bidding, although you do not know that he is the
+true king?” asked one of them.
+
+“Were he an impostor,” replied the old man, “he would have insisted by
+word of mouth that he is king. But not once has he said that he is
+Leopold. Instead, he has proved his kingship by his acts.”
+
+
+
+
+XI.
+A TIMELY INTERVENTION
+
+
+Nine o’clock found Barney Custer pacing up and down his apartments in
+the palace. No clue as to the whereabouts of Coblich, Maenck or the
+king had been discovered. One by one his troopers had returned to
+Butzow empty-handed, and as much at a loss as to the hiding-place of
+their quarry as when they had set out upon their search.
+
+Peter of Blentz and his retainers had entered the city and already had
+commenced to gather at the cathedral.
+
+Peter, at the residence of Coblich, had succeeded in gathering about
+him many of the older nobility whom he pledged to support him in case
+he could prove to them that the man who occupied the royal palace was
+not Leopold of Lutha.
+
+They agreed to support him in his regency if he produced proof that the
+true Leopold was dead, and Peter of Blentz waited with growing anxiety
+the coming of Coblich with word that he had the king in custody. Peter
+was staking all on a single daring move which he had decided to make in
+his game of intrigue.
+
+As Barney paced within the palace, waiting for word that Leopold had
+been found, Peter of Blentz was filled with equal apprehension as he,
+too, waited for the same tidings. At last he heard the pound of hoofs
+upon the pavement without and a moment later Coblich, his clothing
+streaked with dirt, blood caked upon his face from a wound across the
+forehead, rushed into the presence of the prince regent.
+
+Peter drew him hurriedly into a small study on the first floor.
+
+“Well?” he whispered, as the two faced each other.
+
+“We have him,” replied Coblich. “But we had the devil’s own time
+getting him. Stein was killed and Maenck and I both wounded, and all
+morning we have spent the time hiding from troopers who seemed to be
+searching for us. Only fifteen minutes since did we reach the
+hiding-place that you instructed us to use. But we have him, your
+highness, and he is in such a state of cowardly terror that he is ready
+to agree to anything, if you will but spare his life and set him free
+across the border.”
+
+“It is too late for that now, Coblich,” replied Peter. “There is but
+one way that Leopold of Lutha can serve me now, and that is—dead. Were
+his corpse to be carried into the cathedral of Lustadt before noon
+today, and were those who fetched it to swear that the king was killed
+by the impostor after being dragged from the hospital at Tafelberg
+where you and Maenck had located him, and from which you were
+attempting to rescue him, I believe that the people would tear our
+enemies to pieces. What say you, Coblich?”
+
+The other stared at Peter of Blentz for several seconds while the
+atrocity of his chief’s plan filtered through his brain.
+
+“My God!” he exclaimed at last. “You mean that you wish me to murder
+Leopold with my own hands?”
+
+“You put it too crudely, my dear Coblich,” replied the other.
+
+“I cannot do it,” muttered Coblich. “I have never killed a man in my
+life. I am getting old. No, I could never do it. I should not sleep
+nights.”
+
+“If it is not done, Coblich, and Leopold comes into his own,” said
+Peter slowly, “you will be caught and hanged higher than Haman. And if
+you do not do it, and the impostor is crowned today, then you will be
+either hanged officially or knifed unofficially, and without any choice
+in the matter whatsoever. Nothing, Coblich, but the dead body of the
+true Leopold can save your neck. You have your choice, therefore, of
+letting him live to prove your treason, or letting him die and becoming
+chancellor of Lutha.”
+
+Slowly Coblich turned toward the door. “You are right,” he said, “but
+may God have mercy on my soul. I never thought that I should have to do
+it with my own hands.”
+
+So saying he left the room and a moment later Peter of Blentz smiled as
+he heard the pounding of a horse’s hoofs upon the pavement without.
+
+Then the Regent entered the room he had recently quitted and spoke to
+the nobles of Lutha who were gathered there.
+
+“Coblich has found the body of the murdered king,” he said. “I have
+directed him to bring it to the cathedral. He came upon the impostor
+and his confederate, Lieutenant Butzow, as they were bearing the corpse
+from the hospital at Tafelberg where the king has lain unknown since
+the rumor was spread by Von der Tann that he had been killed by
+bandits.
+
+“He was not killed until last evening, my lords, and you shall see
+today the fresh wounds upon him. When the time comes that we can
+present this grisly evidence of the guilt of the impostor and those who
+uphold him, I shall expect you all to stand at my side, as you have
+promised.”
+
+With one accord the noblemen pledged anew their allegiance to Peter of
+Blentz if he could produce one-quarter of the evidence he claimed to
+possess.
+
+“All that we wish to know positively is,” said one, “that the man who
+bears the title of king today is really Leopold of Lutha, or that he is
+not. If not then he stands convicted of treason, and we shall know how
+to conduct ourselves.”
+
+Together the party rode to the cathedral, the majority of the older
+nobility now openly espousing the cause of the Regent.
+
+At the palace Barney was about distracted. Butzow was urging him to
+take the crown whether he was Leopold or not, for the young lieutenant
+saw no hope for Lutha, if either the scoundrelly Regent or the cowardly
+man whom Barney had assured him was the true king should come into
+power.
+
+It was eleven o’clock. In another hour Barney knew that he must have
+found some new solution of his dilemma, for there seemed little
+probability that the king would be located in the brief interval that
+remained before the coronation. He wondered what they did to people who
+stole thrones. For a time he figured his chances of reaching the border
+ahead of the enraged populace. All had depended upon the finding of the
+king, and he had been so sure that it could be accomplished in time,
+for Coblich and Maenck had had but a few hours in which to conceal the
+monarch before the search was well under way.
+
+Armed with the king’s warrants, his troopers had ridden through the
+country, searching houses, and questioning all whom they met. Patrols
+had guarded every road that the fugitives might take either to Lustadt,
+Blentz, or the border; but no king had been found and no trace of his
+abductors.
+
+Prince von der Tann, Barney was convinced, was on the point of
+deserting him, and going over to the other side. It was true that the
+old man had carried out his instructions relative to the placing of the
+machine guns; but they might be used as well against him, where they
+stood, as for him.
+
+From his window he could see the broad avenue which passes before the
+royal palace of Lutha. It was crowded with throngs moving toward the
+cathedral. Presently there came a knock upon the closed door of his
+chamber.
+
+At his “Enter” a functionary announced: “His Royal Highness Ludwig,
+Prince von der Tann!”
+
+The old man was much perturbed at the rumors he had heard relative to
+the assassination of the true Leopold. Soldier-like, he blurted out his
+suspicions and his ultimatum.
+
+“None but the royal blood of Rubinroth may reign in Lutha while there
+be a Rubinroth left to reign and old Von der Tann lives,” he cried in
+conclusion.
+
+At the name “Rubinroth” Barney started. It was his mother’s name.
+Suddenly the truth flashed upon him. He understood now the reticence of
+both his father and mother relative to her early life.
+
+“Prince Ludwig,” said the young man earnestly, “I have only the good of
+Lutha in my heart. For three weeks I have labored and risked death a
+hundred times to place the legitimate heir to the crown of Lutha upon
+his throne. I—”
+
+He hesitated, not knowing just how to commence the confession he was
+determined to make, though he was positive that it would place Peter of
+Blentz upon the throne, since the old prince had promised to support
+the Regent could it be proved that Barney was an impostor.
+
+“I,” he started again, and then there came an interruption at the door.
+
+“A messenger, your majesty,” announced the doorman, “who says that he
+must have audience at once upon a matter of life and death to the
+king.”
+
+“We will see him in the ante-chamber,” replied Barney, moving toward
+the door. “Await us here, Prince Ludwig.”
+
+A moment later he re-entered the apartment. There was an expression of
+renewed hope upon his face.
+
+“As we were about to remark, my dear prince,” he said, “I swear that
+the royal blood of the Rubinroths flows in my veins, and as God is my
+judge, none other than the true Leopold of Lutha shall be crowned
+today. And now we must prepare for the coronation. If there be trouble
+in the cathedral, Prince Ludwig, we look to your sword in protection of
+the king.”
+
+“When I am with you, sire,” said Von der Tann, “I know that you are
+king. When I saw how you led the troops in battle, I prayed that there
+could be no mistake. God give that I am right. But God help you if you
+are playing with old Ludwig von der Tann.”
+
+When the old man had left the apartment Barney summoned an aide and
+sent for Butzow. Then he hurried to the bath that adjoined the
+apartment, and when the lieutenant of horse was announced Barney called
+through a soapy lather for his confederate to enter.
+
+“What are you doing, sire?” cried Butzow in amazement.
+
+“Cut out the ‘sire,’ old man,” shouted Barney Custer of Beatrice. “this
+is the fifth of November and I am shaving off this alfalfa. The king is
+found!”
+
+“What?” cried Butzow, and upon his face there was little to indicate
+the rejoicing that a loyal subject of Leopold of Lutha should have felt
+at that announcement.
+
+“There is a man in the next room,” went on Barney, “who can lead us to
+the spot where Coblich and Maenck guard the king. Get him in here.”
+
+Butzow hastened to comply with the American’s instructions, and a
+moment later returned to the apartment with the old shopkeeper of
+Tafelberg.
+
+As Barney shaved he issued directions to the two. Within the room to
+the east, he said, there were the king’s coronation robes, and in a
+smaller dressingroom beyond they would find a long gray cloak.
+
+They were to wrap all these in a bundle which the old shopkeeper was to
+carry.
+
+“And, Butzow,” added Barney, “look to my revolvers and your own, and
+lay my sword out as well. The chances are that we shall have to use
+them before we are ten minutes older.”
+
+In an incredibly short space of time the young man emerged from the
+bath, his luxuriant beard gone forever, he hoped. Butzow looked at him
+with a smile.
+
+“I must say that the beard did not add greatly to your majesty’s good
+looks,” he said.
+
+“Never mind the bouquets, old man,” cried Barney, cramming his arms
+into the sleeves of his khaki jacket and buckling sword and revolver
+about him, as he hurried toward a small door that opened upon the
+opposite side of the apartment to that through which his visitors had
+been conducted.
+
+Together the three hastened through a narrow, little-used corridor and
+down a flight of well-worn stone steps to a door that let upon the rear
+court of the palace.
+
+There were grooms and servants there, and soldiers too, who saluted
+Butzow, according the old shopkeeper and the smooth-faced young
+stranger only cursory glances. It was evident that without his beard it
+was not likely that Barney would be again mistaken for the king.
+
+At the stables Butzow requisitioned three horses, and soon the trio was
+galloping through a little-frequented street toward the northern, hilly
+environs of Lustadt. They rode in silence until they came to an old
+stone building, whose boarded windows and general appearance of
+dilapidation proclaimed its long tenantless condition. Rank weeds, now
+rustling dry and yellow in the November wind, choked what once might
+have been a luxuriant garden. A stone wall, which had at one time
+entirely surrounded the grounds, had been almost completely removed
+from the front to serve as foundation stone for a smaller edifice
+farther down the mountainside.
+
+The horsemen avoided this break in the wall, coming up instead upon the
+rear side where their approach was wholly screened from the building by
+the wall upon that exposure.
+
+Close in they dismounted, and leaving the animals in charge of the
+shopkeeper of Tafelberg, Barney and Butzow hastened toward a small
+postern-gate which swung, groaning, upon a single rusted hinge. Each
+felt that there was no time for caution or stratagem. Instead all
+depended upon the very boldness and rashness of their attack, and so as
+they came through into the courtyard the two dashed headlong for the
+building.
+
+Chance accomplished for them what no amount of careful execution might
+have done, and they came within the ruin unnoticed by the four who
+occupied the old, darkened library.
+
+Possibly the fact that one of the men had himself just entered and was
+excitedly talking to the others may have drowned the noisy approach of
+the two. However that may be, it is a fact that Barney and the cavalry
+officer came to the very door of the library unheard.
+
+There they halted, listening. Coblich was speaking.
+
+“The Regent commands it, Maenck,” he was saying. “It is the only thing
+that can save our necks. He said that you had better be the one to do
+it, since it was your carelessness that permitted the fellow to escape
+from Blentz.”
+
+Huddled in a far corner of the room was an abject figure trembling in
+terror. At the words of Coblich it staggered to its feet. It was the
+king.
+
+“Have pity—have pity!” he cried. “Do not kill me, and I will go away
+where none will ever know that I live. You can tell Peter that I am
+dead. Tell him anything, only spare my life. Oh, why did I ever listen
+to the cursed fool who tempted me to think of regaining the crown that
+has brought me only misery and suffering—the crown that has now placed
+the sentence of death upon me.”
+
+“Why not let him go?” suggested the trooper, who up to this time had
+not spoken. “If we don’t kill him, we can’t be hanged for his murder.”
+
+“Don’t be too sure of that,” exclaimed Maenck. “If he goes away and
+never returns, what proof can we offer that we did not kill him, should
+we be charged with the crime? And if we let him go, and later he
+returns and gains his throne, he will see that we are hanged anyway for
+treason.
+
+“The safest thing to do is to put him where he at least cannot come
+back to threaten us, and having done so upon the orders of Peter, let
+the king’s blood be upon Peter’s head. I, at least, shall obey my
+master, and let you two bear witness that I did the thing with my own
+hand.” So saying he drew his sword and crossed toward the king.
+
+But Captain Ernst Maenck never reached his sovereign.
+
+As the terrified shriek of the sorry monarch rang through the interior
+of the desolate ruin another sound mingled with it, half-drowning the
+piercing wail of terror.
+
+It was the sharp crack of a revolver, and even as it spoke Maenck
+lunged awkwardly forward, stumbled, and collapsed at Leopold’s feet.
+With a moan the king shrank back from the grisly thing that touched his
+boot, and then two men were in the center of the room, and things were
+happening with a rapidity that was bewildering.
+
+About all that he could afterward recall with any distinctness was the
+terrified face of Coblich, as he rushed past him toward a door in the
+opposite side of the room, and the horrid leer upon the face of the
+dead trooper, who foolishly, had made a move to draw his revolver.
+
+Within the cathedral at Lustadt excitement was at fever heat. It lacked
+but two minutes of noon, and as yet no king had come to claim the
+crown. Rumors were running riot through the close-packed audience.
+
+One man had heard the king’s chamberlain report to Prince von der Tann
+that the master of ceremonies had found the king’s apartments vacant
+when he had gone to urge the monarch to hasten his preparations for the
+coronation.
+
+Another had seen Butzow and two strangers galloping north through the
+city. A third told of a little old man who had come to the king with an
+urgent message.
+
+Peter of Blentz and Prince Ludwig were talking in whispers at the foot
+of the chancel steps. Peter ascended the steps and facing the
+assemblage raised a silencing hand.
+
+“He who claimed to be Leopold of Lutha,” he said, “was but a mad
+adventurer. He would have seized the throne of the Rubinroths had his
+nerve not failed him at the last moment. He has fled. The true king is
+dead. Now I, Prince Regent of Lutha, declare the throne vacant, and
+announce myself king!”
+
+There were a few scattered cheers and some hissing. A score of the
+nobles rose as though to protest, but before any could take a step the
+attention of all was directed toward the sorry figure of a white-faced
+man who scurried up the broad center aisle.
+
+It was Coblich.
+
+He ran to Peter’s side, and though he attempted to speak in a whisper,
+so out of breath, and so filled with hysterical terror was he that his
+words came out in gasps that were audible to many of those who stood
+near by.
+
+“Maenck is dead,” he cried. “The impostor has stolen the king.”
+
+Peter of Blentz went white as his lieutenant. Von der Tann heard and
+demanded an explanation.
+
+“You said that Leopold was dead,” he said accusingly.
+
+Peter regained his self-control quickly.
+
+“Coblich is excited,” he explained. “He means that the impostor has
+stolen the body of the king that Coblich and Maenck had discovered and
+were bringing to Lustadt.”
+
+Von der Tann looked troubled.
+
+He knew not what to make of the series of wild tales that had come to
+his ears within the past hour. He had hoped that the young man whom he
+had last seen in the king’s apartments was the true Leopold. He would
+have been glad to have served such a one, but there had been many
+inexplicable occurrences which tended to cast a doubt upon the man’s
+claims—and yet, had he ever claimed to be the king? It suddenly
+occurred to the old prince that he had not. On the contrary he had
+repeatedly stated to Prince Ludwig’s daughter and to Lieutenant Butzow
+that he was not Leopold.
+
+It seemed that they had all been so anxious to believe him king that
+they had forced the false position upon him, and now if he had indeed
+committed the atrocity that Coblich charged against him, who could
+wonder? With less provocation men had before attempted to seize thrones
+by more dastardly means.
+
+Peter of Blentz was speaking.
+
+“Let the coronation proceed,” he cried, “that Lutha may have a true
+king to frustrate the plans of the impostor and the traitors who had
+supported him.”
+
+He cast a meaning glance at Prince von der Tann.
+
+There were many cries for Peter of Blentz. “Let’s have done with
+treason, and place upon the throne of Lutha one whom we know to be both
+a Luthanian and sane. Down with the mad king! Down with the impostor!”
+
+Peter turned to ascend the chancel steps.
+
+Von der Tann still hesitated. Below him upon one side of the aisle were
+massed his own retainers. Opposite them were the men of the Regent, and
+dividing the two the parallel ranks of Horse Guards stretched from the
+chancel down the broad aisle to the great doors. These were strongly
+for the impostor, if impostor he was, who had led them to victory over
+the men of the Blentz faction.
+
+Von der Tann knew that they would fight to the last ditch for their
+hero should he come to claim the crown. Yet how would they fight—to
+which side would they cleave, were he to attempt to frustrate the
+design of the Regent to seize the throne of Lutha?
+
+Already Peter of Blentz had approached the bishop, who, eager to
+propitiate whoever seemed most likely to become king, gave the signal
+for the procession that was to mark the solemn bearing of the crown of
+Lutha up the aisle to the chancel.
+
+Outside the cathedral there was the sudden blare of trumpets. The great
+doors swung violently open, and the entire throng were upon their feet
+in an instant as a trooper of the Royal Horse shouted: “The king! The
+king! Make way for Leopold of Lutha!”
+
+
+
+
+XII.
+THE GRATITUDE OF A KING
+
+
+At the cry silence fell upon the throng. Every head was turned toward
+the great doors through which the head of a procession was just
+visible. It was a grim looking procession—the head of it, at least.
+
+There were four khaki-clad trumpeters from the Royal Horse Guards, the
+gay and resplendent uniforms which they should have donned today
+conspicuous for their absence. From their brazen bugles sounded another
+loud fanfare, and then they separated, two upon each side of the aisle,
+and between them marched three men.
+
+One was tall, with gray eyes and had a reddish-brown beard. He was
+fully clothed in the coronation robes of Leopold. Upon his either hand
+walked the others—Lieutenant Butzow and a gray-eyed, smooth-faced,
+square-jawed stranger.
+
+Behind them marched the balance of the Royal Horse Guards that were not
+already on duty within the cathedral. As the eyes of the multitude fell
+upon the man in the coronation robes there were cries of: “The king!
+Impostor!” and “Von der Tann’s puppet!”
+
+“Denounce him!” whispered one of Peter’s henchmen in his master’s ear.
+
+The Regent moved closer to the aisle, that he might meet the impostor
+at the foot of the chancel steps. The procession was moving steadily up
+the aisle.
+
+Among the clan of Von der Tann a young girl with wide eyes was bending
+forward that she might have a better look at the face of the king. As
+he came opposite her her eyes filled with horror, and then she saw the
+eyes of the smooth-faced stranger at the king’s side. They were brave,
+laughing eyes, and as they looked straight into her own the truth
+flashed upon her, and the girl gave a gasp of dismay as she realized
+that the king of Lutha and the king of her heart were not one and the
+same.
+
+At last the head of the procession was almost at the foot of the
+chancel steps. There were murmurs of: “It is not the king,” and “Who is
+this new impostor?”
+
+Leopold’s eyes were searching the faces of the close-packed nobility
+about the chancel. At last they fell upon the face of Peter. The young
+man halted not two paces from the Regent. The man went white as the
+king’s eyes bored straight into his miserable soul.
+
+“Peter of Blentz,” cried the young man, “as God is your judge, tell the
+truth today. Who am I?”
+
+The legs of the Prince Regent trembled. He sank upon his knees, raising
+his hands in supplication toward the other. “Have pity on me, your
+majesty, have pity!” he cried.
+
+“Who am I, man?” insisted the king.
+
+“You are Leopold Rubinroth, sire, by the grace of God, king of Lutha,”
+cried the frightened man. “Have mercy on an old man, your majesty.”
+
+“Wait! Am I mad? Was I ever mad?”
+
+“As God is my judge, sire, no!” replied Peter of Blentz.
+
+Leopold turned to Butzow.
+
+“Remove the traitor from our presence,” he commanded, and at a word
+from the lieutenant a dozen guardsmen seized the trembling man and
+hustled him from the cathedral amid hisses and execrations.
+
+Following the coronation the king was closeted in his private audience
+chamber in the palace with Prince Ludwig.
+
+“I cannot understand what has happened, even now, your majesty,” the
+old man was saying. “That you are the true Leopold is all that I am
+positive of, for the discomfiture of Prince Peter evidenced that fact
+all too plainly. But who the impostor was who ruled Lutha in your name
+for two days, disappearing as miraculously as he came, I cannot guess.
+
+“But for another miracle which preserved you for us in the nick of time
+he might now be wearing the crown of Lutha in your stead. Having Peter
+of Blentz safely in custody our next immediate task should be to hunt
+down the impostor and bring him to justice also; though”—and the old
+prince sighed—“he was indeed a brave man, and a noble figure of a king
+as he led your troops to battle.”
+
+The king had been smiling as Von der Tann first spoke of the
+“impostor,” but at the old man’s praise of the other’s bravery a slight
+flush tinged his cheek, and the shadow of a scowl crossed his brow.
+
+“Wait,” he said, “we shall not have to look far for your ‘impostor,’”
+and summoning an aide he dispatched him for “Lieutenant Butzow and Mr.
+Custer.”
+
+A moment later the two entered the audience chamber. Barney found that
+Leopold the king, surrounded by comforts and safety, was a very
+different person from Leopold the fugitive. The weak face now wore an
+expression of arrogance, though the king spoke most graciously to the
+American.
+
+“Here, Von der Tann,” said Leopold, “is your ‘impostor.’ But for him I
+should doubtless be dead by now, or once again a prisoner at Blentz.”
+
+Barney and Butzow found it necessary to repeat their stories several
+times before the old man could fully grasp all that had transpired
+beneath his very nose without his being aware of scarce a single detail
+of it.
+
+When he was finally convinced that they were telling the truth, he
+extended his hand to the American.
+
+“I knelt to you once, young man,” he said, “and kissed your hand. I
+should be filled with bitterness and rage toward you. On the contrary,
+I find that I am proud to have served in the retinue of such an
+impostor as you, for you upheld the prestige of the house of Rubinroth
+upon the battlefield, and though you might have had a crown, you
+refused it and brought the true king into his own.”
+
+Leopold sat tapping his foot upon the carpet. It was all very well if
+he, the king, chose to praise the American, but there was no need for
+old von der Tann to slop over so. The king did not like it. As a matter
+of fact, he found himself becoming very jealous of the man who had
+placed him upon his throne.
+
+“There is only one thing that I can harbor against you,” continued
+Prince Ludwig, “and that is that in a single instance you deceived me,
+for an hour before the coronation you told me that you were a
+Rubinroth.”
+
+“I told you, prince,” corrected Barney, “that the royal blood of
+Rubinroth flowed in my veins, and so it does. I am the son of the
+runaway Princess Victoria of Lutha.”
+
+Both Leopold and Ludwig looked their surprise, and to the king’s eyes
+came a sudden look of fear. With the royal blood in his veins, what was
+there to prevent this popular hero from some day striving for the
+throne he had once refused? Leopold knew that the minds of men were
+wont to change most unaccountably.
+
+“Butzow,” he said suddenly to the lieutenant of horse, “how many do you
+imagine know positively that he who has ruled Lutha for the past two
+days and he who was crowned in the cathedral this noon are not one and
+the same?”
+
+“Only a few besides those who are in this room, your majesty,” replied
+Butzow. “Peter and Coblich have known it from the first, and then there
+is Kramer, the loyal old shopkeeper of Tafelberg, who followed Coblich
+and Maenck all night and half a day as they dragged the king to the
+hiding-place where we found him. Other than these there may be those
+who guess the truth, but there are none who know.”
+
+For a moment the king sat in thought. Then he rose and commenced pacing
+back and forth the length of the apartment.
+
+“Why should they ever know?” he said at last, halting before the three
+men who had been standing watching him. “For the sake of Lutha they
+should never know that another than the true king sat upon the throne
+even for an hour.”
+
+He was thinking of the comparison that might be drawn between the
+heroic figure of the American and his own colorless part in the events
+which had led up to his coronation. In his heart of hearts he felt that
+old Von der Tann rather regretted that the American had not been the
+king, and he hated the old man accordingly, and was commencing to hate
+the American as well.
+
+Prince Ludwig stood looking at the carpet after the king had spoken.
+His judgment told him that the king’s suggestion was a wise one; but he
+was sorry and ashamed that it had come from Leopold. Butzow’s lips
+almost showed the contempt that he felt for the ingratitude of his
+king.
+
+Barney Custer was the first to speak.
+
+“I think his majesty is quite right,” he said, “and tonight I can leave
+the palace after dark and cross the border some time tomorrow evening.
+The people need never know the truth.”
+
+Leopold looked relieved.
+
+“We must reward you, Mr. Custer,” he said. “Name that which it lies
+within our power to grant you and it shall be yours.”
+
+Barney thought of the girl he loved; but he did not mention her name,
+for he knew that she was not for him now.
+
+“There is nothing, your majesty,” he said.
+
+“A money reward,” Leopold started to suggest, and then Barney Custer
+lost his temper.
+
+A flush mounted to his face, his chin went up, and there came to his
+lips bitter words of sarcasm. With an effort, however, he held his
+tongue, and, turning his back upon the king, his broad shoulders
+proclaiming the contempt he felt, he walked slowly out of the room.
+
+Von der Tann and Butzow and Leopold of Lutha stood in silence as the
+American passed out of sight beyond the portal.
+
+The manner of his going had been an affront to the king, and the young
+ruler had gone red with anger.
+
+“Butzow,” he cried, “bring the fellow back; he shall be taught a lesson
+in the deference that is due kings.”
+
+Butzow hesitated. “He has risked his life a dozen times for your
+majesty,” said the lieutenant.
+
+Leopold flushed.
+
+“Do not humiliate him, sire,” advised Von der Tann. “He has earned a
+greater reward at your hands than that.”
+
+The king resumed his pacing for a moment, coming to a halt once more
+before the two.
+
+“We shall take no notice of his insolence,” he said, “and that shall be
+our royal reward for his services. More than he deserves, we dare say,
+at that.”
+
+As Barney hastened through the palace on his way to his new quarters to
+obtain his arms and order his horse saddled, he came suddenly upon a
+girlish figure gazing sadly from a window upon the drear November
+world—her heart as sad as the day.
+
+At the sound of his footstep she turned, and as her eyes met the gray
+ones of the man she stood poised as though of half a mind to fly. For a
+moment neither spoke.
+
+“Can your highness forgive?” he asked.
+
+For answer the girl buried her face in her hands and dropped upon the
+cushioned window seat before her. The American came close and knelt at
+her side.
+
+“Don’t,” he begged as he saw her shoulders rise to the sudden sobbing
+that racked her slender frame. “Don’t!”
+
+He thought that she wept from mortification that she had given her
+kisses to another than the king.
+
+“None knows,” he continued, “what has passed between us. None but you
+and I need ever know. I tried to make you understand that I was not
+Leopold; but you would not believe. It is not my fault that I loved
+you. It is not my fault that I shall always love you. Tell me that you
+forgive me my part in the chain of strange circumstances that deceived
+you into an acknowledgment of a love that you intended for another.
+Forgive me, Emma!”
+
+Down the corridor behind them a tall figure approached on silent,
+noiseless feet. At sight of the two at the window seat it halted. It
+was the king.
+
+The girl looked up suddenly into the eyes of the American bending so
+close above her.
+
+“I can never forgive you,” she cried, “for not being the king, for I am
+betrothed to him—and I love you!”
+
+Before she could prevent him, Barney Custer had taken her in his arms,
+and though at first she made a pretense of attempting to escape, at
+last she lay quite still. Her arms found their way about the man’s
+neck, and her lips returned the kisses that his were showering upon her
+upturned mouth.
+
+Presently her glance wandered above the shoulder of the American, and
+of a sudden her eyes filled with terror, and, with a little gasp of
+consternation, she struggled to free herself.
+
+“Let me go!” she whispered. “Let me go—the king!”
+
+Barney sprang to his feet and, turning, faced Leopold. The king had
+gone quite white.
+
+“Failing to rob me of my crown,” he cried in a trembling voice, “you
+now seek to rob me of my betrothed! Go to your father at once, and as
+for you—you shall learn what it means for you thus to meddle in the
+affairs of kings.”
+
+Barney saw the terrible position in which his love had placed the
+Princess Emma. His only thought now was for her. Bowing low before her
+he spoke so that the king might hear, yet as though his words were for
+her ears alone.
+
+“Your highness knows the truth, now,” he said, “and that after all I am
+not the king. I can only ask that you will forgive me the deception.
+Now go to your father as the king commands.”
+
+Slowly the girl turned away. Her heart was torn between love for this
+man, and her duty toward the other to whom she had been betrothed in
+childhood. The hereditary instinct of obedience to her sovereign was
+strong within her, and the bonds of custom and society held her in
+their relentless shackles. With a sob she passed up the corridor,
+curtsying to the king as she passed him.
+
+When she had gone Leopold turned to the American. There was an evil
+look in the little gray eyes of the monarch.
+
+“You may go your way,” he said coldly. “We shall give you forty-eight
+hours to leave Lutha. Should you ever return your life shall be the
+forfeit.”
+
+The American kept back the hot words that were ready upon the end of
+his tongue. For her sake he must bow to fate. With a slight inclination
+of his head toward Leopold he wheeled and resumed his way toward his
+quarters.
+
+Half an hour later as he was about to descend to the courtyard where a
+trooper of the Royal Horse held his waiting mount, Butzow burst
+suddenly into his room.
+
+“For God’s sake,” cried the lieutenant, “get out of this. The king has
+changed his mind, and there is an officer of the guard on his way here
+now with a file of soldiers to place you under arrest. Leopold swears
+that he will hang you for treason. Princess Emma has spurned him, and
+he is wild with rage.”
+
+The dismal November twilight had given place to bleak night as two men
+cantered from the palace courtyard and turned their horses’ heads
+northward toward Lutha’s nearest boundary. All night they rode,
+stopping at daylight before a distant farm to feed and water their
+mounts and snatch a mouthful for themselves. Then onward once again
+they pressed in their mad flight.
+
+Now that day had come they caught occasional glimpses of a body of
+horsemen far behind them, but the border was near, and their start such
+that there was no danger of their being overtaken.
+
+“For the thousandth time, Butzow,” said one of the men, “will you turn
+back before it is too late?”
+
+But the other only shook his head obstinately, and so they came to the
+great granite monument which marks the boundary between Lutha and her
+powerful neighbor upon the north.
+
+Barney held out his hand. “Good-bye, old man,” he said. “If I’ve
+learned the ingratitude of kings here in Lutha, I have found something
+that more than compensates me—the friendship of a brave man. Now hurry
+back and tell them that I escaped across the border just as I was about
+to fall into your hands and they will think that you have been pursuing
+me instead of aiding in my escape across the border.”
+
+But again Butzow shook his head.
+
+“I have fought shoulder to shoulder with you, my friend,” he said. “I
+have called you king, and after that I could never serve the coward who
+sits now upon the throne of Lutha. I have made up my mind during this
+long ride from Lustadt, and I have come to the decision that I should
+prefer to raise corn in Nebraska with you rather than serve in the
+court of an ingrate.”
+
+“Well, you are an obstinate Dutchman, after all,” replied the American
+with a smile, placing his hand affectionately upon the shoulder of his
+comrade.
+
+There was a clatter of horses’ hoofs upon the gravel of the road behind
+them.
+
+The two men put spurs to their mounts, and Barney Custer galloped
+across the northern boundary of Lutha just ahead of a troop of
+Luthanian cavalry, as had his father thirty years before; but a royal
+princess had accompanied the father—only a soldier accompanied the son.
+
+
+
+
+PART II
+
+
+
+
+I.
+BARNEY RETURNS TO LUTHA
+
+
+“What’s the matter, Vic?” asked Barney Custer of his sister. “You look
+peeved.”
+
+“I am peeved,” replied the girl, smiling. “I am terribly peeved. I
+don’t want to play bridge this afternoon. I want to go motoring with
+Lieutenant Butzow. This is his last day with us.”
+
+“Yes. I know it is, and I hate to think of it,” replied Barney; “but
+why in the world do you have to play bridge if you don’t want to?”
+
+“I promised Margaret that I’d go. They’re short one, and she’s coming
+after me in her car.”
+
+“Where are you going to play—at the champion lady bridge player’s on
+Fourth Street?” asked Barney, grinning.
+
+His sister answered with a nod and a smile. “Where you brought down the
+wrath of the lady champion upon your head the other night when you were
+letting your mind wander across to Lutha and the Old Forest, instead of
+paying attention to the game,” she added.
+
+“Well, cheer up, Vic,” cried her brother. “Bert’ll probably set fire to
+the car, the way he did to their first one, and then you won’t have to
+go.”
+
+“Oh, yes, I would; Margaret would send him after me in that
+awful-looking, unwashed Ford runabout of his,” answered the girl.
+
+“And then you WOULD go,” said Barney.
+
+“You bet I would,” laughed Victoria. “I’d go in a wheelbarrow with
+Bert.”
+
+But she didn’t have to; and after she had driven off with her chum,
+Barney and Butzow strolled down through the little city of Beatrice to
+the corn mill in which the former was interested.
+
+“I’m mighty sorry that you have to leave us, Butzow,” said Barney’s
+partner. “It’s bad enough to lose you, but I’m afraid it will mean the
+loss of Barney, too. He’s been hunting for some excuse to get back to
+Lutha, and with you there and a war in sight I’m afraid nothing can
+hold him.”
+
+“I don’t know but that it may be just as well for my friends here that
+I leave,” said Butzow seriously. “I did not tell you, Barney, all there
+is in this letter”—he tapped his breastpocket, where the
+foreign-looking envelope reposed with its contents.
+
+Custer looked at him inquiringly.
+
+“Besides saying that war between Austria and Serbia seems unavoidable
+and that Lutha doubtless will be drawn into it, my informant warns me
+that Leopold had sent emissaries to America to search for you, Barney,
+and myself. What his purpose may be my friend does not know, but he
+warns us to be upon our guard. Von der Tann wants me to return to
+Lutha. He has promised to protect me, and with the country in danger
+there is nothing else for me to do. I must go.”
+
+“I wish I could go with you,” said Barney. “If it wasn’t for this
+dinged old mill I would; but Bert wants to go away this summer, and as
+I have been away most of the time for the past two years, it’s up to me
+to stay.”
+
+As the three men talked the afternoon wore on. Heavy clouds gathered in
+the sky; a storm was brewing. Outside, a man, skulking behind a box car
+on the siding, watched the entrance through which the three had gone.
+He watched the workmen, and as quitting time came and he saw them
+leaving for their homes he moved more restlessly, transferring the
+package which he held from one hand to another many times, yet always
+gingerly.
+
+At last all had left. The man started from behind the box car, only to
+jump back as the watchman appeared around the end of one of the
+buildings. He watched the guardian of the property make his rounds; he
+saw him enter his office, and then he crept forward toward the
+building, holding his queer package in his right hand.
+
+In the office the watchman came upon the three friends. At sight of him
+they looked at one another in surprise.
+
+“Why, what time is it?” exclaimed Custer, and as he looked at his watch
+he rose with a laugh. “Late to dinner again,” he cried. “Come on, we’ll
+go out this other way.” And with a cheery good night to the watchman
+Barney and his friends hastened from the building.
+
+Upon the opposite side the stranger approached the doorway to the mill.
+The rain was falling in blinding sheets. Ominously the thunder roared.
+Vivid flashes of lightning shot the heavens. The watchman, coming
+suddenly from the doorway, his hat brim pulled low over his eyes,
+passed within a couple of paces of the stranger without seeing him.
+
+Five minutes later there was a blinding glare accompanied by a
+deafening roar. It was as though nature had marshaled all her forces in
+one mighty, devastating effort. At the same instant the walls of the
+great mill burst asunder, a nebulous mass of burning gas shot
+heavenward, and then the flames settled down to complete the
+destruction of the ruin.
+
+It was the following morning that Victoria and Barney Custer, with
+Lieutenant Butzow and Custer’s partner, stood contemplating the
+smoldering wreckage.
+
+“And to think,” said Barney, “that yesterday this muss was the largest
+corn mill west of anywhere. I guess we can both take vacations now,
+Bert.”
+
+“Who would have thought that a single bolt of lightning could have
+resulted in such havoc?” mused Victoria.
+
+“Who would?” agreed Lieutenant Butzow, and then, with a sudden
+narrowing of his eyes and a quick glance at Barney, “if it WAS
+lightning.”
+
+The American looked at the Luthanian. “You think—” he started.
+
+“I don’t dare think,” replied Butzow, “because of the fear of what this
+may mean to you and Miss Victoria if it was not lightning that
+destroyed the mill. I shouldn’t have spoken of it but that it may urge
+you to greater caution, which I cannot but think is most necessary
+since the warning I received from Lutha.”
+
+“Why should Leopold seek to harm me now?” asked Barney. “It has been
+almost two years since you and I placed him upon his throne, only to be
+rewarded with threats and hatred. In that time neither of us has
+returned to Lutha nor in any way conspired against the king. I cannot
+fathom his motives.”
+
+“There is the Princess Emma von der Tann,” Butzow reminded him. “She
+still repulses him. He may think that, with you removed definitely and
+permanently, all will then be plain sailing for him in that direction.
+Evidently he does not know the princess.”
+
+An hour later they were all bidding Butzow good-bye at the station.
+Victoria Custer was genuinely grieved to see him go, for she liked this
+soldierly young officer of the Royal Horse Guards immensely.
+
+“You must come back to America soon,” she urged.
+
+He looked down at her from the steps of the moving train. There was
+something in his expression that she had never seen there before.
+
+“I want to come back soon,” he answered, “to—to Beatrice,” and he
+flushed and smiled at his own stumbling tongue.
+
+For about a week Barney Custer moped disconsolately, principally about
+the ruins of the corn mill. He was in everyone’s way and accomplished
+nothing.
+
+“I was never intended for a captain of industry,” he confided to his
+partner for the hundredth time. “I wish some excuse would pop up to
+which I might hang a reason for beating it to Europe. There’s something
+doing there. Nearly everybody has declared war upon everybody else, and
+here I am stagnating in peace. I’d even welcome a tornado.”
+
+His excuse was to come sooner than he imagined. That night, after the
+other members of his family had retired, Barney sat smoking within a
+screened porch off the living-room. His thoughts were upon a trim
+little figure in riding togs, as he had first seen it nearly two years
+before, clinging desperately to a runaway horse upon the narrow
+mountain road above Tafelberg.
+
+He lived that thrilling experience through again as he had many times
+before. He even smiled as he recalled the series of events that had
+resulted from his resemblance to the mad king of Lutha.
+
+They had come to a culmination at the time when the king, whom Barney
+had placed upon a throne at the risk of his own life, discovered that
+his savior loved the girl to whom the king had been betrothed since
+childhood and that the girl returned the American’s love even after she
+knew that he had but played the part of a king.
+
+Barney’s cigar, forgotten, had long since died out. Not even its former
+fitful glow proclaimed his presence upon the porch, whose black shadows
+completely enveloped him. Before him stretched a wide acreage of lawn,
+tree dotted at the side of the house. Bushes hid the stone wall that
+marked the boundary of the Custer grounds and extended here and there
+out upon the sward among the trees. The night was moonless but clear. A
+faint light pervaded the scene.
+
+Barney sat staring straight ahead, but his gaze did not stop upon the
+familiar objects of the foreground. Instead it spanned two continents
+and an ocean to rest upon the little spot of woodland and rugged
+mountain and lowland that is Lutha. It was with an effort that the man
+suddenly focused his attention upon that which lay directly before him.
+A shadow among the trees had moved!
+
+Barney Custer sat perfectly still, but now he was suddenly alert and
+watchful. Again the shadow moved where no shadow should be moving. It
+crossed from the shade of one tree to another. Barney came cautiously
+to his feet. Silently he entered the house, running quickly to a side
+door that opened upon the grounds. As he drew it back its hinges gave
+forth no sound. Barney looked toward the spot where he had seen the
+shadow. Again he saw it scuttle hurriedly beneath another tree nearer
+the house. This time there was no doubt. It was a man!
+
+Directly before the door where Barney stood was a pergola, ivy-covered.
+Behind this he slid, and, running its length, came out among the trees
+behind the night prowler. Now he saw him distinctly. The fellow was
+bearded, and in his right hand he carried a package. Instantly Barney
+recalled Butzow’s comment upon the destruction of the mill—“if it WAS
+lightning!”
+
+Cold sweat broke from every pore of his body. His mother and father
+were there in the house, and Vic—all sleeping peacefully. He ran
+quickly toward the menacing figure, and as he did so he saw the other
+halt behind a great tree and strike a match. In the glow of the flame
+he saw it touch close to the package that the fellow held, and then he
+was upon him.
+
+There was a brief and terrific struggle. The stranger hurled the
+package toward the house. Barney caught him by the throat, beating him
+heavily in the face; and then, realizing what the package was, he
+hurled the fellow from him, and sprang toward the hissing and
+sputtering missile where it lay close to the foundation wall of the
+house, though in the instant of his close contact with the man he had
+recognized through the disguising beard the features of Captain Ernst
+Maenck, the principal tool of Peter of Blentz.
+
+Quick though Barney was to reach the bomb and extinguish the fuse,
+Maenck had disappeared before he returned to search for him; and,
+though he roused the gardener and chauffeur and took turns with them in
+standing guard the balance of the night, the would-be assassin did not
+return.
+
+There was no question in Barney Custer’s mind as to whom the bomb was
+intended for. That Maenck had hurled it toward the house after Barney
+had seized him was merely the result of accident and the man’s desire
+to get the death-dealing missile as far from himself as possible before
+it exploded. That it would have wrecked the house in the hope of
+reaching him, had he not fortunately interfered, was too evident to the
+American to be questioned.
+
+And so he decided before the night was spent to put himself as far from
+his family as possible, lest some future attempt upon his life might
+endanger theirs. Then, too, righteous anger and a desire for revenge
+prompted his decision. He would run Maenck to earth and have an
+accounting with him. It was evident that his life would not be worth a
+farthing so long as the fellow was at liberty.
+
+Before dawn he swore the gardener and chauffeur to silence, and at
+breakfast announced his intention of leaving that day for New York to
+seek a commission as correspondent with an old classmate, who owned the
+New York Evening National. At the hotel Barney inquired of the
+proprietor relative to a bearded stranger, but the man had had no one
+of that description registered. Chance, however, gave him a clue. His
+roadster was in a repair shop, and as he stopped in to get it he
+overheard a conversation that told him all he wanted to know. As he
+stood talking with the foreman a dust-covered automobile pulled into
+the garage.
+
+“Hello, Bill,” called the foreman to the driver. “Where you been so
+early?”
+
+“Took a guy to Lincoln,” replied the other. “He was in an awful hurry.
+I bet we broke all the records for that stretch of road this morning—I
+never knew the old boat had it in her.”
+
+“Who was it?” asked Barney.
+
+“I dunno,” replied the driver. “Talked like a furriner, and looked the
+part. Bushy black beard. Said he was a German army officer, an’ had to
+beat it back on account of the war. Seemed to me like he was mighty
+anxious to get back there an’ be killed.”
+
+Barney waited to hear no more. He did not even go home to say good-bye
+to his family. Instead he leaped into his gray roadster—a later model
+of the one he had lost in Lutha—and the last that Beatrice, Nebraska,
+saw of him was a whirling cloud of dust as he raced north out of town
+toward Lincoln.
+
+He was five minutes too late into the capital city to catch the
+eastbound limited that Maenck must have taken; but he caught the next
+through train for Chicago, and the second day thereafter found him in
+New York. There he had little difficulty in obtaining the desired
+credentials from his newspaper friend, especially since Barney offered
+to pay all his own expenses and donate to the paper anything he found
+time to write.
+
+Passenger steamers were still sailing, though irregularly, and after
+scanning the passenger-lists of three he found the name he sought.
+“Captain Ernst Maenck, Lutha.” So he had not been mistaken, after all.
+It was Maenck he had apprehended on his father’s grounds. Evidently the
+man had little fear of being followed, for he had made no effort to
+hide his identity in booking passage for Europe.
+
+The steamer he had caught had sailed that very morning. Barney was not
+so sorry, after all, for he had had time during his trip from Beatrice
+to do considerable thinking, and had found it rather difficult to
+determine just what to do should he have overtaken Maenck in the United
+States. He couldn’t kill the man in cold blood, justly as he may have
+deserved the fate, and the thought of causing his arrest and dragging
+his own name into the publicity of court proceedings was little less
+distasteful to him.
+
+Furthermore, the pursuit of Maenck now gave Barney a legitimate excuse
+for returning to Lutha, or at least to the close neighborhood of the
+little kingdom, where he might await the outcome of events and be ready
+to give his services in the cause of the house of Von der Tann should
+they be required.
+
+By going directly to Italy and entering Austria from that country
+Barney managed to arrive within the boundaries of the dual monarchy
+with comparatively few delays. Nor did he encounter any considerable
+bodies of troops until he reached the little town of Burgova, which
+lies not far from the Serbian frontier. Beyond this point his
+credentials would not carry him. The emperor’s officers were polite,
+but firm. No newspaper correspondents could be permitted nearer the
+front than Burgova.
+
+There was nothing to be done, therefore, but wait until some propitious
+event gave him the opportunity to approach more closely the Serbian
+boundary and Lutha. In the meantime he would communicate with Butzow,
+who might be able to obtain passes for him to some village nearer the
+Luthanian frontier, when it should be an easy matter to cross through
+to Serbia. He was sure the Serbian authorities would object less
+strenuously to his presence.
+
+The inn at which he applied for accommodations was already overrun by
+officers, but the proprietor, with scant apologies for a civilian,
+offered him a little box of a room in the attic. The place was scarce
+more than a closet, and for that Barney was in a way thankful since the
+limited space could accommodate but a single cot, thus insuring him the
+privacy that a larger chamber would have precluded.
+
+He was very tired after his long and comfortless land journey, so after
+an early dinner he went immediately to his room and to bed. How long he
+slept he did not know, but some time during the night he was awakened
+by the sound of voices apparently close to his ear.
+
+For a moment he thought the speakers must be in his own room, so
+distinctly did he overhear each word of their conversation; but
+presently he discovered that they were upon the opposite side of a thin
+partition in an adjoining room. But half awake, and with the sole idea
+of getting back to sleep again as quickly as possible, Barney paid only
+the slightest attention to the meaning of the words that fell upon his
+ears, until, like a bomb, a sentence broke through his sleepy
+faculties, banishing Morpheus upon the instant.
+
+“It will take but little now to turn Leopold against Von der Tann.” The
+speaker evidently was an Austrian. “Already I have half convinced him
+that the old man aspires to the throne. Leopold fears the loyalty of
+his army, which is for Von der Tann body and soul. He knows that Von
+der Tann is strongly anti-Austrian, and I have made it plain to him
+that if he allows his kingdom to take sides with Serbia he will have no
+kingdom when the war is over—it will be a part of Austria.
+
+“It was with greater difficulty, however, my dear Peter, that I
+convinced him that you, Von Coblich, and Captain Maenck were his most
+loyal friends. He fears you yet, but, nevertheless, he has pardoned you
+all. Do not forget when you return to your dear Lutha that you owe your
+repatriation to Count Zellerndorf of Austria.”
+
+“You may be assured that we shall never forget,” replied another voice
+that Barney recognized at once as belonging to Prince Peter of Blentz,
+the one time regent of Lutha.
+
+“It is not for myself,” continued Count Zellerndorf, “that I crave your
+gratitude, but for my emperor. You may do much to win his undying
+gratitude, while for yourselves you may win to almost any height with
+the friendship of Austria behind you. I am sure that should any
+accident, which God forfend, deprive Lutha of her king, none would make
+a more welcome successor in the eyes of Austria than our good friend
+Peter.”
+
+Barney could almost see the smile of satisfaction upon the thin lips of
+Peter of Blentz as this broad hint fell from the lips of the Austrian
+diplomat—a hint that seemed to the American little short of the death
+sentence of Leopold, King of Lutha.
+
+“We owed you much before, count,” said Peter. “But for you we should
+have been hanged a year ago—without your aid we should never have been
+able to escape from the fortress of Lustadt or cross the border into
+Austria-Hungary. I am sorry that Maenck failed in his mission, for had
+he not we would have had concrete evidence to present to the king that
+we are indeed his loyal supporters. It would have dispelled at once
+such fears and doubts as he may still entertain of our fealty.”
+
+“Yes, I, too, am sorry,” agreed Zellerndorf. “I can assure you that the
+news we hoped Captain Maenck would bring from America would have gone a
+long way toward restoring you to the confidence and good graces of the
+king.”
+
+“I did my best,” came another voice that caused Barney’s eyes to go
+wide in astonishment, for it was none other than the voice of Maenck
+himself. “Twice I risked hanging to get him and only came away after I
+had been recognized.”
+
+“It is too bad,” sighed Zellerndorf; “though it may not be without its
+advantages after all, for now we still have this second bugbear to
+frighten Leopold with. So long, of course, as the American lives there
+is always the chance that he may return and seek to gain the throne.
+The fact that his mother was a Rubinroth princess might make it easy
+for Von der Tann to place him upon the throne without much opposition,
+and if he married the old man’s daughter it is easy to conceive that
+the prince might favor such a move. At any rate, it should not be
+difficult to persuade Leopold of the possibility of such a thing.
+
+“Under the circumstances Leopold is almost convinced that his only hope
+of salvation lies in cementing friendly relations with the most
+powerful of Von der Tann’s enemies, of which you three gentlemen stand
+preeminently in the foreground, and of assuring to himself the support
+of Austria. And now, gentlemen,” he went on after a pause, “good night.
+I have handed Prince Peter the necessary military passes to carry you
+safely through our lines, and tomorrow you may be in Blentz if you
+wish.”
+
+
+
+
+II.
+CONDEMNED TO DEATH
+
+
+For some time Barney Custer lay there in the dark revolving in his mind
+all that he had overheard through the partition—the thin partition
+which alone lay between himself and three men who would be only too
+glad to embrace the first opportunity to destroy him. But his fears
+were not for himself so much as for the daughter of old Von der Tann,
+and for all that might befall that princely house were these three
+unhung rascals to gain Lutha and have their way with the weak and
+cowardly king who reigned there.
+
+If he could but reach Von der Tann’s ear and through him the king
+before the conspirators came to Lutha! But how might he accomplish it?
+Count Zellerndorf’s parting words to the three had shown that military
+passes were necessary to enable one to reach Lutha.
+
+His papers were practically worthless even inside the lines. That they
+would carry him through the lines he had not the slightest hope. There
+were two things to be accomplished if possible. One was to cross the
+frontier into Lutha; and the other, which of course was quite out of
+the question, was to prevent Peter of Blentz, Von Coblich, and Maenck
+from doing so. But was that altogether impossible?
+
+The idea that followed that question came so suddenly that it brought
+Barney Custer out onto the floor in a bound, to don his clothes and
+sneak into the hall outside his room with the stealth of a professional
+second-story man.
+
+To the right of his own door was the door to the apartment in which the
+three conspirators slept. At least, Barney hoped they slept. He bent
+close to the keyhole and listened. From within came no sound other than
+the regular breathing of the inmates. It had been at least half an hour
+since the American had heard the conversation cease. A glance through
+the keyhole showed no light within the room. Stealthily Barney turned
+the knob. Had they bolted the door? He felt the tumbler move to the
+pressure—soundlessly. Then he pushed gently inward. The door swung.
+
+A moment later he stood in the room. Dimly he could see two beds—a
+large one and a smaller. Peter of Blentz would be alone upon the
+smaller bed, his henchmen sleeping together in the larger. Barney crept
+toward the lone sleeper. At the bedside he fumbled in the dark groping
+for the man’s clothing—for the coat, in the breastpocket of which he
+hoped to find the military pass that might carry him safely out of
+Austria-Hungary and into Lutha. On the foot of the bed he found some
+garments. Gingerly he felt them over, seeking the coat.
+
+At last he found it. His fingers, steady even under the nervous tension
+of this unaccustomed labor, discovered the inner pocket and the folded
+paper. There were several of them; Barney took them all.
+
+So far he made no noise. None of the sleepers had stirred. Now he took
+a step toward the doorway and—kicked a shoe that lay in his path. The
+slight noise in that quiet room sounded to Barney’s ears like the fall
+of a brick wall. Peter of Blentz stirred, turning in his sleep. Behind
+him Barney heard one of the men in the other bed move. He turned his
+head in that direction. Either Maenck or Coblich was sitting up peering
+through the darkness.
+
+“Is that you, Prince Peter?” The voice was Maenck’s.
+
+“What’s the matter?” persisted Maenck.
+
+“I’m going for a drink of water,” replied the American, and stepped
+toward the door.
+
+Behind him Peter of Blentz sat up in bed.
+
+“That you, Maenck?” he called.
+
+Instantly Maenck was out of bed, for the first voice had come from the
+vicinity of the doorway; both could not be Peter’s.
+
+“Quick!” he cried; “there’s someone in our room.”
+
+Barney leaped for the doorway, and upon his heels came the three
+conspirators. Maenck was closest to him—so close that Barney was forced
+to turn at the top of the stairs. In the darkness he was just conscious
+of the form of the man who was almost upon him. Then he swung a vicious
+blow for the other’s face—a blow that landed, for there was a cry of
+pain and anger as Maenck stumbled back into the arms of the two behind
+him. From below came the sound of footsteps hurrying up the stairs to
+the accompaniment of a clanking saber. Barney’s retreat was cut off.
+
+Turning, he dodged into his own room before the enemy could locate him
+or even extricate themselves from the confusion of Maenck’s sudden
+collision with the other two. But what could Barney gain by the slight
+delay that would be immediately followed by his apprehension?
+
+He didn’t know. All that he was sure of was that there had been no
+other place to go than this little room. As he entered the first thing
+that his eyes fell upon was the small square window. Here at least was
+some slight encouragement.
+
+He ran toward it. The lower sash was raised. As the door behind him
+opened to admit Peter of Blentz and his companions, Barney slipped
+through into the night, hanging by his hands from the sill without.
+What lay beneath or how far the drop he could not guess, but that
+certain death menaced him from above he knew from the conversation he
+had overheard earlier in the evening.
+
+For an instant he hung suspended. He heard the men groping about the
+room. Evidently they were in some fear of the unknown assailant they
+sought, for they did not move about with undue rashness. Presently one
+of them struck a light—Barney could see its flare lighten the window
+casing for an instant.
+
+“The room is empty,” came a voice from above him.
+
+“Look to the window!” cried Peter of Blentz, and then Barney Custer let
+go his hold upon the sill and dropped into the blackness below.
+
+His fall was a short one, for the window had been directly over a low
+shed at the side of the inn. Upon the roof of this the American landed,
+and from there he dropped to the courtyard without mishap. Glancing up,
+he saw the heads of three men peering from the window of the room he
+had just quitted.
+
+“There he is!” cried one, and instantly the three turned back into the
+room. As Barney fled from the courtyard he heard the rattle of hasty
+footsteps upon the rickety stairway of the inn.
+
+Choosing an alley rather than a street in which he might run upon
+soldiers at any moment, he moved quickly yet cautiously away from the
+inn. Behind him he could hear the voices of many men. They were raised
+to a high pitch by excitement. It was clear to Barney that there were
+many more than the original three—Prince Peter had, in all probability,
+enlisted the aid of the military.
+
+Could he but reach the frontier with his stolen passes he would be
+comparatively safe, for the rugged mountains of Lutha offered many
+places of concealment, and, too, there were few Luthanians who did not
+hate Peter of Blentz most cordially—among the men of the mountains at
+least. Once there he could defy a dozen Blentz princes for the little
+time that would be required to carry him into Serbia and comparative
+safety.
+
+As he approached a cross street a couple of squares from the inn he
+found it necessary to pass beneath a street lamp. For a moment he
+paused in the shadows of the alley listening. Hearing nothing moving in
+the street, Barney was about to make a swift spring for the shadows
+upon the opposite side when it occurred to him that it might be safer
+to make assurance doubly sure by having a look up and down the street
+before emerging into the light.
+
+It was just as well that he did, for as he thrust his head around the
+corner of the building the first thing that his eyes fell upon was the
+figure of an Austrian sentry, scarcely three paces from him. The
+soldier was standing in a listening attitude, his head half turned away
+from the American. The sounds coming from the direction of the inn were
+apparently what had attracted his attention.
+
+Behind him, Barney was sure he heard evidences of pursuit. Before him
+was certain detection should he attempt to cross the street. On either
+hand rose the walls of buildings. That he was trapped there seemed
+little doubt.
+
+He continued to stand motionless, watching the Austrian soldier. Should
+the fellow turn toward him, he had but to withdraw his head within the
+shadow of the building that hid his body. Possibly the man might turn
+and take his beat in the opposite direction. In which case Barney was
+sure he could dodge across the street, undetected.
+
+Already the vague threat of pursuit from the direction of the inn had
+developed into a certainty—he could hear men moving toward him through
+the alley from the rear. Would the sentry never move! Evidently not,
+until he heard the others coming through the alley. Then he would turn,
+and the devil would be to pay for the American.
+
+Barney was about hopeless. He had been in the war zone long enough to
+know that it might prove a very disagreeable matter to be caught
+sneaking through back alleys at night. There was a single chance—a sort
+of forlorn hope—and that was to risk fate and make a dash beneath the
+sentry’s nose for the opposite alley mouth.
+
+“Well, here goes,” thought Barney. He had heard that many of the
+Austrians were excellent shots. Visions of Beatrice, Nebraska, swarmed
+his memory. They were pleasant visions, made doubly alluring by the
+thought that the realities of them might never again be for him.
+
+He turned once more toward the sounds of pursuit—the men upon his track
+could not be over a square away—there was not an instant to be lost.
+And then from above him, upon the opposite side of the alley, came a
+low: “S-s-t!”
+
+Barney looked up. Very dimly he could see the dark outline of a window
+some dozen feet from the pavement, and framed within it the lighter
+blotch that might have been a human face. Again came the challenging:
+“S-s-t!” Yes, there was someone above, signaling to him.
+
+“S-s-t!” replied Barney. He knew that he had been discovered, and could
+think of no better plan for throwing the discoverer off his guard than
+to reply.
+
+Then a soft voice floated down to him—a woman’s voice!
+
+“Is that you?” The tongue was Serbian. Barney could understand it,
+though he spoke it but indifferently.
+
+“Yes,” he replied truthfully.
+
+“Thank Heaven!” came the voice from above. “I have been watching you,
+and thought you one of the Austrian pigs. Quick! They are coming—I can
+hear them;” and at the same instant Barney saw something drop from the
+window to the ground. He crossed the alley quickly, and could have
+shouted in relief for what he found there—the end of a knotted rope
+dangling from above.
+
+His pursuers were almost upon him when he seized the rude ladder to
+clamber upward. At the window’s ledge a firm, young hand reached out
+and, seizing his own, almost dragged him through the window. He turned
+to look back into the alley. He had been just in time; the Austrian
+sentry, alarmed by the sound of approaching footsteps down the alley,
+had stepped into view. He stood there now with leveled rifle, a
+challenge upon his lips. From the advancing party came a satisfactory
+reply.
+
+At the same instant the girl beside him in the Stygian blackness of the
+room threw her arms about Barney’s neck and drew his face down to hers.
+
+“Oh, Stefan,” she whispered, “what a narrow escape! It makes me tremble
+to think of it. They would have shot you, my Stefan!”
+
+The American put an arm about the girl’s shoulders, and raised one hand
+to her cheek—it might have been in caress, but it wasn’t. It was to
+smother the cry of alarm he anticipated would follow the discovery that
+he was not “Stefan.” He bent his lips close to her ear.
+
+“Do not make an outcry,” he whispered in very poor Serbian. “I am not
+Stefan; but I am a friend.”
+
+The exclamation of surprise or fright that he had expected was not
+forthcoming. The girl lowered her arms from about his neck.
+
+“Who are you?” she asked in a low whisper.
+
+“I am an American war correspondent,” replied Barney, “but if the
+Austrians get hold of me now it will be mighty difficult to convince
+them that I am not a spy.” And then a sudden determination came to him
+to trust his fate to this unknown girl, whose face, even, he had never
+seen. “I am entirely at your mercy,” he said. “There are Austrian
+soldiers in the street below. You have but to call to them to send me
+before the firing squad—or, you can let me remain here until I can find
+an opportunity to get away in safety. I am trying to reach Serbia.”
+
+“Why do you wish to reach Serbia?” asked the girl suspiciously.
+
+“I have discovered too many enemies in Austria tonight to make it safe
+for me to remain,” he replied, “and, further, my original intention was
+to report the war from the Serbian side.”
+
+The girl hesitated for a while, evidently in thought.
+
+“They are moving on,” suggested Barney. “If you are going to give me up
+you’d better do it at once.”
+
+“I’m not going to give you up,” replied the girl. “I’m going to keep
+you prisoner until Stefan returns—he will know best what to do with
+you. Now you must come with me and be locked up. Do not try to escape—I
+have a revolver in my hand,” and to give her prisoner physical proof of
+the weapon he could not see she thrust the muzzle against his side.
+
+“I’ll take your word for the gun,” said Barney, “if you’ll just turn it
+in the other direction. Go ahead—I’ll follow you.”
+
+“No, you won’t,” replied the girl. “You’ll go first; but before that
+you’ll raise your hands above your head. I want to search you.”
+
+Barney did as he was bid and a moment later felt deft fingers running
+over his clothing in search of concealed weapons. Satisfied at last
+that he was unarmed, the girl directed him to precede her, guiding his
+steps from behind with a hand upon his arm. Occasionally he felt the
+muzzle of her revolver touch his body. It was a most unpleasant
+sensation.
+
+They crossed the room to a door which his captor directed him to open,
+and after they had passed through and she had closed it behind them the
+girl struck a match and lit a candle which stood upon a little bracket
+on the partition wall. The dim light of the tallow dip showed Barney
+that he was in a narrow hall from which several doors opened into
+different rooms. At one end of the hall a stairway led to the floor
+below, while at the opposite end another flight disappeared into the
+darkness above.
+
+“This way,” said the girl, motioning toward the stairs that led upward.
+
+Barney had turned toward her as she struck the match, obtaining an
+excellent view of her features. They were clear-cut and regular. Her
+eyes were large and very dark. Dark also was her hair, which was piled
+in great heaps upon her finely shaped head. Altogether the face was one
+not easily to be forgotten. Barney could scarce have told whether the
+girl was beautiful or not, but that she was striking there could be no
+doubt.
+
+He preceded her up the stairway to a door at the top. At her direction
+he turned the knob and entered a small room in which was a cot, an
+ancient dresser and a single chair.
+
+“You will remain here,” she said, “until Stefan returns. Stefan will
+know what to do with you.” Then she left him, taking the light with
+her, and Barney heard a key turn in the lock of the door after she had
+closed it. Presently her footfalls died out as she descended to the
+lower floors.
+
+“Anyhow,” thought the American, “this is better than the Austrians. I
+don’t know what Stefan will do with me, but I have a rather vivid idea
+of what the Austrians would have done to me if they’d caught me
+sneaking through the alleys of Burgova at midnight.”
+
+Throwing himself on the cot Barney was soon asleep, for though his
+predicament was one that, under ordinary circumstances might have made
+sleep impossible, yet he had so long been without the boon of slumber
+that tired nature would no longer be denied.
+
+When he awoke it was broad daylight. The sun was pouring in through a
+skylight in the ceiling of his tiny chamber. Aside from this there were
+no windows in the room. The sound of voices came to him with an uncanny
+distinctness that made it seem that the speakers must be in this very
+chamber, but a glance about the blank walls convinced him that he was
+alone.
+
+Presently he espied a small opening in the wall at the head of his cot.
+He rose and examined it. The voices appeared to be coming from it. In
+fact, they were. The opening was at the top of a narrow shaft that
+seemed to lead to the basement of the structure—apparently once the
+shaft of a dumb-waiter or a chute for refuse or soiled clothes.
+
+Barney put his ear close to it. The voices that came from below were
+those of a man and a woman. He heard every word distinctly.
+
+“We must search the house, fraulein,” came in the deep voice of a man.
+
+“Whom do you seek?” inquired a woman’s voice. Barney recognized it as
+the voice of his captor.
+
+“A Serbian spy, Stefan Drontoff,” replied the man. “Do you know him?”
+
+There was a considerable pause on the girl’s part before she answered,
+and then her reply was in such a low voice that Barney could barely
+hear it.
+
+“I do not know him,” she said. “There are several men who lodge here.
+What may this Stefan Drontoff look like?”
+
+“I have never seen him,” replied the officer; “but by arresting all the
+men in the house we must get this Stefan also, if he is here.”
+
+“Oh!” cried the girl, a new note in her voice, “I guess I know now whom
+you mean. There is one man here I have heard them call Stefan, though
+for the moment I had forgotten it. He is in the small attic-room at the
+head of the stairs. Here is a key that will fit the lock. Yes, I am
+sure that he is Stefan. You will find him there, and it should be easy
+to take him, for I know that he is unarmed. He told me so last night
+when he came in.”
+
+“The devil!” muttered Barney Custer; but whether he referred to his
+predicament or to the girl it would be impossible to tell. Already the
+sound of heavy boots on the stairs announced the coming of men—several
+of them. Barney heard the rattle of accouterments—the clank of a
+scabbard—the scraping of gun butts against the walls. The Austrians
+were coming!
+
+He looked about. There was no way of escape except the door and the
+skylight, and the door was impossible.
+
+Quickly he tilted the cot against the door, wedging its legs against a
+crack in the floor—that would stop them for a minute or two. Then he
+wheeled the dresser beneath the skylight and, placing the chair on top
+of it, scrambled to the seat of the latter. His head was at the height
+of the skylight. To force the skylight from its frame required but a
+moment. A key entered the lock of the door from the opposite side and
+turned. He knew that someone without was pushing. Then he heard an oath
+and heavy battering upon the panels. A moment later he had drawn
+himself through the skylight and stood upon the roof of the building.
+Before him stretched a series of uneven roofs to the end of the street.
+Barney did not hesitate. He started on a rapid trot toward the
+adjoining roof. From that he clambered to a higher one beyond.
+
+On he went, now leaping narrow courts, now dropping to low sheds and
+again clambering to the heights of the higher buildings, until he had
+come almost to the end of the row. Suddenly, behind him he heard a
+hoarse shout, followed by the report of a rifle. With a whir, a bullet
+flew a few inches above his head. He had gained the last roof—a large,
+level roof—and at the shot he turned to see how near to him were his
+pursuers.
+
+Fatal turn!
+
+Scarce had he taken his eyes from the path ahead than his foot fell
+upon a glass skylight, and with a loud crash he plunged through amid a
+shower of broken glass.
+
+His fall was a short one. Directly beneath the skylight was a bed, and
+on the bed a fat Austrian infantry captain. Barney lit upon the pit of
+the captain’s stomach. With a howl of pain the officer catapulted
+Barney to the floor. There were three other beds in the room, and in
+each bed one or two other officers. Before the American could regain
+his feet they were all sitting on him—all except the infantry captain.
+He lay shrieking and cursing in a painful attempt to regain his breath,
+every atom of which Barney had knocked out of him.
+
+The officers sitting on Barney alternately beat him and questioned him,
+interspersing their interrogations with lurid profanity.
+
+“If you will get off of me,” at last shouted the American, “I shall be
+glad to explain—and apologize.”
+
+They let him up, scowling ferociously. He had promised to explain, but
+now that he was confronted by the immediate necessity of an explanation
+that would prove at all satisfactory as to how he happened to be
+wandering around the rooftops of Burgova, he discovered that his powers
+of invention were entirely inadequate. The need for explaining,
+however, was suddenly removed. A shadow fell upon them from above, and
+as they glanced up Barney saw the figure of an officer surrounded by
+several soldiers looking down upon him.
+
+“Ah, you have him!” cried the newcomer in evident satisfaction. “It is
+well. Hold him until we descend.”
+
+A moment later he and his escort had dropped through the broken
+skylight to the floor beside them.
+
+“Who is the mad man?” cried the captain who had broken Barney’s fall.
+“The assassin! He tried to murder me.”
+
+“I cannot doubt it,” replied the officer who had just descended, “for
+the fellow is no other than Stefan Drontoff, the famous Serbian spy!”
+
+“Himmel!” ejaculated the officers in chorus. “You have done a good
+day’s work, lieutenant.”
+
+“The firing squad will do a better work in a few minutes,” replied the
+lieutenant, with a grim pointedness that took Barney’s breath away.
+
+
+
+
+III.
+BEFORE THE FIRING SQUAD
+
+
+They marched Barney before the staff where he urged his American
+nationality, pointing to his credentials and passes in support of his
+contention.
+
+The general before whom he had been brought shrugged his shoulders.
+“They are all Americans as soon as they are caught,” he said; “but why
+did you not claim to be Prince Peter of Blentz? You have his passes as
+well. How can you expect us to believe your story when you have in your
+possession passes for different men?
+
+“We have every respect for our friends the Americans. I would even
+stretch a point rather than chance harming an American; but you will
+admit that the evidence is all against you. You were found in the very
+building where Drontoff was known to stay while in Burgova. The young
+woman whose mother keeps the place directed our officer to your room,
+and you tried to escape, which I do not think that an innocent American
+would have done.
+
+“However, as I have said, I will go to almost any length rather than
+chance a mistake in the case of one who from his appearance might pass
+more readily for an American than a Serbian. I have sent for Prince
+Peter of Blentz. If you can satisfactorily explain to him how you
+chance to be in possession of military passes bearing his name I shall
+be very glad to give you the benefit of every other doubt.”
+
+Peter of Blentz. Send for Peter of Blentz! Barney wondered just what
+kind of a sensation it was to stand facing a firing squad. He hoped
+that his knees wouldn’t tremble—they felt a trifle weak even now. There
+was a chance that the man might not recall his face, but a very slight
+chance. It had been his remarkable likeness to Leopold of Lutha that
+had resulted in the snatching of a crown from Prince Peter’s head.
+
+Likely indeed that he would ever forget his, Barney’s, face, though he
+had seen it but once without the red beard that had so added to
+Barney’s likeness to the king. But Maenck would be along, of course,
+and Maenck would have no doubts—he had seen Barney too recently in
+Beatrice to fail to recognize him now.
+
+Several men were entering the room where Barney stood before the
+general and his staff. A glance revealed to the prisoner that Peter of
+Blentz had come, and with him Von Coblich and Maenck. At the same
+instant Peter’s eyes met Barney’s, and the former, white and wide-eyed
+came almost to a dead halt, grasping hurriedly at the arm of Maenck who
+walked beside him.
+
+“My God!” was all that Barney heard him say, but he spoke a name that
+the American did not hear. Maenck also looked his surprise, but his
+expression was suddenly changed to one of malevolent cunning and
+gratification. He turned toward Prince Peter with a few low-whispered
+words. A look of relief crossed the face of the Blentz prince.
+
+“You appear to know the gentleman,” said the general who had been
+conducting Barney’s examination. “He has been arrested as a Serbian
+spy, and military passes in your name were found upon his person
+together with the papers of an American newspaper correspondent, which
+he claims to be. He is charged with being Stefan Drontoff, whom we long
+have been anxious to apprehend. Do you chance to know anything about
+him, Prince Peter?”
+
+“Yes,” replied Peter of Blentz, “I know him well by sight. He entered
+my room last night and stole the military passes from my coat—we all
+saw him and pursued him, but he got away in the dark. There can be no
+doubt but that he is the Serbian spy.”
+
+“He insists that he is Bernard Custer, an American,” urged the general,
+who, it seemed to Barney, was anxious to make no mistake, and to give
+the prisoner every reasonable chance—a state of mind that rather
+surprised him in a European military chieftain, all of whom appeared to
+share the popular obsession regarding the prevalence of spies.
+
+“Pardon me, general,” interrupted Maenck. “I am well acquainted with
+Mr. Custer, who spent some time in Lutha a couple of years ago. This
+man is not he.”
+
+“That is sufficient, gentlemen, I thank you,” said the general. He did
+not again look at the prisoner, but turned to a lieutenant who stood
+near-by. “You may remove the prisoner,” he directed. “He will be
+destroyed with the others—here is the order,” and he handed the
+subaltern a printed form upon which many names were filled in and at
+the bottom of which the general had just signed his own. It had
+evidently been waiting the outcome of the examination of Stefan
+Drontoff.
+
+Surrounded by soldiers, Barney Custer walked from the presence of the
+military court. It was to him as though he moved in a strange world of
+dreams. He saw the look of satisfaction upon the face of Peter of
+Blentz as he passed him, and the open sneer of Maenck. As yet he did
+not fully realize what it all meant—that he was marching to his death!
+For the last time he was looking upon the faces of his fellow men; for
+the last time he had seen the sun rise, never again to see it set.
+
+He was to be “destroyed.” He had heard that expression used many times
+in connection with useless horses, or vicious dogs. Mechanically he
+drew a cigarette from his pocket and lighted it. There was no bravado
+in the act. On the contrary it was done almost unconsciously. The
+soldiers marched him through the streets of Burgova. The men were
+entirely impassive—even so early in the war they had become accustomed
+to this grim duty. The young officer who commanded them was more
+nervous than the prisoner—it was his first detail with a firing squad.
+He looked wonderingly at Barney, expecting momentarily to see the man
+collapse, or at least show some sign of terror at his close impending
+fate; but the American walked silently toward his death, puffing
+leisurely at his cigarette.
+
+At last, after what seemed a long time, his guard turned in at a large
+gateway in a brick wall surrounding a factory. As they entered Barney
+saw twenty or thirty men in civilian dress, guarded by a dozen
+infantrymen. They were standing before the wall of a low brick
+building. Barney noticed that there were no windows in the wall. It
+suddenly occurred to him that there was something peculiarly grim and
+sinister in the appearance of the dead, blank surface of
+weather-stained brick. For the first time since he had faced the
+military court he awakened to a full realization of what it all meant
+to him—he was going to be lined up against that ominous brick wall with
+these other men—they were going to shoot them.
+
+A momentary madness seized him. He looked about upon the other
+prisoners and guards. A sudden break for liberty might give him
+temporary respite. He could seize a rifle from the nearest soldier, and
+at least have the satisfaction of selling his life dearly. As he looked
+he saw more soldiers entering the factory yard.
+
+A sudden apathy overwhelmed him. What was the use? He could not escape.
+Why should he wish to kill these soldiers? It was not they who were
+responsible for his plight—they were but obeying orders. The close
+presence of death made life seem very desirable. These men, too,
+desired life. Why should he take it from them uselessly? At best he
+might kill one or two, but in the end he would be killed as surely as
+though he took his place before the brick wall with the others.
+
+He noticed now that these others evinced no inclination to contest
+their fates. Why should he, then? Doubtless many of them were as
+innocent as he, and all loved life as well. He saw that several were
+weeping silently. Others stood with bowed heads gazing at the
+hard-packed earth of the factory yard. Ah, what visions were their eyes
+beholding for the last time! What memories of happy firesides! What
+dear, loved faces were limned upon that sordid clay!
+
+His reveries were interrupted by the hoarse voice of a sergeant,
+breaking rudely in upon the silence and the dumb terror. The fellow was
+herding the prisoners into position. When he was done Barney found
+himself in the front rank of the little, hopeless band. Opposite them,
+at a few paces, stood the firing squad, their gun butts resting upon
+the ground.
+
+The young lieutenant stood at one side. He issued some instructions in
+a low tone, then he raised his voice.
+
+“Ready!” he commanded. Fascinated by the horror of it, Barney watched
+the rifles raised smartly to the soldiers’ hips—the movement was as
+precise as though the men were upon parade. Every bolt clicked in
+unison with its fellows.
+
+“Aim!” the pieces leaped to the hollows of the men’s shoulders. The
+leveled barrels were upon a line with the breasts of the condemned. A
+man at Barney’s right moaned. Another sobbed.
+
+“Fire!” There was the hideous roar of the volley. Barney Custer
+crumpled forward to the ground, and three bodies fell upon his. A
+moment later there was a second volley—all had not fallen at the first.
+Then the soldiers came among the bodies, searching for signs of life;
+but evidently the two volleys had done their work. The sergeant formed
+his men in line. The lieutenant marched them away. Only silence
+remained on guard above the pitiful dead in the factory yard.
+
+The day wore on and still the stiffening corpses lay where they had
+fallen. Twilight came and then darkness. A head appeared above the top
+of the wall that had enclosed the grounds. Eyes peered through the
+night and keen ears listened for any sign of life within. At last,
+evidently satisfied that the place was deserted, a man crawled over the
+summit of the wall and dropped to the ground within. Here again he
+paused, peering and listening.
+
+What strange business had he here among the dead that demanded such
+caution in its pursuit? Presently he advanced toward the pile of
+corpses. Quickly he tore open coats and searched pockets. He ran his
+fingers along the fingers of the dead. Two rings had rewarded his
+search and he was busy with a third that encircled the finger of a body
+that lay beneath three others. It would not come off. He pulled and
+tugged, and then he drew a knife from his pocket.
+
+But he did not sever the digit. Instead he shrank back with a muffled
+scream of terror. The corpse that he would have mutilated had staggered
+suddenly to its feet, flinging the dead bodies to one side as it rose.
+
+“You fiend!” broke from the lips of the dead man, and the ghoul turned
+and fled, gibbering in his fright.
+
+The tramp of soldiers in the street beyond ceased suddenly at the sound
+from within the factory yard. It was a detail of the guard marching to
+the relief of sentries. A moment later the gates swung open and a score
+of soldiers entered. They saw a figure dodging toward the wall a dozen
+paces from them, but they did not see the other that ran swiftly around
+the corner of the factory.
+
+This other was Barney Custer of Beatrice. When the command to fire had
+been given to the squad of riflemen, a single bullet had creased the
+top of his head, stunning him. All day he had lain there unconscious.
+It had been the tugging of the ghoul at his ring that had roused him to
+life at last.
+
+Behind him, as he scurried around the end of the factory building, he
+heard the scattering fire of half a dozen rifles, followed by a
+scream—the fleeing hyena had been hit. Barney crouched in the shadow of
+a pile of junk. He heard the voices of soldiers as they gathered about
+the wounded man, questioning him, and a moment later the imperious
+tones of an officer issuing instructions to his men to search the yard.
+That he must be discovered seemed a certainty to the American. He
+crouched further back in the shadows close to the wall, stepping with
+the utmost caution.
+
+Presently to his chagrin his foot touched the metal cover of a manhole;
+there was a resultant rattling that smote upon Barney’s ears and nerves
+with all the hideous clatter of a boiler shop. He halted, petrified,
+for an instant. He was no coward, but after being so near death, life
+had never looked more inviting, and he knew that to be discovered meant
+certain extinction this time.
+
+The soldiers were circling the building. Already he could hear them
+nearing his position. In another moment they would round the corner of
+the building and be upon him. For an instant he contemplated a bold
+rush for the fence. In fact, he had gathered himself for the leaping
+start and the quick sprint across the open under the noses of the
+soldiers who still remained beside the dying ghoul, when his mind
+suddenly reverted to the manhole beneath his feet. Here lay a hiding
+place, at least until the soldiers had departed.
+
+Barney stooped and raised the heavy lid, sliding it to one side. How
+deep was the black chasm beneath he could not even guess. Doubtless it
+led into a coal bunker, or it might open over a pit of great depth.
+There was no way to discover other than to plumb the abyss with his
+body. Above was death—below, a chance of safety.
+
+The soldiers were quite close when Barney lowered himself through the
+manhole. Clinging with his fingers to the upper edge his feet still
+swung in space. How far beneath was the bottom? He heard the scraping
+of the heavy shoes of the searchers close above him, and then he closed
+his eyes, released the grasp of his fingers, and dropped.
+
+
+
+
+IV.
+A RACE TO LUTHA
+
+
+Barney’s fall was not more than four or five feet. He found himself
+upon a slippery floor of masonry over which two or three inches of
+water ran sluggishly. Above him he heard the soldiers pass the open
+manhole. It was evident that in the darkness they had missed it.
+
+For a few minutes the fugitive remained motionless, then, hearing no
+sounds from above he started to grope about his retreat. Upon two sides
+were blank, circular walls, upon the other two circular openings about
+four feet in diameter. It was through these openings that the tiny
+stream of water trickled.
+
+Barney came to the conclusion that he had dropped into a sewer. To get
+out the way he had entered appeared impossible. He could not leap
+upward from the slimy, concave bottom the distance he had dropped. To
+follow the sewer upward would lead him nowhere nearer escape. There
+remained no hope but to follow the trickling stream downward toward the
+river, into which his judgment told him the entire sewer system of the
+city must lead.
+
+Stooping, he entered the ill-smelling circular conduit, groping his way
+slowly along. As he went the water deepened. It was half way to his
+knees when he plunged unexpectedly into another tube running at right
+angles to the first. The bottom of this tube was lower than that of the
+one which emptied into it, so that Barney now found himself in a
+swiftly running stream of filth that reached above his knees. Downward
+he followed this flood—faster now for the fear of the deadly gases
+which might overpower him before he could reach the river.
+
+The water deepened gradually as he went on. At last he reached a point
+where, with his head scraping against the roof of the sewer, his chin
+was just above the surface of the stream. A few more steps would be all
+that he could take in this direction without drowning. Could he retrace
+his way against the swift current? He did not know. He was weakened
+from the effects of his wound, from lack of food and from the exertions
+of the past hour. Well, he would go on as far as he could. The river
+lay ahead of him somewhere. Behind was only the hostile city.
+
+He took another step. His foot found no support. He surged backward in
+an attempt to regain his footing, but the power of the flood was too
+much for him. He was swept forward to plunge into water that surged
+above his head as he sank. An instant later he had regained the surface
+and as his head emerged he opened his eyes.
+
+He looked up into a starlit heaven! He had reached the mouth of the
+sewer and was in the river. For a moment he lay still, floating upon
+his back to rest. Above him he heard the tread of a sentry along the
+river front, and the sound of men’s voices.
+
+The sweet, fresh air, the star-shot void above, acted as a powerful
+tonic to his shattered hopes and overwrought nerves. He lay inhaling
+great lungsful of pure, invigorating air. He listened to the voices of
+the Austrian soldiery above him. All the buoyancy of his inherent
+Americanism returned to him.
+
+“This is no place for a minister’s son,” he murmured, and turning over
+struck out for the opposite shore. The river was not wide, and Barney
+was soon nearing the bank along which he could see occasional camp
+fires. Here, too, were Austrians. He dropped down-stream below these,
+and at last approached the shore where a wood grew close to the water’s
+edge. The bank here was steep, and the American had some difficulty in
+finding a place where he could clamber up the precipitous wall of rock.
+But finally he was successful, finding himself in a little clump of
+bushes on the river’s brim. Here he lay resting and listening—always
+listening. It seemed to Barney that his ears ached with the constant
+strain of unflagging duty that his very existence demanded of them.
+
+Hearing nothing, he crawled at last from his hiding place with the
+purpose of making his way toward the south and to the frontier as
+rapidly as possible. He could hope only to travel by night, and he
+guessed that this night must be nearly spent. Stooping, he moved
+cautiously away from the river. Through the shadows of the wood he made
+his way for perhaps a hundred yards when he was suddenly confronted by
+a figure that stepped from behind the bole of a tree.
+
+“Halt! Who goes there?” came the challenge.
+
+Barney’s heart stood still. With all his care he had run straight into
+the arms of an Austrian sentry. To run would be to be shot. To advance
+would mean capture, and that too would mean death.
+
+For the barest fraction of an instant he hesitated, and then his quick
+American wits came to his aid. Feigning intoxication he answered the
+challenge in dubious Austrian that he hoped his maudlin tongue would
+excuse.
+
+“Friend,” he answered thickly. “Friend with a drink—have one?” And he
+staggered drunkenly forward, banking all upon the credulity and thirst
+of the soldier who confronted him with fixed bayonet.
+
+That the sentry was both credulous and thirsty was evidenced by the
+fact that he let Barney come within reach of his gun. Instantly the
+drunken Austrian was transformed into a very sober and active engine of
+destruction. Seizing the barrel of the piece Barney jerked it to one
+side and toward him, and at the same instant he leaped for the throat
+of the sentry.
+
+So quickly was this accomplished that the Austrian had time only for a
+single cry, and that was choked in his windpipe by the steel fingers of
+the American. Together both men fell heavily to the ground, Barney
+retaining his hold upon the other’s throat.
+
+Striking and clutching at one another they fought in silence for a
+couple of minutes, then the soldier’s struggles began to weaken. He
+squirmed and gasped for breath. His mouth opened and his tongue
+protruded. His eyes started from their sockets. Barney closed his
+fingers more tightly upon the bearded throat. He rained heavy blows
+upon the upturned face. The beating fists of his adversary waved wildly
+now—the blows that reached Barney were pitifully weak. Presently they
+ceased. The man struggled violently for an instant, twitched
+spasmodically and lay still.
+
+Barney clung to him for several minutes longer, until there was not the
+slightest indication of remaining life. The perpetration of the deed
+sickened him; but he knew that his act was warranted, for it had been
+either his life or the other’s. He dragged the body back to the bushes
+in which he had been hiding. There he stripped off the Austrian
+uniform, put his own clothes upon the corpse and rolled it into the
+river.
+
+Dressed as an Austrian private, Barney Custer shouldered the dead
+soldier’s gun and walked boldly through the wood to the south.
+Momentarily he expected to run upon other soldiers, but though he kept
+straight on his way for hours he encountered none. The thin line of
+sentries along the river had been posted only to double the preventive
+measures that had been taken to keep Serbian spies either from entering
+or leaving the city.
+
+Toward dawn, at the darkest period of the night, Barney saw lights
+ahead of him. Apparently he was approaching a village. He went more
+cautiously now, but all his care did not prevent him from running for
+the second time that night almost into the arms of a sentry. This time,
+however, Barney saw the soldier before he himself was discovered. It
+was upon the edge of the town, in an orchard, that the sentinel was
+posted. Barney, approaching through the trees, darting from one to
+another, was within a few paces of the man before he saw him.
+
+The American remained quietly in the shadow of a tree waiting for an
+opportunity to escape, but before it came he heard the approach of a
+small body of troops. They were coming from the village directly toward
+the orchard. They passed the sentry and marched within a dozen feet of
+the tree behind which Barney was hiding.
+
+As they came opposite him he slipped around the tree to the opposite
+side. The sentry had resumed his pacing, and was now out of sight
+momentarily among the trees further on. He could not see the American,
+but there were others who could. They came in the shape of a
+non-commissioned officer and a detachment of the guard to relieve the
+sentry. Barney almost bumped into them as he rounded the tree. There
+was no escape—the non-commissioned officer was within two feet of him
+when Barney discovered him. “What are you doing here?” shouted the
+sergeant with an oath. “Your post is there,” and he pointed toward the
+position where Barney had seen the sentry.
+
+At first Barney could scarce believe his ears. In the darkness the
+sergeant had mistaken him for the sentinel! Could he carry it out? And
+if so might it not lead him into worse predicament? No, Barney decided,
+nothing could be worse. To be caught masquerading in the uniform of an
+Austrian soldier within the Austrian lines was to plumb the uttermost
+depth of guilt—nothing that he might do now could make his position
+worse.
+
+He faced the sergeant, snapping his piece to present, hoping that this
+was the proper thing to do. Then he stumbled through a brief excuse.
+The officer in command of the troops that had just passed had demanded
+the way of him, and he had but stepped a few paces from his post to
+point out the road to his superior.
+
+The sergeant grunted and ordered him to fall in. Another man took his
+place on duty. They were far from the enemy and discipline was lax, so
+the thing was accomplished which under other circumstances would have
+been well nigh impossible. A moment later Barney found himself marching
+back toward the village, to all intents and purposes an Austrian
+private.
+
+Before a low, windowless shed that had been converted into barracks for
+the guard, the detail was dismissed. The men broke ranks and sought
+their blankets within the shed, tired from their lonely vigil upon
+sentry duty.
+
+Barney loitered until the last. All the others had entered. He dared
+not, for he knew that any moment the sentry upon the post from which he
+had been taken would appear upon the scene, after discovering another
+of his comrades. He was certain to inquire of the sergeant. They would
+be puzzled, of course, and, being soldiers, they would be suspicious.
+There would be an investigation, which would start in the barracks of
+the guard. That neighborhood would at once become a most unhealthy spot
+for Barney Custer, of Beatrice, Nebraska.
+
+When the last of the soldiers had entered the shed Barney glanced
+quickly about. No one appeared to notice him. He walked directly past
+the doorway to the end of the building. Around this he found a yard,
+deeply shadowed. He entered it, crossed it, and passed out into an
+alley beyond. At the first cross-street his way was blocked by the
+sight of another sentry—the world seemed composed entirely of Austrian
+sentries. Barney wondered if the entire Austrian army was kept
+perpetually upon sentry duty; he had scarce been able to turn without
+bumping into one.
+
+He turned back into the alley and at last found a crooked passageway
+between buildings that he hoped might lead him to a spot where there
+was no sentry, and from which he could find his way out of the village
+toward the south. The passage, after devious windings, led into a
+large, open court, but when Barney attempted to leave the court upon
+the opposite side he found the ubiquitous sentries upon guard there.
+
+Evidently there would be no escape while the Austrians remained in the
+town. There was nothing to do, therefore, but hide until the happy
+moment of their departure arrived. He returned to the courtyard, and
+after a short search discovered a shed in one corner that had evidently
+been used to stable a horse, for there was straw at one end of it and a
+stall in the other. Barney sat down upon the straw to wait
+developments. Tired nature would be denied no longer. His eyes closed,
+his head drooped upon his breast. In three minutes from the time he
+entered the shed he was stretched full length upon the straw, fast
+asleep.
+
+The chugging of a motor awakened him. It was broad daylight. Many
+sounds came from the courtyard without. It did not take Barney long to
+gather his scattered wits—in an instant he was wide awake. He glanced
+about. He was the only occupant of the shed. Rising, he approached a
+small window that looked out upon the court. All was life and movement.
+A dozen military cars either stood about or moved in and out of the
+wide gates at the opposite end of the enclosure. Officers and soldiers
+moved briskly through a doorway that led into a large building that
+flanked the court upon one side. While Barney slept the headquarters of
+an Austrian army corps had moved in and taken possession of the
+building, the back of which abutted upon the court where lay his modest
+little shed.
+
+Barney took it all in at a single glance, but his eyes hung long and
+greedily upon the great, high-powered machines that chugged or purred
+about him.
+
+Gad! If he could but be behind the wheel of such a car for an hour! The
+frontier could not be over fifty miles to the south, of that he was
+quite positive; and what would fifty miles be to one of those machines?
+
+Barney sighed as a great, gray-painted car whizzed into the courtyard
+and pulled up before the doorway. Two officers jumped out and ran up
+the steps. The driver, a young man in a uniform not unlike that which
+Barney wore, drew the car around to the end of the courtyard close
+beside Barney’s shed. Here he left it and entered the building into
+which his passengers had gone. By reaching through the window Barney
+could have touched the fender of the machine. A few seconds’ start in
+that and it would take more than an Austrian army corps to stop him
+this side of the border. Thus mused Barney, knowing already that the
+mad scheme that had been born within his brain would be put to action
+before he was many minutes older.
+
+There were many soldiers on guard about the courtyard. The greatest
+danger lay in arousing the suspicions of one of these should he chance
+to see Barney emerge from the shed and enter the car.
+
+“The proper thing,” thought Barney, “is to come from the building into
+which everyone seems to pass, and the only way to be seen coming out of
+it is to get into it; but how the devil am I to get into it?”
+
+The longer he thought the more convinced he became that utter
+recklessness and boldness would be his only salvation. Briskly he
+walked from the shed out into the courtyard beneath the eyes of the
+sentries, the officers, the soldiers, and the military drivers. He
+moved straight among them toward the doorway of the headquarters as
+though bent upon important business—which, indeed, he was. At least it
+was quite the most important business to Barney Custer that that young
+gentleman could recall having ventured upon for some time.
+
+No one paid the slightest attention to him. He had left his gun in the
+shed for he noticed that only the men on guard carried them. Without an
+instant’s hesitation he ran briskly up the short flight of steps and
+entered the headquarters building. Inside was another sentry who barred
+his way questioningly. Evidently one must state one’s business to this
+person before going farther. Barney, without any loss of time or
+composure, stepped up to the guard.
+
+“Has General Kampf passed in this morning?” he asked blithely. Barney
+had never heard of any “General Kampf,” nor had the sentry, since there
+was no such person in the Austrian army. But he did know, however, that
+there were altogether too many generals for any one soldier to know the
+names of them all.
+
+“I do not know the general by sight,” replied the sentry.
+
+Here was a pretty mess, indeed. Doubtless the sergeant would know a
+great deal more than would be good for Barney Custer. The young man
+looked toward the door through which he had just entered. His sole
+object in coming into the spider’s parlor had been to make it possible
+for him to come out again in full view of all the guards and officers
+and military chauffeurs, that their suspicions might not be aroused
+when he put his contemplated coup to the test.
+
+He glanced toward the door. Machines were whizzing in and out of the
+courtyard. Officers on foot were passing and repassing. The sentry in
+the hallway was on the point of calling his sergeant.
+
+“Ah!” cried Barney. “There is the general now,” and without waiting to
+cast even a parting glance at the guard he stepped quickly through the
+doorway and ran down the steps into the courtyard. Looking neither to
+right nor to left, and with a convincing air of self-confidence and
+important business, he walked directly to the big, gray machine that
+stood beside the little shed at the end of the courtyard.
+
+To crank it and leap to the driver’s seat required but a moment. The
+big car moved smoothly forward. A turn of the steering wheel brought it
+around headed toward the wide gates. Barney shifted to second speed,
+stepped on the accelerator and the cut-out simultaneously, and with a
+noise like the rattle of a machine gun, shot out of the courtyard.
+
+None who saw his departure could have guessed from the manner of it
+that the young man at the wheel of the gray car was stealing the
+machine or that his life depended upon escape without detection. It was
+the very boldness of his act that crowned it with success.
+
+Once in the street Barney turned toward the south. Cars were passing up
+and down in both directions, usually at high speed. Their numbers
+protected the fugitive. Momentarily he expected to be halted; but he
+passed out of the village without mishap and reached a country road
+which, except for a lane down its center along which automobiles were
+moving, was blocked with troops marching southward. Through this
+soldier-walled lane Barney drove for half an hour.
+
+From a great distance, toward the southeast, he could hear the boom of
+cannon and the bursting of shells. Presently the road forked. The
+troops were moving along the road on the left toward the distant battle
+line. Not a man or machine was turning into the right fork, the road
+toward the south that Barney wished to take.
+
+Could he successfully pass through the marching soldiers at his right?
+Among all those officers there surely would be one who would question
+the purpose and destination of this private soldier who drove alone in
+the direction of the nearby frontier.
+
+The moment had come when he must stake everything on his ability to
+gain the open road beyond the plodding mass of troops. Diminishing the
+speed of the car Barney turned it in toward the marching men at the
+same time sounding his horn loudly. An infantry captain, marching
+beside his company, was directly in front of the car. He looked up at
+the American. Barney saluted and pointed toward the right-hand fork.
+
+The captain turned and shouted a command to his men. Those who had not
+passed in front of the car halted. Barney shot through the little lane
+they had opened, which immediately closed up behind him. He was
+through! He was upon the open road! Ahead, as far as he could see,
+there was no sign of any living creature to bar his way, and the
+frontier could not be more than twenty-five miles away.
+
+
+
+
+V.
+THE TRAITOR KING
+
+
+In his castle at Lustadt, Leopold of Lutha paced nervously back and
+forth between his great desk and the window that overlooked the royal
+gardens. Upon the opposite side of the desk stood an old man—a tall,
+straight, old man with the bearing of a soldier and the head of a lion.
+His keen, gray eyes were upon the king, and sorrow was written upon his
+face. He was Ludwig von der Tann, chancellor of the kingdom of Lutha.
+
+At last the king stopped his pacing and faced the old man, though he
+could not meet those eagle eyes squarely, try as he would. It was his
+inability to do so, possibly, that added to his anger. Weak himself, he
+feared this strong man and envied him his strength, which, in a weak
+nature, is but a step from hatred. There evidently had been a long
+pause in their conversation, yet the king’s next words took up the
+thread of their argument where it had broken.
+
+“You speak as though I had no right to do it,” he snapped. “One might
+think that you were the king from the manner with which you upbraid and
+reproach me. I tell you, Prince von der Tann, that I shall stand it no
+longer.”
+
+The king approached the desk and pounded heavily upon its polished
+surface with his fist. The physical act of violence imparted to him a
+certain substitute for the moral courage which he lacked.
+
+“I will tell you, sir, that I am king. It was not necessary that I
+consult you or any other man before pardoning Prince Peter and his
+associates. I have investigated the matter thoroughly and I am
+convinced that they have been taught a sufficient lesson and that
+hereafter they will be my most loyal subjects.”
+
+He hesitated. “Their presence here,” he added, “may prove an antidote
+to the ambitions of others who lately have taken it upon themselves to
+rule Lutha for me.”
+
+There was no mistaking the king’s meaning, but Prince Ludwig did not
+show by any change of expression that the shot had struck him in a
+vulnerable spot; nor, upon the other hand, did he ignore the
+insinuation. There was only sorrow in his voice when he replied.
+
+“Sire,” he said, “for some time I have been aware of the activity of
+those who would like to see Peter of Blentz returned to favor with your
+majesty. I have warned you, only to see that my motives were always
+misconstrued. There is a greater power at work, your majesty, than any
+of us—greater than Lutha itself. One that will stop at nothing in order
+to gain its ends. It cares naught for Peter of Blentz, naught for me,
+naught for you. It cares only for Lutha. For strategic purposes it must
+have Lutha. It will trample you under foot to gain its end, and then it
+will cast Peter of Blentz aside. You have insinuated, sire, that I am
+ambitious. I am. I am ambitious to maintain the integrity and freedom
+of Lutha.
+
+“For three hundred years the Von der Tanns have labored and fought for
+the welfare of Lutha. It was a Von der Tann that put the first
+Rubinroth king upon the throne of Lutha. To the last they were loyal to
+the former dynasty while that dynasty was loyal to Lutha. Only when the
+king attempted to sell the freedom of his people to a powerful neighbor
+did the Von der Tanns rise against him.
+
+“Sire! the Von der Tanns have always been loyal to the house of
+Rubinroth. And but a single thing rises superior within their breasts
+to that loyalty, and that is their loyalty to Lutha.” He paused for an
+instant before concluding. “And I, sire, am a Von der Tann.”
+
+There could be no mistaking the old man’s meaning. So long as Leopold
+was loyal to his people and their interests Ludwig von der Tann would
+be loyal to Leopold. The king was cowed. He was very much afraid of
+this grim old warrior. He chafed beneath his censure.
+
+“You are always scolding me,” he cried irritably. “I am getting tired
+of it. And now you threaten me. Do you call that loyalty? Do you call
+it loyalty to refuse to compel your daughter to keep her plighted
+troth? If you wish to prove your loyalty command the Princess Emma to
+fulfil the promise you made my father—command her to wed me at once.”
+
+Von der Tann looked the king straight in the eyes.
+
+“I cannot do that,” he said. “She has told me that she will kill
+herself rather than wed with your majesty. She is all I have left,
+sire. What good would be accomplished by robbing me of her if you could
+not gain her by the act? Win her confidence and love, sire. It may be
+done. Thus only may happiness result to you and to her.”
+
+“You see,” exclaimed the king, “what your loyalty amounts to! I believe
+that you are saving her for the impostor—I have heard as much hinted at
+before this. Nor do I doubt that she would gladly connive with the
+fellow if she thought there was a chance of his seizing the throne.”
+
+Von der Tann paled. For the first time righteous indignation and anger
+got the better of him. He took a step toward the king.
+
+“Stop!” he commanded. “No man, not even my king, may speak such words
+to a Von der Tann.”
+
+In an antechamber just outside the room a man sat near the door that
+led into the apartment where the king and his chancellor quarreled. He
+had been straining his ears to catch the conversation which he could
+hear rising and falling in the adjoining chamber, but till now he had
+been unsuccessful. Then came Prince Ludwig’s last words booming loudly
+through the paneled door, and the man smiled. He was Count Zellerndorf,
+the Austrian minister to Lutha.
+
+The king’s outraged majesty goaded him to an angry retort.
+
+“You forget yourself, Prince von der Tann,” he cried. “Leave our
+presence. When we again desire to be insulted we shall send for you.”
+
+As the chancellor passed into the antechamber Count Zellerndorf rose
+and greeted him warmly, almost effusively. Von der Tann returned his
+salutations with courtesy but with no answering warmth. Then he passed
+on out of the palace.
+
+“The old fox must have heard,” he mused as he mounted his horse and
+turned his face toward Tann and the Old Forest.
+
+When Count Zellerndorf of Austria entered the presence of Leopold of
+Lutha he found that young ruler much disturbed. He had resumed his
+restless pacing between desk and window, and as the Austrian entered he
+scarce paused to receive his salutation. Count Zellerndorf was a
+frequent visitor at the palace. There were few formalities between this
+astute diplomat and the young king; those had passed gradually away as
+their acquaintance and friendship ripened.
+
+“Prince Ludwig appeared angry when he passed through the antechamber,”
+ventured Zellerndorf. “Evidently your majesty found cause to rebuke
+him.”
+
+The king nodded and looked narrowly at the Austrian. “The Prince von
+der Tann insinuated that Austria’s only wish in connection with Lutha
+is to seize her,” he said.
+
+Zellerndorf raised his hands in well-simulated horror.
+
+“Your majesty!” he exclaimed. “It cannot be that the prince has gone to
+such lengths to turn you against your best friend, my emperor. If he
+has I can only attribute it to his own ambitions. I have hesitated to
+speak to you of this matter, your majesty, but now that the honor of my
+own ruler is questioned I must defend him.
+
+“Bear with me then, should what I have to say wound you. I well know
+the confidence which the house of Von der Tann has enjoyed for
+centuries in Lutha; but I must brave your wrath in the interest of
+right. I must tell you that it is common gossip in Vienna that Von der
+Tann aspires to the throne of Lutha either for himself or for his
+daughter through the American impostor who once sat upon your throne
+for a few days. And let me tell you more.
+
+“The American will never again menace you—he was arrested in Burgova as
+a spy and executed. He is dead; but not so are Von der Tann’s
+ambitions. When he learns that he no longer may rely upon the strain of
+the Rubinroth blood that flowed in the veins of the American from his
+royal mother, the runaway Princess Victoria, there will remain to him
+only the other alternative of seizing the throne for himself. He is a
+very ambitious man, your majesty. Already he has caused it to become
+current gossip that he is the real power behind the throne of
+Lutha—that your majesty is but a figure-head, the puppet of Von der
+Tann.”
+
+Zellerndorf paused. He saw the flush of shame and anger that suffused
+the king’s face, and then he shot the bolt that he had come to fire,
+but which he had not dared to hope would find its target so denuded of
+defense.
+
+“Your majesty,” he whispered, coming quite close to the king, “all
+Lutha is inclined to believe that you fear Prince von der Tann. Only a
+few of us know the truth to be the contrary. For the sake of your
+prestige you must take some step to counteract this belief and stamp it
+out for good and all. I have planned a way—hear it.
+
+“Von der Tann’s hatred of Peter of Blentz is well known. No man in
+Lutha believes that he would permit you to have any intercourse with
+Peter. I have brought from Blentz an invitation to your majesty to
+honor the Blentz prince with your presence as a guest for the ensuing
+week. Accept it, your majesty.
+
+“Nothing could more conclusively prove to the most skeptical that you
+are still the king, and that Von der Tann, nor any other, may not dare
+to dictate to you. It will be the most splendid stroke of statesmanship
+that you could achieve at the present moment.”
+
+For an instant the king stood in thought. He still feared Peter of
+Blentz as the devil is reputed to fear holy water, though for converse
+reasons. Yet he was very angry with Von der Tann. It would indeed be an
+excellent way to teach the presumptuous chancellor his place.
+
+Leopold almost smiled as he thought of the chagrin with which Prince
+Ludwig would receive the news that he had gone to Blentz as the guest
+of Peter. It was the last impetus that was required by his weak,
+vindictive nature to press it to a decision.
+
+“Very well,” he said, “I will go tomorrow.”
+
+It was late the following day that Prince von der Tann received in his
+castle in the Old Forest word that an Austrian army had crossed the
+Luthanian frontier—the neutrality of Lutha had been violated. The old
+chancellor set out immediately for Lustadt. At the palace he sought an
+interview with the king only to learn that Leopold had departed earlier
+in the day to visit Peter of Blentz.
+
+There was but one thing to do and that was to follow the king to
+Blentz. Some action must be taken immediately—it would never do to let
+this breach of treaty pass unnoticed.
+
+The Serbian minister who had sent word to the chancellor of the
+invasion by the Austrian troops was closeted with him for an hour after
+his arrival at the palace. It was clear to both these men that the hand
+of Zellerndorf was plainly in evidence in both the important moves that
+had occurred in Lutha within the past twenty-four hours—the luring of
+the king to Blentz and the entrance of Austrian soldiery into Lutha.
+
+Following his interview with the Serbian minister Von der Tann rode
+toward Blentz with only his staff in attendance. It was long past
+midnight when the lights of the town appeared directly ahead of the
+little party. They rode at a trot along the road which passes through
+the village to wind upward again toward the ancient feudal castle that
+looks down from its hilltop upon the town.
+
+At the edge of the village Von der Tann was thunderstruck by a
+challenge from a sentry posted in the road, nor was his dismay lessened
+when he discovered that the man was an Austrian.
+
+“What is the meaning of this?” he cried angrily. “What are Austrian
+soldiers doing barring the roads of Lutha to the chancellor of Lutha?”
+
+The sentry called an officer. The latter was extremely suave. He
+regretted the incident, but his orders were most positive—no one could
+be permitted to pass through the lines without an order from the
+general commanding. He would go at once to the general and see if he
+could procure the necessary order. Would the prince be so good as to
+await his return? Von der Tann turned on the young officer, his face
+purpling with rage.
+
+“I will pass nowhere within the boundaries of Lutha,” he said, “upon
+the order of an Austrian. You may tell your general that my only regret
+is that I have not with me tonight the necessary force to pass through
+his lines to my king—another time I shall not be so handicapped,” and
+Ludwig, Prince von der Tann, wheeled his mount and spurred away in the
+direction of Lustadt, at his heels an extremely angry and revengeful
+staff.
+
+
+
+
+VI.
+A TRAP IS SPRUNG
+
+
+Long before Prince von der Tann reached Lustadt he had come to the
+conclusion that Leopold was in virtue a prisoner in Blentz. To prove
+his conclusion he directed one of his staff to return to Blentz and
+attempt to have audience with the king.
+
+“Risk anything,” he instructed the officer to whom he had entrusted the
+mission. “Submit, if necessary, to the humiliation of seeking an
+Austrian pass through the lines to the castle. See the king at any cost
+and deliver this message to him and to him alone and secretly. Tell him
+my fears, and that if I do not have word from him within twenty-four
+hours I shall assume that he is indeed a prisoner.
+
+“I shall then direct the mobilization of the army and take such steps
+as seem fit to rescue him and drive the invaders from the soil of
+Lutha. If you do not return I shall understand that you are held
+prisoner by the Austrians and that my worst fears have been realized.”
+
+But Prince Ludwig was one who believed in being forehanded and so it
+happened that the orders for the mobilization of the army of Lutha were
+issued within fifteen minutes of his return to Lustadt. It would do no
+harm, thought the old man, with a grim smile, to get things well under
+way a day ahead of time. This accomplished, he summoned the Serbian
+minister, with what purpose and to what effect became historically
+evident several days later. When, after twenty-four hours’ absence, his
+aide had not returned from Blentz, the chancellor had no regrets for
+his forehandedness.
+
+In the castle of Peter of Blentz the king of Lutha was being
+entertained royally. He was told nothing of the attempt of his
+chancellor to see him, nor did he know that a messenger from Prince von
+der Tann was being held a prisoner in the camp of the Austrians in the
+village. He was surrounded by the creatures of Prince Peter and by
+Peter’s staunch allies, the Austrian minister and the Austrian officers
+attached to the expeditionary force occupying the town. They told him
+that they had positive information that the Serbians already had
+crossed the frontier into Lutha, and that the presence of the Austrian
+troops was purely for the protection of Lutha.
+
+It was not until the morning following the rebuff of Prince von der
+Tann that Peter of Blentz, Count Zellerndorf and Maenck heard of the
+occurrence. They were chagrined by the accident, for they were not
+ready to deliver their final stroke. The young officer of the guard
+had, of course, but followed his instructions—who would have thought
+that old Von der Tann would come to Blentz! That he suspected their
+motives seemed apparent, and now that his rebuff at the gates had
+aroused his ire and, doubtless, crystallized his suspicions, they might
+find in him a very ugly obstacle to the fruition of their plans.
+
+With Von der Tann actively opposed to them, the value of having the
+king upon their side would be greatly minimized. The people and the
+army had every confidence in the old chancellor. Even if he opposed the
+king there was reason to believe that they might still side with him.
+
+“What is to be done?” asked Zellerndorf. “Is there no way either to win
+or force Von der Tann to acquiescence?”
+
+“I think we can accomplish it,” said Prince Peter, after a moment of
+thought. “Let us see Leopold. His mind has been prepared to receive
+almost gratefully any insinuations against the loyalty of Von der Tann.
+With proper evidence the king may easily be persuaded to order the
+chancellor’s arrest—possibly his execution as well.”
+
+So they saw the king, only to meet a stubborn refusal upon the part of
+Leopold to accede to their suggestions. He still was madly in love with
+Von der Tann’s daughter, and he knew that a blow delivered at her
+father would only tend to increase her bitterness toward him. The
+conspirators were nonplussed.
+
+They had looked for a comparatively easy road to the consummation of
+their desires. What in the world could be the cause of the king’s
+stubborn desire to protect the man they knew he feared, hated, and
+mistrusted with all the energy of his suspicious nature? It was the
+king himself who answered their unspoken question.
+
+“I cannot believe in the disloyalty of Prince Ludwig,” he said, “nor
+could I, even if I desired it, take such drastic steps as you suggest.
+Some day the Princess Emma, his daughter, will be my queen.”
+
+Count Zellerndorf was the first to grasp the possibilities that lay in
+the suggestion the king’s words carried.
+
+“Your majesty,” he cried, “there is a way to unite all factions in
+Lutha. It would be better to insure the loyalty of Von der Tann through
+bonds of kinship than to antagonize him. Marry the Princess Emma at
+once.
+
+“Wait, your majesty,” he added, as Leopold raised an objecting hand. “I
+am well informed as to the strange obstinacy of the princess, but for
+the welfare of the state—yes, for the sake of your very throne,
+sire—you should exert your royal prerogatives and command the Princess
+Emma to carry out the terms of your betrothal.”
+
+“What do you mean, Zellerndorf?” asked the king.
+
+“I mean, sire, that we should bring the princess here and compel her to
+marry you.”
+
+Leopold shook his head. “You do not know her,” he said. “You do not
+know the Von der Tann nature—one cannot force a Von der Tann.”
+
+“Pardon, sire,” urged Zellerndorf, “but I think it can be accomplished.
+If the Princess Emma knew that your majesty believed her father to be a
+traitor—that the order for his arrest and execution but awaited your
+signature—I doubt not that she would gladly become queen of Lutha, with
+her father’s life and liberty as a wedding gift.”
+
+For several minutes no one spoke after Count Zellerndorf had ceased.
+Leopold sat looking at the toe of his boot. Peter of Blentz, Maenck,
+and the Austrian watched him intently. The possibilities of the plan
+were sinking deep into the minds of all four. At last the king rose. He
+was mumbling to himself as though unconscious of the presence of the
+others.
+
+“She is a stubborn jade,” he mumbled. “It would be an excellent lesson
+for her. She needs to be taught that I am her king,” and then as though
+his conscience required a sop, “I shall be very good to her. Afterward
+she will be happy.” He turned toward Zellerndorf. “You think it can be
+done?”
+
+“Most assuredly, your majesty. We shall take immediate steps to fetch
+the Princess Emma to Blentz,” and the Austrian rose and backed from the
+apartment lest the king change his mind. Prince Peter and Maenck
+followed him.
+
+Princess Emma von der Tann sat in her boudoir in her father’s castle in
+the Old Forest. Except for servants, she was alone in the fortress, for
+Prince von der Tann was in Lustadt. Her mind was occupied with memories
+of the young American who had entered her life under such strange
+circumstances two years before—memories that had been awakened by the
+return of Lieutenant Otto Butzow to Lutha. He had come directly to her
+father and had been attached to the prince’s personal staff.
+
+From him she had heard a great deal about Barney Custer, and the old
+interest, never a moment forgotten during these two years, was
+reawakened to all its former intensity.
+
+Butzow had accompanied Prince Ludwig to Lustadt, but Princess Emma
+would not go with them. For two years she had not entered the capital,
+and much of that period had been spent in Paris. Only within the past
+fortnight had she returned to Lutha.
+
+In the middle of the morning her reveries were interrupted by the
+entrance of a servant bearing a message. She had to read it twice
+before she could realize its purport; though it was plainly worded—the
+shock of it had stunned her. It was dated at Lustadt and signed by one
+of the palace functionaries:
+
+Prince von der Tann has suffered a slight stroke. Do not be alarmed,
+but come at once. The two troopers who bear this message will act as
+your escort.
+
+It required but a few minutes for the girl to change to her riding
+clothes, and when she ran down into the court she found her horse
+awaiting her in the hands of her groom, while close by two mounted
+troopers raised their hands to their helmets in salute.
+
+A moment later the three clattered over the drawbridge and along the
+road that leads toward Lustadt. The escort rode a short distance behind
+the girl, and they were hard put to it to hold the mad pace which she
+set them.
+
+A few miles from Tann the road forks. One branch leads toward the
+capital and the other winds over the hills in the direction of Blentz.
+The fork occurs within the boundaries of the Old Forest. Great trees
+overhang the winding road, casting a twilight shade even at high noon.
+It is a lonely spot, far from any habitation.
+
+As the Princess Emma approached the fork she reined in her mount, for
+across the road to Lustadt a dozen horsemen barred her way. At first
+she thought nothing of it, turning her horse’s head to the righthand
+side of the road to pass the party, all of whom were in uniform; but as
+she did so one of the men reined directly in her path. The act was
+obviously intentional.
+
+The girl looked quickly up into the man’s face, and her own went white.
+He who stopped her way was Captain Ernst Maenck. She had not seen the
+man for two years, but she had good cause to remember him as the
+governor of the castle of Blentz and the man who had attempted to take
+advantage of her helplessness when she had been a prisoner in Prince
+Peter’s fortress. Now she looked straight into the fellow’s eyes.
+
+“Let me pass, please,” she said coldly.
+
+“I am sorry,” replied Maenck with an evil smile; “but the king’s orders
+are that you accompany me to Blentz—the king is there.”
+
+For answer the girl drove her spur into her mount’s side. The animal
+leaped forward, striking Maenck’s horse on the shoulder and half
+turning him aside, but the man clutched at the girl’s bridle-rein, and,
+seizing it, brought her to a stop.
+
+“You may as well come voluntarily, for come you must,” he said. “It
+will be easier for you.”
+
+“I shall not come voluntarily,” she replied. “If you take me to Blentz
+you will have to take me by force, and if my king is not sufficiently a
+gentleman to demand an accounting of you, I am at least more fortunate
+in the possession of a father who will.”
+
+“Your father will scarce wish to question the acts of his king,” said
+Maenck—“his king and the husband of his daughter.”
+
+“What do you mean?” she cried.
+
+“That before you are many hours older, your highness, you will be queen
+of Lutha.”
+
+The Princess Emma turned toward her tardy escort that had just arrived
+upon the scene.
+
+“This person has stopped me,” she said, “and will not permit me to
+continue toward Lustadt. Make a way for me; you are armed!”
+
+Maenck smiled. “Both of them are my men,” he explained.
+
+The girl saw it all now—the whole scheme to lure her to Blentz. Even
+then, though, she could not believe the king had been one of the
+conspirators of the plot.
+
+Weak as he was he was still a Rubinroth, and it was difficult for a Von
+der Tann to believe in the duplicity of a member of the house they had
+served so loyally for centuries. With bowed head the princess turned
+her horse into the road that led toward Blentz. Half the troopers
+preceded her, the balance following behind.
+
+Maenck wondered at the promptness of her surrender.
+
+“To be a queen—ah! that was the great temptation,” he thought but he
+did not know what was passing in the girl’s mind. She had seen that
+escape for the moment was impossible, and so had decided to bide her
+time until a more propitious chance should come. In silence she rode
+among her captors. The thought of being brought to Blentz alive was
+unbearable.
+
+Somewhere along the road there would be an opportunity to escape. Her
+horse was fleet; with a short start he could easily outdistance these
+heavier cavalry animals and as a last resort she could—she must—find
+some way to end her life, rather than to be dragged to the altar beside
+Leopold of Lutha.
+
+Since childhood Emma von der Tann had ridden these hilly roads. She
+knew every lane and bypath for miles around. She knew the short cuts,
+the gullies and ravines. She knew where one might, with a good jumper,
+save a wide detour, and as she rode toward Blentz she passed in review
+through her mind each of the many spots where a sudden break for
+liberty might have the best chance to succeed.
+
+And at last she hit upon the place where a quick turn would take her
+from the main road into the roughest sort of going for one not familiar
+with the trail. Maenck and his soldiers had already partially relaxed
+their vigilance. The officer had come to the conclusion that his
+prisoner was resigned to her fate and that, after all, the fate of
+being forced to be queen did not appear so dark to her.
+
+They had wound up a wooded hill and were half way up to the summit. The
+princess was riding close to the right-hand side of the road. Quite
+suddenly, and before a hand could be raised to stay her, she wheeled
+her mount between two trees, struck home her spur, and was gone into
+the wood upon the steep hillside.
+
+With an oath, Maenck cried to his men to be after her. He himself
+spurred into the forest at the point where the girl had disappeared. So
+sudden had been her break for liberty and so quickly had the foliage
+swallowed her that there was something almost uncanny in it.
+
+A hundred yards from the road the trees were further apart, and through
+them the pursuers caught a glimpse of their quarry. The girl was riding
+like mad along the rough, uneven hillside. Her mount, surefooted as a
+chamois, seemed in his element. But two of the horses of her pursuers
+were as swift, and under the cruel spurs of their riders were closing
+up on their fugitive. The girl urged her horse to greater speed, yet
+still the two behind closed in.
+
+A hundred yards ahead lay a deep and narrow gully, hid by bushes that
+grew rankly along its verge. Straight toward this the Princess Emma von
+der Tann rode. Behind her came her pursuers—two quite close and the
+others trailing farther in the rear. The girl reined in a trifle,
+letting the troopers that were closest to her gain until they were but
+a few strides behind, then she put spur to her horse and drove him at
+topmost speed straight toward the gully. At the bushes she spoke a low
+word in his backlaid ears, raised him quickly with the bit, leaning
+forward as he rose in air. Like a bird that animal took the bushes and
+the gully beyond, while close behind him crashed the two luckless
+troopers.
+
+Emma von der Tann cast a single backward glance over her shoulder, as
+her horse regained his stride upon the opposite side of the gully, to
+see her two foremost pursuers plunging headlong into it. Then she shook
+free her reins and gave her mount his head along a narrow trail that
+both had followed many times before.
+
+Behind her, Maenck and the balance of his men came to a sudden stop at
+the edge of the gully. Below them one of the troopers was struggling to
+his feet. The other lay very still beneath his motionless horse. With
+an angry oath Maenck directed one of his men to remain and help the two
+who had plunged over the brink, then with the others he rode along the
+gully searching for a crossing.
+
+Before they found one their captive was a mile ahead of them, and,
+barring accident, quite beyond recapture. She was making for a highway
+that would lead her to Lustadt. Ordinarily she had been wont to bear a
+little to the north-east at this point and strike back into the road
+that she had just left; but today she feared to do so lest she be cut
+off before she gained the north and south highroad which the other road
+crossed a little farther on.
+
+To her right was a small farm across which she had never ridden, for
+she always had made it a point never to trespass upon fenced grounds.
+On the opposite side of the farm was a wood, and somewhere beyond that
+a small stream which the highroad crossed upon a little bridge. It was
+all new country to her, but it must be ventured.
+
+She took the fence at the edge of the clearing and then reined in a
+moment to look behind her. A mile away she saw the head and shoulders
+of a horseman above some low bushes—the pursuers had found a way
+through the gully.
+
+Turning once more to her flight the girl rode rapidly across the fields
+toward the wood. Here she found a high wire fence so close to thickly
+growing trees upon the opposite side that she dared not attempt to jump
+it—there was no point at which she would not have been raked from the
+saddle by overhanging boughs. Slipping to the ground she attacked the
+barrier with her bare hands, attempting to tear away the staples that
+held the wire in place. For several minutes she surged and tugged upon
+the unyielding metal strand. An occasional backward glance revealed to
+her horrified eyes the rapid approach of her enemies. One of them was
+far in advance of the others—in another moment he would be upon her.
+
+With redoubled fury she turned again to the fence. A superhuman effort
+brought away a staple. One wire was down and an instant later two more.
+Standing with one foot upon the wires to keep them from tangling about
+her horse’s legs, she pulled her mount across into the wood. The
+foremost horseman was close upon her as she finally succeeded in urging
+the animal across the fallen wires.
+
+The girl sprang to her horse’s side just as the man reached the fence.
+The wires, released from her weight, sprang up breast high against his
+horse. He leaped from the saddle the instant that the girl was swinging
+into her own. Then the fellow jumped the fence and caught her bridle.
+
+She struck at him with her whip, lashing him across the head and face,
+but he clung tightly, dragged hither and thither by the frightened
+horse, until at last he managed to reach the girl’s arm and drag her to
+the ground.
+
+Almost at the same instant a man, unkempt and disheveled, sprang from
+behind a tree and with a single blow stretched the trooper unconscious
+upon the ground.
+
+
+
+
+VII.
+BARNEY TO THE RESCUE
+
+
+As Barney Custer raced along the Austrian highroad toward the frontier
+and Lutha, his spirits rose to a pitch of buoyancy to which they had
+been strangers for the past several days. For the first time in many
+hours it seemed possible to Barney to entertain reasonable hopes of
+escape from the extremely dangerous predicament into which he had
+gotten himself.
+
+He was even humming a gay little tune as he drove into a tiny hamlet
+through which the road wound. No sign of military appeared to fill him
+with apprehension. He was very hungry and the odor of cooking fell
+gratefully upon his nostrils. He drew up before the single inn, and
+presently, washed and brushed, was sitting before the first meal he had
+seen for two days. In the enjoyment of the food he almost forgot the
+dangers he had passed through, or that other dangers might be lying in
+wait for him at his elbow.
+
+From the landlord he learned that the frontier lay but three miles to
+the south of the hamlet. Three miles! Three miles to Lutha! What if
+there was a price upon his head in that kingdom? It was HER home. It
+had been his mother’s birthplace. He loved it.
+
+Further, he must enter there and reach the ear of old Prince von der
+Tann. Once more he must save the king who had shown such scant
+gratitude upon another occasion.
+
+For Leopold, Barney Custer did not give the snap of his fingers; but
+what Leopold, the king, stood for in the lives and sentiments of the
+Luthanians—of the Von der Tanns—was very dear to the American because
+it was dear to a trim, young girl and to a rugged, leonine, old man, of
+both of whom Barney was inordinately fond. And possibly, too, it was
+dear to him because of the royal blood his mother had bequeathed him.
+
+His meal disposed of to the last morsel, and paid for, Barney entered
+the stolen car and resumed his journey toward Lutha. That he could
+remain there he knew to be impossible, but in delivering his news to
+Prince Ludwig he might have an opportunity to see the Princess Emma
+once again—it would be worth risking his life for, of that he was
+perfectly satisfied. And then he could go across into Serbia with the
+new credentials that he had no doubt Prince von der Tann would furnish
+him for the asking to replace those the Austrians had confiscated.
+
+At the frontier Barney was halted by an Austrian customs officer; but
+when the latter recognized the military car and the Austrian uniform of
+the driver he waved him through without comment. Upon the other side
+the American expected possible difficulty with the Luthanian customs
+officer, but to his surprise he found the little building deserted, and
+none to bar his way. At last he was in Lutha—by noon on the following
+day he should be at Tann.
+
+To reach the Old Forest by the best roads it was necessary to bear a
+little to the southeast, passing through Tafelberg and striking the
+north and south highway between that point and Lustadt, to which he
+could hold until reaching the east and west road that runs through both
+Tann and Blentz on its way across the kingdom.
+
+The temptation to stop for a few minutes in Tafelberg for a visit with
+his old friend Herr Kramer was strong, but fear that he might be
+recognized by others, who would not guard his secret so well as the
+shopkeeper of Tafelberg would, decided him to keep on his way. So he
+flew through the familiar main street of the quaint old village at a
+speed that was little, if any less, than fifty miles an hour.
+
+On he raced toward the south, his speed often necessarily diminished
+upon the winding mountain roads, but for the most part clinging to a
+reckless mileage that caused the few natives he encountered to flee to
+the safety of the bordering fields, there to stand in open-mouthed awe.
+
+Halfway between Tafelberg and the crossroad into which he purposed
+turning to the west toward Tann there is an S-curve where the bases of
+two small hills meet. The road here is narrow and treacherous—fifteen
+miles an hour is almost a reckless speed at which to travel around the
+curves of the S. Beyond are open fields upon either side of the road.
+
+Barney took the turns carefully and had just emerged into the last leg
+of the S when he saw, to his consternation, a half-dozen Austrian
+infantrymen lolling beside the road. An officer stood near them talking
+with a sergeant. To turn back in that narrow road was impossible. He
+could only go ahead and trust to his uniform and the military car to
+carry him safely through. Before he reached the group of soldiers the
+fields upon either hand came into view. They were dotted with tents,
+wagons, motor-vans and artillery. What did it mean? What was this
+Austrian army doing in Lutha?
+
+Already the officer had seen him. This was doubtless an outpost,
+however clumsily placed it might be for strategic purposes. To pass it
+was Barney’s only hope. He had passed through one Austrian army—why not
+another? He approached the outpost at a moderate rate of speed—to tear
+toward it at the rate his heart desired would be to awaken not
+suspicion only but positive conviction that his purposes and motives
+were ulterior.
+
+The officer stepped toward the road as though to halt him. Barney
+pretended to be fussing with some refractory piece of controlling
+mechanism beneath the cowl—apparently he did not see the officer. He
+was just opposite him when the latter shouted to him. Barney
+straightened up quickly and saluted, but did not stop.
+
+“Halt!” cried the officer.
+
+Barney pointed down the road in the direction in which he was headed.
+
+“Halt!” repeated the officer, running to the car.
+
+Barney glanced ahead. Two hundred yards farther on was another
+post—beyond that he saw no soldiers. He turned and shouted a volley of
+intentionally unintelligible jargon at the officer, continuing to point
+ahead of him.
+
+He hoped to confuse the man for the few seconds necessary for him to
+reach the last post. If the soldiers there saw that he had been
+permitted to pass through the first they doubtless would not hinder his
+further passage. That they were watching him Barney could see.
+
+He had passed the officer now. There was no necessity for dalliance. He
+pressed the accelerator down a trifle. The car moved forward at
+increased speed. A final angry shout broke from the officer behind him,
+followed by a quick command. Barney did not have to wait long to learn
+the tenor of the order, for almost immediately a shot sounded from
+behind and a bullet whirred above his head. Another shot and another
+followed.
+
+Barney was pressing the accelerator downward to the limit. The car
+responded nobly—there was no sputtering, no choking. Just a rapid rush
+of increasing momentum as the machine gained headway by leaps and
+bounds.
+
+The bullets were ripping the air all about him. Just ahead the second
+outpost stood directly in the center of the road. There were three
+soldiers and they were taking deliberate aim, as carefully as though
+upon the rifle range. It seemed to Barney that they couldn’t miss him.
+He swerved the car suddenly from one side of the road to the other. At
+the rate that it was going the move was fraught with but little less
+danger than the supine facing of the leveled guns ahead.
+
+The three rifles spoke almost simultaneously. The glass of the
+windshield shattered in Barney’s face. There was a hole in the
+left-hand front fender that had not been there before.
+
+“Rotten shooting,” commented Barney Custer, of Beatrice.
+
+The soldiers still stood in the center of the road firing at the
+swaying car as, lurching from side to side, it bore down upon them.
+Barney sounded the raucous military horn; but the soldiers seemed
+unconscious of their danger—they still stood there pumping lead toward
+the onrushing Juggernaut. At the last instant they attempted to rush
+from its path; but they were too late.
+
+At over sixty miles an hour the huge, gray monster bore down upon them.
+One of them fell beneath the wheels—the two others were thrown high in
+air as the bumper struck them. The body of the man who had fallen
+beneath the wheels threw the car half way across the road—only iron
+nerve and strong arms held it from the ditch upon the opposite side.
+
+Barney Custer had never been nearer death than at that moment—not even
+when he faced the firing squad before the factory wall in Burgova. He
+had done that without a tremor—he had heard the bullets of the outpost
+whistling about his head a moment before, with a smile upon his lips—he
+had faced the leveled rifles of the three he had ridden down and he had
+not quailed. But now, his machine in the center of the road again, he
+shook like a leaf, still in the grip of the sickening nausea of that
+awful moment when the mighty, insensate monster beneath him had reeled
+drunkenly in its mad flight, swerving toward the ditch and destruction.
+
+For a few minutes he held to his rapid pace before he looked around,
+and then it was to see two cars climbing into the road from the
+encampment in the field and heading toward him in pursuit. Barney
+grinned. Once more he was master of his nerves. They’d have a merry
+chase, he thought, and again he accelerated the speed of the car. Once
+before he had had it up to seventy-five miles, and for a moment, when
+he had had no opportunity to even glance at the speedometer, much
+higher. Now he was to find the maximum limit of the possibilities of
+the brave car he had come to look upon with real affection.
+
+The road ahead was comparatively straight and level. Behind him came
+the enemy. Barney watched the road rushing rapidly out of sight beneath
+the gray fenders. He glanced occasionally at the speedometer.
+Seventy-five miles an hour. Seventy-seven! “Going some,” murmured
+Barney as he saw the needle vibrate up to eighty. Gradually he nursed
+her up and up to greater speed.
+
+Eighty-five! The trees were racing by him in an indistinct blur of
+green. The fences were thin, wavering lines—the road a white-gray
+ribbon, ironed by the terrific speed to smooth unwrinkledness. He could
+not take his eyes from the business of steering to glance behind; but
+presently there broke faintly through the whir of the wind beating
+against his ears the faint report of a gun. He was being fired upon
+again. He pressed down still further upon the accelerator. The car
+answered to the pressure. The needle rose steadily until it reached
+ninety miles an hour—and topped it.
+
+Then from somewhere in the radiator hose a hissing and a spurt of
+steam. Barney was dumbfounded. He had filled the cooling system at the
+inn where he had eaten. It had been working perfectly before and since.
+What could have happened? There could be but a single explanation. A
+bullet from the gun of one of the three men who had attempted to stop
+him at the second outpost had penetrated the radiator, and had slowly
+drained it.
+
+Barney knew that the end was near, since the usefulness of the car in
+furthering his escape was over. At the speed he was going it would be
+but a short time before the superheated pistons expanding in their
+cylinders would tear the motor to pieces. Barney felt that he would be
+lucky if he himself were not killed when it happened.
+
+He reduced his speed and glanced behind. His pursuers had not gained
+upon him, but they still were coming. A bend in the road shut them from
+his view. A little way ahead the road crossed over a river upon a
+wooden bridge. On the opposite side and to the right of the road was a
+wood. It seemed to offer the most likely possibilities of concealment
+in the vicinity. If he could but throw his pursuers off the trail for a
+while he might succeed in escaping through the wood, eventually
+reaching Tann on foot. He had a rather hazy idea of the exact direction
+of the town and castle, but that he could find them eventually he was
+sure.
+
+The sight of the river and the bridge he was nearing suggested a plan,
+and the ominous grating of the overheated motor warned him that
+whatever he was to do he must do at once. As he neared the bridge he
+reduced the speed of the car to fifteen miles an hour, and set the hand
+throttle to hold it there. Still gripping the steering wheel with one
+hand, he climbed over the left-hand door to the running board. As the
+front wheels of the car ran up onto the bridge Barney gave the steering
+wheel a sudden turn to the right, and jumped.
+
+The car veered toward the wooden handrail, there was a splintering of
+stanchions, as, with a crash, the big machine plunged through them
+headforemost into the river. Without waiting to give even a glance at
+his handiwork Barney Custer ran across the bridge, leaped the fence
+upon the right-hand side and plunged into the shelter of the wood.
+
+Then he turned to look back up the road in the direction from which his
+pursuers were coming. They were not in sight—they had not seen his
+ruse. The water in the river was of sufficient depth to completely
+cover the car—no sign of it appeared above the surface.
+
+Barney turned into the wood smiling. His scheme had worked well. The
+occupants of the two cars following him might not note the broken
+handrail, or, if they did, might not connect it with Barney in any way.
+In this event they would continue in the direction of Lustadt,
+wondering what in the world had become of their quarry. Or, if they
+guessed that his car had gone over into the river, they would doubtless
+believe that its driver had gone with it. In either event Barney would
+be given ample time to find his way to Tann.
+
+He wished that he might find other clothes, since if he were dressed
+otherwise there would be no reason to imagine that his pursuers would
+recognize him should they come upon him. None of them could possibly
+have gained a sufficiently good look at his features to recognize them
+again.
+
+The Austrian uniform, however, would convict him, or at least lay him
+under suspicion, and in Barney’s present case, suspicion was as good as
+conviction were he to fall into the hands of the Austrians. The garb
+had served its purpose well in aiding in his escape from Austria, but
+now it was more of a menace than an asset.
+
+For a week Barney Custer wandered through the woods and mountains of
+Lutha. He did not dare approach or question any human being. Several
+times he had seen Austrian cavalry that seemed to be scouring the
+country for some purpose that the American could easily believe was
+closely connected with himself. At least he did not feel disposed to
+stop them, as they cantered past his hiding place, to inquire the
+nature of their business.
+
+Such farmhouses as he came upon he gave a wide berth except at night,
+and then he only approached them stealthily for such provender as he
+might filch. Before the week was up he had become an expert chicken
+thief, being able to rob a roost as quietly as the most finished
+carpetbagger on the sunny side of Mason and Dixon’s line.
+
+A careless housewife, leaving her lord and master’s rough shirt and
+trousers hanging upon the line overnight, had made possible for Barney
+the coveted change in raiment. Now he was barged as a Luthanian
+peasant. He was hatless, since the lady had failed to hang out her
+mate’s woolen cap, and Barney had not dared retain a single vestige of
+the damning Austrian uniform.
+
+What the peasant woman thought when she discovered the empty line the
+following morning Barney could only guess, but he was morally certain
+that her grief was more than tempered by the gold piece he had wrapped
+in a bit of cloth torn from the soldier’s coat he had worn, which he
+pinned on the line where the shirt and pants had been.
+
+It was somewhere near noon upon the seventh day that Barney skirting a
+little stream, followed through the concealing shade of a forest toward
+the west. In his peasant dress he now felt safer to approach a
+farmhouse and inquire his way to Tann, for he had come a sufficient
+distance from the spot where he had stolen his new clothes to hope that
+they would not be recognized or that the news of their theft had not
+preceded him.
+
+As he walked he heard the sound of the feet of a horse galloping over a
+dry field—muffled, rapid thud approaching closer upon his right hand.
+Barney remained motionless. He was sure that the rider would not enter
+the wood which, with its low-hanging boughs and thick underbrush, was
+ill adapted to equestrianism.
+
+Closer and closer came the sound until it ceased suddenly scarce a
+hundred yards from where the American hid. He waited in silence to
+discover what would happen next. Would the rider enter the wood on
+foot? What was his purpose? Was it another Austrian who had by some
+miracle discovered the whereabouts of the fugitive? Barney could scarce
+believe it possible.
+
+Presently he heard another horse approaching at the same mad gallop. He
+heard the sound of rapid, almost frantic efforts of some nature where
+the first horse had come to a stop. He heard a voice urging the animal
+forward—pleading, threatening. A woman’s voice. Barney’s excitement
+became intense in sympathy with the subdued excitement of the woman
+whom he could not as yet see.
+
+A moment later the second rider came to a stop at the same point at
+which the first had reined in. A man’s voice rose roughly. “Halt!” it
+cried. “In the name of the king, halt!” The American could no longer
+resist the temptation to see what was going on so close to him “in the
+name of the king.”
+
+He advanced from behind his tree until he saw the two figures—a man’s
+and a woman’s. Some bushes intervened—he could not get a clear view of
+them, yet there was something about the figure of the woman, whose back
+was toward him as she struggled to mount her frightened horse, that
+caused him to leap rapidly toward her. He rounded a tree a few paces
+from her just as the man—a trooper in the uniform of the house of
+Blentz—caught her arm and dragged her from the saddle. At the same
+instant Barney recognized the girl—it was Princess Emma.
+
+Before either the trooper or the princess were aware of his presence he
+had leaped to the man’s side and dealt him a blow that stretched him at
+full length upon the ground—stunned.
+
+
+
+
+VIII.
+AN ADVENTUROUS DAY
+
+
+For an instant the two stood looking at one another. The girl’s eyes
+were wide with incredulity, with hope, with fear. She was the first to
+break the silence.
+
+“Who are you?” she breathed in a half whisper.
+
+“I don’t wonder that you ask,” returned the man. “I must look like a
+scarecrow. I’m Barney Custer. Don’t you remember me now? Who did you
+think I was?”
+
+The girl took a step toward him. Her eyes lighted with relief.
+
+“Captain Maenck told me that you were dead,” she said, “that you had
+been shot as a spy in Austria, and then there is that uncanny
+resemblance to the king—since he has shaved his beard it is infinitely
+more remarkable. I thought you might be he. He has been at Blentz and I
+knew that it was quite possible that he had discovered treachery upon
+the part of Prince Peter. In which case he might have escaped in
+disguise. I really wasn’t sure that you were not he until you spoke.”
+
+Barney stooped and removed the bandoleer of cartridges from the fallen
+trooper, as well as his revolver and carbine. Then he took the girl’s
+hand and together they turned into the wood. Behind them came the sound
+of pursuit. They heard the loud words of Maenck as he ordered his three
+remaining men into the wood on foot. As he advanced, Barney looked to
+the magazine of his carbine and the cylinder of his revolver.
+
+“Why were they pursuing you?” he asked.
+
+“They were taking me to Blentz to force me to wed Leopold,” she
+replied. “They told me that my father’s life depended upon my
+consenting; but I should not have done so. The honor of my house is
+more precious than the life of any of its members. I escaped them a few
+miles back, and they were following to overtake me.”
+
+A noise behind them caused Barney to turn. One of the troopers had come
+into view. He carried his carbine in his hands and at sight of the man
+with the fugitive girl he raised it to his shoulder; but as the
+American turned toward him his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped.
+
+Instantly Barney knew that the fellow had noted his resemblance to the
+king. Barney’s body was concealed from the view of the other by a bush
+which grew between them, so the man saw only the face of the American.
+The fellow turned and shouted to Maenck: “The king is with her.”
+
+“Nonsense,” came the reply from farther back in the wood. “If there is
+a man with her and he will not surrender, shoot him.” At the words
+Barney and the girl turned once more to their flight. From behind came
+the command to halt—“Halt! or I fire.” Just ahead Barney saw the river.
+
+They were sure to be taken there if he was unable to gain the time
+necessary to make good a crossing. Upon the opposite side was a
+continuation of the wood. Behind them the leading trooper was crashing
+through the underbrush in renewed pursuit. He came in sight of them
+again, just as they reached the river bank. Once more his carbine was
+leveled. Barney pushed the girl to her knees behind a bush. Then he
+wheeled and fired, so quickly that the man with the already leveled gun
+had no time to anticipate his act.
+
+With a cry the fellow threw his hands above his head, staggered forward
+and plunged full length upon his face. Barney gathered the princess in
+his arms and plunged into the shallow stream. The girl held his carbine
+as he stumbled over the rocky bottom. The water deepened rapidly—the
+opposite shore seemed a long way off and behind there were three more
+enemies in hot pursuit.
+
+Under ordinary circumstances Barney could have found it in his heart to
+wish the little Luthanian river as broad as the Mississippi, for only
+under such circumstances as these could he ever hope to hold the
+Princess Emma in his arms. Two years before she had told him that she
+loved him; but at the same time she had given him to understand that
+their love was hopeless. She might refuse to wed the king; but that she
+should ever wed another while the king lived was impossible, unless
+Leopold saw fit to release her from her betrothal to him and sanction
+her marriage to another. That he ever would do this was to those who
+knew him not even remotely possible.
+
+He loved Emma von der Tann and he hated Barney Custer—hated him with a
+jealous hatred that was almost fanatic in its intensity. And even that
+the Princess Emma von der Tann would wed him were she free to wed was a
+question that was not at all clear in the mind of Barney Custer. He
+knew something of the traditions of this noble family—of the pride of
+caste, of the fetish of blood that inexorably dictated the ordering of
+their lives.
+
+The girl had just said that the honor of her house was more precious
+than the life of any of its members. How much more precious would it be
+to her than her own material happiness! Barney Custer sighed and
+struggled through the swirling waters that were now above his hips. If
+he pressed the lithe form closer to him than necessity demanded, who
+may blame him?
+
+The girl, whose face was toward the bank they had just quitted, gave no
+evidence of displeasure if she noted the fierce pressure of his
+muscles. Her eyes were riveted upon the wood behind. Presently a man
+emerged. He called to them in a loud and threatening tone.
+
+Barney redoubled his Herculean efforts to gain the opposite bank. He
+was in midstream now and the water had risen to his waist. The girl saw
+Maenck and the other trooper emerge from the underbrush beside the
+first. Maenck was crazed with anger. He shook his fist and screamed
+aloud his threatening commands to halt, and then, of a sudden, gave an
+order to one of the men at his side. Immediately the fellow raised his
+carbine and fired at the escaping couple.
+
+The bullet struck the water behind them. At the sound of the report the
+girl raised the gun she held and leveled it at the group behind her.
+She pulled the trigger. There was a sharp report, and one of the
+troopers fell. Then she fired again, quickly, and again and again. She
+did not score another hit, but she had the satisfaction of seeing
+Maenck and the last of his troopers dodge back to the safety of
+protecting trees.
+
+“The cowards!” muttered Barney as the enemy’s shot announced his
+sinister intention; “they might have hit your highness.”
+
+The girl did not reply until she had ceased firing.
+
+“Captain Maenck is notoriously a coward,” she said. “He is hiding
+behind a tree now with one of his men—I hit the other.”
+
+“You hit one of them!” exclaimed Barney enthusiastically.
+
+“Yes,” said the girl. “I have shot a man. I often wondered what the
+sensation must be to have done such a thing. I should feel terribly,
+but I don’t. They were firing at you, trying to shoot you in the back
+while you were defenseless. I am not sorry—I cannot be; but I only wish
+that it had been Captain Maenck.”
+
+In a short time Barney reached the bank and, helping the girl up,
+climbed to her side. A couple of shots followed them as they left the
+river, but did not fall dangerously near. Barney took the carbine and
+replied, then both of them disappeared into the wood.
+
+For the balance of the day they tramped on in the direction of Lustadt,
+making but little progress owing to the fear of apprehension. They did
+not dare utilize the high road, for they were still too close to
+Blentz. Their only hope lay in reaching the protection of Prince von
+der Tann before they should be recaptured by the king’s emissaries. At
+dusk they came to the outskirts of a town. Here they hid until darkness
+settled, for Barney had determined to enter the place after dark and
+hire horses.
+
+The American marveled at the bravery and endurance of the girl. He had
+always supposed that a princess was so carefully guarded from fatigue
+and privation all her life that the least exertion would prove her
+undoing; but no hardy peasant girl could have endured more bravely the
+hardships and dangers through which the Princess Emma had passed since
+the sun rose that morning.
+
+At last darkness came, and with it they approached and entered the
+village. They kept to unlighted side streets until they met a villager,
+of whom they inquired their way to some private house where they might
+obtain refreshments. The fellow scrutinized them with evident
+suspicion.
+
+“There is an inn yonder,” he said, pointing toward the main street.
+“You can obtain food there. Why should respectable folk want to go
+elsewhere than to the public inn? And if you are afraid to go there you
+must have very good reasons for not wanting to be seen, and—” he
+stopped short as though assailed by an idea. “Wait,” he cried,
+excitedly, “I will go and see if I can find a place for you. Wait right
+here,” and off he ran toward the inn.
+
+“I don’t like the looks of that,” said Barney, after the man had left
+them. “He’s gone to report us to someone. Come, we’d better get out of
+here before he comes back.”
+
+The two turned up a side street away from the inn. They had gone but a
+short distance when they heard the sound of voices and the thud of
+horses’ feet behind them. The horses were coming at a walk and with
+them were several men on foot. Barney took the princess’ hand and drew
+her up a hedge bordered driveway that led into private grounds. In the
+shadows of the hedge they waited for the party behind them to pass. It
+might be no one searching for them, but it was just as well to be on
+the safe side—they were still near Blentz. Before the men reached their
+hiding place a motor car followed and caught up with them, and as the
+party came opposite the driveway Barney and the princess overheard a
+portion of their conversation.
+
+“Some of you go back and search the street behind the inn—they may not
+have come this way.” The speaker was in the motor car. “We will follow
+along this road for a bit and then turn into the Lustadt highway. If
+you don’t find them go back along the road toward Tann.”
+
+In her excitement the Princess Emma had not noticed that Barney Custer
+still held her hand in his. Now he pressed it. “It is Maenck’s voice,”
+he whispered. “Every road will be guarded.”
+
+For a moment he was silent, thinking. The searching party had passed
+on. They could still hear the purring of the motor as Maenck’s car
+moved slowly up the street.
+
+“This is a driveway,” murmured Barney. “People who build driveways into
+their grounds usually have something to drive. Whatever it is it should
+be at the other end of the driveway. Let’s see if it will carry two.”
+
+Still in the shadow of the hedge they moved cautiously toward the upper
+end of the private road until presently they saw a building looming in
+their path.
+
+“A garage?” whispered Barney.
+
+“Or a barn,” suggested the princess.
+
+“In either event it should contain something that can go,” returned the
+American. “Let us hope that it can go like—like—ah—the wind.”
+
+“And carry two,” supplemented the princess.
+
+“Wait here,” said Barney. “If I get caught, run. Whatever happens you
+mustn’t be caught.”
+
+Princess Emma dropped back close to the hedge and Barney approached the
+building, which proved to be a private garage. The doors were locked,
+as also were the three windows. Barney passed entirely around the
+structure halting at last upon the darkest side. Here was a window.
+Barney tried to loosen the catch with the blade of his pocket knife,
+but it wouldn’t unfasten. His endeavors resulted only in snapping short
+the blade of his knife. For a moment he stood contemplating the
+baffling window. He dared not break the glass for fear of arousing the
+inmates of the house which, though he could not see it, might be close
+at hand.
+
+Presently he recalled a scene he had witnessed on State Street in
+Chicago several years before—a crowd standing before the window of a
+jeweler’s shop inspecting a neat little hole that a thief had cut in
+the glass with a diamond and through which he had inserted his hand and
+brought forth several hundred dollars worth of loot. But Barney Custer
+wore no diamond—he would as soon have worn a celluloid collar. But
+women wore diamonds. Doubtless the Princess Emma had one. He ran
+quickly to her side.
+
+“Have you a diamond ring?” he whispered.
+
+“Gracious!” she exclaimed, “you are progressing rapidly,” and slipped a
+solitaire from her finger to his hand.
+
+“Thanks,” said Barney. “I need the practice; but wait and you’ll see
+that a diamond may be infinitely more valuable than even the broker
+claims,” and he was gone again into the shadows of the garage. Here
+upon the window pane he scratched a rough deep circle, close to the
+catch. A quick blow sent the glass clattering to the floor within. For
+a minute Barney stood listening for any sign that the noise had
+attracted attention, but hearing nothing he ran his hand through the
+hole that he had made and unlatched the frame. A moment later he had
+crawled within.
+
+Before him, in the darkness, stood a roadster. He ran his hand over the
+pedals and levers, breathing a sigh of relief as his touch revealed the
+familiar control of a standard make. Then he went to the double doors.
+They opened easily and silently.
+
+Once outside he hastened to the side of the waiting girl.
+
+“It’s a machine,” he whispered. “We must both be in it when it leaves
+the garage—it’s the through express for Lustadt and makes no stops for
+passengers or freight.”
+
+He led her back to the garage and helped her into the seat beside him.
+As silently as possible he ran the machine into the driveway. A hundred
+yards to the left, half hidden by intervening trees and shrubbery, rose
+the dark bulk of a house. A subdued light shone through the drawn
+blinds of several windows—the only sign of life about the premises
+until the car had cleared the garage and was moving slowly down the
+driveway. Then a door opened in the house letting out a flood of light
+in which the figure of a man was silhouetted. A voice broke the
+silence.
+
+“Who are you? What are you doing there? Come back!”
+
+The man in the doorway called excitedly, “Friedrich! Come! Come
+quickly! Someone is stealing the automobile,” and the speaker came
+running toward the driveway at top speed. Behind him came Friedrich.
+Both were shouting, waving their arms and threatening. Their combined
+din might have aroused the dead.
+
+Barney sought speed—silence now was useless. He turned to the left into
+the street away from the center of the town. In this direction had gone
+the automobile with Maenck, but by taking the first righthand turn
+Barney hoped to elude the captain. In a moment Friedrich and the other
+were hopelessly distanced. It was with a sigh of relief that the
+American turned the car into the dark shadows beneath the overarching
+trees of the first cross street.
+
+He was running without lights along an unknown way; and beside him was
+the most precious burden that Barney Custer might ever expect to carry.
+Under these circumstances his speed was greatly reduced from what he
+would have wished, but at that he was forced to accept grave risks. The
+road might end abruptly at the brink of a ravine—it might swerve
+perilously close to a stone quarry—or plunge headlong into a pond or
+river. Barney shuddered at the possibilities; but nothing of the sort
+happened. The street ran straight out of the town into a country road,
+rather heavy with sand. In the open the possibilities of speed were
+increased, for the night, though moonless, was clear, and the road
+visible for some distance ahead.
+
+The fugitives were congratulating themselves upon the excellent chance
+they now had to reach Lustadt. There was only Maenck and his companion
+ahead of them in the other car, and as there were several roads by
+which one might reach the main highway the chances were fair that
+Prince Peter’s aide would miss them completely.
+
+Already escape seemed assured when the pounding of horses’ hoofs upon
+the roadway behind them arose to blast their new found hope. Barney
+increased the speed of the car. It leaped ahead in response to his
+foot; but the road was heavy, and the sides of the ruts gripping the
+tires retarded the speed. For a mile they held the lead of the
+galloping horsemen. The shouts of their pursuers fell clearly upon
+their ears, and the Princess Emma, turning in her seat, could easily
+see the four who followed. At last the car began to draw away—the
+distance between it and the riders grew gradually greater.
+
+“I believe we are going to make it,” whispered the girl, her voice
+tense with excitement. “If you could only go a little faster, Mr.
+Custer, I’m sure that we will.”
+
+“She’s reached her limit in this sand,” replied the man, “and there’s a
+grade just ahead—we may find better going beyond, but they’re bound to
+gain on us before we reach the top.”
+
+The girl strained her eyes into the night before them. On the right of
+the road stood an ancient ruin—grim and forbidding. As her eyes rested
+upon it she gave a little exclamation of relief.
+
+“I know where we are now,” she cried. “The hill ahead is sandy, and
+there is a quarter of a mile of sand beyond, but then we strike the
+Lustadt highway, and if we can reach it ahead of them their horses will
+have to go ninety miles an hour to catch us—provided this car possesses
+any such speed possibilities.”
+
+“If it can go forty we are safe enough,” replied Barney; “but we’ll
+give it a chance to go as fast as it can—the farther we are from the
+vicinity of Blentz the safer I shall feel for the welfare of your
+highness.”
+
+A shot rang behind them, and a bullet whistled high above their heads.
+The princess seized the carbine that rested on the seat between them.
+
+“Shall I?” she asked, turning its muzzle back over the lowered top.
+
+“Better not,” answered the man. “They are only trying to frighten us
+into surrendering—that shot was much too high to have been aimed at
+us—they are shooting over our heads purposely. If they deliberately
+attempt to pot us later, then go for them, but to do it now would only
+draw their fire upon us. I doubt if they wish to harm your highness,
+but they certainly would fire to hit in self-defense.”
+
+The girl lowered the firearm. “I am becoming perfectly bloodthirsty,”
+she said, “but it makes me furious to be hunted like a wild animal in
+my native land, and by the command of my king, at that. And to think
+that you who placed him upon his throne, you who have risked your life
+many times for him, will find no protection at his hands should you be
+captured is maddening. Ach, Gott, if I were a man!”
+
+“I thank God that you are not, your highness,” returned Barney
+fervently.
+
+Gently she laid her hand upon his where it gripped the steering wheel.
+
+“No,” she said, “I was wrong—I do not need to be a man while there
+still be such men as you, my friend; but I would that I were not the
+unhappy woman whom Fate had bound to an ingrate king—to a miserable
+coward!”
+
+They had reached the grade at last, and the motor was straining to the
+Herculean task imposed upon it.
+
+Grinding and grating in second speed the car toiled upward through the
+clinging sand. The pace was snail-like. Behind, the horsemen were
+gaining rapidly. The labored breathing of their mounts was audible even
+above the noise of the motor, so close were they. The top of the ascent
+lay but a few yards ahead, and the pursuers were but a few yards
+behind.
+
+“Halt!” came from behind, and then a shot. The ping of the bullet and
+the scream of the ricochet warned the man and the girl that those
+behind them were becoming desperate—the bullet had struck one of the
+rear fenders. Without again asking assent the princess turned and,
+kneeling upon the cushion of the seat, fired at the nearest horseman.
+The horse stumbled and plunged to his knees. Another, just behind, ran
+upon him, and the two rolled over together with their riders. Two more
+shots were fired by the remaining horsemen and answered by the girl in
+the automobile, and then the car topped the hill, shot into high, and
+with renewed speed forged into the last quarter-mile of heavy going
+toward the good road ahead; but now the grade was slightly downward and
+all the advantage was upon the side of the fugitives.
+
+However, their margin would be but scant when they reached the highway,
+for behind them the remaining troopers were spurring their jaded horses
+to a final spurt of speed. At last the white ribbon of the main road
+became visible. To the right they saw the headlights of a machine. It
+was Maenck probably, doubtless attracted their way by the shooting.
+
+But the machine was a mile away and could not possibly reach the
+intersection of the two roads before they had turned to the left toward
+Lustadt. Then the incident would resolve itself into a simple test of
+speed between the two cars—and the ability and nerve of the drivers.
+Barney hadn’t the slightest doubt now as to the outcome. His borrowed
+car was a good one, in good condition. And in the matter of driving he
+rather prided himself that he needn’t take his hat off to anyone when
+it came to ability and nerve.
+
+They were only about fifty feet from the highway. The girl touched his
+hand again. “We’re safe,” she cried, her voice vibrant with excitement,
+“we’re safe at last.” From beneath the bonnet, as though in answer to
+her statement, came a sickly, sucking sputter. The momentum of the car
+diminished. The throbbing of the engine ceased. They sat in silence as
+the machine coasted toward the highway and came to a dead stop, with
+its front wheels upon the road to safety. The girl turned toward Barney
+with an exclamation of surprise and interrogation.
+
+“The jig’s up,” he groaned; “we’re out of gasoline!”
+
+
+
+
+IX.
+THE CAPTURE
+
+
+The capture of Princess Emma von der Tann and Barney Custer was a
+relatively simple matter. Open fields spread in all directions about
+the crossroads at which their car had come to its humiliating stop.
+There was no cover. To have sought escape by flight, thus in the open,
+would have been to expose the princess to the fire of the troopers.
+Barney could not do this. He preferred to surrender and trust to chance
+to open the way to escape later.
+
+When Captain Ernst Maenck drove up he found the prisoners disarmed,
+standing beside the now-useless car. He alighted from his own machine
+and with a low bow saluted the princess, an ironical smile upon his
+thin lips. Then he turned his attention toward her companion.
+
+“Who are you?” he demanded gruffly. In the darkness he failed to
+recognize the American whom he thought dead in Austria.
+
+“A servant of the house of Von der Tann,” replied Barney.
+
+“You deserve shooting,” growled the officer, “but we’ll leave that to
+Prince Peter and the king. When I tell them the trouble you have caused
+us—well, God help you.”
+
+The journey to Blentz was a short one. They had been much nearer that
+grim fortress than either had guessed. At the outskirts of the town
+they were challenged by Austrian sentries, through which Maenck passed
+with ease after the sentinel had summoned an officer. From this man
+Maenck received the password that would carry them through the line of
+outposts between the town and the castle—“Slankamen.” Barney, who
+overheard the word, made a mental note of it.
+
+At last they reached the dreary castle of Peter of Blentz. In the
+courtyard Austrian soldiers mingled with the men of the bodyguard of
+the king of Lutha. Within, the king’s officers fraternized with the
+officers of the emperor. Maenck led his prisoners to the great hall
+which was filled with officers and officials of both Austria and Lutha.
+
+The king was not there. Maenck learned that he had retired to his
+apartments a few minutes earlier in company with Prince Peter of Blentz
+and Von Coblich. He sent a servant to announce his return with the
+Princess von der Tann and a man who had attempted to prevent her being
+brought to Blentz.
+
+Barney had, as far as possible, kept his face averted from Maenck since
+they had entered the lighted castle. He hoped to escape recognition,
+for he knew that if his identity were guessed it might go hard with the
+princess. As for himself, it might go even harder, but of that he gave
+scarcely a thought—the safety of the princess was paramount.
+
+After a few minutes of waiting the servant returned with the king’s
+command to fetch the prisoners to his apartments. The face of the
+Princess Emma was haggard. For the first time Barney saw signs of fear
+upon her countenance. With leaden steps they accompanied their guard up
+the winding stairway to the tower rooms that had been furnished for the
+king. They were the same in which Emma von der Tann had been imprisoned
+two years before.
+
+On either side of the doorway stood a soldier of the king’s bodyguard.
+As Captain Maenck approached they saluted. A servant opened the door
+and they passed into the room. Before them were Peter of Blentz and Von
+Coblich standing beside a table at which Leopold of Lutha was sitting.
+The eyes of the three men were upon the doorway as the little party
+entered. The king’s face was flushed with wine. He rose as his eyes
+rested upon the face of the princess.
+
+“Greetings, your highness,” he cried with an attempt at cordiality.
+
+The girl looked straight into his eyes, coldly, and then bent her knee
+in formal curtsy. The king was about to speak again when his eyes
+wandered to the face of the American. Instantly his own went white and
+then scarlet. The eyes of Peter of Blentz followed those of the king,
+widening in astonishment as they rested upon the features of Barney
+Custer.
+
+“You told me he was dead,” shouted the king. “What is the meaning of
+this, Captain Maenck?”
+
+Maenck looked at his male prisoner and staggered back as though struck
+between the eyes.
+
+“Mein Gott,” he exclaimed, “the impostor!”
+
+“You told me he was dead,” repeated the king accusingly.
+
+“As God is my judge, your majesty,” cried Peter of Blentz, “this man
+was shot by an Austrian firing squad in Burgova over a week ago.”
+
+“Sire,” exclaimed Maenck, “this is the first sight I have had of the
+prisoners except in the darkness of the night; until this instant I had
+not the remotest suspicion of his identity. He told me that he was a
+servant of the house of Von der Tann.”
+
+“I told you the truth, then,” interjected Barney.
+
+“Silence, you ingrate!” cried the king.
+
+“Ingrate?” repeated Barney. “You have the effrontery to call me an
+ingrate? You miserable puppy.”
+
+A silence, menacing in its intensity, fell upon the little assemblage.
+The king trembled. His rage choked him. The others looked as though
+they scarce could believe the testimony of their own ears. All there,
+with the possible exception of the king, knew that he deserved even
+more degrading appellations; but they were Europeans, and to Europeans
+a king is a king—that they can never forget. It had been the inherent
+suggestion of kingship that had bent the knee of the Princess Emma
+before the man she despised.
+
+But to the American a king was only what he made himself. In this
+instance he was not even a man in the estimation of Barney Custer.
+Maenck took a step toward the prisoner—a menacing step, for his hand
+had gone to his sword. Barney met him with a level look from between
+narrowed lids. Maenck hesitated, for he was a great coward. Peter of
+Blentz spoke:
+
+“Sire,” he said, “the fellow knows that he is already as good as dead,
+and so in his bravado he dares affront you. He has been convicted of
+spying by the Austrians. He is still a spy. It is unnecessary to repeat
+the formality of a trial.”
+
+Leopold at last found his voice, though it trembled and broke as he
+spoke.
+
+“Carry out the sentence of the Austrian court in the morning,” he said.
+“A volley now might arouse the garrison in the town and be
+misconstrued.”
+
+Maenck ordered Barney escorted from the apartment, then he turned
+toward the king.
+
+“And the other prisoner, sire?” he inquired.
+
+“There is no other prisoner,” he said. “Her highness, the Princess von
+der Tann, is a guest of Prince Peter. She will be escorted to her
+apartment at once.”
+
+“Her highness, the Princess von der Tann, is not a guest of Prince
+Peter.” The girl’s voice was low and cold. “If Mr. Custer is a
+prisoner, her highness, too, is a prisoner. If he is to be shot, she
+demands a like fate. To die by the side of a MAN would be infinitely
+preferable to living by the side of your majesty.”
+
+Once again Leopold of Lutha reddened. For a moment he paced the room
+angrily to hide his emotion. Then he turned once to Maenck.
+
+“Escort the prisoner to the north tower,” he commanded, “and this
+insolent girl to the chambers next to ours. Tomorrow we shall talk with
+her again.”
+
+Outside the room Barney turned for a last look at the princess as he
+was being led in one direction and she in another. A smile of
+encouragement was on his lips and cold hopelessness in his heart. She
+answered the smile and her lips formed a silent “good-bye.” They formed
+something else, too—three words which he was sure he could not have
+mistaken, and then they parted, he for the death chamber and she for
+what fate she could but guess.
+
+As his guard halted before a door at the far end of a long corridor
+Barney Custer sensed a sudden familiarity in his surroundings. He was
+conscious of that sensation which is common to all of us—of having
+lived through a scene at some former time, to each minutest detail.
+
+As the door opened and he was pushed into the room he realized that
+there was excellent foundation for the impression—he immediately
+recognized the apartment as the same in which he had once before been
+imprisoned. At that time he had been mistaken for the mad king who had
+escaped from the clutches of Peter of Blentz. The same king was now
+visiting as a guest the fortress in which he had spent ten bitter years
+as a prisoner.
+
+“Say your prayers, my friend,” admonished Maenck, as he was about to
+leave him alone, “for at dawn you die—and this time the firing squad
+will make a better job of it.”
+
+Barney did not answer him, and the captain departed, locking the door
+after him and leaving two men on guard in the corridor. Alone, Barney
+looked about the room. It was in no wise changed since his former visit
+to it. He recalled the incidents of the hour of his imprisonment here,
+thought of old Joseph who had aided his escape, looked at the paneled
+fireplace, whose secret, it was evident, not even the master of Blentz
+was familiar with—and grinned.
+
+“‘For at dawn you die!’” he repeated to himself, still smiling broadly.
+Then he crossed quickly to the fireplace, running his fingers along the
+edge of one of the large tiled panels that hid the entrance to the
+well-like shaft that rose from the cellars beneath to the towers above
+and which opened through similar concealed exits upon each floor. If
+the floor above should be untenanted he might be able to reach it as he
+and Joseph had done two years ago when they opened the secret panel in
+the fireplace and climbed a hidden ladder to the room overhead; and
+then by vacant corridors reached the far end of the castle above the
+suite in which the princess had been confined and near which Barney had
+every reason to believe she was now imprisoned.
+
+Carefully Barney’s fingers traversed the edges of the panel. No hidden
+latch rewarded his search. Again and again he examined the perfectly
+fitted joints until he was convinced either that there was no latch
+there or that it was hid beyond possibility of discovery. With each
+succeeding minute the American’s heart and hopes sank lower and lower.
+Two years had elapsed since he had seen the secret portal swing to the
+touch of Joseph’s fingers. One may forget much in two years; but that
+he was at work upon the right panel Barney was positive. However, it
+would do no harm to examine its mate which resembled it in minutest
+detail.
+
+Almost indifferently Barney turned his attention to the other panel. He
+ran his fingers over it, his eyes following them. What was that? A
+finger-print? Upon the left side half way up a tiny smudge was visible.
+Barney examined it more carefully. A round, white figure of the
+conventional design that was burned into the tile bore the telltale
+smudge.
+
+Otherwise it differed apparently in no way from the numerous other
+round, white figures that were repeated many times in the scheme of
+decoration. Barney placed his thumb exactly over the mark that another
+thumb had left there and pushed. The figure sank into the panel beneath
+the pressure. Barney pushed harder, breathless with suspense. The panel
+swung in at his effort. The American could have whooped with delight.
+
+A moment more and he stood upon the opposite side of the secret door in
+utter darkness, for he had quickly closed it after him. To strike a
+match was but the matter of a moment. The wavering light revealed the
+top of the ladder that led downward and the foot of another leading
+aloft. He struck still more matches in search of the rope. It was not
+there, but his quest revealed the fact that the well at this point was
+much larger than he had imagined—it broadened into a small chamber.
+
+The light of many matches finally led him to the discovery of a
+passageway directly behind the fireplace. It was narrow, and after
+spanning the chimney descended by a few rough steps to a slightly lower
+level. It led toward the opposite end of the castle. Could it be
+possible that it connected directly with the apartments in the farther
+tower—in the tower where the king was and the Princess Emma? Barney
+could scarce hope for any such good luck, but at least it was worth
+investigating—it must lead somewhere.
+
+He followed it warily, feeling his way with hands and feet and
+occasionally striking a match. It was evident that the corridor lay in
+the thick wall of the castle, midway between the bottoms of the windows
+of the second floor and the tops of those upon the first—this would
+account for the slightly lower level of the passage from the floor of
+the second story.
+
+Barney had traversed some distance in the darkness along the forgotten
+corridor when the sound of voices came to him from beyond the wall at
+his right. He stopped, motionless, pressing his ear against the side
+wall. As he did so he became aware of the fact that at this point the
+wall was of wood—a large panel of hardwood. Now he could hear even the
+words of the speaker upon the opposite side.
+
+“Fetch her here, captain, and I will talk with her alone.” The voice
+was the king’s. “And, captain, you might remove the guard from before
+the door temporarily. I shall not require them, nor do I wish them to
+overhear my conversation with the princess.”
+
+Barney could hear the officer acknowledge the commands of the king, and
+then he heard a door close. The man had gone to fetch the princess. The
+American struck a match and examined the panel before him. It reached
+to the top of the passageway and was some three feet in width.
+
+At one side were three hinges, and at the other an ancient spring lock.
+For an instant Barney stood in indecision. What should he do? His entry
+into the apartments of the king would result in alarming the entire
+fortress. Were he sure the king was alone it might be accomplished.
+Should he enter now or wait until the Princess Emma had been brought to
+the king?
+
+With the question came the answer—a bold and daring scheme. His fingers
+sought the lock. Very gently, he unlatched it and pushed outward upon
+the panel. Suddenly the great doorway gave beneath his touch. It opened
+a crack letting a flood of light into his dark cell that almost blinded
+him.
+
+For a moment he could see nothing, and then out of the glaring blur
+grew the figure of a man sitting at a table—with his back toward the
+panel.
+
+It was the king, and he was alone. Noiselessly Barney Custer entered
+the apartment, closing the panel after him. At his back now was the
+great oil painting of the Blentz princess that had hid the secret
+entrance to the room. He crossed the thick rugs until he stood behind
+the king. Then he clapped one hand over the mouth of the monarch of
+Lutha and threw the other arm about his neck.
+
+“Make the slightest outcry and I shall kill you,” he whispered in the
+ear of the terrified man.
+
+Across the room Barney saw a revolver lying upon a small table. He
+raised the king to his feet and, turning his back toward the weapon
+dragged him across the apartment until the table was within easy reach.
+Then he snatched up the revolver and swung the king around into a chair
+facing him, the muzzle of the gun pressed against his face.
+
+“Silence,” he whispered.
+
+The king, white and trembling, gasped as his eyes fell upon the face of
+the American.
+
+“You?” His voice was barely audible.
+
+“Take off your clothes—every stitch of them—and if any one asks for
+admittance, deny them. Quick, now,” as the king hesitated. “My life is
+forfeited unless I can escape. If I am apprehended I shall see that you
+pay for my recapture with your life—if any one enters this room without
+my sanction they will enter it to find a dead king upon the floor; do
+you understand?”
+
+The king made no reply other than to commence divesting himself of his
+clothing. Barney followed his example, but not before he had crossed to
+the door that opened into the main corridor and shot the bolt upon the
+inside. When both men had removed their clothing Barney pointed to the
+little pile of soiled peasant garb that he had worn.
+
+“Put those on,” he commanded.
+
+The king hesitated, drawing back in disgust. Barney paused, half-way
+into the royal union suit, and leveled the revolver at Leopold. The
+king picked up one of the garments gingerly between the tips of his
+thumb and finger.
+
+“Hurry!” admonished the American, drawing the silk half-hose of the
+ruler of Lutha over his foot. “If you don’t hurry,” he added, “someone
+may interrupt us, and you know what the result would be—to you.”
+
+Scowling, Leopold donned the rough garments. Barney, fully clothed in
+the uniform the king had been wearing, stepped across the apartment to
+where the king’s sword and helmet lay upon the side table that had also
+borne the revolver. He placed the helmet upon his head and buckled the
+sword-belt about his waist, then he faced the king, behind whom was a
+cheval glass. In it Barney saw his image. The king was looking at the
+American, his eyes wide and his jaw dropped. Barney did not wonder at
+his consternation. He himself was dumbfounded by the likeness which he
+bore to the king. It was positively uncanny. He approached Leopold.
+
+“Remove your rings,” he said, holding out his hand. The king did as he
+was bid, and Barney slipped the two baubles upon his fingers. One of
+them was the royal ring of the kings of Lutha.
+
+The American now blindfolded the king and led him toward the panel
+which had given him ingress to the room. Through it the two men passed,
+Barney closing the panel after them. Then he conducted the king back
+along the dark passageway to the room which the American had but
+recently quitted. At the back of the panel which led into his former
+prison Barney halted and listened. No sound came from beyond the
+partition. Gently Barney opened the secret door a trifle—just enough to
+permit him a quick survey of the interior of the apartment. It was
+empty. A smile crossed his face as he thought of the difficulty Leopold
+might encounter the following morning in convincing his jailers that he
+was not the American.
+
+Then he recalled his reflection in the cheval glass and frowned. Could
+Leopold convince them? He doubted it—and what then? The American was
+sentenced to be shot at dawn. They would shoot the king instead. Then
+there would be none to whom to return the kingship. What would he do
+with it? The temptation was great. Again a throne lay within his
+grasp—a throne and the woman he loved. None might ever know unless he
+chose to tell—his resemblance to Leopold was too perfect. It defied
+detection.
+
+With an exclamation of impatience he wheeled about and dragged the
+frightened monarch back to the room from which he had stolen him. As he
+entered he heard a knock at the door.
+
+“Do not disturb me now,” he called. “Come again in half an hour.”
+
+“But it is Her Highness, Princess Emma, sire,” came a voice from beyond
+the door. “You summoned her.”
+
+“She may return to her apartments,” replied Barney.
+
+All the time he kept his revolver leveled at the king, from his eyes he
+had removed the blind after they had entered the apartment. He crossed
+to the table where the king had been sitting when he surprised him,
+motioning the ragged ruler to follow and be seated.
+
+“Take that pen,” he said, “and write a full pardon for Mr. Bernard
+Custer, and an order requiring that he be furnished with money and set
+at liberty at dawn.”
+
+The king did as he was bid. For a moment the American stood looking at
+him before he spoke again.
+
+“You do not deserve what I am going to do for you,” he said. “And Lutha
+deserves a better king than the one my act will give her; but I am
+neither a thief nor a murderer, and so I must forbear leaving you to
+your just deserts and return your throne to you. I shall do so after I
+have insured my own safety and done what I can for Lutha—what you are
+too little a man and king to do yourself.
+
+“So soon as they liberate you in the morning, make the best of your way
+to Brosnov, on the Serbian frontier. Await me there. When I can, I
+shall come. Again we may exchange clothing and you can return to
+Lustadt. I shall cross over into Siberia out of your reach, for I know
+you too well to believe that any sense of honor or gratitude would
+prevent you signing my death-warrant at the first opportunity. Now,
+come!”
+
+Once again Barney led the blindfolded king through the dark corridor to
+the room in the opposite tower—to the prison of the American. At the
+open panel he shoved him into the apartment. Then he drew the door
+quietly to, leaving the king upon the inside, and retraced his steps to
+the royal apartments. Crossing to the center table, he touched an
+electric button. A moment later an officer knocked at the door, which,
+in the meantime, Barney had unbolted.
+
+“Enter!” said the American. He stood with his back toward the door
+until he heard it close behind the officer. When he turned he was
+apparently examining his revolver. If the officer suspected his
+identity, it was just as well to be prepared. Slowly he raised his eyes
+to the newcomer, who stood stiffly at salute. The officer looked him
+full in the face.
+
+“I answered your majesty’s summons,” said the man.
+
+“Oh, yes!” returned the American. “You may fetch the Princess Emma.”
+
+The officer saluted once more and backed out of the apartment. Barney
+walked to the table and sat down. A tin box of cigarettes lay beside
+the lamp. Barney lighted one of them. The king had good taste in the
+selection of tobacco, he thought. Well, a man must need have some
+redeeming characteristics.
+
+Outside, in the corridor, he heard voices, and again the knock at the
+door. He bade them enter. As the door opened Emma von der Tann, her
+head thrown back and a flush of anger on her face, entered the room.
+Behind her was the officer who had been despatched to bring her. Barney
+nodded to the latter.
+
+“You may go,” he said. He drew a chair from the table and asked the
+princess to be seated. She ignored his request.
+
+“What do you wish of me?” she asked. She was looking straight into his
+eyes. The officer had withdrawn and closed the door after him. They
+were alone, with nothing to fear; yet she did not recognize him.
+
+“You are the king,” she continued in cold, level tones, “but if you are
+also a gentleman, you will at once order me returned to my father at
+Lustadt, and with me the man to whom you owe so much. I do not expect
+it of you, but I wish to give you the chance.
+
+“I shall not go without him. I am betrothed to you; but until tonight I
+should rather have died than wed you. Now I am ready to compromise. If
+you will set Mr. Custer at liberty in Serbia and return me unharmed to
+my father, I will fulfill my part of our betrothal.”
+
+Barney Custer looked straight into the girl’s face for a long moment. A
+half smile played upon his lips at the thought of her surprise when she
+learned the truth, when suddenly it dawned upon him that she and he
+were both much safer if no one, not even her loyal self, guessed that
+he was other than the king. It is not difficult to live a part, but
+often it is difficult to act one. Some little word or look, were she to
+know that he was Barney Custer, might betray them; no, it was better to
+leave her in ignorance, though his conscience pricked him for the
+disloyalty that his act implied.
+
+It seemed a poor return for her courage and loyalty to him that her
+statement to the man she thought king had revealed. He marveled that a
+Von der Tann could have spoken those words—a Von der Tann who but the
+day before had refused to save her father’s life at the loss of the
+family honor. It seemed incredible to the American that he had won such
+love from such a woman. Again came the mighty temptation to keep the
+crown and the girl both; but with a straightening of his broad
+shoulders he threw it from him.
+
+She was promised to the king, and while he masqueraded in the king’s
+clothes, he at least would act the part that a king should. He drew a
+folded paper from his inside pocket and handed it to the girl.
+
+“Here is the American’s pardon,” he said, “drawn up and signed by the
+king’s own hand.”
+
+She opened it and, glancing through it hurriedly, looked up at the man
+before her with a questioning expression in her eyes.
+
+“You came, then,” she said, “to a realization of the enormity of your
+ingratitude?”
+
+The man shrugged.
+
+“He will never die at my command,” he said.
+
+“I thank your majesty,” she said simply. “As a Von der Tann, I have
+tried to believe that a Rubinroth could not be guilty of such baseness.
+And now, tell me what your answer is to my proposition.”
+
+“We shall return to Lustadt tonight,” he replied. “I fear the purpose
+of Prince Peter. In fact, it may be difficult—even impossible—for us to
+leave Blentz; but we can at least make the attempt.”
+
+“Can we not take Mr. Custer with us?” she asked. “Prince Peter may
+disregard your majesty’s commands and, after you are gone, have him
+shot. Do not forget that he kept the crown from Peter of Blentz—it is
+certain that Prince Peter will never forget it.”
+
+“I give you my word, your highness, that I know positively that if I
+leave Blentz tonight Prince Peter will not have Mr. Custer shot in the
+morning, and it will so greatly jeopardize his own plans if we attempt
+to release the prisoner that in all probability we ourselves will be
+unable to escape.”
+
+She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.
+
+“You give me your word that he will be safe?” she asked.
+
+“My royal word,” he replied.
+
+“Very well, let us leave at once.”
+
+Barney touched the bell once more, and presently an officer of the
+Blentz faction answered the summons. As the man closed the door and
+approached, saluting, Barney stepped close to him.
+
+“We are leaving for Tann tonight,” he said, “at once. You will conduct
+us from the castle and procure horses for us. All the time I shall walk
+at your elbow, and in my hand I shall carry this,” and he displayed the
+king’s revolver. “At the first indication of defection upon your part I
+shall kill you. Do you perfectly understand me?”
+
+“But, your majesty,” exclaimed the officer, “why is it necessary that
+you leave thus surreptitiously? May not the king go and come in his own
+kingdom as he desires? Let me announce your wishes to Prince Peter that
+he may furnish you with a proper escort. Doubtless he will wish to
+accompany you himself, sire.”
+
+“You will do precisely what I say without further comment,” snapped
+Barney. “Now get a—” He had been about to say: “Now get a move on you,”
+when it occurred to him that this was not precisely the sort of
+language that kings were supposed to use to their inferiors. So he
+changed it. “Now get a couple of horses for her highness and myself, as
+well as your own, for you will accompany us to Tann.”
+
+The officer looked at the weapon in the king’s hand. He measured the
+distance between himself and the king. He well knew the reputed
+cowardice of Leopold. Could he make the leap and strike up the king’s
+hand before the timorous monarch found even the courage of the cornered
+rat to fire at him? Then his eyes sought the face of the king,
+searching for the signs of nervous terror that would make his conquest
+an easy one; but what he saw in the eyes that bored straight into his
+brought his own to the floor at the king’s feet.
+
+What new force animated Leopold of Lutha? Those were not the eyes of a
+coward. No fear was reflected in their steely glitter. The officer
+mumbled an apology, saluted, and turned toward the door. At his elbow
+walked the impostor; a cavalry cape that had belonged to the king now
+covered his shoulders and hid the weapon that pressed its hard warning
+now and again into the short-ribs of the Blentz officer. Just behind
+the American came the Princess Emma von der Tann.
+
+The three passed through the deserted corridors of the sleeping castle,
+taking a route at Barney’s suggestion that led them to the stable
+courtyard without necessitating traversing the main corridors or the
+great hall or the guardroom, in all of which there still were Austrian
+and Blentz soldiers, whose duties or pleasures had kept them from their
+blankets.
+
+At the stables a sleepy groom answered the summons of the officer, whom
+Barney had warned not to divulge the identity of himself or the
+princess. He left the princess in the shadows outside the building.
+After what seemed an eternity to the American, three horses were led
+into the courtyard, saddled, and bridled. The party mounted and
+approached the gates. Here, Barney knew, might be encountered the most
+serious obstacle in their path. He rode close to the side of their
+unwilling conductor. Leaning forward in his saddle, he whispered in the
+man’s ear.
+
+“Failure to pass us through the gates,” he said, “will be the signal
+for your death.”
+
+The man reined in his mount and turned toward the American.
+
+“I doubt if they will pass even me without a written order from Prince
+Peter,” he said. “If they refuse, you must reveal your identity. The
+guard is composed of Luthanians—I doubt if they will dare refuse your
+majesty.”
+
+Then they rode on up to the gates. A soldier stepped from the sentry
+box and challenged them.
+
+“Lower the drawbridge,” ordered the officer. “It is Captain Krantzwort
+on a mission for the king.”
+
+The soldier approached, raising a lantern, which he had brought from
+the sentry box, and inspected the captain’s face. He seemed ill at
+ease. In the light of the lantern, the American saw that he was scarce
+more than a boy—doubtless a recruit. He saw the expression of fear and
+awe with which he regarded the officer, and it occurred to him that the
+effect of the king’s presence upon him would be absolutely
+overpowering. Still the soldier hesitated.
+
+“My orders are very strict, sir,” he said. “I am to let no one leave
+without a written order from Prince Peter. If the sergeant or the
+lieutenant were here they would know what to do; but they are both at
+the castle—only two other soldiers are at the gates with me. Wait, and
+I will send one of them for the lieutenant.”
+
+“No,” interposed the American. “You will send for no one, my man. Come
+closer—look at my face.”
+
+The soldier approached, holding his lantern above his head. As its
+feeble rays fell upon the face and uniform of the man on horseback, the
+sentry gave a little gasp of astonishment.
+
+“Now, lower the drawbridge,” said Barney Custer, “it is your king’s
+command.”
+
+Quickly the fellow hastened to obey the order. The chains creaked and
+the windlass groaned as the heavy planking sank to place across the
+moat.
+
+As Barney passed the soldier he handed him the pardon Leopold had
+written for the American.
+
+“Give this to your lieutenant,” he said, “and tell him to hand it to
+Prince Peter before dawn tomorrow. Do not fail.”
+
+A moment later the three were riding down the winding road toward
+Blentz. Barney had no further need of the officer who rode with them.
+He would be glad to be rid of him, for he anticipated that the fellow
+might find ample opportunity to betray them as they passed through the
+Austrian lines, which they must do to reach Lustadt.
+
+He had told the captain that they were going to Tann in order that,
+should the man find opportunity to institute pursuit, he might be
+thrown off the track. The Austrian sentries were no great distance
+ahead when Barney ordered a halt.
+
+“Dismount,” he directed the captain, leaping to the ground himself at
+the same time. “Put your hands behind your back.”
+
+The officer did as he was bid, and Barney bound his wrists securely
+with a strap and buckle that he had removed from the cantle of his
+saddle as he rode. Then he led him off the road among some weeds and
+compelled him to lie down, after which he bound his ankles together and
+stuffed a gag in his mouth, securing it in place with a bit of stick
+and the chinstrap from the man’s helmet. The threat of the revolver
+kept Captain Krantzwort silent and obedient throughout the hasty
+operations.
+
+“Good-bye, captain,” whispered Barney, “and let me suggest that you
+devote the time until your discovery and release in pondering the value
+of winning your king’s confidence in the future. Had you chosen your
+associates more carefully in the past, this need not have occurred.”
+
+Barney unsaddled the captain’s horse and turned him loose, then he
+remounted and, with the princess at his side, rode down toward Blentz.
+
+
+
+
+X.
+A NEW KING IN LUTHA
+
+
+As the two riders approached the edge of the village of Blentz a sentry
+barred their way. To his challenge the American replied that they were
+“friends from the castle.”
+
+“Advance,” directed the sentry, “and give the countersign.”
+
+Barney rode to the fellow’s side, and leaning from the saddle whispered
+in his ear the word “Slankamen.”
+
+Would it pass them out as it had passed Maenck in? Barney scarcely
+breathed as he awaited the result of his experiment. The soldier
+brought his rifle to present and directed them to pass. With a sigh of
+relief that was almost audible the two rode into the village and the
+Austrian lines.
+
+Once within they met with no further obstacle until they reached the
+last line of sentries upon the far side of the town. It was with more
+confidence that Barney gave the countersign here, nor was he surprised
+that the soldier passed them readily; and now they were upon the
+highroad to Lustadt, with nothing more to bar their way.
+
+For hours they rode on in silence. Barney wanted to talk with his
+companion, but as king he found nothing to say to her. The girl’s mind
+was filled with morbid reflections of the past few hours and dumb
+terror for the future. She would keep her promise to the king; but
+after—life would not be worth the living; why should she live? She
+glanced at the man beside her in the light of the coming dawn. Ah, why
+was he so like her American in outward appearances only? Their own
+mothers could scarce have distinguished them, and yet in character no
+two men could have differed more widely. The man turned to her.
+
+“We are almost there,” he said. “You must be very tired.”
+
+The words reflected a consideration that had never been a
+characteristic of Leopold. The girl began to wonder if there might not
+possibly be a vein of nobility in the man, after all, that she had
+never discovered. Since she had entered his apartments at Blentz he had
+been in every way a different man from the Leopold she had known of
+old. The boldness of his escape from Blentz supposed a courage that the
+king had never given the slightest indication of in the past. Could it
+be that he was making a genuine effort to become a man—to win her
+respect?
+
+They were approaching Lustadt as the sun rose. A troop of horse was
+just emerging from the north gate. As it neared them they saw that the
+cavalrymen wore the uniforms of the Royal Horse Guard. At their head
+rode a lieutenant. As his eyes fell upon the face of the princess and
+her companion, he brought his troopers to a halt, and, with incredulity
+plain upon his countenance, advanced to meet them, his hand raised in
+salute to the king. It was Butzow.
+
+Now Barney was sure that he would be recognized. For two years he and
+the Luthanian officer had been inseparable. Surely Butzow would
+penetrate his disguise. He returned his friend’s salute, looked him
+full in the eyes, and asked where he was riding.
+
+“To Blentz, your majesty,” replied Butzow, “to demand an audience. I
+bear important word from Prince von der Tann. He has learned the
+Austrians are moving an entire army corps into Lutha, together with
+siege howitzers. Serbia has demanded that all Austrian troops be
+withdrawn from Luthanian territory at once, and has offered to assist
+your majesty in maintaining your neutrality by force, if necessary.”
+
+As Butzow spoke his eyes were often upon the Princess Emma, and it was
+quite evident that he was much puzzled to account for her presence with
+the king. She was supposed to be at Tann, and Butzow knew well enough
+her estimate of Leopold to know that she would not be in his company of
+her own volition. His expression as he addressed the man he supposed to
+be his king was far from deferential. Barney could scarce repress a
+smile.
+
+“We will ride at once to the palace,” he said. “At the gate you may
+instruct one of your sergeants to telephone to Prince von der Tann that
+the king is returning and will grant him audience immediately. You and
+your detachment will act as our escort.”
+
+Butzow saluted and turned to his troopers, giving the necessary
+commands that brought them about in the wake of the pseudo-king. Once
+again Barney Custer, of Beatrice, rode into Lustadt as king of Lutha.
+The few people upon the streets turned to look at him as he passed, but
+there was little demonstration of love or enthusiasm.
+
+Leopold had awakened no emotions of this sort in the hearts of his
+subjects. Some there were who still remembered the gallant actions of
+their ruler on the field of battle when his forces had defeated those
+of the regent, upon that other occasion when this same American had sat
+upon the throne of Lutha for two days and had led the little army to
+victory; but since then the true king had been with them daily in his
+true colors. Arrogance, haughtiness, and petty tyranny had marked his
+reign. Taxes had gone even higher than under the corrupt influence of
+the Blentz regime. The king’s days were spent in bed; his nights in
+dissipation. Old Ludwig von der Tann seemed Lutha’s only friend at
+court. Him the people loved and trusted.
+
+It was the old chancellor who met them as they entered the palace—the
+Princess Emma, Lieutenant Butzow, and the false king. As the old man’s
+eyes fell upon his daughter, he gave an exclamation of surprise and of
+incredulity. He looked from her to the American.
+
+“What is the meaning of this, your majesty?” he cried in a voice hoarse
+with emotion. “What does her highness in your company?”
+
+There was neither fear nor respect in Prince Ludwig’s tone—only anger.
+He was demanding an accounting from Leopold, the man; not from Leopold,
+the king. Barney raised his hand.
+
+“Wait,” he said, “before you judge. The princess was brought to Blentz
+by Prince Peter. She will tell you that I have aided her to escape and
+that I have accorded her only such treatment as a woman has a right to
+expect from a king.”
+
+The girl inclined her head.
+
+“His majesty has been most kind,” she said. “He has treated me with
+every consideration and respect, and I am convinced that he was not a
+willing party to my arrest and forcible detention at Blentz; or,” she
+added, “if he was, he regretted his action later and has made full
+reparation by bringing me to Lustadt.”
+
+Prince von der Tann found difficulty in hiding his surprise at this
+evidence of chivalry in the cowardly king. But for his daughter’s
+testimony he could not have believed it possible that it lay within the
+nature of Leopold of Lutha to have done what he had done within the
+past few hours.
+
+He bowed low before the man who wore the king’s uniform. The American
+extended his hand, and Von der Tann, taking it in his own, raised it to
+his lips.
+
+“And now,” said Barney briskly, “let us go to my apartments and get to
+work. Your highness”—and he turned toward the Princess Emma—“must be
+greatly fatigued. Lieutenant Butzow, you will see that a suite is
+prepared for her highness. Afterward you may call upon Count
+Zellerndorf, whom I understand returned to Lustadt yesterday, and
+notify him that I will receive him in an hour. Inform the Serbian
+minister that I desire his presence at the palace immediately. Lose no
+time, lieutenant, and be sure to impress upon the Serbian minister that
+immediately means immediately.”
+
+Butzow saluted and the Princess Emma curtsied, as the king turned and,
+slipping his arm through that of Prince Ludwig, walked away in the
+direction of the royal apartments. Once at the king’s desk Barney
+turned toward the chancellor. In his mind was the determination to save
+Lutha if Lutha could be saved. He had been forced to place the king in
+a position where he would be helpless, though that he would have been
+equally as helpless upon his throne the American did not doubt for an
+instant. However, the course of events had placed within his hands the
+power to serve not only Lutha but the house of Von der Tann as well. He
+would do in the king’s place what the king should have done if the king
+had been a man.
+
+“Now, Prince Ludwig,” he said, “tell me just what conditions we must
+face. Remember that I have been at Blentz and that there the King of
+Lutha is not apt to learn all that transpires in Lustadt.”
+
+“Sire,” replied the chancellor, “we face a grave crisis. Not only is
+there within Lutha the small force of Austrian troops that surround
+Blentz, but now an entire army corps has crossed the border.
+Unquestionably they are marching on Lustadt. The emperor is going to
+take no chances. He sent the first force into Lutha to compel Serbian
+intervention and draw Serbian troops from the Austro-Serbian battle
+line. Serbia has withheld her forces at my request, but she will not
+withhold them for long. We must make a declaration at once. If we
+declare against Austria we are faced by the menace of the Austrian
+troops already within our boundaries, but we shall have Serbia to help
+us.
+
+“A Serbian army corps is on the frontier at this moment awaiting word
+from Lutha. If it is adverse to Austria that army corps will cross the
+border and march to our assistance. If it is favorable to Austria it
+will none the less cross into Lutha, but as enemies instead of allies.
+Serbia has acted honorably toward Lutha. She has not violated our
+neutrality. She has no desire to increase her possessions in this
+direction.
+
+“On the other hand, Austria has violated her treaty with us. She has
+marched troops into our country and occupied the town of Blentz.
+Constantly in the past she has incited internal discord. She is openly
+championing the Blentz cause, which at last I trust your majesty has
+discovered is inimical to your interests.
+
+“If Austria is victorious in her war with Serbia, she will find some
+pretext to hold Lutha whether Lutha takes her stand either for or
+against her. And most certainly is this true if it occurs that Austrian
+troops are still within the boundaries of Lutha when peace is
+negotiated. Not only our honor but our very existence demands that
+there be no Austrian troops in Lutha at the close of this war. If we
+cannot force them across the border we can at least make such an effort
+as will win us the respect of the world and a voice in the peace
+negotiations.
+
+“If we must bow to the surrender of our national integrity, let us do
+so only after we have exhausted every resource of the country in our
+country’s defense. In the past your majesty has not appeared to realize
+the menace of your most powerful neighbor. I beg of you, sire, to trust
+me. Believe that I have only the interests of Lutha at heart, and let
+us work together for the salvation of our country and your majesty’s
+throne.”
+
+Barney laid his hand upon the old man’s shoulder. It seemed a shame to
+carry the deception further, but the American well knew that only so
+could he accomplish aught for Lutha or the Von der Tanns. Once the old
+chancellor suspected the truth as to his identity he would be the first
+to denounce him.
+
+“I think that you and I can work together, Prince Ludwig,” he said. “I
+have sent for the Serbian and Austrian ministers. The former should be
+here immediately.”
+
+Nor did they have long to wait before the tall Slav was announced.
+Barney lost no time in getting down to business. He asked no questions.
+What Von der Tann had told him, what he had seen with his own eyes
+since he had entered Lutha, and what he had overheard in the inn at
+Burgova was sufficient evidence that the fate of Lutha hung upon the
+prompt and energetic decisions of the man who sat upon Lutha’s throne
+for the next few days.
+
+Had Leopold been the present incumbent Lutha would have been lost, for
+that he would play directly into the hands of Austria was not to be
+questioned. Were Von der Tann to seize the reins of government a state
+of revolution would exist that would divide the state into two bitter
+factions, weaken its defense, and give Austria what she most desired—a
+plausible pretext for intervention.
+
+Lutha’s only hope lay in united defense of her liberties under the
+leadership of the one man whom all acknowledged king—Leopold. Very
+well, Barney Custer, of Beatrice, would be Leopold for a few days,
+since the real Leopold had proven himself incompetent to meet the
+emergency.
+
+General Petko, the Serbian minister to Lutha, brought to the audience
+the memory of a series of unpleasant encounters with the king. Leopold
+had never exerted himself to hide his pro-Austrian sentiments. Austria
+was a powerful country—Serbia, a relatively weak neighbor. Leopold,
+being a royal snob, had courted the favor of the emperor and turned up
+his nose at Serbia. The general was prepared for a repetition of the
+veiled affronts that Leopold delighted in according him; but this time
+he brought with him a reply that for two years he had been living in
+the hope of some day being able to deliver to the young monarch he so
+cordially despised.
+
+It was an ultimatum from his government—an ultimatum couched in terms
+from which all diplomatic suavity had been stripped. If Barney Custer,
+of Beatrice, could have read it he would have smiled, for in plain
+American it might have been described as announcing to Leopold
+precisely “where he got off.” But Barney did not have the opportunity
+to read it, since that ultimatum was never delivered.
+
+Barney took the wind all out of it by his first words. “Your excellency
+may wonder why it is that we have summoned you at such an early hour,”
+he said.
+
+General Petko inclined his head in deferential acknowledgment of the
+truth of the inference.
+
+“It is because we have learned from our chancellor,” continued the
+American, “that Serbia has mobilized an entire army corps upon the
+Luthanian frontier. Am I correctly informed?”
+
+General Petko squared his shoulders and bowed in assent. At the same
+time he reached into his breast-pocket for the ultimatum.
+
+“Good!” exclaimed Barney, and then he leaned close to the ear of the
+Serbian. “How long will it take to move that army corps to Lustadt?”
+
+General Petko gasped and returned the ultimatum to his pocket.
+
+“Sire!” he cried, his face lighting with incredulity. “You mean—”
+
+“I mean,” said the American, “that if Serbia will loan Lutha an army
+corps until the Austrians have evacuated Luthanian territory, Lutha
+will loan Serbia an army corps until such time as peace is declared
+between Serbia and Austria. Other than this neither government will
+incur any obligations to the other.
+
+“We may not need your help, but it will do us no harm to have them well
+on the way toward Lustadt as quickly as possible. Count Zellerndorf
+will be here in a few minutes. We shall, through him, give Austria
+twenty-four hours to withdraw all her troops beyond our frontiers. The
+army of Lutha is mobilized before Lustadt. It is not a large army, but
+with the help of Serbia it should be able to drive the Austrians from
+the country, provided they do not leave of their own accord.”
+
+General Petko smiled. So did the American and the chancellor. Each knew
+that Austria would not withdraw her army from Lutha.
+
+“With your majesty’s permission I will withdraw,” said the Serbian,
+“and transmit Lutha’s proposition to my government; but I may say that
+your majesty need have no apprehension but that a Serbian army corps
+will be crossing into Lutha before noon today.”
+
+“And now, Prince Ludwig,” said the American after the Serbian had bowed
+himself out of the apartment, “I suggest that you take immediate steps
+to entrench a strong force north of Lustadt along the road to Blentz.”
+
+Von der Tann smiled as he replied. “It is already done, sire,” he said.
+
+“But I passed in along the road this morning,” said Barney, “and saw
+nothing of such preparations.”
+
+“The trenches and the soldiers were there, nevertheless, sire,” replied
+the old man, “only a little gap was left on either side of the highway
+that those who came and went might not suspect our plans and carry word
+of them to the Austrians. A few hours will complete the link across the
+road.”
+
+“Good! Let it be completed at once. Here is Count Zellerndorf now,” as
+the minister was announced.
+
+Von der Tann bowed himself out as the Austrian entered the king’s
+presence. For the first time in two years the chancellor felt that the
+destiny of Lutha was safe in the hands of her king. What had caused the
+metamorphosis in Leopold he could not guess. He did not seem to be the
+same man that had whined and growled at their last audience a week
+before.
+
+The Austrian minister entered the king’s presence with an expression of
+ill-concealed surprise upon his face. Two days before he had left
+Leopold safely ensconced at Blentz, where he was to have remained
+indefinitely. He glanced hurriedly about the room in search of Prince
+Peter or another of the conspirators who should have been with the
+king. He saw no one. The king was speaking. The Austrian’s eyes went
+wider, not only at the words, but at the tone of voice.
+
+“Count Zellerndorf,” said the American, “you were doubtless aware of
+the embarrassment under which the king of Lutha was compelled at Blentz
+to witness the entry of a foreign army within his domain. But we are
+not now at Blentz. We have summoned you that you may receive from us,
+and transmit to your emperor, the expression of our surprise and dismay
+at the unwarranted violation of Luthanian neutrality.”
+
+“But, your majesty—” interrupted the Austrian.
+
+“But nothing, your excellency,” snapped the American. “The moment for
+diplomacy is passed; the time for action has come. You will oblige us
+by transmitting to your government at once a request that every
+Austrian soldier now in Lutha be withdrawn by noon tomorrow.”
+
+Zellerndorf looked his astonishment.
+
+“Are you mad, sire?” he cried. “It will mean war!”
+
+“It is what Austria has been looking for,” snapped the American, “and
+what people look for they usually get, especially if they chance to be
+looking for trouble. When can you expect a reply from Vienna?”
+
+“By noon, your majesty,” replied the Austrian, “but are you
+irretrievably bound to your present policy? Remember the power of
+Austria, sire. Think of your throne. Think—”
+
+“We have thought of everything,” interrupted Barney. “A throne means
+less to us than you may imagine, count; but the honor of Lutha means a
+great deal.”
+
+
+
+
+XI.
+THE BATTLE
+
+
+At five o’clock that afternoon the sidewalks bordering Margaretha
+Street were crowded with promenaders. The little tables before the
+cafes were filled. Nearly everyone spoke of the great war and of the
+peril which menaced Lutha. Upon many a lip was open disgust at the
+supine attitude of Leopold of Lutha in the face of an Austrian invasion
+of his country. Discontent was open. It was ripening to something worse
+for Leopold than an Austrian invasion.
+
+Presently a sergeant of the Royal Horse Guards cantered down the street
+from the palace. He stopped here and there, and, dismounting, tacked
+placards in conspicuous places. At the notice, and in each instance
+cheers and shouting followed the sergeant as he rode on to the next
+stop.
+
+Now, at each point men and women were gathered, eagerly awaiting an
+explanation of the jubilation farther up the street. Those whom the
+sergeant passed called to him for an explanation, and not receiving it,
+followed in a quickly growing mob that filled Margaretha Street from
+wall to wall. When he dismounted he had almost to fight his way to the
+post or door upon which he was to tack the next placard. The crowd
+surged about him in its anxiety to read what the placard bore, and
+then, between the cheering and yelling, those in the front passed back
+to the crowd the tidings that filled them with so great rejoicing.
+
+“Leopold has declared war on Austria!” “The king calls for volunteers!”
+“Long live the king!”
+
+The battle of Lustadt has passed into history. Outside of the little
+kingdom of Lutha it received but passing notice by the world at large,
+whose attention was riveted upon the great conflicts along the banks of
+the Meuse, the Marne, and the Aisne. But in Lutha! Ah, it will be told
+and retold, handed down from mouth to mouth and from generation to
+generation to the end of time.
+
+How the cavalry that the king sent north toward Blentz met the
+advancing Austrian army. How, fighting, they fell back upon the
+infantry which lay, a thin line that stretched east and west across the
+north of Lustadt, in its first line of trenches. A pitifully weak line
+it was, numerically, in comparison with the forces of the invaders; but
+it stood its ground heroically, and from the heights to the north of
+the city the fire from the forts helped to hold the enemy in check for
+many hours.
+
+And then the enemy succeeded in bringing up their heavy artillery to
+the ridge that lies three miles north of the forts. Shells were
+bursting in the trenches, the forts, and the city. To the south a
+stream of terror-stricken refugees was pouring out of Lustadt along the
+King’s Road. Rich and poor, animated by a common impulse, filled the
+narrow street that led to the city’s southern gate. Carts drawn by
+dogs, laden donkeys, French limousines, victorias, wheelbarrows—every
+conceivable wheeled vehicle and beast of burden—were jammed in a
+seemingly inextricable tangle in the mad rush for safety.
+
+Rumor passed back and forth through the fleeing thousands. Now came
+word that Fort No. 2 had been silenced by the Austrian guns.
+Immediately followed news that the Luthanian line was falling back upon
+the city. Fear turned to panic. Men fought to outdistance their
+neighbors.
+
+A shell burst upon a roof-top in an adjoining square.
+
+Women fainted and were trampled. Hoarse shouts of anger mingled with
+screams of terror, and then into the midst of it from Margaretha Street
+rode a man on horseback. Behind him were a score of officers. A
+trumpeter raised his instrument to his lips, and above the din of the
+fleeing multitude rose the sharp, triple call that announces the coming
+of the king. The mob halted and turned.
+
+Looking down upon them from his saddle was Leopold of Lutha. His palm
+was raised for silence and there was a smile upon his lips. Quite
+suddenly, and as by a miracle, fear left them. They made a line for him
+and his staff to ride through. One of the officers turned in his saddle
+to address a civilian friend in an automobile.
+
+“His majesty is riding to the firing line,” he said and he raised his
+voice that many might hear. Quickly the word passed from mouth to
+mouth, and as Barney Custer, of Beatrice, passed along Margaretha
+Street he was followed by a mad din of cheering that drowned the
+booming of the distant cannon and the bursting of the shells above the
+city.
+
+The balance of the day the pseudo-king rode back and forth along his
+lines. Three of his staff were killed and two horses were shot from
+beneath him, but from the moment that he appeared the Luthanian line
+ceased to waver or fall back. The advanced trenches that they had
+abandoned to the Austrians they took again at the point of the bayonet.
+Charge after charge they repulsed, and all the time there hovered above
+the enemy Lutha’s sole aeroplane, watching, watching, ever watching for
+the coming of the allies. Somewhere to the northeast the Serbians were
+advancing toward Lustadt. Would they come in time?
+
+It was five o’clock in the morning of the second day, and though the
+Luthanian line still held, Barney Custer knew that it could not hold
+for long. The Austrian artillery fire, which had been rather wild the
+preceding day, had now become of deadly accuracy. Each bursting shell
+filled some part of the trenches with dead and wounded, and though
+their places were taken by fresh men from the reserve, there would soon
+be no reserve left to call upon.
+
+At his left, in the rear, the American had massed the bulk of his
+reserves, and at the foot of the heights north of the city and just
+below the forts the major portion of the cavalry was drawn up in the
+shelter of a little ravine. Barney’s eyes were fixed upon the soaring
+aeroplane.
+
+In his hand was his watch. He would wait another fifteen minutes, and
+if by then the signal had not come that the Serbians were approaching,
+he would strike the blow that he had decided upon. From time to time he
+glanced at his watch.
+
+The fifteen minutes had almost elapsed when there fluttered from the
+tiny monoplane a paper parachute. It dropped for several hundred feet
+before it spread to the air pressure and floated more gently toward the
+earth and a moment later there burst from its basket a puff of white
+smoke. Two more parachutes followed the first and two more puffs of
+smoke. Then the machine darted rapidly off toward the northeast.
+
+Barney turned to Prince von der Tann with a smile. “They are none too
+soon,” he said.
+
+The old prince bowed in acquiescence. He had been very happy for two
+days. Lutha might be defeated now, but she could never be subdued. She
+had a king at last—a real king. Gott! How he had changed. It reminded
+Prince von der Tann of the day he had ridden beside the impostor two
+years before in the battle with the forces of Peter of Blentz. Many
+times he had caught himself scrutinizing the face of the monarch,
+searching for some proof that after all he was not Leopold.
+
+“Direct the commanders of forts three and four to concentrate their
+fire on the enemy’s guns directly north of Fort No. 3,” Barney directed
+an aide. “Simultaneously let the cavalry and Colonel Kazov’s infantry
+make a determined assault on the Austrian trenches.”
+
+Then he turned his horse toward the left of his line, where, a little
+to the rear, lay the fresh troops that he had been holding in readiness
+against this very moment. As he galloped across the plain, his staff at
+his heels, shrapnel burst about them. Von der Tann spurred to his side.
+
+“Sire,” he cried, “it is unnecessary that you take such grave risks.
+Your staff is ready and willing to perform such service that you may be
+preserved to your people and your throne.”
+
+“I believe the men fight better when they think their king is watching
+them,” said the American simply.
+
+“I know it, sire,” replied Von der Tann, “but even so, Lutha could ill
+afford to lose you now. I thank God, your majesty, that I have lived to
+see this day—to see the last of the Rubinroths upholding the glorious
+traditions of the Rubinroth blood.”
+
+Barney led the reserves slowly through the wood to the rear of the
+extreme left of his line. The attack upon the Austrian right center
+appeared to be meeting with much greater success than the American
+dared to hope for. Already, through his glasses, he could see
+indications that the enemy was concentrating a larger force at this
+point to repulse the vicious assaults of the Luthanians. To do this
+they must be drawing from their reserves back of other portions of
+their line.
+
+It was what Barney had desired. The three bombs from the aeroplane had
+told him that the Serbians had been sighted three miles away. Already
+they were engaging the Austrians. He could hear the rattle of rifles
+and quick-firers and the roar of cannon far to the northeast. And now
+he gave the word to the commander of the reserve.
+
+At a rapid trot the men moved forward behind the extreme left end of
+the Luthanian left wing. They were almost upon the Austrians before
+they emerged from the shelter of the wood, and then with hoarse shouts
+and leveled bayonets they charged the enemy’s position. The fight there
+was the bloodiest of the two long days. Back and forth the tide of
+battle surged. In the thick of it rode the false king encouraging his
+men to greater effort. Slowly at last they bore the Austrians from
+their trenches. Back and back they bore them until retreat became a
+rout. The Austrian right was crumpled back upon its center!
+
+Here the enemy made a determined stand; but just before dark a great
+shouting arose from the heights to their left, where the bulk of their
+artillery was stationed. Both the Luthanian and Austrian troops engaged
+in the plain saw Austrian infantry and artillery running down the
+slopes in disorderly rout. Upon their heads came a cheering line of
+soldiers firing as they ran, and above them waved the battleflag of
+Serbia.
+
+A mighty shout rose from the Luthanian ranks—an answering groan from
+the throats of the Austrians. Hemmed in between the two lines of
+allies, the Austrians were helpless. Their artillery was captured,
+retreat cut off. There was but a single alternative to massacre—the
+white flag.
+
+A few regiments between Lustadt and Blentz, but nearer the latter town,
+escaped back into Austria, the balance Barney arranged with the Serbian
+minister to have taken back to Serbia as prisoners of war. The
+Luthanian army corps that the American had promised the Serbs was to be
+utilized along the Austrian frontier to prevent the passage of Austrian
+troops into Serbia through Lutha.
+
+The return to Lustadt after the battle was made through cheering troops
+and along streets choked with joy-mad citizenry. The name of the
+soldier-king was upon every tongue. Men went wild with enthusiasm as
+the tall figure rode slowly through the crowd toward the palace.
+
+Von der Tann, grim and martial, found his lids damp with the moisture
+of a great happiness. Even now with all the proofs of reality about
+him, it seemed impossible that this scene could be aught but the
+ephemeral vapors of a dream—that Leopold of Lutha, the coward, the
+craven, could have become in a single day the heroic figure that had
+loomed so large upon the battlefield of Lustadt—the simple, modest
+gentleman who received the plaudits of his subjects with bowed head and
+humble mien.
+
+As Barney Custer rode up Margaretha Street toward the royal palace of
+the kings of Lutha, a dust-covered horseman in the uniform of an
+officer of the Horse Guards entered Lustadt from the south. It was the
+young aide of Prince von der Tann’s staff, who had been sent to Blentz
+nearly a week earlier with a message for the king, and who had been
+captured and held by the Austrians.
+
+During the battle before Lustadt all the Austrian troops had been
+withdrawn from Blentz and hurried to the front. It was then that the
+aide had been transferred to the castle, from which he had escaped
+early that morning. To reach Lustadt he had been compelled to circle
+the Austrian position, coming to Lustadt from the south.
+
+Once within the city he rode straight to the palace, flung himself from
+his jaded mount, and entered the left wing of the building—the wing in
+which the private apartments of the chancellor were located.
+
+Here he inquired for the Princess Emma, learning with evident relief
+that she was there. A moment later, white with dust, his face streamed
+with sweat, he was ushered into her presence.
+
+“Your highness,” he blurted, “the king’s commands have been
+disregarded—the American is to be shot tomorrow. I have just escaped
+from Blentz. Peter is furious. He realizes that whether the Austrians
+win or lose, his standing with the king is gone forever.
+
+“In a fit of rage he has ordered that Mr. Custer be sacrificed to his
+desire for revenge, in the hope that it will insure for him the favor
+of the Austrians. Something must be done at once if he is to be saved.”
+
+For a moment the girl swayed as though about to fall. The young officer
+stepped quickly to support her, but before he reached her side she had
+regained complete mastery of herself. From the street without there
+rose the blare of trumpets and the cheering of the populace.
+
+Through senses numb with the cold of anguish the meaning of the tumult
+slowly filtered to her brain—the king had come. He was returning from
+the battlefield, covered with honors and flushed with glory—the man who
+was to be her husband; but there was no rejoicing in the heart of the
+Princess Emma.
+
+Instead, there was a dull ache and impotent rebellion at the injustice
+of the thing—that Leopold should be reaping these great rewards, while
+he who had made it possible for him to be a king at all was to die on
+the morrow because of what he had done to place the Rubinroth upon his
+throne.
+
+“Perhaps Lieutenant Butzow might find a way,” suggested the officer.
+“He or your father; they are both fond of Mr. Custer.”
+
+“Yes,” said the girl dully, “see Lieutenant Butzow—he would do the
+most.”
+
+The officer bowed and hastened from the apartment in search of Butzow.
+The girl approached the window and stood there for a long time, looking
+out at the surging multitude that pressed around the palace gates,
+filling Margaretha Street with a solid mass of happy faces.
+
+They cheered the king, the chancellor, the army; but most often they
+cheered the king. From a despised monarch Leopold had risen in a single
+bound to the position of a national idol.
+
+Repeatedly he was called to the balcony over the grand entrance that
+the people might feast their eyes on him. The princess wondered how
+long it was before she herself would be forced to offer her
+congratulations and, perchance, suffer his caresses. She shivered and
+cringed at the thought, and then there came a knock upon the door, and
+in answer to her permission it opened, and the king stood upon the
+threshold alone.
+
+At a glance the man took in the pain and sorrow mirrored upon the
+girl’s face. He stepped quickly across the room toward her.
+
+“What is it?” he asked. “What is the matter?”
+
+For a moment he had forgotten the part that he had been playing—forgot
+that the Princess Emma was ignorant of his identity. He had come to her
+to share with her the happiness of the hour—the glory of the victorious
+arms of Lutha. For a time he had almost forgotten that he was not the
+king, and now he was forgetting that he was not Barney Custer to the
+girl who stood before him with misery and hopelessness writ so large
+upon her countenance.
+
+For a brief instant the girl did not reply. She was weighing the
+problematical value of an attempt to enlist the king in the cause of
+the American. Leopold had shown a spark of magnanimity when he had
+written a pardon for Mr. Custer; might he not rise again above his
+petty jealousy and save the American’s life? It was a forlorn hope to
+the woman who knew the true Leopold so well; but it was a hope.
+
+“What is the matter?” the king repeated.
+
+“I have just received word that Prince Peter has ignored your commands,
+sire,” replied the girl, “and that Mr. Custer is to be shot tomorrow.”
+
+Barney’s eyes went wide with incredulity. Here was a pretty pass,
+indeed! The princess came close to him and seized his arm.
+
+“You promised, sire,” she said, “that he would not be harmed—you gave
+your royal word. You can save him. You have an army at your command. Do
+not forget that he once saved you.”
+
+The note of appeal in her voice and the sorrow in her eyes gave Barney
+Custer a twinge of compunction. The necessity for longer concealing his
+identity in so far as the salvation of Lutha was concerned seemed past;
+but the American had intended to carry the deception to the end.
+
+He had given the matter much thought, but he could find no grounds for
+belief that Emma von der Tann would be any happier in the knowledge
+that her future husband had had nothing to do with the victory of his
+army. If she was doomed to a life at his side, why not permit her the
+grain of comfort that she might derive from the memory of her husband’s
+achievements upon the battlefield of Lustadt? Why rob her of that
+little?
+
+But now, face to face with her, and with the evidence of her suffering
+so plain before him, Barney’s intentions wavered. Like most fighting
+men, he was tender in his dealings with women. And now the last straw
+came in the form of a single tiny tear that trickled down the girl’s
+cheek. He seized the hand that lay upon his arm.
+
+“Your highness,” he said, “do not grieve for the American. He is not
+worth it. He has deceived you. He is not at Blentz.”
+
+The girl drew her hand from his and straightened to her full height.
+
+“What do you mean, sire?” she exclaimed. “Mr. Custer would not deceive
+me even if he had an opportunity—which he has not had. But if he is not
+at Blentz, where is he?”
+
+Barney bowed his head and looked at the floor.
+
+“He is here, your highness, asking your forgiveness,” he said.
+
+There was a puzzled expression upon the girl’s face as she looked at
+the man before her. She did not understand. Why should she? Barney drew
+a diamond ring from his little finger and held it out to her.
+
+“You gave it to me to cut a hole in the window of the garage where I
+stole the automobile,” he said. “I forgot to return it. Now do you know
+who I am?”
+
+Emma von der Tann’s eyes showed her incredulity; then, act by act, she
+recalled all that this man had said and done since they had escaped
+from Blentz that had been so unlike the king she knew.
+
+“When did you assume the king’s identity?” she asked.
+
+Barney told her all that had transpired in the king’s apartments at
+Blentz before she had been conducted to the king’s presence.
+
+“And Leopold is there now?” she asked.
+
+“He is there,” replied Barney, “and he is to be shot in the morning.”
+
+“Gott!” exclaimed the girl. “What are we to do?”
+
+“There is but one thing to do,” replied the American, “and that is for
+Butzow and me to ride to Blentz as fast as horses will carry us and
+rescue the king.”
+
+“And then?” asked the girl, a shadow crossing her face.
+
+“And then Barney Custer will have to beat it for the boundary,” he
+replied with a sorry smile.
+
+She came quite close to him, laying her hands upon his shoulders.
+
+“I cannot give you up now,” she said simply. “I have tried to be loyal
+to Leopold and the promise that my father made his king when I was only
+a little girl; but since I thought that you were to be shot, I have
+wished a thousand times that I had gone with you to America two years
+ago. Take me with you now, Barney. We can send Lieutenant Butzow to
+rescue the king, and before he has returned we can be safe across the
+Serbian frontier.”
+
+The American shook his head.
+
+“I got the king into this mess and I must get him out,” he said. “He
+may deserve to be shot, but it is up to me to prevent it, if I can. And
+there is your father to consider. If Butzow rides to Blentz and rescues
+the king, it may be difficult to get him back to Lustadt without the
+truth of his identity and mine becoming known. With me there, the
+change can be effected easily, and not even Butzow need know what has
+happened.
+
+“If the people should guess that it was not Leopold who won the battle
+of Lustadt there might be the devil to pay, and your father would go
+down along with the throne. No, I must stay until Leopold is safe in
+Lustadt. But there is a hope for us. I may be able to wrest from
+Leopold his sanction of our marriage. I shall not hesitate to use
+threats to get it, and I rather imagine that he will be in such a
+terror-stricken condition that he will assent to any terms for his
+release from Blentz. If he gives me such a paper, Emma, will you marry
+me?”
+
+Perhaps there never had been a stranger proposal than this; but to
+neither did it seem strange. For two years each had known the love of
+the other. The girl’s betrothal to the king had prevented an avowal of
+their love while Barney posed in his own identity. Now they merely
+accepted the conditions that had existed for two years as though a
+matter of fact which had been often discussed between them.
+
+“Of course I’ll marry you,” said the princess. “Why in the world would
+I want you to take me to America otherwise?”
+
+As Barney Custer took her in his arms he was happier than he had ever
+before been in all his life, and so, too, was the Princess Emma von der
+Tann.
+
+
+
+
+XII.
+LEOPOLD WAITS FOR DAWN
+
+
+After the American had shoved him through the secret doorway into the
+tower room of the castle of Blentz, Leopold had stood for several
+minutes waiting for the next command from his captor. Presently,
+hearing no sound other than that of his own breathing, the king
+ventured to speak. He asked the American what he purposed doing with
+him next.
+
+There was no reply. For another minute the king listened intently; then
+he raised his hands and removed the bandage from his eyes. He looked
+about him. The room was vacant except for himself. He recognized it as
+the one in which he had spent ten years of his life as a prisoner. He
+shuddered. What had become of the American? He approached the door and
+listened. Beyond the panels he could hear the two soldiers on guard
+there conversing. He called to them.
+
+“What do you want?” shouted one of the men through the closed door.
+
+“I want Prince Peter!” yelled the king. “Send him at once!”
+
+The soldiers laughed.
+
+“He wants Prince Peter,” they mocked. “Wouldn’t you rather have us send
+the king to you?” they asked.
+
+“I am the king!” yelled Leopold. “I am the king! Open the door, pigs,
+or it will go hard with you! I shall have you both shot in the morning
+if you do not open the door and fetch Prince Peter.”
+
+“Ah!” exclaimed one of the soldiers. “Then there will be three of us
+shot together.”
+
+Leopold went white. He had not connected the sentence of the American
+with himself; but now, quite vividly, he realized what it might mean to
+him if he failed before dawn to convince someone that he was not the
+American. Peter would not be awake at so early an hour, and if he had
+no better success with others than he was having with these soldiers,
+it was possible that he might be led out and shot before his identity
+was discovered. The thing was preposterous. The king’s knees became
+suddenly quite weak. They shook, and his legs gave beneath his weight
+so that he had to lean against the back of a chair to keep from
+falling.
+
+Once more he turned to the soldiers. This time he pleaded with them,
+begging them to carry word to Prince Peter that a terrible mistake had
+been made, and that it was the king and not the American who was
+confined in the death chamber. But the soldiers only laughed at him,
+and finally threatened to come in and beat him if he again interrupted
+their conversation.
+
+It was a white and shaken prisoner that the officer of the guard found
+when he entered the room at dawn. The man before him, his face streaked
+with tears of terror and self-pity, fell upon his knees before him,
+beseeching him to carry word to Peter of Blentz, that he was the king.
+The officer drew away with a gesture of disgust.
+
+“I might well believe from your actions that you are Leopold,” he said;
+“for, by Heaven, you do not act as I have always imagined the American
+would act in the face of danger. He has a reputation for bravery that
+would suffer could his admirers see him now.”
+
+“But I am not the American,” pleaded the king. “I tell you that the
+American came to my apartments last night, overpowered me, forced me to
+change clothing with him, and then led me back here.”
+
+A sudden inspiration came to the king with the memory of all that had
+transpired during that humiliating encounter with the American.
+
+“I signed a pardon for him!” he cried. “He forced me to do so. If you
+think I am the American, you cannot kill me now, for there is a pardon
+signed by the king, and an order for the American’s immediate release.
+Where is it? Do not tell me that Prince Peter did not receive it.”
+
+“He received it,” replied the officer, “and I am here to acquaint you
+with the fact, but Prince Peter said nothing about your release. All he
+told me was that you were not to be shot this morning,” and the man
+emphasized the last two words.
+
+Leopold of Lutha spent two awful days a prisoner at Blentz, not knowing
+at what moment Prince Peter might see fit to carry out the verdict of
+the Austrian court martial. He could convince no one that he was the
+king. Peter would not even grant him an audience. Upon the evening of
+the third day, word came that the Austrians had been defeated before
+Lustadt, and those that were not prisoners were retreating through
+Blentz toward the Austrian frontier.
+
+The news filtered to Leopold’s prison room through the servant who
+brought him his scant and rough fare. The king was utterly disheartened
+before this word reached him. For the moment he seemed to see a ray of
+hope, for, since the impostor had been victorious, he would be in a
+position to force Peter of Blentz to give up the true king.
+
+There was the chance that the American, flushed with success and power,
+might elect to hold the crown he had seized. Who would guess the
+transfer that had been effected, or, guessing, would dare voice his
+suspicions in the face of the power and popularity that Leopold knew
+such a victory as the impostor had won must have given him in the
+hearts and minds of the people of Lutha? Still, there was a bare
+possibility that the American would be as good as his word, and return
+the crown as he had promised. Though he hated to admit it, the king had
+every reason to believe that the impostor was a man of honor, whose
+bare word was as good as another’s bond.
+
+He was commencing, under this line of reasoning, to achieve a certain
+hopeful content when the door to his prison opened and Peter of Blentz,
+black and scowling, entered. At his elbow was Captain Ernst Maenck.
+
+“Leopold has defeated the Austrians,” announced the former. “Until you
+returned to Lutha he considered the Austrians his best friends. I do
+not know how you could have reached or influenced him. It is to learn
+how you accomplished it that I am here. The fact that he signed your
+pardon indicates that his attitude toward you changed suddenly—almost
+within an hour. There is something at the bottom of it all, and that
+something I must know.”
+
+“I am Leopold!” cried the king. “Don’t you recognize me, Prince Peter?
+Look at me! Maenck must know me. It was I who wrote and signed the
+American’s pardon—at the point of the American’s revolver. He forced me
+to exchange clothing with him, and then he brought me here to this room
+and left me.”
+
+The two men looked at the speaker and smiled.
+
+“You bank too strongly, my friend,” said Peter of Blentz, “upon your
+resemblance to the king of Lutha. I will admit that it is strong, but
+not so strong as to convince me of the truth of so improbable a story.
+How in the world could the American have brought you through the
+castle, from one end to the other, unseen? There was a guard before the
+king’s door and another before this. No, Herr Custer, you will have to
+concoct a more plausible tale.
+
+“No,” and Peter of Blentz scowled savagely, as though to impress upon
+his listener the importance of his next utterance, “there were more
+than you and the king involved in his sudden departure from Blentz and
+in his hasty change of policy toward Austria. To be quite candid, it
+seems to me that it may be necessary to my future welfare—vitally
+necessary, I may say—to know precisely how all this occurred, and just
+what influence you have over Leopold of Lutha. Who was it that acted as
+the go-between in the king’s negotiations with you, or rather, yours
+with the king? And what argument did you bring to bear to force Leopold
+to the action he took?”
+
+“I have told you all that I know about the matter,” whined the king.
+“The American appeared suddenly in my apartment. When he brought me
+here he first blindfolded me. I have no idea by what route we traveled
+through the castle, and unless your guards outside this door were
+bribed they can tell you more about how we got in here than I
+can—provided we entered through that doorway,” and the king pointed to
+the door which had just opened to admit his two visitors.
+
+“Oh, pshaw!” exclaimed Maenck. “There is but one door to this room—if
+the king came in here at all, he came through that door.”
+
+“Enough!” cried Peter of Blentz. “I shall not be trifled with longer. I
+shall give you until tomorrow morning to make a full explanation of the
+truth and to form some plan whereby you may utilize once more whatever
+influence you had over Leopold to the end that he grant to myself and
+my associates his royal assurance that our lives and property will be
+safe in Lutha.”
+
+“But I tell you it is impossible,” wailed the king.
+
+“I think not,” sneered Prince Peter, “especially when I tell you that
+if you do not accede to my wishes the order of the Austrian military
+court that sentenced you to death at Burgova will be carried out in the
+morning.”
+
+With his final words the two men turned and left the room. Behind them,
+upon the floor, inarticulate with terror, knelt Leopold of Lutha, his
+hands outstretched in supplication.
+
+The long night wore its weary way to dawn at last. The sleepless man,
+alternately tossing upon his bed and pacing the floor, looked fearfully
+from time to time at the window through which the lightening of the sky
+would proclaim the coming day and his last hour on earth. His windows
+faced the west. At the foot of the hill beneath the castle nestled the
+village of Blentz, once more enveloped in peaceful silence since the
+Austrians were gone.
+
+An unmistakable lessening of the darkness in the east had just
+announced the proximity of day, when the king heard a clatter of
+horses’ hoofs upon the road before the castle. The sound ceased at the
+gates and a loud voice broke out upon the stillness of the dying night
+demanding entrance “in the name of the king.”
+
+New hope burst aflame in the breast of the condemned man. The impostor
+had not forsaken him. Leopold ran to the window, leaning far out. He
+heard the voices of the sentries in the barbican as they conversed with
+the newcomers. Then silence came, broken only by the rapid footsteps of
+a soldier hastening from the gate to the castle. His hobnail shoes
+pounding upon the cobbles of the courtyard echoed among the angles of
+the lofty walls. When he had entered the castle the silence became
+oppressive. For five minutes there was no sound other than the pawing
+of the horses outside the barbican and the subdued conversation of
+their riders.
+
+Presently the soldier emerged from the castle. With him was an officer.
+The two went to the barbican. Again there was a parley between the
+horsemen and the guard. Leopold could hear the officer demanding terms.
+He would lower the drawbridge and admit them upon conditions.
+
+One of these the king overheard—it concerned an assurance of full
+pardon for Peter of Blentz and the garrison; and again Leopold heard
+the officer addressing someone as “your majesty.”
+
+Ah, the impostor was there in person. Ach, Gott! How Leopold of Lutha
+hated him, and yet, in the hands of this American lay not only his
+throne but his very life as well.
+
+Evidently the negotiations proved unsuccessful for after a time the
+party wheeled their horses from the gate and rode back toward Blentz.
+As the sound of the iron-shod hoofs diminished in the distance, with
+them diminished the hopes of the king.
+
+When they ceased entirely his hopes were at an end, to be supplanted by
+renewed terror at the turning of the knob of his prison door as it
+swung open to admit Maenck and a squad of soldiers.
+
+“Come!” ordered the captain. “The king has refused to intercede in your
+behalf. When he returns with his army he will find your body at the
+foot of the west wall in the courtyard.”
+
+With an ear-piercing shriek that rang through the grim old castle,
+Leopold of Lutha flung his arms above his head and lunged forward upon
+his face. Roughly the soldiers seized the unconscious man and dragged
+him from the room.
+
+Along the corridor they hauled him and down the winding stairs within
+the north tower to the narrow slit of a door that opened upon the
+courtyard. To the foot of the west wall they brought him, tossing him
+brutally to the stone flagging. Here one of the soldiers brought a
+flagon of water and dashed it in the face of the king. The cold douche
+returned Leopold to a consciousness of the nearness of his impending
+fate.
+
+He saw the little squad of soldiers before him. He saw the cold, gray
+wall behind, and, above, the cold, gray sky of early dawn. The dismal
+men leaning upon their shadowy guns seemed unearthly specters in the
+weird light of the hour that is neither God’s day nor devil’s night.
+With difficulty two of them dragged Leopold to his feet.
+
+Then the dismal men formed in line before him at the opposite side of
+the courtyard. Maenck stood to the left of them. He was giving
+commands. They fell upon the doomed man’s ears with all the cruelty of
+physical blows. Tears coursed down his white cheeks. With incoherent
+mumblings he begged for his life. Leopold, King of Lutha, trembling in
+the face of death!
+
+
+
+
+XIII.
+THE TWO KINGS
+
+
+Twenty troopers had ridden with Lieutenant Butzow and the false king
+from Lustadt to Blentz. During the long, hard ride there had been
+little or no conversation between the American and his friend, for
+Butzow was still unsuspicious of the true identity of the man who posed
+as the ruler of Lutha. The lieutenant was all anxiety to reach Blentz
+and rescue the American he thought imprisoned there and in danger of
+being shot.
+
+At the gate they were refused admittance unless the king would accept
+conditions. Barney refused—there was another way to gain entrance to
+Blentz that not even the master of Blentz knew. Butzow urged him to
+accede to anything to save the life of the American. He recalled all
+that the latter had done in the service of Lutha and Leopold. Barney
+leaned close to the other’s ear.
+
+“If they have not already shot him,” he whispered, “we shall save the
+prisoner yet. Let them think that we give up and are returning to
+Lustadt. Then follow me.”
+
+Slowly the little cavalcade rode down from the castle of Blentz toward
+the village. Just out of sight of the grim pile where the road wound
+down into a ravine Barney turned his horse’s head up the narrow defile.
+In single file Butzow and the troopers followed until the rank
+undergrowth precluded farther advance. Here the American directed that
+they dismount, and, leaving the horses in charge of three troopers, set
+out once more with the balance of the company on foot.
+
+It was with difficulty that the men forced their way through the
+bushes, but they had not gone far when their leader stopped before a
+sheer wall of earth and stone, covered with densely growing shrubbery.
+Here he groped in the dim light, feeling his way with his hands before
+him, while at his heels came his followers. At last he separated a wall
+of bushes and disappeared within the aperture his hands had made. One
+by one his men followed, finding themselves in inky darkness, but upon
+a smooth stone floor and with stone walls close upon either hand. Those
+who lifted their hands above their heads discovered an arched stone
+ceiling close above them.
+
+Along this buried corridor the “king” led them, for though he had never
+traversed it himself the Princess Emma had, and from her he had
+received minute directions. Occasionally he struck a match, and
+presently in the fitful glare of one of these he and those directly
+behind him saw the foot of a ladder that disappeared in the Stygian
+darkness above.
+
+“Follow me up this, very quietly,” he said to those behind him. “Up to
+the third landing.”
+
+They did as he bid them. At the third landing Barney felt for the latch
+he knew was there—he was on familiar ground now. Finding it he pushed
+open the door it held in place, and through a tiny crack surveyed the
+room beyond. It was vacant. The American threw the door wide and
+stepped within. Directly behind him was Butzow, his eyes wide in
+wonderment. After him filed the troopers until seventeen of them stood
+behind their lieutenant and the “king.”
+
+Through the window overlooking the courtyard came a piteous wailing.
+Barney ran to the casement and looked out. Butzow was at his side.
+
+“_Himmel!_” ejaculated the Luthanian. “They are about to shoot him.
+Quick, your majesty,” and without waiting to see if he were followed
+the lieutenant raced for the door of the apartment. Close behind him
+came the American and the seventeen.
+
+It took but a moment to reach the stairway down which the rescuers
+tumbled pell-mell.
+
+Maenck was giving his commands to the firing squad with fiendish
+deliberation and delay. He seemed to enjoy dragging out the agony that
+the condemned man suffered. But it was this very cruelty that caused
+Maenck’s undoing and saved the life of Leopold of Lutha. Just before he
+gave the word to fire Maenck paused and laughed aloud at the pitiable
+figure trembling and whining against the stone wall before him, and
+during that pause a commotion arose at the tower doorway behind the
+firing squad.
+
+Maenck turned to discover the cause of the interruption, and as he
+turned he saw the figure of the king leaping toward him with leveled
+revolver. At the king’s back a company of troopers of the Royal Horse
+Guard was pouring into the courtyard.
+
+Maenck snatched his own revolver from his hip and fired point-blank at
+the “king.” The firing squad had turned at the sound of assault from
+the rear. Some of them discharged their pieces at the advancing
+troopers. Butzow gave a command and seventeen carbines poured their
+deadly hail into the ranks of the Blentz retainers. At Maenck’s shot
+the “king” staggered and fell to the pavement.
+
+Maenck leaped across his prostrate form, yelling to his men “Shoot the
+American.” Then he was lost to Barney’s sight in the hand-to-hand
+scrimmage that was taking place. The American tried to regain his feet,
+but the shock of the wound in his breast had apparently paralyzed him
+for the moment. A Blentz soldier was running toward the prisoner
+standing open-mouthed against the wall. The fellow’s rifle was raised
+to his hip—his intention was only too obvious.
+
+Barney drew himself painfully and slowly to one elbow. The man was
+rapidly nearing the true Leopold. In another moment he would shoot. The
+American raised his revolver and, taking careful aim, fired. The
+soldier shrieked, covered his face with his hands, spun around once,
+and dropped at the king’s feet.
+
+The troopers under Butzow were forcing the men of Blentz toward the far
+end of the courtyard. Two of the Blentz faction were standing a little
+apart, backing slowly away and at the same time deliberately firing at
+the king. Barney seemed the only one who noticed them. Once again he
+raised his revolver and fired. One of the men sat down suddenly, looked
+vacantly about him, and then rolled over upon his side. The other fired
+once more at the king and the same instant Barney fired at the soldier.
+Soldier and king—would-be assassin and his victim—fell simultaneously.
+Barney grimaced. The wound in his breast was painful. He had done his
+best to save the king. It was no fault of his that he had failed. It
+was a long way to Beatrice. He wondered if Emma von der Tann would be
+on the station platform, awaiting him—then he swooned.
+
+Butzow and his seventeen had it all their own way in the courtyard and
+castle of Blentz. After the first resistance the soldiery of Peter fled
+to the guardroom. Butzow followed them, and there they laid down their
+arms. Then the lieutenant returned to the courtyard to look for the
+king and Barney Custer. He found them both, and both were wounded. He
+had them carried to the royal apartments in the north tower. When
+Barney regained consciousness he found the scowling portrait of the
+Blentz princess frowning down upon him. He lay upon a great bed where
+the soldiers, thinking him king, had placed him. Opposite him, against
+the farther wall, the real king lay upon a cot. Butzow was working over
+him.
+
+“Not so bad, after all, Barney,” the lieutenant was saying. “Only a
+flesh wound in the calf of the leg.”
+
+The king made no reply. He was afraid to declare his identity. First he
+must learn the intentions of the impostor. He only closed his eyes
+wearily. Presently he asked a question.
+
+“Is he badly wounded?” and he indicated the figure upon the great bed.
+
+Butzow turned and crossed to where the American lay. He saw that the
+latter’s eyes were open and that he was conscious.
+
+“How does your majesty feel?” he asked. There was more respect in his
+tone than ever before. One of the Blentz soldiers had told him how the
+“king,” after being wounded by Maenck, had raised himself upon his
+elbow and saved the prisoner’s life by shooting three of his
+assailants.
+
+“I thought I was done for,” answered Barney Custer, “but I rather guess
+the bullet struck only a glancing blow. It couldn’t have entered my
+lungs, for I neither cough nor spit blood. To tell you the truth, I
+feel surprisingly fit. How’s the prisoner?”
+
+“Only a flesh wound in the calf of his left leg, sire,” replied Butzow.
+
+“I am glad,” was Barney’s only comment. He didn’t want to be king of
+Lutha; but he had foreseen that with the death of the king his
+imposture might be forced upon him for life.
+
+After Butzow and one of the troopers had washed and dressed the wounds
+of both men Barney asked them to leave the room.
+
+“I wish to sleep,” he said. “If I require you I will ring.”
+
+Saluting, the two backed from the apartment. Just as they were passing
+through the doorway the American called out to Butzow.
+
+“You have Peter of Blentz and Maenck in custody?” he asked.
+
+“I regret having to report to your majesty,” replied the officer, “that
+both must have escaped. A thorough search of the entire castle has
+failed to reveal them.”
+
+Barney scowled. He had hoped to place these two conspirators once and
+for all where they would never again threaten the peace of the throne
+of Lutha—in hell. For a moment he lay in thought. Then he addressed the
+officer again.
+
+“Leave your force here,” he said, “to guard us. Ride, yourself, to
+Lustadt and inform Prince von der Tann that it is the king’s desire
+that every effort be made to capture these two men. Have them brought
+to Lustadt immediately they are apprehended. Bring them dead or alive.”
+
+Again Butzow saluted and prepared to leave the room.
+
+“Wait,” said Barney. “Convey our greetings to the Princess von der
+Tann, and inform her that my wound is of small importance, as is also
+that of the—Mr. Custer. You may go, lieutenant.”
+
+When they were alone Barney turned toward the king. The other lay upon
+his side glaring at the American. When he caught the latter’s eyes upon
+him he spoke.
+
+“What do you intend doing with me?” he said. “Are you going to keep
+your word and return my identity?”
+
+“I have promised,” replied Barney, “and what I promise I always
+perform.”
+
+“Then exchange clothing with me at once,” cried the king, half rising
+from his cot.
+
+“Not so fast, my friend,” rejoined the American. “There are a few
+trifling details to be arranged before we resume our proper
+personalities.”
+
+“Do you realize that you should be hanged for what you have done?”
+snarled the king. “You assaulted me, stole my clothing, left me here to
+be shot by Peter, and sat upon my throne in Lustadt while I lay a
+prisoner condemned to death.”
+
+“And do you realize,” replied Barney, “that by so doing I saved your
+foolish little throne for you; that I drove the invaders from your
+dominions; that I have unmasked your enemies, and that I have once
+again proven to you that the Prince von der Tann is your best friend
+and most loyal supporter?”
+
+“You laid your plebeian hands upon me,” cried the king, raising his
+voice. “You humiliated me, and you shall suffer for it.”
+
+Barney Custer eyed the king for a long moment before he spoke again. It
+was difficult to believe that the man was so devoid of gratitude, and
+so blind as not to see that even the rough treatment that he had
+received at the American’s hands was as nothing by comparison with the
+service that the American had done him. Apparently Leopold had already
+forgotten that three times Barney Custer had saved his life in the
+courtyard below. From the man’s demeanor, now that his life was no
+longer at stake, Barney caught an inkling of what his attitude might be
+when once again he was returned to the despotic power of his kingship.
+
+“It is futile to reason with you,” he said. “There is only one way to
+handle such as you. At present I hold the power to coerce you, and I
+shall continue to hold that power until I am safely out of your
+two-by-four kingdom. If you do as I say you shall have your throne back
+again. If you refuse, why by Heaven you shall never have it. I’ll stay
+king of Lutha myself.”
+
+“What are your terms?” asked the king.
+
+“That Prince Peter of Blentz, Captain Ernst Maenck, and old Von Coblich
+be tried, convicted, and hanged for high treason,” replied the
+American.
+
+“That is easy,” said the king. “I should do so anyway immediately I
+resumed my throne. Now get up and give me my clothes. Take this cot and
+I will take the bed. None will know of the exchange.”
+
+“Again you are too fast,” answered Barney. “There is another
+condition.”
+
+“Well?”
+
+“You must promise upon your royal honor that Ludwig, Prince von der
+Tann, remain chancellor of Lutha during your life or his.”
+
+“Very well,” assented the king. “I promise,” and again he half rose
+from his cot.
+
+“Hold on a minute,” admonished the American; “there is yet one more
+condition of which I have not made mention.”
+
+“What, another?” exclaimed Leopold testily. “How much do you want for
+returning to me what you have stolen?”
+
+“So far I have asked for nothing for myself,” replied Barney. “Now I am
+coming to that part of the agreement. The Princess Emma von der Tann is
+betrothed to you. She does not love you. She has honored me with her
+affection, but she will not wed until she has been formally released
+from her promise to wed Leopold of Lutha. The king must sign such a
+release and also a sanction of her marriage to Barney Custer, of
+Beatrice. Do you understand what I want?”
+
+The king went livid. He came to his feet beside the cot. For the
+moment, his wound was forgotten. He tottered toward the impostor.
+
+“You scoundrel!” he screamed. “You scoundrel! You have stolen my
+identity and my throne and now you wish to steal the woman who loves
+me.”
+
+“Don’t get excited, Leo,” warned the American, “and don’t talk so loud.
+The Princess doesn’t love you, and you know it as well as I. She will
+never marry you. If you want your dinky throne back you’ll have to do
+as I desire; that is, sign the release and the sanction.
+
+“Now let’s don’t have any heroics about it. You have the proposition.
+Now I am going to sleep. In the meantime you may think it over. If the
+papers are not ready when it comes time for us to leave, and from the
+way I feel now I rather think I shall be ready to mount a horse by
+morning, I shall ride back to Lustadt as king of Lutha, and I shall
+marry her highness into the bargain, and you may go hang!
+
+“How the devil you will earn a living with that king job taken away
+from you I don’t know. You’re a long way from New York, and in the
+present state of carnage in Europe I rather doubt that there are many
+headwaiters jobs open this side of the American metropolis, and I can’t
+for the moment think of anything else at which you would shine—with all
+due respect to some excellent headwaiters I have known.”
+
+For some time the king remained silent. He was thinking. He realized
+that it lay in the power of the American to do precisely what he had
+threatened to do. No one would doubt his identity. Even Peter of Blentz
+had not recognized the real king despite Leopold’s repeated and
+hysterical claims.
+
+Lieutenant Butzow, the American’s best friend, had no more suspected
+the exchange of identities. Von der Tann, too, must have been deceived.
+Everyone had been deceived. There was no hope that the people, who
+really saw so little of their king, would guess the deception that was
+being played upon them. Leopold groaned. Barney opened his eyes and
+turned toward him.
+
+“What’s the matter?” he asked.
+
+“I will sign the release and the sanction of her highness’ marriage to
+you,” said the king.
+
+“Good!” exclaimed the American. “You will then go at once to Brosnov as
+originally planned. I will return to Lustadt and get her highness, and
+we will immediately leave Lutha via Brosnov. There you and I will
+effect a change of raiment, and you will ride back to Lustadt with the
+small guard that accompanies her highness and me to the frontier.”
+
+“Why do you not remain in Lustadt?” asked the king. “You could as well
+be married there as elsewhere.”
+
+“Because I don’t trust your majesty,” replied the American. “It must be
+done precisely as I say or not at all. Are you agreeable?”
+
+The king assented with a grumpy nod.
+
+“Then get up and write as I dictate,” said Barney. Leopold of Lutha did
+as he was bid. The result was two short, crisply worded documents. At
+the bottom of each was the signature of Leopold of Lutha. Barney took
+the two papers and carefully tucked them beneath his pillow.
+
+“Now let’s sleep,” he said. “It is getting late and we both need the
+rest. In the morning we have long rides ahead of us. Good night.”
+
+The king did not respond. In a short time Barney was fast asleep. The
+light still burned.
+
+
+
+
+XIV.
+“THE KING’S WILL IS LAW”
+
+
+The Blentz princess frowned down upon the king and impostor impartially
+from her great gilt frame. It must have been close to midnight that the
+painting moved—just a fraction of an inch. Then it remained motionless
+for a time. Again it moved. This time it revealed a narrow crack at its
+edge. In the crack an eye shone.
+
+One of the sleepers moved. He opened his eyes. Stealthily he raised
+himself on his elbow and gazed at the other across the apartment. He
+listened intently. The regular breathing of the sleeper proclaimed the
+soundness of his slumber. Gingerly the man placed one foot upon the
+floor. The eye glued to the crack at the edge of the great, gilt frame
+of the Blentz princess remained fastened upon him. He let his other
+foot slip to the floor beside the first. Carefully he raised himself
+until he stood erect upon the floor. Then, on tiptoe he started across
+the room.
+
+The eye in the dark followed him. The man reached the side of the
+sleeper. Bending over he listened intently to the other’s breathing.
+Satisfied that slumber was profound he stepped quickly to a wardrobe in
+which a soldier had hung the clothing of both the king and the
+American. He took down the uniform of the former, casting from time to
+time apprehensive glances toward the sleeper. The latter did not stir,
+and the other passed to the little dressing-room adjoining.
+
+A few minutes later he reentered the apartment fully clothed and
+wearing the accouterments of Leopold of Lutha. In his hand was a drawn
+sword. Silently and swiftly he crossed to the side of the sleeping man.
+The eye at the crack beside the gilded frame pressed closer to the
+aperture. The sword was raised above the body of the slumberer—its
+point hovered above his heart. The face of the man who wielded it was
+hard with firm resolve.
+
+His muscles tensed to drive home the blade, but something held his
+hand. His face paled. His shoulders contracted with a little shudder,
+and he turned toward the door of the apartment, almost running across
+the floor in his anxiety to escape. The eye in the dark maintained its
+unblinking vigilance.
+
+With his hand upon the knob a sudden thought stayed the fugitive’s
+flight. He glanced quickly back at the sleeper—he had not moved. Then
+the man who wore the uniform of the king of Lutha recrossed the
+apartment to the bed, reached beneath one of the pillows and withdrew
+two neatly folded official-looking documents. These he placed in the
+breastpocket of his uniform. A moment later he was walking down the
+spiral stairway to the main floor of the castle.
+
+In the guardroom the troopers of the Royal Horse who were not on guard
+were stretched in slumber. Only a corporal remained awake. As the man
+entered the guardroom the corporal glanced up, and as his eyes fell
+upon the newcomer, he sprang to his feet, saluting.
+
+“Turn out the guard!” he cried. “Turn out the guard for his majesty,
+the king!”
+
+The sleeping soldiers, but half awake, scrambled to their feet, their
+muscles reacting to the command that their brains but half perceived.
+They snatched their guns from the racks and formed a line behind the
+corporal. The king raised his fingers to the vizor of his helmet in
+acknowledgment of their salute.
+
+“Saddle up quietly, corporal,” he said. “We shall ride to Lustadt
+tonight.”
+
+The non-commissioned officer saluted. “And an extra horse for Herr
+Custer?” he said.
+
+The king shook his head. “The man died of his wound about an hour ago,”
+he said. “While you are saddling up I shall arrange with some of the
+Blentz servants for his burial—now hurry!”
+
+The corporal marched his troopers from the guardroom toward the
+stables. The man in the king’s clothes touched a bell which was
+obviously a servant call. He waited impatiently a reply to his summons,
+tapping his finger-tips against the sword-scabbard that was belted to
+his side. At last a sleepy-eyed man responded—a man who had grown gray
+in the service of Peter of Blentz. At sight of the king he opened his
+eyes in astonishment, pulled his foretop, and bowed uneasily.
+
+“Come closer,” whispered the king. The man did so, and the king spoke
+in his ear earnestly, but in scarce audible tones. The eyes of the
+listener narrowed to mere slits—of avarice and cunning, cruelly cold
+and calculating. The speaker searched through the pockets of the king’s
+clothes that covered him. At last he withdrew a roll of bills. The
+amount must have been a large one, but he did not stop to count it. He
+held the money under the eyes of the servant. The fellow’s claw-like
+fingers reached for the tempting wealth. He nodded his head
+affirmatively.
+
+“You may trust me, sire,” he whispered.
+
+The king slipped the money into the other’s palm. “And as much more,”
+he said, “when I receive proof that my wishes have been fulfilled.”
+
+“Thank you, sire,” said the servant.
+
+The king looked steadily into the other’s face before he spoke again.
+
+“And if you fail me,” he said, “may God have mercy on your soul.” Then
+he wheeled and left the guardroom, walking out into the courtyard where
+the soldiers were busy saddling their mounts.
+
+A few minutes later the party clattered over the drawbridge and down
+the road toward Blentz and Lustadt. From a window of the apartments of
+Peter of Blentz a man watched them depart. When they passed across a
+strip of moonlit road, and he had counted them, he smiled with relief.
+
+A moment later he entered a panel beside the huge fireplace in the west
+wall and disappeared. There he struck a match, found a candle and
+lighted it. Walking a few steps he came to a figure sleeping upon a
+pile of clothing. He stooped and shook the sleeper by the shoulder.
+
+“Wake up!” he cried in a subdued voice. “Wake up, Prince Peter; I have
+good news for you.”
+
+The other opened his eyes, stretched, and at last sat up.
+
+“What is it, Maenck?” he asked querulously.
+
+“Great news, my prince,” replied the other.
+
+“While you have been sleeping many things have transpired within the
+walls of your castle. The king’s troopers have departed; but that is a
+small matter compared with the other. Here, behind the portrait of your
+great-grandmother, I have listened and watched all night. I opened the
+secret door a fraction of an inch—just enough to permit me to look into
+the apartment where the king and the American lay wounded. They had
+been talking as I opened the door, but after that they ceased—the king
+falling asleep at once—the American feigning slumber. For a long time I
+watched, but nothing happened until near midnight. Then the American
+arose and donned the king’s clothes.
+
+“He approached Leopold with drawn sword, but when he would have thrust
+it through the heart of the sleeping man his nerve failed him. Then he
+stole some papers from the room and left. Just now he has ridden out
+toward Lustadt with the men of the Royal Horse who captured the castle
+yesterday.”
+
+Before Maenck was half-way through his narrative, Peter of Blentz was
+wide awake and all attention. His eyes glowed with suddenly aroused
+interest.
+
+“Somewhere in this, prince,” concluded Maenck, “there must lie the seed
+of fortune for you and me.”
+
+Peter nodded. “Yes,” he mused, “there must.”
+
+For a time both men were buried in thought. Suddenly Maenck snapped his
+fingers. “I have it!” he cried. He bent toward Prince Peter’s ear and
+whispered his plan. When he was done the Blentz prince grasped his
+hand.
+
+“Just the thing, Maenck!” he cried. “Just the thing. Leopold will never
+again listen to idle gossip directed against our loyalty. If I know
+him—and who should know him better—he will heap honors upon you, my
+Maenck; and as for me, he will at least forgive me and take me back
+into his confidence. Lose no time now, my friend. We are free now to go
+and come, since the king’s soldiers have been withdrawn.”
+
+In the garden back of the castle an old man was busy digging a hole. It
+was a long, narrow hole, and, when it was completed, nearly four feet
+deep. It looked like a grave. When he had finished the old man hobbled
+to a shed that leaned against the south wall. Here were boards, tools,
+and a bench. It was the castle workshop. The old man selected a number
+of rough pine boards. These he measured and sawed, fitted and nailed,
+working all the balance of the night. By dawn, he had a long, narrow
+box, just a trifle smaller than the hole he had dug in the garden. The
+box resembled a crude coffin. When it was quite finished, including a
+cover, he dragged it out into the garden and set it upon two boards
+that spanned the hole, so that it rested precisely over the excavation.
+
+All these precautions methodically made, he returned to the castle. In
+a little storeroom he searched for and found an ax. With his thumb he
+felt of the edge—for an ax it was marvelously sharp. The old fellow
+grinned and shook his head, as one who appreciates in anticipation the
+consummation of a good joke. Then he crept noiselessly through the
+castle’s corridors and up the spiral stairway in the north tower. In
+one hand was the sharp ax.
+
+The moment Lieutenant Butzow had reached Lustadt he had gone directly
+to Prince von der Tann; but the moment his message had been delivered
+to the chancellor he sought out the chancellor’s daughter, to tell her
+all that had occurred at Blentz.
+
+“I saw but little of Mr. Custer,” he said. “He was very quiet. I think
+all that he has been through has unnerved him. He was slightly wounded
+in the left leg. The king was wounded in the breast. His majesty
+conducted himself in a most valiant and generous manner. Wounded, he
+lay upon his stomach in the courtyard of the castle and defended Mr.
+Custer, who was, of course, unarmed. The king shot three of Prince
+Peter’s soldiers who were attempting to assassinate Mr. Custer.”
+
+Emma von der Tann smiled. It was evident that Lieutenant Butzow had not
+discovered the deception that had been practiced upon him in common
+with all Lutha—she being the only exception. It seemed incredible that
+this good friend of the American had not seen in the heroism of the man
+who wore the king’s clothes the attributes and ear-marks of Barney
+Custer. She glowed with pride at the narration of his heroism, though
+she suffered with him because of his wound.
+
+It was not yet noon when the detachment of the Royal Horse arrived in
+Lustadt from Blentz. At their head rode one whom all upon the streets
+of the capital greeted enthusiastically as king. The party rode
+directly to the royal palace, and the king retired immediately to his
+apartments. A half hour later an officer of the king’s household
+knocked upon the door of the Princess Emma von der Tann’s boudoir. In
+accord with her summons he entered, saluted respectfully, and handed
+her a note.
+
+It was written upon the personal stationery of Leopold of Lutha. The
+girl read and reread it. For some time she could not seem to grasp the
+enormity of the thing that had overwhelmed her—the daring of the action
+that the message explained. The note was short and to the point, and
+was signed only with initials.
+
+DEAREST EMMA:
+
+
+The king died of his wounds just before midnight. I shall keep the
+throne. There is no other way. None knows and none must ever know the
+truth. Your father alone may suspect; but if we are married at once our
+alliance will cement him and his faction to us. Send word by the bearer
+that you agree with the wisdom of my plan, and that we may be wed at
+once—this afternoon, in fact.
+    The people may wonder for a few days at the strange haste, but my
+    answer shall be that I am going to the front with my troops. The
+    son and many of the high officials of the Kaiser have already
+    established the precedent, marrying hurriedly upon the eve of their
+    departure for the front.
+    With every assurance of my undying love, believe me,
+
+
+Yours,
+B. C.
+
+
+The girl walked slowly across the room to her writing table. The
+officer stood in respectful silence awaiting the answer that the king
+had told him to bring. The princess sat down before the carved bit of
+furniture. Mechanically she drew a piece of note paper from a drawer.
+Many times she dipped her pen in the ink before she could determine
+what reply to send. Ages of ingrained royalistic principles were
+shocked and shattered by the enormity of the thing the man she loved
+had asked of her, and yet cold reason told her that it was the only
+way.
+
+Lutha would be lost should the truth be known—that the king was dead,
+for there was no heir of closer blood connection with the royal house
+than Prince Peter of Blentz, whose great-grandmother had been a
+Rubinroth princess. Slowly, at last, she wrote as follows:
+
+SIRE:
+
+
+The king’s will is law.
+
+
+EMMA.
+
+
+That was all. Placing the note in an envelope she sealed it and handed
+it to the officer, who bowed and left the room.
+
+A half hour later officers of the Royal Horse were riding through the
+streets of Lustadt. Some announced to the people upon the streets the
+coming marriage of the king and princess. Others rode to the houses of
+the nobility with the king’s command that they be present at the
+ceremony in the old cathedral at four o’clock that afternoon.
+
+Never had there been such bustling about the royal palace or in the
+palaces of the nobles of Lutha. The buzz and hum of excited
+conversation filled the whole town. That the choice of the king met the
+approval of his subjects was more than evident. Upon every lip was
+praise and love of the Princess Emma von der Tann. The future of Lutha
+seemed assured with a king who could fight joined in marriage to a
+daughter of the warrior line of Von der Tann.
+
+The princess was busy up to the last minute. She had not seen her
+future husband since his return from Blentz, for he, too, had been
+busy. Twice he had sent word to her, but on both occasions had
+regretted that he could not come personally because of the pressure of
+state matters and the preparations for the ceremony that was to take
+place in the cathedral in so short a time.
+
+At last the hour arrived. The cathedral was filled to overflowing.
+After the custom of Lutha, the bride had walked alone up the broad
+center aisle to the foot of the chancel. Guardsmen lining the way on
+either hand stood rigidly at salute until she stopped at the end of the
+soft, rose-strewn carpet and turned to await the coming of the king.
+
+Presently the doors at the opposite end of the cathedral opened. There
+was a fanfare of trumpets, and up the center aisle toward the waiting
+girl walked the royal groom. It seemed ages to the princess since she
+had seen her lover. Her eyes devoured him as he approached her. She
+noticed that he limped, and wondered; but for a moment the fact carried
+no special suggestion to her brain.
+
+The people had risen as the king entered. Again, the pieces of the
+guardsmen had snapped to present; but silence, intense and utter,
+reigned over the vast assembly. The only movement was the measured
+stride of the king as he advanced to claim his bride.
+
+At the head of each line of guardsmen, nearest the chancel and upon
+either side of the bridal party, the ranks were formed of commissioned
+officers. Butzow was among them. He, too, out of the corner of his eye
+watched the advancing figure. Suddenly he noted the limp, and gave a
+little involuntary gasp. He looked at the Princess Emma, and saw her
+eyes suddenly widen with consternation.
+
+Slowly at first, and then in a sudden tidal wave of memory, Butzow’s
+story of the fight in the courtyard at Blentz came back to her.
+
+“I saw but little of Mr. Custer,” he had said. “He was slightly wounded
+in the left leg. The king was wounded in the breast.” But Lieutenant
+Butzow had not known the true identity of either.
+
+The real Leopold it was who had been wounded in the left leg, and the
+man who was approaching her up the broad cathedral aisle was limping
+noticeably—and favoring his left leg. The man to whom she was to be
+married was not Barney Custer—he was Leopold of Lutha!
+
+A hundred mad schemes rioted through her brain. The wedding must not go
+on! But how was she to avert it? The king was within a few paces of her
+now. There was a smile upon his lips, and in that smile she saw the
+final confirmation of her fears. When Leopold of Lutha smiled his upper
+lip curved just a trifle into a shadow of a sneer. It was a trivial
+characteristic that Barney Custer did not share in common with the
+king.
+
+Half mad with terror, the girl seized upon the only subterfuge which
+seemed at all likely to succeed. It would, at least, give her a slight
+reprieve—a little time in which to think, and possibly find an avenue
+from her predicament.
+
+She staggered forward a step, clapped her two hands above her heart,
+and reeled as though to fall. Butzow, who had been watching her
+narrowly, sprang forward and caught her in his arms, where she lay limp
+with closed eyes as though in a dead faint. The king ran forward. The
+people craned their necks. A sudden burst of exclamations rose
+throughout the cathedral, and then Lieutenant Butzow, shouldering his
+way past the chancel, carried the Princess Emma to a little anteroom
+off the east transept. Behind him walked the king, the bishop, and
+Prince Ludwig.
+
+
+
+
+XV.
+MAENCK BLUNDERS
+
+
+After a hurried breakfast Peter of Blentz and Captain Ernst Maenck left
+the castle of Blentz. Prince Peter rode north toward the frontier,
+Austria, and safety, Captain Maenck rode south toward Lustadt. Neither
+knew that general orders had been issued to soldiery and gendarmerie of
+Lutha to capture them dead or alive. So Prince Peter rode carelessly;
+but Captain Maenck, because of the nature of his business and the
+proximity of enemies about Lustadt, proceeded with circumspection.
+
+Prince Peter was arrested at Tafelberg, and, though he stormed and
+raged and threatened, he was immediately packed off under heavy guard
+back toward Lustadt.
+
+Captain Ernst Maenck was more fortunate. He reached the capital of
+Lutha in safety, though he had to hide on several occasions from
+detachments of troops moving toward the north. Once within the city he
+rode rapidly to the house of a friend. Here he learned that which set
+him into a fine state of excitement and profanity. The king and the
+Princess Emma von der Tann were to be wed that very afternoon! It
+lacked but half an hour to four o’clock.
+
+Maenck grabbed his cap and dashed from the house before his astonished
+friend could ask a single question. He hurried straight toward the
+cathedral. The king had just arrived, and entered when Maenck came up,
+breathless. The guard at the doorway did not recognize him. If they had
+they would have arrested him. Instead they contented themselves with
+refusing him admission, and when he insisted they threatened him with
+arrest.
+
+To be arrested now would be to ruin his fine plan, so he turned and
+walked away. At the first cross street he turned up the side of the
+cathedral. The grounds were walled up on this side, and he sought in
+vain for entrance. At the rear he discovered a limousine standing in
+the alley where its chauffeur had left it after depositing his
+passengers at the front door of the cathedral. The top of the limousine
+was but a foot or two below the top of the wall.
+
+Maenck clambered to the hood of the machine, and from there to the top.
+A moment later he dropped to the earth inside the cathedral grounds.
+Before him were many windows. Most of them were too high for him to
+reach, and the others that he tried at first were securely fastened.
+Passing around the end of the building, he at last discovered one that
+was open—it led into the east transept.
+
+Maenck crawled through. He was within the building that held the man he
+sought. He found himself in a small room—evidently a dressing-room.
+There were two doors leading from it. He approached one and listened.
+He heard the tones of subdued conversation beyond.
+
+Very cautiously he opened the door a crack. He could not believe the
+good fortune that was revealed before him. On a couch lay the Princess
+Emma von der Tann. Beside her her father. At the door was Lieutenant
+Butzow. The bishop and a doctor were talking at the head of the couch.
+Pacing up and down the room, resplendent in the marriage robes of a
+king of Lutha, was the man he sought.
+
+Maenck drew his revolver. He broke the barrel, and saw that there was a
+good cartridge in each chamber of the cylinder. He closed it quietly.
+Then he threw open the door, stepped into the room, took deliberate
+aim, and fired.
+
+The old man with the ax moved cautiously along the corridor upon the
+second floor of the Castle of Blentz until he came to a certain door.
+Gently he turned the knob and pushed the door inward. Holding the ax
+behind his back, he entered. In his pocket was a great roll of money,
+and there was to be an equal amount waiting him at Lustadt when his
+mission had been fulfilled.
+
+Once within the room, he looked quickly about him. Upon a great bed lay
+the figure of a man asleep. His face was turned toward the opposite
+wall away from the side of the bed nearer the menacing figure of the
+old servant. On tiptoe the man with the ax approached. The neck of his
+victim lay uncovered before him. He swung the ax behind him. A single
+blow, as mighty as his ancient muscles could deliver, would suffice.
+
+Barney Custer opened his eyes. Directly opposite him upon the wall was
+a dark-toned photogravure of a hunting scene. It tilted slightly
+forward upon its wire support. As Barney’s eyes opened it chanced that
+they were directed straight upon the shiny glass of the picture. The
+light from the window struck the glass in such a way as to transform it
+into a mirror. The American’s eyes were glued with horror upon the
+reflection that he saw there—an old man swinging a huge ax down upon
+his head.
+
+It is an open question as to which of the two was the most surprised at
+the cat-like swiftness of the movement that carried Barney Custer out
+of that bed and landed him in temporary safety upon the opposite side.
+
+With a snarl the old man ran around the foot of the bed to corner his
+prey between the bed and the wall. He was swinging the ax as though to
+hurl it. So close was he that Barney guessed it would be difficult for
+him to miss his mark. The least he could expect would be a frightful
+wound. To have attempted to escape would have necessitated turning his
+back to his adversary, inviting instant death. To grapple with a man
+thus armed appeared an equally hopeless alternative.
+
+Shoulder-high beside him hung the photogravure that had already saved
+his life once. Why not again? He snatched it from its hangings, lifted
+it above his head in both hands, and hurled it at the head of the old
+man. The glass shattered full upon the ancient’s crown, the man’s head
+went through the picture, and the frame settled over his shoulders. At
+the same instant Barney Custer leaped across the bed, seized a light
+chair, and turned to face his foe upon more even terms.
+
+The old man did not pause to remove the frame from about his neck.
+Blood trickled down his forehead and cheeks from deep gashes that the
+broken glass had made. Now he was in a berserker rage.
+
+As he charged again he uttered a peculiar whistling noise from between
+his set teeth. To the American it sounded like the hissing of a snake,
+and as he would have met a snake he met the venomous attack of the old
+man.
+
+When the short battle was over the Blentz servitor lay unconscious upon
+the floor, while above him leaned the American, uninjured, ripping long
+strips from a sheet torn from the bed, twisting them into rope-like
+strands and, with them, binding the wrists and ankles of his defeated
+foe. Finally he stuffed a gag between the toothless gums.
+
+Running to the wardrobe, he discovered that the king’s uniform was
+gone. That, with the witness of the empty bed, told him the whole
+story. The American smiled. “More nerve than I gave him credit for,” he
+mused, as he walked back to his bed and reached under the pillow for
+the two papers he had forced the king to sign. They, too, were gone.
+Slowly Barney Custer realized his plight, as there filtered through his
+mind a suggestion of the possibilities of the trick that had been
+played upon him.
+
+Why should Leopold wish these papers? Of course, he might merely have
+taken them that he might destroy them; but something told Barney Custer
+that such was not the case. And something, too, told him whither the
+king had ridden and what he would do there when he arrived.
+
+He ran back to the wardrobe. In it hung the peasant attire that he had
+stolen from the line of the careless house frau, and later wished upon
+his majesty the king. Barney grinned as he recalled the royal disgust
+with which Leopold had fingered the soiled garments. He scarce blamed
+him. Looking further toward the back of the wardrobe, the American
+discovered other clothing.
+
+He dragged it all out upon the floor. There was an old shooting jacket,
+several pairs of trousers and breeches, and a hunting coat. In a drawer
+at the bottom of the wardrobe he found many old shoes, puttees, and
+boots.
+
+From this miscellany he selected riding breeches, a pair of boots, and
+the red hunting coat as the only articles that fitted his rather large
+frame. Hastily he dressed, and, taking the ax the old man had brought
+to the room as the only weapon available, he walked boldly into the
+corridor, down the spiral stairway and into the guardroom.
+
+Barney Custer was prepared to fight. He was desperate. He could have
+slunk from the Castle of Blentz as he had entered it—through the secret
+passageway to the ravine; but to attempt to reach Lustadt on foot was
+not at all compatible with the urgent haste that he felt necessary. He
+must have a horse, and a horse he would have if he had to fight his way
+through a Blentz army.
+
+But there were no armed retainers left at Blentz. The guardroom was
+vacant; but there were arms there and ammunition. Barney commandeered a
+sword and a revolver, then he walked into the courtyard and crossed to
+the stables. The way took him by the garden. In it he saw a coffin-like
+box resting upon planks above a grave-like excavation. Barney
+investigated. The box was empty. Once again he grinned. “It is not
+always wise,” he mused, “to count your corpses before they’re dead.
+What a lot of work the old man might have spared himself if he’d only
+caught his cadaver first—or at least tried to.”
+
+Passing on by his own grave, he came to the stables. A groom was
+currying a strong, clean-limbed hunter haltered in the doorway. The man
+looked up as Barney approached him. A puzzled expression entered the
+fellow’s eyes. He was a young man—a stupid-looking lout. It was evident
+that he half recognized the face of the newcomer as one he had seen
+before. Barney nodded to him.
+
+“Never mind finishing,” he said. “I am in a hurry. You may saddle him
+at once.” The voice was authoritative—it brooked no demur. The groom
+touched his forehead, dropped the currycomb and brush, and turned back
+into the stable to fetch saddle and bridle.
+
+Five minutes later Barney was riding toward the gate. The portcullis
+was raised—the drawbridge spanned the moat—no guard was there to bar
+his way. The sunlight flooded the green valley, stretching lazily below
+him in the soft warmth of a mellow autumn morning. Behind him he had
+left the brooding shadows of the grim old fortress—the cold, cruel,
+depressing stronghold of intrigue, treason, and sudden death.
+
+He threw back his shoulders and filled his lungs with the sweet, pure
+air of freedom. He was a new man. The wound in his breast was
+forgotten. Lightly he touched his spurs to the hunter’s sides. Tossing
+his head and curveting, the animal broke into a long, easy trot. Where
+the road dipped into the ravine and down through the village to the
+valley the rider drew his restless mount into a walk; but, once in the
+valley, he let him out. Barney took the short road to Lustadt. It would
+cut ten miles off the distance that the main wagonroad covered, and it
+was a good road for a horseman. It should bring him to Lustadt by one
+o’clock or a little after. The road wound through the hills to the east
+of the main highway, and was scarcely more than a trail where it
+crossed the Ru River upon a narrow bridge that spanned the deep
+mountain gorge that walls the Ru for ten miles through the hills.
+
+When Barney reached the river his hopes sank. The bridge was
+gone—dynamited by the Austrians in their retreat. The nearest bridge
+was at the crossing of the main highway over ten miles to the
+southwest. There, too, the river might be forded even if the Austrians
+had destroyed that bridge also; but here or elsewhere in the hills
+there could be no fording—the banks of the Ru were perpendicular
+cliffs.
+
+The misfortune would add nearly twenty miles to his journey—he could
+not now hope to reach Lustadt before late in the afternoon. Turning his
+horse back along the trail he had come, he retraced his way until he
+reached a narrow bridle path that led toward the southwest. The trail
+was rough and indistinct, yet he pushed forward, even more rapidly than
+safety might have suggested. The noble beast beneath him was all
+loyalty and ambition.
+
+“Take it easy, old boy,” whispered Barney into the slim, pointed ears
+that moved ceaselessly backward and forward, “you’ll get your chance
+when we strike the highway, never fear.”
+
+And he did.
+
+So unexpected had been Maenck’s entrance into the room in the east
+transept, so sudden his attack, that it was all over before a hand
+could be raised to stay him. At the report of his revolver the king
+sank to the floor. At almost the same instant Lieutenant Butzow whipped
+a revolver from beneath his tunic and fired at the assassin. Maenck
+staggered forward and stumbled across the body of the king. Butzow was
+upon him instantly, wresting the revolver from his fingers. Prince
+Ludwig ran to the king’s side and, kneeling there, raised Leopold’s
+head in his arms. The bishop and the doctor bent over the limp form.
+The Princess Emma stood a little apart. She had leaped from the couch
+where she had been lying. Her eyes were wide in horror. Her palms
+pressed to her cheeks.
+
+It was upon this scene that a hatless, dust-covered man in a red
+hunting coat burst through the door that had admitted Maenck. The man
+had seen and recognized the conspirator as he climbed to the top of the
+limousine and dropped within the cathedral grounds, and he had followed
+close upon his heels.
+
+No one seemed to note his entrance. All ears were turned toward the
+doctor, who was speaking.
+
+“The king is dead,” he said.
+
+Maenck raised himself upon an elbow. He spoke feebly.
+
+“You fools,” he cried. “That man was not the king. I saw him steal the
+king’s clothes at Blentz and I followed him here. He is the
+American—the impostor.” Then his eyes, circling the faces about him to
+note the results of his announcements, fell upon the face of the man in
+the red hunting coat. Amazement and wonder were in his face. Slowly he
+raised his finger and pointed.
+
+“There is the king,” he said.
+
+Every eye turned in the direction he indicated. Exclamations of
+surprise and incredulity burst from every lip. The old chancellor
+looked from the man in the red hunting coat to the still form of the
+man upon the floor in the blood-spattered marriage garments of a king
+of Lutha. He let the king’s head gently down upon the carpet, and then
+he rose to his feet and faced the man in the red hunting coat.
+
+“Who are you?” he demanded.
+
+Before Barney could speak Lieutenant Butzow spoke.
+
+“He is the king, your highness,” he said. “I rode with him to Blentz to
+free Mr. Custer. Both were wounded in the courtyard in the fight that
+took place there. I helped to dress their wounds. The king was wounded
+in the breast—Mr. Custer in the left leg.”
+
+Prince von der Tann looked puzzled. Again he turned his eyes
+questioningly toward the newcomer.
+
+“Is this the truth?” he asked.
+
+Barney looked toward the Princess Emma. In her eyes he could read the
+relief that the sight of him alive had brought her. Since she had
+recognized the king she had believed that Barney was dead. The
+temptation was great—he dreaded losing her, and he feared he would lose
+her when her father learned the truth of the deception that had been
+practiced upon him. He might lose even more—men had lost their heads
+for tampering with the affairs of kings.
+
+“Well?” persisted the chancellor.
+
+“Lieutenant Butzow is partially correct—he honestly believes that he is
+entirely so,” replied the American. “He did ride with me from Lustadt
+to Blentz to save the man who lies dead here at your feet. The
+lieutenant thought that he was riding with his king, just as your
+highness thought that he was riding with his king during the battle of
+Lustadt. You were both wrong—you were riding with Mr. Bernard Custer,
+of Beatrice. I am he. I have no apologies to make. What I did I would
+do again. I did it for Lutha and for the woman I love. She knows and
+the king knew that I intended restoring his identity to him with no one
+the wiser for the interchange that had taken place. The king upset my
+plans by stealing back his identity while I slept, with the result that
+you see before you upon the floor. He has died as he had
+lived—futilely.”
+
+As he spoke the Princess Emma had crossed the room toward him. Now she
+stood at his side, her hand in his. Tense silence reigned in the
+apartment. The old chancellor stood with bowed head, buried in thought.
+All eyes were upon him except those of the doctor, who had turned his
+attention from the dead king to the wounded assassin. Butzow stood
+looking at Barney Custer in open relief and admiration. He had been
+trying to vindicate his friend in his own mind ever since he had
+discovered, as he believed, that Barney had tricked Leopold after the
+latter had saved his life at Blentz and ridden to Lustadt in the king’s
+guise. Now that he knew the whole truth he realized how stupid he had
+been not to guess that the man who had led the victorious Luthanian
+army before Lustadt could not have been the cowardly Leopold.
+
+Presently the chancellor broke the silence.
+
+“You say that Leopold of Lutha lived futilely. You are right; but when
+you say that he has died futilely, you are, I believe, wrong. Living,
+he gave us a poor weakling. Dying, he leaves the throne to a brave man,
+in whose veins flows the blood of the Rubinroths, hereditary rulers of
+Lutha.
+
+“You are the only rightful successor to the throne of Lutha,” he
+argued, “other than Peter of Blentz. Your mother’s marriage to a
+foreigner did not bar the succession of her offspring. Aside from the
+fact that Peter of Blentz is out of the question, is the more important
+fact that your line is closer to the throne than his. He knew it, and
+this knowledge was the real basis of his hatred of you.”
+
+As the old chancellor ceased speaking he drew his sword and raised it
+on high above his head.
+
+“The king is dead,” he said. “Long live the king!”
+
+
+
+
+XVI.
+KING OF LUTHA
+
+
+Barney Custer, of Beatrice, had no desire to be king of Lutha. He lost
+no time in saying so. All that he wanted of Lutha was the girl he had
+found there, as his father before him had found the girl of his choice.
+Von der Tann pleaded with him.
+
+“Twice have I fought under you, sire,” he urged. “Twice, and only twice
+since the old king died, have I felt that the future of Lutha was safe
+in the hands of her ruler, and both these times it was you who sat upon
+the throne. Do not desert us now. Let me live to see Lutha once more
+happy, with a true Rubinroth upon the throne and my daughter at his
+side.”
+
+Butzow added his pleas to those of the old chancellor. The American
+hesitated.
+
+“Let us leave it to the representatives of the people and to the house
+of nobles,” he suggested.
+
+The chancellor of Lutha explained the situation to both houses. Their
+reply was unanimous. He carried it to the American, who awaited the
+decision of Lutha in the royal apartments of the palace. With him was
+the Princess Emma von der Tann.
+
+“The people of Lutha will have no other king, sire,” said the old man.
+
+Barney turned toward the girl.
+
+“There is no other way, my lord king,” she said with grave dignity.
+“With her blood your mother bequeathed you a duty which you may not
+shirk. It is not for you or for me to choose. God chose for you when
+you were born.”
+
+Barney Custer took her hand in his and raised it to his lips.
+
+“Let the King of Lutha,” he said, “be the first to salute Lutha’s
+queen.”
+
+And so Barney Custer, of Beatrice, was crowned King of Lutha, and Emma
+became his queen. Maenck died of his wound on the floor of the little
+room in the east transept of the cathedral of Lustadt beside the body
+of the king he had slain. Prince Peter of Blentz was tried by the
+highest court of Lutha on the charge of treason; he was found guilty
+and hanged. Von Coblich committed suicide on the eve of his arrest.
+Lieutenant Otto Butzow was ennobled and given the confiscated estates
+of the Blentz prince. He became a general in the army of Lutha, and was
+sent to the front in command of the army corps that guarded the
+northern frontier of the little kingdom.
+
+
+
+
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+<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Mad King, by Edgar Rice Burroughs</title>
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+<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Mad King, by Edgar Rice Burroughs</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
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+whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
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+country where you are located before using this eBook.
+</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Mad King</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Edgar Rice Burroughs</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: November, 1995 [eBook #364]<br />
+[Most recently updated: December 21, 2021]</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Judith Boss</div>
+<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAD KING ***</div>
+
+<h1>The Mad King</h1>
+
+<h2>by Edgar Rice Burroughs</h2>
+
+<hr />
+
+<h2>Contents</h2>
+
+<table summary="" style="">
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#part01"><b>PART I</b></a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap01">I. A RUNAWAY HORSE</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap02">II. OVER THE PRECIPICE</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap03">III. AN ANGRY KING</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap04">IV. BARNEY FINDS A FRIEND</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap05">V. THE ESCAPE</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap06">VI. A KING&rsquo;S RANSOM</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap07">VII. THE REAL LEOPOLD</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap08">VIII. THE CORONATION DAY</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap09">IX. THE KING&rsquo;S GUESTS</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap10">X. ON THE BATTLEFIELD</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap11">XI. A TIMELY INTERVENTION</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap12">XII. THE GRATITUDE OF A KING</a><br /><br /></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#part02"><b>PART II</b></a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap13">I. BARNEY RETURNS TO LUTHA</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap14">II. CONDEMNED TO DEATH</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap15">III. BEFORE THE FIRING SQUAD</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap16">IV. A RACE TO LUTHA</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap17">V. THE TRAITOR KING</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap18">VI. A TRAP IS SPRUNG</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap19">VII. BARNEY TO THE RESCUE</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap20">VIII. AN ADVENTUROUS DAY</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap21">IX. THE CAPTURE</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap22">X. A NEW KING IN LUTHA</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap23">XI. THE BATTLE</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap24">XII. LEOPOLD WAITS FOR DAWN</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap25">XIII. THE TWO KINGS</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap26">XIV. &ldquo;THE KING&rsquo;S WILL IS LAW&rdquo;</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap27">XV. MAENCK BLUNDERS</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap28">XVI. KING OF LUTHA</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+</table>
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="part01"></a>PART I</h2>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap01"></a>I.<br />
+A RUNAWAY HORSE</h2>
+
+<p>
+All Lustadt was in an uproar. The mad king had escaped. Little knots of excited
+men stood upon the street corners listening to each latest rumor concerning
+this most absorbing occurrence. Before the palace a great crowd surged to and
+fro, awaiting they knew not what.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For ten years no man of them had set eyes upon the face of the boy-king who had
+been hastened to the grim castle of Blentz upon the death of the old king, his
+father.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There had been murmurings then when the lad&rsquo;s uncle, Peter of Blentz, had
+announced to the people of Lutha the sudden mental affliction which had fallen
+upon his nephew, and more murmurings for a time after the announcement that
+Peter of Blentz had been appointed Regent during the lifetime of the young King
+Leopold, &ldquo;or until God, in His infinite mercy, shall see fit to restore
+to us in full mental vigor our beloved monarch.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But ten years is a long time. The boy-king had become but a vague memory to the
+subjects who could recall him at all.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There were many, of course, in the capital city, Lustadt, who still retained a
+mental picture of the handsome boy who had ridden out nearly every morning from
+the palace gates beside the tall, martial figure of the old king, his father,
+for a canter across the broad plain which lies at the foot of the mountain town
+of Lustadt; but even these had long since given up hope that their young king
+would ever ascend his throne, or even that they should see him alive again.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter of Blentz had not proved a good or kind ruler. Taxes had doubled during
+his regency. Executives and judiciary, following the example of their chief,
+had become tyrannical and corrupt. For ten years there had been small joy in
+Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There had been whispered rumors off and on that the young king was dead these
+many years, but not even in whispers did the men of Lutha dare voice the name
+of him whom they believed had caused his death. For lesser things they had seen
+their friends and neighbors thrown into the hitherto long-unused dungeons of
+the royal castle.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And now came the rumor that Leopold of Lutha had escaped the Castle of Blentz
+and was roaming somewhere in the wild mountains or ravines upon the opposite
+side of the plain of Lustadt.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter of Blentz was filled with rage and, possibly, fear as well.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I tell you, Coblich,&rdquo; he cried, addressing his dark-visaged
+minister of war, &ldquo;there&rsquo;s more than coincidence in this matter.
+Someone has betrayed us. That he should have escaped upon the very eve of the
+arrival at Blentz of the new physician is most suspicious. None but you,
+Coblich, had knowledge of the part that Dr. Stein was destined to play in this
+matter,&rdquo; concluded Prince Peter pointedly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Coblich looked the Regent full in the eye.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your highness wrongs not only my loyalty, but my intelligence,&rdquo; he
+said quietly, &ldquo;by even so much as intimating that I have any guilty
+knowledge of Leopold&rsquo;s escape. With Leopold upon the throne of Lutha,
+where, think you, my prince, would old Coblich be?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter smiled.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are right, Coblich,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I know that you would not
+be such a fool; but whom, then, have we to thank?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The walls have ears, prince,&rdquo; replied Coblich, &ldquo;and we have
+not always been as careful as we should in discussing the matter. Something may
+have come to the ears of old Von der Tann. I don&rsquo;t for a moment doubt but
+that he has his spies among the palace servants, or even the guard. You know
+the old fox has always made it a point to curry favor with the common soldiers.
+When he was minister of war he treated them better than he did his
+officers.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It seems strange, Coblich, that so shrewd a man as you should have been
+unable to discover some irregularity in the political life of Prince Ludwig von
+der Tann before now,&rdquo; said the prince querulously. &ldquo;He is the
+greatest menace to our peace and sovereignty. With Von der Tann out of the way
+there would be none powerful enough to question our right to the throne of
+Lutha&mdash;after poor Leopold passes away.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You forget that Leopold has escaped,&rdquo; suggested Coblich,
+&ldquo;and that there is no immediate prospect of his passing away.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He must be retaken at once, Coblich!&rdquo; cried Prince Peter of
+Blentz. &ldquo;He is a dangerous maniac, and we must make this fact plain to
+the people&mdash;this and a thorough description of him. A handsome reward for
+his safe return to Blentz might not be out of the way, Coblich.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It shall be done, your highness,&rdquo; replied Coblich. &ldquo;And
+about Von der Tann? You have never spoken to me quite
+so&mdash;ah&mdash;er&mdash;pointedly before. He hunts a great deal in the Old
+Forest. It might be possible&mdash;in fact, it has happened, before&mdash;there
+are many accidents in hunting, are there not, your highness?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There are, Coblich,&rdquo; replied the prince, &ldquo;and if Leopold is
+able he will make straight for the Tann, so that there may be two hunting
+together in a day or so, Coblich.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I understand, your highness,&rdquo; replied the minister. &ldquo;With
+your permission, I shall go at once and dispatch troops to search the forest
+for Leopold. Captain Maenck will command them.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Good, Coblich! Maenck is a most intelligent and loyal officer. We must
+reward him well. A baronetcy, at least, if he handles this matter well,&rdquo;
+said Peter. &ldquo;It might not be a bad plan to hint at as much to him,
+Coblich.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And so it happened that shortly thereafter Captain Ernst Maenck, in command of
+a troop of the Royal Horse Guards of Lutha, set out toward the Old Forest,
+which lies beyond the mountains that are visible upon the other side of the
+plain stretching out before Lustadt. At the same time other troopers rode in
+many directions along the highways and byways of Lutha, tacking placards upon
+trees and fence posts and beside the doors of every little rural post office.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The placard told of the escape of the mad king, offering a large reward for his
+safe return to Blentz.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was the last paragraph especially which caused a young man, the following
+day in the little hamlet of Tafelberg, to whistle as he carefully read it over.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am glad that I am not the mad king of Lutha,&rdquo; he said as he paid
+the storekeeper for the gasoline he had just purchased and stepped into the
+gray roadster for whose greedy maw it was destined.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, mein Herr?&rdquo; asked the man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;This notice practically gives immunity to whoever shoots down the
+king,&rdquo; replied the traveler. &ldquo;Worse still, it gives such an account
+of the maniacal ferocity of the fugitive as to warrant anyone in shooting him
+on sight.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As the young man spoke the storekeeper had examined his face closely for the
+first time. A shrewd look came into the man&rsquo;s ordinarily stolid
+countenance. He leaned forward quite close to the other&rsquo;s ear.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We of Lutha,&rdquo; he whispered, &ldquo;love our &lsquo;mad
+king&rsquo;&mdash;no reward could be offered that would tempt us to betray him.
+Even in self-protection we would not kill him, we of the mountains who remember
+him as a boy and loved his father and his grandfather, before him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But there are the scum of the low country in the army these days, who
+would do anything for money, and it is these that the king must guard against.
+I could not help but note that mein Herr spoke too perfect German for a
+foreigner. Were I in mein Herr&rsquo;s place, I should speak mostly the
+English, and, too, I should shave off the &lsquo;full, reddish-brown
+beard.&rsquo;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Whereupon the storekeeper turned hastily back into his shop, leaving Barney
+Custer of Beatrice, Nebraska, U.S.A., to wonder if all the inhabitants of Lutha
+were afflicted with a mental disorder similar to that of the unfortunate ruler.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t wonder,&rdquo; soliloquized the young man, &ldquo;that he
+advised me to shave off this ridiculous crop of alfalfa. Hang election bets,
+anyway; if things had gone half right I shouldn&rsquo;t have had to wear this
+badge of idiocy. And to think that it&rsquo;s got to be for a whole month
+longer! A year&rsquo;s a mighty long while at best, but a year in company with
+a full set of red whiskers is an eternity.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The road out of Tafelberg wound upward among tall trees toward the pass that
+would lead him across the next valley on his way to the Old Forest, where he
+hoped to find some excellent shooting. All his life Barney had promised himself
+that some day he should visit his mother&rsquo;s native land, and now that he
+was here he found it as wild and beautiful as she had said it would be.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Neither his mother nor his father had ever returned to the little country since
+the day, thirty years before, that the big American had literally stolen his
+bride away, escaping across the border but a scant half-hour ahead of the
+pursuing troop of Luthanian cavalry. Barney had often wondered why it was that
+neither of them would ever speak of those days, or of the early life of his
+mother, Victoria Rubinroth, though of the beauties of her native land Mrs.
+Custer never tired of talking.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer was thinking of these things as his machine wound up the
+picturesque road. Just before him was a long, heavy grade, and as he took it
+with open muffler the chugging of his motor drowned the sound of pounding hoof
+beats rapidly approaching behind him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was not until he topped the grade that he heard anything unusual, and at the
+same instant a girl on horseback tore past him. The speed of the animal would
+have been enough to have told him that it was beyond the control of its frail
+rider, even without the added testimony of the broken bit that dangled beneath
+the tensely outstretched chin.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Foam flecked the beast&rsquo;s neck and shoulders. It was evident that the
+horse had been running for some distance, yet its speed was still that of the
+thoroughly frightened runaway.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The road at the point where the animal had passed Custer was cut from the
+hillside. At the left an embankment rose steeply to a height of ten or fifteen
+feet. On the right there was a drop of a hundred feet or more into a wooded
+ravine. Ahead, the road apparently ran quite straight and smooth for a
+considerable distance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer knew that so long as the road ran straight the girl might be safe
+enough, for she was evidently an excellent horsewoman; but he also knew that if
+there should be a sharp turn to the left ahead, the horse in his blind fright
+would in all probability dash headlong into the ravine below him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was but a single thing that the man might attempt if he were to save the
+girl from the almost certain death which seemed in store for her, since he knew
+that sooner or later the road would turn, as all mountain roads do. The chances
+that he must take, if he failed, could only hasten the girl&rsquo;s end. There
+was no alternative except to sit supinely by and see the fear-crazed horse
+carry its rider into eternity, and Barney Custer was not the sort for that
+role.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Scarcely had the beast come abreast of him than his foot leaped to the
+accelerator. Like a frightened deer the gray roadster sprang forward in
+pursuit. The road was narrow. Two machines could not have passed upon it.
+Barney took the outside that he might hold the horse away from the dangerous
+ravine.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the sound of the whirring thing behind him the animal cast an affrighted
+glance in its direction, and with a little squeal of terror redoubled its
+frantic efforts to escape. The girl, too, looked back over her shoulder. Her
+face was very white, but her eyes were steady and brave.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer smiled up at her in encouragement, and the girl smiled back at
+him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;She&rsquo;s sure a game one,&rdquo; thought Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Now she was calling to him. At first he could not catch her words above the
+pounding of the horse&rsquo;s hoofs and the noise of his motor. Presently he
+understood.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Stop!&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;Stop or you will be killed. The road
+turns to the left just ahead. You&rsquo;ll go into the ravine at that
+speed.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The front wheel of the roadster was at the horse&rsquo;s right flank. Barney
+stepped upon the accelerator a little harder. There was barely room between the
+horse and the edge of the road for the four wheels of the roadster, and Barney
+must be very careful not to touch the horse. The thought of that and what it
+would mean to the girl sent a cold shudder through Barney Custer&rsquo;s
+athletic frame.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The man cast a glance to his right. His machine drove from the left side, and
+he could not see the road at all over the right hand door. The sight of tree
+tops waving beneath him was all that was visible. Just ahead the road&rsquo;s
+edge rushed swiftly beneath the right-hand fender; the wheels on that side must
+have been on the very verge of the embankment.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Now he was abreast the girl. Just ahead he could see where the road disappeared
+around a corner of the bluff at the dangerous curve the girl had warned him
+against.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Custer leaned far out over the side of his car. The lunging of the horse in his
+stride, and the swaying of the leaping car carried him first close to the girl
+and then away again. With his right hand he held the car between the frantic
+horse and the edge of the embankment. His left hand, outstretched, was almost
+at the girl&rsquo;s waist. The turn was just before them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Jump!&rdquo; cried Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl fell backward from her mount, turning to grasp Custer&rsquo;s arm as
+it closed about her. At the same instant Barney closed the throttle, and threw
+all the weight of his body upon the foot brake.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The gray roadster swerved toward the embankment as the hind wheels skidded on
+the loose surface gravel. They were at the turn. The horse was just abreast the
+bumper. There was one chance in a thousand of making the turn were the running
+beast out of the way. There was still a chance if he turned ahead of them. If
+he did not turn&mdash;Barney hated to think of what must follow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But it was all over in a second. The horse bolted straight ahead. Barney
+swerved the roadster to the turn. It caught the animal full in the side. There
+was a sickening lurch as the hind wheels slid over the embankment, and then the
+man shoved the girl from the running board to the road, and horse, man and
+roadster went over into the ravine.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A moment before a tall young man with a reddish-brown beard had stood at the
+turn of the road listening intently to the sound of the hurrying hoof beats and
+the purring of the racing motor car approaching from the distance. In his eyes
+lurked the look of the hunted. For a moment he stood in evident indecision, but
+just before the runaway horse and the pursuing machine came into view he
+slipped over the edge of the road to slink into the underbrush far down toward
+the bottom of the ravine.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When Barney pushed the girl from the running board she fell heavily to the
+road, rolling over several times, but in an instant she scrambled to her feet,
+hardly the worse for the tumble other than a few scratches.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Quickly she ran to the edge of the embankment, a look of immense relief coming
+to her soft, brown eyes as she saw her rescuer scrambling up the precipitous
+side of the ravine toward her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are not killed?&rdquo; she cried in German. &ldquo;It is a
+miracle!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Not even bruised,&rdquo; reassured Barney. &ldquo;But you? You must have
+had a nasty fall.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am not hurt at all,&rdquo; she replied. &ldquo;But for you I should be
+lying dead, or terribly maimed down there at the bottom of that awful ravine at
+this very moment. It&rsquo;s awful.&rdquo; She drew her shoulders upward in a
+little shudder of horror. &ldquo;But how did you escape? Even now I can scarce
+believe it possible.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m quite sure I don&rsquo;t know how I did escape,&rdquo; said
+Barney, clambering over the rim of the road to her side. &ldquo;That I had
+nothing to do with it I am positive. It was just luck. I simply dropped out
+onto that bush down there.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They were standing side by side, now peering down into the ravine where the car
+was visible, bottom side up against a tree, near the base of the declivity. The
+horse&rsquo;s head could be seen protruding from beneath the wreckage.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;d better go down and put him out of his misery,&rdquo; said
+Barney, &ldquo;if he is not already dead.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I think he is quite dead,&rdquo; said the girl. &ldquo;I have not seen
+him move.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Just then a little puff of smoke arose from the machine, followed by a tongue
+of yellow flame. Barney had already started toward the horse.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Please don&rsquo;t go,&rdquo; begged the girl. &ldquo;I am sure that he
+is quite dead, and it wouldn&rsquo;t be safe for you down there now. The
+gasoline tank may explode any minute.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney stopped.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, he is dead all right,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but all my belongings
+are down there. My guns, six-shooters and all my ammunition. And,&rdquo; he
+added ruefully, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve heard so much about the brigands that infest
+these mountains.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl laughed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Those stories are really exaggerated,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I was born
+in Lutha, and except for a few months each year have always lived here, and
+though I ride much I have never seen a brigand. You need not be afraid.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer looked up at her quickly, and then he grinned. His only fear had
+been that he would not meet brigands, for Mr. Bernard Custer, Jr., was young
+and the spirit of Romance and Adventure breathed strong within him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why do you smile?&rdquo; asked the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;At our dilemma,&rdquo; evaded Barney. &ldquo;Have you paused to consider
+our situation?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl smiled, too.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is most unconventional,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;On foot and alone in
+the mountains, far from home, and we do not even know each other&rsquo;s
+name.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Pardon me,&rdquo; cried Barney, bowing low. &ldquo;Permit me to
+introduce myself. I am,&rdquo; and then to the spirits of Romance and Adventure
+was added a third, the spirit of Deviltry, &ldquo;I am the mad king of
+Lutha.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap02"></a>II.<br />
+OVER THE PRECIPICE</h2>
+
+<p>
+The effect of his words upon the girl were quite different from what he had
+expected. An American girl would have laughed, knowing that he but joked. This
+girl did not laugh. Instead her face went white, and she clutched her bosom
+with her two hands. Her brown eyes peered searchingly into the face of the man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Leopold!&rdquo; she cried in a suppressed voice. &ldquo;Oh, your
+majesty, thank God that you are free&mdash;and sane!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Before he could prevent it the girl had seized his hand and pressed it to her
+lips.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Here was a pretty muddle! Barney Custer swore at himself inwardly for a boorish
+fool. What in the world had ever prompted him to speak those ridiculous words!
+And now how was he to unsay them without mortifying this beautiful girl who had
+just kissed his hand?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She would never forgive that&mdash;he was sure of it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was but one thing to do, however, and that was to make a clean breast of
+it. Somehow, he managed to stumble through his explanation of what had prompted
+him, and when he had finished he saw that the girl was smiling indulgently at
+him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It shall be Mr. Bernard Custer if you wish it so,&rdquo; she said;
+&ldquo;but your majesty need fear nothing from Emma von der Tann. Your secret
+is as safe with me as with yourself, as the name of Von der Tann must assure
+you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She looked to see the expression of relief and pleasure that her father&rsquo;s
+name should have brought to the face of Leopold of Lutha, but when he gave no
+indication that he had ever before heard the name she sighed and looked
+puzzled.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Perhaps,&rdquo; she thought, &ldquo;he doubts me. Or can it be possible
+that, after all, his poor mind is gone?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I wish,&rdquo; said Barney in a tone of entreaty, &ldquo;that you would
+forgive and forget my foolish words, and then let me accompany you to the end
+of your journey.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Whither were you bound when I became the means of wrecking your motor
+car?&rdquo; asked the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;To the Old Forest,&rdquo; replied Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Now she was positive that she was indeed with the mad king of Lutha, but she
+had no fear of him, for since childhood she had heard her father scout the idea
+that Leopold was mad. For what other purpose would he hasten toward the Old
+Forest than to take refuge in her father&rsquo;s castle upon the banks of the
+Tann at the forest&rsquo;s verge?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Thither was I bound also,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and if you would come
+there quickly and in safety I can show you a short path across the mountains
+that my father taught me years ago. It touches the main road but once or twice,
+and much of the way passes through dense woods and undergrowth where an army
+might hide.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hadn&rsquo;t we better find the nearest town,&rdquo; suggested Barney,
+&ldquo;where I can obtain some sort of conveyance to take you home?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It would not be safe,&rdquo; said the girl. &ldquo;Peter of Blentz will
+have troops out scouring all Lutha about Blentz and the Old Forest until the
+king is captured.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer shook his head despairingly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Won&rsquo;t you please believe that I am but a plain American?&rdquo; he
+begged.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Upon the bole of a large wayside tree a fresh, new placard stared them in the
+face. Emma von der Tann pointed at one of the paragraphs.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Gray eyes, brown hair, and a full reddish-brown beard,&rdquo; she read.
+&ldquo;No matter who you may be,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;you are safer off the
+highways of Lutha than on them until you can find and use a razor.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But I cannot shave until the fifth of November,&rdquo; said Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Again the girl looked quickly into his eyes and again in her mind rose the
+question that had hovered there once before. Was he indeed, after all, quite
+sane?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then please come with me the safest way to my father&rsquo;s,&rdquo; she
+urged. &ldquo;He will know what is best to do.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He cannot make me shave,&rdquo; insisted Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why do you wish not to shave?&rdquo; asked the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is a matter of my honor,&rdquo; he replied. &ldquo;I had my choice of
+wearing a green wastebasket bonnet trimmed with red roses for six months, or a
+beard for twelve. If I shave off the beard before the fifth of November I shall
+be without honor in the sight of all men or else I shall have to wear the green
+bonnet. The beard is bad enough, but the bonnet&mdash;ugh!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Emma von der Tann was now quite assured that the poor fellow was indeed quite
+demented, but she had seen no indications of violence as yet, though when that
+too might develop there was no telling. However, he was to her Leopold of
+Lutha, and her father&rsquo;s house had been loyal to him or his ancestors for
+three hundred years.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+If she must sacrifice her life in the attempt, nevertheless still must she do
+all within her power to save her king from recapture and to lead him in safety
+to the castle upon the Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Come,&rdquo; she said; &ldquo;we waste time here. Let us make haste, for
+the way is long. At best we cannot reach Tann by dark.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I will do anything you wish,&rdquo; replied Barney, &ldquo;but I shall
+never forgive myself for having caused you the long and tedious journey that
+lies before us. It would be perfectly safe to go to the nearest town and secure
+a rig.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Emma von der Tann had heard that it was always well to humor maniacs and she
+thought of it now. She would put the scheme to the test.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The reason that I fear to have you go to the village,&rdquo; she said,
+&ldquo;is that I am quite sure they would catch you and shave off your
+beard.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney started to laugh, but when he saw the deep seriousness of the
+girl&rsquo;s eyes he changed his mind. Then he recalled her rather peculiar
+insistence that he was a king, and it suddenly occurred to him that he had been
+foolish not to have guessed the truth before.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That is so,&rdquo; he agreed; &ldquo;I guess we had better do as you
+say,&rdquo; for he had determined that the best way to handle her would be to
+humor her&mdash;he had always heard that that was the proper method for
+handling the mentally defective. &ldquo;Where is
+the&mdash;er&mdash;ah&mdash;sanatorium?&rdquo; he blurted out at last.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The what?&rdquo; she asked. &ldquo;There is no sanatorium near here,
+your majesty, unless you refer to the Castle of Blentz.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Is there no asylum for the insane near by?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;None that I know of, your majesty.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a while they moved on in silence, each wondering what the other might do
+next.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney had evolved a plan. He would try and ascertain the location of the
+institution from which the girl had escaped and then as gently as possible lead
+her back to it. It was not safe for as beautiful a woman as she to be roaming
+through the forest in any such manner as this. He wondered what in the world
+the authorities at the asylum had been thinking of to permit her to ride out
+alone in the first place.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;From where did you ride today?&rdquo; he blurted out suddenly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;From Tann.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That is where we are going now?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, your majesty.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney drew a breath of relief. The way had become suddenly difficult and he
+took the girl&rsquo;s arm to help her down a rather steep place. At the bottom
+of the ravine there was a little brook.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There used to be a fallen log across it here,&rdquo; said the girl.
+&ldquo;How in the world am I ever to get across, your majesty?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If you call me that again, I shall begin to believe that I am a
+king,&rdquo; he humored her, &ldquo;and then, being a king, I presume that it
+wouldn&rsquo;t be proper for me to carry you across, or would it? Never really
+having been a king, I do not know.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I think,&rdquo; replied the girl, &ldquo;that it would be eminently
+proper.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She had difficulty in keeping in mind the fact that this handsome, smiling
+young man was a dangerous maniac, though it was easy to believe that he was the
+king. In fact, he looked much as she had always pictured Leopold as looking.
+She had known him as a boy, and there were many paintings and photographs of
+his ancestors in her father&rsquo;s castle. She saw much resemblance between
+these and the young man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The brook was very narrow, and the girl thought that it took the young man an
+unreasonably long time to carry her across, though she was forced to admit that
+she was far from uncomfortable in the strong arms that bore her so easily.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, what are you doing?&rdquo; she cried presently. &ldquo;You are not
+crossing the stream at all. You are walking right up the middle of it!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She saw his face flush, and then he turned laughing eyes upon her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am looking for a safe landing,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Emma von der Tann did not know whether to be frightened or amused. As her eyes
+met the clear, gray ones of the man she could not believe that insanity lurked
+behind that laughing, level gaze of her carrier. She found herself continually
+forgetting that the man was mad. He had turned toward the bank now, and a
+couple of steps carried them to the low sward that fringed the little brooklet.
+Here he lowered her to the ground.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your majesty is very strong,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I should not have
+expected it after the years of confinement you have suffered.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he said, realizing that he must humor her&mdash;it was
+difficult to remember that this lovely girl was insane. &ldquo;Let me see, now
+just what was I in prison for? I do not seem to be able to recall it. In
+Nebraska, they used to hang men for horse stealing; so I am sure it must have
+been something else not quite so bad. Do you happen to know?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;When the king, your father, died you were thirteen years old,&rdquo; the
+girl explained, hoping to reawaken the sleeping mind, &ldquo;and then your
+uncle, Prince Peter of Blentz, announced that the shock of your father&rsquo;s
+death had unbalanced your mind. He shut you up in Blentz then, where you have
+been for ten years, and he has ruled as regent. Now, my father says, he has
+recently discovered a plot to take your life so that Peter may become king. But
+I suppose you learned of that, and because of it you escaped!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;This Peter person is all-powerful in Lutha?&rdquo; he asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He controls the army,&rdquo; the girl replied.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And you really believe that I am the mad king Leopold?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are the king,&rdquo; she said in a convincing manner.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are a very brave young lady,&rdquo; he said earnestly. &ldquo;If all
+the mad king&rsquo;s subjects were as loyal as you, and as brave, he would not
+have languished for ten years behind the walls of Blentz.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am a Von der Tann,&rdquo; she said proudly, as though that was
+explanation sufficient to account for any bravery or loyalty.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Even a Von der Tann might, without dishonor, hesitate to accompany a mad
+man through the woods,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;especially if she happened to
+be a very&mdash;a very&mdash;&rdquo; He halted, flushing.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;A very what, your majesty?&rdquo; asked the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;A very young woman,&rdquo; he ended lamely.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Emma von der Tann knew that he had not intended saying that at all. Being a
+woman, she knew precisely what he had meant to say, and she discovered that she
+would very much have liked to hear him say it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Suppose,&rdquo; said Barney, &ldquo;that Peter&rsquo;s soldiers run
+across us&mdash;what then?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;They will take you back to Blentz, your majesty.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And you?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I do not think that they will dare lay hands on me, though it is
+possible that Peter might do so. He hates my father even more now than he did
+when the old king lived.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I wish,&rdquo; said Mr. Custer, &ldquo;that I had gone down after my
+guns. Why didn&rsquo;t you tell me, in the first place, that I was a king, and
+that I might get you in trouble if you were found with me? Why, they may even
+take me for an emperor or a mikado&mdash;who knows? And then look at all the
+trouble we&rsquo;d be in.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Which was Barney&rsquo;s way of humoring a maniac.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And they might even shave off your beautiful beard.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Which was the girl&rsquo;s way.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Do you think that you would like me better in the green wastebasket hat
+with the red roses?&rdquo; asked Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A very sad look came into the girl&rsquo;s eyes. It was pitiful to think that
+this big, handsome young man, for whose return to the throne all Lutha had
+prayed for ten long years, was only a silly half-wit. What might he not have
+accomplished for his people had this terrible misfortune not overtaken him! In
+every other way he seemed fitted to be the savior of his country. If she could
+but make him remember!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your majesty,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;do you not recall the time that
+your father came upon a state visit to my father&rsquo;s castle? You were a
+little boy then. He brought you with him. I was a little girl, and we played
+together. You would not let me call you &lsquo;highness,&rsquo; but insisted
+that I should always call you Leopold. When I forgot you would accuse me of
+lese-majeste, and sentence me to&mdash;to punishment.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What was the punishment?&rdquo; asked Barney, noticing her hesitation
+and wishing to encourage her in the pretty turn her dementia had taken.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Again the girl hesitated; she hated to say it, but if it would help to recall
+the past to that poor, dimmed mind, it was her duty.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Every time I called you &lsquo;highness&rsquo; you made me give you
+a&mdash;a kiss,&rdquo; she almost whispered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I hope,&rdquo; said Barney, &ldquo;that you will be guilty of
+lese-majeste often.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We were little children then, your majesty,&rdquo; the girl reminded
+him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Had he thought her of sound mind Mr. Custer might have taken advantage of his
+royal prerogatives on the spot, for the girl&rsquo;s lips were most tempting;
+but when he remembered the poor, weak mind, tears almost came to his eyes, and
+there sprang to his heart a great desire to protect and guard this unfortunate
+child.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And when I was Crown Prince what were you, way back there in the
+beautiful days of our childhood?&rdquo; asked Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, I was what I still am, your majesty,&rdquo; replied the girl.
+&ldquo;Princess Emma von der Tann.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+So the poor child, besides thinking him a king, thought herself a princess! She
+certainly was mad. Well, he would humor her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then I should call you &lsquo;your highness,&rsquo; shouldn&rsquo;t
+I?&rdquo; he asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You always called me Emma when we were children.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Very well, then, you shall be Emma and I Leopold. Is it a
+bargain?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The king&rsquo;s will is law,&rdquo; she said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They had come to a very steep hillside, up which the half-obliterated trail
+zigzagged toward the crest of a flat-topped hill. Barney went ahead, taking the
+girl&rsquo;s hand in his to help her, and thus they came to the top, to stand
+hand in hand, breathing heavily after the stiff climb.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl&rsquo;s hair had come loose about her temples and a lock was blowing
+over her face. Her cheeks were very red and her eyes bright. Barney thought he
+had never looked upon a lovelier picture. He smiled down into her eyes and she
+smiled back at him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I wished, back there a way,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;that that little
+brook had been as wide as the ocean&mdash;now I wish that this little hill had
+been as high as Mont Blanc.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You like to climb?&rdquo; she asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I should like to climb forever&mdash;with you,&rdquo; he said seriously.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She looked up at him quickly. A reply was on her lips, but she never uttered
+it, for at that moment a ruffian in picturesque rags leaped out from behind a
+near-by bush, confronting them with leveled revolver. He was so close that the
+muzzle of the weapon almost touched Barney&rsquo;s face. In that the fellow
+made his mistake.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You see,&rdquo; said Barney unexcitedly, &ldquo;that I was right about
+the brigands after all. What do you want, my man?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The man&rsquo;s eyes had suddenly gone wide. He stared with open mouth at the
+young fellow before him. Then a cunning look came into his eyes.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I want you, your majesty,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Godfrey!&rdquo; exclaimed Barney. &ldquo;Did the whole bunch
+escape?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Quick!&rdquo; growled the man. &ldquo;Hold up your hands. The notice
+made it plain that you would be worth as much dead as alive, and I have no mind
+to lose you, so do not tempt me to kill you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney&rsquo;s hands went up, but not in the way that the brigand had expected.
+Instead, one of them seized his weapon and shoved it aside, while with the
+other Custer planted a blow between his eyes and sent him reeling backward. The
+two men closed, fighting for possession of the gun. In the scrimmage it was
+exploded, but a moment later the American succeeded in wresting it from his
+adversary and hurled it into the ravine.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Striking at one another, the two surged backward and forward at the very edge
+of the hill, each searching for the other&rsquo;s throat. The girl stood by,
+watching the battle with wide, frightened eyes. If she could only do something
+to aid the king!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She saw a loose stone lying at a little distance from the fighters and hastened
+to procure it. If she could strike the brigand a single good blow on the side
+of the head, Leopold might easily overpower him. When she had gathered up the
+rock and turned back toward the two she saw that the man she thought to be the
+king was not much in the way of needing outside assistance. She could not but
+marvel at the strength and dexterity of this poor fellow who had spent almost
+half his life penned within the four walls of a prison. It must be, she
+thought, the superhuman strength with which maniacs are always credited.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Nevertheless, she hurried toward them with her weapon; but just before she
+reached them the brigand made a last mad effort to free himself from the
+fingers that had found his throat. He lunged backward, dragging the other with
+him. His foot struck upon the root of a tree, and together the two toppled over
+into the ravine.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As the girl hastened toward the spot where the two had disappeared, she was
+startled to see three troopers of the palace cavalry headed by an officer break
+through the trees at a short distance from where the battle had waged. The four
+men ran rapidly toward her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What has happened here?&rdquo; shouted the officer to Emma von der Tann;
+and then, as he came closer: &ldquo;Gott! Can it be possible that it is your
+highness?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl paid no attention to the officer. Instead, she hurried down the steep
+embankment toward the underbrush into which the two men had fallen. There was
+no sound from below, and no movement in the bushes to indicate that a moment
+before two desperately battling human beings had dropped among them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The soldiers were close upon the girl&rsquo;s heels, but it was she who first
+reached the two quiet figures that lay side by side upon the stony ground
+halfway down the hillside.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When the officer stopped beside her she was sitting on the ground holding the
+head of one of the combatants in her lap.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A little stream of blood trickled from a wound in the forehead. The officer
+stooped closer.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He is dead?&rdquo; he asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The king is dead,&rdquo; replied the Princess Emma von der Tann, a
+little sob in her voice.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The king!&rdquo; exclaimed the officer; and then, as he bent lower over
+the white face: &ldquo;Leopold!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl nodded.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We were searching for him,&rdquo; said the officer, &ldquo;when we heard
+the shot.&rdquo; Then, arising, he removed his cap, saying in a very low voice:
+&ldquo;The king is dead. Long live the king!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap03"></a>III.<br />
+AN ANGRY KING</h2>
+
+<p>
+The soldiers stood behind their officer. None of them had ever seen Leopold of
+Lutha&mdash;he had been but a name to them&mdash;they cared nothing for him;
+but in the presence of death they were awed by the majesty of the king they had
+never known.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The hands of Emma von der Tann were chafing the wrists of the man whose head
+rested in her lap.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Leopold!&rdquo; she whispered. &ldquo;Leopold, come back! Mad king you
+may have been, but still you were king of Lutha&mdash;my father&rsquo;s
+king&mdash;my king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl nearly cried out in shocked astonishment as she saw the eyes of the
+dead king open. But Emma von der Tann was quick-witted. She knew for what
+purpose the soldiers from the palace were scouring the country.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Had she not thought the king dead she would have cut out her tongue rather than
+reveal his identity to these soldiers of his great enemy. Now she saw that
+Leopold lived, and she must undo the harm she had innocently wrought. She bent
+lower over Barney&rsquo;s face, trying to hide it from the soldiers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Go away, please!&rdquo; she called to them. &ldquo;Leave me with my dead
+king. You are Peter&rsquo;s men. You do not care for Leopold, living or dead.
+Go back to your new king and tell him that this poor young man can never more
+stand between him and the throne.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The officer hesitated.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We shall have to take the king&rsquo;s body with us, your
+highness,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The officer evidently becoming suspicious, came closer, and as he did so Barney
+Custer sat up.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Go away!&rdquo; cried the girl, for she saw that the king was attempting
+to speak. &ldquo;My father&rsquo;s people will carry Leopold of Lutha in state
+to the capital of his kingdom.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What&rsquo;s all this row about?&rdquo; he asked. &ldquo;Can&rsquo;t you
+let a dead king alone if the young lady asks you to? What kind of a short sport
+are you, anyway? Run along, now, and tie yourself outside.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The officer smiled, a trifle maliciously perhaps.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I am very glad indeed that you are not dead,
+your majesty.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer turned his incredulous eyes upon the lieutenant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Et tu, Brute?&rdquo; he cried in anguished accents, letting his head
+fall back into the girl&rsquo;s lap. He found it very comfortable there indeed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The officer smiled and shook his head. Then he tapped his forehead meaningly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I did not know,&rdquo; he said to the girl, &ldquo;that he was so bad.
+But come&mdash;it is some distance to Blentz, and the afternoon is already well
+spent. Your highness will accompany us.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I?&rdquo; cried the girl. &ldquo;You certainly cannot be serious.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And why not, your highness?&rdquo; asked the officer. &ldquo;We had
+strict orders to arrest not only the king, but any companions who may have been
+involved in his escape.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I had nothing whatever to do with his escape,&rdquo; said the girl,
+&ldquo;though I should have been only too glad to have aided him had the
+opportunity presented.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;King Peter may think differently,&rdquo; replied the man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The Regent, you mean?&rdquo; the girl corrected him haughtily.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The officer shrugged his shoulders.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Regent or King, he is ruler of Lutha nevertheless, and he would take
+away my commission were I to tell him that I had found a Von der Tann in
+company with the king and had permitted her to escape. Your blood convicts your
+highness.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are going to take me to Blentz and confine me there?&rdquo; asked
+the girl in a very small voice and with wide incredulous eyes. &ldquo;You would
+not dare thus to humiliate a Von der Tann?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am very sorry,&rdquo; said the officer, &ldquo;but I am a soldier, and
+soldiers must obey their superiors. My orders are strict. You may be
+thankful,&rdquo; he added, &ldquo;that it was not Maenck who discovered
+you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the mention of the name the girl shuddered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;In so far as it is in my power your highness and his majesty will be
+accorded every consideration of dignity and courtesy while under my escort. You
+need not entertain any fear of me,&rdquo; he concluded.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer, during this, to him, remarkable dialogue, had risen to his feet,
+and assisted the girl in rising. Now he turned and spoke to the officer.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;This farce,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;has gone quite far enough. If it is a
+joke it is becoming a very sorry one. I am not a king. I am an
+American&mdash;Bernard Custer, of Beatrice, Nebraska, U.S.A. Look at me. Look
+at me closely. Do I look like a king?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Every inch, your majesty,&rdquo; replied the officer.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney looked at the man aghast.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Well, I am not a king,&rdquo; he said at last, &ldquo;and if you go to
+arresting me and throwing me into one of your musty old dungeons you will find
+that I am a whole lot more important than most kings. I&rsquo;m an American
+citizen.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, your majesty,&rdquo; replied the officer, a trifle impatiently.
+&ldquo;But we waste time in idle discussion. Will your majesty be so good as to
+accompany me without resistance?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If you will first escort this young lady to a place of safety,&rdquo;
+replied Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;She will be quite safe at Blentz,&rdquo; said the lieutenant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney turned to look at the girl, a question in his eyes. Before them stood
+the soldiers with drawn revolvers, and now at the summit of the hill a dozen
+more appeared in command of a sergeant. They were two against nearly a score,
+and Barney Custer was unarmed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl shook her head.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There, is no alternative, I am afraid, your majesty,&rdquo; she said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney wheeled toward the officer.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Very well, lieutenant,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;we will accompany
+you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The party turned back up the hillside, leaving the dead bandit where he
+lay&mdash;the fellow&rsquo;s neck had been broken by the fall. A short distance
+from where the man had confronted them the two prisoners were brought to the
+main road where they saw still other troopers, and with them the horses of
+those who had gone into the forest on foot.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney and the girl were mounted on two of the animals, the soldiers who had
+ridden them clambering up behind two of their comrades. A moment later the
+troop set out along the road which leads to Blentz.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The prisoners rode near the center of the column, surrounded by troopers. For a
+time they were both silent. Barney was wondering if he had accidentally tumbled
+into the private grounds of Lutha&rsquo;s largest madhouse, or if, in reality,
+these people mistook him for the young king&mdash;it seemed incredible.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It had commenced slowly to dawn upon him that perhaps the girl was not crazy
+after all. Had not the officer addressed her as &ldquo;your highness&rdquo;?
+Now that he thought upon it he recalled that she did have quite a haughty and
+regal way with her at times, especially so when she had addressed the officer.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Of course she might be mad, after all, and possibly the bandit, too, but it
+seemed unbelievable that the officer was mad and his entire troop of cavalry
+should be composed of maniacs, yet they all persisted in speaking and acting as
+though he were indeed the mad king of Lutha and the young girl at his side a
+princess.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+From pitying the girl he had come to feel a little bit in awe of her. To the
+best of his knowledge he had never before associated with a real princess. When
+he recalled that he had treated her as he would an ordinary mortal, and that he
+had thought her demented, and had tried to humor her mad whims, he felt very
+foolish indeed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Presently he turned a sheepish glance in her direction, to find her looking at
+him. He saw her flush slightly as his eyes met hers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Can your highness ever forgive me?&rdquo; he asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Forgive you!&rdquo; she cried in astonishment. &ldquo;For what, your
+majesty?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;For thinking you insane, and for getting you into this horrible
+predicament,&rdquo; he replied. &ldquo;But especially for thinking you
+insane.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Did you think me mad?&rdquo; she asked in wide-eyed astonishment.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;When you insisted that I was a king, yes,&rdquo; he replied. &ldquo;But
+now I begin to believe that it must be I who am mad, after all, or else I bear
+a remarkable resemblance to Leopold of Lutha.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You do, your majesty,&rdquo; replied the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney saw it was useless to attempt to convince them and so he decided to give
+up for the time.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Have me king, if you will,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but please do not call
+me &lsquo;your majesty&rsquo; any more. It gets on my nerves.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your will is law&mdash;Leopold,&rdquo; replied the girl, hesitating
+prettily before the familiar name, &ldquo;but do not forget your part of the
+compact.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He smiled at her. A princess wasn&rsquo;t half so terrible after all.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And your will shall be my law, Emma,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was almost dark when they came to Blentz. The castle lay far up on the side
+of a steep hill above the town. It was an ancient pile, but had been maintained
+in an excellent state of repair. As Barney Custer looked up at the grim towers
+and mighty, buttressed walls his heart sank. It had taken the mad king ten
+years to make his escape from that gloomy and forbidding pile!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Poor child,&rdquo; he murmured, thinking of the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Before the barbican the party was halted by the guard. An officer with a
+lantern stepped out upon the lowered portcullis. The lieutenant who had
+captured them rode forward to meet him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;A detachment of the Royal Horse Guards escorting His Majesty the King,
+who is returning to Blentz,&rdquo; he said in reply to the officer&rsquo;s
+sharp challenge.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The king!&rdquo; exclaimed the officer. &ldquo;You have found
+him?&rdquo; and he advanced with raised lantern searching for the monarch.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;At last,&rdquo; whispered Barney to the girl at his side, &ldquo;I shall
+be vindicated. This man, at least, who is stationed at Blentz must know his
+king by sight.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The officer came quite close, holding his lantern until the rays fell full in
+Barney&rsquo;s face. He scrutinized the young man for a moment. There was
+neither humility nor respect in his manner, so that the American was sure that
+the fellow had discovered the imposture.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+From the bottom of his heart he hoped so. Then the officer swung the lantern
+until its light shone upon the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And who&rsquo;s the wench with him?&rdquo; he asked the officer who had
+found them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The man was standing close beside Barney&rsquo;s horse, and the words were
+scarce out of his month when the American slipped from his saddle to the
+portcullis and struck the officer full in the face.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;She is the Princess von der Tann, you boor,&rdquo; said Barney,
+&ldquo;and let that help you remember it in future.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The officer scrambled to his feet, white with rage. Whipping out his sword he
+rushed at Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You shall die for that, you half-wit,&rdquo; he cried.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Lieutenant Butzow, he of the Royal Horse, rushed forward to prevent the assault
+and Emma von der Tann sprang from her saddle and threw herself in front of
+Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow grasped the other officer&rsquo;s arm.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Are you mad, Schonau?&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Would you kill the
+king?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The fellow tugged to escape the grasp of Butzow. He was crazed with anger.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why not?&rdquo; he bellowed. &ldquo;You were a fool not to have done it
+yourself. Maenck will do it and get a baronetcy. It will mean a captaincy for
+me at least. Let me at him&mdash;no man can strike Karl Schonau and
+live.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The king is unarmed,&rdquo; cried Emma von der Tann. &ldquo;Would you
+murder him in cold blood?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He shall not murder him at all, your highness,&rdquo; said Lieutenant
+Butzow quietly. &ldquo;Give me your sword, Lieutenant Schonau. I place you
+under arrest. What you have just said will not please the Regent when it is
+reported to him. You should keep your head better when you are angry.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is the truth,&rdquo; growled Schonau, regretting that his anger had
+led him into a disclosure of the plot against the king&rsquo;s life, but like
+most weak characters fearing to admit himself in error even more than he feared
+the consequences of his rash words.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Do you intend taking my sword?&rdquo; asked Schonau suddenly, turning
+toward Lieutenant Butzow standing beside him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We will forget the whole occurrence, lieutenant,&rdquo; replied Butzow,
+&ldquo;if you will promise not to harm his majesty, or offer him or the
+Princess von der Tann further humiliation. Their position is sufficiently
+unpleasant without our adding to the degradation of it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; grumbled Schonau. &ldquo;Pass on into the
+courtyard.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney and the girl remounted and the little cavalcade moved forward through
+the ballium and the great gate into the court beyond.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Did you notice,&rdquo; said Barney to the princess, &ldquo;that even he
+believes me to be the king? I cannot fathom it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Within the castle they were met by a number of servants and soldiers. An
+officer escorted them to the great hall, and presently a dark visaged captain
+of cavalry entered and approached them. Butzow saluted.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;His Majesty, the King,&rdquo; he announced, &ldquo;has returned to
+Blentz. In accordance with the commands of the Regent I deliver his august
+person into your safe keeping, Captain Maenck.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck nodded. He was looking at Barney with evident curiosity.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Where did you find him?&rdquo; he asked Butzow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He made no pretense of according to Barney the faintest indication of the
+respect that is supposed to be due to those of royal blood. Barney commenced to
+hope that he had finally come upon one who would know that he was not king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow recounted the details of the finding of the king. As he spoke,
+Maenck&rsquo;s eyes, restless and furtive, seemed to be appraising the personal
+charms of the girl who stood just back of Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American did not like the appearance of the officer, but he saw that he was
+evidently supreme at Blentz, and he determined to appeal to him in the hope
+that the man might believe his story and untangle the ridiculous muddle that a
+chance resemblance to a fugitive monarch had thrown him and the girl into.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Captain,&rdquo; said Barney, stepping closer to the officer,
+&ldquo;there has been a mistake in identity here. I am not the king. I am an
+American traveling for pleasure in Lutha. The fact that I have gray eyes and
+wear a full reddish-brown beard is my only offense. You are doubtless familiar
+with the king&rsquo;s appearance and so you at least have already seen that I
+am not his majesty.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Not being the king, there is no cause to detain me longer, and as I am
+not a fugitive and never have been, this young lady has been guilty of no
+misdemeanor or crime in being in my company. Therefore she too should be
+released. In the name of justice and common decency I am sure that you will
+liberate us both at once and furnish the Princess von der Tann, at least, with
+a proper escort to her home.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck listened in silence until Barney had finished, a half smile upon his
+thick lips.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am commencing to believe that you are not so crazy as we have all
+thought,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Certainly,&rdquo; and he let his eyes rest upon
+Emma von der Tann, &ldquo;you are not mentally deficient in so far as your
+judgment of a good-looking woman is concerned. I could not have made a better
+selection myself.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;As for my familiarity with your appearance, you know as well as I that I
+have never seen you before. But that is not necessary&mdash;you conform
+perfectly to the printed description of you with which the kingdom is flooded.
+Were that not enough, the fact that you were discovered with old Von der
+Tann&rsquo;s daughter is sufficient to remove the least doubt as to your
+identity.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are governor of Blentz,&rdquo; cried Barney, &ldquo;and yet you say
+that you have never seen the king?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Certainly,&rdquo; replied Maenck. &ldquo;After you escaped the entire
+personnel of the garrison here was changed, even the old servants to a man were
+withdrawn and others substituted. You will have difficulty in again escaping,
+for those who aided you before are no longer here.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There is no man in the castle of Blentz who has ever seen the
+king?&rdquo; asked Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;None who has seen him before tonight,&rdquo; replied Maenck. &ldquo;But
+were we in doubt we have the word of the Princess Emma that you are Leopold.
+Did she not admit it to you, Butzow?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;When she thought his majesty dead she admitted it,&rdquo; replied
+Butzow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We gain nothing by discussing the matter,&rdquo; said Maenck shortly.
+&ldquo;You are Leopold of Lutha. Prince Peter says that you are mad. All that
+concerns me is that you do not escape again, and you may rest assured that
+while Ernst Maenck is governor of Blentz you shall not escape and go at large
+again.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Are the royal apartments in readiness for his majesty, Dr. Stein?&rdquo;
+he concluded, turning toward a rat-faced little man with bushy whiskers, who
+stood just behind him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The query was propounded in an ironical tone, and with a manner that made no
+pretense of concealing the contempt of the speaker for the man he thought the
+king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The eyes of the Princess Emma were blazing as she caught the scant respect in
+Maenck&rsquo;s manner. She looked quickly toward Barney to see if he intended
+rebuking the man for his impertinence. She saw that the king evidently intended
+overlooking Maenck&rsquo;s attitude. But Emma von der Tann was of a different
+mind.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She had seen Maenck several times at social functions in the capital. He had
+even tried to win a place in her favor, but she had always disliked him, even
+before the nasty stories of his past life had become common gossip, and within
+the year she had won his hatred by definitely indicating to him that he was
+persona non grata, in so far as she was concerned. Now she turned upon him, her
+eyes flashing with indignation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Do you forget, sir, that you address the king?&rdquo; she cried.
+&ldquo;That you are without honor I have heard men say, and I may truly believe
+it now that I have seen what manner of man you are. The most lowly-bred boor in
+all Lutha would not be so ungenerous as to take advantage of his king&rsquo;s
+helplessness to heap indignities upon him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Leopold of Lutha shall come into his own some day, and my dearest hope
+is that his first act may be to mete out to such as you the punishment you
+deserve.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck paled in anger. His fingers twitched nervously, but he controlled his
+temper remarkably well, biding his time for revenge.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Take the king to his apartments, Stein,&rdquo; he commanded curtly,
+&ldquo;and you, Lieutenant Butzow, accompany them with a guard, nor leave until
+you see that he is safely confined. You may return here afterward for my
+further instructions. In the meantime I wish to examine the king&rsquo;s
+mistress.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment tense silence reigned in the apartment after Maenck had delivered
+his wanton insult.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Emma von der Tann, her little chin high in the air, stood straight and haughty,
+nor was there any sign in her expression to indicate that she had heard the
+man&rsquo;s words.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney was the first to take cognizance of them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You cur!&rdquo; he cried, and took a step toward Maenck.
+&ldquo;You&rsquo;re going to eat that, word for word.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck stepped back, his hand upon his sword. Butzow laid a hand upon
+Barney&rsquo;s arm.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t, your majesty,&rdquo; he implored, &ldquo;it will but make
+your position more unpleasant, nor will it add to the safety of the Princess
+von der Tann for you to strike him now.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney shook himself free from Butzow, and before either Stein or the
+lieutenant could prevent had sprung upon Maenck.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The latter had not been quick enough with his sword, so that Barney had struck
+him twice, heavily in the face before the officer was able to draw. Butzow had
+sprung to the king&rsquo;s side, and was attempting to interpose himself
+between Maenck and the American. In a moment more the sword of the infuriated
+captain would be in the king&rsquo;s heart. Barney turned the first thrust with
+his forearm.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Stop!&rdquo; cried Butzow to Maenck. &ldquo;Are you mad, that you would
+kill the king?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck lunged again, viciously, at the unprotected body of his antagonist.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Die, you pig of an idiot!&rdquo; he screamed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow saw that the man really meant to murder Leopold. He seized Barney by the
+shoulder and whirled him backward. At the same instant his own sword leaped
+from his scabbard, and now Maenck found himself facing grim steel in the hand
+of a master swordsman.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The governor of Blentz drew back from the touch of that sharp point.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;This is mutiny.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;When I received my commission,&rdquo; replied Butzow, quietly, &ldquo;I
+swore to protect the person of the king with my life, and while I live no man
+shall affront Leopold of Lutha in my presence, or threaten his safety else he
+accounts to me for his act. Return your sword, Captain Maenck, nor ever again
+draw it against the king while I be near.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Slowly Maenck sheathed his weapon. Black hatred for Butzow and the man he was
+protecting smoldered in his eyes.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If he wishes peace,&rdquo; said Barney, &ldquo;let him apologize to the
+princess.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You had better apologize, captain,&rdquo; counseled Butzow, &ldquo;for
+if the king should command me to do so I should have to compel you to,&rdquo;
+and the lieutenant half drew his sword once more.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was something in Butzow&rsquo;s voice that warned Maenck that his
+subordinate would like nothing better than the king&rsquo;s command to run him
+through.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He well knew the fame of Butzow&rsquo;s sword arm, and having no stomach for an
+encounter with it he grumbled an apology.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And don&rsquo;t let it occur again,&rdquo; warned Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Come,&rdquo; said Dr. Stein, &ldquo;your majesty should be in your
+apartments, away from all excitement, if we are to effect a cure, so that you
+may return to your throne quickly.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow formed the soldiers about the American, and the party moved silently out
+of the great hall, leaving Captain Maenck and Princess Emma von der Tann its
+only occupants.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney cast a troubled glance toward Maenck, and half hesitated.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am sorry, your majesty,&rdquo; said Butzow in a low voice, &ldquo;but
+you must accompany us. In this the governor of Blentz is well within his
+authority, and I must obey him.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Heaven help her!&rdquo; murmured Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The governor will not dare harm her,&rdquo; said Butzow. &ldquo;Your
+majesty need entertain no apprehension.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t trust him,&rdquo; replied the American. &ldquo;I know
+his kind.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap04"></a>IV.<br />
+BARNEY FINDS A FRIEND</h2>
+
+<p>
+After the party had left the room Maenck stood looking at the princess for
+several seconds. A cunning expression supplanted the anger that had shown so
+plainly upon his face but a moment before. The girl had moved to one side of
+the apartment and was pretending an interest in a large tapestry that covered
+the wall at that point. Maenck watched her with greedy eyes. Presently he
+spoke.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Let us be friends,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You shall be my guest at
+Blentz for a long time. I doubt if Peter will care to release you soon, for he
+has no love for your father&mdash;and it will be easier for both if we
+establish pleasant relations from the beginning. What do you say?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I shall not be at Blentz long,&rdquo; she replied, not even looking in
+Maenck&rsquo;s direction, &ldquo;though while I am it shall be as a prisoner
+and not as a guest. It is incredible that one could believe me willing to pose
+as the guest of a traitor, even were he less impossible than the notorious and
+infamous Captain Maenck.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck smiled. He was one of those who rather pride themselves upon the
+possession of racy reputations. He walked across the room to a bell cord which
+he pulled. Then he turned toward the girl again.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have given you an opportunity,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;to lighten the
+burdens of your captivity. I hoped that you would be sensible and accept my
+advances of friendship voluntarily,&rdquo; and he emphasized the word
+&ldquo;voluntarily,&rdquo; &ldquo;but&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He shrugged his shoulders.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A servant had entered the apartment in response to Maenck&rsquo;s summons.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Show the Princess von der Tann to her apartments,&rdquo; he commanded
+with a sinister tone.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The man, who was in the livery of Peter of Blentz, bowed, and with a
+deferential sign to the girl led the way from the room. Emma von der Tann
+followed her guide up a winding stairway which spiraled within a tower at the
+end of a long passage. On the second floor of the castle the servant led her to
+a large and beautifully furnished suite of three rooms&mdash;a bedroom,
+dressing-room and boudoir. After showing her the rooms that were to be hers the
+servant left her alone.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As soon as he had gone the Princess von der Tann took another turn through the
+suite, looking to the doors and windows to ascertain how securely she might
+barricade herself against unwelcome visitors.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She found that the three rooms lay in an angle of the old, moss-covered castle
+wall.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The bedroom and dressing-room were connected by a doorway, and each in turn had
+another door opening into the boudoir. The only connection with the corridor
+without was through a single doorway from the boudoir. This door was equipped
+with a massive bolt, which, when she had shot it, gave her a feeling of immense
+relief and security. The windows were all too high above the court on one side
+and the moat upon the other to cause her the slightest apprehension of danger
+from the outside.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl found the boudoir not only beautiful, but extremely comfortable and
+cozy. A huge log-fire blazed upon the hearth, and, though it was summer, its
+warmth was most welcome, for the night was chill. Across the room from the
+fireplace a full length oil of a former Blentz princess looked down in
+arrogance upon the unwilling occupant of the room. It seemed to the girl that
+there was an expression of annoyance upon the painted countenance that another,
+and an enemy of her house, should be making free with her belongings. She
+wondered a little, too, that this huge oil should have been hung in a
+lady&rsquo;s boudoir. It seemed singularly out of place.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If she would but smile,&rdquo; thought Emma von der Tann, &ldquo;she
+would detract less from the otherwise pleasant surroundings, but I suppose she
+serves her purpose in some way, whatever it may be.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There were papers, magazines and books upon the center table and more books
+upon a low tier of shelves on either side of the fireplace. The girl tried to
+amuse herself by reading, but she found her thoughts continually reverting to
+the unhappy situation of the king, and her eyes momentarily wandered to the
+cold and repellent face of the Blentz princess.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Finally she wheeled a great armchair near the fireplace, and with her back
+toward the portrait made a final attempt to submerge her unhappy thoughts in a
+current periodical.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When Barney and his escort reached the apartments that had been occupied by the
+king of Lutha before his escape, Butzow and the soldiers left him in company
+with Dr. Stein and an old servant, whom the doctor introduced as his new
+personal attendant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your majesty will find him a very attentive and faithful servant,&rdquo;
+said Stein. &ldquo;He will remain with you and administer your medicine at
+proper intervals.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Medicine?&rdquo; ejaculated Barney. &ldquo;What in the world do I need
+of medicine? There is nothing the matter with me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Stein smiled indulgently.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, your majesty,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;if you could but realize the
+sad affliction that clouds your life! You may never sit upon your throne until
+the last trace of this sinister mental disorder is eradicated, so take your
+medicine voluntarily, or otherwise Joseph will be compelled to administer it by
+force. Remember, sire, that only through this treatment will you be able to
+leave Blentz.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+After Stein had left the room Joseph bolted the door behind him. Then he came
+to where Barney stood in the center of the apartment, and dropping to his knees
+took the young man&rsquo;s hand in his and kissed it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;God has been good indeed, your majesty,&rdquo; he whispered. &ldquo;It
+was He who made it possible for old Joseph to deceive them and find his way to
+your side.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Who are you, my man?&rdquo; asked Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am from Tann,&rdquo; whispered the old man, in a very low voice.
+&ldquo;His highness, the prince, found the means to obtain service for me with
+the new retinue that has replaced the old which permitted your majesty&rsquo;s
+escape. There was another from Tann among the former servants here.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It was through his efforts that you escaped before, you will recall. I
+have seen Fritz and learned from him the way, so that if your majesty does not
+recall it it will make no difference, for I know it well, having been over it
+three times already since I came here, to be sure that when the time came that
+they should recapture you I might lead you out quickly before they could slay
+you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You really think that they intend murdering me?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There is no doubt about it, your majesty,&rdquo; replied the old man.
+&ldquo;This very bottle&rdquo;&mdash;Joseph touched the phial which Stein had
+left upon the table&mdash;&ldquo;contains the means whereby, through my hands,
+you were to be slowly poisoned.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Do you know what it is?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Bichloride of mercury, your majesty. One dose would have been
+sufficient, and after a few days&mdash;perhaps a week&mdash;you would have died
+in great agony.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney shuddered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But I am not the king, Joseph,&rdquo; said the young man, &ldquo;so even
+had they succeeded in killing me it would have profited them nothing.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Joseph shook his head sadly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your majesty will pardon the presumption of one who loves him,&rdquo; he
+said, &ldquo;if he makes so bold as to suggest that your majesty must not again
+deny that he is king. That only tends to corroborate the contention of Prince
+Peter that your majesty is not&mdash;er, just sane, and so, incompetent to rule
+Lutha. But we of Tann know differently, and with the help of the good God we
+will place your majesty upon the throne which Peter has kept from you all these
+years.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney sighed. They were determined that he should be king whether he would or
+no. He had often thought he would like to be a king; but now the realization of
+his boyish dreaming which seemed so imminent bade fair to be almost anything
+than pleasant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney suddenly realized that the old fellow was talking. He was explaining how
+they might escape. It seemed that a secret passage led from this very chamber
+to the vaults beneath the castle and from there through a narrow tunnel below
+the moat to a cave in the hillside far beyond the structure.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;They will not return again tonight to see your majesty,&rdquo; said
+Joseph, &ldquo;and so we had best make haste to leave at once. I have a rope
+and swords in readiness. We shall need the rope to make our way down the
+hillside, but let us hope that we shall not need the swords.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I cannot leave Blentz,&rdquo; said Barney, &ldquo;unless the Princess
+Emma goes with us.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The Princess Emma!&rdquo; cried the old man. &ldquo;What Princess
+Emma?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Princess von der Tann,&rdquo; replied Barney. &ldquo;Did you not know
+that she was captured with me!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The old man was visibly affected by the knowledge that his young mistress was a
+prisoner within the walls of Blentz. He seemed torn by conflicting
+emotions&mdash;his duty toward his king and his love for the daughter of his
+old master. So it was that he seemed much relieved when he found that Barney
+insisted upon saving the girl before any thought of their own escape should be
+taken into consideration.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;My first duty, your majesty,&rdquo; said Joseph, &ldquo;is to bring you
+safely out of the hands of your enemies, but if you command me to try to bring
+your betrothed with us I am sure that his highness, Prince Ludwig, would be the
+last to censure me for deviating thus from his instructions, for if he loves
+another more than he loves his king it is his daughter, the beautiful Princess
+Emma.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What do you mean, Joseph,&rdquo; asked Barney, &ldquo;by referring to
+the princess as my betrothed? I never saw her before today.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It has slipped your majesty&rsquo;s mind,&rdquo; said the old man sadly;
+&ldquo;but you and my young mistress were betrothed many years ago while you
+were yet but children. It was the old king&rsquo;s wish that you wed the
+daughter of his best friend and most loyal subject.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Here was a pretty pass, indeed, thought Barney. It was sufficiently
+embarrassing to be mistaken for the king, but to be thrown into this false
+position in company with a beautiful young woman to whom the king was engaged
+to be married, and who, with the others, thought him to be the king, was quite
+the last word in impossible positions.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Following this knowledge there came to Barney the first pangs of regret that he
+was not really the king, and then the realization, so sudden that it almost
+took his breath away, that the girl was very beautiful and very much to be
+desired. He had not thought about the matter until her utter impossibility was
+forced upon him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was decided that Joseph should leave the king&rsquo;s apartment at once and
+discover in what part of the castle Emma von der Tann was imprisoned. Their
+further plans were to depend upon the information gained by the old man during
+his tour of investigation of the castle.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In the interval of his absence Barney paced the length of his prison time and
+time again. He thought the fellow would never return. Perhaps he had been
+detected in the act of spying, and was himself a prisoner in some other part of
+the castle! The thought came to Barney like a blow in the face, for he realized
+that then he would be entirely at the mercy of his captors, and that there
+would be none to champion the cause of the Princess von der Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When his nervous tension had about reached the breaking point there came a
+sound of stealthy movement just outside the door of his room. Barney halted
+close to the massive panels. He heard a key fitted quietly and then the lock
+grated as it turned.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney thought that they had surely detected Joseph&rsquo;s duplicity and had
+come to make short work of the king before other traitors arose in their midst
+entirely to frustrate their plans. The young American stepped to the wall
+behind the door that he might be out of sight of whoever entered. Should it
+prove other than Joseph, might the Lord help them! The clenched fists,
+square-set chin, and gleaming gray eyes of the prisoner presaged no good for
+any incoming enemy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Slowly the door swung open and a man entered the room. Barney breathed a deep
+sigh of relief&mdash;it was Joseph.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Well?&rdquo; cried the young man from behind him, and Joseph started as
+though Peter of Blentz himself had laid an accusing finger upon his shoulder.
+&ldquo;What news?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your majesty,&rdquo; gasped Joseph, &ldquo;how you did startle me! I
+found the apartments of the princess, sire. There is a bare chance that we may
+succeed in rescuing her, but a very bare one, indeed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We must traverse a main corridor of the castle to reach her suite, and
+then return by the same way. It will be a miracle if we are not discovered; but
+the worst of it is that next to her apartments, and between them and your
+majesty&rsquo;s, are the apartments of Captain Maenck.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He is sure to be there and officers and servants may be coming and going
+throughout the entire night, for the man is a convivial fellow, sitting at
+cards and drink until sunrise nearly every day.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And when we have brought the princess in safety to my quarters,&rdquo;
+asked Barney, &ldquo;what then? How shall we conduct her from the castle? You
+have not told me that as yet.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The old man explained then the plan of escape. It seemed that one of the two
+huge tile panels that flanked the fireplace on either side was in reality a
+door hiding the entrance to a shaft that rose from the vaults beneath the
+castle to the roof. At each floor there was a similar secret door concealing
+the mouth of the passage. From the vaults a corridor led through another secret
+panel to the tunnel that wound downward to the cave in the hillside.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Beyond that we shall find horses, your majesty,&rdquo; concluded the old
+man. &ldquo;They have been hidden in the woods since I came to Blentz. Each day
+I go there to water and feed them.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+During the servant&rsquo;s explanation Barney had been casting about in his
+mind for some means of rescuing the princess without so great risk of
+detection, and as the plan of the secret passageway became clear to him he
+thought that he saw a way to accomplish the thing with comparative safety in so
+far as detection was concerned.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Who occupies the floor above us, Joseph?&rdquo; he asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is vacant,&rdquo; replied the old man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Good! Come, show me the entrance to the shaft,&rdquo; directed Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You will go without attempting to succor the Princess Emma?&rdquo;
+exclaimed the old fellow in ill-concealed chagrin.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Far from it,&rdquo; replied Barney. &ldquo;Bring your rope and the
+swords. I think we are going to find the rescuing of the Princess Emma the
+easiest part of our adventure.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The old man shook his head, but went to another room of the suite, from which
+he presently emerged with a stout rope about fifty feet in length and two
+swords. As he buckled one of the weapons to Barney his eyes fell upon the
+American&rsquo;s seal ring that encircled the third finger of his left hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The Royal Ring of Lutha!&rdquo; exclaimed Joseph. &ldquo;Where is it,
+your majesty? What has become of the Royal Ring of the Kings of Lutha?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure I don&rsquo;t know, Joseph,&rdquo; replied the young man.
+&ldquo;Should I be wearing a royal ring?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The profaning miscreants!&rdquo; cried Joseph. &ldquo;They have dared to
+filch from you the great ring that has been handed down from king to king for
+three hundred years. When did they take it from you?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have never seen it, Joseph,&rdquo; replied the young man, &ldquo;and
+possibly this fact may assure you where all else has failed that I am no true
+king of Lutha, after all.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, no, your majesty,&rdquo; replied the old servitor; &ldquo;it but
+makes assurance doubly sure as to your true identity, for the fact that you
+have not the ring is positive proof that you are king and that they have sought
+to hide the fact by removing the insignia of your divine right to rule in
+Lutha.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney could not but smile at the old fellow&rsquo;s remarkable logic. He saw
+that nothing short of a miracle would ever convince Joseph that he was not the
+real monarch, and so, as matters of greater importance were to the fore, he
+would have allowed the subject to drop had not the man attempted to recall to
+the impoverished memory of his king a recollection of the historic and
+venerated relic of the dead monarchs of Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Do you not remember, sir,&rdquo; he asked, &ldquo;the great ruby that
+glared, blood-red from its center, and the four sets of golden wings that
+formed the setting? From the blood of Charlemagne was the ruby made, so history
+tells us, and the setting represented the protecting wings of the power of the
+kings of Lutha spread to the four points of the compass. Now your majesty must
+recall the royal ring, I am sure.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney only shook his head, much to Joseph&rsquo;s evident sorrow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Never mind the ring, Joseph,&rdquo; said the young man. &ldquo;Bring
+your rope and lead me to the floor above.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The floor above? But, your majesty, we cannot reach the vaults and
+tunnel by going upward!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You forget, Joseph, that we are going to fetch the Princess Emma
+first.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But she is not on the floor above us, sire; she is upon the same floor
+as we are,&rdquo; insisted the old man, hesitating.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Joseph, who do you think I am?&rdquo; asked Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are the king, my lord,&rdquo; replied the old man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then do as your king commands,&rdquo; said the American sharply.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Joseph turned with dubious mutterings and approached the tiled panel at the
+left of the fireplace. Here he fumbled about for a moment until his fingers
+found the hidden catch that held the cunningly devised door in place. An
+instant later the panel swung inward before his touch, and standing to one
+side, the old fellow bowed low as he ushered Barney into the Stygian darkness
+of the space beyond their vision.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Joseph halted the young man just within the doorway, cautioning him against the
+danger of falling into the shaft, then he closed the panel, and a moment later
+had found the lantern he had hidden there and lighted it. The rays disclosed to
+the American the rough masonry of the interior of a narrow, well-built shaft. A
+rude ladder standing upon a narrow ledge beside him extended upward to lose
+itself in the shadows above. At its foot the top of another ladder was visible
+protruding through the opening from the floor beneath.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+No sooner had Joseph&rsquo;s lantern shown him the way than Barney was
+ascending the ladder toward the floor above. At the next landing he waited for
+the old man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Joseph put out the light and placed the lantern where they could easily find it
+upon their return. Then he cautiously slipped the catch that held the panel in
+place and slowly opened the door until a narrow line of lesser darkness showed
+from without.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment they stood in silence listening for any sound from the chamber
+beyond, but as nothing occurred to indicate that the apartment was occupied the
+old man opened the portal a trifle further, and finally far enough to permit
+his body to pass through. Barney followed him. They found themselves in a
+large, empty chamber, identical in size and shape with that which they had just
+quitted upon the floor below.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+From this the two passed into the corridor beyond, and thence to the apartments
+at the far end of the wing, directly over those occupied by Emma von der Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney hastened to a window overlooking the moat. By leaning far out he could
+see the light from the princess&rsquo;s chamber shining upon the sill. He
+wished that the light was not there, for the window was in plain view of the
+guard on the lookout upon the barbican.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Suddenly he caught the sound of voices from the chamber beneath. For an instant
+he listened, and then, catching a few words of the dialogue, he turned
+hurriedly toward his companion.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The rope, Joseph! And for God&rsquo;s sake be quick about it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap05"></a>V.<br />
+THE ESCAPE</h2>
+
+<p>
+For half an hour the Princess von der Tann succeeded admirably in immersing
+herself in the periodical, to the exclusion of her unhappy thoughts and the
+depressing influence of the austere countenance of the Blentz Princess hanging
+upon the wall behind her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But presently she became unaccountably nervous. At the slightest sound from the
+palace-life on the floor below she would start up with a tremor of excitement.
+Once she heard footsteps in the corridor before her door, but they passed on,
+and she thought she discerned the click of a latch a short distance further on
+along the passageway.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Again she attempted to gather up the thread of the article she had been
+reading, but she was unsuccessful. A stealthy scratching brought her round
+quickly, staring in the direction of the great portrait. The girl would have
+sworn that she had heard a noise within her chamber. She shuddered at the
+thought that it might have come from that painted thing upon the wall.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+What was the matter with her? Was she losing all control of herself to be
+frightened like a little child by ghostly noises?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She tried to return to her reading, but for the life of her she could not keep
+her eyes off the silent, painted woman who stared and stared and stared in
+cold, threatening silence upon this ancient enemy of her house.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Presently the girl&rsquo;s eyes went wide in horror. She could feel the scalp
+upon her head contract with fright. Her terror-filled gaze was frozen upon that
+awful figure that loomed so large and sinister above her, for the thing had
+moved! She had seen it with her own eyes. There could be no mistake&mdash;no
+hallucination of overwrought nerves about it. The Blentz Princess was moving
+slowly toward her!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Like one in a trance the girl rose from her chair, her eyes glued upon the
+awful apparition that seemed creeping upon her. Slowly she withdrew toward the
+opposite side of the chamber. As the painting moved more quickly the truth
+flashed upon her&mdash;it was mounted on a door.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The crack of the door widened and beyond it the girl saw dimly, eyes fastened
+upon her. With difficulty she restrained a shriek. The portal swung wide and a
+man in uniform stepped into the room.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was Maenck.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Emma von der Tann gazed in unveiled abhorrence upon the leering face of the
+governor of Blentz.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What means this intrusion?&rdquo; cried the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What would you have here?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You,&rdquo; replied Maenck.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl crimsoned.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck regarded her sneeringly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You coward!&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;Leave my apartments at once. Not
+even Peter of Blentz would countenance such abhorrent treatment of a
+prisoner.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You do not know Peter, my dear,&rdquo; responded Maenck. &ldquo;But you
+need not fear. You shall be my wife. Peter has promised me a baronetcy for the
+capture of Leopold, and before I am done I shall be made a prince, of that you
+may rest assured, so you see I am not so bad a match after all.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He crossed over toward her and would have laid a rough hand upon her arm.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl sprang away from him, running to the opposite side of the library
+table at which she had been reading. Maenck started to pursue her, when she
+seized a heavy, copper bowl that stood upon the table and hurled it full in his
+face. The missile struck him a glancing blow, but the edge laid open the flesh
+of one cheek almost to the jaw bone.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With a cry of pain and rage Captain Ernst Maenck leaped across the table full
+upon the young girl. With vicious, murderous fingers he seized upon her fair
+throat, shaking her as a terrier might shake a rat. Futilely the girl struck at
+the hate-contorted features so close to hers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Stop!&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;You are killing me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The fingers released their hold.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No,&rdquo; muttered the man, and dragged the princess roughly across the
+room.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Half a dozen steps he had taken when there came a sudden crash of breaking
+glass from the window across the chamber. Both turned in astonishment to see
+the figure of a man leap into the room, carrying the shattered crystal and the
+casement with him. In one hand was a naked sword.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The king!&rdquo; cried Emma von der Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The devil!&rdquo; muttered Maenck, as, dropping the girl, he scurried
+toward the great painting from behind which he had found ingress to the
+chambers of the princess.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck was a coward, and he had seen murder in the eyes of the man rushing upon
+him. With a bound he reached the picture which still stood swung wide into the
+room.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney was close behind him, but fear lent wings to the governor of Blentz, so
+that he was able to dart into the passage behind the picture and slam the door
+behind him a moment before the infuriated man was upon him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American clawed at the edge of the massive frame, but all to no avail. Then
+he raised his sword and slashed the canvas, hoping to find a way into the place
+beyond, but mighty oaken panels barred his further progress. With a whispered
+oath he turned back toward the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Thank Heaven that I was in time, Emma,&rdquo; he cried.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, Leopold, my king, but at what a price,&rdquo; replied the girl.
+&ldquo;He will return now with others and kill you. He is furious&mdash;so
+furious that he scarce knows what he does.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He seemed to know what he was doing when he ran for that hole in the
+wall,&rdquo; replied Barney with a grin. &ldquo;But come, it won&rsquo;t pay to
+let them find us should they return.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Together they hastened to the window beyond which the girl could see a rope
+dangling from above. The sight of it partially solved the riddle of the
+king&rsquo;s almost uncanny presence upon her window sill in the very nick of
+time.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Below, the lights in the watch tower at the outer gate were plainly visible,
+and the twinkling of them reminded Barney of the danger of detection from that
+quarter. Quickly he recrossed the apartment to the wall-switch that operated
+the recently installed electric lights, and an instant later the chamber was in
+total darkness.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once more at the girl&rsquo;s side Barney drew in one end of the rope and made
+it fast about her body below her arms, leaving a sufficient length terminating
+in a small loop to permit her to support herself more comfortably with one foot
+within the noose. Then he stepped to the outer sill, and reaching down assisted
+her to his side.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Far below them the moonlight played upon the sluggish waters of the moat. In
+the distance twinkled the lights of the village of Blentz. From the courtyard
+and the palace came faintly the sound of voices, and the movement of men. A
+horse whinnied from the stables.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney turned his eyes upward. He could see the head and shoulders of Joseph
+leaning from the window of the chamber directly above them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hoist away, Joseph!&rdquo; whispered the American, and to the girl:
+&ldquo;Be brave. Shut your eyes and trust to Joseph and&mdash;and&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And my king,&rdquo; finished the girl for him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+His arm was about her shoulders, supporting her upon the narrow sill. His cheek
+so close to hers that once he felt the soft velvet of it brush his own.
+Involuntarily his arm tightened about the supple body.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;My princess!&rdquo; he murmured, and as he turned his face toward hers
+their lips almost touched.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Joseph was pulling upon the rope from above. They could feel it tighten beneath
+the girl&rsquo;s arms. Impulsively Barney Custer drew the sweet lips closer to
+his own. There was no resistance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I love you,&rdquo; he whispered. The words were smothered as their lips
+met.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Joseph, above, wondered at the great weight of the Princess Emma von der Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I love you, Leopold, forever,&rdquo; whispered the girl, and then as
+Joseph&rsquo;s Herculean tugging seemed likely to drag them both from the
+narrow sill, Barney lifted the girl upward with one hand while he clung to the
+window frame with the other. The distance to the sill above was short, and a
+moment later Joseph had grasped the princess&rsquo;s hand and was helping her
+over the ledge into the room beyond.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the same instant there came a sudden commotion from the interior of the room
+in the window of which Barney still stood waiting for Joseph to remove the rope
+from about the princess and lower it for him. Barney heard the heavy feet of
+men, the clank of arms, and muttered oaths as the searchers stumbled against
+the furniture.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Presently one of them found the switch and instantly the room was flooded with
+light, which revealed to the American a dozen Luthanian troopers headed by the
+murderous Maenck.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney looked anxiously aloft. Would Joseph never lower that rope! Within the
+room the men were searching. He could hear Maenck directing them. Only a thin
+portiere screened him from their view. It was but a matter of seconds before
+they would investigate the window through which Maenck knew the king had found
+ingress.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Yes! It had come.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Look to the window,&rdquo; commanded Maenck. &ldquo;He may have gone as
+he came.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Two of the soldiers crossed the room toward the casement. From above Joseph was
+lowering the rope; but it was too late. The men would be at the window before
+he could clamber out of their reach.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hoist away!&rdquo; he whispered to Joseph. &ldquo;Quick now, my man, and
+make your escape with the Princess von der Tann. It is the king&rsquo;s
+command.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Already the soldiers were at the window. At the sound of his voice they tore
+aside the draperies; at the same instant the pseudo-king turned and leaped out
+into the blackness of the night.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There were exclamations of surprise and rage from the soldiers&mdash;a
+woman&rsquo;s scream. Then from far below came a dull splash as the body of
+Bernard Custer struck the surface of the moat.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck, leaning from the window, heard the scream and the splash, and jumped to
+the conclusion that both the king and the princess had attempted to make their
+escape in this harebrained way. Immediately all the resources at his command
+were put to the task of searching the moat and the adjacent woods.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He was sure that one or both of the prisoners would be stunned by impact with
+the surface of the water, and then drowned before they regained consciousness,
+but he did not know Bernard Custer, nor the facility and almost uncanny ease
+with which that young man could negotiate a high dive into shallow water.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Nor did he know that upon the floor above him one Joseph was hastening along a
+dark corridor toward a secret panel in another apartment, and that with him was
+the Princess Emma bound for liberty and safety far from the frowning walls of
+Blentz.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As Barney&rsquo;s head emerged above the surface of the moat he shook it
+vigorously to free his eyes from water, and then struck out for the further
+bank.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Long before his pursuers had reached the courtyard and alarmed the watch at the
+barbican, the American had crawled out upon dry land and hastened across the
+broad clearing to the patch of stunted trees that grew lower down upon the
+steep hillside before the castle.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He shrank from the thought of leaving Blentz without knowing positively that
+Joseph had made good the escape of himself and the princess, but he finally
+argued that even if they had been retaken, he could serve her best by hastening
+to her father and fetching the only succor that might prevail against the
+strength of Blentz&mdash;armed men in sufficient force to storm the ancient
+fortress.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He had scarcely entered the wood when he heard the sound of the searchers at
+the moat, and saw the rays of their lanterns flitting hither and thither as
+they moved back and forth along the bank.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then the young man turned his face from the castle and set forth across the
+unfamiliar country in the direction of the Old Forest and the castle Von der
+Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The memory of the warm lips that had so recently been pressed to his urged him
+on in the service of the wondrous girl who had come so suddenly into his life,
+bringing to him the realization of a love that he knew must alter, for
+happiness or for sorrow, all the balance of his existence, even unto death.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He dreaded the day of reckoning when, at last, she must learn that he was no
+king. He did not have the temerity to hope that her courage would be equal to
+the great sacrifice which the acknowledgment of her love for one not of noble
+blood must entail; but he could not believe that she would cease to love him
+when she learned the truth.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+So the future looked black and cheerless to Barney Custer as he trudged along
+the rocky, moonlit way. The only bright spot was the realization that for a
+while at least he might be serving the one woman in all the world.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+All the balance of the long night the young man traversed valley and mountain,
+holding due south in the direction he supposed the Old Forest to lie. He passed
+many a little farm tucked away in the hollow of a hillside, and quaint hamlets,
+and now and then the ruins of an ancient feudal stronghold, but no great forest
+of black oaks loomed before him to apprise him of the nearness of his goal, nor
+did he dare to ask the correct route at any of the homes he passed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+His fatal likeness to the description of the mad king of Lutha warned him from
+intercourse with the men of Lutha until he might know which were friends and
+which enemies of the hapless monarch.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Dawn found him still upon his way, but with the determination fully
+crystallized to hail the first man he met and ask the way to Tann. He still
+avoided the main traveled roads, but from time to time he paralleled them close
+enough that he might have ample opportunity to hail the first passerby.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The road was becoming more and more mountainous and difficult. There were fewer
+homes and no hamlets, and now he began to despair entirely of meeting any who
+could give him direction unless he turned and retraced his steps to the nearest
+farm.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Directly before him the narrow trail he had been following for the past few
+miles wound sharply about the shoulder of a protruding cliff. He would see what
+lay beyond the turn&mdash;perhaps he would find the Old Forest there, after
+all.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But instead he found something very different, though in its way quite as
+interesting, for as he rounded the rugged bluff he came face to face with two
+evil-looking fellows astride stocky, rough-coated ponies.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At sight of him they drew in their mounts and eyed him suspiciously. Nor was
+there great cause for wonderment in that, for the American presented aught but
+a respectable appearance. His khaki motoring suit, soaked from immersion in the
+moat, had but partially dried upon him. Mud from the banks of the stagnant pool
+caked his legs to the knees, almost hiding his once tan puttees. More mud
+streaked his jacket front and stained its sleeves to the elbows. He was
+bare-headed, for his cap had remained in the moat at Blentz, and his disheveled
+hair was tousled upon his head, while his full beard had dried into a weird and
+tangled fringe about his face. At his side still hung the sword that Joseph had
+buckled there, and it was this that caused the two men the greatest suspicion
+of this strange looking character.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They continued to eye Barney in silence, every now and then casting
+apprehensive glances beyond him, as though expecting others of his kind to
+appear in the trail at his back. And that is precisely what they did fear, for
+the sword at Barney&rsquo;s side had convinced them that he must be an officer
+of the army, and they looked to see his command following in his wake.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The young man saluted them pleasantly, asking the direction to the Old Forest.
+They thought it strange that a soldier of Lutha should not know his own way
+about his native land, and so judged that his question was but a blind to
+deceive them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why do you not ask your own men the way?&rdquo; parried one of the
+fellows.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have no men, I am alone,&rdquo; replied Barney. &ldquo;I am a stranger
+in Lutha and have lost my way.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He who had spoken before pointed to the sword at Barney&rsquo;s side.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Strangers traveling in Lutha do not wear swords,&rdquo; he said.
+&ldquo;You are an officer. Why should you desire to conceal the fact from two
+honest farmers? We have done nothing. Let us go our way.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney looked his astonishment at this reply.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Most certainly, go your way, my friends,&rdquo; he said laughing.
+&ldquo;I would not delay you if I could; but before you go please be good
+enough to tell me how to reach the Old Forest and the ancient castle of the
+Prince von der Tann.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment the two men whispered together, then the spokesman turned to
+Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We will lead you upon the right road. Come,&rdquo; and the two turned
+their horses, one of them starting slowly back up the trail while the other
+remained waiting for Barney to pass him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American, suspecting nothing, voiced his thanks, and set out after him who
+had gone before. As he passed the fellow who waited the latter moved in behind
+him, so that Barney walked between the two. Occasionally the rider at his back
+turned in his saddle to scan the trail behind, as though still fearful that
+Barney had been lying to them and that he would discover a company of soldiers
+charging down upon them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The trail became more and more difficult as they advanced, until Barney
+wondered how the little horses clung to the steep mountainside, where he
+himself had difficulty in walking without using his hand to keep from falling.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Twice the American attempted to break through the taciturnity of his guides,
+but his advances were met with nothing more than sultry grunts or silence, and
+presently a suspicion began to obtrude itself among his thoughts that possibly
+these &ldquo;honest farmers&rdquo; were something more sinister than they
+represented themselves to be.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A malign and threatening atmosphere seemed to surround them. Even the cat-like
+movement of their silent mounts breathed a sinister secrecy, and now, for the
+first time, Barney noticed the short, ugly looking carbines that were slung in
+boots at their saddle-horns. Then, prompted to further investigation, he
+dropped back beside the man who had been riding behind him, and as he did so he
+saw beneath the fellow&rsquo;s cloak the butts of two villainous-looking
+pistols.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As Barney dropped back beside him the man turned his mount across the narrow
+trail, and reining him in motioned Barney ahead.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have changed my mind,&rdquo; said the American, &ldquo;about going to
+the Old Forest.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He had determined that he might as well have the thing out now as later, and
+discover at once how he stood with these two, and whether or not his suspicions
+of them were well grounded.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The man ahead had halted at the sound of Barney&rsquo;s voice, and swung about
+in the saddle.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What&rsquo;s the trouble?&rdquo; he asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He don&rsquo;t want to go to the Old Forest,&rdquo; explained his
+companion, and for the first time Barney saw one of them grin. It was not at
+all a pleasant grin, nor reassuring.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He don&rsquo;t, eh?&rdquo; growled the other. &ldquo;Well, he
+ain&rsquo;t goin&rsquo;, is he? Who ever said he was?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And then he, too, laughed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going back the way I came,&rdquo; said Barney, starting around
+the horse that blocked his way.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No, you ain&rsquo;t,&rdquo; said the horseman. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re
+goin&rsquo; with us.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And Barney found himself gazing down the muzzle of one of the wicked looking
+pistols.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment he stood in silence, debating mentally the wisdom of attempting to
+rush the fellow, and then, with a shake of his head, he turned back up the
+trail between his captors.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;on second thought I have decided to go with
+you. Your logic is most convincing.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap06"></a>VI.<br />
+A KING&rsquo;S RANSOM</h2>
+
+<p>
+For another mile the two brigands conducted their captor along the
+mountainside, then they turned into a narrow ravine near the summit of the
+hills&mdash;a deep, rocky, wooded ravine into whose black shadows it seemed the
+sun might never penetrate.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A winding path led crookedly among the pines that grew thickly in this
+sheltered hollow, until presently, after half an hour of rough going, they came
+upon a small natural clearing, rock-bound and impregnable.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As they filed from the wood Barney saw a score of villainous fellows clustered
+about a camp fire where they seemed engaged in cooking their noonday meal. Bits
+of meat were roasting upon iron skewers, and a great iron pot boiled vigorously
+at one side of the blaze.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the sound of their approach the men sprang to their feet in alarm, and as
+many weapons as there were men leaped to view; but when they saw Barney&rsquo;s
+companions they returned their pistols to their holsters, and at sight of
+Barney they pressed forward to inspect the prisoner.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Who have we here?&rdquo; shouted a big blond giant, who affected
+extremely gaudy colors in his selection of wearing apparel, and whose pistols
+and knife had their grips heavily ornamented with pearl and silver.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;A stranger in Lutha he calls himself,&rdquo; replied one of
+Barney&rsquo;s captors. &ldquo;But from the sword I take it he is one of old
+Peter&rsquo;s wolfhounds.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Well, he&rsquo;s found the wolves at any rate,&rdquo; replied the giant,
+with a wide grin at his witticism. &ldquo;And if Yellow Franz is the particular
+wolf you&rsquo;re after, my friend, why here I am,&rdquo; he concluded,
+addressing the American with a leer.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m after no one,&rdquo; replied Barney. &ldquo;I tell you
+I&rsquo;m a stranger, and I lost my way in your infernal mountains. All I wish
+is to be set upon the right road to Tann, and if you will do that for me you
+shall be well paid for your trouble.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The giant, Yellow Franz, had come quite close to Barney and was inspecting him
+with an expression of considerable interest. Presently he drew a soiled and
+much-folded paper from his breast. Upon one side was a printed notice, and at
+the corners bits were torn away as though the paper had once been tacked upon
+wood, and then torn down without removing the tacks.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At sight of it Barney&rsquo;s heart sank. The look of the thing was all too
+familiar. Before the yellow one had commenced to read aloud from it Barney had
+repeated to himself the words he knew were coming.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;&lsquo;Gray eyes,&rsquo;&rdquo; read the brigand, &ldquo;&lsquo;brown
+hair, and a full, reddish-brown beard.&rsquo; Herman and Friedrich, my dear
+children, you have stumbled upon the richest haul in all Lutha. Down upon your
+marrow-bones, you swine, and rub your low-born noses in the dirt before your
+king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The others looked their surprise.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The king?&rdquo; one cried.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Behold!&rdquo; cried Yellow Franz. &ldquo;Leopold of Lutha!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He waved a ham-like hand toward Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Among the rough men was a young smooth-faced boy, and now with wide eyes he
+pressed forward to get a nearer view of the wonderful person of a king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Take a good look at him, Rudolph,&rdquo; cried Yellow Franz. &ldquo;It
+is the first and will probably be the last time you will ever see a king. Kings
+seldom visit the court of their fellow monarch, Yellow Franz of the Black
+Mountains.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Come, my children, remove his majesty&rsquo;s sword, lest he fall and
+stick himself upon it, and then prepare the royal chamber, seeing to it that it
+be made so comfortable that Leopold will remain with us a long time. Rudolph,
+fetch food and water for his majesty, and see to it that the silver plates and
+the golden goblets are well scoured and polished up.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They conducted Barney to a miserable lean-to shack at one side of the clearing,
+and for a while the motley crew loitered about bandying coarse jests at the
+expense of the &ldquo;king.&rdquo; The boy, Rudolph, brought food and water, he
+alone of them all evincing the slightest respect or awe for the royalty of
+their unwilling guest.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+After a time the men tired of the sport of king-baiting, for Barney showed
+neither rancor nor outraged majesty at their keenest thrusts, instead, often
+joining in the laugh with them at his own expense. They thought it odd that the
+king should hold his dignity in so low esteem, but that he was king they never
+doubted, attributing his denials to a disposition to deceive them, and rob them
+of the &ldquo;king&rsquo;s ransom&rdquo; they had already commenced to consider
+as their own.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Shortly after Barney arrived at the rendezvous he saw a messenger dispatched by
+Yellow Franz, and from the repeated gestures toward himself that had
+accompanied the giant&rsquo;s instructions to his emissary, Barney was positive
+that the man&rsquo;s errand had to do with him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+After the men had left his prison, leaving the boy standing awkwardly in
+wide-eyed contemplation of his august charge, the American ventured to open a
+conversation with his youthful keeper.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Aren&rsquo;t you rather young to be starting in the bandit business,
+Rudolph?&rdquo; asked Barney, who had taken a fancy to the youth.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I do not want to be a bandit, your majesty,&rdquo; whispered the lad;
+&ldquo;but my father owes Yellow Franz a great sum of money, and as he could
+not pay the debt Yellow Franz stole me from my home and says that he will keep
+me until my father pays him, and that if he does not pay he will make a bandit
+of me, and that then some day I shall be caught and hanged until I am
+dead.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Can&rsquo;t you escape?&rdquo; asked the young man. &ldquo;It would seem
+to me that there would be many opportunities for you to get away
+undetected.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There are, but I dare not. Yellow Franz says that if I run away he will
+be sure to come across me some day again and that then he will kill me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney laughed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He is just talking, my boy,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He thinks that by
+frightening you he will be able to keep you from running away.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your majesty does not know him,&rdquo; whispered the youth, shuddering.
+&ldquo;He is the wickedest man in all the world. Nothing would please him more
+than killing me, and he would have done it long since but for two things. One
+is that I have made myself useful about his camp, doing chores and the like,
+and the other is that were he to kill me he knows that my father would never
+pay him.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How much does your father owe him?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Five hundred marks, your majesty,&rdquo; replied Rudolph. &ldquo;Two
+hundred of this amount is the original debt, and the balance Yellow Franz has
+added since he captured me, so that it is really ransom money. But my father is
+a poor man, so that it will take a long time before he can accumulate so large
+a sum.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You would really like to go home again, Rudolph?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, very much, your majesty, if I only dared.&rdquo; Barney was silent
+for some time, thinking. Possibly he could effect his own escape with the
+connivance of Rudolph, and at the same time free the boy. The paltry ransom he
+could pay out of his own pocket and send to Yellow Franz later, so that the
+youth need not fear the brigand&rsquo;s revenge. It was worth thinking about,
+at any rate.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How long do you imagine they will keep me, Rudolph?&rdquo; he asked
+after a time.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yellow Franz has already sent Herman to Lustadt with a message for
+Prince Peter, telling him that you are being held for ransom, and demanding the
+payment of a huge sum for your release. Day after tomorrow or the next day he
+should return with Prince Peter&rsquo;s reply.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If it is favorable, arrangements will be made to turn you over to Prince
+Peter&rsquo;s agents, who will have to come to some distant meeting place with
+the money. A week, perhaps, it will take, maybe longer.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was the second day before Herman returned from Lustadt. He rode in just at
+dark, his pony lathered from hard going.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney and the boy saw him coming, and the youth ran forward with the others to
+learn the news that he had brought; but Yellow Franz and his messenger withdrew
+to a hut which the brigand chief reserved for his own use, nor would he permit
+any beside the messenger to accompany him to hear the report.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For half an hour Barney sat alone waiting for word from Yellow Franz that
+arrangements had been consummated for his release, and then out of the darkness
+came Rudolph, wide-eyed and trembling.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, my king?&rdquo; he whispered. &ldquo;What shall we do? Peter has
+refused to ransom you alive, but he has offered a great sum for unquestioned
+proof of your death. Already he has caused a proclamation to be issued stating
+that you have been killed by bandits after escaping from Blentz, and ordering a
+period of national mourning. In three weeks he is to be crowned king of
+Lutha.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;When do they intend terminating my existence?&rdquo; queried Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was a smile upon his lips, for even now he could scarce believe that in
+the twentieth century there could be any such medieval plotting against a
+king&rsquo;s life, and yet, on second thought, had he not ample proof of the
+lengths to which Peter of Blentz was willing to go to obtain the crown of
+Lutha!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I do not know, your majesty,&rdquo; replied Rudolph, &ldquo;when they
+will do it; but soon, doubtless, since the sooner it is done the sooner they
+can collect their pay.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Further conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps without, and an
+instant later Yellow Franz entered the squalid apartment and the dim circle of
+light which flickered feebly from the smoky lantern that hung suspended from
+the rafters.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He stopped just within the doorway and stood eyeing the American with an ugly
+grin upon his vicious face. Then his eyes fell upon the trembling Rudolph.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Get out of here, you!&rdquo; he growled. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got private
+business with this king. And see that you don&rsquo;t come nosing round either,
+or I&rsquo;ll slit that soft throat for you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Rudolph slipped past the burly ruffian, barely dodging a brutal blow aimed at
+him by the giant, and escaped into the darkness without.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And now for you, my fine fellow,&rdquo; said the brigand, turning toward
+Barney. &ldquo;Peter says you ain&rsquo;t worth nothing to him&mdash;alive, but
+that your dead body will fetch us a hundred thousand marks.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Rather cheap for a king, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo; was Barney&rsquo;s only
+comment.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what Herman tells him,&rdquo; replied Yellow Franz.
+&ldquo;But he&rsquo;s a close one, Peter is, and so it was that or
+nothing.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;When are you going to pull off this little&mdash;er&mdash;ah&mdash;royal
+demise?&rdquo; asked Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If you mean when am I going to kill you,&rdquo; replied the bandit,
+&ldquo;why, there ain&rsquo;t no particular rush about it. I&rsquo;m a
+tender-hearted chap, I am. I never should have been in this business at all,
+but here I be, and as there ain&rsquo;t nobody that can do a better job of the
+kind than me, or do it so painlessly, why I just got to do it myself, and
+that&rsquo;s all there is to it. But, as I says, there ain&rsquo;t no great
+rush. If you want to pray, why, go ahead and pray. I&rsquo;ll wait for
+you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t remember,&rdquo; said Barney, &ldquo;when I have met so
+generous a party as you, my friend. Your self-sacrificing magnanimity quite
+overpowers me. It reminds me of another unloved Robin Hood whom I once met. It
+was in front of Burket&rsquo;s coal-yard on Ella Street, back in dear old
+Beatrice, at some unchristian hour of the night.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;After he had relieved me of a dollar and forty cents he remarked:
+&lsquo;I gotta good mind to kick yer slats in fer not havin&rsquo; more of de
+cush on yeh; but I&rsquo;m feelin&rsquo; so good about de last guy I stuck up
+I&rsquo;ll let youse off dis time.&rsquo;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I do not know what you are talking about,&rdquo; replied Yellow Franz;
+&ldquo;but if you want to pray you&rsquo;d better hurry up about it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He drew his pistol from its holster on the belt at his hips.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Now Barney Custer had no mind to give up the ghost without a struggle; but just
+how he was to overcome the great beast who confronted him with menacing pistol
+was, to say the least, not precisely plain. He wished the man would come a
+little nearer where he might have some chance to close with him before the
+fellow could fire. To gain time the American assumed a prayerful attitude, but
+kept one eye on the bandit.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Presently Yellow Franz showed indications of impatience. He fingered the
+trigger of his weapon, and then slowly raised it on a line with Barney&rsquo;s
+chest.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hadn&rsquo;t you better come closer?&rdquo; asked the young man.
+&ldquo;You might miss at that distance, or just wound me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Yellow Franz grinned.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t miss,&rdquo; he said, and then: &ldquo;You&rsquo;re
+certainly a game one. If it wasn&rsquo;t for the hundred thousand marks,
+I&rsquo;d be hanged if I&rsquo;d kill you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The chances are that you will be if you do,&rdquo; said Barney,
+&ldquo;so wouldn&rsquo;t you rather take one hundred and fifty thousand marks
+and let me make my escape?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Yellow Franz looked at the speaker a moment through narrowed lids.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Where would you find any one willing to pay that amount for a crazy
+king?&rdquo; he asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have told you that I am not the king,&rdquo; said Barney. &ldquo;I am
+an American with a father who would gladly pay that amount on my safe delivery
+to any American consul.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Yellow Franz shook his head and tapped his brow significantly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Even if you was what you are dreaming, it wouldn&rsquo;t pay me,&rdquo;
+he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll make it two hundred thousand,&rdquo; said Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No&mdash;it&rsquo;s a waste of time talking about it. It&rsquo;s worth
+more than money to me to know that I&rsquo;ll always have this thing on Peter,
+and that when he&rsquo;s king he won&rsquo;t dare bother me for fear I&rsquo;ll
+publish the details of this little deal. Come, you must be through praying by
+this time. I can&rsquo;t wait around here all night.&rdquo; Again Yellow Franz
+raised his pistol toward Barney&rsquo;s heart.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Before the brigand could pull the trigger, or Barney hurl himself upon his
+would-be assassin, there was a flash and a loud report from the open window of
+the shack.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With a groan Yellow Franz crumpled to the dirt floor, and simultaneously Barney
+was upon him and had wrested the pistol from his hand; but the precaution was
+unnecessary for Yellow Franz would never again press finger to trigger. He was
+dead even before Barney reached his side.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In possession of the weapon, the American turned toward the window from which
+had come the rescuing shot, and as he did so he saw the boy, Rudolph,
+clambering over the sill, white-faced and trembling. In his hand was a smoking
+carbine, and on his brow great beads of cold sweat.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;God forgive me!&rdquo; murmured the youth. &ldquo;I have killed a
+man.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You have killed a dangerous wild beast, Rudolph,&rdquo; said Barney,
+&ldquo;and both God and your fellow man will thank and reward you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am glad that I killed him, though,&rdquo; went on the boy, &ldquo;for
+he would have killed you, my king, had I not done so. Gladly would I go to the
+gallows to save my king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are a brave lad, Rudolph,&rdquo; said Barney, &ldquo;and if ever I
+get out of the pretty pickle I&rsquo;m in you&rsquo;ll be well rewarded for
+your loyalty to Leopold of Lutha. After all,&rdquo; thought the young man,
+&ldquo;being a kind has its redeeming features, for if the boy had not thought
+me his monarch he would never have risked the vengeance of the bloodthirsty
+brigands in this attempt to save me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hasten, your majesty,&rdquo; whispered the boy, tugging at the sleeve of
+Barney&rsquo;s jacket. &ldquo;There is no time to be lost. We must be far away
+from here when the others discover that Yellow Franz has been killed.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney stooped above the dead man, and removing his belt and cartridges
+transferred them to his own person. Then blowing out the lantern the two
+slipped out into the darkness of the night.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+About the camp fire of the brigands the entire pack was congregated. They were
+talking together in low voices, ever and anon glancing expectantly toward the
+shack to which their chief had gone to dispatch the king. It is not every day
+that a king is murdered, and even these hardened cut-throats felt the spell of
+awe at the thought of what they believed the sharp report they had heard from
+the shack portended.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Keeping well to the far side of the clearing, Rudolph led Barney around the
+group of men and safely into the wood below them. From this point the boy
+followed the trail which Barney and his captors had traversed two days
+previously, until he came to a diverging ravine that led steeply up through the
+mountains upon their right hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In the distance behind them they suddenly heard, faintly, the shouting of men.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;They have discovered Yellow Franz,&rdquo; whispered the boy, shuddering.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then they&rsquo;ll be after us directly,&rdquo; said Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, your majesty,&rdquo; replied Rudolph, &ldquo;but in the darkness
+they will not see that we have turned up this ravine, and so they will ride on
+down the other. I have chosen this way because their horses cannot follow us
+here, and thus we shall be under no great disadvantage. It may be, however,
+that we shall have to hide in the mountains for a while, since there will be no
+place of safety for us between here and Lustadt until after the edge of their
+anger is dulled.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And such proved to be the case, for try as they would they found it impossible
+to reach Lustadt without detection by the brigands who patrolled every highway
+and byway from their rugged mountains to the capital of Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For nearly three weeks Barney and the boy hid in caves or dense underbrush by
+day, and by night sought some avenue which would lead them past the vigilant
+sentries that patrolled the ways to freedom.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Often they were wet by rains, nor were they ever in the warm sunlight for a
+sufficient length of time to become thoroughly dry and comfortable. Of food
+they had little, and of the poorest quality.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They dared not light a fire for warmth or cooking, and their light was so
+miserable that, but for the boy&rsquo;s pitiful terror at the thought of being
+recaptured by the bandits, Barney would long since have made a break for
+Lustadt, depending upon their arms and ammunition to carry them safely through
+were they discovered by their enemies.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Rudolph had contracted a severe cold the first night, and now, it having
+settled upon his lungs, he had developed a persistent and aggravating cough
+that caused Barney not a little apprehension. When, after nearly three weeks of
+suffering and privation, it became clear that the boy&rsquo;s lungs were
+affected, the American decided to take matters into his own hands and attempt
+to reach Lustadt and a good doctor; but before he had an opportunity to put his
+plan into execution the entire matter was removed from his jurisdiction.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It happened like this: After a particularly fatiguing and uncomfortable night
+spent in attempting to elude the sentinels who blocked their way from the
+mountains, daylight found them near a little spring, and here they decided to
+rest for an hour before resuming their way.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The little pool lay not far from a clump of heavy bushes which would offer them
+excellent shelter, as it was Barney&rsquo;s intention to go into hiding as soon
+as they had quenched their thirst at the spring.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Rudolph was coughing pitifully, his slender frame wracked by the convulsion of
+each new attack. Barney had placed an arm about the boy to support him, for the
+paroxysms always left him very weak.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The young man&rsquo;s heart went out to the poor boy, and pangs of regret
+filled his mind as he realized that the child&rsquo;s pathetic condition was
+the direct result of his self-sacrificing attempt to save his king. Barney felt
+much like a murderer and a thief, and dreaded the time when the boy should be
+brought to a realization of his mistake.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He had come to feel a warm affection for the loyal little lad, who had suffered
+so uncomplainingly and whose every thought had been for the safety and comfort
+of his king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Today, thought Barney, I&rsquo;ll take this child through to Lustadt even if
+every ragged brigand in Lutha lies between us and the capital; but even as he
+spoke a sudden crashing of underbrush behind caused him to wheel about, and
+there, not twenty paces from them, stood two of Yellow Franz&rsquo;s
+cutthroats.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At sight of Barney and the lad they gave voice to a shout of triumph, and
+raising their carbines fired point-blank at the two fugitives.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But Barney had been equally as quick with his own weapon, and at the moment
+that they fired he grasped Rudolph and dragged him backward to a great boulder
+behind which their bodies might be protected from the fire of their enemies.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Both the bullets of the bandits&rsquo; first volley had been directed at
+Barney, for it was upon his head that the great price rested. They had missed
+him by a narrow margin, due, perhaps, to the fact that the mounts of the
+brigands had been prancing in alarm at the unexpected sight of the two
+strangers at the very moment that their riders attempted to take aim and fire.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But now they had ridden back into the brush and dismounted, and after hiding
+their ponies they came creeping out upon their bellies upon opposite sides of
+Barney&rsquo;s shelter.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American saw that it would be an easy thing for them to pick him off if he
+remained where he was, and so with a word to Rudolph he sprang up and the boy
+with him. Each delivered a quick shot at the bandit nearest him, and then
+together they broke for the bushes in which the brigand&rsquo;s mounts were
+hidden.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Two shots answered theirs. Rudolph, who was ahead of Barney, stumbled and threw
+up his hands. He would have fallen had not the American thrown a strong arm
+about him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m shot, your majesty,&rdquo; murmured the boy, his head dropping
+against Barney&rsquo;s breast.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With the lad grasped close to him, the young man turned at the edge of the
+brush to meet the charge of the two ruffians. The wounding of the youth had
+delayed them just enough to preclude their making this temporary refuge in
+safety.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As Barney turned both the men fired simultaneously, and both missed. The
+American raised his revolver, and with the flash of it the foremost brigand
+came to a sudden stop. An expression of bewilderment crossed his features. He
+extended his arms straight before him, the revolver slipped from his grasp, and
+then like a dying top he pivoted once drunkenly and collapsed upon the turf.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the instant of his fall his companion and the American fired point-blank at
+one another.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney felt a burning sensation in his shoulder, but it was forgotten for the
+moment in the relief that came to him as he saw the second rascal sprawl
+headlong upon his face. Then he turned his attention to the limp little figure
+that hung across his left arm.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Gently Barney laid the boy upon the sward, and fetching water from the pool
+bathed his face and forced a few drops between the white lips. The cooling
+draft revived the wounded child, but brought on a paroxysm of coughing. When
+this had subsided Rudolph raised his eyes to those of the man bending above
+him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Thank God, your majesty is unharmed,&rdquo; he whispered. &ldquo;Now I
+can die in peace.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The white lids drooped lower, and with a tired sigh the boy lay quiet. Tears
+came to the young man&rsquo;s eyes as he let the limp body gently to the
+ground.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Brave little heart,&rdquo; he murmured, &ldquo;you gave up your life in
+the service of your king as truly as though you had not been all mistaken in
+the object of your veneration, and if it lies within the power of Barney Custer
+you shall not have died in vain.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap07"></a>VII.<br />
+THE REAL LEOPOLD</h2>
+
+<p>
+Two hours later a horseman pushed his way between tumbled and tangled briers
+along the bottom of a deep ravine.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He was hatless, and his stained and ragged khaki betokened much exposure to the
+elements and hard and continued usage. At his saddle-bow a carbine swung in its
+boot, and upon either hip was strapped a long revolver. Ammunition in plenty
+filled the cross belts that he had looped about his shoulders.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Grim and warlike as were his trappings, no less grim was the set of his strong
+jaw or the glint of his gray eyes, nor did the patch of brown stain that had
+soaked through the left shoulder of his jacket tend to lessen the martial
+atmosphere which surrounded him. Fortunate it was for the brigands of the late
+Yellow Franz that none of them chanced in the path of Barney Custer that day.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For nearly two hours the man had ridden downward out of the high hills in
+search of a dwelling at which he might ask the way to Tann; but as yet he had
+passed but a single house, and that a long untenanted ruin. He was wondering
+what had become of all the inhabitants of Lutha when his horse came to a sudden
+halt before an obstacle which entirely blocked the narrow trail at the bottom
+of the ravine.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As the horseman&rsquo;s eyes fell upon the thing they went wide in
+astonishment, for it was no less than the charred remnants of the once
+beautiful gray roadster that had brought him into this twentieth century land
+of medieval adventure and intrigue. Barney saw that the machine had been lifted
+from where it had fallen across the horse of the Princess von der Tann, for the
+animal&rsquo;s decaying carcass now lay entirely clear of it; but why this
+should have been done, or by whom, the young man could not imagine.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A glance aloft showed him the road far above him, from which he, the horse and
+the roadster had catapulted; and with the sight of it there flashed to his mind
+the fair face of the young girl in whose service the thing had happened. Barney
+wondered if Joseph had been successful in returning her to Tann, and he
+wondered, too, if she mourned for the man she had thought king&mdash;if she
+would be very angry should she ever learn the truth.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then there came to the American&rsquo;s mind the figure of the shopkeeper of
+Tafelberg, and the fellow&rsquo;s evident loyalty to the mad king he had never
+seen. Here was one who might aid him, thought Barney. He would have the will,
+at least, and with the thought the young man turned his pony&rsquo;s head
+diagonally up the steep ravine side.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was a tough and dangerous struggle to the road above, but at last by dint of
+strenuous efforts on the part of the sturdy little beast the two finally
+scrambled over the edge of the road and stood once more upon level footing.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+After breathing his mount for a few minutes Barney swung himself into the
+saddle again and set off toward Tafelberg. He met no one upon the road, nor
+within the outskirts of the village, and so he came to the door of the shop he
+sought without attracting attention.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Swinging to the ground he tied the pony to one of the supporting columns of the
+porch-roof and a moment later had stepped within the shop.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+From a back room the shopkeeper presently emerged, and when he saw who it was
+that stood before him his eyes went wide in consternation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;In the name of all the saints, your majesty,&rdquo; cried the old
+fellow, &ldquo;what has happened? How comes it that you are out of the
+hospital, and travel-stained as though from a long, hard ride? I cannot
+understand it, sire.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hospital?&rdquo; queried the young man. &ldquo;What do you mean, my good
+fellow? I have been in no hospital.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You were there only last evening when I inquired after you of the
+doctor,&rdquo; insisted the shopkeeper, &ldquo;nor did any there yet suspect
+your true identity.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Last evening I was hiding far up in the mountains from Yellow
+Franz&rsquo;s band of cutthroats,&rdquo; replied Barney. &ldquo;Tell me what
+manner of riddle you are propounding.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then a sudden light of understanding flashed through Barney&rsquo;s mind.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Man!&rdquo; he exclaimed. &ldquo;Tell me&mdash;you have found the true
+king? He is at a hospital in Tafelberg?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, your majesty, I have found the true king, and it is so that he was
+at the Tafelberg sanatorium last evening. It was beside the remnants of your
+wrecked automobile that two of the men of Tafelberg found you.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;One leg was pinioned beneath the machine which was on fire when they
+discovered you. They brought you to my shop, which is the first on the road
+into town, and not guessing your true identity they took my word for it that
+you were an old acquaintance of mine and without more ado turned you over to my
+care.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney scratched his head in puzzled bewilderment. He began to doubt if he were
+in truth himself, or, after all, Leopold of Lutha. As no one but himself could,
+by the wildest stretch of imagination, have been in such a position, he was
+almost forced to the conclusion that all that had passed since the instant that
+his car shot over the edge of the road into the ravine had been but the
+hallucinations of a fever-excited brain, and that for the past three weeks he
+had been lying in a hospital cot instead of experiencing the strange and
+inexplicable adventures that he had believed to have befallen him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But yet the more he thought of it the more ridiculous such a conclusion
+appeared, for it did not in the least explain the pony tethered without, which
+he plainly could see from where he stood within the shop, nor did it
+satisfactorily account for the blotch of blood upon his shoulder from a wound
+so fresh that the stain still was damp; nor for the sword which Joseph had
+buckled about his waist within Blentz&rsquo;s forbidding walls; nor for the
+arms and ammunition he had taken from the dead brigands&mdash;all of which he
+had before him as tangible evidence of the rationality of the past few weeks.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;My friend,&rdquo; said Barney at last, &ldquo;I cannot wonder that you
+have mistaken me for the king, since all those I have met within Lutha have
+leaped to the same error, though not one among them made the slightest pretense
+of ever having seen his majesty. A ridiculous beard started the trouble, and
+later a series of happenings, no one of which was particularly remarkable in
+itself, aggravated it, until but a moment since I myself was almost upon the
+point of believing that I am the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But, my dear Herr Kramer, I am not the king; and when you have
+accompanied me to the hospital and seen that your patient still is there, you
+may be willing to admit that there is some justification for doubt as to my
+royalty.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The old man shook his head.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am not so sure of that,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;for he who lies at the
+hospital, providing you are not he, or he you, maintains as sturdily as do you
+that he is not Leopold. If one of you, whichever be king&mdash;providing that
+you are not one and the same, and that I be not the only maniac in the sad
+muddle&mdash;if one of you would but trust my loyalty and love for the true
+king and admit your identity, then I might be of some real service to that one
+of you who is really Leopold. Herr Gott! My words are as mixed as my poor
+brain.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If you will listen to me, Herr Kramer,&rdquo; said Barney, &ldquo;and
+believe what I tell you, I shall be able to unscramble your ideas in so far as
+they pertain to me and my identity. As to the man you say was found beneath my
+car, and who now lies in the sanatorium of Tafelberg, I cannot say until I have
+seen and talked with him. He may be the king and he may not; but if he insists
+that he is not, I shall be the last to wish a kingship upon him. I know from
+sad experience the hardships and burdens that the thing entails.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then Barney narrated carefully and in detail the principal events of his life,
+from his birth in Beatrice to his coming to Lutha upon pleasure. He showed Herr
+Kramer his watch with his monogram upon it, his seal ring, and inside the
+pocket of his coat the label of his tailor, with his own name written beneath
+it and the date that the garment had been ordered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When he had completed his narrative the old man shook his head.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I cannot understand it,&rdquo; he said; &ldquo;and yet I am almost
+forced to believe that you are not the king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Direct me to the sanatorium,&rdquo; suggested Barney, &ldquo;and if it
+be within the range of possibility I shall learn whether the man who lies there
+is Leopold or another, and if he be the king I shall serve him as loyally as
+you would have served me. Together we may assist him to gain the safety of Tann
+and the protection of old Prince Ludwig.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If you are not the king,&rdquo; said Kramer suspiciously, &ldquo;why
+should you be so interested in aiding Leopold? You may even be an enemy. How
+can I know?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You cannot know, my good friend,&rdquo; replied Barney. &ldquo;But had I
+been an enemy, how much more easily might I have encompassed my designs,
+whatever they might have been, had I encouraged you to believe that I was king.
+The fact that I did not, must assure you that I have no ulterior designs
+against Leopold.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+This line of reasoning proved quite convincing to the old shopkeeper, and at
+last he consented to lead Barney to the sanatorium. Together they traversed the
+quiet village streets to the outskirts of the town, where in large, park-like
+grounds the well-known sanatorium of Tafelberg is situated in quiet
+surroundings. It is an institution for the treatment of nervous diseases to
+which patients are brought from all parts of Europe, and is doubtless
+Lutha&rsquo;s principal claim upon the attention of the outer world.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As the two crossed the gardens which lay between the gate and the main entrance
+and mounted the broad steps leading to the veranda an old servant opened the
+door, and recognizing Herr Kramer, nodded pleasantly to him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your patient seems much brighter this morning, Herr Kramer,&rdquo; he
+said, &ldquo;and has been asking to be allowed to sit up.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He is still here, then?&rdquo; questioned the shopkeeper with a sigh
+that might have indicated either relief or resignation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, certainly. You did not expect that he had entirely recovered
+overnight, did you?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No,&rdquo; replied Herr Kramer, &ldquo;not exactly. In fact, I did not
+know what I should expect.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As the two passed him on their way to the room in which the patient lay, the
+servant eyed Herr Kramer in surprise, as though wondering what had occurred to
+his mentality since he had seen him the previous day. He paid no attention to
+Barney other than to bow to him as he passed, but there was another who
+did&mdash;an attendant standing in the hallway through which the two men walked
+toward the private room where one of them expected to find the real mad king of
+Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He was a dark-visaged fellow, sallow and small-eyed; and as his glance rested
+upon the features of the American a puzzled expression crossed his face. He let
+his gaze follow the two as they moved on up the corridor until they turned in
+at the door of the room they sought, then he followed them, entering an
+apartment next to that in which Herr Kramer&rsquo;s patient lay.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As Barney and the shopkeeper entered the small, whitewashed room, the former
+saw upon the narrow iron cot the figure of a man of about his own height. The
+face that turned toward them as they entered was covered by a full,
+reddish-brown beard, and the eyes that looked up at them in troubled surprise
+were gray. Beyond these Barney could see no likenesses to himself; yet they
+were sufficient, he realized, to have deceived any who might have compared one
+solely to the printed description of the other.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the doorway Kramer halted, motioning Barney within.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It will be better if you talk with him alone,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I
+am sure that before both of us he will admit nothing.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney nodded, and the shopkeeper of Tafelberg withdrew and closed the door
+behind him. The American approached the bedside with a cheery &ldquo;Good
+morning.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The man returned the salutation with a slight inclination of his head. There
+was a questioning look in his eyes; but dominating that was a pitiful, hunted
+expression that touched the American&rsquo;s heart.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The man&rsquo;s left hand lay upon the coverlet. Barney glanced at the third
+finger. About it was a plain gold band. There was no royal ring of the kings of
+Lutha in evidence, yet that was no indication that the man was not Leopold; for
+were he the king and desirous of concealing his identity, his first act would
+be to remove every symbol of his kingship.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney took the hand in his.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;They tell me that you are well on the road to recovery,&rdquo; he said.
+&ldquo;I am very glad that it is so.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Who are you?&rdquo; asked the man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am Bernard Custer, an American. You were found beneath my car at the
+bottom of a ravine. I feel that I owe you full reparation for the injuries you
+received, though it is beyond me how you happened to be found under the
+machine. Unless I am truly mad, I was the only occupant of the roadster when it
+plunged over the embankment.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is very simple,&rdquo; replied the man upon the cot. &ldquo;I chanced
+to be at the bottom of the ravine at the time and the car fell upon me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What were you doing at the bottom of the ravine?&rdquo; asked Barney
+quite suddenly, after the manner of one who administers a third degree.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The man started and flushed with suspicion.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That is my own affair,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He tried to disengage his hand from Barney&rsquo;s, and as he did so the
+American felt something within the fingers of the other. For an instant his own
+fingers tightened upon those that lay within them, so that as the others were
+withdrawn his index finger pressed close upon the thing that had aroused his
+curiosity.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was a large setting turned inward upon the third finger of the left hand.
+The gold band that Barney had seen was but the opposite side of the same ring.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A quick look of comprehension came to Barney&rsquo;s eyes. The man upon the cot
+evidently noted it and rightly interpreted its cause, for, having freed his
+hand, he now slipped it quickly beneath the coverlet.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have passed through a series of rather remarkable adventures since I
+came to Lutha,&rdquo; said Barney apparently quite irrelevantly, after the two
+had remained silent for a moment. &ldquo;Shortly after my car fell upon you I
+was mistaken for the fugitive King Leopold by the young lady whose horse fell
+into the ravine with my car. She is a most loyal supporter of the king, being
+none other than the Princess Emma von der Tann. From her I learned to espouse
+the cause of Leopold.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Step by step Barney took the man through the adventures that had befallen him
+during the past three weeks, closing with the story of the death of the boy,
+Rudolph.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Above his dead body I swore to serve Leopold of Lutha as loyally as the
+poor, mistaken child had served me, your majesty,&rdquo; and Barney looked
+straight into the eyes of him who lay upon the little iron cot.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment the man held his eyes upon those of the American, but finally,
+under the latter&rsquo;s steady gaze, they dropped and wandered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why do you address me as &lsquo;your majesty&rsquo;?&rdquo; he asked
+irritably.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;With my forefinger I felt the ruby and the four wings of the setting of
+the royal ring of the kings of Lutha upon the third finger of your left
+hand,&rdquo; replied Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king started up upon his elbow, his eyes wild with apprehension.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is not so,&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;It is a lie! I am not the
+king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hush!&rdquo; admonished Barney. &ldquo;You have nothing to fear from me.
+There are good friends and loyal subjects in plenty to serve and protect your
+majesty, and place you upon the throne that has been stolen from you. I have
+sworn to serve you. The old shopkeeper, Herr Kramer, who brought me here, is an
+honest, loyal old soul. He would die for you, your majesty. Trust us. Let us
+help you. Tomorrow, Kramer tells me, Peter of Blentz is to have himself crowned
+as king in the cathedral at Lustadt.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Will you sit supinely by and see another rob you of your kingdom, and
+then continue to rob and throttle your subjects as he has been doing for the
+past ten years? No, you will not. Even if you do not want the crown, you were
+born to the duties and obligations it entails, and for the sake of your people
+you must assume them now.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How am I to know that you are not another of the creatures of that fiend
+of Blentz?&rdquo; cried the king. &ldquo;How am I to know that you will not
+drag me back to the terrors of that awful castle, and to the poisonous potions
+of the new physician Peter has employed to assassinate me? I can trust none.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Go away and leave me. I do not want to be king. I wish only to go away
+as far from Lutha as I can get and pass the balance of my life in peace and
+security. Peter may have the crown. He is welcome to it, for all of me. All I
+ask is my life and my liberty.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney saw that while the king was evidently of sound mind, his was not one of
+those iron characters and courageous hearts that would willingly fight to the
+death for his own rights and the rights and happiness of his people. Perhaps
+the long years of bitter disappointment and misery, the tedious hours of
+imprisonment, and the constant haunting fears for his life had reduced him to
+this pitiable condition.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Whatever the cause, Barney Custer was determined to overcome the man&rsquo;s
+aversion to assuming the duties which were rightly his, for in his memory were
+the words of Emma von der Tann, in which she had made plain to him the fate
+that would doubtless befall her father and his house were Peter of Blentz to
+become king of Lutha. Then, too, there was the life of the little peasant boy.
+Was that to be given up uselessly for a king with so mean a spirit that he
+would not take a scepter when it was forced upon him?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And the people of Lutha? Were they to be further and continually robbed and
+downtrodden beneath the heel of Peter&rsquo;s scoundrelly officials because
+their true king chose to evade the responsibilities that were his by birth?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For half an hour Barney pleaded and argued with the king, until he infused in
+the weak character of the young man a part of his own tireless enthusiasm and
+courage. Leopold commenced to take heart and see things in a brighter and more
+engaging light. Finally he became quite excited about the prospects, and at
+last Barney obtained a willing promise from him that he would consent to being
+placed upon his throne and would go to Lustadt at any time that Barney should
+come for him with a force from the retainers of Prince Ludwig von der Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Let us hope,&rdquo; cried the king, &ldquo;that the luck of the reigning
+house of Lutha has been at last restored. Not since my aunt, the Princess
+Victoria, ran away with a foreigner has good fortune shone upon my house. It
+was when my father was still a young man&mdash;before he had yet come to the
+throne&mdash;and though his reign was marked with great peace and prosperity
+for the people of Lutha, his own private fortunes were most unhappy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;My mother died at my birth, and the last days of my father&rsquo;s life
+were filled with suffering from the cancer that was slowly killing him. Let us
+pray, Herr Custer, that you have brought new life to the fortunes of my
+house.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Amen, your majesty,&rdquo; said Barney. &ldquo;And now I&rsquo;ll be off
+for Tann&mdash;there must not be a moment lost if we are to bring you to
+Lustadt in time for the coronation. Herr Kramer will watch over you, but as
+none here guesses your true identity you are safer here than anywhere else in
+Lutha. Good-bye, your majesty. Be of good heart. We&rsquo;ll have you on the
+road to Lustadt and the throne tomorrow morning.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+After Barney Custer had closed the door of the king&rsquo;s chamber behind him
+and hurried down the corridor, the door of the room next the king&rsquo;s
+opened quietly and a dark-visaged fellow, sallow and small-eyed, emerged. Upon
+his lips was a smile of cunning satisfaction, as he hastened to the office of
+the medical director and obtained a leave of absence for twenty-four hours.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap08"></a>VIII.<br />
+THE CORONATION DAY</h2>
+
+<p>
+Toward dusk of the day upon which the mad king of Lutha had been found, a
+dust-covered horseman reined in before the great gate of the castle of Prince
+Ludwig von der Tann. The unsettled political conditions which overhung the
+little kingdom of Lutha were evident in the return to medievalism which the
+raised portcullis and the armed guard upon the barbican of the ancient feudal
+fortress revealed. Not for a hundred years before had these things been done
+other than as a part of the ceremonials of a fete day, or in honor of visiting
+royalty.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the challenge from the gate Barney replied that he bore a message for the
+prince. Slowly the portcullis sank into position across the moat and an officer
+advanced to meet the rider.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The prince has ridden to Lustadt with a large retinue,&rdquo; he said,
+&ldquo;to attend the coronation of Peter of Blentz tomorrow.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Prince Ludwig von der Tann has gone to attend the coronation of
+Peter!&rdquo; cried Barney in amazement. &ldquo;Has the Princess Emma returned
+from her captivity in the castle of Blentz?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;She is with her father now, having returned nearly three weeks
+ago,&rdquo; replied the officer, &ldquo;and Peter has disclaimed responsibility
+for the outrage, promising that those responsible shall be punished. He has
+convinced Prince Ludwig that Leopold is dead, and for the sake of
+Lutha&mdash;to save her from civil strife&mdash;my prince has patched a truce
+with Peter; though unless I mistake the character of the latter and the temper
+of the former it will be short-lived.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;To demonstrate to the people,&rdquo; continued the officer, &ldquo;that
+Prince Ludwig and Peter are good friends, the great Von der Tann will attend
+the coronation, but that he takes little stock in the sincerity of the Prince
+of Blentz would be apparent could the latter have a peep beneath the cloaks and
+look into the loyal hearts of the men of Tann who rode down to Lustadt
+today.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney did not wait to hear more. He was glad that in the gathering dusk the
+officer had not seen his face plainly enough to mistake him for the king. With
+a parting, &ldquo;Then I must ride to Lustadt with my message for the
+prince,&rdquo; he wheeled his tired mount and trotted down the steep trail from
+Tann toward the highway which leads to the capital.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+All night Barney rode. Three times he wandered from the way and was forced to
+stop at farmhouses to inquire the proper direction; but darkness hid his
+features from the sleepy eyes of those who answered his summons, and daylight
+found him still forging ahead in the direction of the capital of Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American was sunk in unhappy meditation as his weary little mount plodded
+slowly along the dusty road. For hours the man had not been able to urge the
+beast out of a walk. The loss of time consequent upon his having followed wrong
+roads during the night and the exhaustion of the pony which retarded his speed
+to what seemed little better than a snail&rsquo;s pace seemed to assure the
+failure of his mission, for at best he could not reach Lustadt before noon.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was no possibility of bringing Leopold to his capital in time for the
+coronation, and but a bare possibility that Prince Ludwig would accept the word
+of an entire stranger that Leopold lived, for the acknowledgment of such a
+condition by the old prince could result in nothing less than an immediate
+resort to arms by the two factions. It was certain that Peter would be
+infinitely more anxious to proceed with his coronation should it be rumored
+that Leopold lived, and equally certain that Prince Ludwig would interpose
+every obstacle, even to armed resistance, to prevent the consummation of the
+ceremony.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Yet there seemed to Barney no other alternative than to place before the
+king&rsquo;s one powerful friend the information that he had. It would then
+rest with Ludwig to do what he thought advisable.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+An hour from Lustadt the road wound through a dense forest, whose pleasant
+shade was a grateful relief to both horse and rider from the hot sun beneath
+which they had been journeying the greater part of the morning. Barney was
+still lost in thought, his eyes bent forward, when at a sudden turning of the
+road he came face to face with a troop of horse that were entering the main
+highway at this point from an unfrequented byroad.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At sight of them the American instinctively wheeled his mount in an effort to
+escape, but at a command from an officer a half dozen troopers spurred after
+him, their fresh horses soon overtaking his jaded pony.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment Barney contemplated resistance, for these were troopers of the
+Royal Horse, the body which was now Peter&rsquo;s most effective personal tool;
+but even as his hand slipped to the butt of one of the revolvers at his hip,
+the young man saw the foolish futility of such a course, and with a shrug and a
+smile he drew rein and turned to face the advancing soldiers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As he did so the officer rode up, and at sight of Barney&rsquo;s face gave an
+exclamation of astonishment. The officer was Butzow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Well met, your majesty,&rdquo; he cried saluting. &ldquo;We are riding
+to the coronation. We shall be just in time.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;To see Peter of Blentz rob Leopold of a crown,&rdquo; said the American
+in a disgusted tone.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;To see Leopold of Lutha come into his own, your majesty. Long live the
+king!&rdquo; cried the officer.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney thought the man either poking fun at him because he was not the king,
+or, thinking he was Leopold, taking a mean advantage of his helplessness to
+bait him. Yet this last suspicion seemed unfair to Butzow, who at Blentz had
+given ample evidence that he was a gentleman, and of far different caliber from
+Maenck and the others who served Peter.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+If he could but convince the man that he was no king and thus gain his liberty
+long enough to reach Prince Ludwig&rsquo;s ear, his mission would have been
+served in so far as it lay in his power to serve it. For some minutes Barney
+expended his best eloquence and logic upon the cavalry officer in an effort to
+convince him that he was not Leopold.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king had given the American his great ring to safeguard for him until it
+should be less dangerous for Leopold to wear it, and for fear that at the last
+moment someone within the sanatorium might recognize it and bear word to Peter
+of the king&rsquo;s whereabouts. Barney had worn it turned in upon the third
+finger of his left hand, and now he slipped it surreptitiously into his
+breeches pocket lest Butzow should see it and by it be convinced that Barney
+was indeed Leopold.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Never mind who you are,&rdquo; cried Butzow, thinking to humor the
+king&rsquo;s strange obsession. &ldquo;You look enough like Leopold to be his
+twin, and you must help us save Lutha from Peter of Blentz.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American showed in his expression the surprise he felt at these words from
+an officer of the prince regent.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You wonder at my change of heart?&rdquo; asked Butzow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How can I do otherwise?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I cannot blame you,&rdquo; said the officer. &ldquo;Yet I think that
+when you know the truth you will see that I have done only that which I
+believed to be the duty of a patriotic officer and a true gentleman.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They had rejoined the troop by this time, and the entire company was once more
+headed toward Lustadt. Butzow had commanded one of the troopers to exchange
+horses with Barney, bringing the jaded animal into the city slowly, and now
+freshly mounted the American was making better time toward his destination. His
+spirits rose, and as they galloped along the highway, he listened with renewed
+interest to the story which Lieutenant Butzow narrated in detail.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It seemed that Butzow had been absent from Lutha for a number of years as
+military attache to the Luthanian legation at a foreign court. He had known
+nothing of the true condition at home until his return, when he saw such
+scoundrels as Coblich, Maenck, and Stein high in the favor of the prince
+regent. For some time before the events that had transpired after he had
+brought Barney and the Princess Emma to Blentz he had commenced to have his
+doubts as to the true patriotism of Peter of Blentz; and when he had learned
+through the unguarded words of Schonau that there was a real foundation for the
+rumor that the regent had plotted the assassination of the king his suspicions
+had crystallized into knowledge, and he had sworn to serve his king before all
+others&mdash;were he sane or mad. From this loyalty he could not be shaken.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And what do you intend doing now?&rdquo; asked Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I intend placing you upon the throne of your ancestors, sire,&rdquo;
+replied Butzow; &ldquo;nor will Peter of Blentz dare the wrath of the people by
+attempting to interpose any obstacle. When he sees Leopold of Lutha ride into
+the capital of his kingdom at the head of even so small a force as ours he will
+know that the end of his own power is at hand, for he is not such a fool that
+he does not perfectly realize that he is the most cordially hated man in all
+Lutha, and that only those attend upon him who hope to profit through his
+success or who fear his evil nature.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If Peter is crowned today,&rdquo; asked Barney, &ldquo;will it prevent
+Leopold regaining his throne?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is difficult to say,&rdquo; replied Butzow; &ldquo;but the chances
+are that the throne would be lost to him forever. To regain it he would have to
+plunge Lutha into a bitter civil war, for once Peter is proclaimed king he will
+have the law upon his side, and with the resources of the State behind
+him&mdash;the treasury and the army&mdash;he will feel in no mood to relinquish
+the scepter without a struggle. I doubt much that you will ever sit upon your
+throne, sire, unless you do so within the very next hour.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For some time Barney rode in silence. He saw that only by a master stroke could
+the crown be saved for the true king. Was it worth it? The man was happier
+without a crown. Barney had come to believe that no man lived who could be
+happy in possession of one. Then there came before his mind&rsquo;s eye the
+delicate, patrician face of Emma von der Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Would Peter of Blentz be true to his new promises to the house of Von der Tann?
+Barney doubted it. He recalled all that it might mean of danger and suffering
+to the girl whose kisses he still felt upon his lips as though it had been but
+now that hers had placed them there. He recalled the limp little body of the
+boy, Rudolph, and the Spartan loyalty with which the little fellow had given
+his life in the service of the man he had thought king. The pitiful figure of
+the fear-haunted man upon the iron cot at Tafelberg rose before him and cried
+for vengeance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+To this man was the woman he loved betrothed! He knew that he might never wed
+the Princess Emma. Even were she not promised to another, the iron shackles of
+convention and age-old customs must forever separate her from an untitled
+American. But if he couldn&rsquo;t have her he still could serve her!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;For her sake,&rdquo; he muttered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Did your majesty speak?&rdquo; asked Butzow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, lieutenant. We urge greater haste, for if we are to be crowned
+today we have no time to lose.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow smiled a relieved smile. The king had at last regained his senses!
+</p>
+
+<p class="p2">
+Within the ancient cathedral at Lustadt a great and gorgeously attired
+assemblage had congregated. All the nobles of Lutha were gathered there with
+their wives, their children, and their retainers. There were the newer nobility
+of the lowlands&mdash;many whose patents dated but since the regency of
+Peter&mdash;and there were the proud nobility of the highlands&mdash;the old
+nobility of which Prince Ludwig von der Tann was the chief.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was noticeable that though a truce had been made between Ludwig and Peter,
+yet the former chancellor of the kingdom did not stand upon the chancel with
+the other dignitaries of the State and court.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Few there were who knew that he had been invited to occupy a place of honor
+there, and had replied that he would take no active part in the making of any
+king in Lutha whose veins did not pulse to the flow of the blood of the house
+in whose service he had grown gray.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Close packed were the retainers of the old prince so that their great number
+was scarcely noticeable, though quite so was the fact that they kept their
+cloaks on, presenting a somber appearance in the midst of all the glitter of
+gold and gleam of jewels that surrounded them&mdash;a grim, business-like
+appearance that cast a chill upon Peter of Blentz as his eyes scanned the
+multitude of faces below him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He would have shown his indignation at this seeming affront had he dared; but
+until the crown was safely upon his head and the royal scepter in his hand
+Peter had no mind to do aught that might jeopardize the attainment of the power
+he had sought for the past ten years.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The solemn ceremony was all but completed; the Bishop of Lustadt had received
+the great golden crown from the purple cushion upon which it had been borne at
+the head of the procession which accompanied Peter up the broad center aisle of
+the cathedral. He had raised it above the head of the prince regent, and was
+repeating the solemn words which precede the placing of the golden circlet upon
+the man&rsquo;s brow. In another moment Peter of Blentz would be proclaimed the
+king of Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+By her father&rsquo;s side stood Emma von der Tann. Upon her haughty, high-bred
+face there was no sign of the emotions which ran riot within her fair bosom. In
+the act that she was witnessing she saw the eventual ruin of her father&rsquo;s
+house. That Peter would long want for an excuse to break and humble his ancient
+enemy she did not believe; but this was not the only cause for the sorrow that
+overwhelmed her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Her most poignant grief, like that of her father, was for the dead king,
+Leopold; but to the sorrow of the loyal subject was added the grief of the
+loving woman, bereft. Close to her heart she hugged the memory of the brief
+hours spent with the man whom she had been taught since childhood to look upon
+as her future husband, but for whom the all-consuming fires of love had only
+been fanned to life within her since that moment, now three weeks gone, that he
+had crushed her to his breast to cover her lips with kisses for the short
+moment ere he sacrificed his life to save her from a fate worse than death.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Before her stood the Nemesis of her dead king. The last act of the hideous
+crime against the man she had loved was nearing its close. As the crown, poised
+over the head of Peter of Blentz, sank slowly downward the girl felt that she
+could scarce restrain her desire to shriek aloud a protest against the wicked
+act&mdash;the crowning of a murderer king of her beloved Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A glance at the old man at her side showed her the stern, commanding features
+of her sire molded in an expression of haughty dignity; only the slight
+movement of the muscles of the strong jaw revealed the tensity of the hidden
+emotions of the stern old warrior. He was meeting disappointment and defeat as
+a Von der Tann should&mdash;brave to the end.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The crown had all but touched the head of Peter of Blentz when a sudden
+commotion at the back of the cathedral caused the bishop to look up in
+ill-concealed annoyance. At the sight that met his eyes his hands halted in
+mid-air.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The great audience turned as one toward the doors at the end of the long
+central aisle. There, through the wide-swung portals, they saw mounted men
+forcing their way into the cathedral. The great horses shouldered aside the
+foot-soldiers that attempted to bar their way, and twenty troopers of the Royal
+Horse thundered to the very foot of the chancel steps.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At their head rode Lieutenant Butzow and a tall young man in soiled and
+tattered khaki, whose gray eyes and full reddish-brown beard brought an
+exclamation from Captain Maenck who commanded the guard about Peter of Blentz.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Mein Gott&mdash;the king!&rdquo; cried Maenck, and at the words Peter
+went white.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In open-mouthed astonishment the spectators saw the hurrying troopers and heard
+Butzow&rsquo;s &ldquo;The king! The king! Make way for Leopold, King of
+Lutha!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And a girl saw, and as she saw her heart leaped to her mouth. Her small hand
+gripped the sleeve of her father&rsquo;s coat. &ldquo;The king, father,&rdquo;
+she cried. &ldquo;It is the king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Old Von der Tann, the light of a new hope firing his eyes, threw aside his
+cloak and leaped to the chancel steps beside Butzow and the others who were
+mounting them. Behind him a hundred cloaks dropped from the shoulders of his
+fighting men, exposing not silks and satins and fine velvet, but the coarse tan
+of khaki, and grim cartridge belts well filled, and stern revolvers slung to
+well-worn service belts.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As Butzow and Barney stepped upon the chancel Peter of Blentz leaped forward.
+&ldquo;What mad treason is this?&rdquo; he fairly screamed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The days of treason are now past, prince,&rdquo; replied Butzow
+meaningly. &ldquo;Here is not treason, but Leopold of Lutha come to claim his
+crown which he inherited from his father.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is a plot,&rdquo; cried Peter, &ldquo;to place an impostor upon the
+throne! This man is not the king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment there was silence. The people had not taken sides as yet. They
+awaited a leader. Old Von der Tann scrutinized the American closely.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How may we know that you are Leopold?&rdquo; he asked. &ldquo;For ten
+years we have not seen our king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The governor of Blentz has already acknowledged his identity,&rdquo;
+cried Butzow. &ldquo;Maenck was the first to proclaim the presence of the
+putative king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At that someone near the chancel cried: &ldquo;Long live Leopold, king of
+Lutha!&rdquo; and at the words the whole assemblage raised their voices in a
+tumultuous: &ldquo;Long live the king!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter of Blentz turned toward Maenck. &ldquo;The guard!&rdquo; he cried.
+&ldquo;Arrest those traitors, and restore order in the cathedral. Let the
+coronation proceed.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck took a step toward Barney and Butzow, when old Prince von der Tann
+interposed his giant frame with grim resolve.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hold!&rdquo; He spoke in a low, stern voice that brought the cowardly
+Maenck to a sudden halt.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The men of Tann had pressed eagerly forward until they stood, with bared
+swords, a solid rank of fighting men in grim semicircle behind their chief.
+There were cries from different parts of the cathedral of: &ldquo;Crown
+Leopold, our true king! Down with Peter! Down with the assassin!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Enough of this,&rdquo; cried Peter. &ldquo;Clear the cathedral!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He drew his own sword, and with half a hundred loyal retainers at his back
+pressed forward to clear the chancel. There was a brief fight, from which
+Barney, much to his disgust, was barred by the mighty figure of the old prince
+and the stalwart sword-arm of Butzow. He did get one crack at Maenck, and had
+the satisfaction of seeing blood spurt from a flesh wound across the
+fellow&rsquo;s cheek.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That for the Princess Emma,&rdquo; he called to the governor of Blentz,
+and then men crowded between them and he did not see the captain again during
+the battle.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When Peter saw that more than half of the palace guard were shouting for
+Leopold, and fighting side by side with the men of Tann, he realized the
+futility of further armed resistance at this time. Slowly he withdrew, and at
+last the fighting ceased and some semblance of order was restored within the
+cathedral.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Fearfully, the bishop emerged from hiding, his robes disheveled and his miter
+askew. Butzow grasped him none too reverently by the arm and dragged him before
+Barney. The crown of Lutha dangled in the priest&rsquo;s palsied hands.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Crown the king!&rdquo; cried the lieutenant. &ldquo;Crown Leopold, king
+of Lutha!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A mad roar of acclaim greeted this demand, and again from all parts of the
+cathedral rose the same wild cry. But in the lull that followed there were some
+who demanded proof of the tattered young man who stood before them and claimed
+that he was king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Let Prince Ludwig speak!&rdquo; cried a dozen voices.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, Prince Ludwig! Prince Ludwig!&rdquo; took up the throng.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Prince Ludwig von der Tann turned toward the bearded young man. Silence fell
+upon the crowded cathedral. Peter of Blentz stood awaiting the outcome, ready
+to demand the crown upon the first indication of wavering belief in the man he
+knew was not Leopold.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How may we know that you are really Leopold?&rdquo; again asked Ludwig
+of Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American raised his left hand, upon the third finger of which gleamed the
+great ruby of the royal ring of the kings of Lutha. Even Peter of Blentz
+started back in surprise as his eyes fell upon the ring.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Where had the man come upon it?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Prince von der Tann dropped to one knee before Mr. Bernard Custer of Beatrice,
+Nebraska, U.S.A., and lifted that gentleman&rsquo;s hand to his lips, and as
+the people of Lutha saw the act they went mad with joy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Slowly Prince Ludwig rose and addressed the bishop. &ldquo;Leopold, the
+rightful heir to the throne of Lutha, is here. Let the coronation
+proceed.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The quiet of the sepulcher fell upon the assemblage as the holy man raised the
+crown above the head of the king. Barney saw from the corner of his eye the sea
+of faces upturned toward him. He saw the relief and happiness upon the stern
+countenance of the old prince.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He hated to dash all their new found joy by the announcement that he was not
+the king. He could not do that, for the moment he did Peter would step forward
+and demand that his own coronation continue. How was he to save the throne for
+Leopold?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Among the faces beneath him he suddenly descried that of a beautiful young girl
+whose eyes, filled with the tears of a great happiness and a greater love, were
+upturned to his. To reveal his true identity would lose him this girl forever.
+None save Peter knew that he was not the king. All save Peter would hail him
+gladly as Leopold of Lutha. How easily he might win a throne and the woman he
+loved by a moment of seeming passive compliance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The temptation was great, and then he recalled the boy, lying dead for his king
+in the desolate mountains, and the pathetic light in the eyes of the sorrowful
+man at Tafelberg, and the great trust and confidence in the heart of the woman
+who had shown that she loved him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Slowly Barney Custer raised his palm toward the bishop in a gesture of
+restraint.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There are those who doubt that I am king,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In
+these circumstances there should be no coronation in Lutha until all doubts are
+allayed and all may unite in accepting without question the royal right of the
+true Leopold to the crown of his father. Let the coronation wait, then, until
+another day, and all will be well.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It must take place before noon of the fifth day of November, or not
+until a year later,&rdquo; said Prince Ludwig. &ldquo;In the meantime the
+Prince Regent must continue to rule. For the sake of Lutha the coronation must
+take place today, your majesty.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What is the date?&rdquo; asked Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The third, sire.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Let the coronation wait until the fifth.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But your majesty,&rdquo; interposed Von der Tann, &ldquo;all may be lost
+in two days.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is the king&rsquo;s command,&rdquo; said Barney quietly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But Peter of Blentz will rule for these two days, and in that time with
+the army at his command there is no telling what he may accomplish,&rdquo;
+insisted the old man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Peter of Blentz shall not rule Lutha for two days, or two
+minutes,&rdquo; replied Barney. &ldquo;We shall rule. Lieutenant Butzow, you
+may place Prince Peter, Coblich, Maenck, and Stein under arrest. We charge them
+with treason against their king, and conspiring to assassinate their rightful
+monarch.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow smiled as he turned with his troopers at his back to execute this most
+welcome of commissions; but in a moment he was again at Barney&rsquo;s side.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;They have fled, your majesty,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Shall I ride to
+Blentz after them?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Let them go,&rdquo; replied the American, and then, with his retinue
+about him the new king of Lutha passed down the broad aisle of the cathedral of
+Lustadt and took his way to the royal palace between ranks of saluting soldiery
+backed by cheering thousands.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap09"></a>IX.<br />
+THE KING&rsquo;S GUESTS</h2>
+
+<p>
+Once within the palace Barney sought the seclusion of a small room off the
+audience chamber. Here he summoned Butzow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Lieutenant,&rdquo; said the American, &ldquo;for the sake of a woman, a
+dead child and an unhappy king I have become dictator of Lutha for forty-eight
+hours; but at noon upon the fifth this farce must cease. Then we must place the
+true Leopold upon the throne, or a new dictator must replace me.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;In vain I have tried to convince you that I am not the king, and today
+in the cathedral so great was the temptation to take advantage of the odd train
+of circumstances that had placed a crown within my reach that I all but
+surrendered to it&mdash;not for the crown of gold, Butzow, but for an
+infinitely more sacred diadem which belongs to him to whom by right of birth
+and lineage, belongs the crown of Lutha. I do not ask you to
+understand&mdash;it is not necessary&mdash;but this you must know and believe:
+that I am not Leopold, and that the true Leopold lies in hiding in the
+sanatorium at Tafelberg, from which you and I, Butzow, must fetch him to
+Lustadt before noon on the fifth.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But, sire&mdash;&rdquo; commenced Butzow, when Barney raised his hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Enough of that, Butzow!&rdquo; he cried almost irritably. &ldquo;I am
+sick of being &lsquo;sired&rsquo; and &lsquo;majestied&rsquo;&mdash;my name is
+Custer. Call me that when others are not present. Believe what you will, but
+ride with me in secrecy to Tafelberg tonight, and together we shall bring back
+Leopold of Lutha. Then we may call Prince Ludwig into our confidence, and none
+need ever know of the substitution.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I doubt if many had a sufficiently close view of me today to realize the
+trick that I have played upon them, and if they note a difference they will
+attribute it to the change in apparel, for we shall see to it that the king is
+fittingly garbed before we exhibit him to his subjects, while hereafter I shall
+continue in khaki, which becomes me better than ermine.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow shook his head.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;King or dictator,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;it is all the same, and I must
+obey whatever commands you see fit to give, and so I will ride to Tafelberg
+tonight, though what we shall find there I cannot imagine, unless there are two
+Leopolds of Lutha. But shall we also find another royal ring upon the finger of
+this other king?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney smiled. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re a typical hard-headed Dutchman,
+Butzow,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The lieutenant drew himself up haughtily. &ldquo;I am not a Dutchman, your
+majesty. I am a Luthanian.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney laughed. &ldquo;Whatever else you may be, Butzow, you&rsquo;re a
+brick,&rdquo; he said, laying his hand upon the other&rsquo;s arm.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow looked at him narrowly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;From your speech,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and the occasional Americanisms
+into which you fall I might believe that you were other than the king but for
+the ring.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is my commission from the king,&rdquo; replied Barney. &ldquo;Leopold
+placed it upon my finger in token of his royal authority to act in his behalf.
+Tonight, then Butzow, you and I shall ride to Tafelberg. Have three good
+horses. We must lead one for the king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow saluted and left the apartment. For an hour or two the American was busy
+with tailors whom he had ordered sent to the palace to measure him for the
+numerous garments of a royal wardrobe, for he knew the king to be near enough
+his own size that he might easily wear clothes that had been fitted to Barney;
+and it was part of his plan to have everything in readiness for the
+substitution which was to take place the morning of the coronation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then there were foreign dignitaries, and the heads of numerous domestic and
+civic delegations to be given audience. Old Von der Tann stood close behind
+Barney prompting him upon the royal duties that had fallen so suddenly upon his
+shoulders, and none thought it strange that he was unfamiliar with the craft of
+kingship, for was it not common knowledge that he had been kept a close
+prisoner in Blentz since boyhood, nor been given any coaching for the duties
+Peter of Blentz never intended he should perform?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+After it was all over Prince Ludwig&rsquo;s grim and leathery face relaxed into
+a smile of satisfaction.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;None who witnessed the conduct of your first audience, sire,&rdquo; he
+said, &ldquo;could for a moment doubt your royal lineage&mdash;if ever a man
+was born to kingship, your majesty, it be you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney smiled, a bit ruefully, however, for in his mind&rsquo;s eye he saw a
+future moment when the proud old Prince von der Tann would know the truth of
+the imposture that had been played upon him, and the young man foresaw that he
+would have a rather unpleasant half-hour.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At a little distance from them Barney saw Emma von der Tann surrounded by a
+group of officials and palace officers. Since he had come to Lustadt that day
+he had had no word with her, and now he crossed toward her, amused as the
+throng parted to form an aisle for him, the men saluting and the women
+curtsying low.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He took both of the girl&rsquo;s hands in his, and, drawing one through his
+arm, took advantage of the prerogatives of kingship to lead her away from the
+throng of courtiers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I thought that I should never be done with all the tiresome business
+which seems to devolve upon kings,&rdquo; he said, laughing. &ldquo;All the
+while that I should have been bending my royal intellect to matters of state, I
+was wondering just how a king might find a way to see the woman he loves
+without interruptions from the horde that dogs his footsteps.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You seem to have found a way, Leopold,&rdquo; she whispered, pressing
+his arm close to her. &ldquo;Kings usually do.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is not because I am a king that I found a way, Emma,&rdquo; he
+replied. &ldquo;It is because I am an American.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She looked up at him with an expression of pleading in her eyes.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why do you persist?&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;You have come into your
+own, and there is no longer aught to fear from Peter or any other. To me at
+least, it is most unkind still to deny your identity.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I wonder,&rdquo; said Barney, &ldquo;if your love could withstand the
+knowledge that I am not the king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is the MAN I love, Leopold,&rdquo; the girl replied.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You think so now,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but wait until the test comes,
+and when it does, remember that I have always done my best to undeceive you. I
+know that you are not for such as I, my princess, and when I have returned your
+true king to you all that I shall ask is that you be happy with him.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I shall always be happy with my king,&rdquo; she whispered, and the look
+that she gave him made Barney Custer curse the fate that had failed to make him
+a king by birth.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+An hour later darkness had fallen upon the little city of Lustadt, and from a
+small gateway in the rear of the palace grounds two horsemen rode out into the
+ill-paved street and turned their mounts&rsquo; heads toward the north. At the
+side of one trotted a led horse.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As they passed beneath the glare of an arc-light before a cafe at the side of
+the public square, a diner sitting at a table upon the walk spied the tall
+figure and the bearded face of him who rode a few feet in advance of his
+companion. Leaping to his feet the man waved his napkin above his head.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Long live the king!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;God save Leopold of
+Lutha!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And amid the din of cheering that followed, Barney Custer of Beatrice and
+Lieutenant Butzow of the Royal Horse rode out into the night upon the road to
+Tafelberg.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When Peter of Blentz had escaped from the cathedral he had hastily mounted with
+a handful of his followers and hurried out of Lustadt along the road toward his
+formidable fortress at Blentz. Half way upon the journey he had met a dusty and
+travel-stained horseman hastening toward the capital city that Peter and his
+lieutenants had just left.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At sight of the prince regent the fellow reined in and saluted.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;May I have a word in private with your highness?&rdquo; he asked.
+&ldquo;I have news of the greatest importance for your ears alone.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter drew to one side with the man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; he asked, &ldquo;and what news have you for Peter of
+Blentz?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The man leaned from his horse close to Peter&rsquo;s ear.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The king is in Tafelberg, your highness,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The king is dead,&rdquo; snapped Peter. &ldquo;There is an impostor in
+the palace at Lustadt. But the real Leopold of Lutha was slain by Yellow
+Franz&rsquo;s band of brigands weeks ago.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I heard the man at Tafelberg tell another that he was the king,&rdquo;
+insisted the fellow. &ldquo;Through the keyhole of his room I saw him take a
+great ring from his finger&mdash;a ring with a mighty ruby set in its
+center&mdash;and give it to the other. Both were bearded men with gray
+eyes&mdash;either might have passed for the king by the description upon the
+placards that have covered Lutha for the past month. At first he denied his
+identity, but when the other had convinced him that he sought only the
+king&rsquo;s welfare he at last admitted that he was Leopold.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Where is he now?&rdquo; cried Peter.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He is still in the sanatorium at Tafelberg. In room twenty-seven. The
+other promised to return for him and take him to Lustadt, but when I left
+Tafelberg he had not yet done so, and if you hasten you may reach there before
+they take him away, and if there be any reward for my loyalty to you, prince,
+my name is Ferrath.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ride with us and if you have told the truth, fellow, there shall be a
+reward and if not&mdash;then there shall be deserts,&rdquo; and Peter of Blentz
+wheeled his horse and with his company galloped on toward Tafelberg.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As he rode he talked with his lieutenants Coblich, Maenck, and Stein, and among
+them it was decided that it would be best that Peter stop at Blentz for the
+night while the others rode on to Tafelberg.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Do not bring Leopold to Blentz,&rdquo; directed Peter, &ldquo;for if it
+be he who lies at Tafelberg and they find him gone it will be toward Blentz
+that they will first look. Take him&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The Regent leaned from his saddle so that his mouth was close to the ear of
+Coblich, that none of the troopers might hear.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Coblich nodded his head.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And, Coblich, the fewer that ride to Tafelberg tonight the surer the
+success of the mission. Take Maenck, Stein and one other with you. I shall keep
+this man with me, for it may prove but a plot to lure me to Tafelberg.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter scowled at the now frightened hospital attendant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Tomorrow I shall be riding through the lowlands, Coblich, and so you may
+not find means to communicate with me, but before noon of the fifth have word
+at your town house in Lustadt for me of the success of your venture.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They had reached the point now where the road to Tafelberg branches from that
+to Blentz, and the four who were to fetch the king wheeled their horses into
+the left-hand fork and cantered off upon their mission.
+</p>
+
+<p class="p2">
+The direct road between Lustadt and Tafelberg is but little more than half the
+distance of that which Coblich and his companions had to traverse because of
+the wide detour they had made by riding almost to Blentz first, and so it was
+that when they cantered into the little mountain town near midnight Barney
+Custer and Lieutenant Butzow were but a mile or two behind them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Had the latter had even the faintest of suspicions that the identity of the
+hiding place of the king might come to the knowledge of Peter of Blentz they
+could have reached Tafelberg ahead of Coblich and his party, but all
+unsuspecting they rode slowly to conserve the energy of their mounts for the
+return trip.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In silence the two men approached the grounds surrounding the sanatorium. In
+the soft dirt of the road the hoofs of their mounts made no sound, and the
+shadows of the trees that border the front of the enclosure hid them from the
+view of the trooper who held four riderless horses in a little patch of
+moonlight that broke through the opening in the trees at the main gate of the
+institution.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney was the first to see the animals and the man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;S-s-st,&rdquo; he hissed, reining in his horse.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow drew alongside the American.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What can it mean?&rdquo; asked Barney. &ldquo;That fellow is a trooper,
+but I cannot make out his uniform.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wait here,&rdquo; said Butzow, and slipping from his horse he crept
+closer to the man, hugging the dense shadows close to the trees.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney reined in nearer the low wall. From his saddle he could see the grounds
+beyond through the branches of a tree. As he looked his attention was suddenly
+riveted upon a sight that sent his heart into his throat.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Three men were dragging a struggling, half-naked figure down the gravel walk
+from the sanatorium toward the gate. One kept a hand clapped across the mouth
+of the prisoner, who struck and fought his assailants with all the frenzy of
+despair.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney leaped from his saddle and ran headlong after Butzow. The lieutenant had
+reached the gate but an instant ahead of him when the trooper, turning suddenly
+at some slight sound of the officer&rsquo;s foot upon the ground, detected the
+man creeping upon him. In an instant the fellow had whipped out a revolver, and
+raising it fired point-blank at Butzow&rsquo;s chest; but in the same instant a
+figure shot out of the shadows beside him, and with the report of the revolver
+a heavy fist caught the trooper on the side of the chin, crumpling him to the
+ground as if he were dead.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The blow had been in time to deflect the muzzle of the firearm, and the bullet
+whistled harmlessly past the lieutenant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your majesty!&rdquo; exclaimed Butzow excitedly. &ldquo;Go back. He
+might have killed you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney leaped to the other&rsquo;s side and grasping him by the shoulders
+wheeled him about so that he faced the gate.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There, Butzow,&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;there is your king, and from the
+looks of it he never needed a loyal subject more than he does this moment.
+Come!&rdquo; Without waiting to see if the other followed him, Barney Custer
+leaped through the gate full in the faces of the astonished trio that was
+dragging Leopold of Lutha from his sanctuary.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At sight of the American the king gave a muffled cry of relief, and then Barney
+was upon those who held him. A stinging uppercut lifted Coblich clear of the
+ground to drop him, dazed and bewildered, at the foot of the monarch he had
+outraged. Maenck drew a revolver only to have it struck from his hand by the
+sword of Butzow, who had followed closely upon the American&rsquo;s heels.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney, seizing the king by the arm, started on a run for the gateway. In his
+wake came Butzow with a drawn sword beating back Stein, who was armed with a
+cavalry saber, and Maenck who had now drawn his own sword.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American saw that the two were pressing Butzow much too closely for safety
+and that Coblich had now recovered from the effects of the blow and was in
+pursuit, drawing his saber as he ran. Barney thrust the king behind him and
+turned to face the enemy, at Butzow&rsquo;s side.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The three men rushed upon the two who stood between them and their prey. The
+moonlight was now full in the faces of Butzow and the American. For the first
+time Maenck and the others saw who it was that had interrupted them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The impostor!&rdquo; cried the governor of Blentz. &ldquo;The false
+king!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Imbued with temporary courage by the knowledge that his side had the advantage
+of superior numbers he launched himself full upon the American. To his surprise
+he met a sword-arm that none might have expected in an American, for Barney
+Custer had been a pupil of the redoubtable Colonel Monstery, who was, as Barney
+was wont to say, &ldquo;one of the thanwhomest of fencing masters.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Quickly Maenck fell back to give place to Stein, but not before the
+American&rsquo;s point had found him twice to leave him streaming blood from
+two deep flesh wounds.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Neither of those who fought in the service of the king saw the trembling,
+weak-kneed figure, which had stood behind them, turn and scurry through the
+gateway, leaving the men who battled for him to their fate.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The trooper whom Barney had felled had regained consciousness and as he came to
+his feet rubbing his swollen jaw he saw a disheveled, half-dressed figure
+running toward him from the sanatorium grounds. The fellow was no fool, and
+knowing the purpose of the expedition as he did he was quick to jump to the
+conclusion that this fleeing personification of abject terror was Leopold of
+Lutha; and so it was that as the king emerged from the gateway in search of
+freedom he ran straight into the widespread arms of the trooper.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck and Coblich had seen the king&rsquo;s break for liberty, and the latter
+maneuvered to get himself between Butzow and the open gate that he might follow
+after the fleeing monarch.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the same instant Maenck, seeing that Stein was being worsted by the
+American, rushed in upon the latter, and thus relieved, the rat-faced doctor
+was enabled to swing a heavy cut at Barney which struck him a glancing blow
+upon the head, sending him stunned and bleeding to the sward.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Coblich and the governor of Blentz hastened toward the gate, pausing for an
+instant to overwhelm Butzow. In the fierce scrimmage that followed the
+lieutenant was overthrown, though not before his sword had passed through the
+heart of the rat-faced one. Deserting their fallen comrade the two dashed
+through the gate, where to their immense relief they found Leopold safe in the
+hands of the trooper.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+An instant later the precious trio, with Leopold upon the horse of the late Dr.
+Stein, were galloping swiftly into the darkness of the wood that lies at the
+outskirts of Tafelberg.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When Barney regained consciousness he found himself upon a cot within the
+sanatorium. Close beside him lay Butzow, and above them stood an interne and
+several nurses. No sooner had the American regained his scattered wits than he
+leaped to the floor. The interne and the nurses tried to force him back upon
+the cot, thinking that he was in the throes of a delirium, and it required his
+best efforts to convince them that he was quite rational.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+During the melee Butzow regained consciousness; his wound being as superficial
+as that of the American, the two men were soon donning their clothing, and,
+half-dressed, rushing toward the outer gate.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The interne had told them that when he had reached the scene of the conflict in
+company with the gardener he had found them and another lying upon the sward.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Their companion, he said, was quite dead.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That must have been Stein,&rdquo; said Butzow. &ldquo;And the others had
+escaped with the king!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The king?&rdquo; cried the interne.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, the king, man&mdash;Leopold of Lutha. Did you not know that he who
+has lain here for three weeks was the king?&rdquo; replied Butzow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The interne accompanied them to the gate and beyond, but everywhere was
+silence. The king was gone.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap10"></a>X.<br />
+ON THE BATTLEFIELD</h2>
+
+<p>
+All that night and the following day Barney Custer and his aide rode in search
+of the missing king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They came to Blentz, and there Butzow rode boldly into the great court,
+admitted by virtue of the fact that the guard upon the gate knew him only as an
+officer of the royal guard whom they believed still loyal to Peter of Blentz.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The lieutenant learned that the king was not there, nor had he been since his
+escape. He also learned that Peter was abroad in the lowland recruiting
+followers to aid him forcibly to regain the crown of Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The lieutenant did not wait to hear more, but, hurrying from the castle, rode
+to Barney where the latter had remained in hiding in the wood below the
+moat&mdash;the same wood through which he had stumbled a few weeks previously
+after his escape from the stagnant waters of the moat.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The king is not here,&rdquo; said Butzow to him, as soon as the former
+reached his side. &ldquo;Peter is recruiting an army to aid him in seizing the
+palace at Lustadt, and king or no king, we must ride for the capital in time to
+check that move. Thank God,&rdquo; he added, &ldquo;that we shall have a king
+to place upon the throne of Lutha at noon tomorrow in spite of all that Peter
+can do.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo; asked Barney. &ldquo;Have you any clue to the
+whereabouts of Leopold?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I saw the man at Tafelberg whom you say is king,&rdquo; replied Butzow.
+&ldquo;I saw him tremble and whimper in the face of danger. I saw him run when
+he might have seized something, even a stone, and fought at the sides of the
+men who were come to rescue him. And I saw you there also.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The truth and the falsity of this whole strange business is beyond me,
+but this I know: if you are not the king today I pray God that the other may
+not find his way to Lustadt before noon tomorrow, for by then a brave man will
+sit upon the throne of Lutha, your majesty.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney laid his hand upon the shoulder of the other.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It cannot be, my friend,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There is more than a
+throne at stake for me, but to win them both I could not do the thing you
+suggest. If Leopold of Lutha lives he must be crowned tomorrow.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And if he does not live?&rdquo; asked Butzow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer shrugged his shoulders.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was dusk when the two entered the palace grounds in Lustadt. The sight of
+Barney threw the servants and functionaries of the royal household into wild
+excitement and confusion. Men ran hither and thither bearing the glad tidings
+that the king had returned.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Old von der Tann was announced within ten minutes after Barney reached his
+apartments. He urged upon the American the necessity for greater caution in the
+future.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your majesty&rsquo;s life is never safe while Peter of Blentz is abroad
+in Lutha,&rdquo; cried he.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It was to save your king from Peter that we rode from Lustadt last
+night,&rdquo; replied Barney, but the old prince did not catch the double
+meaning of the words.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+While they talked a young officer of cavalry begged an audience. He had
+important news for the king, he said. From him Barney learned that Peter of
+Blentz had succeeded in recruiting a fair-sized army in the lowlands. Two
+regiments of government infantry and a squadron of cavalry had united forces
+with him, for there were those who still accepted him as regent, believing his
+contention that the true king was dead, and that he whose coronation was to be
+attempted was but the puppet of old Von der Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The morning of November 5 broke clear and cold. The old town of Lustadt was
+awakened with a start at daybreak by the booming of cannon. Mounted messengers
+galloped hither and thither through the steep, winding streets. Troops, foot
+and horse, moved at the double from the barracks along the King&rsquo;s Road to
+the fortifications which guard the entrance to the city at the foot of
+Margaretha Street.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Upon the heights above the town Barney Custer and the old Prince von der Tann
+stood surrounded by officers and aides watching the advance of a skirmish line
+up the slopes toward Lustadt. Behind, the thin line columns of troops were
+marching under cover of two batteries of field artillery that Peter of Blentz
+had placed upon a wooden knoll to the southeast of the city.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The guns upon the single fort that, overlooking the broad valley, guarded the
+entire southern exposure of the city were answering the fire of Prince
+Peter&rsquo;s artillery, while several machine guns had been placed to sweep
+the slope up which the skirmish line was advancing.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The trees that masked the enemy&rsquo;s pieces extended upward along the ridge
+and the eastern edge of the city. Barney saw that a force of men might easily
+reach a commanding position from that direction and enter Lustadt almost in
+rear of the fortifications. Below him a squadron of the Royal Horse were just
+emerging from their stables, taking their way toward the plain to join in a
+concerted movement against the troops that were advancing toward the fort.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He turned to an aide de camp standing just behind him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Intercept that squadron and direct the major to move due east along the
+King&rsquo;s Road to the grove,&rdquo; he commanded. &ldquo;We will join him
+there.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And as the officer spurred down the steep and narrow street the American,
+followed by Von der Tann and his staff, wheeled and galloped eastward.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Ten minutes later the party entered the wood at the edge of town, where the
+squadron soon joined them. Von der Tann was mystified at the purpose of this
+change in the position of the general staff, since from the wood they could see
+nothing of the battle waging upon the slope. During his brief intercourse with
+the man he thought king he had quite forgotten that there had been any question
+as to the young man&rsquo;s sanity, for he had given no indication of
+possessing aught but a well-balanced mind. Now, however, he commenced to have
+misgivings, if not of his sanity, then as to his judgment at least.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I fear, your majesty,&rdquo; he ventured, &ldquo;that we are putting
+ourselves too much out of touch with the main body of the army. We can neither
+see nor accomplish anything from this position.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We were too far away to accomplish much upon the top of that
+mountain,&rdquo; replied Barney, &ldquo;but we&rsquo;re going to commence doing
+things now. You will please to ride back along the King&rsquo;s Road and take
+direct command of the troops mobilized near the fort.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Direct the artillery to redouble their fire upon the enemy&rsquo;s
+battery for five minutes, and then to cease firing into the wood entirely. At
+the same instant you may order a cautious advance against the troops advancing
+up the slope.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;When you see us emerge upon the west side of the grove where the
+enemy&rsquo;s guns are now, you may order a charge, and we will take them
+simultaneously upon their right flank with a cavalry charge.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But, your majesty,&rdquo; exclaimed Von der Tann dubiously, &ldquo;where
+will you be in the mean time?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We shall be with the major&rsquo;s squadron, and when you see us
+emerging from the grove, you will know that we have taken Peter&rsquo;s guns
+and that everything is over except the shouting.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are not going to accompany the charge!&rdquo; cried the old prince.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We are going to lead it,&rdquo; and the pseudo-king of Lutha wheeled his
+mount as though to indicate that the time for talking was past.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With a signal to the major commanding the squadron of Royal Horse, he moved
+eastward into the wood. Prince Ludwig hesitated a moment as though to question
+further the wisdom of the move, but finally with a shake of his head he trotted
+off in the direction of the fort.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Five minutes later the enemy were delighted to note that the fire upon their
+concealed battery had suddenly ceased.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then Peter saw a force of foot-soldiers deploy from the city and advance slowly
+in line of skirmishers down the slope to meet his own firing line.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Immediately he did what Barney had expected that he would&mdash;turned the fire
+of his artillery toward the southwest, directly away from the point from which
+the American and the crack squadron were advancing.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+So it came that the cavalrymen crept through the woods upon the rear of the
+guns, unseen; the noise of their advance was drowned by the detonation of the
+cannon.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The first that the artillerymen knew of the enemy in their rear was a shout of
+warning from one of the powder-men at a caisson, who had caught a glimpse of
+the grim line advancing through the trees at his rear.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Instantly an effort was made to wheel several of the pieces about and train
+them upon the advancing horsemen; but even had there been time, a shout that
+rose from several of Peter&rsquo;s artillerymen as the Royal Horse broke into
+full view would doubtless have prevented the maneuver, for at sight of the
+tall, bearded, young man who galloped in front of the now charging cavalrymen
+there rose a shout of &ldquo;The king! The king!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With the force of an avalanche the Royal Horse rode through those two batteries
+of field artillery; and in the thick of the fight that followed rode the
+American, a smile upon his face, for in his ears rang the wild shouts of his
+troopers: &ldquo;For the king! For the king!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In the moment that the enemy made their first determined stand a bullet brought
+down the great bay upon which Barney rode. A dozen of Peter&rsquo;s men rushed
+forward to seize the man stumbling to his feet. As many more of the Royal Horse
+closed around him, and there, for five minutes, was waged as fierce a battle
+for possession of a king as was ever fought.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But already many of the artillerymen had deserted the guns that had not yet
+been attacked, for the magic name of king had turned their blood to water.
+Fifty or more raised a white flag and surrendered without striking a blow, and
+when, at last, Barney and his little bodyguard fought their way through those
+who surrounded them they found the balance of the field already won.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Upon the slope below the city the loyal troops were advancing upon the enemy.
+Old Prince Ludwig paced back and forth behind them, apparently oblivious to the
+rain of bullets about him. Every moment he turned his eyes toward the wooded
+ridge from which there now belched an almost continuous fusillade of shells
+upon the advancing royalists.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Quite suddenly the cannonading ceased and the old man halted in his tracks, his
+gaze riveted upon the wood. For several minutes he saw no sign of what was
+transpiring behind that screen of sere and yellow autumn leaves, and then a man
+came running out, and after him another and another.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The prince raised his field glasses to his eyes. He almost cried aloud in his
+relief&mdash;the uniforms of the fugitives were those of artillerymen, and only
+cavalry had accompanied the king. A moment later there appeared in the center
+of his lenses a tall figure with a full beard. He rode, swinging his saber
+above his head, and behind him at full gallop came a squadron of the Royal
+Horse.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Old von der Tann could restrain himself no longer.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The king! The king!&rdquo; he cried to those about him, pointing in the
+direction of the wood.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The officers gathered there and the soldiery before him heard and took up the
+cry, and then from the old man&rsquo;s lips came the command,
+&ldquo;Charge!&rdquo; and a thousand men tore down the slopes of Lustadt upon
+the forces of Peter of Blentz, while from the east the king charged their right
+flank at the head of the Royal Horse.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter of Blentz saw that the day was lost, for the troops upon the right were
+crumpling before the false king while he and his cavalrymen were yet a half
+mile distant. Before the retreat could become a rout the prince regent ordered
+his forces to fall back slowly upon a suburb that lies in the valley below the
+city.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once safely there he raised a white flag, asking a conference with Prince
+Ludwig.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your majesty,&rdquo; said the old man, &ldquo;what answer shall we send
+the traitor who even now ignores the presence of his king?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Treat with him,&rdquo; replied the American. &ldquo;He may be honest
+enough in his belief that I am an impostor.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Von der Tann shrugged his shoulders, but did as Barney bid, and for half an
+hour the young man waited with Butzow while Von der Tann and Peter met halfway
+between the forces for their conference.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A dozen members of the most powerful of the older nobility accompanied Ludwig.
+When they returned their faces were a picture of puzzled bewilderment. With
+them were several officers, soldiers and civilians from Peter&rsquo;s
+contingency.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What said he?&rdquo; asked Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He said, your majesty,&rdquo; replied Von der Tann, &ldquo;that he is
+confident you are not the king, and that these men he has sent with me knew the
+king well at Blentz. As proof that you are not the king he has offered the
+evidence of your own denials&mdash;made not only to his officers and soldiers,
+but to the man who is now your loyal lieutenant, Butzow, and to the Princess
+Emma von der Tann, my daughter.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He insists that he is fighting for the welfare of Lutha, while we are
+traitors, attempting to seat an impostor upon the throne of the dead Leopold. I
+will admit that we are at a loss, your majesty, to know where lies the truth
+and where the falsity in this matter.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We seek only to serve our country and our king but there are those among
+us who, to be entirely frank, are not yet convinced that you are Leopold. The
+result of the conference may not, then, meet with the hearty approval of your
+majesty.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What was the result?&rdquo; asked Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It was decided that all hostilities cease, and that Prince Peter be
+given an opportunity to establish the validity of his claim that your majesty
+is an impostor. If he is able to do so to the entire satisfaction of a majority
+of the old nobility, we have agreed to support him in a return to his
+regency.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment there was deep silence. Many of the nobles stood with averted
+faces and eyes upon the ground.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American, a half-smile upon his face, turned toward the men of Peter who
+had come to denounce him. He knew what their verdict would be. He knew that if
+he were to save the throne for Leopold he must hold it at any cost until
+Leopold should be found.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Troopers were scouring the country about Lustadt as far as Blentz in search of
+Maenck and Coblich. Could they locate these two and arrest them &ldquo;with all
+found in their company,&rdquo; as his order read, he felt sure that he would be
+able to deliver the missing king to his subjects in time for the coronation at
+noon.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney looked straight into the eyes of old Von der Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You have given us the opinion of others, Prince Ludwig,&rdquo; he said.
+&ldquo;Now you may tell us your own views of the matter.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I shall have to abide by the decision of the majority,&rdquo; replied
+the old man. &ldquo;But I have seen your majesty under fire, and if you are not
+the king, for Lutha&rsquo;s sake you ought to be.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He is not Leopold,&rdquo; said one of the officers who had accompanied
+the prince from Peter&rsquo;s camp. &ldquo;I was governor of Blentz for three
+years and as familiar with the king&rsquo;s face as with that of my own
+brother.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No,&rdquo; cried several of the others, &ldquo;this man is not the
+king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Several of the nobles drew away from Barney. Others looked at him
+questioningly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow stepped close to his side, and it was noticeable that the troopers, and
+even the officers, of the Royal Horse which Barney had led in the charge upon
+the two batteries in the wood, pressed a little closer to the American. This
+fact did not escape Butzow&rsquo;s notice.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If you are content to take the word of the servants of a traitor and a
+would-be regicide,&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;I am not. There has been no proof
+advanced that this man is not the king. In so far as I am concerned he is the
+king, nor ever do I expect to serve another more worthy of the title.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If Peter of Blentz has real proof&mdash;not the testimony of his own
+faction&mdash;that Leopold of Lutha is dead, let him bring it forward before
+noon today, for at noon we shall crown a king in the cathedral at Lustadt, and
+I for one pray to God that it may be he who has led us in battle today.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A shout of applause rose from the Royal Horse, and from the foot-soldiers who
+had seen the king charge across the plain, scattering the enemy before him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney, appreciating the advantage in the sudden turn affairs had taken
+following Butzow&rsquo;s words, swung to his saddle.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Until Peter of Blentz brings to Lustadt one with a better claim to the
+throne,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;we shall continue to rule Lutha, nor shall other
+than Leopold be crowned her king. We approve of the amnesty you have granted,
+Prince Ludwig, and Peter of Blentz is free to enter Lustadt, as he will, so
+long as he does not plot against the true king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Major,&rdquo; he added, turning to the commander of the squadron at his
+back, &ldquo;we are returning to the palace. Your squadron will escort us,
+remaining on guard there about the grounds. Prince Ludwig, you will see that
+machine guns are placed about the palace and commanding the approaches to the
+cathedral.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With a nod to the cavalry major he wheeled his horse and trotted up the slope
+toward Lustadt.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With a grim smile Prince Ludwig von der Tann mounted his horse and rode toward
+the fort. At his side were several of the nobles of Lutha. They looked at him
+in astonishment.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are doing his bidding, although you do not know that he is the true
+king?&rdquo; asked one of them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Were he an impostor,&rdquo; replied the old man, &ldquo;he would have
+insisted by word of mouth that he is king. But not once has he said that he is
+Leopold. Instead, he has proved his kingship by his acts.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap11"></a>XI.<br />
+A TIMELY INTERVENTION</h2>
+
+<p>
+Nine o&rsquo;clock found Barney Custer pacing up and down his apartments in the
+palace. No clue as to the whereabouts of Coblich, Maenck or the king had been
+discovered. One by one his troopers had returned to Butzow empty-handed, and as
+much at a loss as to the hiding-place of their quarry as when they had set out
+upon their search.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter of Blentz and his retainers had entered the city and already had
+commenced to gather at the cathedral.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter, at the residence of Coblich, had succeeded in gathering about him many
+of the older nobility whom he pledged to support him in case he could prove to
+them that the man who occupied the royal palace was not Leopold of Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They agreed to support him in his regency if he produced proof that the true
+Leopold was dead, and Peter of Blentz waited with growing anxiety the coming of
+Coblich with word that he had the king in custody. Peter was staking all on a
+single daring move which he had decided to make in his game of intrigue.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As Barney paced within the palace, waiting for word that Leopold had been
+found, Peter of Blentz was filled with equal apprehension as he, too, waited
+for the same tidings. At last he heard the pound of hoofs upon the pavement
+without and a moment later Coblich, his clothing streaked with dirt, blood
+caked upon his face from a wound across the forehead, rushed into the presence
+of the prince regent.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter drew him hurriedly into a small study on the first floor.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Well?&rdquo; he whispered, as the two faced each other.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We have him,&rdquo; replied Coblich. &ldquo;But we had the devil&rsquo;s
+own time getting him. Stein was killed and Maenck and I both wounded, and all
+morning we have spent the time hiding from troopers who seemed to be searching
+for us. Only fifteen minutes since did we reach the hiding-place that you
+instructed us to use. But we have him, your highness, and he is in such a state
+of cowardly terror that he is ready to agree to anything, if you will but spare
+his life and set him free across the border.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is too late for that now, Coblich,&rdquo; replied Peter. &ldquo;There
+is but one way that Leopold of Lutha can serve me now, and that is&mdash;dead.
+Were his corpse to be carried into the cathedral of Lustadt before noon today,
+and were those who fetched it to swear that the king was killed by the impostor
+after being dragged from the hospital at Tafelberg where you and Maenck had
+located him, and from which you were attempting to rescue him, I believe that
+the people would tear our enemies to pieces. What say you, Coblich?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The other stared at Peter of Blentz for several seconds while the atrocity of
+his chief&rsquo;s plan filtered through his brain.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;My God!&rdquo; he exclaimed at last. &ldquo;You mean that you wish me to
+murder Leopold with my own hands?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You put it too crudely, my dear Coblich,&rdquo; replied the other.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I cannot do it,&rdquo; muttered Coblich. &ldquo;I have never killed a
+man in my life. I am getting old. No, I could never do it. I should not sleep
+nights.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If it is not done, Coblich, and Leopold comes into his own,&rdquo; said
+Peter slowly, &ldquo;you will be caught and hanged higher than Haman. And if
+you do not do it, and the impostor is crowned today, then you will be either
+hanged officially or knifed unofficially, and without any choice in the matter
+whatsoever. Nothing, Coblich, but the dead body of the true Leopold can save
+your neck. You have your choice, therefore, of letting him live to prove your
+treason, or letting him die and becoming chancellor of Lutha.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Slowly Coblich turned toward the door. &ldquo;You are right,&rdquo; he said,
+&ldquo;but may God have mercy on my soul. I never thought that I should have to
+do it with my own hands.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+So saying he left the room and a moment later Peter of Blentz smiled as he
+heard the pounding of a horse&rsquo;s hoofs upon the pavement without.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then the Regent entered the room he had recently quitted and spoke to the
+nobles of Lutha who were gathered there.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Coblich has found the body of the murdered king,&rdquo; he said.
+&ldquo;I have directed him to bring it to the cathedral. He came upon the
+impostor and his confederate, Lieutenant Butzow, as they were bearing the
+corpse from the hospital at Tafelberg where the king has lain unknown since the
+rumor was spread by Von der Tann that he had been killed by bandits.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He was not killed until last evening, my lords, and you shall see today
+the fresh wounds upon him. When the time comes that we can present this grisly
+evidence of the guilt of the impostor and those who uphold him, I shall expect
+you all to stand at my side, as you have promised.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With one accord the noblemen pledged anew their allegiance to Peter of Blentz
+if he could produce one-quarter of the evidence he claimed to possess.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;All that we wish to know positively is,&rdquo; said one, &ldquo;that the
+man who bears the title of king today is really Leopold of Lutha, or that he is
+not. If not then he stands convicted of treason, and we shall know how to
+conduct ourselves.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Together the party rode to the cathedral, the majority of the older nobility
+now openly espousing the cause of the Regent.
+</p>
+
+<p class="p2">
+At the palace Barney was about distracted. Butzow was urging him to take the
+crown whether he was Leopold or not, for the young lieutenant saw no hope for
+Lutha, if either the scoundrelly Regent or the cowardly man whom Barney had
+assured him was the true king should come into power.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was eleven o&rsquo;clock. In another hour Barney knew that he must have
+found some new solution of his dilemma, for there seemed little probability
+that the king would be located in the brief interval that remained before the
+coronation. He wondered what they did to people who stole thrones. For a time
+he figured his chances of reaching the border ahead of the enraged populace.
+All had depended upon the finding of the king, and he had been so sure that it
+could be accomplished in time, for Coblich and Maenck had had but a few hours
+in which to conceal the monarch before the search was well under way.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Armed with the king&rsquo;s warrants, his troopers had ridden through the
+country, searching houses, and questioning all whom they met. Patrols had
+guarded every road that the fugitives might take either to Lustadt, Blentz, or
+the border; but no king had been found and no trace of his abductors.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Prince von der Tann, Barney was convinced, was on the point of deserting him,
+and going over to the other side. It was true that the old man had carried out
+his instructions relative to the placing of the machine guns; but they might be
+used as well against him, where they stood, as for him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+From his window he could see the broad avenue which passes before the royal
+palace of Lutha. It was crowded with throngs moving toward the cathedral.
+Presently there came a knock upon the closed door of his chamber.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At his &ldquo;Enter&rdquo; a functionary announced: &ldquo;His Royal Highness
+Ludwig, Prince von der Tann!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The old man was much perturbed at the rumors he had heard relative to the
+assassination of the true Leopold. Soldier-like, he blurted out his suspicions
+and his ultimatum.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;None but the royal blood of Rubinroth may reign in Lutha while there be
+a Rubinroth left to reign and old Von der Tann lives,&rdquo; he cried in
+conclusion.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the name &ldquo;Rubinroth&rdquo; Barney started. It was his mother&rsquo;s
+name. Suddenly the truth flashed upon him. He understood now the reticence of
+both his father and mother relative to her early life.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Prince Ludwig,&rdquo; said the young man earnestly, &ldquo;I have only
+the good of Lutha in my heart. For three weeks I have labored and risked death
+a hundred times to place the legitimate heir to the crown of Lutha upon his
+throne. I&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He hesitated, not knowing just how to commence the confession he was determined
+to make, though he was positive that it would place Peter of Blentz upon the
+throne, since the old prince had promised to support the Regent could it be
+proved that Barney was an impostor.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I,&rdquo; he started again, and then there came an interruption at the
+door.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;A messenger, your majesty,&rdquo; announced the doorman, &ldquo;who says
+that he must have audience at once upon a matter of life and death to the
+king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We will see him in the ante-chamber,&rdquo; replied Barney, moving
+toward the door. &ldquo;Await us here, Prince Ludwig.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A moment later he re-entered the apartment. There was an expression of renewed
+hope upon his face.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;As we were about to remark, my dear prince,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I
+swear that the royal blood of the Rubinroths flows in my veins, and as God is
+my judge, none other than the true Leopold of Lutha shall be crowned today. And
+now we must prepare for the coronation. If there be trouble in the cathedral,
+Prince Ludwig, we look to your sword in protection of the king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;When I am with you, sire,&rdquo; said Von der Tann, &ldquo;I know that
+you are king. When I saw how you led the troops in battle, I prayed that there
+could be no mistake. God give that I am right. But God help you if you are
+playing with old Ludwig von der Tann.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When the old man had left the apartment Barney summoned an aide and sent for
+Butzow. Then he hurried to the bath that adjoined the apartment, and when the
+lieutenant of horse was announced Barney called through a soapy lather for his
+confederate to enter.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What are you doing, sire?&rdquo; cried Butzow in amazement.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Cut out the &lsquo;sire,&rsquo; old man,&rdquo; shouted Barney Custer of
+Beatrice. &ldquo;this is the fifth of November and I am shaving off this
+alfalfa. The king is found!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What?&rdquo; cried Butzow, and upon his face there was little to
+indicate the rejoicing that a loyal subject of Leopold of Lutha should have
+felt at that announcement.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There is a man in the next room,&rdquo; went on Barney, &ldquo;who can
+lead us to the spot where Coblich and Maenck guard the king. Get him in
+here.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow hastened to comply with the American&rsquo;s instructions, and a moment
+later returned to the apartment with the old shopkeeper of Tafelberg.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As Barney shaved he issued directions to the two. Within the room to the east,
+he said, there were the king&rsquo;s coronation robes, and in a smaller
+dressingroom beyond they would find a long gray cloak.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They were to wrap all these in a bundle which the old shopkeeper was to carry.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And, Butzow,&rdquo; added Barney, &ldquo;look to my revolvers and your
+own, and lay my sword out as well. The chances are that we shall have to use
+them before we are ten minutes older.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In an incredibly short space of time the young man emerged from the bath, his
+luxuriant beard gone forever, he hoped. Butzow looked at him with a smile.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I must say that the beard did not add greatly to your majesty&rsquo;s
+good looks,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Never mind the bouquets, old man,&rdquo; cried Barney, cramming his arms
+into the sleeves of his khaki jacket and buckling sword and revolver about him,
+as he hurried toward a small door that opened upon the opposite side of the
+apartment to that through which his visitors had been conducted.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Together the three hastened through a narrow, little-used corridor and down a
+flight of well-worn stone steps to a door that let upon the rear court of the
+palace.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There were grooms and servants there, and soldiers too, who saluted Butzow,
+according the old shopkeeper and the smooth-faced young stranger only cursory
+glances. It was evident that without his beard it was not likely that Barney
+would be again mistaken for the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the stables Butzow requisitioned three horses, and soon the trio was
+galloping through a little-frequented street toward the northern, hilly
+environs of Lustadt. They rode in silence until they came to an old stone
+building, whose boarded windows and general appearance of dilapidation
+proclaimed its long tenantless condition. Rank weeds, now rustling dry and
+yellow in the November wind, choked what once might have been a luxuriant
+garden. A stone wall, which had at one time entirely surrounded the grounds,
+had been almost completely removed from the front to serve as foundation stone
+for a smaller edifice farther down the mountainside.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The horsemen avoided this break in the wall, coming up instead upon the rear
+side where their approach was wholly screened from the building by the wall
+upon that exposure.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Close in they dismounted, and leaving the animals in charge of the shopkeeper
+of Tafelberg, Barney and Butzow hastened toward a small postern-gate which
+swung, groaning, upon a single rusted hinge. Each felt that there was no time
+for caution or stratagem. Instead all depended upon the very boldness and
+rashness of their attack, and so as they came through into the courtyard the
+two dashed headlong for the building.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Chance accomplished for them what no amount of careful execution might have
+done, and they came within the ruin unnoticed by the four who occupied the old,
+darkened library.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Possibly the fact that one of the men had himself just entered and was
+excitedly talking to the others may have drowned the noisy approach of the two.
+However that may be, it is a fact that Barney and the cavalry officer came to
+the very door of the library unheard.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There they halted, listening. Coblich was speaking.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The Regent commands it, Maenck,&rdquo; he was saying. &ldquo;It is the
+only thing that can save our necks. He said that you had better be the one to
+do it, since it was your carelessness that permitted the fellow to escape from
+Blentz.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Huddled in a far corner of the room was an abject figure trembling in terror.
+At the words of Coblich it staggered to its feet. It was the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Have pity&mdash;have pity!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Do not kill me, and I
+will go away where none will ever know that I live. You can tell Peter that I
+am dead. Tell him anything, only spare my life. Oh, why did I ever listen to
+the cursed fool who tempted me to think of regaining the crown that has brought
+me only misery and suffering&mdash;the crown that has now placed the sentence
+of death upon me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why not let him go?&rdquo; suggested the trooper, who up to this time
+had not spoken. &ldquo;If we don&rsquo;t kill him, we can&rsquo;t be hanged for
+his murder.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be too sure of that,&rdquo; exclaimed Maenck. &ldquo;If he
+goes away and never returns, what proof can we offer that we did not kill him,
+should we be charged with the crime? And if we let him go, and later he returns
+and gains his throne, he will see that we are hanged anyway for treason.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The safest thing to do is to put him where he at least cannot come back
+to threaten us, and having done so upon the orders of Peter, let the
+king&rsquo;s blood be upon Peter&rsquo;s head. I, at least, shall obey my
+master, and let you two bear witness that I did the thing with my own
+hand.&rdquo; So saying he drew his sword and crossed toward the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But Captain Ernst Maenck never reached his sovereign.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As the terrified shriek of the sorry monarch rang through the interior of the
+desolate ruin another sound mingled with it, half-drowning the piercing wail of
+terror.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was the sharp crack of a revolver, and even as it spoke Maenck lunged
+awkwardly forward, stumbled, and collapsed at Leopold&rsquo;s feet. With a moan
+the king shrank back from the grisly thing that touched his boot, and then two
+men were in the center of the room, and things were happening with a rapidity
+that was bewildering.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+About all that he could afterward recall with any distinctness was the
+terrified face of Coblich, as he rushed past him toward a door in the opposite
+side of the room, and the horrid leer upon the face of the dead trooper, who
+foolishly, had made a move to draw his revolver.
+</p>
+
+<p class="p2">
+Within the cathedral at Lustadt excitement was at fever heat. It lacked but two
+minutes of noon, and as yet no king had come to claim the crown. Rumors were
+running riot through the close-packed audience.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+One man had heard the king&rsquo;s chamberlain report to Prince von der Tann
+that the master of ceremonies had found the king&rsquo;s apartments vacant when
+he had gone to urge the monarch to hasten his preparations for the coronation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Another had seen Butzow and two strangers galloping north through the city. A
+third told of a little old man who had come to the king with an urgent message.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter of Blentz and Prince Ludwig were talking in whispers at the foot of the
+chancel steps. Peter ascended the steps and facing the assemblage raised a
+silencing hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He who claimed to be Leopold of Lutha,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;was but a
+mad adventurer. He would have seized the throne of the Rubinroths had his nerve
+not failed him at the last moment. He has fled. The true king is dead. Now I,
+Prince Regent of Lutha, declare the throne vacant, and announce myself
+king!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There were a few scattered cheers and some hissing. A score of the nobles rose
+as though to protest, but before any could take a step the attention of all was
+directed toward the sorry figure of a white-faced man who scurried up the broad
+center aisle.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was Coblich.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He ran to Peter&rsquo;s side, and though he attempted to speak in a whisper, so
+out of breath, and so filled with hysterical terror was he that his words came
+out in gasps that were audible to many of those who stood near by.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Maenck is dead,&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;The impostor has stolen the
+king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter of Blentz went white as his lieutenant. Von der Tann heard and demanded
+an explanation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You said that Leopold was dead,&rdquo; he said accusingly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter regained his self-control quickly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Coblich is excited,&rdquo; he explained. &ldquo;He means that the
+impostor has stolen the body of the king that Coblich and Maenck had discovered
+and were bringing to Lustadt.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Von der Tann looked troubled.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He knew not what to make of the series of wild tales that had come to his ears
+within the past hour. He had hoped that the young man whom he had last seen in
+the king&rsquo;s apartments was the true Leopold. He would have been glad to
+have served such a one, but there had been many inexplicable occurrences which
+tended to cast a doubt upon the man&rsquo;s claims&mdash;and yet, had he ever
+claimed to be the king? It suddenly occurred to the old prince that he had not.
+On the contrary he had repeatedly stated to Prince Ludwig&rsquo;s daughter and
+to Lieutenant Butzow that he was not Leopold.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It seemed that they had all been so anxious to believe him king that they had
+forced the false position upon him, and now if he had indeed committed the
+atrocity that Coblich charged against him, who could wonder? With less
+provocation men had before attempted to seize thrones by more dastardly means.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter of Blentz was speaking.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Let the coronation proceed,&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;that Lutha may have
+a true king to frustrate the plans of the impostor and the traitors who had
+supported him.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He cast a meaning glance at Prince von der Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There were many cries for Peter of Blentz. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s have done with
+treason, and place upon the throne of Lutha one whom we know to be both a
+Luthanian and sane. Down with the mad king! Down with the impostor!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter turned to ascend the chancel steps.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Von der Tann still hesitated. Below him upon one side of the aisle were massed
+his own retainers. Opposite them were the men of the Regent, and dividing the
+two the parallel ranks of Horse Guards stretched from the chancel down the
+broad aisle to the great doors. These were strongly for the impostor, if
+impostor he was, who had led them to victory over the men of the Blentz
+faction.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Von der Tann knew that they would fight to the last ditch for their hero should
+he come to claim the crown. Yet how would they fight&mdash;to which side would
+they cleave, were he to attempt to frustrate the design of the Regent to seize
+the throne of Lutha?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Already Peter of Blentz had approached the bishop, who, eager to propitiate
+whoever seemed most likely to become king, gave the signal for the procession
+that was to mark the solemn bearing of the crown of Lutha up the aisle to the
+chancel.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Outside the cathedral there was the sudden blare of trumpets. The great doors
+swung violently open, and the entire throng were upon their feet in an instant
+as a trooper of the Royal Horse shouted: &ldquo;The king! The king! Make way
+for Leopold of Lutha!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap12"></a>XII.<br />
+THE GRATITUDE OF A KING</h2>
+
+<p>
+At the cry silence fell upon the throng. Every head was turned toward the great
+doors through which the head of a procession was just visible. It was a grim
+looking procession&mdash;the head of it, at least.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There were four khaki-clad trumpeters from the Royal Horse Guards, the gay and
+resplendent uniforms which they should have donned today conspicuous for their
+absence. From their brazen bugles sounded another loud fanfare, and then they
+separated, two upon each side of the aisle, and between them marched three men.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+One was tall, with gray eyes and had a reddish-brown beard. He was fully
+clothed in the coronation robes of Leopold. Upon his either hand walked the
+others&mdash;Lieutenant Butzow and a gray-eyed, smooth-faced, square-jawed
+stranger.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Behind them marched the balance of the Royal Horse Guards that were not already
+on duty within the cathedral. As the eyes of the multitude fell upon the man in
+the coronation robes there were cries of: &ldquo;The king! Impostor!&rdquo; and
+&ldquo;Von der Tann&rsquo;s puppet!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Denounce him!&rdquo; whispered one of Peter&rsquo;s henchmen in his
+master&rsquo;s ear.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The Regent moved closer to the aisle, that he might meet the impostor at the
+foot of the chancel steps. The procession was moving steadily up the aisle.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Among the clan of Von der Tann a young girl with wide eyes was bending forward
+that she might have a better look at the face of the king. As he came opposite
+her her eyes filled with horror, and then she saw the eyes of the smooth-faced
+stranger at the king&rsquo;s side. They were brave, laughing eyes, and as they
+looked straight into her own the truth flashed upon her, and the girl gave a
+gasp of dismay as she realized that the king of Lutha and the king of her heart
+were not one and the same.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At last the head of the procession was almost at the foot of the chancel steps.
+There were murmurs of: &ldquo;It is not the king,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Who is this
+new impostor?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Leopold&rsquo;s eyes were searching the faces of the close-packed nobility
+about the chancel. At last they fell upon the face of Peter. The young man
+halted not two paces from the Regent. The man went white as the king&rsquo;s
+eyes bored straight into his miserable soul.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Peter of Blentz,&rdquo; cried the young man, &ldquo;as God is your
+judge, tell the truth today. Who am I?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The legs of the Prince Regent trembled. He sank upon his knees, raising his
+hands in supplication toward the other. &ldquo;Have pity on me, your majesty,
+have pity!&rdquo; he cried.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Who am I, man?&rdquo; insisted the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are Leopold Rubinroth, sire, by the grace of God, king of
+Lutha,&rdquo; cried the frightened man. &ldquo;Have mercy on an old man, your
+majesty.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wait! Am I mad? Was I ever mad?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;As God is my judge, sire, no!&rdquo; replied Peter of Blentz.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Leopold turned to Butzow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Remove the traitor from our presence,&rdquo; he commanded, and at a word
+from the lieutenant a dozen guardsmen seized the trembling man and hustled him
+from the cathedral amid hisses and execrations.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Following the coronation the king was closeted in his private audience chamber
+in the palace with Prince Ludwig.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I cannot understand what has happened, even now, your majesty,&rdquo;
+the old man was saying. &ldquo;That you are the true Leopold is all that I am
+positive of, for the discomfiture of Prince Peter evidenced that fact all too
+plainly. But who the impostor was who ruled Lutha in your name for two days,
+disappearing as miraculously as he came, I cannot guess.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But for another miracle which preserved you for us in the nick of time
+he might now be wearing the crown of Lutha in your stead. Having Peter of
+Blentz safely in custody our next immediate task should be to hunt down the
+impostor and bring him to justice also; though&rdquo;&mdash;and the old prince
+sighed&mdash;&ldquo;he was indeed a brave man, and a noble figure of a king as
+he led your troops to battle.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king had been smiling as Von der Tann first spoke of the
+&ldquo;impostor,&rdquo; but at the old man&rsquo;s praise of the other&rsquo;s
+bravery a slight flush tinged his cheek, and the shadow of a scowl crossed his
+brow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wait,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;we shall not have to look far for your
+&lsquo;impostor,&rsquo;&rdquo; and summoning an aide he dispatched him for
+&ldquo;Lieutenant Butzow and Mr. Custer.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A moment later the two entered the audience chamber. Barney found that Leopold
+the king, surrounded by comforts and safety, was a very different person from
+Leopold the fugitive. The weak face now wore an expression of arrogance, though
+the king spoke most graciously to the American.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Here, Von der Tann,&rdquo; said Leopold, &ldquo;is your
+&lsquo;impostor.&rsquo; But for him I should doubtless be dead by now, or once
+again a prisoner at Blentz.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney and Butzow found it necessary to repeat their stories several times
+before the old man could fully grasp all that had transpired beneath his very
+nose without his being aware of scarce a single detail of it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When he was finally convinced that they were telling the truth, he extended his
+hand to the American.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I knelt to you once, young man,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and kissed your
+hand. I should be filled with bitterness and rage toward you. On the contrary,
+I find that I am proud to have served in the retinue of such an impostor as
+you, for you upheld the prestige of the house of Rubinroth upon the
+battlefield, and though you might have had a crown, you refused it and brought
+the true king into his own.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Leopold sat tapping his foot upon the carpet. It was all very well if he, the
+king, chose to praise the American, but there was no need for old von der Tann
+to slop over so. The king did not like it. As a matter of fact, he found
+himself becoming very jealous of the man who had placed him upon his throne.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There is only one thing that I can harbor against you,&rdquo; continued
+Prince Ludwig, &ldquo;and that is that in a single instance you deceived me,
+for an hour before the coronation you told me that you were a Rubinroth.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I told you, prince,&rdquo; corrected Barney, &ldquo;that the royal blood
+of Rubinroth flowed in my veins, and so it does. I am the son of the runaway
+Princess Victoria of Lutha.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Both Leopold and Ludwig looked their surprise, and to the king&rsquo;s eyes
+came a sudden look of fear. With the royal blood in his veins, what was there
+to prevent this popular hero from some day striving for the throne he had once
+refused? Leopold knew that the minds of men were wont to change most
+unaccountably.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Butzow,&rdquo; he said suddenly to the lieutenant of horse, &ldquo;how
+many do you imagine know positively that he who has ruled Lutha for the past
+two days and he who was crowned in the cathedral this noon are not one and the
+same?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Only a few besides those who are in this room, your majesty,&rdquo;
+replied Butzow. &ldquo;Peter and Coblich have known it from the first, and then
+there is Kramer, the loyal old shopkeeper of Tafelberg, who followed Coblich
+and Maenck all night and half a day as they dragged the king to the
+hiding-place where we found him. Other than these there may be those who guess
+the truth, but there are none who know.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment the king sat in thought. Then he rose and commenced pacing back
+and forth the length of the apartment.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why should they ever know?&rdquo; he said at last, halting before the
+three men who had been standing watching him. &ldquo;For the sake of Lutha they
+should never know that another than the true king sat upon the throne even for
+an hour.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He was thinking of the comparison that might be drawn between the heroic figure
+of the American and his own colorless part in the events which had led up to
+his coronation. In his heart of hearts he felt that old Von der Tann rather
+regretted that the American had not been the king, and he hated the old man
+accordingly, and was commencing to hate the American as well.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Prince Ludwig stood looking at the carpet after the king had spoken. His
+judgment told him that the king&rsquo;s suggestion was a wise one; but he was
+sorry and ashamed that it had come from Leopold. Butzow&rsquo;s lips almost
+showed the contempt that he felt for the ingratitude of his king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer was the first to speak.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I think his majesty is quite right,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and tonight I
+can leave the palace after dark and cross the border some time tomorrow
+evening. The people need never know the truth.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Leopold looked relieved.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We must reward you, Mr. Custer,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Name that which
+it lies within our power to grant you and it shall be yours.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney thought of the girl he loved; but he did not mention her name, for he
+knew that she was not for him now.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There is nothing, your majesty,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;A money reward,&rdquo; Leopold started to suggest, and then Barney
+Custer lost his temper.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A flush mounted to his face, his chin went up, and there came to his lips
+bitter words of sarcasm. With an effort, however, he held his tongue, and,
+turning his back upon the king, his broad shoulders proclaiming the contempt he
+felt, he walked slowly out of the room.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Von der Tann and Butzow and Leopold of Lutha stood in silence as the American
+passed out of sight beyond the portal.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The manner of his going had been an affront to the king, and the young ruler
+had gone red with anger.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Butzow,&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;bring the fellow back; he shall be
+taught a lesson in the deference that is due kings.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow hesitated. &ldquo;He has risked his life a dozen times for your
+majesty,&rdquo; said the lieutenant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Leopold flushed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Do not humiliate him, sire,&rdquo; advised Von der Tann. &ldquo;He has
+earned a greater reward at your hands than that.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king resumed his pacing for a moment, coming to a halt once more before the
+two.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We shall take no notice of his insolence,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and
+that shall be our royal reward for his services. More than he deserves, we dare
+say, at that.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As Barney hastened through the palace on his way to his new quarters to obtain
+his arms and order his horse saddled, he came suddenly upon a girlish figure
+gazing sadly from a window upon the drear November world&mdash;her heart as sad
+as the day.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the sound of his footstep she turned, and as her eyes met the gray ones of
+the man she stood poised as though of half a mind to fly. For a moment neither
+spoke.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Can your highness forgive?&rdquo; he asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For answer the girl buried her face in her hands and dropped upon the cushioned
+window seat before her. The American came close and knelt at her side.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t,&rdquo; he begged as he saw her shoulders rise to the sudden
+sobbing that racked her slender frame. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He thought that she wept from mortification that she had given her kisses to
+another than the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;None knows,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;what has passed between us. None
+but you and I need ever know. I tried to make you understand that I was not
+Leopold; but you would not believe. It is not my fault that I loved you. It is
+not my fault that I shall always love you. Tell me that you forgive me my part
+in the chain of strange circumstances that deceived you into an acknowledgment
+of a love that you intended for another. Forgive me, Emma!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Down the corridor behind them a tall figure approached on silent, noiseless
+feet. At sight of the two at the window seat it halted. It was the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl looked up suddenly into the eyes of the American bending so close
+above her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I can never forgive you,&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;for not being the
+king, for I am betrothed to him&mdash;and I love you!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Before she could prevent him, Barney Custer had taken her in his arms, and
+though at first she made a pretense of attempting to escape, at last she lay
+quite still. Her arms found their way about the man&rsquo;s neck, and her lips
+returned the kisses that his were showering upon her upturned mouth.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Presently her glance wandered above the shoulder of the American, and of a
+sudden her eyes filled with terror, and, with a little gasp of consternation,
+she struggled to free herself.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Let me go!&rdquo; she whispered. &ldquo;Let me go&mdash;the king!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney sprang to his feet and, turning, faced Leopold. The king had gone quite
+white.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Failing to rob me of my crown,&rdquo; he cried in a trembling voice,
+&ldquo;you now seek to rob me of my betrothed! Go to your father at once, and
+as for you&mdash;you shall learn what it means for you thus to meddle in the
+affairs of kings.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney saw the terrible position in which his love had placed the Princess
+Emma. His only thought now was for her. Bowing low before her he spoke so that
+the king might hear, yet as though his words were for her ears alone.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your highness knows the truth, now,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and that
+after all I am not the king. I can only ask that you will forgive me the
+deception. Now go to your father as the king commands.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Slowly the girl turned away. Her heart was torn between love for this man, and
+her duty toward the other to whom she had been betrothed in childhood. The
+hereditary instinct of obedience to her sovereign was strong within her, and
+the bonds of custom and society held her in their relentless shackles. With a
+sob she passed up the corridor, curtsying to the king as she passed him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When she had gone Leopold turned to the American. There was an evil look in the
+little gray eyes of the monarch.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You may go your way,&rdquo; he said coldly. &ldquo;We shall give you
+forty-eight hours to leave Lutha. Should you ever return your life shall be the
+forfeit.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American kept back the hot words that were ready upon the end of his
+tongue. For her sake he must bow to fate. With a slight inclination of his head
+toward Leopold he wheeled and resumed his way toward his quarters.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Half an hour later as he was about to descend to the courtyard where a trooper
+of the Royal Horse held his waiting mount, Butzow burst suddenly into his room.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;For God&rsquo;s sake,&rdquo; cried the lieutenant, &ldquo;get out of
+this. The king has changed his mind, and there is an officer of the guard on
+his way here now with a file of soldiers to place you under arrest. Leopold
+swears that he will hang you for treason. Princess Emma has spurned him, and he
+is wild with rage.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The dismal November twilight had given place to bleak night as two men cantered
+from the palace courtyard and turned their horses&rsquo; heads northward toward
+Lutha&rsquo;s nearest boundary. All night they rode, stopping at daylight
+before a distant farm to feed and water their mounts and snatch a mouthful for
+themselves. Then onward once again they pressed in their mad flight.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Now that day had come they caught occasional glimpses of a body of horsemen far
+behind them, but the border was near, and their start such that there was no
+danger of their being overtaken.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;For the thousandth time, Butzow,&rdquo; said one of the men, &ldquo;will
+you turn back before it is too late?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But the other only shook his head obstinately, and so they came to the great
+granite monument which marks the boundary between Lutha and her powerful
+neighbor upon the north.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney held out his hand. &ldquo;Good-bye, old man,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If
+I&rsquo;ve learned the ingratitude of kings here in Lutha, I have found
+something that more than compensates me&mdash;the friendship of a brave man.
+Now hurry back and tell them that I escaped across the border just as I was
+about to fall into your hands and they will think that you have been pursuing
+me instead of aiding in my escape across the border.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But again Butzow shook his head.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have fought shoulder to shoulder with you, my friend,&rdquo; he said.
+&ldquo;I have called you king, and after that I could never serve the coward
+who sits now upon the throne of Lutha. I have made up my mind during this long
+ride from Lustadt, and I have come to the decision that I should prefer to
+raise corn in Nebraska with you rather than serve in the court of an
+ingrate.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Well, you are an obstinate Dutchman, after all,&rdquo; replied the
+American with a smile, placing his hand affectionately upon the shoulder of his
+comrade.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was a clatter of horses&rsquo; hoofs upon the gravel of the road behind
+them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The two men put spurs to their mounts, and Barney Custer galloped across the
+northern boundary of Lutha just ahead of a troop of Luthanian cavalry, as had
+his father thirty years before; but a royal princess had accompanied the
+father&mdash;only a soldier accompanied the son.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="part02"></a>PART II</h2>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap13"></a>I.<br />
+BARNEY RETURNS TO LUTHA</h2>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What&rsquo;s the matter, Vic?&rdquo; asked Barney Custer of his sister.
+&ldquo;You look peeved.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am peeved,&rdquo; replied the girl, smiling. &ldquo;I am terribly
+peeved. I don&rsquo;t want to play bridge this afternoon. I want to go motoring
+with Lieutenant Butzow. This is his last day with us.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes. I know it is, and I hate to think of it,&rdquo; replied Barney;
+&ldquo;but why in the world do you have to play bridge if you don&rsquo;t want
+to?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I promised Margaret that I&rsquo;d go. They&rsquo;re short one, and
+she&rsquo;s coming after me in her car.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Where are you going to play&mdash;at the champion lady bridge
+player&rsquo;s on Fourth Street?&rdquo; asked Barney, grinning.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+His sister answered with a nod and a smile. &ldquo;Where you brought down the
+wrath of the lady champion upon your head the other night when you were letting
+your mind wander across to Lutha and the Old Forest, instead of paying
+attention to the game,&rdquo; she added.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Well, cheer up, Vic,&rdquo; cried her brother. &ldquo;Bert&rsquo;ll
+probably set fire to the car, the way he did to their first one, and then you
+won&rsquo;t have to go.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, yes, I would; Margaret would send him after me in that
+awful-looking, unwashed Ford runabout of his,&rdquo; answered the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And then you WOULD go,&rdquo; said Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You bet I would,&rdquo; laughed Victoria. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d go in a
+wheelbarrow with Bert.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But she didn&rsquo;t have to; and after she had driven off with her chum,
+Barney and Butzow strolled down through the little city of Beatrice to the corn
+mill in which the former was interested.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m mighty sorry that you have to leave us, Butzow,&rdquo; said
+Barney&rsquo;s partner. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s bad enough to lose you, but I&rsquo;m
+afraid it will mean the loss of Barney, too. He&rsquo;s been hunting for some
+excuse to get back to Lutha, and with you there and a war in sight I&rsquo;m
+afraid nothing can hold him.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know but that it may be just as well for my friends here
+that I leave,&rdquo; said Butzow seriously. &ldquo;I did not tell you, Barney,
+all there is in this letter&rdquo;&mdash;he tapped his breastpocket, where the
+foreign-looking envelope reposed with its contents.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Custer looked at him inquiringly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Besides saying that war between Austria and Serbia seems unavoidable and
+that Lutha doubtless will be drawn into it, my informant warns me that Leopold
+had sent emissaries to America to search for you, Barney, and myself. What his
+purpose may be my friend does not know, but he warns us to be upon our guard.
+Von der Tann wants me to return to Lutha. He has promised to protect me, and
+with the country in danger there is nothing else for me to do. I must
+go.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I wish I could go with you,&rdquo; said Barney. &ldquo;If it
+wasn&rsquo;t for this dinged old mill I would; but Bert wants to go away this
+summer, and as I have been away most of the time for the past two years,
+it&rsquo;s up to me to stay.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As the three men talked the afternoon wore on. Heavy clouds gathered in the
+sky; a storm was brewing. Outside, a man, skulking behind a box car on the
+siding, watched the entrance through which the three had gone. He watched the
+workmen, and as quitting time came and he saw them leaving for their homes he
+moved more restlessly, transferring the package which he held from one hand to
+another many times, yet always gingerly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At last all had left. The man started from behind the box car, only to jump
+back as the watchman appeared around the end of one of the buildings. He
+watched the guardian of the property make his rounds; he saw him enter his
+office, and then he crept forward toward the building, holding his queer
+package in his right hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In the office the watchman came upon the three friends. At sight of him they
+looked at one another in surprise.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, what time is it?&rdquo; exclaimed Custer, and as he looked at his
+watch he rose with a laugh. &ldquo;Late to dinner again,&rdquo; he cried.
+&ldquo;Come on, we&rsquo;ll go out this other way.&rdquo; And with a cheery
+good night to the watchman Barney and his friends hastened from the building.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Upon the opposite side the stranger approached the doorway to the mill. The
+rain was falling in blinding sheets. Ominously the thunder roared. Vivid
+flashes of lightning shot the heavens. The watchman, coming suddenly from the
+doorway, his hat brim pulled low over his eyes, passed within a couple of paces
+of the stranger without seeing him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Five minutes later there was a blinding glare accompanied by a deafening roar.
+It was as though nature had marshaled all her forces in one mighty, devastating
+effort. At the same instant the walls of the great mill burst asunder, a
+nebulous mass of burning gas shot heavenward, and then the flames settled down
+to complete the destruction of the ruin.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was the following morning that Victoria and Barney Custer, with Lieutenant
+Butzow and Custer&rsquo;s partner, stood contemplating the smoldering wreckage.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And to think,&rdquo; said Barney, &ldquo;that yesterday this muss was
+the largest corn mill west of anywhere. I guess we can both take vacations now,
+Bert.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Who would have thought that a single bolt of lightning could have
+resulted in such havoc?&rdquo; mused Victoria.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Who would?&rdquo; agreed Lieutenant Butzow, and then, with a sudden
+narrowing of his eyes and a quick glance at Barney, &ldquo;if it WAS
+lightning.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American looked at the Luthanian. &ldquo;You think&mdash;&rdquo; he
+started.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t dare think,&rdquo; replied Butzow, &ldquo;because of the
+fear of what this may mean to you and Miss Victoria if it was not lightning
+that destroyed the mill. I shouldn&rsquo;t have spoken of it but that it may
+urge you to greater caution, which I cannot but think is most necessary since
+the warning I received from Lutha.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why should Leopold seek to harm me now?&rdquo; asked Barney. &ldquo;It
+has been almost two years since you and I placed him upon his throne, only to
+be rewarded with threats and hatred. In that time neither of us has returned to
+Lutha nor in any way conspired against the king. I cannot fathom his
+motives.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There is the Princess Emma von der Tann,&rdquo; Butzow reminded him.
+&ldquo;She still repulses him. He may think that, with you removed definitely
+and permanently, all will then be plain sailing for him in that direction.
+Evidently he does not know the princess.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p class="p2">
+An hour later they were all bidding Butzow good-bye at the station. Victoria
+Custer was genuinely grieved to see him go, for she liked this soldierly young
+officer of the Royal Horse Guards immensely.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You must come back to America soon,&rdquo; she urged.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He looked down at her from the steps of the moving train. There was something
+in his expression that she had never seen there before.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I want to come back soon,&rdquo; he answered, &ldquo;to&mdash;to
+Beatrice,&rdquo; and he flushed and smiled at his own stumbling tongue.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For about a week Barney Custer moped disconsolately, principally about the
+ruins of the corn mill. He was in everyone&rsquo;s way and accomplished
+nothing.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I was never intended for a captain of industry,&rdquo; he confided to
+his partner for the hundredth time. &ldquo;I wish some excuse would pop up to
+which I might hang a reason for beating it to Europe. There&rsquo;s something
+doing there. Nearly everybody has declared war upon everybody else, and here I
+am stagnating in peace. I&rsquo;d even welcome a tornado.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+His excuse was to come sooner than he imagined. That night, after the other
+members of his family had retired, Barney sat smoking within a screened porch
+off the living-room. His thoughts were upon a trim little figure in riding
+togs, as he had first seen it nearly two years before, clinging desperately to
+a runaway horse upon the narrow mountain road above Tafelberg.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He lived that thrilling experience through again as he had many times before.
+He even smiled as he recalled the series of events that had resulted from his
+resemblance to the mad king of Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They had come to a culmination at the time when the king, whom Barney had
+placed upon a throne at the risk of his own life, discovered that his savior
+loved the girl to whom the king had been betrothed since childhood and that the
+girl returned the American&rsquo;s love even after she knew that he had but
+played the part of a king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney&rsquo;s cigar, forgotten, had long since died out. Not even its former
+fitful glow proclaimed his presence upon the porch, whose black shadows
+completely enveloped him. Before him stretched a wide acreage of lawn, tree
+dotted at the side of the house. Bushes hid the stone wall that marked the
+boundary of the Custer grounds and extended here and there out upon the sward
+among the trees. The night was moonless but clear. A faint light pervaded the
+scene.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney sat staring straight ahead, but his gaze did not stop upon the familiar
+objects of the foreground. Instead it spanned two continents and an ocean to
+rest upon the little spot of woodland and rugged mountain and lowland that is
+Lutha. It was with an effort that the man suddenly focused his attention upon
+that which lay directly before him. A shadow among the trees had moved!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer sat perfectly still, but now he was suddenly alert and watchful.
+Again the shadow moved where no shadow should be moving. It crossed from the
+shade of one tree to another. Barney came cautiously to his feet. Silently he
+entered the house, running quickly to a side door that opened upon the grounds.
+As he drew it back its hinges gave forth no sound. Barney looked toward the
+spot where he had seen the shadow. Again he saw it scuttle hurriedly beneath
+another tree nearer the house. This time there was no doubt. It was a man!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Directly before the door where Barney stood was a pergola, ivy-covered. Behind
+this he slid, and, running its length, came out among the trees behind the
+night prowler. Now he saw him distinctly. The fellow was bearded, and in his
+right hand he carried a package. Instantly Barney recalled Butzow&rsquo;s
+comment upon the destruction of the mill&mdash;&ldquo;if it WAS
+lightning!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Cold sweat broke from every pore of his body. His mother and father were there
+in the house, and Vic&mdash;all sleeping peacefully. He ran quickly toward the
+menacing figure, and as he did so he saw the other halt behind a great tree and
+strike a match. In the glow of the flame he saw it touch close to the package
+that the fellow held, and then he was upon him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was a brief and terrific struggle. The stranger hurled the package toward
+the house. Barney caught him by the throat, beating him heavily in the face;
+and then, realizing what the package was, he hurled the fellow from him, and
+sprang toward the hissing and sputtering missile where it lay close to the
+foundation wall of the house, though in the instant of his close contact with
+the man he had recognized through the disguising beard the features of Captain
+Ernst Maenck, the principal tool of Peter of Blentz.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Quick though Barney was to reach the bomb and extinguish the fuse, Maenck had
+disappeared before he returned to search for him; and, though he roused the
+gardener and chauffeur and took turns with them in standing guard the balance
+of the night, the would-be assassin did not return.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was no question in Barney Custer&rsquo;s mind as to whom the bomb was
+intended for. That Maenck had hurled it toward the house after Barney had
+seized him was merely the result of accident and the man&rsquo;s desire to get
+the death-dealing missile as far from himself as possible before it exploded.
+That it would have wrecked the house in the hope of reaching him, had he not
+fortunately interfered, was too evident to the American to be questioned.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And so he decided before the night was spent to put himself as far from his
+family as possible, lest some future attempt upon his life might endanger
+theirs. Then, too, righteous anger and a desire for revenge prompted his
+decision. He would run Maenck to earth and have an accounting with him. It was
+evident that his life would not be worth a farthing so long as the fellow was
+at liberty.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Before dawn he swore the gardener and chauffeur to silence, and at breakfast
+announced his intention of leaving that day for New York to seek a commission
+as correspondent with an old classmate, who owned the New York Evening
+National. At the hotel Barney inquired of the proprietor relative to a bearded
+stranger, but the man had had no one of that description registered. Chance,
+however, gave him a clue. His roadster was in a repair shop, and as he stopped
+in to get it he overheard a conversation that told him all he wanted to know.
+As he stood talking with the foreman a dust-covered automobile pulled into the
+garage.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hello, Bill,&rdquo; called the foreman to the driver. &ldquo;Where you
+been so early?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Took a guy to Lincoln,&rdquo; replied the other. &ldquo;He was in an
+awful hurry. I bet we broke all the records for that stretch of road this
+morning&mdash;I never knew the old boat had it in her.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Who was it?&rdquo; asked Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I dunno,&rdquo; replied the driver. &ldquo;Talked like a furriner, and
+looked the part. Bushy black beard. Said he was a German army officer,
+an&rsquo; had to beat it back on account of the war. Seemed to me like he was
+mighty anxious to get back there an&rsquo; be killed.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney waited to hear no more. He did not even go home to say good-bye to his
+family. Instead he leaped into his gray roadster&mdash;a later model of the one
+he had lost in Lutha&mdash;and the last that Beatrice, Nebraska, saw of him was
+a whirling cloud of dust as he raced north out of town toward Lincoln.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He was five minutes too late into the capital city to catch the eastbound
+limited that Maenck must have taken; but he caught the next through train for
+Chicago, and the second day thereafter found him in New York. There he had
+little difficulty in obtaining the desired credentials from his newspaper
+friend, especially since Barney offered to pay all his own expenses and donate
+to the paper anything he found time to write.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Passenger steamers were still sailing, though irregularly, and after scanning
+the passenger-lists of three he found the name he sought. &ldquo;Captain Ernst
+Maenck, Lutha.&rdquo; So he had not been mistaken, after all. It was Maenck he
+had apprehended on his father&rsquo;s grounds. Evidently the man had little
+fear of being followed, for he had made no effort to hide his identity in
+booking passage for Europe.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The steamer he had caught had sailed that very morning. Barney was not so
+sorry, after all, for he had had time during his trip from Beatrice to do
+considerable thinking, and had found it rather difficult to determine just what
+to do should he have overtaken Maenck in the United States. He couldn&rsquo;t
+kill the man in cold blood, justly as he may have deserved the fate, and the
+thought of causing his arrest and dragging his own name into the publicity of
+court proceedings was little less distasteful to him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Furthermore, the pursuit of Maenck now gave Barney a legitimate excuse for
+returning to Lutha, or at least to the close neighborhood of the little
+kingdom, where he might await the outcome of events and be ready to give his
+services in the cause of the house of Von der Tann should they be required.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+By going directly to Italy and entering Austria from that country Barney
+managed to arrive within the boundaries of the dual monarchy with comparatively
+few delays. Nor did he encounter any considerable bodies of troops until he
+reached the little town of Burgova, which lies not far from the Serbian
+frontier. Beyond this point his credentials would not carry him. The
+emperor&rsquo;s officers were polite, but firm. No newspaper correspondents
+could be permitted nearer the front than Burgova.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was nothing to be done, therefore, but wait until some propitious event
+gave him the opportunity to approach more closely the Serbian boundary and
+Lutha. In the meantime he would communicate with Butzow, who might be able to
+obtain passes for him to some village nearer the Luthanian frontier, when it
+should be an easy matter to cross through to Serbia. He was sure the Serbian
+authorities would object less strenuously to his presence.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The inn at which he applied for accommodations was already overrun by officers,
+but the proprietor, with scant apologies for a civilian, offered him a little
+box of a room in the attic. The place was scarce more than a closet, and for
+that Barney was in a way thankful since the limited space could accommodate but
+a single cot, thus insuring him the privacy that a larger chamber would have
+precluded.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He was very tired after his long and comfortless land journey, so after an
+early dinner he went immediately to his room and to bed. How long he slept he
+did not know, but some time during the night he was awakened by the sound of
+voices apparently close to his ear.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment he thought the speakers must be in his own room, so distinctly did
+he overhear each word of their conversation; but presently he discovered that
+they were upon the opposite side of a thin partition in an adjoining room. But
+half awake, and with the sole idea of getting back to sleep again as quickly as
+possible, Barney paid only the slightest attention to the meaning of the words
+that fell upon his ears, until, like a bomb, a sentence broke through his
+sleepy faculties, banishing Morpheus upon the instant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It will take but little now to turn Leopold against Von der Tann.&rdquo;
+The speaker evidently was an Austrian. &ldquo;Already I have half convinced him
+that the old man aspires to the throne. Leopold fears the loyalty of his army,
+which is for Von der Tann body and soul. He knows that Von der Tann is strongly
+anti-Austrian, and I have made it plain to him that if he allows his kingdom to
+take sides with Serbia he will have no kingdom when the war is over&mdash;it
+will be a part of Austria.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It was with greater difficulty, however, my dear Peter, that I convinced
+him that you, Von Coblich, and Captain Maenck were his most loyal friends. He
+fears you yet, but, nevertheless, he has pardoned you all. Do not forget when
+you return to your dear Lutha that you owe your repatriation to Count
+Zellerndorf of Austria.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You may be assured that we shall never forget,&rdquo; replied another
+voice that Barney recognized at once as belonging to Prince Peter of Blentz,
+the one time regent of Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is not for myself,&rdquo; continued Count Zellerndorf, &ldquo;that I
+crave your gratitude, but for my emperor. You may do much to win his undying
+gratitude, while for yourselves you may win to almost any height with the
+friendship of Austria behind you. I am sure that should any accident, which God
+forfend, deprive Lutha of her king, none would make a more welcome successor in
+the eyes of Austria than our good friend Peter.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney could almost see the smile of satisfaction upon the thin lips of Peter
+of Blentz as this broad hint fell from the lips of the Austrian
+diplomat&mdash;a hint that seemed to the American little short of the death
+sentence of Leopold, King of Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We owed you much before, count,&rdquo; said Peter. &ldquo;But for you we
+should have been hanged a year ago&mdash;without your aid we should never have
+been able to escape from the fortress of Lustadt or cross the border into
+Austria-Hungary. I am sorry that Maenck failed in his mission, for had he not
+we would have had concrete evidence to present to the king that we are indeed
+his loyal supporters. It would have dispelled at once such fears and doubts as
+he may still entertain of our fealty.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, I, too, am sorry,&rdquo; agreed Zellerndorf. &ldquo;I can assure
+you that the news we hoped Captain Maenck would bring from America would have
+gone a long way toward restoring you to the confidence and good graces of the
+king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I did my best,&rdquo; came another voice that caused Barney&rsquo;s eyes
+to go wide in astonishment, for it was none other than the voice of Maenck
+himself. &ldquo;Twice I risked hanging to get him and only came away after I
+had been recognized.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is too bad,&rdquo; sighed Zellerndorf; &ldquo;though it may not be
+without its advantages after all, for now we still have this second bugbear to
+frighten Leopold with. So long, of course, as the American lives there is
+always the chance that he may return and seek to gain the throne. The fact that
+his mother was a Rubinroth princess might make it easy for Von der Tann to
+place him upon the throne without much opposition, and if he married the old
+man&rsquo;s daughter it is easy to conceive that the prince might favor such a
+move. At any rate, it should not be difficult to persuade Leopold of the
+possibility of such a thing.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Under the circumstances Leopold is almost convinced that his only hope
+of salvation lies in cementing friendly relations with the most powerful of Von
+der Tann&rsquo;s enemies, of which you three gentlemen stand preeminently in
+the foreground, and of assuring to himself the support of Austria. And now,
+gentlemen,&rdquo; he went on after a pause, &ldquo;good night. I have handed
+Prince Peter the necessary military passes to carry you safely through our
+lines, and tomorrow you may be in Blentz if you wish.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap14"></a>II.<br />
+CONDEMNED TO DEATH</h2>
+
+<p>
+For some time Barney Custer lay there in the dark revolving in his mind all
+that he had overheard through the partition&mdash;the thin partition which
+alone lay between himself and three men who would be only too glad to embrace
+the first opportunity to destroy him. But his fears were not for himself so
+much as for the daughter of old Von der Tann, and for all that might befall
+that princely house were these three unhung rascals to gain Lutha and have
+their way with the weak and cowardly king who reigned there.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+If he could but reach Von der Tann&rsquo;s ear and through him the king before
+the conspirators came to Lutha! But how might he accomplish it? Count
+Zellerndorf&rsquo;s parting words to the three had shown that military passes
+were necessary to enable one to reach Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+His papers were practically worthless even inside the lines. That they would
+carry him through the lines he had not the slightest hope. There were two
+things to be accomplished if possible. One was to cross the frontier into
+Lutha; and the other, which of course was quite out of the question, was to
+prevent Peter of Blentz, Von Coblich, and Maenck from doing so. But was that
+altogether impossible?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The idea that followed that question came so suddenly that it brought Barney
+Custer out onto the floor in a bound, to don his clothes and sneak into the
+hall outside his room with the stealth of a professional second-story man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+To the right of his own door was the door to the apartment in which the three
+conspirators slept. At least, Barney hoped they slept. He bent close to the
+keyhole and listened. From within came no sound other than the regular
+breathing of the inmates. It had been at least half an hour since the American
+had heard the conversation cease. A glance through the keyhole showed no light
+within the room. Stealthily Barney turned the knob. Had they bolted the door?
+He felt the tumbler move to the pressure&mdash;soundlessly. Then he pushed
+gently inward. The door swung.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A moment later he stood in the room. Dimly he could see two beds&mdash;a large
+one and a smaller. Peter of Blentz would be alone upon the smaller bed, his
+henchmen sleeping together in the larger. Barney crept toward the lone sleeper.
+At the bedside he fumbled in the dark groping for the man&rsquo;s
+clothing&mdash;for the coat, in the breastpocket of which he hoped to find the
+military pass that might carry him safely out of Austria-Hungary and into
+Lutha. On the foot of the bed he found some garments. Gingerly he felt them
+over, seeking the coat.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At last he found it. His fingers, steady even under the nervous tension of this
+unaccustomed labor, discovered the inner pocket and the folded paper. There
+were several of them; Barney took them all.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+So far he made no noise. None of the sleepers had stirred. Now he took a step
+toward the doorway and&mdash;kicked a shoe that lay in his path. The slight
+noise in that quiet room sounded to Barney&rsquo;s ears like the fall of a
+brick wall. Peter of Blentz stirred, turning in his sleep. Behind him Barney
+heard one of the men in the other bed move. He turned his head in that
+direction. Either Maenck or Coblich was sitting up peering through the
+darkness.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Is that you, Prince Peter?&rdquo; The voice was Maenck&rsquo;s.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What&rsquo;s the matter?&rdquo; persisted Maenck.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going for a drink of water,&rdquo; replied the American, and
+stepped toward the door.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Behind him Peter of Blentz sat up in bed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That you, Maenck?&rdquo; he called.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Instantly Maenck was out of bed, for the first voice had come from the vicinity
+of the doorway; both could not be Peter&rsquo;s.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Quick!&rdquo; he cried; &ldquo;there&rsquo;s someone in our room.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney leaped for the doorway, and upon his heels came the three conspirators.
+Maenck was closest to him&mdash;so close that Barney was forced to turn at the
+top of the stairs. In the darkness he was just conscious of the form of the man
+who was almost upon him. Then he swung a vicious blow for the other&rsquo;s
+face&mdash;a blow that landed, for there was a cry of pain and anger as Maenck
+stumbled back into the arms of the two behind him. From below came the sound of
+footsteps hurrying up the stairs to the accompaniment of a clanking saber.
+Barney&rsquo;s retreat was cut off.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Turning, he dodged into his own room before the enemy could locate him or even
+extricate themselves from the confusion of Maenck&rsquo;s sudden collision with
+the other two. But what could Barney gain by the slight delay that would be
+immediately followed by his apprehension?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He didn&rsquo;t know. All that he was sure of was that there had been no other
+place to go than this little room. As he entered the first thing that his eyes
+fell upon was the small square window. Here at least was some slight
+encouragement.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He ran toward it. The lower sash was raised. As the door behind him opened to
+admit Peter of Blentz and his companions, Barney slipped through into the
+night, hanging by his hands from the sill without. What lay beneath or how far
+the drop he could not guess, but that certain death menaced him from above he
+knew from the conversation he had overheard earlier in the evening.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For an instant he hung suspended. He heard the men groping about the room.
+Evidently they were in some fear of the unknown assailant they sought, for they
+did not move about with undue rashness. Presently one of them struck a
+light&mdash;Barney could see its flare lighten the window casing for an
+instant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The room is empty,&rdquo; came a voice from above him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Look to the window!&rdquo; cried Peter of Blentz, and then Barney Custer
+let go his hold upon the sill and dropped into the blackness below.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+His fall was a short one, for the window had been directly over a low shed at
+the side of the inn. Upon the roof of this the American landed, and from there
+he dropped to the courtyard without mishap. Glancing up, he saw the heads of
+three men peering from the window of the room he had just quitted.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There he is!&rdquo; cried one, and instantly the three turned back into
+the room. As Barney fled from the courtyard he heard the rattle of hasty
+footsteps upon the rickety stairway of the inn.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Choosing an alley rather than a street in which he might run upon soldiers at
+any moment, he moved quickly yet cautiously away from the inn. Behind him he
+could hear the voices of many men. They were raised to a high pitch by
+excitement. It was clear to Barney that there were many more than the original
+three&mdash;Prince Peter had, in all probability, enlisted the aid of the
+military.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Could he but reach the frontier with his stolen passes he would be
+comparatively safe, for the rugged mountains of Lutha offered many places of
+concealment, and, too, there were few Luthanians who did not hate Peter of
+Blentz most cordially&mdash;among the men of the mountains at least. Once there
+he could defy a dozen Blentz princes for the little time that would be required
+to carry him into Serbia and comparative safety.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As he approached a cross street a couple of squares from the inn he found it
+necessary to pass beneath a street lamp. For a moment he paused in the shadows
+of the alley listening. Hearing nothing moving in the street, Barney was about
+to make a swift spring for the shadows upon the opposite side when it occurred
+to him that it might be safer to make assurance doubly sure by having a look up
+and down the street before emerging into the light.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was just as well that he did, for as he thrust his head around the corner of
+the building the first thing that his eyes fell upon was the figure of an
+Austrian sentry, scarcely three paces from him. The soldier was standing in a
+listening attitude, his head half turned away from the American. The sounds
+coming from the direction of the inn were apparently what had attracted his
+attention.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Behind him, Barney was sure he heard evidences of pursuit. Before him was
+certain detection should he attempt to cross the street. On either hand rose
+the walls of buildings. That he was trapped there seemed little doubt.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He continued to stand motionless, watching the Austrian soldier. Should the
+fellow turn toward him, he had but to withdraw his head within the shadow of
+the building that hid his body. Possibly the man might turn and take his beat
+in the opposite direction. In which case Barney was sure he could dodge across
+the street, undetected.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Already the vague threat of pursuit from the direction of the inn had developed
+into a certainty&mdash;he could hear men moving toward him through the alley
+from the rear. Would the sentry never move! Evidently not, until he heard the
+others coming through the alley. Then he would turn, and the devil would be to
+pay for the American.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney was about hopeless. He had been in the war zone long enough to know that
+it might prove a very disagreeable matter to be caught sneaking through back
+alleys at night. There was a single chance&mdash;a sort of forlorn
+hope&mdash;and that was to risk fate and make a dash beneath the sentry&rsquo;s
+nose for the opposite alley mouth.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Well, here goes,&rdquo; thought Barney. He had heard that many of the
+Austrians were excellent shots. Visions of Beatrice, Nebraska, swarmed his
+memory. They were pleasant visions, made doubly alluring by the thought that
+the realities of them might never again be for him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He turned once more toward the sounds of pursuit&mdash;the men upon his track
+could not be over a square away&mdash;there was not an instant to be lost. And
+then from above him, upon the opposite side of the alley, came a low:
+&ldquo;S-s-t!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney looked up. Very dimly he could see the dark outline of a window some
+dozen feet from the pavement, and framed within it the lighter blotch that
+might have been a human face. Again came the challenging: &ldquo;S-s-t!&rdquo;
+Yes, there was someone above, signaling to him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;S-s-t!&rdquo; replied Barney. He knew that he had been discovered, and
+could think of no better plan for throwing the discoverer off his guard than to
+reply.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then a soft voice floated down to him&mdash;a woman&rsquo;s voice!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Is that you?&rdquo; The tongue was Serbian. Barney could understand it,
+though he spoke it but indifferently.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he replied truthfully.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Thank Heaven!&rdquo; came the voice from above. &ldquo;I have been
+watching you, and thought you one of the Austrian pigs. Quick! They are
+coming&mdash;I can hear them;&rdquo; and at the same instant Barney saw
+something drop from the window to the ground. He crossed the alley quickly, and
+could have shouted in relief for what he found there&mdash;the end of a knotted
+rope dangling from above.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+His pursuers were almost upon him when he seized the rude ladder to clamber
+upward. At the window&rsquo;s ledge a firm, young hand reached out and, seizing
+his own, almost dragged him through the window. He turned to look back into the
+alley. He had been just in time; the Austrian sentry, alarmed by the sound of
+approaching footsteps down the alley, had stepped into view. He stood there now
+with leveled rifle, a challenge upon his lips. From the advancing party came a
+satisfactory reply.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the same instant the girl beside him in the Stygian blackness of the room
+threw her arms about Barney&rsquo;s neck and drew his face down to hers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, Stefan,&rdquo; she whispered, &ldquo;what a narrow escape! It makes
+me tremble to think of it. They would have shot you, my Stefan!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American put an arm about the girl&rsquo;s shoulders, and raised one hand
+to her cheek&mdash;it might have been in caress, but it wasn&rsquo;t. It was to
+smother the cry of alarm he anticipated would follow the discovery that he was
+not &ldquo;Stefan.&rdquo; He bent his lips close to her ear.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Do not make an outcry,&rdquo; he whispered in very poor Serbian.
+&ldquo;I am not Stefan; but I am a friend.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The exclamation of surprise or fright that he had expected was not forthcoming.
+The girl lowered her arms from about his neck.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Who are you?&rdquo; she asked in a low whisper.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am an American war correspondent,&rdquo; replied Barney, &ldquo;but if
+the Austrians get hold of me now it will be mighty difficult to convince them
+that I am not a spy.&rdquo; And then a sudden determination came to him to
+trust his fate to this unknown girl, whose face, even, he had never seen.
+&ldquo;I am entirely at your mercy,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There are Austrian
+soldiers in the street below. You have but to call to them to send me before
+the firing squad&mdash;or, you can let me remain here until I can find an
+opportunity to get away in safety. I am trying to reach Serbia.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why do you wish to reach Serbia?&rdquo; asked the girl suspiciously.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have discovered too many enemies in Austria tonight to make it safe
+for me to remain,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;and, further, my original intention
+was to report the war from the Serbian side.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl hesitated for a while, evidently in thought.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;They are moving on,&rdquo; suggested Barney. &ldquo;If you are going to
+give me up you&rsquo;d better do it at once.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to give you up,&rdquo; replied the girl.
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to keep you prisoner until Stefan returns&mdash;he will
+know best what to do with you. Now you must come with me and be locked up. Do
+not try to escape&mdash;I have a revolver in my hand,&rdquo; and to give her
+prisoner physical proof of the weapon he could not see she thrust the muzzle
+against his side.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll take your word for the gun,&rdquo; said Barney, &ldquo;if
+you&rsquo;ll just turn it in the other direction. Go ahead&mdash;I&rsquo;ll
+follow you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No, you won&rsquo;t,&rdquo; replied the girl. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll go
+first; but before that you&rsquo;ll raise your hands above your head. I want to
+search you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney did as he was bid and a moment later felt deft fingers running over his
+clothing in search of concealed weapons. Satisfied at last that he was unarmed,
+the girl directed him to precede her, guiding his steps from behind with a hand
+upon his arm. Occasionally he felt the muzzle of her revolver touch his body.
+It was a most unpleasant sensation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They crossed the room to a door which his captor directed him to open, and
+after they had passed through and she had closed it behind them the girl struck
+a match and lit a candle which stood upon a little bracket on the partition
+wall. The dim light of the tallow dip showed Barney that he was in a narrow
+hall from which several doors opened into different rooms. At one end of the
+hall a stairway led to the floor below, while at the opposite end another
+flight disappeared into the darkness above.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;This way,&rdquo; said the girl, motioning toward the stairs that led
+upward.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney had turned toward her as she struck the match, obtaining an excellent
+view of her features. They were clear-cut and regular. Her eyes were large and
+very dark. Dark also was her hair, which was piled in great heaps upon her
+finely shaped head. Altogether the face was one not easily to be forgotten.
+Barney could scarce have told whether the girl was beautiful or not, but that
+she was striking there could be no doubt.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He preceded her up the stairway to a door at the top. At her direction he
+turned the knob and entered a small room in which was a cot, an ancient dresser
+and a single chair.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You will remain here,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;until Stefan returns.
+Stefan will know what to do with you.&rdquo; Then she left him, taking the
+light with her, and Barney heard a key turn in the lock of the door after she
+had closed it. Presently her footfalls died out as she descended to the lower
+floors.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Anyhow,&rdquo; thought the American, &ldquo;this is better than the
+Austrians. I don&rsquo;t know what Stefan will do with me, but I have a rather
+vivid idea of what the Austrians would have done to me if they&rsquo;d caught
+me sneaking through the alleys of Burgova at midnight.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Throwing himself on the cot Barney was soon asleep, for though his predicament
+was one that, under ordinary circumstances might have made sleep impossible,
+yet he had so long been without the boon of slumber that tired nature would no
+longer be denied.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When he awoke it was broad daylight. The sun was pouring in through a skylight
+in the ceiling of his tiny chamber. Aside from this there were no windows in
+the room. The sound of voices came to him with an uncanny distinctness that
+made it seem that the speakers must be in this very chamber, but a glance about
+the blank walls convinced him that he was alone.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Presently he espied a small opening in the wall at the head of his cot. He rose
+and examined it. The voices appeared to be coming from it. In fact, they were.
+The opening was at the top of a narrow shaft that seemed to lead to the
+basement of the structure&mdash;apparently once the shaft of a dumb-waiter or a
+chute for refuse or soiled clothes.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney put his ear close to it. The voices that came from below were those of a
+man and a woman. He heard every word distinctly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We must search the house, fraulein,&rdquo; came in the deep voice of a
+man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Whom do you seek?&rdquo; inquired a woman&rsquo;s voice. Barney
+recognized it as the voice of his captor.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;A Serbian spy, Stefan Drontoff,&rdquo; replied the man. &ldquo;Do you
+know him?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was a considerable pause on the girl&rsquo;s part before she answered,
+and then her reply was in such a low voice that Barney could barely hear it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I do not know him,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;There are several men who
+lodge here. What may this Stefan Drontoff look like?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have never seen him,&rdquo; replied the officer; &ldquo;but by
+arresting all the men in the house we must get this Stefan also, if he is
+here.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried the girl, a new note in her voice, &ldquo;I guess I
+know now whom you mean. There is one man here I have heard them call Stefan,
+though for the moment I had forgotten it. He is in the small attic-room at the
+head of the stairs. Here is a key that will fit the lock. Yes, I am sure that
+he is Stefan. You will find him there, and it should be easy to take him, for I
+know that he is unarmed. He told me so last night when he came in.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The devil!&rdquo; muttered Barney Custer; but whether he referred to his
+predicament or to the girl it would be impossible to tell. Already the sound of
+heavy boots on the stairs announced the coming of men&mdash;several of them.
+Barney heard the rattle of accouterments&mdash;the clank of a
+scabbard&mdash;the scraping of gun butts against the walls. The Austrians were
+coming!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He looked about. There was no way of escape except the door and the skylight,
+and the door was impossible.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Quickly he tilted the cot against the door, wedging its legs against a crack in
+the floor&mdash;that would stop them for a minute or two. Then he wheeled the
+dresser beneath the skylight and, placing the chair on top of it, scrambled to
+the seat of the latter. His head was at the height of the skylight. To force
+the skylight from its frame required but a moment. A key entered the lock of
+the door from the opposite side and turned. He knew that someone without was
+pushing. Then he heard an oath and heavy battering upon the panels. A moment
+later he had drawn himself through the skylight and stood upon the roof of the
+building. Before him stretched a series of uneven roofs to the end of the
+street. Barney did not hesitate. He started on a rapid trot toward the
+adjoining roof. From that he clambered to a higher one beyond.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+On he went, now leaping narrow courts, now dropping to low sheds and again
+clambering to the heights of the higher buildings, until he had come almost to
+the end of the row. Suddenly, behind him he heard a hoarse shout, followed by
+the report of a rifle. With a whir, a bullet flew a few inches above his head.
+He had gained the last roof&mdash;a large, level roof&mdash;and at the shot he
+turned to see how near to him were his pursuers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Fatal turn!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Scarce had he taken his eyes from the path ahead than his foot fell upon a
+glass skylight, and with a loud crash he plunged through amid a shower of
+broken glass.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+His fall was a short one. Directly beneath the skylight was a bed, and on the
+bed a fat Austrian infantry captain. Barney lit upon the pit of the
+captain&rsquo;s stomach. With a howl of pain the officer catapulted Barney to
+the floor. There were three other beds in the room, and in each bed one or two
+other officers. Before the American could regain his feet they were all sitting
+on him&mdash;all except the infantry captain. He lay shrieking and cursing in a
+painful attempt to regain his breath, every atom of which Barney had knocked
+out of him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The officers sitting on Barney alternately beat him and questioned him,
+interspersing their interrogations with lurid profanity.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If you will get off of me,&rdquo; at last shouted the American, &ldquo;I
+shall be glad to explain&mdash;and apologize.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They let him up, scowling ferociously. He had promised to explain, but now that
+he was confronted by the immediate necessity of an explanation that would prove
+at all satisfactory as to how he happened to be wandering around the rooftops
+of Burgova, he discovered that his powers of invention were entirely
+inadequate. The need for explaining, however, was suddenly removed. A shadow
+fell upon them from above, and as they glanced up Barney saw the figure of an
+officer surrounded by several soldiers looking down upon him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, you have him!&rdquo; cried the newcomer in evident satisfaction.
+&ldquo;It is well. Hold him until we descend.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A moment later he and his escort had dropped through the broken skylight to the
+floor beside them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Who is the mad man?&rdquo; cried the captain who had broken
+Barney&rsquo;s fall. &ldquo;The assassin! He tried to murder me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I cannot doubt it,&rdquo; replied the officer who had just descended,
+&ldquo;for the fellow is no other than Stefan Drontoff, the famous Serbian
+spy!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Himmel!&rdquo; ejaculated the officers in chorus. &ldquo;You have done a
+good day&rsquo;s work, lieutenant.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The firing squad will do a better work in a few minutes,&rdquo; replied
+the lieutenant, with a grim pointedness that took Barney&rsquo;s breath away.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap15"></a>III.<br />
+BEFORE THE FIRING SQUAD</h2>
+
+<p>
+They marched Barney before the staff where he urged his American nationality,
+pointing to his credentials and passes in support of his contention.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The general before whom he had been brought shrugged his shoulders. &ldquo;They
+are all Americans as soon as they are caught,&rdquo; he said; &ldquo;but why
+did you not claim to be Prince Peter of Blentz? You have his passes as well.
+How can you expect us to believe your story when you have in your possession
+passes for different men?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We have every respect for our friends the Americans. I would even
+stretch a point rather than chance harming an American; but you will admit that
+the evidence is all against you. You were found in the very building where
+Drontoff was known to stay while in Burgova. The young woman whose mother keeps
+the place directed our officer to your room, and you tried to escape, which I
+do not think that an innocent American would have done.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;However, as I have said, I will go to almost any length rather than
+chance a mistake in the case of one who from his appearance might pass more
+readily for an American than a Serbian. I have sent for Prince Peter of Blentz.
+If you can satisfactorily explain to him how you chance to be in possession of
+military passes bearing his name I shall be very glad to give you the benefit
+of every other doubt.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter of Blentz. Send for Peter of Blentz! Barney wondered just what kind of a
+sensation it was to stand facing a firing squad. He hoped that his knees
+wouldn&rsquo;t tremble&mdash;they felt a trifle weak even now. There was a
+chance that the man might not recall his face, but a very slight chance. It had
+been his remarkable likeness to Leopold of Lutha that had resulted in the
+snatching of a crown from Prince Peter&rsquo;s head.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Likely indeed that he would ever forget his, Barney&rsquo;s, face, though he
+had seen it but once without the red beard that had so added to Barney&rsquo;s
+likeness to the king. But Maenck would be along, of course, and Maenck would
+have no doubts&mdash;he had seen Barney too recently in Beatrice to fail to
+recognize him now.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Several men were entering the room where Barney stood before the general and
+his staff. A glance revealed to the prisoner that Peter of Blentz had come, and
+with him Von Coblich and Maenck. At the same instant Peter&rsquo;s eyes met
+Barney&rsquo;s, and the former, white and wide-eyed came almost to a dead halt,
+grasping hurriedly at the arm of Maenck who walked beside him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;My God!&rdquo; was all that Barney heard him say, but he spoke a name
+that the American did not hear. Maenck also looked his surprise, but his
+expression was suddenly changed to one of malevolent cunning and gratification.
+He turned toward Prince Peter with a few low-whispered words. A look of relief
+crossed the face of the Blentz prince.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You appear to know the gentleman,&rdquo; said the general who had been
+conducting Barney&rsquo;s examination. &ldquo;He has been arrested as a Serbian
+spy, and military passes in your name were found upon his person together with
+the papers of an American newspaper correspondent, which he claims to be. He is
+charged with being Stefan Drontoff, whom we long have been anxious to
+apprehend. Do you chance to know anything about him, Prince Peter?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied Peter of Blentz, &ldquo;I know him well by sight. He
+entered my room last night and stole the military passes from my coat&mdash;we
+all saw him and pursued him, but he got away in the dark. There can be no doubt
+but that he is the Serbian spy.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He insists that he is Bernard Custer, an American,&rdquo; urged the
+general, who, it seemed to Barney, was anxious to make no mistake, and to give
+the prisoner every reasonable chance&mdash;a state of mind that rather
+surprised him in a European military chieftain, all of whom appeared to share
+the popular obsession regarding the prevalence of spies.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Pardon me, general,&rdquo; interrupted Maenck. &ldquo;I am well
+acquainted with Mr. Custer, who spent some time in Lutha a couple of years ago.
+This man is not he.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That is sufficient, gentlemen, I thank you,&rdquo; said the general. He
+did not again look at the prisoner, but turned to a lieutenant who stood
+near-by. &ldquo;You may remove the prisoner,&rdquo; he directed. &ldquo;He will
+be destroyed with the others&mdash;here is the order,&rdquo; and he handed the
+subaltern a printed form upon which many names were filled in and at the bottom
+of which the general had just signed his own. It had evidently been waiting the
+outcome of the examination of Stefan Drontoff.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Surrounded by soldiers, Barney Custer walked from the presence of the military
+court. It was to him as though he moved in a strange world of dreams. He saw
+the look of satisfaction upon the face of Peter of Blentz as he passed him, and
+the open sneer of Maenck. As yet he did not fully realize what it all
+meant&mdash;that he was marching to his death! For the last time he was looking
+upon the faces of his fellow men; for the last time he had seen the sun rise,
+never again to see it set.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He was to be &ldquo;destroyed.&rdquo; He had heard that expression used many
+times in connection with useless horses, or vicious dogs. Mechanically he drew
+a cigarette from his pocket and lighted it. There was no bravado in the act. On
+the contrary it was done almost unconsciously. The soldiers marched him through
+the streets of Burgova. The men were entirely impassive&mdash;even so early in
+the war they had become accustomed to this grim duty. The young officer who
+commanded them was more nervous than the prisoner&mdash;it was his first detail
+with a firing squad. He looked wonderingly at Barney, expecting momentarily to
+see the man collapse, or at least show some sign of terror at his close
+impending fate; but the American walked silently toward his death, puffing
+leisurely at his cigarette.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At last, after what seemed a long time, his guard turned in at a large gateway
+in a brick wall surrounding a factory. As they entered Barney saw twenty or
+thirty men in civilian dress, guarded by a dozen infantrymen. They were
+standing before the wall of a low brick building. Barney noticed that there
+were no windows in the wall. It suddenly occurred to him that there was
+something peculiarly grim and sinister in the appearance of the dead, blank
+surface of weather-stained brick. For the first time since he had faced the
+military court he awakened to a full realization of what it all meant to
+him&mdash;he was going to be lined up against that ominous brick wall with
+these other men&mdash;they were going to shoot them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A momentary madness seized him. He looked about upon the other prisoners and
+guards. A sudden break for liberty might give him temporary respite. He could
+seize a rifle from the nearest soldier, and at least have the satisfaction of
+selling his life dearly. As he looked he saw more soldiers entering the factory
+yard.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A sudden apathy overwhelmed him. What was the use? He could not escape. Why
+should he wish to kill these soldiers? It was not they who were responsible for
+his plight&mdash;they were but obeying orders. The close presence of death made
+life seem very desirable. These men, too, desired life. Why should he take it
+from them uselessly? At best he might kill one or two, but in the end he would
+be killed as surely as though he took his place before the brick wall with the
+others.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He noticed now that these others evinced no inclination to contest their fates.
+Why should he, then? Doubtless many of them were as innocent as he, and all
+loved life as well. He saw that several were weeping silently. Others stood
+with bowed heads gazing at the hard-packed earth of the factory yard. Ah, what
+visions were their eyes beholding for the last time! What memories of happy
+firesides! What dear, loved faces were limned upon that sordid clay!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+His reveries were interrupted by the hoarse voice of a sergeant, breaking
+rudely in upon the silence and the dumb terror. The fellow was herding the
+prisoners into position. When he was done Barney found himself in the front
+rank of the little, hopeless band. Opposite them, at a few paces, stood the
+firing squad, their gun butts resting upon the ground.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The young lieutenant stood at one side. He issued some instructions in a low
+tone, then he raised his voice.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ready!&rdquo; he commanded. Fascinated by the horror of it, Barney
+watched the rifles raised smartly to the soldiers&rsquo; hips&mdash;the
+movement was as precise as though the men were upon parade. Every bolt clicked
+in unison with its fellows.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Aim!&rdquo; the pieces leaped to the hollows of the men&rsquo;s
+shoulders. The leveled barrels were upon a line with the breasts of the
+condemned. A man at Barney&rsquo;s right moaned. Another sobbed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Fire!&rdquo; There was the hideous roar of the volley. Barney Custer
+crumpled forward to the ground, and three bodies fell upon his. A moment later
+there was a second volley&mdash;all had not fallen at the first. Then the
+soldiers came among the bodies, searching for signs of life; but evidently the
+two volleys had done their work. The sergeant formed his men in line. The
+lieutenant marched them away. Only silence remained on guard above the pitiful
+dead in the factory yard.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The day wore on and still the stiffening corpses lay where they had fallen.
+Twilight came and then darkness. A head appeared above the top of the wall that
+had enclosed the grounds. Eyes peered through the night and keen ears listened
+for any sign of life within. At last, evidently satisfied that the place was
+deserted, a man crawled over the summit of the wall and dropped to the ground
+within. Here again he paused, peering and listening.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+What strange business had he here among the dead that demanded such caution in
+its pursuit? Presently he advanced toward the pile of corpses. Quickly he tore
+open coats and searched pockets. He ran his fingers along the fingers of the
+dead. Two rings had rewarded his search and he was busy with a third that
+encircled the finger of a body that lay beneath three others. It would not come
+off. He pulled and tugged, and then he drew a knife from his pocket.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But he did not sever the digit. Instead he shrank back with a muffled scream of
+terror. The corpse that he would have mutilated had staggered suddenly to its
+feet, flinging the dead bodies to one side as it rose.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You fiend!&rdquo; broke from the lips of the dead man, and the ghoul
+turned and fled, gibbering in his fright.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The tramp of soldiers in the street beyond ceased suddenly at the sound from
+within the factory yard. It was a detail of the guard marching to the relief of
+sentries. A moment later the gates swung open and a score of soldiers entered.
+They saw a figure dodging toward the wall a dozen paces from them, but they did
+not see the other that ran swiftly around the corner of the factory.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+This other was Barney Custer of Beatrice. When the command to fire had been
+given to the squad of riflemen, a single bullet had creased the top of his
+head, stunning him. All day he had lain there unconscious. It had been the
+tugging of the ghoul at his ring that had roused him to life at last.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Behind him, as he scurried around the end of the factory building, he heard the
+scattering fire of half a dozen rifles, followed by a scream&mdash;the fleeing
+hyena had been hit. Barney crouched in the shadow of a pile of junk. He heard
+the voices of soldiers as they gathered about the wounded man, questioning him,
+and a moment later the imperious tones of an officer issuing instructions to
+his men to search the yard. That he must be discovered seemed a certainty to
+the American. He crouched further back in the shadows close to the wall,
+stepping with the utmost caution.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Presently to his chagrin his foot touched the metal cover of a manhole; there
+was a resultant rattling that smote upon Barney&rsquo;s ears and nerves with
+all the hideous clatter of a boiler shop. He halted, petrified, for an instant.
+He was no coward, but after being so near death, life had never looked more
+inviting, and he knew that to be discovered meant certain extinction this time.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The soldiers were circling the building. Already he could hear them nearing his
+position. In another moment they would round the corner of the building and be
+upon him. For an instant he contemplated a bold rush for the fence. In fact, he
+had gathered himself for the leaping start and the quick sprint across the open
+under the noses of the soldiers who still remained beside the dying ghoul, when
+his mind suddenly reverted to the manhole beneath his feet. Here lay a hiding
+place, at least until the soldiers had departed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney stooped and raised the heavy lid, sliding it to one side. How deep was
+the black chasm beneath he could not even guess. Doubtless it led into a coal
+bunker, or it might open over a pit of great depth. There was no way to
+discover other than to plumb the abyss with his body. Above was
+death&mdash;below, a chance of safety.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The soldiers were quite close when Barney lowered himself through the manhole.
+Clinging with his fingers to the upper edge his feet still swung in space. How
+far beneath was the bottom? He heard the scraping of the heavy shoes of the
+searchers close above him, and then he closed his eyes, released the grasp of
+his fingers, and dropped.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap16"></a>IV.<br />
+A RACE TO LUTHA</h2>
+
+<p>
+Barney&rsquo;s fall was not more than four or five feet. He found himself upon
+a slippery floor of masonry over which two or three inches of water ran
+sluggishly. Above him he heard the soldiers pass the open manhole. It was
+evident that in the darkness they had missed it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a few minutes the fugitive remained motionless, then, hearing no sounds
+from above he started to grope about his retreat. Upon two sides were blank,
+circular walls, upon the other two circular openings about four feet in
+diameter. It was through these openings that the tiny stream of water trickled.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney came to the conclusion that he had dropped into a sewer. To get out the
+way he had entered appeared impossible. He could not leap upward from the
+slimy, concave bottom the distance he had dropped. To follow the sewer upward
+would lead him nowhere nearer escape. There remained no hope but to follow the
+trickling stream downward toward the river, into which his judgment told him
+the entire sewer system of the city must lead.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Stooping, he entered the ill-smelling circular conduit, groping his way slowly
+along. As he went the water deepened. It was half way to his knees when he
+plunged unexpectedly into another tube running at right angles to the first.
+The bottom of this tube was lower than that of the one which emptied into it,
+so that Barney now found himself in a swiftly running stream of filth that
+reached above his knees. Downward he followed this flood&mdash;faster now for
+the fear of the deadly gases which might overpower him before he could reach
+the river.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The water deepened gradually as he went on. At last he reached a point where,
+with his head scraping against the roof of the sewer, his chin was just above
+the surface of the stream. A few more steps would be all that he could take in
+this direction without drowning. Could he retrace his way against the swift
+current? He did not know. He was weakened from the effects of his wound, from
+lack of food and from the exertions of the past hour. Well, he would go on as
+far as he could. The river lay ahead of him somewhere. Behind was only the
+hostile city.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He took another step. His foot found no support. He surged backward in an
+attempt to regain his footing, but the power of the flood was too much for him.
+He was swept forward to plunge into water that surged above his head as he
+sank. An instant later he had regained the surface and as his head emerged he
+opened his eyes.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He looked up into a starlit heaven! He had reached the mouth of the sewer and
+was in the river. For a moment he lay still, floating upon his back to rest.
+Above him he heard the tread of a sentry along the river front, and the sound
+of men&rsquo;s voices.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The sweet, fresh air, the star-shot void above, acted as a powerful tonic to
+his shattered hopes and overwrought nerves. He lay inhaling great lungsful of
+pure, invigorating air. He listened to the voices of the Austrian soldiery
+above him. All the buoyancy of his inherent Americanism returned to him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;This is no place for a minister&rsquo;s son,&rdquo; he murmured, and
+turning over struck out for the opposite shore. The river was not wide, and
+Barney was soon nearing the bank along which he could see occasional camp
+fires. Here, too, were Austrians. He dropped down-stream below these, and at
+last approached the shore where a wood grew close to the water&rsquo;s edge.
+The bank here was steep, and the American had some difficulty in finding a
+place where he could clamber up the precipitous wall of rock. But finally he
+was successful, finding himself in a little clump of bushes on the
+river&rsquo;s brim. Here he lay resting and listening&mdash;always listening.
+It seemed to Barney that his ears ached with the constant strain of unflagging
+duty that his very existence demanded of them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Hearing nothing, he crawled at last from his hiding place with the purpose of
+making his way toward the south and to the frontier as rapidly as possible. He
+could hope only to travel by night, and he guessed that this night must be
+nearly spent. Stooping, he moved cautiously away from the river. Through the
+shadows of the wood he made his way for perhaps a hundred yards when he was
+suddenly confronted by a figure that stepped from behind the bole of a tree.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Halt! Who goes there?&rdquo; came the challenge.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney&rsquo;s heart stood still. With all his care he had run straight into
+the arms of an Austrian sentry. To run would be to be shot. To advance would
+mean capture, and that too would mean death.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For the barest fraction of an instant he hesitated, and then his quick American
+wits came to his aid. Feigning intoxication he answered the challenge in
+dubious Austrian that he hoped his maudlin tongue would excuse.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Friend,&rdquo; he answered thickly. &ldquo;Friend with a
+drink&mdash;have one?&rdquo; And he staggered drunkenly forward, banking all
+upon the credulity and thirst of the soldier who confronted him with fixed
+bayonet.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+That the sentry was both credulous and thirsty was evidenced by the fact that
+he let Barney come within reach of his gun. Instantly the drunken Austrian was
+transformed into a very sober and active engine of destruction. Seizing the
+barrel of the piece Barney jerked it to one side and toward him, and at the
+same instant he leaped for the throat of the sentry.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+So quickly was this accomplished that the Austrian had time only for a single
+cry, and that was choked in his windpipe by the steel fingers of the American.
+Together both men fell heavily to the ground, Barney retaining his hold upon
+the other&rsquo;s throat.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Striking and clutching at one another they fought in silence for a couple of
+minutes, then the soldier&rsquo;s struggles began to weaken. He squirmed and
+gasped for breath. His mouth opened and his tongue protruded. His eyes started
+from their sockets. Barney closed his fingers more tightly upon the bearded
+throat. He rained heavy blows upon the upturned face. The beating fists of his
+adversary waved wildly now&mdash;the blows that reached Barney were pitifully
+weak. Presently they ceased. The man struggled violently for an instant,
+twitched spasmodically and lay still.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney clung to him for several minutes longer, until there was not the
+slightest indication of remaining life. The perpetration of the deed sickened
+him; but he knew that his act was warranted, for it had been either his life or
+the other&rsquo;s. He dragged the body back to the bushes in which he had been
+hiding. There he stripped off the Austrian uniform, put his own clothes upon
+the corpse and rolled it into the river.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Dressed as an Austrian private, Barney Custer shouldered the dead
+soldier&rsquo;s gun and walked boldly through the wood to the south.
+Momentarily he expected to run upon other soldiers, but though he kept straight
+on his way for hours he encountered none. The thin line of sentries along the
+river had been posted only to double the preventive measures that had been
+taken to keep Serbian spies either from entering or leaving the city.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Toward dawn, at the darkest period of the night, Barney saw lights ahead of
+him. Apparently he was approaching a village. He went more cautiously now, but
+all his care did not prevent him from running for the second time that night
+almost into the arms of a sentry. This time, however, Barney saw the soldier
+before he himself was discovered. It was upon the edge of the town, in an
+orchard, that the sentinel was posted. Barney, approaching through the trees,
+darting from one to another, was within a few paces of the man before he saw
+him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American remained quietly in the shadow of a tree waiting for an
+opportunity to escape, but before it came he heard the approach of a small body
+of troops. They were coming from the village directly toward the orchard. They
+passed the sentry and marched within a dozen feet of the tree behind which
+Barney was hiding.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As they came opposite him he slipped around the tree to the opposite side. The
+sentry had resumed his pacing, and was now out of sight momentarily among the
+trees further on. He could not see the American, but there were others who
+could. They came in the shape of a non-commissioned officer and a detachment of
+the guard to relieve the sentry. Barney almost bumped into them as he rounded
+the tree. There was no escape&mdash;the non-commissioned officer was within two
+feet of him when Barney discovered him. &ldquo;What are you doing here?&rdquo;
+shouted the sergeant with an oath. &ldquo;Your post is there,&rdquo; and he
+pointed toward the position where Barney had seen the sentry.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At first Barney could scarce believe his ears. In the darkness the sergeant had
+mistaken him for the sentinel! Could he carry it out? And if so might it not
+lead him into worse predicament? No, Barney decided, nothing could be worse. To
+be caught masquerading in the uniform of an Austrian soldier within the
+Austrian lines was to plumb the uttermost depth of guilt&mdash;nothing that he
+might do now could make his position worse.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He faced the sergeant, snapping his piece to present, hoping that this was the
+proper thing to do. Then he stumbled through a brief excuse. The officer in
+command of the troops that had just passed had demanded the way of him, and he
+had but stepped a few paces from his post to point out the road to his
+superior.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The sergeant grunted and ordered him to fall in. Another man took his place on
+duty. They were far from the enemy and discipline was lax, so the thing was
+accomplished which under other circumstances would have been well nigh
+impossible. A moment later Barney found himself marching back toward the
+village, to all intents and purposes an Austrian private.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Before a low, windowless shed that had been converted into barracks for the
+guard, the detail was dismissed. The men broke ranks and sought their blankets
+within the shed, tired from their lonely vigil upon sentry duty.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney loitered until the last. All the others had entered. He dared not, for
+he knew that any moment the sentry upon the post from which he had been taken
+would appear upon the scene, after discovering another of his comrades. He was
+certain to inquire of the sergeant. They would be puzzled, of course, and,
+being soldiers, they would be suspicious. There would be an investigation,
+which would start in the barracks of the guard. That neighborhood would at once
+become a most unhealthy spot for Barney Custer, of Beatrice, Nebraska.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When the last of the soldiers had entered the shed Barney glanced quickly
+about. No one appeared to notice him. He walked directly past the doorway to
+the end of the building. Around this he found a yard, deeply shadowed. He
+entered it, crossed it, and passed out into an alley beyond. At the first
+cross-street his way was blocked by the sight of another sentry&mdash;the world
+seemed composed entirely of Austrian sentries. Barney wondered if the entire
+Austrian army was kept perpetually upon sentry duty; he had scarce been able to
+turn without bumping into one.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He turned back into the alley and at last found a crooked passageway between
+buildings that he hoped might lead him to a spot where there was no sentry, and
+from which he could find his way out of the village toward the south. The
+passage, after devious windings, led into a large, open court, but when Barney
+attempted to leave the court upon the opposite side he found the ubiquitous
+sentries upon guard there.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Evidently there would be no escape while the Austrians remained in the town.
+There was nothing to do, therefore, but hide until the happy moment of their
+departure arrived. He returned to the courtyard, and after a short search
+discovered a shed in one corner that had evidently been used to stable a horse,
+for there was straw at one end of it and a stall in the other. Barney sat down
+upon the straw to wait developments. Tired nature would be denied no longer.
+His eyes closed, his head drooped upon his breast. In three minutes from the
+time he entered the shed he was stretched full length upon the straw, fast
+asleep.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The chugging of a motor awakened him. It was broad daylight. Many sounds came
+from the courtyard without. It did not take Barney long to gather his scattered
+wits&mdash;in an instant he was wide awake. He glanced about. He was the only
+occupant of the shed. Rising, he approached a small window that looked out upon
+the court. All was life and movement. A dozen military cars either stood about
+or moved in and out of the wide gates at the opposite end of the enclosure.
+Officers and soldiers moved briskly through a doorway that led into a large
+building that flanked the court upon one side. While Barney slept the
+headquarters of an Austrian army corps had moved in and taken possession of the
+building, the back of which abutted upon the court where lay his modest little
+shed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney took it all in at a single glance, but his eyes hung long and greedily
+upon the great, high-powered machines that chugged or purred about him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Gad! If he could but be behind the wheel of such a car for an hour! The
+frontier could not be over fifty miles to the south, of that he was quite
+positive; and what would fifty miles be to one of those machines?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney sighed as a great, gray-painted car whizzed into the courtyard and
+pulled up before the doorway. Two officers jumped out and ran up the steps. The
+driver, a young man in a uniform not unlike that which Barney wore, drew the
+car around to the end of the courtyard close beside Barney&rsquo;s shed. Here
+he left it and entered the building into which his passengers had gone. By
+reaching through the window Barney could have touched the fender of the
+machine. A few seconds&rsquo; start in that and it would take more than an
+Austrian army corps to stop him this side of the border. Thus mused Barney,
+knowing already that the mad scheme that had been born within his brain would
+be put to action before he was many minutes older.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There were many soldiers on guard about the courtyard. The greatest danger lay
+in arousing the suspicions of one of these should he chance to see Barney
+emerge from the shed and enter the car.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The proper thing,&rdquo; thought Barney, &ldquo;is to come from the
+building into which everyone seems to pass, and the only way to be seen coming
+out of it is to get into it; but how the devil am I to get into it?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The longer he thought the more convinced he became that utter recklessness and
+boldness would be his only salvation. Briskly he walked from the shed out into
+the courtyard beneath the eyes of the sentries, the officers, the soldiers, and
+the military drivers. He moved straight among them toward the doorway of the
+headquarters as though bent upon important business&mdash;which, indeed, he
+was. At least it was quite the most important business to Barney Custer that
+that young gentleman could recall having ventured upon for some time.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+No one paid the slightest attention to him. He had left his gun in the shed for
+he noticed that only the men on guard carried them. Without an instant&rsquo;s
+hesitation he ran briskly up the short flight of steps and entered the
+headquarters building. Inside was another sentry who barred his way
+questioningly. Evidently one must state one&rsquo;s business to this person
+before going farther. Barney, without any loss of time or composure, stepped up
+to the guard.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Has General Kampf passed in this morning?&rdquo; he asked blithely.
+Barney had never heard of any &ldquo;General Kampf,&rdquo; nor had the sentry,
+since there was no such person in the Austrian army. But he did know, however,
+that there were altogether too many generals for any one soldier to know the
+names of them all.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I do not know the general by sight,&rdquo; replied the sentry.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Here was a pretty mess, indeed. Doubtless the sergeant would know a great deal
+more than would be good for Barney Custer. The young man looked toward the door
+through which he had just entered. His sole object in coming into the
+spider&rsquo;s parlor had been to make it possible for him to come out again in
+full view of all the guards and officers and military chauffeurs, that their
+suspicions might not be aroused when he put his contemplated coup to the test.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He glanced toward the door. Machines were whizzing in and out of the courtyard.
+Officers on foot were passing and repassing. The sentry in the hallway was on
+the point of calling his sergeant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; cried Barney. &ldquo;There is the general now,&rdquo; and
+without waiting to cast even a parting glance at the guard he stepped quickly
+through the doorway and ran down the steps into the courtyard. Looking neither
+to right nor to left, and with a convincing air of self-confidence and
+important business, he walked directly to the big, gray machine that stood
+beside the little shed at the end of the courtyard.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+To crank it and leap to the driver&rsquo;s seat required but a moment. The big
+car moved smoothly forward. A turn of the steering wheel brought it around
+headed toward the wide gates. Barney shifted to second speed, stepped on the
+accelerator and the cut-out simultaneously, and with a noise like the rattle of
+a machine gun, shot out of the courtyard.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+None who saw his departure could have guessed from the manner of it that the
+young man at the wheel of the gray car was stealing the machine or that his
+life depended upon escape without detection. It was the very boldness of his
+act that crowned it with success.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once in the street Barney turned toward the south. Cars were passing up and
+down in both directions, usually at high speed. Their numbers protected the
+fugitive. Momentarily he expected to be halted; but he passed out of the
+village without mishap and reached a country road which, except for a lane down
+its center along which automobiles were moving, was blocked with troops
+marching southward. Through this soldier-walled lane Barney drove for half an
+hour.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+From a great distance, toward the southeast, he could hear the boom of cannon
+and the bursting of shells. Presently the road forked. The troops were moving
+along the road on the left toward the distant battle line. Not a man or machine
+was turning into the right fork, the road toward the south that Barney wished
+to take.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Could he successfully pass through the marching soldiers at his right? Among
+all those officers there surely would be one who would question the purpose and
+destination of this private soldier who drove alone in the direction of the
+nearby frontier.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The moment had come when he must stake everything on his ability to gain the
+open road beyond the plodding mass of troops. Diminishing the speed of the car
+Barney turned it in toward the marching men at the same time sounding his horn
+loudly. An infantry captain, marching beside his company, was directly in front
+of the car. He looked up at the American. Barney saluted and pointed toward the
+right-hand fork.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The captain turned and shouted a command to his men. Those who had not passed
+in front of the car halted. Barney shot through the little lane they had
+opened, which immediately closed up behind him. He was through! He was upon the
+open road! Ahead, as far as he could see, there was no sign of any living
+creature to bar his way, and the frontier could not be more than twenty-five
+miles away.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap17"></a>V.<br />
+THE TRAITOR KING</h2>
+
+<p>
+In his castle at Lustadt, Leopold of Lutha paced nervously back and forth
+between his great desk and the window that overlooked the royal gardens. Upon
+the opposite side of the desk stood an old man&mdash;a tall, straight, old man
+with the bearing of a soldier and the head of a lion. His keen, gray eyes were
+upon the king, and sorrow was written upon his face. He was Ludwig von der
+Tann, chancellor of the kingdom of Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At last the king stopped his pacing and faced the old man, though he could not
+meet those eagle eyes squarely, try as he would. It was his inability to do so,
+possibly, that added to his anger. Weak himself, he feared this strong man and
+envied him his strength, which, in a weak nature, is but a step from hatred.
+There evidently had been a long pause in their conversation, yet the
+king&rsquo;s next words took up the thread of their argument where it had
+broken.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You speak as though I had no right to do it,&rdquo; he snapped.
+&ldquo;One might think that you were the king from the manner with which you
+upbraid and reproach me. I tell you, Prince von der Tann, that I shall stand it
+no longer.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king approached the desk and pounded heavily upon its polished surface with
+his fist. The physical act of violence imparted to him a certain substitute for
+the moral courage which he lacked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I will tell you, sir, that I am king. It was not necessary that I
+consult you or any other man before pardoning Prince Peter and his associates.
+I have investigated the matter thoroughly and I am convinced that they have
+been taught a sufficient lesson and that hereafter they will be my most loyal
+subjects.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He hesitated. &ldquo;Their presence here,&rdquo; he added, &ldquo;may prove an
+antidote to the ambitions of others who lately have taken it upon themselves to
+rule Lutha for me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was no mistaking the king&rsquo;s meaning, but Prince Ludwig did not show
+by any change of expression that the shot had struck him in a vulnerable spot;
+nor, upon the other hand, did he ignore the insinuation. There was only sorrow
+in his voice when he replied.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;for some time I have been aware of the
+activity of those who would like to see Peter of Blentz returned to favor with
+your majesty. I have warned you, only to see that my motives were always
+misconstrued. There is a greater power at work, your majesty, than any of
+us&mdash;greater than Lutha itself. One that will stop at nothing in order to
+gain its ends. It cares naught for Peter of Blentz, naught for me, naught for
+you. It cares only for Lutha. For strategic purposes it must have Lutha. It
+will trample you under foot to gain its end, and then it will cast Peter of
+Blentz aside. You have insinuated, sire, that I am ambitious. I am. I am
+ambitious to maintain the integrity and freedom of Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;For three hundred years the Von der Tanns have labored and fought for
+the welfare of Lutha. It was a Von der Tann that put the first Rubinroth king
+upon the throne of Lutha. To the last they were loyal to the former dynasty
+while that dynasty was loyal to Lutha. Only when the king attempted to sell the
+freedom of his people to a powerful neighbor did the Von der Tanns rise against
+him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Sire! the Von der Tanns have always been loyal to the house of
+Rubinroth. And but a single thing rises superior within their breasts to that
+loyalty, and that is their loyalty to Lutha.&rdquo; He paused for an instant
+before concluding. &ldquo;And I, sire, am a Von der Tann.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There could be no mistaking the old man&rsquo;s meaning. So long as Leopold was
+loyal to his people and their interests Ludwig von der Tann would be loyal to
+Leopold. The king was cowed. He was very much afraid of this grim old warrior.
+He chafed beneath his censure.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are always scolding me,&rdquo; he cried irritably. &ldquo;I am
+getting tired of it. And now you threaten me. Do you call that loyalty? Do you
+call it loyalty to refuse to compel your daughter to keep her plighted troth?
+If you wish to prove your loyalty command the Princess Emma to fulfil the
+promise you made my father&mdash;command her to wed me at once.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Von der Tann looked the king straight in the eyes.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I cannot do that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;She has told me that she will
+kill herself rather than wed with your majesty. She is all I have left, sire.
+What good would be accomplished by robbing me of her if you could not gain her
+by the act? Win her confidence and love, sire. It may be done. Thus only may
+happiness result to you and to her.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You see,&rdquo; exclaimed the king, &ldquo;what your loyalty amounts to!
+I believe that you are saving her for the impostor&mdash;I have heard as much
+hinted at before this. Nor do I doubt that she would gladly connive with the
+fellow if she thought there was a chance of his seizing the throne.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Von der Tann paled. For the first time righteous indignation and anger got the
+better of him. He took a step toward the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Stop!&rdquo; he commanded. &ldquo;No man, not even my king, may speak
+such words to a Von der Tann.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In an antechamber just outside the room a man sat near the door that led into
+the apartment where the king and his chancellor quarreled. He had been
+straining his ears to catch the conversation which he could hear rising and
+falling in the adjoining chamber, but till now he had been unsuccessful. Then
+came Prince Ludwig&rsquo;s last words booming loudly through the paneled door,
+and the man smiled. He was Count Zellerndorf, the Austrian minister to Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king&rsquo;s outraged majesty goaded him to an angry retort.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You forget yourself, Prince von der Tann,&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Leave
+our presence. When we again desire to be insulted we shall send for you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As the chancellor passed into the antechamber Count Zellerndorf rose and
+greeted him warmly, almost effusively. Von der Tann returned his salutations
+with courtesy but with no answering warmth. Then he passed on out of the
+palace.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The old fox must have heard,&rdquo; he mused as he mounted his horse and
+turned his face toward Tann and the Old Forest.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When Count Zellerndorf of Austria entered the presence of Leopold of Lutha he
+found that young ruler much disturbed. He had resumed his restless pacing
+between desk and window, and as the Austrian entered he scarce paused to
+receive his salutation. Count Zellerndorf was a frequent visitor at the palace.
+There were few formalities between this astute diplomat and the young king;
+those had passed gradually away as their acquaintance and friendship ripened.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Prince Ludwig appeared angry when he passed through the
+antechamber,&rdquo; ventured Zellerndorf. &ldquo;Evidently your majesty found
+cause to rebuke him.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king nodded and looked narrowly at the Austrian. &ldquo;The Prince von der
+Tann insinuated that Austria&rsquo;s only wish in connection with Lutha is to
+seize her,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Zellerndorf raised his hands in well-simulated horror.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your majesty!&rdquo; he exclaimed. &ldquo;It cannot be that the prince
+has gone to such lengths to turn you against your best friend, my emperor. If
+he has I can only attribute it to his own ambitions. I have hesitated to speak
+to you of this matter, your majesty, but now that the honor of my own ruler is
+questioned I must defend him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Bear with me then, should what I have to say wound you. I well know the
+confidence which the house of Von der Tann has enjoyed for centuries in Lutha;
+but I must brave your wrath in the interest of right. I must tell you that it
+is common gossip in Vienna that Von der Tann aspires to the throne of Lutha
+either for himself or for his daughter through the American impostor who once
+sat upon your throne for a few days. And let me tell you more.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The American will never again menace you&mdash;he was arrested in
+Burgova as a spy and executed. He is dead; but not so are Von der Tann&rsquo;s
+ambitions. When he learns that he no longer may rely upon the strain of the
+Rubinroth blood that flowed in the veins of the American from his royal mother,
+the runaway Princess Victoria, there will remain to him only the other
+alternative of seizing the throne for himself. He is a very ambitious man, your
+majesty. Already he has caused it to become current gossip that he is the real
+power behind the throne of Lutha&mdash;that your majesty is but a figure-head,
+the puppet of Von der Tann.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Zellerndorf paused. He saw the flush of shame and anger that suffused the
+king&rsquo;s face, and then he shot the bolt that he had come to fire, but
+which he had not dared to hope would find its target so denuded of defense.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your majesty,&rdquo; he whispered, coming quite close to the king,
+&ldquo;all Lutha is inclined to believe that you fear Prince von der Tann. Only
+a few of us know the truth to be the contrary. For the sake of your prestige
+you must take some step to counteract this belief and stamp it out for good and
+all. I have planned a way&mdash;hear it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Von der Tann&rsquo;s hatred of Peter of Blentz is well known. No man in
+Lutha believes that he would permit you to have any intercourse with Peter. I
+have brought from Blentz an invitation to your majesty to honor the Blentz
+prince with your presence as a guest for the ensuing week. Accept it, your
+majesty.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nothing could more conclusively prove to the most skeptical that you are
+still the king, and that Von der Tann, nor any other, may not dare to dictate
+to you. It will be the most splendid stroke of statesmanship that you could
+achieve at the present moment.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For an instant the king stood in thought. He still feared Peter of Blentz as
+the devil is reputed to fear holy water, though for converse reasons. Yet he
+was very angry with Von der Tann. It would indeed be an excellent way to teach
+the presumptuous chancellor his place.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Leopold almost smiled as he thought of the chagrin with which Prince Ludwig
+would receive the news that he had gone to Blentz as the guest of Peter. It was
+the last impetus that was required by his weak, vindictive nature to press it
+to a decision.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I will go tomorrow.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was late the following day that Prince von der Tann received in his castle
+in the Old Forest word that an Austrian army had crossed the Luthanian
+frontier&mdash;the neutrality of Lutha had been violated. The old chancellor
+set out immediately for Lustadt. At the palace he sought an interview with the
+king only to learn that Leopold had departed earlier in the day to visit Peter
+of Blentz.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was but one thing to do and that was to follow the king to Blentz. Some
+action must be taken immediately&mdash;it would never do to let this breach of
+treaty pass unnoticed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The Serbian minister who had sent word to the chancellor of the invasion by the
+Austrian troops was closeted with him for an hour after his arrival at the
+palace. It was clear to both these men that the hand of Zellerndorf was plainly
+in evidence in both the important moves that had occurred in Lutha within the
+past twenty-four hours&mdash;the luring of the king to Blentz and the entrance
+of Austrian soldiery into Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Following his interview with the Serbian minister Von der Tann rode toward
+Blentz with only his staff in attendance. It was long past midnight when the
+lights of the town appeared directly ahead of the little party. They rode at a
+trot along the road which passes through the village to wind upward again
+toward the ancient feudal castle that looks down from its hilltop upon the
+town.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the edge of the village Von der Tann was thunderstruck by a challenge from a
+sentry posted in the road, nor was his dismay lessened when he discovered that
+the man was an Austrian.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What is the meaning of this?&rdquo; he cried angrily. &ldquo;What are
+Austrian soldiers doing barring the roads of Lutha to the chancellor of
+Lutha?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The sentry called an officer. The latter was extremely suave. He regretted the
+incident, but his orders were most positive&mdash;no one could be permitted to
+pass through the lines without an order from the general commanding. He would
+go at once to the general and see if he could procure the necessary order.
+Would the prince be so good as to await his return? Von der Tann turned on the
+young officer, his face purpling with rage.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I will pass nowhere within the boundaries of Lutha,&rdquo; he said,
+&ldquo;upon the order of an Austrian. You may tell your general that my only
+regret is that I have not with me tonight the necessary force to pass through
+his lines to my king&mdash;another time I shall not be so handicapped,&rdquo;
+and Ludwig, Prince von der Tann, wheeled his mount and spurred away in the
+direction of Lustadt, at his heels an extremely angry and revengeful staff.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap18"></a>VI.<br />
+A TRAP IS SPRUNG</h2>
+
+<p>
+Long before Prince von der Tann reached Lustadt he had come to the conclusion
+that Leopold was in virtue a prisoner in Blentz. To prove his conclusion he
+directed one of his staff to return to Blentz and attempt to have audience with
+the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Risk anything,&rdquo; he instructed the officer to whom he had entrusted
+the mission. &ldquo;Submit, if necessary, to the humiliation of seeking an
+Austrian pass through the lines to the castle. See the king at any cost and
+deliver this message to him and to him alone and secretly. Tell him my fears,
+and that if I do not have word from him within twenty-four hours I shall assume
+that he is indeed a prisoner.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I shall then direct the mobilization of the army and take such steps as
+seem fit to rescue him and drive the invaders from the soil of Lutha. If you do
+not return I shall understand that you are held prisoner by the Austrians and
+that my worst fears have been realized.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But Prince Ludwig was one who believed in being forehanded and so it happened
+that the orders for the mobilization of the army of Lutha were issued within
+fifteen minutes of his return to Lustadt. It would do no harm, thought the old
+man, with a grim smile, to get things well under way a day ahead of time. This
+accomplished, he summoned the Serbian minister, with what purpose and to what
+effect became historically evident several days later. When, after twenty-four
+hours&rsquo; absence, his aide had not returned from Blentz, the chancellor had
+no regrets for his forehandedness.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In the castle of Peter of Blentz the king of Lutha was being entertained
+royally. He was told nothing of the attempt of his chancellor to see him, nor
+did he know that a messenger from Prince von der Tann was being held a prisoner
+in the camp of the Austrians in the village. He was surrounded by the creatures
+of Prince Peter and by Peter&rsquo;s staunch allies, the Austrian minister and
+the Austrian officers attached to the expeditionary force occupying the town.
+They told him that they had positive information that the Serbians already had
+crossed the frontier into Lutha, and that the presence of the Austrian troops
+was purely for the protection of Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was not until the morning following the rebuff of Prince von der Tann that
+Peter of Blentz, Count Zellerndorf and Maenck heard of the occurrence. They
+were chagrined by the accident, for they were not ready to deliver their final
+stroke. The young officer of the guard had, of course, but followed his
+instructions&mdash;who would have thought that old Von der Tann would come to
+Blentz! That he suspected their motives seemed apparent, and now that his
+rebuff at the gates had aroused his ire and, doubtless, crystallized his
+suspicions, they might find in him a very ugly obstacle to the fruition of
+their plans.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With Von der Tann actively opposed to them, the value of having the king upon
+their side would be greatly minimized. The people and the army had every
+confidence in the old chancellor. Even if he opposed the king there was reason
+to believe that they might still side with him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What is to be done?&rdquo; asked Zellerndorf. &ldquo;Is there no way
+either to win or force Von der Tann to acquiescence?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I think we can accomplish it,&rdquo; said Prince Peter, after a moment
+of thought. &ldquo;Let us see Leopold. His mind has been prepared to receive
+almost gratefully any insinuations against the loyalty of Von der Tann. With
+proper evidence the king may easily be persuaded to order the
+chancellor&rsquo;s arrest&mdash;possibly his execution as well.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+So they saw the king, only to meet a stubborn refusal upon the part of Leopold
+to accede to their suggestions. He still was madly in love with Von der
+Tann&rsquo;s daughter, and he knew that a blow delivered at her father would
+only tend to increase her bitterness toward him. The conspirators were
+nonplussed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They had looked for a comparatively easy road to the consummation of their
+desires. What in the world could be the cause of the king&rsquo;s stubborn
+desire to protect the man they knew he feared, hated, and mistrusted with all
+the energy of his suspicious nature? It was the king himself who answered their
+unspoken question.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I cannot believe in the disloyalty of Prince Ludwig,&rdquo; he said,
+&ldquo;nor could I, even if I desired it, take such drastic steps as you
+suggest. Some day the Princess Emma, his daughter, will be my queen.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Count Zellerndorf was the first to grasp the possibilities that lay in the
+suggestion the king&rsquo;s words carried.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your majesty,&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;there is a way to unite all
+factions in Lutha. It would be better to insure the loyalty of Von der Tann
+through bonds of kinship than to antagonize him. Marry the Princess Emma at
+once.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wait, your majesty,&rdquo; he added, as Leopold raised an objecting
+hand. &ldquo;I am well informed as to the strange obstinacy of the princess,
+but for the welfare of the state&mdash;yes, for the sake of your very throne,
+sire&mdash;you should exert your royal prerogatives and command the Princess
+Emma to carry out the terms of your betrothal.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What do you mean, Zellerndorf?&rdquo; asked the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I mean, sire, that we should bring the princess here and compel her to
+marry you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Leopold shook his head. &ldquo;You do not know her,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You
+do not know the Von der Tann nature&mdash;one cannot force a Von der
+Tann.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Pardon, sire,&rdquo; urged Zellerndorf, &ldquo;but I think it can be
+accomplished. If the Princess Emma knew that your majesty believed her father
+to be a traitor&mdash;that the order for his arrest and execution but awaited
+your signature&mdash;I doubt not that she would gladly become queen of Lutha,
+with her father&rsquo;s life and liberty as a wedding gift.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For several minutes no one spoke after Count Zellerndorf had ceased. Leopold
+sat looking at the toe of his boot. Peter of Blentz, Maenck, and the Austrian
+watched him intently. The possibilities of the plan were sinking deep into the
+minds of all four. At last the king rose. He was mumbling to himself as though
+unconscious of the presence of the others.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;She is a stubborn jade,&rdquo; he mumbled. &ldquo;It would be an
+excellent lesson for her. She needs to be taught that I am her king,&rdquo; and
+then as though his conscience required a sop, &ldquo;I shall be very good to
+her. Afterward she will be happy.&rdquo; He turned toward Zellerndorf.
+&ldquo;You think it can be done?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Most assuredly, your majesty. We shall take immediate steps to fetch the
+Princess Emma to Blentz,&rdquo; and the Austrian rose and backed from the
+apartment lest the king change his mind. Prince Peter and Maenck followed him.
+</p>
+
+<p class="p2">
+Princess Emma von der Tann sat in her boudoir in her father&rsquo;s castle in
+the Old Forest. Except for servants, she was alone in the fortress, for Prince
+von der Tann was in Lustadt. Her mind was occupied with memories of the young
+American who had entered her life under such strange circumstances two years
+before&mdash;memories that had been awakened by the return of Lieutenant Otto
+Butzow to Lutha. He had come directly to her father and had been attached to
+the prince&rsquo;s personal staff.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+From him she had heard a great deal about Barney Custer, and the old interest,
+never a moment forgotten during these two years, was reawakened to all its
+former intensity.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow had accompanied Prince Ludwig to Lustadt, but Princess Emma would not go
+with them. For two years she had not entered the capital, and much of that
+period had been spent in Paris. Only within the past fortnight had she returned
+to Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In the middle of the morning her reveries were interrupted by the entrance of a
+servant bearing a message. She had to read it twice before she could realize
+its purport; though it was plainly worded&mdash;the shock of it had stunned
+her. It was dated at Lustadt and signed by one of the palace functionaries:
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Prince von der Tann has suffered a slight stroke. Do not be alarmed, but come
+at once. The two troopers who bear this message will act as your escort.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It required but a few minutes for the girl to change to her riding clothes, and
+when she ran down into the court she found her horse awaiting her in the hands
+of her groom, while close by two mounted troopers raised their hands to their
+helmets in salute.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A moment later the three clattered over the drawbridge and along the road that
+leads toward Lustadt. The escort rode a short distance behind the girl, and
+they were hard put to it to hold the mad pace which she set them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A few miles from Tann the road forks. One branch leads toward the capital and
+the other winds over the hills in the direction of Blentz. The fork occurs
+within the boundaries of the Old Forest. Great trees overhang the winding road,
+casting a twilight shade even at high noon. It is a lonely spot, far from any
+habitation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As the Princess Emma approached the fork she reined in her mount, for across
+the road to Lustadt a dozen horsemen barred her way. At first she thought
+nothing of it, turning her horse&rsquo;s head to the righthand side of the road
+to pass the party, all of whom were in uniform; but as she did so one of the
+men reined directly in her path. The act was obviously intentional.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl looked quickly up into the man&rsquo;s face, and her own went white.
+He who stopped her way was Captain Ernst Maenck. She had not seen the man for
+two years, but she had good cause to remember him as the governor of the castle
+of Blentz and the man who had attempted to take advantage of her helplessness
+when she had been a prisoner in Prince Peter&rsquo;s fortress. Now she looked
+straight into the fellow&rsquo;s eyes.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Let me pass, please,&rdquo; she said coldly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am sorry,&rdquo; replied Maenck with an evil smile; &ldquo;but the
+king&rsquo;s orders are that you accompany me to Blentz&mdash;the king is
+there.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For answer the girl drove her spur into her mount&rsquo;s side. The animal
+leaped forward, striking Maenck&rsquo;s horse on the shoulder and half turning
+him aside, but the man clutched at the girl&rsquo;s bridle-rein, and, seizing
+it, brought her to a stop.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You may as well come voluntarily, for come you must,&rdquo; he said.
+&ldquo;It will be easier for you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I shall not come voluntarily,&rdquo; she replied. &ldquo;If you take me
+to Blentz you will have to take me by force, and if my king is not sufficiently
+a gentleman to demand an accounting of you, I am at least more fortunate in the
+possession of a father who will.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your father will scarce wish to question the acts of his king,&rdquo;
+said Maenck&mdash;&ldquo;his king and the husband of his daughter.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo; she cried.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That before you are many hours older, your highness, you will be queen
+of Lutha.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The Princess Emma turned toward her tardy escort that had just arrived upon the
+scene.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;This person has stopped me,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and will not permit
+me to continue toward Lustadt. Make a way for me; you are armed!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck smiled. &ldquo;Both of them are my men,&rdquo; he explained.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl saw it all now&mdash;the whole scheme to lure her to Blentz. Even
+then, though, she could not believe the king had been one of the conspirators
+of the plot.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Weak as he was he was still a Rubinroth, and it was difficult for a Von der
+Tann to believe in the duplicity of a member of the house they had served so
+loyally for centuries. With bowed head the princess turned her horse into the
+road that led toward Blentz. Half the troopers preceded her, the balance
+following behind.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck wondered at the promptness of her surrender.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;To be a queen&mdash;ah! that was the great temptation,&rdquo; he thought
+but he did not know what was passing in the girl&rsquo;s mind. She had seen
+that escape for the moment was impossible, and so had decided to bide her time
+until a more propitious chance should come. In silence she rode among her
+captors. The thought of being brought to Blentz alive was unbearable.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Somewhere along the road there would be an opportunity to escape. Her horse was
+fleet; with a short start he could easily outdistance these heavier cavalry
+animals and as a last resort she could&mdash;she must&mdash;find some way to
+end her life, rather than to be dragged to the altar beside Leopold of Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Since childhood Emma von der Tann had ridden these hilly roads. She knew every
+lane and bypath for miles around. She knew the short cuts, the gullies and
+ravines. She knew where one might, with a good jumper, save a wide detour, and
+as she rode toward Blentz she passed in review through her mind each of the
+many spots where a sudden break for liberty might have the best chance to
+succeed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And at last she hit upon the place where a quick turn would take her from the
+main road into the roughest sort of going for one not familiar with the trail.
+Maenck and his soldiers had already partially relaxed their vigilance. The
+officer had come to the conclusion that his prisoner was resigned to her fate
+and that, after all, the fate of being forced to be queen did not appear so
+dark to her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They had wound up a wooded hill and were half way up to the summit. The
+princess was riding close to the right-hand side of the road. Quite suddenly,
+and before a hand could be raised to stay her, she wheeled her mount between
+two trees, struck home her spur, and was gone into the wood upon the steep
+hillside.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With an oath, Maenck cried to his men to be after her. He himself spurred into
+the forest at the point where the girl had disappeared. So sudden had been her
+break for liberty and so quickly had the foliage swallowed her that there was
+something almost uncanny in it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A hundred yards from the road the trees were further apart, and through them
+the pursuers caught a glimpse of their quarry. The girl was riding like mad
+along the rough, uneven hillside. Her mount, surefooted as a chamois, seemed in
+his element. But two of the horses of her pursuers were as swift, and under the
+cruel spurs of their riders were closing up on their fugitive. The girl urged
+her horse to greater speed, yet still the two behind closed in.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A hundred yards ahead lay a deep and narrow gully, hid by bushes that grew
+rankly along its verge. Straight toward this the Princess Emma von der Tann
+rode. Behind her came her pursuers&mdash;two quite close and the others
+trailing farther in the rear. The girl reined in a trifle, letting the troopers
+that were closest to her gain until they were but a few strides behind, then
+she put spur to her horse and drove him at topmost speed straight toward the
+gully. At the bushes she spoke a low word in his backlaid ears, raised him
+quickly with the bit, leaning forward as he rose in air. Like a bird that
+animal took the bushes and the gully beyond, while close behind him crashed the
+two luckless troopers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Emma von der Tann cast a single backward glance over her shoulder, as her horse
+regained his stride upon the opposite side of the gully, to see her two
+foremost pursuers plunging headlong into it. Then she shook free her reins and
+gave her mount his head along a narrow trail that both had followed many times
+before.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Behind her, Maenck and the balance of his men came to a sudden stop at the edge
+of the gully. Below them one of the troopers was struggling to his feet. The
+other lay very still beneath his motionless horse. With an angry oath Maenck
+directed one of his men to remain and help the two who had plunged over the
+brink, then with the others he rode along the gully searching for a crossing.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Before they found one their captive was a mile ahead of them, and, barring
+accident, quite beyond recapture. She was making for a highway that would lead
+her to Lustadt. Ordinarily she had been wont to bear a little to the north-east
+at this point and strike back into the road that she had just left; but today
+she feared to do so lest she be cut off before she gained the north and south
+highroad which the other road crossed a little farther on.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+To her right was a small farm across which she had never ridden, for she always
+had made it a point never to trespass upon fenced grounds. On the opposite side
+of the farm was a wood, and somewhere beyond that a small stream which the
+highroad crossed upon a little bridge. It was all new country to her, but it
+must be ventured.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She took the fence at the edge of the clearing and then reined in a moment to
+look behind her. A mile away she saw the head and shoulders of a horseman above
+some low bushes&mdash;the pursuers had found a way through the gully.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Turning once more to her flight the girl rode rapidly across the fields toward
+the wood. Here she found a high wire fence so close to thickly growing trees
+upon the opposite side that she dared not attempt to jump it&mdash;there was no
+point at which she would not have been raked from the saddle by overhanging
+boughs. Slipping to the ground she attacked the barrier with her bare hands,
+attempting to tear away the staples that held the wire in place. For several
+minutes she surged and tugged upon the unyielding metal strand. An occasional
+backward glance revealed to her horrified eyes the rapid approach of her
+enemies. One of them was far in advance of the others&mdash;in another moment
+he would be upon her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With redoubled fury she turned again to the fence. A superhuman effort brought
+away a staple. One wire was down and an instant later two more. Standing with
+one foot upon the wires to keep them from tangling about her horse&rsquo;s
+legs, she pulled her mount across into the wood. The foremost horseman was
+close upon her as she finally succeeded in urging the animal across the fallen
+wires.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl sprang to her horse&rsquo;s side just as the man reached the fence.
+The wires, released from her weight, sprang up breast high against his horse.
+He leaped from the saddle the instant that the girl was swinging into her own.
+Then the fellow jumped the fence and caught her bridle.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She struck at him with her whip, lashing him across the head and face, but he
+clung tightly, dragged hither and thither by the frightened horse, until at
+last he managed to reach the girl&rsquo;s arm and drag her to the ground.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Almost at the same instant a man, unkempt and disheveled, sprang from behind a
+tree and with a single blow stretched the trooper unconscious upon the ground.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap19"></a>VII.<br />
+BARNEY TO THE RESCUE</h2>
+
+<p>
+As Barney Custer raced along the Austrian highroad toward the frontier and
+Lutha, his spirits rose to a pitch of buoyancy to which they had been strangers
+for the past several days. For the first time in many hours it seemed possible
+to Barney to entertain reasonable hopes of escape from the extremely dangerous
+predicament into which he had gotten himself.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He was even humming a gay little tune as he drove into a tiny hamlet through
+which the road wound. No sign of military appeared to fill him with
+apprehension. He was very hungry and the odor of cooking fell gratefully upon
+his nostrils. He drew up before the single inn, and presently, washed and
+brushed, was sitting before the first meal he had seen for two days. In the
+enjoyment of the food he almost forgot the dangers he had passed through, or
+that other dangers might be lying in wait for him at his elbow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+From the landlord he learned that the frontier lay but three miles to the south
+of the hamlet. Three miles! Three miles to Lutha! What if there was a price
+upon his head in that kingdom? It was HER home. It had been his mother&rsquo;s
+birthplace. He loved it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Further, he must enter there and reach the ear of old Prince von der Tann. Once
+more he must save the king who had shown such scant gratitude upon another
+occasion.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For Leopold, Barney Custer did not give the snap of his fingers; but what
+Leopold, the king, stood for in the lives and sentiments of the
+Luthanians&mdash;of the Von der Tanns&mdash;was very dear to the American
+because it was dear to a trim, young girl and to a rugged, leonine, old man, of
+both of whom Barney was inordinately fond. And possibly, too, it was dear to
+him because of the royal blood his mother had bequeathed him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+His meal disposed of to the last morsel, and paid for, Barney entered the
+stolen car and resumed his journey toward Lutha. That he could remain there he
+knew to be impossible, but in delivering his news to Prince Ludwig he might
+have an opportunity to see the Princess Emma once again&mdash;it would be worth
+risking his life for, of that he was perfectly satisfied. And then he could go
+across into Serbia with the new credentials that he had no doubt Prince von der
+Tann would furnish him for the asking to replace those the Austrians had
+confiscated.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the frontier Barney was halted by an Austrian customs officer; but when the
+latter recognized the military car and the Austrian uniform of the driver he
+waved him through without comment. Upon the other side the American expected
+possible difficulty with the Luthanian customs officer, but to his surprise he
+found the little building deserted, and none to bar his way. At last he was in
+Lutha&mdash;by noon on the following day he should be at Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+To reach the Old Forest by the best roads it was necessary to bear a little to
+the southeast, passing through Tafelberg and striking the north and south
+highway between that point and Lustadt, to which he could hold until reaching
+the east and west road that runs through both Tann and Blentz on its way across
+the kingdom.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The temptation to stop for a few minutes in Tafelberg for a visit with his old
+friend Herr Kramer was strong, but fear that he might be recognized by others,
+who would not guard his secret so well as the shopkeeper of Tafelberg would,
+decided him to keep on his way. So he flew through the familiar main street of
+the quaint old village at a speed that was little, if any less, than fifty
+miles an hour.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+On he raced toward the south, his speed often necessarily diminished upon the
+winding mountain roads, but for the most part clinging to a reckless mileage
+that caused the few natives he encountered to flee to the safety of the
+bordering fields, there to stand in open-mouthed awe.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Halfway between Tafelberg and the crossroad into which he purposed turning to
+the west toward Tann there is an S-curve where the bases of two small hills
+meet. The road here is narrow and treacherous&mdash;fifteen miles an hour is
+almost a reckless speed at which to travel around the curves of the S. Beyond
+are open fields upon either side of the road.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney took the turns carefully and had just emerged into the last leg of the S
+when he saw, to his consternation, a half-dozen Austrian infantrymen lolling
+beside the road. An officer stood near them talking with a sergeant. To turn
+back in that narrow road was impossible. He could only go ahead and trust to
+his uniform and the military car to carry him safely through. Before he reached
+the group of soldiers the fields upon either hand came into view. They were
+dotted with tents, wagons, motor-vans and artillery. What did it mean? What was
+this Austrian army doing in Lutha?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Already the officer had seen him. This was doubtless an outpost, however
+clumsily placed it might be for strategic purposes. To pass it was
+Barney&rsquo;s only hope. He had passed through one Austrian army&mdash;why not
+another? He approached the outpost at a moderate rate of speed&mdash;to tear
+toward it at the rate his heart desired would be to awaken not suspicion only
+but positive conviction that his purposes and motives were ulterior.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The officer stepped toward the road as though to halt him. Barney pretended to
+be fussing with some refractory piece of controlling mechanism beneath the
+cowl&mdash;apparently he did not see the officer. He was just opposite him when
+the latter shouted to him. Barney straightened up quickly and saluted, but did
+not stop.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Halt!&rdquo; cried the officer.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney pointed down the road in the direction in which he was headed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Halt!&rdquo; repeated the officer, running to the car.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney glanced ahead. Two hundred yards farther on was another
+post&mdash;beyond that he saw no soldiers. He turned and shouted a volley of
+intentionally unintelligible jargon at the officer, continuing to point ahead
+of him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He hoped to confuse the man for the few seconds necessary for him to reach the
+last post. If the soldiers there saw that he had been permitted to pass through
+the first they doubtless would not hinder his further passage. That they were
+watching him Barney could see.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He had passed the officer now. There was no necessity for dalliance. He pressed
+the accelerator down a trifle. The car moved forward at increased speed. A
+final angry shout broke from the officer behind him, followed by a quick
+command. Barney did not have to wait long to learn the tenor of the order, for
+almost immediately a shot sounded from behind and a bullet whirred above his
+head. Another shot and another followed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney was pressing the accelerator downward to the limit. The car responded
+nobly&mdash;there was no sputtering, no choking. Just a rapid rush of
+increasing momentum as the machine gained headway by leaps and bounds.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The bullets were ripping the air all about him. Just ahead the second outpost
+stood directly in the center of the road. There were three soldiers and they
+were taking deliberate aim, as carefully as though upon the rifle range. It
+seemed to Barney that they couldn&rsquo;t miss him. He swerved the car suddenly
+from one side of the road to the other. At the rate that it was going the move
+was fraught with but little less danger than the supine facing of the leveled
+guns ahead.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The three rifles spoke almost simultaneously. The glass of the windshield
+shattered in Barney&rsquo;s face. There was a hole in the left-hand front
+fender that had not been there before.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Rotten shooting,&rdquo; commented Barney Custer, of Beatrice.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The soldiers still stood in the center of the road firing at the swaying car
+as, lurching from side to side, it bore down upon them. Barney sounded the
+raucous military horn; but the soldiers seemed unconscious of their
+danger&mdash;they still stood there pumping lead toward the onrushing
+Juggernaut. At the last instant they attempted to rush from its path; but they
+were too late.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At over sixty miles an hour the huge, gray monster bore down upon them. One of
+them fell beneath the wheels&mdash;the two others were thrown high in air as
+the bumper struck them. The body of the man who had fallen beneath the wheels
+threw the car half way across the road&mdash;only iron nerve and strong arms
+held it from the ditch upon the opposite side.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer had never been nearer death than at that moment&mdash;not even
+when he faced the firing squad before the factory wall in Burgova. He had done
+that without a tremor&mdash;he had heard the bullets of the outpost whistling
+about his head a moment before, with a smile upon his lips&mdash;he had faced
+the leveled rifles of the three he had ridden down and he had not quailed. But
+now, his machine in the center of the road again, he shook like a leaf, still
+in the grip of the sickening nausea of that awful moment when the mighty,
+insensate monster beneath him had reeled drunkenly in its mad flight, swerving
+toward the ditch and destruction.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a few minutes he held to his rapid pace before he looked around, and then
+it was to see two cars climbing into the road from the encampment in the field
+and heading toward him in pursuit. Barney grinned. Once more he was master of
+his nerves. They&rsquo;d have a merry chase, he thought, and again he
+accelerated the speed of the car. Once before he had had it up to seventy-five
+miles, and for a moment, when he had had no opportunity to even glance at the
+speedometer, much higher. Now he was to find the maximum limit of the
+possibilities of the brave car he had come to look upon with real affection.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The road ahead was comparatively straight and level. Behind him came the enemy.
+Barney watched the road rushing rapidly out of sight beneath the gray fenders.
+He glanced occasionally at the speedometer. Seventy-five miles an hour.
+Seventy-seven! &ldquo;Going some,&rdquo; murmured Barney as he saw the needle
+vibrate up to eighty. Gradually he nursed her up and up to greater speed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Eighty-five! The trees were racing by him in an indistinct blur of green. The
+fences were thin, wavering lines&mdash;the road a white-gray ribbon, ironed by
+the terrific speed to smooth unwrinkledness. He could not take his eyes from
+the business of steering to glance behind; but presently there broke faintly
+through the whir of the wind beating against his ears the faint report of a
+gun. He was being fired upon again. He pressed down still further upon the
+accelerator. The car answered to the pressure. The needle rose steadily until
+it reached ninety miles an hour&mdash;and topped it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then from somewhere in the radiator hose a hissing and a spurt of steam. Barney
+was dumbfounded. He had filled the cooling system at the inn where he had
+eaten. It had been working perfectly before and since. What could have
+happened? There could be but a single explanation. A bullet from the gun of one
+of the three men who had attempted to stop him at the second outpost had
+penetrated the radiator, and had slowly drained it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney knew that the end was near, since the usefulness of the car in
+furthering his escape was over. At the speed he was going it would be but a
+short time before the superheated pistons expanding in their cylinders would
+tear the motor to pieces. Barney felt that he would be lucky if he himself were
+not killed when it happened.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He reduced his speed and glanced behind. His pursuers had not gained upon him,
+but they still were coming. A bend in the road shut them from his view. A
+little way ahead the road crossed over a river upon a wooden bridge. On the
+opposite side and to the right of the road was a wood. It seemed to offer the
+most likely possibilities of concealment in the vicinity. If he could but throw
+his pursuers off the trail for a while he might succeed in escaping through the
+wood, eventually reaching Tann on foot. He had a rather hazy idea of the exact
+direction of the town and castle, but that he could find them eventually he was
+sure.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The sight of the river and the bridge he was nearing suggested a plan, and the
+ominous grating of the overheated motor warned him that whatever he was to do
+he must do at once. As he neared the bridge he reduced the speed of the car to
+fifteen miles an hour, and set the hand throttle to hold it there. Still
+gripping the steering wheel with one hand, he climbed over the left-hand door
+to the running board. As the front wheels of the car ran up onto the bridge
+Barney gave the steering wheel a sudden turn to the right, and jumped.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The car veered toward the wooden handrail, there was a splintering of
+stanchions, as, with a crash, the big machine plunged through them headforemost
+into the river. Without waiting to give even a glance at his handiwork Barney
+Custer ran across the bridge, leaped the fence upon the right-hand side and
+plunged into the shelter of the wood.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then he turned to look back up the road in the direction from which his
+pursuers were coming. They were not in sight&mdash;they had not seen his ruse.
+The water in the river was of sufficient depth to completely cover the
+car&mdash;no sign of it appeared above the surface.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney turned into the wood smiling. His scheme had worked well. The occupants
+of the two cars following him might not note the broken handrail, or, if they
+did, might not connect it with Barney in any way. In this event they would
+continue in the direction of Lustadt, wondering what in the world had become of
+their quarry. Or, if they guessed that his car had gone over into the river,
+they would doubtless believe that its driver had gone with it. In either event
+Barney would be given ample time to find his way to Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He wished that he might find other clothes, since if he were dressed otherwise
+there would be no reason to imagine that his pursuers would recognize him
+should they come upon him. None of them could possibly have gained a
+sufficiently good look at his features to recognize them again.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The Austrian uniform, however, would convict him, or at least lay him under
+suspicion, and in Barney&rsquo;s present case, suspicion was as good as
+conviction were he to fall into the hands of the Austrians. The garb had served
+its purpose well in aiding in his escape from Austria, but now it was more of a
+menace than an asset.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a week Barney Custer wandered through the woods and mountains of Lutha. He
+did not dare approach or question any human being. Several times he had seen
+Austrian cavalry that seemed to be scouring the country for some purpose that
+the American could easily believe was closely connected with himself. At least
+he did not feel disposed to stop them, as they cantered past his hiding place,
+to inquire the nature of their business.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Such farmhouses as he came upon he gave a wide berth except at night, and then
+he only approached them stealthily for such provender as he might filch. Before
+the week was up he had become an expert chicken thief, being able to rob a
+roost as quietly as the most finished carpetbagger on the sunny side of Mason
+and Dixon&rsquo;s line.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A careless housewife, leaving her lord and master&rsquo;s rough shirt and
+trousers hanging upon the line overnight, had made possible for Barney the
+coveted change in raiment. Now he was barged as a Luthanian peasant. He was
+hatless, since the lady had failed to hang out her mate&rsquo;s woolen cap, and
+Barney had not dared retain a single vestige of the damning Austrian uniform.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+What the peasant woman thought when she discovered the empty line the following
+morning Barney could only guess, but he was morally certain that her grief was
+more than tempered by the gold piece he had wrapped in a bit of cloth torn from
+the soldier&rsquo;s coat he had worn, which he pinned on the line where the
+shirt and pants had been.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was somewhere near noon upon the seventh day that Barney skirting a little
+stream, followed through the concealing shade of a forest toward the west. In
+his peasant dress he now felt safer to approach a farmhouse and inquire his way
+to Tann, for he had come a sufficient distance from the spot where he had
+stolen his new clothes to hope that they would not be recognized or that the
+news of their theft had not preceded him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As he walked he heard the sound of the feet of a horse galloping over a dry
+field&mdash;muffled, rapid thud approaching closer upon his right hand. Barney
+remained motionless. He was sure that the rider would not enter the wood which,
+with its low-hanging boughs and thick underbrush, was ill adapted to
+equestrianism.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Closer and closer came the sound until it ceased suddenly scarce a hundred
+yards from where the American hid. He waited in silence to discover what would
+happen next. Would the rider enter the wood on foot? What was his purpose? Was
+it another Austrian who had by some miracle discovered the whereabouts of the
+fugitive? Barney could scarce believe it possible.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Presently he heard another horse approaching at the same mad gallop. He heard
+the sound of rapid, almost frantic efforts of some nature where the first horse
+had come to a stop. He heard a voice urging the animal forward&mdash;pleading,
+threatening. A woman&rsquo;s voice. Barney&rsquo;s excitement became intense in
+sympathy with the subdued excitement of the woman whom he could not as yet see.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A moment later the second rider came to a stop at the same point at which the
+first had reined in. A man&rsquo;s voice rose roughly. &ldquo;Halt!&rdquo; it
+cried. &ldquo;In the name of the king, halt!&rdquo; The American could no
+longer resist the temptation to see what was going on so close to him &ldquo;in
+the name of the king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He advanced from behind his tree until he saw the two figures&mdash;a
+man&rsquo;s and a woman&rsquo;s. Some bushes intervened&mdash;he could not get
+a clear view of them, yet there was something about the figure of the woman,
+whose back was toward him as she struggled to mount her frightened horse, that
+caused him to leap rapidly toward her. He rounded a tree a few paces from her
+just as the man&mdash;a trooper in the uniform of the house of
+Blentz&mdash;caught her arm and dragged her from the saddle. At the same
+instant Barney recognized the girl&mdash;it was Princess Emma.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Before either the trooper or the princess were aware of his presence he had
+leaped to the man&rsquo;s side and dealt him a blow that stretched him at full
+length upon the ground&mdash;stunned.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap20"></a>VIII.<br />
+AN ADVENTUROUS DAY</h2>
+
+<p>
+For an instant the two stood looking at one another. The girl&rsquo;s eyes were
+wide with incredulity, with hope, with fear. She was the first to break the
+silence.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Who are you?&rdquo; she breathed in a half whisper.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t wonder that you ask,&rdquo; returned the man. &ldquo;I
+must look like a scarecrow. I&rsquo;m Barney Custer. Don&rsquo;t you remember
+me now? Who did you think I was?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl took a step toward him. Her eyes lighted with relief.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Captain Maenck told me that you were dead,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;that
+you had been shot as a spy in Austria, and then there is that uncanny
+resemblance to the king&mdash;since he has shaved his beard it is infinitely
+more remarkable. I thought you might be he. He has been at Blentz and I knew
+that it was quite possible that he had discovered treachery upon the part of
+Prince Peter. In which case he might have escaped in disguise. I really
+wasn&rsquo;t sure that you were not he until you spoke.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney stooped and removed the bandoleer of cartridges from the fallen trooper,
+as well as his revolver and carbine. Then he took the girl&rsquo;s hand and
+together they turned into the wood. Behind them came the sound of pursuit. They
+heard the loud words of Maenck as he ordered his three remaining men into the
+wood on foot. As he advanced, Barney looked to the magazine of his carbine and
+the cylinder of his revolver.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why were they pursuing you?&rdquo; he asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;They were taking me to Blentz to force me to wed Leopold,&rdquo; she
+replied. &ldquo;They told me that my father&rsquo;s life depended upon my
+consenting; but I should not have done so. The honor of my house is more
+precious than the life of any of its members. I escaped them a few miles back,
+and they were following to overtake me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A noise behind them caused Barney to turn. One of the troopers had come into
+view. He carried his carbine in his hands and at sight of the man with the
+fugitive girl he raised it to his shoulder; but as the American turned toward
+him his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Instantly Barney knew that the fellow had noted his resemblance to the king.
+Barney&rsquo;s body was concealed from the view of the other by a bush which
+grew between them, so the man saw only the face of the American. The fellow
+turned and shouted to Maenck: &ldquo;The king is with her.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nonsense,&rdquo; came the reply from farther back in the wood. &ldquo;If
+there is a man with her and he will not surrender, shoot him.&rdquo; At the
+words Barney and the girl turned once more to their flight. From behind came
+the command to halt&mdash;&ldquo;Halt! or I fire.&rdquo; Just ahead Barney saw
+the river.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They were sure to be taken there if he was unable to gain the time necessary to
+make good a crossing. Upon the opposite side was a continuation of the wood.
+Behind them the leading trooper was crashing through the underbrush in renewed
+pursuit. He came in sight of them again, just as they reached the river bank.
+Once more his carbine was leveled. Barney pushed the girl to her knees behind a
+bush. Then he wheeled and fired, so quickly that the man with the already
+leveled gun had no time to anticipate his act.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With a cry the fellow threw his hands above his head, staggered forward and
+plunged full length upon his face. Barney gathered the princess in his arms and
+plunged into the shallow stream. The girl held his carbine as he stumbled over
+the rocky bottom. The water deepened rapidly&mdash;the opposite shore seemed a
+long way off and behind there were three more enemies in hot pursuit.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Under ordinary circumstances Barney could have found it in his heart to wish
+the little Luthanian river as broad as the Mississippi, for only under such
+circumstances as these could he ever hope to hold the Princess Emma in his
+arms. Two years before she had told him that she loved him; but at the same
+time she had given him to understand that their love was hopeless. She might
+refuse to wed the king; but that she should ever wed another while the king
+lived was impossible, unless Leopold saw fit to release her from her betrothal
+to him and sanction her marriage to another. That he ever would do this was to
+those who knew him not even remotely possible.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He loved Emma von der Tann and he hated Barney Custer&mdash;hated him with a
+jealous hatred that was almost fanatic in its intensity. And even that the
+Princess Emma von der Tann would wed him were she free to wed was a question
+that was not at all clear in the mind of Barney Custer. He knew something of
+the traditions of this noble family&mdash;of the pride of caste, of the fetish
+of blood that inexorably dictated the ordering of their lives.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl had just said that the honor of her house was more precious than the
+life of any of its members. How much more precious would it be to her than her
+own material happiness! Barney Custer sighed and struggled through the swirling
+waters that were now above his hips. If he pressed the lithe form closer to him
+than necessity demanded, who may blame him?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl, whose face was toward the bank they had just quitted, gave no
+evidence of displeasure if she noted the fierce pressure of his muscles. Her
+eyes were riveted upon the wood behind. Presently a man emerged. He called to
+them in a loud and threatening tone.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney redoubled his Herculean efforts to gain the opposite bank. He was in
+midstream now and the water had risen to his waist. The girl saw Maenck and the
+other trooper emerge from the underbrush beside the first. Maenck was crazed
+with anger. He shook his fist and screamed aloud his threatening commands to
+halt, and then, of a sudden, gave an order to one of the men at his side.
+Immediately the fellow raised his carbine and fired at the escaping couple.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The bullet struck the water behind them. At the sound of the report the girl
+raised the gun she held and leveled it at the group behind her. She pulled the
+trigger. There was a sharp report, and one of the troopers fell. Then she fired
+again, quickly, and again and again. She did not score another hit, but she had
+the satisfaction of seeing Maenck and the last of his troopers dodge back to
+the safety of protecting trees.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The cowards!&rdquo; muttered Barney as the enemy&rsquo;s shot announced
+his sinister intention; &ldquo;they might have hit your highness.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl did not reply until she had ceased firing.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Captain Maenck is notoriously a coward,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;He is
+hiding behind a tree now with one of his men&mdash;I hit the other.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You hit one of them!&rdquo; exclaimed Barney enthusiastically.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the girl. &ldquo;I have shot a man. I often wondered
+what the sensation must be to have done such a thing. I should feel terribly,
+but I don&rsquo;t. They were firing at you, trying to shoot you in the back
+while you were defenseless. I am not sorry&mdash;I cannot be; but I only wish
+that it had been Captain Maenck.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In a short time Barney reached the bank and, helping the girl up, climbed to
+her side. A couple of shots followed them as they left the river, but did not
+fall dangerously near. Barney took the carbine and replied, then both of them
+disappeared into the wood.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For the balance of the day they tramped on in the direction of Lustadt, making
+but little progress owing to the fear of apprehension. They did not dare
+utilize the high road, for they were still too close to Blentz. Their only hope
+lay in reaching the protection of Prince von der Tann before they should be
+recaptured by the king&rsquo;s emissaries. At dusk they came to the outskirts
+of a town. Here they hid until darkness settled, for Barney had determined to
+enter the place after dark and hire horses.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American marveled at the bravery and endurance of the girl. He had always
+supposed that a princess was so carefully guarded from fatigue and privation
+all her life that the least exertion would prove her undoing; but no hardy
+peasant girl could have endured more bravely the hardships and dangers through
+which the Princess Emma had passed since the sun rose that morning.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At last darkness came, and with it they approached and entered the village.
+They kept to unlighted side streets until they met a villager, of whom they
+inquired their way to some private house where they might obtain refreshments.
+The fellow scrutinized them with evident suspicion.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There is an inn yonder,&rdquo; he said, pointing toward the main street.
+&ldquo;You can obtain food there. Why should respectable folk want to go
+elsewhere than to the public inn? And if you are afraid to go there you must
+have very good reasons for not wanting to be seen, and&mdash;&rdquo; he stopped
+short as though assailed by an idea. &ldquo;Wait,&rdquo; he cried, excitedly,
+&ldquo;I will go and see if I can find a place for you. Wait right here,&rdquo;
+and off he ran toward the inn.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like the looks of that,&rdquo; said Barney, after the man
+had left them. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s gone to report us to someone. Come, we&rsquo;d
+better get out of here before he comes back.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The two turned up a side street away from the inn. They had gone but a short
+distance when they heard the sound of voices and the thud of horses&rsquo; feet
+behind them. The horses were coming at a walk and with them were several men on
+foot. Barney took the princess&rsquo; hand and drew her up a hedge bordered
+driveway that led into private grounds. In the shadows of the hedge they waited
+for the party behind them to pass. It might be no one searching for them, but
+it was just as well to be on the safe side&mdash;they were still near Blentz.
+Before the men reached their hiding place a motor car followed and caught up
+with them, and as the party came opposite the driveway Barney and the princess
+overheard a portion of their conversation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Some of you go back and search the street behind the inn&mdash;they may
+not have come this way.&rdquo; The speaker was in the motor car. &ldquo;We will
+follow along this road for a bit and then turn into the Lustadt highway. If you
+don&rsquo;t find them go back along the road toward Tann.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In her excitement the Princess Emma had not noticed that Barney Custer still
+held her hand in his. Now he pressed it. &ldquo;It is Maenck&rsquo;s
+voice,&rdquo; he whispered. &ldquo;Every road will be guarded.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment he was silent, thinking. The searching party had passed on. They
+could still hear the purring of the motor as Maenck&rsquo;s car moved slowly up
+the street.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;This is a driveway,&rdquo; murmured Barney. &ldquo;People who build
+driveways into their grounds usually have something to drive. Whatever it is it
+should be at the other end of the driveway. Let&rsquo;s see if it will carry
+two.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Still in the shadow of the hedge they moved cautiously toward the upper end of
+the private road until presently they saw a building looming in their path.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;A garage?&rdquo; whispered Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Or a barn,&rdquo; suggested the princess.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;In either event it should contain something that can go,&rdquo; returned
+the American. &ldquo;Let us hope that it can go
+like&mdash;like&mdash;ah&mdash;the wind.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And carry two,&rdquo; supplemented the princess.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wait here,&rdquo; said Barney. &ldquo;If I get caught, run. Whatever
+happens you mustn&rsquo;t be caught.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Princess Emma dropped back close to the hedge and Barney approached the
+building, which proved to be a private garage. The doors were locked, as also
+were the three windows. Barney passed entirely around the structure halting at
+last upon the darkest side. Here was a window. Barney tried to loosen the catch
+with the blade of his pocket knife, but it wouldn&rsquo;t unfasten. His
+endeavors resulted only in snapping short the blade of his knife. For a moment
+he stood contemplating the baffling window. He dared not break the glass for
+fear of arousing the inmates of the house which, though he could not see it,
+might be close at hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Presently he recalled a scene he had witnessed on State Street in Chicago
+several years before&mdash;a crowd standing before the window of a
+jeweler&rsquo;s shop inspecting a neat little hole that a thief had cut in the
+glass with a diamond and through which he had inserted his hand and brought
+forth several hundred dollars worth of loot. But Barney Custer wore no
+diamond&mdash;he would as soon have worn a celluloid collar. But women wore
+diamonds. Doubtless the Princess Emma had one. He ran quickly to her side.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Have you a diamond ring?&rdquo; he whispered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Gracious!&rdquo; she exclaimed, &ldquo;you are progressing
+rapidly,&rdquo; and slipped a solitaire from her finger to his hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; said Barney. &ldquo;I need the practice; but wait and
+you&rsquo;ll see that a diamond may be infinitely more valuable than even the
+broker claims,&rdquo; and he was gone again into the shadows of the garage.
+Here upon the window pane he scratched a rough deep circle, close to the catch.
+A quick blow sent the glass clattering to the floor within. For a minute Barney
+stood listening for any sign that the noise had attracted attention, but
+hearing nothing he ran his hand through the hole that he had made and unlatched
+the frame. A moment later he had crawled within.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Before him, in the darkness, stood a roadster. He ran his hand over the pedals
+and levers, breathing a sigh of relief as his touch revealed the familiar
+control of a standard make. Then he went to the double doors. They opened
+easily and silently.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once outside he hastened to the side of the waiting girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a machine,&rdquo; he whispered. &ldquo;We must both be in it
+when it leaves the garage&mdash;it&rsquo;s the through express for Lustadt and
+makes no stops for passengers or freight.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He led her back to the garage and helped her into the seat beside him. As
+silently as possible he ran the machine into the driveway. A hundred yards to
+the left, half hidden by intervening trees and shrubbery, rose the dark bulk of
+a house. A subdued light shone through the drawn blinds of several
+windows&mdash;the only sign of life about the premises until the car had
+cleared the garage and was moving slowly down the driveway. Then a door opened
+in the house letting out a flood of light in which the figure of a man was
+silhouetted. A voice broke the silence.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Who are you? What are you doing there? Come back!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The man in the doorway called excitedly, &ldquo;Friedrich! Come! Come quickly!
+Someone is stealing the automobile,&rdquo; and the speaker came running toward
+the driveway at top speed. Behind him came Friedrich. Both were shouting,
+waving their arms and threatening. Their combined din might have aroused the
+dead.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney sought speed&mdash;silence now was useless. He turned to the left into
+the street away from the center of the town. In this direction had gone the
+automobile with Maenck, but by taking the first righthand turn Barney hoped to
+elude the captain. In a moment Friedrich and the other were hopelessly
+distanced. It was with a sigh of relief that the American turned the car into
+the dark shadows beneath the overarching trees of the first cross street.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He was running without lights along an unknown way; and beside him was the most
+precious burden that Barney Custer might ever expect to carry. Under these
+circumstances his speed was greatly reduced from what he would have wished, but
+at that he was forced to accept grave risks. The road might end abruptly at the
+brink of a ravine&mdash;it might swerve perilously close to a stone
+quarry&mdash;or plunge headlong into a pond or river. Barney shuddered at the
+possibilities; but nothing of the sort happened. The street ran straight out of
+the town into a country road, rather heavy with sand. In the open the
+possibilities of speed were increased, for the night, though moonless, was
+clear, and the road visible for some distance ahead.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The fugitives were congratulating themselves upon the excellent chance they now
+had to reach Lustadt. There was only Maenck and his companion ahead of them in
+the other car, and as there were several roads by which one might reach the
+main highway the chances were fair that Prince Peter&rsquo;s aide would miss
+them completely.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Already escape seemed assured when the pounding of horses&rsquo; hoofs upon the
+roadway behind them arose to blast their new found hope. Barney increased the
+speed of the car. It leaped ahead in response to his foot; but the road was
+heavy, and the sides of the ruts gripping the tires retarded the speed. For a
+mile they held the lead of the galloping horsemen. The shouts of their pursuers
+fell clearly upon their ears, and the Princess Emma, turning in her seat, could
+easily see the four who followed. At last the car began to draw away&mdash;the
+distance between it and the riders grew gradually greater.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I believe we are going to make it,&rdquo; whispered the girl, her voice
+tense with excitement. &ldquo;If you could only go a little faster, Mr. Custer,
+I&rsquo;m sure that we will.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;She&rsquo;s reached her limit in this sand,&rdquo; replied the man,
+&ldquo;and there&rsquo;s a grade just ahead&mdash;we may find better going
+beyond, but they&rsquo;re bound to gain on us before we reach the top.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl strained her eyes into the night before them. On the right of the road
+stood an ancient ruin&mdash;grim and forbidding. As her eyes rested upon it she
+gave a little exclamation of relief.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I know where we are now,&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;The hill ahead is
+sandy, and there is a quarter of a mile of sand beyond, but then we strike the
+Lustadt highway, and if we can reach it ahead of them their horses will have to
+go ninety miles an hour to catch us&mdash;provided this car possesses any such
+speed possibilities.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If it can go forty we are safe enough,&rdquo; replied Barney; &ldquo;but
+we&rsquo;ll give it a chance to go as fast as it can&mdash;the farther we are
+from the vicinity of Blentz the safer I shall feel for the welfare of your
+highness.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A shot rang behind them, and a bullet whistled high above their heads. The
+princess seized the carbine that rested on the seat between them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Shall I?&rdquo; she asked, turning its muzzle back over the lowered top.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Better not,&rdquo; answered the man. &ldquo;They are only trying to
+frighten us into surrendering&mdash;that shot was much too high to have been
+aimed at us&mdash;they are shooting over our heads purposely. If they
+deliberately attempt to pot us later, then go for them, but to do it now would
+only draw their fire upon us. I doubt if they wish to harm your highness, but
+they certainly would fire to hit in self-defense.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl lowered the firearm. &ldquo;I am becoming perfectly
+bloodthirsty,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;but it makes me furious to be hunted like
+a wild animal in my native land, and by the command of my king, at that. And to
+think that you who placed him upon his throne, you who have risked your life
+many times for him, will find no protection at his hands should you be captured
+is maddening. Ach, Gott, if I were a man!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I thank God that you are not, your highness,&rdquo; returned Barney
+fervently.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Gently she laid her hand upon his where it gripped the steering wheel.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;I was wrong&mdash;I do not need to be a man
+while there still be such men as you, my friend; but I would that I were not
+the unhappy woman whom Fate had bound to an ingrate king&mdash;to a miserable
+coward!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They had reached the grade at last, and the motor was straining to the
+Herculean task imposed upon it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Grinding and grating in second speed the car toiled upward through the clinging
+sand. The pace was snail-like. Behind, the horsemen were gaining rapidly. The
+labored breathing of their mounts was audible even above the noise of the
+motor, so close were they. The top of the ascent lay but a few yards ahead, and
+the pursuers were but a few yards behind.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Halt!&rdquo; came from behind, and then a shot. The ping of the bullet
+and the scream of the ricochet warned the man and the girl that those behind
+them were becoming desperate&mdash;the bullet had struck one of the rear
+fenders. Without again asking assent the princess turned and, kneeling upon the
+cushion of the seat, fired at the nearest horseman. The horse stumbled and
+plunged to his knees. Another, just behind, ran upon him, and the two rolled
+over together with their riders. Two more shots were fired by the remaining
+horsemen and answered by the girl in the automobile, and then the car topped
+the hill, shot into high, and with renewed speed forged into the last
+quarter-mile of heavy going toward the good road ahead; but now the grade was
+slightly downward and all the advantage was upon the side of the fugitives.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+However, their margin would be but scant when they reached the highway, for
+behind them the remaining troopers were spurring their jaded horses to a final
+spurt of speed. At last the white ribbon of the main road became visible. To
+the right they saw the headlights of a machine. It was Maenck probably,
+doubtless attracted their way by the shooting.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But the machine was a mile away and could not possibly reach the intersection
+of the two roads before they had turned to the left toward Lustadt. Then the
+incident would resolve itself into a simple test of speed between the two
+cars&mdash;and the ability and nerve of the drivers. Barney hadn&rsquo;t the
+slightest doubt now as to the outcome. His borrowed car was a good one, in good
+condition. And in the matter of driving he rather prided himself that he
+needn&rsquo;t take his hat off to anyone when it came to ability and nerve.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They were only about fifty feet from the highway. The girl touched his hand
+again. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re safe,&rdquo; she cried, her voice vibrant with
+excitement, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re safe at last.&rdquo; From beneath the bonnet, as
+though in answer to her statement, came a sickly, sucking sputter. The momentum
+of the car diminished. The throbbing of the engine ceased. They sat in silence
+as the machine coasted toward the highway and came to a dead stop, with its
+front wheels upon the road to safety. The girl turned toward Barney with an
+exclamation of surprise and interrogation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The jig&rsquo;s up,&rdquo; he groaned; &ldquo;we&rsquo;re out of
+gasoline!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap21"></a>IX.<br />
+THE CAPTURE</h2>
+
+<p>
+The capture of Princess Emma von der Tann and Barney Custer was a relatively
+simple matter. Open fields spread in all directions about the crossroads at
+which their car had come to its humiliating stop. There was no cover. To have
+sought escape by flight, thus in the open, would have been to expose the
+princess to the fire of the troopers. Barney could not do this. He preferred to
+surrender and trust to chance to open the way to escape later.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When Captain Ernst Maenck drove up he found the prisoners disarmed, standing
+beside the now-useless car. He alighted from his own machine and with a low bow
+saluted the princess, an ironical smile upon his thin lips. Then he turned his
+attention toward her companion.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Who are you?&rdquo; he demanded gruffly. In the darkness he failed to
+recognize the American whom he thought dead in Austria.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;A servant of the house of Von der Tann,&rdquo; replied Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You deserve shooting,&rdquo; growled the officer, &ldquo;but we&rsquo;ll
+leave that to Prince Peter and the king. When I tell them the trouble you have
+caused us&mdash;well, God help you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The journey to Blentz was a short one. They had been much nearer that grim
+fortress than either had guessed. At the outskirts of the town they were
+challenged by Austrian sentries, through which Maenck passed with ease after
+the sentinel had summoned an officer. From this man Maenck received the
+password that would carry them through the line of outposts between the town
+and the castle&mdash;&ldquo;Slankamen.&rdquo; Barney, who overheard the word,
+made a mental note of it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At last they reached the dreary castle of Peter of Blentz. In the courtyard
+Austrian soldiers mingled with the men of the bodyguard of the king of Lutha.
+Within, the king&rsquo;s officers fraternized with the officers of the emperor.
+Maenck led his prisoners to the great hall which was filled with officers and
+officials of both Austria and Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king was not there. Maenck learned that he had retired to his apartments a
+few minutes earlier in company with Prince Peter of Blentz and Von Coblich. He
+sent a servant to announce his return with the Princess von der Tann and a man
+who had attempted to prevent her being brought to Blentz.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney had, as far as possible, kept his face averted from Maenck since they
+had entered the lighted castle. He hoped to escape recognition, for he knew
+that if his identity were guessed it might go hard with the princess. As for
+himself, it might go even harder, but of that he gave scarcely a
+thought&mdash;the safety of the princess was paramount.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+After a few minutes of waiting the servant returned with the king&rsquo;s
+command to fetch the prisoners to his apartments. The face of the Princess Emma
+was haggard. For the first time Barney saw signs of fear upon her countenance.
+With leaden steps they accompanied their guard up the winding stairway to the
+tower rooms that had been furnished for the king. They were the same in which
+Emma von der Tann had been imprisoned two years before.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+On either side of the doorway stood a soldier of the king&rsquo;s bodyguard. As
+Captain Maenck approached they saluted. A servant opened the door and they
+passed into the room. Before them were Peter of Blentz and Von Coblich standing
+beside a table at which Leopold of Lutha was sitting. The eyes of the three men
+were upon the doorway as the little party entered. The king&rsquo;s face was
+flushed with wine. He rose as his eyes rested upon the face of the princess.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Greetings, your highness,&rdquo; he cried with an attempt at cordiality.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl looked straight into his eyes, coldly, and then bent her knee in
+formal curtsy. The king was about to speak again when his eyes wandered to the
+face of the American. Instantly his own went white and then scarlet. The eyes
+of Peter of Blentz followed those of the king, widening in astonishment as they
+rested upon the features of Barney Custer.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You told me he was dead,&rdquo; shouted the king. &ldquo;What is the
+meaning of this, Captain Maenck?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck looked at his male prisoner and staggered back as though struck between
+the eyes.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Mein Gott,&rdquo; he exclaimed, &ldquo;the impostor!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You told me he was dead,&rdquo; repeated the king accusingly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;As God is my judge, your majesty,&rdquo; cried Peter of Blentz,
+&ldquo;this man was shot by an Austrian firing squad in Burgova over a week
+ago.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; exclaimed Maenck, &ldquo;this is the first sight I have had
+of the prisoners except in the darkness of the night; until this instant I had
+not the remotest suspicion of his identity. He told me that he was a servant of
+the house of Von der Tann.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I told you the truth, then,&rdquo; interjected Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Silence, you ingrate!&rdquo; cried the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ingrate?&rdquo; repeated Barney. &ldquo;You have the effrontery to call
+me an ingrate? You miserable puppy.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A silence, menacing in its intensity, fell upon the little assemblage. The king
+trembled. His rage choked him. The others looked as though they scarce could
+believe the testimony of their own ears. All there, with the possible exception
+of the king, knew that he deserved even more degrading appellations; but they
+were Europeans, and to Europeans a king is a king&mdash;that they can never
+forget. It had been the inherent suggestion of kingship that had bent the knee
+of the Princess Emma before the man she despised.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But to the American a king was only what he made himself. In this instance he
+was not even a man in the estimation of Barney Custer. Maenck took a step
+toward the prisoner&mdash;a menacing step, for his hand had gone to his sword.
+Barney met him with a level look from between narrowed lids. Maenck hesitated,
+for he was a great coward. Peter of Blentz spoke:
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;the fellow knows that he is already as good
+as dead, and so in his bravado he dares affront you. He has been convicted of
+spying by the Austrians. He is still a spy. It is unnecessary to repeat the
+formality of a trial.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Leopold at last found his voice, though it trembled and broke as he spoke.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Carry out the sentence of the Austrian court in the morning,&rdquo; he
+said. &ldquo;A volley now might arouse the garrison in the town and be
+misconstrued.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck ordered Barney escorted from the apartment, then he turned toward the
+king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And the other prisoner, sire?&rdquo; he inquired.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There is no other prisoner,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Her highness, the
+Princess von der Tann, is a guest of Prince Peter. She will be escorted to her
+apartment at once.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Her highness, the Princess von der Tann, is not a guest of Prince
+Peter.&rdquo; The girl&rsquo;s voice was low and cold. &ldquo;If Mr. Custer is
+a prisoner, her highness, too, is a prisoner. If he is to be shot, she demands
+a like fate. To die by the side of a MAN would be infinitely preferable to
+living by the side of your majesty.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once again Leopold of Lutha reddened. For a moment he paced the room angrily to
+hide his emotion. Then he turned once to Maenck.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Escort the prisoner to the north tower,&rdquo; he commanded, &ldquo;and
+this insolent girl to the chambers next to ours. Tomorrow we shall talk with
+her again.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Outside the room Barney turned for a last look at the princess as he was being
+led in one direction and she in another. A smile of encouragement was on his
+lips and cold hopelessness in his heart. She answered the smile and her lips
+formed a silent &ldquo;good-bye.&rdquo; They formed something else,
+too&mdash;three words which he was sure he could not have mistaken, and then
+they parted, he for the death chamber and she for what fate she could but
+guess.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As his guard halted before a door at the far end of a long corridor Barney
+Custer sensed a sudden familiarity in his surroundings. He was conscious of
+that sensation which is common to all of us&mdash;of having lived through a
+scene at some former time, to each minutest detail.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As the door opened and he was pushed into the room he realized that there was
+excellent foundation for the impression&mdash;he immediately recognized the
+apartment as the same in which he had once before been imprisoned. At that time
+he had been mistaken for the mad king who had escaped from the clutches of
+Peter of Blentz. The same king was now visiting as a guest the fortress in
+which he had spent ten bitter years as a prisoner.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say your prayers, my friend,&rdquo; admonished Maenck, as he was about
+to leave him alone, &ldquo;for at dawn you die&mdash;and this time the firing
+squad will make a better job of it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney did not answer him, and the captain departed, locking the door after him
+and leaving two men on guard in the corridor. Alone, Barney looked about the
+room. It was in no wise changed since his former visit to it. He recalled the
+incidents of the hour of his imprisonment here, thought of old Joseph who had
+aided his escape, looked at the paneled fireplace, whose secret, it was
+evident, not even the master of Blentz was familiar with&mdash;and grinned.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;&lsquo;For at dawn you die!&rsquo;&rdquo; he repeated to himself, still
+smiling broadly. Then he crossed quickly to the fireplace, running his fingers
+along the edge of one of the large tiled panels that hid the entrance to the
+well-like shaft that rose from the cellars beneath to the towers above and
+which opened through similar concealed exits upon each floor. If the floor
+above should be untenanted he might be able to reach it as he and Joseph had
+done two years ago when they opened the secret panel in the fireplace and
+climbed a hidden ladder to the room overhead; and then by vacant corridors
+reached the far end of the castle above the suite in which the princess had
+been confined and near which Barney had every reason to believe she was now
+imprisoned.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Carefully Barney&rsquo;s fingers traversed the edges of the panel. No hidden
+latch rewarded his search. Again and again he examined the perfectly fitted
+joints until he was convinced either that there was no latch there or that it
+was hid beyond possibility of discovery. With each succeeding minute the
+American&rsquo;s heart and hopes sank lower and lower. Two years had elapsed
+since he had seen the secret portal swing to the touch of Joseph&rsquo;s
+fingers. One may forget much in two years; but that he was at work upon the
+right panel Barney was positive. However, it would do no harm to examine its
+mate which resembled it in minutest detail.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Almost indifferently Barney turned his attention to the other panel. He ran his
+fingers over it, his eyes following them. What was that? A finger-print? Upon
+the left side half way up a tiny smudge was visible. Barney examined it more
+carefully. A round, white figure of the conventional design that was burned
+into the tile bore the telltale smudge.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Otherwise it differed apparently in no way from the numerous other round, white
+figures that were repeated many times in the scheme of decoration. Barney
+placed his thumb exactly over the mark that another thumb had left there and
+pushed. The figure sank into the panel beneath the pressure. Barney pushed
+harder, breathless with suspense. The panel swung in at his effort. The
+American could have whooped with delight.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A moment more and he stood upon the opposite side of the secret door in utter
+darkness, for he had quickly closed it after him. To strike a match was but the
+matter of a moment. The wavering light revealed the top of the ladder that led
+downward and the foot of another leading aloft. He struck still more matches in
+search of the rope. It was not there, but his quest revealed the fact that the
+well at this point was much larger than he had imagined&mdash;it broadened into
+a small chamber.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The light of many matches finally led him to the discovery of a passageway
+directly behind the fireplace. It was narrow, and after spanning the chimney
+descended by a few rough steps to a slightly lower level. It led toward the
+opposite end of the castle. Could it be possible that it connected directly
+with the apartments in the farther tower&mdash;in the tower where the king was
+and the Princess Emma? Barney could scarce hope for any such good luck, but at
+least it was worth investigating&mdash;it must lead somewhere.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He followed it warily, feeling his way with hands and feet and occasionally
+striking a match. It was evident that the corridor lay in the thick wall of the
+castle, midway between the bottoms of the windows of the second floor and the
+tops of those upon the first&mdash;this would account for the slightly lower
+level of the passage from the floor of the second story.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney had traversed some distance in the darkness along the forgotten corridor
+when the sound of voices came to him from beyond the wall at his right. He
+stopped, motionless, pressing his ear against the side wall. As he did so he
+became aware of the fact that at this point the wall was of wood&mdash;a large
+panel of hardwood. Now he could hear even the words of the speaker upon the
+opposite side.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Fetch her here, captain, and I will talk with her alone.&rdquo; The
+voice was the king&rsquo;s. &ldquo;And, captain, you might remove the guard
+from before the door temporarily. I shall not require them, nor do I wish them
+to overhear my conversation with the princess.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney could hear the officer acknowledge the commands of the king, and then he
+heard a door close. The man had gone to fetch the princess. The American struck
+a match and examined the panel before him. It reached to the top of the
+passageway and was some three feet in width.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At one side were three hinges, and at the other an ancient spring lock. For an
+instant Barney stood in indecision. What should he do? His entry into the
+apartments of the king would result in alarming the entire fortress. Were he
+sure the king was alone it might be accomplished. Should he enter now or wait
+until the Princess Emma had been brought to the king?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With the question came the answer&mdash;a bold and daring scheme. His fingers
+sought the lock. Very gently, he unlatched it and pushed outward upon the
+panel. Suddenly the great doorway gave beneath his touch. It opened a crack
+letting a flood of light into his dark cell that almost blinded him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment he could see nothing, and then out of the glaring blur grew the
+figure of a man sitting at a table&mdash;with his back toward the panel.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was the king, and he was alone. Noiselessly Barney Custer entered the
+apartment, closing the panel after him. At his back now was the great oil
+painting of the Blentz princess that had hid the secret entrance to the room.
+He crossed the thick rugs until he stood behind the king. Then he clapped one
+hand over the mouth of the monarch of Lutha and threw the other arm about his
+neck.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Make the slightest outcry and I shall kill you,&rdquo; he whispered in
+the ear of the terrified man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Across the room Barney saw a revolver lying upon a small table. He raised the
+king to his feet and, turning his back toward the weapon dragged him across the
+apartment until the table was within easy reach. Then he snatched up the
+revolver and swung the king around into a chair facing him, the muzzle of the
+gun pressed against his face.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Silence,&rdquo; he whispered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king, white and trembling, gasped as his eyes fell upon the face of the
+American.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You?&rdquo; His voice was barely audible.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Take off your clothes&mdash;every stitch of them&mdash;and if any one
+asks for admittance, deny them. Quick, now,&rdquo; as the king hesitated.
+&ldquo;My life is forfeited unless I can escape. If I am apprehended I shall
+see that you pay for my recapture with your life&mdash;if any one enters this
+room without my sanction they will enter it to find a dead king upon the floor;
+do you understand?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king made no reply other than to commence divesting himself of his
+clothing. Barney followed his example, but not before he had crossed to the
+door that opened into the main corridor and shot the bolt upon the inside. When
+both men had removed their clothing Barney pointed to the little pile of soiled
+peasant garb that he had worn.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Put those on,&rdquo; he commanded.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king hesitated, drawing back in disgust. Barney paused, half-way into the
+royal union suit, and leveled the revolver at Leopold. The king picked up one
+of the garments gingerly between the tips of his thumb and finger.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hurry!&rdquo; admonished the American, drawing the silk half-hose of the
+ruler of Lutha over his foot. &ldquo;If you don&rsquo;t hurry,&rdquo; he added,
+&ldquo;someone may interrupt us, and you know what the result would be&mdash;to
+you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Scowling, Leopold donned the rough garments. Barney, fully clothed in the
+uniform the king had been wearing, stepped across the apartment to where the
+king&rsquo;s sword and helmet lay upon the side table that had also borne the
+revolver. He placed the helmet upon his head and buckled the sword-belt about
+his waist, then he faced the king, behind whom was a cheval glass. In it Barney
+saw his image. The king was looking at the American, his eyes wide and his jaw
+dropped. Barney did not wonder at his consternation. He himself was dumbfounded
+by the likeness which he bore to the king. It was positively uncanny. He
+approached Leopold.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Remove your rings,&rdquo; he said, holding out his hand. The king did as
+he was bid, and Barney slipped the two baubles upon his fingers. One of them
+was the royal ring of the kings of Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American now blindfolded the king and led him toward the panel which had
+given him ingress to the room. Through it the two men passed, Barney closing
+the panel after them. Then he conducted the king back along the dark passageway
+to the room which the American had but recently quitted. At the back of the
+panel which led into his former prison Barney halted and listened. No sound
+came from beyond the partition. Gently Barney opened the secret door a
+trifle&mdash;just enough to permit him a quick survey of the interior of the
+apartment. It was empty. A smile crossed his face as he thought of the
+difficulty Leopold might encounter the following morning in convincing his
+jailers that he was not the American.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then he recalled his reflection in the cheval glass and frowned. Could Leopold
+convince them? He doubted it&mdash;and what then? The American was sentenced to
+be shot at dawn. They would shoot the king instead. Then there would be none to
+whom to return the kingship. What would he do with it? The temptation was
+great. Again a throne lay within his grasp&mdash;a throne and the woman he
+loved. None might ever know unless he chose to tell&mdash;his resemblance to
+Leopold was too perfect. It defied detection.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With an exclamation of impatience he wheeled about and dragged the frightened
+monarch back to the room from which he had stolen him. As he entered he heard a
+knock at the door.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Do not disturb me now,&rdquo; he called. &ldquo;Come again in half an
+hour.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But it is Her Highness, Princess Emma, sire,&rdquo; came a voice from
+beyond the door. &ldquo;You summoned her.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;She may return to her apartments,&rdquo; replied Barney.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+All the time he kept his revolver leveled at the king, from his eyes he had
+removed the blind after they had entered the apartment. He crossed to the table
+where the king had been sitting when he surprised him, motioning the ragged
+ruler to follow and be seated.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Take that pen,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and write a full pardon for Mr.
+Bernard Custer, and an order requiring that he be furnished with money and set
+at liberty at dawn.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king did as he was bid. For a moment the American stood looking at him
+before he spoke again.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You do not deserve what I am going to do for you,&rdquo; he said.
+&ldquo;And Lutha deserves a better king than the one my act will give her; but
+I am neither a thief nor a murderer, and so I must forbear leaving you to your
+just deserts and return your throne to you. I shall do so after I have insured
+my own safety and done what I can for Lutha&mdash;what you are too little a man
+and king to do yourself.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;So soon as they liberate you in the morning, make the best of your way
+to Brosnov, on the Serbian frontier. Await me there. When I can, I shall come.
+Again we may exchange clothing and you can return to Lustadt. I shall cross
+over into Siberia out of your reach, for I know you too well to believe that
+any sense of honor or gratitude would prevent you signing my death-warrant at
+the first opportunity. Now, come!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once again Barney led the blindfolded king through the dark corridor to the
+room in the opposite tower&mdash;to the prison of the American. At the open
+panel he shoved him into the apartment. Then he drew the door quietly to,
+leaving the king upon the inside, and retraced his steps to the royal
+apartments. Crossing to the center table, he touched an electric button. A
+moment later an officer knocked at the door, which, in the meantime, Barney had
+unbolted.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Enter!&rdquo; said the American. He stood with his back toward the door
+until he heard it close behind the officer. When he turned he was apparently
+examining his revolver. If the officer suspected his identity, it was just as
+well to be prepared. Slowly he raised his eyes to the newcomer, who stood
+stiffly at salute. The officer looked him full in the face.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I answered your majesty&rsquo;s summons,&rdquo; said the man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, yes!&rdquo; returned the American. &ldquo;You may fetch the Princess
+Emma.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The officer saluted once more and backed out of the apartment. Barney walked to
+the table and sat down. A tin box of cigarettes lay beside the lamp. Barney
+lighted one of them. The king had good taste in the selection of tobacco, he
+thought. Well, a man must need have some redeeming characteristics.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Outside, in the corridor, he heard voices, and again the knock at the door. He
+bade them enter. As the door opened Emma von der Tann, her head thrown back and
+a flush of anger on her face, entered the room. Behind her was the officer who
+had been despatched to bring her. Barney nodded to the latter.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You may go,&rdquo; he said. He drew a chair from the table and asked the
+princess to be seated. She ignored his request.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What do you wish of me?&rdquo; she asked. She was looking straight into
+his eyes. The officer had withdrawn and closed the door after him. They were
+alone, with nothing to fear; yet she did not recognize him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are the king,&rdquo; she continued in cold, level tones, &ldquo;but
+if you are also a gentleman, you will at once order me returned to my father at
+Lustadt, and with me the man to whom you owe so much. I do not expect it of
+you, but I wish to give you the chance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I shall not go without him. I am betrothed to you; but until tonight I
+should rather have died than wed you. Now I am ready to compromise. If you will
+set Mr. Custer at liberty in Serbia and return me unharmed to my father, I will
+fulfill my part of our betrothal.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer looked straight into the girl&rsquo;s face for a long moment. A
+half smile played upon his lips at the thought of her surprise when she learned
+the truth, when suddenly it dawned upon him that she and he were both much
+safer if no one, not even her loyal self, guessed that he was other than the
+king. It is not difficult to live a part, but often it is difficult to act one.
+Some little word or look, were she to know that he was Barney Custer, might
+betray them; no, it was better to leave her in ignorance, though his conscience
+pricked him for the disloyalty that his act implied.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It seemed a poor return for her courage and loyalty to him that her statement
+to the man she thought king had revealed. He marveled that a Von der Tann could
+have spoken those words&mdash;a Von der Tann who but the day before had refused
+to save her father&rsquo;s life at the loss of the family honor. It seemed
+incredible to the American that he had won such love from such a woman. Again
+came the mighty temptation to keep the crown and the girl both; but with a
+straightening of his broad shoulders he threw it from him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She was promised to the king, and while he masqueraded in the king&rsquo;s
+clothes, he at least would act the part that a king should. He drew a folded
+paper from his inside pocket and handed it to the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Here is the American&rsquo;s pardon,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;drawn up and
+signed by the king&rsquo;s own hand.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She opened it and, glancing through it hurriedly, looked up at the man before
+her with a questioning expression in her eyes.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You came, then,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;to a realization of the enormity
+of your ingratitude?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The man shrugged.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He will never die at my command,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I thank your majesty,&rdquo; she said simply. &ldquo;As a Von der Tann,
+I have tried to believe that a Rubinroth could not be guilty of such baseness.
+And now, tell me what your answer is to my proposition.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We shall return to Lustadt tonight,&rdquo; he replied. &ldquo;I fear the
+purpose of Prince Peter. In fact, it may be difficult&mdash;even
+impossible&mdash;for us to leave Blentz; but we can at least make the
+attempt.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Can we not take Mr. Custer with us?&rdquo; she asked. &ldquo;Prince
+Peter may disregard your majesty&rsquo;s commands and, after you are gone, have
+him shot. Do not forget that he kept the crown from Peter of Blentz&mdash;it is
+certain that Prince Peter will never forget it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I give you my word, your highness, that I know positively that if I
+leave Blentz tonight Prince Peter will not have Mr. Custer shot in the morning,
+and it will so greatly jeopardize his own plans if we attempt to release the
+prisoner that in all probability we ourselves will be unable to escape.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You give me your word that he will be safe?&rdquo; she asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;My royal word,&rdquo; he replied.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Very well, let us leave at once.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney touched the bell once more, and presently an officer of the Blentz
+faction answered the summons. As the man closed the door and approached,
+saluting, Barney stepped close to him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We are leaving for Tann tonight,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;at once. You
+will conduct us from the castle and procure horses for us. All the time I shall
+walk at your elbow, and in my hand I shall carry this,&rdquo; and he displayed
+the king&rsquo;s revolver. &ldquo;At the first indication of defection upon
+your part I shall kill you. Do you perfectly understand me?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But, your majesty,&rdquo; exclaimed the officer, &ldquo;why is it
+necessary that you leave thus surreptitiously? May not the king go and come in
+his own kingdom as he desires? Let me announce your wishes to Prince Peter that
+he may furnish you with a proper escort. Doubtless he will wish to accompany
+you himself, sire.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You will do precisely what I say without further comment,&rdquo; snapped
+Barney. &ldquo;Now get a&mdash;&rdquo; He had been about to say: &ldquo;Now get
+a move on you,&rdquo; when it occurred to him that this was not precisely the
+sort of language that kings were supposed to use to their inferiors. So he
+changed it. &ldquo;Now get a couple of horses for her highness and myself, as
+well as your own, for you will accompany us to Tann.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The officer looked at the weapon in the king&rsquo;s hand. He measured the
+distance between himself and the king. He well knew the reputed cowardice of
+Leopold. Could he make the leap and strike up the king&rsquo;s hand before the
+timorous monarch found even the courage of the cornered rat to fire at him?
+Then his eyes sought the face of the king, searching for the signs of nervous
+terror that would make his conquest an easy one; but what he saw in the eyes
+that bored straight into his brought his own to the floor at the king&rsquo;s
+feet.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+What new force animated Leopold of Lutha? Those were not the eyes of a coward.
+No fear was reflected in their steely glitter. The officer mumbled an apology,
+saluted, and turned toward the door. At his elbow walked the impostor; a
+cavalry cape that had belonged to the king now covered his shoulders and hid
+the weapon that pressed its hard warning now and again into the short-ribs of
+the Blentz officer. Just behind the American came the Princess Emma von der
+Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The three passed through the deserted corridors of the sleeping castle, taking
+a route at Barney&rsquo;s suggestion that led them to the stable courtyard
+without necessitating traversing the main corridors or the great hall or the
+guardroom, in all of which there still were Austrian and Blentz soldiers, whose
+duties or pleasures had kept them from their blankets.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the stables a sleepy groom answered the summons of the officer, whom Barney
+had warned not to divulge the identity of himself or the princess. He left the
+princess in the shadows outside the building. After what seemed an eternity to
+the American, three horses were led into the courtyard, saddled, and bridled.
+The party mounted and approached the gates. Here, Barney knew, might be
+encountered the most serious obstacle in their path. He rode close to the side
+of their unwilling conductor. Leaning forward in his saddle, he whispered in
+the man&rsquo;s ear.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Failure to pass us through the gates,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;will be the
+signal for your death.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The man reined in his mount and turned toward the American.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I doubt if they will pass even me without a written order from Prince
+Peter,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If they refuse, you must reveal your identity.
+The guard is composed of Luthanians&mdash;I doubt if they will dare refuse your
+majesty.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then they rode on up to the gates. A soldier stepped from the sentry box and
+challenged them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Lower the drawbridge,&rdquo; ordered the officer. &ldquo;It is Captain
+Krantzwort on a mission for the king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The soldier approached, raising a lantern, which he had brought from the sentry
+box, and inspected the captain&rsquo;s face. He seemed ill at ease. In the
+light of the lantern, the American saw that he was scarce more than a
+boy&mdash;doubtless a recruit. He saw the expression of fear and awe with which
+he regarded the officer, and it occurred to him that the effect of the
+king&rsquo;s presence upon him would be absolutely overpowering. Still the
+soldier hesitated.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;My orders are very strict, sir,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I am to let no
+one leave without a written order from Prince Peter. If the sergeant or the
+lieutenant were here they would know what to do; but they are both at the
+castle&mdash;only two other soldiers are at the gates with me. Wait, and I will
+send one of them for the lieutenant.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No,&rdquo; interposed the American. &ldquo;You will send for no one, my
+man. Come closer&mdash;look at my face.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The soldier approached, holding his lantern above his head. As its feeble rays
+fell upon the face and uniform of the man on horseback, the sentry gave a
+little gasp of astonishment.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now, lower the drawbridge,&rdquo; said Barney Custer, &ldquo;it is your
+king&rsquo;s command.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Quickly the fellow hastened to obey the order. The chains creaked and the
+windlass groaned as the heavy planking sank to place across the moat.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As Barney passed the soldier he handed him the pardon Leopold had written for
+the American.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Give this to your lieutenant,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and tell him to
+hand it to Prince Peter before dawn tomorrow. Do not fail.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A moment later the three were riding down the winding road toward Blentz.
+Barney had no further need of the officer who rode with them. He would be glad
+to be rid of him, for he anticipated that the fellow might find ample
+opportunity to betray them as they passed through the Austrian lines, which
+they must do to reach Lustadt.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He had told the captain that they were going to Tann in order that, should the
+man find opportunity to institute pursuit, he might be thrown off the track.
+The Austrian sentries were no great distance ahead when Barney ordered a halt.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dismount,&rdquo; he directed the captain, leaping to the ground himself
+at the same time. &ldquo;Put your hands behind your back.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The officer did as he was bid, and Barney bound his wrists securely with a
+strap and buckle that he had removed from the cantle of his saddle as he rode.
+Then he led him off the road among some weeds and compelled him to lie down,
+after which he bound his ankles together and stuffed a gag in his mouth,
+securing it in place with a bit of stick and the chinstrap from the man&rsquo;s
+helmet. The threat of the revolver kept Captain Krantzwort silent and obedient
+throughout the hasty operations.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Good-bye, captain,&rdquo; whispered Barney, &ldquo;and let me suggest
+that you devote the time until your discovery and release in pondering the
+value of winning your king&rsquo;s confidence in the future. Had you chosen
+your associates more carefully in the past, this need not have occurred.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney unsaddled the captain&rsquo;s horse and turned him loose, then he
+remounted and, with the princess at his side, rode down toward Blentz.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap22"></a>X.<br />
+A NEW KING IN LUTHA</h2>
+
+<p>
+As the two riders approached the edge of the village of Blentz a sentry barred
+their way. To his challenge the American replied that they were &ldquo;friends
+from the castle.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Advance,&rdquo; directed the sentry, &ldquo;and give the
+countersign.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney rode to the fellow&rsquo;s side, and leaning from the saddle whispered
+in his ear the word &ldquo;Slankamen.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Would it pass them out as it had passed Maenck in? Barney scarcely breathed as
+he awaited the result of his experiment. The soldier brought his rifle to
+present and directed them to pass. With a sigh of relief that was almost
+audible the two rode into the village and the Austrian lines.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once within they met with no further obstacle until they reached the last line
+of sentries upon the far side of the town. It was with more confidence that
+Barney gave the countersign here, nor was he surprised that the soldier passed
+them readily; and now they were upon the highroad to Lustadt, with nothing more
+to bar their way.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For hours they rode on in silence. Barney wanted to talk with his companion,
+but as king he found nothing to say to her. The girl&rsquo;s mind was filled
+with morbid reflections of the past few hours and dumb terror for the future.
+She would keep her promise to the king; but after&mdash;life would not be worth
+the living; why should she live? She glanced at the man beside her in the light
+of the coming dawn. Ah, why was he so like her American in outward appearances
+only? Their own mothers could scarce have distinguished them, and yet in
+character no two men could have differed more widely. The man turned to her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We are almost there,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You must be very
+tired.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The words reflected a consideration that had never been a characteristic of
+Leopold. The girl began to wonder if there might not possibly be a vein of
+nobility in the man, after all, that she had never discovered. Since she had
+entered his apartments at Blentz he had been in every way a different man from
+the Leopold she had known of old. The boldness of his escape from Blentz
+supposed a courage that the king had never given the slightest indication of in
+the past. Could it be that he was making a genuine effort to become a
+man&mdash;to win her respect?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They were approaching Lustadt as the sun rose. A troop of horse was just
+emerging from the north gate. As it neared them they saw that the cavalrymen
+wore the uniforms of the Royal Horse Guard. At their head rode a lieutenant. As
+his eyes fell upon the face of the princess and her companion, he brought his
+troopers to a halt, and, with incredulity plain upon his countenance, advanced
+to meet them, his hand raised in salute to the king. It was Butzow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Now Barney was sure that he would be recognized. For two years he and the
+Luthanian officer had been inseparable. Surely Butzow would penetrate his
+disguise. He returned his friend&rsquo;s salute, looked him full in the eyes,
+and asked where he was riding.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;To Blentz, your majesty,&rdquo; replied Butzow, &ldquo;to demand an
+audience. I bear important word from Prince von der Tann. He has learned the
+Austrians are moving an entire army corps into Lutha, together with siege
+howitzers. Serbia has demanded that all Austrian troops be withdrawn from
+Luthanian territory at once, and has offered to assist your majesty in
+maintaining your neutrality by force, if necessary.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As Butzow spoke his eyes were often upon the Princess Emma, and it was quite
+evident that he was much puzzled to account for her presence with the king. She
+was supposed to be at Tann, and Butzow knew well enough her estimate of Leopold
+to know that she would not be in his company of her own volition. His
+expression as he addressed the man he supposed to be his king was far from
+deferential. Barney could scarce repress a smile.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We will ride at once to the palace,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;At the gate
+you may instruct one of your sergeants to telephone to Prince von der Tann that
+the king is returning and will grant him audience immediately. You and your
+detachment will act as our escort.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow saluted and turned to his troopers, giving the necessary commands that
+brought them about in the wake of the pseudo-king. Once again Barney Custer, of
+Beatrice, rode into Lustadt as king of Lutha. The few people upon the streets
+turned to look at him as he passed, but there was little demonstration of love
+or enthusiasm.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Leopold had awakened no emotions of this sort in the hearts of his subjects.
+Some there were who still remembered the gallant actions of their ruler on the
+field of battle when his forces had defeated those of the regent, upon that
+other occasion when this same American had sat upon the throne of Lutha for two
+days and had led the little army to victory; but since then the true king had
+been with them daily in his true colors. Arrogance, haughtiness, and petty
+tyranny had marked his reign. Taxes had gone even higher than under the corrupt
+influence of the Blentz regime. The king&rsquo;s days were spent in bed; his
+nights in dissipation. Old Ludwig von der Tann seemed Lutha&rsquo;s only friend
+at court. Him the people loved and trusted.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was the old chancellor who met them as they entered the palace&mdash;the
+Princess Emma, Lieutenant Butzow, and the false king. As the old man&rsquo;s
+eyes fell upon his daughter, he gave an exclamation of surprise and of
+incredulity. He looked from her to the American.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What is the meaning of this, your majesty?&rdquo; he cried in a voice
+hoarse with emotion. &ldquo;What does her highness in your company?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was neither fear nor respect in Prince Ludwig&rsquo;s tone&mdash;only
+anger. He was demanding an accounting from Leopold, the man; not from Leopold,
+the king. Barney raised his hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wait,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;before you judge. The princess was brought
+to Blentz by Prince Peter. She will tell you that I have aided her to escape
+and that I have accorded her only such treatment as a woman has a right to
+expect from a king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl inclined her head.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;His majesty has been most kind,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;He has treated
+me with every consideration and respect, and I am convinced that he was not a
+willing party to my arrest and forcible detention at Blentz; or,&rdquo; she
+added, &ldquo;if he was, he regretted his action later and has made full
+reparation by bringing me to Lustadt.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Prince von der Tann found difficulty in hiding his surprise at this evidence of
+chivalry in the cowardly king. But for his daughter&rsquo;s testimony he could
+not have believed it possible that it lay within the nature of Leopold of Lutha
+to have done what he had done within the past few hours.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He bowed low before the man who wore the king&rsquo;s uniform. The American
+extended his hand, and Von der Tann, taking it in his own, raised it to his
+lips.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And now,&rdquo; said Barney briskly, &ldquo;let us go to my apartments
+and get to work. Your highness&rdquo;&mdash;and he turned toward the Princess
+Emma&mdash;&ldquo;must be greatly fatigued. Lieutenant Butzow, you will see
+that a suite is prepared for her highness. Afterward you may call upon Count
+Zellerndorf, whom I understand returned to Lustadt yesterday, and notify him
+that I will receive him in an hour. Inform the Serbian minister that I desire
+his presence at the palace immediately. Lose no time, lieutenant, and be sure
+to impress upon the Serbian minister that immediately means immediately.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow saluted and the Princess Emma curtsied, as the king turned and, slipping
+his arm through that of Prince Ludwig, walked away in the direction of the
+royal apartments. Once at the king&rsquo;s desk Barney turned toward the
+chancellor. In his mind was the determination to save Lutha if Lutha could be
+saved. He had been forced to place the king in a position where he would be
+helpless, though that he would have been equally as helpless upon his throne
+the American did not doubt for an instant. However, the course of events had
+placed within his hands the power to serve not only Lutha but the house of Von
+der Tann as well. He would do in the king&rsquo;s place what the king should
+have done if the king had been a man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now, Prince Ludwig,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;tell me just what conditions
+we must face. Remember that I have been at Blentz and that there the King of
+Lutha is not apt to learn all that transpires in Lustadt.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; replied the chancellor, &ldquo;we face a grave crisis. Not
+only is there within Lutha the small force of Austrian troops that surround
+Blentz, but now an entire army corps has crossed the border. Unquestionably
+they are marching on Lustadt. The emperor is going to take no chances. He sent
+the first force into Lutha to compel Serbian intervention and draw Serbian
+troops from the Austro-Serbian battle line. Serbia has withheld her forces at
+my request, but she will not withhold them for long. We must make a declaration
+at once. If we declare against Austria we are faced by the menace of the
+Austrian troops already within our boundaries, but we shall have Serbia to help
+us.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;A Serbian army corps is on the frontier at this moment awaiting word
+from Lutha. If it is adverse to Austria that army corps will cross the border
+and march to our assistance. If it is favorable to Austria it will none the
+less cross into Lutha, but as enemies instead of allies. Serbia has acted
+honorably toward Lutha. She has not violated our neutrality. She has no desire
+to increase her possessions in this direction.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;On the other hand, Austria has violated her treaty with us. She has
+marched troops into our country and occupied the town of Blentz. Constantly in
+the past she has incited internal discord. She is openly championing the Blentz
+cause, which at last I trust your majesty has discovered is inimical to your
+interests.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If Austria is victorious in her war with Serbia, she will find some
+pretext to hold Lutha whether Lutha takes her stand either for or against her.
+And most certainly is this true if it occurs that Austrian troops are still
+within the boundaries of Lutha when peace is negotiated. Not only our honor but
+our very existence demands that there be no Austrian troops in Lutha at the
+close of this war. If we cannot force them across the border we can at least
+make such an effort as will win us the respect of the world and a voice in the
+peace negotiations.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If we must bow to the surrender of our national integrity, let us do so
+only after we have exhausted every resource of the country in our
+country&rsquo;s defense. In the past your majesty has not appeared to realize
+the menace of your most powerful neighbor. I beg of you, sire, to trust me.
+Believe that I have only the interests of Lutha at heart, and let us work
+together for the salvation of our country and your majesty&rsquo;s
+throne.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney laid his hand upon the old man&rsquo;s shoulder. It seemed a shame to
+carry the deception further, but the American well knew that only so could he
+accomplish aught for Lutha or the Von der Tanns. Once the old chancellor
+suspected the truth as to his identity he would be the first to denounce him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I think that you and I can work together, Prince Ludwig,&rdquo; he said.
+&ldquo;I have sent for the Serbian and Austrian ministers. The former should be
+here immediately.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Nor did they have long to wait before the tall Slav was announced. Barney lost
+no time in getting down to business. He asked no questions. What Von der Tann
+had told him, what he had seen with his own eyes since he had entered Lutha,
+and what he had overheard in the inn at Burgova was sufficient evidence that
+the fate of Lutha hung upon the prompt and energetic decisions of the man who
+sat upon Lutha&rsquo;s throne for the next few days.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Had Leopold been the present incumbent Lutha would have been lost, for that he
+would play directly into the hands of Austria was not to be questioned. Were
+Von der Tann to seize the reins of government a state of revolution would exist
+that would divide the state into two bitter factions, weaken its defense, and
+give Austria what she most desired&mdash;a plausible pretext for intervention.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Lutha&rsquo;s only hope lay in united defense of her liberties under the
+leadership of the one man whom all acknowledged king&mdash;Leopold. Very well,
+Barney Custer, of Beatrice, would be Leopold for a few days, since the real
+Leopold had proven himself incompetent to meet the emergency.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+General Petko, the Serbian minister to Lutha, brought to the audience the
+memory of a series of unpleasant encounters with the king. Leopold had never
+exerted himself to hide his pro-Austrian sentiments. Austria was a powerful
+country&mdash;Serbia, a relatively weak neighbor. Leopold, being a royal snob,
+had courted the favor of the emperor and turned up his nose at Serbia. The
+general was prepared for a repetition of the veiled affronts that Leopold
+delighted in according him; but this time he brought with him a reply that for
+two years he had been living in the hope of some day being able to deliver to
+the young monarch he so cordially despised.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was an ultimatum from his government&mdash;an ultimatum couched in terms
+from which all diplomatic suavity had been stripped. If Barney Custer, of
+Beatrice, could have read it he would have smiled, for in plain American it
+might have been described as announcing to Leopold precisely &ldquo;where he
+got off.&rdquo; But Barney did not have the opportunity to read it, since that
+ultimatum was never delivered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney took the wind all out of it by his first words. &ldquo;Your excellency
+may wonder why it is that we have summoned you at such an early hour,&rdquo; he
+said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+General Petko inclined his head in deferential acknowledgment of the truth of
+the inference.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is because we have learned from our chancellor,&rdquo; continued the
+American, &ldquo;that Serbia has mobilized an entire army corps upon the
+Luthanian frontier. Am I correctly informed?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+General Petko squared his shoulders and bowed in assent. At the same time he
+reached into his breast-pocket for the ultimatum.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Good!&rdquo; exclaimed Barney, and then he leaned close to the ear of
+the Serbian. &ldquo;How long will it take to move that army corps to
+Lustadt?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+General Petko gasped and returned the ultimatum to his pocket.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Sire!&rdquo; he cried, his face lighting with incredulity. &ldquo;You
+mean&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I mean,&rdquo; said the American, &ldquo;that if Serbia will loan Lutha
+an army corps until the Austrians have evacuated Luthanian territory, Lutha
+will loan Serbia an army corps until such time as peace is declared between
+Serbia and Austria. Other than this neither government will incur any
+obligations to the other.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We may not need your help, but it will do us no harm to have them well
+on the way toward Lustadt as quickly as possible. Count Zellerndorf will be
+here in a few minutes. We shall, through him, give Austria twenty-four hours to
+withdraw all her troops beyond our frontiers. The army of Lutha is mobilized
+before Lustadt. It is not a large army, but with the help of Serbia it should
+be able to drive the Austrians from the country, provided they do not leave of
+their own accord.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+General Petko smiled. So did the American and the chancellor. Each knew that
+Austria would not withdraw her army from Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;With your majesty&rsquo;s permission I will withdraw,&rdquo; said the
+Serbian, &ldquo;and transmit Lutha&rsquo;s proposition to my government; but I
+may say that your majesty need have no apprehension but that a Serbian army
+corps will be crossing into Lutha before noon today.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And now, Prince Ludwig,&rdquo; said the American after the Serbian had
+bowed himself out of the apartment, &ldquo;I suggest that you take immediate
+steps to entrench a strong force north of Lustadt along the road to
+Blentz.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Von der Tann smiled as he replied. &ldquo;It is already done, sire,&rdquo; he
+said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But I passed in along the road this morning,&rdquo; said Barney,
+&ldquo;and saw nothing of such preparations.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The trenches and the soldiers were there, nevertheless, sire,&rdquo;
+replied the old man, &ldquo;only a little gap was left on either side of the
+highway that those who came and went might not suspect our plans and carry word
+of them to the Austrians. A few hours will complete the link across the
+road.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Good! Let it be completed at once. Here is Count Zellerndorf now,&rdquo;
+as the minister was announced.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Von der Tann bowed himself out as the Austrian entered the king&rsquo;s
+presence. For the first time in two years the chancellor felt that the destiny
+of Lutha was safe in the hands of her king. What had caused the metamorphosis
+in Leopold he could not guess. He did not seem to be the same man that had
+whined and growled at their last audience a week before.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The Austrian minister entered the king&rsquo;s presence with an expression of
+ill-concealed surprise upon his face. Two days before he had left Leopold
+safely ensconced at Blentz, where he was to have remained indefinitely. He
+glanced hurriedly about the room in search of Prince Peter or another of the
+conspirators who should have been with the king. He saw no one. The king was
+speaking. The Austrian&rsquo;s eyes went wider, not only at the words, but at
+the tone of voice.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Count Zellerndorf,&rdquo; said the American, &ldquo;you were doubtless
+aware of the embarrassment under which the king of Lutha was compelled at
+Blentz to witness the entry of a foreign army within his domain. But we are not
+now at Blentz. We have summoned you that you may receive from us, and transmit
+to your emperor, the expression of our surprise and dismay at the unwarranted
+violation of Luthanian neutrality.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But, your majesty&mdash;&rdquo; interrupted the Austrian.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But nothing, your excellency,&rdquo; snapped the American. &ldquo;The
+moment for diplomacy is passed; the time for action has come. You will oblige
+us by transmitting to your government at once a request that every Austrian
+soldier now in Lutha be withdrawn by noon tomorrow.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Zellerndorf looked his astonishment.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Are you mad, sire?&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;It will mean war!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is what Austria has been looking for,&rdquo; snapped the American,
+&ldquo;and what people look for they usually get, especially if they chance to
+be looking for trouble. When can you expect a reply from Vienna?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;By noon, your majesty,&rdquo; replied the Austrian, &ldquo;but are you
+irretrievably bound to your present policy? Remember the power of Austria,
+sire. Think of your throne. Think&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We have thought of everything,&rdquo; interrupted Barney. &ldquo;A
+throne means less to us than you may imagine, count; but the honor of Lutha
+means a great deal.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap23"></a>XI.<br />
+THE BATTLE</h2>
+
+<p>
+At five o&rsquo;clock that afternoon the sidewalks bordering Margaretha Street
+were crowded with promenaders. The little tables before the cafes were filled.
+Nearly everyone spoke of the great war and of the peril which menaced Lutha.
+Upon many a lip was open disgust at the supine attitude of Leopold of Lutha in
+the face of an Austrian invasion of his country. Discontent was open. It was
+ripening to something worse for Leopold than an Austrian invasion.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Presently a sergeant of the Royal Horse Guards cantered down the street from
+the palace. He stopped here and there, and, dismounting, tacked placards in
+conspicuous places. At the notice, and in each instance cheers and shouting
+followed the sergeant as he rode on to the next stop.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Now, at each point men and women were gathered, eagerly awaiting an explanation
+of the jubilation farther up the street. Those whom the sergeant passed called
+to him for an explanation, and not receiving it, followed in a quickly growing
+mob that filled Margaretha Street from wall to wall. When he dismounted he had
+almost to fight his way to the post or door upon which he was to tack the next
+placard. The crowd surged about him in its anxiety to read what the placard
+bore, and then, between the cheering and yelling, those in the front passed
+back to the crowd the tidings that filled them with so great rejoicing.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Leopold has declared war on Austria!&rdquo; &ldquo;The king calls for
+volunteers!&rdquo; &ldquo;Long live the king!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p class="p2">
+The battle of Lustadt has passed into history. Outside of the little kingdom of
+Lutha it received but passing notice by the world at large, whose attention was
+riveted upon the great conflicts along the banks of the Meuse, the Marne, and
+the Aisne. But in Lutha! Ah, it will be told and retold, handed down from mouth
+to mouth and from generation to generation to the end of time.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+How the cavalry that the king sent north toward Blentz met the advancing
+Austrian army. How, fighting, they fell back upon the infantry which lay, a
+thin line that stretched east and west across the north of Lustadt, in its
+first line of trenches. A pitifully weak line it was, numerically, in
+comparison with the forces of the invaders; but it stood its ground heroically,
+and from the heights to the north of the city the fire from the forts helped to
+hold the enemy in check for many hours.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And then the enemy succeeded in bringing up their heavy artillery to the ridge
+that lies three miles north of the forts. Shells were bursting in the trenches,
+the forts, and the city. To the south a stream of terror-stricken refugees was
+pouring out of Lustadt along the King&rsquo;s Road. Rich and poor, animated by
+a common impulse, filled the narrow street that led to the city&rsquo;s
+southern gate. Carts drawn by dogs, laden donkeys, French limousines,
+victorias, wheelbarrows&mdash;every conceivable wheeled vehicle and beast of
+burden&mdash;were jammed in a seemingly inextricable tangle in the mad rush for
+safety.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Rumor passed back and forth through the fleeing thousands. Now came word that
+Fort No. 2 had been silenced by the Austrian guns. Immediately followed news
+that the Luthanian line was falling back upon the city. Fear turned to panic.
+Men fought to outdistance their neighbors.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A shell burst upon a roof-top in an adjoining square.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Women fainted and were trampled. Hoarse shouts of anger mingled with screams of
+terror, and then into the midst of it from Margaretha Street rode a man on
+horseback. Behind him were a score of officers. A trumpeter raised his
+instrument to his lips, and above the din of the fleeing multitude rose the
+sharp, triple call that announces the coming of the king. The mob halted and
+turned.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Looking down upon them from his saddle was Leopold of Lutha. His palm was
+raised for silence and there was a smile upon his lips. Quite suddenly, and as
+by a miracle, fear left them. They made a line for him and his staff to ride
+through. One of the officers turned in his saddle to address a civilian friend
+in an automobile.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;His majesty is riding to the firing line,&rdquo; he said and he raised
+his voice that many might hear. Quickly the word passed from mouth to mouth,
+and as Barney Custer, of Beatrice, passed along Margaretha Street he was
+followed by a mad din of cheering that drowned the booming of the distant
+cannon and the bursting of the shells above the city.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The balance of the day the pseudo-king rode back and forth along his lines.
+Three of his staff were killed and two horses were shot from beneath him, but
+from the moment that he appeared the Luthanian line ceased to waver or fall
+back. The advanced trenches that they had abandoned to the Austrians they took
+again at the point of the bayonet. Charge after charge they repulsed, and all
+the time there hovered above the enemy Lutha&rsquo;s sole aeroplane, watching,
+watching, ever watching for the coming of the allies. Somewhere to the
+northeast the Serbians were advancing toward Lustadt. Would they come in time?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was five o&rsquo;clock in the morning of the second day, and though the
+Luthanian line still held, Barney Custer knew that it could not hold for long.
+The Austrian artillery fire, which had been rather wild the preceding day, had
+now become of deadly accuracy. Each bursting shell filled some part of the
+trenches with dead and wounded, and though their places were taken by fresh men
+from the reserve, there would soon be no reserve left to call upon.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At his left, in the rear, the American had massed the bulk of his reserves, and
+at the foot of the heights north of the city and just below the forts the major
+portion of the cavalry was drawn up in the shelter of a little ravine.
+Barney&rsquo;s eyes were fixed upon the soaring aeroplane.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In his hand was his watch. He would wait another fifteen minutes, and if by
+then the signal had not come that the Serbians were approaching, he would
+strike the blow that he had decided upon. From time to time he glanced at his
+watch.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The fifteen minutes had almost elapsed when there fluttered from the tiny
+monoplane a paper parachute. It dropped for several hundred feet before it
+spread to the air pressure and floated more gently toward the earth and a
+moment later there burst from its basket a puff of white smoke. Two more
+parachutes followed the first and two more puffs of smoke. Then the machine
+darted rapidly off toward the northeast.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney turned to Prince von der Tann with a smile. &ldquo;They are none too
+soon,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The old prince bowed in acquiescence. He had been very happy for two days.
+Lutha might be defeated now, but she could never be subdued. She had a king at
+last&mdash;a real king. Gott! How he had changed. It reminded Prince von der
+Tann of the day he had ridden beside the impostor two years before in the
+battle with the forces of Peter of Blentz. Many times he had caught himself
+scrutinizing the face of the monarch, searching for some proof that after all
+he was not Leopold.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Direct the commanders of forts three and four to concentrate their fire
+on the enemy&rsquo;s guns directly north of Fort No. 3,&rdquo; Barney directed
+an aide. &ldquo;Simultaneously let the cavalry and Colonel Kazov&rsquo;s
+infantry make a determined assault on the Austrian trenches.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then he turned his horse toward the left of his line, where, a little to the
+rear, lay the fresh troops that he had been holding in readiness against this
+very moment. As he galloped across the plain, his staff at his heels, shrapnel
+burst about them. Von der Tann spurred to his side.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;it is unnecessary that you take such grave
+risks. Your staff is ready and willing to perform such service that you may be
+preserved to your people and your throne.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I believe the men fight better when they think their king is watching
+them,&rdquo; said the American simply.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I know it, sire,&rdquo; replied Von der Tann, &ldquo;but even so, Lutha
+could ill afford to lose you now. I thank God, your majesty, that I have lived
+to see this day&mdash;to see the last of the Rubinroths upholding the glorious
+traditions of the Rubinroth blood.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney led the reserves slowly through the wood to the rear of the extreme left
+of his line. The attack upon the Austrian right center appeared to be meeting
+with much greater success than the American dared to hope for. Already, through
+his glasses, he could see indications that the enemy was concentrating a larger
+force at this point to repulse the vicious assaults of the Luthanians. To do
+this they must be drawing from their reserves back of other portions of their
+line.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was what Barney had desired. The three bombs from the aeroplane had told him
+that the Serbians had been sighted three miles away. Already they were engaging
+the Austrians. He could hear the rattle of rifles and quick-firers and the roar
+of cannon far to the northeast. And now he gave the word to the commander of
+the reserve.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At a rapid trot the men moved forward behind the extreme left end of the
+Luthanian left wing. They were almost upon the Austrians before they emerged
+from the shelter of the wood, and then with hoarse shouts and leveled bayonets
+they charged the enemy&rsquo;s position. The fight there was the bloodiest of
+the two long days. Back and forth the tide of battle surged. In the thick of it
+rode the false king encouraging his men to greater effort. Slowly at last they
+bore the Austrians from their trenches. Back and back they bore them until
+retreat became a rout. The Austrian right was crumpled back upon its center!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Here the enemy made a determined stand; but just before dark a great shouting
+arose from the heights to their left, where the bulk of their artillery was
+stationed. Both the Luthanian and Austrian troops engaged in the plain saw
+Austrian infantry and artillery running down the slopes in disorderly rout.
+Upon their heads came a cheering line of soldiers firing as they ran, and above
+them waved the battleflag of Serbia.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A mighty shout rose from the Luthanian ranks&mdash;an answering groan from the
+throats of the Austrians. Hemmed in between the two lines of allies, the
+Austrians were helpless. Their artillery was captured, retreat cut off. There
+was but a single alternative to massacre&mdash;the white flag.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A few regiments between Lustadt and Blentz, but nearer the latter town, escaped
+back into Austria, the balance Barney arranged with the Serbian minister to
+have taken back to Serbia as prisoners of war. The Luthanian army corps that
+the American had promised the Serbs was to be utilized along the Austrian
+frontier to prevent the passage of Austrian troops into Serbia through Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The return to Lustadt after the battle was made through cheering troops and
+along streets choked with joy-mad citizenry. The name of the soldier-king was
+upon every tongue. Men went wild with enthusiasm as the tall figure rode slowly
+through the crowd toward the palace.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Von der Tann, grim and martial, found his lids damp with the moisture of a
+great happiness. Even now with all the proofs of reality about him, it seemed
+impossible that this scene could be aught but the ephemeral vapors of a
+dream&mdash;that Leopold of Lutha, the coward, the craven, could have become in
+a single day the heroic figure that had loomed so large upon the battlefield of
+Lustadt&mdash;the simple, modest gentleman who received the plaudits of his
+subjects with bowed head and humble mien.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As Barney Custer rode up Margaretha Street toward the royal palace of the kings
+of Lutha, a dust-covered horseman in the uniform of an officer of the Horse
+Guards entered Lustadt from the south. It was the young aide of Prince von der
+Tann&rsquo;s staff, who had been sent to Blentz nearly a week earlier with a
+message for the king, and who had been captured and held by the Austrians.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+During the battle before Lustadt all the Austrian troops had been withdrawn
+from Blentz and hurried to the front. It was then that the aide had been
+transferred to the castle, from which he had escaped early that morning. To
+reach Lustadt he had been compelled to circle the Austrian position, coming to
+Lustadt from the south.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once within the city he rode straight to the palace, flung himself from his
+jaded mount, and entered the left wing of the building&mdash;the wing in which
+the private apartments of the chancellor were located.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Here he inquired for the Princess Emma, learning with evident relief that she
+was there. A moment later, white with dust, his face streamed with sweat, he
+was ushered into her presence.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your highness,&rdquo; he blurted, &ldquo;the king&rsquo;s commands have
+been disregarded&mdash;the American is to be shot tomorrow. I have just escaped
+from Blentz. Peter is furious. He realizes that whether the Austrians win or
+lose, his standing with the king is gone forever.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;In a fit of rage he has ordered that Mr. Custer be sacrificed to his
+desire for revenge, in the hope that it will insure for him the favor of the
+Austrians. Something must be done at once if he is to be saved.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment the girl swayed as though about to fall. The young officer stepped
+quickly to support her, but before he reached her side she had regained
+complete mastery of herself. From the street without there rose the blare of
+trumpets and the cheering of the populace.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Through senses numb with the cold of anguish the meaning of the tumult slowly
+filtered to her brain&mdash;the king had come. He was returning from the
+battlefield, covered with honors and flushed with glory&mdash;the man who was
+to be her husband; but there was no rejoicing in the heart of the Princess
+Emma.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Instead, there was a dull ache and impotent rebellion at the injustice of the
+thing&mdash;that Leopold should be reaping these great rewards, while he who
+had made it possible for him to be a king at all was to die on the morrow
+because of what he had done to place the Rubinroth upon his throne.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Perhaps Lieutenant Butzow might find a way,&rdquo; suggested the
+officer. &ldquo;He or your father; they are both fond of Mr. Custer.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the girl dully, &ldquo;see Lieutenant Butzow&mdash;he
+would do the most.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The officer bowed and hastened from the apartment in search of Butzow. The girl
+approached the window and stood there for a long time, looking out at the
+surging multitude that pressed around the palace gates, filling Margaretha
+Street with a solid mass of happy faces.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They cheered the king, the chancellor, the army; but most often they cheered
+the king. From a despised monarch Leopold had risen in a single bound to the
+position of a national idol.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Repeatedly he was called to the balcony over the grand entrance that the people
+might feast their eyes on him. The princess wondered how long it was before she
+herself would be forced to offer her congratulations and, perchance, suffer his
+caresses. She shivered and cringed at the thought, and then there came a knock
+upon the door, and in answer to her permission it opened, and the king stood
+upon the threshold alone.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At a glance the man took in the pain and sorrow mirrored upon the girl&rsquo;s
+face. He stepped quickly across the room toward her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What is it?&rdquo; he asked. &ldquo;What is the matter?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment he had forgotten the part that he had been playing&mdash;forgot
+that the Princess Emma was ignorant of his identity. He had come to her to
+share with her the happiness of the hour&mdash;the glory of the victorious arms
+of Lutha. For a time he had almost forgotten that he was not the king, and now
+he was forgetting that he was not Barney Custer to the girl who stood before
+him with misery and hopelessness writ so large upon her countenance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a brief instant the girl did not reply. She was weighing the problematical
+value of an attempt to enlist the king in the cause of the American. Leopold
+had shown a spark of magnanimity when he had written a pardon for Mr. Custer;
+might he not rise again above his petty jealousy and save the American&rsquo;s
+life? It was a forlorn hope to the woman who knew the true Leopold so well; but
+it was a hope.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What is the matter?&rdquo; the king repeated.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have just received word that Prince Peter has ignored your commands,
+sire,&rdquo; replied the girl, &ldquo;and that Mr. Custer is to be shot
+tomorrow.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney&rsquo;s eyes went wide with incredulity. Here was a pretty pass, indeed!
+The princess came close to him and seized his arm.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You promised, sire,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;that he would not be
+harmed&mdash;you gave your royal word. You can save him. You have an army at
+your command. Do not forget that he once saved you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The note of appeal in her voice and the sorrow in her eyes gave Barney Custer a
+twinge of compunction. The necessity for longer concealing his identity in so
+far as the salvation of Lutha was concerned seemed past; but the American had
+intended to carry the deception to the end.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He had given the matter much thought, but he could find no grounds for belief
+that Emma von der Tann would be any happier in the knowledge that her future
+husband had had nothing to do with the victory of his army. If she was doomed
+to a life at his side, why not permit her the grain of comfort that she might
+derive from the memory of her husband&rsquo;s achievements upon the battlefield
+of Lustadt? Why rob her of that little?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But now, face to face with her, and with the evidence of her suffering so plain
+before him, Barney&rsquo;s intentions wavered. Like most fighting men, he was
+tender in his dealings with women. And now the last straw came in the form of a
+single tiny tear that trickled down the girl&rsquo;s cheek. He seized the hand
+that lay upon his arm.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Your highness,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;do not grieve for the American. He
+is not worth it. He has deceived you. He is not at Blentz.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl drew her hand from his and straightened to her full height.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What do you mean, sire?&rdquo; she exclaimed. &ldquo;Mr. Custer would
+not deceive me even if he had an opportunity&mdash;which he has not had. But if
+he is not at Blentz, where is he?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney bowed his head and looked at the floor.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He is here, your highness, asking your forgiveness,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was a puzzled expression upon the girl&rsquo;s face as she looked at the
+man before her. She did not understand. Why should she? Barney drew a diamond
+ring from his little finger and held it out to her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You gave it to me to cut a hole in the window of the garage where I
+stole the automobile,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I forgot to return it. Now do you
+know who I am?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Emma von der Tann&rsquo;s eyes showed her incredulity; then, act by act, she
+recalled all that this man had said and done since they had escaped from Blentz
+that had been so unlike the king she knew.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;When did you assume the king&rsquo;s identity?&rdquo; she asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney told her all that had transpired in the king&rsquo;s apartments at
+Blentz before she had been conducted to the king&rsquo;s presence.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And Leopold is there now?&rdquo; she asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He is there,&rdquo; replied Barney, &ldquo;and he is to be shot in the
+morning.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Gott!&rdquo; exclaimed the girl. &ldquo;What are we to do?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There is but one thing to do,&rdquo; replied the American, &ldquo;and
+that is for Butzow and me to ride to Blentz as fast as horses will carry us and
+rescue the king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And then?&rdquo; asked the girl, a shadow crossing her face.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And then Barney Custer will have to beat it for the boundary,&rdquo; he
+replied with a sorry smile.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She came quite close to him, laying her hands upon his shoulders.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I cannot give you up now,&rdquo; she said simply. &ldquo;I have tried to
+be loyal to Leopold and the promise that my father made his king when I was
+only a little girl; but since I thought that you were to be shot, I have wished
+a thousand times that I had gone with you to America two years ago. Take me
+with you now, Barney. We can send Lieutenant Butzow to rescue the king, and
+before he has returned we can be safe across the Serbian frontier.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The American shook his head.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I got the king into this mess and I must get him out,&rdquo; he said.
+&ldquo;He may deserve to be shot, but it is up to me to prevent it, if I can.
+And there is your father to consider. If Butzow rides to Blentz and rescues the
+king, it may be difficult to get him back to Lustadt without the truth of his
+identity and mine becoming known. With me there, the change can be effected
+easily, and not even Butzow need know what has happened.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If the people should guess that it was not Leopold who won the battle of
+Lustadt there might be the devil to pay, and your father would go down along
+with the throne. No, I must stay until Leopold is safe in Lustadt. But there is
+a hope for us. I may be able to wrest from Leopold his sanction of our
+marriage. I shall not hesitate to use threats to get it, and I rather imagine
+that he will be in such a terror-stricken condition that he will assent to any
+terms for his release from Blentz. If he gives me such a paper, Emma, will you
+marry me?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Perhaps there never had been a stranger proposal than this; but to neither did
+it seem strange. For two years each had known the love of the other. The
+girl&rsquo;s betrothal to the king had prevented an avowal of their love while
+Barney posed in his own identity. Now they merely accepted the conditions that
+had existed for two years as though a matter of fact which had been often
+discussed between them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Of course I&rsquo;ll marry you,&rdquo; said the princess. &ldquo;Why in
+the world would I want you to take me to America otherwise?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As Barney Custer took her in his arms he was happier than he had ever before
+been in all his life, and so, too, was the Princess Emma von der Tann.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap24"></a>XII.<br />
+LEOPOLD WAITS FOR DAWN</h2>
+
+<p>
+After the American had shoved him through the secret doorway into the tower
+room of the castle of Blentz, Leopold had stood for several minutes waiting for
+the next command from his captor. Presently, hearing no sound other than that
+of his own breathing, the king ventured to speak. He asked the American what he
+purposed doing with him next.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was no reply. For another minute the king listened intently; then he
+raised his hands and removed the bandage from his eyes. He looked about him.
+The room was vacant except for himself. He recognized it as the one in which he
+had spent ten years of his life as a prisoner. He shuddered. What had become of
+the American? He approached the door and listened. Beyond the panels he could
+hear the two soldiers on guard there conversing. He called to them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What do you want?&rdquo; shouted one of the men through the closed door.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I want Prince Peter!&rdquo; yelled the king. &ldquo;Send him at
+once!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The soldiers laughed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He wants Prince Peter,&rdquo; they mocked. &ldquo;Wouldn&rsquo;t you
+rather have us send the king to you?&rdquo; they asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am the king!&rdquo; yelled Leopold. &ldquo;I am the king! Open the
+door, pigs, or it will go hard with you! I shall have you both shot in the
+morning if you do not open the door and fetch Prince Peter.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; exclaimed one of the soldiers. &ldquo;Then there will be
+three of us shot together.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Leopold went white. He had not connected the sentence of the American with
+himself; but now, quite vividly, he realized what it might mean to him if he
+failed before dawn to convince someone that he was not the American. Peter
+would not be awake at so early an hour, and if he had no better success with
+others than he was having with these soldiers, it was possible that he might be
+led out and shot before his identity was discovered. The thing was
+preposterous. The king&rsquo;s knees became suddenly quite weak. They shook,
+and his legs gave beneath his weight so that he had to lean against the back of
+a chair to keep from falling.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once more he turned to the soldiers. This time he pleaded with them, begging
+them to carry word to Prince Peter that a terrible mistake had been made, and
+that it was the king and not the American who was confined in the death
+chamber. But the soldiers only laughed at him, and finally threatened to come
+in and beat him if he again interrupted their conversation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was a white and shaken prisoner that the officer of the guard found when he
+entered the room at dawn. The man before him, his face streaked with tears of
+terror and self-pity, fell upon his knees before him, beseeching him to carry
+word to Peter of Blentz, that he was the king. The officer drew away with a
+gesture of disgust.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I might well believe from your actions that you are Leopold,&rdquo; he
+said; &ldquo;for, by Heaven, you do not act as I have always imagined the
+American would act in the face of danger. He has a reputation for bravery that
+would suffer could his admirers see him now.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But I am not the American,&rdquo; pleaded the king. &ldquo;I tell you
+that the American came to my apartments last night, overpowered me, forced me
+to change clothing with him, and then led me back here.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A sudden inspiration came to the king with the memory of all that had
+transpired during that humiliating encounter with the American.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I signed a pardon for him!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;He forced me to do
+so. If you think I am the American, you cannot kill me now, for there is a
+pardon signed by the king, and an order for the American&rsquo;s immediate
+release. Where is it? Do not tell me that Prince Peter did not receive
+it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He received it,&rdquo; replied the officer, &ldquo;and I am here to
+acquaint you with the fact, but Prince Peter said nothing about your release.
+All he told me was that you were not to be shot this morning,&rdquo; and the
+man emphasized the last two words.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Leopold of Lutha spent two awful days a prisoner at Blentz, not knowing at what
+moment Prince Peter might see fit to carry out the verdict of the Austrian
+court martial. He could convince no one that he was the king. Peter would not
+even grant him an audience. Upon the evening of the third day, word came that
+the Austrians had been defeated before Lustadt, and those that were not
+prisoners were retreating through Blentz toward the Austrian frontier.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The news filtered to Leopold&rsquo;s prison room through the servant who
+brought him his scant and rough fare. The king was utterly disheartened before
+this word reached him. For the moment he seemed to see a ray of hope, for,
+since the impostor had been victorious, he would be in a position to force
+Peter of Blentz to give up the true king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There was the chance that the American, flushed with success and power, might
+elect to hold the crown he had seized. Who would guess the transfer that had
+been effected, or, guessing, would dare voice his suspicions in the face of the
+power and popularity that Leopold knew such a victory as the impostor had won
+must have given him in the hearts and minds of the people of Lutha? Still,
+there was a bare possibility that the American would be as good as his word,
+and return the crown as he had promised. Though he hated to admit it, the king
+had every reason to believe that the impostor was a man of honor, whose bare
+word was as good as another&rsquo;s bond.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He was commencing, under this line of reasoning, to achieve a certain hopeful
+content when the door to his prison opened and Peter of Blentz, black and
+scowling, entered. At his elbow was Captain Ernst Maenck.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Leopold has defeated the Austrians,&rdquo; announced the former.
+&ldquo;Until you returned to Lutha he considered the Austrians his best
+friends. I do not know how you could have reached or influenced him. It is to
+learn how you accomplished it that I am here. The fact that he signed your
+pardon indicates that his attitude toward you changed suddenly&mdash;almost
+within an hour. There is something at the bottom of it all, and that something
+I must know.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am Leopold!&rdquo; cried the king. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you recognize
+me, Prince Peter? Look at me! Maenck must know me. It was I who wrote and
+signed the American&rsquo;s pardon&mdash;at the point of the American&rsquo;s
+revolver. He forced me to exchange clothing with him, and then he brought me
+here to this room and left me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The two men looked at the speaker and smiled.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You bank too strongly, my friend,&rdquo; said Peter of Blentz,
+&ldquo;upon your resemblance to the king of Lutha. I will admit that it is
+strong, but not so strong as to convince me of the truth of so improbable a
+story. How in the world could the American have brought you through the castle,
+from one end to the other, unseen? There was a guard before the king&rsquo;s
+door and another before this. No, Herr Custer, you will have to concoct a more
+plausible tale.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No,&rdquo; and Peter of Blentz scowled savagely, as though to impress
+upon his listener the importance of his next utterance, &ldquo;there were more
+than you and the king involved in his sudden departure from Blentz and in his
+hasty change of policy toward Austria. To be quite candid, it seems to me that
+it may be necessary to my future welfare&mdash;vitally necessary, I may
+say&mdash;to know precisely how all this occurred, and just what influence you
+have over Leopold of Lutha. Who was it that acted as the go-between in the
+king&rsquo;s negotiations with you, or rather, yours with the king? And what
+argument did you bring to bear to force Leopold to the action he took?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have told you all that I know about the matter,&rdquo; whined the
+king. &ldquo;The American appeared suddenly in my apartment. When he brought me
+here he first blindfolded me. I have no idea by what route we traveled through
+the castle, and unless your guards outside this door were bribed they can tell
+you more about how we got in here than I can&mdash;provided we entered through
+that doorway,&rdquo; and the king pointed to the door which had just opened to
+admit his two visitors.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, pshaw!&rdquo; exclaimed Maenck. &ldquo;There is but one door to this
+room&mdash;if the king came in here at all, he came through that door.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Enough!&rdquo; cried Peter of Blentz. &ldquo;I shall not be trifled with
+longer. I shall give you until tomorrow morning to make a full explanation of
+the truth and to form some plan whereby you may utilize once more whatever
+influence you had over Leopold to the end that he grant to myself and my
+associates his royal assurance that our lives and property will be safe in
+Lutha.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But I tell you it is impossible,&rdquo; wailed the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I think not,&rdquo; sneered Prince Peter, &ldquo;especially when I tell
+you that if you do not accede to my wishes the order of the Austrian military
+court that sentenced you to death at Burgova will be carried out in the
+morning.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With his final words the two men turned and left the room. Behind them, upon
+the floor, inarticulate with terror, knelt Leopold of Lutha, his hands
+outstretched in supplication.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The long night wore its weary way to dawn at last. The sleepless man,
+alternately tossing upon his bed and pacing the floor, looked fearfully from
+time to time at the window through which the lightening of the sky would
+proclaim the coming day and his last hour on earth. His windows faced the west.
+At the foot of the hill beneath the castle nestled the village of Blentz, once
+more enveloped in peaceful silence since the Austrians were gone.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+An unmistakable lessening of the darkness in the east had just announced the
+proximity of day, when the king heard a clatter of horses&rsquo; hoofs upon the
+road before the castle. The sound ceased at the gates and a loud voice broke
+out upon the stillness of the dying night demanding entrance &ldquo;in the name
+of the king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+New hope burst aflame in the breast of the condemned man. The impostor had not
+forsaken him. Leopold ran to the window, leaning far out. He heard the voices
+of the sentries in the barbican as they conversed with the newcomers. Then
+silence came, broken only by the rapid footsteps of a soldier hastening from
+the gate to the castle. His hobnail shoes pounding upon the cobbles of the
+courtyard echoed among the angles of the lofty walls. When he had entered the
+castle the silence became oppressive. For five minutes there was no sound other
+than the pawing of the horses outside the barbican and the subdued conversation
+of their riders.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Presently the soldier emerged from the castle. With him was an officer. The two
+went to the barbican. Again there was a parley between the horsemen and the
+guard. Leopold could hear the officer demanding terms. He would lower the
+drawbridge and admit them upon conditions.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+One of these the king overheard&mdash;it concerned an assurance of full pardon
+for Peter of Blentz and the garrison; and again Leopold heard the officer
+addressing someone as &ldquo;your majesty.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Ah, the impostor was there in person. Ach, Gott! How Leopold of Lutha hated
+him, and yet, in the hands of this American lay not only his throne but his
+very life as well.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Evidently the negotiations proved unsuccessful for after a time the party
+wheeled their horses from the gate and rode back toward Blentz. As the sound of
+the iron-shod hoofs diminished in the distance, with them diminished the hopes
+of the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When they ceased entirely his hopes were at an end, to be supplanted by renewed
+terror at the turning of the knob of his prison door as it swung open to admit
+Maenck and a squad of soldiers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Come!&rdquo; ordered the captain. &ldquo;The king has refused to
+intercede in your behalf. When he returns with his army he will find your body
+at the foot of the west wall in the courtyard.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With an ear-piercing shriek that rang through the grim old castle, Leopold of
+Lutha flung his arms above his head and lunged forward upon his face. Roughly
+the soldiers seized the unconscious man and dragged him from the room.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Along the corridor they hauled him and down the winding stairs within the north
+tower to the narrow slit of a door that opened upon the courtyard. To the foot
+of the west wall they brought him, tossing him brutally to the stone flagging.
+Here one of the soldiers brought a flagon of water and dashed it in the face of
+the king. The cold douche returned Leopold to a consciousness of the nearness
+of his impending fate.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He saw the little squad of soldiers before him. He saw the cold, gray wall
+behind, and, above, the cold, gray sky of early dawn. The dismal men leaning
+upon their shadowy guns seemed unearthly specters in the weird light of the
+hour that is neither God&rsquo;s day nor devil&rsquo;s night. With difficulty
+two of them dragged Leopold to his feet.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then the dismal men formed in line before him at the opposite side of the
+courtyard. Maenck stood to the left of them. He was giving commands. They fell
+upon the doomed man&rsquo;s ears with all the cruelty of physical blows. Tears
+coursed down his white cheeks. With incoherent mumblings he begged for his
+life. Leopold, King of Lutha, trembling in the face of death!
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap25"></a>XIII.<br />
+THE TWO KINGS</h2>
+
+<p>
+Twenty troopers had ridden with Lieutenant Butzow and the false king from
+Lustadt to Blentz. During the long, hard ride there had been little or no
+conversation between the American and his friend, for Butzow was still
+unsuspicious of the true identity of the man who posed as the ruler of Lutha.
+The lieutenant was all anxiety to reach Blentz and rescue the American he
+thought imprisoned there and in danger of being shot.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the gate they were refused admittance unless the king would accept
+conditions. Barney refused&mdash;there was another way to gain entrance to
+Blentz that not even the master of Blentz knew. Butzow urged him to accede to
+anything to save the life of the American. He recalled all that the latter had
+done in the service of Lutha and Leopold. Barney leaned close to the
+other&rsquo;s ear.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If they have not already shot him,&rdquo; he whispered, &ldquo;we shall
+save the prisoner yet. Let them think that we give up and are returning to
+Lustadt. Then follow me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Slowly the little cavalcade rode down from the castle of Blentz toward the
+village. Just out of sight of the grim pile where the road wound down into a
+ravine Barney turned his horse&rsquo;s head up the narrow defile. In single
+file Butzow and the troopers followed until the rank undergrowth precluded
+farther advance. Here the American directed that they dismount, and, leaving
+the horses in charge of three troopers, set out once more with the balance of
+the company on foot.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was with difficulty that the men forced their way through the bushes, but
+they had not gone far when their leader stopped before a sheer wall of earth
+and stone, covered with densely growing shrubbery. Here he groped in the dim
+light, feeling his way with his hands before him, while at his heels came his
+followers. At last he separated a wall of bushes and disappeared within the
+aperture his hands had made. One by one his men followed, finding themselves in
+inky darkness, but upon a smooth stone floor and with stone walls close upon
+either hand. Those who lifted their hands above their heads discovered an
+arched stone ceiling close above them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Along this buried corridor the &ldquo;king&rdquo; led them, for though he had
+never traversed it himself the Princess Emma had, and from her he had received
+minute directions. Occasionally he struck a match, and presently in the fitful
+glare of one of these he and those directly behind him saw the foot of a ladder
+that disappeared in the Stygian darkness above.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Follow me up this, very quietly,&rdquo; he said to those behind him.
+&ldquo;Up to the third landing.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They did as he bid them. At the third landing Barney felt for the latch he knew
+was there&mdash;he was on familiar ground now. Finding it he pushed open the
+door it held in place, and through a tiny crack surveyed the room beyond. It
+was vacant. The American threw the door wide and stepped within. Directly
+behind him was Butzow, his eyes wide in wonderment. After him filed the
+troopers until seventeen of them stood behind their lieutenant and the
+&ldquo;king.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Through the window overlooking the courtyard came a piteous wailing. Barney ran
+to the casement and looked out. Butzow was at his side.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;<i>Himmel!</i>&rdquo; ejaculated the Luthanian. &ldquo;They are about to
+shoot him. Quick, your majesty,&rdquo; and without waiting to see if he were
+followed the lieutenant raced for the door of the apartment. Close behind him
+came the American and the seventeen.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It took but a moment to reach the stairway down which the rescuers tumbled
+pell-mell.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck was giving his commands to the firing squad with fiendish deliberation
+and delay. He seemed to enjoy dragging out the agony that the condemned man
+suffered. But it was this very cruelty that caused Maenck&rsquo;s undoing and
+saved the life of Leopold of Lutha. Just before he gave the word to fire Maenck
+paused and laughed aloud at the pitiable figure trembling and whining against
+the stone wall before him, and during that pause a commotion arose at the tower
+doorway behind the firing squad.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck turned to discover the cause of the interruption, and as he turned he
+saw the figure of the king leaping toward him with leveled revolver. At the
+king&rsquo;s back a company of troopers of the Royal Horse Guard was pouring
+into the courtyard.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck snatched his own revolver from his hip and fired point-blank at the
+&ldquo;king.&rdquo; The firing squad had turned at the sound of assault from
+the rear. Some of them discharged their pieces at the advancing troopers.
+Butzow gave a command and seventeen carbines poured their deadly hail into the
+ranks of the Blentz retainers. At Maenck&rsquo;s shot the &ldquo;king&rdquo;
+staggered and fell to the pavement.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck leaped across his prostrate form, yelling to his men &ldquo;Shoot the
+American.&rdquo; Then he was lost to Barney&rsquo;s sight in the hand-to-hand
+scrimmage that was taking place. The American tried to regain his feet, but the
+shock of the wound in his breast had apparently paralyzed him for the moment. A
+Blentz soldier was running toward the prisoner standing open-mouthed against
+the wall. The fellow&rsquo;s rifle was raised to his hip&mdash;his intention
+was only too obvious.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney drew himself painfully and slowly to one elbow. The man was rapidly
+nearing the true Leopold. In another moment he would shoot. The American raised
+his revolver and, taking careful aim, fired. The soldier shrieked, covered his
+face with his hands, spun around once, and dropped at the king&rsquo;s feet.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The troopers under Butzow were forcing the men of Blentz toward the far end of
+the courtyard. Two of the Blentz faction were standing a little apart, backing
+slowly away and at the same time deliberately firing at the king. Barney seemed
+the only one who noticed them. Once again he raised his revolver and fired. One
+of the men sat down suddenly, looked vacantly about him, and then rolled over
+upon his side. The other fired once more at the king and the same instant
+Barney fired at the soldier. Soldier and king&mdash;would-be assassin and his
+victim&mdash;fell simultaneously. Barney grimaced. The wound in his breast was
+painful. He had done his best to save the king. It was no fault of his that he
+had failed. It was a long way to Beatrice. He wondered if Emma von der Tann
+would be on the station platform, awaiting him&mdash;then he swooned.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow and his seventeen had it all their own way in the courtyard and castle
+of Blentz. After the first resistance the soldiery of Peter fled to the
+guardroom. Butzow followed them, and there they laid down their arms. Then the
+lieutenant returned to the courtyard to look for the king and Barney Custer. He
+found them both, and both were wounded. He had them carried to the royal
+apartments in the north tower. When Barney regained consciousness he found the
+scowling portrait of the Blentz princess frowning down upon him. He lay upon a
+great bed where the soldiers, thinking him king, had placed him. Opposite him,
+against the farther wall, the real king lay upon a cot. Butzow was working over
+him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Not so bad, after all, Barney,&rdquo; the lieutenant was saying.
+&ldquo;Only a flesh wound in the calf of the leg.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king made no reply. He was afraid to declare his identity. First he must
+learn the intentions of the impostor. He only closed his eyes wearily.
+Presently he asked a question.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Is he badly wounded?&rdquo; and he indicated the figure upon the great
+bed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow turned and crossed to where the American lay. He saw that the
+latter&rsquo;s eyes were open and that he was conscious.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How does your majesty feel?&rdquo; he asked. There was more respect in
+his tone than ever before. One of the Blentz soldiers had told him how the
+&ldquo;king,&rdquo; after being wounded by Maenck, had raised himself upon his
+elbow and saved the prisoner&rsquo;s life by shooting three of his assailants.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I thought I was done for,&rdquo; answered Barney Custer, &ldquo;but I
+rather guess the bullet struck only a glancing blow. It couldn&rsquo;t have
+entered my lungs, for I neither cough nor spit blood. To tell you the truth, I
+feel surprisingly fit. How&rsquo;s the prisoner?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Only a flesh wound in the calf of his left leg, sire,&rdquo; replied
+Butzow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am glad,&rdquo; was Barney&rsquo;s only comment. He didn&rsquo;t want
+to be king of Lutha; but he had foreseen that with the death of the king his
+imposture might be forced upon him for life.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+After Butzow and one of the troopers had washed and dressed the wounds of both
+men Barney asked them to leave the room.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I wish to sleep,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If I require you I will
+ring.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Saluting, the two backed from the apartment. Just as they were passing through
+the doorway the American called out to Butzow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You have Peter of Blentz and Maenck in custody?&rdquo; he asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I regret having to report to your majesty,&rdquo; replied the officer,
+&ldquo;that both must have escaped. A thorough search of the entire castle has
+failed to reveal them.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney scowled. He had hoped to place these two conspirators once and for all
+where they would never again threaten the peace of the throne of Lutha&mdash;in
+hell. For a moment he lay in thought. Then he addressed the officer again.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Leave your force here,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;to guard us. Ride,
+yourself, to Lustadt and inform Prince von der Tann that it is the king&rsquo;s
+desire that every effort be made to capture these two men. Have them brought to
+Lustadt immediately they are apprehended. Bring them dead or alive.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Again Butzow saluted and prepared to leave the room.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wait,&rdquo; said Barney. &ldquo;Convey our greetings to the Princess
+von der Tann, and inform her that my wound is of small importance, as is also
+that of the&mdash;Mr. Custer. You may go, lieutenant.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When they were alone Barney turned toward the king. The other lay upon his side
+glaring at the American. When he caught the latter&rsquo;s eyes upon him he
+spoke.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What do you intend doing with me?&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Are you going
+to keep your word and return my identity?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have promised,&rdquo; replied Barney, &ldquo;and what I promise I
+always perform.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then exchange clothing with me at once,&rdquo; cried the king, half
+rising from his cot.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Not so fast, my friend,&rdquo; rejoined the American. &ldquo;There are a
+few trifling details to be arranged before we resume our proper
+personalities.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Do you realize that you should be hanged for what you have done?&rdquo;
+snarled the king. &ldquo;You assaulted me, stole my clothing, left me here to
+be shot by Peter, and sat upon my throne in Lustadt while I lay a prisoner
+condemned to death.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And do you realize,&rdquo; replied Barney, &ldquo;that by so doing I
+saved your foolish little throne for you; that I drove the invaders from your
+dominions; that I have unmasked your enemies, and that I have once again proven
+to you that the Prince von der Tann is your best friend and most loyal
+supporter?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You laid your plebeian hands upon me,&rdquo; cried the king, raising his
+voice. &ldquo;You humiliated me, and you shall suffer for it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer eyed the king for a long moment before he spoke again. It was
+difficult to believe that the man was so devoid of gratitude, and so blind as
+not to see that even the rough treatment that he had received at the
+American&rsquo;s hands was as nothing by comparison with the service that the
+American had done him. Apparently Leopold had already forgotten that three
+times Barney Custer had saved his life in the courtyard below. From the
+man&rsquo;s demeanor, now that his life was no longer at stake, Barney caught
+an inkling of what his attitude might be when once again he was returned to the
+despotic power of his kingship.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is futile to reason with you,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There is only
+one way to handle such as you. At present I hold the power to coerce you, and I
+shall continue to hold that power until I am safely out of your two-by-four
+kingdom. If you do as I say you shall have your throne back again. If you
+refuse, why by Heaven you shall never have it. I&rsquo;ll stay king of Lutha
+myself.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What are your terms?&rdquo; asked the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That Prince Peter of Blentz, Captain Ernst Maenck, and old Von Coblich
+be tried, convicted, and hanged for high treason,&rdquo; replied the American.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That is easy,&rdquo; said the king. &ldquo;I should do so anyway
+immediately I resumed my throne. Now get up and give me my clothes. Take this
+cot and I will take the bed. None will know of the exchange.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Again you are too fast,&rdquo; answered Barney. &ldquo;There is another
+condition.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Well?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You must promise upon your royal honor that Ludwig, Prince von der Tann,
+remain chancellor of Lutha during your life or his.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; assented the king. &ldquo;I promise,&rdquo; and again
+he half rose from his cot.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hold on a minute,&rdquo; admonished the American; &ldquo;there is yet
+one more condition of which I have not made mention.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What, another?&rdquo; exclaimed Leopold testily. &ldquo;How much do you
+want for returning to me what you have stolen?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;So far I have asked for nothing for myself,&rdquo; replied Barney.
+&ldquo;Now I am coming to that part of the agreement. The Princess Emma von der
+Tann is betrothed to you. She does not love you. She has honored me with her
+affection, but she will not wed until she has been formally released from her
+promise to wed Leopold of Lutha. The king must sign such a release and also a
+sanction of her marriage to Barney Custer, of Beatrice. Do you understand what
+I want?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king went livid. He came to his feet beside the cot. For the moment, his
+wound was forgotten. He tottered toward the impostor.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You scoundrel!&rdquo; he screamed. &ldquo;You scoundrel! You have stolen
+my identity and my throne and now you wish to steal the woman who loves
+me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t get excited, Leo,&rdquo; warned the American, &ldquo;and
+don&rsquo;t talk so loud. The Princess doesn&rsquo;t love you, and you know it
+as well as I. She will never marry you. If you want your dinky throne back
+you&rsquo;ll have to do as I desire; that is, sign the release and the
+sanction.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now let&rsquo;s don&rsquo;t have any heroics about it. You have the
+proposition. Now I am going to sleep. In the meantime you may think it over. If
+the papers are not ready when it comes time for us to leave, and from the way I
+feel now I rather think I shall be ready to mount a horse by morning, I shall
+ride back to Lustadt as king of Lutha, and I shall marry her highness into the
+bargain, and you may go hang!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How the devil you will earn a living with that king job taken away from
+you I don&rsquo;t know. You&rsquo;re a long way from New York, and in the
+present state of carnage in Europe I rather doubt that there are many
+headwaiters jobs open this side of the American metropolis, and I can&rsquo;t
+for the moment think of anything else at which you would shine&mdash;with all
+due respect to some excellent headwaiters I have known.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For some time the king remained silent. He was thinking. He realized that it
+lay in the power of the American to do precisely what he had threatened to do.
+No one would doubt his identity. Even Peter of Blentz had not recognized the
+real king despite Leopold&rsquo;s repeated and hysterical claims.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Lieutenant Butzow, the American&rsquo;s best friend, had no more suspected the
+exchange of identities. Von der Tann, too, must have been deceived. Everyone
+had been deceived. There was no hope that the people, who really saw so little
+of their king, would guess the deception that was being played upon them.
+Leopold groaned. Barney opened his eyes and turned toward him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What&rsquo;s the matter?&rdquo; he asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I will sign the release and the sanction of her highness&rsquo; marriage
+to you,&rdquo; said the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Good!&rdquo; exclaimed the American. &ldquo;You will then go at once to
+Brosnov as originally planned. I will return to Lustadt and get her highness,
+and we will immediately leave Lutha via Brosnov. There you and I will effect a
+change of raiment, and you will ride back to Lustadt with the small guard that
+accompanies her highness and me to the frontier.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why do you not remain in Lustadt?&rdquo; asked the king. &ldquo;You
+could as well be married there as elsewhere.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Because I don&rsquo;t trust your majesty,&rdquo; replied the American.
+&ldquo;It must be done precisely as I say or not at all. Are you
+agreeable?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king assented with a grumpy nod.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then get up and write as I dictate,&rdquo; said Barney. Leopold of Lutha
+did as he was bid. The result was two short, crisply worded documents. At the
+bottom of each was the signature of Leopold of Lutha. Barney took the two
+papers and carefully tucked them beneath his pillow.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now let&rsquo;s sleep,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It is getting late and we
+both need the rest. In the morning we have long rides ahead of us. Good
+night.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king did not respond. In a short time Barney was fast asleep. The light
+still burned.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap26"></a>XIV.<br />
+&ldquo;THE KING&rsquo;S WILL IS LAW&rdquo;</h2>
+
+<p>
+The Blentz princess frowned down upon the king and impostor impartially from
+her great gilt frame. It must have been close to midnight that the painting
+moved&mdash;just a fraction of an inch. Then it remained motionless for a time.
+Again it moved. This time it revealed a narrow crack at its edge. In the crack
+an eye shone.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+One of the sleepers moved. He opened his eyes. Stealthily he raised himself on
+his elbow and gazed at the other across the apartment. He listened intently.
+The regular breathing of the sleeper proclaimed the soundness of his slumber.
+Gingerly the man placed one foot upon the floor. The eye glued to the crack at
+the edge of the great, gilt frame of the Blentz princess remained fastened upon
+him. He let his other foot slip to the floor beside the first. Carefully he
+raised himself until he stood erect upon the floor. Then, on tiptoe he started
+across the room.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The eye in the dark followed him. The man reached the side of the sleeper.
+Bending over he listened intently to the other&rsquo;s breathing. Satisfied
+that slumber was profound he stepped quickly to a wardrobe in which a soldier
+had hung the clothing of both the king and the American. He took down the
+uniform of the former, casting from time to time apprehensive glances toward
+the sleeper. The latter did not stir, and the other passed to the little
+dressing-room adjoining.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A few minutes later he reentered the apartment fully clothed and wearing the
+accouterments of Leopold of Lutha. In his hand was a drawn sword. Silently and
+swiftly he crossed to the side of the sleeping man. The eye at the crack beside
+the gilded frame pressed closer to the aperture. The sword was raised above the
+body of the slumberer&mdash;its point hovered above his heart. The face of the
+man who wielded it was hard with firm resolve.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+His muscles tensed to drive home the blade, but something held his hand. His
+face paled. His shoulders contracted with a little shudder, and he turned
+toward the door of the apartment, almost running across the floor in his
+anxiety to escape. The eye in the dark maintained its unblinking vigilance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With his hand upon the knob a sudden thought stayed the fugitive&rsquo;s
+flight. He glanced quickly back at the sleeper&mdash;he had not moved. Then the
+man who wore the uniform of the king of Lutha recrossed the apartment to the
+bed, reached beneath one of the pillows and withdrew two neatly folded
+official-looking documents. These he placed in the breastpocket of his uniform.
+A moment later he was walking down the spiral stairway to the main floor of the
+castle.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In the guardroom the troopers of the Royal Horse who were not on guard were
+stretched in slumber. Only a corporal remained awake. As the man entered the
+guardroom the corporal glanced up, and as his eyes fell upon the newcomer, he
+sprang to his feet, saluting.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Turn out the guard!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Turn out the guard for his
+majesty, the king!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The sleeping soldiers, but half awake, scrambled to their feet, their muscles
+reacting to the command that their brains but half perceived. They snatched
+their guns from the racks and formed a line behind the corporal. The king
+raised his fingers to the vizor of his helmet in acknowledgment of their
+salute.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Saddle up quietly, corporal,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We shall ride to
+Lustadt tonight.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The non-commissioned officer saluted. &ldquo;And an extra horse for Herr
+Custer?&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king shook his head. &ldquo;The man died of his wound about an hour
+ago,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;While you are saddling up I shall arrange with some
+of the Blentz servants for his burial&mdash;now hurry!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The corporal marched his troopers from the guardroom toward the stables. The
+man in the king&rsquo;s clothes touched a bell which was obviously a servant
+call. He waited impatiently a reply to his summons, tapping his finger-tips
+against the sword-scabbard that was belted to his side. At last a sleepy-eyed
+man responded&mdash;a man who had grown gray in the service of Peter of Blentz.
+At sight of the king he opened his eyes in astonishment, pulled his foretop,
+and bowed uneasily.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Come closer,&rdquo; whispered the king. The man did so, and the king
+spoke in his ear earnestly, but in scarce audible tones. The eyes of the
+listener narrowed to mere slits&mdash;of avarice and cunning, cruelly cold and
+calculating. The speaker searched through the pockets of the king&rsquo;s
+clothes that covered him. At last he withdrew a roll of bills. The amount must
+have been a large one, but he did not stop to count it. He held the money under
+the eyes of the servant. The fellow&rsquo;s claw-like fingers reached for the
+tempting wealth. He nodded his head affirmatively.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You may trust me, sire,&rdquo; he whispered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king slipped the money into the other&rsquo;s palm. &ldquo;And as much
+more,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;when I receive proof that my wishes have been
+fulfilled.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Thank you, sire,&rdquo; said the servant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The king looked steadily into the other&rsquo;s face before he spoke again.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And if you fail me,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;may God have mercy on your
+soul.&rdquo; Then he wheeled and left the guardroom, walking out into the
+courtyard where the soldiers were busy saddling their mounts.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A few minutes later the party clattered over the drawbridge and down the road
+toward Blentz and Lustadt. From a window of the apartments of Peter of Blentz a
+man watched them depart. When they passed across a strip of moonlit road, and
+he had counted them, he smiled with relief.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A moment later he entered a panel beside the huge fireplace in the west wall
+and disappeared. There he struck a match, found a candle and lighted it.
+Walking a few steps he came to a figure sleeping upon a pile of clothing. He
+stooped and shook the sleeper by the shoulder.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wake up!&rdquo; he cried in a subdued voice. &ldquo;Wake up, Prince
+Peter; I have good news for you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The other opened his eyes, stretched, and at last sat up.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What is it, Maenck?&rdquo; he asked querulously.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Great news, my prince,&rdquo; replied the other.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;While you have been sleeping many things have transpired within the
+walls of your castle. The king&rsquo;s troopers have departed; but that is a
+small matter compared with the other. Here, behind the portrait of your
+great-grandmother, I have listened and watched all night. I opened the secret
+door a fraction of an inch&mdash;just enough to permit me to look into the
+apartment where the king and the American lay wounded. They had been talking as
+I opened the door, but after that they ceased&mdash;the king falling asleep at
+once&mdash;the American feigning slumber. For a long time I watched, but
+nothing happened until near midnight. Then the American arose and donned the
+king&rsquo;s clothes.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He approached Leopold with drawn sword, but when he would have thrust it
+through the heart of the sleeping man his nerve failed him. Then he stole some
+papers from the room and left. Just now he has ridden out toward Lustadt with
+the men of the Royal Horse who captured the castle yesterday.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Before Maenck was half-way through his narrative, Peter of Blentz was wide
+awake and all attention. His eyes glowed with suddenly aroused interest.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Somewhere in this, prince,&rdquo; concluded Maenck, &ldquo;there must
+lie the seed of fortune for you and me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Peter nodded. &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he mused, &ldquo;there must.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a time both men were buried in thought. Suddenly Maenck snapped his
+fingers. &ldquo;I have it!&rdquo; he cried. He bent toward Prince Peter&rsquo;s
+ear and whispered his plan. When he was done the Blentz prince grasped his
+hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Just the thing, Maenck!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Just the thing. Leopold
+will never again listen to idle gossip directed against our loyalty. If I know
+him&mdash;and who should know him better&mdash;he will heap honors upon you, my
+Maenck; and as for me, he will at least forgive me and take me back into his
+confidence. Lose no time now, my friend. We are free now to go and come, since
+the king&rsquo;s soldiers have been withdrawn.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In the garden back of the castle an old man was busy digging a hole. It was a
+long, narrow hole, and, when it was completed, nearly four feet deep. It looked
+like a grave. When he had finished the old man hobbled to a shed that leaned
+against the south wall. Here were boards, tools, and a bench. It was the castle
+workshop. The old man selected a number of rough pine boards. These he measured
+and sawed, fitted and nailed, working all the balance of the night. By dawn, he
+had a long, narrow box, just a trifle smaller than the hole he had dug in the
+garden. The box resembled a crude coffin. When it was quite finished, including
+a cover, he dragged it out into the garden and set it upon two boards that
+spanned the hole, so that it rested precisely over the excavation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+All these precautions methodically made, he returned to the castle. In a little
+storeroom he searched for and found an ax. With his thumb he felt of the
+edge&mdash;for an ax it was marvelously sharp. The old fellow grinned and shook
+his head, as one who appreciates in anticipation the consummation of a good
+joke. Then he crept noiselessly through the castle&rsquo;s corridors and up the
+spiral stairway in the north tower. In one hand was the sharp ax.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The moment Lieutenant Butzow had reached Lustadt he had gone directly to Prince
+von der Tann; but the moment his message had been delivered to the chancellor
+he sought out the chancellor&rsquo;s daughter, to tell her all that had
+occurred at Blentz.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I saw but little of Mr. Custer,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He was very
+quiet. I think all that he has been through has unnerved him. He was slightly
+wounded in the left leg. The king was wounded in the breast. His majesty
+conducted himself in a most valiant and generous manner. Wounded, he lay upon
+his stomach in the courtyard of the castle and defended Mr. Custer, who was, of
+course, unarmed. The king shot three of Prince Peter&rsquo;s soldiers who were
+attempting to assassinate Mr. Custer.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Emma von der Tann smiled. It was evident that Lieutenant Butzow had not
+discovered the deception that had been practiced upon him in common with all
+Lutha&mdash;she being the only exception. It seemed incredible that this good
+friend of the American had not seen in the heroism of the man who wore the
+king&rsquo;s clothes the attributes and ear-marks of Barney Custer. She glowed
+with pride at the narration of his heroism, though she suffered with him
+because of his wound.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was not yet noon when the detachment of the Royal Horse arrived in Lustadt
+from Blentz. At their head rode one whom all upon the streets of the capital
+greeted enthusiastically as king. The party rode directly to the royal palace,
+and the king retired immediately to his apartments. A half hour later an
+officer of the king&rsquo;s household knocked upon the door of the Princess
+Emma von der Tann&rsquo;s boudoir. In accord with her summons he entered,
+saluted respectfully, and handed her a note.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was written upon the personal stationery of Leopold of Lutha. The girl read
+and reread it. For some time she could not seem to grasp the enormity of the
+thing that had overwhelmed her&mdash;the daring of the action that the message
+explained. The note was short and to the point, and was signed only with
+initials.
+</p>
+
+<p class="letter">
+D<small>EAREST</small> E<small>MMA</small>:
+</p>
+
+<p class="letter">
+The king died of his wounds just before midnight. I shall keep the throne.
+There is no other way. None knows and none must ever know the truth. Your
+father alone may suspect; but if we are married at once our alliance will
+cement him and his faction to us. Send word by the bearer that you agree with
+the wisdom of my plan, and that we may be wed at once&mdash;this afternoon, in
+fact.<br />
+    The people may wonder for a few days at the strange haste, but my answer
+shall be that I am going to the front with my troops. The son and many of the
+high officials of the Kaiser have already established the precedent, marrying
+hurriedly upon the eve of their departure for the front.<br />
+    With every assurance of my undying love, believe me,
+</p>
+
+<p class="right">
+Yours,<br />
+B. C.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl walked slowly across the room to her writing table. The officer stood
+in respectful silence awaiting the answer that the king had told him to bring.
+The princess sat down before the carved bit of furniture. Mechanically she drew
+a piece of note paper from a drawer. Many times she dipped her pen in the ink
+before she could determine what reply to send. Ages of ingrained royalistic
+principles were shocked and shattered by the enormity of the thing the man she
+loved had asked of her, and yet cold reason told her that it was the only way.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Lutha would be lost should the truth be known&mdash;that the king was dead, for
+there was no heir of closer blood connection with the royal house than Prince
+Peter of Blentz, whose great-grandmother had been a Rubinroth princess. Slowly,
+at last, she wrote as follows:
+</p>
+
+<p class="letter">
+S<small>IRE</small>:
+</p>
+
+<p class="letter">
+The king&rsquo;s will is law.
+</p>
+
+<p class="right">
+E<small>MMA</small>.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+That was all. Placing the note in an envelope she sealed it and handed it to
+the officer, who bowed and left the room.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A half hour later officers of the Royal Horse were riding through the streets
+of Lustadt. Some announced to the people upon the streets the coming marriage
+of the king and princess. Others rode to the houses of the nobility with the
+king&rsquo;s command that they be present at the ceremony in the old cathedral
+at four o&rsquo;clock that afternoon.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Never had there been such bustling about the royal palace or in the palaces of
+the nobles of Lutha. The buzz and hum of excited conversation filled the whole
+town. That the choice of the king met the approval of his subjects was more
+than evident. Upon every lip was praise and love of the Princess Emma von der
+Tann. The future of Lutha seemed assured with a king who could fight joined in
+marriage to a daughter of the warrior line of Von der Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The princess was busy up to the last minute. She had not seen her future
+husband since his return from Blentz, for he, too, had been busy. Twice he had
+sent word to her, but on both occasions had regretted that he could not come
+personally because of the pressure of state matters and the preparations for
+the ceremony that was to take place in the cathedral in so short a time.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At last the hour arrived. The cathedral was filled to overflowing. After the
+custom of Lutha, the bride had walked alone up the broad center aisle to the
+foot of the chancel. Guardsmen lining the way on either hand stood rigidly at
+salute until she stopped at the end of the soft, rose-strewn carpet and turned
+to await the coming of the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Presently the doors at the opposite end of the cathedral opened. There was a
+fanfare of trumpets, and up the center aisle toward the waiting girl walked the
+royal groom. It seemed ages to the princess since she had seen her lover. Her
+eyes devoured him as he approached her. She noticed that he limped, and
+wondered; but for a moment the fact carried no special suggestion to her brain.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The people had risen as the king entered. Again, the pieces of the guardsmen
+had snapped to present; but silence, intense and utter, reigned over the vast
+assembly. The only movement was the measured stride of the king as he advanced
+to claim his bride.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At the head of each line of guardsmen, nearest the chancel and upon either side
+of the bridal party, the ranks were formed of commissioned officers. Butzow was
+among them. He, too, out of the corner of his eye watched the advancing figure.
+Suddenly he noted the limp, and gave a little involuntary gasp. He looked at
+the Princess Emma, and saw her eyes suddenly widen with consternation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Slowly at first, and then in a sudden tidal wave of memory, Butzow&rsquo;s
+story of the fight in the courtyard at Blentz came back to her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I saw but little of Mr. Custer,&rdquo; he had said. &ldquo;He was
+slightly wounded in the left leg. The king was wounded in the breast.&rdquo;
+But Lieutenant Butzow had not known the true identity of either.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The real Leopold it was who had been wounded in the left leg, and the man who
+was approaching her up the broad cathedral aisle was limping
+noticeably&mdash;and favoring his left leg. The man to whom she was to be
+married was not Barney Custer&mdash;he was Leopold of Lutha!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A hundred mad schemes rioted through her brain. The wedding must not go on! But
+how was she to avert it? The king was within a few paces of her now. There was
+a smile upon his lips, and in that smile she saw the final confirmation of her
+fears. When Leopold of Lutha smiled his upper lip curved just a trifle into a
+shadow of a sneer. It was a trivial characteristic that Barney Custer did not
+share in common with the king.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Half mad with terror, the girl seized upon the only subterfuge which seemed at
+all likely to succeed. It would, at least, give her a slight reprieve&mdash;a
+little time in which to think, and possibly find an avenue from her
+predicament.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She staggered forward a step, clapped her two hands above her heart, and reeled
+as though to fall. Butzow, who had been watching her narrowly, sprang forward
+and caught her in his arms, where she lay limp with closed eyes as though in a
+dead faint. The king ran forward. The people craned their necks. A sudden burst
+of exclamations rose throughout the cathedral, and then Lieutenant Butzow,
+shouldering his way past the chancel, carried the Princess Emma to a little
+anteroom off the east transept. Behind him walked the king, the bishop, and
+Prince Ludwig.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap27"></a>XV.<br />
+MAENCK BLUNDERS</h2>
+
+<p>
+After a hurried breakfast Peter of Blentz and Captain Ernst Maenck left the
+castle of Blentz. Prince Peter rode north toward the frontier, Austria, and
+safety, Captain Maenck rode south toward Lustadt. Neither knew that general
+orders had been issued to soldiery and gendarmerie of Lutha to capture them
+dead or alive. So Prince Peter rode carelessly; but Captain Maenck, because of
+the nature of his business and the proximity of enemies about Lustadt,
+proceeded with circumspection.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Prince Peter was arrested at Tafelberg, and, though he stormed and raged and
+threatened, he was immediately packed off under heavy guard back toward
+Lustadt.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Captain Ernst Maenck was more fortunate. He reached the capital of Lutha in
+safety, though he had to hide on several occasions from detachments of troops
+moving toward the north. Once within the city he rode rapidly to the house of a
+friend. Here he learned that which set him into a fine state of excitement and
+profanity. The king and the Princess Emma von der Tann were to be wed that very
+afternoon! It lacked but half an hour to four o&rsquo;clock.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck grabbed his cap and dashed from the house before his astonished friend
+could ask a single question. He hurried straight toward the cathedral. The king
+had just arrived, and entered when Maenck came up, breathless. The guard at the
+doorway did not recognize him. If they had they would have arrested him.
+Instead they contented themselves with refusing him admission, and when he
+insisted they threatened him with arrest.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+To be arrested now would be to ruin his fine plan, so he turned and walked
+away. At the first cross street he turned up the side of the cathedral. The
+grounds were walled up on this side, and he sought in vain for entrance. At the
+rear he discovered a limousine standing in the alley where its chauffeur had
+left it after depositing his passengers at the front door of the cathedral. The
+top of the limousine was but a foot or two below the top of the wall.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck clambered to the hood of the machine, and from there to the top. A
+moment later he dropped to the earth inside the cathedral grounds. Before him
+were many windows. Most of them were too high for him to reach, and the others
+that he tried at first were securely fastened. Passing around the end of the
+building, he at last discovered one that was open&mdash;it led into the east
+transept.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck crawled through. He was within the building that held the man he sought.
+He found himself in a small room&mdash;evidently a dressing-room. There were
+two doors leading from it. He approached one and listened. He heard the tones
+of subdued conversation beyond.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Very cautiously he opened the door a crack. He could not believe the good
+fortune that was revealed before him. On a couch lay the Princess Emma von der
+Tann. Beside her her father. At the door was Lieutenant Butzow. The bishop and
+a doctor were talking at the head of the couch. Pacing up and down the room,
+resplendent in the marriage robes of a king of Lutha, was the man he sought.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck drew his revolver. He broke the barrel, and saw that there was a good
+cartridge in each chamber of the cylinder. He closed it quietly. Then he threw
+open the door, stepped into the room, took deliberate aim, and fired.
+</p>
+
+<p class="p2">
+The old man with the ax moved cautiously along the corridor upon the second
+floor of the Castle of Blentz until he came to a certain door. Gently he turned
+the knob and pushed the door inward. Holding the ax behind his back, he
+entered. In his pocket was a great roll of money, and there was to be an equal
+amount waiting him at Lustadt when his mission had been fulfilled.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once within the room, he looked quickly about him. Upon a great bed lay the
+figure of a man asleep. His face was turned toward the opposite wall away from
+the side of the bed nearer the menacing figure of the old servant. On tiptoe
+the man with the ax approached. The neck of his victim lay uncovered before
+him. He swung the ax behind him. A single blow, as mighty as his ancient
+muscles could deliver, would suffice.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer opened his eyes. Directly opposite him upon the wall was a
+dark-toned photogravure of a hunting scene. It tilted slightly forward upon its
+wire support. As Barney&rsquo;s eyes opened it chanced that they were directed
+straight upon the shiny glass of the picture. The light from the window struck
+the glass in such a way as to transform it into a mirror. The American&rsquo;s
+eyes were glued with horror upon the reflection that he saw there&mdash;an old
+man swinging a huge ax down upon his head.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It is an open question as to which of the two was the most surprised at the
+cat-like swiftness of the movement that carried Barney Custer out of that bed
+and landed him in temporary safety upon the opposite side.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With a snarl the old man ran around the foot of the bed to corner his prey
+between the bed and the wall. He was swinging the ax as though to hurl it. So
+close was he that Barney guessed it would be difficult for him to miss his
+mark. The least he could expect would be a frightful wound. To have attempted
+to escape would have necessitated turning his back to his adversary, inviting
+instant death. To grapple with a man thus armed appeared an equally hopeless
+alternative.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Shoulder-high beside him hung the photogravure that had already saved his life
+once. Why not again? He snatched it from its hangings, lifted it above his head
+in both hands, and hurled it at the head of the old man. The glass shattered
+full upon the ancient&rsquo;s crown, the man&rsquo;s head went through the
+picture, and the frame settled over his shoulders. At the same instant Barney
+Custer leaped across the bed, seized a light chair, and turned to face his foe
+upon more even terms.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The old man did not pause to remove the frame from about his neck. Blood
+trickled down his forehead and cheeks from deep gashes that the broken glass
+had made. Now he was in a berserker rage.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As he charged again he uttered a peculiar whistling noise from between his set
+teeth. To the American it sounded like the hissing of a snake, and as he would
+have met a snake he met the venomous attack of the old man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When the short battle was over the Blentz servitor lay unconscious upon the
+floor, while above him leaned the American, uninjured, ripping long strips from
+a sheet torn from the bed, twisting them into rope-like strands and, with them,
+binding the wrists and ankles of his defeated foe. Finally he stuffed a gag
+between the toothless gums.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Running to the wardrobe, he discovered that the king&rsquo;s uniform was gone.
+That, with the witness of the empty bed, told him the whole story. The American
+smiled. &ldquo;More nerve than I gave him credit for,&rdquo; he mused, as he
+walked back to his bed and reached under the pillow for the two papers he had
+forced the king to sign. They, too, were gone. Slowly Barney Custer realized
+his plight, as there filtered through his mind a suggestion of the
+possibilities of the trick that had been played upon him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Why should Leopold wish these papers? Of course, he might merely have taken
+them that he might destroy them; but something told Barney Custer that such was
+not the case. And something, too, told him whither the king had ridden and what
+he would do there when he arrived.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He ran back to the wardrobe. In it hung the peasant attire that he had stolen
+from the line of the careless house frau, and later wished upon his majesty the
+king. Barney grinned as he recalled the royal disgust with which Leopold had
+fingered the soiled garments. He scarce blamed him. Looking further toward the
+back of the wardrobe, the American discovered other clothing.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He dragged it all out upon the floor. There was an old shooting jacket, several
+pairs of trousers and breeches, and a hunting coat. In a drawer at the bottom
+of the wardrobe he found many old shoes, puttees, and boots.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+From this miscellany he selected riding breeches, a pair of boots, and the red
+hunting coat as the only articles that fitted his rather large frame. Hastily
+he dressed, and, taking the ax the old man had brought to the room as the only
+weapon available, he walked boldly into the corridor, down the spiral stairway
+and into the guardroom.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer was prepared to fight. He was desperate. He could have slunk from
+the Castle of Blentz as he had entered it&mdash;through the secret passageway
+to the ravine; but to attempt to reach Lustadt on foot was not at all
+compatible with the urgent haste that he felt necessary. He must have a horse,
+and a horse he would have if he had to fight his way through a Blentz army.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+But there were no armed retainers left at Blentz. The guardroom was vacant; but
+there were arms there and ammunition. Barney commandeered a sword and a
+revolver, then he walked into the courtyard and crossed to the stables. The way
+took him by the garden. In it he saw a coffin-like box resting upon planks
+above a grave-like excavation. Barney investigated. The box was empty. Once
+again he grinned. &ldquo;It is not always wise,&rdquo; he mused, &ldquo;to
+count your corpses before they&rsquo;re dead. What a lot of work the old man
+might have spared himself if he&rsquo;d only caught his cadaver first&mdash;or
+at least tried to.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Passing on by his own grave, he came to the stables. A groom was currying a
+strong, clean-limbed hunter haltered in the doorway. The man looked up as
+Barney approached him. A puzzled expression entered the fellow&rsquo;s eyes. He
+was a young man&mdash;a stupid-looking lout. It was evident that he half
+recognized the face of the newcomer as one he had seen before. Barney nodded to
+him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Never mind finishing,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I am in a hurry. You may
+saddle him at once.&rdquo; The voice was authoritative&mdash;it brooked no
+demur. The groom touched his forehead, dropped the currycomb and brush, and
+turned back into the stable to fetch saddle and bridle.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Five minutes later Barney was riding toward the gate. The portcullis was
+raised&mdash;the drawbridge spanned the moat&mdash;no guard was there to bar
+his way. The sunlight flooded the green valley, stretching lazily below him in
+the soft warmth of a mellow autumn morning. Behind him he had left the brooding
+shadows of the grim old fortress&mdash;the cold, cruel, depressing stronghold
+of intrigue, treason, and sudden death.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He threw back his shoulders and filled his lungs with the sweet, pure air of
+freedom. He was a new man. The wound in his breast was forgotten. Lightly he
+touched his spurs to the hunter&rsquo;s sides. Tossing his head and curveting,
+the animal broke into a long, easy trot. Where the road dipped into the ravine
+and down through the village to the valley the rider drew his restless mount
+into a walk; but, once in the valley, he let him out. Barney took the short
+road to Lustadt. It would cut ten miles off the distance that the main
+wagonroad covered, and it was a good road for a horseman. It should bring him
+to Lustadt by one o&rsquo;clock or a little after. The road wound through the
+hills to the east of the main highway, and was scarcely more than a trail where
+it crossed the Ru River upon a narrow bridge that spanned the deep mountain
+gorge that walls the Ru for ten miles through the hills.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When Barney reached the river his hopes sank. The bridge was
+gone&mdash;dynamited by the Austrians in their retreat. The nearest bridge was
+at the crossing of the main highway over ten miles to the southwest. There,
+too, the river might be forded even if the Austrians had destroyed that bridge
+also; but here or elsewhere in the hills there could be no fording&mdash;the
+banks of the Ru were perpendicular cliffs.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The misfortune would add nearly twenty miles to his journey&mdash;he could not
+now hope to reach Lustadt before late in the afternoon. Turning his horse back
+along the trail he had come, he retraced his way until he reached a narrow
+bridle path that led toward the southwest. The trail was rough and indistinct,
+yet he pushed forward, even more rapidly than safety might have suggested. The
+noble beast beneath him was all loyalty and ambition.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Take it easy, old boy,&rdquo; whispered Barney into the slim, pointed
+ears that moved ceaselessly backward and forward, &ldquo;you&rsquo;ll get your
+chance when we strike the highway, never fear.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And he did.
+</p>
+
+<p class="p2">
+So unexpected had been Maenck&rsquo;s entrance into the room in the east
+transept, so sudden his attack, that it was all over before a hand could be
+raised to stay him. At the report of his revolver the king sank to the floor.
+At almost the same instant Lieutenant Butzow whipped a revolver from beneath
+his tunic and fired at the assassin. Maenck staggered forward and stumbled
+across the body of the king. Butzow was upon him instantly, wresting the
+revolver from his fingers. Prince Ludwig ran to the king&rsquo;s side and,
+kneeling there, raised Leopold&rsquo;s head in his arms. The bishop and the
+doctor bent over the limp form. The Princess Emma stood a little apart. She had
+leaped from the couch where she had been lying. Her eyes were wide in horror.
+Her palms pressed to her cheeks.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was upon this scene that a hatless, dust-covered man in a red hunting coat
+burst through the door that had admitted Maenck. The man had seen and
+recognized the conspirator as he climbed to the top of the limousine and
+dropped within the cathedral grounds, and he had followed close upon his heels.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+No one seemed to note his entrance. All ears were turned toward the doctor, who
+was speaking.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The king is dead,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Maenck raised himself upon an elbow. He spoke feebly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You fools,&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;That man was not the king. I saw him
+steal the king&rsquo;s clothes at Blentz and I followed him here. He is the
+American&mdash;the impostor.&rdquo; Then his eyes, circling the faces about him
+to note the results of his announcements, fell upon the face of the man in the
+red hunting coat. Amazement and wonder were in his face. Slowly he raised his
+finger and pointed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There is the king,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Every eye turned in the direction he indicated. Exclamations of surprise and
+incredulity burst from every lip. The old chancellor looked from the man in the
+red hunting coat to the still form of the man upon the floor in the
+blood-spattered marriage garments of a king of Lutha. He let the king&rsquo;s
+head gently down upon the carpet, and then he rose to his feet and faced the
+man in the red hunting coat.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Who are you?&rdquo; he demanded.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Before Barney could speak Lieutenant Butzow spoke.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He is the king, your highness,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I rode with him to
+Blentz to free Mr. Custer. Both were wounded in the courtyard in the fight that
+took place there. I helped to dress their wounds. The king was wounded in the
+breast&mdash;Mr. Custer in the left leg.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Prince von der Tann looked puzzled. Again he turned his eyes questioningly
+toward the newcomer.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Is this the truth?&rdquo; he asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney looked toward the Princess Emma. In her eyes he could read the relief
+that the sight of him alive had brought her. Since she had recognized the king
+she had believed that Barney was dead. The temptation was great&mdash;he
+dreaded losing her, and he feared he would lose her when her father learned the
+truth of the deception that had been practiced upon him. He might lose even
+more&mdash;men had lost their heads for tampering with the affairs of kings.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Well?&rdquo; persisted the chancellor.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Lieutenant Butzow is partially correct&mdash;he honestly believes that
+he is entirely so,&rdquo; replied the American. &ldquo;He did ride with me from
+Lustadt to Blentz to save the man who lies dead here at your feet. The
+lieutenant thought that he was riding with his king, just as your highness
+thought that he was riding with his king during the battle of Lustadt. You were
+both wrong&mdash;you were riding with Mr. Bernard Custer, of Beatrice. I am he.
+I have no apologies to make. What I did I would do again. I did it for Lutha
+and for the woman I love. She knows and the king knew that I intended restoring
+his identity to him with no one the wiser for the interchange that had taken
+place. The king upset my plans by stealing back his identity while I slept,
+with the result that you see before you upon the floor. He has died as he had
+lived&mdash;futilely.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As he spoke the Princess Emma had crossed the room toward him. Now she stood at
+his side, her hand in his. Tense silence reigned in the apartment. The old
+chancellor stood with bowed head, buried in thought. All eyes were upon him
+except those of the doctor, who had turned his attention from the dead king to
+the wounded assassin. Butzow stood looking at Barney Custer in open relief and
+admiration. He had been trying to vindicate his friend in his own mind ever
+since he had discovered, as he believed, that Barney had tricked Leopold after
+the latter had saved his life at Blentz and ridden to Lustadt in the
+king&rsquo;s guise. Now that he knew the whole truth he realized how stupid he
+had been not to guess that the man who had led the victorious Luthanian army
+before Lustadt could not have been the cowardly Leopold.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Presently the chancellor broke the silence.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You say that Leopold of Lutha lived futilely. You are right; but when
+you say that he has died futilely, you are, I believe, wrong. Living, he gave
+us a poor weakling. Dying, he leaves the throne to a brave man, in whose veins
+flows the blood of the Rubinroths, hereditary rulers of Lutha.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are the only rightful successor to the throne of Lutha,&rdquo; he
+argued, &ldquo;other than Peter of Blentz. Your mother&rsquo;s marriage to a
+foreigner did not bar the succession of her offspring. Aside from the fact that
+Peter of Blentz is out of the question, is the more important fact that your
+line is closer to the throne than his. He knew it, and this knowledge was the
+real basis of his hatred of you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As the old chancellor ceased speaking he drew his sword and raised it on high
+above his head.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The king is dead,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Long live the king!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2><a name="chap28"></a>XVI.<br />
+KING OF LUTHA</h2>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer, of Beatrice, had no desire to be king of Lutha. He lost no time
+in saying so. All that he wanted of Lutha was the girl he had found there, as
+his father before him had found the girl of his choice. Von der Tann pleaded
+with him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Twice have I fought under you, sire,&rdquo; he urged. &ldquo;Twice, and
+only twice since the old king died, have I felt that the future of Lutha was
+safe in the hands of her ruler, and both these times it was you who sat upon
+the throne. Do not desert us now. Let me live to see Lutha once more happy,
+with a true Rubinroth upon the throne and my daughter at his side.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Butzow added his pleas to those of the old chancellor. The American hesitated.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Let us leave it to the representatives of the people and to the house of
+nobles,&rdquo; he suggested.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The chancellor of Lutha explained the situation to both houses. Their reply was
+unanimous. He carried it to the American, who awaited the decision of Lutha in
+the royal apartments of the palace. With him was the Princess Emma von der
+Tann.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The people of Lutha will have no other king, sire,&rdquo; said the old
+man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney turned toward the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There is no other way, my lord king,&rdquo; she said with grave dignity.
+&ldquo;With her blood your mother bequeathed you a duty which you may not
+shirk. It is not for you or for me to choose. God chose for you when you were
+born.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Barney Custer took her hand in his and raised it to his lips.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Let the King of Lutha,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;be the first to salute
+Lutha&rsquo;s queen.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And so Barney Custer, of Beatrice, was crowned King of Lutha, and Emma became
+his queen. Maenck died of his wound on the floor of the little room in the east
+transept of the cathedral of Lustadt beside the body of the king he had slain.
+Prince Peter of Blentz was tried by the highest court of Lutha on the charge of
+treason; he was found guilty and hanged. Von Coblich committed suicide on the
+eve of his arrest. Lieutenant Otto Butzow was ennobled and given the
+confiscated estates of the Blentz prince. He became a general in the army of
+Lutha, and was sent to the front in command of the army corps that guarded the
+northern frontier of the little kingdom.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mad King, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
+
+
+Title: The Mad King
+
+Author: Edgar Rice Burroughs
+
+Release Date: June 14, 2004 [EBook #364]
+[Last updated: July 28, 2012]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAD KING ***
+
+
+
+
+This etext was created by Judith Boss, Omaha, Nebraska.
+The equipment: an IBM-compatible 486/50, a Hewlett-Packard
+ScanJet IIc flatbed scanner, and Calera Recognition Systems'
+M/600 Series Professional OCR software and RISC accelerator board
+donated by Calera Recognition Systems.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS
+
+THE MAD KING
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART I
+
+
+I
+
+A RUNAWAY HORSE
+
+
+All Lustadt was in an uproar.  The mad king had escaped.  Little
+knots of excited men stood upon the street corners listening to each
+latest rumor concerning this most absorbing occurrence. Before the
+palace a great crowd surged to and fro, awaiting they knew not what.
+
+For ten years no man of them had set eyes upon the face of the
+boy-king who had been hastened to the grim castle of Blentz upon the
+death of the old king, his father.
+
+There had been murmurings then when the lad's uncle, Peter of
+Blentz, had announced to the people of Lutha the sudden mental
+affliction which had fallen upon his nephew, and more murmurings for
+a time after the announcement that Peter of Blentz had been
+appointed Regent during the lifetime of the young King Leopold, "or
+until God, in His infinite mercy, shall see fit to restore to us in
+full mental vigor our beloved monarch."
+
+But ten years is a long time.  The boy-king had become but a vague
+memory to the subjects who could recall him at all.
+
+There were many, of course, in the capital city, Lustadt, who still
+retained a mental picture of the handsome boy who had ridden out
+nearly every morning from the palace gates beside the tall, martial
+figure of the old king, his father, for a canter across the broad
+plain which lies at the foot of the mountain town of Lustadt; but
+even these had long since given up hope that their young king would
+ever ascend his throne, or even that they should see him alive
+again.
+
+Peter of Blentz had not proved a good or kind ruler. Taxes had
+doubled during his regency. Executives and judiciary, following the
+example of their chief, had become tyrannical and corrupt. For ten
+years there had been small joy in Lutha.
+
+There had been whispered rumors off and on that the young king was
+dead these many years, but not even in whispers did the men of Lutha
+dare voice the name of him whom they believed had caused his death.
+For lesser things they had seen their friends and neighbors thrown
+into the hitherto long-unused dungeons of the royal castle.
+
+And now came the rumor that Leopold of Lutha had escaped the Castle
+of Blentz and was roaming somewhere in the wild mountains or ravines
+upon the opposite side of the plain of Lustadt.
+
+Peter of Blentz was filled with rage and, possibly, fear as well.
+
+"I tell you, Coblich," he cried, addressing his dark-visaged
+minister of war, "there's more than coincidence in this matter.
+Someone has betrayed us. That he should have escaped upon the very
+eve of the arrival at Blentz of the new physician is most
+suspicious. None but you, Coblich, had knowledge of the part that
+Dr. Stein was destined to play in this matter," concluded Prince
+Peter pointedly.
+
+Coblich looked the Regent full in the eye.
+
+"Your highness wrongs not only my loyalty, but my intelligence," he
+said quietly, "by even so much as intimating that I have any guilty
+knowledge of Leopold's escape. With Leopold upon the throne of
+Lutha, where, think you, my prince, would old Coblich be?"
+
+Peter smiled.
+
+"You are right, Coblich," he said.  "I know that you would not be
+such a fool; but whom, then, have we to thank?"
+
+"The walls have ears, prince," replied Coblich, "and we have not
+always been as careful as we should in discussing the matter.
+Something may have come to the ears of old Von der Tann. I don't for
+a moment doubt but that he has his spies among the palace servants,
+or even the guard. You know the old fox has always made it a point
+to curry favor with the common soldiers. When he was minister of war
+he treated them better than he did his officers."
+
+"It seems strange, Coblich, that so shrewd a man as you should have
+been unable to discover some irregularity in the political life of
+Prince Ludwig von der Tann before now," said the prince querulously.
+"He is the greatest menace to our peace and sovereignty. With Von
+der Tann out of the way there would be none powerful enough to
+question our right to the throne of Lutha--after poor Leopold passes
+away."
+
+"You forget that Leopold has escaped," suggested Coblich, "and that
+there is no immediate prospect of his passing away."
+
+"He must be retaken at once, Coblich!" cried Prince Peter of Blentz.
+"He is a dangerous maniac, and we must make this fact plain to the
+people--this and a thorough description of him. A handsome reward
+for his safe return to Blentz might not be out of the way, Coblich."
+
+"It shall be done, your highness," replied Coblich.  "And about Von
+der Tann? You have never spoken to me quite so--ah--er--pointedly
+before. He hunts a great deal in the Old Forest. It might be
+possible--in fact, it has happened, before--there are many accidents
+in hunting, are there not, your highness?"
+
+"There are, Coblich," replied the prince, "and if Leopold is able he
+will make straight for the Tann, so that there may be two hunting
+together in a day or so, Coblich."
+
+"I understand, your highness," replied the minister.  "With your
+permission, I shall go at once and dispatch troops to search the
+forest for Leopold. Captain Maenck will command them."
+
+"Good, Coblich! Maenck is a most intelligent and loyal officer.  We
+must reward him well. A baronetcy, at least, if he handles this
+matter well," said Peter. "It might not be a bad plan to hint at as
+much to him, Coblich."
+
+And so it happened that shortly thereafter Captain Ernst Maenck, in
+command of a troop of the Royal Horse Guards of Lutha, set out
+toward the Old Forest, which lies beyond the mountains that are
+visible upon the other side of the plain stretching out before
+Lustadt. At the same time other troopers rode in many directions
+along the highways and byways of Lutha, tacking placards upon trees
+and fence posts and beside the doors of every little rural post
+office.
+
+The placard told of the escape of the mad king, offering a large
+reward for his safe return to Blentz.
+
+It was the last paragraph especially which caused a young man, the
+following day in the little hamlet of Tafelberg, to whistle as he
+carefully read it over.
+
+"I am glad that I am not the mad king of Lutha," he said as he paid
+the storekeeper for the gasoline he had just purchased and stepped
+into the gray roadster for whose greedy maw it was destined.
+
+"Why, mein Herr?" asked the man.
+
+"This notice practically gives immunity to whoever shoots down the
+king," replied the traveler. "Worse still, it gives such an account
+of the maniacal ferocity of the fugitive as to warrant anyone in
+shooting him on sight."
+
+As the young man spoke the storekeeper had examined his face closely
+for the first time. A shrewd look came into the man's ordinarily
+stolid countenance. He leaned forward quite close to the other's
+ear.
+
+"We of Lutha," he whispered, "love our 'mad king'--no reward could
+be offered that would tempt us to betray him. Even in
+self-protection we would not kill him, we of the mountains who
+remember him as a boy and loved his father and his grandfather,
+before him.
+
+"But there are the scum of the low country in the army these days,
+who would do anything for money, and it is these that the king must
+guard against. I could not help but note that mein Herr spoke too
+perfect German for a foreigner. Were I in mein Herr's place, I
+should speak mostly the English, and, too, I should shave off the
+'full, reddish-brown beard.'"
+
+Whereupon the storekeeper turned hastily back into his shop, leaving
+Barney Custer of Beatrice, Nebraska, U.S.A., to wonder if all the
+inhabitants of Lutha were afflicted with a mental disorder similar
+to that of the unfortunate ruler.
+
+"I don't wonder," soliloquized the young man, "that he advised me to
+shave off this ridiculous crop of alfalfa. Hang election bets,
+anyway; if things had gone half right I shouldn't have had to wear
+this badge of idiocy. And to think that it's got to be for a whole
+month longer! A year's a mighty long while at best, but a year in
+company with a full set of red whiskers is an eternity."
+
+The road out of Tafelberg wound upward among tall trees toward the
+pass that would lead him across the next valley on his way to the
+Old Forest, where he hoped to find some excellent shooting.
+All his life Barney had promised himself that some day he should
+visit his mother's native land, and now that he was here he found it
+as wild and beautiful as she had said it would be.
+
+Neither his mother nor his father had ever returned to the little
+country since the day, thirty years before, that the big American
+had literally stolen his bride away, escaping across the border but
+a scant half-hour ahead of the pursuing troop of Luthanian cavalry.
+Barney had often wondered why it was that neither of them would ever
+speak of those days, or of the early life of his mother, Victoria
+Rubinroth, though of the beauties of her native land Mrs. Custer
+never tired of talking.
+
+Barney Custer was thinking of these things as his machine wound up
+the picturesque road. Just before him was a long, heavy grade, and
+as he took it with open muffler the chugging of his motor drowned
+the sound of pounding hoof beats rapidly approaching behind him.
+
+It was not until he topped the grade that he heard anything unusual,
+and at the same instant a girl on horseback tore past him. The speed
+of the animal would have been enough to have told him that it was
+beyond the control of its frail rider, even without the added
+testimony of the broken bit that dangled beneath the tensely
+outstretched chin.
+
+Foam flecked the beast's neck and shoulders.  It was evident that
+the horse had been running for some distance, yet its speed was
+still that of the thoroughly frightened runaway.
+
+The road at the point where the animal had passed Custer was cut
+from the hillside. At the left an embankment rose steeply to a
+height of ten or fifteen feet. On the right there was a drop of a
+hundred feet or more into a wooded ravine. Ahead, the road
+apparently ran quite straight and smooth for a considerable
+distance.
+
+Barney Custer knew that so long as the road ran straight the girl
+might be safe enough, for she was evidently an excellent horsewoman;
+but he also knew that if there should be a sharp turn to the left
+ahead, the horse in his blind fright would in all probability dash
+headlong into the ravine below him.
+
+There was but a single thing that the man might attempt if he were
+to save the girl from the almost certain death which seemed in store
+for her, since he knew that sooner or later the road would turn, as
+all mountain roads do. The chances that he must take, if he failed,
+could only hasten the girl's end. There was no alternative except to
+sit supinely by and see the fear-crazed horse carry its rider into
+eternity, and Barney Custer was not the sort for that role.
+
+Scarcely had the beast come abreast of him than his foot leaped to
+the accelerator. Like a frightened deer the gray roadster sprang
+forward in pursuit. The road was narrow. Two machines could not have
+passed upon it. Barney took the outside that he might hold the horse
+away from the dangerous ravine.
+
+At the sound of the whirring thing behind him the animal cast an
+affrighted glance in its direction, and with a little squeal of
+terror redoubled its frantic efforts to escape. The girl, too,
+looked back over her shoulder. Her face was very white, but her eyes
+were steady and brave.
+
+Barney Custer smiled up at her in encouragement, and the girl smiled
+back at him.
+
+"She's sure a game one," thought Barney.
+
+Now she was calling to him.  At first he could not catch her words
+above the pounding of the horse's hoofs and the noise of his motor.
+Presently he understood.
+
+"Stop!" she cried.  "Stop or you will be killed.  The road turns to
+the left just ahead. You'll go into the ravine at that speed."
+
+The front wheel of the roadster was at the horse's right flank.
+Barney stepped upon the accelerator a little harder. There was
+barely room between the horse and the edge of the road for the four
+wheels of the roadster, and Barney must be very careful not to touch
+the horse. The thought of that and what it would mean to the girl
+sent a cold shudder through Barney Custer's athletic frame.
+
+The man cast a glance to his right.  His machine drove from the left
+side, and he could not see the road at all over the right hand door.
+The sight of tree tops waving beneath him was all that was visible.
+Just ahead the road's edge rushed swiftly beneath the right-hand
+fender; the wheels on that side must have been on the very verge of
+the embankment.
+
+Now he was abreast the girl.  Just ahead he could see where the road
+disappeared around a corner of the bluff at the dangerous curve the
+girl had warned him against.
+
+Custer leaned far out over the side of his car.  The lunging of the
+horse in his stride, and the swaying of the leaping car carried him
+first close to the girl and then away again. With his right hand he
+held the car between the frantic horse and the edge of the
+embankment. His left hand, outstretched, was almost at the girl's
+waist. The turn was just before them.
+
+"Jump!" cried Barney.
+
+The girl fell backward from her mount, turning to grasp Custer's arm
+as it closed about her. At the same instant Barney closed the
+throttle, and threw all the weight of his body upon the foot brake.
+
+The gray roadster swerved toward the embankment as the hind wheels
+skidded on the loose surface gravel. They were at the turn. The
+horse was just abreast the bumper. There was one chance in a
+thousand of making the turn were the running beast out of the way.
+There was still a chance if he turned ahead of them. If he did not
+turn--Barney hated to think of what must follow.
+
+But it was all over in a second.  The horse bolted straight ahead.
+Barney swerved the roadster to the turn. It caught the animal full
+in the side. There was a sickening lurch as the hind wheels slid
+over the embankment, and then the man shoved the girl from the
+running board to the road, and horse, man and roadster went over
+into the ravine.
+
+A moment before a tall young man with a reddish-brown beard had
+stood at the turn of the road listening intently to the sound of the
+hurrying hoof beats and the purring of the racing motor car
+approaching from the distance. In his eyes lurked the look of the
+hunted. For a moment he stood in evident indecision, but just before
+the runaway horse and the pursuing machine came into view he slipped
+over the edge of the road to slink into the underbrush far down
+toward the bottom of the ravine.
+
+When Barney pushed the girl from the running board she fell heavily
+to the road, rolling over several times, but in an instant she
+scrambled to her feet, hardly the worse for the tumble other than a
+few scratches.
+
+Quickly she ran to the edge of the embankment, a look of immense
+relief coming to her soft, brown eyes as she saw her rescuer
+scrambling up the precipitous side of the ravine toward her.
+
+"You are not killed?" she cried in German.  "It is a miracle!"
+
+"Not even bruised," reassured Barney.  "But you?  You must have had
+a nasty fall."
+
+"I am not hurt at all," she replied.  "But for you I should be lying
+dead, or terribly maimed down there at the bottom of that awful
+ravine at this very moment. It's awful." She drew her shoulders
+upward in a little shudder of horror. "But how did you escape? Even
+now I can scarce believe it possible."
+
+"I'm quite sure I don't know how I did escape," said Barney,
+clambering over the rim of the road to her side. "That I had nothing
+to do with it I am positive. It was just luck. I simply dropped out
+onto that bush down there."
+
+They were standing side by side, now peering down into the ravine
+where the car was visible, bottom side up against a tree, near the
+base of the declivity. The horse's head could be seen protruding
+from beneath the wreckage.
+
+"I'd better go down and put him out of his misery," said Barney, "if
+he is not already dead."
+
+"I think he is quite dead," said the girl.  "I have not seen him
+move."
+
+Just then a little puff of smoke arose from the machine, followed by
+a tongue of yellow flame. Barney had already started toward the
+horse.
+
+"Please don't go," begged the girl.  "I am sure that he is quite
+dead, and it wouldn't be safe for you down there now. The gasoline
+tank may explode any minute."
+
+Barney stopped.
+
+"Yes, he is dead all right," he said, "but all my belongings are
+down there. My guns, six-shooters and all my ammunition. And," he
+added ruefully, "I've heard so much about the brigands that infest
+these mountains."
+
+The girl laughed.
+
+"Those stories are really exaggerated," she said.  "I was born in
+Lutha, and except for a few months each year have always lived here,
+and though I ride much I have never seen a brigand. You need not be
+afraid."
+
+Barney Custer looked up at her quickly, and then he grinned.  His
+only fear had been that he would not meet brigands, for Mr. Bernard
+Custer, Jr., was young and the spirit of Romance and Adventure
+breathed strong within him.
+
+"Why do you smile?" asked the girl.
+
+"At our dilemma," evaded Barney.  "Have you paused to consider our
+situation?"
+
+The girl smiled, too.
+
+"It is most unconventional," she said.  "On foot and alone in the
+mountains, far from home, and we do not even know each other's
+name."
+
+"Pardon me," cried Barney, bowing low.  "Permit me to introduce
+myself. I am," and then to the spirits of Romance and Adventure was
+added a third, the spirit of Deviltry, "I am the mad king of Lutha."
+
+
+
+II
+
+OVER THE PRECIPICE
+
+The effect of his words upon the girl were quite different from what
+he had expected. An American girl would have laughed, knowing that
+he but joked. This girl did not laugh. Instead her face went white,
+and she clutched her bosom with her two hands. Her brown eyes peered
+searchingly into the face of the man.
+
+"Leopold!" she cried in a suppressed voice.  "Oh, your majesty,
+thank God that you are free--and sane!"
+
+Before he could prevent it the girl had seized his hand and pressed
+it to her lips.
+
+Here was a pretty muddle! Barney Custer swore at himself inwardly
+for a boorish fool. What in the world had ever prompted him to speak
+those ridiculous words! And now how was he to unsay them without
+mortifying this beautiful girl who had just kissed his hand?
+
+She would never forgive that--he was sure of it.
+
+There was but one thing to do, however, and that was to make a clean
+breast of it. Somehow, he managed to stumble through his explanation
+of what had prompted him, and when he had finished he saw that the
+girl was smiling indulgently at him.
+
+"It shall be Mr. Bernard Custer if you wish it so," she said; "but
+your majesty need fear nothing from Emma von der Tann. Your secret
+is as safe with me as with yourself, as the name of Von der Tann
+must assure you."
+
+She looked to see the expression of relief and pleasure that her
+father's name should have brought to the face of Leopold of Lutha,
+but when he gave no indication that he had ever before heard the
+name she sighed and looked puzzled.
+
+"Perhaps," she thought, "he doubts me.  Or can it be possible that,
+after all, his poor mind is gone?"
+
+"I wish," said Barney in a tone of entreaty, "that you would forgive
+and forget my foolish words, and then let me accompany you to the
+end of your journey."
+
+"Whither were you bound when I became the means of wrecking your
+motor car?" asked the girl.
+
+"To the Old Forest," replied Barney.
+
+Now she was positive that she was indeed with the mad king of Lutha,
+but she had no fear of him, for since childhood she had heard her
+father scout the idea that Leopold was mad. For what other purpose
+would he hasten toward the Old Forest than to take refuge in her
+father's castle upon the banks of the Tann at the forest's verge?
+
+"Thither was I bound also," she said, "and if you would come there
+quickly and in safety I can show you a short path across the
+mountains that my father taught me years ago. It touches the main
+road but once or twice, and much of the way passes through dense
+woods and undergrowth where an army might hide."
+
+"Hadn't we better find the nearest town," suggested Barney, "where I
+can obtain some sort of conveyance to take you home?"
+
+"It would not be safe," said the girl.  "Peter of Blentz will have
+troops out scouring all Lutha about Blentz and the Old Forest until
+the king is captured."
+
+Barney Custer shook his head despairingly.
+
+"Won't you please believe that I am but a plain American?" he
+begged.
+
+Upon the bole of a large wayside tree a fresh, new placard stared
+them in the face. Emma von der Tann pointed at one of the
+paragraphs.
+
+"Gray eyes, brown hair, and a full reddish-brown beard," she read.
+"No matter who you may be," she said, "you are safer off the
+highways of Lutha than on them until you can find and use a razor."
+
+"But I cannot shave until the fifth of November," said Barney.
+
+Again the girl looked quickly into his eyes and again in her mind
+rose the question that had hovered there once before. Was he indeed,
+after all, quite sane?
+
+"Then please come with me the safest way to my father's," she urged.
+"He will know what is best to do."
+
+"He cannot make me shave," insisted Barney.
+
+"Why do you wish not to shave?" asked the girl.
+
+"It is a matter of my honor," he replied.  "I had my choice of
+wearing a green wastebasket bonnet trimmed with red roses for six
+months, or a beard for twelve. If I shave off the beard before the
+fifth of November I shall be without honor in the sight of all men
+or else I shall have to wear the green bonnet. The beard is bad
+enough, but the bonnet--ugh!"
+
+Emma von der Tann was now quite assured that the poor fellow was
+indeed quite demented, but she had seen no indications of violence
+as yet, though when that too might develop there was no telling.
+However, he was to her Leopold of Lutha, and her father's house had
+been loyal to him or his ancestors for three hundred years.
+
+If she must sacrifice her life in the attempt, nevertheless still
+must she do all within her power to save her king from recapture and
+to lead him in safety to the castle upon the Tann.
+
+"Come," she said; "we waste time here.  Let us make haste, for the
+way is long. At best we cannot reach Tann by dark."
+
+"I will do anything you wish," replied Barney, "but I shall never
+forgive myself for having caused you the long and tedious journey
+that lies before us. It would be perfectly safe to go to the nearest
+town and secure a rig."
+
+Emma von der Tann had heard that it was always well to humor maniacs
+and she thought of it now. She would put the scheme to the test.
+
+"The reason that I fear to have you go to the village," she said,
+"is that I am quite sure they would catch you and shave off your
+beard."
+
+Barney started to laugh, but when he saw the deep seriousness of the
+girl's eyes he changed his mind. Then he recalled her rather
+peculiar insistence that he was a king, and it suddenly occurred to
+him that he had been foolish not to have guessed the truth before.
+
+"That is so," he agreed; "I guess we had better do as you say," for
+he had determined that the best way to handle her would be to humor
+her--he had always heard that that was the proper method for
+handling the mentally defective. "Where is the--er--ah--sanatorium?"
+he blurted out at last.
+
+"The what?" she asked.  "There is no sanatorium near here, your
+majesty, unless you refer to the Castle of Blentz."
+
+"Is there no asylum for the insane near by?"
+
+"None that I know of, your majesty."
+
+For a while they moved on in silence, each wondering what the other
+might do next.
+
+Barney had evolved a plan.  He would try and ascertain the location
+of the institution from which the girl had escaped and then as
+gently as possible lead her back to it. It was not safe for as
+beautiful a woman as she to be roaming through the forest in any
+such manner as this. He wondered what in the world the authorities
+at the asylum had been thinking of to permit her to ride out alone
+in the first place.
+
+"From where did you ride today?" he blurted out suddenly.
+
+"From Tann."
+
+"That is where we are going now?"
+
+"Yes, your majesty."
+
+Barney drew a breath of relief.  The way had become suddenly
+difficult and he took the girl's arm to help her down a rather steep
+place. At the bottom of the ravine there was a little brook.
+
+"There used to be a fallen log across it here," said the girl.  "How
+in the world am I ever to get across, your majesty?"
+
+"If you call me that again, I shall begin to believe that I am a
+king," he humored her, "and then, being a king, I presume that it
+wouldn't be proper for me to carry you across, or would it? Never
+really having been a king, I do not know."
+
+"I think," replied the girl, "that it would be eminently proper."
+
+She had difficulty in keeping in mind the fact that this handsome,
+smiling young man was a dangerous maniac, though it was easy to
+believe that he was the king. In fact, he looked much as she had
+always pictured Leopold as looking. She had known him as a boy, and
+there were many paintings and photographs of his ancestors in her
+father's castle. She saw much resemblance between these and the
+young man.
+
+The brook was very narrow, and the girl thought that it took the
+young man an unreasonably long time to carry her across, though she
+was forced to admit that she was far from uncomfortable in the
+strong arms that bore her so easily.
+
+"Why, what are you doing?" she cried presently.  "You are not
+crossing the stream at all. You are walking right up the middle of
+it!"
+
+She saw his face flush, and then he turned laughing eyes upon her.
+
+"I am looking for a safe landing," he said.
+
+Emma von der Tann did not know whether to be frightened or amused.
+As her eyes met the clear, gray ones of the man she could not
+believe that insanity lurked behind that laughing, level gaze of her
+carrier. She found herself continually forgetting that the man was
+mad. He had turned toward the bank now, and a couple of steps
+carried them to the low sward that fringed the little brooklet. Here
+he lowered her to the ground.
+
+"Your majesty is very strong," she said.  "I should not have
+expected it after the years of confinement you have suffered."
+
+"Yes," he said, realizing that he must humor her--it was difficult
+to remember that this lovely girl was insane. "Let me see, now just
+what was I in prison for? I do not seem to be able to recall it. In
+Nebraska, they used to hang men for horse stealing; so I am sure it
+must have been something else not quite so bad. Do you happen to
+know?"
+
+"When the king, your father, died you were thirteen years old," the
+girl explained, hoping to reawaken the sleeping mind, "and then your
+uncle, Prince Peter of Blentz, announced that the shock of your
+father's death had unbalanced your mind. He shut you up in Blentz
+then, where you have been for ten years, and he has ruled as regent.
+Now, my father says, he has recently discovered a plot to take your
+life so that Peter may become king. But I suppose you learned of
+that, and because of it you escaped!"
+
+"This Peter person is all-powerful in Lutha?" he asked.
+
+"He controls the army," the girl replied.
+
+"And you really believe that I am the mad king Leopold?"
+
+"You are the king," she said in a convincing manner.
+
+"You are a very brave young lady," he said earnestly.  "If all the
+mad king's subjects were as loyal as you, and as brave, he would not
+have languished for ten years behind the walls of Blentz."
+
+"I am a Von der Tann," she said proudly, as though that was
+explanation sufficient to account for any bravery or loyalty.
+
+"Even a Von der Tann might, without dishonor, hesitate to accompany
+a mad man through the woods," he replied, "especially if she
+happened to be a very--a very--" He halted, flushing.
+
+"A very what, your majesty?" asked the girl.
+
+"A very young woman," he ended lamely.
+
+Emma von der Tann knew that he had not intended saying that at all.
+Being a woman, she knew precisely what he had meant to say, and she
+discovered that she would very much have liked to hear him say it.
+
+"Suppose," said Barney, "that Peter's soldiers run across us--what
+then?"
+
+"They will take you back to Blentz, your majesty."
+
+"And you?"
+
+"I do not think that they will dare lay hands on me, though it is
+possible that Peter might do so. He hates my father even more now
+than he did when the old king lived."
+
+"I wish," said Mr. Custer, "that I had gone down after my guns.  Why
+didn't you tell me, in the first place, that I was a king, and that
+I might get you in trouble if you were found with me? Why, they may
+even take me for an emperor or a mikado--who knows? And then look at
+all the trouble we'd be in."
+
+Which was Barney's way of humoring a maniac.
+
+"And they might even shave off your beautiful beard."
+
+Which was the girl's way.
+
+"Do you think that you would like me better in the green wastebasket
+hat with the red roses?" asked Barney.
+
+A very sad look came into the girl's eyes.  It was pitiful to think
+that this big, handsome young man, for whose return to the throne
+all Lutha had prayed for ten long years, was only a silly half-wit.
+What might he not have accomplished for his people had this terrible
+misfortune not overtaken him! In every other way he seemed fitted to
+be the savior of his country. If she could but make him remember!
+
+"Your majesty," she said, "do you not recall the time that your
+father came upon a state visit to my father's castle? You were a
+little boy then. He brought you with him. I was a little girl, and
+we played together. You would not let me call you 'highness,' but
+insisted that I should always call you Leopold. When I forgot you
+would accuse me of lese-majeste, and sentence me to--to punishment."
+
+"What was the punishment?" asked Barney, noticing her hesitation and
+wishing to encourage her in the pretty turn her dementia had taken.
+
+Again the girl hesitated; she hated to say it, but if it would help
+to recall the past to that poor, dimmed mind, it was her duty.
+
+"Every time I called you 'highness' you made me give you a--a kiss,"
+she almost whispered.
+
+"I hope," said Barney, "that you will be guilty of lese-majeste
+often."
+
+"We were little children then, your majesty," the girl reminded him.
+
+Had he thought her of sound mind Mr. Custer might have taken
+advantage of his royal prerogatives on the spot, for the girl's lips
+were most tempting; but when he remembered the poor, weak mind,
+tears almost came to his eyes, and there sprang to his heart a great
+desire to protect and guard this unfortunate child.
+
+"And when I was Crown Prince what were you, way back there in the
+beautiful days of our childhood?" asked Barney.
+
+"Why, I was what I still am, your majesty," replied the girl.
+"Princess Emma von der Tann."
+
+So the poor child, besides thinking him a king, thought herself a
+princess! She certainly was mad. Well, he would humor her.
+
+"Then I should call you 'your highness,' shouldn't I?" he asked.
+
+"You always called me Emma when we were children."
+
+"Very well, then, you shall be Emma and I Leopold.  Is it a
+bargain?"
+
+"The king's will is law," she said.
+
+They had come to a very steep hillside, up which the
+half-obliterated trail zigzagged toward the crest of a flat-topped
+hill. Barney went ahead, taking the girl's hand in his to help her,
+and thus they came to the top, to stand hand in hand, breathing
+heavily after the stiff climb.
+
+The girl's hair had come loose about her temples and a lock was
+blowing over her face. Her cheeks were very red and her eyes bright.
+Barney thought he had never looked upon a lovelier picture. He
+smiled down into her eyes and she smiled back at him.
+
+"I wished, back there a way," he said, "that that little brook had
+been as wide as the ocean--now I wish that this little hill had been
+as high as Mont Blanc."
+
+"You like to climb?" she asked.
+
+"I should like to climb forever--with you," he said seriously.
+
+She looked up at him quickly.  A reply was on her lips, but she
+never uttered it, for at that moment a ruffian in picturesque rags
+leaped out from behind a near-by bush, confronting them with leveled
+revolver. He was so close that the muzzle of the weapon almost
+touched Barney's face. In that the fellow made his mistake.
+
+"You see," said Barney unexcitedly, "that I was right about the
+brigands after all. What do you want, my man?"
+
+The man's eyes had suddenly gone wide.  He stared with open mouth at
+the young fellow before him. Then a cunning look came into his eyes.
+
+"I want you, your majesty," he said.
+
+"Godfrey!" exclaimed Barney.  "Did the whole bunch escape?"
+
+"Quick!" growled the man.  "Hold up your hands.  The notice made it
+plain that you would be worth as much dead as alive, and I have no
+mind to lose you, so do not tempt me to kill you."
+
+Barney's hands went up, but not in the way that the brigand had
+expected. Instead, one of them seized his weapon and shoved it
+aside, while with the other Custer planted a blow between his eyes
+and sent him reeling backward. The two men closed, fighting for
+possession of the gun. In the scrimmage it was exploded, but a
+moment later the American succeeded in wresting it from his
+adversary and hurled it into the ravine.
+
+Striking at one another, the two surged backward and forward at the
+very edge of the hill, each searching for the other's throat. The
+girl stood by, watching the battle with wide, frightened eyes. If
+she could only do something to aid the king!
+
+She saw a loose stone lying at a little distance from the fighters
+and hastened to procure it. If she could strike the brigand a single
+good blow on the side of the head, Leopold might easily overpower
+him. When she had gathered up the rock and turned back toward the
+two she saw that the man she thought to be the king was not much in
+the way of needing outside assistance. She could not but marvel at
+the strength and dexterity of this poor fellow who had spent almost
+half his life penned within the four walls of a prison. It must be,
+she thought, the superhuman strength with which maniacs are always
+credited.
+
+Nevertheless, she hurried toward them with her weapon; but just
+before she reached them the brigand made a last mad effort to free
+himself from the fingers that had found his throat. He lunged
+backward, dragging the other with him. His foot struck upon the root
+of a tree, and together the two toppled over into the ravine.
+
+As the girl hastened toward the spot where the two had disappeared,
+she was startled to see three troopers of the palace cavalry headed
+by an officer break through the trees at a short distance from where
+the battle had waged. The four men ran rapidly toward her.
+
+"What has happened here?" shouted the officer to Emma von der Tann;
+and then, as he came closer: "Gott! Can it be possible that it is
+your highness?"
+
+The girl paid no attention to the officer.  Instead, she hurried
+down the steep embankment toward the underbrush into which the two
+men had fallen. There was no sound from below, and no movement in
+the bushes to indicate that a moment before two desperately battling
+human beings had dropped among them.
+
+The soldiers were close upon the girl's heels, but it was she who
+first reached the two quiet figures that lay side by side upon the
+stony ground halfway down the hillside.
+
+When the officer stopped beside her she was sitting on the ground
+holding the head of one of the combatants in her lap.
+
+A little stream of blood trickled from a wound in the forehead.  The
+officer stooped closer.
+
+"He is dead?" he asked.
+
+"The king is dead," replied the Princess Emma von der Tann, a little
+sob in her voice.
+
+"The king!" exclaimed the officer; and then, as he bent lower over
+the white face: "Leopold!"
+
+The girl nodded.
+
+"We were searching for him," said the officer, "when we heard the
+shot." Then, arising, he removed his cap, saying in a very low
+voice: "The king is dead. Long live the king!"
+
+
+
+
+III
+
+AN ANGRY KING
+
+The soldiers stood behind their officer.  None of them had ever seen
+Leopold of Lutha--he had been but a name to them--they cared nothing
+for him; but in the presence of death they were awed by the majesty
+of the king they had never known.
+
+The hands of Emma von der Tann were chafing the wrists of the man
+whose head rested in her lap.
+
+"Leopold!" she whispered.  "Leopold, come back!  Mad king you may
+have been, but still you were king of Lutha--my father's king--my
+king."
+
+The girl nearly cried out in shocked astonishment as she saw the
+eyes of the dead king open. But Emma von der Tann was quick-witted.
+She knew for what purpose the soldiers from the palace were scouring
+the country.
+
+Had she not thought the king dead she would have cut out her tongue
+rather than reveal his identity to these soldiers of his great
+enemy. Now she saw that Leopold lived, and she must undo the harm
+she had innocently wrought. She bent lower over Barney's face,
+trying to hide it from the soldiers.
+
+"Go away, please!" she called to them.  "Leave me with my dead king.
+You are Peter's men. You do not care for Leopold, living or dead. Go
+back to your new king and tell him that this poor young man can
+never more stand between him and the throne."
+
+The officer hesitated.
+
+"We shall have to take the king's body with us, your highness," he
+said.
+
+The officer evidently becoming suspicious, came closer, and as he
+did so Barney Custer sat up.
+
+"Go away!" cried the girl, for she saw that the king was attempting
+to speak. "My father's people will carry Leopold of Lutha in state
+to the capital of his kingdom."
+
+"What's all this row about?" he asked.  "Can't you let a dead king
+alone if the young lady asks you to? What kind of a short sport are
+you, anyway? Run along, now, and tie yourself outside."
+
+The officer smiled, a trifle maliciously perhaps.
+
+"Ah," he said, "I am very glad indeed that you are not dead, your
+majesty."
+
+Barney Custer turned his incredulous eyes upon the lieutenant.
+
+"Et tu, Brute?" he cried in anguished accents, letting his head fall
+back into the girl's lap. He found it very comfortable there indeed.
+
+The officer smiled and shook his head.  Then he tapped his forehead
+meaningly.
+
+"I did not know," he said to the girl, "that he was so bad. But
+come--it is some distance to Blentz, and the afternoon is already
+well spent. Your highness will accompany us."
+
+"I?" cried the girl.  "You certainly cannot be serious."
+
+"And why not, your highness?" asked the officer.  "We had strict
+orders to arrest not only the king, but any companions who may have
+been involved in his escape."
+
+"I had nothing whatever to do with his escape," said the girl,
+"though I should have been only too glad to have aided him had the
+opportunity presented."
+
+"King Peter may think differently," replied the man.
+
+"The Regent, you mean?" the girl corrected him haughtily.
+
+The officer shrugged his shoulders.
+
+"Regent or King, he is ruler of Lutha nevertheless, and he would
+take away my commission were I to tell him that I had found a Von
+der Tann in company with the king and had permitted her to escape.
+Your blood convicts your highness."
+
+"You are going to take me to Blentz and confine me there?" asked the
+girl in a very small voice and with wide incredulous eyes. "You
+would not dare thus to humiliate a Von der Tann?"
+
+"I am very sorry," said the officer, "but I am a soldier, and
+soldiers must obey their superiors. My orders are strict. You may be
+thankful," he added, "that it was not Maenck who discovered you."
+
+At the mention of the name the girl shuddered.
+
+"In so far as it is in my power your highness and his majesty will
+be accorded every consideration of dignity and courtesy while under
+my escort. You need not entertain any fear of me," he concluded.
+
+Barney Custer, during this, to him, remarkable dialogue, had risen
+to his feet, and assisted the girl in rising. Now he turned and
+spoke to the officer.
+
+"This farce," he said, "has gone quite far enough.  If it is a joke
+it is becoming a very sorry one. I am not a king. I am an
+American--Bernard Custer, of Beatrice, Nebraska, U.S.A. Look at me.
+Look at me closely. Do I look like a king?"
+
+"Every inch, your majesty," replied the officer.
+
+Barney looked at the man aghast.
+
+"Well, I am not a king," he said at last, "and if you go to
+arresting me and throwing me into one of your musty old dungeons
+you will find that I am a whole lot more important than most kings.
+I'm an American citizen."
+
+"Yes, your majesty," replied the officer, a trifle impatiently. "But
+we waste time in idle discussion. Will your majesty be so good as to
+accompany me without resistance?"
+
+"If you will first escort this young lady to a place of safety,"
+replied Barney.
+
+"She will be quite safe at Blentz," said the lieutenant.
+
+Barney turned to look at the girl, a question in his eyes. Before
+them stood the soldiers with drawn revolvers, and now at the summit
+of the hill a dozen more appeared in command of a sergeant. They
+were two against nearly a score, and Barney Custer was unarmed.
+
+The girl shook her head.
+
+"There, is no alternative, I am afraid, your majesty," she said.
+
+Barney wheeled toward the officer.
+
+"Very well, lieutenant," he said, "we will accompany you."
+
+The party turned back up the hillside, leaving the dead bandit where
+he lay--the fellow's neck had been broken by the fall. A short
+distance from where the man had confronted them the two prisoners
+were brought to the main road where they saw still other troopers,
+and with them the horses of those who had gone into the forest on
+foot.
+
+Barney and the girl were mounted on two of the animals, the soldiers
+who had ridden them clambering up behind two of their comrades. A
+moment later the troop set out along the road which leads to Blentz.
+
+The prisoners rode near the center of the column, surrounded by
+troopers. For a time they were both silent. Barney was wondering if
+he had accidentally tumbled into the private grounds of Lutha's
+largest madhouse, or if, in reality, these people mistook him for
+the young king--it seemed incredible.
+
+It had commenced slowly to dawn upon him that perhaps the girl was
+not crazy after all. Had not the officer addressed her as "your
+highness"? Now that he thought upon it he recalled that she did have
+quite a haughty and regal way with her at times, especially so when
+she had addressed the officer.
+
+Of course she might be mad, after all, and possibly the bandit, too,
+but it seemed unbelievable that the officer was mad and his entire
+troop of cavalry should be composed of maniacs, yet they all
+persisted in speaking and acting as though he were indeed the mad
+king of Lutha and the young girl at his side a princess.
+
+From pitying the girl he had come to feel a little bit in awe of
+her. To the best of his knowledge he had never before associated
+with a real princess. When he recalled that he had treated her as he
+would an ordinary mortal, and that he had thought her demented, and
+had tried to humor her mad whims, he felt very foolish indeed.
+
+Presently he turned a sheepish glance in her direction, to find her
+looking at him. He saw her flush slightly as his eyes met hers.
+
+"Can your highness ever forgive me?" he asked.
+
+"Forgive  you!" she cried in astonishment.  "For what, your
+majesty?"
+
+"For thinking you insane, and for getting you into this horrible
+predicament," he replied. "But especially for thinking you insane."
+
+"Did you think me mad?" she asked in wide-eyed astonishment.
+
+"When you insisted that I was a king, yes," he replied. "But now I
+begin to believe that it must be I who am mad, after all, or else I
+bear a remarkable resemblance to Leopold of Lutha."
+
+"You do, your majesty," replied the girl.
+
+Barney saw it was useless to attempt to convince them and so he
+decided to give up for the time.
+
+"Have me king, if you will," he said, "but please do not call me
+'your majesty' any more. It gets on my nerves."
+
+"Your will is law--Leopold," replied the girl, hesitating prettily
+before the familiar name, "but do not forget your part of the
+compact."
+
+He smiled at her.  A princess wasn't half so terrible after all.
+
+"And your will shall be my law, Emma," he said.
+
+It was almost dark when they came to Blentz.  The castle lay far up
+on the side of a steep hill above the town. It was an ancient pile,
+but had been maintained in an excellent state of repair. As Barney
+Custer looked up at the grim towers and mighty, buttressed walls his
+heart sank. It had taken the mad king ten years to make his escape
+from that gloomy and forbidding pile!
+
+"Poor child," he murmured, thinking of the girl.
+
+Before the barbican the party was halted by the guard. An officer
+with a lantern stepped out upon the lowered portcullis. The
+lieutenant who had captured them rode forward to meet him.
+
+"A detachment of the Royal Horse Guards escorting His Majesty the
+King, who is returning to Blentz," he said in reply to the officer's
+sharp challenge.
+
+"The king!" exclaimed the officer.  "You have found him?" and he
+advanced with raised lantern searching for the monarch.
+
+"At last," whispered Barney to the girl at his side, "I shall be
+vindicated. This man, at least, who is stationed at Blentz must
+know his king by sight."
+
+The officer came quite close, holding his lantern until the
+rays fell full in Barney's face.  He scrutinized the young man
+for a moment.  There was neither humility nor respect in his
+manner, so that the American was sure that the fellow had
+discovered the imposture.
+
+From the bottom of his heart he hoped so.  Then the officer
+swung the lantern until its light shone upon the girl.
+
+"And who's the wench with him?" he asked the officer who
+had found them.
+
+The man was standing close beside Barney's horse, and the words were
+scarce out of his month when the American slipped from his saddle to
+the portcullis and struck the officer full in the face.
+
+"She is the Princess von der Tann, you boor," said Barney, "and let
+that help you remember it in future."
+
+The officer scrambled to his feet, white with rage.  Whipping out
+his sword he rushed at Barney.
+
+"You shall die for that, you half-wit," he cried.
+
+Lieutenant Butzow, he of the Royal Horse, rushed forward to prevent
+the assault and Emma von der Tann sprang from her saddle and threw
+herself in front of Barney.
+
+Butzow grasped the other officer's arm.
+
+"Are you mad, Schonau?" he cried.  "Would you kill the king?"
+
+The fellow tugged to escape the grasp of Butzow.  He was crazed with
+anger.
+
+"Why not?" he bellowed.  "You were a fool not to have done it
+yourself. Maenck will do it and get a baronetcy. It will mean a
+captaincy for me at least. Let me at him--no man can strike Karl
+Schonau and live."
+
+"The king is unarmed," cried Emma von der Tann.  "Would you murder
+him in cold blood?"
+
+"He shall not murder him at all, your highness," said Lieutenant
+Butzow quietly. "Give me your sword, Lieutenant Schonau. I place you
+under arrest. What you have just said will not please the Regent
+when it is reported to him. You should keep your head better when
+you are angry."
+
+"It is the truth," growled Schonau, regretting that his anger had
+led him into a disclosure of the plot against the king's life, but
+like most weak characters fearing to admit himself in error even
+more than he feared the consequences of his rash words.
+
+"Do you intend taking my sword?" asked Schonau suddenly, turning
+toward Lieutenant Butzow standing beside him.
+
+"We will forget the whole occurrence, lieutenant," replied Butzow,
+"if you will promise not to harm his majesty, or offer him or the
+Princess von der Tann further humiliation. Their position is
+sufficiently unpleasant without our adding to the degradation of
+it."
+
+"Very well," grumbled Schonau.  "Pass on into the courtyard."
+
+Barney and the girl remounted and the little cavalcade moved forward
+through the ballium and the great gate into the court beyond.
+
+"Did you notice," said Barney to the princess, "that even he
+believes me to be the king? I cannot fathom it."
+
+Within the castle they were met by a number of servants and
+soldiers. An officer escorted them to the great hall, and presently
+a dark visaged captain of cavalry entered and approached them.
+Butzow saluted.
+
+"His Majesty, the King," he announced, "has returned to Blentz.  In
+accordance with the commands of the Regent I deliver his august
+person into your safe keeping, Captain Maenck."
+
+Maenck nodded.  He was looking at Barney with evident curiosity.
+
+"Where did you find him?" he asked Butzow.
+
+He made no pretense of according to Barney the faintest indication
+of the respect that is supposed to be due to those of royal blood.
+Barney commenced to hope that he had finally come upon one who would
+know that he was not king.
+
+Butzow recounted the details of the finding of the king.  As he
+spoke, Maenck's eyes, restless and furtive, seemed to be appraising
+the personal charms of the girl who stood just back of Barney.
+
+The American did not like the appearance of the officer, but he saw
+that he was evidently supreme at Blentz, and he determined to appeal
+to him in the hope that the man might believe his story and untangle
+the ridiculous muddle that a chance resemblance to a fugitive
+monarch had thrown him and the girl into.
+
+"Captain," said Barney, stepping closer to the officer, "there has
+been a mistake in identity here. I am not the king. I am an American
+traveling for pleasure in Lutha. The fact that I have gray eyes and
+wear a full reddish-brown beard is my only offense. You are
+doubtless familiar with the king's appearance and so you at least
+have already seen that I am not his majesty.
+
+"Not being the king, there is no cause to detain me longer, and as I
+am not a fugitive and never have been, this young lady has been
+guilty of no misdemeanor or crime in being in my company. Therefore
+she too should be released. In the name of justice and common
+decency I am sure that you will liberate us both at once and furnish
+the Princess von der Tann, at least, with a proper escort to her
+home."
+
+Maenck listened in silence until Barney had finished, a half smile
+upon his thick lips.
+
+"I am commencing to believe that you are not so crazy as we have all
+thought," he said. "Certainly," and he let his eyes rest upon Emma
+von der Tann, "you are not mentally deficient in so far as your
+judgment of a good-looking woman is concerned. I could not have made
+a better selection myself.
+
+"As for my familiarity with your appearance, you know as well as I
+that I have never seen you before. But that is not necessary--you
+conform perfectly to the printed description of you with which the
+kingdom is flooded. Were that not enough, the fact that you were
+discovered with old Von der Tann's daughter is sufficient to remove
+the least doubt as to your identity."
+
+"You are governor of Blentz," cried Barney, "and yet you say that
+you have never seen the king?"
+
+"Certainly," replied Maenck.  "After you escaped the entire
+personnel of the garrison here was changed, even the old servants to
+a man were withdrawn and others substituted. You will have
+difficulty in again escaping, for those who aided you before are no
+longer here."
+
+"There is no man in the castle of Blentz who has ever seen the
+king?" asked Barney.
+
+"None who has seen him before tonight," replied Maenck. "But were we
+in doubt we have the word of the Princess Emma that you are Leopold.
+Did she not admit it to you, Butzow?"
+
+"When she thought his majesty dead she admitted it," replied Butzow.
+
+"We gain nothing by discussing the matter," said Maenck shortly.
+"You are Leopold of Lutha. Prince Peter says that you are mad. All
+that concerns me is that you do not escape again, and you may rest
+assured that while Ernst Maenck is governor of Blentz you shall not
+escape and go at large again.
+
+"Are the royal apartments in readiness for his majesty, Dr. Stein?"
+he concluded, turning toward a rat-faced little man with bushy
+whiskers, who stood just behind him.
+
+The query was propounded in an ironical tone, and with a manner that
+made no pretense of concealing the contempt of the speaker for the
+man he thought the king.
+
+The eyes of the Princess Emma were blazing as she caught the scant
+respect in Maenck's manner. She looked quickly toward Barney to see
+if he intended rebuking the man for his impertinence. She saw that
+the king evidently intended overlooking Maenck's attitude. But Emma
+von der Tann was of a different mind.
+
+She had seen Maenck several times at social functions in the
+capital. He had even tried to win a place in her favor, but she had
+always disliked him, even before the nasty stories of his past life
+had become common gossip, and within the year she had won his hatred
+by definitely indicating to him that he was persona non grata, in so
+far as she was concerned. Now she turned upon him, her eyes flashing
+with indignation.
+
+"Do you forget, sir, that you address the king?" she cried. "That
+you are without honor I have heard men say, and I may truly believe
+it now that I have seen what manner of man you are. The most
+lowly-bred boor in all Lutha would not be so ungenerous as to take
+advantage of his king's helplessness to heap indignities upon him.
+
+"Leopold of Lutha shall come into his own some day, and my dearest
+hope is that his first act may be to mete out to such as you the
+punishment you deserve."
+
+Maenck paled in anger.  His fingers twitched nervously, but he
+controlled his temper remarkably well, biding his time for revenge.
+
+"Take the king to his apartments, Stein," he commanded curtly, "and
+you, Lieutenant Butzow, accompany them with a guard, nor leave until
+you see that he is safely confined. You may return here afterward
+for my further instructions. In the meantime I wish to examine the
+king's mistress."
+
+For a moment tense silence reigned in the apartment after Maenck had
+delivered his wanton insult.
+
+Emma von der Tann, her little chin high in the air, stood straight
+and haughty, nor was there any sign in her expression to indicate
+that she had heard the man's words.
+
+Barney was the first to take cognizance of them.
+
+"You cur!" he cried, and took a step toward Maenck. "You're going to
+eat that, word for word."
+
+Maenck stepped back, his hand upon his sword.  Butzow laid a hand
+upon Barney's arm.
+
+"Don't, your majesty," he implored, "it will but make your position
+more unpleasant, nor will it add to the safety of the Princess von
+der Tann for you to strike him now."
+
+Barney shook himself free from Butzow, and before either Stein or
+the lieutenant could prevent had sprung upon Maenck.
+
+The latter had not been quick enough with his sword, so that Barney
+had struck him twice, heavily in the face before the officer was
+able to draw. Butzow had sprung to the king's side, and was
+attempting to interpose himself between Maenck and the American. In
+a moment more the sword of the infuriated captain would be in the
+king's heart. Barney turned the first thrust with his forearm.
+
+"Stop!" cried Butzow to Maenck.  "Are you mad, that you would kill
+the king?"
+
+Maenck lunged again, viciously, at the unprotected body of his
+antagonist.
+
+"Die, you pig of an idiot!" he screamed.
+
+Butzow saw that the man really meant to murder Leopold. He seized
+Barney by the shoulder and whirled him backward. At the same instant
+his own sword leaped from his scabbard, and now Maenck found himself
+facing grim steel in the hand of a master swordsman.
+
+The governor of Blentz drew back from the touch of that sharp point.
+
+"What do you mean?" he cried.  "This is mutiny."
+
+"When I received my commission," replied Butzow, quietly, "I swore
+to protect the person of the king with my life, and while I live no
+man shall affront Leopold of Lutha in my presence, or threaten his
+safety else he accounts to me for his act. Return your sword,
+Captain Maenck, nor ever again draw it against the king while I be
+near."
+
+Slowly Maenck sheathed his weapon.  Black hatred for Butzow and the
+man he was protecting smoldered in his eyes.
+
+"If he wishes peace," said Barney, "let him apologize to the
+princess."
+
+"You had better apologize, captain," counseled Butzow, "for if the
+king should command me to do so I should have to compel you to," and
+the lieutenant half drew his sword once more.
+
+There was something in Butzow's voice that warned Maenck that his
+subordinate would like nothing better than the king's command to run
+him through.
+
+He well knew the fame of Butzow's sword arm, and having no stomach
+for an encounter with it he grumbled an apology.
+
+"And don't let it occur again," warned Barney.
+
+"Come," said Dr. Stein, "your majesty should be in your apartments,
+away from all excitement, if we are to effect a cure, so that you
+may return to your throne quickly."
+
+Butzow formed the soldiers about the American, and the party moved
+silently out of the great hall, leaving Captain Maenck and Princess
+Emma von der Tann its only occupants.
+
+Barney cast a troubled glance toward Maenck, and half hesitated.
+
+"I am sorry, your majesty," said Butzow in a low voice, "but you
+must accompany us. In this the governor of Blentz is well within his
+authority, and I must obey him."
+
+"Heaven help her!" murmured Barney.
+
+"The governor will not dare harm her," said Butzow. "Your majesty
+need entertain no apprehension."
+
+"I wouldn't trust him," replied the American.  "I know his kind."
+
+
+
+
+IV
+
+BARNEY FINDS A FRIEND
+
+After the party had left the room Maenck stood looking at the
+princess for several seconds. A cunning expression supplanted the
+anger that had shown so plainly upon his face but a moment before.
+The girl had moved to one side of the apartment and was pretending
+an interest in a large tapestry that covered the wall at that point.
+Maenck watched her with greedy eyes. Presently he spoke.
+
+"Let us be friends," he said.  "You shall be my guest at Blentz for
+a long time. I doubt if Peter will care to release you soon, for he
+has no love for your father--and it will be easier for both if we
+establish pleasant relations from the beginning. What do you say?"
+
+"I shall not be at Blentz long," she replied, not even looking in
+Maenck's direction, "though while I am it shall be as a prisoner and
+not as a guest. It is incredible that one could believe me willing
+to pose as the guest of a traitor, even were he less impossible than
+the notorious and infamous Captain Maenck."
+
+Maenck smiled.  He was one of those who rather pride themselves upon
+the possession of racy reputations. He walked across the room to a
+bell cord which he pulled. Then he turned toward the girl again.
+
+"I have given you an opportunity," he said, "to lighten the burdens
+of your captivity. I hoped that you would be sensible and accept my
+advances of friendship voluntarily," and he emphasized the word
+"voluntarily," "but--"
+
+He shrugged his shoulders.
+
+A servant had entered the apartment in response to Maenck's summons.
+
+"Show the Princess von der Tann to her apartments," he commanded
+with a sinister tone.
+
+The man, who was in the livery of Peter of Blentz, bowed, and with a
+deferential sign to the girl led the way from the room. Emma von der
+Tann followed her guide up a winding stairway which spiraled within
+a tower at the end of a long passage. On the second floor of the
+castle the servant led her to a large and beautifully furnished
+suite of three rooms--a bedroom, dressing-room and boudoir. After
+showing her the rooms that were to be hers the servant left her
+alone.
+
+As soon as he had gone the Princess von der Tann took another turn
+through the suite, looking to the doors and windows to ascertain how
+securely she might barricade herself against unwelcome visitors.
+
+She found that the three rooms lay in an angle of the old,
+moss-covered castle wall.
+
+The bedroom and dressing-room were connected by a doorway, and each
+in turn had another door opening into the boudoir. The only
+connection with the corridor without was through a single doorway
+from the boudoir. This door was equipped with a massive bolt, which,
+when she had shot it, gave her a feeling of immense relief and
+security. The windows were all too high above the court on one side
+and the moat upon the other to cause her the slightest apprehension
+of danger from the outside.
+
+The girl found the boudoir not only beautiful, but extremely
+comfortable and cozy. A huge log-fire blazed upon the hearth, and,
+though it was summer, its warmth was most welcome, for the night was
+chill. Across the room from the fireplace a full length oil of a
+former Blentz princess looked down in arrogance upon the unwilling
+occupant of the room. It seemed to the girl that there was an
+expression of annoyance upon the painted countenance that another,
+and an enemy of her house, should be making free with her
+belongings. She wondered a little, too, that this huge oil should
+have been hung in a lady's boudoir. It seemed singularly out of
+place.
+
+"If she would but smile," thought Emma von der Tann, "she would
+detract less from the otherwise pleasant surroundings, but I suppose
+she serves her purpose in some way, whatever it may be."
+
+There were papers, magazines and books upon the center table and
+more books upon a low tier of shelves on either side of the
+fireplace. The girl tried to amuse herself by reading, but she found
+her thoughts continually reverting to the unhappy situation of the
+king, and her eyes momentarily wandered to the cold and repellent
+face of the Blentz princess.
+
+Finally she wheeled a great armchair near the fireplace, and with
+her back toward the portrait made a final attempt to submerge her
+unhappy thoughts in a current periodical.
+
+
+When Barney and his escort reached the apartments that had been
+occupied by the king of Lutha before his escape, Butzow and the
+soldiers left him in company with Dr. Stein and an old servant,
+whom the doctor introduced as his new personal attendant.
+
+"Your majesty will find him a very attentive and faithful servant,"
+said Stein. "He will remain with you and administer your medicine at
+proper intervals."
+
+"Medicine?" ejaculated Barney.  "What in the world do I need of
+medicine? There is nothing the matter with me."
+
+Stein smiled indulgently.
+
+"Ah, your majesty," he said, "if you could but realize the sad
+affliction that clouds your life! You may never sit upon your throne
+until the last trace of this sinister mental disorder is eradicated,
+so take your medicine voluntarily, or otherwise Joseph will be
+compelled to administer it by force. Remember, sire, that only
+through this treatment will you be able to leave Blentz."
+
+After Stein had left the room Joseph bolted the door behind him.
+Then he came to where Barney stood in the center of the apartment,
+and dropping to his knees took the young man's hand in his and
+kissed it.
+
+"God has been good indeed, your majesty," he whispered. "It was He
+who made it possible for old Joseph to deceive them and find his way
+to your side."
+
+"Who are you, my man?" asked Barney.
+
+"I am from Tann," whispered the old man, in a very low voice.  "His
+highness, the prince, found the means to obtain service for me with
+the new retinue that has replaced the old which permitted your
+majesty's escape. There was another from Tann among the former
+servants here.
+
+"It was  through his efforts that you escaped before, you will
+recall. I have seen Fritz and learned from him the way, so that if
+your majesty does not recall it it will make no difference, for I
+know it well, having been over it three times already since I came
+here, to be sure that when the time came that they should recapture
+you I might lead you out quickly before they could slay you."
+
+"You really think that they intend murdering me?"
+
+"There is no doubt about it, your majesty," replied the old man.
+"This very bottle"--Joseph touched the phial which Stein had left
+upon the table--"contains the means whereby, through my hands, you
+were to be slowly poisoned."
+
+"Do you know what it is?"
+
+"Bichloride of mercury, your majesty.  One dose would have been
+sufficient, and after a few days--perhaps a week--you would have
+died in great agony."
+
+Barney shuddered.
+
+"But I am not the king, Joseph," said the young man, "so even had
+they succeeded in killing me it would have profited them nothing."
+
+Joseph shook his head sadly.
+
+"Your majesty will pardon the presumption of one who loves him," he
+said, "if he makes so bold as to suggest that your majesty must not
+again deny that he is king. That only tends to corroborate the
+contention of Prince Peter that your majesty is not--er, just sane,
+and so, incompetent to rule Lutha. But we of Tann know differently,
+and with the help of the good God we will place your majesty upon
+the throne which Peter has kept from you all these years."
+
+Barney sighed.  They were determined that he should be king whether
+he would or no. He had often thought he would like to be a king; but
+now the realization of his boyish dreaming which seemed so imminent
+bade fair to be almost anything than pleasant.
+
+Barney suddenly realized that the old fellow was talking. He was
+explaining how they might escape. It seemed that a secret passage
+led from this very chamber to the vaults beneath the castle and from
+there through a narrow tunnel below the moat to a cave in the
+hillside far beyond the structure.
+
+"They will not return again tonight to see your majesty," said
+Joseph, "and so we had best make haste to leave at once. I have a
+rope and swords in readiness. We shall need the rope to make our way
+down the hillside, but let us hope that we shall not need the
+swords."
+
+"I cannot leave Blentz," said Barney, "unless the Princess Emma goes
+with us."
+
+"The Princess Emma!" cried the old man.  "What Princess Emma?"
+
+"Princess von der Tann," replied Barney.  "Did you not know that she
+was captured with me!"
+
+The old man was visibly affected by the knowledge that his young
+mistress was a prisoner within the walls of Blentz. He seemed torn
+by conflicting emotions--his duty toward his king and his love for
+the daughter of his old master. So it was that he seemed much
+relieved when he found that Barney insisted upon saving the girl
+before any thought of their own escape should be taken into
+consideration.
+
+"My first duty, your majesty," said Joseph, "is to bring you safely
+out of the hands of your enemies, but if you command me to try to
+bring your betrothed with us I am sure that his highness, Prince
+Ludwig, would be the last to censure me for deviating thus from his
+instructions, for if he loves another more than he loves his king it
+is his daughter, the beautiful Princess Emma."
+
+"What do you mean, Joseph," asked Barney, "by referring to the
+princess as my betrothed? I never saw her before today."
+
+"It has slipped your majesty's mind," said the old man sadly; "but
+you and my young mistress were betrothed many years ago while you
+were yet but children. It was the old king's wish that you wed the
+daughter of his best friend and most loyal subject."
+
+Here was a pretty pass, indeed, thought Barney.  It was sufficiently
+embarrassing to be mistaken for the king, but to be thrown into this
+false position in company with a beautiful young woman to whom the
+king was engaged to be married, and who, with the others, thought
+him to be the king, was quite the last word in impossible positions.
+
+Following this knowledge there came to Barney the first pangs of
+regret that he was not really the king, and then the realization, so
+sudden that it almost took his breath away, that the girl was very
+beautiful and very much to be desired. He had not thought about the
+matter until her utter impossibility was forced upon him.
+
+It was decided that Joseph should leave the king's apartment at once
+and discover in what part of the castle Emma von der Tann was
+imprisoned. Their further plans were to depend upon the information
+gained by the old man during his tour of investigation of the
+castle.
+
+In the interval of his absence Barney paced the length of his prison
+time and time again. He thought the fellow would never return.
+Perhaps he had been detected in the act of spying, and was himself a
+prisoner in some other part of the castle! The thought came to
+Barney like a blow in the face, for he realized that then he would
+be entirely at the mercy of his captors, and that there would be
+none to champion the cause of the Princess von der Tann.
+
+When his nervous tension had about reached the breaking point there
+came a sound of stealthy movement just outside the door of his room.
+Barney halted close to the massive panels. He heard a key fitted
+quietly and then the lock grated as it turned.
+
+Barney thought that they had surely detected Joseph's duplicity and
+had come to make short work of the king before other traitors arose
+in their midst entirely to frustrate their plans. The young American
+stepped to the wall behind the door that he might be out of sight of
+whoever entered. Should it prove other than Joseph, might the Lord
+help them! The clenched fists, square-set chin, and gleaming gray
+eyes of the prisoner presaged no good for any incoming enemy.
+
+Slowly the door swung open and a man entered the room. Barney
+breathed a deep sigh of relief--it was Joseph.
+
+"Well?" cried the young man from behind him, and Joseph started as
+though Peter of Blentz himself had laid an accusing finger upon his
+shoulder. "What news?"
+
+"Your majesty," gasped Joseph, "how you did startle me! I found the
+apartments of the princess, sire. There is a bare chance that we may
+succeed in rescuing her, but a very bare one, indeed.
+
+"We must traverse a main corridor of the castle to reach her suite,
+and then return by the same way. It will be a miracle if we are not
+discovered; but the worst of it is that next to her apartments, and
+between them and your majesty's, are the apartments of Captain
+Maenck.
+
+"He is sure to be there and officers and servants may be coming and
+going throughout the entire night, for the man is a convivial
+fellow, sitting at cards and drink until sunrise nearly every day."
+
+"And when we have brought the princess in safety to my quarters,"
+asked Barney, "what then? How shall we conduct her from the castle?
+You have not told me that as yet."
+
+The old man explained then the plan of escape.  It seemed that one
+of the two huge tile panels that flanked the fireplace on either
+side was in reality a door hiding the entrance to a shaft that rose
+from the vaults beneath the castle to the roof. At each floor there
+was a similar secret door concealing the mouth of the passage. From
+the vaults a corridor led through another secret panel to the tunnel
+that wound downward to the cave in the hillside.
+
+"Beyond that we shall find horses, your majesty," concluded the old
+man. "They have been hidden in the woods since I came to Blentz.
+Each day I go there to water and feed them."
+
+During the servant's explanation Barney had been casting about in
+his mind for some means of rescuing the princess without so great
+risk of detection, and as the plan of the secret passageway became
+clear to him he thought that he saw a way to accomplish the thing
+with comparative safety in so far as detection was concerned.
+
+"Who occupies the floor above us, Joseph?" he asked.
+
+"It is vacant," replied the old man.
+
+"Good!  Come, show me the entrance to the shaft," directed Barney.
+
+"You will go without attempting to succor the Princess Emma?"
+exclaimed the old fellow in ill-concealed chagrin.
+
+"Far from it," replied Barney.  "Bring your rope and the swords.  I
+think we are going to find the rescuing of the Princess Emma the
+easiest part of our adventure."
+
+The old man shook his head, but went to another room of the suite,
+from which he presently emerged with a stout rope about fifty feet
+in length and two swords. As he buckled one of the weapons to Barney
+his eyes fell upon the American's seal ring that encircled the third
+finger of his left hand.
+
+"The Royal Ring of Lutha!" exclaimed Joseph.  "Where is it, your
+majesty? What has become of the Royal Ring of the Kings of Lutha?"
+
+"I'm sure I don't know, Joseph," replied the young man. "Should I be
+wearing a royal ring?"
+
+"The profaning miscreants!" cried Joseph.  "They have dared to filch
+from you the great ring that has been handed down from king to king
+for three hundred years. When did they take it from you?"
+
+"I have never seen it, Joseph," replied the young man, "and possibly
+this fact may assure you where all else has failed that I am no true
+king of Lutha, after all."
+
+"Ah, no, your majesty," replied the old servitor; "it but makes
+assurance doubly sure as to your true identity, for the fact that
+you have not the ring is positive proof that you are king and that
+they have sought to hide the fact by removing the insignia of your
+divine right to rule in Lutha."
+
+Barney could not but smile at the old fellow's remarkable logic.  He
+saw that nothing short of a miracle would ever convince Joseph that
+he was not the real monarch, and so, as matters of greater
+importance were to the fore, he would have allowed the subject to
+drop had not the man attempted to recall to the impoverished memory
+of his king a recollection of the historic and venerated relic of
+the dead monarchs of Lutha.
+
+"Do you not remember, sir," he asked, "the great ruby that glared,
+blood-red from its center, and the four sets of golden wings that
+formed the setting? From the blood of Charlemagne was the ruby made,
+so history tells us, and the setting represented the protecting
+wings of the power of the kings of Lutha spread to the four points
+of the compass. Now your majesty must recall the royal ring, I am
+sure."
+
+Barney only shook his head, much to Joseph's evident sorrow.
+
+"Never mind the ring, Joseph," said the young man.  "Bring your rope
+and lead me to the floor above."
+
+"The floor above? But, your majesty, we cannot reach the vaults and
+tunnel by going upward!"
+
+"You forget, Joseph, that we are going to fetch the Princess Emma
+first."
+
+"But she is not on the floor above us, sire; she is upon the same
+floor as we are," insisted the old man, hesitating.
+
+"Joseph, who do you think I am?" asked Barney.
+
+"You are the king, my lord," replied the old man.
+
+"Then do as your king commands," said the American sharply.
+
+Joseph turned with dubious mutterings and approached the tiled panel
+at the left of the fireplace. Here he fumbled about for a moment
+until his fingers found the hidden catch that held the cunningly
+devised door in place. An instant later the panel swung inward
+before his touch, and standing to one side, the old fellow bowed low
+as he ushered Barney into the Stygian darkness of the space beyond
+their vision.
+
+Joseph halted the young man just within the doorway, cautioning him
+against the danger of falling into the shaft, then he closed the
+panel, and a moment later had found the lantern he had hidden there
+and lighted it. The rays disclosed to the American the rough masonry
+of the interior of a narrow, well-built shaft. A rude ladder
+standing upon a narrow ledge beside him extended upward to lose
+itself in the shadows above. At its foot the top of another ladder
+was visible protruding through the opening from the floor beneath.
+
+No sooner had Joseph's lantern shown him the way than Barney was
+ascending the ladder toward the floor above. At the next landing he
+waited for the old man.
+
+Joseph put out the light and placed the lantern where they could
+easily find it upon their return. Then he cautiously slipped the
+catch that held the panel in place and slowly opened the door until
+a narrow line of lesser darkness showed from without.
+
+For a moment they stood in silence listening for any sound from the
+chamber beyond, but as nothing occurred to indicate that the
+apartment was occupied the old man opened the portal a trifle
+further, and finally far enough to permit his body to pass through.
+Barney followed him. They found themselves in a large, empty
+chamber, identical in size and shape with that which they had just
+quitted upon the floor below.
+
+From this the two passed into the corridor beyond, and thence to the
+apartments at the far end of the wing, directly over those occupied
+by Emma von der Tann.
+
+Barney hastened to a window overlooking the moat.  By leaning far
+out he could see the light from the princess's chamber shining upon
+the sill. He wished that the light was not there, for the window was
+in plain view of the guard on the lookout upon the barbican.
+
+Suddenly he caught the sound of voices from the chamber beneath.
+For an instant he listened, and then, catching a few words of the
+dialogue, he turned hurriedly toward his companion.
+
+"The rope, Joseph! And for God's sake be quick about it."
+
+
+
+
+V
+
+THE ESCAPE
+
+For half an hour the Princess von der Tann succeeded admirably in
+immersing herself in the periodical, to the exclusion of her unhappy
+thoughts and the depressing influence of the austere countenance of
+the Blentz Princess hanging upon the wall behind her.
+
+But presently she became unaccountably nervous.  At the slightest
+sound from the palace-life on the floor below she would start up
+with a tremor of excitement. Once she heard footsteps in the
+corridor before her door, but they passed on, and she thought she
+discerned the click of a latch a short distance further on along the
+passageway.
+
+Again she attempted to gather up the thread of the article she had
+been reading, but she was unsuccessful. A stealthy scratching
+brought her round quickly, staring in the direction of the great
+portrait. The girl would have sworn that she had heard a noise
+within her chamber. She shuddered at the thought that it might have
+come from that painted thing upon the wall.
+
+What was the matter with her? Was she losing all control of herself
+to be frightened like a little child by ghostly noises?
+
+She tried to return to her reading, but for the life of her she
+could not keep her eyes off the silent, painted woman who stared and
+stared and stared in cold, threatening silence upon this ancient
+enemy of her house.
+
+Presently the girl's eyes went wide in horror.  She could feel the
+scalp upon her head contract with fright. Her terror-filled gaze was
+frozen upon that awful figure that loomed so large and sinister
+above her, for the thing had moved! She had seen it with her own
+eyes. There could be no mistake--no hallucination of overwrought
+nerves about it. The Blentz Princess was moving slowly toward her!
+
+Like one in a trance the girl rose from her chair, her eyes glued
+upon the awful apparition that seemed creeping upon her. Slowly she
+withdrew toward the opposite side of the chamber. As the painting
+moved more quickly the truth flashed upon her--it was mounted on a
+door.
+
+The crack of the door widened and beyond it the girl saw dimly, eyes
+fastened upon her. With difficulty she restrained a shriek. The
+portal swung wide and a man in uniform stepped into the room.
+
+It was Maenck.
+
+Emma von der Tann gazed in unveiled abhorrence upon the leering face
+of the governor of Blentz.
+
+"What means this intrusion?" cried the girl.
+
+"What would you have here?"
+
+"You," replied Maenck.
+
+The girl crimsoned.
+
+Maenck regarded her sneeringly.
+
+"You coward!" she cried.  "Leave my apartments at once. Not even
+Peter of Blentz would countenance such abhorrent treatment of a
+prisoner."
+
+"You do not know Peter, my dear," responded Maenck. "But you need not
+fear. You shall be my wife. Peter has promised me a baronetcy for
+the capture of Leopold, and before I am done I shall be made a
+prince, of that you may rest assured, so you see I am not so bad a
+match after all."
+
+He crossed over toward her and would have laid a rough hand upon her
+arm.
+
+The girl sprang away from him, running to the opposite side of the
+library table at which she had been reading. Maenck started to
+pursue her, when she seized a heavy, copper bowl that stood upon the
+table and hurled it full in his face. The missile struck him a
+glancing blow, but the edge laid open the flesh of one cheek almost
+to the jaw bone.
+
+With a cry of pain and rage Captain Ernst Maenck leaped across the
+table full upon the young girl. With vicious, murderous fingers he
+seized upon her fair throat, shaking her as a terrier might shake a
+rat. Futilely the girl struck at the hate-contorted features so
+close to hers.
+
+"Stop!" she cried.  "You are killing me."
+
+The fingers released their hold.
+
+"No," muttered the man, and dragged the princess roughly across the
+room.
+
+Half a dozen steps he had taken when there came a sudden crash of
+breaking glass from the window across the chamber. Both turned in
+astonishment to see the figure of a man leap into the room, carrying
+the shattered crystal and the casement with him. In one hand was a
+naked sword.
+
+"The king!" cried Emma von der Tann.
+
+"The devil!" muttered Maenck, as, dropping the girl, he scurried
+toward the great painting from behind which he had found ingress to
+the chambers of the princess.
+
+Maenck was a coward, and he had seen murder in the eyes of the man
+rushing upon him. With a bound he reached the picture which still
+stood swung wide into the room.
+
+Barney was close behind him, but fear lent wings to the governor of
+Blentz, so that he was able to dart into the passage behind the
+picture and slam the door behind him a moment before the infuriated
+man was upon him.
+
+The American clawed at the edge of the massive frame, but all to no
+avail. Then he raised his sword and slashed the canvas, hoping to
+find a way into the place beyond, but mighty oaken panels barred his
+further progress. With a whispered oath he turned back toward the
+girl.
+
+"Thank Heaven that I was in time, Emma," he cried.
+
+"Oh, Leopold, my king, but at what a price," replied the girl.  "He
+will return now with others and kill you. He is furious--so furious
+that he scarce knows what he does."
+
+"He seemed to know what he was doing when he ran for that hole in
+the wall," replied Barney with a grin. "But come, it won't pay to
+let them find us should they return."
+
+Together they hastened to the window beyond which the girl could see
+a rope dangling from above. The sight of it partially solved the
+riddle of the king's almost uncanny presence upon her window sill in
+the very nick of time.
+
+Below, the lights in the watch tower at the outer gate were plainly
+visible, and the twinkling of them reminded Barney of the danger of
+detection from that quarter. Quickly he recrossed the apartment to
+the wall-switch that operated the recently installed electric
+lights, and an instant later the chamber was in total darkness.
+
+Once more at the girl's side Barney drew in one end of the rope and
+made it fast about her body below her arms, leaving a sufficient
+length terminating in a small loop to permit her to support herself
+more comfortably with one foot within the noose. Then he stepped to
+the outer sill, and reaching down assisted her to his side.
+
+Far below them the moonlight played upon the sluggish waters of the
+moat. In the distance twinkled the lights of the village of Blentz.
+From the courtyard and the palace came faintly the sound of voices,
+and the movement of men. A horse whinnied from the stables.
+
+Barney turned his eyes upward.  He could see the head and shoulders
+of Joseph leaning from the window of the chamber directly above
+them.
+
+"Hoist away, Joseph!" whispered the American, and to the girl: "Be
+brave. Shut your eyes and trust to Joseph and--and--"
+
+"And my king," finished the girl for him.
+
+His arm was about her shoulders, supporting her upon the narrow
+sill. His cheek so close to hers that once he felt the soft velvet
+of it brush his own. Involuntarily his arm tightened about the
+supple body.
+
+"My princess!" he murmured, and as he turned his face toward hers
+their lips almost touched.
+
+Joseph was pulling upon the rope from above.  They could feel it
+tighten beneath the girl's arms. Impulsively Barney Custer drew the
+sweet lips closer to his own. There was no resistance.
+
+"I love you," he whispered.  The words were smothered as their lips
+met.
+
+Joseph, above, wondered at the great weight of the Princess Emma von
+der Tann.
+
+"I love you, Leopold, forever," whispered the girl, and then as
+Joseph's Herculean tugging seemed likely to drag them both from the
+narrow sill, Barney lifted the girl upward with one hand while he
+clung to the window frame with the other. The distance to the sill
+above was short, and a moment later Joseph had grasped the
+princess's hand and was helping her over the ledge into the room
+beyond.
+
+At the same instant there came a sudden commotion from the interior
+of the room in the window of which Barney still stood waiting for
+Joseph to remove the rope from about the princess and lower it for
+him. Barney heard the heavy feet of men, the clank of arms, and
+muttered oaths as the searchers stumbled against the furniture.
+
+Presently one of them found the switch and instantly the room was
+flooded with light, which revealed to the American a dozen Luthanian
+troopers headed by the murderous Maenck.
+
+Barney looked anxiously aloft.  Would Joseph never lower that rope!
+Within the room the men were searching. He could hear Maenck
+directing them. Only a thin portiere screened him from their view.
+It was but a matter of seconds before they would investigate the
+window through which Maenck knew the king had found ingress.
+
+Yes! It had come.
+
+"Look to the window," commanded Maenck.  "He may have gone as he
+came."
+
+Two of the soldiers crossed the room toward the casement. From above
+Joseph was lowering the rope; but it was too late. The men would be
+at the window before he could clamber out of their reach.
+
+"Hoist away!" he whispered to Joseph.  "Quick now, my man, and make
+your escape with the Princess von der Tann. It is the king's
+command."
+
+Already the soldiers were at the window.  At the sound of his voice
+they tore aside the draperies; at the same instant the pseudo-king
+turned and leaped out into the blackness of the night.
+
+There were exclamations of surprise and rage from the soldiers--a
+woman's scream. Then from far below came a dull splash as the body
+of Bernard Custer struck the surface of the moat.
+
+Maenck, leaning from the window, heard the scream and the splash,
+and jumped to the conclusion that both the king and the princess had
+attempted to make their escape in this harebrained way. Immediately
+all the resources at his command were put to the task of searching
+the moat and the adjacent woods.
+
+He was sure that one or both of the prisoners would be stunned by
+impact with the surface of the water, and then drowned before they
+regained consciousness, but he did not know Bernard Custer, nor the
+facility and almost uncanny ease with which that young man could
+negotiate a high dive into shallow water.
+
+Nor did he know that upon the floor above him one Joseph was
+hastening along a dark corridor toward a secret panel in another
+apartment, and that with him was the Princess Emma bound for liberty
+and safety far from the frowning walls of Blentz.
+
+As Barney's head emerged above the surface of the moat he shook it
+vigorously to free his eyes from water, and then struck out for the
+further bank.
+
+Long before his pursuers had reached the courtyard and alarmed the
+watch at the barbican, the American had crawled out upon dry land
+and hastened across the broad clearing to the patch of stunted trees
+that grew lower down upon the steep hillside before the castle.
+
+He shrank from the thought of leaving Blentz without knowing
+positively that Joseph had made good the escape of himself and the
+princess, but he finally argued that even if they had been retaken,
+he could serve her best by hastening to her father and fetching the
+only succor that might prevail against the strength of Blentz--armed
+men in sufficient force to storm the ancient fortress.
+
+He had scarcely entered the wood when he heard the sound of the
+searchers at the moat, and saw the rays of their lanterns flitting
+hither and thither as they moved back and forth along the bank.
+
+Then the young man turned his face from the castle and set forth
+across the unfamiliar country in the direction of the Old Forest and
+the castle Von der Tann.
+
+The memory of the warm lips that had so recently been pressed to his
+urged him on in the service of the wondrous girl who had come so
+suddenly into his life, bringing to him the realization of a love
+that he knew must alter, for happiness or for sorrow, all the
+balance of his existence, even unto death.
+
+He dreaded the day of reckoning when, at last, she must learn that
+he was no king. He did not have the temerity to hope that her
+courage would be equal to the great sacrifice which the
+acknowledgment of her love for one not of noble blood must entail;
+but he could not believe that she would cease to love him when she
+learned the truth.
+
+So the future looked black and cheerless to Barney Custer as he
+trudged along the rocky, moonlit way. The only bright spot was the
+realization that for a while at least he might be serving the one
+woman in all the world.
+
+All the balance of the long night the young man traversed valley and
+mountain, holding due south in the direction he supposed the Old
+Forest to lie. He passed many a little farm tucked away in the
+hollow of a hillside, and quaint hamlets, and now and then the ruins
+of an ancient feudal stronghold, but no great forest of black oaks
+loomed before him to apprise him of the nearness of his goal, nor
+did he dare to ask the correct route at any of the homes he passed.
+
+His fatal likeness to the description of the mad king of Lutha
+warned him from intercourse with the men of Lutha until he might
+know which were friends and which enemies of the hapless monarch.
+
+Dawn found him still upon his way, but with the determination fully
+crystallized to hail the first man he met and ask the way to Tann.
+He still avoided the main traveled roads, but from time to time he
+paralleled them close enough that he might have ample opportunity to
+hail the first passerby.
+
+The road was becoming more and more mountainous and difficult.
+There were fewer homes and no hamlets, and now he began to despair
+entirely of meeting any who could give him direction unless he
+turned and retraced his steps to the nearest farm.
+
+Directly before him the narrow trail he had been following for the
+past few miles wound sharply about the shoulder of a protruding
+cliff. He would see what lay beyond the turn--perhaps he would find
+the Old Forest there, after all.
+
+But instead he found something very different, though in its way
+quite as interesting, for as he rounded the rugged bluff he came
+face to face with two evil-looking fellows astride stocky,
+rough-coated ponies.
+
+At sight of him they drew in their mounts and eyed him suspiciously.
+Nor was there great cause for wonderment in that, for the American
+presented aught but a respectable appearance. His khaki motoring
+suit, soaked from immersion in the moat, had but partially dried
+upon him. Mud from the banks of the stagnant pool caked his legs to
+the knees, almost hiding his once tan puttees. More mud streaked his
+jacket front and stained its sleeves to the elbows. He was
+bare-headed, for his cap had remained in the moat at Blentz, and his
+disheveled hair was tousled upon his head, while his full beard had
+dried into a weird and tangled fringe about his face. At his side
+still hung the sword that Joseph had buckled there, and it was this
+that caused the two men the greatest suspicion of this strange
+looking character.
+
+They continued to eye Barney in silence, every now and then casting
+apprehensive glances beyond him, as though expecting others of his
+kind to appear in the trail at his back. And that is precisely what
+they did fear, for the sword at Barney's side had convinced them
+that he must be an officer of the army, and they looked to see his
+command following in his wake.
+
+The young man saluted them pleasantly, asking the direction to the
+Old Forest. They thought it strange that a soldier of Lutha should
+not know his own way about his native land, and so judged that his
+question was but a blind to deceive them.
+
+"Why do you not ask your own men the way?" parried one of the
+fellows.
+
+"I have no men, I am alone," replied Barney.  "I am a stranger in
+Lutha and have lost my way."
+
+He who had spoken before pointed to the sword at Barney's side.
+
+"Strangers traveling in Lutha do not wear swords," he said. "You are
+an officer. Why should you desire to conceal the fact from two
+honest farmers? We have done nothing. Let us go our way."
+
+Barney looked his astonishment at this reply.
+
+"Most certainly, go your way, my friends," he said laughing.  "I
+would not delay you if I could; but before you go please be good
+enough to tell me how to reach the Old Forest and the ancient castle
+of the Prince von der Tann."
+
+For a moment the two men whispered together, then the spokesman
+turned to Barney.
+
+"We will lead you upon the right road.  Come," and the two turned
+their horses, one of them starting slowly back up the trail while
+the other remained waiting for Barney to pass him.
+
+The American, suspecting nothing, voiced his thanks, and set out
+after him who had gone before. As he passed the fellow who waited
+the latter moved in behind him, so that Barney walked between the
+two. Occasionally the rider at his back turned in his saddle to scan
+the trail behind, as though still fearful that Barney had been lying
+to them and that he would discover a company of soldiers charging
+down upon them.
+
+The trail became more and more difficult as they advanced, until
+Barney wondered how the little horses clung to the steep
+mountainside, where he himself had difficulty in walking without
+using his hand to keep from falling.
+
+Twice the American attempted to break through the taciturnity of his
+guides, but his advances were met with nothing more than sultry
+grunts or silence, and presently a suspicion began to obtrude itself
+among his thoughts that possibly these "honest farmers" were
+something more sinister than they represented themselves to be.
+
+A malign and threatening atmosphere seemed to surround them.  Even
+the cat-like movement of their silent mounts breathed a sinister
+secrecy, and now, for the first time, Barney noticed the short, ugly
+looking carbines that were slung in boots at their saddle-horns.
+Then, prompted to further investigation, he dropped back beside the
+man who had been riding behind him, and as he did so he saw beneath
+the fellow's cloak the butts of two villainous-looking pistols.
+
+As Barney dropped back beside him the man turned his mount across
+the narrow trail, and reining him in motioned Barney ahead.
+
+"I have changed my mind," said the American, "about going to the Old
+Forest."
+
+He had determined that he might as well have the thing out now as
+later, and discover at once how he stood with these two, and whether
+or not his suspicions of them were well grounded.
+
+The man ahead had halted at the sound of Barney's voice, and swung
+about in the saddle.
+
+"What's the trouble?" he asked.
+
+"He don't want to go to the Old Forest," explained his companion,
+and for the first time Barney saw one of them grin. It was not at
+all a pleasant grin, nor reassuring.
+
+"He don't, eh?" growled the other.  "Well, he ain't goin', is he?
+Who ever said he was?"
+
+And then he, too, laughed.
+
+"I'm going back the way I came," said Barney, starting around the
+horse that blocked his way.
+
+"No, you ain't," said the horseman.  "You're goin' with us."
+
+And Barney found himself gazing down the muzzle of one of the wicked
+looking pistols.
+
+For a moment he stood in silence, debating mentally the wisdom of
+attempting to rush the fellow, and then, with a shake of his head,
+he turned back up the trail between his captors.
+
+"Yes," he said, "on second thought I have decided to go with you.
+Your logic is most convincing."
+
+
+
+
+VI
+
+A KING'S RANSOM
+
+For another mile the two brigands conducted their captor along the
+mountainside, then they turned into a narrow ravine near the summit
+of the hills--a deep, rocky, wooded ravine into whose black shadows
+it seemed the sun might never penetrate.
+
+A winding path led crookedly among the pines that grew thickly in
+this sheltered hollow, until presently, after half an hour of rough
+going, they came upon a small natural clearing, rock-bound and
+impregnable.
+
+As they filed from the wood Barney saw a score of villainous fellows
+clustered about a camp fire where they seemed engaged in cooking
+their noonday meal. Bits of meat were roasting upon iron skewers,
+and a great iron pot boiled vigorously at one side of the blaze.
+
+At the sound of their approach the men sprang to their feet in
+alarm, and as many weapons as there were men leaped to view; but
+when they saw Barney's companions they returned their pistols to
+their holsters, and at sight of Barney they pressed forward to
+inspect the prisoner.
+
+"Who have we here?" shouted a big blond giant, who affected
+extremely gaudy colors in his selection of wearing apparel, and
+whose pistols and knife had their grips heavily ornamented with
+pearl and silver.
+
+"A stranger in Lutha he calls himself," replied one of Barney's
+captors. "But from the sword I take it he is one of old Peter's
+wolfhounds."
+
+"Well, he's found the wolves at any rate," replied the giant, with a
+wide grin at his witticism. "And if Yellow Franz is the particular
+wolf you're after, my friend, why here I am," he concluded,
+addressing the American with a leer.
+
+"I'm after no one," replied Barney.  "I tell you I'm a stranger, and
+I lost my way in your infernal mountains. All I wish is to be set
+upon the right road to Tann, and if you will do that for me you
+shall be well paid for your trouble."
+
+The giant, Yellow Franz, had come quite close to Barney and was
+inspecting him with an expression of considerable interest.
+Presently he drew a soiled and much-folded paper from his breast.
+Upon one side was a printed notice, and at the corners bits were
+torn away as though the paper had once been tacked upon wood, and
+then torn down without removing the tacks.
+
+At sight of it Barney's heart sank.  The look of the thing was all
+too familiar. Before the yellow one had commenced to read aloud from
+it Barney had repeated to himself the words he knew were coming.
+
+"'Gray eyes,'" read the brigand, "'brown hair, and a full,
+reddish-brown beard.' Herman and Friedrich, my dear children, you
+have stumbled upon the richest haul in all Lutha. Down upon your
+marrow-bones, you swine, and rub your low-born noses in the dirt
+before your king."
+
+The others looked their surprise.
+
+"The king?" one cried.
+
+"Behold!" cried Yellow Franz.  "Leopold of Lutha!"
+
+He waved a ham-like hand toward Barney.
+
+Among the rough men was a young smooth-faced boy, and now with wide
+eyes he pressed forward to get a nearer view of the wonderful person
+of a king.
+
+"Take a good look at him, Rudolph," cried Yellow Franz. "It is the
+first and will probably be the last time you will ever see a king.
+Kings seldom visit the court of their fellow monarch, Yellow Franz
+of the Black Mountains.
+
+"Come, my children, remove his majesty's sword, lest he fall and
+stick himself upon it, and then prepare the royal chamber, seeing to
+it that it be made so comfortable that Leopold will remain with us a
+long time. Rudolph, fetch food and water for his majesty, and see to
+it that the silver plates and the golden goblets are well scoured
+and polished up."
+
+They conducted Barney to a miserable lean-to shack at one side of
+the clearing, and for a while the motley crew loitered about
+bandying coarse jests at the expense of the "king." The boy,
+Rudolph, brought food and water, he alone of them all evincing the
+slightest respect or awe for the royalty of their unwilling guest.
+
+After a time the men tired of the sport of king-baiting, for Barney
+showed neither rancor nor outraged majesty at their keenest thrusts,
+instead, often joining in the laugh with them at his own expense.
+They thought it odd that the king should hold his dignity in so low
+esteem, but that he was king they never doubted, attributing his
+denials to a disposition to deceive them, and rob them of the
+"king's ransom" they had already commenced to consider as their own.
+
+Shortly after Barney arrived at the rendezvous he saw a messenger
+dispatched by Yellow Franz, and from the repeated gestures toward
+himself that had accompanied the giant's instructions to his
+emissary, Barney was positive that the man's errand had to do with
+him.
+
+After the men had left his prison, leaving the boy standing
+awkwardly in wide-eyed contemplation of his august charge, the
+American ventured to open a conversation with his youthful keeper.
+
+"Aren't you rather young to be starting in the bandit business,
+Rudolph?" asked Barney, who had taken a fancy to the youth.
+
+"I do not want to be a bandit, your majesty," whispered the lad;
+"but my father owes Yellow Franz a great sum of money, and as he
+could not pay the debt Yellow Franz stole me from my home and says
+that he will keep me until my father pays him, and that if he does
+not pay he will make a bandit of me, and that then some day I shall
+be caught and hanged until I am dead."
+
+"Can't you escape?" asked the young man.  "It would seem to me that
+there would be many opportunities for you to get away undetected."
+
+"There are, but I dare not.  Yellow Franz says that if I run away he
+will be sure to come across me some day again and that then he will
+kill me."
+
+Barney laughed.
+
+"He is just talking, my boy," he said.  "He thinks that by
+frightening you he will be able to keep you from running away."
+
+"Your majesty does not know him," whispered the youth, shuddering.
+"He is the wickedest man in all the world. Nothing would please him
+more than killing me, and he would have done it long since but for
+two things. One is that I have made myself useful about his camp,
+doing chores and the like, and the other is that were he to kill me
+he knows that my father would never pay him."
+
+"How much does your father owe him?"
+
+"Five hundred marks, your majesty," replied Rudolph. "Two hundred of
+this amount is the original debt, and the balance Yellow Franz has
+added since he captured me, so that it is really ransom money. But
+my father is a poor man, so that it will take a long time before he
+can accumulate so large a sum.
+
+"You would really like to go home again, Rudolph?"
+
+"Oh, very much, your majesty, if I only dared." Barney was silent
+for some time, thinking. Possibly he could effect his own escape
+with the connivance of Rudolph, and at the same time free the boy.
+The paltry ransom he could pay out of his own pocket and send to
+Yellow Franz later, so that the youth need not fear the brigand's
+revenge. It was worth thinking about, at any rate.
+
+"How long do you imagine they will keep me, Rudolph?" he asked after
+a time.
+
+"Yellow Franz has already sent Herman to Lustadt with a message for
+Prince Peter, telling him that you are being held for ransom, and
+demanding the payment of a huge sum for your release. Day after
+tomorrow or the next day he should return with Prince Peter's reply.
+
+"If it is favorable, arrangements will be made to turn you over to
+Prince Peter's agents, who will have to come to some distant meeting
+place with the money. A week, perhaps, it will take, maybe longer."
+
+It was the second day before Herman returned from Lustadt.  He rode
+in just at dark, his pony lathered from hard going.
+
+Barney and the boy saw him coming, and the youth ran forward with
+the others to learn the news that he had brought; but Yellow Franz
+and his messenger withdrew to a hut which the brigand chief reserved
+for his own use, nor would he permit any beside the messenger to
+accompany him to hear the report.
+
+For half an hour Barney sat alone waiting for word from Yellow Franz
+that arrangements had been consummated for his release, and then out
+of the darkness came Rudolph, wide-eyed and trembling.
+
+"Oh, my king?" he whispered.  "What shall we do?  Peter has refused
+to ransom you alive, but he has offered a great sum for unquestioned
+proof of your death. Already he has caused a proclamation to be
+issued stating that you have been killed by bandits after escaping
+from Blentz, and ordering a period of national mourning. In three
+weeks he is to be crowned king of Lutha."
+
+"When do they intend terminating my existence?" queried Barney.
+
+There was a smile upon his lips, for even now he could scarce
+believe that in the twentieth century there could be any such
+medieval plotting against a king's life, and yet, on second thought,
+had he not ample proof of the lengths to which Peter of Blentz was
+willing to go to obtain the crown of Lutha!
+
+"I do not know, your majesty," replied Rudolph, "when they will do
+it; but soon, doubtless, since the sooner it is done the sooner they
+can collect their pay."
+
+Further conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps
+without, and an instant later Yellow Franz entered the squalid
+apartment and the dim circle of light which flickered feebly from
+the smoky lantern that hung suspended from the rafters.
+
+He stopped just within the doorway and stood eyeing the American
+with an ugly grin upon his vicious face. Then his eyes fell upon the
+trembling Rudolph.
+
+"Get out of here, you!" he growled.  "I've got private business with
+this king. And see that you don't come nosing round either, or I'll
+slit that soft throat for you."
+
+Rudolph slipped past the burly ruffian, barely dodging a brutal blow
+aimed at him by the giant, and escaped into the darkness without.
+
+"And now for you, my fine fellow," said the brigand, turning toward
+Barney. "Peter says you ain't worth nothing to him--alive, but that
+your dead body will fetch us a hundred thousand marks."
+
+"Rather cheap for a king, isn't it?" was Barney's only comment.
+
+"That's what Herman tells him," replied Yellow Franz. "But he's a
+close one, Peter is, and so it was that or nothing."
+
+"When are you going to pull off this little--er--ah--royal demise?"
+asked Barney.
+
+"If you mean when am I going to kill you," replied the bandit, "why,
+there ain't no particular rush about it. I'm a tender-hearted chap,
+I am. I never should have been in this business at all, but here I
+be, and as there ain't nobody that can do a better job of the kind
+than me, or do it so painlessly, why I just got to do it myself, and
+that's all there is to it. But, as I says, there ain't no great
+rush. If you want to pray, why, go ahead and pray. I'll wait for
+you."
+
+"I don't remember," said Barney, "when I have met so generous a
+party as you, my friend. Your self-sacrificing magnanimity quite
+overpowers me. It reminds me of another unloved Robin Hood whom I
+once met. It was in front of Burket's coal-yard on Ella Street, back
+in dear old Beatrice, at some unchristian hour of the night.
+
+"After he had relieved me of a dollar and forty cents he remarked:
+'I gotta good mind to kick yer slats in fer not havin' more of de
+cush on yeh; but I'm feelin' so good about de last guy I stuck up
+I'll let youse off dis time.'"
+
+"I do not know what you are talking about," replied Yellow Franz;
+"but if you want to pray you'd better hurry up about it."
+
+He drew his pistol from its holster on the belt at his hips.
+
+Now Barney Custer had no mind to give up the ghost without a
+struggle; but just how he was to overcome the great beast who
+confronted him with menacing pistol was, to say the least, not
+precisely plain. He wished the man would come a little nearer where
+he might have some chance to close with him before the fellow could
+fire. To gain time the American assumed a prayerful attitude, but
+kept one eye on the bandit.
+
+Presently Yellow Franz showed indications of impatience. He fingered
+the trigger of his weapon, and then slowly raised it on a line with
+Barney's chest.
+
+"Hadn't you better come closer?" asked the young man. "You might
+miss at that distance, or just wound me."
+
+Yellow Franz grinned.
+
+"I don't miss," he said, and then: "You're certainly a game one.  If
+it wasn't for the hundred thousand marks, I'd be hanged if I'd kill
+you."
+
+"The chances are that you will be if you do," said Barney, "so
+wouldn't you rather take one hundred and fifty thousand marks and
+let me make my escape?"
+
+Yellow Franz looked at the speaker a moment through narrowed lids.
+
+"Where would you find any one willing to pay that amount for a crazy
+king?" he asked.
+
+"I have told you that I am not the king," said Barney. "I am an
+American with a father who would gladly pay that amount on my safe
+delivery to any American consul."
+
+Yellow Franz shook his head and tapped his brow significantly.
+
+"Even if you was what you are dreaming, it wouldn't pay me," he
+said.
+
+"I'll make it two hundred thousand," said Barney.
+
+"No--it's a waste of time talking about it.  It's worth more than
+money to me to know that I'll always have this thing on Peter, and
+that when he's king he won't dare bother me for fear I'll publish
+the details of this little deal. Come, you must be through praying
+by this time. I can't wait around here all night." Again Yellow
+Franz raised his pistol toward Barney's heart.
+
+Before the brigand could pull the trigger, or Barney hurl himself
+upon his would-be assassin, there was a flash and a loud report from
+the open window of the shack.
+
+With a groan Yellow Franz crumpled to the dirt floor, and
+simultaneously Barney was upon him and had wrested the pistol from
+his hand; but the precaution was unnecessary for Yellow Franz would
+never again press finger to trigger. He was dead even before Barney
+reached his side.
+
+In possession of the weapon, the American turned toward the window
+from which had come the rescuing shot, and as he did so he saw the
+boy, Rudolph, clambering over the sill, white-faced and trembling.
+In his hand was a smoking carbine, and on his brow great beads of
+cold sweat.
+
+"God forgive me!" murmured the youth.  "I have killed a man."
+
+"You have killed a dangerous wild beast, Rudolph," said Barney, "and
+both God and your fellow man will thank and reward you."
+
+"I am glad that I killed him, though," went on the boy, "for he
+would have killed you, my king, had I not done so. Gladly would I go
+to the gallows to save my king."
+
+"You are a brave lad, Rudolph," said Barney, "and if ever I get out
+of the pretty pickle I'm in you'll be well rewarded for your loyalty
+to Leopold of Lutha. After all," thought the young man, "being a
+kind has its redeeming features, for if the boy had not thought me
+his monarch he would never have risked the vengeance of the
+bloodthirsty brigands in this attempt to save me."
+
+"Hasten, your majesty," whispered the boy, tugging at the sleeve of
+Barney's jacket. "There is no time to be lost. We must be far away
+from here when the others discover that Yellow Franz has been
+killed."
+
+Barney stooped above the dead man, and removing his belt and
+cartridges transferred them to his own person. Then blowing out the
+lantern the two slipped out into the darkness of the night.
+
+About the camp fire of the brigands the entire pack was congregated.
+They were talking together in low voices, ever and anon glancing
+expectantly toward the shack to which their chief had gone to
+dispatch the king. It is not every day that a king is murdered, and
+even these hardened cut-throats felt the spell of awe at the thought
+of what they believed the sharp report they had heard from the shack
+portended.
+
+Keeping well to the far side of the clearing, Rudolph led Barney
+around the group of men and safely into the wood below them. From
+this point the boy followed the trail which Barney and his captors
+had traversed two days previously, until he came to a diverging
+ravine that led steeply up through the mountains upon their right
+hand.
+
+In the distance behind them they suddenly heard, faintly, the
+shouting of men.
+
+"They have discovered Yellow Franz," whispered the boy, shuddering.
+
+"Then they'll be after us directly," said Barney.
+
+"Yes, your majesty," replied Rudolph, "but in the darkness they will
+not see that we have turned up this ravine, and so they will ride on
+down the other. I have chosen this way because their horses cannot
+follow us here, and thus we shall be under no great disadvantage. It
+may be, however, that we shall have to hide in the mountains for a
+while, since there will be no place of safety for us between here
+and Lustadt until after the edge of their anger is dulled."
+
+And such proved to be the case, for try as they would they found it
+impossible to reach Lustadt without detection by the brigands who
+patrolled every highway and byway from their rugged mountains to the
+capital of Lutha.
+
+For nearly three weeks Barney and the boy hid in caves or dense
+underbrush by day, and by night sought some avenue which would lead
+them past the vigilant sentries that patrolled the ways to freedom.
+
+Often they were wet by rains, nor were they ever in the warm
+sunlight for a sufficient length of time to become thoroughly dry
+and comfortable. Of food they had little, and of the poorest
+quality.
+
+They dared not light a fire for warmth or cooking, and their light
+was so miserable that, but for the boy's pitiful terror at the
+thought of being recaptured by the bandits, Barney would long since
+have made a break for Lustadt, depending upon their arms and
+ammunition to carry them safely through were they discovered by
+their enemies.
+
+Rudolph had contracted a severe cold the first night, and now, it
+having settled upon his lungs, he had developed a persistent and
+aggravating cough that caused Barney not a little apprehension.
+When, after nearly three weeks of suffering and privation, it became
+clear that the boy's lungs were affected, the American decided to
+take matters into his own hands and attempt to reach Lustadt and a
+good doctor; but before he had an opportunity to put his plan into
+execution the entire matter was removed from his jurisdiction.
+
+It happened like this: After a particularly fatiguing and
+uncomfortable night spent in attempting to elude the sentinels who
+blocked their way from the mountains, daylight found them near a
+little spring, and here they decided to rest for an hour before
+resuming their way.
+
+The little pool lay not far from a clump of heavy bushes which would
+offer them excellent shelter, as it was Barney's intention to go
+into hiding as soon as they had quenched their thirst at the spring.
+
+Rudolph was coughing pitifully, his slender frame wracked by the
+convulsion of each new attack. Barney had placed an arm about the
+boy to support him, for the paroxysms always left him very weak.
+
+The young man's heart went out to the poor boy, and pangs of regret
+filled his mind as he realized that the child's pathetic condition
+was the direct result of his self-sacrificing attempt to save his
+king. Barney felt much like a murderer and a thief, and dreaded the
+time when the boy should be brought to a realization of his mistake.
+
+He had come to feel a warm affection for the loyal little lad, who
+had suffered so uncomplainingly and whose every thought had been for
+the safety and comfort of his king.
+
+Today, thought Barney, I'll take this child through to Lustadt even
+if every ragged brigand in Lutha lies between us and the capital;
+but even as he spoke a sudden crashing of underbrush behind caused
+him to wheel about, and there, not twenty paces from them, stood two
+of Yellow Franz's cutthroats.
+
+At sight of Barney and the lad they gave voice to a shout of
+triumph, and raising their carbines fired point-blank at the two
+fugitives.
+
+But Barney had been equally as quick with his own weapon, and at the
+moment that they fired he grasped Rudolph and dragged him backward
+to a great boulder behind which their bodies might be protected from
+the fire of their enemies.
+
+Both the bullets of the bandits' first volley had been directed at
+Barney, for it was upon his head that the great price rested. They
+had missed him by a narrow margin, due, perhaps, to the fact that
+the mounts of the brigands had been prancing in alarm at the
+unexpected sight of the two strangers at the very moment that their
+riders attempted to take aim and fire.
+
+But now they had ridden back into the brush and dismounted, and
+after hiding their ponies they came creeping out upon their bellies
+upon opposite sides of Barney's shelter.
+
+The American saw that it would be an easy thing for them to pick him
+off if he remained where he was, and so with a word to Rudolph he
+sprang up and the boy with him. Each delivered a quick shot at the
+bandit nearest him, and then together they broke for the bushes in
+which the brigand's mounts were hidden.
+
+Two shots answered theirs.  Rudolph, who was ahead of Barney,
+stumbled and threw up his hands. He would have fallen had not the
+American thrown a strong arm about him.
+
+"I'm shot, your majesty," murmured the boy, his head dropping
+against Barney's breast.
+
+With the lad grasped close to him, the young man turned at the edge
+of the brush to meet the charge of the two ruffians. The wounding of
+the youth had delayed them just enough to preclude their making this
+temporary refuge in safety.
+
+As Barney turned both the men fired simultaneously, and both missed.
+The American raised his revolver, and with the flash of it the
+foremost brigand came to a sudden stop. An expression of
+bewilderment crossed his features. He extended his arms straight
+before him, the revolver slipped from his grasp, and then like a
+dying top he pivoted once drunkenly and collapsed upon the turf.
+
+At the instant of his fall his companion and the American fired
+point-blank at one another.
+
+Barney felt a burning sensation in his shoulder, but it was
+forgotten for the moment in the relief that came to him as he saw
+the second rascal sprawl headlong upon his face. Then he turned his
+attention to the limp little figure that hung across his left arm.
+
+Gently Barney laid the boy upon the sward, and fetching water from
+the pool bathed his face and forced a few drops between the white
+lips. The cooling draft revived the wounded child, but brought on a
+paroxysm of coughing. When this had subsided Rudolph raised his eyes
+to those of the man bending above him.
+
+"Thank God, your majesty is unharmed," he whispered. "Now I can die
+in peace."
+
+The white lids drooped lower, and with a tired sigh the boy lay
+quiet. Tears came to the young man's eyes as he let the limp body
+gently to the ground.
+
+"Brave little heart," he murmured, "you gave up your life in the
+service of your king as truly as though you had not been all
+mistaken in the object of your veneration, and if it lies within the
+power of Barney Custer you shall not have died in vain."
+
+
+
+
+VII
+
+THE REAL LEOPOLD
+
+Two hours later a horseman pushed his way between tumbled and
+tangled briers along the bottom of a deep ravine.
+
+He was hatless, and his stained and ragged khaki betokened much
+exposure to the elements and hard and continued usage. At his
+saddle-bow a carbine swung in its boot, and upon either hip was
+strapped a long revolver. Ammunition in plenty filled the cross
+belts that he had looped about his shoulders.
+
+Grim and warlike as were his trappings, no less grim was the set of
+his strong jaw or the glint of his gray eyes, nor did the patch of
+brown stain that had soaked through the left shoulder of his jacket
+tend to lessen the martial atmosphere which surrounded him.
+Fortunate it was for the brigands of the late Yellow Franz that none
+of them chanced in the path of Barney Custer that day.
+
+For nearly two hours the man had ridden downward out of the high
+hills in search of a dwelling at which he might ask the way to Tann;
+but as yet he had passed but a single house, and that a long
+untenanted ruin. He was wondering what had become of all the
+inhabitants of Lutha when his horse came to a sudden halt before an
+obstacle which entirely blocked the narrow trail at the bottom of
+the ravine.
+
+As the horseman's eyes fell upon the thing they went wide in
+astonishment, for it was no less than the charred remnants of the
+once beautiful gray roadster that had brought him into this
+twentieth century land of medieval adventure and intrigue. Barney
+saw that the machine had been lifted from where it had fallen across
+the horse of the Princess von der Tann, for the animal's decaying
+carcass now lay entirely clear of it; but why this should have been
+done, or by whom, the young man could not imagine.
+
+A glance aloft showed him the road far above him, from which he, the
+horse and the roadster had catapulted; and with the sight of it
+there flashed to his mind the fair face of the young girl in whose
+service the thing had happened. Barney wondered if Joseph had been
+successful in returning her to Tann, and he wondered, too, if she
+mourned for the man she had thought king--if she would be very angry
+should she ever learn the truth.
+
+Then there came to the American's mind the figure of the shopkeeper
+of Tafelberg, and the fellow's evident loyalty to the mad king he
+had never seen. Here was one who might aid him, thought Barney. He
+would have the will, at least, and with the thought the young man
+turned his pony's head diagonally up the steep ravine side.
+
+It was a tough and dangerous struggle to the road above, but at last
+by dint of strenuous efforts on the part of the sturdy little beast
+the two finally scrambled over the edge of the road and stood once
+more upon level footing.
+
+After breathing his mount for a few minutes Barney swung himself
+into the saddle again and set off toward Tafelberg. He met no one
+upon the road, nor within the outskirts of the village, and so he
+came to the door of the shop he sought without attracting attention.
+
+Swinging to the ground he tied the pony to one of the supporting
+columns of the porch-roof and a moment later had stepped within the
+shop.
+
+From a back room the shopkeeper presently emerged, and when he saw
+who it was that stood before him his eyes went wide in
+consternation.
+
+"In the name of all the saints, your majesty," cried the old fellow,
+"what has happened? How comes it that you are out of the hospital,
+and travel-stained as though from a long, hard ride? I cannot
+understand it, sire."
+
+"Hospital?" queried the young man.  "What do you mean, my good
+fellow? I have been in no hospital."
+
+"You were there only last evening when I inquired after you of the
+doctor," insisted the shopkeeper, "nor did any there yet suspect
+your true identity."
+
+"Last evening I was hiding far up in the mountains from Yellow
+Franz's band of cutthroats," replied Barney. "Tell me what manner of
+riddle you are propounding."
+
+Then a sudden light of understanding flashed through Barney's mind.
+
+"Man!" he exclaimed.  "Tell me--you have found the true king?  He is
+at a hospital in Tafelberg?"
+
+"Yes, your majesty, I have found the true king, and it is so that he
+was at the Tafelberg sanatorium last evening. It was beside the
+remnants of your wrecked automobile that two of the men of Tafelberg
+found you.
+
+"One leg was pinioned beneath the machine which was on fire when
+they discovered you. They brought you to my shop, which is the first
+on the road into town, and not guessing your true identity they took
+my word for it that you were an old acquaintance of mine and without
+more ado turned you over to my care."
+
+Barney scratched his head in puzzled bewilderment.  He began to
+doubt if he were in truth himself, or, after all, Leopold of Lutha.
+As no one but himself could, by the wildest stretch of imagination,
+have been in such a position, he was almost forced to the conclusion
+that all that had passed since the instant that his car shot over
+the edge of the road into the ravine had been but the hallucinations
+of a fever-excited brain, and that for the past three weeks he had
+been lying in a hospital cot instead of experiencing the strange and
+inexplicable adventures that he had believed to have befallen him.
+
+But yet the more he thought of it the more ridiculous such a
+conclusion appeared, for it did not in the least explain the pony
+tethered without, which he plainly could see from where he stood
+within the shop, nor did it satisfactorily account for the blotch of
+blood upon his shoulder from a wound so fresh that the stain still
+was damp; nor for the sword which Joseph had buckled about his waist
+within Blentz's forbidding walls; nor for the arms and ammunition he
+had taken from the dead brigands--all of which he had before him as
+tangible evidence of the rationality of the past few weeks.
+
+"My friend," said Barney at last, "I cannot wonder that you have
+mistaken me for the king, since all those I have met within Lutha
+have leaped to the same error, though not one among them made the
+slightest pretense of ever having seen his majesty. A ridiculous
+beard started the trouble, and later a series of happenings, no one
+of which was particularly remarkable in itself, aggravated it, until
+but a moment since I myself was almost upon the point of believing
+that I am the king.
+
+"But, my dear Herr Kramer, I am not the king; and when you have
+accompanied me to the hospital and seen that your patient still is
+there, you may be willing to admit that there is some justification
+for doubt as to my royalty."
+
+The old man shook his head.
+
+"I am not so sure of that," he said, "for he who lies at the
+hospital, providing you are not he, or he you, maintains as sturdily
+as do you that he is not Leopold. If one of you, whichever be
+king--providing that you are not one and the same, and that I be not
+the only maniac in the sad muddle--if one of you would but trust my
+loyalty and love for the true king and admit your identity, then I
+might be of some real service to that one of you who is really
+Leopold. Herr Gott! My words are as mixed as my poor brain."
+
+"If you will listen to me, Herr Kramer," said Barney, "and believe
+what I tell you, I shall be able to unscramble your ideas in so far
+as they pertain to me and my identity. As to the man you say was
+found beneath my car, and who now lies in the sanatorium of
+Tafelberg, I cannot say until I have seen and talked with him. He
+may be the king and he may not; but if he insists that he is not, I
+shall be the last to wish a kingship upon him. I know from sad
+experience the hardships and burdens that the thing entails."
+
+Then Barney narrated carefully and in detail the principal events of
+his life, from his birth in Beatrice to his coming to Lutha upon
+pleasure. He showed Herr Kramer his watch with his monogram upon it,
+his seal ring, and inside the pocket of his coat the label of his
+tailor, with his own name written beneath it and the date that the
+garment had been ordered.
+
+When he had completed his narrative the old man shook his head.
+
+"I cannot understand it," he said; "and yet I am almost forced to
+believe that you are not the king."
+
+"Direct me to the sanatorium," suggested Barney, "and if it be
+within the range of possibility I shall learn whether the man who
+lies there is Leopold or another, and if he be the king I shall
+serve him as loyally as you would have served me. Together we may
+assist him to gain the safety of Tann and the protection of old
+Prince Ludwig."
+
+"If you are not the king," said Kramer suspiciously, "why should you
+be so interested in aiding Leopold? You may even be an enemy. How
+can I know?"
+
+"You cannot know, my good friend," replied Barney.  "But had I been
+an enemy, how much more easily might I have encompassed my designs,
+whatever they might have been, had I encouraged you to believe that
+I was king. The fact that I did not, must assure you that I have no
+ulterior designs against Leopold."
+
+This line of reasoning proved quite convincing to the old
+shopkeeper, and at last he consented to lead Barney to the
+sanatorium. Together they traversed the quiet village streets to the
+outskirts of the town, where in large, park-like grounds the
+well-known sanatorium of Tafelberg is situated in quiet
+surroundings. It is an institution for the treatment of nervous
+diseases to which patients are brought from all parts of Europe, and
+is doubtless Lutha's principal claim upon the attention of the outer
+world.
+
+As the two crossed the gardens which lay between the gate and the
+main entrance and mounted the broad steps leading to the veranda an
+old servant opened the door, and recognizing Herr Kramer, nodded
+pleasantly to him.
+
+"Your patient seems much brighter this morning, Herr Kramer," he
+said, "and has been asking to be allowed to sit up."
+
+"He is still here, then?" questioned the shopkeeper with a sigh that
+might have indicated either relief or resignation.
+
+"Why, certainly.  You did not expect that he had entirely recovered
+overnight, did you?"
+
+"No," replied Herr Kramer, "not exactly.  In fact, I did not know
+what I should expect."
+
+As the two passed him on their way to the room in which the patient
+lay, the servant eyed Herr Kramer in surprise, as though wondering
+what had occurred to his mentality since he had seen him the
+previous day. He paid no attention to Barney other than to bow to
+him as he passed, but there was another who did--an attendant
+standing in the hallway through which the two men walked toward the
+private room where one of them expected to find the real mad king of
+Lutha.
+
+He was a dark-visaged fellow, sallow and small-eyed; and as his
+glance rested upon the features of the American a puzzled expression
+crossed his face. He let his gaze follow the two as they moved on up
+the corridor until they turned in at the door of the room they
+sought, then he followed them, entering an apartment next to that in
+which Herr Kramer's patient lay.
+
+As Barney and the shopkeeper entered the small, whitewashed room,
+the former saw upon the narrow iron cot the figure of a man of about
+his own height. The face that turned toward them as they entered was
+covered by a full, reddish-brown beard, and the eyes that looked up
+at them in troubled surprise were gray. Beyond these Barney could
+see no likenesses to himself; yet they were sufficient, he realized,
+to have deceived any who might have compared one solely to the
+printed description of the other.
+
+At the doorway Kramer halted, motioning Barney within.
+
+"It will be better if you talk with him alone," he said.  "I am sure
+that before both of us he will admit nothing."
+
+Barney nodded, and the shopkeeper of Tafelberg withdrew and closed
+the door behind him. The American approached the bedside with a
+cheery "Good morning."
+
+The man returned the salutation with a slight inclination of his
+head. There was a questioning look in his eyes; but dominating that
+was a pitiful, hunted expression that touched the American's heart.
+
+The man's left hand lay upon the coverlet.  Barney glanced at the
+third finger. About it was a plain gold band. There was no royal
+ring of the kings of Lutha in evidence, yet that was no indication
+that the man was not Leopold; for were he the king and desirous of
+concealing his identity, his first act would be to remove every
+symbol of his kingship.
+
+Barney took the hand in his.
+
+"They tell me that you are well on the road to recovery," he said.
+"I am very glad that it is so."
+
+"Who are you?" asked the man.
+
+"I am Bernard Custer, an American.  You were found beneath my car at
+the bottom of a ravine. I feel that I owe you full reparation for
+the injuries you received, though it is beyond me how you happened
+to be found under the machine. Unless I am truly mad, I was the only
+occupant of the roadster when it plunged over the embankment."
+
+"It is very simple," replied the man upon the cot.  "I chanced to be
+at the bottom of the ravine at the time and the car fell upon me."
+
+"What were you doing at the bottom of the ravine?" asked Barney
+quite suddenly, after the manner of one who administers a third
+degree.
+
+The man started and flushed with suspicion.
+
+"That is my own affair," he said.
+
+He tried to disengage his hand from Barney's, and as he did so the
+American felt something within the fingers of the other. For an
+instant his own fingers tightened upon those that lay within them,
+so that as the others were withdrawn his index finger pressed close
+upon the thing that had aroused his curiosity.
+
+It was a large setting turned inward upon the third finger of the
+left hand. The gold band that Barney had seen was but the opposite
+side of the same ring.
+
+A quick look of comprehension came to Barney's eyes.  The man upon
+the cot evidently noted it and rightly interpreted its cause, for,
+having freed his hand, he now slipped it quickly beneath the
+coverlet.
+
+"I have passed through a series of rather remarkable adventures
+since I came to Lutha," said Barney apparently quite irrelevantly,
+after the two had remained silent for a moment. "Shortly after my
+car fell upon you I was mistaken for the fugitive King Leopold by
+the young lady whose horse fell into the ravine with my car. She is
+a most loyal supporter of the king, being none other than the
+Princess Emma von der Tann. From her I learned to espouse the cause
+of Leopold."
+
+Step by step Barney took the man through the adventures that had
+befallen him during the past three weeks, closing with the story of
+the death of the boy, Rudolph.
+
+"Above his dead body I swore to serve Leopold of Lutha as loyally as
+the poor, mistaken child had served me, your majesty," and Barney
+looked straight into the eyes of him who lay upon the little iron
+cot.
+
+For a moment the man held his eyes upon those of the American, but
+finally, under the latter's steady gaze, they dropped and wandered.
+
+"Why do you address me as 'your majesty'?" he asked irritably.
+
+"With my forefinger I felt the ruby and the four wings of the
+setting of the royal ring of the kings of Lutha upon the third
+finger of your left hand," replied Barney.
+
+The king started up upon his elbow, his eyes wild with apprehension.
+
+"It is not so," he cried.  "It is a lie!  I am not the king."
+
+"Hush!" admonished Barney.  "You have nothing to fear from me.
+There are good friends and loyal subjects in plenty to serve and
+protect your majesty, and place you upon the throne that has been
+stolen from you. I have sworn to serve you. The old shopkeeper, Herr
+Kramer, who brought me here, is an honest, loyal old soul. He would
+die for you, your majesty. Trust us. Let us help you. Tomorrow,
+Kramer tells me, Peter of Blentz is to have himself crowned as king
+in the cathedral at Lustadt.
+
+"Will you sit supinely by and see another rob you of your kingdom,
+and then continue to rob and throttle your subjects as he has been
+doing for the past ten years? No, you will not. Even if you do not
+want the crown, you were born to the duties and obligations it
+entails, and for the sake of your people you must assume them now."
+
+"How am I to know that you are not another of the creatures of that
+fiend of Blentz?" cried the king. "How am I to know that you will
+not drag me back to the terrors of that awful castle, and to the
+poisonous potions of the new physician Peter has employed to
+assassinate me? I can trust none.
+
+"Go away and leave me.  I do not want to be king.  I wish only to go
+away as far from Lutha as I can get and pass the balance of my life
+in peace and security. Peter may have the crown. He is welcome to
+it, for all of me. All I ask is my life and my liberty."
+
+Barney saw that while the king was evidently of sound mind, his was
+not one of those iron characters and courageous hearts that would
+willingly fight to the death for his own rights and the rights and
+happiness of his people. Perhaps the long years of bitter
+disappointment and misery, the tedious hours of imprisonment, and
+the constant haunting fears for his life had reduced him to this
+pitiable condition.
+
+Whatever the cause, Barney Custer was determined to overcome the
+man's aversion to assuming the duties which were rightly his, for in
+his memory were the words of Emma von der Tann, in which she had
+made plain to him the fate that would doubtless befall her father
+and his house were Peter of Blentz to become king of Lutha. Then,
+too, there was the life of the little peasant boy. Was that to be
+given up uselessly for a king with so mean a spirit that he would
+not take a scepter when it was forced upon him?
+
+And the people of Lutha?  Were they to be further and continually
+robbed and downtrodden beneath the heel of Peter's scoundrelly
+officials because their true king chose to evade the
+responsibilities that were his by birth?
+
+For half an hour Barney pleaded and argued with the king, until he
+infused in the weak character of the young man a part of his own
+tireless enthusiasm and courage. Leopold commenced to take heart and
+see things in a brighter and more engaging light. Finally he became
+quite excited about the prospects, and at last Barney obtained a
+willing promise from him that he would consent to being placed upon
+his throne and would go to Lustadt at any time that Barney should
+come for him with a force from the retainers of Prince Ludwig von
+der Tann.
+
+"Let us hope," cried the king, "that the luck of the reigning house
+of Lutha has been at last restored. Not since my aunt, the Princess
+Victoria, ran away with a foreigner has good fortune shone upon my
+house. It was when my father was still a young man--before he had
+yet come to the throne--and though his reign was marked with great
+peace and prosperity for the people of Lutha, his own private
+fortunes were most unhappy.
+
+"My mother died at my birth, and the last days of my father's life
+were filled with suffering from the cancer that was slowly killing
+him. Let us pray, Herr Custer, that you have brought new life to the
+fortunes of my house."
+
+"Amen, your majesty," said Barney.  "And now I'll be off for
+Tann--there must not be a moment lost if we are to bring you to
+Lustadt in time for the coronation. Herr Kramer will watch over you,
+but as none here guesses your true identity you are safer here than
+anywhere else in Lutha. Good-bye, your majesty. Be of good heart.
+We'll have you on the road to Lustadt and the throne tomorrow
+morning."
+
+After Barney Custer had closed the door of the king's chamber behind
+him and hurried down the corridor, the door of the room next the
+king's opened quietly and a dark-visaged fellow, sallow and
+small-eyed, emerged. Upon his lips was a smile of cunning
+satisfaction, as he hastened to the office of the medical director
+and obtained a leave of absence for twenty-four hours.
+
+
+
+
+VIII
+
+THE CORONATION DAY
+
+Toward dusk of the day upon which the mad king of Lutha had been
+found, a dust-covered horseman reined in before the great gate of
+the castle of Prince Ludwig von der Tann. The unsettled political
+conditions which overhung the little kingdom of Lutha were evident
+in the return to medievalism which the raised portcullis and the
+armed guard upon the barbican of the ancient feudal fortress
+revealed. Not for a hundred years before had these things been done
+other than as a part of the ceremonials of a fete day, or in honor
+of visiting royalty.
+
+At the challenge from the gate Barney replied that he bore a message
+for the prince. Slowly the portcullis sank into position across the
+moat and an officer advanced to meet the rider.
+
+"The prince has ridden to Lustadt with a large retinue," he said,
+"to attend the coronation of Peter of Blentz tomorrow."
+
+"Prince Ludwig von der Tann has gone to attend the coronation of
+Peter!" cried Barney in amazement. "Has the Princess Emma returned
+from her captivity in the castle of Blentz?"
+
+"She is with her father now, having returned nearly three weeks
+ago," replied the officer, "and Peter has disclaimed responsibility
+for the outrage, promising that those responsible shall be punished.
+He has convinced Prince Ludwig that Leopold is dead, and for the
+sake of Lutha--to save her from civil strife--my prince has patched
+a truce with Peter; though unless I mistake the character of the
+latter and the temper of the former it will be short-lived.
+
+"To demonstrate to the people," continued the officer, "that Prince
+Ludwig and Peter are good friends, the great Von der Tann will
+attend the coronation, but that he takes little stock in the
+sincerity of the Prince of Blentz would be apparent could the latter
+have a peep beneath the cloaks and look into the loyal hearts of the
+men of Tann who rode down to Lustadt today."
+
+Barney did not wait to hear more.  He was glad that in the gathering
+dusk the officer had not seen his face plainly enough to mistake him
+for the king. With a parting, "Then I must ride to Lustadt with my
+message for the prince," he wheeled his tired mount and trotted down
+the steep trail from Tann toward the highway which leads to the
+capital.
+
+All night Barney rode.  Three times he wandered from the way and was
+forced to stop at farmhouses to inquire the proper direction; but
+darkness hid his features from the sleepy eyes of those who answered
+his summons, and daylight found him still forging ahead in the
+direction of the capital of Lutha.
+
+The American was sunk in unhappy meditation as his weary little
+mount plodded slowly along the dusty road. For hours the man had not
+been able to urge the beast out of a walk. The loss of time
+consequent upon his having followed wrong roads during the night and
+the exhaustion of the pony which retarded his speed to what seemed
+little better than a snail's pace seemed to assure the failure of
+his mission, for at best he could not reach Lustadt before noon.
+
+There was no possibility of bringing Leopold to his capital in time
+for the coronation, and but a bare possibility that Prince Ludwig
+would accept the word of an entire stranger that Leopold lived, for
+the acknowledgment of such a condition by the old prince could
+result in nothing less than an immediate resort to arms by the two
+factions. It was certain that Peter would be infinitely more anxious
+to proceed with his coronation should it be rumored that Leopold
+lived, and equally certain that Prince Ludwig would interpose every
+obstacle, even to armed resistance, to prevent the consummation of
+the ceremony.
+
+Yet there seemed to Barney no other alternative than to place before
+the king's one powerful friend the information that he had. It would
+then rest with Ludwig to do what he thought advisable.
+
+An hour from Lustadt the road wound through a dense forest, whose
+pleasant shade was a grateful relief to both horse and rider from
+the hot sun beneath which they had been journeying the greater part
+of the morning. Barney was still lost in thought, his eyes bent
+forward, when at a sudden turning of the road he came face to face
+with a troop of horse that were entering the main highway at this
+point from an unfrequented byroad.
+
+At sight of them the American instinctively wheeled his mount in an
+effort to escape, but at a command from an officer a half dozen
+troopers spurred after him, their fresh horses soon overtaking his
+jaded pony.
+
+For a moment Barney contemplated resistance, for these were troopers
+of the Royal Horse, the body which was now Peter's most effective
+personal tool; but even as his hand slipped to the butt of one of
+the revolvers at his hip, the young man saw the foolish futility of
+such a course, and with a shrug and a smile he drew rein and turned
+to face the advancing soldiers.
+
+As he did so the officer rode up, and at sight of Barney's face gave
+an exclamation of astonishment. The officer was Butzow.
+
+"Well met, your majesty," he cried saluting.  "We are riding to the
+coronation. We shall be just in time."
+
+"To see Peter of Blentz rob Leopold of a crown," said the American
+in a disgusted tone.
+
+"To see Leopold of Lutha come into his own, your majesty.  Long live
+the king!" cried the officer.
+
+Barney thought the man either poking fun at him because he was not
+the king, or, thinking he was Leopold, taking a mean advantage of
+his helplessness to bait him. Yet this last suspicion seemed unfair
+to Butzow, who at Blentz had given ample evidence that he was a
+gentleman, and of far different caliber from Maenck and the others
+who served Peter.
+
+If he could but convince the man that he was no king and thus gain
+his liberty long enough to reach Prince Ludwig's ear, his mission
+would have been served in so far as it lay in his power to serve it.
+For some minutes Barney expended his best eloquence and logic upon
+the cavalry officer in an effort to convince him that he was not
+Leopold.
+
+The king had given the American his great ring to safeguard for him
+until it should be less dangerous for Leopold to wear it, and for
+fear that at the last moment someone within the sanatorium might
+recognize it and bear word to Peter of the king's whereabouts.
+Barney had worn it turned in upon the third finger of his left hand,
+and now he slipped it surreptitiously into his breeches pocket lest
+Butzow should see it and by it be convinced that Barney was indeed
+Leopold.
+
+"Never mind who you are," cried Butzow, thinking to humor the king's
+strange obsession. "You look enough like Leopold to be his twin, and
+you must help us save Lutha from Peter of Blentz."
+
+The American showed in his expression the surprise he felt at these
+words from an officer of the prince regent.
+
+"You wonder at my change of heart?" asked Butzow.
+
+"How can I do otherwise?"
+
+"I cannot blame you," said the officer.  "Yet I think that when you
+know the truth you will see that I have done only that which I
+believed to be the duty of a patriotic officer and a true
+gentleman."
+
+They had rejoined the troop by this time, and the entire company was
+once more headed toward Lustadt. Butzow had commanded one of the
+troopers to exchange horses with Barney, bringing the jaded animal
+into the city slowly, and now freshly mounted the American was
+making better time toward his destination. His spirits rose, and as
+they galloped along the highway, he listened with renewed interest
+to the story which Lieutenant Butzow narrated in detail.
+
+It seemed that Butzow had been absent from Lutha for a number of
+years as military attache to the Luthanian legation at a foreign
+court. He had known nothing of the true condition at home until his
+return, when he saw such scoundrels as Coblich, Maenck, and Stein
+high in the favor of the prince regent. For some time before the
+events that had transpired after he had brought Barney and the
+Princess Emma to Blentz he had commenced to have his doubts as to
+the true patriotism of Peter of Blentz; and when he had learned
+through the unguarded words of Schonau that there was a real
+foundation for the rumor that the regent had plotted the
+assassination of the king his suspicions had crystallized into
+knowledge, and he had sworn to serve his king before all
+others--were he sane or mad. From this loyalty he could not be
+shaken.
+
+"And what do you intend doing now?" asked Barney.
+
+"I intend placing you upon the throne of your ancestors, sire,"
+replied Butzow; "nor will Peter of Blentz dare the wrath of the
+people by attempting to interpose any obstacle. When he sees Leopold
+of Lutha ride into the capital of his kingdom at the head of even so
+small a force as ours he will know that the end of his own power is
+at hand, for he is not such a fool that he does not perfectly
+realize that he is the most cordially hated man in all Lutha, and
+that only those attend upon him who hope to profit through his
+success or who fear his evil nature."
+
+"If Peter is crowned today," asked Barney, "will it prevent Leopold
+regaining his throne?"
+
+"It is difficult to say," replied Butzow; "but the chances are that
+the throne would be lost to him forever. To regain it he would have
+to plunge Lutha into a bitter civil war, for once Peter is
+proclaimed king he will have the law upon his side, and with the
+resources of the State behind him--the treasury and the army--he
+will feel in no mood to relinquish the scepter without a struggle. I
+doubt much that you will ever sit upon your throne, sire, unless you
+do so within the very next hour."
+
+For some time Barney rode in silence.  He saw that only by a master
+stroke could the crown be saved for the true king. Was it worth it?
+The man was happier without a crown. Barney had come to believe that
+no man lived who could be happy in possession of one. Then there
+came before his mind's eye the delicate, patrician face of Emma von
+der Tann.
+
+Would Peter of Blentz be true to his new promises to the house of
+Von der Tann? Barney doubted it. He recalled all that it might mean
+of danger and suffering to the girl whose kisses he still felt upon
+his lips as though it had been but now that hers had placed them
+there. He recalled the limp little body of the boy, Rudolph, and the
+Spartan loyalty with which the little fellow had given his life in
+the service of the man he had thought king. The pitiful figure of
+the fear-haunted man upon the iron cot at Tafelberg rose before him
+and cried for vengeance.
+
+To this man was the woman he loved betrothed!  He knew that he might
+never wed the Princess Emma. Even were she not promised to another,
+the iron shackles of convention and age-old customs must forever
+separate her from an untitled American. But if he couldn't have her
+he still could serve her!
+
+"For her sake," he muttered.
+
+"Did your majesty speak?" asked Butzow.
+
+"Yes, lieutenant.  We urge greater haste, for if we are to be
+crowned today we have no time to lose."
+
+Butzow smiled a relieved smile.  The king had at last regained his
+senses!
+
+
+Within the ancient cathedral at Lustadt a great and gorgeously
+attired assemblage had congregated. All the nobles of Lutha were
+gathered there with their wives, their children, and their
+retainers. There were the newer nobility of the lowlands--many whose
+patents dated but since the regency of Peter--and there were the
+proud nobility of the highlands--the old nobility of which Prince
+Ludwig von der Tann was the chief.
+
+It was noticeable that though a truce had been made between Ludwig
+and Peter, yet the former chancellor of the kingdom did not stand
+upon the chancel with the other dignitaries of the State and court.
+
+Few there were who knew that he had been invited to occupy a place
+of honor there, and had replied that he would take no active part in
+the making of any king in Lutha whose veins did not pulse to the
+flow of the blood of the house in whose service he had grown gray.
+
+Close packed were the retainers of the old prince so that their
+great number was scarcely noticeable, though quite so was the fact
+that they kept their cloaks on, presenting a somber appearance in
+the midst of all the glitter of gold and gleam of jewels that
+surrounded them--a grim, business-like appearance that cast a chill
+upon Peter of Blentz as his eyes scanned the multitude of faces
+below him.
+
+He would have shown his indignation at this seeming affront had he
+dared; but until the crown was safely upon his head and the royal
+scepter in his hand Peter had no mind to do aught that might
+jeopardize the attainment of the power he had sought for the past
+ten years.
+
+The solemn ceremony was all but completed; the Bishop of Lustadt had
+received the great golden crown from the purple cushion upon which
+it had been borne at the head of the procession which accompanied
+Peter up the broad center aisle of the cathedral. He had raised it
+above the head of the prince regent, and was repeating the solemn
+words which precede the placing of the golden circlet upon the man's
+brow. In another moment Peter of Blentz would be proclaimed the king
+of Lutha.
+
+By her father's side stood Emma von der Tann.  Upon her haughty,
+high-bred face there was no sign of the emotions which ran riot
+within her fair bosom. In the act that she was witnessing she saw
+the eventual ruin of her father's house. That Peter would long want
+for an excuse to break and humble his ancient enemy she did not
+believe; but this was not the only cause for the sorrow that
+overwhelmed her.
+
+Her most poignant grief, like that of her father, was for the dead
+king, Leopold; but to the sorrow of the loyal subject was added the
+grief of the loving woman, bereft. Close to her heart she hugged the
+memory of the brief hours spent with the man whom she had been
+taught since childhood to look upon as her future husband, but for
+whom the all-consuming fires of love had only been fanned to life
+within her since that moment, now three weeks gone, that he had
+crushed her to his breast to cover her lips with kisses for the
+short moment ere he sacrificed his life to save her from a fate
+worse than death.
+
+Before her stood the Nemesis of her dead king.  The last act of the
+hideous crime against the man she had loved was nearing its close.
+As the crown, poised over the head of Peter of Blentz, sank slowly
+downward the girl felt that she could scarce restrain her desire to
+shriek aloud a protest against the wicked act--the crowning of a
+murderer king of her beloved Lutha.
+
+A glance at the old man at her side showed her the stern, commanding
+features of her sire molded in an expression of haughty dignity;
+only the slight movement of the muscles of the strong jaw revealed
+the tensity of the hidden emotions of the stern old warrior. He was
+meeting disappointment and defeat as a Von der Tann should--brave to
+the end.
+
+The crown had all but touched the head of Peter of Blentz when a
+sudden commotion at the back of the cathedral caused the bishop to
+look up in ill-concealed annoyance. At the sight that met his eyes
+his hands halted in mid-air.
+
+The great audience turned as one toward the doors at the end of the
+long central aisle. There, through the wide-swung portals, they saw
+mounted men forcing their way into the cathedral. The great horses
+shouldered aside the foot-soldiers that attempted to bar their way,
+and twenty troopers of the Royal Horse thundered to the very foot of
+the chancel steps.
+
+At their head rode Lieutenant Butzow and a tall young man in soiled
+and tattered khaki, whose gray eyes and full reddish-brown beard
+brought an exclamation from Captain Maenck who commanded the guard
+about Peter of Blentz.
+
+"Mein Gott--the king!" cried Maenck, and at the words Peter went
+white.
+
+In open-mouthed astonishment the spectators saw the hurrying
+troopers and heard Butzow's "The king! The king! Make way for
+Leopold, King of Lutha!"
+
+And a girl saw, and as she saw her heart leaped to her mouth.  Her
+small hand gripped the sleeve of her father's coat. "The king,
+father," she cried. "It is the king."
+
+Old Von der Tann, the light of a new hope firing his eyes, threw
+aside his cloak and leaped to the chancel steps beside Butzow and
+the others who were mounting them. Behind him a hundred cloaks
+dropped from the shoulders of his fighting men, exposing not silks
+and satins and fine velvet, but the coarse tan of khaki, and grim
+cartridge belts well filled, and stern revolvers slung to well-worn
+service belts.
+
+As Butzow and Barney stepped upon the chancel Peter of Blentz leaped
+forward. "What mad treason is this?" he fairly screamed.
+
+"The days of treason are now past, prince," replied Butzow
+meaningly. "Here is not treason, but Leopold of Lutha come to claim
+his crown which he inherited from his father."
+
+"It is a plot," cried Peter, "to place an impostor upon the throne!
+This man is not the king."
+
+For a moment there was silence.  The people had not taken sides as
+yet. They awaited a leader. Old Von der Tann scrutinized the
+American closely.
+
+"How may we know that you are Leopold?" he asked. "For ten years we
+have not seen our king."
+
+"The governor of Blentz has already acknowledged his identity,"
+cried Butzow. "Maenck was the first to proclaim the presence of the
+putative king."
+
+At that someone near the chancel cried: "Long live Leopold, king of
+Lutha!" and at the words the whole assemblage raised their voices in
+a tumultuous: "Long live the king!"
+
+Peter of Blentz turned toward Maenck.  "The guard!" he cried.
+"Arrest those traitors, and restore order in the cathedral. Let the
+coronation proceed."
+
+Maenck took a step toward Barney and Butzow, when old Prince von der
+Tann interposed his giant frame with grim resolve.
+
+"Hold!"  He spoke in a low, stern voice that brought the cowardly
+Maenck to a sudden halt.
+
+The men of Tann had pressed eagerly forward until they stood, with
+bared swords, a solid rank of fighting men in grim semicircle behind
+their chief. There were cries from different parts of the cathedral
+of: "Crown Leopold, our true king! Down with Peter! Down with the
+assassin!"
+
+"Enough of this," cried Peter.  "Clear the cathedral!"
+
+He drew his own sword, and with half a hundred loyal retainers at
+his back pressed forward to clear the chancel. There was a brief
+fight, from which Barney, much to his disgust, was barred by the
+mighty figure of the old prince and the stalwart sword-arm of
+Butzow. He did get one crack at Maenck, and had the satisfaction of
+seeing blood spurt from a flesh wound across the fellow's cheek.
+
+"That for the Princess Emma," he called to the governor of Blentz,
+and then men crowded between them and he did not see the captain
+again during the battle.
+
+When Peter saw that more than half of the palace guard were shouting
+for Leopold, and fighting side by side with the men of Tann, he
+realized the futility of further armed resistance at this time.
+Slowly he withdrew, and at last the fighting ceased and some
+semblance of order was restored within the cathedral.
+
+Fearfully, the bishop emerged from hiding, his robes disheveled and
+his miter askew. Butzow grasped him none too reverently by the arm
+and dragged him before Barney. The crown of Lutha dangled in the
+priest's palsied hands.
+
+"Crown the king!" cried the lieutenant.  "Crown Leopold, king of
+Lutha!"
+
+A mad roar of acclaim greeted this demand, and again from all parts
+of the cathedral rose the same wild cry. But in the lull that
+followed there were some who demanded proof of the tattered young
+man who stood before them and claimed that he was king.
+
+"Let Prince Ludwig speak!" cried a dozen voices.
+
+"Yes, Prince Ludwig!  Prince Ludwig!" took up the throng.
+
+Prince Ludwig von der Tann turned toward the bearded young man.
+Silence fell upon the crowded cathedral. Peter of Blentz stood
+awaiting the outcome, ready to demand the crown upon the first
+indication of wavering belief in the man he knew was not Leopold.
+
+"How may we know that you are really Leopold?" again asked Ludwig of
+Barney.
+
+The American raised his left hand, upon the third finger of which
+gleamed the great ruby of the royal ring of the kings of Lutha. Even
+Peter of Blentz started back in surprise as his eyes fell upon the
+ring.
+
+Where had the man come upon it?
+
+Prince von der Tann dropped to one knee before Mr. Bernard Custer of
+Beatrice, Nebraska, U.S.A., and lifted that gentleman's hand to his
+lips, and as the people of Lutha saw the act they went mad with joy.
+
+Slowly Prince Ludwig rose and addressed the bishop. "Leopold, the
+rightful heir to the throne of Lutha, is here. Let the coronation
+proceed."
+
+The quiet of the sepulcher fell upon the assemblage as the holy man
+raised the crown above the head of the king. Barney saw from the
+corner of his eye the sea of faces upturned toward him. He saw the
+relief and happiness upon the stern countenance of the old prince.
+
+He hated to dash all their new found joy by the announcement that he
+was not the king. He could not do that, for the moment he did Peter
+would step forward and demand that his own coronation continue. How
+was he to save the throne for Leopold?
+
+Among the faces beneath him he suddenly descried that of a beautiful
+young girl whose eyes, filled with the tears of a great happiness
+and a greater love, were upturned to his. To reveal his true
+identity would lose him this girl forever. None save Peter knew that
+he was not the king. All save Peter would hail him gladly as Leopold
+of Lutha. How easily he might win a throne and the woman he loved by
+a moment of seeming passive compliance.
+
+The temptation was great, and then he recalled the boy, lying dead
+for his king in the desolate mountains, and the pathetic light in
+the eyes of the sorrowful man at Tafelberg, and the great trust and
+confidence in the heart of the woman who had shown that she loved
+him.
+
+Slowly Barney Custer raised his palm toward the bishop in a gesture
+of restraint.
+
+"There are those who doubt that I am king," he said.  "In these
+circumstances there should be no coronation in Lutha until all
+doubts are allayed and all may unite in accepting without question
+the royal right of the true Leopold to the crown of his father. Let
+the coronation wait, then, until another day, and all will be well."
+
+"It must take place before noon of the fifth day of November, or not
+until a year later," said Prince Ludwig. "In the meantime the Prince
+Regent must continue to rule. For the sake of Lutha the coronation
+must take place today, your majesty."
+
+"What is the date?" asked Barney.
+
+"The third, sire."
+
+"Let the coronation wait until the fifth."
+
+"But your majesty," interposed Von der Tann, "all may be lost in two
+days."
+
+"It is the king's command," said Barney quietly.
+
+"But Peter of Blentz will rule for these two days, and in that time
+with the army at his command there is no telling what he may
+accomplish," insisted the old man.
+
+"Peter of Blentz shall not rule Lutha for two days, or two minutes,"
+replied Barney. "We shall rule. Lieutenant Butzow, you may place
+Prince Peter, Coblich, Maenck, and Stein under arrest. We charge
+them with treason against their king, and conspiring to assassinate
+their rightful monarch."
+
+Butzow smiled as he turned with his troopers at his back to execute
+this most welcome of commissions; but in a moment he was again at
+Barney's side.
+
+"They have fled, your majesty," he said.  "Shall I ride to Blentz
+after them?"
+
+"Let them go," replied the American, and then, with his retinue
+about him the new king of Lutha passed down the broad aisle of the
+cathedral of Lustadt and took his way to the royal palace between
+ranks of saluting soldiery backed by cheering thousands.
+
+
+
+
+IX
+
+THE KING'S GUESTS
+
+Once within the palace Barney sought the seclusion of a small room
+off the audience chamber. Here he summoned Butzow.
+
+"Lieutenant," said the American, "for the sake of a woman, a dead
+child and an unhappy king I have become dictator of Lutha for
+forty-eight hours; but at noon upon the fifth this farce must cease.
+Then we must place the true Leopold upon the throne, or a new
+dictator must replace me.
+
+"In vain I have tried to convince you that I am not the king, and
+today in the cathedral so great was the temptation to take advantage
+of the odd train of circumstances that had placed a crown within my
+reach that I all but surrendered to it--not for the crown of gold,
+Butzow, but for an infinitely more sacred diadem which belongs to
+him to whom by right of birth and lineage, belongs the crown of
+Lutha. I do not ask you to understand--it is not necessary--but this
+you must know and believe: that I am not Leopold, and that the true
+Leopold lies in hiding in the sanatorium at Tafelberg, from which
+you and I, Butzow, must fetch him to Lustadt before noon on the
+fifth."
+
+"But, sire--" commenced Butzow, when Barney raised his hand.
+
+"Enough of that, Butzow!" he cried almost irritably.  "I am sick of
+being 'sired' and 'majestied'--my name is Custer. Call me that when
+others are not present. Believe what you will, but ride with me in
+secrecy to Tafelberg tonight, and together we shall bring back
+Leopold of Lutha. Then we may call Prince Ludwig into our
+confidence, and none need ever know of the substitution.
+
+"I doubt if many had a sufficiently close view of me today to
+realize the trick that I have played upon them, and if they note a
+difference they will attribute it to the change in apparel, for we
+shall see to it that the king is fittingly garbed before we exhibit
+him to his subjects, while hereafter I shall continue in khaki,
+which becomes me better than ermine."
+
+Butzow shook his head.
+
+"King or dictator," he said, "it is all the same, and I must obey
+whatever commands you see fit to give, and so I will ride to
+Tafelberg tonight, though what we shall find there I cannot imagine,
+unless there are two Leopolds of Lutha. But shall we also find
+another royal ring upon the finger of this other king?"
+
+Barney smiled.  "You're a typical hard-headed Dutchman, Butzow," he
+said.
+
+The lieutenant drew himself up haughtily.  "I am not a Dutchman,
+your majesty. I am a Luthanian."
+
+Barney laughed.  "Whatever else you may be, Butzow, you're a brick,"
+he said, laying his hand upon the other's arm.
+
+Butzow looked at him narrowly.
+
+"From your speech," he said, "and the occasional Americanisms into
+which you fall I might believe that you were other than the king but
+for the ring."
+
+"It is my commission from the king," replied Barney.  "Leopold
+placed it upon my finger in token of his royal authority to act in
+his behalf. Tonight, then Butzow, you and I shall ride to Tafelberg.
+Have three good horses. We must lead one for the king."
+
+Butzow saluted and left the apartment.  For an hour or two the
+American was busy with tailors whom he had ordered sent to the
+palace to measure him for the numerous garments of a royal wardrobe,
+for he knew the king to be near enough his own size that he might
+easily wear clothes that had been fitted to Barney; and it was part
+of his plan to have everything in readiness for the substitution
+which was to take place the morning of the coronation.
+
+Then there were foreign dignitaries, and the heads of numerous
+domestic and civic delegations to be given audience. Old Von der
+Tann stood close behind Barney prompting him upon the royal duties
+that had fallen so suddenly upon his shoulders, and none thought it
+strange that he was unfamiliar with the craft of kingship, for was
+it not common knowledge that he had been kept a close prisoner in
+Blentz since boyhood, nor been given any coaching for the duties
+Peter of Blentz never intended he should perform?
+
+After it was all over Prince Ludwig's grim and leathery face relaxed
+into a smile of satisfaction.
+
+"None who witnessed the conduct of your first audience, sire," he
+said, "could for a moment doubt your royal lineage--if ever a man
+was born to kingship, your majesty, it be you."
+
+Barney smiled, a bit ruefully, however, for in his mind's eye he saw
+a future moment when the proud old Prince von der Tann would know
+the truth of the imposture that had been played upon him, and the
+young man foresaw that he would have a rather unpleasant half-hour.
+
+At a little distance from them Barney saw Emma von der Tann
+surrounded by a group of officials and palace officers. Since he had
+come to Lustadt that day he had had no word with her, and now he
+crossed toward her, amused as the throng parted to form an aisle for
+him, the men saluting and the women curtsying low.
+
+He took both of the girl's hands in his, and, drawing one through
+his arm, took advantage of the prerogatives of kingship to lead her
+away from the throng of courtiers.
+
+"I thought that I should never be done with all the tiresome
+business which seems to devolve upon kings," he said, laughing. "All
+the while that I should have been bending my royal intellect to
+matters of state, I was wondering just how a king might find a way
+to see the woman he loves without interruptions from the horde that
+dogs his footsteps."
+
+"You seem to have found a way, Leopold," she whispered, pressing his
+arm close to her. "Kings usually do."
+
+"It is not because I am a king that I found a way, Emma," he
+replied. "It is because I am an American."
+
+She looked up at him with an expression of pleading in her eyes.
+
+"Why do you persist?" she cried.  "You have come into your own, and
+there is no longer aught to fear from Peter or any other. To me at
+least, it is most unkind still to deny your identity."
+
+"I wonder," said Barney, "if your love could withstand the knowledge
+that I am not the king."
+
+"It is the MAN I love, Leopold," the girl replied.
+
+"You think so now," he said, "but wait until the test comes, and
+when it does, remember that I have always done my best to undeceive
+you. I know that you are not for such as I, my princess, and when I
+have returned your true king to you all that I shall ask is that you
+be happy with him."
+
+"I shall always be happy with my king," she whispered, and the look
+that she gave him made Barney Custer curse the fate that had failed
+to make him a king by birth.
+
+An hour later darkness had fallen upon the little city of Lustadt,
+and from a small gateway in the rear of the palace grounds two
+horsemen rode out into the ill-paved street and turned their mounts'
+heads toward the north. At the side of one trotted a led horse.
+
+As they passed beneath the glare of an arc-light before a cafe at
+the side of the public square, a diner sitting at a table upon the
+walk spied the tall figure and the bearded face of him who rode a
+few feet in advance of his companion. Leaping to his feet the man
+waved his napkin above his head.
+
+"Long live the king!" he cried.  "God save Leopold of Lutha!"
+
+And amid the din of cheering that followed, Barney Custer of
+Beatrice and Lieutenant Butzow of the Royal Horse rode out into the
+night upon the road to Tafelberg.
+
+
+When Peter of Blentz had escaped from the cathedral he had hastily
+mounted with a handful of his followers and hurried out of Lustadt
+along the road toward his formidable fortress at Blentz. Half way
+upon the journey he had met a dusty and travel-stained horseman
+hastening toward the capital city that Peter and his lieutenants had
+just left.
+
+At sight of the prince regent the fellow reined in and saluted.
+
+"May I have a word in private with your highness?" he asked.  "I
+have news of the greatest importance for your ears alone."
+
+Peter drew to one side with the man.
+
+"Well," he asked, "and what news have you for Peter of Blentz?"
+
+The man leaned from his horse close to Peter's ear.
+
+"The king is in Tafelberg, your highness," he said.
+
+"The king is dead," snapped Peter.  "There is an impostor in the
+palace at Lustadt. But the real Leopold of Lutha was slain by Yellow
+Franz's band of brigands weeks ago."
+
+"I heard the man at Tafelberg tell another that he was the king,"
+insisted the fellow. "Through the keyhole of his room I saw him take
+a great ring from his finger--a ring with a mighty ruby set in its
+center--and give it to the other. Both were bearded men with gray
+eyes--either might have passed for the king by the description upon
+the placards that have covered Lutha for the past month. At first he
+denied his identity, but when the other had convinced him that he
+sought only the king's welfare he at last admitted that he was
+Leopold."
+
+"Where is he now?" cried Peter.
+
+"He is still in the sanatorium at Tafelberg.  In room twenty-seven.
+The other promised to return for him and take him to Lustadt, but
+when I left Tafelberg he had not yet done so, and if you hasten you
+may reach there before they take him away, and if there be any
+reward for my loyalty to you, prince, my name is Ferrath."
+
+"Ride with us and if you have told the truth, fellow, there shall be
+a reward and if not--then there shall be deserts," and Peter of
+Blentz wheeled his horse and with his company galloped on toward
+Tafelberg.
+
+As he rode he talked with his lieutenants Coblich, Maenck, and
+Stein, and among them it was decided that it would be best that
+Peter stop at Blentz for the night while the others rode on to
+Tafelberg.
+
+"Do not bring Leopold to Blentz," directed Peter, "for if it be he
+who lies at Tafelberg and they find him gone it will be toward
+Blentz that they will first look. Take him--"
+
+The Regent leaned from his saddle so that his mouth was close to the
+ear of Coblich, that none of the troopers might hear.
+
+Coblich nodded his head.
+
+"And, Coblich, the fewer that ride to Tafelberg tonight the surer
+the success of the mission. Take Maenck, Stein and one other with
+you. I shall keep this man with me, for it may prove but a plot to
+lure me to Tafelberg."
+
+Peter scowled at the now frightened hospital attendant.
+
+"Tomorrow I shall be riding through the lowlands, Coblich, and so
+you may not find means to communicate with me, but before noon of
+the fifth have word at your town house in Lustadt for me of the
+success of your venture."
+
+They had reached the point now where the road to Tafelberg branches
+from that to Blentz, and the four who were to fetch the king wheeled
+their horses into the left-hand fork and cantered off upon their
+mission.
+
+The direct road between Lustadt and Tafelberg is but little more
+than half the distance of that which Coblich and his companions had
+to traverse because of the wide detour they had made by riding
+almost to Blentz first, and so it was that when they cantered into
+the little mountain town near midnight Barney Custer and Lieutenant
+Butzow were but a mile or two behind them.
+
+Had the latter had even the faintest of suspicions that the identity
+of the hiding place of the king might come to the knowledge of Peter
+of Blentz they could have reached Tafelberg ahead of Coblich and his
+party, but all unsuspecting they rode slowly to conserve the energy
+of their mounts for the return trip.
+
+In silence the two men approached the grounds surrounding the
+sanatorium. In the soft dirt of the road the hoofs of their mounts
+made no sound, and the shadows of the trees that border the front of
+the enclosure hid them from the view of the trooper who held four
+riderless horses in a little patch of moonlight that broke through
+the opening in the trees at the main gate of the institution.
+
+Barney was the first to see the animals and the man.
+
+"S-s-st," he hissed, reining in his horse.
+
+Butzow drew alongside the American.
+
+"What can it mean?" asked Barney.  "That fellow is a trooper, but I
+cannot make out his uniform."
+
+"Wait here," said Butzow, and slipping from his horse he crept
+closer to the man, hugging the dense shadows close to the trees.
+
+Barney reined in nearer the low wall.  From his saddle he could see
+the grounds beyond through the branches of a tree. As he looked his
+attention was suddenly riveted upon a sight that sent his heart into
+his throat.
+
+Three men were dragging a struggling, half-naked figure down the
+gravel walk from the sanatorium toward the gate. One kept a hand
+clapped across the mouth of the prisoner, who struck and fought his
+assailants with all the frenzy of despair.
+
+Barney leaped from his saddle and ran headlong after Butzow.  The
+lieutenant had reached the gate but an instant ahead of him when the
+trooper, turning suddenly at some slight sound of the officer's foot
+upon the ground, detected the man creeping upon him. In an instant
+the fellow had whipped out a revolver, and raising it fired
+point-blank at Butzow's chest; but in the same instant a figure shot
+out of the shadows beside him, and with the report of the revolver a
+heavy fist caught the trooper on the side of the chin, crumpling him
+to the ground as if he were dead.
+
+The blow had been in time to deflect the muzzle of the firearm, and
+the bullet whistled harmlessly past the lieutenant.
+
+"Your majesty!" exclaimed Butzow excitedly.  "Go back. He might have
+killed you."
+
+Barney leaped to the other's side and grasping him by the shoulders
+wheeled him about so that he faced the gate.
+
+"There, Butzow," he cried, "there is your king, and from the looks
+of it he never needed a loyal subject more than he does this moment.
+Come!" Without waiting to see if the other followed him, Barney
+Custer leaped through the gate full in the faces of the astonished
+trio that was dragging Leopold of Lutha from his sanctuary.
+
+At sight of the American the king gave a muffled cry of relief, and
+then Barney was upon those who held him. A stinging uppercut lifted
+Coblich clear of the ground to drop him, dazed and bewildered, at
+the foot of the monarch he had outraged. Maenck drew a revolver only
+to have it struck from his hand by the sword of Butzow, who had
+followed closely upon the American's heels.
+
+Barney, seizing the king by the arm, started on a run for the
+gateway. In his wake came Butzow with a drawn sword beating back
+Stein, who was armed with a cavalry saber, and Maenck who had now
+drawn his own sword.
+
+The American saw that the two were pressing Butzow much too closely
+for safety and that Coblich had now recovered from the effects of
+the blow and was in pursuit, drawing his saber as he ran. Barney
+thrust the king behind him and turned to face the enemy, at Butzow's
+side.
+
+The three men rushed upon the two who stood between them and their
+prey. The moonlight was now full in the faces of Butzow and the
+American. For the first time Maenck and the others saw who it was
+that had interrupted them.
+
+"The impostor!" cried the governor of Blentz.  "The false king!"
+
+Imbued with temporary courage by the knowledge that his side had the
+advantage of superior numbers he launched himself full upon the
+American. To his surprise he met a sword-arm that none might have
+expected in an American, for Barney Custer had been a pupil of the
+redoubtable Colonel Monstery, who was, as Barney was wont to say,
+"one of the thanwhomest of fencing masters."
+
+Quickly Maenck fell back to give place to Stein, but not before the
+American's point had found him twice to leave him streaming blood
+from two deep flesh wounds.
+
+Neither of those who fought in the service of the king saw the
+trembling, weak-kneed figure, which had stood behind them, turn and
+scurry through the gateway, leaving the men who battled for him to
+their fate.
+
+The trooper whom Barney had felled had regained consciousness and as
+he came to his feet rubbing his swollen jaw he saw a disheveled,
+half-dressed figure running toward him from the sanatorium grounds.
+The fellow was no fool, and knowing the purpose of the expedition as
+he did he was quick to jump to the conclusion that this fleeing
+personification of abject terror was Leopold of Lutha; and so it was
+that as the king emerged from the gateway in search of freedom he
+ran straight into the widespread arms of the trooper.
+
+Maenck and Coblich had seen the king's break for liberty, and the
+latter maneuvered to get himself between Butzow and the open gate
+that he might follow after the fleeing monarch.
+
+At the same instant Maenck, seeing that Stein was being worsted by
+the American, rushed in upon the latter, and thus relieved, the
+rat-faced doctor was enabled to swing a heavy cut at Barney which
+struck him a glancing blow upon the head, sending him stunned and
+bleeding to the sward.
+
+Coblich and the governor of Blentz hastened toward the gate, pausing
+for an instant to overwhelm Butzow. In the fierce scrimmage that
+followed the lieutenant was overthrown, though not before his sword
+had passed through the heart of the rat-faced one. Deserting their
+fallen comrade the two dashed through the gate, where to their
+immense relief they found Leopold safe in the hands of the trooper.
+
+An instant later the precious trio, with Leopold upon the horse of
+the late Dr. Stein, were galloping swiftly into the darkness of the
+wood that lies at the outskirts of Tafelberg.
+
+When Barney regained consciousness he found himself upon a cot
+within the sanatorium. Close beside him lay Butzow, and above them
+stood an interne and several nurses. No sooner had the American
+regained his scattered wits than he leaped to the floor. The interne
+and the nurses tried to force him back upon the cot, thinking that
+he was in the throes of a delirium, and it required his best efforts
+to convince them that he was quite rational.
+
+During the melee Butzow regained consciousness; his wound being as
+superficial as that of the American, the two men were soon donning
+their clothing, and, half-dressed, rushing toward the outer gate.
+
+The interne had told them that when he had reached the scene of the
+conflict in company with the gardener he had found them and another
+lying upon the sward.
+
+Their companion, he said, was quite dead.
+
+"That must have been Stein," said Butzow.  "And the others had
+escaped with the king!"
+
+"The king?" cried the interne.
+
+"Yes, the king, man--Leopold of Lutha.  Did you not know that he who
+has lain here for three weeks was the king?" replied Butzow.
+
+The interne accompanied them to the gate and beyond, but everywhere
+was silence. The king was gone.
+
+
+
+
+X
+
+ON THE BATTLEFIELD
+
+All that night and the following day Barney Custer and his aide rode
+in search of the missing king.
+
+They came to Blentz, and there Butzow rode boldly into the great
+court, admitted by virtue of the fact that the guard upon the gate
+knew him only as an officer of the royal guard whom they believed
+still loyal to Peter of Blentz.
+
+The lieutenant learned that the king was not there, nor had he been
+since his escape. He also learned that Peter was abroad in the
+lowland recruiting followers to aid him forcibly to regain the crown
+of Lutha.
+
+The lieutenant did not wait to hear more, but, hurrying from the
+castle, rode to Barney where the latter had remained in hiding in
+the wood below the moat--the same wood through which he had stumbled
+a few weeks previously after his escape from the stagnant waters of
+the moat.
+
+"The king is not here," said Butzow to him, as soon as the former
+reached his side. "Peter is recruiting an army to aid him in seizing
+the palace at Lustadt, and king or no king, we must ride for the
+capital in time to check that move. Thank God," he added, "that we
+shall have a king to place upon the throne of Lutha at noon tomorrow
+in spite of all that Peter can do."
+
+"What do you mean?" asked Barney.  "Have you any clue to the
+whereabouts of Leopold?"
+
+"I saw the man at Tafelberg whom you say is king," replied Butzow.
+"I saw him tremble and whimper in the face of danger. I saw him run
+when he might have seized something, even a stone, and fought at the
+sides of the men who were come to rescue him. And I saw you there
+also.
+
+"The truth and the falsity of this whole strange business is beyond
+me, but this I know: if you are not the king today I pray God that
+the other may not find his way to Lustadt before noon tomorrow, for
+by then a brave man will sit upon the throne of Lutha, your
+majesty."
+
+Barney laid his hand upon the shoulder of the other.
+
+"It cannot be, my friend," he said.  "There is more than a throne at
+stake for me, but to win them both I could not do the thing you
+suggest. If Leopold of Lutha lives he must be crowned tomorrow."
+
+"And if he does not live?" asked Butzow.
+
+Barney Custer shrugged his shoulders.
+
+It was dusk when the two entered the palace grounds in Lustadt.  The
+sight of Barney threw the servants and functionaries of the royal
+household into wild excitement and confusion. Men ran hither and
+thither bearing the glad tidings that the king had returned.
+
+Old von der Tann was announced within ten minutes after Barney
+reached his apartments. He urged upon the American the necessity for
+greater caution in the future.
+
+"Your majesty's life is never safe while Peter of Blentz is abroad
+in Lutha," cried he.
+
+"It was to save your king from Peter that we rode from Lustadt last
+night," replied Barney, but the old prince did not catch the double
+meaning of the words.
+
+While they talked a young officer of cavalry begged an audience.  He
+had important news for the king, he said. From him Barney learned
+that Peter of Blentz had succeeded in recruiting a fair-sized army
+in the lowlands. Two regiments of government infantry and a squadron
+of cavalry had united forces with him, for there were those who
+still accepted him as regent, believing his contention that the true
+king was dead, and that he whose coronation was to be attempted was
+but the puppet of old Von der Tann.
+
+The morning of November 5 broke clear and cold.  The old town of
+Lustadt was awakened with a start at daybreak by the booming of
+cannon. Mounted messengers galloped hither and thither through the
+steep, winding streets. Troops, foot and horse, moved at the double
+from the barracks along the King's Road to the fortifications which
+guard the entrance to the city at the foot of Margaretha Street.
+
+Upon the heights above the town Barney Custer and the old Prince von
+der Tann stood surrounded by officers and aides watching the advance
+of a skirmish line up the slopes toward Lustadt. Behind, the thin
+line columns of troops were marching under cover of two batteries of
+field artillery that Peter of Blentz had placed upon a wooden knoll
+to the southeast of the city.
+
+The guns upon the single fort that, overlooking the broad valley,
+guarded the entire southern exposure of the city were answering the
+fire of Prince Peter's artillery, while several machine guns had
+been placed to sweep the slope up which the skirmish line was
+advancing.
+
+The trees that masked the enemy's pieces extended upward along the
+ridge and the eastern edge of the city. Barney saw that a force of
+men might easily reach a commanding position from that direction and
+enter Lustadt almost in rear of the fortifications. Below him a
+squadron of the Royal Horse were just emerging from their stables,
+taking their way toward the plain to join in a concerted movement
+against the troops that were advancing toward the fort.
+
+He turned to an aide de camp standing just behind him.
+
+"Intercept that squadron and direct the major to move due east along
+the King's Road to the grove," he commanded. "We will join him
+there."
+
+And as the officer spurred down the steep and narrow street the
+American, followed by Von der Tann and his staff, wheeled and
+galloped eastward.
+
+Ten minutes later the party entered the wood at the edge of town,
+where the squadron soon joined them. Von der Tann was mystified at
+the purpose of this change in the position of the general staff,
+since from the wood they could see nothing of the battle waging upon
+the slope. During his brief intercourse with the man he thought king
+he had quite forgotten that there had been any question as to the
+young man's sanity, for he had given no indication of possessing
+aught but a well-balanced mind. Now, however, he commenced to have
+misgivings, if not of his sanity, then as to his judgment at least.
+
+"I fear, your majesty," he ventured, "that we are putting ourselves
+too much out of touch with the main body of the army. We can neither
+see nor accomplish anything from this position."
+
+"We were too far away to accomplish much upon the top of that
+mountain," replied Barney, "but we're going to commence doing things
+now. You will please to ride back along the King's Road and take
+direct command of the troops mobilized near the fort.
+
+"Direct the artillery to redouble their fire upon the enemy's
+battery for five minutes, and then to cease firing into the wood
+entirely. At the same instant you may order a cautious advance
+against the troops advancing up the slope.
+
+"When you see us emerge upon the west side of the grove where the
+enemy's guns are now, you may order a charge, and we will take them
+simultaneously upon their right flank with a cavalry charge."
+
+"But, your majesty," exclaimed Von der Tann dubiously, "where will
+you be in the mean time?"
+
+"We shall be with the major's squadron, and when you see us emerging
+from the grove, you will know that we have taken Peter's guns and
+that everything is over except the shouting."
+
+"You are not going to accompany the charge!" cried the old prince.
+
+"We are going to lead it," and the pseudo-king of Lutha wheeled his
+mount as though to indicate that the time for talking was past.
+
+With a signal to the major commanding the squadron of Royal Horse,
+he moved eastward into the wood. Prince Ludwig hesitated a moment as
+though to question further the wisdom of the move, but finally with
+a shake of his head he trotted off in the direction of the fort.
+
+Five minutes later the enemy were delighted to note that the fire
+upon their concealed battery had suddenly ceased.
+
+Then Peter saw a force of foot-soldiers deploy from the city and
+advance slowly in line of skirmishers down the slope to meet his own
+firing line.
+
+Immediately he did what Barney had expected that he would--turned
+the fire of his artillery toward the southwest, directly away from
+the point from which the American and the crack squadron were
+advancing.
+
+So it came that the cavalrymen crept through the woods upon the rear
+of the guns, unseen; the noise of their advance was drowned by the
+detonation of the cannon.
+
+The first that the artillerymen knew of the enemy in their rear was
+a shout of warning from one of the powder-men at a caisson, who had
+caught a glimpse of the grim line advancing through the trees at his
+rear.
+
+Instantly an effort was made to wheel several of the pieces about
+and train them upon the advancing horsemen; but even had there been
+time, a shout that rose from several of Peter's artillerymen as the
+Royal Horse broke into full view would doubtless have prevented the
+maneuver, for at sight of the tall, bearded, young man who galloped
+in front of the now charging cavalrymen there rose a shout of "The
+king! The king!"
+
+With the force of an avalanche the Royal Horse rode through those
+two batteries of field artillery; and in the thick of the fight that
+followed rode the American, a smile upon his face, for in his ears
+rang the wild shouts of his troopers: "For the king! For the king!"
+
+In the moment that the enemy made their first determined stand a
+bullet brought down the great bay upon which Barney rode. A dozen of
+Peter's men rushed forward to seize the man stumbling to his feet.
+As many more of the Royal Horse closed around him, and there, for
+five minutes, was waged as fierce a battle for possession of a king
+as was ever fought.
+
+But already many of the artillerymen had deserted the guns that had
+not yet been attacked, for the magic name of king had turned their
+blood to water. Fifty or more raised a white flag and surrendered
+without striking a blow, and when, at last, Barney and his little
+bodyguard fought their way through those who surrounded them they
+found the balance of the field already won.
+
+Upon the slope below the city the loyal troops were advancing upon
+the enemy. Old Prince Ludwig paced back and forth behind them,
+apparently oblivious to the rain of bullets about him. Every moment
+he turned his eyes toward the wooded ridge from which there now
+belched an almost continuous fusillade of shells upon the advancing
+royalists.
+
+Quite suddenly the cannonading ceased and the old man halted in his
+tracks, his gaze riveted upon the wood. For several minutes he saw
+no sign of what was transpiring behind that screen of sere and
+yellow autumn leaves, and then a man came running out, and after him
+another and another.
+
+The prince raised his field glasses to his eyes.  He almost cried
+aloud in his relief--the uniforms of the fugitives were those of
+artillerymen, and only cavalry had accompanied the king. A moment
+later there appeared in the center of his lenses a tall figure with
+a full beard. He rode, swinging his saber above his head, and behind
+him at full gallop came a squadron of the Royal Horse.
+
+Old von der Tann could restrain himself no longer.
+
+"The king!  The king!" he cried to those about him, pointing in the
+direction of the wood.
+
+The officers gathered there and the soldiery before him heard and
+took up the cry, and then from the old man's lips came the command,
+"Charge!" and a thousand men tore down the slopes of Lustadt upon
+the forces of Peter of Blentz, while from the east the king charged
+their right flank at the head of the Royal Horse.
+
+Peter of Blentz saw that the day was lost, for the troops upon the
+right were crumpling before the false king while he and his
+cavalrymen were yet a half mile distant. Before the retreat could
+become a rout the prince regent ordered his forces to fall back
+slowly upon a suburb that lies in the valley below the city.
+
+Once safely there he raised a white flag, asking a conference with
+Prince Ludwig.
+
+"Your majesty," said the old man, "what answer shall we send the
+traitor who even now ignores the presence of his king?"
+
+"Treat with him," replied the American.  "He may be honest enough in
+his belief that I am an impostor."
+
+Von der Tann shrugged his shoulders, but did as Barney bid, and for
+half an hour the young man waited with Butzow while Von der Tann and
+Peter met halfway between the forces for their conference.
+
+A dozen members of the most powerful of the older nobility
+accompanied Ludwig. When they returned their faces were a picture of
+puzzled bewilderment. With them were several officers, soldiers and
+civilians from Peter's contingency.
+
+"What said he?" asked Barney.
+
+"He said, your majesty," replied Von der Tann, "that he is confident
+you are not the king, and that these men he has sent with me knew
+the king well at Blentz. As proof that you are not the king he has
+offered the evidence of your own denials--made not only to his
+officers and soldiers, but to the man who is now your loyal
+lieutenant, Butzow, and to the Princess Emma von der Tann, my
+daughter.
+
+"He insists that he is fighting for the welfare of Lutha, while we
+are traitors, attempting to seat an impostor upon the throne of the
+dead Leopold. I will admit that we are at a loss, your majesty, to
+know where lies the truth and where the falsity in this matter.
+
+"We seek only to serve our country and our king but there are those
+among us who, to be entirely frank, are not yet convinced that you
+are Leopold. The result of the conference may not, then, meet with
+the hearty approval of your majesty."
+
+"What was the result?" asked Barney.
+
+"It was decided that all hostilities cease, and that Prince Peter be
+given an opportunity to establish the validity of his claim that
+your majesty is an impostor. If he is able to do so to the entire
+satisfaction of a majority of the old nobility, we have agreed to
+support him in a return to his regency."
+
+For a moment there was deep silence.  Many of the nobles stood with
+averted faces and eyes upon the ground.
+
+The American, a half-smile upon his face, turned toward the men of
+Peter who had come to denounce him. He knew what their verdict would
+be. He knew that if he were to save the throne for Leopold he must
+hold it at any cost until Leopold should be found.
+
+Troopers were scouring the country about Lustadt as far as Blentz in
+search of Maenck and Coblich. Could they locate these two and arrest
+them "with all found in their company," as his order read, he felt
+sure that he would be able to deliver the missing king to his
+subjects in time for the coronation at noon.
+
+Barney looked straight into the eyes of old Von der Tann.
+
+"You have given us the opinion of others, Prince Ludwig," he said.
+"Now you may tell us your own views of the matter."
+
+"I shall have to abide by the decision of the majority," replied the
+old man. "But I have seen your majesty under fire, and if you are
+not the king, for Lutha's sake you ought to be."
+
+"He is not Leopold," said one of the officers who had accompanied
+the prince from Peter's camp. "I was governor of Blentz for three
+years and as familiar with the king's face as with that of my own
+brother."
+
+"No," cried several of the others, "this man is not the king."
+
+Several of the nobles drew away from Barney.  Others looked at him
+questioningly.
+
+Butzow stepped close to his side, and it was noticeable that the
+troopers, and even the officers, of the Royal Horse which Barney had
+led in the charge upon the two batteries in the wood, pressed a
+little closer to the American. This fact did not escape Butzow's
+notice.
+
+"If you are content to take the word of the servants of a traitor
+and a would-be regicide," he cried, "I am not. There has been no
+proof advanced that this man is not the king. In so far as I am
+concerned he is the king, nor ever do I expect to serve another more
+worthy of the title.
+
+"If Peter of Blentz has real proof--not the testimony of his own
+faction--that Leopold of Lutha is dead, let him bring it forward
+before noon today, for at noon we shall crown a king in the
+cathedral at Lustadt, and I for one pray to God that it may be he
+who has led us in battle today."
+
+A shout of applause rose from the Royal Horse, and from the
+foot-soldiers who had seen the king charge across the plain,
+scattering the enemy before him.
+
+Barney, appreciating the advantage in the sudden turn affairs had
+taken following Butzow's words, swung to his saddle.
+
+"Until Peter of Blentz brings to Lustadt one with a better claim to
+the throne," he said, "we shall continue to rule Lutha, nor shall
+other than Leopold be crowned her king. We approve of the amnesty
+you have granted, Prince Ludwig, and Peter of Blentz is free to
+enter Lustadt, as he will, so long as he does not plot against the
+true king.
+
+"Major," he added, turning to the commander of the squadron at his
+back, "we are returning to the palace. Your squadron will escort us,
+remaining on guard there about the grounds. Prince Ludwig, you will
+see that machine guns are placed about the palace and commanding the
+approaches to the cathedral."
+
+With a nod to the cavalry major he wheeled his horse and trotted up
+the slope toward Lustadt.
+
+With a grim smile Prince Ludwig von der Tann mounted his horse and
+rode toward the fort. At his side were several of the nobles of
+Lutha. They looked at him in astonishment.
+
+"You are doing his bidding, although you do not know that he is the
+true king?" asked one of them.
+
+"Were he an impostor," replied the old man, "he would have insisted
+by word of mouth that he is king. But not once has he said that he
+is Leopold. Instead, he has proved his kingship by his acts."
+
+
+
+
+XI
+
+A TIMELY INTERVENTION
+
+Nine o'clock found Barney Custer pacing up and down his apartments
+in the palace. No clue as to the whereabouts of Coblich, Maenck or
+the king had been discovered. One by one his troopers had returned
+to Butzow empty-handed, and as much at a loss as to the hiding-place
+of their quarry as when they had set out upon their search.
+
+Peter of Blentz and his retainers had entered the city and already
+had commenced to gather at the cathedral.
+
+Peter, at the residence of Coblich, had succeeded in gathering about
+him many of the older nobility whom he pledged to support him in
+case he could prove to them that the man who occupied the royal
+palace was not Leopold of Lutha.
+
+They agreed to support him in his regency if he produced proof that
+the true Leopold was dead, and Peter of Blentz waited with growing
+anxiety the coming of Coblich with word that he had the king in
+custody. Peter was staking all on a single daring move which he had
+decided to make in his game of intrigue.
+
+As Barney paced within the palace, waiting for word that Leopold had
+been found, Peter of Blentz was filled with equal apprehension as
+he, too, waited for the same tidings. At last he heard the pound of
+hoofs upon the pavement without and a moment later Coblich, his
+clothing streaked with dirt, blood caked upon his face from a wound
+across the forehead, rushed into the presence of the prince regent.
+
+Peter drew him hurriedly into a small study on the first floor.
+
+"Well?" he whispered, as the two faced each other.
+
+"We have him," replied Coblich.  "But we had the devil's own time
+getting him. Stein was killed and Maenck and I both wounded, and all
+morning we have spent the time hiding from troopers who seemed to be
+searching for us. Only fifteen minutes since did we reach the
+hiding-place that you instructed us to use. But we have him, your
+highness, and he is in such a state of cowardly terror that he is
+ready to agree to anything, if you will but spare his life and set
+him free across the border."
+
+"It is too late for that now, Coblich," replied Peter. "There is but
+one way that Leopold of Lutha can serve me now, and that is--dead.
+Were his corpse to be carried into the cathedral of Lustadt before
+noon today, and were those who fetched it to swear that the king was
+killed by the impostor after being dragged from the hospital at
+Tafelberg where you and Maenck had located him, and from which you
+were attempting to rescue him, I believe that the people would tear
+our enemies to pieces. What say you, Coblich?"
+
+The other stared at Peter of Blentz for several seconds while the
+atrocity of his chief's plan filtered through his brain.
+
+"My God!" he exclaimed at last.  "You mean that you wish me to
+murder Leopold with my own hands?"
+
+"You put it too crudely, my dear Coblich," replied the other.
+
+"I cannot do it," muttered Coblich.  "I have never killed a man in
+my life. I am getting old. No, I could never do it. I should not
+sleep nights."
+
+"If it is not done, Coblich, and Leopold comes into his own," said
+Peter slowly, "you will be caught and hanged higher than Haman. And
+if you do not do it, and the impostor is crowned today, then you
+will be either hanged officially or knifed unofficially, and without
+any choice in the matter whatsoever. Nothing, Coblich, but the dead
+body of the true Leopold can save your neck. You have your choice,
+therefore, of letting him live to prove your treason, or letting him
+die and becoming chancellor of Lutha."
+
+Slowly Coblich turned toward the door.  "You are right," he said,
+"but may God have mercy on my soul. I never thought that I should
+have to do it with my own hands."
+
+So saying he left the room and a moment later Peter of Blentz smiled
+as he heard the pounding of a horse's hoofs upon the pavement
+without.
+
+Then the Regent entered the room he had recently quitted and spoke
+to the nobles of Lutha who were gathered there.
+
+"Coblich has found the body of the murdered king," he said.  "I have
+directed him to bring it to the cathedral. He came upon the impostor
+and his confederate, Lieutenant Butzow, as they were bearing the
+corpse from the hospital at Tafelberg where the king has lain
+unknown since the rumor was spread by Von der Tann that he had been
+killed by bandits.
+
+"He was not killed until last evening, my lords, and you shall see
+today the fresh wounds upon him. When the time comes that we can
+present this grisly evidence of the guilt of the impostor and those
+who uphold him, I shall expect you all to stand at my side, as you
+have promised."
+
+With one accord the noblemen pledged anew their allegiance to Peter
+of Blentz if he could produce one-quarter of the evidence he claimed
+to possess.
+
+"All that we wish to know positively is," said one, "that the man
+who bears the title of king today is really Leopold of Lutha, or
+that he is not. If not then he stands convicted of treason, and we
+shall know how to conduct ourselves."
+
+Together the party rode to the cathedral, the majority of the older
+nobility now openly espousing the cause of the Regent.
+
+
+At the palace Barney was about distracted.  Butzow was urging him to
+take the crown whether he was Leopold or not, for the young
+lieutenant saw no hope for Lutha, if either the scoundrelly Regent
+or the cowardly man whom Barney had assured him was the true king
+should come into power.
+
+It was eleven o'clock.  In another hour Barney knew that he must
+have found some new solution of his dilemma, for there seemed little
+probability that the king would be located in the brief interval
+that remained before the coronation. He wondered what they did to
+people who stole thrones. For a time he figured his chances of
+reaching the border ahead of the enraged populace. All had depended
+upon the finding of the king, and he had been so sure that it could
+be accomplished in time, for Coblich and Maenck had had but a few
+hours in which to conceal the monarch before the search was well
+under way.
+
+Armed with the king's warrants, his troopers had ridden through the
+country, searching houses, and questioning all whom they met.
+Patrols had guarded every road that the fugitives might take either
+to Lustadt, Blentz, or the border; but no king had been found and no
+trace of his abductors.
+
+Prince von der Tann, Barney was convinced, was on the point of
+deserting him, and going over to the other side. It was true that
+the old man had carried out his instructions relative to the placing
+of the machine guns; but they might be used as well against him,
+where they stood, as for him.
+
+From his window he could see the broad avenue which passes before
+the royal palace of Lutha. It was crowded with throngs moving toward
+the cathedral. Presently there came a knock upon the closed door of
+his chamber.
+
+At his "Enter" a functionary announced: "His Royal Highness Ludwig,
+Prince von der Tann!"
+
+The old man was much perturbed at the rumors he had heard relative
+to the assassination of the true Leopold. Soldier-like, he blurted
+out his suspicions and his ultimatum.
+
+"None but the royal blood of Rubinroth may reign in Lutha while
+there be a Rubinroth left to reign and old Von der Tann lives," he
+cried in conclusion.
+
+At the name "Rubinroth" Barney started.  It was his mother's name.
+Suddenly the truth flashed upon him. He understood now the reticence
+of both his father and mother relative to her early life.
+
+"Prince Ludwig," said the young man earnestly, "I have only the good
+of Lutha in my heart. For three weeks I have labored and risked
+death a hundred times to place the legitimate heir to the crown of
+Lutha upon his throne. I--"
+
+He hesitated, not knowing just how to commence the confession he was
+determined to make, though he was positive that it would place Peter
+of Blentz upon the throne, since the old prince had promised to
+support the Regent could it be proved that Barney was an impostor.
+
+"I," he started again, and then there came an interruption at the
+door.
+
+"A messenger, your majesty," announced the doorman, "who says that
+he must have audience at once upon a matter of life and death to the
+king."
+
+"We will see him in the ante-chamber," replied Barney, moving toward
+the door. "Await us here, Prince Ludwig."
+
+A moment later he re-entered the apartment.  There was an expression
+of renewed hope upon his face.
+
+"As we were about to remark, my dear prince," he said, "I swear that
+the royal blood of the Rubinroths flows in my veins, and as God is
+my judge, none other than the true Leopold of Lutha shall be crowned
+today. And now we must prepare for the coronation. If there be
+trouble in the cathedral, Prince Ludwig, we look to your sword in
+protection of the king."
+
+"When I am with you, sire," said Von der Tann, "I know that you are
+king. When I saw how you led the troops in battle, I prayed that
+there could be no mistake. God give that I am right. But God help
+you if you are playing with old Ludwig von der Tann."
+
+When the old man had left the apartment Barney summoned an aide and
+sent for Butzow. Then he hurried to the bath that adjoined the
+apartment, and when the lieutenant of horse was announced Barney
+called through a soapy lather for his confederate to enter.
+
+"What are you doing, sire?" cried Butzow in amazement.
+
+"Cut out the 'sire,' old man," shouted Barney Custer of Beatrice.
+"this is the fifth of November and I am shaving off this alfalfa.
+The king is found!"
+
+"What?" cried Butzow, and upon his face there was little to indicate
+the rejoicing that a loyal subject of Leopold of Lutha should have
+felt at that announcement.
+
+"There is a man in the next room," went on Barney, "who can lead us
+to the spot where Coblich and Maenck guard the king. Get him in
+here."
+
+Butzow hastened to comply with the American's instructions, and a
+moment later returned to the apartment with the old shopkeeper of
+Tafelberg.
+
+As Barney shaved he issued directions to the two.  Within the room
+to the east, he said, there were the king's coronation robes, and in
+a smaller dressingroom beyond they would find a long gray cloak.
+
+They were to wrap all these in a bundle which the old shopkeeper was
+to carry.
+
+"And, Butzow," added Barney, "look to my revolvers and your own, and
+lay my sword out as well. The chances are that we shall have to use
+them before we are ten minutes older."
+
+In an incredibly short space of time the young man emerged from the
+bath, his luxuriant beard gone forever, he hoped. Butzow looked at
+him with a smile.
+
+"I must say that the beard did not add greatly to your majesty's
+good looks," he said.
+
+"Never mind the bouquets, old man," cried Barney, cramming his arms
+into the sleeves of his khaki jacket and buckling sword and revolver
+about him, as he hurried toward a small door that opened upon the
+opposite side of the apartment to that through which his visitors
+had been conducted.
+
+Together the three hastened through a narrow, little-used corridor
+and down a flight of well-worn stone steps to a door that let upon
+the rear court of the palace.
+
+There were grooms and servants there, and soldiers too, who saluted
+Butzow, according the old shopkeeper and the smooth-faced young
+stranger only cursory glances. It was evident that without his beard
+it was not likely that Barney would be again mistaken for the king.
+
+At the stables Butzow requisitioned three horses, and soon the trio
+was galloping through a little-frequented street toward the
+northern, hilly environs of Lustadt. They rode in silence until they
+came to an old stone building, whose boarded windows and general
+appearance of dilapidation proclaimed its long tenantless condition.
+Rank weeds, now rustling dry and yellow in the November wind, choked
+what once might have been a luxuriant garden. A stone wall, which
+had at one time entirely surrounded the grounds, had been almost
+completely removed from the front to serve as foundation stone for a
+smaller edifice farther down the mountainside.
+
+The horsemen avoided this break in the wall, coming up instead upon
+the rear side where their approach was wholly screened from the
+building by the wall upon that exposure.
+
+Close in they dismounted, and leaving the animals in charge of the
+shopkeeper of Tafelberg, Barney and Butzow hastened toward a small
+postern-gate which swung, groaning, upon a single rusted hinge. Each
+felt that there was no time for caution or stratagem. Instead all
+depended upon the very boldness and rashness of their attack, and so
+as they came through into the courtyard the two dashed headlong for
+the building.
+
+Chance accomplished for them what no amount of careful execution
+might have done, and they came within the ruin unnoticed by the four
+who occupied the old, darkened library.
+
+Possibly the fact that one of the men had himself just entered and
+was excitedly talking to the others may have drowned the noisy
+approach of the two. However that may be, it is a fact that Barney
+and the cavalry officer came to the very door of the library
+unheard.
+
+There they halted, listening.  Coblich was speaking.
+
+"The Regent commands it, Maenck," he was saying.  "It is the only
+thing that can save our necks. He said that you had better be the
+one to do it, since it was your carelessness that permitted the
+fellow to escape from Blentz."
+
+Huddled in a far corner of the room was an abject figure trembling
+in terror. At the words of Coblich it staggered to its feet. It was
+the king.
+
+"Have pity--have pity!" he cried.  "Do not kill me, and I will go
+away where none will ever know that I live. You can tell Peter that
+I am dead. Tell him anything, only spare my life. Oh, why did I ever
+listen to the cursed fool who tempted me to think of regaining the
+crown that has brought me only misery and suffering--the crown that
+has now placed the sentence of death upon me."
+
+"Why not let him go?" suggested the trooper, who up to this time had
+not spoken. "If we don't kill him, we can't be hanged for his
+murder."
+
+"Don't be too sure of that," exclaimed Maenck.  "If he goes away and
+never returns, what proof can we offer that we did not kill him,
+should we be charged with the crime? And if we let him go, and later
+he returns and gains his throne, he will see that we are hanged
+anyway for treason.
+
+"The safest thing to do is to put him where he at least cannot come
+back to threaten us, and having done so upon the orders of Peter,
+let the king's blood be upon Peter's head. I, at least, shall obey
+my master, and let you two bear witness that I did the thing with my
+own hand." So saying he drew his sword and crossed toward the king.
+
+But Captain Ernst Maenck never reached his sovereign.
+
+As the terrified shriek of the sorry monarch rang through the
+interior of the desolate ruin another sound mingled with it,
+half-drowning the piercing wail of terror.
+
+It was the sharp crack of a revolver, and even as it spoke Maenck
+lunged awkwardly forward, stumbled, and collapsed at Leopold's feet.
+With a moan the king shrank back from the grisly thing that touched
+his boot, and then two men were in the center of the room, and
+things were happening with a rapidity that was bewildering.
+
+About all that he could afterward recall with any distinctness was
+the terrified face of Coblich, as he rushed past him toward a door
+in the opposite side of the room, and the horrid leer upon the face
+of the dead trooper, who foolishly, had made a move to draw his
+revolver.
+
+
+Within the cathedral at Lustadt excitement was at fever heat.  It
+lacked but two minutes of noon, and as yet no king had come to claim
+the crown. Rumors were running riot through the close-packed
+audience.
+
+One man had heard the king's chamberlain report to Prince von der
+Tann that the master of ceremonies had found the king's apartments
+vacant when he had gone to urge the monarch to hasten his
+preparations for the coronation.
+
+Another had seen Butzow and two strangers galloping north through
+the city. A third told of a little old man who had come to the king
+with an urgent message.
+
+Peter of Blentz and Prince Ludwig were talking in whispers at the
+foot of the chancel steps. Peter ascended the steps and facing the
+assemblage raised a silencing hand.
+
+"He who claimed to be Leopold of Lutha," he said, "was but a mad
+adventurer. He would have seized the throne of the Rubinroths had
+his nerve not failed him at the last moment. He has fled. The true
+king is dead. Now I, Prince Regent of Lutha, declare the throne
+vacant, and announce myself king!"
+
+There were a few scattered cheers and some hissing.  A score of the
+nobles rose as though to protest, but before any could take a step
+the attention of all was directed toward the sorry figure of a
+white-faced man who scurried up the broad center aisle.
+
+It was Coblich.
+
+He ran to Peter's side, and though he attempted to speak in a
+whisper, so out of breath, and so filled with hysterical terror was
+he that his words came out in gasps that were audible to many of
+those who stood near by.
+
+"Maenck is dead," he cried.  "The impostor has stolen the king."
+
+Peter of Blentz went white as his lieutenant.  Von der Tann heard
+and demanded an explanation.
+
+"You said that Leopold was dead," he said accusingly.
+
+Peter regained his self-control quickly.
+
+"Coblich is excited," he explained.  "He means that the impostor has
+stolen the body of the king that Coblich and Maenck had discovered
+and were bringing to Lustadt."
+
+Von der Tann looked troubled.
+
+He knew not what to make of the series of wild tales that had come
+to his ears within the past hour. He had hoped that the young man
+whom he had last seen in the king's apartments was the true Leopold.
+He would have been glad to have served such a one, but there had
+been many inexplicable occurrences which tended to cast a doubt upon
+the man's claims--and yet, had he ever claimed to be the king? It
+suddenly occurred to the old prince that he had not. On the contrary
+he had repeatedly stated to Prince Ludwig's daughter and to
+Lieutenant Butzow that he was not Leopold.
+
+It seemed that they had all been so anxious to believe him king that
+they had forced the false position upon him, and now if he had
+indeed committed the atrocity that Coblich charged against him, who
+could wonder? With less provocation men had before attempted to
+seize thrones by more dastardly means.
+
+Peter of Blentz was speaking.
+
+"Let the coronation proceed," he cried, "that Lutha may have a true
+king to frustrate the plans of the impostor and the traitors who had
+supported him."
+
+He cast a meaning glance at Prince von der Tann.
+
+There were many cries for Peter of Blentz.  "Let's have done with
+treason, and place upon the throne of Lutha one whom we know to be
+both a Luthanian and sane. Down with the mad king! Down with the
+impostor!"
+
+Peter turned to ascend the chancel steps.
+
+Von der Tann still hesitated.  Below him upon one side of the aisle
+were massed his own retainers. Opposite them were the men of the
+Regent, and dividing the two the parallel ranks of Horse Guards
+stretched from the chancel down the broad aisle to the great doors.
+These were strongly for the impostor, if impostor he was, who had
+led them to victory over the men of the Blentz faction.
+
+Von der Tann knew that they would fight to the last ditch for their
+hero should he come to claim the crown. Yet how would they fight--to
+which side would they cleave, were he to attempt to frustrate the
+design of the Regent to seize the throne of Lutha?
+
+Already Peter of Blentz had approached the bishop, who, eager to
+propitiate whoever seemed most likely to become king, gave the
+signal for the procession that was to mark the solemn bearing of the
+crown of Lutha up the aisle to the chancel.
+
+Outside the cathedral there was the sudden blare of trumpets.  The
+great doors swung violently open, and the entire throng were upon
+their feet in an instant as a trooper of the Royal Horse shouted:
+"The king! The king! Make way for Leopold of Lutha!"
+
+
+
+
+XII
+
+THE GRATITUDE OF A KING
+
+At the cry silence fell upon the throng.  Every head was turned
+toward the great doors through which the head of a procession was
+just visible. It was a grim looking procession--the head of it, at
+least.
+
+There were four khaki-clad trumpeters from the Royal Horse Guards,
+the gay and resplendent uniforms which they should have donned today
+conspicuous for their absence. From their brazen bugles sounded
+another loud fanfare, and then they separated, two upon each side of
+the aisle, and between them marched three men.
+
+One was tall, with gray eyes and had a reddish-brown beard.  He was
+fully clothed in the coronation robes of Leopold. Upon his either
+hand walked the others--Lieutenant Butzow and a gray-eyed,
+smooth-faced, square-jawed stranger.
+
+Behind them marched the balance of the Royal Horse Guards that were
+not already on duty within the cathedral. As the eyes of the
+multitude fell upon the man in the coronation robes there were cries
+of: "The king! Impostor!" and "Von der Tann's puppet!"
+
+"Denounce him!" whispered one of Peter's henchmen in his master's
+ear.
+
+The Regent moved closer to the aisle, that he might meet the
+impostor at the foot of the chancel steps. The procession was moving
+steadily up the aisle.
+
+Among the clan of Von der Tann a young girl with wide eyes was
+bending forward that she might have a better look at the face of the
+king. As he came opposite her her eyes filled with horror, and then
+she saw the eyes of the smooth-faced stranger at the king's side.
+They were brave, laughing eyes, and as they looked straight into her
+own the truth flashed upon her, and the girl gave a gasp of dismay
+as she realized that the king of Lutha and the king of her heart
+were not one and the same.
+
+At last the head of the procession was almost at the foot of the
+chancel steps. There were murmurs of: "It is not the king," and "Who
+is this new impostor?"
+
+Leopold's eyes were searching the faces of the close-packed nobility
+about the chancel. At last they fell upon the face of Peter. The
+young man halted not two paces from the Regent. The man went white
+as the king's eyes bored straight into his miserable soul.
+
+"Peter of Blentz," cried the young man, "as God is your judge, tell
+the truth today. Who am I?"
+
+The legs of the Prince Regent trembled.  He sank upon his knees,
+raising his hands in supplication toward the other. "Have pity on
+me, your majesty, have pity!" he cried.
+
+"Who am I, man?" insisted the king.
+
+"You are Leopold Rubinroth, sire, by the grace of God, king of
+Lutha," cried the frightened man. "Have mercy on an old man, your
+majesty."
+
+"Wait!  Am I mad?  Was I ever mad?"
+
+"As God is my judge, sire, no!" replied Peter of Blentz.
+
+Leopold turned to Butzow.
+
+"Remove the traitor from our presence," he commanded, and at a word
+from the lieutenant a dozen guardsmen seized the trembling man and
+hustled him from the cathedral amid hisses and execrations.
+
+
+Following the coronation the king was closeted in his private
+audience chamber in the palace with Prince Ludwig.
+
+"I cannot understand what has happened, even now, your majesty," the
+old man was saying. "That you are the true Leopold is all that I am
+positive of, for the discomfiture of Prince Peter evidenced that
+fact all too plainly. But who the impostor was who ruled Lutha in
+your name for two days, disappearing as miraculously as he came, I
+cannot guess.
+
+"But for another miracle which preserved you for us in the nick of
+time he might now be wearing the crown of Lutha in your stead.
+Having Peter of Blentz safely in custody our next immediate task
+should be to hunt down the impostor and bring him to justice also;
+though"--and the old prince sighed--"he was indeed a brave man, and
+a noble figure of a king as he led your troops to battle."
+
+The king had been smiling as Von der Tann first spoke of the
+"impostor," but at the old man's praise of the other's bravery a
+slight flush tinged his cheek, and the shadow of a scowl crossed his
+brow.
+
+"Wait," he said, "we shall not have to look far for your
+'impostor,'" and summoning an aide he dispatched him for "Lieutenant
+Butzow and Mr. Custer."
+
+A moment later the two entered the audience chamber. Barney found
+that Leopold the king, surrounded by comforts and safety, was a very
+different person from Leopold the fugitive. The weak face now wore
+an expression of arrogance, though the king spoke most graciously to
+the American.
+
+"Here, Von der Tann," said Leopold, "is your 'impostor.' But for him
+I should doubtless be dead by now, or once again a prisoner at
+Blentz."
+
+Barney and Butzow found it necessary to repeat their stories several
+times before the old man could fully grasp all that had transpired
+beneath his very nose without his being aware of scarce a single
+detail of it.
+
+When he was finally convinced that they were telling the truth, he
+extended his hand to the American.
+
+"I knelt to you once, young man," he said, "and kissed your hand.  I
+should be filled with bitterness and rage toward you. On the
+contrary, I find that I am proud to have served in the retinue of
+such an impostor as you, for you upheld the prestige of the house of
+Rubinroth upon the battlefield, and though you might have had a
+crown, you refused it and brought the true king into his own."
+
+Leopold sat tapping his foot upon the carpet.  It was all very well
+if he, the king, chose to praise the American, but there was no need
+for old von der Tann to slop over so. The king did not like it. As a
+matter of fact, he found himself becoming very jealous of the man
+who had placed him upon his throne.
+
+"There is only one thing that I can harbor against you," continued
+Prince Ludwig, "and that is that in a single instance you deceived
+me, for an hour before the coronation you told me that you were a
+Rubinroth."
+
+"I told you, prince," corrected Barney, "that the royal blood of
+Rubinroth flowed in my veins, and so it does. I am the son of the
+runaway Princess Victoria of Lutha."
+
+Both Leopold and Ludwig looked their surprise, and to the king's
+eyes came a sudden look of fear. With the royal blood in his veins,
+what was there to prevent this popular hero from some day striving
+for the throne he had once refused? Leopold knew that the minds of
+men were wont to change most unaccountably.
+
+"Butzow," he said suddenly to the lieutenant of horse, "how many do
+you imagine know positively that he who has ruled Lutha for the past
+two days and he who was crowned in the cathedral this noon are not
+one and the same?"
+
+"Only a few besides those who are in this room, your majesty,"
+replied Butzow. "Peter and Coblich have known it from the first, and
+then there is Kramer, the loyal old shopkeeper of Tafelberg, who
+followed Coblich and Maenck all night and half a day as they dragged
+the king to the hiding-place where we found him. Other than these
+there may be those who guess the truth, but there are none who
+know."
+
+For a moment the king sat in thought.  Then he rose and commenced
+pacing back and forth the length of the apartment.
+
+"Why should they ever know?" he said at last, halting before the
+three men who had been standing watching him. "For the sake of Lutha
+they should never know that another than the true king sat upon the
+throne even for an hour."
+
+He was thinking of the comparison that might be drawn between the
+heroic figure of the American and his own colorless part in the
+events which had led up to his coronation. In his heart of hearts he
+felt that old Von der Tann rather regretted that the American had
+not been the king, and he hated the old man accordingly, and was
+commencing to hate the American as well.
+
+Prince Ludwig stood looking at the carpet after the king had spoken.
+His judgment told him that the king's suggestion was a wise one; but
+he was sorry and ashamed that it had come from Leopold. Butzow's
+lips almost showed the contempt that he felt for the ingratitude of
+his king.
+
+Barney Custer was the first to speak.
+
+"I think his majesty is quite right," he said, "and tonight I can
+leave the palace after dark and cross the border some time tomorrow
+evening. The people need never know the truth."
+
+Leopold looked relieved.
+
+"We must reward you, Mr. Custer," he said.  "Name that which it lies
+within our power to grant you and it shall be yours."
+
+Barney thought of the girl he loved; but he did not mention her
+name, for he knew that she was not for him now.
+
+"There is nothing, your majesty," he said.
+
+"A money reward," Leopold started to suggest, and then Barney Custer
+lost his temper.
+
+A flush mounted to his face, his chin went up, and there came to his
+lips bitter words of sarcasm. With an effort, however, he held his
+tongue, and, turning his back upon the king, his broad shoulders
+proclaiming the contempt he felt, he walked slowly out of the room.
+
+Von der Tann and Butzow and Leopold of Lutha stood in silence as the
+American passed out of sight beyond the portal.
+
+The manner of his going had been an affront to the king, and the
+young ruler had gone red with anger.
+
+"Butzow," he cried, "bring the fellow back; he shall be taught a
+lesson in the deference that is due kings."
+
+Butzow hesitated.  "He has risked his life a dozen times for your
+majesty," said the lieutenant.
+
+Leopold flushed.
+
+"Do not humiliate him, sire," advised Von der Tann.  "He has earned
+a greater reward at your hands than that."
+
+The king resumed his pacing for a moment, coming to a halt once more
+before the two.
+
+"We shall take no notice of his insolence," he said, "and that shall
+be our royal reward for his services. More than he deserves, we dare
+say, at that."
+
+As Barney hastened through the palace on his way to his new quarters
+to obtain his arms and order his horse saddled, he came suddenly
+upon a girlish figure gazing sadly from a window upon the drear
+November world--her heart as sad as the day.
+
+At the sound of his footstep she turned, and as her eyes met the
+gray ones of the man she stood poised as though of half a mind to
+fly. For a moment neither spoke.
+
+"Can your highness forgive?" he asked.
+
+For answer the girl buried her face in her hands and dropped upon
+the cushioned window seat before her. The American came close and
+knelt at her side.
+
+"Don't," he begged as he saw her shoulders rise to the sudden
+sobbing that racked her slender frame. "Don't!"
+
+He thought that she wept from mortification that she had given her
+kisses to another than the king.
+
+"None knows," he continued, "what has passed between us.  None but
+you and I need ever know. I tried to make you understand that I was
+not Leopold; but you would not believe. It is not my fault that I
+loved you. It is not my fault that I shall always love you. Tell me
+that you forgive me my part in the chain of strange circumstances
+that deceived you into an acknowledgment of a love that you intended
+for another. Forgive me, Emma!"
+
+Down the corridor behind them a tall figure approached on silent,
+noiseless feet. At sight of the two at the window seat it halted. It
+was the king.
+
+The girl looked up suddenly into the eyes of the American bending so
+close above her.
+
+"I can never forgive you," she cried, "for not being the king, for I
+am betrothed to him--and I love you!"
+
+Before she could prevent him, Barney Custer had taken her in his
+arms, and though at first she made a pretense of attempting to
+escape, at last she lay quite still. Her arms found their way about
+the man's neck, and her lips returned the kisses that his were
+showering upon her upturned mouth.
+
+Presently her glance wandered above the shoulder of the American,
+and of a sudden her eyes filled with terror, and, with a little gasp
+of consternation, she struggled to free herself.
+
+"Let me go!" she whispered.  "Let me go--the king!"
+
+Barney sprang to his feet and, turning, faced Leopold. The king had
+gone quite white.
+
+"Failing to rob me of my crown," he cried in a trembling voice, "you
+now seek to rob me of my betrothed! Go to your father at once, and
+as for you--you shall learn what it means for you thus to meddle in
+the affairs of kings."
+
+Barney saw the terrible position in which his love had placed the
+Princess Emma. His only thought now was for her. Bowing low before
+her he spoke so that the king might hear, yet as though his words
+were for her ears alone.
+
+"Your highness knows the truth, now," he said, "and that after all I
+am not the king. I can only ask that you will forgive me the
+deception. Now go to your father as the king commands."
+
+Slowly the girl turned away.  Her heart was torn between love for
+this man, and her duty toward the other to whom she had been
+betrothed in childhood. The hereditary instinct of obedience to her
+sovereign was strong within her, and the bonds of custom and society
+held her in their relentless shackles. With a sob she passed up the
+corridor, curtsying to the king as she passed him.
+
+When she had gone Leopold turned to the American. There was an evil
+look in the little gray eyes of the monarch.
+
+"You may go your way," he said coldly.  "We shall give you
+forty-eight hours to leave Lutha. Should you ever return your life
+shall be the forfeit."
+
+The American kept back the hot words that were ready upon the end of
+his tongue. For her sake he must bow to fate. With a slight
+inclination of his head toward Leopold he wheeled and resumed his
+way toward his quarters.
+
+Half an hour later as he was about to descend to the courtyard where
+a trooper of the Royal Horse held his waiting mount, Butzow burst
+suddenly into his room.
+
+"For God's sake," cried the lieutenant, "get out of this. The king
+has changed his mind, and there is an officer of the guard on his
+way here now with a file of soldiers to place you under arrest.
+Leopold swears that he will hang you for treason. Princess Emma has
+spurned him, and he is wild with rage."
+
+The dismal November twilight had given place to bleak night as two
+men cantered from the palace courtyard and turned their horses'
+heads northward toward Lutha's nearest boundary. All night they
+rode, stopping at daylight before a distant farm to feed and water
+their mounts and snatch a mouthful for themselves. Then onward once
+again they pressed in their mad flight.
+
+Now that day had come they caught occasional glimpses of a body of
+horsemen far behind them, but the border was near, and their start
+such that there was no danger of their being overtaken.
+
+"For the thousandth time, Butzow," said one of the men, "will you
+turn back before it is too late?"
+
+But the other only shook his head obstinately, and so they came to
+the great granite monument which marks the boundary between Lutha
+and her powerful neighbor upon the north.
+
+Barney held out his hand.  "Good-bye, old man," he said. "If I've
+learned the ingratitude of kings here in Lutha, I have found
+something that more than compensates me--the friendship of a brave
+man. Now hurry back and tell them that I escaped across the border
+just as I was about to fall into your hands and they will think that
+you have been pursuing me instead of aiding in my escape across the
+border."
+
+But again Butzow shook his head.
+
+"I have fought shoulder to shoulder with you, my friend," he said.
+"I have called you king, and after that I could never serve the
+coward who sits now upon the throne of Lutha. I have made up my mind
+during this long ride from Lustadt, and I have come to the decision
+that I should prefer to raise corn in Nebraska with you rather than
+serve in the court of an ingrate."
+
+"Well, you are an obstinate Dutchman, after all," replied the
+American with a smile, placing his hand affectionately upon the
+shoulder of his comrade.
+
+There was a clatter of horses' hoofs upon the gravel of the road
+behind them.
+
+The two men put spurs to their mounts, and Barney Custer galloped
+across the northern boundary of Lutha just ahead of a troop of
+Luthanian cavalry, as had his father thirty years before; but a
+royal princess had accompanied the father--only a soldier
+accompanied the son.
+
+
+
+
+
+PART II
+
+
+I
+
+BARNEY RETURNS TO LUTHA
+
+"What's the matter, Vic?" asked Barney Custer of his sister.  "You
+look peeved."
+
+"I am peeved," replied the girl, smiling.  "I am terribly peeved.  I
+don't want to play bridge this afternoon. I want to go motoring with
+Lieutenant Butzow. This is his last day with us."
+
+"Yes.  I know it is, and I hate to think of it," replied Barney;
+"but why in the world do you have to play bridge if you don't want
+to?"
+
+"I promised Margaret that I'd go.  They're short one, and she's
+coming after me in her car."
+
+"Where are you going to play--at the champion lady bridge player's
+on Fourth Street?" asked Barney, grinning.
+
+His sister answered with a nod and a smile.  "Where you brought down
+the wrath of the lady champion upon your head the other night when
+you were letting your mind wander across to Lutha and the Old
+Forest, instead of paying attention to the game," she added.
+
+"Well, cheer up, Vic," cried her brother.  "Bert'll probably set
+fire to the car, the way he did to their first one, and then you
+won't have to go."
+
+"Oh, yes, I would; Margaret would send him after me in that
+awful-looking, unwashed Ford runabout of his," answered the girl.
+
+"And then you WOULD go," said Barney.
+
+"You bet I would," laughed Victoria.  "I'd go in a wheelbarrow with
+Bert."
+
+But she didn't have to; and after she had driven off with her chum,
+Barney and Butzow strolled down through the little city of Beatrice
+to the corn mill in which the former was interested.
+
+"I'm mighty sorry that you have to leave us, Butzow," said Barney's
+partner. "It's bad enough to lose you, but I'm afraid it will mean
+the loss of Barney, too. He's been hunting for some excuse to get
+back to Lutha, and with you there and a war in sight I'm afraid
+nothing can hold him."
+
+"I don't know but that it may be just as well for my friends here
+that I leave," said Butzow seriously. "I did not tell you, Barney,
+all there is in this letter"--he tapped his breastpocket, where the
+foreign-looking envelope reposed with its contents.
+
+Custer looked at him inquiringly.
+
+"Besides saying that war between Austria and Serbia seems
+unavoidable and that Lutha doubtless will be drawn into it, my
+informant warns me that Leopold had sent emissaries to America to
+search for you, Barney, and myself. What his purpose may be my
+friend does not know, but he warns us to be upon our guard. Von der
+Tann wants me to return to Lutha. He has promised to protect me, and
+with the country in danger there is nothing else for me to do. I
+must go."
+
+"I wish I could go with you," said Barney.  "If it wasn't for this
+dinged old mill I would; but Bert wants to go away this summer, and
+as I have been away most of the time for the past two years, it's up
+to me to stay."
+
+As the three men talked the afternoon wore on.  Heavy clouds
+gathered in the sky; a storm was brewing. Outside, a man, skulking
+behind a box car on the siding, watched the entrance through which
+the three had gone. He watched the workmen, and as quitting time
+came and he saw them leaving for their homes he moved more
+restlessly, transferring the package which he held from one hand to
+another many times, yet always gingerly.
+
+At last all had left.  The man started from behind the box car, only
+to jump back as the watchman appeared around the end of one of the
+buildings. He watched the guardian of the property make his rounds;
+he saw him enter his office, and then he crept forward toward the
+building, holding his queer package in his right hand.
+
+In the office the watchman came upon the three friends. At sight of
+him they looked at one another in surprise.
+
+"Why, what time is it?" exclaimed Custer, and as he looked at his
+watch he rose with a laugh. "Late to dinner again," he cried. "Come
+on, we'll go out this other way." And with a cheery good night to
+the watchman Barney and his friends hastened from the building.
+
+Upon the opposite side the stranger approached the doorway to the
+mill. The rain was falling in blinding sheets. Ominously the thunder
+roared. Vivid flashes of lightning shot the heavens. The watchman,
+coming suddenly from the doorway, his hat brim pulled low over his
+eyes, passed within a couple of paces of the stranger without seeing
+him.
+
+Five minutes later there was a blinding glare accompanied by a
+deafening roar. It was as though nature had marshaled all her forces
+in one mighty, devastating effort. At the same instant the walls of
+the great mill burst asunder, a nebulous mass of burning gas shot
+heavenward, and then the flames settled down to complete the
+destruction of the ruin.
+
+It was the following morning that Victoria and Barney Custer, with
+Lieutenant Butzow and Custer's partner, stood contemplating the
+smoldering wreckage.
+
+"And to think," said Barney, "that yesterday this muss was the
+largest corn mill west of anywhere. I guess we can both take
+vacations now, Bert."
+
+"Who would have thought that a single bolt of lightning could have
+resulted in such havoc?" mused Victoria.
+
+"Who would?" agreed Lieutenant Butzow, and then, with a sudden
+narrowing of his eyes and a quick glance at Barney, "if it WAS
+lightning."
+
+The American looked at the Luthanian.  "You think--" he started.
+
+"I don't dare think," replied Butzow, "because of the fear of what
+this may mean to you and Miss Victoria if it was not lightning that
+destroyed the mill. I shouldn't have spoken of it but that it may
+urge you to greater caution, which I cannot but think is most
+necessary since the warning I received from Lutha."
+
+"Why should Leopold seek to harm me now?" asked Barney.  "It has
+been almost two years since you and I placed him upon his throne,
+only to be rewarded with threats and hatred. In that time neither of
+us has returned to Lutha nor in any way conspired against the king.
+I cannot fathom his motives."
+
+"There is the Princess Emma von der Tann," Butzow reminded him.
+"She still repulses him. He may think that, with you removed
+definitely and permanently, all will then be plain sailing for him
+in that direction. Evidently he does not know the princess."
+
+
+An hour later they were all bidding Butzow good-bye at the station.
+Victoria Custer was genuinely grieved to see him go, for she liked
+this soldierly young officer of the Royal Horse Guards immensely.
+
+"You must come back to America soon," she urged.
+
+He looked down at her from the steps of the moving train. There was
+something in his expression that she had never seen there before.
+
+"I want to come back soon," he answered, "to--to Beatrice," and he
+flushed and smiled at his own stumbling tongue.
+
+For about a week Barney Custer moped disconsolately, principally
+about the ruins of the corn mill. He was in everyone's way and
+accomplished nothing.
+
+"I was never intended for a captain of industry," he confided to his
+partner for the hundredth time. "I wish some excuse would pop up to
+which I might hang a reason for beating it to Europe. There's
+something doing there. Nearly everybody has declared war upon
+everybody else, and here I am stagnating in peace. I'd even welcome
+a tornado."
+
+His excuse was to come sooner than he imagined.  That night, after
+the other members of his family had retired, Barney sat smoking
+within a screened porch off the living-room. His thoughts were upon
+a trim little figure in riding togs, as he had first seen it nearly
+two years before, clinging desperately to a runaway horse upon the
+narrow mountain road above Tafelberg.
+
+He lived that thrilling experience through again as he had many
+times before. He even smiled as he recalled the series of events
+that had resulted from his resemblance to the mad king of Lutha.
+
+They had come to a culmination at the time when the king, whom
+Barney had placed upon a throne at the risk of his own life,
+discovered that his savior loved the girl to whom the king had been
+betrothed since childhood and that the girl returned the American's
+love even after she knew that he had but played the part of a king.
+
+Barney's cigar, forgotten, had long since died out.  Not even its
+former fitful glow proclaimed his presence upon the porch, whose
+black shadows completely enveloped him. Before him stretched a wide
+acreage of lawn, tree dotted at the side of the house. Bushes hid
+the stone wall that marked the boundary of the Custer grounds and
+extended here and there out upon the sward among the trees. The
+night was moonless but clear. A faint light pervaded the scene.
+
+Barney sat staring straight ahead, but his gaze did not stop upon
+the familiar objects of the foreground. Instead it spanned two
+continents and an ocean to rest upon the little spot of woodland and
+rugged mountain and lowland that is Lutha. It was with an effort
+that the man suddenly focused his attention upon that which lay
+directly before him. A shadow among the trees had moved!
+
+Barney Custer sat perfectly still, but now he was suddenly alert and
+watchful. Again the shadow moved where no shadow should be moving.
+It crossed from the shade of one tree to another. Barney came
+cautiously to his feet. Silently he entered the house, running
+quickly to a side door that opened upon the grounds. As he drew it
+back its hinges gave forth no sound. Barney looked toward the spot
+where he had seen the shadow. Again he saw it scuttle hurriedly
+beneath another tree nearer the house. This time there was no doubt.
+It was a man!
+
+Directly before the door where Barney stood was a pergola,
+ivy-covered. Behind this he slid, and, running its length, came out
+among the trees behind the night prowler. Now he saw him distinctly.
+The fellow was bearded, and in his right hand he carried a package.
+Instantly Barney recalled Butzow's comment upon the destruction of
+the mill--"if it WAS lightning!"
+
+Cold sweat broke from every pore of his body.  His mother and father
+were there in the house, and Vic--all sleeping peacefully. He ran
+quickly toward the menacing figure, and as he did so he saw the
+other halt behind a great tree and strike a match. In the glow of
+the flame he saw it touch close to the package that the fellow held,
+and then he was upon him.
+
+There was a brief and terrific struggle.  The stranger hurled the
+package toward the house. Barney caught him by the throat, beating
+him heavily in the face; and then, realizing what the package was,
+he hurled the fellow from him, and sprang toward the hissing and
+sputtering missile where it lay close to the foundation wall of the
+house, though in the instant of his close contact with the man he
+had recognized through the disguising beard the features of Captain
+Ernst Maenck, the principal tool of Peter of Blentz.
+
+Quick though Barney was to reach the bomb and extinguish the fuse,
+Maenck had disappeared before he returned to search for him; and,
+though he roused the gardener and chauffeur and took turns with them
+in standing guard the balance of the night, the would-be assassin
+did not return.
+
+There was no question in Barney Custer's mind as to whom the bomb
+was intended for. That Maenck had hurled it toward the house after
+Barney had seized him was merely the result of accident and the
+man's desire to get the death-dealing missile as far from himself as
+possible before it exploded. That it would have wrecked the house in
+the hope of reaching him, had he not fortunately interfered, was too
+evident to the American to be questioned.
+
+And so he decided before the night was spent to put himself as far
+from his family as possible, lest some future attempt upon his life
+might endanger theirs. Then, too, righteous anger and a desire for
+revenge prompted his decision. He would run Maenck to earth and have
+an accounting with him. It was evident that his life would not be
+worth a farthing so long as the fellow was at liberty.
+
+Before dawn he swore the gardener and chauffeur to silence, and at
+breakfast announced his intention of leaving that day for New York
+to seek a commission as correspondent with an old classmate, who
+owned the New York Evening National. At the hotel Barney inquired of
+the proprietor relative to a bearded stranger, but the man had had
+no one of that description registered. Chance, however, gave him a
+clue. His roadster was in a repair shop, and as he stopped in to get
+it he overheard a conversation that told him all he wanted to know.
+As he stood talking with the foreman a dust-covered automobile
+pulled into the garage.
+
+"Hello, Bill," called the foreman to the driver.  "Where you been so
+early?"
+
+"Took a guy to Lincoln," replied the other.  "He was in an awful
+hurry. I bet we broke all the records for that stretch of road this
+morning--I never knew the old boat had it in her."
+
+"Who was it?" asked Barney.
+
+"I dunno," replied the driver.  "Talked like a furriner, and looked
+the part. Bushy black beard. Said he was a German army officer, an'
+had to beat it back on account of the war. Seemed to me like he was
+mighty anxious to get back there an' be killed."
+
+Barney waited to hear no more.  He did not even go home to say
+good-bye to his family. Instead he leaped into his gray roadster--a
+later model of the one he had lost in Lutha--and the last that
+Beatrice, Nebraska, saw of him was a whirling cloud of dust as he
+raced north out of town toward Lincoln.
+
+He was five minutes too late into the capital city to catch the
+eastbound limited that Maenck must have taken; but he caught the
+next through train for Chicago, and the second day thereafter found
+him in New York. There he had little difficulty in obtaining the
+desired credentials from his newspaper friend, especially since
+Barney offered to pay all his own expenses and donate to the paper
+anything he found time to write.
+
+Passenger steamers were still sailing, though irregularly, and after
+scanning the passenger-lists of three he found the name he sought.
+"Captain Ernst Maenck, Lutha." So he had not been mistaken, after
+all. It was Maenck he had apprehended on his father's grounds.
+Evidently the man had little fear of being followed, for he had made
+no effort to hide his identity in booking passage for Europe.
+
+The steamer he had caught had sailed that very morning. Barney was
+not so sorry, after all, for he had had time during his trip from
+Beatrice to do considerable thinking, and had found it rather
+difficult to determine just what to do should he have overtaken
+Maenck in the United States. He couldn't kill the man in cold blood,
+justly as he may have deserved the fate, and the thought of causing
+his arrest and dragging his own name into the publicity of court
+proceedings was little less distasteful to him.
+
+Furthermore, the pursuit of Maenck now gave Barney a legitimate
+excuse for returning to Lutha, or at least to the close neighborhood
+of the little kingdom, where he might await the outcome of events
+and be ready to give his services in the cause of the house of Von
+der Tann should they be required.
+
+By going directly to Italy and entering Austria from that country
+Barney managed to arrive within the boundaries of the dual monarchy
+with comparatively few delays. Nor did he encounter any considerable
+bodies of troops until he reached the little town of Burgova, which
+lies not far from the Serbian frontier. Beyond this point his
+credentials would not carry him. The emperor's officers were polite,
+but firm. No newspaper correspondents could be permitted nearer the
+front than Burgova.
+
+There was nothing to be done, therefore, but wait until some
+propitious event gave him the opportunity to approach more closely
+the Serbian boundary and Lutha. In the meantime he would communicate
+with Butzow, who might be able to obtain passes for him to some
+village nearer the Luthanian frontier, when it should be an easy
+matter to cross through to Serbia. He was sure the Serbian
+authorities would object less strenuously to his presence.
+
+The inn at which he applied for accommodations was already overrun
+by officers, but the proprietor, with scant apologies for a
+civilian, offered him a little box of a room in the attic. The place
+was scarce more than a closet, and for that Barney was in a way
+thankful since the limited space could accommodate but a single cot,
+thus insuring him the privacy that a larger chamber would have
+precluded.
+
+He was very tired after his long and comfortless land journey, so
+after an early dinner he went immediately to his room and to bed.
+How long he slept he did not know, but some time during the night he
+was awakened by the sound of voices apparently close to his ear.
+
+For a moment he thought the speakers must be in his own room, so
+distinctly did he overhear each word of their conversation; but
+presently he discovered that they were upon the opposite side of a
+thin partition in an adjoining room. But half awake, and with the
+sole idea of getting back to sleep again as quickly as possible,
+Barney paid only the slightest attention to the meaning of the words
+that fell upon his ears, until, like a bomb, a sentence broke
+through his sleepy faculties, banishing Morpheus upon the instant.
+
+"It will take but little now to turn Leopold against Von der Tann."
+The speaker evidently was an Austrian. "Already I have half
+convinced him that the old man aspires to the throne. Leopold fears
+the loyalty of his army, which is for Von der Tann body and soul. He
+knows that Von der Tann is strongly anti-Austrian, and I have made
+it plain to him that if he allows his kingdom to take sides with
+Serbia he will have no kingdom when the war is over--it will be a
+part of Austria.
+
+"It was with greater difficulty, however, my dear Peter, that I
+convinced him that you, Von Coblich, and Captain Maenck were his
+most loyal friends. He fears you yet, but, nevertheless, he has
+pardoned you all. Do not forget when you return to your dear Lutha
+that you owe your repatriation to Count Zellerndorf of Austria."
+
+"You may be assured that we shall never forget," replied another
+voice that Barney recognized at once as belonging to Prince Peter of
+Blentz, the one time regent of Lutha.
+
+"It is not for myself," continued Count Zellerndorf, "that I crave
+your gratitude, but for my emperor. You may do much to win his
+undying gratitude, while for yourselves you may win to almost any
+height with the friendship of Austria behind you. I am sure that
+should any accident, which God forfend, deprive Lutha of her king,
+none would make a more welcome successor in the eyes of Austria than
+our good friend Peter."
+
+Barney could almost see the smile of satisfaction upon the thin lips
+of Peter of Blentz as this broad hint fell from the lips of the
+Austrian diplomat--a hint that seemed to the American little short
+of the death sentence of Leopold, King of Lutha.
+
+"We owed you much before, count," said Peter.  "But for you we
+should have been hanged a year ago--without your aid we should never
+have been able to escape from the fortress of Lustadt or cross the
+border into Austria-Hungary. I am sorry that Maenck failed in his
+mission, for had he not we would have had concrete evidence to
+present to the king that we are indeed his loyal supporters. It
+would have dispelled at once such fears and doubts as he may still
+entertain of our fealty."
+
+"Yes, I, too, am sorry," agreed Zellerndorf.  "I can assure you that
+the news we hoped Captain Maenck would bring from America would have
+gone a long way toward restoring you to the confidence and good
+graces of the king."
+
+"I did my best," came another voice that caused Barney's eyes to go
+wide in astonishment, for it was none other than the voice of Maenck
+himself. "Twice I risked hanging to get him and only came away after
+I had been recognized."
+
+"It is too bad," sighed Zellerndorf; "though it may not be without
+its advantages after all, for now we still have this second bugbear
+to frighten Leopold with. So long, of course, as the American lives
+there is always the chance that he may return and seek to gain the
+throne. The fact that his mother was a Rubinroth princess might make
+it easy for Von der Tann to place him upon the throne without much
+opposition, and if he married the old man's daughter it is easy to
+conceive that the prince might favor such a move. At any rate, it
+should not be difficult to persuade Leopold of the possibility of
+such a thing.
+
+"Under the circumstances Leopold is almost convinced that his only
+hope of salvation lies in cementing friendly relations with the most
+powerful of Von der Tann's enemies, of which you three gentlemen
+stand preeminently in the foreground, and of assuring to himself the
+support of Austria. And now, gentlemen," he went on after a pause,
+"good night. I have handed Prince Peter the necessary military
+passes to carry you safely through our lines, and tomorrow you may
+be in Blentz if you wish."
+
+
+
+
+II
+
+CONDEMNED TO DEATH
+
+For some time Barney Custer lay there in the dark revolving in his
+mind all that he had overheard through the partition--the thin
+partition which alone lay between himself and three men who would be
+only too glad to embrace the first opportunity to destroy him. But
+his fears were not for himself so much as for the daughter of old
+Von der Tann, and for all that might befall that princely house were
+these three unhung rascals to gain Lutha and have their way with the
+weak and cowardly king who reigned there.
+
+If he could but reach Von der Tann's ear and through him the king
+before the conspirators came to Lutha! But how might he accomplish
+it? Count Zellerndorf's parting words to the three had shown that
+military passes were necessary to enable one to reach Lutha.
+
+His papers were practically worthless even inside the lines. That
+they would carry him through the lines he had not the slightest
+hope. There were two things to be accomplished if possible. One was
+to cross the frontier into Lutha; and the other, which of course was
+quite out of the question, was to prevent Peter of Blentz, Von
+Coblich, and Maenck from doing so. But was that altogether
+impossible?
+
+The idea that followed that question came so suddenly that it
+brought Barney Custer out onto the floor in a bound, to don his
+clothes and sneak into the hall outside his room with the stealth of
+a professional second-story man.
+
+To the right of his own door was the door to the apartment in which
+the three conspirators slept. At least, Barney hoped they slept. He
+bent close to the keyhole and listened. From within came no sound
+other than the regular breathing of the inmates. It had been at
+least half an hour since the American had heard the conversation
+cease. A glance through the keyhole showed no light within the room.
+Stealthily Barney turned the knob. Had they bolted the door? He felt
+the tumbler move to the pressure--soundlessly. Then he pushed gently
+inward. The door swung.
+
+A moment later he stood in the room.  Dimly he could see two beds--a
+large one and a smaller. Peter of Blentz would be alone upon the
+smaller bed, his henchmen sleeping together in the larger. Barney
+crept toward the lone sleeper. At the bedside he fumbled in the dark
+groping for the man's clothing--for the coat, in the breastpocket of
+which he hoped to find the military pass that might carry him safely
+out of Austria-Hungary and into Lutha. On the foot of the bed he
+found some garments. Gingerly he felt them over, seeking the coat.
+
+At last he found it.  His fingers, steady even under the nervous
+tension of this unaccustomed labor, discovered the inner pocket and
+the folded paper. There were several of them; Barney took them all.
+
+So far he made no noise.  None of the sleepers had stirred. Now he
+took a step toward the doorway and--kicked a shoe that lay in his
+path. The slight noise in that quiet room sounded to Barney's ears
+like the fall of a brick wall. Peter of Blentz stirred, turning in
+his sleep. Behind him Barney heard one of the men in the other bed
+move. He turned his head in that direction. Either Maenck or Coblich
+was sitting up peering through the darkness.
+
+"Is that you, Prince Peter?"  The voice was Maenck's.
+
+"What's the matter?" persisted Maenck.
+
+"I'm going for a drink of water," replied the American, and stepped
+toward the door.
+
+Behind him Peter of Blentz sat up in bed.
+
+"That you, Maenck?" he called.
+
+Instantly Maenck was out of bed, for the first voice had come from
+the vicinity of the doorway; both could not be Peter's.
+
+"Quick!" he cried; "there's someone in our room."
+
+Barney leaped for the doorway, and upon his heels came the three
+conspirators. Maenck was closest to him--so close that Barney was
+forced to turn at the top of the stairs. In the darkness he was just
+conscious of the form of the man who was almost upon him. Then he
+swung a vicious blow for the other's face--a blow that landed, for
+there was a cry of pain and anger as Maenck stumbled back into the
+arms of the two behind him. From below came the sound of footsteps
+hurrying up the stairs to the accompaniment of a clanking saber.
+Barney's retreat was cut off.
+
+Turning, he dodged into his own room before the enemy could locate
+him or even extricate themselves from the confusion of Maenck's
+sudden collision with the other two. But what could Barney gain by
+the slight delay that would be immediately followed by his
+apprehension?
+
+He didn't know.  All that he was sure of was that there had been no
+other place to go than this little room. As he entered the first
+thing that his eyes fell upon was the small square window. Here at
+least was some slight encouragement.
+
+He ran toward it.  The lower sash was raised.  As the door behind
+him opened to admit Peter of Blentz and his companions, Barney
+slipped through into the night, hanging by his hands from the sill
+without. What lay beneath or how far the drop he could not guess,
+but that certain death menaced him from above he knew from the
+conversation he had overheard earlier in the evening.
+
+For an instant he hung suspended.  He heard the men groping about
+the room. Evidently they were in some fear of the unknown assailant
+they sought, for they did not move about with undue rashness.
+Presently one of them struck a light--Barney could see its flare
+lighten the window casing for an instant.
+
+"The room is empty," came a voice from above him.
+
+"Look to the window!" cried Peter of Blentz, and then Barney Custer
+let go his hold upon the sill and dropped into the blackness below.
+
+His fall was a short one, for the window had been directly over a
+low shed at the side of the inn. Upon the roof of this the American
+landed, and from there he dropped to the courtyard without mishap.
+Glancing up, he saw the heads of three men peering from the window
+of the room he had just quitted.
+
+"There he is!" cried one, and instantly the three turned back into
+the room. As Barney fled from the courtyard he heard the rattle of
+hasty footsteps upon the rickety stairway of the inn.
+
+Choosing an alley rather than a street in which he might run upon
+soldiers at any moment, he moved quickly yet cautiously away from
+the inn. Behind him he could hear the voices of many men. They were
+raised to a high pitch by excitement. It was clear to Barney that
+there were many more than the original three--Prince Peter had, in
+all probability, enlisted the aid of the military.
+
+Could he but reach the frontier with his stolen passes he would be
+comparatively safe, for the rugged mountains of Lutha offered many
+places of concealment, and, too, there were few Luthanians who did
+not hate Peter of Blentz most cordially--among the men of the
+mountains at least. Once there he could defy a dozen Blentz princes
+for the little time that would be required to carry him into Serbia
+and comparative safety.
+
+As he approached a cross street a couple of squares from the inn he
+found it necessary to pass beneath a street lamp. For a moment he
+paused in the shadows of the alley listening. Hearing nothing moving
+in the street, Barney was about to make a swift spring for the
+shadows upon the opposite side when it occurred to him that it might
+be safer to make assurance doubly sure by having a look up and down
+the street before emerging into the light.
+
+It was just as well that he did, for as he thrust his head around
+the corner of the building the first thing that his eyes fell upon
+was the figure of an Austrian sentry, scarcely three paces from him.
+The soldier was standing in a listening attitude, his head half
+turned away from the American. The sounds coming from the direction
+of the inn were apparently what had attracted his attention.
+
+Behind him, Barney was sure he heard evidences of pursuit.  Before
+him was certain detection should he attempt to cross the street. On
+either hand rose the walls of buildings. That he was trapped there
+seemed little doubt.
+
+He continued to stand motionless, watching the Austrian soldier.
+Should the fellow turn toward him, he had but to withdraw his head
+within the shadow of the building that hid his body. Possibly the
+man might turn and take his beat in the opposite direction. In which
+case Barney was sure he could dodge across the street, undetected.
+
+Already the vague threat of pursuit from the direction of the inn
+had developed into a certainty--he could hear men moving toward him
+through the alley from the rear. Would the sentry never move!
+Evidently not, until he heard the others coming through the alley.
+Then he would turn, and the devil would be to pay for the American.
+
+Barney was about hopeless.  He had been in the war zone long enough
+to know that it might prove a very disagreeable matter to be caught
+sneaking through back alleys at night. There was a single chance--a
+sort of forlorn hope--and that was to risk fate and make a dash
+beneath the sentry's nose for the opposite alley mouth.
+
+"Well, here goes," thought Barney.  He had heard that many of the
+Austrians were excellent shots. Visions of Beatrice, Nebraska,
+swarmed his memory. They were pleasant visions, made doubly alluring
+by the thought that the realities of them might never again be for
+him.
+
+He turned once more toward the sounds of pursuit--the men upon his
+track could not be over a square away--there was not an instant to
+be lost. And then from above him, upon the opposite side of the
+alley, came a low: "S-s-t!"
+
+Barney looked up.  Very dimly he could see the dark outline of a
+window some dozen feet from the pavement, and framed within it the
+lighter blotch that might have been a human face. Again came the
+challenging: "S-s-t!" Yes, there was someone above, signaling to
+him.
+
+"S-s-t!" replied Barney.  He knew that he had been discovered, and
+could think of no better plan for throwing the discoverer off his
+guard than to reply.
+
+Then a soft voice floated down to him--a woman's voice!
+
+"Is that you?"  The tongue was Serbian.  Barney could understand it,
+though he spoke it but indifferently.
+
+"Yes," he replied truthfully.
+
+"Thank Heaven!" came the voice from above.  "I have been watching
+you, and thought you one of the Austrian pigs. Quick! They are
+coming--I can hear them;" and at the same instant Barney saw
+something drop from the window to the ground. He crossed the alley
+quickly, and could have shouted in relief for what he found
+there--the end of a knotted rope dangling from above.
+
+His pursuers were almost upon him when he seized the rude ladder to
+clamber upward. At the window's ledge a firm, young hand reached out
+and, seizing his own, almost dragged him through the window. He
+turned to look back into the alley. He had been just in time; the
+Austrian sentry, alarmed by the sound of approaching footsteps down
+the alley, had stepped into view. He stood there now with leveled
+rifle, a challenge upon his lips. From the advancing party came a
+satisfactory reply.
+
+At the same instant the girl beside him in the Stygian blackness of
+the room threw her arms about Barney's neck and drew his face down
+to hers.
+
+"Oh, Stefan," she whispered, "what a narrow escape!  It makes me
+tremble to think of it. They would have shot you, my Stefan!"
+
+The American put an arm about the girl's shoulders, and raised one
+hand to her cheek--it might have been in caress, but it wasn't. It
+was to smother the cry of alarm he anticipated would follow the
+discovery that he was not "Stefan." He bent his lips close to her
+ear.
+
+"Do not make an outcry," he whispered in very poor Serbian.  "I am
+not Stefan; but I am a friend."
+
+The exclamation of surprise or fright that he had expected was not
+forthcoming. The girl lowered her arms from about his neck.
+
+"Who are you?" she asked in a low whisper.
+
+"I am an American war correspondent," replied Barney, "but if the
+Austrians get hold of me now it will be mighty difficult to convince
+them that I am not a spy." And then a sudden determination came to
+him to trust his fate to this unknown girl, whose face, even, he had
+never seen. "I am entirely at your mercy," he said. "There are
+Austrian soldiers in the street below. You have but to call to them
+to send me before the firing squad--or, you can let me remain here
+until I can find an opportunity to get away in safety. I am trying
+to reach Serbia."
+
+"Why do you wish to reach Serbia?" asked the girl suspiciously.
+
+"I have discovered too many enemies in Austria tonight to make it
+safe for me to remain," he replied, "and, further, my original
+intention was to report the war from the Serbian side."
+
+The girl hesitated for a while, evidently in thought.
+
+"They are moving on," suggested Barney.  "If you are going to give
+me up you'd better do it at once."
+
+"I'm not going to give you up," replied the girl.  "I'm going to
+keep you prisoner until Stefan returns--he will know best what to do
+with you. Now you must come with me and be locked up. Do not try to
+escape--I have a revolver in my hand," and to give her prisoner
+physical proof of the weapon he could not see she thrust the muzzle
+against his side.
+
+"I'll take your word for the gun," said Barney, "if you'll just turn
+it in the other direction. Go ahead--I'll follow you."
+
+"No, you won't," replied the girl.  "You'll go first; but before
+that you'll raise your hands above your head. I want to search you."
+
+Barney did as he was bid and a moment later felt deft fingers
+running over his clothing in search of concealed weapons. Satisfied
+at last that he was unarmed, the girl directed him to precede her,
+guiding his steps from behind with a hand upon his arm. Occasionally
+he felt the muzzle of her revolver touch his body. It was a most
+unpleasant sensation.
+
+They crossed the room to a door which his captor directed him to
+open, and after they had passed through and she had closed it behind
+them the girl struck a match and lit a candle which stood upon a
+little bracket on the partition wall. The dim light of the tallow
+dip showed Barney that he was in a narrow hall from which several
+doors opened into different rooms. At one end of the hall a stairway
+led to the floor below, while at the opposite end another flight
+disappeared into the darkness above.
+
+"This way," said the girl, motioning toward the stairs that led
+upward.
+
+Barney had turned toward her as she struck the match, obtaining an
+excellent view of her features. They were clear-cut and regular. Her
+eyes were large and very dark. Dark also was her hair, which was
+piled in great heaps upon her finely shaped head. Altogether the
+face was one not easily to be forgotten. Barney could scarce have
+told whether the girl was beautiful or not, but that she was
+striking there could be no doubt.
+
+He preceded her up the stairway to a door at the top.  At her
+direction he turned the knob and entered a small room in which was a
+cot, an ancient dresser and a single chair.
+
+"You will remain here," she said, "until Stefan returns. Stefan will
+know what to do with you." Then she left him, taking the light with
+her, and Barney heard a key turn in the lock of the door after she
+had closed it. Presently her footfalls died out as she descended to
+the lower floors.
+
+"Anyhow," thought the American, "this is better than the Austrians.
+I don't know what Stefan will do with me, but I have a rather vivid
+idea of what the Austrians would have done to me if they'd caught me
+sneaking through the alleys of Burgova at midnight."
+
+Throwing himself on the cot Barney was soon asleep, for though his
+predicament was one that, under ordinary circumstances might have
+made sleep impossible, yet he had so long been without the boon of
+slumber that tired nature would no longer be denied.
+
+When he awoke it was broad daylight.  The sun was pouring in through
+a skylight in the ceiling of his tiny chamber. Aside from this there
+were no windows in the room. The sound of voices came to him with an
+uncanny distinctness that made it seem that the speakers must be in
+this very chamber, but a glance about the blank walls convinced him
+that he was alone.
+
+Presently he espied a small opening in the wall at the head of his
+cot. He rose and examined it. The voices appeared to be coming from
+it. In fact, they were. The opening was at the top of a narrow shaft
+that seemed to lead to the basement of the structure--apparently
+once the shaft of a dumb-waiter or a chute for refuse or soiled
+clothes.
+
+Barney put his ear close to it.  The voices that came from below
+were those of a man and a woman. He heard every word distinctly.
+
+"We must search the house, fraulein," came in the deep voice of a
+man.
+
+"Whom do you seek?" inquired a woman's voice.  Barney recognized it
+as the voice of his captor.
+
+"A Serbian spy, Stefan Drontoff," replied the man.  "Do you know
+him?"
+
+There was a considerable pause on the girl's part before she
+answered, and then her reply was in such a low voice that Barney
+could barely hear it.
+
+"I do not know him," she said.  "There are several men who lodge
+here. What may this Stefan Drontoff look like?"
+
+"I have never seen him," replied the officer; "but by arresting all
+the men in the house we must get this Stefan also, if he is here."
+
+"Oh!" cried the girl, a new note in her voice, "I guess I know now
+whom you mean. There is one man here I have heard them call Stefan,
+though for the moment I had forgotten it. He is in the small
+attic-room at the head of the stairs. Here is a key that will fit
+the lock. Yes, I am sure that he is Stefan. You will find him there,
+and it should be easy to take him, for I know that he is unarmed. He
+told me so last night when he came in."
+
+"The devil!" muttered Barney Custer; but whether he referred to his
+predicament or to the girl it would be impossible to tell. Already
+the sound of heavy boots on the stairs announced the coming of
+men--several of them. Barney heard the rattle of accouterments--the
+clank of a scabbard--the scraping of gun butts against the walls.
+The Austrians were coming!
+
+He looked about.  There was no way of escape except the door and the
+skylight, and the door was impossible.
+
+Quickly he tilted the cot against the door, wedging its legs against
+a crack in the floor--that would stop them for a minute or two. Then
+he wheeled the dresser beneath the skylight and, placing the chair
+on top of it, scrambled to the seat of the latter. His head was at
+the height of the skylight. To force the skylight from its frame
+required but a moment. A key entered the lock of the door from the
+opposite side and turned. He knew that someone without was pushing.
+Then he heard an oath and heavy battering upon the panels. A moment
+later he had drawn himself through the skylight and stood upon the
+roof of the building. Before him stretched a series of uneven roofs
+to the end of the street. Barney did not hesitate. He started on a
+rapid trot toward the adjoining roof. From that he clambered to a
+higher one beyond.
+
+On he went, now leaping narrow courts, now dropping to low sheds and
+again clambering to the heights of the higher buildings, until he
+had come almost to the end of the row. Suddenly, behind him he heard
+a hoarse shout, followed by the report of a rifle. With a whir, a
+bullet flew a few inches above his head. He had gained the last
+roof--a large, level roof--and at the shot he turned to see how near
+to him were his pursuers.
+
+Fatal turn!
+
+Scarce had he taken his eyes from the path ahead than his foot fell
+upon a glass skylight, and with a loud crash he plunged through amid
+a shower of broken glass.
+
+His fall was a short one.  Directly beneath the skylight was a bed,
+and on the bed a fat Austrian infantry captain. Barney lit upon the
+pit of the captain's stomach. With a howl of pain the officer
+catapulted Barney to the floor. There were three other beds in the
+room, and in each bed one or two other officers. Before the American
+could regain his feet they were all sitting on him--all except the
+infantry captain. He lay shrieking and cursing in a painful attempt
+to regain his breath, every atom of which Barney had knocked out of
+him.
+
+The officers sitting on Barney alternately beat him and questioned
+him, interspersing their interrogations with lurid profanity.
+
+"If you will get off of me," at last shouted the American, "I shall
+be glad to explain--and apologize."
+
+They let him up, scowling ferociously.  He had promised to explain,
+but now that he was confronted by the immediate necessity of an
+explanation that would prove at all satisfactory as to how he
+happened to be wandering around the rooftops of Burgova, he
+discovered that his powers of invention were entirely inadequate.
+The need for explaining, however, was suddenly removed. A shadow
+fell upon them from above, and as they glanced up Barney saw the
+figure of an officer surrounded by several soldiers looking down
+upon him.
+
+"Ah, you have him!" cried the newcomer in evident satisfaction.
+"It is well. Hold him until we descend."
+
+A moment later he and his escort had dropped through the broken
+skylight to the floor beside them.
+
+"Who is the mad man?" cried the captain who had broken Barney's
+fall. "The assassin! He tried to murder me."
+
+"I cannot doubt it," replied the officer who had just descended,
+"for the fellow is no other than Stefan Drontoff, the famous Serbian
+spy!"
+
+"Himmel!" ejaculated the officers in chorus.  "You have done a good
+day's work, lieutenant."
+
+"The firing squad will do a better work in a few minutes," replied
+the lieutenant, with a grim pointedness that took Barney's breath
+away.
+
+
+
+
+III
+
+BEFORE THE FIRING SQUAD
+
+They marched Barney before the staff where he urged his American
+nationality, pointing to his credentials and passes in support of
+his contention.
+
+The general before whom he had been brought shrugged his shoulders.
+"They are all Americans as soon as they are caught," he said; "but
+why did you not claim to be Prince Peter of Blentz? You have his
+passes as well. How can you expect us to believe your story when you
+have in your possession passes for different men?
+
+"We have every respect for our friends the Americans.  I would even
+stretch a point rather than chance harming an American; but you will
+admit that the evidence is all against you. You were found in the
+very building where Drontoff was known to stay while in Burgova. The
+young woman whose mother keeps the place directed our officer to
+your room, and you tried to escape, which I do not think that an
+innocent American would have done.
+
+"However, as I have said, I will go to almost any length rather than
+chance a mistake in the case of one who from his appearance might
+pass more readily for an American than a Serbian. I have sent for
+Prince Peter of Blentz. If you can satisfactorily explain to him how
+you chance to be in possession of military passes bearing his name I
+shall be very glad to give you the benefit of every other doubt."
+
+Peter of Blentz.  Send for Peter of Blentz!  Barney wondered just
+what kind of a sensation it was to stand facing a firing squad. He
+hoped that his knees wouldn't tremble--they felt a trifle weak even
+now. There was a chance that the man might not recall his face, but
+a very slight chance. It had been his remarkable likeness to Leopold
+of Lutha that had resulted in the snatching of a crown from Prince
+Peter's head.
+
+Likely indeed that he would ever forget his, Barney's, face, though
+he had seen it but once without the red beard that had so added to
+Barney's likeness to the king. But Maenck would be along, of course,
+and Maenck would have no doubts--he had seen Barney too recently in
+Beatrice to fail to recognize him now.
+
+Several men were entering the room where Barney stood before the
+general and his staff. A glance revealed to the prisoner that Peter
+of Blentz had come, and with him Von Coblich and Maenck. At the same
+instant Peter's eyes met Barney's, and the former, white and
+wide-eyed came almost to a dead halt, grasping hurriedly at the arm
+of Maenck who walked beside him.
+
+"My God!" was all that Barney heard him say, but he spoke a name
+that the American did not hear. Maenck also looked his surprise, but
+his expression was suddenly changed to one of malevolent cunning and
+gratification. He turned toward Prince Peter with a few
+low-whispered words. A look of relief crossed the face of the Blentz
+prince.
+
+"You appear to know the gentleman," said the general who had been
+conducting Barney's examination. "He has been arrested as a Serbian
+spy, and military passes in your name were found upon his person
+together with the papers of an American newspaper correspondent,
+which he claims to be. He is charged with being Stefan Drontoff,
+whom we long have been anxious to apprehend. Do you chance to know
+anything about him, Prince Peter?"
+
+"Yes," replied Peter of Blentz, "I know him well by sight. He
+entered my room last night and stole the military passes from my
+coat--we all saw him and pursued him, but he got away in the dark.
+There can be no doubt but that he is the Serbian spy."
+
+"He insists that he is Bernard Custer, an American," urged the
+general, who, it seemed to Barney, was anxious to make no mistake,
+and to give the prisoner every reasonable chance--a state of mind
+that rather surprised him in a European military chieftain, all of
+whom appeared to share the popular obsession regarding the
+prevalence of spies.
+
+"Pardon me, general," interrupted Maenck.  "I am well acquainted
+with Mr. Custer, who spent some time in Lutha a couple of years ago.
+This man is not he."
+
+"That is sufficient, gentlemen, I thank you," said the general.  He
+did not again look at the prisoner, but turned to a lieutenant who
+stood near-by. "You may remove the prisoner," he directed. "He will
+be destroyed with the others--here is the order," and he handed the
+subaltern a printed form upon which many names were filled in and at
+the bottom of which the general had just signed his own. It had
+evidently been waiting the outcome of the examination of Stefan
+Drontoff.
+
+Surrounded by soldiers, Barney Custer walked from the presence of
+the military court. It was to him as though he moved in a strange
+world of dreams. He saw the look of satisfaction upon the face of
+Peter of Blentz as he passed him, and the open sneer of Maenck. As
+yet he did not fully realize what it all meant--that he was marching
+to his death! For the last time he was looking upon the faces of his
+fellow men; for the last time he had seen the sun rise, never again
+to see it set.
+
+He was to be "destroyed."  He had heard that expression used many
+times in connection with useless horses, or vicious dogs.
+Mechanically he drew a cigarette from his pocket and lighted it.
+There was no bravado in the act. On the contrary it was done almost
+unconsciously. The soldiers marched him through the streets of
+Burgova. The men were entirely impassive--even so early in the war
+they had become accustomed to this grim duty. The young officer who
+commanded them was more nervous than the prisoner--it was his first
+detail with a firing squad. He looked wonderingly at Barney,
+expecting momentarily to see the man collapse, or at least show some
+sign of terror at his close impending fate; but the American walked
+silently toward his death, puffing leisurely at his cigarette.
+
+At last, after what seemed a long time, his guard turned in at a
+large gateway in a brick wall surrounding a factory. As they entered
+Barney saw twenty or thirty men in civilian dress, guarded by a
+dozen infantrymen. They were standing before the wall of a low brick
+building. Barney noticed that there were no windows in the wall. It
+suddenly occurred to him that there was something peculiarly grim
+and sinister in the appearance of the dead, blank surface of
+weather-stained brick. For the first time since he had faced the
+military court he awakened to a full realization of what it all
+meant to him--he was going to be lined up against that ominous brick
+wall with these other men--they were going to shoot them.
+
+A momentary madness seized him.  He looked about upon the other
+prisoners and guards. A sudden break for liberty might give him
+temporary respite. He could seize a rifle from the nearest soldier,
+and at least have the satisfaction of selling his life dearly. As he
+looked he saw more soldiers entering the factory yard.
+
+A sudden apathy overwhelmed him.  What was the use? He could not
+escape. Why should he wish to kill these soldiers? It was not they
+who were responsible for his plight--they were but obeying orders.
+The close presence of death made life seem very desirable. These
+men, too, desired life. Why should he take it from them uselessly?
+At best he might kill one or two, but in the end he would be killed
+as surely as though he took his place before the brick wall with the
+others.
+
+He noticed now that these others evinced no inclination to contest
+their fates. Why should he, then? Doubtless many of them were as
+innocent as he, and all loved life as well. He saw that several were
+weeping silently. Others stood with bowed heads gazing at the
+hard-packed earth of the factory yard. Ah, what visions were their
+eyes beholding for the last time! What memories of happy firesides!
+What dear, loved faces were limned upon that sordid clay!
+
+His reveries were interrupted by the hoarse voice of a sergeant,
+breaking rudely in upon the silence and the dumb terror. The fellow
+was herding the prisoners into position. When he was done Barney
+found himself in the front rank of the little, hopeless band.
+Opposite them, at a few paces, stood the firing squad, their gun
+butts resting upon the ground.
+
+The young lieutenant stood at one side.  He issued some instructions
+in a low tone, then he raised his voice.
+
+"Ready!" he commanded.  Fascinated by the horror of it, Barney
+watched the rifles raised smartly to the soldiers' hips--the
+movement was as precise as though the men were upon parade. Every
+bolt clicked in unison with its fellows.
+
+"Aim!"  the pieces leaped to the hollows of the men's shoulders.
+The leveled barrels were upon a line with the breasts of the
+condemned. A man at Barney's right moaned. Another sobbed.
+
+"Fire!"  There was the hideous roar of the volley.  Barney Custer
+crumpled forward to the ground, and three bodies fell upon his. A
+moment later there was a second volley--all had not fallen at the
+first. Then the soldiers came among the bodies, searching for signs
+of life; but evidently the two volleys had done their work. The
+sergeant formed his men in line. The lieutenant marched them away.
+Only silence remained on guard above the pitiful dead in the factory
+yard.
+
+The day wore on and still the stiffening corpses lay where they had
+fallen. Twilight came and then darkness. A head appeared above the
+top of the wall that had enclosed the grounds. Eyes peered through
+the night and keen ears listened for any sign of life within. At
+last, evidently satisfied that the place was deserted, a man crawled
+over the summit of the wall and dropped to the ground within. Here
+again he paused, peering and listening.
+
+What strange business had he here among the dead that demanded such
+caution in its pursuit? Presently he advanced toward the pile of
+corpses. Quickly he tore open coats and searched pockets. He ran his
+fingers along the fingers of the dead. Two rings had rewarded his
+search and he was busy with a third that encircled the finger of a
+body that lay beneath three others. It would not come off. He pulled
+and tugged, and then he drew a knife from his pocket.
+
+But he did not sever the digit.  Instead he shrank back with a
+muffled scream of terror. The corpse that he would have mutilated
+had staggered suddenly to its feet, flinging the dead bodies to one
+side as it rose.
+
+"You fiend!" broke from the lips of the dead man, and the ghoul
+turned and fled, gibbering in his fright.
+
+The tramp of soldiers in the street beyond ceased suddenly at the
+sound from within the factory yard. It was a detail of the guard
+marching to the relief of sentries. A moment later the gates swung
+open and a score of soldiers entered. They saw a figure dodging
+toward the wall a dozen paces from them, but they did not see the
+other that ran swiftly around the corner of the factory.
+
+This other was Barney Custer of Beatrice.  When the command to fire
+had been given to the squad of riflemen, a single bullet had creased
+the top of his head, stunning him. All day he had lain there
+unconscious. It had been the tugging of the ghoul at his ring that
+had roused him to life at last.
+
+Behind him, as he scurried around the end of the factory building,
+he heard the scattering fire of half a dozen rifles, followed by a
+scream--the fleeing hyena had been hit. Barney crouched in the
+shadow of a pile of junk. He heard the voices of soldiers as they
+gathered about the wounded man, questioning him, and a moment later
+the imperious tones of an officer issuing instructions to his men to
+search the yard. That he must be discovered seemed a certainty to
+the American. He crouched further back in the shadows close to the
+wall, stepping with the utmost caution.
+
+Presently to his chagrin his foot touched the metal cover of a
+manhole; there was a resultant rattling that smote upon Barney's
+ears and nerves with all the hideous clatter of a boiler shop. He
+halted, petrified, for an instant. He was no coward, but after being
+so near death, life had never looked more inviting, and he knew that
+to be discovered meant certain extinction this time.
+
+The soldiers were circling the building.  Already he could hear them
+nearing his position. In another moment they would round the corner
+of the building and be upon him. For an instant he contemplated a
+bold rush for the fence. In fact, he had gathered himself for the
+leaping start and the quick sprint across the open under the noses
+of the soldiers who still remained beside the dying ghoul, when his
+mind suddenly reverted to the manhole beneath his feet. Here lay a
+hiding place, at least until the soldiers had departed.
+
+Barney stooped and raised the heavy lid, sliding it to one side.
+How deep was the black chasm beneath he could not even guess.
+Doubtless it led into a coal bunker, or it might open over a pit of
+great depth. There was no way to discover other than to plumb the
+abyss with his body. Above was death--below, a chance of safety.
+
+The soldiers were quite close when Barney lowered himself through
+the manhole. Clinging with his fingers to the upper edge his feet
+still swung in space. How far beneath was the bottom? He heard the
+scraping of the heavy shoes of the searchers close above him, and
+then he closed his eyes, released the grasp of his fingers, and
+dropped.
+
+
+
+
+IV
+
+A RACE TO LUTHA
+
+Barney's fall was not more than four or five feet.  He found himself
+upon a slippery floor of masonry over which two or three inches of
+water ran sluggishly. Above him he heard the soldiers pass the open
+manhole. It was evident that in the darkness they had missed it.
+
+For a few minutes the fugitive remained motionless, then, hearing no
+sounds from above he started to grope about his retreat. Upon two
+sides were blank, circular walls, upon the other two circular
+openings about four feet in diameter. It was through these openings
+that the tiny stream of water trickled.
+
+Barney came to the conclusion that he had dropped into a sewer.  To
+get out the way he had entered appeared impossible. He could not
+leap upward from the slimy, concave bottom the distance he had
+dropped. To follow the sewer upward would lead him nowhere nearer
+escape. There remained no hope but to follow the trickling stream
+downward toward the river, into which his judgment told him the
+entire sewer system of the city must lead.
+
+Stooping, he entered the ill-smelling circular conduit, groping his
+way slowly along. As he went the water deepened. It was half way to
+his knees when he plunged unexpectedly into another tube running at
+right angles to the first. The bottom of this tube was lower than
+that of the one which emptied into it, so that Barney now found
+himself in a swiftly running stream of filth that reached above his
+knees. Downward he followed this flood--faster now for the fear of
+the deadly gases which might overpower him before he could reach the
+river.
+
+The water deepened gradually as he went on.  At last he reached a
+point where, with his head scraping against the roof of the sewer,
+his chin was just above the surface of the stream. A few more steps
+would be all that he could take in this direction without drowning.
+Could he retrace his way against the swift current? He did not know.
+He was weakened from the effects of his wound, from lack of food and
+from the exertions of the past hour. Well, he would go on as far as
+he could. The river lay ahead of him somewhere. Behind was only the
+hostile city.
+
+He took another step.  His foot found no support.  He surged
+backward in an attempt to regain his footing, but the power of the
+flood was too much for him. He was swept forward to plunge into
+water that surged above his head as he sank. An instant later he had
+regained the surface and as his head emerged he opened his eyes.
+
+He looked up into a starlit heaven!  He had reached the mouth of the
+sewer and was in the river. For a moment he lay still, floating upon
+his back to rest. Above him he heard the tread of a sentry along the
+river front, and the sound of men's voices.
+
+The sweet, fresh air, the star-shot void above, acted as a powerful
+tonic to his shattered hopes and overwrought nerves. He lay inhaling
+great lungsful of pure, invigorating air. He listened to the voices
+of the Austrian soldiery above him. All the buoyancy of his inherent
+Americanism returned to him.
+
+"This is no place for a minister's son," he murmured, and turning
+over struck out for the opposite shore. The river was not wide, and
+Barney was soon nearing the bank along which he could see occasional
+camp fires. Here, too, were Austrians. He dropped down-stream below
+these, and at last approached the shore where a wood grew close to
+the water's edge. The bank here was steep, and the American had some
+difficulty in finding a place where he could clamber up the
+precipitous wall of rock. But finally he was successful, finding
+himself in a little clump of bushes on the river's brim. Here he lay
+resting and listening--always listening. It seemed to Barney that
+his ears ached with the constant strain of unflagging duty that his
+very existence demanded of them.
+
+Hearing nothing, he crawled at last from his hiding place with the
+purpose of making his way toward the south and to the frontier as
+rapidly as possible. He could hope only to travel by night, and he
+guessed that this night must be nearly spent. Stooping, he moved
+cautiously away from the river. Through the shadows of the wood he
+made his way for perhaps a hundred yards when he was suddenly
+confronted by a figure that stepped from behind the bole of a tree.
+
+"Halt!  Who goes there?" came the challenge.
+
+Barney's heart stood still.  With all his care he had run straight
+into the arms of an Austrian sentry. To run would be to be shot. To
+advance would mean capture, and that too would mean death.
+
+For the barest fraction of an instant he hesitated, and then his
+quick American wits came to his aid. Feigning intoxication he
+answered the challenge in dubious Austrian that he hoped his maudlin
+tongue would excuse.
+
+"Friend," he answered thickly.  "Friend with a drink--have one?"
+And he staggered drunkenly forward, banking all upon the credulity
+and thirst of the soldier who confronted him with fixed bayonet.
+
+That the sentry was both credulous and thirsty was evidenced by the
+fact that he let Barney come within reach of his gun. Instantly the
+drunken Austrian was transformed into a very sober and active engine
+of destruction. Seizing the barrel of the piece Barney jerked it to
+one side and toward him, and at the same instant he leaped for the
+throat of the sentry.
+
+So quickly was this accomplished that the Austrian had time only for
+a single cry, and that was choked in his windpipe by the steel
+fingers of the American. Together both men fell heavily to the
+ground, Barney retaining his hold upon the other's throat.
+
+Striking and clutching at one another they fought in silence for a
+couple of minutes, then the soldier's struggles began to weaken. He
+squirmed and gasped for breath. His mouth opened and his tongue
+protruded. His eyes started from their sockets. Barney closed his
+fingers more tightly upon the bearded throat. He rained heavy blows
+upon the upturned face. The beating fists of his adversary waved
+wildly now--the blows that reached Barney were pitifully weak.
+Presently they ceased. The man struggled violently for an instant,
+twitched spasmodically and lay still.
+
+Barney clung to him for several minutes longer, until there was not
+the slightest indication of remaining life. The perpetration of the
+deed sickened him; but he knew that his act was warranted, for it
+had been either his life or the other's. He dragged the body back to
+the bushes in which he had been hiding. There he stripped off the
+Austrian uniform, put his own clothes upon the corpse and rolled it
+into the river.
+
+Dressed as an Austrian private, Barney Custer shouldered the dead
+soldier's gun and walked boldly through the wood to the south.
+Momentarily he expected to run upon other soldiers, but though he
+kept straight on his way for hours he encountered none. The thin
+line of sentries along the river had been posted only to double the
+preventive measures that had been taken to keep Serbian spies either
+from entering or leaving the city.
+
+Toward dawn, at the darkest period of the night, Barney saw lights
+ahead of him. Apparently he was approaching a village. He went more
+cautiously now, but all his care did not prevent him from running
+for the second time that night almost into the arms of a sentry.
+This time, however, Barney saw the soldier before he himself was
+discovered. It was upon the edge of the town, in an orchard, that
+the sentinel was posted. Barney, approaching through the trees,
+darting from one to another, was within a few paces of the man
+before he saw him.
+
+The American remained quietly in the shadow of a tree waiting for an
+opportunity to escape, but before it came he heard the approach of a
+small body of troops. They were coming from the village directly
+toward the orchard. They passed the sentry and marched within a
+dozen feet of the tree behind which Barney was hiding.
+
+As they came opposite him he slipped around the tree to the opposite
+side. The sentry had resumed his pacing, and was now out of sight
+momentarily among the trees further on. He could not see the
+American, but there were others who could. They came in the shape of
+a non-commissioned officer and a detachment of the guard to relieve
+the sentry. Barney almost bumped into them as he rounded the tree.
+There was no escape--the non-commissioned officer was within two
+feet of him when Barney discovered him. "What are you doing here?"
+shouted the sergeant with an oath. "Your post is there," and he
+pointed toward the position where Barney had seen the sentry.
+
+At first Barney could scarce believe his ears.  In the darkness the
+sergeant had mistaken him for the sentinel! Could he carry it out?
+And if so might it not lead him into worse predicament? No, Barney
+decided, nothing could be worse. To be caught masquerading in the
+uniform of an Austrian soldier within the Austrian lines was to
+plumb the uttermost depth of guilt--nothing that he might do now
+could make his position worse.
+
+He faced the sergeant, snapping his piece to present, hoping that
+this was the proper thing to do. Then he stumbled through a brief
+excuse. The officer in command of the troops that had just passed
+had demanded the way of him, and he had but stepped a few paces from
+his post to point out the road to his superior.
+
+The sergeant grunted and ordered him to fall in.  Another man took
+his place on duty. They were far from the enemy and discipline was
+lax, so the thing was accomplished which under other circumstances
+would have been well nigh impossible. A moment later Barney found
+himself marching back toward the village, to all intents and
+purposes an Austrian private.
+
+Before a low, windowless shed that had been converted into barracks
+for the guard, the detail was dismissed. The men broke ranks and
+sought their blankets within the shed, tired from their lonely vigil
+upon sentry duty.
+
+Barney loitered until the last.  All the others had entered. He
+dared not, for he knew that any moment the sentry upon the post from
+which he had been taken would appear upon the scene, after
+discovering another of his comrades. He was certain to inquire of
+the sergeant. They would be puzzled, of course, and, being soldiers,
+they would be suspicious. There would be an investigation, which
+would start in the barracks of the guard. That neighborhood would at
+once become a most unhealthy spot for Barney Custer, of Beatrice,
+Nebraska.
+
+When the last of the soldiers had entered the shed Barney glanced
+quickly about. No one appeared to notice him. He walked directly
+past the doorway to the end of the building. Around this he found a
+yard, deeply shadowed. He entered it, crossed it, and passed out
+into an alley beyond. At the first cross-street his way was blocked
+by the sight of another sentry--the world seemed composed entirely
+of Austrian sentries. Barney wondered if the entire Austrian army
+was kept perpetually upon sentry duty; he had scarce been able to
+turn without bumping into one.
+
+He turned back into the alley and at last found a crooked passageway
+between buildings that he hoped might lead him to a spot where there
+was no sentry, and from which he could find his way out of the
+village toward the south. The passage, after devious windings, led
+into a large, open court, but when Barney attempted to leave the
+court upon the opposite side he found the ubiquitous sentries upon
+guard there.
+
+Evidently there would be no escape while the Austrians remained in
+the town. There was nothing to do, therefore, but hide until the
+happy moment of their departure arrived. He returned to the
+courtyard, and after a short search discovered a shed in one corner
+that had evidently been used to stable a horse, for there was straw
+at one end of it and a stall in the other. Barney sat down upon the
+straw to wait developments. Tired nature would be denied no longer.
+His eyes closed, his head drooped upon his breast. In three minutes
+from the time he entered the shed he was stretched full length upon
+the straw, fast asleep.
+
+The chugging of a motor awakened him.  It was broad daylight.  Many
+sounds came from the courtyard without. It did not take Barney long
+to gather his scattered wits--in an instant he was wide awake. He
+glanced about. He was the only occupant of the shed. Rising, he
+approached a small window that looked out upon the court. All was
+life and movement. A dozen military cars either stood about or moved
+in and out of the wide gates at the opposite end of the enclosure.
+Officers and soldiers moved briskly through a doorway that led into
+a large building that flanked the court upon one side. While Barney
+slept the headquarters of an Austrian army corps had moved in and
+taken possession of the building, the back of which abutted upon the
+court where lay his modest little shed.
+
+Barney took it all in at a single glance, but his eyes hung long and
+greedily upon the great, high-powered machines that chugged or
+purred about him.
+
+Gad!  If he could but be behind the wheel of such a car for an hour!
+The frontier could not be over fifty miles to the south, of that he
+was quite positive; and what would fifty miles be to one of those
+machines?
+
+Barney sighed as a great, gray-painted car whizzed into the
+courtyard and pulled up before the doorway. Two officers jumped out
+and ran up the steps. The driver, a young man in a uniform not
+unlike that which Barney wore, drew the car around to the end of the
+courtyard close beside Barney's shed. Here he left it and entered
+the building into which his passengers had gone. By reaching through
+the window Barney could have touched the fender of the machine. A
+few seconds' start in that and it would take more than an Austrian
+army corps to stop him this side of the border. Thus mused Barney,
+knowing already that the mad scheme that had been born within his
+brain would be put to action before he was many minutes older.
+
+There were many soldiers on guard about the courtyard. The greatest
+danger lay in arousing the suspicions of one of these should he
+chance to see Barney emerge from the shed and enter the car.
+
+"The proper thing," thought Barney, "is to come from the building
+into which everyone seems to pass, and the only way to be seen
+coming out of it is to get into it; but how the devil am I to get
+into it?"
+
+The longer he thought the more convinced he became that utter
+recklessness and boldness would be his only salvation. Briskly he
+walked from the shed out into the courtyard beneath the eyes of the
+sentries, the officers, the soldiers, and the military drivers. He
+moved straight among them toward the doorway of the headquarters as
+though bent upon important business--which, indeed, he was. At least
+it was quite the most important business to Barney Custer that that
+young gentleman could recall having ventured upon for some time.
+
+No one paid the slightest attention to him.  He had left his gun in
+the shed for he noticed that only the men on guard carried them.
+Without an instant's hesitation he ran briskly up the short flight
+of steps and entered the headquarters building. Inside was another
+sentry who barred his way questioningly. Evidently one must state
+one's business to this person before going farther. Barney, without
+any loss of time or composure, stepped up to the guard.
+
+"Has General Kampf passed in this morning?" he asked blithely.
+Barney had never heard of any "General Kampf," nor had the sentry,
+since there was no such person in the Austrian army. But he did
+know, however, that there were altogether too many generals for any
+one soldier to know the names of them all.
+
+"I do not know the general by sight," replied the sentry.
+
+Here was a pretty mess, indeed.  Doubtless the sergeant would know a
+great deal more than would be good for Barney Custer. The young man
+looked toward the door through which he had just entered. His sole
+object in coming into the spider's parlor had been to make it
+possible for him to come out again in full view of all the guards
+and officers and military chauffeurs, that their suspicions might
+not be aroused when he put his contemplated coup to the test.
+
+He glanced toward the door.  Machines were whizzing in and out of
+the courtyard. Officers on foot were passing and repassing. The
+sentry in the hallway was on the point of calling his sergeant.
+
+"Ah!" cried Barney.  "There is the general now," and without waiting
+to cast even a parting glance at the guard he stepped quickly
+through the doorway and ran down the steps into the courtyard.
+Looking neither to right nor to left, and with a convincing air of
+self-confidence and important business, he walked directly to the
+big, gray machine that stood beside the little shed at the end of
+the courtyard.
+
+To crank it and leap to the driver's seat required but a moment.
+The big car moved smoothly forward. A turn of the steering wheel
+brought it around headed toward the wide gates. Barney shifted to
+second speed, stepped on the accelerator and the cut-out
+simultaneously, and with a noise like the rattle of a machine gun,
+shot out of the courtyard.
+
+None who saw his departure could have guessed from the manner of it
+that the young man at the wheel of the gray car was stealing the
+machine or that his life depended upon escape without detection. It
+was the very boldness of his act that crowned it with success.
+
+Once in the street Barney turned toward the south.  Cars were
+passing up and down in both directions, usually at high speed. Their
+numbers protected the fugitive. Momentarily he expected to be
+halted; but he passed out of the village without mishap and reached
+a country road which, except for a lane down its center along which
+automobiles were moving, was blocked with troops marching southward.
+Through this soldier-walled lane Barney drove for half an hour.
+
+From a great distance, toward the southeast, he could hear the boom
+of cannon and the bursting of shells. Presently the road forked. The
+troops were moving along the road on the left toward the distant
+battle line. Not a man or machine was turning into the right fork,
+the road toward the south that Barney wished to take.
+
+Could he successfully pass through the marching soldiers at his
+right? Among all those officers there surely would be one who would
+question the purpose and destination of this private soldier who
+drove alone in the direction of the nearby frontier.
+
+The moment had come when he must stake everything on his ability to
+gain the open road beyond the plodding mass of troops. Diminishing
+the speed of the car Barney turned it in toward the marching men at
+the same time sounding his horn loudly. An infantry captain,
+marching beside his company, was directly in front of the car. He
+looked up at the American. Barney saluted and pointed toward the
+right-hand fork.
+
+The captain turned and shouted a command to his men. Those who had
+not passed in front of the car halted. Barney shot through the
+little lane they had opened, which immediately closed up behind him.
+He was through! He was upon the open road! Ahead, as far as he could
+see, there was no sign of any living creature to bar his way, and
+the frontier could not be more than twenty-five miles away.
+
+
+
+
+V
+
+THE TRAITOR KING
+
+In his castle at Lustadt, Leopold of Lutha paced nervously back and
+forth between his great desk and the window that overlooked the
+royal gardens. Upon the opposite side of the desk stood an old
+man--a tall, straight, old man with the bearing of a soldier and the
+head of a lion. His keen, gray eyes were upon the king, and sorrow
+was written upon his face. He was Ludwig von der Tann, chancellor of
+the kingdom of Lutha.
+
+At last the king stopped his pacing and faced the old man, though he
+could not meet those eagle eyes squarely, try as he would. It was
+his inability to do so, possibly, that added to his anger. Weak
+himself, he feared this strong man and envied him his strength,
+which, in a weak nature, is but a step from hatred. There evidently
+had been a long pause in their conversation, yet the king's next
+words took up the thread of their argument where it had broken.
+
+"You speak as though I had no right to do it," he snapped. "One
+might think that you were the king from the manner with which you
+upbraid and reproach me. I tell you, Prince von der Tann, that I
+shall stand it no longer."
+
+The king approached the desk and pounded heavily upon its polished
+surface with his fist. The physical act of violence imparted to him
+a certain substitute for the moral courage which he lacked.
+
+"I will tell you, sir, that I am king.  It was not necessary that I
+consult you or any other man before pardoning Prince Peter and his
+associates. I have investigated the matter thoroughly and I am
+convinced that they have been taught a sufficient lesson and that
+hereafter they will be my most loyal subjects."
+
+He hesitated.  "Their presence here," he added, "may prove an
+antidote to the ambitions of others who lately have taken it upon
+themselves to rule Lutha for me."
+
+There was no mistaking the king's meaning, but Prince Ludwig did not
+show by any change of expression that the shot had struck him in a
+vulnerable spot; nor, upon the other hand, did he ignore the
+insinuation. There was only sorrow in his voice when he replied.
+
+"Sire," he said, "for some time I have been aware of the activity of
+those who would like to see Peter of Blentz returned to favor with
+your majesty. I have warned you, only to see that my motives were
+always misconstrued. There is a greater power at work, your majesty,
+than any of us--greater than Lutha itself. One that will stop at
+nothing in order to gain its ends. It cares naught for Peter of
+Blentz, naught for me, naught for you. It cares only for Lutha. For
+strategic purposes it must have Lutha. It will trample you under
+foot to gain its end, and then it will cast Peter of Blentz aside.
+You have insinuated, sire, that I am ambitious. I am. I am ambitious
+to maintain the integrity and freedom of Lutha.
+
+"For three hundred years the Von der Tanns have labored and fought
+for the welfare of Lutha. It was a Von der Tann that put the first
+Rubinroth king upon the throne of Lutha. To the last they were loyal
+to the former dynasty while that dynasty was loyal to Lutha. Only
+when the king attempted to sell the freedom of his people to a
+powerful neighbor did the Von der Tanns rise against him.
+
+"Sire! the Von der Tanns have always been loyal to the house of
+Rubinroth. And but a single thing rises superior within their
+breasts to that loyalty, and that is their loyalty to Lutha." He
+paused for an instant before concluding. "And I, sire, am a Von der
+Tann."
+
+There could be no mistaking the old man's meaning.  So long as
+Leopold was loyal to his people and their interests Ludwig von der
+Tann would be loyal to Leopold. The king was cowed. He was very much
+afraid of this grim old warrior. He chafed beneath his censure.
+
+"You are always scolding me," he cried irritably.  "I am getting
+tired of it. And now you threaten me. Do you call that loyalty? Do
+you call it loyalty to refuse to compel your daughter to keep her
+plighted troth? If you wish to prove your loyalty command the
+Princess Emma to fulfil the promise you made my father--command her
+to wed me at once."
+
+Von der Tann looked the king straight in the eyes.
+
+"I cannot do that," he said.  "She has told me that she will kill
+herself rather than wed with your majesty. She is all I have left,
+sire. What good would be accomplished by robbing me of her if you
+could not gain her by the act? Win her confidence and love, sire. It
+may be done. Thus only may happiness result to you and to her."
+
+"You see," exclaimed the king, "what your loyalty amounts to!  I
+believe that you are saving her for the impostor--I have heard as
+much hinted at before this. Nor do I doubt that she would gladly
+connive with the fellow if she thought there was a chance of his
+seizing the throne."
+
+Von der Tann paled.  For the first time righteous indignation and
+anger got the better of him. He took a step toward the king.
+
+"Stop!" he commanded.  "No man, not even my king, may speak such
+words to a Von der Tann."
+
+In an antechamber just outside the room a man sat near the door that
+led into the apartment where the king and his chancellor quarreled.
+He had been straining his ears to catch the conversation which he
+could hear rising and falling in the adjoining chamber, but till now
+he had been unsuccessful. Then came Prince Ludwig's last words
+booming loudly through the paneled door, and the man smiled. He was
+Count Zellerndorf, the Austrian minister to Lutha.
+
+The king's outraged majesty goaded him to an angry retort.
+
+"You forget yourself, Prince von der Tann," he cried. "Leave our
+presence. When we again desire to be insulted we shall send for
+you."
+
+As the chancellor passed into the antechamber Count Zellerndorf rose
+and greeted him warmly, almost effusively. Von der Tann returned his
+salutations with courtesy but with no answering warmth. Then he
+passed on out of the palace.
+
+"The old fox must have heard," he mused as he mounted his horse and
+turned his face toward Tann and the Old Forest.
+
+When Count Zellerndorf of Austria entered the presence of Leopold of
+Lutha he found that young ruler much disturbed. He had resumed his
+restless pacing between desk and window, and as the Austrian entered
+he scarce paused to receive his salutation. Count Zellerndorf was a
+frequent visitor at the palace. There were few formalities between
+this astute diplomat and the young king; those had passed gradually
+away as their acquaintance and friendship ripened.
+
+"Prince Ludwig appeared angry when he passed through the
+antechamber," ventured Zellerndorf. "Evidently your majesty found
+cause to rebuke him."
+
+The king nodded and looked narrowly at the Austrian. "The Prince von
+der Tann insinuated that Austria's only wish in connection with
+Lutha is to seize her," he said.
+
+Zellerndorf raised his hands in well-simulated horror.
+
+"Your majesty!" he exclaimed.  "It cannot be that the prince has
+gone to such lengths to turn you against your best friend, my
+emperor. If he has I can only attribute it to his own ambitions. I
+have hesitated to speak to you of this matter, your majesty, but now
+that the honor of my own ruler is questioned I must defend him.
+
+"Bear with me then, should what I have to say wound you.  I well
+know the confidence which the house of Von der Tann has enjoyed for
+centuries in Lutha; but I must brave your wrath in the interest of
+right. I must tell you that it is common gossip in Vienna that Von
+der Tann aspires to the throne of Lutha either for himself or for
+his daughter through the American impostor who once sat upon your
+throne for a few days. And let me tell you more.
+
+"The American will never again menace you--he was arrested in
+Burgova as a spy and executed. He is dead; but not so are Von der
+Tann's ambitions. When he learns that he no longer may rely upon the
+strain of the Rubinroth blood that flowed in the veins of the
+American from his royal mother, the runaway Princess Victoria, there
+will remain to him only the other alternative of seizing the throne
+for himself. He is a very ambitious man, your majesty. Already he
+has caused it to become current gossip that he is the real power
+behind the throne of Lutha--that your majesty is but a figure-head,
+the puppet of Von der Tann."
+
+Zellerndorf paused.  He saw the flush of shame and anger that
+suffused the king's face, and then he shot the bolt that he had come
+to fire, but which he had not dared to hope would find its target so
+denuded of defense.
+
+"Your majesty," he whispered, coming quite close to the king, "all
+Lutha is inclined to believe that you fear Prince von der Tann. Only
+a few of us know the truth to be the contrary. For the sake of your
+prestige you must take some step to counteract this belief and stamp
+it out for good and all. I have planned a way--hear it.
+
+"Von der Tann's hatred of Peter of Blentz is well known. No man in
+Lutha believes that he would permit you to have any intercourse with
+Peter. I have brought from Blentz an invitation to your majesty to
+honor the Blentz prince with your presence as a guest for the
+ensuing week. Accept it, your majesty.
+
+"Nothing could more conclusively prove to the most skeptical that
+you are still the king, and that Von der Tann, nor any other, may
+not dare to dictate to you. It will be the most splendid stroke of
+statesmanship that you could achieve at the present moment."
+
+For an instant the king stood in thought.  He still feared Peter of
+Blentz as the devil is reputed to fear holy water, though for
+converse reasons. Yet he was very angry with Von der Tann. It would
+indeed be an excellent way to teach the presumptuous chancellor his
+place.
+
+Leopold almost smiled as he thought of the chagrin with which Prince
+Ludwig would receive the news that he had gone to Blentz as the
+guest of Peter. It was the last impetus that was required by his
+weak, vindictive nature to press it to a decision.
+
+"Very well," he said, "I will go tomorrow."
+
+It was late the following day that Prince von der Tann received in
+his castle in the Old Forest word that an Austrian army had crossed
+the Luthanian frontier--the neutrality of Lutha had been violated.
+The old chancellor set out immediately for Lustadt. At the palace he
+sought an interview with the king only to learn that Leopold had
+departed earlier in the day to visit Peter of Blentz.
+
+There was but one thing to do and that was to follow the king to
+Blentz. Some action must be taken immediately--it would never do to
+let this breach of treaty pass unnoticed.
+
+The Serbian minister who had sent word to the chancellor of the
+invasion by the Austrian troops was closeted with him for an hour
+after his arrival at the palace. It was clear to both these men that
+the hand of Zellerndorf was plainly in evidence in both the
+important moves that had occurred in Lutha within the past
+twenty-four hours--the luring of the king to Blentz and the entrance
+of Austrian soldiery into Lutha.
+
+Following his interview with the Serbian minister Von der Tann rode
+toward Blentz with only his staff in attendance. It was long past
+midnight when the lights of the town appeared directly ahead of the
+little party. They rode at a trot along the road which passes
+through the village to wind upward again toward the ancient feudal
+castle that looks down from its hilltop upon the town.
+
+At the edge of the village Von der Tann was thunderstruck by a
+challenge from a sentry posted in the road, nor was his dismay
+lessened when he discovered that the man was an Austrian.
+
+"What is the meaning of this?" he cried angrily.  "What are Austrian
+soldiers doing barring the roads of Lutha to the chancellor of
+Lutha?"
+
+The sentry called an officer.  The latter was extremely suave.  He
+regretted the incident, but his orders were most positive--no one
+could be permitted to pass through the lines without an order from
+the general commanding. He would go at once to the general and see
+if he could procure the necessary order. Would the prince be so good
+as to await his return? Von der Tann turned on the young officer,
+his face purpling with rage.
+
+"I will pass nowhere within the boundaries of Lutha," he said, "upon
+the order of an Austrian. You may tell your general that my only
+regret is that I have not with me tonight the necessary force to
+pass through his lines to my king--another time I shall not be so
+handicapped," and Ludwig, Prince von der Tann, wheeled his mount and
+spurred away in the direction of Lustadt, at his heels an extremely
+angry and revengeful staff.
+
+
+
+
+VI
+
+A TRAP IS SPRUNG
+
+Long before Prince von der Tann reached Lustadt he had come to the
+conclusion that Leopold was in virtue a prisoner in Blentz. To prove
+his conclusion he directed one of his staff to return to Blentz and
+attempt to have audience with the king.
+
+"Risk anything," he instructed the officer to whom he had entrusted
+the mission. "Submit, if necessary, to the humiliation of seeking an
+Austrian pass through the lines to the castle. See the king at any
+cost and deliver this message to him and to him alone and secretly.
+Tell him my fears, and that if I do not have word from him within
+twenty-four hours I shall assume that he is indeed a prisoner.
+
+"I shall then direct the mobilization of the army and take such
+steps as seem fit to rescue him and drive the invaders from the soil
+of Lutha. If you do not return I shall understand that you are held
+prisoner by the Austrians and that my worst fears have been
+realized."
+
+But Prince Ludwig was one who believed in being forehanded and so it
+happened that the orders for the mobilization of the army of Lutha
+were issued within fifteen minutes of his return to Lustadt. It
+would do no harm, thought the old man, with a grim smile, to get
+things well under way a day ahead of time. This accomplished, he
+summoned the Serbian minister, with what purpose and to what effect
+became historically evident several days later. When, after
+twenty-four hours' absence, his aide had not returned from Blentz,
+the chancellor had no regrets for his forehandedness.
+
+In the castle of Peter of Blentz the king of Lutha was being
+entertained royally. He was told nothing of the attempt of his
+chancellor to see him, nor did he know that a messenger from Prince
+von der Tann was being held a prisoner in the camp of the Austrians
+in the village. He was surrounded by the creatures of Prince Peter
+and by Peter's staunch allies, the Austrian minister and the
+Austrian officers attached to the expeditionary force occupying the
+town. They told him that they had positive information that the
+Serbians already had crossed the frontier into Lutha, and that the
+presence of the Austrian troops was purely for the protection of
+Lutha.
+
+It was not until the morning following the rebuff of Prince von der
+Tann that Peter of Blentz, Count Zellerndorf and Maenck heard of the
+occurrence. They were chagrined by the accident, for they were not
+ready to deliver their final stroke. The young officer of the guard
+had, of course, but followed his instructions--who would have
+thought that old Von der Tann would come to Blentz! That he
+suspected their motives seemed apparent, and now that his rebuff at
+the gates had aroused his ire and, doubtless, crystallized his
+suspicions, they might find in him a very ugly obstacle to the
+fruition of their plans.
+
+With Von der Tann actively opposed to them, the value of having the
+king upon their side would be greatly minimized. The people and the
+army had every confidence in the old chancellor. Even if he opposed
+the king there was reason to believe that they might still side with
+him.
+
+"What is to be done?" asked Zellerndorf.  "Is there no way either to
+win or force Von der Tann to acquiescence?"
+
+"I think we can accomplish it," said Prince Peter, after a moment of
+thought. "Let us see Leopold. His mind has been prepared to receive
+almost gratefully any insinuations against the loyalty of Von der
+Tann. With proper evidence the king may easily be persuaded to order
+the chancellor's arrest--possibly his execution as well."
+
+So they saw the king, only to meet a stubborn refusal upon the part
+of Leopold to accede to their suggestions. He still was madly in
+love with Von der Tann's daughter, and he knew that a blow delivered
+at her father would only tend to increase her bitterness toward him.
+The conspirators were nonplussed.
+
+They had looked for a comparatively easy road to the consummation of
+their desires. What in the world could be the cause of the king's
+stubborn desire to protect the man they knew he feared, hated, and
+mistrusted with all the energy of his suspicious nature? It was the
+king himself who answered their unspoken question.
+
+"I cannot believe in the disloyalty of Prince Ludwig," he said, "nor
+could I, even if I desired it, take such drastic steps as you
+suggest. Some day the Princess Emma, his daughter, will be my
+queen."
+
+Count Zellerndorf was the first to grasp the possibilities that lay
+in the suggestion the king's words carried.
+
+"Your majesty," he cried, "there is a way to unite all factions in
+Lutha. It would be better to insure the loyalty of Von der Tann
+through bonds of kinship than to antagonize him. Marry the Princess
+Emma at once.
+
+"Wait, your majesty," he added, as Leopold raised an objecting hand.
+"I am well informed as to the strange obstinacy of the princess, but
+for the welfare of the state--yes, for the sake of your very throne,
+sire--you should exert your royal prerogatives and command the
+Princess Emma to carry out the terms of your betrothal."
+
+"What do you mean, Zellerndorf?" asked the king.
+
+"I mean, sire, that we should bring the princess here and compel her
+to marry you."
+
+Leopold shook his head.  "You do not know her," he said. "You do not
+know the Von der Tann nature--one cannot force a Von der Tann."
+
+"Pardon, sire," urged Zellerndorf, "but I think it can be
+accomplished. If the Princess Emma knew that your majesty believed
+her father to be a traitor--that the order for his arrest and
+execution but awaited your signature--I doubt not that she would
+gladly become queen of Lutha, with her father's life and liberty as
+a wedding gift."
+
+For several minutes no one spoke after Count Zellerndorf had ceased.
+Leopold sat looking at the toe of his boot. Peter of Blentz, Maenck,
+and the Austrian watched him intently. The possibilities of the plan
+were sinking deep into the minds of all four. At last the king rose.
+He was mumbling to himself as though unconscious of the presence of
+the others.
+
+"She is a stubborn jade," he mumbled.  "It would be an excellent
+lesson for her. She needs to be taught that I am her king," and then
+as though his conscience required a sop, "I shall be very good to
+her. Afterward she will be happy." He turned toward Zellerndorf.
+"You think it can be done?"
+
+"Most assuredly, your majesty.  We shall take immediate steps to
+fetch the Princess Emma to Blentz," and the Austrian rose and backed
+from the apartment lest the king change his mind. Prince Peter and
+Maenck followed him.
+
+
+Princess Emma von der Tann sat in her boudoir in her father's castle
+in the Old Forest. Except for servants, she was alone in the
+fortress, for Prince von der Tann was in Lustadt. Her mind was
+occupied with memories of the young American who had entered her
+life under such strange circumstances two years before--memories
+that had been awakened by the return of Lieutenant Otto Butzow to
+Lutha. He had come directly to her father and had been attached to
+the prince's personal staff.
+
+From him she had heard a great deal about Barney Custer, and the old
+interest, never a moment forgotten during these two years, was
+reawakened to all its former intensity.
+
+Butzow had accompanied Prince Ludwig to Lustadt, but Princess Emma
+would not go with them. For two years she had not entered the
+capital, and much of that period had been spent in Paris. Only
+within the past fortnight had she returned to Lutha.
+
+In the middle of the morning her reveries were interrupted by the
+entrance of a servant bearing a message. She had to read it twice
+before she could realize its purport; though it was plainly
+worded--the shock of it had stunned her. It was dated at Lustadt and
+signed by one of the palace functionaries:
+
+
+Prince von der Tann has suffered a slight stroke.  Do not be
+alarmed, but come at once. The two troopers who bear this message
+will act as your escort.
+
+
+It required but a few minutes for the girl to change to her riding
+clothes, and when she ran down into the court she found her horse
+awaiting her in the hands of her groom, while close by two mounted
+troopers raised their hands to their helmets in salute.
+
+A moment later the three clattered over the drawbridge and along the
+road that leads toward Lustadt. The escort rode a short distance
+behind the girl, and they were hard put to it to hold the mad pace
+which she set them.
+
+A few miles from Tann the road forks.  One branch leads toward the
+capital and the other winds over the hills in the direction of
+Blentz. The fork occurs within the boundaries of the Old Forest.
+Great trees overhang the winding road, casting a twilight shade even
+at high noon. It is a lonely spot, far from any habitation.
+
+As the Princess Emma approached the fork she reined in her mount,
+for across the road to Lustadt a dozen horsemen barred her way. At
+first she thought nothing of it, turning her horse's head to the
+righthand side of the road to pass the party, all of whom were in
+uniform; but as she did so one of the men reined directly in her
+path. The act was obviously intentional.
+
+The girl looked quickly up into the man's face, and her own went
+white. He who stopped her way was Captain Ernst Maenck. She had not
+seen the man for two years, but she had good cause to remember him
+as the governor of the castle of Blentz and the man who had
+attempted to take advantage of her helplessness when she had been a
+prisoner in Prince Peter's fortress. Now she looked straight into
+the fellow's eyes.
+
+"Let me pass, please," she said coldly.
+
+"I am sorry," replied Maenck with an evil smile; "but the king's
+orders are that you accompany me to Blentz--the king is there."
+
+For answer the girl drove her spur into her mount's side. The animal
+leaped forward, striking Maenck's horse on the shoulder and half
+turning him aside, but the man clutched at the girl's bridle-rein,
+and, seizing it, brought her to a stop.
+
+"You may as well come voluntarily, for come you must," he said.  "It
+will be easier for you."
+
+"I shall not come voluntarily," she replied.  "If you take me to
+Blentz you will have to take me by force, and if my king is not
+sufficiently a gentleman to demand an accounting of you, I am at
+least more fortunate in the possession of a father who will."
+
+"Your father will scarce wish to question the acts of his king,"
+said Maenck--"his king and the husband of his daughter."
+
+"What do you mean?" she cried.
+
+"That before you are many hours older, your highness, you will be
+queen of Lutha."
+
+The Princess Emma turned toward her tardy escort that had just
+arrived upon the scene.
+
+"This person has stopped me," she said, "and will not permit me to
+continue toward Lustadt. Make a way for me; you are armed!"
+
+Maenck smiled.  "Both of them are my men," he explained.
+
+The girl saw it all now--the whole scheme to lure her to Blentz.
+Even then, though, she could not believe the king had been one of
+the conspirators of the plot.
+
+Weak as he was he was still a Rubinroth, and it was difficult for a
+Von der Tann to believe in the duplicity of a member of the house
+they had served so loyally for centuries. With bowed head the
+princess turned her horse into the road that led toward Blentz. Half
+the troopers preceded her, the balance following behind.
+
+Maenck wondered at the promptness of her surrender.
+
+"To be a queen--ah! that was the great temptation," he thought but
+he did not know what was passing in the girl's mind. She had seen
+that escape for the moment was impossible, and so had decided to
+bide her time until a more propitious chance should come. In silence
+she rode among her captors. The thought of being brought to Blentz
+alive was unbearable.
+
+Somewhere along the road there would be an opportunity to escape.
+Her horse was fleet; with a short start he could easily outdistance
+these heavier cavalry animals and as a last resort she could--she
+must--find some way to end her life, rather than to be dragged to
+the altar beside Leopold of Lutha.
+
+Since childhood Emma von der Tann had ridden these hilly roads.  She
+knew every lane and bypath for miles around. She knew the short
+cuts, the gullies and ravines. She knew where one might, with a good
+jumper, save a wide detour, and as she rode toward Blentz she passed
+in review through her mind each of the many spots where a sudden
+break for liberty might have the best chance to succeed.
+
+And at last she hit upon the place where a quick turn would take her
+from the main road into the roughest sort of going for one not
+familiar with the trail. Maenck and his soldiers had already
+partially relaxed their vigilance. The officer had come to the
+conclusion that his prisoner was resigned to her fate and that,
+after all, the fate of being forced to be queen did not appear so
+dark to her.
+
+They had wound up a wooded hill and were half way up to the summit.
+The princess was riding close to the right-hand side of the road.
+Quite suddenly, and before a hand could be raised to stay her, she
+wheeled her mount between two trees, struck home her spur, and was
+gone into the wood upon the steep hillside.
+
+With an oath, Maenck cried to his men to be after her. He himself
+spurred into the forest at the point where the girl had disappeared.
+So sudden had been her break for liberty and so quickly had the
+foliage swallowed her that there was something almost uncanny in it.
+
+A hundred yards from the road the trees were further apart, and
+through them the pursuers caught a glimpse of their quarry. The girl
+was riding like mad along the rough, uneven hillside. Her mount,
+surefooted as a chamois, seemed in his element. But two of the
+horses of her pursuers were as swift, and under the cruel spurs of
+their riders were closing up on their fugitive. The girl urged her
+horse to greater speed, yet still the two behind closed in.
+
+A hundred yards ahead lay a deep and narrow gully, hid by bushes
+that grew rankly along its verge. Straight toward this the Princess
+Emma von der Tann rode. Behind her came her pursuers--two quite
+close and the others trailing farther in the rear. The girl reined
+in a trifle, letting the troopers that were closest to her gain
+until they were but a few strides behind, then she put spur to her
+horse and drove him at topmost speed straight toward the gully. At
+the bushes she spoke a low word in his backlaid ears, raised him
+quickly with the bit, leaning forward as he rose in air. Like a bird
+that animal took the bushes and the gully beyond, while close behind
+him crashed the two luckless troopers.
+
+Emma von der Tann cast a single backward glance over her shoulder,
+as her horse regained his stride upon the opposite side of the
+gully, to see her two foremost pursuers plunging headlong into it.
+Then she shook free her reins and gave her mount his head along a
+narrow trail that both had followed many times before.
+
+Behind her, Maenck and the balance of his men came to a sudden stop
+at the edge of the gully. Below them one of the troopers was
+struggling to his feet. The other lay very still beneath his
+motionless horse. With an angry oath Maenck directed one of his men
+to remain and help the two who had plunged over the brink, then with
+the others he rode along the gully searching for a crossing.
+
+Before they found one their captive was a mile ahead of them, and,
+barring accident, quite beyond recapture. She was making for a
+highway that would lead her to Lustadt. Ordinarily she had been wont
+to bear a little to the north-east at this point and strike back
+into the road that she had just left; but today she feared to do so
+lest she be cut off before she gained the north and south highroad
+which the other road crossed a little farther on.
+
+To her right was a small farm across which she had never ridden, for
+she always had made it a point never to trespass upon fenced
+grounds. On the opposite side of the farm was a wood, and somewhere
+beyond that a small stream which the highroad crossed upon a little
+bridge. It was all new country to her, but it must be ventured.
+
+She took the fence at the edge of the clearing and then reined in a
+moment to look behind her. A mile away she saw the head and
+shoulders of a horseman above some low bushes--the pursuers had
+found a way through the gully.
+
+Turning once more to her flight the girl rode rapidly across the
+fields toward the wood. Here she found a high wire fence so close to
+thickly growing trees upon the opposite side that she dared not
+attempt to jump it--there was no point at which she would not have
+been raked from the saddle by overhanging boughs. Slipping to the
+ground she attacked the barrier with her bare hands, attempting to
+tear away the staples that held the wire in place. For several
+minutes she surged and tugged upon the unyielding metal strand. An
+occasional backward glance revealed to her horrified eyes the rapid
+approach of her enemies. One of them was far in advance of the
+others--in another moment he would be upon her.
+
+With redoubled fury she turned again to the fence.  A superhuman
+effort brought away a staple. One wire was down and an instant later
+two more. Standing with one foot upon the wires to keep them from
+tangling about her horse's legs, she pulled her mount across into
+the wood. The foremost horseman was close upon her as she finally
+succeeded in urging the animal across the fallen wires.
+
+The girl sprang to her horse's side just as the man reached the
+fence. The wires, released from her weight, sprang up breast high
+against his horse. He leaped from the saddle the instant that the
+girl was swinging into her own. Then the fellow jumped the fence and
+caught her bridle.
+
+She struck at him with her whip, lashing him across the head and
+face, but he clung tightly, dragged hither and thither by the
+frightened horse, until at last he managed to reach the girl's arm
+and drag her to the ground.
+
+Almost at the same instant a man, unkempt and disheveled, sprang
+from behind a tree and with a single blow stretched the trooper
+unconscious upon the ground.
+
+
+
+
+VII
+
+BARNEY TO THE RESCUE
+
+As Barney Custer raced along the Austrian highroad toward the
+frontier and Lutha, his spirits rose to a pitch of buoyancy to which
+they had been strangers for the past several days. For the first
+time in many hours it seemed possible to Barney to entertain
+reasonable hopes of escape from the extremely dangerous predicament
+into which he had gotten himself.
+
+He was even humming a gay little tune as he drove into a tiny hamlet
+through which the road wound. No sign of military appeared to fill
+him with apprehension. He was very hungry and the odor of cooking
+fell gratefully upon his nostrils. He drew up before the single inn,
+and presently, washed and brushed, was sitting before the first meal
+he had seen for two days. In the enjoyment of the food he almost
+forgot the dangers he had passed through, or that other dangers
+might be lying in wait for him at his elbow.
+
+From the landlord he learned that the frontier lay but three miles
+to the south of the hamlet. Three miles! Three miles to Lutha! What
+if there was a price upon his head in that kingdom? It was HER home.
+It had been his mother's birthplace. He loved it.
+
+Further, he must enter there and reach the ear of old Prince von der
+Tann. Once more he must save the king who had shown such scant
+gratitude upon another occasion.
+
+For Leopold, Barney Custer did not give the snap of his fingers; but
+what Leopold, the king, stood for in the lives and sentiments of the
+Luthanians--of the Von der Tanns--was very dear to the American
+because it was dear to a trim, young girl and to a rugged, leonine,
+old man, of both of whom Barney was inordinately fond. And possibly,
+too, it was dear to him because of the royal blood his mother had
+bequeathed him.
+
+His meal disposed of to the last morsel, and paid for, Barney
+entered the stolen car and resumed his journey toward Lutha. That he
+could remain there he knew to be impossible, but in delivering his
+news to Prince Ludwig he might have an opportunity to see the
+Princess Emma once again--it would be worth risking his life for, of
+that he was perfectly satisfied. And then he could go across into
+Serbia with the new credentials that he had no doubt Prince von der
+Tann would furnish him for the asking to replace those the Austrians
+had confiscated.
+
+At the frontier Barney was halted by an Austrian customs officer;
+but when the latter recognized the military car and the Austrian
+uniform of the driver he waved him through without comment. Upon the
+other side the American expected possible difficulty with the
+Luthanian customs officer, but to his surprise he found the little
+building deserted, and none to bar his way. At last he was in
+Lutha--by noon on the following day he should be at Tann.
+
+To reach the Old Forest by the best roads it was necessary to bear a
+little to the southeast, passing through Tafelberg and striking the
+north and south highway between that point and Lustadt, to which he
+could hold until reaching the east and west road that runs through
+both Tann and Blentz on its way across the kingdom.
+
+The temptation to stop for a few minutes in Tafelberg for a visit
+with his old friend Herr Kramer was strong, but fear that he might
+be recognized by others, who would not guard his secret so well as
+the shopkeeper of Tafelberg would, decided him to keep on his way.
+So he flew through the familiar main street of the quaint old
+village at a speed that was little, if any less, than fifty miles an
+hour.
+
+On he raced toward the south, his speed often necessarily diminished
+upon the winding mountain roads, but for the most part clinging to a
+reckless mileage that caused the few natives he encountered to flee
+to the safety of the bordering fields, there to stand in
+open-mouthed awe.
+
+Halfway between Tafelberg and the crossroad into which he purposed
+turning to the west toward Tann there is an S-curve where the bases
+of two small hills meet. The road here is narrow and
+treacherous--fifteen miles an hour is almost a reckless speed at
+which to travel around the curves of the S. Beyond are open fields
+upon either side of the road.
+
+Barney took the turns carefully and had just emerged into the last
+leg of the S when he saw, to his consternation, a half-dozen
+Austrian infantrymen lolling beside the road. An officer stood near
+them talking with a sergeant. To turn back in that narrow road was
+impossible. He could only go ahead and trust to his uniform and the
+military car to carry him safely through. Before he reached the
+group of soldiers the fields upon either hand came into view. They
+were dotted with tents, wagons, motor-vans and artillery. What did
+it mean? What was this Austrian army doing in Lutha?
+
+Already the officer had seen him.  This was doubtless an outpost,
+however clumsily placed it might be for strategic purposes. To pass
+it was Barney's only hope. He had passed through one Austrian
+army--why not another? He approached the outpost at a moderate rate
+of speed--to tear toward it at the rate his heart desired would be
+to awaken not suspicion only but positive conviction that his
+purposes and motives were ulterior.
+
+The officer stepped toward the road as though to halt him.  Barney
+pretended to be fussing with some refractory piece of controlling
+mechanism beneath the cowl--apparently he did not see the officer.
+He was just opposite him when the latter shouted to him. Barney
+straightened up quickly and saluted, but did not stop.
+
+"Halt!" cried the officer.
+
+Barney pointed down the road in the direction in which he was
+headed.
+
+"Halt!" repeated the officer, running to the car.
+
+Barney glanced ahead.  Two hundred yards farther on was another
+post--beyond that he saw no soldiers. He turned and shouted a volley
+of intentionally unintelligible jargon at the officer, continuing to
+point ahead of him.
+
+He hoped to confuse the man for the few seconds necessary for him to
+reach the last post. If the soldiers there saw that he had been
+permitted to pass through the first they doubtless would not hinder
+his further passage. That they were watching him Barney could see.
+
+He had passed the officer now.  There was no necessity for
+dalliance. He pressed the accelerator down a trifle. The car moved
+forward at increased speed. A final angry shout broke from the
+officer behind him, followed by a quick command. Barney did not have
+to wait long to learn the tenor of the order, for almost immediately
+a shot sounded from behind and a bullet whirred above his head.
+Another shot and another followed.
+
+Barney was pressing the accelerator downward to the limit.  The car
+responded nobly--there was no sputtering, no choking. Just a rapid
+rush of increasing momentum as the machine gained headway by leaps
+and bounds.
+
+The bullets were ripping the air all about him.  Just ahead the
+second outpost stood directly in the center of the road. There were
+three soldiers and they were taking deliberate aim, as carefully as
+though upon the rifle range. It seemed to Barney that they couldn't
+miss him. He swerved the car suddenly from one side of the road to
+the other. At the rate that it was going the move was fraught with
+but little less danger than the supine facing of the leveled guns
+ahead.
+
+The three rifles spoke almost simultaneously.  The glass of the
+windshield shattered in Barney's face. There was a hole in the
+left-hand front fender that had not been there before.
+
+"Rotten shooting," commented Barney Custer, of Beatrice.
+
+The soldiers still stood in the center of the road firing at the
+swaying car as, lurching from side to side, it bore down upon them.
+Barney sounded the raucous military horn; but the soldiers seemed
+unconscious of their danger--they still stood there pumping lead
+toward the onrushing Juggernaut. At the last instant they attempted
+to rush from its path; but they were too late.
+
+At over sixty miles an hour the huge, gray monster bore down upon
+them. One of them fell beneath the wheels--the two others were
+thrown high in air as the bumper struck them. The body of the man
+who had fallen beneath the wheels threw the car half way across the
+road--only iron nerve and strong arms held it from the ditch upon
+the opposite side.
+
+Barney Custer had never been nearer death than at that moment--not
+even when he faced the firing squad before the factory wall in
+Burgova. He had done that without a tremor--he had heard the bullets
+of the outpost whistling about his head a moment before, with a
+smile upon his lips--he had faced the leveled rifles of the three he
+had ridden down and he had not quailed. But now, his machine in the
+center of the road again, he shook like a leaf, still in the grip of
+the sickening nausea of that awful moment when the mighty, insensate
+monster beneath him had reeled drunkenly in its mad flight, swerving
+toward the ditch and destruction.
+
+For a few minutes he held to his rapid pace before he looked around,
+and then it was to see two cars climbing into the road from the
+encampment in the field and heading toward him in pursuit. Barney
+grinned. Once more he was master of his nerves. They'd have a merry
+chase, he thought, and again he accelerated the speed of the car.
+Once before he had had it up to seventy-five miles, and for a
+moment, when he had had no opportunity to even glance at the
+speedometer, much higher. Now he was to find the maximum limit of
+the possibilities of the brave car he had come to look upon with
+real affection.
+
+The road ahead was comparatively straight and level.  Behind him
+came the enemy. Barney watched the road rushing rapidly out of sight
+beneath the gray fenders. He glanced occasionally at the
+speedometer. Seventy-five miles an hour. Seventy-seven! "Going
+some," murmured Barney as he saw the needle vibrate up to eighty.
+Gradually he nursed her up and up to greater speed.
+
+Eighty-five!  The trees were racing by him in an indistinct blur of
+green. The fences were thin, wavering lines--the road a white-gray
+ribbon, ironed by the terrific speed to smooth unwrinkledness. He
+could not take his eyes from the business of steering to glance
+behind; but presently there broke faintly through the whir of the
+wind beating against his ears the faint report of a gun. He was
+being fired upon again. He pressed down still further upon the
+accelerator. The car answered to the pressure. The needle rose
+steadily until it reached ninety miles an hour--and topped it.
+
+Then from somewhere in the radiator hose a hissing and a spurt of
+steam. Barney was dumbfounded. He had filled the cooling system at
+the inn where he had eaten. It had been working perfectly before and
+since. What could have happened? There could be but a single
+explanation. A bullet from the gun of one of the three men who had
+attempted to stop him at the second outpost had penetrated the
+radiator, and had slowly drained it.
+
+Barney knew that the end was near, since the usefulness of the car
+in furthering his escape was over. At the speed he was going it
+would be but a short time before the superheated pistons expanding
+in their cylinders would tear the motor to pieces. Barney felt that
+he would be lucky if he himself were not killed when it happened.
+
+He reduced his speed and glanced behind.  His pursuers had not
+gained upon him, but they still were coming. A bend in the road shut
+them from his view. A little way ahead the road crossed over a river
+upon a wooden bridge. On the opposite side and to the right of the
+road was a wood. It seemed to offer the most likely possibilities of
+concealment in the vicinity. If he could but throw his pursuers off
+the trail for a while he might succeed in escaping through the wood,
+eventually reaching Tann on foot. He had a rather hazy idea of the
+exact direction of the town and castle, but that he could find them
+eventually he was sure.
+
+The sight of the river and the bridge he was nearing suggested a
+plan, and the ominous grating of the overheated motor warned him
+that whatever he was to do he must do at once. As he neared the
+bridge he reduced the speed of the car to fifteen miles an hour, and
+set the hand throttle to hold it there. Still gripping the steering
+wheel with one hand, he climbed over the left-hand door to the
+running board. As the front wheels of the car ran up onto the bridge
+Barney gave the steering wheel a sudden turn to the right, and
+jumped.
+
+The car veered toward the wooden handrail, there was a splintering
+of stanchions, as, with a crash, the big machine plunged through
+them headforemost into the river. Without waiting to give even a
+glance at his handiwork Barney Custer ran across the bridge, leaped
+the fence upon the right-hand side and plunged into the shelter of
+the wood.
+
+Then he turned to look back up the road in the direction from which
+his pursuers were coming. They were not in sight--they had not seen
+his ruse. The water in the river was of sufficient depth to
+completely cover the car--no sign of it appeared above the surface.
+
+Barney turned into the wood smiling.  His scheme had worked well.
+The occupants of the two cars following him might not note the
+broken handrail, or, if they did, might not connect it with Barney
+in any way. In this event they would continue in the direction of
+Lustadt, wondering what in the world had become of their quarry. Or,
+if they guessed that his car had gone over into the river, they
+would doubtless believe that its driver had gone with it. In either
+event Barney would be given ample time to find his way to Tann.
+
+He wished that he might find other clothes, since if he were dressed
+otherwise there would be no reason to imagine that his pursuers
+would recognize him should they come upon him. None of them could
+possibly have gained a sufficiently good look at his features to
+recognize them again.
+
+The Austrian uniform, however, would convict him, or at least lay
+him under suspicion, and in Barney's present case, suspicion was as
+good as conviction were he to fall into the hands of the Austrians.
+The garb had served its purpose well in aiding in his escape from
+Austria, but now it was more of a menace than an asset.
+
+For a week Barney Custer wandered through the woods and mountains of
+Lutha. He did not dare approach or question any human being. Several
+times he had seen Austrian cavalry that seemed to be scouring the
+country for some purpose that the American could easily believe was
+closely connected with himself. At least he did not feel disposed to
+stop them, as they cantered past his hiding place, to inquire the
+nature of their business.
+
+Such farmhouses as he came upon he gave a wide berth except at
+night, and then he only approached them stealthily for such
+provender as he might filch. Before the week was up he had become an
+expert chicken thief, being able to rob a roost as quietly as the
+most finished carpetbagger on the sunny side of Mason and Dixon's
+line.
+
+A careless housewife, leaving her lord and master's rough shirt and
+trousers hanging upon the line overnight, had made possible for
+Barney the coveted change in raiment. Now he was barged as a
+Luthanian peasant. He was hatless, since the lady had failed to hang
+out her mate's woolen cap, and Barney had not dared retain a single
+vestige of the damning Austrian uniform.
+
+What the peasant woman thought when she discovered the empty line
+the following morning Barney could only guess, but he was morally
+certain that her grief was more than tempered by the gold piece he
+had wrapped in a bit of cloth torn from the soldier's coat he had
+worn, which he pinned on the line where the shirt and pants had
+been.
+
+It was somewhere near noon upon the seventh day that Barney skirting
+a little stream, followed through the concealing shade of a forest
+toward the west. In his peasant dress he now felt safer to approach
+a farmhouse and inquire his way to Tann, for he had come a
+sufficient distance from the spot where he had stolen his new
+clothes to hope that they would not be recognized or that the news
+of their theft had not preceded him.
+
+As he walked he heard the sound of the feet of a horse galloping
+over a dry field--muffled, rapid thud approaching closer upon his
+right hand. Barney remained motionless. He was sure that the rider
+would not enter the wood which, with its low-hanging boughs and
+thick underbrush, was ill adapted to equestrianism.
+
+Closer and closer came the sound until it ceased suddenly scarce a
+hundred yards from where the American hid. He waited in silence to
+discover what would happen next. Would the rider enter the wood on
+foot? What was his purpose? Was it another Austrian who had by some
+miracle discovered the whereabouts of the fugitive? Barney could
+scarce believe it possible.
+
+Presently he heard another horse approaching at the same mad gallop.
+He heard the sound of rapid, almost frantic efforts of some nature
+where the first horse had come to a stop. He heard a voice urging
+the animal forward--pleading, threatening. A woman's voice. Barney's
+excitement became intense in sympathy with the subdued excitement of
+the woman whom he could not as yet see.
+
+A moment later the second rider came to a stop at the same point at
+which the first had reined in. A man's voice rose roughly. "Halt!"
+it cried. "In the name of the king, halt!" The American could no
+longer resist the temptation to see what was going on so close to
+him "in the name of the king."
+
+He advanced from behind his tree until he saw the two figures--a
+man's and a woman's. Some bushes intervened--he could not get a
+clear view of them, yet there was something about the figure of the
+woman, whose back was toward him as she struggled to mount her
+frightened horse, that caused him to leap rapidly toward her. He
+rounded a tree a few paces from her just as the man--a trooper in
+the uniform of the house of Blentz--caught her arm and dragged her
+from the saddle. At the same instant Barney recognized the girl--it
+was Princess Emma.
+
+Before either the trooper or the princess were aware of his presence
+he had leaped to the man's side and dealt him a blow that stretched
+him at full length upon the ground--stunned.
+
+
+
+
+VIII
+
+AN ADVENTUROUS DAY
+
+For an instant the two stood looking at one another.  The girl's
+eyes were wide with incredulity, with hope, with fear. She was the
+first to break the silence.
+
+"Who are you?" she breathed in a half whisper.
+
+"I don't wonder that you ask," returned the man.  "I must look like
+a scarecrow. I'm Barney Custer. Don't you remember me now? Who did
+you think I was?"
+
+The girl took a step toward him.  Her eyes lighted with relief.
+
+"Captain Maenck told me that you were dead," she said, "that you had
+been shot as a spy in Austria, and then there is that uncanny
+resemblance to the king--since he has shaved his beard it is
+infinitely more remarkable. I thought you might be he. He has been
+at Blentz and I knew that it was quite possible that he had
+discovered treachery upon the part of Prince Peter. In which case he
+might have escaped in disguise. I really wasn't sure that you were
+not he until you spoke."
+
+Barney stooped and removed the bandoleer of cartridges from the
+fallen trooper, as well as his revolver and carbine. Then he took
+the girl's hand and together they turned into the wood. Behind them
+came the sound of pursuit. They heard the loud words of Maenck as he
+ordered his three remaining men into the wood on foot. As he
+advanced, Barney looked to the magazine of his carbine and the
+cylinder of his revolver.
+
+"Why were they pursuing you?" he asked.
+
+"They were taking me to Blentz to force me to wed Leopold," she
+replied. "They told me that my father's life depended upon my
+consenting; but I should not have done so. The honor of my house is
+more precious than the life of any of its members. I escaped them a
+few miles back, and they were following to overtake me."
+
+A noise behind them caused Barney to turn.  One of the troopers had
+come into view. He carried his carbine in his hands and at sight of
+the man with the fugitive girl he raised it to his shoulder; but as
+the American turned toward him his eyes went wide and his jaw
+dropped.
+
+Instantly Barney knew that the fellow had noted his resemblance to
+the king. Barney's body was concealed from the view of the other by
+a bush which grew between them, so the man saw only the face of the
+American. The fellow turned and shouted to Maenck: "The king is with
+her."
+
+"Nonsense," came the reply from farther back in the wood. "If there
+is a man with her and he will not surrender, shoot him." At the
+words Barney and the girl turned once more to their flight. From
+behind came the command to halt--"Halt! or I fire." Just ahead
+Barney saw the river.
+
+They were sure to be taken there if he was unable to gain the time
+necessary to make good a crossing. Upon the opposite side was a
+continuation of the wood. Behind them the leading trooper was
+crashing through the underbrush in renewed pursuit. He came in sight
+of them again, just as they reached the river bank. Once more his
+carbine was leveled. Barney pushed the girl to her knees behind a
+bush. Then he wheeled and fired, so quickly that the man with the
+already leveled gun had no time to anticipate his act.
+
+With a cry the fellow threw his hands above his head, staggered
+forward and plunged full length upon his face. Barney gathered the
+princess in his arms and plunged into the shallow stream. The girl
+held his carbine as he stumbled over the rocky bottom. The water
+deepened rapidly--the opposite shore seemed a long way off and
+behind there were three more enemies in hot pursuit.
+
+Under ordinary circumstances Barney could have found it in his heart
+to wish the little Luthanian river as broad as the Mississippi, for
+only under such circumstances as these could he ever hope to hold
+the Princess Emma in his arms. Two years before she had told him
+that she loved him; but at the same time she had given him to
+understand that their love was hopeless. She might refuse to wed the
+king; but that she should ever wed another while the king lived was
+impossible, unless Leopold saw fit to release her from her betrothal
+to him and sanction her marriage to another. That he ever would do
+this was to those who knew him not even remotely possible.
+
+He loved Emma von der Tann and he hated Barney Custer--hated him
+with a jealous hatred that was almost fanatic in its intensity. And
+even that the Princess Emma von der Tann would wed him were she free
+to wed was a question that was not at all clear in the mind of
+Barney Custer. He knew something of the traditions of this noble
+family--of the pride of caste, of the fetish of blood that
+inexorably dictated the ordering of their lives.
+
+The girl had just said that the honor of her house was more precious
+than the life of any of its members. How much more precious would it
+be to her than her own material happiness! Barney Custer sighed and
+struggled through the swirling waters that were now above his hips.
+If he pressed the lithe form closer to him than necessity demanded,
+who may blame him?
+
+The girl, whose face was toward the bank they had just quitted, gave
+no evidence of displeasure if she noted the fierce pressure of his
+muscles. Her eyes were riveted upon the wood behind. Presently a man
+emerged. He called to them in a loud and threatening tone.
+
+Barney redoubled his Herculean efforts to gain the opposite bank.
+He was in midstream now and the water had risen to his waist. The
+girl saw Maenck and the other trooper emerge from the underbrush
+beside the first. Maenck was crazed with anger. He shook his fist
+and screamed aloud his threatening commands to halt, and then, of a
+sudden, gave an order to one of the men at his side. Immediately the
+fellow raised his carbine and fired at the escaping couple.
+
+The bullet struck the water behind them.  At the sound of the report
+the girl raised the gun she held and leveled it at the group behind
+her. She pulled the trigger. There was a sharp report, and one of
+the troopers fell. Then she fired again, quickly, and again and
+again. She did not score another hit, but she had the satisfaction
+of seeing Maenck and the last of his troopers dodge back to the
+safety of protecting trees.
+
+"The cowards!" muttered Barney as the enemy's shot announced his
+sinister intention; "they might have hit your highness."
+
+The girl did not reply until she had ceased firing.
+
+"Captain Maenck is notoriously a coward," she said.  "He is hiding
+behind a tree now with one of his men--I hit the other."
+
+"You hit one of them!" exclaimed Barney enthusiastically.
+
+"Yes," said the girl.  "I have shot a man.  I often wondered what
+the sensation must be to have done such a thing. I should feel
+terribly, but I don't. They were firing at you, trying to shoot you
+in the back while you were defenseless. I am not sorry--I cannot be;
+but I only wish that it had been Captain Maenck."
+
+In a short time Barney reached the bank and, helping the girl up,
+climbed to her side. A couple of shots followed them as they left
+the river, but did not fall dangerously near. Barney took the
+carbine and replied, then both of them disappeared into the wood.
+
+For the balance of the day they tramped on in the direction of
+Lustadt, making but little progress owing to the fear of
+apprehension. They did not dare utilize the high road, for they were
+still too close to Blentz. Their only hope lay in reaching the
+protection of Prince von der Tann before they should be recaptured
+by the king's emissaries. At dusk they came to the outskirts of a
+town. Here they hid until darkness settled, for Barney had
+determined to enter the place after dark and hire horses.
+
+The American marveled at the bravery and endurance of the girl.  He
+had always supposed that a princess was so carefully guarded from
+fatigue and privation all her life that the least exertion would
+prove her undoing; but no hardy peasant girl could have endured more
+bravely the hardships and dangers through which the Princess Emma
+had passed since the sun rose that morning.
+
+At last darkness came, and with it they approached and entered the
+village. They kept to unlighted side streets until they met a
+villager, of whom they inquired their way to some private house
+where they might obtain refreshments. The fellow scrutinized them
+with evident suspicion.
+
+"There is an inn yonder," he said, pointing toward the main street.
+"You can obtain food there. Why should respectable folk want to go
+elsewhere than to the public inn? And if you are afraid to go there
+you must have very good reasons for not wanting to be seen, and--"
+he stopped short as though assailed by an idea. "Wait," he cried,
+excitedly, "I will go and see if I can find a place for you. Wait
+right here," and off he ran toward the inn.
+
+"I don't like the looks of that," said Barney, after the man had
+left them. "He's gone to report us to someone. Come, we'd better get
+out of here before he comes back."
+
+The two turned up a side street away from the inn.  They had gone
+but a short distance when they heard the sound of voices and the
+thud of horses' feet behind them. The horses were coming at a walk
+and with them were several men on foot. Barney took the princess'
+hand and drew her up a hedge bordered driveway that led into private
+grounds. In the shadows of the hedge they waited for the party
+behind them to pass. It might be no one searching for them, but it
+was just as well to be on the safe side--they were still near
+Blentz. Before the men reached their hiding place a motor car
+followed and caught up with them, and as the party came opposite the
+driveway Barney and the princess overheard a portion of their
+conversation.
+
+"Some of you go back and search the street behind the inn--they may
+not have come this way." The speaker was in the motor car. "We will
+follow along this road for a bit and then turn into the Lustadt
+highway. If you don't find them go back along the road toward Tann."
+
+In her excitement the Princess Emma had not noticed that Barney
+Custer still held her hand in his. Now he pressed it. "It is
+Maenck's voice," he whispered. "Every road will be guarded."
+
+For a moment he was silent, thinking.  The searching party had
+passed on. They could still hear the purring of the motor as
+Maenck's car moved slowly up the street.
+
+"This is a driveway," murmured Barney.  "People who build driveways
+into their grounds usually have something to drive. Whatever it is
+it should be at the other end of the driveway. Let's see if it will
+carry two."
+
+Still in the shadow of the hedge they moved cautiously toward the
+upper end of the private road until presently they saw a building
+looming in their path.
+
+"A garage?" whispered Barney.
+
+"Or a barn," suggested the princess.
+
+"In either event it should contain something that can go," returned
+the American. "Let us hope that it can go like--like--ah--the wind."
+
+"And carry two," supplemented the princess.
+
+"Wait here," said Barney.  "If I get caught, run.  Whatever happens
+you mustn't be caught."
+
+Princess Emma dropped back close to the hedge and Barney approached
+the building, which proved to be a private garage. The doors were
+locked, as also were the three windows. Barney passed entirely
+around the structure halting at last upon the darkest side. Here was
+a window. Barney tried to loosen the catch with the blade of his
+pocket knife, but it wouldn't unfasten. His endeavors resulted only
+in snapping short the blade of his knife. For a moment he stood
+contemplating the baffling window. He dared not break the glass for
+fear of arousing the inmates of the house which, though he could not
+see it, might be close at hand.
+
+Presently he recalled a scene he had witnessed on State Street in
+Chicago several years before--a crowd standing before the window of
+a jeweler's shop inspecting a neat little hole that a thief had cut
+in the glass with a diamond and through which he had inserted his
+hand and brought forth several hundred dollars worth of loot. But
+Barney Custer wore no diamond--he would as soon have worn a
+celluloid collar. But women wore diamonds. Doubtless the Princess
+Emma had one. He ran quickly to her side.
+
+"Have you a diamond ring?" he whispered.
+
+"Gracious!" she exclaimed, "you are progressing rapidly," and
+slipped a solitaire from her finger to his hand.
+
+"Thanks," said Barney.  "I need the practice; but wait and you'll
+see that a diamond may be infinitely more valuable than even the
+broker claims," and he was gone again into the shadows of the
+garage. Here upon the window pane he scratched a rough deep circle,
+close to the catch. A quick blow sent the glass clattering to the
+floor within. For a minute Barney stood listening for any sign that
+the noise had attracted attention, but hearing nothing he ran his
+hand through the hole that he had made and unlatched the frame. A
+moment later he had crawled within.
+
+Before him, in the darkness, stood a roadster.  He ran his hand over
+the pedals and levers, breathing a sigh of relief as his touch
+revealed the familiar control of a standard make. Then he went to
+the double doors. They opened easily and silently.
+
+Once outside he hastened to the side of the waiting girl.
+
+"It's a machine," he whispered.  "We must both be in it when it
+leaves the garage--it's the through express for Lustadt and makes no
+stops for passengers or freight."
+
+He led her back to the garage and helped her into the seat beside
+him. As silently as possible he ran the machine into the driveway. A
+hundred yards to the left, half hidden by intervening trees and
+shrubbery, rose the dark bulk of a house. A subdued light shone
+through the drawn blinds of several windows--the only sign of life
+about the premises until the car had cleared the garage and was
+moving slowly down the driveway. Then a door opened in the house
+letting out a flood of light in which the figure of a man was
+silhouetted. A voice broke the silence.
+
+"Who are you?  What are you doing there?  Come back!"
+
+The man in the doorway called excitedly, "Friedrich!  Come! Come
+quickly! Someone is stealing the automobile," and the speaker came
+running toward the driveway at top speed. Behind him came Friedrich.
+Both were shouting, waving their arms and threatening. Their
+combined din might have aroused the dead.
+
+Barney sought speed--silence now was useless.  He turned to the left
+into the street away from the center of the town. In this direction
+had gone the automobile with Maenck, but by taking the first
+righthand turn Barney hoped to elude the captain. In a moment
+Friedrich and the other were hopelessly distanced. It was with a
+sigh of relief that the American turned the car into the dark
+shadows beneath the overarching trees of the first cross street.
+
+He was running without lights along an unknown way; and beside him
+was the most precious burden that Barney Custer might ever expect to
+carry. Under these circumstances his speed was greatly reduced from
+what he would have wished, but at that he was forced to accept grave
+risks. The road might end abruptly at the brink of a ravine--it
+might swerve perilously close to a stone quarry--or plunge headlong
+into a pond or river. Barney shuddered at the possibilities; but
+nothing of the sort happened. The street ran straight out of the
+town into a country road, rather heavy with sand. In the open the
+possibilities of speed were increased, for the night, though
+moonless, was clear, and the road visible for some distance ahead.
+
+The fugitives were congratulating themselves upon the excellent
+chance they now had to reach Lustadt. There was only Maenck and his
+companion ahead of them in the other car, and as there were several
+roads by which one might reach the main highway the chances were
+fair that Prince Peter's aide would miss them completely.
+
+Already escape seemed assured when the pounding of horses' hoofs
+upon the roadway behind them arose to blast their new found hope.
+Barney increased the speed of the car. It leaped ahead in response
+to his foot; but the road was heavy, and the sides of the ruts
+gripping the tires retarded the speed. For a mile they held the lead
+of the galloping horsemen. The shouts of their pursuers fell clearly
+upon their ears, and the Princess Emma, turning in her seat, could
+easily see the four who followed. At last the car began to draw
+away--the distance between it and the riders grew gradually greater.
+
+"I believe we are going to make it," whispered the girl, her voice
+tense with excitement. "If you could only go a little faster, Mr.
+Custer, I'm sure that we will."
+
+"She's reached her limit in this sand," replied the man, "and
+there's a grade just ahead--we may find better going beyond, but
+they're bound to gain on us before we reach the top."
+
+The girl strained her eyes into the night before them.  On the right
+of the road stood an ancient ruin--grim and forbidding. As her eyes
+rested upon it she gave a little exclamation of relief.
+
+"I know where we are now," she cried.  "The hill ahead is sandy, and
+there is a quarter of a mile of sand beyond, but then we strike the
+Lustadt highway, and if we can reach it ahead of them their horses
+will have to go ninety miles an hour to catch us--provided this car
+possesses any such speed possibilities."
+
+"If it can go forty we are safe enough," replied Barney; "but we'll
+give it a chance to go as fast as it can--the farther we are from
+the vicinity of Blentz the safer I shall feel for the welfare of
+your highness."
+
+A shot rang behind them, and a bullet whistled high above their
+heads. The princess seized the carbine that rested on the seat
+between them.
+
+"Shall I?" she asked, turning its muzzle back over the lowered top.
+
+"Better not," answered the man.  "They are only trying to frighten
+us into surrendering--that shot was much too high to have been aimed
+at us--they are shooting over our heads purposely. If they
+deliberately attempt to pot us later, then go for them, but to do it
+now would only draw their fire upon us. I doubt if they wish to harm
+your highness, but they certainly would fire to hit in
+self-defense."
+
+The girl lowered the firearm.  "I am becoming perfectly
+bloodthirsty," she said, "but it makes me furious to be hunted like
+a wild animal in my native land, and by the command of my king, at
+that. And to think that you who placed him upon his throne, you who
+have risked your life many times for him, will find no protection at
+his hands should you be captured is maddening. Ach, Gott, if I were
+a man!"
+
+"I thank God that you are not, your highness," returned Barney
+fervently.
+
+Gently she laid her hand upon his where it gripped the steering
+wheel.
+
+"No," she said, "I was wrong--I do not need to be a man while there
+still be such men as you, my friend; but I would that I were not the
+unhappy woman whom Fate had bound to an ingrate king--to a miserable
+coward!"
+
+They had reached the grade at last, and the motor was straining to
+the Herculean task imposed upon it.
+
+Grinding and grating in second speed the car toiled upward through
+the clinging sand. The pace was snail-like. Behind, the horsemen
+were gaining rapidly. The labored breathing of their mounts was
+audible even above the noise of the motor, so close were they. The
+top of the ascent lay but a few yards ahead, and the pursuers were
+but a few yards behind.
+
+"Halt!" came from behind, and then a shot.  The ping of the bullet
+and the scream of the ricochet warned the man and the girl that
+those behind them were becoming desperate--the bullet had struck one
+of the rear fenders. Without again asking assent the princess turned
+and, kneeling upon the cushion of the seat, fired at the nearest
+horseman. The horse stumbled and plunged to his knees. Another, just
+behind, ran upon him, and the two rolled over together with their
+riders. Two more shots were fired by the remaining horsemen and
+answered by the girl in the automobile, and then the car topped the
+hill, shot into high, and with renewed speed forged into the last
+quarter-mile of heavy going toward the good road ahead; but now the
+grade was slightly downward and all the advantage was upon the side
+of the fugitives.
+
+However, their margin would be but scant when they reached the
+highway, for behind them the remaining troopers were spurring their
+jaded horses to a final spurt of speed. At last the white ribbon of
+the main road became visible. To the right they saw the headlights
+of a machine. It was Maenck probably, doubtless attracted their way
+by the shooting.
+
+But the machine was a mile away and could not possibly reach the
+intersection of the two roads before they had turned to the left
+toward Lustadt. Then the incident would resolve itself into a simple
+test of speed between the two cars--and the ability and nerve of the
+drivers. Barney hadn't the slightest doubt now as to the outcome.
+His borrowed car was a good one, in good condition. And in the
+matter of driving he rather prided himself that he needn't take his
+hat off to anyone when it came to ability and nerve.
+
+They were only about fifty feet from the highway.  The girl touched
+his hand again. "We're safe," she cried, her voice vibrant with
+excitement, "we're safe at last." From beneath the bonnet, as though
+in answer to her statement, came a sickly, sucking sputter. The
+momentum of the car diminished. The throbbing of the engine ceased.
+They sat in silence as the machine coasted toward the highway and
+came to a dead stop, with its front wheels upon the road to safety.
+The girl turned toward Barney with an exclamation of surprise and
+interrogation.
+
+"The jig's up," he groaned; "we're out of gasoline!"
+
+
+
+
+IX
+
+THE CAPTURE
+
+The capture of Princess Emma von der Tann and Barney Custer was a
+relatively simple matter. Open fields spread in all directions about
+the crossroads at which their car had come to its humiliating stop.
+There was no cover. To have sought escape by flight, thus in the
+open, would have been to expose the princess to the fire of the
+troopers. Barney could not do this. He preferred to surrender and
+trust to chance to open the way to escape later.
+
+When Captain Ernst Maenck drove up he found the prisoners disarmed,
+standing beside the now-useless car. He alighted from his own
+machine and with a low bow saluted the princess, an ironical smile
+upon his thin lips. Then he turned his attention toward her
+companion.
+
+"Who are you?" he demanded gruffly.  In the darkness he failed to
+recognize the American whom he thought dead in Austria.
+
+"A servant of the house of Von der Tann," replied Barney.
+
+"You deserve shooting," growled the officer, "but we'll leave that
+to Prince Peter and the king. When I tell them the trouble you have
+caused us--well, God help you."
+
+The journey to Blentz was a short one.  They had been much nearer
+that grim fortress than either had guessed. At the outskirts of the
+town they were challenged by Austrian sentries, through which Maenck
+passed with ease after the sentinel had summoned an officer. From
+this man Maenck received the password that would carry them through
+the line of outposts between the town and the castle--"Slankamen."
+Barney, who overheard the word, made a mental note of it.
+
+At last they reached the dreary castle of Peter of Blentz. In the
+courtyard Austrian soldiers mingled with the men of the bodyguard of
+the king of Lutha. Within, the king's officers fraternized with the
+officers of the emperor. Maenck led his prisoners to the great hall
+which was filled with officers and officials of both Austria and
+Lutha.
+
+The king was not there.  Maenck learned that he had retired to his
+apartments a few minutes earlier in company with Prince Peter of
+Blentz and Von Coblich. He sent a servant to announce his return
+with the Princess von der Tann and a man who had attempted to
+prevent her being brought to Blentz.
+
+Barney had, as far as possible, kept his face averted from Maenck
+since they had entered the lighted castle. He hoped to escape
+recognition, for he knew that if his identity were guessed it might
+go hard with the princess. As for himself, it might go even harder,
+but of that he gave scarcely a thought--the safety of the princess
+was paramount.
+
+After a few minutes of waiting the servant returned with the king's
+command to fetch the prisoners to his apartments. The face of the
+Princess Emma was haggard. For the first time Barney saw signs of
+fear upon her countenance. With leaden steps they accompanied their
+guard up the winding stairway to the tower rooms that had been
+furnished for the king. They were the same in which Emma von der
+Tann had been imprisoned two years before.
+
+On either side of the doorway stood a soldier of the king's
+bodyguard. As Captain Maenck approached they saluted. A servant
+opened the door and they passed into the room. Before them were
+Peter of Blentz and Von Coblich standing beside a table at which
+Leopold of Lutha was sitting. The eyes of the three men were upon
+the doorway as the little party entered. The king's face was flushed
+with wine. He rose as his eyes rested upon the face of the princess.
+
+"Greetings, your highness," he cried with an attempt at cordiality.
+
+The girl looked straight into his eyes, coldly, and then bent her
+knee in formal curtsy. The king was about to speak again when his
+eyes wandered to the face of the American. Instantly his own went
+white and then scarlet. The eyes of Peter of Blentz followed those
+of the king, widening in astonishment as they rested upon the
+features of Barney Custer.
+
+"You told me he was dead," shouted the king.  "What is the meaning
+of this, Captain Maenck?"
+
+Maenck looked at his male prisoner and staggered back as though
+struck between the eyes.
+
+"Mein Gott," he exclaimed, "the impostor!"
+
+"You told me he was dead," repeated the king accusingly.
+
+"As God is my judge, your majesty," cried Peter of Blentz, "this man
+was shot by an Austrian firing squad in Burgova over a week ago."
+
+"Sire," exclaimed Maenck, "this is the first sight I have had of the
+prisoners except in the darkness of the night; until this instant I
+had not the remotest suspicion of his identity. He told me that he
+was a servant of the house of Von der Tann."
+
+"I told you the truth, then," interjected Barney.
+
+"Silence, you ingrate!" cried the king.
+
+"Ingrate?" repeated Barney.  "You have the effrontery to call me an
+ingrate? You miserable puppy."
+
+A silence, menacing in its intensity, fell upon the little
+assemblage. The king trembled. His rage choked him. The others
+looked as though they scarce could believe the testimony of their
+own ears. All there, with the possible exception of the king, knew
+that he deserved even more degrading appellations; but they were
+Europeans, and to Europeans a king is a king--that they can never
+forget. It had been the inherent suggestion of kingship that had
+bent the knee of the Princess Emma before the man she despised.
+
+But to the American a king was only what he made himself.  In this
+instance he was not even a man in the estimation of Barney Custer.
+Maenck took a step toward the prisoner--a menacing step, for his
+hand had gone to his sword. Barney met him with a level look from
+between narrowed lids. Maenck hesitated, for he was a great coward.
+Peter of Blentz spoke:
+
+"Sire," he said, "the fellow knows that he is already as good as
+dead, and so in his bravado he dares affront you. He has been
+convicted of spying by the Austrians. He is still a spy. It is
+unnecessary to repeat the formality of a trial."
+
+Leopold at last found his voice, though it trembled and broke as he
+spoke.
+
+"Carry out the sentence of the Austrian court in the morning," he
+said. "A volley now might arouse the garrison in the town and be
+misconstrued."
+
+Maenck ordered Barney escorted from the apartment, then he turned
+toward the king.
+
+"And the other prisoner, sire?" he inquired.
+
+"There is no other prisoner," he said.  "Her highness, the Princess
+von der Tann, is a guest of Prince Peter. She will be escorted to
+her apartment at once."
+
+"Her highness, the Princess von der Tann, is not a guest of Prince
+Peter." The girl's voice was low and cold. "If Mr. Custer is a
+prisoner, her highness, too, is a prisoner. If he is to be shot, she
+demands a like fate. To die by the side of a MAN would be infinitely
+preferable to living by the side of your majesty."
+
+Once again Leopold of Lutha reddened.  For a moment he paced the
+room angrily to hide his emotion. Then he turned once to Maenck.
+
+"Escort the prisoner to the north tower," he commanded, "and this
+insolent girl to the chambers next to ours. Tomorrow we shall talk
+with her again."
+
+Outside the room Barney turned for a last look at the princess as he
+was being led in one direction and she in another. A smile of
+encouragement was on his lips and cold hopelessness in his heart.
+She answered the smile and her lips formed a silent "good-bye." They
+formed something else, too--three words which he was sure he could
+not have mistaken, and then they parted, he for the death chamber
+and she for what fate she could but guess.
+
+As his guard halted before a door at the far end of a long corridor
+Barney Custer sensed a sudden familiarity in his surroundings. He
+was conscious of that sensation which is common to all of us--of
+having lived through a scene at some former time, to each minutest
+detail.
+
+As the door opened and he was pushed into the room he realized that
+there was excellent foundation for the impression--he immediately
+recognized the apartment as the same in which he had once before
+been imprisoned. At that time he had been mistaken for the mad king
+who had escaped from the clutches of Peter of Blentz. The same king
+was now visiting as a guest the fortress in which he had spent ten
+bitter years as a prisoner.
+
+"Say your prayers, my friend," admonished Maenck, as he was about to
+leave him alone, "for at dawn you die--and this time the firing
+squad will make a better job of it."
+
+Barney did not answer him, and the captain departed, locking the
+door after him and leaving two men on guard in the corridor. Alone,
+Barney looked about the room. It was in no wise changed since his
+former visit to it. He recalled the incidents of the hour of his
+imprisonment here, thought of old Joseph who had aided his escape,
+looked at the paneled fireplace, whose secret, it was evident, not
+even the master of Blentz was familiar with--and grinned.
+
+"'For at dawn you die!'" he repeated to himself, still smiling
+broadly. Then he crossed quickly to the fireplace, running his
+fingers along the edge of one of the large tiled panels that hid the
+entrance to the well-like shaft that rose from the cellars beneath
+to the towers above and which opened through similar concealed exits
+upon each floor. If the floor above should be untenanted he might be
+able to reach it as he and Joseph had done two years ago when they
+opened the secret panel in the fireplace and climbed a hidden ladder
+to the room overhead; and then by vacant corridors reached the far
+end of the castle above the suite in which the princess had been
+confined and near which Barney had every reason to believe she was
+now imprisoned.
+
+Carefully Barney's fingers traversed the edges of the panel. No
+hidden latch rewarded his search. Again and again he examined the
+perfectly fitted joints until he was convinced either that there was
+no latch there or that it was hid beyond possibility of discovery.
+With each succeeding minute the American's heart and hopes sank
+lower and lower. Two years had elapsed since he had seen the secret
+portal swing to the touch of Joseph's fingers. One may forget much
+in two years; but that he was at work upon the right panel Barney
+was positive. However, it would do no harm to examine its mate which
+resembled it in minutest detail.
+
+Almost indifferently Barney turned his attention to the other panel.
+He ran his fingers over it, his eyes following them. What was that?
+A finger-print? Upon the left side half way up a tiny smudge was
+visible. Barney examined it more carefully. A round, white figure of
+the conventional design that was burned into the tile bore the
+telltale smudge.
+
+Otherwise it differed apparently in no way from the numerous other
+round, white figures that were repeated many times in the scheme of
+decoration. Barney placed his thumb exactly over the mark that
+another thumb had left there and pushed. The figure sank into the
+panel beneath the pressure. Barney pushed harder, breathless with
+suspense. The panel swung in at his effort. The American could have
+whooped with delight.
+
+A moment more and he stood upon the opposite side of the secret door
+in utter darkness, for he had quickly closed it after him. To strike
+a match was but the matter of a moment. The wavering light revealed
+the top of the ladder that led downward and the foot of another
+leading aloft. He struck still more matches in search of the rope.
+It was not there, but his quest revealed the fact that the well at
+this point was much larger than he had imagined--it broadened into a
+small chamber.
+
+The light of many matches finally led him to the discovery of a
+passageway directly behind the fireplace. It was narrow, and after
+spanning the chimney descended by a few rough steps to a slightly
+lower level. It led toward the opposite end of the castle. Could it
+be possible that it connected directly with the apartments in the
+farther tower--in the tower where the king was and the Princess
+Emma? Barney could scarce hope for any such good luck, but at least
+it was worth investigating--it must lead somewhere.
+
+He followed it warily, feeling his way with hands and feet and
+occasionally striking a match. It was evident that the corridor lay
+in the thick wall of the castle, midway between the bottoms of the
+windows of the second floor and the tops of those upon the
+first--this would account for the slightly lower level of the
+passage from the floor of the second story.
+
+Barney had traversed some distance in the darkness along the
+forgotten corridor when the sound of voices came to him from beyond
+the wall at his right. He stopped, motionless, pressing his ear
+against the side wall. As he did so he became aware of the fact that
+at this point the wall was of wood--a large panel of hardwood. Now
+he could hear even the words of the speaker upon the opposite side.
+
+"Fetch her here, captain, and I will talk with her alone." The voice
+was the king's. "And, captain, you might remove the guard from
+before the door temporarily. I shall not require them, nor do I wish
+them to overhear my conversation with the princess."
+
+Barney could hear the officer acknowledge the commands of the king,
+and then he heard a door close. The man had gone to fetch the
+princess. The American struck a match and examined the panel before
+him. It reached to the top of the passageway and was some three feet
+in width.
+
+At one side were three hinges, and at the other an ancient spring
+lock. For an instant Barney stood in indecision. What should he do?
+His entry into the apartments of the king would result in alarming
+the entire fortress. Were he sure the king was alone it might be
+accomplished. Should he enter now or wait until the Princess Emma
+had been brought to the king?
+
+With the question came the answer--a bold and daring scheme.  His
+fingers sought the lock. Very gently, he unlatched it and pushed
+outward upon the panel. Suddenly the great doorway gave beneath his
+touch. It opened a crack letting a flood of light into his dark cell
+that almost blinded him.
+
+For a moment he could see nothing, and then out of the glaring blur
+grew the figure of a man sitting at a table--with his back toward
+the panel.
+
+It was the king, and he was alone.  Noiselessly Barney Custer
+entered the apartment, closing the panel after him. At his back now
+was the great oil painting of the Blentz princess that had hid the
+secret entrance to the room. He crossed the thick rugs until he
+stood behind the king. Then he clapped one hand over the mouth of
+the monarch of Lutha and threw the other arm about his neck.
+
+"Make the slightest outcry and I shall kill you," he whispered in
+the ear of the terrified man.
+
+Across the room Barney saw a revolver lying upon a small table.  He
+raised the king to his feet and, turning his back toward the weapon
+dragged him across the apartment until the table was within easy
+reach. Then he snatched up the revolver and swung the king around
+into a chair facing him, the muzzle of the gun pressed against his
+face.
+
+"Silence," he whispered.
+
+The king, white and trembling, gasped as his eyes fell upon the face
+of the American.
+
+"You?"  His voice was barely audible.
+
+"Take off your clothes--every stitch of them--and if any one asks
+for admittance, deny them. Quick, now," as the king hesitated. "My
+life is forfeited unless I can escape. If I am apprehended I shall
+see that you pay for my recapture with your life--if any one enters
+this room without my sanction they will enter it to find a dead king
+upon the floor; do you understand?"
+
+The king made no reply other than to commence divesting himself of
+his clothing. Barney followed his example, but not before he had
+crossed to the door that opened into the main corridor and shot the
+bolt upon the inside. When both men had removed their clothing
+Barney pointed to the little pile of soiled peasant garb that he had
+worn.
+
+"Put those on," he commanded.
+
+The king hesitated, drawing back in disgust.  Barney paused,
+half-way into the royal union suit, and leveled the revolver at
+Leopold. The king picked up one of the garments gingerly between the
+tips of his thumb and finger.
+
+"Hurry!" admonished the American, drawing the silk half-hose of the
+ruler of Lutha over his foot. "If you don't hurry," he added,
+"someone may interrupt us, and you know what the result would be--to
+you."
+
+Scowling, Leopold donned the rough garments.  Barney, fully clothed
+in the uniform the king had been wearing, stepped across the
+apartment to where the king's sword and helmet lay upon the side
+table that had also borne the revolver. He placed the helmet upon
+his head and buckled the sword-belt about his waist, then he faced
+the king, behind whom was a cheval glass. In it Barney saw his
+image. The king was looking at the American, his eyes wide and his
+jaw dropped. Barney did not wonder at his consternation. He himself
+was dumbfounded by the likeness which he bore to the king. It was
+positively uncanny. He approached Leopold.
+
+"Remove your rings," he said, holding out his hand.  The king did as
+he was bid, and Barney slipped the two baubles upon his fingers. One
+of them was the royal ring of the kings of Lutha.
+
+The American now blindfolded the king and led him toward the panel
+which had given him ingress to the room. Through it the two men
+passed, Barney closing the panel after them. Then he conducted the
+king back along the dark passageway to the room which the American
+had but recently quitted. At the back of the panel which led into
+his former prison Barney halted and listened. No sound came from
+beyond the partition. Gently Barney opened the secret door a
+trifle--just enough to permit him a quick survey of the interior of
+the apartment. It was empty. A smile crossed his face as he thought
+of the difficulty Leopold might encounter the following morning in
+convincing his jailers that he was not the American.
+
+Then he recalled his reflection in the cheval glass and frowned.
+Could Leopold convince them? He doubted it--and what then? The
+American was sentenced to be shot at dawn. They would shoot the king
+instead. Then there would be none to whom to return the kingship.
+What would he do with it? The temptation was great. Again a throne
+lay within his grasp--a throne and the woman he loved. None might
+ever know unless he chose to tell--his resemblance to Leopold was
+too perfect. It defied detection.
+
+With an exclamation of impatience he wheeled about and dragged the
+frightened monarch back to the room from which he had stolen him. As
+he entered he heard a knock at the door.
+
+"Do not disturb me now," he called.  "Come again in half an hour."
+
+"But it is Her Highness, Princess Emma, sire," came a voice from
+beyond the door. "You summoned her."
+
+"She may return to her apartments," replied Barney.
+
+All the time he kept his revolver leveled at the king, from his eyes
+he had removed the blind after they had entered the apartment. He
+crossed to the table where the king had been sitting when he
+surprised him, motioning the ragged ruler to follow and be seated.
+
+"Take that pen," he said, "and write a full pardon for Mr. Bernard
+Custer, and an order requiring that he be furnished with money and
+set at liberty at dawn."
+
+The king did as he was bid.  For a moment the American stood looking
+at him before he spoke again.
+
+"You do not deserve what I am going to do for you," he said.  "And
+Lutha deserves a better king than the one my act will give her; but
+I am neither a thief nor a murderer, and so I must forbear leaving
+you to your just deserts and return your throne to you. I shall do
+so after I have insured my own safety and done what I can for
+Lutha--what you are too little a man and king to do yourself.
+
+"So soon as they liberate you in the morning, make the best of your
+way to Brosnov, on the Serbian frontier. Await me there. When I can,
+I shall come. Again we may exchange clothing and you can return to
+Lustadt. I shall cross over into Siberia out of your reach, for I
+know you too well to believe that any sense of honor or gratitude
+would prevent you signing my death-warrant at the first opportunity.
+Now, come!"
+
+Once again Barney led the blindfolded king through the dark corridor
+to the room in the opposite tower--to the prison of the American. At
+the open panel he shoved him into the apartment. Then he drew the
+door quietly to, leaving the king upon the inside, and retraced his
+steps to the royal apartments. Crossing to the center table, he
+touched an electric button. A moment later an officer knocked at the
+door, which, in the meantime, Barney had unbolted.
+
+"Enter!" said the American.  He stood with his back toward the door
+until he heard it close behind the officer. When he turned he was
+apparently examining his revolver. If the officer suspected his
+identity, it was just as well to be prepared. Slowly he raised his
+eyes to the newcomer, who stood stiffly at salute. The officer
+looked him full in the face.
+
+"I answered your majesty's summons," said the man.
+
+"Oh, yes!" returned the American.  "You may fetch the Princess
+Emma."
+
+The officer saluted once more and backed out of the apartment.
+Barney walked to the table and sat down. A tin box of cigarettes lay
+beside the lamp. Barney lighted one of them. The king had good taste
+in the selection of tobacco, he thought. Well, a man must need have
+some redeeming characteristics.
+
+Outside, in the corridor, he heard voices, and again the knock at
+the door. He bade them enter. As the door opened Emma von der Tann,
+her head thrown back and a flush of anger on her face, entered the
+room. Behind her was the officer who had been despatched to bring
+her. Barney nodded to the latter.
+
+"You may go," he said.  He drew a chair from the table and asked the
+princess to be seated. She ignored his request.
+
+"What do you wish of me?" she asked.  She was looking straight into
+his eyes. The officer had withdrawn and closed the door after him.
+They were alone, with nothing to fear; yet she did not recognize
+him.
+
+"You are the king," she continued in cold, level tones, "but if you
+are also a gentleman, you will at once order me returned to my
+father at Lustadt, and with me the man to whom you owe so much. I do
+not expect it of you, but I wish to give you the chance.
+
+"I shall not go without him.  I am betrothed to you; but until
+tonight I should rather have died than wed you. Now I am ready to
+compromise. If you will set Mr. Custer at liberty in Serbia and
+return me unharmed to my father, I will fulfill my part of our
+betrothal."
+
+Barney Custer looked straight into the girl's face for a long
+moment. A half smile played upon his lips at the thought of her
+surprise when she learned the truth, when suddenly it dawned upon
+him that she and he were both much safer if no one, not even her
+loyal self, guessed that he was other than the king. It is not
+difficult to live a part, but often it is difficult to act one. Some
+little word or look, were she to know that he was Barney Custer,
+might betray them; no, it was better to leave her in ignorance,
+though his conscience pricked him for the disloyalty that his act
+implied.
+
+It seemed a poor return for her courage and loyalty to him that her
+statement to the man she thought king had revealed. He marveled that
+a Von der Tann could have spoken those words--a Von der Tann who but
+the day before had refused to save her father's life at the loss of
+the family honor. It seemed incredible to the American that he had
+won such love from such a woman. Again came the mighty temptation to
+keep the crown and the girl both; but with a straightening of his
+broad shoulders he threw it from him.
+
+She was promised to the king, and while he masqueraded in the king's
+clothes, he at least would act the part that a king should. He drew
+a folded paper from his inside pocket and handed it to the girl.
+
+"Here is the American's pardon," he said, "drawn up and signed by
+the king's own hand."
+
+She opened it and, glancing through it hurriedly, looked up at the
+man before her with a questioning expression in her eyes.
+
+"You came, then," she said, "to a realization of the enormity of
+your ingratitude?"
+
+The man shrugged.
+
+"He will never die at my command," he said.
+
+"I thank your majesty," she said simply.  "As a Von der Tann, I have
+tried to believe that a Rubinroth could not be guilty of such
+baseness. And now, tell me what your answer is to my proposition."
+
+"We shall return to Lustadt tonight," he replied.  "I fear the
+purpose of Prince Peter. In fact, it may be difficult--even
+impossible--for us to leave Blentz; but we can at least make the
+attempt."
+
+"Can we not take Mr. Custer with us?" she asked.  "Prince Peter may
+disregard your majesty's commands and, after you are gone, have him
+shot. Do not forget that he kept the crown from Peter of Blentz--it
+is certain that Prince Peter will never forget it."
+
+"I give you my word, your highness, that I know positively that if I
+leave Blentz tonight Prince Peter will not have Mr. Custer shot in
+the morning, and it will so greatly jeopardize his own plans if we
+attempt to release the prisoner that in all probability we ourselves
+will be unable to escape."
+
+She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.
+
+"You give me your word that he will be safe?" she asked.
+
+"My royal word," he replied.
+
+"Very well, let us leave at once."
+
+Barney touched the bell once more, and presently an officer of the
+Blentz faction answered the summons. As the man closed the door and
+approached, saluting, Barney stepped close to him.
+
+"We are leaving for Tann tonight," he said, "at once.  You will
+conduct us from the castle and procure horses for us. All the time I
+shall walk at your elbow, and in my hand I shall carry this," and he
+displayed the king's revolver. "At the first indication of defection
+upon your part I shall kill you. Do you perfectly understand me?"
+
+"But, your majesty," exclaimed the officer, "why is it necessary
+that you leave thus surreptitiously? May not the king go and come in
+his own kingdom as he desires? Let me announce your wishes to Prince
+Peter that he may furnish you with a proper escort. Doubtless he
+will wish to accompany you himself, sire."
+
+"You will do precisely what I say without further comment," snapped
+Barney. "Now get a--" He had been about to say: "Now get a move on
+you," when it occurred to him that this was not precisely the sort
+of language that kings were supposed to use to their inferiors. So
+he changed it. "Now get a couple of horses for her highness and
+myself, as well as your own, for you will accompany us to Tann."
+
+The officer looked at the weapon in the king's hand.  He measured
+the distance between himself and the king. He well knew the reputed
+cowardice of Leopold. Could he make the leap and strike up the
+king's hand before the timorous monarch found even the courage of
+the cornered rat to fire at him? Then his eyes sought the face of
+the king, searching for the signs of nervous terror that would make
+his conquest an easy one; but what he saw in the eyes that bored
+straight into his brought his own to the floor at the king's feet.
+
+What new force animated Leopold of Lutha?  Those were not the eyes
+of a coward. No fear was reflected in their steely glitter. The
+officer mumbled an apology, saluted, and turned toward the door. At
+his elbow walked the impostor; a cavalry cape that had belonged to
+the king now covered his shoulders and hid the weapon that pressed
+its hard warning now and again into the short-ribs of the Blentz
+officer. Just behind the American came the Princess Emma von der
+Tann.
+
+The three passed through the deserted corridors of the sleeping
+castle, taking a route at Barney's suggestion that led them to the
+stable courtyard without necessitating traversing the main corridors
+or the great hall or the guardroom, in all of which there still were
+Austrian and Blentz soldiers, whose duties or pleasures had kept
+them from their blankets.
+
+At the stables a sleepy groom answered the summons of the officer,
+whom Barney had warned not to divulge the identity of himself or the
+princess. He left the princess in the shadows outside the building.
+After what seemed an eternity to the American, three horses were led
+into the courtyard, saddled, and bridled. The party mounted and
+approached the gates. Here, Barney knew, might be encountered the
+most serious obstacle in their path. He rode close to the side of
+their unwilling conductor. Leaning forward in his saddle, he
+whispered in the man's ear.
+
+"Failure to pass us through the gates," he said, "will be the signal
+for your death."
+
+The man reined in his mount and turned toward the American.
+
+"I doubt if they will pass even me without a written order from
+Prince Peter," he said. "If they refuse, you must reveal your
+identity. The guard is composed of Luthanians--I doubt if they will
+dare refuse your majesty."
+
+Then they rode on up to the gates.  A soldier stepped from the
+sentry box and challenged them.
+
+"Lower the drawbridge," ordered the officer.  "It is Captain
+Krantzwort on a mission for the king."
+
+The soldier approached, raising a lantern, which he had brought from
+the sentry box, and inspected the captain's face. He seemed ill at
+ease. In the light of the lantern, the American saw that he was
+scarce more than a boy--doubtless a recruit. He saw the expression
+of fear and awe with which he regarded the officer, and it occurred
+to him that the effect of the king's presence upon him would be
+absolutely overpowering. Still the soldier hesitated.
+
+"My orders are very strict, sir," he said.  "I am to let no one
+leave without a written order from Prince Peter. If the sergeant or
+the lieutenant were here they would know what to do; but they are
+both at the castle--only two other soldiers are at the gates with
+me. Wait, and I will send one of them for the lieutenant."
+
+"No," interposed the American.  "You will send for no one, my man.
+Come closer--look at my face."
+
+The soldier approached, holding his lantern above his head.  As its
+feeble rays fell upon the face and uniform of the man on horseback,
+the sentry gave a little gasp of astonishment.
+
+"Now, lower the drawbridge," said Barney Custer, "it is your king's
+command."
+
+Quickly the fellow hastened to obey the order.  The chains creaked
+and the windlass groaned as the heavy planking sank to place across
+the moat.
+
+As Barney passed the soldier he handed him the pardon Leopold had
+written for the American.
+
+"Give this to your lieutenant," he said, "and tell him to hand it to
+Prince Peter before dawn tomorrow. Do not fail."
+
+A moment later the three were riding down the winding road toward
+Blentz. Barney had no further need of the officer who rode with
+them. He would be glad to be rid of him, for he anticipated that the
+fellow might find ample opportunity to betray them as they passed
+through the Austrian lines, which they must do to reach Lustadt.
+
+He had told the captain that they were going to Tann in order that,
+should the man find opportunity to institute pursuit, he might be
+thrown off the track. The Austrian sentries were no great distance
+ahead when Barney ordered a halt.
+
+"Dismount," he directed the captain, leaping to the ground himself
+at the same time. "Put your hands behind your back."
+
+The officer did as he was bid, and Barney bound his wrists securely
+with a strap and buckle that he had removed from the cantle of his
+saddle as he rode. Then he led him off the road among some weeds and
+compelled him to lie down, after which he bound his ankles together
+and stuffed a gag in his mouth, securing it in place with a bit of
+stick and the chinstrap from the man's helmet. The threat of the
+revolver kept Captain Krantzwort silent and obedient throughout the
+hasty operations.
+
+"Good-bye, captain," whispered Barney, "and let me suggest that you
+devote the time until your discovery and release in pondering the
+value of winning your king's confidence in the future. Had you
+chosen your associates more carefully in the past, this need not
+have occurred."
+
+Barney unsaddled the captain's horse and turned him loose, then he
+remounted and, with the princess at his side, rode down toward
+Blentz.
+
+
+
+X
+
+A NEW KING IN LUTHA
+
+As the two riders approached the edge of the village of Blentz a
+sentry barred their way. To his challenge the American replied that
+they were "friends from the castle."
+
+"Advance," directed the sentry, "and give the countersign."
+
+Barney rode to the fellow's side, and leaning from the saddle
+whispered in his ear the word "Slankamen."
+
+Would it pass them out as it had passed Maenck in? Barney scarcely
+breathed as he awaited the result of his experiment. The soldier
+brought his rifle to present and directed them to pass. With a sigh
+of relief that was almost audible the two rode into the village and
+the Austrian lines.
+
+Once within they met with no further obstacle until they reached the
+last line of sentries upon the far side of the town. It was with
+more confidence that Barney gave the countersign here, nor was he
+surprised that the soldier passed them readily; and now they were
+upon the highroad to Lustadt, with nothing more to bar their way.
+
+For hours they rode on in silence.  Barney wanted to talk with his
+companion, but as king he found nothing to say to her. The girl's
+mind was filled with morbid reflections of the past few hours and
+dumb terror for the future. She would keep her promise to the king;
+but after--life would not be worth the living; why should she live?
+She glanced at the man beside her in the light of the coming dawn.
+Ah, why was he so like her American in outward appearances only?
+Their own mothers could scarce have distinguished them, and yet in
+character no two men could have differed more widely. The man turned
+to her.
+
+"We are almost there," he said.  "You must be very tired."
+
+The words reflected a consideration that had never been a
+characteristic of Leopold. The girl began to wonder if there might
+not possibly be a vein of nobility in the man, after all, that she
+had never discovered. Since she had entered his apartments at Blentz
+he had been in every way a different man from the Leopold she had
+known of old. The boldness of his escape from Blentz supposed a
+courage that the king had never given the slightest indication of in
+the past. Could it be that he was making a genuine effort to become
+a man--to win her respect?
+
+They were approaching Lustadt as the sun rose.  A troop of horse was
+just emerging from the north gate. As it neared them they saw that
+the cavalrymen wore the uniforms of the Royal Horse Guard. At their
+head rode a lieutenant. As his eyes fell upon the face of the
+princess and her companion, he brought his troopers to a halt, and,
+with incredulity plain upon his countenance, advanced to meet them,
+his hand raised in salute to the king. It was Butzow.
+
+Now Barney was sure that he would be recognized.  For two years he
+and the Luthanian officer had been inseparable. Surely Butzow would
+penetrate his disguise. He returned his friend's salute, looked him
+full in the eyes, and asked where he was riding.
+
+"To Blentz, your majesty," replied Butzow, "to demand an audience.
+I bear important word from Prince von der Tann. He has learned the
+Austrians are moving an entire army corps into Lutha, together with
+siege howitzers. Serbia has demanded that all Austrian troops be
+withdrawn from Luthanian territory at once, and has offered to
+assist your majesty in maintaining your neutrality by force, if
+necessary."
+
+As Butzow spoke his eyes were often upon the Princess Emma, and it
+was quite evident that he was much puzzled to account for her
+presence with the king. She was supposed to be at Tann, and Butzow
+knew well enough her estimate of Leopold to know that she would not
+be in his company of her own volition. His expression as he
+addressed the man he supposed to be his king was far from
+deferential. Barney could scarce repress a smile.
+
+"We will ride at once to the palace," he said.  "At the gate you may
+instruct one of your sergeants to telephone to Prince von der Tann
+that the king is returning and will grant him audience immediately.
+You and your detachment will act as our escort."
+
+Butzow saluted and turned to his troopers, giving the necessary
+commands that brought them about in the wake of the pseudo-king.
+Once again Barney Custer, of Beatrice, rode into Lustadt as king of
+Lutha. The few people upon the streets turned to look at him as he
+passed, but there was little demonstration of love or enthusiasm.
+
+Leopold had awakened no emotions of this sort in the hearts of his
+subjects. Some there were who still remembered the gallant actions
+of their ruler on the field of battle when his forces had defeated
+those of the regent, upon that other occasion when this same
+American had sat upon the throne of Lutha for two days and had led
+the little army to victory; but since then the true king had been
+with them daily in his true colors. Arrogance, haughtiness, and
+petty tyranny had marked his reign. Taxes had gone even higher than
+under the corrupt influence of the Blentz regime. The king's days
+were spent in bed; his nights in dissipation. Old Ludwig von der
+Tann seemed Lutha's only friend at court. Him the people loved and
+trusted.
+
+It was the old chancellor who met them as they entered the
+palace--the Princess Emma, Lieutenant Butzow, and the false king. As
+the old man's eyes fell upon his daughter, he gave an exclamation of
+surprise and of incredulity. He looked from her to the American.
+
+"What is the meaning of this, your majesty?" he cried in a voice
+hoarse with emotion. "What does her highness in your company?"
+
+There was neither fear nor respect in Prince Ludwig's tone--only
+anger. He was demanding an accounting from Leopold, the man; not
+from Leopold, the king. Barney raised his hand.
+
+"Wait," he said, "before you judge.  The princess was brought to
+Blentz by Prince Peter. She will tell you that I have aided her to
+escape and that I have accorded her only such treatment as a woman
+has a right to expect from a king."
+
+The girl inclined her head.
+
+"His majesty has been most kind," she said.  "He has treated me with
+every consideration and respect, and I am convinced that he was not
+a willing party to my arrest and forcible detention at Blentz; or,"
+she added, "if he was, he regretted his action later and has made
+full reparation by bringing me to Lustadt."
+
+Prince von der Tann found difficulty in hiding his surprise at this
+evidence of chivalry in the cowardly king. But for his daughter's
+testimony he could not have believed it possible that it lay within
+the nature of Leopold of Lutha to have done what he had done within
+the past few hours.
+
+He bowed low before the man who wore the king's uniform.  The
+American extended his hand, and Von der Tann, taking it in his own,
+raised it to his lips.
+
+"And now," said Barney briskly, "let us go to my apartments and get
+to work. Your highness"--and he turned toward the Princess
+Emma--"must be greatly fatigued. Lieutenant Butzow, you will see
+that a suite is prepared for her highness. Afterward you may call
+upon Count Zellerndorf, whom I understand returned to Lustadt
+yesterday, and notify him that I will receive him in an hour. Inform
+the Serbian minister that I desire his presence at the palace
+immediately. Lose no time, lieutenant, and be sure to impress upon
+the Serbian minister that immediately means immediately."
+
+Butzow saluted and the Princess Emma curtsied, as the king turned
+and, slipping his arm through that of Prince Ludwig, walked away in
+the direction of the royal apartments. Once at the king's desk
+Barney turned toward the chancellor. In his mind was the
+determination to save Lutha if Lutha could be saved. He had been
+forced to place the king in a position where he would be helpless,
+though that he would have been equally as helpless upon his throne
+the American did not doubt for an instant. However, the course of
+events had placed within his hands the power to serve not only Lutha
+but the house of Von der Tann as well. He would do in the king's
+place what the king should have done if the king had been a man.
+
+"Now, Prince Ludwig," he said, "tell me just what conditions we must
+face. Remember that I have been at Blentz and that there the King of
+Lutha is not apt to learn all that transpires in Lustadt."
+
+"Sire," replied the chancellor, "we face a grave crisis.  Not only
+is there within Lutha the small force of Austrian troops that
+surround Blentz, but now an entire army corps has crossed the
+border. Unquestionably they are marching on Lustadt. The emperor is
+going to take no chances. He sent the first force into Lutha to
+compel Serbian intervention and draw Serbian troops from the
+Austro-Serbian battle line. Serbia has withheld her forces at my
+request, but she will not withhold them for long. We must make a
+declaration at once. If we declare against Austria we are faced by
+the menace of the Austrian troops already within our boundaries, but
+we shall have Serbia to help us.
+
+"A Serbian army corps is on the frontier at this moment awaiting
+word from Lutha. If it is adverse to Austria that army corps will
+cross the border and march to our assistance. If it is favorable to
+Austria it will none the less cross into Lutha, but as enemies
+instead of allies. Serbia has acted honorably toward Lutha. She has
+not violated our neutrality. She has no desire to increase her
+possessions in this direction.
+
+"On the other hand, Austria has violated her treaty with us.  She
+has marched troops into our country and occupied the town of Blentz.
+Constantly in the past she has incited internal discord. She is
+openly championing the Blentz cause, which at last I trust your
+majesty has discovered is inimical to your interests.
+
+"If Austria is victorious in her war with Serbia, she will find some
+pretext to hold Lutha whether Lutha takes her stand either for or
+against her. And most certainly is this true if it occurs that
+Austrian troops are still within the boundaries of Lutha when peace
+is negotiated. Not only our honor but our very existence demands
+that there be no Austrian troops in Lutha at the close of this war.
+If we cannot force them across the border we can at least make such
+an effort as will win us the respect of the world and a voice in the
+peace negotiations.
+
+"If we must bow to the surrender of our national integrity, let us
+do so only after we have exhausted every resource of the country in
+our country's defense. In the past your majesty has not appeared to
+realize the menace of your most powerful neighbor. I beg of you,
+sire, to trust me. Believe that I have only the interests of Lutha
+at heart, and let us work together for the salvation of our country
+and your majesty's throne."
+
+Barney laid his hand upon the old man's shoulder.  It seemed a shame
+to carry the deception further, but the American well knew that only
+so could he accomplish aught for Lutha or the Von der Tanns. Once
+the old chancellor suspected the truth as to his identity he would
+be the first to denounce him.
+
+"I think that you and I can work together, Prince Ludwig," he said.
+"I have sent for the Serbian and Austrian ministers. The former
+should be here immediately."
+
+Nor did they have long to wait before the tall Slav was announced.
+Barney lost no time in getting down to business. He asked no
+questions. What Von der Tann had told him, what he had seen with his
+own eyes since he had entered Lutha, and what he had overheard in
+the inn at Burgova was sufficient evidence that the fate of Lutha
+hung upon the prompt and energetic decisions of the man who sat upon
+Lutha's throne for the next few days.
+
+Had Leopold been the present incumbent Lutha would have been lost,
+for that he would play directly into the hands of Austria was not to
+be questioned. Were Von der Tann to seize the reins of government a
+state of revolution would exist that would divide the state into two
+bitter factions, weaken its defense, and give Austria what she most
+desired--a plausible pretext for intervention.
+
+Lutha's only hope lay in united defense of her liberties under the
+leadership of the one man whom all acknowledged king--Leopold. Very
+well, Barney Custer, of Beatrice, would be Leopold for a few days,
+since the real Leopold had proven himself incompetent to meet the
+emergency.
+
+General Petko, the Serbian minister to Lutha, brought to the
+audience the memory of a series of unpleasant encounters with the
+king. Leopold had never exerted himself to hide his pro-Austrian
+sentiments. Austria was a powerful country--Serbia, a relatively
+weak neighbor. Leopold, being a royal snob, had courted the favor of
+the emperor and turned up his nose at Serbia. The general was
+prepared for a repetition of the veiled affronts that Leopold
+delighted in according him; but this time he brought with him a
+reply that for two years he had been living in the hope of some day
+being able to deliver to the young monarch he so cordially despised.
+
+It was an ultimatum from his government--an ultimatum couched in
+terms from which all diplomatic suavity had been stripped. If Barney
+Custer, of Beatrice, could have read it he would have smiled, for in
+plain American it might have been described as announcing to Leopold
+precisely "where he got off." But Barney did not have the
+opportunity to read it, since that ultimatum was never delivered.
+
+Barney took the wind all out of it by his first words.  "Your
+excellency may wonder why it is that we have summoned you at such an
+early hour," he said.
+
+General Petko inclined his head in deferential acknowledgment of the
+truth of the inference.
+
+"It is because we have learned from our chancellor," continued the
+American, "that Serbia has mobilized an entire army corps upon the
+Luthanian frontier. Am I correctly informed?"
+
+General Petko squared his shoulders and bowed in assent. At the same
+time he reached into his breast-pocket for the ultimatum.
+
+"Good!" exclaimed Barney, and then he leaned close to the ear of the
+Serbian. "How long will it take to move that army corps to Lustadt?"
+
+General Petko gasped and returned the ultimatum to his pocket.
+
+"Sire!" he cried, his face lighting with incredulity.  "You mean--"
+
+"I mean," said the American, "that if Serbia will loan Lutha an army
+corps until the Austrians have evacuated Luthanian territory, Lutha
+will loan Serbia an army corps until such time as peace is declared
+between Serbia and Austria. Other than this neither government will
+incur any obligations to the other.
+
+"We may not need your help, but it will do us no harm to have them
+well on the way toward Lustadt as quickly as possible. Count
+Zellerndorf will be here in a few minutes. We shall, through him,
+give Austria twenty-four hours to withdraw all her troops beyond our
+frontiers. The army of Lutha is mobilized before Lustadt. It is not
+a large army, but with the help of Serbia it should be able to drive
+the Austrians from the country, provided they do not leave of their
+own accord."
+
+General Petko smiled.  So did the American and the chancellor.  Each
+knew that Austria would not withdraw her army from Lutha.
+
+"With your majesty's permission I will withdraw," said the Serbian,
+"and transmit Lutha's proposition to my government; but I may say
+that your majesty need have no apprehension but that a Serbian army
+corps will be crossing into Lutha before noon today."
+
+"And now, Prince Ludwig," said the American after the Serbian had
+bowed himself out of the apartment, "I suggest that you take
+immediate steps to entrench a strong force north of Lustadt along
+the road to Blentz."
+
+Von der Tann smiled as he replied.  "It is already done, sire," he
+said.
+
+"But I passed in along the road this morning," said Barney, "and saw
+nothing of such preparations."
+
+"The trenches and the soldiers were there, nevertheless, sire,"
+replied the old man, "only a little gap was left on either side of
+the highway that those who came and went might not suspect our plans
+and carry word of them to the Austrians. A few hours will complete
+the link across the road."
+
+"Good!  Let it be completed at once.  Here is Count Zellerndorf
+now," as the minister was announced.
+
+Von der Tann bowed himself out as the Austrian entered the king's
+presence. For the first time in two years the chancellor felt that
+the destiny of Lutha was safe in the hands of her king. What had
+caused the metamorphosis in Leopold he could not guess. He did not
+seem to be the same man that had whined and growled at their last
+audience a week before.
+
+The Austrian minister entered the king's presence with an expression
+of ill-concealed surprise upon his face. Two days before he had left
+Leopold safely ensconced at Blentz, where he was to have remained
+indefinitely. He glanced hurriedly about the room in search of
+Prince Peter or another of the conspirators who should have been
+with the king. He saw no one. The king was speaking. The Austrian's
+eyes went wider, not only at the words, but at the tone of voice.
+
+"Count Zellerndorf," said the American, "you were doubtless aware of
+the embarrassment under which the king of Lutha was compelled at
+Blentz to witness the entry of a foreign army within his domain. But
+we are not now at Blentz. We have summoned you that you may receive
+from us, and transmit to your emperor, the expression of our
+surprise and dismay at the unwarranted violation of Luthanian
+neutrality."
+
+"But, your majesty--" interrupted the Austrian.
+
+"But nothing, your excellency," snapped the American. "The moment
+for diplomacy is passed; the time for action has come. You will
+oblige us by transmitting to your government at once a request that
+every Austrian soldier now in Lutha be withdrawn by noon tomorrow."
+
+Zellerndorf looked his astonishment.
+
+"Are you mad, sire?" he cried.  "It will mean war!"
+
+"It is what Austria has been looking for," snapped the American,
+"and what people look for they usually get, especially if they
+chance to be looking for trouble. When can you expect a reply from
+Vienna?"
+
+"By noon, your majesty," replied the Austrian, "but are you
+irretrievably bound to your present policy? Remember the power of
+Austria, sire. Think of your throne. Think--"
+
+"We have thought of everything," interrupted Barney. "A throne means
+less to us than you may imagine, count; but the honor of Lutha means
+a great deal."
+
+
+
+XI
+
+THE BATTLE
+
+At five o'clock that afternoon the sidewalks bordering Margaretha
+Street were crowded with promenaders. The little tables before the
+cafes were filled. Nearly everyone spoke of the great war and of the
+peril which menaced Lutha. Upon many a lip was open disgust at the
+supine attitude of Leopold of Lutha in the face of an Austrian
+invasion of his country. Discontent was open. It was ripening to
+something worse for Leopold than an Austrian invasion.
+
+Presently a sergeant of the Royal Horse Guards cantered down the
+street from the palace. He stopped here and there, and, dismounting,
+tacked placards in conspicuous places. At the notice, and in each
+instance cheers and shouting followed the sergeant as he rode on to
+the next stop.
+
+Now, at each point men and women were gathered, eagerly awaiting an
+explanation of the jubilation farther up the street. Those whom the
+sergeant passed called to him for an explanation, and not receiving
+it, followed in a quickly growing mob that filled Margaretha Street
+from wall to wall. When he dismounted he had almost to fight his way
+to the post or door upon which he was to tack the next placard. The
+crowd surged about him in its anxiety to read what the placard bore,
+and then, between the cheering and yelling, those in the front
+passed back to the crowd the tidings that filled them with so great
+rejoicing.
+
+"Leopold has declared war on Austria!"  "The king calls for
+volunteers!" "Long live the king!"
+
+
+The battle of Lustadt has passed into history.  Outside of the
+little kingdom of Lutha it received but passing notice by the world
+at large, whose attention was riveted upon the great conflicts along
+the banks of the Meuse, the Marne, and the Aisne. But in Lutha! Ah,
+it will be told and retold, handed down from mouth to mouth and from
+generation to generation to the end of time.
+
+How the cavalry that the king sent north toward Blentz met the
+advancing Austrian army. How, fighting, they fell back upon the
+infantry which lay, a thin line that stretched east and west across
+the north of Lustadt, in its first line of trenches. A pitifully
+weak line it was, numerically, in comparison with the forces of the
+invaders; but it stood its ground heroically, and from the heights
+to the north of the city the fire from the forts helped to hold the
+enemy in check for many hours.
+
+And then the enemy succeeded in bringing up their heavy artillery to
+the ridge that lies three miles north of the forts. Shells were
+bursting in the trenches, the forts, and the city. To the south a
+stream of terror-stricken refugees was pouring out of Lustadt along
+the King's Road. Rich and poor, animated by a common impulse, filled
+the narrow street that led to the city's southern gate. Carts drawn
+by dogs, laden donkeys, French limousines, victorias,
+wheelbarrows--every conceivable wheeled vehicle and beast of
+burden--were jammed in a seemingly inextricable tangle in the mad
+rush for safety.
+
+Rumor passed back and forth through the fleeing thousands.  Now came
+word that Fort No. 2 had been silenced by the Austrian guns.
+Immediately followed news that the Luthanian line was falling back
+upon the city. Fear turned to panic. Men fought to outdistance their
+neighbors.
+
+A shell burst upon a roof-top in an adjoining square.
+
+Women fainted and were trampled.  Hoarse shouts of anger mingled
+with screams of terror, and then into the midst of it from
+Margaretha Street rode a man on horseback. Behind him were a score
+of officers. A trumpeter raised his instrument to his lips, and
+above the din of the fleeing multitude rose the sharp, triple call
+that announces the coming of the king. The mob halted and turned.
+
+Looking down upon them from his saddle was Leopold of Lutha.  His
+palm was raised for silence and there was a smile upon his lips.
+Quite suddenly, and as by a miracle, fear left them. They made a
+line for him and his staff to ride through. One of the officers
+turned in his saddle to address a civilian friend in an automobile.
+
+"His majesty is riding to the firing line," he said and he raised
+his voice that many might hear. Quickly the word passed from mouth
+to mouth, and as Barney Custer, of Beatrice, passed along Margaretha
+Street he was followed by a mad din of cheering that drowned the
+booming of the distant cannon and the bursting of the shells above
+the city.
+
+The balance of the day the pseudo-king rode back and forth along his
+lines. Three of his staff were killed and two horses were shot from
+beneath him, but from the moment that he appeared the Luthanian line
+ceased to waver or fall back. The advanced trenches that they had
+abandoned to the Austrians they took again at the point of the
+bayonet. Charge after charge they repulsed, and all the time there
+hovered above the enemy Lutha's sole aeroplane, watching, watching,
+ever watching for the coming of the allies. Somewhere to the
+northeast the Serbians were advancing toward Lustadt. Would they
+come in time?
+
+It was five o'clock in the morning of the second day, and though the
+Luthanian line still held, Barney Custer knew that it could not hold
+for long. The Austrian artillery fire, which had been rather wild
+the preceding day, had now become of deadly accuracy. Each bursting
+shell filled some part of the trenches with dead and wounded, and
+though their places were taken by fresh men from the reserve, there
+would soon be no reserve left to call upon.
+
+At his left, in the rear, the American had massed the bulk of his
+reserves, and at the foot of the heights north of the city and just
+below the forts the major portion of the cavalry was drawn up in the
+shelter of a little ravine. Barney's eyes were fixed upon the
+soaring aeroplane.
+
+In his hand was his watch.  He would wait another fifteen minutes,
+and if by then the signal had not come that the Serbians were
+approaching, he would strike the blow that he had decided upon. From
+time to time he glanced at his watch.
+
+The fifteen minutes had almost elapsed when there fluttered from the
+tiny monoplane a paper parachute. It dropped for several hundred
+feet before it spread to the air pressure and floated more gently
+toward the earth and a moment later there burst from its basket a
+puff of white smoke. Two more parachutes followed the first and two
+more puffs of smoke. Then the machine darted rapidly off toward the
+northeast.
+
+Barney turned to Prince von der Tann with a smile.  "They are none
+too soon," he said.
+
+The old prince bowed in acquiescence.  He had been very happy for
+two days. Lutha might be defeated now, but she could never be
+subdued. She had a king at last--a real king. Gott! How he had
+changed. It reminded Prince von der Tann of the day he had ridden
+beside the impostor two years before in the battle with the forces
+of Peter of Blentz. Many times he had caught himself scrutinizing
+the face of the monarch, searching for some proof that after all he
+was not Leopold.
+
+"Direct the commanders of forts three and four to concentrate their
+fire on the enemy's guns directly north of Fort No. 3," Barney
+directed an aide. "Simultaneously let the cavalry and Colonel
+Kazov's infantry make a determined assault on the Austrian
+trenches."
+
+Then he turned his horse toward the left of his line, where, a
+little to the rear, lay the fresh troops that he had been holding in
+readiness against this very moment. As he galloped across the plain,
+his staff at his heels, shrapnel burst about them. Von der Tann
+spurred to his side.
+
+"Sire," he cried, "it is unnecessary that you take such grave risks.
+Your staff is ready and willing to perform such service that you may
+be preserved to your people and your throne."
+
+"I believe the men fight better when they think their king is
+watching them," said the American simply.
+
+"I know it, sire," replied Von der Tann, "but even so, Lutha could
+ill afford to lose you now. I thank God, your majesty, that I have
+lived to see this day--to see the last of the Rubinroths upholding
+the glorious traditions of the Rubinroth blood."
+
+Barney led the reserves slowly through the wood to the rear of the
+extreme left of his line. The attack upon the Austrian right center
+appeared to be meeting with much greater success than the American
+dared to hope for. Already, through his glasses, he could see
+indications that the enemy was concentrating a larger force at this
+point to repulse the vicious assaults of the Luthanians. To do this
+they must be drawing from their reserves back of other portions of
+their line.
+
+It was what Barney had desired.  The three bombs from the aeroplane
+had told him that the Serbians had been sighted three miles away.
+Already they were engaging the Austrians. He could hear the rattle
+of rifles and quick-firers and the roar of cannon far to the
+northeast. And now he gave the word to the commander of the reserve.
+
+At a rapid trot the men moved forward behind the extreme left end of
+the Luthanian left wing. They were almost upon the Austrians before
+they emerged from the shelter of the wood, and then with hoarse
+shouts and leveled bayonets they charged the enemy's position. The
+fight there was the bloodiest of the two long days. Back and forth
+the tide of battle surged. In the thick of it rode the false king
+encouraging his men to greater effort. Slowly at last they bore the
+Austrians from their trenches. Back and back they bore them until
+retreat became a rout. The Austrian right was crumpled back upon its
+center!
+
+Here the enemy made a determined stand; but just before dark a great
+shouting arose from the heights to their left, where the bulk of
+their artillery was stationed. Both the Luthanian and Austrian
+troops engaged in the plain saw Austrian infantry and artillery
+running down the slopes in disorderly rout. Upon their heads came a
+cheering line of soldiers firing as they ran, and above them waved
+the battleflag of Serbia.
+
+A mighty shout rose from the Luthanian ranks--an answering groan
+from the throats of the Austrians. Hemmed in between the two lines
+of allies, the Austrians were helpless. Their artillery was
+captured, retreat cut off. There was but a single alternative to
+massacre--the white flag.
+
+A few regiments between Lustadt and Blentz, but nearer the latter
+town, escaped back into Austria, the balance Barney arranged with
+the Serbian minister to have taken back to Serbia as prisoners of
+war. The Luthanian army corps that the American had promised the
+Serbs was to be utilized along the Austrian frontier to prevent the
+passage of Austrian troops into Serbia through Lutha.
+
+The return to Lustadt after the battle was made through cheering
+troops and along streets choked with joy-mad citizenry. The name of
+the soldier-king was upon every tongue. Men went wild with
+enthusiasm as the tall figure rode slowly through the crowd toward
+the palace.
+
+Von der Tann, grim and martial, found his lids damp with the
+moisture of a great happiness. Even now with all the proofs of
+reality about him, it seemed impossible that this scene could be
+aught but the ephemeral vapors of a dream--that Leopold of Lutha,
+the coward, the craven, could have become in a single day the heroic
+figure that had loomed so large upon the battlefield of Lustadt--the
+simple, modest gentleman who received the plaudits of his subjects
+with bowed head and humble mien.
+
+As Barney Custer rode up Margaretha Street toward the royal palace
+of the kings of Lutha, a dust-covered horseman in the uniform of an
+officer of the Horse Guards entered Lustadt from the south. It was
+the young aide of Prince von der Tann's staff, who had been sent to
+Blentz nearly a week earlier with a message for the king, and who
+had been captured and held by the Austrians.
+
+During the battle before Lustadt all the Austrian troops had been
+withdrawn from Blentz and hurried to the front. It was then that the
+aide had been transferred to the castle, from which he had escaped
+early that morning. To reach Lustadt he had been compelled to circle
+the Austrian position, coming to Lustadt from the south.
+
+Once within the city he rode straight to the palace, flung himself
+from his jaded mount, and entered the left wing of the building--the
+wing in which the private apartments of the chancellor were located.
+
+Here he inquired for the Princess Emma, learning with evident relief
+that she was there. A moment later, white with dust, his face
+streamed with sweat, he was ushered into her presence.
+
+"Your highness," he blurted, "the king's commands have been
+disregarded--the American is to be shot tomorrow. I have just
+escaped from Blentz. Peter is furious. He realizes that whether the
+Austrians win or lose, his standing with the king is gone forever.
+
+"In a fit of rage he has ordered that Mr. Custer be sacrificed to
+his desire for revenge, in the hope that it will insure for him the
+favor of the Austrians. Something must be done at once if he is to
+be saved."
+
+For a moment the girl swayed as though about to fall. The young
+officer stepped quickly to support her, but before he reached her
+side she had regained complete mastery of herself. From the street
+without there rose the blare of trumpets and the cheering of the
+populace.
+
+Through senses numb with the cold of anguish the meaning of the
+tumult slowly filtered to her brain--the king had come. He was
+returning from the battlefield, covered with honors and flushed with
+glory--the man who was to be her husband; but there was no rejoicing
+in the heart of the Princess Emma.
+
+Instead, there was a dull ache and impotent rebellion at the
+injustice of the thing--that Leopold should be reaping these great
+rewards, while he who had made it possible for him to be a king at
+all was to die on the morrow because of what he had done to place
+the Rubinroth upon his throne.
+
+"Perhaps Lieutenant Butzow might find a way," suggested the officer.
+"He or your father; they are both fond of Mr. Custer."
+
+"Yes," said the girl dully, "see Lieutenant Butzow--he would do the
+most."
+
+The officer bowed and hastened from the apartment in search of
+Butzow. The girl approached the window and stood there for a long
+time, looking out at the surging multitude that pressed around the
+palace gates, filling Margaretha Street with a solid mass of happy
+faces.
+
+They cheered the king, the chancellor, the army; but most often they
+cheered the king. From a despised monarch Leopold had risen in a
+single bound to the position of a national idol.
+
+Repeatedly he was called to the balcony over the grand entrance that
+the people might feast their eyes on him. The princess wondered how
+long it was before she herself would be forced to offer her
+congratulations and, perchance, suffer his caresses. She shivered
+and cringed at the thought, and then there came a knock upon the
+door, and in answer to her permission it opened, and the king stood
+upon the threshold alone.
+
+At a glance the man took in the pain and sorrow mirrored upon the
+girl's face. He stepped quickly across the room toward her.
+
+"What is it?" he asked.  "What is the matter?"
+
+For a moment he had forgotten the part that he had been
+playing--forgot that the Princess Emma was ignorant of his identity.
+He had come to her to share with her the happiness of the hour--the
+glory of the victorious arms of Lutha. For a time he had almost
+forgotten that he was not the king, and now he was forgetting that
+he was not Barney Custer to the girl who stood before him with
+misery and hopelessness writ so large upon her countenance.
+
+For a brief instant the girl did not reply.  She was weighing the
+problematical value of an attempt to enlist the king in the cause of
+the American. Leopold had shown a spark of magnanimity when he had
+written a pardon for Mr. Custer; might he not rise again above his
+petty jealousy and save the American's life? It was a forlorn hope
+to the woman who knew the true Leopold so well; but it was a hope.
+
+"What is the matter?" the king repeated.
+
+"I have just received word that Prince Peter has ignored your
+commands, sire," replied the girl, "and that Mr. Custer is to be
+shot tomorrow."
+
+Barney's eyes went wide with incredulity.  Here was a pretty pass,
+indeed! The princess came close to him and seized his arm.
+
+"You promised, sire," she said, "that he would not be harmed--you
+gave your royal word. You can save him. You have an army at your
+command. Do not forget that he once saved you."
+
+The note of appeal in her voice and the sorrow in her eyes gave
+Barney Custer a twinge of compunction. The necessity for longer
+concealing his identity in so far as the salvation of Lutha was
+concerned seemed past; but the American had intended to carry the
+deception to the end.
+
+He had given the matter much thought, but he could find no grounds
+for belief that Emma von der Tann would be any happier in the
+knowledge that her future husband had had nothing to do with the
+victory of his army. If she was doomed to a life at his side, why
+not permit her the grain of comfort that she might derive from the
+memory of her husband's achievements upon the battlefield of
+Lustadt? Why rob her of that little?
+
+But now, face to face with her, and with the evidence of her
+suffering so plain before him, Barney's intentions wavered. Like
+most fighting men, he was tender in his dealings with women. And now
+the last straw came in the form of a single tiny tear that trickled
+down the girl's cheek. He seized the hand that lay upon his arm.
+
+"Your highness," he said, "do not grieve for the American. He is not
+worth it. He has deceived you. He is not at Blentz."
+
+The girl drew her hand from his and straightened to her full height.
+
+"What do you mean, sire?" she exclaimed.  "Mr. Custer would not
+deceive me even if he had an opportunity--which he has not had. But
+if he is not at Blentz, where is he?"
+
+Barney bowed his head and looked at the floor.
+
+"He is here, your highness, asking your forgiveness," he said.
+
+There was a puzzled expression upon the girl's face as she looked at
+the man before her. She did not understand. Why should she? Barney
+drew a diamond ring from his little finger and held it out to her.
+
+"You gave it to me to cut a hole in the window of the garage where I
+stole the automobile," he said. "I forgot to return it. Now do you
+know who I am?"
+
+Emma von der Tann's eyes showed her incredulity; then, act by act,
+she recalled all that this man had said and done since they had
+escaped from Blentz that had been so unlike the king she knew.
+
+"When did you assume the king's identity?" she asked.
+
+Barney told her all that had transpired in the king's apartments at
+Blentz before she had been conducted to the king's presence.
+
+"And Leopold is there now?" she asked.
+
+"He is there," replied Barney, "and he is to be shot in the
+morning."
+
+"Gott!" exclaimed the girl.  "What are we to do?"
+
+"There is but one thing to do," replied the American, "and that is
+for Butzow and me to ride to Blentz as fast as horses will carry us
+and rescue the king."
+
+"And then?" asked the girl, a shadow crossing her face.
+
+"And then Barney Custer will have to beat it for the boundary," he
+replied with a sorry smile.
+
+She came quite close to him, laying her hands upon his shoulders.
+
+"I cannot give you up now," she said simply.  "I have tried to be
+loyal to Leopold and the promise that my father made his king when I
+was only a little girl; but since I thought that you were to be
+shot, I have wished a thousand times that I had gone with you to
+America two years ago. Take me with you now, Barney. We can send
+Lieutenant Butzow to rescue the king, and before he has returned we
+can be safe across the Serbian frontier."
+
+The American shook his head.
+
+"I got the king into this mess and I must get him out," he said.
+"He may deserve to be shot, but it is up to me to prevent it, if I
+can. And there is your father to consider. If Butzow rides to Blentz
+and rescues the king, it may be difficult to get him back to Lustadt
+without the truth of his identity and mine becoming known. With me
+there, the change can be effected easily, and not even Butzow need
+know what has happened.
+
+"If the people should guess that it was not Leopold who won the
+battle of Lustadt there might be the devil to pay, and your father
+would go down along with the throne. No, I must stay until Leopold
+is safe in Lustadt. But there is a hope for us. I may be able to
+wrest from Leopold his sanction of our marriage. I shall not
+hesitate to use threats to get it, and I rather imagine that he will
+be in such a terror-stricken condition that he will assent to any
+terms for his release from Blentz. If he gives me such a paper,
+Emma, will you marry me?"
+
+Perhaps there never had been a stranger proposal than this; but to
+neither did it seem strange. For two years each had known the love
+of the other. The girl's betrothal to the king had prevented an
+avowal of their love while Barney posed in his own identity. Now
+they merely accepted the conditions that had existed for two years
+as though a matter of fact which had been often discussed between
+them.
+
+"Of course I'll marry you," said the princess.  "Why in the world
+would I want you to take me to America otherwise?"
+
+As Barney Custer took her in his arms he was happier than he had
+ever before been in all his life, and so, too, was the Princess Emma
+von der Tann.
+
+
+
+
+XII
+
+LEOPOLD WAITS FOR DAWN
+
+After the American had shoved him through the secret doorway into
+the tower room of the castle of Blentz, Leopold had stood for
+several minutes waiting for the next command from his captor.
+Presently, hearing no sound other than that of his own breathing,
+the king ventured to speak. He asked the American what he purposed
+doing with him next.
+
+There was no reply.  For another minute the king listened intently;
+then he raised his hands and removed the bandage from his eyes. He
+looked about him. The room was vacant except for himself. He
+recognized it as the one in which he had spent ten years of his life
+as a prisoner. He shuddered. What had become of the American? He
+approached the door and listened. Beyond the panels he could hear
+the two soldiers on guard there conversing. He called to them.
+
+"What do you want?" shouted one of the men through the closed door.
+
+"I want Prince Peter!" yelled the king.  "Send him at once!"
+
+The soldiers laughed.
+
+"He wants Prince Peter," they mocked.  "Wouldn't you rather have us
+send the king to you?" they asked.
+
+"I am the king!" yelled Leopold.  "I am the king!  Open the door,
+pigs, or it will go hard with you! I shall have you both shot in the
+morning if you do not open the door and fetch Prince Peter."
+
+"Ah!" exclaimed one of the soldiers.  "Then there will be three of
+us shot together."
+
+Leopold went white.  He had not connected the sentence of the
+American with himself; but now, quite vividly, he realized what it
+might mean to him if he failed before dawn to convince someone that
+he was not the American. Peter would not be awake at so early an
+hour, and if he had no better success with others than he was having
+with these soldiers, it was possible that he might be led out and
+shot before his identity was discovered. The thing was preposterous.
+The king's knees became suddenly quite weak. They shook, and his
+legs gave beneath his weight so that he had to lean against the back
+of a chair to keep from falling.
+
+Once more he turned to the soldiers.  This time he pleaded with
+them, begging them to carry word to Prince Peter that a terrible
+mistake had been made, and that it was the king and not the American
+who was confined in the death chamber. But the soldiers only laughed
+at him, and finally threatened to come in and beat him if he again
+interrupted their conversation.
+
+It was a white and shaken prisoner that the officer of the guard
+found when he entered the room at dawn. The man before him, his face
+streaked with tears of terror and self-pity, fell upon his knees
+before him, beseeching him to carry word to Peter of Blentz, that he
+was the king. The officer drew away with a gesture of disgust.
+
+"I might well believe from your actions that you are Leopold," he
+said; "for, by Heaven, you do not act as I have always imagined the
+American would act in the face of danger. He has a reputation for
+bravery that would suffer could his admirers see him now."
+
+"But I am not the American," pleaded the king.  "I tell you that the
+American came to my apartments last night, overpowered me, forced me
+to change clothing with him, and then led me back here."
+
+A sudden inspiration came to the king with the memory of all that
+had transpired during that humiliating encounter with the American.
+
+"I signed a pardon for him!" he cried.  "He forced me to do so.  If
+you think I am the American, you cannot kill me now, for there is a
+pardon signed by the king, and an order for the American's immediate
+release. Where is it? Do not tell me that Prince Peter did not
+receive it."
+
+"He received it," replied the officer, "and I am here to acquaint
+you with the fact, but Prince Peter said nothing about your release.
+All he told me was that you were not to be shot this morning," and
+the man emphasized the last two words.
+
+Leopold of Lutha spent two awful days a prisoner at Blentz, not
+knowing at what moment Prince Peter might see fit to carry out the
+verdict of the Austrian court martial. He could convince no one that
+he was the king. Peter would not even grant him an audience. Upon
+the evening of the third day, word came that the Austrians had been
+defeated before Lustadt, and those that were not prisoners were
+retreating through Blentz toward the Austrian frontier.
+
+The news filtered to Leopold's prison room through the servant who
+brought him his scant and rough fare. The king was utterly
+disheartened before this word reached him. For the moment he seemed
+to see a ray of hope, for, since the impostor had been victorious,
+he would be in a position to force Peter of Blentz to give up the
+true king.
+
+There was the chance that the American, flushed with success and
+power, might elect to hold the crown he had seized. Who would guess
+the transfer that had been effected, or, guessing, would dare voice
+his suspicions in the face of the power and popularity that Leopold
+knew such a victory as the impostor had won must have given him in
+the hearts and minds of the people of Lutha? Still, there was a bare
+possibility that the American would be as good as his word, and
+return the crown as he had promised. Though he hated to admit it,
+the king had every reason to believe that the impostor was a man of
+honor, whose bare word was as good as another's bond.
+
+He was commencing, under this line of reasoning, to achieve a
+certain hopeful content when the door to his prison opened and Peter
+of Blentz, black and scowling, entered. At his elbow was Captain
+Ernst Maenck.
+
+"Leopold has defeated the Austrians," announced the former.  "Until
+you returned to Lutha he considered the Austrians his best friends.
+I do not know how you could have reached or influenced him. It is to
+learn how you accomplished it that I am here. The fact that he
+signed your pardon indicates that his attitude toward you changed
+suddenly--almost within an hour. There is something at the bottom of
+it all, and that something I must know."
+
+"I am Leopold!" cried the king.  "Don't you recognize me, Prince
+Peter? Look at me! Maenck must know me. It was I who wrote and
+signed the American's pardon--at the point of the American's
+revolver. He forced me to exchange clothing with him, and then he
+brought me here to this room and left me."
+
+The two men looked at the speaker and smiled.
+
+"You bank too strongly, my friend," said Peter of Blentz, "upon your
+resemblance to the king of Lutha. I will admit that it is strong,
+but not so strong as to convince me of the truth of so improbable a
+story. How in the world could the American have brought you through
+the castle, from one end to the other, unseen? There was a guard
+before the king's door and another before this. No, Herr Custer, you
+will have to concoct a more plausible tale.
+
+"No," and Peter of Blentz scowled savagely, as though to impress
+upon his listener the importance of his next utterance, "there were
+more than you and the king involved in his sudden departure from
+Blentz and in his hasty change of policy toward Austria. To be quite
+candid, it seems to me that it may be necessary to my future
+welfare--vitally necessary, I may say--to know precisely how all
+this occurred, and just what influence you have over Leopold of
+Lutha. Who was it that acted as the go-between in the king's
+negotiations with you, or rather, yours with the king? And what
+argument did you bring to bear to force Leopold to the action he
+took?"
+
+"I have told you all that I know about the matter," whined the king.
+"The American appeared suddenly in my apartment. When he brought me
+here he first blindfolded me. I have no idea by what route we
+traveled through the castle, and unless your guards outside this
+door were bribed they can tell you more about how we got in here
+than I can--provided we entered through that doorway," and the king
+pointed to the door which had just opened to admit his two visitors.
+
+"Oh, pshaw!" exclaimed Maenck.  "There is but one door to this
+room--if the king came in here at all, he came through that door."
+
+"Enough!" cried Peter of Blentz.  "I shall not be trifled with
+longer. I shall give you until tomorrow morning to make a full
+explanation of the truth and to form some plan whereby you may
+utilize once more whatever influence you had over Leopold to the end
+that he grant to myself and my associates his royal assurance that
+our lives and property will be safe in Lutha."
+
+"But I tell you it is impossible," wailed the king.
+
+"I think not," sneered Prince Peter, "especially when I tell you
+that if you do not accede to my wishes the order of the Austrian
+military court that sentenced you to death at Burgova will be
+carried out in the morning."
+
+With his final words the two men turned and left the room.  Behind
+them, upon the floor, inarticulate with terror, knelt Leopold of
+Lutha, his hands outstretched in supplication.
+
+The long night wore its weary way to dawn at last.  The sleepless
+man, alternately tossing upon his bed and pacing the floor, looked
+fearfully from time to time at the window through which the
+lightening of the sky would proclaim the coming day and his last
+hour on earth. His windows faced the west. At the foot of the hill
+beneath the castle nestled the village of Blentz, once more
+enveloped in peaceful silence since the Austrians were gone.
+
+An unmistakable lessening of the darkness in the east had just
+announced the proximity of day, when the king heard a clatter of
+horses' hoofs upon the road before the castle. The sound ceased at
+the gates and a loud voice broke out upon the stillness of the dying
+night demanding entrance "in the name of the king."
+
+New hope burst aflame in the breast of the condemned man.  The
+impostor had not forsaken him. Leopold ran to the window, leaning
+far out. He heard the voices of the sentries in the barbican as they
+conversed with the newcomers. Then silence came, broken only by the
+rapid footsteps of a soldier hastening from the gate to the castle.
+His hobnail shoes pounding upon the cobbles of the courtyard echoed
+among the angles of the lofty walls. When he had entered the castle
+the silence became oppressive. For five minutes there was no sound
+other than the pawing of the horses outside the barbican and the
+subdued conversation of their riders.
+
+Presently the soldier emerged from the castle.  With him was an
+officer. The two went to the barbican. Again there was a parley
+between the horsemen and the guard. Leopold could hear the officer
+demanding terms. He would lower the drawbridge and admit them upon
+conditions.
+
+One of these the king overheard--it concerned an assurance of full
+pardon for Peter of Blentz and the garrison; and again Leopold heard
+the officer addressing someone as "your majesty."
+
+Ah, the impostor was there in person.  Ach, Gott!  How Leopold of
+Lutha hated him, and yet, in the hands of this American lay not only
+his throne but his very life as well.
+
+Evidently the negotiations proved unsuccessful for after a time the
+party wheeled their horses from the gate and rode back toward
+Blentz. As the sound of the iron-shod hoofs diminished in the
+distance, with them diminished the hopes of the king.
+
+When they ceased entirely his hopes were at an end, to be supplanted
+by renewed terror at the turning of the knob of his prison door as
+it swung open to admit Maenck and a squad of soldiers.
+
+"Come!" ordered the captain.  "The king has refused to intercede in
+your behalf. When he returns with his army he will find your body at
+the foot of the west wall in the courtyard."
+
+With an ear-piercing shriek that rang through the grim old castle,
+Leopold of Lutha flung his arms above his head and lunged forward
+upon his face. Roughly the soldiers seized the unconscious man and
+dragged him from the room.
+
+Along the corridor they hauled him and down the winding stairs
+within the north tower to the narrow slit of a door that opened upon
+the courtyard. To the foot of the west wall they brought him,
+tossing him brutally to the stone flagging. Here one of the soldiers
+brought a flagon of water and dashed it in the face of the king. The
+cold douche returned Leopold to a consciousness of the nearness of
+his impending fate.
+
+He saw the little squad of soldiers before him.  He saw the cold,
+gray wall behind, and, above, the cold, gray sky of early dawn. The
+dismal men leaning upon their shadowy guns seemed unearthly specters
+in the weird light of the hour that is neither God's day nor devil's
+night. With difficulty two of them dragged Leopold to his feet.
+
+Then the dismal men formed in line before him at the opposite side
+of the courtyard. Maenck stood to the left of them. He was giving
+commands. They fell upon the doomed man's ears with all the cruelty
+of physical blows. Tears coursed down his white cheeks. With
+incoherent mumblings he begged for his life. Leopold, King of Lutha,
+trembling in the face of death!
+
+
+
+
+XIII
+
+THE TWO KINGS
+
+Twenty troopers had ridden with Lieutenant Butzow and the false king
+from Lustadt to Blentz. During the long, hard ride there had been
+little or no conversation between the American and his friend, for
+Butzow was still unsuspicious of the true identity of the man who
+posed as the ruler of Lutha. The lieutenant was all anxiety to reach
+Blentz and rescue the American he thought imprisoned there and in
+danger of being shot.
+
+At the gate they were refused admittance unless the king would
+accept conditions. Barney refused--there was another way to gain
+entrance to Blentz that not even the master of Blentz knew. Butzow
+urged him to accede to anything to save the life of the American. He
+recalled all that the latter had done in the service of Lutha and
+Leopold. Barney leaned close to the other's ear.
+
+"If they have not already shot him," he whispered, "we shall save
+the prisoner yet. Let them think that we give up and are returning
+to Lustadt. Then follow me."
+
+Slowly the little cavalcade rode down from the castle of Blentz
+toward the village. Just out of sight of the grim pile where the
+road wound down into a ravine Barney turned his horse's head up the
+narrow defile. In single file Butzow and the troopers followed until
+the rank undergrowth precluded farther advance. Here the American
+directed that they dismount, and, leaving the horses in charge of
+three troopers, set out once more with the balance of the company on
+foot.
+
+It was with difficulty that the men forced their way through the
+bushes, but they had not gone far when their leader stopped before a
+sheer wall of earth and stone, covered with densely growing
+shrubbery. Here he groped in the dim light, feeling his way with his
+hands before him, while at his heels came his followers. At last he
+separated a wall of bushes and disappeared within the aperture his
+hands had made. One by one his men followed, finding themselves in
+inky darkness, but upon a smooth stone floor and with stone walls
+close upon either hand. Those who lifted their hands above their
+heads discovered an arched stone ceiling close above them.
+
+Along this buried corridor the "king" led them, for though he had
+never traversed it himself the Princess Emma had, and from her he
+had received minute directions. Occasionally he struck a match, and
+presently in the fitful glare of one of these he and those directly
+behind him saw the foot of a ladder that disappeared in the Stygian
+darkness above.
+
+"Follow me up this, very quietly," he said to those behind him.  "Up
+to the third landing."
+
+They did as he bid them.  At the third landing Barney felt for the
+latch he knew was there--he was on familiar ground now. Finding it
+he pushed open the door it held in place, and through a tiny crack
+surveyed the room beyond. It was vacant. The American threw the door
+wide and stepped within. Directly behind him was Butzow, his eyes
+wide in wonderment. After him filed the troopers until seventeen of
+them stood behind their lieutenant and the "king."
+
+Through the window overlooking the courtyard came a piteous wailing.
+Barney ran to the casement and looked out. Butzow was at his side.
+
+"Himmel!" ejaculated the Luthanian.  "They are about to shoot him.
+Quick, your majesty," and without waiting to see if he were followed
+the lieutenant raced for the door of the apartment. Close behind him
+came the American and the seventeen.
+
+It took but a moment to reach the stairway down which the rescuers
+tumbled pell-mell.
+
+Maenck was giving his commands to the firing squad with fiendish
+deliberation and delay. He seemed to enjoy dragging out the agony
+that the condemned man suffered. But it was this very cruelty that
+caused Maenck's undoing and saved the life of Leopold of Lutha. Just
+before he gave the word to fire Maenck paused and laughed aloud at
+the pitiable figure trembling and whining against the stone wall
+before him, and during that pause a commotion arose at the tower
+doorway behind the firing squad.
+
+Maenck turned to discover the cause of the interruption, and as he
+turned he saw the figure of the king leaping toward him with leveled
+revolver. At the king's back a company of troopers of the Royal
+Horse Guard was pouring into the courtyard.
+
+Maenck snatched his own revolver from his hip and fired point-blank
+at the "king." The firing squad had turned at the sound of assault
+from the rear. Some of them discharged their pieces at the advancing
+troopers. Butzow gave a command and seventeen carbines poured their
+deadly hail into the ranks of the Blentz retainers. At Maenck's shot
+the "king" staggered and fell to the pavement.
+
+Maenck leaped across his prostrate form, yelling to his men "Shoot
+the American." Then he was lost to Barney's sight in the
+hand-to-hand scrimmage that was taking place. The American tried to
+regain his feet, but the shock of the wound in his breast had
+apparently paralyzed him for the moment. A Blentz soldier was
+running toward the prisoner standing open-mouthed against the wall.
+The fellow's rifle was raised to his hip--his intention was only too
+obvious.
+
+Barney drew himself painfully and slowly to one elbow. The man was
+rapidly nearing the true Leopold. In another moment he would shoot.
+The American raised his revolver and, taking careful aim, fired. The
+soldier shrieked, covered his face with his hands, spun around once,
+and dropped at the king's feet.
+
+The troopers under Butzow were forcing the men of Blentz toward the
+far end of the courtyard. Two of the Blentz faction were standing a
+little apart, backing slowly away and at the same time deliberately
+firing at the king. Barney seemed the only one who noticed them.
+Once again he raised his revolver and fired. One of the men sat down
+suddenly, looked vacantly about him, and then rolled over upon his
+side. The other fired once more at the king and the same instant
+Barney fired at the soldier. Soldier and king--would-be assassin and
+his victim--fell simultaneously. Barney grimaced. The wound in his
+breast was painful. He had done his best to save the king. It was no
+fault of his that he had failed. It was a long way to Beatrice. He
+wondered if Emma von der Tann would be on the station platform,
+awaiting him--then he swooned.
+
+Butzow and his seventeen had it all their own way in the courtyard
+and castle of Blentz. After the first resistance the soldiery of
+Peter fled to the guardroom. Butzow followed them, and there they
+laid down their arms. Then the lieutenant returned to the courtyard
+to look for the king and Barney Custer. He found them both, and both
+were wounded. He had them carried to the royal apartments in the
+north tower. When Barney regained consciousness he found the
+scowling portrait of the Blentz princess frowning down upon him. He
+lay upon a great bed where the soldiers, thinking him king, had
+placed him. Opposite him, against the farther wall, the real king
+lay upon a cot. Butzow was working over him.
+
+"Not so bad, after all, Barney," the lieutenant was saying. "Only a
+flesh wound in the calf of the leg."
+
+The king made no reply.  He was afraid to declare his identity.
+First he must learn the intentions of the impostor. He only closed
+his eyes wearily. Presently he asked a question.
+
+"Is he badly wounded?" and he indicated the figure upon the great
+bed.
+
+Butzow turned and crossed to where the American lay. He saw that the
+latter's eyes were open and that he was conscious.
+
+"How does your majesty feel?" he asked.  There was more respect in
+his tone than ever before. One of the Blentz soldiers had told him
+how the "king," after being wounded by Maenck, had raised himself
+upon his elbow and saved the prisoner's life by shooting three of
+his assailants.
+
+"I thought I was done for," answered Barney Custer, "but I rather
+guess the bullet struck only a glancing blow. It couldn't have
+entered my lungs, for I neither cough nor spit blood. To tell you
+the truth, I feel surprisingly fit. How's the prisoner?"
+
+"Only a flesh wound in the calf of his left leg, sire," replied
+Butzow.
+
+"I am glad," was Barney's only comment.  He didn't want to be king
+of Lutha; but he had foreseen that with the death of the king his
+imposture might be forced upon him for life.
+
+After Butzow and one of the troopers had washed and dressed the
+wounds of both men Barney asked them to leave the room.
+
+"I wish to sleep," he said.  "If I require you I will ring."
+
+Saluting, the two backed from the apartment.  Just as they were
+passing through the doorway the American called out to Butzow.
+
+"You have Peter of Blentz and Maenck in custody?" he asked.
+
+"I regret having to report to your majesty," replied the officer,
+"that both must have escaped. A thorough search of the entire castle
+has failed to reveal them."
+
+Barney scowled.  He had hoped to place these two conspirators once
+and for all where they would never again threaten the peace of the
+throne of Lutha--in hell. For a moment he lay in thought. Then he
+addressed the officer again.
+
+"Leave your force here," he said, "to guard us.  Ride, yourself, to
+Lustadt and inform Prince von der Tann that it is the king's desire
+that every effort be made to capture these two men. Have them
+brought to Lustadt immediately they are apprehended. Bring them dead
+or alive."
+
+Again Butzow saluted and prepared to leave the room.
+
+"Wait," said Barney.  "Convey our greetings to the Princess von der
+Tann, and inform her that my wound is of small importance, as is
+also that of the--Mr. Custer. You may go, lieutenant."
+
+When they were alone Barney turned toward the king. The other lay
+upon his side glaring at the American. When he caught the latter's
+eyes upon him he spoke.
+
+"What do you intend doing with me?" he said.  "Are you going to keep
+your word and return my identity?"
+
+"I have promised," replied Barney, "and what I promise I always
+perform."
+
+"Then exchange clothing with me at once," cried the king, half
+rising from his cot.
+
+"Not so fast, my friend," rejoined the American.  "There are a few
+trifling details to be arranged before we resume our proper
+personalities."
+
+"Do you realize that you should be hanged for what you have done?"
+snarled the king. "You assaulted me, stole my clothing, left me here
+to be shot by Peter, and sat upon my throne in Lustadt while I lay a
+prisoner condemned to death."
+
+"And do you realize," replied Barney, "that by so doing I saved your
+foolish little throne for you; that I drove the invaders from your
+dominions; that I have unmasked your enemies, and that I have once
+again proven to you that the Prince von der Tann is your best friend
+and most loyal supporter?"
+
+"You laid your plebeian hands upon me," cried the king, raising his
+voice. "You humiliated me, and you shall suffer for it."
+
+Barney Custer eyed the king for a long moment before he spoke again.
+It was difficult to believe that the man was so devoid of gratitude,
+and so blind as not to see that even the rough treatment that he had
+received at the American's hands was as nothing by comparison with
+the service that the American had done him. Apparently Leopold had
+already forgotten that three times Barney Custer had saved his life
+in the courtyard below. From the man's demeanor, now that his life
+was no longer at stake, Barney caught an inkling of what his
+attitude might be when once again he was returned to the despotic
+power of his kingship.
+
+"It is futile to reason with you," he said.  "There is only one way
+to handle such as you. At present I hold the power to coerce you,
+and I shall continue to hold that power until I am safely out of
+your two-by-four kingdom. If you do as I say you shall have your
+throne back again. If you refuse, why by Heaven you shall never have
+it. I'll stay king of Lutha myself."
+
+"What are your terms?" asked the king.
+
+"That Prince Peter of Blentz, Captain Ernst Maenck, and old Von
+Coblich be tried, convicted, and hanged for high treason," replied
+the American.
+
+"That is easy," said the king.  "I should do so anyway immediately I
+resumed my throne. Now get up and give me my clothes. Take this cot
+and I will take the bed. None will know of the exchange."
+
+"Again you are too fast," answered Barney.  "There is another
+condition."
+
+"Well?"
+
+"You must promise upon your royal honor that Ludwig, Prince von der
+Tann, remain chancellor of Lutha during your life or his."
+
+"Very well," assented the king.  "I promise," and again he half rose
+from his cot.
+
+"Hold on a minute," admonished the American; "there is yet one more
+condition of which I have not made mention."
+
+"What, another?" exclaimed Leopold testily.  "How much do you want
+for returning to me what you have stolen?"
+
+"So far I have asked for nothing for myself," replied Barney.  "Now
+I am coming to that part of the agreement. The Princess Emma von der
+Tann is betrothed to you. She does not love you. She has honored me
+with her affection, but she will not wed until she has been formally
+released from her promise to wed Leopold of Lutha. The king must
+sign such a release and also a sanction of her marriage to Barney
+Custer, of Beatrice. Do you understand what I want?"
+
+The king went livid.  He came to his feet beside the cot. For the
+moment, his wound was forgotten. He tottered toward the impostor.
+
+"You scoundrel!" he screamed.  "You scoundrel!  You have stolen my
+identity and my throne and now you wish to steal the woman who loves
+me."
+
+"Don't get excited, Leo," warned the American, "and don't talk so
+loud. The Princess doesn't love you, and you know it as well as I.
+She will never marry you. If you want your dinky throne back you'll
+have to do as I desire; that is, sign the release and the sanction.
+
+"Now let's don't have any heroics about it.  You have the
+proposition. Now I am going to sleep. In the meantime you may think
+it over. If the papers are not ready when it comes time for us to
+leave, and from the way I feel now I rather think I shall be ready
+to mount a horse by morning, I shall ride back to Lustadt as king of
+Lutha, and I shall marry her highness into the bargain, and you may
+go hang!
+
+"How the devil you will earn a living with that king job taken away
+from you I don't know. You're a long way from New York, and in the
+present state of carnage in Europe I rather doubt that there are
+many headwaiters jobs open this side of the American metropolis, and
+I can't for the moment think of anything else at which you would
+shine--with all due respect to some excellent headwaiters I have
+known."
+
+For some time the king remained silent.  He was thinking. He
+realized that it lay in the power of the American to do precisely
+what he had threatened to do. No one would doubt his identity. Even
+Peter of Blentz had not recognized the real king despite Leopold's
+repeated and hysterical claims.
+
+Lieutenant Butzow, the American's best friend, had no more suspected
+the exchange of identities. Von der Tann, too, must have been
+deceived. Everyone had been deceived. There was no hope that the
+people, who really saw so little of their king, would guess the
+deception that was being played upon them. Leopold groaned. Barney
+opened his eyes and turned toward him.
+
+"What's the matter?" he asked.
+
+"I will sign the release and the sanction of her highness' marriage
+to you," said the king.
+
+"Good!" exclaimed the American.  "You will then go at once to
+Brosnov as originally planned. I will return to Lustadt and get her
+highness, and we will immediately leave Lutha via Brosnov. There you
+and I will effect a change of raiment, and you will ride back to
+Lustadt with the small guard that accompanies her highness and me to
+the frontier."
+
+"Why do you not remain in Lustadt?" asked the king. "You could as
+well be married there as elsewhere."
+
+"Because I don't trust your majesty," replied the American. "It must
+be done precisely as I say or not at all. Are you agreeable?"
+
+The king assented with a grumpy nod.
+
+"Then get up and write as I dictate," said Barney.  Leopold of Lutha
+did as he was bid. The result was two short, crisply worded
+documents. At the bottom of each was the signature of Leopold of
+Lutha. Barney took the two papers and carefully tucked them beneath
+his pillow.
+
+"Now let's sleep," he said.  "It is getting late and we both need
+the rest. In the morning we have long rides ahead of us. Good
+night."
+
+The king did not respond.  In a short time Barney was fast asleep.
+The light still burned.
+
+
+
+
+XIV
+
+"THE KING'S WILL IS LAW"
+
+The Blentz princess frowned down upon the king and impostor
+impartially from her great gilt frame. It must have been close to
+midnight that the painting moved--just a fraction of an inch. Then
+it remained motionless for a time. Again it moved. This time it
+revealed a narrow crack at its edge. In the crack an eye shone.
+
+One of the sleepers moved.  He opened his eyes.  Stealthily he
+raised himself on his elbow and gazed at the other across the
+apartment. He listened intently. The regular breathing of the
+sleeper proclaimed the soundness of his slumber. Gingerly the man
+placed one foot upon the floor. The eye glued to the crack at the
+edge of the great, gilt frame of the Blentz princess remained
+fastened upon him. He let his other foot slip to the floor beside
+the first. Carefully he raised himself until he stood erect upon the
+floor. Then, on tiptoe he started across the room.
+
+The eye in the dark followed him.  The man reached the side of the
+sleeper. Bending over he listened intently to the other's breathing.
+Satisfied that slumber was profound he stepped quickly to a wardrobe
+in which a soldier had hung the clothing of both the king and the
+American. He took down the uniform of the former, casting from time
+to time apprehensive glances toward the sleeper. The latter did not
+stir, and the other passed to the little dressing-room adjoining.
+
+A few minutes later he reentered the apartment fully clothed and
+wearing the accouterments of Leopold of Lutha. In his hand was a
+drawn sword. Silently and swiftly he crossed to the side of the
+sleeping man. The eye at the crack beside the gilded frame pressed
+closer to the aperture. The sword was raised above the body of the
+slumberer--its point hovered above his heart. The face of the man
+who wielded it was hard with firm resolve.
+
+His muscles tensed to drive home the blade, but something held his
+hand. His face paled. His shoulders contracted with a little
+shudder, and he turned toward the door of the apartment, almost
+running across the floor in his anxiety to escape. The eye in the
+dark maintained its unblinking vigilance.
+
+With his hand upon the knob a sudden thought stayed the fugitive's
+flight. He glanced quickly back at the sleeper--he had not moved.
+Then the man who wore the uniform of the king of Lutha recrossed the
+apartment to the bed, reached beneath one of the pillows and
+withdrew two neatly folded official-looking documents. These he
+placed in the breastpocket of his uniform. A moment later he was
+walking down the spiral stairway to the main floor of the castle.
+
+In the guardroom the troopers of the Royal Horse who were not on
+guard were stretched in slumber. Only a corporal remained awake. As
+the man entered the guardroom the corporal glanced up, and as his
+eyes fell upon the newcomer, he sprang to his feet, saluting.
+
+"Turn out the guard!" he cried.  "Turn out the guard for his
+majesty, the king!"
+
+The sleeping soldiers, but half awake, scrambled to their feet,
+their muscles reacting to the command that their brains but half
+perceived. They snatched their guns from the racks and formed a line
+behind the corporal. The king raised his fingers to the vizor of his
+helmet in acknowledgment of their salute.
+
+"Saddle up quietly, corporal," he said.  "We shall ride to Lustadt
+tonight."
+
+The non-commissioned officer saluted.  "And an extra horse for Herr
+Custer?" he said.
+
+The king shook his head.  "The man died of his wound about an hour
+ago," he said. "While you are saddling up I shall arrange with some
+of the Blentz servants for his burial--now hurry!"
+
+The corporal marched his troopers from the guardroom toward the
+stables. The man in the king's clothes touched a bell which was
+obviously a servant call. He waited impatiently a reply to his
+summons, tapping his finger-tips against the sword-scabbard that was
+belted to his side. At last a sleepy-eyed man responded--a man who
+had grown gray in the service of Peter of Blentz. At sight of the
+king he opened his eyes in astonishment, pulled his foretop, and
+bowed uneasily.
+
+"Come closer," whispered the king.  The man did so, and the king
+spoke in his ear earnestly, but in scarce audible tones. The eyes of
+the listener narrowed to mere slits--of avarice and cunning, cruelly
+cold and calculating. The speaker searched through the pockets of
+the king's clothes that covered him. At last he withdrew a roll of
+bills. The amount must have been a large one, but he did not stop to
+count it. He held the money under the eyes of the servant. The
+fellow's claw-like fingers reached for the tempting wealth. He
+nodded his head affirmatively.
+
+"You may trust me, sire," he whispered.
+
+The king slipped the money into the other's palm.  "And as much
+more," he said, "when I receive proof that my wishes have been
+fulfilled."
+
+"Thank you, sire," said the servant.
+
+The king looked steadily into the other's face before he spoke
+again.
+
+"And if you fail me," he said, "may God have mercy on your soul."
+Then he wheeled and left the guardroom, walking out into the
+courtyard where the soldiers were busy saddling their mounts.
+
+A few minutes later the party clattered over the drawbridge and down
+the road toward Blentz and Lustadt. From a window of the apartments
+of Peter of Blentz a man watched them depart. When they passed
+across a strip of moonlit road, and he had counted them, he smiled
+with relief.
+
+A moment later he entered a panel beside the huge fireplace in the
+west wall and disappeared. There he struck a match, found a candle
+and lighted it. Walking a few steps he came to a figure sleeping
+upon a pile of clothing. He stooped and shook the sleeper by the
+shoulder.
+
+"Wake up!" he cried in a subdued voice.  "Wake up, Prince Peter; I
+have good news for you."
+
+The other opened his eyes, stretched, and at last sat up.
+
+"What is it, Maenck?" he asked querulously.
+
+"Great news, my prince," replied the other.
+
+"While you have been sleeping many things have transpired within the
+walls of your castle. The king's troopers have departed; but that is
+a small matter compared with the other. Here, behind the portrait of
+your great-grandmother, I have listened and watched all night. I
+opened the secret door a fraction of an inch--just enough to permit
+me to look into the apartment where the king and the American lay
+wounded. They had been talking as I opened the door, but after that
+they ceased--the king falling asleep at once--the American feigning
+slumber. For a long time I watched, but nothing happened until near
+midnight. Then the American arose and donned the king's clothes.
+
+"He approached Leopold with drawn sword, but when he would have
+thrust it through the heart of the sleeping man his nerve failed
+him. Then he stole some papers from the room and left. Just now he
+has ridden out toward Lustadt with the men of the Royal Horse who
+captured the castle yesterday."
+
+Before Maenck was half-way through his narrative, Peter of Blentz
+was wide awake and all attention. His eyes glowed with suddenly
+aroused interest.
+
+"Somewhere in this, prince," concluded Maenck, "there must lie the
+seed of fortune for you and me."
+
+Peter nodded.  "Yes," he mused, "there must."
+
+For a time both men were buried in thought.  Suddenly Maenck snapped
+his fingers. "I have it!" he cried. He bent toward Prince Peter's
+ear and whispered his plan. When he was done the Blentz prince
+grasped his hand.
+
+"Just the thing, Maenck!" he cried.  "Just the thing.  Leopold will
+never again listen to idle gossip directed against our loyalty. If I
+know him--and who should know him better--he will heap honors upon
+you, my Maenck; and as for me, he will at least forgive me and take
+me back into his confidence. Lose no time now, my friend. We are
+free now to go and come, since the king's soldiers have been
+withdrawn."
+
+In the garden back of the castle an old man was busy digging a hole.
+It was a long, narrow hole, and, when it was completed, nearly four
+feet deep. It looked like a grave. When he had finished the old man
+hobbled to a shed that leaned against the south wall. Here were
+boards, tools, and a bench. It was the castle workshop. The old man
+selected a number of rough pine boards. These he measured and sawed,
+fitted and nailed, working all the balance of the night. By dawn, he
+had a long, narrow box, just a trifle smaller than the hole he had
+dug in the garden. The box resembled a crude coffin. When it was
+quite finished, including a cover, he dragged it out into the garden
+and set it upon two boards that spanned the hole, so that it rested
+precisely over the excavation.
+
+All these precautions methodically made, he returned to the castle.
+In a little storeroom he searched for and found an ax. With his
+thumb he felt of the edge--for an ax it was marvelously sharp. The
+old fellow grinned and shook his head, as one who appreciates in
+anticipation the consummation of a good joke. Then he crept
+noiselessly through the castle's corridors and up the spiral
+stairway in the north tower. In one hand was the sharp ax.
+
+
+The moment Lieutenant Butzow had reached Lustadt he had gone
+directly to Prince von der Tann; but the moment his message had been
+delivered to the chancellor he sought out the chancellor's daughter,
+to tell her all that had occurred at Blentz.
+
+"I saw but little of Mr. Custer," he said.  "He was very quiet.  I
+think all that he has been through has unnerved him. He was slightly
+wounded in the left leg. The king was wounded in the breast. His
+majesty conducted himself in a most valiant and generous manner.
+Wounded, he lay upon his stomach in the courtyard of the castle and
+defended Mr. Custer, who was, of course, unarmed. The king shot
+three of Prince Peter's soldiers who were attempting to assassinate
+Mr. Custer."
+
+Emma von der Tann smiled.  It was evident that Lieutenant Butzow had
+not discovered the deception that had been practiced upon him in
+common with all Lutha--she being the only exception. It seemed
+incredible that this good friend of the American had not seen in the
+heroism of the man who wore the king's clothes the attributes and
+ear-marks of Barney Custer. She glowed with pride at the narration
+of his heroism, though she suffered with him because of his wound.
+
+It was not yet noon when the detachment of the Royal Horse arrived
+in Lustadt from Blentz. At their head rode one whom all upon the
+streets of the capital greeted enthusiastically as king. The party
+rode directly to the royal palace, and the king retired immediately
+to his apartments. A half hour later an officer of the king's
+household knocked upon the door of the Princess Emma von der Tann's
+boudoir. In accord with her summons he entered, saluted
+respectfully, and handed her a note.
+
+It was written upon the personal stationary of Leopold of Lutha.
+The girl read and reread it. For some time she could not seem to
+grasp the enormity of the thing that had overwhelmed her--the daring
+of the action that the message explained. The note was short and to
+the point, and was signed only with initials.
+
+
+
+DEAREST EMMA:
+
+The king died of his wounds just before midnight.  I
+shall keep the throne.  There is no other way.  None
+knows and none must ever know the truth.  Your father
+alone may suspect; but if we are married at once our
+alliance will cement him and his faction to us.  Send
+word by the bearer that you agree with the wisdom
+of my plan, and that we may be wed at once--this
+afternoon, in fact.
+
+The people may wonder for a few days at the strange
+haste, but my answer shall be that I am going to the
+front with my troops.  The son and many of the high
+officials of the Kaiser have already established the
+precedent, marrying hurriedly upon the eve of their
+departure for the front.
+
+With every assurance of my undying love, believe me,
+
+Yours,
+B. C.
+
+
+The girl walked slowly across the room to her writing table.  The
+officer stood in respectful silence awaiting the answer that the
+king had told him to bring. The princess sat down before the carved
+bit of furniture. Mechanically she drew a piece of note paper from a
+drawer. Many times she dipped her pen in the ink before she could
+determine what reply to send. Ages of ingrained royalistic
+principles were shocked and shattered by the enormity of the thing
+the man she loved had asked of her, and yet cold reason told her
+that it was the only way.
+
+Lutha would be lost should the truth be known--that the king was
+dead, for there was no heir of closer blood connection with the
+royal house than Prince Peter of Blentz, whose great-grandmother had
+been a Rubinroth princess. Slowly, at last, she wrote as follows:
+
+
+SIRE:
+
+The king's will is law.
+
+EMMA
+
+
+
+That was all.  Placing the note in an envelope she sealed it and
+handed it to the officer, who bowed and left the room.
+
+A half hour later officers of the Royal Horse were riding through
+the streets of Lustadt. Some announced to the people upon the
+streets the coming marriage of the king and princess. Others rode to
+the houses of the nobility with the king's command that they be
+present at the ceremony in the old cathedral at four o'clock that
+afternoon.
+
+Never had there been such bustling about the royal palace or in the
+palaces of the nobles of Lutha. The buzz and hum of excited
+conversation filled the whole town. That the choice of the king met
+the approval of his subjects was more than evident. Upon every lip
+was praise and love of the Princess Emma von der Tann. The future of
+Lutha seemed assured with a king who could fight joined in marriage
+to a daughter of the warrior line of Von der Tann.
+
+The princess was busy up to the last minute.  She had not seen her
+future husband since his return from Blentz, for he, too, had been
+busy. Twice he had sent word to her, but on both occasions had
+regretted that he could not come personally because of the pressure
+of state matters and the preparations for the ceremony that was to
+take place in the cathedral in so short a time.
+
+At last the hour arrived.  The cathedral was filled to overflowing.
+After the custom of Lutha, the bride had walked alone up the broad
+center aisle to the foot of the chancel. Guardsmen lining the way on
+either hand stood rigidly at salute until she stopped at the end of
+the soft, rose-strewn carpet and turned to await the coming of the
+king.
+
+Presently the doors at the opposite end of the cathedral opened.
+There was a fanfare of trumpets, and up the center aisle toward the
+waiting girl walked the royal groom. It seemed ages to the princess
+since she had seen her lover. Her eyes devoured him as he approached
+her. She noticed that he limped, and wondered; but for a moment the
+fact carried no special suggestion to her brain.
+
+The people had risen as the king entered.  Again, the pieces of the
+guardsmen had snapped to present; but silence, intense and utter,
+reigned over the vast assembly. The only movement was the measured
+stride of the king as he advanced to claim his bride.
+
+At the head of each line of guardsmen, nearest the chancel and upon
+either side of the bridal party, the ranks were formed of
+commissioned officers. Butzow was among them. He, too, out of the
+corner of his eye watched the advancing figure. Suddenly he noted
+the limp, and gave a little involuntary gasp. He looked at the
+Princess Emma, and saw her eyes suddenly widen with consternation.
+
+Slowly at first, and then in a sudden tidal wave of memory, Butzow's
+story of the fight in the courtyard at Blentz came back to her.
+
+"I saw but little of Mr. Custer," he had said.  "He was slightly
+wounded in the left leg. The king was wounded in the breast." But
+Lieutenant Butzow had not known the true identity of either.
+
+The real Leopold it was who had been wounded in the left leg, and
+the man who was approaching her up the broad cathedral aisle was
+limping noticeably--and favoring his left leg. The man to whom she
+was to be married was not Barney Custer--he was Leopold of Lutha!
+
+A hundred mad schemes rioted through her brain.  The wedding must
+not go on! But how was she to avert it? The king was within a few
+paces of her now. There was a smile upon his lips, and in that smile
+she saw the final confirmation of her fears. When Leopold of Lutha
+smiled his upper lip curved just a trifle into a shadow of a sneer.
+It was a trivial characteristic that Barney Custer did not share in
+common with the king.
+
+Half mad with terror, the girl seized upon the only subterfuge which
+seemed at all likely to succeed. It would, at least, give her a
+slight reprieve--a little time in which to think, and possibly find
+an avenue from her predicament.
+
+She staggered forward a step, clapped her two hands above her heart,
+and reeled as though to fall. Butzow, who had been watching her
+narrowly, sprang forward and caught her in his arms, where she lay
+limp with closed eyes as though in a dead faint. The king ran
+forward. The people craned their necks. A sudden burst of
+exclamations rose throughout the cathedral, and then Lieutenant
+Butzow, shouldering his way past the chancel, carried the Princess
+Emma to a little anteroom off the east transept. Behind him walked
+the king, the bishop, and Prince Ludwig.
+
+
+
+
+XV
+
+MAENCK BLUNDERS
+
+After a hurried breakfast Peter of Blentz and Captain Ernst Maenck
+left the castle of Blentz. Prince Peter rode north toward the
+frontier, Austria, and safety, Captain Maenck rode south toward
+Lustadt. Neither knew that general orders had been issued to
+soldiery and gendarmerie of Lutha to capture them dead or alive. So
+Prince Peter rode carelessly; but Captain Maenck, because of the
+nature of his business and the proximity of enemies about Lustadt,
+proceeded with circumspection.
+
+Prince Peter was arrested at Tafelberg, and, though he stormed and
+raged and threatened, he was immediately packed off under heavy
+guard back toward Lustadt.
+
+Captain Ernst Maenck was more fortunate.  He reached the capital of
+Lutha in safety, though he had to hide on several occasions from
+detachments of troops moving toward the north. Once within the city
+he rode rapidly to the house of a friend. Here he learned that which
+set him into a fine state of excitement and profanity. The king and
+the Princess Emma von der Tann were to be wed that very afternoon!
+It lacked but half an hour to four o'clock.
+
+Maenck grabbed his cap and dashed from the house before his
+astonished friend could ask a single question. He hurried straight
+toward the cathedral. The king had just arrived, and entered when
+Maenck came up, breathless. The guard at the doorway did not
+recognize him. If they had they would have arrested him. Instead
+they contented themselves with refusing him admission, and when he
+insisted they threatened him with arrest.
+
+To be arrested now would be to ruin his fine plan, so he turned and
+walked away. At the first cross street he turned up the side of the
+cathedral. The grounds were walled up on this side, and he sought in
+vain for entrance. At the rear he discovered a limousine standing in
+the alley where its chauffeur had left it after depositing his
+passengers at the front door of the cathedral. The top of the
+limousine was but a foot or two below the top of the wall.
+
+Maenck clambered to the hood of the machine, and from there to the
+top. A moment later he dropped to the earth inside the cathedral
+grounds. Before him were many windows. Most of them were too high
+for him to reach, and the others that he tried at first were
+securely fastened. Passing around the end of the building, he at
+last discovered one that was open--it led into the east transept.
+
+Maenck crawled through.  He was within the building that held the
+man he sought. He found himself in a small room--evidently a
+dressing-room. There were two doors leading from it. He approached
+one and listened. He heard the tones of subdued conversation beyond.
+
+Very cautiously he opened the door a crack.  He could not believe
+the good fortune that was revealed before him. On a couch lay the
+Princess Emma von der Tann. Beside her her father. At the door was
+Lieutenant Butzow. The bishop and a doctor were talking at the head
+of the couch. Pacing up and down the room, resplendent in the
+marriage robes of a king of Lutha, was the man he sought.
+
+Maenck drew his revolver.  He broke the barrel, and saw that there
+was a good cartridge in each chamber of the cylinder. He closed it
+quietly. Then he threw open the door, stepped into the room, took
+deliberate aim, and fired.
+
+The old man with the ax moved cautiously along the corridor upon the
+second floor of the Castle of Blentz until he came to a certain
+door. Gently he turned the knob and pushed the door inward. Holding
+the ax behind his back, he entered. In his pocket was a great roll
+of money, and there was to be an equal amount waiting him at Lustadt
+when his mission had been fulfilled.
+
+Once within the room, he looked quickly about him. Upon a great bed
+lay the figure of a man asleep. His face was turned toward the
+opposite wall away from the side of the bed nearer the menacing
+figure of the old servant. On tiptoe the man with the ax approached.
+The neck of his victim lay uncovered before him. He swung the ax
+behind him. A single blow, as mighty as his ancient muscles could
+deliver, would suffice.
+
+Barney Custer opened his eyes.  Directly opposite him upon the wall
+was a dark-toned photogravure of a hunting scene. It tilted slightly
+forward upon its wire support. As Barney's eyes opened it chanced that
+they were directed straight upon the shiny glass of the picture. The
+light from the window struck the glass in such a way as to transform
+it into a mirror. The American's eyes were glued with horror upon
+the reflection that he saw there--an old man swinging a huge ax down
+upon his head.
+
+It is an open question as to which of the two was the most surprised
+at the cat-like swiftness of the movement that carried Barney Custer
+out of that bed and landed him in temporary safety upon the opposite
+side.
+
+With a snarl the old man ran around the foot of the bed to corner
+his prey between the bed and the wall. He was swinging the ax as
+though to hurl it. So close was he that Barney guessed it would be
+difficult for him to miss his mark. The least he could expect would
+be a frightful wound. To have attempted to escape would have
+necessitated turning his back to his adversary, inviting instant
+death. To grapple with a man thus armed appeared an equally hopeless
+alternative.
+
+Shoulder-high beside him hung the photogravure that had already
+saved his life once. Why not again? He snatched it from its
+hangings, lifted it above his head in both hands, and hurled it at
+the head of the old man. The glass shattered full upon the ancient's
+crown, the man's head went through the picture, and the frame
+settled over his shoulders. At the same instant Barney Custer leaped
+across the bed, seized a light chair, and turned to face his foe
+upon more even terms.
+
+The old man did not pause to remove the frame from about his neck.
+Blood trickled down his forehead and cheeks from deep gashes that
+the broken glass had made. Now he was in a berserker rage.
+
+As he charged again he uttered a peculiar whistling noise from
+between his set teeth. To the American it sounded like the hissing
+of a snake, and as he would have met a snake he met the venomous
+attack of the old man.
+
+When the short battle was over the Blentz servitor lay unconscious
+upon the floor, while above him leaned the American, uninjured,
+ripping long strips from a sheet torn from the bed, twisting them
+into rope-like strands and, with them, binding the wrists and ankles
+of his defeated foe. Finally he stuffed a gag between the toothless
+gums.
+
+Running to the wardrobe, he discovered that the king's uniform was
+gone. That, with the witness of the empty bed, told him the whole
+story. The American smiled. "More nerve than I gave him credit for,"
+he mused, as he walked back to his bed and reached under the pillow
+for the two papers he had forced the king to sign. They, too, were
+gone. Slowly Barney Custer realized his plight, as there filtered
+through his mind a suggestion of the possibilities of the trick that
+had been played upon him.
+
+Why should Leopold wish these papers?  Of course, he might merely
+have taken them that he might destroy them; but something told
+Barney Custer that such was not the case. And something, too, told
+him whither the king had ridden and what he would do there when he
+arrived.
+
+He ran back to the wardrobe.  In it hung the peasant attire that he
+had stolen from the line of the careless house frau, and later
+wished upon his majesty the king. Barney grinned as he recalled the
+royal disgust with which Leopold had fingered the soiled garments.
+He scarce blamed him. Looking further toward the back of the
+wardrobe, the American discovered other clothing.
+
+He dragged it all out upon the floor.  There was an old shooting
+jacket, several pairs of trousers and breeches, and a hunting coat.
+In a drawer at the bottom of the wardrobe he found many old shoes,
+puttees, and boots.
+
+From this miscellany he selected riding breeches, a pair of boots,
+and the red hunting coat as the only articles that fitted his rather
+large frame. Hastily he dressed, and, taking the ax the old man had
+brought to the room as the only weapon available, he walked boldly
+into the corridor, down the spiral stairway and into the guardroom.
+
+Barney Custer was prepared to fight.  He was desperate. He could
+have slunk from the Castle of Blentz as he had entered it--through
+the secret passageway to the ravine; but to attempt to reach Lustadt
+on foot was not at all compatible with the urgent haste that he felt
+necessary. He must have a horse, and a horse he would have if he had
+to fight his way through a Blentz army.
+
+But there were no armed retainers left at Blentz.  The guardroom was
+vacant; but there were arms there and ammunition. Barney
+commandeered a sword and a revolver, then he walked into the
+courtyard and crossed to the stables. The way took him by the
+garden. In it he saw a coffin-like box resting upon planks above a
+grave-like excavation. Barney investigated. The box was empty. Once
+again he grinned. "It is not always wise," he mused, "to count your
+corpses before they're dead. What a lot of work the old man might
+have spared himself if he'd only caught his cadaver first--or at
+least tried to."
+
+Passing on by his own grave, he came to the stables.  A groom was
+currying a strong, clean-limbed hunter haltered in the doorway. The
+man looked up as Barney approached him. A puzzled expression entered
+the fellow's eyes. He was a young man--a stupid-looking lout. It was
+evident that he half recognized the face of the newcomer as one he
+had seen before. Barney nodded to him.
+
+"Never mind finishing," he said.  "I am in a hurry.  You may saddle
+him at once." The voice was authoritative--it brooked no demur. The
+groom touched his forehead, dropped the currycomb and brush, and
+turned back into the stable to fetch saddle and bridle.
+
+Five minutes later Barney was riding toward the gate. The portcullis
+was raised--the drawbridge spanned the moat--no guard was there to
+bar his way. The sunlight flooded the green valley, stretching
+lazily below him in the soft warmth of a mellow autumn morning.
+Behind him he had left the brooding shadows of the grim old
+fortress--the cold, cruel, depressing stronghold of intrigue,
+treason, and sudden death.
+
+He threw back his shoulders and filled his lungs with the sweet,
+pure air of freedom. He was a new man. The wound in his breast was
+forgotten. Lightly he touched his spurs to the hunter's sides.
+Tossing his head and curveting, the animal broke into a long, easy
+trot. Where the road dipped into the ravine and down through the
+village to the valley the rider drew his restless mount into a walk;
+but, once in the valley, he let him out. Barney took the short road
+to Lustadt. It would cut ten miles off the distance that the main
+wagonroad covered, and it was a good road for a horseman. It should
+bring him to Lustadt by one o'clock or a little after. The road
+wound through the hills to the east of the main highway, and was
+scarcely more than a trail where it crossed the Ru River upon a
+narrow bridge that spanned the deep mountain gorge that walls the Ru
+for ten miles through the hills.
+
+When Barney reached the river his hopes sank.  The bridge was
+gone--dynamited by the Austrians in their retreat. The nearest
+bridge was at the crossing of the main highway over ten miles to the
+southwest. There, too, the river might be forded even if the
+Austrians had destroyed that bridge also; but here or elsewhere in
+the hills there could be no fording--the banks of the Ru were
+perpendicular cliffs.
+
+The misfortune would add nearly twenty miles to his journey--he
+could not now hope to reach Lustadt before late in the afternoon.
+Turning his horse back along the trail he had come, he retraced his
+way until he reached a narrow bridle path that led toward the
+southwest. The trail was rough and indistinct, yet he pushed
+forward, even more rapidly than safety might have suggested. The
+noble beast beneath him was all loyalty and ambition.
+
+"Take it easy, old boy," whispered Barney into the slim, pointed
+ears that moved ceaselessly backward and forward, "you'll get your
+chance when we strike the highway, never fear."
+
+And he did.
+
+
+So unexpected had been Maenck's entrance into the room in the east
+transept, so sudden his attack, that it was all over before a hand
+could be raised to stay him. At the report of his revolver the king
+sank to the floor. At almost the same instant Lieutenant Butzow
+whipped a revolver from beneath his tunic and fired at the assassin.
+Maenck staggered forward and stumbled across the body of the king.
+Butzow was upon him instantly, wresting the revolver from his
+fingers. Prince Ludwig ran to the king's side and, kneeling there,
+raised Leopold's head in his arms. The bishop and the doctor bent
+over the limp form. The Princess Emma stood a little apart. She had
+leaped from the couch where she had been lying. Her eyes were wide
+in horror. Her palms pressed to her cheeks.
+
+It was upon this scene that a hatless, dust-covered man in a red
+hunting coat burst through the door that had admitted Maenck. The
+man had seen and recognized the conspirator as he climbed to the top
+of the limousine and dropped within the cathedral grounds, and he
+had followed close upon his heels.
+
+No one seemed to note his entrance.  All ears were turned toward the
+doctor, who was speaking.
+
+"The king is dead," he said.
+
+Maenck raised himself upon an elbow.  He spoke feebly.
+
+"You fools," he cried.  "That man was not the king.  I saw him steal
+the king's clothes at Blentz and I followed him here. He is the
+American--the impostor." Then his eyes, circling the faces about him
+to note the results of his announcements, fell upon the face of the
+man in the red hunting coat. Amazement and wonder were in his face.
+Slowly he raised his finger and pointed.
+
+"There is the king," he said.
+
+Every eye turned in the direction he indicated.  Exclamations of
+surprise and incredulity burst from every lip. The old chancellor
+looked from the man in the red hunting coat to the still form of the
+man upon the floor in the blood-spattered marriage garments of a
+king of Lutha. He let the king's head gently down upon the carpet,
+and then he rose to his feet and faced the man in the red hunting
+coat.
+
+"Who are you?" he demanded.
+
+Before Barney could speak Lieutenant Butzow spoke.
+
+"He is the king, your highness," he said.  "I rode with him to
+Blentz to free Mr. Custer. Both were wounded in the courtyard in the
+fight that took place there. I helped to dress their wounds. The
+king was wounded in the breast--Mr. Custer in the left leg."
+
+Prince von der Tann looked puzzled.  Again he turned his eyes
+questioningly toward the newcomer.
+
+"Is this the truth?" he asked.
+
+Barney looked toward the Princess Emma.  In her eyes he could read
+the relief that the sight of him alive had brought her. Since she
+had recognized the king she had believed that Barney was dead. The
+temptation was great--he dreaded losing her, and he feared he would
+lose her when her father learned the truth of the deception that had
+been practiced upon him. He might lose even more--men had lost their
+heads for tampering with the affairs of kings.
+
+"Well?" persisted the chancellor.
+
+"Lieutenant Butzow is partially correct--he honestly believes that
+he is entirely so," replied the American. "He did ride with me from
+Lustadt to Blentz to save the man who lies dead here at your feet.
+The lieutenant thought that he was riding with his king, just as
+your highness thought that he was riding with his king during the
+battle of Lustadt. You were both wrong--you were riding with Mr.
+Bernard Custer, of Beatrice. I am he. I have no apologies to make.
+What I did I would do again. I did it for Lutha and for the woman I
+love. She knows and the king knew that I intended restoring his
+identity to him with no one the wiser for the interchange that had
+taken place. The king upset my plans by stealing back his identity
+while I slept, with the result that you see before you upon the
+floor. He has died as he had lived--futilely."
+
+As he spoke the Princess Emma had crossed the room toward him.  Now
+she stood at his side, her hand in his. Tense silence reigned in the
+apartment. The old chancellor stood with bowed head, buried in
+thought. All eyes were upon him except those of the doctor, who had
+turned his attention from the dead king to the wounded assassin.
+Butzow stood looking at Barney Custer in open relief and admiration.
+He had been trying to vindicate his friend in his own mind ever
+since he had discovered, as he believed, that Barney had tricked
+Leopold after the latter had saved his life at Blentz and ridden to
+Lustadt in the king's guise. Now that he knew the whole truth he
+realized how stupid he had been not to guess that the man who had
+led the victorious Luthanian army before Lustadt could not have been
+the cowardly Leopold.
+
+Presently the chancellor broke the silence.
+
+"You say that Leopold of Lutha lived futilely.  You are right; but
+when you say that he has died futilely, you are, I believe, wrong.
+Living, he gave us a poor weakling. Dying, he leaves the throne to a
+brave man, in whose veins flows the blood of the Rubinroths,
+hereditary rulers of Lutha.
+
+"You are the only rightful successor to the throne of Lutha," he
+argued, "other than Peter of Blentz. Your mother's marriage to a
+foreigner did not bar the succession of her offspring. Aside from
+the fact that Peter of Blentz is out of the question, is the more
+important fact that your line is closer to the throne than his. He
+knew it, and this knowledge was the real basis of his hatred of
+you."
+
+As the old chancellor ceased speaking he drew his sword and raised
+it on high above his head.
+
+"The king is dead," he said.  "Long live the king!"
+
+
+
+
+XVI
+
+KING OF LUTHA
+
+Barney Custer, of Beatrice, had no desire to be king of Lutha.  He
+lost no time in saying so. All that he wanted of Lutha was the girl
+he had found there, as his father before him had found the girl of
+his choice. Von der Tann pleaded with him.
+
+"Twice have I fought under you, sire," he urged.  "Twice, and only
+twice since the old king died, have I felt that the future of Lutha
+was safe in the hands of her ruler, and both these times it was you
+who sat upon the throne. Do not desert us now. Let me live to see
+Lutha once more happy, with a true Rubinroth upon the throne and my
+daughter at his side."
+
+Butzow added his pleas to those of the old chancellor. The American
+hesitated.
+
+"Let us leave it to the representatives of the people and to the
+house of nobles," he suggested.
+
+The chancellor of Lutha explained the situation to both houses.
+Their reply was unanimous. He carried it to the American, who
+awaited the decision of Lutha in the royal apartments of the palace.
+With him was the Princess Emma von der Tann.
+
+"The people of Lutha will have no other king, sire," said the old
+man.
+
+Barney turned toward the girl.
+
+"There is no other way, my lord king," she said with grave dignity.
+"With her blood your mother bequeathed you a duty which you may not
+shirk. It is not for you or for me to choose. God chose for you when
+you were born."
+
+Barney Custer took her hand in his and raised it to his lips.
+
+"Let the King of Lutha," he said, "be the first to salute Lutha's
+queen."
+
+And so Barney Custer, of Beatrice, was crowned King of Lutha, and
+Emma became his queen. Maenck died of his wound on the floor of the
+little room in the east transept of the cathedral of Lustadt beside
+the body of the king he had slain. Prince Peter of Blentz was tried
+by the highest court of Lutha on the charge of treason; he was found
+guilty and hanged. Von Coblich committed suicide on the eve of his
+arrest. Lieutenant Otto Butzow was ennobled and given the
+confiscated estates of the Blentz prince. He became a general in the
+army of Lutha, and was sent to the front in command of the army
+corps that guarded the northern frontier of the little kingdom.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+I have made the following changes to the text:
+PAGE  CHAPTER  PARAGRAPH  LINE  ORIGINAL          CHANGED TO
+  72     VIII          3     1  Ludstadt          Lustadt
+  81                   3     2  mier              miter
+  83                   7     3  Ludstadt          Lustadt
+  86                   3     2  him arm           his arm
+  90                   4     4  monarch, he       monarch he
+  94                   2     4  colums            columns
+  98                   2     2  imposter          impostor
+ 121                   1     1  approaced         approached
+ 126                   2     5  from              from the
+ 140                   6     5  whom, appeared    whom appeared
+ 142                   5     1  once side         one side
+ 143                   4     8  knew              drew
+ 158                   4     5  presumptious      presumptuous
+ 182                   5     3  jeweler's shot    jeweler's shop
+ 189                   8     2  ingrate?"         ingrate?
+ 193                   5     3  oil panting       oil painting
+ 200                   7     1  soldiers          soldier
+ 211                   2     1  men and woman     men and women
+ 212                   3     5  instruments       instrument
+ 217                   4     1  The cheered       They cheered
+ 217                   6     2  gril's face       girl's face
+ 218                         1  magnamity         magnanimity
+ 218                   7     2  him.  Barney's    him, Barney's
+ 225                   3     3  horseman          horsemen
+ 228                   5     1  ajaculated        ejaculated
+ 233                   8     6  king of Lustadt,  king of Lutha,
+ 234                   6     2  You               "You
+ 251                         9  Luthania army     Luthanian army
+ 252                   2     3  poor, weakling    poor weakling
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mad King, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
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diff --git a/old/mdkng10.txt b/old/mdkng10.txt
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+Project Gutenberg Etext of The Mad King by Edgar Rice Burroughs
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+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+EDGAR RICE
+BURROUGHS
+
+THE MAD KING
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PART I
+
+
+I
+
+A RUNAWAY HORSE
+
+
+ALL LUSTADT was in an uproar.  The mad king had es-
+caped.  Little knots of excited men stood upon the street
+corners listening to each latest rumor concerning this most
+absorbing occurrence.  Before the palace a great crowd
+surged to and fro, awaiting they knew not what.
+
+For ten years no man of them had set eyes upon the face
+of the boy-king who had been hastened to the grim castle
+of Blentz upon the death of the old king, his father.
+
+There had been murmurings then when the lad's uncle,
+Peter of Blentz, had announced to the people of Lutha the
+sudden mental affliction which had fallen upon his nephew,
+and more murmurings for a time after the announcement
+that Peter of Blentz had been appointed Regent during the
+lifetime of the young King Leopold, "or until God, in His
+infinite mercy, shall see fit to restore to us in full mental
+vigor our beloved monarch."
+
+But ten years is a long time.  The boy-king had become
+but a vague memory to the subjects who could recall him
+at all.
+
+There were many, of course, in the capital city, Lustadt,
+who still retained a mental picture of the handsome boy
+who had ridden out nearly every morning from the palace
+gates beside the tall, martial figure of the old king, his father,
+for a canter across the broad plain which lies at the foot of
+the mountain town of Lustadt; but even these had long since
+given up hope that their young king would ever ascend his
+throne, or even that they should see him alive again.
+
+Peter of Blentz had not proved a good or kind ruler.
+Taxes had doubled during his regency.  Executives and ju-
+diciary, following the example of their chief, had become
+tyrannical and corrupt.  For ten years there had been small
+joy in Lutha.
+
+There had been whispered rumors off and on that the
+young king was dead these many years, but not even in
+whispers did the men of Lutha dare voice the name of him
+whom they believed had caused his death.  For lesser things
+they had seen their friends and neighbors thrown into the
+hitherto long-unused dungeons of the royal castle.
+
+And now came the rumor that Leopold of Lutha had es-
+caped the Castle of Blentz and was roaming somewhere in
+the wild mountains or ravines upon the opposite side of the
+plain of Lustadt.
+
+Peter of Blentz was filled with rage and, possibly, fear as
+well.
+
+"I tell you, Coblich," he cried, addressing his dark-visaged
+minister of war, there's more than coincidence in this
+matter.  Someone has betrayed us.  That he should have es-
+caped upon the very eve of the arrival at Blentz of the new
+physician is most suspicious.  None but you, Coblich, had
+knowledge of the part that Dr. Stein was destined to play
+in this matter," concluded Prince Peter pointedly.
+
+Coblich looked the Regent full in the eye.
+
+"Your highness wrongs not only my loyalty, but my intel-
+ligence," he said quietly, "by even so much as intimating that
+I have any guilty knowledge of Leopold's escape.  With
+Leopold upon the throne of Lutha, where, think you, my
+prince, would old Coblich be?"
+
+Peter smiled.
+
+"You are right, Coblich," he said.  "I know that you
+would not be such a fool; but whom, then, have we to
+thank?"
+
+"The walls have ears, prince," replied Coblich, "and we
+have not always been as careful as we should in discussing
+the matter.  Something may have come to the ears of old
+Von der Tann.  I don't for a moment doubt but that he has
+his spies among the palace servants, or even the guard.  You
+know the old fox has always made it a point to curry favor
+with the common soldiers.  When he was minister of war he
+treated them better than he did his officers."
+
+"It seems strange, Coblich, that so shrewd a man as you
+should have been unable to discover some irregularity in
+the political life of Prince Ludwig von der Tann before
+now," said the prince querulously.  "He is the greatest men-
+ace to our peace and sovereignty.  With Von der Tann out
+of the way there would be none powerful enough to ques-
+tion our right to the throne of Lutha--after poor Leopold
+passes away."
+
+"You forget that Leopold has escaped," suggested Coblich,
+"and that there is no immediate prospect of his passing
+away."
+
+"He must be retaken at once, Coblich!" cried Prince Peter
+of Blentz.  "He is a dangerous maniac, and we must make
+this fact plain to the people--this and a thorough descrip-
+tion of him.  A handsome reward for his safe return to Blentz
+might not be out of the way, Coblich."
+
+"It shall be done, your highness," replied Coblich.  "And
+about Von der Tann? You have never spoken to me quite
+so--ah--er--pointedly before.  He hunts a great deal in the
+Old Forest.  It might be possible--in fact, it has happened,
+before--there are many accidents in hunting, are there not,
+your highness?"
+
+"There are, Coblich," replied the prince, "and if Leopold
+is able he will make straight for the Tann, so that there may
+be two hunting together in a day or so, Coblich."
+
+"I understand, your highness," replied the minister.  "With
+your permission, I shall go at once and dispatch troops to
+search the forest for Leopold.  Captain Maenck will command
+them."
+
+"Good, Coblich! Maenck is a most intelligent and loyal
+officer.  We must reward him well.  A baronetcy, at least, if
+he handles this matter well," said Peter.  "It might not be a
+bad plan to hint at as much to him, Coblich."
+
+And so it happened that shortly thereafter Captain Ernst
+Maenck, in command of a troop of the Royal Horse Guards
+of Lutha, set out toward the Old Forest, which lies beyond
+the mountains that are visible upon the other side of the
+plain stretching out before Lustadt.  At the same time other
+troopers rode in many directions along the highways and
+byways of Lutha, tacking placards upon trees and fence posts
+and beside the doors of every little rural post office.
+
+The placard told of the escape of the mad king, offering
+a large reward for his safe return to Blentz.
+
+It was the last paragraph especially which caused a young
+man, the following day in the little hamlet of Tafelberg, to
+whistle as he carefully read it over.
+
+"I am glad that I am not the mad king of Lutha," he said
+as he paid the storekeeper for the gasoline he had just pur-
+chased and stepped into the gray roadster for whose greedy
+maw it was destined.
+
+"Why, mein Herr?" asked the man.
+
+"This notice practically gives immunity to whoever shoots
+down the king," replied the traveler.  "Worse still, it gives
+such an account of the maniacal ferocity of the fugitive as
+to warrant anyone in shooting him on sight."
+
+As the young man spoke the storekeeper had examined
+his face closely for the first time.  A shrewd look came into
+the man's ordinarily stolid countenance.  He leaned forward
+quite close to the other's ear.
+
+"We of Lutha," he whispered, "love our 'mad king'--no
+reward could be offered that would tempt us to betray him.  
+Even in self-protection we would not kill him, we of the
+mountains who remember him as a boy and loved his father
+and his grandfather, before him.
+
+"But there are the scum of the low country in the army
+these days, who would do anything for money, and it is
+these that the king must guard against.  I could not help but
+note that mein Herr spoke too perfect German for a foreigner.  
+Were I in mein Herr's place, I should speak mostly the
+English, and, too, I should shave off the 'full, reddish-brown
+beard.'"
+
+Whereupon the storekeeper turned hastily back into his
+shop, leaving Barney Custer of Beatrice, Nebraska, U.S.A.,
+to wonder if all the inhabitants of Lutha were afflicted with
+a mental disorder similar to that of the unfortunate ruler. 
+
+"I don't wonder," soliloquized the young man, "that he ad-
+vised me to shave off this ridiculous crop of alfalfa.  Hang
+election bets, anyway; if things had gone half right I
+shouldn't have had to wear this badge of idiocy.  And to
+think that it's got to be for a whole month longer! A year's
+a mighty long while at best, but a year in company with a
+full set of red whiskers is an eternity."
+
+The road out of Tafelberg wound upward among tall
+trees toward the pass that would lead him across the next
+some excellent shooting.  All his life Barney had promised
+himself that some day he should visit his mother's native
+land, and now that he was here he found it as wild and
+beautiful as she had said it would be.
+
+Neither his mother nor his father had ever returned to the
+little country since the day, thirty years before, that the big
+American had literally stolen his bride away, escaping across
+the border but a scant half-hour ahead of the pursuing
+troop of Luthanian cavalry.  Barney had often wondered why
+it was that neither of them would ever speak of those days,
+or of the early life of his mother, Victoria Rubinroth, though
+of the beauties of her native land Mrs. Custer never tired of
+talking.
+
+Barney Custer was thinking of these things as his machine
+wound up the picturesque road.  Just before him was a long,
+heavy grade, and as he took it with open muffler the chug-
+ging of his motor drowned the sound of pounding hoof
+beats rapidly approaching behind him.
+
+It was not until he topped the grade that he heard any-
+thing unusual, and at the same instant a girl on horseback
+tore past him.  The speed of the animal would have been
+enough to have told him that it was beyond the control of its
+frail rider, even without the added testimony of the broken
+bit that dangled beneath the tensely outstretched chin.
+
+Foam flecked the beast's neck and shoulders.  It was evi-
+dent that the horse had been running for some distance, yet
+its speed was still that of the thoroughly frightened runaway.
+
+The road at the point where the animal had passed Custer
+was cut from the hillside.  At the left an embankment rose
+steeply to a height of ten or fifteen feet.  On the right there
+was a drop of a hundred feet or more into a wooded ravine.  
+Ahead, the road apparently ran quite straight and smooth
+for a considerable distance.
+
+Barney Custer knew that so long as the road ran straight
+the girl might be safe enough, for she was evidently an
+excellent horsewoman; but be also knew that if there should
+be a sharp turn to the left ahead, the horse in his blind
+fright would in all probability dash headlong into the ravine
+below him.
+
+There was but a single thing that the man might attempt
+if he were to save the girl from the almost certain death
+which seemed in store for her, since he knew that sooner or
+later the road would turn, as all mountain roads do.  The
+chances that he must take, if he failed, could only hasten the
+girl's end.  There was no alternative except to sit supinely by
+and see the fear-crazed horse carry its rider into eternity, and
+Barney Custer was not the sort for that role.
+
+Scarcely had the beast come abreast of him than his foot
+leaped to the accelerator.  Like a frightened deer the gray
+roadster sprang forward in pursuit.  The road was narrow.  
+Two machines could not have passed upon it.  Barney took
+the outside that he might hold the horse away from the
+dangerous ravine.
+
+At the sound of the whirring thing behind him the animal
+cast an affrighted glance in its direction, and with a little
+squeal of terror redoubled its frantic efforts to escape.  The
+girl, too, looked back over her shoulder.  Her face was very
+white, but her eyes were steady and brave.
+
+Barney Custer smiled up at her in encouragement, and the
+girl smiled back at him.
+
+"She's sure a game one," thought Barney.
+
+Now she was calling to him.  At first he could not catch
+her words above the pounding of the horse's hoofs and the
+noise of his motor.  Presently he understood.
+
+"Stop!" she cried.  "Stop or you will be killed.  The road
+turns to the left just ahead.  You'll go into the ravine at that
+speed."
+
+The front wheel of the roadster was at the horse's right
+flank.  Barney stepped upon the accelerator a little harder.  
+There was barely room between the horse and the edge of
+the road for the four wheels of the roadster, and Barney
+must be very careful not to touch the horse.  The thought of
+that and what it would mean to the girl sent a cold shudder
+through Barney Custer's athletic frame.
+
+The man cast a glance to his right.  His machine drove
+from the left side, and he could not see the road at all over
+the right hand door.  The sight of tree tops waving beneath
+him was all that was visible.  Just ahead the road's edge
+rushed swiftly beneath the right-hand fender, the wheels
+on that side must have been on the very verge of the em-
+bankment.
+
+Now he was abreast the girl.  Just ahead he could see
+where the road disappeared around a corner of the bluff at
+the dangerous curve the girl had warned him against.
+
+Custer leaned far out over the side of his car.  The lung-
+ing of the horse in his stride, and the swaying of the leaping
+car carried him first close to the girl and then away again.  
+With his right hand he held the car between the frantic
+horse and the edge of the embankment.  His left hand, out-
+stretched, was almost at the girl's waist.  The turn was just
+before them.
+
+"Jump!" cried Barney.
+
+The girl fell backward from her mount, turning to grasp
+Custer's arm as it closed about her.  At the same instant
+Barney closed the throttle, and threw all the weight of his
+body upon the foot brake.
+
+The gray roadster swerved toward the embankment as the
+hind wheels skidded on the loose surface gravel.  They were
+at the turn.  The horse was just abreast the bumper.  There
+was one chance in a thousand of making the turn were
+the running beast out of the way.  There was still a chance if
+he turned ahead of them.  If he did not turn--Barney hated
+to think of what must follow.
+
+But it was all over in a second.  The horse bolted straight
+ahead.  Barney swerved the roadster to the turn.  It caught
+the animal full in the side.  There was a sickening lurch as
+the hind wheels slid over the embankment, and then the
+man shoved the girl from the running board to the road, and
+horse, man and roadster went over into the ravine.
+
+A moment before a tall young man with a reddish-brown
+beard had stood at the turn of the road listening intently to
+the sound of the hurrying hoof beats and the purring of the
+racing motor car approaching from the distance.  In his eyes
+lurked the look of the hunted.  For a moment he stood in
+evident indecision, but just before the runaway horse and
+the pursuing machine came into view he slipped over the
+edge of the road to slink into the underbrush far down
+toward the bottom of the ravine.
+
+When Barney pushed the girl from the running board she
+fell heavily to the road, rolling over several times, but in an
+instant she scrambled to her feet, hardly the worse for the
+tumble other than a few scratches.
+
+Quickly she ran to the edge of the embankment, a look of
+immense relief coming to her soft, brown eyes as she saw
+her rescuer scrambling up the precipitous side of the ravine
+toward her.
+
+"You are not killed?" she cried in German.  "It is a miracle!"
+
+"Not even bruised," reassured Barney.  "But you?  You
+must have had a nasty fall."
+
+"I am not hurt at all," she replied.  "But for you I should
+be lying dead, or terribly maimed down there at the bottom
+of that awful ravine at this very moment.  It's awful." She
+drew her shoulders upward in a little shudder of horror.  
+"But how did you escape? Even now I can scarce believe
+it possible."
+
+"I'm quite sure I don't know how I did escape," said
+Barney, clambering over the rim of the road to her side.  
+"That I had nothing to do with it I am positive.  It was just
+luck.  I simply dropped out onto that bush down there."
+
+They were standing side by side, now peering down into
+the ravine where the car was visible, bottom side up against
+a tree, near the base of the declivity.  The horse's head
+could be seen protruding from beneath the wreckage.
+
+"I'd better go down and put him out of his misery," said
+Barney, "if he is not already dead."
+
+"I think he is quite dead," said the girl.  "I have not seen
+him move."
+
+Just then a little puff of smoke arose from the machine,
+followed by a tongue of yellow flame.  Barney had already
+started toward the horse.
+
+"Please don't go," begged the girl.  "I am sure that he is
+quite dead, and it wouldn't be safe for you down there now.  
+The gasoline tank may explode any minute."
+
+Barney stopped.
+
+"Yes, he is dead all right," he said, "but all my belongings
+are down there.  My guns, six-shooters and all my ammuni-
+tion.  And," he added ruefully, "I've heard so much about
+the brigands that infest these mountains."
+
+The girl laughed.
+
+"Those stories are really exaggerated," she said.  "I was
+born in Lutha, and except for a few months each year have
+always lived here, and though I ride much I have never
+seen a brigand.  You need not be afraid."
+
+Barney Custer looked up at her quickly, and then he
+grinned.  His only fear had been that he would not meet
+brigands, for Mr. Bernard Custer, Jr., was young and the
+spirit of Romance and Adventure breathed strong within
+him.
+
+"Why do you smile?" asked the girl.
+
+"At our dilemma," evaded Barney.  "Have you paused to
+consider our situation?"
+
+The girl smiled, too.
+
+"It is most unconventional," she said.  "On foot and alone
+in the mountains, far from home, and we do not even know
+each other's name."
+
+"Pardon me," cried Barney, bowing low.  "Permit me to
+introduce myself.  I am," and then to the spirits of Romance
+and Adventure was added a third, the spirit of Deviltry, "I
+am the mad king of Lutha."
+
+
+
+II
+
+OVER THE PRECIPICE
+
+THE EFFECT of his words upon the girl were quite different
+from what he had expected.  An American girl would have
+laughed, knowing that he but joked.  This girl did not laugh.  
+Instead her face went white, and she clutched her bosom
+with her two hands.  Her brown eyes peered searchingly into
+the face of the man.
+
+"Leopold!" she cried in a suppressed voice.  "Oh, your
+majesty, thank God that you are free--and sane!"
+
+Before he could prevent it the girl had seized his hand
+and pressed it to her lips.
+
+Here was a pretty muddle! Barney Custer swore at himself
+inwardly for a boorish fool.  What in the world had ever
+prompted him to speak those ridiculous words! And now
+how was he to unsay them without mortifying this beautiful
+girl who had just kissed his hand?
+
+She would never forgive that--he was sure of it.
+
+There was but one thing to do, however, and that was to
+make a clean breast of it.  Somehow, he managed to stumble
+through his explanation of what had prompted him, and
+when he had finished he saw that the girl was smiling in-
+dulgently at him.
+
+"It shall be Mr. Bernard Custer if you wish it so," she said;
+"but your majesty need fear nothing from Emma von der
+Tann.  Your secret is as safe with me as with yourself, as the
+name of Von der Tann must assure you."
+
+She looked to see the expression of relief and pleasure
+that her father's name should have brought to the face of
+Leopold of Lutha, but when he gave no indication that he
+had ever before heard the name she sighed and looked
+puzzled.
+
+"Perhaps," she thought, "he doubts me.  Or can it be pos-
+sible that, after all, his poor mind is gone?"
+
+"I wish," said Barney in a tone of entreaty, "that you
+would forgive and forget my foolish words, and then let me
+accompany you to the end of your journey."
+
+"Whither were you bound when I became the means of
+wrecking your motor car?" asked the girl.
+
+"To the Old Forest," replied Barney.
+
+Now she was positive that she was indeed with the mad
+king of Lutha, but she had no fear of him, for since child-
+hood she had heard her father scout the idea that Leopold
+was mad.  For what other purpose would he hasten toward
+the Old Forest than to take refuge in her father's castle upon
+the banks of the Tann at the forest's verge?
+
+"Thither was I bound also," she said, "and if you would
+come there quickly and in safety I can show you a short
+path across the mountains that my father taught me years
+ago.  It touches the main road but once or twice, and much
+of the way passes through dense woods and undergrowth
+where an army might hide."
+
+"Hadn't we better find the nearest town," suggested Bar-
+ney, "where I can obtain some sort of conveyance to take
+you home?"
+
+"It would not be safe," said the girl.  "Peter of Blentz will
+have troops out scouring all Lutha about Blentz and the Old
+Forest until the king is captured."
+
+Barney Custer shook his head despairingly.
+
+"Won't you please believe that I am but a plain Ameri-
+can?" he begged.
+
+Upon the bole of a large wayside tree a fresh, new placard
+stared them in the face.  Emma von der Tann pointed at one
+of the paragraphs.
+
+"Gray eyes, brown hair, and a full reddish-brown beard,"
+she read.  "No matter who you may be," she said, "you are
+safer off the highways of Lutha than on them until you can
+find and use a razor."
+
+"But I cannot shave until the fifth of November," said
+Barney.
+
+Again the girl looked quickly into his eyes and again in
+her mind rose the question that had hovered there once be-
+fore.  Was he indeed, after all, quite sane?
+
+"Then please come with me the safest way to my father's,"
+she urged.  "He will know what is best to do."
+
+"He cannot make me shave," insisted Barney.
+
+"Why do you wish not to shave?" asked the girl.,
+
+"It is a matter of my honor," he replied.  "I had my choice
+of wearing a green wastebasket bonnet trimmed with red
+roses for six months, or a beard for twelve.  If I shave off the
+beard before the fifth of November I shall be without honor
+in the sight of all men or else I shall have to wear the green
+bonnet.  The beard is bad enough, but the bonnet--ugh!"
+
+Emma von der Tann was now quite assured that the poor
+fellow was indeed quite demented, but she had seen no in-
+dications of violence as yet, though when that too might
+develop there was no telling.  However, he was to her Leo-
+pold of Lutha, and her father's house had been loyal to
+him or his ancestors for three hundred years.
+
+If she must sacrifice her life in the attempt, nevertheless
+still must she do all within her power to save her king from
+recapture and to lead him in safety to the castle upon the
+Tann.
+
+"Come," she said; "we waste time here.  Let us make
+haste, for the way is long.  At best we cannot reach Tann
+by dark."
+
+"I will do anything you wish," replied Barney, "but I
+shall never forgive myself for having caused you the long
+and tedious journey that lies before us.  It would be per-
+fectly safe to go to the nearest town and secure a rig."
+
+Emma von der Tann had heard that it was always well to
+humor maniacs and she thought of it now.  She would put
+the scheme to the test.
+
+"The reason that I fear to have you go to the village," she
+said, "is that I am quite sure they would catch you and
+shave off your beard."
+
+Barney started to laugh, but when he saw the deep serious-
+ness of the girl's eyes he changed his mind.  Then he recalled
+her rather peculiar insistence that he was a king, and it
+suddenly occurred to him that he had been foolish not to
+have guessed the truth before.
+
+"That is so," he agreed; "I guess we had better do as you
+say," for he had determined that the best way to handle her
+would be to humor her--he had always heard that that was
+the proper method for handling the mentally defective.
+"Where is the--er--ah--sanatorium?" he blurted out at last.
+
+"The what?" she asked.  "There is no sanatorium near here,
+your majesty, unless you refer to the Castle of Blentz."
+
+"Is there no asylum for the insane near by?"
+
+"None that I know of, your majesty."
+
+For a while they moved on in silence, each wondering
+what the other might do next.
+
+Barney had evolved a plan.  He would try and ascertain
+the location of the institution from which the girl had es-
+caped and then as gently as possible lead her back to it.  
+It was not safe for as beautiful a woman as she to be roam-
+ing through the forest in any such manner as this.  He won-
+dered what in the world the authorities at the asylum had
+been thinking of to permit her to ride out alone in the first
+place.
+
+"From where did you ride today?" he blurted out sud-
+denly.
+
+"From Tann."
+
+"That is where we are going now?"
+
+"Yes, your majesty."
+
+Barney drew a breath of relief.  The way had become
+suddenly difficult and he took the girl's arm to help her
+down a rather steep place.  At the bottom of the ravine there
+was a little brook.
+
+"There used to be a fallen log across it here," said the
+girl.  "How in the world am I ever to get across, your
+majesty?"
+
+"If you call me that again, I shall begin to believe that
+I am a king," he humored her, "and then, being a king, I
+presume that it wouldn't be proper for me to carry you
+across, or would it? Never really having been a king, I do
+not know."
+
+"I think," replied the girl, "that it would be eminently
+proper."
+
+She had difficulty in keeping in mind the fact that this
+handsome, smiling young man was a dangerous maniac,
+though it was easy to believe that he was the king.  In fact,
+he looked much as she had always pictured Leopold as
+looking.  She had known him as a boy, and there were many
+paintings and photographs of his ancestors in her father's
+castle.  She saw much resemblance between these and the
+young man.
+
+The brook was very narrow, and the girl thought that it
+took the young man an unreasonably long time to carry her
+across, though she was forced to admit that she was far
+from uncomfortable in the strong arms that bore her so
+easily.
+
+"Why, what are you doing?" she cried presently.  "You
+are not crossing the stream at all.  You are walking right up
+the middle of it!"
+
+She saw his face flush, and then he turned laughing eyes
+upon her.
+
+"I am looking for a safe landing," he said.
+
+Emma von der Tann did not know whether to be frightened
+or amused.  As her eyes met the clear, gray ones of the man
+she could not believe that insanity lurked behind that laugh-
+ing, level gaze of her carrier.  She found herself continually
+forgetting that the man was mad.  He had turned toward the
+bank now, and a couple of steps carried them to the low
+sward that fringed the little brooklet.  Here he lowered her
+to the ground.
+
+"Your majesty is very strong," she said.  "I should not have
+expected it after the years of confinement you have suffered."
+
+"Yes," he said, realizing that he must humor her--it was
+difficult to remember that this lovely girl was insane.  "Let
+me see, now just what was I in prison for? I do not seem to
+be able to recall it.  In Nebraska, they used to hang men for
+horse stealing; so I am sure it must have been something
+else not quite so bad.  Do you happen to know?"
+
+"When the king, your father, died you were thirteen years
+old," the girl explained, hoping to reawaken the sleeping
+mind, "and then your uncle, Prince Peter of Blentz, an-
+nounced that the shock of your father's death had unbal-
+anced your mind.  He shut you up in Blentz then, where you
+have been for ten years, and he has ruled as regent.  Now,
+my father says, he has recently discovered a plot to take
+your life so that Peter may become king.  But I suppose you
+learned of that, and because of it you escaped!"
+
+"This Peter person is all-powerful in Lutha?" he asked.
+
+"He controls the army," the girl replied.
+
+"And you really believe that I am the mad king Leopold?"
+
+"You are the king," she said in a convincing manner.
+
+"You are a very brave young lady," he said earnestly.  "If
+all the mad king's subjects were as loyal as you, and as
+brave, he would not have languished for ten years behind
+the walls of Blentz."
+
+"I am a Von der Tann," she said proudly, as though that
+was explanation sufficient to account for any bravery or
+loyalty.
+
+"Even a Von der Tann might, without dishonor, hesitate
+to accompany a mad man through the woods," he replied,
+"especially if she happened to be a very--a very--" He
+halted, flushing.
+
+"A very what, your majesty?" asked the girl.
+
+"A very young woman," he ended lamely.
+
+Emma von der Tann knew that he had not intended say-
+ing that at all.  Being a woman, she knew precisely what he
+had meant to say, and she discovered that she would very
+much have liked to hear him say it.
+
+"Suppose," said Barney, "that Peter's soldiers run across
+us--what then?"
+
+"They will take you back to Blentz, your majesty."
+
+"And you?"
+
+"I do not think that they will dare lay hands on me,
+though it is possible that Peter might do so.  He hates my
+father even more now than he did when the old king lived."
+
+"I wish," said Mr. Custer, "that I had gone down after my
+guns.  Why didn't you tell me, in the first place, that I was a
+king, and that I might get you in trouble if you were found
+with me? Why, they may even take me for an emperor or a
+mikado--who knows? And then look at all the trouble we'd
+be in."
+
+Which was Barney's way of humoring a maniac.
+
+"And they might even shave off your beautiful beard."
+
+Which was the girl's way.
+
+"Do you think that you would like me better in the green
+wastebasket hat with the red roses?" asked Barney.
+
+A very sad look came into the girl's eyes.  It was pitiful to
+think that this big, handsome young man, for whose return
+to the throne all Lutha had prayed for ten long years, was
+only a silly half-wit.  What might he not have accomplished
+for his people had this terrible misfortune not overtaken
+him! In every other way he seemed fitted to be the savior
+of his country.  If she could but make him remember!
+
+"Your majesty," she said, "do you not recall the time that
+your father came upon a state visit to my father's castle?
+You were a little boy then.  He brought you with him.  I was
+a little girl, and we played together.  You would not let me
+call you 'highness,' but insisted that I should always call
+you Leopold.  When I forgot you would accuse me of lese-
+majeste, and sentence me to--to punishment.'
+
+"What was the punishment?" asked Barney, noticing her
+hesitation and wishing to encourage her in the pretty turn
+her dementia had taken.
+
+Again the girl hesitated; she hated to say it, but if it
+would help to recall the past to that poor, dimmed mind,
+it was her duty.
+
+"Every time I called you 'highness' you made me give
+you a--a kiss," she almost whispered.
+
+"I hope," said Barney, "that you will be guilty of lese-
+majeste often."
+
+"We were little children then, your majesty," the girl re-
+minded him.
+
+Had he thought her of sound mind Mr. Custer might have
+taken advantage of his royal prerogatives on the spot, for
+the girl's lips were most tempting; but when he remembered
+the poor, weak mind, tears almost came to his eyes, and
+there sprang to his heart a great desire to protect and guard
+this unfortunate child.
+
+"And when I was Crown Prince what were you, way back
+there in the beautiful days of our childhood?" asked Barney.
+
+"Why, I was what I still am, your majesty," replied the
+girl.  "Princess Emma von der Tann."
+
+So the poor child, beside thinking him a king, thought
+herself a princess! She certainly was mad.  Well, he would
+humor her.
+
+"Then I should call you 'your highness,' shouldn't I?" he
+asked.
+
+"You always called me Emma when we were children."
+
+"Very well, then, you shall be Emma and I Leopold.  Is
+it a bargain?"
+
+"The king's will is law," she said.
+
+They had come to a very steep hillside, up which the half-
+obliterated trail zigzagged toward the crest of a flat-topped
+hill.  Barney went ahead, taking the girl's hand in his to help
+her, and thus they came to the top, to stand hand in hand,
+breathing heavily after the stiff climb.
+
+The girl's hair had come loose about her temples and a
+lock was blowing over her face.  Her cheeks were very red
+and her eyes bright.  Barney thought he had never looked
+upon a lovelier picture.  He smiled down into her eyes and
+she smiled back at him.
+
+"I wished, back there a way," he said, "that that little
+brook had been as wide as the ocean--now I wish that
+this little hill had been as high as Mont Blanc."
+
+"You like to climb?" she asked.
+
+"I should like to climb forever--with you," he said
+seriously.
+
+She looked up at him quickly.  A reply was on her lips, but
+she never uttered it, for at that moment a ruffian in pictur-
+esque rags leaped out from behind a near-by bush, con-
+fronting them with leveled revolver.  He was so close that
+the muzzle of the weapon almost touched Barney's face.  In
+that the fellow made his mistake.
+
+"You see," said Barney unexcitedly, "that I was right
+about the brigands after all.  What do you want, my man?"
+
+The man's eyes had suddenly gone wide.  He stared with
+open mouth at the young fellow before him.  Then a cunning
+look came into his eyes.
+
+"I want you, your majesty," he said.
+
+"Godfrey!" exclaimed Barney.  "Did the whole bunch es-
+cape?"
+
+"Quick!" growled the man.  "Hold up your hands.  The
+notice made it plain that you would be worth as much dead
+as alive, and I have no mind to lose you, so do not tempt
+me to kill you."
+
+Barney's hands went up, but not in the way that the
+brigand had expected.  Instead, one of them seized his
+weapon and shoved it aside, while with the other Custer
+planted a blow between his eyes and sent him reeling back-
+ward.  The two men closed, fighting for possession of the gun.  
+In the scrimmage it was exploded, but a moment later the
+American succeeded in wresting it from his adversary and
+hurled it into the ravine.
+
+Striking at one another, the two surged backward and
+forward at the very edge of the hill, each searching for the
+other's throat.  The girl stood by, watching the battle with
+wide, frightened eyes.  If she could only do something to
+aid the king!
+
+She saw a loose stone lying at a little distance from the
+fighters and hastened to procure it.  If she could strike the
+brigand a single good blow on the side of the head, Leopold
+might easily overpower him.  When she had gathered up the
+rock and turned back toward the two she saw that the man
+she thought to be the king was not much in the way of need-
+ing outside assistance.  She could not but marvel at the
+strength and dexterity of this poor fellow who had spent
+almost half his life penned within the four walls of a prison.  
+It must be, she thought, the superhuman strength with
+which maniacs are always credited.
+
+Nevertheless, she hurried toward them with her weapon;
+but just before she reached them the brigand made a last
+mad effort to free himself from the fingers that had found
+his throat.  He lunged backward, dragging the other with
+him.  His foot struck upon the root of a tree, and together
+the two toppled over into the ravine.
+
+As the girl hastened toward the spot where the two had
+disappeared, she was startled to see three troopers of the pal-
+ace cavalry headed by an officer break through the trees at a
+short distance from where the battle had waged.  The four
+men ran rapidly toward her.
+
+"What has happened here? shouted the officer to Emma
+von der Tann; and then, as he came closer: "Gott! Can it
+be possible that it is your highness?"
+
+The girl paid no attention to the officer.  Instead, she hur-
+ried down the steep embankment toward the underbrush
+into which the two men had fallen.  There was no sound
+from below, and no movement in the bushes to indicate that
+a moment before two desperately battling human beings
+had dropped among them.
+
+The soldiers were close upon the girl's heels, but it was
+she who first reached the two quiet figures that lay side by
+side upon the stony ground halfway down the hillside.
+
+When the officer stopped beside her she was sitting on
+the ground holding the head of one of the combatants in
+her lap.
+
+A little stream of blood trickled from a wound in the
+forehead.  The officer stooped closer.
+
+"He is dead?" he asked.
+
+"The king is dead," replied the Princess Emma von der
+Tann, a little sob in her voice.
+
+"The king!" exclaimed the officer; and then, as he bent
+lower over the white face: "Leopold!"
+
+The girl nodded.
+
+"We were searching for him," said the officer, "when we
+heard the shot." Then, arising, he removed his cap, saying
+in a very low voice: "The king is dead.  Long live the king!"
+
+
+
+
+III
+
+AN ANGRY KING
+
+THE SOLDIERS stood behind their officer.  None of them had
+ever seen Leopold of Lutha--he had been but a name to
+them--they cared nothing for him; but in the presence of
+death they were awed by the majesty of the king they had
+never known.
+
+The hands of Emma von der Tann were chafing the wrists
+of the man whose head rested in her lap.
+
+"Leopold!" she whispered.  "Leopold, come back!  Mad
+king you may have been, but still you were king of Lutha--
+my father's king--my king."
+
+The girl nearly cried out in shocked astonishment as she
+saw the eyes of the dead king open.  But Emma von der
+Tann was quick-witted.  She knew for what purpose the
+soldiers from the palace were scouring the country.
+
+Had she not thought the king dead she would have cut
+out her tongue rather than reveal his identity to these sol-
+diers of his great enemy.  Now she saw that Leopold lived,
+and she must undo the harm she had innocently wrought.  
+She bent lower over Barney's face, trying to hide it from
+the soldiers.
+
+"Go away, please!" she called to them.  "Leave me with
+my dead king.  You are Peter's men.  You do not care for
+Leopold, living or dead.  Go back to your new king and tell
+him that this poor young man can never more stand between
+him and the throne."
+
+The officer hesitated.
+
+"We shall have to take the king's body with us, your
+highness," he said.
+
+The officer evidently becoming suspicious, came closer,
+and as he did so Barney Custer sat up.
+
+"Go away!" cried the girl, for she saw that the king was
+attempting to speak.  "My father's people will carry Leopold
+of Lutha in state to the capital of his kingdom."
+
+"What's all this row about?" he asked.  "Can't you let a
+dead king alone if the young lady asks you to? What kind
+of a short sport are you, anyway? Run along, now, and tie
+yourself outside."
+
+The officer smiled, a trifle maliciously perhaps.
+
+"Ah," he said, "I am very glad indeed that you are not
+dead, your majesty."
+
+Barney Custer turned his incredulous eyes upon the lieu-
+tenant.
+
+"Et tu, Brute?" he cried in anguished accents, letting
+his head fall back into the girl's lap.  He found it very com-
+fortable there indeed.
+
+The officer smiled and shook his head.  Then he tapped
+his forehead meaningly.
+
+"I did not know," he said to the girl, "that he was so bad.
+But come--it is some distance to Blentz, and the afternoon
+is already well spent.  Your highness will accompany us."
+
+"I?" cried the girl.  "You certainly cannot be serious."
+
+"And why not, your highness?" asked the officer.  "We
+had strict orders to arrest not only the king, but any com-
+panions who may have been involved in his escape."
+
+"I had nothing whatever to do with his escape," said the
+girl, "though I should have been only too glad to have
+aided him had the opportunity presented."
+
+"King Peter may think differently," replied the man.
+
+"The Regent, you mean?" the girl corrected him haughtily.
+
+The officer shrugged his shoulders.
+
+"Regent or King, he is ruler of Lutha nevertheless, and he
+would take away my commission were I to tell him that I
+had found a Von der Tann in company with the king and
+had permitted her to escape.  Your blood convicts your high-
+ness."
+
+"You are going to take me to Blentz and confine me
+there?" asked the girl in a very small voice and with wide
+incredulous eyes.  "You would not dare thus to humiliate a
+Von der Tann?"
+
+"I am very sorry," said the officer, "but I am a soldier,
+and soldiers must obey their superiors.  My orders are strict.  
+You may be thankful," he added, "that it was not Maenck
+who discovered you."
+
+At the mention of the name the girl shuddered.
+
+"In so far as it is in my power your highness and his
+majesty will be accorded every consideration of dignity and
+courtesy while under my escort.  You need not entertain
+any fear of me," he concluded.
+
+Barney Custer, during this, to him, remarkable dialogue,
+had risen to his feet, and assisted the girl in rising.  Now he
+turned and spoke to the officer.
+
+"This farce," he said, "has gone quite far enough.  If it is
+a
+joke it is becoming a very sorry one.  I am not a king.  I am
+an American--Bernard Custer, of Beatrice, Nebraska, U.S.A.
+Look at me.  Look at me closely.  Do I look like a king?"
+
+"Every inch, your majesty," replied the officer.  
+
+Barney looked at the man aghast.
+
+"Well, I am not a king," he said at last, "and if you go to
+arresting me and throwing me into one of your musty old
+dungeons you will find that I am a whole lot more important
+than most kings.  I'm an American citizen."
+
+"Yes, your majesty," replied the officer, a trifle
+impatiently.  
+"But we waste time in idle discussion.  Will your majesty
+be so good as to accompany me without resistance?"
+
+"If you will first escort this young lady to a place of
+safety," replied Barney.
+
+"She will be quite safe at Blentz," said the lieutenant.
+
+Barney turned to look at the girl, a question in his eyes.  
+Before them stood the soldiers with drawn revolvers, and
+now at the summit of the hill a dozen more appeared in
+command of a sergeant.  They were two against nearly a
+score, and Barney Custer was unarmed.
+
+The girl shook her head.
+
+"There, is no alternative, I am afraid, your majesty," she
+said.
+
+Barney wheeled toward the officer.
+
+"Very well, lieutenant," he said, "we will accompany you."
+
+The party turned back up the hillside, leaving the dead
+bandit where he lay--the fellow's neck had been broken by
+the fall.  A short distance from where the man had confronted
+them the two prisoners were brought to the main road
+where they saw still other troopers, and with them the horses
+of those who had gone into the forest on foot.
+
+Barney and the girl were mounted on two of the animals,
+the soldiers who had ridden them clambering up behind
+two of their comrades.  A moment later the troop set out
+along the road which leads to Blentz.
+
+The prisoners rode near the center of the column, sur-
+rounded by troopers.  For a time they were both silent.  Bar-
+ney was wondering if he had accidentally tumbled into the
+private grounds of Lutha's largest madhouse, or if, in reality,
+these people mistook him for the young king--it seemed
+incredible.
+
+It had commenced slowly to dawn upon him that perhaps
+the girl was not crazy after all.  Had not the officer addressed
+her as "your highness"? Now that he thought upon it he re-
+called that she did have quite a haughty and regal way
+with her at times, especially so when she had addressed the
+officer.
+
+Of course she might be mad, after all, and possibly the
+bandit, too, but it seemed unbelievable that the officer was
+mad and his entire troop of cavalry should be composed of
+maniacs, yet they all persisted in speaking and acting as
+though he were indeed the mad king of Lutha and the
+young girl at his side a princess.
+
+From pitying the girl he had come to feel a little bit in
+awe of her.  To the best of his knowledge he had never be-
+fore associated with a real princess.  When he recalled that
+he had treated her as he would an ordinary mortal, and that
+he had thought her demented, and had tried to humor her
+mad whims, he felt very foolish indeed.
+
+Presently he turned a sheepish glance in her direction,
+to find her looking at him.  He saw her flush slightly as his
+eyes met hers.
+
+"Can your highness ever forgive me?" he asked.
+
+"Forgive  you!" she cried in astonishment.  "For what,
+your majesty?"
+
+"For thinking you insane, and for getting you into this
+horrible predicament," he replied.  "But especially for think-
+ing you insane."
+
+"Did you think me mad?" she asked in wide-eyed aston-
+ishment.
+
+"When you insisted that I was a king, yes," he replied.  
+"But now I begin to believe that it must be I who am mad,
+after all, or else I bear a remarkable resemblance to Leopold
+of Lutha."
+
+"You do, your majesty," replied the girl.
+
+Barney saw it was useless to attempt to convince them
+and so he decided to give up for the time.
+
+"Have me king, if you will," he said, "but please do not
+call me 'your majesty' any more.  It gets on my nerves."
+
+"Your will is law--Leopold," replied the girl, hesitating
+prettily before the familiar name, "but do not forget your
+part of the compact."
+
+He smiled at her.  A princess wasn't half so terrible after
+all.
+
+"And your will shall be my law, Emma," he said.
+
+It was almost dark when they came to Blentz.  The castle
+lay far up on the side of a steep hill above the town.  It was
+an ancient pile, but had been maintained in an excellent
+state of repair.  As Barney Custer looked up at the grim tow-
+ers and mighty, buttressed walls his heart sank.  It had taken
+the mad king ten years to make his escape from that gloomy
+and forbidding pile!
+
+"Poor child," he murmured, thinking of the girl.
+
+Before the barbican the party was halted by the guard.  
+An officer with a lantern stepped out upon the lowered
+portcullis.  The lieutenant who had captured them rode for-
+ward to meet him.
+
+"A detachment of the Royal Horse Guards escorting His
+Majesty the King, who is returning to Blentz," he said in
+reply to the officer's sharp challenge.
+
+"The king!" exclaimed the officer.  "You have found him?"
+and he advanced with raised lantern searching for the
+monarch.
+
+"At last," whispered Barney to the girl at his side, "I shall
+be vindicated.  This man, at least, who is stationed at Blentz
+must know his king by sight."
+
+The officer came quite close, holding his lantern until the
+rays fell full in Barney's face.  He scrutinized the young man
+for a moment.  There was neither humility nor respect in his
+manner, so that the American was sure that the fellow had
+discovered the imposture.
+
+From the bottom of his heart he hoped so.  Then the officer
+swung the lantern until its light shone upon the girl.
+
+"And who's the wench with him?" he asked the officer who
+had found them.
+
+The man was standing close beside Barney's horse, and
+the words were scarce out of his month when the American
+slipped from his saddle to the portcullis and struck the offi-
+cer full in the face.
+
+"She is the Princess von der Tann, you boor," said Bar-
+ney, "and let that help you remember it in future."
+
+The officer scrambled to his feet, white with rage.  Whip-
+ping out his sword he rushed at Barney.
+
+"You shall die for that, you half-wit," he cried.
+
+Lieutenant Butzow, he of the Royal Horse, rushed forward
+to prevent the assault and Emma von der Tann sprang
+from her saddle and threw herself in front of Barney.
+
+Butzow grasped the other officer's arm.
+
+"Are you mad, Schonau?" he cried.  "Would you kill the
+king?"
+
+The fellow tugged to escape the grasp of Butzow.  He was
+crazed with anger.
+
+"Why not?" he bellowed.  "You were a fool not to have
+done it yourself.  Maenck will do it and get a baronetcy.  It
+will mean a captaincy for me at least.  Let me at him--no
+man can strike Karl Schonau and live."
+
+"The king is unarmed," cried Emma von der Tann.  "Would
+you murder him in cold blood?"
+
+"He shall not murder him at all, your highness," said
+Lieutenant Butzow quietly.  "Give me your sword, Lieuten-
+ant Schonau.  I place you under arrest.  What you have just
+said will not please the Regent when it is reported to him.  
+You should keep your head better when you are angry."
+
+"It is the truth," growled Schonau, regretting that his
+anger had led him into a disclosure of the plot against the
+king's life, but like most weak characters fearing to admit
+himself in error even more than he feared the consequences
+of his rash words.
+
+"Do you intend taking my sword?" asked Schonau sud-
+denly, turning toward Lieutenant Butzow standing beside
+him.
+
+"We will forget the whole occurrence, lieutenant," replied
+Butzow, "if you will promise not to harm his majesty, or
+offer him or the Princess von der Tann further humiliation.  
+Their position is sufficiently unpleasant without our adding
+to the degradation of it."
+
+"Very well," grumbled Schonau.  "Pass on into the court-
+yard."
+
+Barney and the girl remounted and the little cavalcade
+moved forward through the ballium and the great gate into
+the court beyond.
+
+"Did you notice," said Barney to the princess, "that even
+he believes me to be the king? I cannot fathom it."
+
+Within the castle they were met by a number of servants
+and soldiers.  An officer escorted them to the great hall, and
+presently a dark visaged captain of cavalry entered and
+approached them.  Butzow saluted.
+
+"His Majesty, the King," he announced, "has returned to
+Blentz.  In accordance with the commands of the Regent I
+deliver his august person into your safe keeping, Captain
+Maenck."
+
+Maenck nodded.  He was looking at Barney with evident
+curiosity.
+
+"Where did you find him?" he asked Butzow.
+
+He made no pretense of according to Barney the faintest
+indication of the respect that is supposed to be due to those
+of royal blood.  Barney commenced to hope that he had
+finally come upon one who would know that he was not
+king.
+
+Butzow recounted the details of the finding of the king.  As
+he spoke, Maenck's eyes, restless and furtive, seemed to be
+appraising the personal charms of the girl who stood just
+back of Barney.
+
+The American did not like the appearance of the officer,
+but he saw that he was evidently supreme at Blentz, and he
+determined to appeal to him in the hope that the man
+might believe his story and untangle the ridiculous muddle
+that a chance resemblance to a fugitive monarch had thrown
+him and the girl into.
+
+"Captain," said Barney, stepping closer to the officer,
+"there has been a mistake in identity here.  I am not the king.  
+I am an American traveling for pleasure in Lutha.  The fact
+that I have gray eyes and wear a full reddish-brown beard
+is my only offense.  You are doubtless familiar with the king's
+appearance and so you at least have already seen that I am
+not his majesty.
+
+"Not being the king, there is no cause to detain me longer,
+and as I am not a fugitive and never have been, this young
+lady has been guilty of no misdemeanor or crime in being
+in my company.  Therefore she too should be released.  In
+the name of justice and common decency I am sure that you
+will liberate us both at once and furnish the Princess von
+der Tann, at least, with a proper escort to her home."
+
+Maenck listened in silence until Barney had finished, a
+half smile upon his thick lips.
+
+"I am commencing to believe that you are not so crazy
+as we have all thought," he said.  "Certainly," and he let his
+eyes rest upon Emma von der Tann, "you are not mentally
+deficient in so far as your judgment of a good-looking woman
+is concerned.  I could not have made a better selection my-
+self.
+
+"As for my familiarity with your appearance, you know
+as well as I that I have never seen you before.  But that is
+not necessary--you conform perfectly to the printed descrip-
+tion of you with which the kingdom is flooded.  Were that
+not enough, the fact that you were discovered with old Von
+der Tann's daughter is sufficient to remove the least doubt
+as to your identity."
+
+"You are governor of Blentz," cried Barney, "and yet you
+say that you have never seen the king?"
+
+"Certainly," replied Maenck.  "After you escaped the en-
+tire personnel of the garrison here was changed, even the
+old servants to a man were withdrawn and others substituted.  
+You will have difficulty in again escaping, for those who
+aided you before are no longer here."
+
+"There is no man in the castle of Blentz who has ever
+seen the king?" asked Barney.
+
+"None who has seen him before tonight," replied Maenck.  
+"But were we in doubt we have the word of the Princess
+Emma that you are Leopold.  Did she not admit it to you,
+Butzow?"
+
+"When she thought his majesty dead she admitted it,"
+replied Butzow.
+
+"We gain nothing by discussing the matter," said Maenck
+shortly.  "You are Leopold of Lutha.  Prince Peter says that
+you are mad.  All that concerns me is that you do not escape
+again, and you may rest assured that while Ernst Maenck
+is governor of Blentz you shall not escape and go at large
+again.
+
+"Are the royal apartments in readiness for his majesty,
+Dr. Stein?" he concluded, turning toward a rat-faced little
+man with bushy whiskers, who stood just behind him.
+
+The query was propounded in an ironical tone, and with
+a manner that made no pretense of concealing the contempt
+of the speaker for the man he thought the king.
+
+The eyes of the Princess Emma were blazing as she
+caught the scant respect in Maenck's manner.  She looked
+quickly toward Barney to see if he intended rebuking the
+man for his impertinence.  She saw that the king evidently
+intended overlooking Maenck's attitude.  But Emma von der
+Tann was of a different mind.
+
+She had seen Maenck several times at social functions in
+the capital.  He had even tried to win a place in her favor,
+but she had always disliked him, even before the nasty
+stories of his past life had become common gossip, and within
+the year she had won his hatred by definitely indicating to
+him that he was persona non grata, in so far as she was
+concerned.  Now she turned upon him, her eyes flashing with
+indignation.
+
+"Do you forget, sir, that you address the king?" she cried.  
+"That you are without honor I have heard men say, and I
+may truly believe it now that I have seen what manner of
+man you are.  The most lowly-bred boor in all Lutha would
+not be so ungenerous as to take advantage of his king's help-
+lessness to heap indignities upon him.
+
+"Leopold of Lutha shall come into his own some day,
+and my dearest hope is that his first act may be to mete
+out to such as you the punishment you deserve."
+
+Maenck paled in anger.  His fingers twitched nervously,
+but he controlled his temper remarkably well, biding his
+time for revenge.
+
+"Take the king to his apartments, Stein," he commanded
+curtly, "and you, Lieutenant Butzow, accompany them with
+a guard, nor leave until you see that he is safely con-
+fined.  You may return here afterward for my further in-
+structions.  In the meantime I wish to examine the king's
+mistress."
+
+For a moment tense silence reigned in the apartment after
+Maenck had delivered his wanton insult.
+
+Emma von der Tann, her little chin high in the air, stood
+straight and haughty, nor was there any sign in her expres-
+sion to indicate that she had heard the man's words.
+
+Barney was the first to take cognizance of them.
+
+"You cur!" he cried, and took a step toward Maenck.  
+"You're going to eat that, word for word."
+
+Maenck stepped back, his hand upon his sword.  Butzow
+laid a hand upon Barney's arm.
+
+"Don't, your majesty," he implored, "it will but make
+your position more unpleasant, nor will it add to the safety
+of the Princess von der Tann for you to strike him now."
+
+Barney shook himself free from Butzow, and before either
+Stein or the lieutenant could prevent had sprung upon
+Maenck.
+
+The latter had not been quick enough with his sword, so
+that Barney had struck him twice, heavily in the face before
+the officer was able to draw.  Butzow had sprung to the
+king's side, and was attempting to interpose himself between
+Maenck and the American.  In a moment more the sword of
+the infuriated captain would be in the king's heart.  Barney
+turned the first thrust with his forearm.
+
+"Stop!" cried Butzow to Maenck.  "Are you mad, that you
+would kill the king?"
+
+Maenck lunged again, viciously, at the unprotected body
+of his antagonist.
+
+"Die, you pig of an idiot!" he screamed.
+
+Butzow saw that the man really meant to murder Leopold.  
+He seized Barney by the shoulder and whirled him back-
+ward.  At the same instant his own sword leaped from his
+scabbard, and now Maenck found himself facing grim steel
+in the hand of a master swordsman.
+
+The governor of Blentz drew back from the touch of that
+sharp point.
+
+"What do you mean?" he cried.  "This is mutiny."
+
+"When I received my commission," replied Butzow, quietly,
+"I swore to protect the person of the king with my life, and
+while I live no man shall affront Leopold of Lutha in my
+presence, or threaten his safety else he accounts to me for
+his act.  Return your sword, Captain Maenck, nor ever again
+draw it against the king while I be near."
+
+Slowly Maenck sheathed his weapon.  Black hatred for
+Butzow and the man he was protecting smoldered in his
+eyes.
+
+"If he wishes peace," said Barney, "let him apologize to
+the princess."
+
+"You had better apologize, captain," counseled Butzow,
+"for if the king should command me to do so I should have
+to compel you to," and the lieutenant half drew his sword
+once more.
+
+There was something in Butzow's voice that warned
+Maenck that his subordinate would like nothing better than
+the king's command to run him through.
+
+He well knew the fame of Butzow's sword arm, and hav-
+ing no stomach for an encounter with it he grumbled an
+apology.
+
+"And don't let it occur again," warned Barney.
+
+"Come," said Dr. Stein, "your majesty should be in your
+apartments, away from all excitement, if we are to effect a
+cure, so that you may return to your throne quickly."
+
+Butzow formed the soldiers about the American, and the
+party moved silently out of the great hall, leaving Captain
+Maenck and Princess Emma von der Tann its only occupants.
+
+Barney cast a troubled glance toward Maenck, and half
+hesitated.
+
+"I am sorry, your majesty," said Butzow in a low voice,
+"but you must accompany us.  In this the governor of Blentz
+is well within his authority, and I must obey him."
+
+"Heaven help her!" murmured Barney.
+
+"The governor will not dare harm her," said Butzow.  
+"Your majesty need entertain no apprehension."
+
+"I wouldn't trust him," replied the American.  "I know
+his kind."
+
+
+
+
+IV
+
+BARNEY FINDS A FRIEND
+
+AFTER THE party had left the room Maenck stood looking at
+the princess for several seconds.  A cunning expression sup-
+planted the anger that had shown so plainly upon his face
+but a moment before.  The girl had moved to one side of the
+apartment and was pretending an interest in a large tapestry
+that covered the wall at that point.  Maenck watched her
+with greedy eves.  Presently he spoke.
+
+"Let us be friends," he said.  "You shall be my guest at
+Blentz for a long time.  I doubt if Peter will care to release
+you soon, for he has no love for your father--and it will
+he easier for both if we establish pleasant relations from
+the beginning.  What do you say?"
+
+"I shall not be at Blentz long," she replied, not even
+looking in Maenck's direction, "though while I am it shall
+be as a prisoner and not as a guest.  It is incredible that one
+could believe me willing to pose as the guest of a traitor,
+even were he less impossible than the  notorious  and  infamous
+Captain Maenck."
+
+Maenck smiled.  He was one of those who rather pride
+themselves upon the possession of racy reputations.  He
+walked across the room to a bell cord which he pulled.  Then
+he turned toward the girl again.
+
+"I have given you an opportunity," he said, "to lighten
+the burdens of your captivity.  I hoped that you would be
+sensible and accept my advances of friendship voluntarily,"
+and he emphasized the word "voluntarily," "but--"
+
+He shrugged his shoulders.
+
+A servant had entered the apartment in response to
+Maenck's summons.
+
+"Show the Princess von der Tann to her apartments," he
+commanded with a sinister tone.
+
+The man, who was in the livery of Peter of Blentz, bowed,
+and with a deferential sign to the girl led the way from the
+room.  Emma von der Tann followed her guide up a winding
+stairway which spiraled within a tower at the end of a long
+passage.  On the second floor of the castle the servant led her
+to a large and beautifully furnished suite of three rooms--a
+bedroom, dressing-room and boudoir.  After showing her the
+rooms that were to be hers the servant left her alone.
+
+As soon as he had gone the Princess von der Tann took
+another turn through the suite, looking to the doors and
+windows to ascertain how securely she might barricade her-
+self against unwelcome visitors.
+
+She found that the three rooms lay in an angle of the
+old, moss-covered castle wall.
+
+The bedroom and dressing-room were connected by a
+doorway, and each in turn had another door opening into
+the boudoir.  The only connection with the corridor without
+was through a single doorway from the boudoir.  This door
+was equipped with a massive bolt, which, when she had shot
+it, gave her a feeling of immense relief and security.  The
+windows were all too high above the court on one side and
+the moat upon the other to cause her the slightest appre-
+hension of danger from the outside.
+
+The girl found the boudoir not only beautiful, but ex-
+tremely comfortable and cozy.  A huge log-fire blazed upon
+the hearth, and, though it was summer, its warmth was
+most welcome, for the night was chill.  Across the room from
+the fireplace a full length oil of a former Blentz princess
+looked down in arrogance upon the unwilling occupant of
+the room.  It seemed to the girl that there was an expression
+of annoyance upon the painted countenance that another,
+and an enemy of her house, should be making free with her
+belongings.  She wondered a little, too, that this huge oil
+should have been bung in a lady's boudoir.  It seemed singu-
+larly out of place.
+
+"If she would but smile," thought Emma von der Tann,
+"she would detract less from the otherwise pleasant sur-
+roundings, but I suppose she serves her purpose in some
+way, whatever it may be."
+
+There were papers, magazines and books upon the center
+table and more books upon a low tier of shelves on either
+side of the fireplace.  The girl tried to amuse herself by
+reading, but she found her thoughts continually reverting to
+the unhappy situation of the king, and her eyes momentarily
+wandered to the cold and repellent face of the Blentz prin-
+cess.
+
+Finally she wheeled a great armchair near the fireplace,
+and with her back toward the portrait made a final attempt
+to submerge her unhappy thoughts in a current periodical.
+
+
+When Barney and his escort reached the apartments that
+had been occupied by the king of Lutha before his escape,
+Butzow and the soldiers left him in company with Dr. Stein
+and an old servant, whom the doctor introduced as his new
+personal attendant.
+
+"Your majesty will find him a very attentive and faithful
+servant," said Stein.  "He will remain with you and ad-
+minister your medicine at proper intervals."
+
+"Medicine?" ejaculated Barney.  "What in the world do I
+need of medicine? There is nothing the matter with me."
+
+Stein smiled indulgently.
+
+"Ah, your majesty," he said, "if you could but realize the
+sad affliction that clouds your life! You may never sit upon
+your throne until the last trace of this sinister mental dis-
+order is eradicated, so take your medicine voluntarily, or
+otherwise Joseph will be compelled to administer it by force.
+Remember, sire, that only through this treatment will you
+be able to leave Blentz."
+
+After Stein had left the room Joseph bolted the door be-
+hind him.  Then he came to where Barney stood in the center
+of the apartment, and dropping to his knees took the young
+man's hand in his and kissed it.
+
+"God has been good indeed, your majesty," he whispered.  
+"It was He who made it possible for old Joseph to deceive
+them and find his way to your side."
+
+"Who are you, my man?" asked Barney.
+
+"I am from Tann," whispered the old man, in a very low
+voice.  "His highness, the prince, found the means to obtain
+service for me with the new retinue that has replaced the
+old which permitted your majesty's escape.  There was an-
+other from Tann among the former servants here.
+
+"It was  through his efforts that you escaped before, you
+will recall.  I have seen Fritz and learned from him the way,
+so that if your majesty does not recall it it will make no
+difference, for I know it well, having been over it three
+times already since I came here, to be sure that when the
+time came that they should recapture you I might lead you
+out quickly before they could slay you."
+
+"You really think that they intend murdering me?"
+
+"There is no doubt about it, your majesty," replied the
+old man.  "This very bottle"--Joseph touched the phial
+which Stein had left upon the table--"contains the means
+whereby, through my hands, you were to be slowly poisoned."
+
+"Do you know what it is?"
+
+"Bichloride of mercury, your majesty.  One dose would
+have been sufficient, and after a few days--perhaps a week
+--you would have died in great agony."
+
+Barney shuddered.
+
+"But I am not the king, Joseph," said the young man, "so
+even had they succeeded in killing me it would have profited
+them nothing."
+
+Joseph shook his head sadly.
+
+"Your majesty will pardon the presumption of one who
+loves him," he said, "if he makes so bold as to suggest that
+your majesty must not again deny that he is king.  That only
+tends to corroborate the contention of Prince Peter that your
+majesty is not--er, just sane, and so, incompetent to rule
+Lutha.  But we of Tann know differently, and with the help
+of the good God we will place your majesty upon the
+throne which Peter has kept from you all these years."
+
+Barney sighed.  They were determined that he should be
+king whether he would or no.  He had often thought he
+would like to be a king; but now the realization of his boy-
+ish dreaming which seemed so imminent bade fair to be
+almost anything than pleasant.
+
+Barney suddenly realized that the old fellow was talking.  
+He was explaining how they might escape.  It seemed that a
+secret passage led from this very chamber to the vaults be-
+neath the castle and from there through a narrow tunnel
+below the moat to a cave in the hillside far beyond the
+structure.
+
+"They will not return again tonight to see your majesty,"
+said Joseph, "and so we had best make haste to leave at
+once.  I have a rope and swords in readiness.  We shall need
+the rope to make our way down the hillside, but let us
+hope that we shall not need the swords."
+
+"I cannot leave Blentz," said Barney, "unless the Princess
+Emma goes with us."
+
+"The Princess Emma!" cried the old man.  "What Princess
+Emma?"
+
+"Princess von der Tann," replied Barney.  "Did you not
+know that she was captured with me!"
+
+The old man was visibly affected by the knowledge that
+his young mistress was a prisoner within the walls of Blentz.  
+He seemed torn by conflicting emotions--his duty toward
+his king and his love for the daughter of his old master.  So
+it was that he seemed much relieved when he found that
+Barney insisted upon saving the girl before any thought of
+their own escape should be taken into consideration.
+
+"My first duty, your majesty," said Joseph, "is to bring
+you safely out of the hands of your enemies, but if you
+command me to try to bring your betrothed with us I am
+sure that his highness, Prince Ludwig, would be the last to
+censure me for deviating thus from his instructions, for if he
+loves another more than he loves his king it is his daughter,
+the beautiful Princess Emma."
+
+"What do you mean, Joseph," asked Barney, "by referring
+to the princess as my betrothed?  I never saw her before
+today."
+
+"It has slipped your majesty's mind," said the old man
+sadly; "but you and my young mistress were betrothed many
+years ago while you were yet but children.  It was the old
+king's wish that you wed the daughter of his best friend and
+most loyal subject."
+
+Here was a pretty pass, indeed, thought Barney.  It was
+sufficiently embarrassing to be mistaken for the king, but to
+be thrown into this false position in company with a beau-
+tiful young woman to whom the king was engaged to be
+married, and who, with the others, thought him to be the
+king, was quite the last word in impossible positions.
+
+Following this knowledge there came to Barney the first
+pangs of regret that he was not really the king, and then the
+realization, so sudden that it almost took his breath away,
+that the girl was very beautiful and very much to be desired.  
+He had not thought about the matter until her utter im-
+possibility was forced upon him.
+
+It was decided that Joseph should leave the king's apart-
+ment at once and discover in what part of the castle Emma
+von der Tann was imprisoned.  Their further plans were to
+depend upon the information gained by the old man during
+his tour of investigation of the castle.
+
+In the interval of his absence Barney paced the length of
+his prison time and time again.  He thought the fellow would
+never return.  Perhaps he had been detected in the act of
+spying, and was himself a prisoner in some other part of the
+castle! The thought came to Barney like a blow in the face,
+for he realized that then he would be entirely at the mercy
+of his captors, and that there would be none to champion
+the cause of the Princess von der Tann.
+
+When his nervous tension had about reached the breaking
+point there came a sound of stealthy movement just outside
+the door of his room.  Barney halted close to the massive
+panels.  He heard a key fitted quietly and then the lock
+grated as it turned.
+
+Barney thought that they had surely detected Joseph's
+duplicity and had come to make short work of the king
+before other traitors arose in their midst entirely to frustrate
+their plans.  The young American stepped to the wall behind
+the door that he might be out of sight of whoever entered.  
+Should it prove other than Joseph, might the Lord help
+them! The clenched fists, square-set chin, and gleaming gray
+eyes of the prisoner presaged no good for any incoming en-
+emy.
+
+Slowly the door swung open and a man entered the room.  
+Barney breathed a deep sigh of relief--it was Joseph.
+
+"Well?" cried the young man from behind him, and
+Joseph started as though Peter of Blentz himself had laid
+an accusing finger upon his shoulder.  "What news?"
+
+"Your majesty," gasped Joseph, "how you did startle me!
+I found the apartments of the princess, sire.  There is a bare
+chance that we may succeed in rescuing her, but a very
+bare one, indeed.
+
+"We must traverse a main corridor of the castle to reach
+her suite, and then return by the same way.  It will be a
+miracle if we are not discovered; but the worst of it is that
+next to her apartments, and between them and your majesty's,
+are the apartments of Captain Maenck.
+
+"He is sure to be there and officers and servants may be
+coming and going throughout the entire night, for the man
+is a convivial fellow, sitting at cards and drink until sunrise
+nearly every day."
+
+"And when we have brought the princess in safety to my
+quarters," asked Barney, "what then? How shall we conduct
+her from the castle? You have not told me that as yet."
+
+The old man explained then the plan of escape.  It seemed
+that one of the two huge tile panels that flanked the fire-
+place on either side was in reality a door hiding the entrance
+to a shaft that rose from the vaults beneath the castle to the
+roof.  At each floor there was a similar secret door conceal-
+ing the mouth of the passage.  From the vaults a corridor led
+through another secret panel to the tunnel that wound down-
+ward to the cave in the hillside.
+
+"Beyond that we shall find horses, your majesty," con-
+cluded the old man.  "They have been hidden in the woods
+since I came to Blentz.  Each day I go there to water and
+feed them."
+
+During the servant's explanation Barney had been casting
+about in his mind for some means of rescuing the princess
+without so great risk of detection, and as the plan of the
+secret passageway became clear to him he thought that he
+saw a way to accomplish the thing with comparative safety
+in so far as detection was concerned.
+
+"Who occupies the floor above us, Joseph?" he asked.
+
+"It is vacant," replied the old man.
+
+"Good!  Come, show me the entrance to the shaft," di-
+rected Barney.
+
+"You will go without attempting to succor the Princess
+Emma?" exclaimed the old fellow in ill-concealed chagrin.
+
+"Far from it," replied Barney.  "Bring your rope and the
+swords.  I think we are going to find the rescuing of the
+Princess Emma the easiest part of our adventure."
+
+The old man shook his head, but went to another room
+of the suite, from which he presently emerged with a stout
+rope about fifty feet in length and two swords.  As he
+buckled one of the weapons to Barney his eyes fell upon
+the American's seal ring that encircled the third finger of his
+left hand.
+
+"The Royal Ring of Lutha!" exclaimed Joseph.  "Where is
+it, your majesty? What has become of the Royal Ring of
+the Kings of Lutha?"
+
+"I'm sure I don't know, Joseph," replied the young man.  
+"Should I be wearing a royal ring?"
+
+"The profaning miscreants!" cried Joseph.  "They have
+dared to filch from you the great ring that has been handed
+down from king to king for three hundred years.  When did
+they take it from you?"
+
+"I have never seen it, Joseph," replied the young man,
+"and possibly this fact may assure you where all else has
+failed that I am no true king of Lutha, after all."
+
+"Ah, no, your majesty," replied the old servitor; "it but
+makes assurance doubly sure as to your true identity, for
+the fact that you have not the ring is positive proof that
+you are king and that they have sought to hide the fact by
+removing the insignia of your divine right to rule in Lutha."
+
+Barney could not but smile at the old fellow's remarkable
+logic.  He saw that nothing short of a miracle would ever
+convince Joseph that he was not the real monarch, and so,
+as matters of greater importance were to the fore, he would
+have allowed the subject to drop had not the man attempted
+to recall to the impoverished memory of his king a recol-
+lection of the historic and venerated relic of the dead mon-
+archs of Lutha.
+
+"Do you not remember, sir," he asked, "the great ruby
+that glared, blood-red from its center, and the four sets of
+golden wings that formed the setting? From the blood of
+Charlemagne was the ruby made, so history tells us, and
+the setting represented the protecting wings of the power of
+the kings of Lutha spread to the four points of the compass.  
+Now your majesty must recall the royal ring, I am sure."
+
+Barney only shook his head, much to Joseph's evident
+sorrow.
+
+"Never mind the ring, Joseph," said the young man.  "Bring
+your rope and lead me to the floor above."
+
+"The floor above? But, your majesty, we cannot reach
+the vaults and tunnel by going upward!"
+
+"You forget, Joseph, that we are going to fetch the
+Princess Emma first."
+
+"But she is not on the floor above us, sire; she is upon
+the same floor as we are," insisted the old man, hesitating.
+
+"Joseph, who do you think I am?" asked Barney.
+
+"You are the king, my lord," replied the old man.
+
+"Then do as your king commands," said the American
+sharply.
+
+Joseph turned with dubious mutterings and approached
+the tiled panel at the left of the fireplace.  Here he fumbled
+about for a moment until his fingers found the hidden catch
+that held the cunningly devised door in place.  An instant
+later the panel swung inward before his touch, and stand-
+ing to one side, the old fellow bowed low as he ushered
+Barney into the Stygian darkness of the space beyond their
+vision.
+
+Joseph halted the young man just within the doorway,
+cautioning him against the danger of falling into the shaft,
+then he closed the panel, and a moment later had found
+the lantern he had hidden there and lighted it.  The rays
+disclosed to the American the rough masonry of the interior
+of a narrow, well-built shaft.  A rude ladder standing upon
+a narrow ledge beside him extended upward to lose itself
+in the shadows above.  At its foot the top of another ladder
+was visible protruding through the opening from the floor
+beneath.
+
+No sooner had Joseph's lantern shown him the way than
+Barney was ascending the ladder toward the floor above.  
+At the next landing he waited for the old man.
+
+Joseph put out the light and placed the lantern where
+they could easily find it upon their return.  Then he cautiously
+slipped the catch that held the panel in place and slowly
+opened the door until a narrow line of lesser darkness
+showed from without.
+
+For a moment they stood in silence listening for any sound
+from the chamber beyond, but as nothing occurred to indi-
+cate that the apartment was occupied the old man opened
+the portal a trifle further, and finally far enough to permit
+his body to pass through.  Barney followed him.  They found
+themselves in a large, empty chamber, identical in size and
+shape with that which they had just quitted upon the floor
+below.
+
+From this the two passed into the corridor beyond, and
+thence to the apartments at the far end of the wing, directly
+over those occupied by Emma von der Tann.
+
+Barney hastened to a window overlooking the moat.  By
+leaning far out he could see the light from the princess's
+chamber shining upon the sill.  He wished that the light
+was not there, for the window was in plain view of the guard
+on the lookout upon the barbican.
+
+Suddenly he caught the sound of voices from the chamber
+beneath.  For an instant he listened, and then, catching a
+few words of the dialogue, he turned hurriedly toward his
+companion.
+
+"The rope, Joseph! And for God's sake be quick about it."
+
+
+
+
+V
+
+THE ESCAPE
+
+FOR HALF an hour the Princess von der Tann succeeded ad-
+mirably in immersing herself in the periodical, to the ex-
+clusion of her unhappy thoughts and the depressing influence
+of the austere countenance of the Blentz Princess hanging
+upon the wall behind her.
+
+But presently she became unaccountably nervous.  At the
+slightest sound from the palace-life on the floor below she
+would start up with a tremor of excitement.  Once she heard
+footsteps in the corridor before her door, but they passed
+on, and she thought she discerned the click of a latch a
+short distance further on along the passageway.
+
+Again she attempted to gather up the thread of the article
+she had been reading, but she was unsuccessful.  A stealthy
+scratching brought her round quickly, staring in the direc-
+tion of the great portrait.  The girl would have sworn that she
+had heard a noise within her chamber.  She shuddered at
+the thought that it might have come from that painted thing
+upon the wall.
+
+What was the matter with her? Was she losing all control
+of herself to be frightened like a little child by ghostly noises?
+
+She tried to return to her reading, but for the life of her
+she could not keep her eyes off the silent, painted woman
+who stared and stared and stared in cold, threatening si-
+lence upon this ancient enemy of her house.
+
+Presently the girl's eyes went wide in horror.  She could
+feel the scalp upon her head contract with fright.  Her terror-
+filled gaze was frozen upon that awful figure that loomed
+so large and sinister above her, for the thing had moved! She
+had seen it with her own eyes.  There could be no mistake--
+no hallucination of overwrought nerves about it.  The Blentz
+Princess was moving slowly toward her!
+
+Like one in a trance the girl rose from her chair, her eyes
+glued upon the awful apparition that seemed creeping upon
+her.  Slowly she withdrew toward the opposite side of the
+chamber.  As the painting moved more quickly the truth
+flashed upon her--it was mounted on a door.
+
+The crack of the door widened and beyond it the girl saw
+dimly, eyes fastened upon her.  With difficulty she restrained
+a shriek.  The portal swung wide and a man in uniform
+stepped into the room.
+
+It was Maenck.
+
+Emma von der Tann gazed in unveiled abhorrence upon
+the leering face of the governor of Blentz.
+
+"What means this intrusion?" cried the girl.
+
+"What would you have here?"
+
+"You," replied Maenck.
+
+The girl crimsoned.
+
+Maenck regarded her sneeringly.
+
+"You coward!" she cried.  "Leave my apartments at once.
+Not even Peter of Blentz would countenance such abhorrent
+treatment of a prisoner."
+
+"You do not know Peter my dear," responded Maenck.  
+"But you need not fear.  You shall be my wife.  Peter has
+promised me a baronetcy for the capture of Leopold, and
+before I am done I shall be made a prince, of that you may
+rest assured, so you see I am not so bad a match after all."
+
+He crossed over toward her and would have laid a rough
+hand upon her arm.
+
+The girl sprang away from him, running to the opposite
+side of the library table at which she had been reading.  
+Maenck started to pursue her, when she seized a heavy,
+copper bowl that stood upon the table and hurled it full
+in his face.  The missile struck him a glancing blow, but the
+edge laid open the flesh of one cheek almost to the jaw bone.
+
+With a cry of pain and rage Captain Ernst Maenck leaped
+across the table full upon the young girl.  With vicious, mur-
+derous fingers he seized upon her fair throat, shaking her as
+a terrier might shake a rat.  Futilely the girl struck at the
+hate-contorted features so close to hers.
+
+"Stop!" she cried.  "You are killing me."
+
+The fingers released their hold.
+
+"No," muttered the man, and dragged the princess roughly
+across the room.
+
+Half a dozen steps he had taken when there came a sud-
+den crash of breaking glass from the window across the
+chamber.  Both turned in astonishment to see the figure of a
+man leap into the room, carrying the shattered crystal and
+the casement with him.  In one hand was a naked sword.  
+
+"The king!" cried Emma von der Tann.
+
+"The devil!" muttered Maenck, as, dropping the girl, he
+scurried toward the great painting from behind which he
+had found ingress to the chambers of the princess.
+
+Maenck was a coward, and he had seen murder in the
+eyes of the man rushing upon him.  With a bound he reached
+the picture which still stood swung wide into the room.  
+
+Barney was close behind him, but fear lent wings to the
+governor of Blentz, so that he was able to dart into the pas-
+sage behind the picture and slam the door behind him a
+moment before the infuriated man was upon him.
+
+The American clawed at the edge of the massive frame,
+but all to no avail.  Then he raised his sword and slashed
+the canvas, hoping to find a way into the place beyond, but
+mighty oaken panels barred his further progress.  With a
+whispered oath he turned back toward the girl.
+
+"Thank Heaven that I was in time, Emma," he cried.
+
+"Oh, Leopold, my king, but at what a price," replied the
+girl.  "He will return now with others and kill you.  He is
+furious--so furious that he scarce knows what he does."
+
+"He seemed to know what he was doing when he ran for
+that hole in the wall," replied Barney with a grin.  "But
+come, it won't pay to let them find us should they return."
+
+Together they hastened to the window beyond which the
+girl could see a rope dangling from above.  The sight of it
+partially solved the riddle of the king's almost uncanny pres-
+ence upon her window sill in the very nick of time.
+
+Below, the lights in the watch tower at the outer gate
+were plainly visible, and the twinkling of them reminded
+Barney of the danger of detection from that quarter.  Quickly
+he recrossed the apartment to the wall-switch that operated
+the recently installed electric lights, and an instant later the
+chamber was in total darkness.
+
+Once more at the girl's side Barney drew in one end of
+the rope and made it fast about her body below her arms,
+leaving a sufficient length terminating in a small loop to per-
+mit her to support herself more comfortably with one foot
+within the noose.  Then he stepped to the outer sill, and
+reaching down assisted her to his side.
+
+Far below them the moonlight played upon the sluggish
+waters of the moat.  In the distance twinkled the lights of
+the village of Blentz.  From the courtyard and the palace
+came faintly the sound of voices, and the movement of men.  
+A horse whinnied from the stables.
+
+Barney turned his eyes upward.  He could see the head
+and shoulders of Joseph leaning from the window of the
+chamber directly above them.
+
+"Hoist away, Joseph!" whispered the American, and to
+the girl: "Be brave.  Shut your eyes and trust to Joseph and
+--and--"
+
+"And my king," finished the girl for him.
+
+His arm was about her shoulders, supporting her upon
+the narrow sill.  His cheek so close to hers that once he felt
+the soft velvet of it brush his own.  Involuntarily his arm
+tightened about the supple body.
+
+"My princess!" he murmured, and as he turned his face
+toward hers their lips almost touched.
+
+Joseph was pulling upon the rope from above.  They
+could feel it tighten beneath the girl's arms.  Impulsively
+Barney Custer drew the sweet lips closer to his own.  There
+was no resistance.
+
+"I love you," he whispered.  The words were smothered
+as their lips met.
+
+Joseph, above, wondered at the great weight of the Princess
+Emma von der Tann.
+
+"I love you, Leopold, forever," whispered the girl, and
+then as Joseph's Herculean tugging seemed likely to drag
+them both from the narrow sill, Barney lifted the girl up-
+ward with one hand while he clung to the window frame
+with the other.  The distance to the sill above was short,
+and a moment later Joseph had grasped the princess's hand
+and was helping her over the ledge into the room beyond.
+
+At the same instant there came a sudden commotion from
+the interior of the room in the window of which Barney still
+stood waiting for Joseph to remove the rope from about the
+princess and lower it for him.  Barney heard the heavy feet
+of men, the clank of arms, and muttered oaths as the
+searchers stumbled against the furniture.
+
+Presently one of them found the switch and instantly the
+room was flooded with light, which revealed to the American
+a dozen Luthanian troopers headed by the murderous
+Maenck.
+
+Barney looked anxiously aloft.  Would Joseph never lower
+that rope! Within the room the men were searching.  He
+could hear Maenck directing them.  Only a thin portiere
+screened him from their view.  It was but a matter of seconds
+before they would investigate the window through which
+Maenck knew the king had found ingress.
+
+Yes! It had come.
+
+"Look to the window," commanded Maenck.  "He may
+have gone as he came."
+
+Two of the soldiers crossed the room toward the casement.  
+From above Joseph was lowering the rope; but it was too
+late.  The men would be at the window before he could
+clamber out of their reach.
+
+"Hoist away!" he whispered to Joseph.  "Quick now, my
+man, and make your escape with the Princess von der Tann.  
+It is the king's command."
+
+Already the soldiers were at the window.  At the sound
+of his voice they tore aside the draperies; at the same instant
+the pseudo-king turned and leaped out into the blackness
+of the night.
+
+There were exclamations of surprise and rage from the
+soldiers--a woman's scream.  Then from far below came a
+dull splash as the body of Bernard Custer struck the surface
+of the moat.
+
+Maenck, leaning from the window, heard the scream and
+the splash, and jumped to the conclusion that both the king
+and the princess had attempted to make their escape in this
+harebrained way.  Immediately all the resources at his com-
+mand were put to the task of searching the moat and the
+adjacent woods.
+
+He was sure that one or both of the prisoners would be
+stunned by impact with the surface of the water, and then
+drowned before they regained consciousness, but he did not
+know Bernard Custer, nor the facility and almost uncanny
+ease with which that young man could negotiate a high dive
+into shallow water.
+
+Nor did he know that upon the floor above him one
+Joseph was hastening along a dark corridor toward a secret
+panel in another apartment, and that with him was the Prin-
+cess Emma bound for liberty and safety far from the frown-
+ing walls of Blentz.
+
+As Barney's head emerged above the surface of the moat
+he shook it vigorously to free his eyes from water, and then
+struck out for the further bank.
+
+Long before his pursuers had reached the courtyard and
+alarmed the watch at the barbican, the American had
+crawled out upon dry land and hastened across the broad
+clearing to the patch of stunted trees that grew lower down
+upon the steep hillside before the castle.
+
+He shrank from the thought of leaving Blentz without
+knowing positively that Joseph had made good the escape
+of himself and the princess, but he finally argued that even
+if they had been retaken, he could serve her best by hasten-
+ing to her father and fetching the only succor that might
+prevail against the strength of Blentz--armed men in suffi-
+cient force to storm the ancient fortress.
+
+He had scarcely entered the wood when he heard the
+sound of the searchers at the moat, and saw the rays of
+their lanterns flitting hither and thither as they moved back
+and forth along the bank.
+
+Then the young man turned his face from the castle and
+set forth across the unfamiliar country in the direction of the
+Old Forest and the castle Von der Tann.
+
+The memory of the warm lips that had so recently been
+pressed to his urged him on in the service of the wondrous
+girl who had come so suddenly into his life, bringing to him
+the realization of a love that he knew must alter, for hap-
+piness or for sorrow, all the balance of his existence, even
+unto death.
+
+He dreaded the day of reckoning when, at last, she must
+learn that he was no king.  He did not have the temerity to
+hope that her courage would be equal to the great sacrifice
+which the acknowledgment of her love for one not of noble
+blood must entail; but he could not believe that she would
+cease to love him when she learned the truth.
+
+So the future looked black and cheerless to Barney Custer
+as he trudged along the rocky, moonlit way.  The only bright
+spot was the realization that for a while at least he might
+be serving the one woman in all the world.
+
+All the balance of the long night the young man traversed
+valley and mountain, holding due south in the direction he
+supposed the Old Forest to lie.  He passed many a little
+farm tucked away in the hollow of a hillside, and quaint
+hamlets, and now and then the ruins of an ancient feudal
+stronghold, but no great forest of black oaks loomed before
+him to apprise him of the nearness of his goal, nor did he
+dare to ask the correct route at any of the homes he passed.
+
+His fatal likeness to the description of the mad king of
+Lutha warned him from intercourse with the men of Lutha
+until he might know which were friends and which enemies
+of the hapless monarch.
+
+Dawn found him still upon his way, but with the deter-
+mination fully crystallized to hail the first man he met and
+ask the way to Tann.  He still avoided the main traveled
+roads, but from time to time he paralleled them close enough
+that he might have ample opportunity to hail the first
+passerby.
+
+The road was becoming more and more mountainous and
+difficult.  There were fewer homes and no hamlets, and now
+he began to despair entirely of meeting any who could give
+him direction unless he turned and retraced his steps to the
+nearest farm.
+
+Directly before him the narrow trail he had been following
+for the past few miles wound sharply about the shoulder of
+a protruding cliff.  He would see what lay beyond the turn--
+perhaps he would find the Old Forest there, after all.
+
+But instead he found something very different, though
+in its way quite as interesting, for as he rounded the rugged
+bluff he came face to face with two evil-looking fellows
+astride stocky, rough-coated ponies.
+
+At sight of him they drew in their mounts and eyed him
+suspiciously.  Nor was there great cause for wonderment in
+that, for the American presented aught but a respectable
+appearance.  His khaki motoring suit, soaked from immersion
+in the moat, had but partially dried upon him.  Mud from
+the banks of the stagnant pool caked his legs to the knees,
+almost hiding his once tan puttees.  More mud streaked his
+jacket front and stained its sleeves to the elbows.  He was
+bare-headed, for his cap had remained in the moat at Blentz,
+and his disheveled hair was tousled upon his head, while
+his full beard had dried into a weird and tangled fringe
+about his face.  At his side still hung the sword that Joseph
+had buckled there, and it was this that caused the two men
+the greatest suspicion of this strange looking character.
+
+They continued to eye Barney in silence, every now and
+then casting apprehensive glances beyond him, as though
+expecting others of his kind to appear in the trail at his back.  
+And that is precisely what they did fear, for the sword at
+Barney's side had convinced them that he must be an officer
+of the army, and they looked to see his command following
+in his wake.
+
+The young man saluted them pleasantly, asking the direc-
+tion to the Old Forest.  They thought it strange that a soldier
+of Lutha should not know his own way about his native land,
+and so judged that his question was but a blind to deceive
+them.
+
+"Why do you not ask your own men the way?" parried
+one of the fellows.
+
+"I have no men, I am alone," replied Barney.  "I am a
+stranger in Lutha and have lost my way."
+
+He who had spoken before pointed to the sword at Bar-
+ney's side.
+
+"Strangers traveling in Lutha do not wear swords," he said.  
+"You are an officer.  Why should you desire to conceal the
+fact from two honest farmers? We have done nothing.  Let
+us go our way."
+
+Barney looked his astonishment at this reply.
+
+"Most certainly, go your way, my friends," he said laugh-
+ing.  "I would not delay you if I could; but before you go
+please be good enough to tell me how to reach the Old
+Forest and the ancient castle of the Prince von der Tann."
+
+For a moment the two men whispered together, then the
+spokesman turned to Barney.
+
+"We will lead you upon the right road.  Come," and the
+two turned their horses, one of them starting slowly back up
+the trail while the other remained waiting for Barney to
+pass him.
+
+The American, suspecting nothing, voiced his thanks, and
+set out after him who had gone before.  As be passed the
+fellow who waited the latter moved in behind him, so that
+Barney walked between the two.  Occasionally the rider at
+his back turned in his saddle to scan the trail behind, as
+though still fearful that Barney had been lying to them
+and that he would discover a company of soldiers charging
+down upon them.
+
+The trail became more and more difficult as they ad-
+vanced, until Barney wondered how the little horses clung
+to the steep mountainside, where he himself had difficulty
+in walking without using his hand to keep from falling.
+
+Twice the American attempted to break through the taci-
+turnity of his guides, but his advances were met with noth-
+ing more than sultry grunts or silence, and presently a sus-
+picion began to obtrude itself among his thoughts that pos-
+sibly these "honest farmers" were something more sinister
+than they represented themselves to be.
+
+A malign and threatening atmosphere seemed to surround
+them.  Even the cat-like movement of their silent mounts
+breathed a sinister secrecy, and now, for the first time,
+Barney noticed the short, ugly looking carbines that were
+slung in boots at their saddle-horns.  Then, promoted to fur-
+ther investigation, he dropped back beside the man who had
+been riding behind him, and as he did so he saw beneath
+the fellow's cloak the butts of two villainous-looking pistols.
+
+As Barney dropped back beside him the man turned his
+mount across the narrow trail, and reining him in motioned
+Barney ahead.
+
+"I have changed my mind," said the American, "about
+going to the Old Forest."
+
+He had determined that he might as well have the thing
+out now as later, and discover at once how he stood with
+these two, and whether or not his suspicions of them were
+well grounded.
+
+The man ahead had halted at the sound of Barney's voice,
+and swung about in the saddle.
+
+"What's the trouble?" he asked.
+
+"He don't want to go to the Old Forest," explained his
+companion, and for the first time Barney saw one of them
+grin.  It was not at all a pleasant grin, nor reassuring.
+
+"He don't, eh?" growled the other.  "Well, he ain't goin',
+is he?  Who ever said he was?"
+
+And then he, too, laughed.
+
+"I'm going back the way I came," said Barney, starting
+around the horse that blocked his way.
+
+"No, you ain't," said the horseman.  "You're goin' with us."
+
+And Barney found himself gazing down the muzzle of one
+of the wicked looking pistols.
+
+For a moment he stood in silence, debating mentally the
+wisdom of attempting to rush the fellow, and then, with a
+shake of his head, he turned back up the trail between his
+captors.
+
+"Yes," he said, "on second thought I have decided to go
+with you.  Your logic is most convincing."
+
+
+
+
+VI
+
+A KING'S RANSOM
+
+FOR ANOTHER mile the two brigands conducted their captor
+along the mountainside, then they turned into a narrow
+ravine near the summit of the hills--a deep, rocky, wooded
+ravine into whose black shadows it seemed the sun might
+never penetrate.
+
+A winding path led crookedly among the pines that
+grew thickly in this sheltered hollow, until presently, after
+half an hour of rough going, they came upon a small natural
+clearing, rock-bound and impregnable.
+
+As they filed from the wood Barney saw a score of vil-
+lainous fellows clustered about a camp fire where they
+seemed engaged in cooking their noonday meal.  Bits of meat
+were roasting upon iron skewers, and a great iron pot boiled
+vigorously at one side of the blaze.
+
+At the sound of their approach the men sprang to their
+feet in alarm, and as many weapons as there were men
+leaped to view; but when they saw Barney's companions
+they returned their pistols to their holsters, and at sight of
+Barney they pressed forward to inspect the prisoner.
+
+"Who have we here?" shouted a big blond giant, who
+affected extremely gaudy colors in his selection of wearing
+apparel, and whose pistols and knife had their grips heavily
+ornamented with pearl and silver.
+
+"A stranger in Lutha he calls himself," replied one of
+Barney's captors.  "But from the sword I take it he is one of
+old Peter's wolfhounds."
+
+"Well, he's found the wolves at any rate," replied the giant,
+with a wide grin at his witticism.  "And if Yellow Franz is
+the particular wolf you're after, my friend, why here I am,"
+he concluded, addressing the American with a leer.
+
+"I'm after no one," replied Barney.  "I tell you I'm a
+stranger, and I lost my way in your infernal mountains.  All
+I wish is to be set upon the right road to Tann, and if you
+will do that for me you shall be well paid for your trouble."
+
+The giant, Yellow Franz, had come quite close to Barney
+and was inspecting him with an expression of considerable
+interest.  Presently he drew a soiled and much-folded paper
+from his breast.  Upon one side was a printed notice, and at
+the corners bits were torn away as though the paper had
+once been tacked upon wood, and then torn down without
+removing the tacks.
+
+At sight of it Barney's heart sank.  The look of the thing
+was all too familiar.  Before the yellow one had commenced
+to read aloud from it Barney had repeated to himself the
+words he knew were coming.
+
+"'Gray eyes,'" read the brigand, "'brown hair, and a full,
+reddish-brown beard.'  Herman and Friedrich, my dear chil-
+dren, you have stumbled upon the richest haul in all Lutha.
+Down upon your marrow-bones, you swine, and rub your
+low-born noses in the dirt before your king."
+
+The others looked their surprise.
+
+"The king?" one cried.
+
+"Behold!" cried Yellow Franz.  "Leopold of Lutha!"
+
+He waved a ham-like hand toward Barney.
+
+Among the rough men was a young smooth-faced boy,
+and now with wide eyes he pressed forward to get a nearer
+view of the wonderful person of a king.
+
+"Take a good look at him, Rudolph," cried Yellow Franz.
+"It is the first and will probably be the last time you will
+ever see a king.  Kings seldom visit the court of their fellow
+monarch, Yellow Franz of the Black Mountains.
+
+"Come, my children, remove his majesty's sword, lest he
+fall and stick himself upon it, and then prepare the royal
+chamber, seeing to it that it be made so comfortable that
+Leopold will remain with us a long time.  Rudolph, fetch
+food and water for his majesty, and see to it that the silver
+plates and the golden goblets are well scoured and polished
+up."
+
+They conducted Barney to a miserable lean-to shack at
+one side of the clearing, and for a while the motley crew
+loitered about bandying coarse jests at the expense of the
+"king."  The boy, Rudolph, brought food and water, he alone
+of them all evincing the slightest respect or awe for the
+royalty of their unwilling guest.
+
+After a time the men tired of the sport of king-baiting, for
+Barney showed neither rancor nor outraged majesty at their
+keenest thrusts, instead, often joining in the laugh with
+them at his own expense.  They thought it odd that the king
+should hold his dignity in so low esteem, but that he was
+king they never doubted, attributing his denials to a dis-
+position to deceive them, and rob them of the "king's ran-
+som" they had already commenced to consider as their own.
+
+Shortly after Barney arrived at the rendezvous he saw a
+messenger dispatched by Yellow Franz, and from the re-
+peated gestures toward himself that had accompanied the
+giant's instructions to his emissary, Barney was positive that
+the man's errand had to do with him.
+
+After the men had left his prison, leaving the boy standing
+awkwardly in wide-eyed contemplation of his august charge,
+the American ventured to open a conversation with his
+youthful keeper.
+
+"Aren't you rather young to be starting in the bandit
+business, Rudolph?" asked Barney, who had taken a fancy
+to the youth.
+
+"I do not want to be a bandit, your majesty," whispered
+the lad; "but my father owes Yellow Franz a great sum of
+money, and as he could not pay the debt Yellow Franz stole
+me from my home and says that he will keep me until my
+father pays him, and that if he does not pay he will make a
+bandit of me, and that then some day I shall be caught and
+hanged until I am dead."
+
+"Can't you escape?" asked the young man.  "It would
+seem to me that there would be many opportunities for you
+to get away undetected."
+
+"There are, but I dare not.  Yellow Franz says that if I
+run away he will be sure to come across me some day again
+and that then he will kill me."
+
+Barney laughed.
+
+"He is just talking, my boy," he said.  "He thinks that by
+frightening you he will be able to keep you from running
+away."
+
+"Your majesty does not know him," whispered the youth,
+shuddering.  "He is the wickedest man in all the world.
+Nothing would please him more than killing me, and he
+would have done it long since but for two things.  One is
+that I have made myself useful about his camp, doing
+chores and the like, and the other is that were he to kill
+me he knows that my father would never pay him."
+
+"How much does your father owe him?"
+
+"Five hundred marks, your majesty," replied Rudolph.
+"Two hundred of this amount is the original debt, and the
+balance Yellow Franz has added since he captured me, so
+that it is really ransom money.  But my father is a poor man,
+so that it will take a long time before he can accumulate
+so large a sum.
+
+"You would really like to go home again, Rudolph?"
+
+"Oh, very much, your majesty, if I only dared."
+Barney was silent for some time, thinking.  Possibly he
+could effect his own escape with the connivance of Rudolph,
+and at the same time free the boy.  The paltry ransom he
+could pay out of his own pocket and send to Yellow Franz
+later, so that the youth need not fear the brigand's revenge.
+It was worth thinking about, at any rate.
+
+"How long do you imagine they will keep me, Rudolph?"
+he asked after a time.
+
+"Yellow Franz has already sent Herman to Lustadt with
+a message for Prince Peter, telling him that you are being
+held for ransom, and demanding the payment of a huge sum
+for your release.  Day after tomorrow or the next day he
+should return with Prince Peter's reply.
+
+"If it is favorable, arrangements will be made to turn
+you over to Prince Peter's agents, who will have to come to
+some distant meeting place with the money.  A week, per-
+haps, it will take, maybe longer."
+
+It was the second day before Herman returned from Lus-
+tadt.  He rode in just at dark, his pony lathered from hard
+going.
+
+Barney and the boy saw him coming, and the youth ran
+forward with the others to learn the news that he had
+brought; but Yellow Franz and his messenger withdrew to
+a hut which the brigand chief reserved for his own use, nor
+would he permit any beside the messenger to accompany
+him to hear the report.
+
+For half an hour Barney sat alone waiting for word from
+Yellow Franz that arrangements had been consummated for
+his release, and then out of the darkness came Rudolph,
+wide-eyed and trembling.
+
+"Oh, my king?" he whispered.  "What shall we do?  Peter
+has refused to ransom you alive, but he has offered a great
+sum for unquestioned proof of your death.  Already he has
+caused a proclamation to be issued stating that you have
+been killed by bandits after escaping from Blentz, and or-
+dering a period of national mourning.  In three weeks he is
+to be crowned king of Lutha."
+
+"When do they intend terminating my existence?" queried
+Barney.
+
+There was a smile upon his lips, for even now he could
+scarce believe that in the twentieth century there could be
+any such medieval plotting against a king's life, and yet, on
+second thought, had he not ample proof of the lengths
+to which Peter of Blentz was willing to go to obtain the
+crown of Lutha!
+
+"I do not know, your majesty," replied Rudolph, "when
+they will do it; but soon, doubtless, since the sooner it is
+done the sooner they can collect their pay."
+
+Further conversation was interrupted by the sound of
+footsteps without, and an instant later Yellow Franz entered
+the squalid apartment and the dim circle of light which
+flickered feebly from the smoky lantern that hung suspended
+from the rafters.
+
+He stopped just within the doorway and stood eyeing the
+American with an ugly grin upon his vicious face.  Then his
+eyes fell upon the trembling Rudolph.
+
+"Get out of here, you!" he growled.  "I've got private
+business with this king.  And see that you don't come nosing
+round either, or I'll slit that soft throat for you."
+
+Rudolph slipped past the burly ruffian, barely dodging a
+brutal blow aimed at him by the giant, and escaped into
+the darkness without.
+
+"And now for you, my fine fellow," said the brigand,
+turning toward Barney.  "Peter says you ain't worth nothing
+to him--alive, but that your dead body will fetch us a
+hundred thousand marks."
+
+"Rather cheap for a king, isn't it?" was Barney's only
+comment.
+
+"That's what Herman tells him," replied Yellow Franz.
+"But he's a close one, Peter is, and so it was that or nothing."
+
+"When are you going to pull off this little--er--ah--
+royal demise?" asked Barney.
+
+"If you mean when am I going to kill you," replied the
+bandit, "why, there ain't no particular rush about it.  I'm a
+tender-hearted chap, I am.  I never should have been in this
+business at all, but here I be, and as there ain't nobody that
+can do a better job of the kind than me, or do it so pain-
+lessly, why I just got to do it myself, and that's all there
+is to it.  But, as I says, there ain't no great rush.  If you
+want to pray, why, go ahead and pray.  I'll wait for you."
+
+"I don't remember," said Barney, "when I have met so
+generous a party as you, my friend.  Your self-sacrificing
+magnanimity quite overpowers me.  It reminds me of an-
+other unloved Robin Hood whom I once met.  It was in
+front of Burket's coal-yard on Ella Street, back in dear old
+Beatrice, at some unchristian hour of the night.
+
+"After he had relieved me of a dollar and forty cents he
+remarked: 'I gotta good mind to kick yer slats in fer not
+havin' more of de cush on yeh; but I'm feelin' so good
+about de last guy I stuck up I'll let youse off dis time.'"
+
+"I do not know what you are talking about," replied
+Yellow Franz; "but if you want to pray you'd better hurry
+up about it."
+
+He drew his pistol from its holster on the belt at his hips.
+
+Now Barney Custer had no mind to give up the ghost
+without a struggle; but just how he was to overcome the
+great beast who confronted him with menacing pistol was,
+to say the least, not precisely plain.  He wished the man
+would come a little nearer where he might have some chance
+to close with him before the fellow could fire.  To gain time
+the American assumed a prayerful attitude, but kept one
+eye on the bandit.
+
+Presently Yellow Franz showed indications of impatience.
+He fingered the trigger of his weapon, and then slowly
+raised it on a line with Barney's chest.
+
+"Hadn't you better come closer?" asked the young man.
+"You might miss at that distance, or just wound me."
+
+Yellow Franz grinned.
+
+"I don't miss," he said, and then: "You're certainly a game
+one.  If it wasn't for the hundred thousand marks, I'd be
+hanged if I'd kill you."
+
+"The chances are that you will be if you do," said Barney,
+"so wouldn't you rather take one hundred and fifty thousand
+marks and let me make my escape?"
+
+Yellow Franz looked at the speaker a moment through
+narrowed lids.
+
+"Where would you find any one willing to pay that
+amount for a crazy king?" he asked.
+
+"I have told you that I am not the king," said Barney.
+"I am an American with a father who would gladly pay
+that amount on my safe delivery to any American consul."
+
+Yellow Franz shook his head and tapped his brow sig-
+nificantly.
+
+"Even if you was what you are dreaming, it wouldn't pay
+me," he said.
+
+"I'll make it two hundred thousand," said Barney.
+
+"No--it's a waste of time talking about it.  It's worth more
+than money to me to know that I'll always have this thing
+on Peter, and that when he's king he won't dare bother me
+for fear I'll publish the details of this little deal.  Come, you
+must be through praying by this time.  I can't wait around
+here all night."  Again Yellow Franz raised his pistol toward
+Barney's heart.
+
+Before the brigand could pull the trigger, or Barney hurl
+himself upon his would-be assassin, there was a flash and a
+loud report from the open window of the shack.
+
+With a groan Yellow Franz crumpled to the dirt floor,
+and simultaneously Barney was upon him and had wrested
+the pistol from his hand; but the precaution was unneces-
+sary for Yellow Franz would never again press finger to
+trigger.  He was dead even before Barney reached his side.
+
+In possession of the weapon, the American turned toward
+the window from which had come the rescuing shot, and
+as he did so he saw the boy, Rudolph, clambering over the
+sill, white-faced and trembling.  In his hand was a smoking
+carbine, and on his brow great beads of cold sweat.
+
+"God forgive me!" murmured the youth.  "I have killed
+a man."
+
+"You have killed a dangerous wild beast, Rudolph," said
+Barney, "and both God and your fellow man will thank
+and reward you."
+
+"I am glad that I killed him, though," went on the boy,
+"for he would have killed you, my king, had I not done so.
+Gladly would I go to the gallows to save my king."
+
+"You are a brave lad, Rudolph," said Barney, "and if ever
+I get out of the pretty pickle I'm in you'll be well rewarded
+for your loyalty to Leopold of Lutha.  After all," thought the
+young man, "being a kind has its redeeming features, for if
+the boy had not thought me his monarch he would never
+have risked the vengeance of the bloodthirsty brigands in
+this attempt to save me."
+
+"Hasten, your majesty," whispered the boy, tugging at
+the sleeve of Barney's jacket.  "There is no time to be lost.
+We must be far away from here when the others discover
+that Yellow Franz has been killed."
+
+Barney stooped above the dead man, and removing his
+belt and cartridges transferred them to his own person.  Then
+blowing out the lantern the two slipped out into the dark-
+ness of the night.
+
+About the camp fire of the brigands the entire pack was
+congregated.  They were talking together in low voices, ever
+and anon glancing expectantly toward the shack to which
+their chief had gone to dispatch the king.  It is not every day
+that a king is murdered, and even these hardened cut-
+throats felt the spell of awe at the thought of what they
+believed the sharp report they had heard from the shack
+portended.
+
+Keeping well to the far side of the clearing, Rudolph led
+Barney around the group of men and safely into the wood
+below them.  From this point the boy followed the trail
+which Barney and his captors had traversed two days previ-
+ously, until he came to a diverging ravine that led steeply
+up through the mountains upon their right hand.
+
+In the distance behind them they suddenly heard, faintly,
+the shouting of men.
+
+"They have discovered Yellow Franz," whispered the boy,
+shuddering.
+
+"Then they'll be after us directly," said Barney.
+
+"Yes, your majesty," replied Rudolph, "but in the dark-
+ness they will not see that we have turned up this ravine,
+and so they will ride on down the other.  I have chosen this
+way because their horses cannot follow us here, and thus
+we shall be under no great disadvantage.  It may be, how-
+ever, that we shall have to hide in the mountains for a
+while, since there will be no place of safety for us between
+here and Lustadt until after the edge of their anger is dulled."
+
+And such proved to be the case, for try as they would
+they found it impossible to reach Lustadt without detection
+by the brigands who patrolled every highway and byway
+from their rugged mountains to the capital of Lutha.
+
+For nearly three weeks Barney and the boy hid in caves
+or dense underbrush by day, and by night sought some
+avenue which would lead them past the vigilant sentries
+that patrolled the ways to freedom.
+
+Often they were wet by rains, nor were they ever in the
+warm sunlight for a sufficient length of time to become
+thoroughly dry and comfortable.  Of food they had little,
+and of the poorest quality.
+
+They dared not light a fire for warmth or cooking, and
+their light was so miserable that, but for the boy's pitiful
+terror at the thought of being recaptured by the bandits,
+Barney would long since have made a break for Lustadt,
+depending upon their arms and ammunition to carry them
+safely through were they discovered by their enemies.
+
+Rudolph had contracted a severe cold the first night, and
+now, it having settled upon his lungs, he had developed a
+persistent and aggravating cough that caused Barney not a
+little apprehension.  When, after nearly three weeks of suffer-
+ing and privation, it became clear that the boy's lungs were
+affected, the American decided to take matters into his own
+hands and attempt to reach Lustadt and a good doctor; but
+before he had an opportunity to put his plan into execution
+the entire matter was removed from his jurisdiction.
+
+It happened like this: After a particularly fatiguing and
+uncomfortable night spent in attempting to elude the senti-
+nels who blocked their way from the mountains, daylight
+found them near a little spring, and here they decided to
+rest for an hour before resuming their way.
+
+The little pool lay not far from a clump of heavy bushes
+which would offer them excellent shelter, as it was Barney's
+intention to go into hiding as soon as they had quenched
+their thirst at the spring.
+
+Rudolph was coughing pitifully, his slender frame wracked
+by the convulsion of each new attack.  Barney had placed
+an arm about the boy to support him, for the paroxysms
+always left him very weak.
+
+The young man's heart went out to the poor boy, and
+pangs of regret filled his mind as he realized that the child's
+pathetic condition was the direct result of his self-sacrificing
+attempt to save his king.  Barney felt much like a murderer
+and a thief, and dreaded the time when the boy should be
+brought to a realization of his mistake.
+
+He had come to feel a warm affection for the loyal little
+lad, who had suffered so uncomplainingly and whose every
+thought had been for the safety and comfort of his king.
+
+Today, thought Barney, I'll take this child through to
+Lustadt even if every ragged brigand in Lutha lies between
+us and the capital; but even as he spoke a sudden crashing
+of underbrush behind caused him to wheel about, and there,
+not twenty paces from them, stood two of Yellow Franz's
+cutthroats.
+
+At sight of Barney and the lad they gave voice to a shout
+of triumph, and raising their carbines fired point-blank at
+the two fugitives.
+
+But Barney had been equally as quick with his own
+weapon, and at the moment that they fired he grasped Ru-
+dolph and dragged him backward to a great boulder behind
+which their bodies might be protected from the fire of their
+enemies.
+
+Both the bullets of the bandits' first volley had been di-
+rected at Barney, for it was upon his head that the great
+price rested.  They had missed him by a narrow margin,
+due, perhaps, to the fact that the mounts of the brigands
+had been prancing in alarm at the unexpected sight of the
+two strangers at the very moment that their riders attempted
+to take aim and fire.
+
+But now they had ridden back into the brush and dis-
+mounted, and after hiding their ponies they came creeping
+out upon their bellies upon opposite sides of Barney's shelter.
+
+The American saw that it would be an easy thing for
+them to pick him off if he remained where he was, and so
+with a word to Rudolph he sprang up and the boy with
+him.  Each delivered a quick shot at the bandit nearest him,
+and then together they broke for the bushes in which the
+brigand's mounts were hidden.
+
+Two shots answered theirs.  Rudolph, who was ahead of
+Barney, stumbled and threw up his hands.  He would have
+fallen had not the American thrown a strong arm about him.
+
+"I'm shot, your majesty," murmured the boy, his head
+dropping against Barney's breast.
+
+With the lad grasped close to him, the young man turned
+at the edge of the brush to meet the charge of the two
+ruffians.  The wounding of the youth had delayed them just
+enough to preclude their making this temporary refuge in
+safety.
+
+As Barney turned both the men fired simultaneously, and
+both missed.  The American raised his revolver, and with the
+flash of it the foremost brigand came to a sudden stop.  An
+expression of bewilderment crossed his features.  He ex-
+tended his arms straight before him, the revolver slipped
+from his grasp, and then like a dying top he pivoted once
+drunkenly and collapsed upon the turf.
+
+At the instant of his fall his companion and the American
+fired point-blank at one another.
+
+Barney felt a burning sensation in his shoulder, but it was
+forgotten for the moment in the relief that came to him as
+he saw the second rascal sprawl headlong upon his face.
+Then he turned his attention to the limp little figure that
+hung across his left arm.
+
+Gently Barney laid the boy upon the sward, and fetching
+water from the pool bathed his face and forced a few drops
+between the white lips.  The cooling draft revived the
+wounded child, but brought on a paroxysm of coughing.
+When this had subsided Rudolph raised his eyes to those
+of the man bending above him.
+
+"Thank God, your majesty is unharmed," he whispered.
+"Now I can die in peace."
+
+The white lids drooped lower, and with a tired sigh the
+boy lay quiet.  Tears came to the young man's eyes as he
+let the limp body gently to the ground.
+
+"Brave little heart," he murmured, "you gave up your life
+in the service of your king as truly as though you had not
+been all mistaken in the object of your veneration, and if
+it lies within the power of Barney Custer you shall not have
+died in vain."
+
+
+
+
+VII
+
+THE REAL LEOPOLD
+
+TWO HOURS later a horseman pushed his way between tum-
+bled and tangled briers along the bottom of a deep ravine.
+
+He was hatless, and his stained and ragged khaki be-
+tokened much exposure to the elements and hard and con-
+tinued usage.  At his saddle-bow a carbine swung in its boot,
+and upon either hip was strapped a long revolver.  Am-
+munition in plenty filled the cross belts that he had looped
+about his shoulders.
+
+Grim and warlike as were his trappings, no less grim was
+the set of his strong jaw or the glint of his gray eyes, nor
+did the patch of brown stain that had soaked through the
+left shoulder of his jacket tend to lessen the martial atmos-
+phere which surrounded him.  Fortunate it was for the brig-
+ands of the late Yellow Franz that none of them chanced in
+the path of Barney Custer that day.
+
+For nearly two hours the man had ridden downward out
+of the high hills in search of a dwelling at which he might
+ask the way to Tann; but as yet he had passed but a single
+house, and that a long untenanted ruin.  He was wondering
+what had become of all the inhabitants of Lutha when his
+horse came to a sudden halt before an obstacle which en-
+tirely blocked the narrow trail at the bottom of the ravine.
+
+As the horseman's eyes fell upon the thing they went wide
+in astonishment, for it was no less than the charred rem-
+nants of the once beautiful gray roadster that had brought
+him into this twentieth century land of medieval adventure
+and intrigue.  Barney saw that the machine had been lifted
+from where it had fallen across the horse of the Princess
+von der Tann, for the animal's decaying carcass now lay
+entirely clear of it; but why this should have been done, or
+by whom, the young man could not imagine.
+
+A glance aloft showed him the road far above him, from
+which he, the horse and the roadster had catapulted; and
+with the sight of it there flashed to his mind the fair face of
+the young girl in whose service the thing had happened.
+Barney wondered if Joseph had been successful in returning
+her to Tann, and he wondered, too, if she mourned for the
+man she had thought king--if she would be very angry
+should she ever learn the truth.
+
+Then there came to the American's mind the figure of the
+shopkeeper of Tafelberg, and the fellow's evident loyalty to
+the mad king he had never seen.  Here was one who might
+aid him, thought Barney.  He would have the will, at least
+and with the thought the young man turned his pony's head
+diagonally up the steep ravine side.
+
+It was a tough and dangerous struggle to the road above,
+but at last by dint of strenuous efforts on the part of the
+sturdy little beast the two finally scrambled over the edge
+of the road and stood once more upon level footing.
+
+After breathing his mount for a few minutes Barney
+swung himself into the saddle again and set off toward
+Tafelberg.  He met no one upon the road, nor within the
+outskirts of the village, and so he came to the door of the
+shop he sought without attracting attention.
+
+Swinging to the ground he tied the pony to one of the
+supporting columns of the porch-roof and a moment later
+had stepped within the shop.
+
+From a back room the shopkeeper presently emerged, and
+when he saw who it was that stood before him his eyes went
+wide in consternation.
+
+"In the name of all the saints, your majesty," cried the old
+fellow, "what has happened?  How comes it that you are
+out of the hospital, and travel-stained as though from a long,
+hard ride?  I cannot understand it, sire."
+
+"Hospital?" queried the young man.  "What do you mean,
+my good fellow?  I have been in no hospital."
+
+"You were there only last evening when I inquired after
+you of the doctor," insisted the shopkeeper, "nor did any
+there yet suspect your true identity."
+
+"Last evening I was hiding far up in the mountains from
+Yellow Franz's band of cutthroats," replied Barney.  "Tell me
+what manner of riddle you are propounding."
+
+Then a sudden light of understanding flashed through
+Barney's mind.
+
+"Man!" he exclaimed.  "Tell me--you have found the true
+king?  He is at a hospital in Tafelberg?"
+
+"Yes, your majesty, I have found the true king, and it is
+so that he was at the Tafelberg sanatorium last evening.  It
+was beside the remnants of your wrecked automobile that
+two of the men of Tafelberg found you.
+
+"One leg was pinioned beneath the machine which was
+on fire when they discovered you.  They brought you to my
+shop, which is the first on the road into town, and not
+guessing your true identity they took my word for it that
+you were an old acquaintance of mine and without more
+ado turned you over to my care."
+
+Barney scratched his head in puzzled bewilderment.  He
+began to doubt if he were in truth himself, or, after all,
+Leopold of Lutha.  As no one but himself could, by the
+wildest stretch of imagination, have been in such a position,
+he was almost forced to the conclusion that all that had
+passed since the instant that his car shot over the edge of
+the road into the ravine had been but the hallucinations
+of a fever-excited brain, and that for the past three weeks
+he had been lying in a hospital cot instead of experiencing
+the strange and inexplicable adventures that he had believed
+to have befallen him.
+
+But yet the more he thought of it the more ridiculous
+such a conclusion appeared, for it did not in the least explain
+the pony tethered without, which he plainly could see from
+where he stood within the shop, nor did it satisfactorily ac-
+count for the blotch of blood upon his shoulder from a
+wound so fresh that the stain still was damp; nor for the
+sword which Joseph had buckled about his waist within
+Blentz's forbidding walls; nor for the arms and ammunition
+he had taken from the dead brigands--all of which he had
+before him as tangible evidence of the rationality of the
+past few weeks.
+
+"My friend," said Barney at last, "I cannot wonder that
+you have mistaken me for the king, since all those I have
+met within Lutha have leaped to the same error, though
+not one among them made the slightest pretense of ever
+having seen his majesty.  A ridiculous beard started the
+trouble, and later a series of happenings, no one of which
+was particularly remarkable in itself, aggravated it, until
+but a moment since I myself was almost upon the point of
+believing that I am the king.
+
+"But, my dear Herr Kramer, I am not the king; and when
+you have accompanied me to the hospital and seen that your
+patient still is there, you may be willing to admit that there
+is some justification for doubt as to my royalty."
+
+The old man shook his head.
+
+"I am not so sure of that," he said, "for he who lies at the
+hospital, providing you are not he, or he you, maintains as
+sturdily as do you that he is not Leopold.  If one of you,
+whichever be king--providing that you are not one and
+the same, and that I be not the only maniac in the sad
+muddle--if one of you would but trust my loyalty and love
+for the true king and admit your identity, then I might be
+of some real service to that one of you who is really Leo-
+pold.  Herr Gott!  My words are as mixed as my poor brain."
+
+"If you will listen to me, Herr Kramer," said Barney, "and
+believe what I tell you, I shall be able to unscramble your
+ideas in so far as they pertain to me and my identity.  As to
+the man you say was found beneath my car, and who now
+lies in the sanatorium of Tafelberg, I cannot say until I have
+seen and talked with him.  He may be the king and he may
+not; but if he insists that he is not, I shall be the last to
+wish a kingship upon him.  I know from sad experience the
+hardships and burdens that the thing entails."
+
+Then Barney narrated carefully and in detail the principal
+events of his life, from his birth in Beatrice to his coming to
+Lutha upon pleasure.  He showed Herr Kramer his watch
+with his monogram upon it, his seal ring, and inside the
+pocket of his coat the label of his tailor, with his own name
+written beneath it and the date that the garment had been
+ordered.
+
+When he had completed his narrative the old man shook
+his head.
+
+"I cannot understand it," he said; "and yet I am almost
+forced to believe that you are not the king."
+
+"Direct me to the sanatorium," suggested Barney, "and if
+it be within the range of possibility I shall learn whether the
+man who lies there is Leopold or another, and if he be the
+king I shall serve him as loyally as you would have served
+me.  Together we may assist him to gain the safety of Tann
+and the protection of old Prince Ludwig."
+
+"If you are not the king," said Kramer suspiciously, "why
+should you be so interested in aiding Leopold?  You may
+even be an enemy.  How can I know?"
+
+"You cannot know, my good friend," replied Barney.  "But
+had I been an enemy, how much more easily might I have
+encompassed my designs, whatever they might have been,
+had I encouraged you to believe that I was king.  The fact
+that I did not, must assure you that I have no ulterior
+designs against Leopold."
+
+This line of reasoning proved quite convincing to the old
+shopkeeper, and at last he consented to lead Barney to the
+sanatorium.  Together they traversed the quiet village streets
+to the outskirts of the town, where in large, park-like grounds
+the well-known sanatorium of Tafelberg is situated in quiet
+surroundings.  It is an institution for the treatment of nervous
+diseases to which patients are brought from all parts of
+Europe, and is doubtless Lutha's principal claim upon the
+attention of the outer world.
+
+As the two crossed the gardens which lay between the
+gate and the main entrance and mounted the broad steps
+leading to the veranda an old servant opened the door, and
+recognizing Herr Kramer, nodded pleasantly to him.
+
+"Your patient seems much brighter this morning, Herr
+Kramer," he said, "and has been asking to be allowed to
+sit up."
+
+"He is still here, then?" questioned the shopkeeper with
+a sigh that might have indicated either relief or resignation.
+
+"Why, certainly.  You did not expect that he had entirely
+recovered overnight, did you?"
+
+"No," replied Herr Kramer, "not exactly.  In fact, I did
+not know what I should expect."
+
+As the two passed him on their way to the room in which
+the patient lay, the servant eyed Herr Kramer in surprise, as
+though wondering what had occurred to his mentality since
+he had seen him the previous day.  He paid no attention to
+Barney other than to bow to him as he passed, but there
+was another who did--an attendant standing in the hallway
+through which the two men walked toward the private room
+where one of them expected to find the real mad king of
+Lutha.
+
+He was a dark-visaged fellow, sallow and small-eyed; and
+as his glance rested upon the features of the American a
+puzzled expression crossed his face.  He let his gaze follow
+the two as they moved on up the corridor until they turned
+in at the door of the room they sought, then he followed
+them, entering an apartment next to that in which Herr
+Kramer's patient lay.
+
+As Barney and the shopkeeper entered the small, white-
+washed room, the former saw upon the narrow iron cot the
+figure of a man of about his own height.  The face that turned
+toward them as they entered was covered by a full, reddish-
+brown beard, and the eyes that looked up at them in trou-
+bled surprise were gray.  Beyond these Barney could see no
+likenesses to himself; yet they were sufficient, he realized,
+to have deceived any who might have compared one solely
+to the printed description of the other.
+
+At the doorway Kramer halted, motioning Barney within.
+
+"It will be better if you talk with him alone," he said.  "I
+am sure that before both of us he will admit nothing."
+
+Barney nodded, and the shopkeeper of Tafelberg with-
+drew and closed the door behind him.  The American ap-
+proached the bedside with a cheery "Good morning."
+
+The man returned the salutation with a slight inclination
+of his head.  There was a questioning look in his eyes; but
+dominating that was a pitiful, hunted expression that touched
+the American's heart.
+
+The man's left hand lay upon the coverlet.  Barney glanced
+at the third finger.  About it was a plain gold band.  There
+was no royal ring of the kings of Lutha in evidence, yet
+that was no indication that the man was not Leopold; for
+were he the king and desirous of concealing his identity, his
+first act would be to remove every symbol of his kingship.
+
+Barney took the hand in his.
+
+"They tell me that you are well on the road to recovery,"
+he said.  "I am very glad that it is so."
+
+"Who are you?" asked the man.
+
+"I am Bernard Custer, an American.  You were found
+beneath my car at the bottom of a ravine.  I feel that I owe
+you full reparation for the injuries you received, though
+it is beyond me how you happened to be found under the
+machine.  Unless I am truly mad, I was the only occupant
+of the roadster when it plunged over the embankment."
+
+"It is very simple," replied the man upon the cot.  "I
+chanced to be at the bottom of the ravine at the time and
+the car fell upon me."
+
+"What were you doing at the bottom of the ravine?" asked
+Barney quite suddenly, after the manner of one who ad-
+ministers a third degree.
+
+The man started and flushed with suspicion.
+
+"That is my own affair," he said.
+
+He tried to disengage his hand from Barney's, and as he
+did so the American felt something within the fingers of the
+other.  For an instant his own fingers tightened upon those
+that lay within them, so that as the others were withdrawn
+his index finger pressed close upon the thing that had
+aroused his curiosity.
+
+It was a large setting turned inward upon the third
+finger of the left hand.  The gold band that Barney had
+seen was but the opposite side of the same ring.
+
+A quick look of comprehension came to Barney's eyes.  The
+man upon the cot evidently noted it and rightly interpreted
+its cause, for, having freed his hand, he now slipped it
+quickly beneath the coverlet.
+
+"I have passed through a series of rather remarkable ad-
+ventures since I came to Lutha," said Barney apparently
+quite irrelevantly, after the two had remained silent for a
+moment.  "Shortly after my car fell upon you I was mistaken
+for the fugitive King Leopold by the young lady whose
+horse fell into the ravine with my car.  She is a most loyal
+supporter of the king, being none other than the Princess
+Emma von der Tann.  From her I learned to espouse the
+cause of Leopold."
+
+Step by step Barney took the man through the adventures
+that had befallen him during the past three weeks, closing
+with the story of the death of the boy, Rudolph.
+
+"Above his dead body I swore to serve Leopold of Lutha
+as loyally as the poor, mistaken child had served me, your
+majesty," and Barney looked straight into the eyes of him
+who lay upon the little iron cot.
+
+For a moment the man held his eyes upon those of the
+American, but finally, under the latter's steady gaze, they
+dropped and wandered.
+
+"Why do you address me as 'your majesty'?" he asked
+irritably.
+
+"With my forefinger I felt the ruby and the four wings of
+the setting of the royal ring of the kings of Lutha upon
+the third finger of your left hand," replied Barney.
+
+The king started up upon his elbow, his eyes wild with
+apprehension.
+
+"It is not so," he cried.  "It is a lie!  I am not the king."
+
+"Hush!" admonished Barney.  "You have nothing to fear
+from me.  There are good friends and loyal subjects in plenty
+to serve and protect your majesty, and place you upon the
+throne that has been stolen from you.  I have sworn to serve
+you.  The old shopkeeper, Herr Kramer, who brought me
+here, is an honest, loyal old soul.  He would die for you,
+your majesty.  Trust us.  Let us help you.  Tomorrow, Kramer
+tells me, Peter of Blentz is to have himself crowned as king
+in the cathedral at Lustadt.
+
+"Will you sit supinely by and see another rob you of your
+kingdom, and then continue to rob and throttle your sub-
+jects as he has been doing for the past ten years?  No, you
+will not.  Even if you do not want the crown, you were
+born to the duties and obligations it entails, and for the sake
+of your people you must assume them now."
+
+"How am I to know that you are not another of the
+creatures of that fiend of Blentz?" cried the king.  "How am
+I to know that you will not drag me back to the terrors of
+that awful castle, and to the poisonous potions of the new
+physician Peter has employed to assassinate me?  I can trust
+none.
+
+"Go away and leave me.  I do not want to be king.  I wish
+only to go away as far from Lutha as I can get and pass
+the balance of my life in peace and security.  Peter may
+have the crown.  He is welcome to it, for all of me.  All I
+ask is my life and my liberty."
+
+Barney saw that while the king was evidently of sound
+mind, his was not one of those iron characters and coura-
+geous hearts that would willingly fight to the death for his
+own rights and the rights and happiness of his people.  Per-
+haps the long years of bitter disappointment and misery,
+the tedious hours of imprisonment, and the constant haunt-
+ing fears for his life had reduced him to this pitiable condi-
+tion.
+
+Whatever the cause, Barney Custer was determined to
+overcome the man's aversion to assuming the duties which
+were rightly his, for in his memory were the words of Emma
+von der Tann, in which she had made plain to him the fate
+that would doubtless befall her father and his house were
+Peter of Blentz to become king of Lutha.  Then, too, there
+was the life of the little peasant boy.  Was that to be given
+up uselessly for a king with so mean a spirit that he would
+not take a scepter when it was forced upon him?
+
+And the people of Lutha?  Were they to be further and
+continually robbed and downtrodden beneath the heel of
+Peter's scoundrelly officials because their true king chose to
+evade the responsibilities that were his by birth?
+
+For half an hour Barney pleaded and argued with the
+king, until he infused in the weak character of the young
+man a part of his own tireless enthusiasm and courage.
+Leopold commenced to take heart and see things in a brighter
+and more engaging light.  Finally he became quite excited
+about the prospects, and at last Barney obtained a willing
+promise from him that he would consent to being placed
+upon his throne and would go to Lustadt at any time that
+Barney should come for him with a force from the retainers
+of Prince Ludwig von der Tann.
+
+"Let us hope," cried the king, "that the luck of the reign-
+ing house of Lutha has been at last restored.  Not since my
+aunt, the Princess Victoria, ran away with a foreigner has
+good fortune shone upon my house.  It was when my father
+was still a young man--before he had yet come to the
+throne--and though his reign was marked with great peace
+and prosperity for the people of Lutha, his own private
+fortunes were most unhappy.
+
+"My mother died at my birth, and the last days of my
+father's life were filled with suffering from the cancer that
+was slowly killing him.  Let us pray, Herr Custer, that you
+have brought new life to the fortunes of my house."
+
+"Amen, your majesty," said Barney.  "And now I'll be off
+for Tann--there must not be a moment lost if we are to
+bring you to Lustadt in time for the coronation.  Herr
+Kramer will watch over you, but as none here guesses your
+true identity you are safer here than anywhere else in Lutha.
+Good-bye, your majesty.  Be of good heart.  We'll have you
+on the road to Lustadt and the throne tomorrow morning."
+
+After Barney Custer had closed the door of the king's
+chamber behind him and hurried down the corridor, the door
+of the room next the king's opened quietly and a dark-
+visaged fellow, sallow and small-eyed, emerged.  Upon his
+lips was a smile of cunning satisfaction, as he hastened to
+the office of the medical director and obtained a leave of
+absence for twenty-four hours.
+
+
+
+
+VIII
+
+THE CORONATION DAY
+
+TOWARD DUSK of the day upon which the mad king of Lutha
+had been found, a dust-covered horseman reined in before
+the great gate of the castle of Prince Ludwig von der Tann.
+The unsettled political conditions which overhung the little
+kingdom of Lutha were evident in the return to medievalism
+which the raised portcullis and the armed guard upon the
+barbican of the ancient feudal fortress revealed.  Not for a
+hundred years before had these things been done other
+than as a part of the ceremonials of a fete day, or in honor
+of visiting royalty.
+
+At the challenge from the gate Barney replied that he
+bore a message for the prince.  Slowly the portcullis sank
+into position across the moat and an officer advanced to
+meet the rider.
+
+"The prince has ridden to Lustadt with a large retinue,"
+he said, "to attend the coronation of Peter of Blentz to-
+morrow."
+
+"Prince Ludwig von der Tann has gone to attend the
+coronation of Peter!" cried Barney in amazement.  "Has the
+Princess Emma returned from her captivity in the castle of
+Blentz?"
+
+"She is with her father now, having returned nearly three
+weeks ago," replied the officer, "and Peter has disclaimed
+responsibility for the outrage, promising that those respon-
+sible shall be punished.  He has convinced Prince Ludwig
+that Leopold is dead, and for the sake of Lutha--to save
+her from civil strife--my prince has patched a truce with
+Peter; though unless I mistake the character of the latter
+and the temper of the former it will be short-lived.
+
+"To demonstrate to the people," continued the officer, "that
+Prince Ludwig and Peter are good friends, the great Von
+der Tann will attend the coronation, but that he takes little
+stock in the sincerity of the Prince of Blentz would be ap-
+parent could the latter have a peep beneath the cloaks and
+look into the loyal hearts of the men of Tann who rode
+down to Lustadt today."
+
+Barney did not wait to hear more.  He was glad that in
+the gathering dusk the officer had not seen his face plainly
+enough to mistake him for the king.  With a parting, "Then
+I must ride to Lustadt with my message for the prince," he
+wheeled his tired mount and trotted down the steep trail
+from Tann toward the highway which leads to the capital.
+
+All night Barney rode.  Three times he wandered from the
+way and was forced to stop at farmhouses to inquire the
+proper direction; but darkness hid his features from the
+sleepy eyes of those who answered his summons, and day-
+light found him still forging ahead in the direction of the
+capital of Lutha.
+
+The American was sunk in unhappy meditation as his
+weary little mount plodded slowly along the dusty road.
+For hours the man had not been able to urge the beast out
+of a walk.  The loss of time consequent upon his having
+followed wrong roads during the night and the exhaustion
+of the pony which retarded his speed to what seemed little
+better than a snail's pace seemed to assure the failure of
+his mission, for at best he could not reach Lustadt before
+noon.
+
+There was no possibility of bringing Leopold to his capital
+in time for the coronation, and but a bare possibility that
+Prince Ludwig would accept the word of an entire stranger
+that Leopold lived, for the acknowledgment of such a con-
+dition by the old prince could result in nothing less than an
+immediate resort to arms by the two factions.  It was certain
+that Peter would be infinitely more anxious to proceed with
+his coronation should it be rumored that Leopold lived, and
+equally certain that Prince Ludwig would interpose every
+obstacle, even to armed resistance, to prevent the consum-
+mation of the ceremony.
+
+Yet there seemed to Barney no other alternative than to
+place before the king's one powerful friend the information
+that he had.  It would then rest with Ludwig to do what he
+thought advisable.
+
+An hour from Lustadt the road wound through a dense
+forest, whose pleasant shade was a grateful relief to both
+horse and rider from the hot sun beneath which they had
+been journeying the greater part of the morning.  Barney
+was still lost in thought, his eyes bent forward, when at a
+sudden turning of the road he came face to face with a
+troop of horse that were entering the main highway at this
+point from an unfrequented byroad.
+
+At sight of them the American instinctively wheeled his
+mount in an effort to escape, but at a command from an
+officer a half dozen troopers spurred after him, their fresh
+horses soon overtaking his jaded pony.
+
+For a moment Barney contemplated resistance, for these
+were troopers of the Royal Horse, the body which was now
+Peter's most effective personal tool; but even as his hand
+slipped to the butt of one of the revolvers at his hip, the
+young man saw the foolish futility of such a course, and
+with a shrug and a smile he drew rein and turned to face
+the advancing soldiers.
+
+As he did so the officer rode up, and at sight of Barney's
+face gave an exclamation of astonishment.  The officer was
+Butzow.
+
+"Well met, your majesty," he cried saluting.  "We are rid-
+ing to the coronation.  We shall be just in time."
+
+"To see Peter of Blentz rob Leopold of a crown," said
+the American in a disgusted tone.
+
+"To see Leopold of Lutha come into his own, your
+majesty.  Long live the king!" cried the officer.
+
+Barney thought the man either poking fun at him be-
+cause he was not the king, or, thinking he was Leopold, tak-
+ing a mean advantage of his helplessness to bait him.  Yet
+this last suspicion seemed unfair to Butzow, who at Blentz
+had given ample evidence that he was a gentleman, and of
+far different caliber from Maenck and the others who served
+Peter.
+
+If he could but convince the man that he was no king
+and thus gain his liberty long enough to reach Prince Lud-
+wig's ear, his mission would have been served in so far as
+it lay in his power to serve it.  For some minutes Barney
+expended his best eloquence and logic upon the cavalry
+officer in an effort to convince him that he was not Leopold.
+
+The king had given the American his great ring to safe-
+guard for him until it should be less dangerous for Leopold
+to wear it, and for fear that at the last moment someone
+within the sanatorium might recognize it and bear word to
+Peter of the king's whereabouts.  Barney had worn it turned
+in upon the third finger of his left hand, and now he slipped
+it surreptitiously into his breeches pocket lest Butzow should
+see it and by it be convinced that Barney was indeed Leo-
+pold.
+
+"Never mind who you are," cried Butzow, thinking to
+humor the king's strange obsession.  "You look enough like
+Leopold to be his twin, and you must help us save Lutha
+from Peter of Blentz."
+
+The American showed in his expression the surprise he
+felt at these words from an officer of the prince regent.
+
+"You wonder at my change of heart?" asked Butzow.
+
+"How can I do otherwise?"
+
+"I cannot blame you," said the officer.  "Yet I think that
+when you know the truth you will see that I have done
+only that which I believed to be the duty of a patriotic
+officer and a true gentleman."
+
+They had rejoined the troop by this time, and the entire
+company was once more headed toward Lustadt.  Butzow
+had commanded one of the troopers to exchange horses
+with Barney, bringing the jaded animal into the city slowly,
+and now freshly mounted the American was making better
+time toward his destination.  His spirits rose, and as they
+galloped along the highway, he listened with renewed in-
+terest to the story which Lieutenant Butzow narrated in
+detail.
+
+It seemed that Butzow had been absent from Lutha for
+a number of years as military attache to the Luthanian
+legation at a foreign court.  He had known nothing of the
+true condition at home until his return, when he saw such
+scoundrels as Coblich, Maenck, and Stein high in the
+favor of the prince regent.  For some time before the events
+that had transpired after he had brought Barney and the
+Princess Emma to Blentz he had commenced to have his
+doubts as to the true patriotism of Peter of Blentz; and
+when he had learned through the unguarded words of
+Schonau that there was a real foundation for the rumor
+that the regent had plotted the assassination of the king his
+suspicions had crystallized into knowledge, and he had
+sworn to serve his king before all others--were he sane or
+mad.  From this loyalty he could not be shaken.
+
+"And what do you intend doing now?" asked Barney.
+
+"I intend placing you upon the throne of your ancestors,
+sire," replied Butzow; "nor will Peter of Blentz dare the
+wrath of the people by attempting to interpose any ob-
+stacle.  When he sees Leopold of Lutha ride into the capital
+of his kingdom at the head of even so small a force as ours
+he will know that the end of his own power is at hand, for
+he is not such a fool that he does not perfectly realize that
+he is the most cordially hated man in all Lutha, and that
+only those attend upon him who hope to profit through his
+success or who fear his evil nature."
+
+"If Peter is crowned today," asked Barney, "will it pre-
+vent Leopold regaining his throne?"
+
+"It is difficult to say," replied Butzow; "but the chances
+are that the throne would be lost to him forever.  To regain
+it he would have to plunge Lutha into a bitter civil war,
+for once Peter is proclaimed king he will have the law
+upon his side, and with the resources of the State behind
+him--the treasury and the army--he will feel in no mood
+to relinquish the scepter without a struggle.  I doubt much
+that you will ever sit upon your throne, sire, unless you do
+so within the very next hour."
+
+For some time Barney rode in silence.  He saw that only
+by a master stroke could the crown be saved for the true
+king.  Was it worth it?  The man was happier without a
+crown.  Barney had come to believe that no man lived who
+could be happy in possession of one.  Then there came be-
+fore his mind's eye the delicate, patrician face of Emma
+von der Tann.
+
+Would Peter of Blentz be true to his new promises to
+the house of Von der Tann?  Barney doubted it.  He recalled
+all that it might mean of danger and suffering to the girl
+whose kisses he still felt upon his lips as though it had
+been but now that hers had placed them there.  He re-
+called the limp little body of the boy, Rudolph, and the
+Spartan loyalty with which the little fellow had given his
+life in the service of the man he had thought king.  The
+pitiful figure of the fear-haunted man upon the iron cot at
+Tafelberg rose before him and cried for vengeance.
+
+To this man was the woman he loved betrothed!  He
+knew that he might never wed the Princess Emma.  Even
+were she not promised to another, the iron shackles of con-
+vention and age-old customs must forever separate her from
+an untitled American.  But if he couldn't have her he still
+could serve her!
+
+"For her sake," he muttered.
+
+"Did your majesty speak?" asked Butzow.
+
+"Yes, lieutenant.  We urge greater haste, for if we are to
+be crowned today we have no time to lose."
+
+Butzow smiled a relieved smile.  The king had at last
+regained his senses!
+
+
+Within the ancient cathedral at Lustadt a great and gor-
+geously attired assemblage had congregated.  All the nobles
+of Lutha were gathered there with their wives, their chil-
+dren, and their retainers.  There were the newer nobility of
+the lowlands--many whose patents dated but since the
+regency of Peter--and there were the proud nobility of the
+highlands--the old nobility of which Prince Ludwig von
+der Tann was the chief.
+
+It was noticeable that though a truce had been made
+between Ludwig and Peter, yet the former chancellor of the
+kingdom did not stand upon the chancel with the other
+dignitaries of the State and court.
+
+Few there were who knew that he had been invited to
+occupy a place of honor there, and had replied that he
+would take no active part in the making of any king in
+Lutha whose veins did not pulse to the flow of the blood
+of the house in whose service he had grown gray.
+
+Close packed were the retainers of the old prince so that
+their great number was scarcely noticeable, though quite so
+was the fact that they kept their cloaks on, presenting a
+somber appearance in the midst of all the glitter of gold
+and gleam of jewels that surrounded them--a grim, business-
+like appearance that cast a chill upon Peter of Blentz as his
+eyes scanned the multitude of faces below him.
+
+He would have shown his indignation at this seeming
+affront had he dared; but until the crown was safely upon
+his head and the royal scepter in his hand Peter had no
+mind to do aught that might jeopardize the attainment of
+the power he had sought for the past ten years.
+
+The solemn ceremony was all but completed; the Bishop
+of Lustadt had received the great golden crown from the
+purple cushion upon which it had been borne at the head
+of the procession which accompanied Peter up the broad
+center aisle of the cathedral.  He had raised it above the
+head of the prince regent, and was repeating the solemn
+words which precede the placing of the golden circlet upon
+the man's brow.  In another moment Peter of Blentz would
+be proclaimed the king of Lutha.
+
+By her father's side stood Emma von der Tann.  Upon
+her haughty, high-bred face there was no sign of the emo-
+tions which ran riot within her fair bosom.  In the act that
+she was witnessing she saw the eventual ruin of her father's
+house.  That Peter would long want for an excuse to break
+and humble his ancient enemy she did not believe; but
+this was not the only cause for the sorrow that overwhelmed
+her.
+
+Her most poignant grief, like that of her father, was for
+the dead king, Leopold; but to the sorrow of the loyal sub-
+ject was added the grief of the loving woman, bereft.  Close
+to her heart she hugged the memory of the brief hours spent
+with the man whom she had been taught since childhood to
+look upon as her future husband, but for whom the all-
+consuming fires of love had only been fanned to life within
+her since that moment, now three weeks gone, that he had
+crushed her to his breast to cover her lips with kisses for
+the short moment ere he sacrificed his life to save her from a
+fate worse than death.
+
+Before her stood the Nemesis of her dead king.  The last
+act of the hideous crime against the man she had loved was
+nearing its close.  As the crown, poised over the head of Peter
+of Blentz, sank slowly downward the girl felt that she could
+scarce restrain her desire to shriek aloud a protest against
+the wicked act--the crowning of a murderer king of her
+beloved Lutha.
+
+A glance at the old man at her side showed her the stern,
+commanding features of her sire molded in an expression of
+haughty dignity; only the slight movement of the muscles of
+the strong jaw revealed the tensity of the hidden emotions
+of the stern old warrior.  He was meeting disappointment and
+defeat as a Von der Tann should--brave to the end.
+
+The crown had all but touched the head of Peter of
+Blentz when a sudden commotion at the back of the cathe-
+dral caused the bishop to look up in ill-concealed annoy-
+ance.  At the sight that met his eyes his hands halted in
+mid-air.
+
+The great audience turned as one toward the doors at
+the end of the long central aisle.  There, through the wide-
+swung portals, they saw mounted men forcing their way into
+the cathedral.  The great horses shouldered aside the foot-
+soldiers that attempted to bar their way, and twenty troop-
+ers of the Royal Horse thundered to the very foot of the
+chancel steps.
+
+At their head rode Lieutenant Butzow and a tall young
+man in soiled and tattered khaki, whose gray eyes and full
+reddish-brown beard brought an exclamation from Captain
+Maenck who commanded the guard about Peter of Blentz.
+
+"Mein Gott--the king!" cried Maenck, and at the words
+Peter went white.
+
+In open-mouthed astonishment the spectators saw the
+hurrying troopers and heard Butzow's "The king!  The king!
+Make way for Leopold, King of Lutha!"
+
+And a girl saw, and as she saw her heart leaped to her
+mouth.  Her small hand gripped the sleeve of her father's
+coat.  "The king, father," she cried.  "It is the king."
+
+Old Von der Tann, the light of a new hope firing his eyes,
+threw aside his cloak and leaped to the chancel steps beside
+Butzow and the others who were mounting them.  Behind
+him a hundred cloaks dropped from the shoulders of his
+fighting men, exposing not silks and satins and fine velvet,
+but the coarse tan of khaki, and grim cartridge belts well
+filled, and stern revolvers slung to well-worn service belts.
+
+As Butzow and Barney stepped upon the chancel Peter
+of Blentz leaped forward.  "What mad treason is this?" he
+fairly screamed.
+
+"The days of treason are now past, prince," replied But-
+zow meaningly.  "Here is not treason, but Leopold of Lutha
+come to claim his crown which he inherited from his father."
+
+"It is a plot," cried Peter, "to place an impostor upon the
+throne!  This man is not the king."
+
+For a moment there was silence.  The people had not taken
+sides as yet.  They awaited a leader.  Old Von der Tann
+scrutinized the American closely.
+
+"How may we know that you are Leopold?" he asked.
+"For ten years we have not seen our king."
+
+"The governor of Blentz has already acknowledged his
+identity," cried Butzow.  "Maenck was the first to proclaim
+the presence of the putative king."
+
+At that someone near the chancel cried: "Long live Leo-
+pold, king of Lutha!" and at the words the whole assemblage
+raised their voices in a tumultuous: "Long live the king!"
+
+Peter of Blentz turned toward Maenck.  "The guard!" he
+cried.  "Arrest those traitors, and restore order in the cathe-
+dral.  Let the coronation proceed."
+
+Maenck took a step toward Barney and Butzow, when old
+Prince von der Tann interposed his giant frame with grim
+resolve.
+
+"Hold!"  He spoke in a low, stern voice that brought the
+cowardly Maenck to a sudden halt.
+
+The men of Tann had pressed eagerly forward until they
+stood, with bared swords, a solid rank of fighting men in
+grim semicircle behind their chief.  There were cries from
+different parts of the cathedral of: "Crown Leopold, our
+true king!  Down with Peter!  Down with the assassin!"
+
+"Enough of this," cried Peter.  "Clear the cathedral!"
+
+He drew his own sword, and with half a hundred loyal
+retainers at his back pressed forward to clear the chancel.
+There was a brief fight, from which Barney, much to his
+disgust, was barred by the mighty figure of the old prince
+and the stalwart sword-arm of Butzow.  He did get one
+crack at Maenck, and had the satisfaction of seeing blood
+spurt from a fleshwound across the fellow's cheek.
+
+"That for the Princess Emma," he called to the governor of
+Blentz, and then men crowded between them and he did
+not see the captain again during the battle.
+
+When Peter saw that more than half of the palace guard
+were shouting for Leopold, and fighting side by side with
+the men of Tann, he realized the futility of further armed
+resistance at this time.  Slowly he withdrew, and at last the
+fighting ceased and some semblance of order was restored
+within the cathedral.
+
+Fearfully, the bishop emerged from hiding, his robes dis-
+heveled and his miter askew.  Butzow grasped him none too
+reverently by the arm and dragged him before Barney.  The
+crown of Lutha dangled in the priest's palsied hands.
+
+"Crown the king!" cried the lieutenant.  "Crown Leopold,
+king of Lutha!"
+
+A mad roar of acclaim greeted this demand, and again
+from all parts of the cathedral rose the same wild cry.  But
+in the lull that followed there were some who demanded
+proof of the tattered young man who stood before them and
+claimed that he was king.
+
+"Let Prince Ludwig speak!" cried a dozen voices.
+
+"Yes, Prince Ludwig!  Prince Ludwig!" took up the throng.
+
+Prince Ludwig von der Tann turned toward the bearded
+young man.  Silence fell upon the crowded cathedral.  Peter
+of Blentz stood awaiting the outcome, ready to demand the
+crown upon the first indication of wavering belief in the
+man he knew was not Leopold.
+
+"How may we know that you are really Leopold?" again
+asked Ludwig of Barney.
+
+The American raised his left hand, upon the third finger
+of which gleamed the great ruby of the royal ring of the
+kings of Lutha.  Even Peter of Blentz started back in surprise
+as his eyes fell upon the ring.
+
+Where had the man come upon it?
+
+Prince von der Tann dropped to one knee before Mr.
+Bernard Custer of Beatrice, Nebraska, U.S.A., and lifted
+that gentleman's hand to his lips, and as the people of Lutha
+saw the act they went mad with joy.
+
+Slowly Prince Ludwig rose and addressed the bishop.
+"Leopold, the rightful heir to the throne of Lutha, is here.
+Let the coronation proceed."
+
+The quiet of the sepulcher fell upon the assemblage as the
+holy man raised the crown above the head of the king.  Bar-
+ney saw from the corner of his eye the sea of faces up-
+turned toward him.  He saw the relief and happiness upon
+the stern countenance of the old prince.
+
+He hated to dash all their new found joy by the an-
+nouncement that he was not the king.  He could not do that,
+for the moment he did Peter would step forward and de-
+mand that his own coronation continue.  How was he to
+save the throne for Leopold?
+
+Among the faces beneath him he suddenly descried that
+of a beautiful young girl whose eyes, filled with the tears of
+a great happiness and a greater love, were upturned to his.
+To reveal his true identity would lose him this girl forever.
+None save Peter knew that he was not the king.  All save
+Peter would hail him gladly as Leopold of Lutha.  How
+easily he might win a throne and the woman he loved by a
+moment of seeming passive compliance.
+
+The temptation was great, and then he recalled the boy,
+lying dead for his king in the desolate mountains, and the
+pathetic light in the eyes of the sorrowful man at Tafelberg,
+and the great trust and confidence in the heart of the
+woman who had shown that she loved him.
+
+Slowly Barney Custer raised his palm toward the bishop
+in a gesture of restraint.
+
+"There are those who doubt that I am king," he said.  "In
+these circumstances there should be no coronation in Lutha
+until all doubts are allayed and all may unite in accepting
+without question the royal right of the true Leopold to the
+crown of his father.  Let the coronation wait, then, until
+another day, and all will be well."
+
+"It must take place before noon of the fifth day of Nov-
+ember, or not until a year later," said Prince Ludwig.  "In
+the meantime the Prince Regent must continue to rule.  For
+the sake of Lutha the coronation must take place today,
+your majesty."
+
+"What is the date?" asked Barney.
+
+"The third, sire."
+
+"Let the coronation wait until the fifth."
+
+"But your majesty," interposed Von der Tann, "all may
+be lost in two days."
+
+"It is the king's command," said Barney quietly.
+
+"But Peter of Blentz will rule for these two days, and in
+that time with the army at his command there is no telling
+what he may accomplish," insisted the old man.
+
+"Peter of Blentz shall not rule Lutha for two days, or
+two minutes," replied Barney.  "We shall rule.  Lieutenant
+Butzow, you may place Prince Peter, Coblich, Maenck, and
+Stein under arrest.  We charge them with treason against
+their king, and conspiring to assassinate their rightful mon-
+arch."
+
+Butzow smiled as he turned with his troopers at his back
+to execute this most welcome of commissions; but in a mo-
+ment he was again at Barney's side.
+
+"They have fled, your majesty," he said.  "Shall I ride to
+Blentz after them?"
+
+"Let them go," replied the American, and then, with his
+retinue about him the new king of Lutha passed down the
+broad aisle of the cathedral of Lustadt and took his way
+to the royal palace between ranks of saluting soldiery backed
+by cheering thousands.
+
+
+
+
+IX
+
+THE KING'S GUESTS
+
+ONCE WITHIN the palace Barney sought the seclusion of a
+small room off the audience chamber.  Here he summoned
+Butzow.
+
+"Lieutenant," said the American, "for the sake of a woman,
+a dead child and an unhappy king I have become dictator
+of Lutha for forty-eight hours; but at noon upon the fifth
+this farce must cease.  Then we must place the true Leopold
+upon the throne, or a new dictator must replace me.
+
+"In vain I have tried to convince you that I am not the
+king, and today in the cathedral so great was the tempta-
+tion to take advantage of the odd train of circumstances
+that had placed a crown within my reach that I all but
+surrendered to it--not for the crown of gold, Butzow, but
+for an infinitely more sacred diadem which belongs to him
+to whom by right of birth and lineage, belongs the crown
+of Lutha.  I do not ask you to understand--it is not neces-
+sary--but this you must know and believe: that I am not
+Leopold, and that the true Leopold lies in hiding in the
+sanatorium at Tafelberg, from which you and I, Butzow,
+must fetch him to Lustadt before noon on the fifth."
+
+"But, sire--" commenced Butzow, when Barney raised
+his hand.
+
+"Enough of that, Butzow!" he cried almost irritably.  "I
+am sick of being 'sired' and 'majestied'--my name is Custer.
+Call me that when others are not present.  Believe what you
+will, but ride with me in secrecy to Tafelberg tonight, and
+together we shall bring back Leopold of Lutha.  Then we
+may call Prince Ludwig into our confidence, and none need
+ever know of the substitution.
+
+"I doubt if many had a sufficiently close view of me to-
+day to realize the trick that I have played upon them, and
+if they note a difference they will attribute it to the change
+in apparel, for we shall see to it that the king is fittingly
+garbed before we exhibit him to his subjects, while here-
+after I shall continue in khaki, which becomes me better
+than ermine."
+
+Butzow shook his head.
+
+"King or dictator," he said, "it is all the same, and I must
+obey whatever commands you see fit to give, and so I will
+ride to Tafelberg tonight, though what we shall find there
+I cannot imagine, unless there are two Leopolds of Lutha.
+But shall we also find another royal ring upon the finger of
+this other king?"
+
+Barney smiled.  "You're a typical hard-headed Dutchman,
+Butzow," he said.
+
+The lieutenant drew himself up haughtily.  "I am not a
+Dutchman, your majesty.  I am a Luthanian."
+
+Barney laughed.  "Whatever else you may be, Butzow,
+you're a brick," he said, laying his hand upon the other's
+arm.
+
+Butzow looked at him narrowly.
+
+"From your speech," he said, "and the occasional Ameri-
+canisms into which you fall I might believe that you were
+other than the king but for the ring."
+
+"It is my commission from the king," replied Barney.  "Leo-
+pold placed it upon my finger in token of his royal authority
+to act in his behalf.  Tonight, then Butzow, you and I shall
+ride to Tafelberg.  Have three good horses.  We must lead
+one for the king."
+
+Butzow saluted and left the apartment.  For an hour or
+two the American was busy with tailors whom he had or-
+dered sent to the palace to measure him for the numerous
+garments of a royal wardrobe, for he knew the king to be
+near enough his own size that he might easily wear clothes
+that had been fitted to Barney; and it was part of his plan
+to have everything in readiness for the substitution which
+was to take place the morning of the coronation.
+
+Then there were foreign dignitaries, and the heads of
+numerous domestic and civic delegations to be given audi-
+ence.  Old Von der Tann stood close behind Barney prompt-
+ing him upon the royal duties that had fallen so suddenly
+upon his shoulders, and none thought it strange that he
+was unfamiliar with the craft of kingship, for was it not
+common knowledge that he had been kept a close prisoner
+in Blentz since boyhood, nor been given any coaching for
+the duties Peter of Blentz never intended he should perform?
+
+After it was all over Prince Ludwig's grim and leathery
+face relaxed into a smile of satisfaction.
+
+"None who witnessed the conduct of your first audience,
+sire," he said, "could for a moment doubt your royal line-
+age--if ever a man was born to kingship, your majesty,
+it be you."
+
+Barney smiled, a bit ruefully, however, for in his mind's
+eye he saw a future moment when the proud old Prince von
+der Tann would know the truth of the imposture that had
+been played upon him, and the young man foresaw that he
+would have a rather unpleasant half-hour.
+
+At a little distance from them Barney saw Emma von der
+Tann surrounded by a group of officials and palace officers.
+Since he had come to Lustadt that day he had had no
+word with her, and now he crossed toward her, amused as
+the throng parted to form an aisle for him, the men saluting
+and the women curtsying low.
+
+He took both of the girl's hands in his, and, drawing one
+through his arm, took advantage of the prerogatives of king-
+ship to lead her away from the throng of courtiers.
+
+"I thought that I should never be done with all the tire-
+some business which seems to devolve upon kings," he said,
+laughing.  "All the while that I should have been bending
+my royal intellect to matters of state, I was wondering just
+how a king might find a way to see the woman he loves
+without interruptions from the horde that dogs his foot-
+steps."
+
+"You seem to have found a way, Leopold," she whis-
+pered, pressing his arm close to her.  "Kings usually do."
+
+"It is not because I am a king that I found a way, Emma,"
+he replied.  "It is because I am an American."
+
+She looked up at him with an expression of pleading in
+her eyes.
+
+"Why do you persist?" she cried.  "You have come into
+your own, and there is no longer aught to fear from Peter
+or any other.  To me at least, it is most unkind still to deny
+your identity."
+
+"I wonder," said Barney, "if your love could withstand
+the knowledge that I am not the king."
+
+"It is the MAN I love, Leopold," the girl replied.
+
+"You think so now," he said, "but wait until the test
+comes, and when it does, remember that I have always
+done my best to undeceive you.  I know that you are not for
+such as I, my princess, and when I have returned your
+true king to you all that I shall ask is that you be happy
+with him."
+
+"I shall always be happy with my king," she whispered,
+and the look that she gave him made Barney Custer curse
+the fate that had failed to make him a king by birth.
+
+An hour later darkness had fallen upon the little city of
+Lustadt, and from a small gateway in the rear of the palace
+grounds two horsemen rode out into the ill-paved street
+and turned their mounts' heads toward the north.  At the
+side of one trotted a led horse.
+
+As they passed beneath the glare of an arc-light before a
+cafe at the side of the public square, a diner sitting at a
+table upon the walk spied the tall figure and the bearded
+face of him who rode a few feet in advance of his com-
+panion.  Leaping to his feet the man waved his napkin above
+his head.
+
+"Long live the king!" he cried.  "God save Leopold of
+Lutha!"
+
+And amid the din of cheering that followed, Barney
+Custer of Beatrice and Lieutenant Butzow of the Royal
+Horse rode out into the night upon the road to Tafelberg.
+
+
+When Peter of Blentz had escaped from the cathedral
+he had hastily mounted with a handful of his followers and
+hurried out of Lustadt along the road toward his formidable
+fortress at Blentz.  Half way upon the journey he had met a
+dusty and travel-stained horseman hastening toward the
+capital city that Peter and his lieutenants had just left.
+
+At sight of the prince regent the fellow reined in and
+saluted.
+
+"May I have a word in private with your highness?" he
+asked.  "I have news of the greatest importance for your
+ears alone."
+
+Peter drew to one side with the man.
+
+"Well," he asked, "and what news have you for Peter of
+Blentz?"
+
+The man leaned from his horse close to Peter's ear.
+
+"The king is in Tafelberg, your highness," he said.
+
+"The king is dead," snapped Peter.  "There is an impostor
+in the palace at Lustadt.  But the real Leopold of Lutha
+was slain by Yellow Franz's band of brigands weeks ago."
+
+"I heard the man at Tafelberg tell another that he was
+the king," insisted the fellow.  "Through the keyhole of his
+room I saw him take a great ring from his finger--a ring
+with a mighty ruby set in its center--and give it to the other.
+Both were bearded men with gray eyes--either might have
+passed for the king by the description upon the placards
+that have covered Lutha for the past month.  At first he
+denied his identity, but when the other had convinced him
+that he sought only the king's welfare he at last admitted
+that he was Leopold."
+
+"Where is he now?" cried Peter.
+
+"He is still in the sanatorium at Tafelberg.  In room
+twenty-seven.  The other promised to return for him and take
+him to Lustadt, but when I left Tafelberg he had not yet
+done so, and if you hasten you may reach there before they
+take him away, and if there be any reward for my loyalty
+to you, prince, my name is Ferrath."
+
+"Ride with us and if you have told the truth, fellow,
+there shall be a reward and if not--then there shall be
+deserts," and Peter of Blentz wheeled his horse and with
+his company galloped on toward Tafelberg.
+
+As he rode he talked with his lieutenants Coblich, Maenck,
+and Stein, and among them it was decided that it would be
+best that Peter stop at Blentz for the night while the others
+rode on to Tafelberg.
+
+"Do not bring Leopold to Blentz," directed Peter, "for if
+it be he who lies at Tafelberg and they find him gone it
+will be toward Blentz that they will first look.  Take him--"
+
+The Regent leaned from his saddle so that his mouth
+was close to the ear of Coblich, that none of the troopers
+might hear.
+
+Coblich nodded his head.
+
+"And, Coblich, the fewer that ride to Tafelberg tonight
+the surer the success of the mission.  Take Maenck, Stein
+and one other with you.  I shall keep this man with me, for
+it may prove but a plot to lure me to Tafelberg."
+
+Peter scowled at the now frightened hospital attendant.
+
+"Tomorrow I shall be riding through the lowlands, Cob-
+lich, and so you may not find means to communicate with
+me, but before noon of the fifth have word at your town
+house in Lustadt for me of the success of your venture."
+
+They had reached the point now where the road to Tafel-
+berg branches from that to Blentz, and the four who were
+to fetch the king wheeled their horses into the left-hand fork
+and cantered off upon their mission.
+
+The direct road between Lustadt and Tafelberg is but
+little more than half the distance of that which Coblich and
+his companions had to traverse because of the wide detour
+they had made by riding almost to Blentz first, and so it
+was that when they cantered into the little mountain town
+near midnight Barney Custer and Lieutenant Butzow were
+but a mile or two behind them.
+
+Had the latter had even the faintest of suspicions that
+the identity of the hiding place of the king might come to
+the knowledge of Peter of Blentz they could have reached
+Tafelberg ahead of Coblich and his party, but all unsus-
+pecting they rode slowly to conserve the energy of their
+mounts for the return trip.
+
+In silence the two men approached the grounds sur-
+rounding the sanatorium.  In the soft dirt of the road the
+hoofs of their mounts made no sound, and the shadows of
+the trees that border the front of the enclosure hid them
+from the view of the trooper who held four riderless horses
+in a little patch of moonlight that broke through the opening
+in the trees at the main gate of the institution.
+
+Barney was the first to see the animals and the man.
+
+"S-s-st," he hissed, reining in his horse.
+
+Butzow drew alongside the American.
+
+"What can it mean?" asked Barney.  "That fellow is a
+trooper, but I cannot make out his uniform."
+
+"Wait here," said Butzow, and slipping from his horse he
+crept closer to the man, hugging the dense shadows close
+to the trees.
+
+Barney reined in nearer the low wall.  From his saddle he
+could see the grounds beyond through the branches of a
+tree.  As he looked his attention was suddenly riveted upon a
+sight that sent his heart into his throat.
+
+Three men were dragging a struggling, half-naked figure
+down the gravel walk from the sanatorium toward the gate.
+One kept a hand clapped across the mouth of the prisoner,
+who struck and fought his assailants with all the frenzy of
+despair.
+
+Barney leaped from his saddle and ran headlong after
+Butzow.  The lieutenant had reached the gate but an instant
+ahead of him when the trooper, turning suddenly at some
+slight sound of the officer's foot upon the ground, detected
+the man creeping upon him.  In an instant the fellow had
+whipped out a revolver, and raising it fired point-blank at
+Butzow's chest; but in the same instant a figure shot out of
+the shadows beside him, and with the report of the revolver
+a heavy fist caught the trooper on the side of the chin,
+crumpling him to the ground as if he were dead.
+
+The blow had been in time to deflect the muzzle of the
+firearm, and the bullet whistled harmlessly past the lieu-
+tenant.
+
+"Your majesty!" exclaimed Butzow excitedly.  "Go back.
+He might have killed you."
+
+Barney leaped to the other's side and grasping him by the
+shoulders wheeled him about so that he faced the gate.
+
+"There, Butzow," he cried, "there is your king, and from
+the looks of it he never needed a loyal subject more than he
+does this moment.  Come!"  Without waiting to see if the other
+followed him, Barney Custer leaped through the gate full
+in the faces of the astonished trio that was dragging Leopold
+of Lutha from his sanctuary.
+
+At sight of the American the king gave a muffled cry
+of relief, and then Barney was upon those who held him.  A
+stinging uppercut lifted Coblich clear of the ground to drop
+him, dazed and bewildered, at the foot of the monarch he
+had outraged.  Maenck drew a revolver only to have it struck
+from his hand by the sword of Butzow, who had followed
+closely upon the American's heels.
+
+Barney, seizing the king by the arm, started on a run for
+the gateway.  In his wake came Butzow with a drawn sword
+beating back Stein, who was armed with a cavalry saber,
+and Maenck who had now drawn his own sword.
+
+The American saw that the two were pressing Butzow
+much too closely for safety and that Coblich had now re-
+covered from the effects of the blow and was in pursuit,
+drawing his saber as he ran.  Barney thrust the king behind
+him and turned to face the enemy, at Butzow's side.
+
+The three men rushed upon the two who stood between
+them and their prey.  The moonlight was now full in the
+faces of Butzow and the American.  For the first time Maenck
+and the others saw who it was that had interrupted them.
+
+"The impostor!" cried the governor of Blentz.  "The false
+king!"
+
+Imbued with temporary courage by the knowledge that
+his side had the advantage of superior numbers he launched
+himself full upon the American.  To his surprise he met a
+sword-arm that none might have expected in an American,
+for Barney Custer had been a pupil of the redoubtable
+Colonel Monstery, who was, as Barney was wont to say,
+"one of the thanwhomest of fencing masters."
+
+Quickly Maenck fell back to give place to Stein, but not
+before the American's point had found him twice to leave
+him streaming blood from two deep flesh wounds.
+
+Neither of those who fought in the service of the king
+saw the trembling, weak-kneed figure, which had stood be-
+hind them, turn and scurry through the gateway, leaving
+the men who battled for him to their fate.
+
+The trooper whom Barney had felled had regained con-
+sciousness and as he came to his feet rubbing his swollen
+jaw he saw a disheveled, half-dressed figure running toward
+him from the sanatorium grounds.  The fellow was no fool,
+and knowing the purpose of the expedition as he did he
+was quick to jump to the conclusion that this fleeing personi-
+fication of abject terror was Leopold of Lutha; and so it
+was that as the king emerged from the gateway in search
+of freedom he ran straight into the widespread arms of the
+trooper.
+
+Maenck and Coblich had seen the king's break for liberty,
+and the latter maneuvered to get himself between Butzow
+and the open gate that he might follow after the fleeing
+monarch.
+
+At the same instant Maenck, seeing that Stein was being
+worsted by the American, rushed in upon the latter, and
+thus relieved, the rat-faced doctor was enabled to swing a
+heavy cut at Barney which struck him a glancing blow upon
+the head, sending him stunned and bleeding to the sward.
+
+Coblich and the governor of Blentz hastened toward the
+gate, pausing for an instant to overwhelm Butzow.  In the
+fierce scrimmage that followed the lieutenant was over-
+thrown, though not before his sword had passed through
+the heart of the rat-faced one.  Deserting their fallen com-
+rade the two dashed through the gate, where to their im-
+mense relief they found Leopold safe in the hands of the
+trooper.
+
+An instant later the precious trio, with Leopold upon the
+horse of the late Dr. Stein, were galloping swiftly into the
+darkness of the wood that lies at the outskirts of Tafelberg.
+
+When Barney regained consciousness he found himself
+upon a cot within the sanatorium.  Close beside him lay
+Butzow, and above them stood an interne and several
+nurses.  No sooner had the American regained his scattered
+wits than he leaped to the floor.  The interne and the nurses
+tried to force him back upon the cot, thinking that he was in
+the throes of a delirium, and it required his best efforts to
+convince them that he was quite rational.
+
+During the melee Butzow regained consciousness; his
+wound being as superficial as that of the American, the two
+men were soon donning their clothing, and, half-dressed,
+rushing toward the outer gate.
+
+The interne had told them that when he had reached the
+scene of the conflict in company with the gardener he had
+found them and another lying upon the sward.
+
+Their companion, he said, was quite dead.
+
+"That must have been Stein," said Butzow.  "And the
+others had escaped with the king!"
+
+"The king?" cried the interne.
+
+"Yes, the king, man--Leopold of Lutha.  Did you not
+know that he who has lain here for three weeks was the
+king?" replied Butzow.
+
+The interne accompanied them to the gate and beyond,
+but everywhere was silence.  The king was gone.
+
+
+
+
+X
+
+ON THE BATTLEFIELD
+
+ALL THAT night and the following day Barney Custer and
+his aide rode in search of the missing king.
+
+They came to Blentz, and there Butzow rode boldly into
+the great court, admitted by virtue of the fact that the
+guard upon the gate knew him only as an officer of the
+royal guard whom they believed still loyal to Peter of Blentz.
+
+The lieutenant learned that the king was not there, nor
+had he been since his escape.  He also learned that Peter
+was abroad in the lowland recruiting followers to aid him
+forcibly to regain the crown of Lutha.
+
+The lieutenant did not wait to hear more, but, hurrying
+from the castle, rode to Barney where the latter had re-
+mained in hiding in the wood below the moat--the same
+wood through which he had stumbled a few weeks previ-
+ously after his escape from the stagnant waters of the moat.
+
+"The king is not here," said Butzow to him, as soon as the
+former reached his side.  "Peter is recruiting an army to aid
+him in seizing the palace at Lustadt, and king or no king,
+we must ride for the capital in time to check that move.
+Thank God," he added, "that we shall have a king to place
+upon the throne of Lutha at noon tomorrow in spite of all
+that Peter can do."
+
+"What do you mean?" asked Barney.  "Have you any
+clue to the whereabouts of Leopold?"
+
+"I saw the man at Tafelberg whom you say is king,"
+replied Butzow.  "I saw him tremble and whimper in the face
+of danger.  I saw him run when he might have seized some-
+thing, even a stone, and fought at the sides of the men who
+were come to rescue him.  And I saw you there also.
+
+"The truth and the falsity of this whole strange business
+is beyond me, but this I know: if you are not the king today
+I pray God that the other may not find his way to Lustadt
+before noon tomorrow, for by then a brave man will sit
+upon the throne of Lutha, your majesty."
+
+Barney laid his hand upon the shoulder of the other.
+
+"It cannot be, my friend," he said.  "There is more than a
+throne at stake for me, but to win them both I could not
+do the thing you suggest.  If Leopold of Lutha lives he
+must be crowned tomorrow."
+
+"And if he does not live?" asked Butzow.
+
+Barney Custer shrugged his shoulders.
+
+It was dusk when the two entered the palace grounds in
+Lustadt.  The sight of Barney threw the servants and func-
+tionaries of the royal household into wild excitement and
+confusion.  Men ran hither and thither bearing the glad tid-
+ings that the king had returned.
+
+Old von der Tann was announced within ten minutes after
+Barney reached his apartments.  He urged upon the Ameri-
+can the necessity for greater caution in the future.
+
+"Your majesty's life is never safe while Peter of Blentz is
+abroad in Lutha," cried he.
+
+"It was to save your king from Peter that we rode from
+Lustadt last night," replied Barney, but the old prince did
+not catch the double meaning of the words.
+
+While they talked a young officer of cavalry begged an
+audience.  He had important news for the king, he said.
+From him Barney learned that Peter of Blentz had succeeded
+in recruiting a fair-sized army in the lowlands.  Two regi-
+ments of government infantry and a squadron of cavalry
+had united forces with him, for there were those who still
+accepted him as regent, believing his contention that the
+true king was dead, and that he whose coronation was to
+be attempted was but the puppet of old Von der Tann.
+
+The morning of November 5 broke clear and cold.  The
+old town of Lustadt was awakened with a start at daybreak
+by the booming of cannon.  Mounted messengers galloped
+hither and thither through the steep, winding streets.  Troops,
+foot and horse, moved at the double from the barracks
+along the King's Road to the fortifications which guard the
+entrance to the city at the foot of Margaretha Street.
+
+Upon the heights above the town Barney Custer and the
+old Prince von der Tann stood surrounded by officers and
+aides watching the advance of a skirmish line up the slopes
+toward Lustadt.  Behind, the thin line columns of troops
+were marching under cover of two batteries of field artil-
+lery that Peter of Blentz had placed upon a wooden knoll
+to the southeast of the city.
+
+The guns upon the single fort that, overlooking the broad
+valley, guarded the entire southern exposure of the city
+were answering the fire of Prince Peter's artillery, while
+several machine guns had been placed to sweep the slope
+up which the skirmish line was advancing.
+
+The trees that masked the enemy's pieces extended up-
+ward along the ridge and the eastern edge of the city.  Bar-
+ney saw that a force of men might easily reach a command-
+ing position from that direction and enter Lustadt almost in
+rear of the fortifications.  Below him a squadron of the Royal
+Horse were just emerging from their stables, taking their
+way toward the plain to join in a concerted movement
+against the troops that were advancing toward the fort.
+
+He turned to an aide de camp standing just behind him.
+
+"Intercept that squadron and direct the major to move
+due east along the King's Road to the grove," he commanded.
+"We will join him there."
+
+And as the officer spurred down the steep and narrow
+street the American, followed by Von der Tann and his
+staff, wheeled and galloped eastward.
+
+Ten minutes later the party entered the wood at the edge
+of town, where the squadron soon joined them.  Von der
+Tann was mystified at the purpose of this change in the
+position of the general staff, since from the wood they could
+see nothing of the battle waging upon the slope.  During his
+brief intercourse with the man he thought king he had quite
+forgotten that there had been any question as to the young
+man's sanity, for he had given no indication of possessing
+aught but a well-balanced mind.  Now, however, he com-
+menced to have misgivings, if not of his sanity, then as to
+his judgment at least.
+
+"I fear, your majesty," he ventured, "that we are putting
+ourselves too much out of touch with the main body of the
+army.  We can neither see nor accomplish anything from
+this position."
+
+"We were too far away to accomplish much upon the top
+of that mountain," replied Barney, "but we're going to
+commence doing things now.  You will please to ride back
+along the King's Road and take direct command of the
+troops mobilized near the fort.
+
+"Direct the artillery to redouble their fire upon the enemy's
+battery for five minutes, and then to cease firing into the
+wood entirely.  At the same instant you may order a cautious
+advance against the troops advancing up the slope.
+
+"When you see us emerge upon the west side of the
+grove where the enemy's guns are now, you may order a
+charge, and we will take them simultaneously upon their
+right flank with a cavalry charge."
+
+"But, your majesty," exclaimed Von der Tann dubiously,
+"where will you be in the mean time?"
+
+"We shall be with the major's squadron, and when you
+see us emerging from the grove, you will know that we have
+taken Peter's guns and that everything is over except the
+shouting."
+
+"You are not going to accompany the charge!" cried the
+old prince.
+
+"We are going to lead it," and the pseudo-king of Lutha
+wheeled his mount as though to indicate that the time for
+talking was past.
+
+With a signal to the major commanding the squadron of
+Royal Horse, he moved eastward into the wood.  Prince Lud-
+wig hesitated a moment as though to question further the
+wisdom of the move, but finally with a shake of his head he
+trotted off in the direction of the fort.
+
+Five minutes later the enemy were delighted to note that
+the fire upon their concealed battery had suddenly ceased.
+
+Then Peter saw a force of foot-soldiers deploy from the
+city and advance slowly in line of skirmishers down the
+slope to meet his own firing line.
+
+Immediately he did what Barney had expected that he
+would--turned the fire of his artillery toward the south-
+west, directly away from the point from which the Ameri-
+can and the crack squadron were advancing.
+
+So it came that the cavalrymen crept through the woods
+upon the rear of the guns, unseen; the noise of their advance
+was drowned by the detonation of the cannon.
+
+The first that the artillerymen knew of the enemy in their
+rear was a shout of warning from one of the powder-men
+at a caisson, who had caught a glimpse of the grim line ad-
+vancing through the trees at his rear.
+
+Instantly an effort was made to wheel several of the pieces
+about and train them upon the advancing horsemen; but
+even had there been time, a shout that rose from several of
+Peter's artillerymen as the Royal Horse broke into full view
+would doubtless have prevented the maneuver, for at sight
+of the tall, bearded, young man who galloped in front of
+the now charging cavalrymen there rose a shout of "The
+king!  The king!"
+
+With the force of an avalanche the Royal Horse rode
+through those two batteries of field artillery; and in the
+thick of the fight that followed rode the American, a smile
+upon his face, for in his ears rang the wild shouts of his
+troopers: "For the king!  For the king!"
+
+In the moment that the enemy made their first determined
+stand a bullet brought down the great bay upon which
+Barney rode.  A dozen of Peter's men rushed forward to
+seize the man stumbling to his feet.  As many more of the
+Royal Horse closed around him, and there, for five minutes,
+was waged as fierce a battle for possession of a king as was
+ever fought.
+
+But already many of the artillerymen had deserted the
+guns that had not yet been attacked, for the magic name of
+king had turned their blood to water.  Fifty or more raised
+a white flag and surrendered without striking a blow, and
+when, at last, Barney and his little bodyguard fought their
+way through those who surrounded them they found the
+balance of the field already won.
+
+Upon the slope below the city the loyal troops were ad-
+vancing upon the enemy.  Old Prince Ludwig paced back
+and forth behind them, apparently oblivious to the rain of
+bullets about him.  Every moment he turned his eyes toward
+the wooded ridge from which there now belched an almost
+continuous fusillade of shells upon the advancing royalists.
+
+Quite suddenly the cannonading ceased and the old man
+halted in his tracks, his gaze riveted upon the wood.  For
+several minutes he saw no sign of what was transpiring be-
+hind that screen of sere and yellow autumn leaves, and then
+a man came running out, and after him another and an-
+other.
+
+The prince raised his field glasses to his eyes.  He almost
+cried aloud in his relief--the uniforms of the fugitives were
+those of artillerymen, and only cavalry had accompanied the
+king.  A moment later there appeared in the center of his
+lenses a tall figure with a full beard.  He rode, swinging his
+saber above his head, and behind him at full gallop came a
+squadron of the Royal Horse.
+
+Old von der Tann could restrain himself no longer.
+
+"The king!  The king!" he cried to those about him, point-
+ing in the direction of the wood.
+
+The officers gathered there and the soldiery before him
+heard and took up the cry, and then from the old man's
+lips came the command, "Charge!" and a thousand men tore
+down the slopes of Lustadt upon the forces of Peter of
+Blentz, while from the east the king charged their right flank
+at the head of the Royal Horse.
+
+Peter of Blentz saw that the day was lost, for the troops
+upon the right were crumpling before the false king while
+he and his cavalrymen were yet a half mile distant.  Before
+the retreat could become a rout the prince regent ordered
+his forces to fall back slowly upon a suburb that lies in the
+valley below the city.
+
+Once safely there he raised a white flag, asking a confer-
+ence with Prince Ludwig.
+
+"Your majesty," said the old man, "what answer shall we
+send the traitor who even now ignores the presence of his
+king?"
+
+"Treat with him," replied the American.  "He may be hon-
+est enough in his belief that I am an impostor."
+
+Von der Tann shrugged his shoulders, but did as Barney
+bid, and for half an hour the young man waited with Butzow
+while Von der Tann and Peter met halfway between the
+forces for their conference.
+
+A dozen members of the most powerful of the older no-
+bility accompanied Ludwig.  When they returned their faces
+were a picture of puzzled bewilderment.  With them were
+several officers, soldiers and civilians from Peter's contingency.
+
+"What said he?" asked Barney.
+
+"He said, your majesty," replied Von der Tann, "that he
+is confident you are not the king, and that these men he
+has sent with me knew the king well at Blentz.  As proof
+that you are not the king he has offered the evidence of
+your own denials--made not only to his officers and soldiers,
+but to the man who is now your loyal lieutenant, Butzow, and
+to the Princess Emma von der Tann, my daughter.
+
+"He insists that he is fighting for the welfare of Lutha,
+while we are traitors, attempting to seat an impostor upon
+the throne of the dead Leopold.  I will admit that we are at
+a loss, your majesty, to know where lies the truth and where
+the falsity in this matter.
+
+"We seek only to serve our country and our king but
+there are those among us who, to be entirely frank, are not
+yet convinced that you are Leopold.  The result of the con-
+ference may not, then, meet with the hearty approval of
+your majesty."
+
+"What was the result?" asked Barney.
+
+"It was decided that all hostilities cease, and that Prince
+Peter be given an opportunity to establish the validity of
+his claim that your majesty is an impostor.  If he is able to
+do so to the entire satisfaction of a majority of the old no-
+bility, we have agreed to support him in a return to his
+regency."
+
+For a moment there was deep silence.  Many of the nobles
+stood with averted faces and eyes upon the ground.
+
+The American, a half-smile upon his face, turned toward
+the men of Peter who had come to denounce him.  He knew
+what their verdict would be.  He knew that if he were to
+save the throne for Leopold he must hold it at any cost until
+Leopold should be found.
+
+Troopers were scouring the country about Lustadt as far
+as Blentz in search of Maenck and Coblich.  Could they lo-
+cate these two and arrest them "with all found in their
+company," as his order read, he felt sure that he would be
+able to deliver the missing king to his subjects in time for
+the coronation at noon.
+
+Barney looked straight into the eyes of old Von der Tann.
+
+"You have given us the opinion of others, Prince Lud-
+wig," he said.  "Now you may tell us your own views of
+the matter."
+
+"I shall have to abide by the decision of the majority,"
+replied the old man.  "But I have seen your majesty under
+fire, and if you are not the king, for Lutha's sake you ought
+to be."
+
+"He is not Leopold," said one of the officers who had ac-
+companied the prince from Peter's camp.  "I was governor
+of Blentz for three years and as familiar with the king's
+face as with that of my own brother."
+
+"No," cried several of the others, "this man is not the
+king."
+
+Several of the nobles drew away from Barney.  Others
+looked at him questioningly.
+
+Butzow stepped close to his side, and it was noticeable
+that the troopers, and even the officers, of the Royal Horse
+which Barney had led in the charge upon the two batteries
+in the wood, pressed a little closer to the American.  This
+fact did not escape Butzow's notice.
+
+"If you are content to take the word of the servants of a
+traitor and a would-be regicide," he cried, "I am not.  There
+has been no proof advanced that this man is not the king.
+In so far as I am concerned he is the king, nor ever do I
+expect to serve another more worthy of the title.
+
+"If Peter of Blentz has real proof--not the testimony of
+his own faction--that Leopold of Lutha is dead, let him
+bring it forward before noon today, for at noon we shall
+crown a king in the cathedral at Lustadt, and I for one
+pray to God that it may be he who has led us in battle
+today."
+
+A shout of applause rose from the Royal Horse, and from
+the foot-soldiers who had seen the king charge across the
+plain, scattering the enemy before him.
+
+Barney, appreciating the advantage in the sudden turn
+affairs had taken following Butzow's words, swung to his
+saddle.
+
+"Until Peter of Blentz brings to Lustadt one with a better
+claim to the throne," he said, "we shall continue to rule
+Lutha, nor shall other than Leopold be crowned her king.
+We approve of the amnesty you have granted, Prince Lud-
+wig, and Peter of Blentz is free to enter Lustadt, as he will,
+so long as he does not plot against the true king.
+
+"Major," he added, turning to the commander of the
+squadron at his back, "we are returning to the palace.  Your
+squadron will escort us, remaining on guard there about the
+grounds.  Prince Ludwig, you will see that machine guns are
+placed about the palace and commanding the approaches to
+the cathedral."
+
+With a nod to the cavalry major he wheeled his horse
+and trotted up the slope toward Lustadt.
+
+With a grim smile Prince Ludwig von der Tann mounted
+his horse and rode toward the fort.  At his side were several
+of the nobles of Lutha.  They looked at him in astonishment.
+
+"You are doing his bidding, although you do not know
+that he is the true king?" asked one of them.
+
+"Were he an impostor," replied the old man, "he would
+have insisted by word of mouth that he is king.  But not
+once has he said that he is Leopold.  Instead, he has proved
+his kingship by his acts."
+
+
+
+
+XI
+
+A TIMELY INTERVENTION
+
+NINE O'CLOCK found Barney Custer pacing up and down his
+apartments in the palace.  No clue as to the whereabouts of
+Coblich, Maenck or the king had been discovered.  One by
+one his troopers had returned to Butzow empty-handed,
+and as much at a loss as to the hiding-place of their quarry
+as when they had set out upon their search.
+
+Peter of Blentz and his retainers had entered the city and
+already had commenced to gather at the cathedral.
+
+Peter, at the residence of Coblich, had succeeded in
+gathering about him many of the older nobility whom he
+pledged to support him in case he could prove to them that
+the man who occupied the royal palace was not Leopold
+of Lutha.
+
+They agreed to support him in his regency if he produced
+proof that the true Leopold was dead, and Peter of Blentz
+waited with growing anxiety the coming of Coblich with
+word that he had the king in custody.  Peter was staking all
+on a single daring move which he had decided to make in
+his game of intrigue.
+
+As Barney paced within the palace, waiting for word
+that Leopold had been found, Peter of Blentz was filled with
+equal apprehension as he, too, waited for the same tidings.
+At last he heard the pound of hoofs upon the pavement
+without and a moment later Coblich, his clothing streaked
+with dirt, blood caked upon his face from a wound across
+the forehead, rushed in to the presence of the prince regent.
+
+Peter drew him hurriedly into a small study on the first
+floor.
+
+"Well?" he whispered, as the two faced each other.
+
+"We have him," replied Coblich.  But we had the devil's
+own time getting him.  Stein was killed and Maenck and I
+both wounded, and all morning we have spent the time
+hiding from troopers who seemed to be searching for us.
+Only fifteen minutes since did we reach the hiding-place
+that you instructed us to use.  But we have him, your high-
+ness, and he is in such a state of cowardly terror that he is
+ready to agree to anything, if you will but spare his life
+and set him free across the border."
+
+"It is too late for that now, Coblich," replied Peter.
+"There is but one way that Leopold of Lutha can serve
+me now, and that is--dead.  Were his corpse to be carried
+into the cathedral of Lustadt before noon today, and were
+those who fetched it to swear that the king was killed by
+the impostor after being dragged from the hospital at Tafel-
+berg where you and Maenck had located him, and from
+which you were attempting to rescue him, I believe that the
+people would tear our enemies to pieces.  What say you,
+Coblich?"
+
+The other stared at Peter of Blentz for several seconds
+while the atrocity of his chief's plan filtered through his
+brain.
+
+"My God!" he exclaimed at last.  "You mean that you
+wish me to murder Leopold with my own hands?"
+
+"You put it too crudely, my dear Coblich," replied the
+other.
+
+"I cannot do it," muttered Coblich.  "I have never killed a
+man in my life.  I am getting old.  No, I could never do it.
+I should not sleep nights."
+
+"If it is not done, Coblich, and Leopold comes into his
+own," said Peter slowly, "you will be caught and hanged
+higher than Haman.  And if you do not do it, and the im-
+poster is crowned today, then you will be either hanged
+officially or knifed unofficially, and without any choice in
+the matter whatsoever.  Nothing, Coblich, but the dead body
+of the true Leopold can save your neck.  You have your
+choice, therefore, of letting him live to prove your treason,
+or letting him die and becoming chancellor of Lutha."
+
+Slowly Coblich turned toward the door.  "You are right,"
+he said, "but may God have mercy on my soul.  I never
+thought that I should have to do it with my own hands."
+
+So saying he left the room and a moment later Peter of
+Blentz smiled as he heard the pounding of a horse's hoofs
+upon the pavement without.
+
+Then the Regent entered the room he had recently quitted
+and spoke to the nobles of Lutha who were gathered there.
+
+"Coblich has found the body of the murdered king," he
+said.  "I have directed him to bring it to the cathedral.  He
+came upon the impostor and his confederate, Lieutenant
+Butzow, as they were bearing the corpse from the hospital
+at Tafelberg where the king has lain unknown since the
+rumor was spread by Von der Tann that he had been killed
+by bandits.
+
+"He was not killed until last evening, my lords, and you
+shall see today the fresh wounds upon him.  When the time
+comes that we can present this grisly evidence of the guilt
+of the impostor and those who uphold him, I shall expect
+you all to stand at my side, as you have promised."
+
+With one accord the noblemen pledged anew their alle-
+giance to Peter of Blentz if he could produce one-quarter of
+the evidence he claimed to possess.
+
+"All that we wish to know positively is," said one, "that
+the man who bears the title of king today is really Leopold
+of Lutha, or that he is not.  If not then he stands convicted
+of treason, and we shall know how to conduct ourselves."
+
+Together the party rode to the cathedral, the majority of
+the older nobility now openly espousing the cause of the
+Regent.
+
+
+At the palace Barney was about distracted.  Butzow was
+urging him to take the crown whether he was Leopold or
+not, for the young lieutenant saw no hope for Lutha, if
+either the scoundrelly Regent or the cowardly man whom
+Barney had assured him was the true king should come into
+power.
+
+It was eleven o'clock.  In another hour Barney knew that
+he must have found some new solution of his dilemma, for
+there seemed little probability that the king would be lo-
+cated in the brief interval that remained before the corona-
+tion.  He wondered what they did to people who stole thrones.
+For a time he figured his chances of reaching the border
+ahead of the enraged populace.  All had depended upon the
+finding of the king, and he had been so sure that it could
+be accomplished in time, for Coblich and Maenck had had
+but a few hours in which to conceal the monarch before
+the search was well under way.
+
+Armed with the king's warrants, his troopers had ridden
+through the country, searching houses, and questioning all
+whom they met.  Patrols had guarded every road that the
+fugitives might take either to Lustadt, Blentz, or the border;
+but no king had been found and no trace of his abductors.
+
+Prince von der Tann, Barney was convinced, was on the
+point of deserting him, and going over to the other side.  It
+was true that the old man had carried out his instructions
+relative to the placing of the machine guns; but they might
+be used as well against him, where they stood, as for him.
+
+From his window he could see the broad avenue which
+passes before the royal palace of Lutha.  It was crowded
+with throngs moving toward the cathedral.  Presently there
+came a knock upon the closed door of his chamber.
+
+At his "Enter" a functionary announced: "His Royal High-
+ness Ludwig, Prince von der Tann!"
+
+The old man was much perturbed at the rumors he had
+heard relative to the assassination of the true Leopold.
+Soldier-like, he blurted out his suspicions and his ultimatum.
+
+"None but the royal blood of Rubinroth may reign in
+Lutha while there be a Rubinroth left to reign and old Von
+der Tann lives," he cried in conclusion.
+
+At the name "Rubinroth" Barney started.  It was his
+mother's name.  Suddenly the truth flashed upon him.  He
+understood now the reticence of both his father and mother
+relative to her early life.
+
+"Prince Ludwig," said the young man earnestly, "I have
+only the good of Lutha in my heart.  For three weeks I have
+labored and risked death a hundred times to place the
+legitimate heir to the crown of Lutha upon his throne.  I--"
+
+He hesitated, not knowing just how to commence the
+confession he was determined to make, though he was posi-
+tive that it would place Peter of Blentz upon the throne,
+since the old prince had promised to support the Regent
+could it be proved that Barney was an impostor.
+
+"I," he started again, and then there came an interruption
+at the door.
+
+"A messenger, your majesty," announced the doorman,
+"who says that he must have audience at once upon a mat-
+ter of life and death to the king."
+
+"We will see him in the ante-chamber," replied Barney,
+moving toward the door.  "Await us here, Prince Ludwig."
+
+A moment later he re-entered the apartment.  There was
+an expression of renewed hope upon his face.
+
+"As we were about to remark, my dear prince," he said,
+"I swear that the royal blood of the Rubinroths flows in my
+veins, and as God is my judge, none other than the true
+Leopold of Lutha shall be crowned today.  And now we
+must prepare for the coronation.  If there be trouble in the
+cathedral, Prince Ludwig, we look to your sword in pro-
+tection of the king."
+
+"When I am with you, sire," said Von der Tann, "I know
+that you are king.  When I saw how you led the troops in
+battle, I prayed that there could be no mistake.  God give
+that I am right.  But God help you if you are playing with
+old Ludwig von der Tann."
+
+When the old man had left the apartment Barney sum-
+moned an aide and sent for Butzow.  Then he hurried to the
+bath that adjoined the apartment, and when the lieutenant
+of horse was announced Barney called through a soapy
+lather for his confederate to enter.
+
+"What are you doing, sire?" cried Butzow in amazement.
+
+"Cut out the 'sire,' old man," shouted Barney Custer of
+Beatrice.  "this is the fifth of November and I am shaving
+off this alfalfa.  The king is found!"
+
+"What?" cried Butzow, and upon his face there was little
+to indicate the rejoicing that a loyal subject of Leopold of
+Lutha should have felt at that announcement.
+
+"There is a man in the next room," went on Barney, "who
+can lead us to the spot where Coblich and Maenck guard
+the king.  Get him in here."
+
+Butzow hastened to comply with the American's instruc-
+tions, and a moment later returned to the apartment with
+the old shopkeeper of Tafelberg.
+
+As Barney shaved he issued directions to the two.  Within
+the room to the east, he said, there were the king's corona-
+tion robes, and in a smaller dressingroom beyond they would
+find a long gray cloak.
+
+They were to wrap all these in a bundle which the old
+shopkeeper was to carry.
+
+"And, Butzow," added Barney, "look to my revolvers and
+your own, and lay my sword out as well.  The chances are
+that we shall have to use them before we are ten minutes
+older."
+
+In an incredibly short space of time the young man
+emerged from the bath, his luxuriant beard gone forever,
+he hoped.  Butzow looked at him with a smile.
+
+"I must say that the beard did not add greatly to your
+majesty's good looks," he said.
+
+"Never mind the bouquets, old man," cried Barney, cram-
+ming his arms into the sleeves of his khaki jacket and buck-
+ling sword and revolver about him, as he hurried toward a
+small door that opened upon the opposite side of the apart-
+ment to that through which his visitors had been conducted.
+
+Together the three hastened through a narrow, little-used
+corridor and down a flight of well-worn stone steps to a door
+that let upon the rear court of the palace.
+
+There were grooms and servants there, and soldiers too,
+who saluted Butzow, according the old shopkeeper and
+the smooth-faced young stranger only cursory glances.  It
+was evident that without his beard it was not likely that
+Barney would be again mistaken for the king.
+
+At the stables Butzow requisitioned three horses, and soon
+the trio was galloping through a little-frequented street
+toward the northern, hilly environs of Lustadt.  They rode
+in silence until they came to an old stone building, whose
+boarded windows and general appearance of dilapidation
+proclaimed its long tenantless condition.  Rank weeds, now
+rustling dry and yellow in the November wind, choked
+what once might have been a luxuriant garden.  A stone
+wall, which had at one time entirely surrounded the grounds,
+had been almost completely removed from the front to serve
+as foundation stone for a smaller edifice farther down the
+mountainside.
+
+The horsemen avoided this break in the wall, coming up
+instead upon the rear side where their approach was wholly
+screened from the building by the wall upon that exposure.
+
+Close in they dismounted, and leaving the animals in
+charge of the shopkeeper of Tafelberg, Barney and Butzow
+hastened toward a small postern-gate which swung, groan-
+ing, upon a single rusted hinge.  Each felt that there was no
+time for caution or stratagem.  Instead all depended upon
+the very boldness and rashness of their attack, and so as
+they came through into the courtyard the two dashed
+headlong for the building.
+
+Chance accomplished for them what no amount of careful
+execution might have done, and they came within the ruin
+unnoticed by the four who occupied the old, darkened
+library.
+
+Possibly the fact that one of the men had himself just
+entered and was excitedly talking to the others may have
+drowned the noisy approach of the two.  However that may
+be, it is a fact that Barney and the cavalry officer came to
+the very door of the library unheard.
+
+There they halted, listening.  Coblich was speaking.
+
+"The Regent commands it, Maenck," he was saying.  "It is
+the only thing that can save our necks.  He said that you had
+better be the one to do it, since it was your carelessness that
+permitted the fellow to escape from Blentz."
+
+Huddled in a far corner of the room was an abject figure
+trembling in terror.  At the words of Coblich it staggered to
+its feet.  It was the king.
+
+"Have pity--have pity!" he cried.  "Do not kill me, and I
+will go away where none will ever know that I live.  You can
+tell Peter that I am dead.  Tell him anything, only spare my
+life.  Oh, why did I ever listen to the cursed fool who
+tempted me to think of regaining the crown that has brought
+me only misery and suffering--the crown that has now
+placed the sentence of death upon me."
+
+"Why not let him go?" suggested the trooper, who up to
+this time had not spoken.  "If we don't kill him, we can't be
+hanged for his murder."
+
+"Don't be too sure of that," exclaimed Maenck.  "If he
+goes away and never returns, what proof can we offer that
+we did not kill him, should we be charged with the crime?
+And if we let him go, and later he returns and gains his
+throne, he will see that we are hanged anyway for treason.
+
+"The safest thing to do is to put him where he at least
+cannot come back to threaten us, and having done so upon
+the orders of Peter, let the king's blood be upon Peter's
+head.  I, at least, shall obey my master, and let you two bear
+witness that I did the thing with my own hand."  So saying
+he drew his sword and crossed toward the king.
+
+But Captain Ernst Maenck never reached his sovereign.
+
+As the terrified shriek of the sorry monarch rang through
+the interior of the desolate ruin another sound mingled with
+it, half-drowning the piercing wail of terror.
+
+It was the sharp crack of a revolver, and even as it spoke
+Maenck lunged awkwardly forward, stumbled, and collapsed
+at Leopold's feet.  With a moan the king shrank back from
+the grisly thing that touched his boot, and then two men
+were in the center of the room, and things were happening
+with a rapidity that was bewildering.
+
+About all that he could afterward recall with any distinct-
+ness was the terrified face of Coblich, as he rushed past him
+toward a door in the opposite side of the room, and the
+horrid leer upon the face of the dead trooper, who foolishly,
+had made a move to draw his revolver.
+
+
+Within the cathedral at Lustadt excitement was at fever
+heat.  It lacked but two minutes of noon, and as yet no king
+had come to claim the crown.  Rumors were running riot
+through the close-packed audience.
+
+One man had heard the king's chamberlain report to Prince
+von der Tann that the master of ceremonies had found the
+king's apartments vacant when he had gone to urge the
+monarch to hasten his preparations for the coronation.
+
+Another had seen Butzow and two strangers galloping
+north through the city.  A third told of a little old man who
+had come to the king with an urgent message.
+
+Peter of Blentz and Prince Ludwig were talking in whis-
+pers at the foot of the chancel steps.  Peter ascended the
+steps and facing the assemblage raised a silencing hand.
+
+"He who claimed to be Leopold of Lutha," he said, "was
+but a mad adventurer.  He would have seized the throne of
+the Rubinroths had his nerve not failed him at the last mo-
+ment.  He has fled.  The true king is dead.  Now I, Prince
+Regent of Lutha, declare the throne vacant, and announce
+myself king!"
+
+There were a few scattered cheers and some hissing.  A
+score of the nobles rose as though to protest, but before any
+could take a step the attention of all was directed toward
+the sorry figure of a white-faced man who scurried up the
+broad center aisle.
+
+It was Coblich.
+
+He ran to Peter's side, and though he attempted to speak
+in a whisper, so out of breath, and so filled with hysterical
+terror was he that his words came out in gasps that were
+audible to many of those who stood near by.
+
+"Maenck is dead," he cried.  "The impostor has stolen the
+king."
+
+Peter of Blentz went white as his lieutenant.  Von der Tann
+heard and demanded an explanation.
+
+"You said that Leopold was dead," he said accusingly.
+
+Peter regained his self-control quickly.
+
+"Coblich is excited," he explained.  "He means that the
+impostor has stolen the body of the king that Coblich and
+Maenck had discovered and were bring to Lustadt."
+
+Von der Tann looked troubled.
+
+He knew not what to make of the series of wild tales that
+had come to his ears within the past hour.  He had hoped
+that the young man whom he had last seen in the king's
+apartments was the true Leopold.  He would have been glad
+to have served such a one, but there had been many in-
+explicable occurrences which tended to cast a doubt upon
+the man's claims--and yet, had he ever claimed to be the
+king?  It suddenly occurred to the old prince that he had
+not.  On the contrary he had repeatedly stated to Prince
+Ludwig's daughter and to Lieutenant Butzow that he was
+not Leopold.
+
+It seemed that they had all been so anxious to believe
+him king that they had forced the false position upon him,
+and now if he had indeed committed the atrocity that
+Coblich charged against him, who could wonder?  With less
+provocation men had before attempted to seize thrones by
+more dastardly means.
+
+Peter of Blentz was speaking.
+
+"Let the coronation proceed," he cried, "that Lutha may
+have a true king to frustrate the plans of the impostor and
+the traitors who had supported him."
+
+He cast a meaning glance at Prince von der Tann.
+
+There were many cries for Peter of Blentz.  "Let's have
+done with treason, and place upon the throne of Lutha
+one whom we know to be both a Luthanian and sane.
+Down with the mad king!  Down with the impostor!"
+
+Peter turned to ascend the chancel steps.
+
+Von der Tann still hesitated.  Below him upon one side of
+the aisle were massed his own retainers.  Opposite them were
+the men of the Regent, and dividing the two the parallel
+ranks of Horse Guards stretched from the chancel down
+the broad aisle to the great doors.  These were strongly for
+the impostor, if impostor he was, who had led them to
+victory over the men of the Blentz faction.
+
+Von der Tann knew that they would fight to the last ditch
+for their hero should he come to claim the crown.  Yet how
+would they fight--to which side would they cleave, were
+he to attempt to frustrate the design of the Regent to seize
+the throne of Lutha?
+
+Already Peter of Blentz had approached the bishop, who,
+eager to propitiate whoever seemed most likely to become
+king, gave the signal for the procession that was to mark
+the solemn bearing of the crown of Lutha up the aisle to
+the chancel.
+
+Outside the cathedral there was the sudden blare of
+trumpets.  The great doors swung violently open, and the
+entire throng were upon their feet in an instant as a trooper
+of the Royal Horse shouted: "The king!  The king!  Make
+way for Leopold of Lutha!"
+
+
+
+
+XII
+
+THE GRATITUDE OF A KING
+
+AT THE CRY silence fell upon the throng.  Every head was
+turned toward the great doors through which the head of a
+procession was just visible.  It was a grim looking procession
+--the head of it, at least.
+
+There were four khaki-clad trumpeters from the Royal
+Horse Guards, the gay and resplendent uniforms which they
+should have donned today conspicuous for their absence.
+From their brazen bugles sounded another loud fanfare, and
+then they separated, two upon each side of the aisle, and
+between them marched three men.
+
+One was tall, with gray eyes and had a reddish-brown
+beard.  He was fully clothed in the coronation robes of Leo-
+pold.  Upon his either hand walked the others--Lieutenant
+Butzow and a gray-eyed, smooth-faced, square-jawed stran-
+ger.
+
+Behind them marched the balance of the Royal Horse
+Guards that were not already on duty within the cathedral.
+As the eyes of the multitude fell upon the man in the
+coronation robes there were cries of: "The king!  Impostor!"
+and "Von der Tann's puppet!"
+
+"Denounce him!" whispered one of Peter's henchmen in
+his master's ear.
+
+The Regent moved closer to the aisle, that he might meet
+the impostor at the foot of the chancel steps.  The pro-
+cession was moving steadily up the aisle.
+
+Among the clan of Von der Tann a young girl with wide
+eyes was bending forward that she might have a better
+look at the face of the king.  As he came opposite her her
+eyes filled with horror, and then she saw the eyes of the
+smooth-faced stranger at the king's side.  They were brave,
+laughing eyes, and as they looked straight into her own the
+truth flashed upon her, and the girl gave a gasp of dismay
+as she realized that the king of Lutha and the king of her
+heart were not one and the same.
+
+At last the head of the procession was almost at the foot
+of the chancel steps.  There were murmurs of: "It is not
+the king," and "Who is this new impostor?"
+
+Leopold's eyes were searching the faces of the close-
+packed nobility about the chancel.  At last they fell upon
+the face of Peter.  The young man halted not two paces
+from the Regent.  The man went white as the king's eyes
+bored straight into his miserable soul.
+
+"Peter of Blentz," cried the young man, "as God is your
+judge, tell the truth today.  Who am I?"
+
+The legs of the Prince Regent trembled.  He sank upon
+his knees, raising his hands in supplication toward the other.
+"Have pity on me, your majesty, have pity!" he cried.
+
+"Who am I, man?" insisted the king.
+
+"You are Leopold Rubinroth, sire, by the grace of God,
+king of Lutha," cried the frightened man.  "Have mercy on
+an old man, your majesty."
+
+"Wait!  Am I mad?  Was I ever mad?"
+
+"As God is my judge, sire, no!" replied Peter of Blentz.
+
+Leopold turned to Butzow.
+
+"Remove the traitor from our presence," he commanded,
+and at a word from the lieutenant a dozen guardsmen
+seized the trembling man and hustled him from the cathedral
+amid hisses and execrations.
+
+
+Following the coronation the king was closeted in his
+private audience chamber in the palace with Prince Lud-
+wig.
+
+"I cannot understand what has happened, even now, your
+majesty," the old man was saying.  "That you are the true
+Leopold is all that I am positive of, for the discomfiture
+of Prince Peter evidenced that fact all too plainly.  But who
+the impostor was who ruled Lutha in your name for two
+days, disappearing as miraculously as he came, I cannot
+guess.
+
+"But for another miracle which preserved you for us in
+the nick of time he might now be wearing the crown of
+Lutha in your stead.  Having Peter of Blentz safely in cus-
+tody our next immediate task should be to hunt down the
+impostor and bring him to justice also; though"--and the
+old prince sighed--"he was indeed a brave man, and a
+noble figure of a king as he led your troops to battle."
+
+The king had been smiling as Von der Tann first spoke of
+the "impostor," but at the old man's praise of the other's
+bravery a slight flush tinged his cheek, and the shadow of
+a scowl crossed his brow.
+
+"Wait," he said, "we shall not have to look far for your
+'impostor,'" and summoning an aide he dispatched him for
+"Lieutenant Butzow and Mr. Custer."
+
+A moment later the two entered the audience chamber.
+Barney found that Leopold the king, surrounded by com-
+forts and safety, was a very different person from Leopold
+the fugitive.  The weak face now wore an expression of ar-
+rogance, though the king spoke most graciously to the
+American.
+
+"Here, Von der Tann," said Leopold, "is your 'impostor.'
+But for him I should doubtless be dead by now, or once
+again a prisoner at Blentz."
+
+Barney and Butzow found it necessary to repeat their
+stories several times before the old man could fully grasp
+all that had transpired beneath his very nose without his
+being aware of scarce a single detail of it.
+
+When he was finally convinced that they were telling the
+truth, he extended his hand to the American.
+
+"I knelt to you once, young man," he said, "and kissed
+your hand.  I should be filled with bitterness and rage to-
+ward you.  On the contrary, I find that I am proud to have
+served in the retinue of such an impostor as you, for you
+upheld the prestige of the house of Rubinroth upon the
+battlefield, and though you might have had a crown, you
+refused it and brought the true king into his own."
+
+Leopold sat tapping his foot upon the carpet.  It was all
+very well if he, the king, chose to praise the American, but
+there was no need for old von der Tann to slop over so.
+The king did not like it.  As a matter of fact, he found him-
+self becoming very jealous of the man who had placed him
+upon his throne.
+
+"There is only one thing that I can harbor against you,"
+continued Prince Ludwig, "and that is that in a single in-
+stance you deceived me, for an hour before the coronation
+you told me that you were a Rubinroth."
+
+"I told you, prince," corrected Barney, "that the royal
+blood of Rubinroth flowed in my veins, and so it does.  I
+am the son of the runaway Princess Victoria of Lutha."
+
+Both Leopold and Ludwig looked their surprise, and to
+the king's eyes came a sudden look of fear.  With the royal
+blood in his veins, what was there to prevent this popular
+hero from some day striving for the throne he had once re-
+fused?  Leopold knew that the minds of men were wont to
+change most unaccountably.
+
+"Butzow," he said suddenly to the lieutenant of horse,
+"how many do you imagine know positively that he who
+has ruled Lutha for the past two days and he who was
+crowned in the cathedral this noon are not one and the
+same?"
+
+"Only a few besides those who are in this room, your
+majesty," replied Butzow.  "Peter and Coblich have known
+it from the first, and then there is Kramer, the loyal old
+shopkeeper of Tafelberg, who followed Coblich and Maenck
+all night and half a day as they dragged the king to the
+hiding-place where we found him.  Other than these there
+may be those who guess the truth, but there are none who
+know."
+
+For a moment the king sat in thought.  Then he rose and
+commenced packing back and forth the length of the apart-
+ment.
+
+"Why should they ever know?" he said at last, halting
+before the three men who had been standing watching him.
+"For the sake of Lutha they should never know that an-
+other than the true king sat upon the throne even for an
+hour."
+
+He was thinking of the comparison that might be drawn
+between the heroic figure of the American and his own
+colorless part in the events which had led up to his corona-
+tion.  In his heart of hearts he felt that old Von der Tann
+rather regretted that the American had not been the king,
+and he hated the old man accordingly, and was commenc-
+ing to hate the American as well.
+
+Prince Ludwig stood looking at the carpet after the king
+had spoken.  His judgment told him that the king's sug-
+gestion was a wise one; but he was sorry and ashamed that
+it had come from Leopold.  Butzow's lips almost showed
+the contempt that he felt for the ingratitude of his king.
+
+Barney Custer was the first to speak.
+
+"I think his majesty is quite right," he said, "and tonight
+I can leave the palace after dark and cross the border some
+time tomorrow evening.  The people need never know the
+truth."
+
+Leopold looked relieved.
+
+"We must reward you, Mr. Custer," he said.  "Name that
+which it lies within our power to grant you and it shall
+be yours."
+
+Barney thought of the girl he loved; but he did not men-
+tion her name, for he knew that she was not for him now.
+
+"There is nothing, your majesty," he said.
+
+"A money reward," Leopold started to suggest, and then
+Barney Custer lost his temper.
+
+A flush mounted to his face, his chin went up, and there
+came to his lips bitter words of sarcasm.  With an effort,
+however, he held his tongue, and, turning his back upon
+the king, his broad shoulders proclaiming the contempt he
+felt, he walked slowly out of the room.
+
+Von der Tann and Butzow and Leopold of Lutha stood
+in silence as the American passed out of sight beyond the
+portal.
+
+The manner of his going had been an affront to the king,
+and the young ruler had gone red with anger.
+
+"Butzow," he cried, "bring the fellow back; he shall be
+taught a lesson in the deference that is due kings."
+
+Butzow hesitated.  "He has risked his life a dozen times
+for your majesty," said the lieutenant.
+
+Leopold flushed.
+
+"Do not humiliate him, sire," advised Von der Tann.  "He
+has earned a greater reward at your hands than that."
+
+The king resumed his pacing for a moment, coming to a
+halt once more before the two.
+
+"We shall take no notice of his insolence," he said, "and
+that shall be our royal reward for his services.  More than he
+deserves, we dare say, at that."
+
+As Barney hastened through the palace on his way to his
+new quarters to obtain his arms and order his horse sad-
+dled, he came suddenly upon a girlish figure gazing sadly
+from a window upon the drear November world--her heart
+as sad as the day.
+
+At the sound of his footstep she turned, and as her eyes
+met the gray ones of the man she stood poised as though
+of half a mind to fly.  For a moment neither spoke.
+
+"Can your highness forgive?" he asked.
+
+For answer the girl buried her face in her hands and
+dropped upon the cushioned window seat before her.  The
+American came close and knelt at her side.
+
+"Don't," he begged as he saw her shoulders rise to the
+sudden sobbing that racked her slender frame.  "Don't!"
+
+He thought that she wept from mortification that she had
+given her kisses to another than the king.
+
+"None knows," he continued, "what has passed between
+us.  None but you and I need ever know.  I tried to make
+you understand that I was not Leopold; but you would
+not believe.  It is not my fault that I loved you.  It is not
+my fault that I shall always love you.  Tell me that you for-
+give me my part in the chain of strange circumstances that
+deceived you into an acknowledgment of a love that you
+intended for another.  Forgive me, Emma!"
+
+Down the corridor behind them a tall figure approached
+on silent, noiseless feet.  At sight of the two at the window
+seat it halted.  It was the king.
+
+The girl looked up suddenly into the eyes of the Ameri-
+can bending so close above her.
+
+"I can never forgive you," she cried, "for not being the
+king, for I am betrothed to him--and I love you!"
+
+Before she could prevent him, Barney Custer had taken
+her in his arms, and though at first she made a pretense of
+attempting to escape, at last she lay quite still.  Her arms
+found their way about the man's neck, and her lips returned
+the kisses that his were showering upon her upturned mouth.
+
+Presently her glance wandered above the shoulder of the
+American, and of a sudden her eyes filled with terror, and,
+with a little gasp of consternation, she struggled to free her-
+self.
+
+"Let me go!" she whispered.  "Let me go--the king!"
+
+Barney sprang to his feet and, turning, faced Leopold.
+The king had gone quite white.
+
+"Failing to rob me of my crown," he cried in a trembling
+voice, "you now seek to rob me of my betrothed!  Go to
+your father at once, and as for you--you shall learn what
+it means for you thus to meddle in the affairs of kings."
+
+Barney saw the terrible position in which his love had
+placed the Princess Emma.  His only thought now was for
+her.  Bowing low before her he spoke so that the king might
+hear, yet as though his words were for her ears alone.
+
+"Your highness knows the truth, now," he said, "and that
+after all I am not the king.  I can only ask that you will
+forgive me the deception.  Now go to your father as the
+king commands."
+
+Slowly the girl turned away.  Her heart was torn between
+love for this man, and her duty toward the other to whom
+she had been betrothed in childhood.  The hereditary in-
+stinct of obedience to her sovereign was strong within her,
+and the bonds of custom and society held her in their re-
+lentless shackles.  With a sob she passed up the corridor,
+curtsying to the king as she passed him.
+
+When she had gone Leopold turned to the American.
+There was an evil look in the little gray eyes of the monarch.
+
+"You may go your way," he said coldly.  "We shall give
+you forty-eight hours to leave Lutha.  Should you ever re-
+turn your life shall be the forfeit."
+
+The American kept back the hot words that were ready
+upon the end of his tongue.  For her sake he must bow to
+fate.  With a slight inclination of his head toward Leopold
+he wheeled and resumed his way toward his quarters.
+
+Half an hour later as he was about to descend to the
+courtyard where a trooper of the Royal Horse held his
+waiting mount, Butzow burst suddenly into his room.
+
+"For God's sake," cried the lieutenant, "get out of this.
+The king has changed his mind, and there is an officer of the
+guard on his way here now with a file of soldiers to place
+you under arrest.  Leopold swears that he will hang you for
+treason.  Princess Emma has spurned him, and he is wild
+with rage."
+
+The dismal November twilight had given place to bleak
+night as two men cantered from the palace courtyard and
+turned their horses' heads northward toward Lutha's nearest
+boundary.  All night they rode, stopping at daylight before a
+distant farm to feed and water their mounts and snatch a
+mouthful for themselves.  Then onward once again they
+pressed in their mad flight.
+
+Now that day had come they caught occasional glimpses
+of a body of horsemen far behind them, but the border was
+near, and their start such that there was no danger of their
+being overtaken.
+
+"For the thousandth time, Butzow," said one of the men,
+"will you turn back before it is too late?"
+
+But the other only shook his head obstinately, and so
+they came to the great granite monument which marks the
+boundary between Lutha and her powerful neighbor upon
+the north.
+
+Barney held out his hand.  "Good-bye, old man," he said.
+"If I've learned the ingratitude of kings here in Lutha, I
+have found something that more than compensates me--
+the friendship of a brave man.  Now hurry back and tell them
+that I escaped across the border just as I was about to fall
+into your hands and they will think that you have been
+pursuing me instead of aiding in my escape across the
+border."
+
+But again Butzow shook his head.
+
+"I have fought shoulder to shoulder with you, my friend,"
+he said.  "I have called you king, and after that I could
+never serve the coward who sits now upon the throne of
+Lutha.  I have made up my mind during this long ride from
+Lustadt, and I have come to the decision that I should pre-
+fer to raise corn in Nebraska with you rather than serve in
+the court of an ingrate."
+
+"Well, you are an obstinate Dutchman, after all," replied
+the American with a smile, placing his hand affectionately
+upon the shoulder of his comrade.
+
+There was a clatter of horses' hoofs upon the gravel of
+the road behind them.
+
+The two men put spurs to their mounts, and Barney
+Custer galloped across the northern boundary of Lutha just
+ahead of a troop of Luthanian cavalry, as had his father
+thirty years before; but a royal princess had accompanied
+the father--only a soldier accompanied the son.
+
+
+
+
+
+PART II
+
+
+I
+
+BARNEY RETURNS TO LUTHA
+
+"WHAT'S THE MATTER, Vic?" asked Barney Custer of his
+sister.  "You look peeved."
+
+"I am peeved," replied the girl, smiling.  "I am terribly
+peeved.  I don't want to play bridge this afternoon.  I want
+to go motoring with Lieutenant Butzow.  This is his last
+day with us."
+
+"Yes.  I know it is, and I hate to think of it," replied
+Barney; "but why in the world do you have to play bridge
+if you don't want to?"
+
+"I promised Margaret that I'd go.  They're short one, and
+she's coming after me in her car."
+
+"Where are you going to play--at the champion lady
+bridge player's on Fourth Street?" asked Barney, grinning.
+
+His sister answered with a nod and a smile.  "Where you
+brought down the wrath of the lady champion upon your
+head the other night when you were letting your mind
+wander across to Lutha and the Old Forest, instead of
+paying attention to the game," she added.
+
+"Well, cheer up, Vic," cried her brother.  "Bert'll probably
+set fire to the car, the way he did to their first one, and
+then you won't have to go."
+
+"Oh, yes, I would; Margaret would send him after me
+in that awful-looking, unwashed Ford runabout of his," an-
+swered the girl.
+
+"And then you WOULD go," said Barney.
+
+"You bet I would," laughed Victoria.  "I'd go in a wheel-
+barrow with Bert."
+
+But she didn't have to; and after she had driven off with
+her chum, Barney and Butzow strolled down through the
+little city of Beatrice to the corn mill in which the former
+was interested.
+
+"I'm mighty sorry that you have to leave us, Butzow,"
+said Barney's partner.  "It's bad enough to lose you, but I'm
+afraid it will mean the loss of Barney, too.  He's been hunt-
+ing for some excuse to get back to Lutha, and with you
+there and a war in sight I'm afraid nothing can hold him."
+
+"I don't know but that it may be just as well for my
+friends here that I leave," said Butzow seriously.  "I did not
+tell you, Barney, all there is in this letter"--he tapped his
+breastpocket, where the foreign-looking envelope reposed
+with its contents.
+
+Custer looked at him inquiringly.
+
+"Besides saying that war between Austria and Serbia
+seems unavoidable and that Lutha doubtless will be drawn
+into it, my informant warns me that Leopold had sent
+emissaries to America to search for you, Barney, and my-
+self.  What his purpose may be my friend does not know,
+but he warns us to be upon our guard.  Von der Tann wants
+me to return to Lutha.  He has promised to protect me,
+and with the country in danger there is nothing else for
+me to do.  I must go."
+
+"I wish I could go with you," said Barney.  "If it wasn't
+for this dinged old mill I would; but Bert wants to go
+away this summer, and as I have been away most of the
+time for the past two years, it's up to me to stay."
+
+As the three men talked the afternoon wore on.  Heavy
+clouds gathered in the sky; a storm was brewing.  Outside, a
+man, skulking behind a box car on the siding, watched the
+entrance through which the three had gone.  He watched
+the workmen, and as quitting time came and he saw them
+leaving for their homes he moved more restlessly, trans-
+ferring the package which he held from one hand to an-
+other many times, yet always gingerly.
+
+At last all had left.  The man started from behind the box
+car, only to jump back as the watchman appeared around
+the end of one of the buildings.  He watched the guardian
+of the property make his rounds; he saw him enter his of-
+fice, and then he crept forward toward the building, hold-
+ing his queer package in his right hand.
+
+In the office the watchman came upon the three friends.
+At sight of him they looked at one another in surprise.
+
+"Why, what time is it?" exclaimed Custer, and as he
+looked at his watch he rose with a laugh.  "Late to dinner
+again," he cried.  "Come on, we'll go out this other way."
+And with a cheery good night to the watchman Barney
+and his friends hastened from the building.
+
+Upon the opposite side the stranger approached the door-
+way to the mill.  The rain was falling in blinding sheets.
+Ominously the thunder roared.  Vivid flashes of lightning
+shot the heavens.  The watchman, coming suddenly from
+the doorway, his hat brim pulled low over his eyes, passed
+within a couple of paces of the stranger without seeing him.
+
+Five minutes later there was a blinding glare accompanied
+by a deafening roar.  It was as though nature had marshaled
+all her forces in one mighty, devastating effort.  At the same
+instant the walls of the great mill burst asunder, a nebulous
+mass of burning gas shot heavenward, and then the flames
+settled down to complete the destruction of the ruin.
+
+It was the following morning that Victoria and Barney
+Custer, with Lieutenant Butzow and Custer's partner, stood
+contemplating the smoldering wreckage.
+
+"And to think," said Barney, "that yesterday this muss
+was the largest corn mill west of anywhere.  I guess we
+can both take vacations now, Bert."
+
+"Who would have thought that a single bolt of lightning
+could have resulted in such havoc?" mused Victoria.
+
+"Who would?" agreed Lieutenant Butzow, and then, with
+a sudden narrowing of his eyes and a quick glance at Bar-
+ney, "if it WAS lightning."
+
+The American looked at the Luthanian.  "You think--" he
+started.
+
+"I don't dare think," replied Butzow, "because of the
+fear of what this may mean to you and Miss Victoria if it
+was not lightning that destroyed the mill.  I shouldn't have
+spoken of it but that it may urge you to greater caution,
+which I cannot but think is most necessary since the warn-
+ing I received from Lutha."
+
+"Why should Leopold seek to harm me now?" asked Bar-
+ney.  "It has been almost two years since you and I placed
+him upon his throne, only to be rewarded with threats and
+hatred.  In that time neither of us has returned to Lutha
+nor in any way conspired against the king.  I cannot fathom
+his motives."
+
+"There is the Princess Emma von der Tann," Butzow
+reminded him.  "She still repulses him.  He may think that,
+with you removed definitely and permanently, all will then
+be plain sailing for him in that direction.  Evidently he does
+not know the princess."
+
+
+An hour later they were all bidding Butzow good-bye at
+the station.  Victoria Custer was genuinely grieved to see
+him go, for she liked this soldierly young officer of the Royal
+Horse Guards immensely.
+
+"You must come back to America soon," she urged.
+
+He looked down at her from the steps of the moving train.
+There was something in his expression that she had never
+seen there before.
+
+"I want to come back soon," he answered, "to--to Bea-
+trice," and he flushed and smiled at his own stumbling
+tongue.
+
+For about a week Barney Custer moped disconsolately,
+principally about the ruins of the corn mill.  He was in every-
+one's way and accomplished nothing.
+
+"I was never intended for a captain of industry," he con-
+fided to his partner for the hundredth time.  "I wish some
+excuse would pop up to which I might hang a reason for
+beating it to Europe.  There's something doing there.  Nearly
+everybody has declared war upon everybody else, and here
+I am stagnating in peace.  I'd even welcome a tornado."
+
+His excuse was to come sooner than he imagined.  That
+night, after the other members of his family had retired,
+Barney sat smoking within a screened porch off the living-
+room.  His thoughts were upon a trim little figure in riding
+togs, as he had first seen it nearly two years before, clinging
+desperately to a runaway horse upon the narrow mountain
+road above Tafelberg.
+
+He lived that thrilling experience through again as he had
+many times before.  He even smiled as he recalled the series
+of events that had resulted from his resemblance to the mad
+king of Lutha.
+
+They had come to a culmination at the time when the
+king, whom Barney had placed upon a throne at the risk
+of his own life, discovered that his savior loved the girl to
+whom the king had been betrothed since childhood and
+that the girl returned the American's love even after she
+knew that he had but played the part of a king.
+
+Barney's cigar, forgotten, had long since died out.  Not
+even its former fitful glow proclaimed his presence upon the
+porch, whose black shadows completely enveloped him.  Be-
+fore him stretched a wide acreage of lawn, tree dotted at
+the side of the house.  Bushes hid the stone wall that
+marked the boundary of the Custer grounds and extended
+here and there out upon the sward among the trees.  The
+night was moonless but clear.  A faint light pervaded the
+scene.
+
+Barney sat staring straight ahead, but his gaze did not
+stop upon the familiar objects of the foreground.  Instead it
+spanned two continents and an ocean to rest upon the little
+spot of woodland and rugged mountain and lowland that
+is Lutha.  It was with an effort that the man suddenly focused
+his attention upon that which lay directly before him.  A
+shadow among the trees had moved!
+
+Barney Custer sat perfectly still, but now he was sud-
+denly alert and watchful.  Again the shadow moved where
+no shadow should be moving.  It crossed from the shade of
+one tree to another.  Barney came cautiously to his feet.
+Silently he entered the house, running quickly to a side door
+that opened upon the grounds.  As he drew it back its
+hinges gave forth no sound.  Barney looked toward the spot
+where he had seen the shadow.  Again he saw it scuttle
+hurriedly beneath another tree nearer the house.  This time
+there was no doubt.  It was a man!
+
+Directly before the door where Barney stood was a per-
+gola, ivy-covered.  Behind this he slid, and, running its
+length, came out among the trees behind the night prowler.
+Now he saw him distinctly.  The fellow was bearded, and
+in his right hand he carried a package.  Instantly Barney
+recalled Butzow's comment upon the destruction of the mill
+--"if it WAS lightning!"
+
+Cold sweat broke from every pore of his body.  His mother
+and father were there in the house, and Vic--all sleeping
+peacefully.  He ran quickly toward the menacing figure,
+and as he did so he saw the other halt behind a great tree
+and strike a match.  In the glow of the flame he saw it
+touch close to the package that the fellow held, and then he
+was upon him.
+
+There was a brief and terrific struggle.  The stranger hurled
+the package toward the house.  Barney caught him by the
+throat, beating him heavily in the face; and then, realizing
+what the package was, he hurled the fellow from him, and
+sprang toward the hissing and sputtering missile where it
+lay close to the foundation wall of the house, though in the
+instant of his close contact with the man he had recognized
+through the disguising beard the features of Captain Ernst
+Maenck, the principal tool of Peter of Blentz.
+
+Quick though Barney was to reach the bomb and ex-
+tinguish the fuse, Maenck had disappeared before he re-
+turned to search for him; and, though he roused the gardener
+and chauffeur and took turns with them in standing guard
+the balance of the night, the would-be assassin did not
+return.
+
+There was no question in Barney Custer's mind as to
+whom the bomb was intended for.  That Maenck had hurled
+it toward the house after Barney had seized him was merely
+the result of accident and the man's desire to get the death-
+dealing missile as far from himself as possible before it ex-
+ploded.  That it would have wrecked the house in the hope
+of reaching him, had he not fortunately interfered, was too
+evident to the American to be questioned.
+
+And so he decided before the night was spent to put him-
+self as far from his family as possible, lest some future
+attempt upon his life might endanger theirs.  Then, too,
+righteous anger and a desire for revenge prompted his de-
+cision.  He would run Maenck to earth and have an ac-
+counting with him.  It was evident that his life would not
+be worth a farthing so long as the fellow was at liberty.
+
+Before dawn he swore the gardener and chauffeur to si-
+lence, and at breakfast announced his intention of leaving
+that day for New York to seek a commission as correspondent
+with an old classmate, who owned the New York Evening
+National.  At the hotel Barney inquired of the proprietor
+relative to a bearded stranger, but the man had had no one
+of that description registered.  Chance, however, gave him a
+clue.  His roadster was in a repair shop, and as he stopped
+in to get it he overheard a conversation that told him all
+he wanted to know.  As he stood talking with the foreman
+a dust-covered automobile pulled into the garage.
+
+"Hello, Bill," called the foreman to the driver.  "Where
+you been so early?"
+
+"Took a guy to Lincoln," replied the other.  "He was in
+an awful hurry.  I bet we broke all the records for that
+stretch of road this morning--I never knew the old boat
+had it in her."
+
+"Who was it?" asked Barney.
+
+"I dunno," replied the driver.  "Talked like a furriner, and
+looked the part.  Bushy black beard.  Said he was a German
+army officer, an' had to beat it back on account of the war.
+Seemed to me like he was mighty anxious to get back there
+an' be killed."
+
+Barney waited to hear no more.  He did not even go
+home to say good-bye to his family.  Instead he leaped into
+his gray roadster--a later model of the one he had lost in
+Lutha--and the last that Beatrice, Nebraska, saw of him
+was a whirling cloud of dust as he raced north out of town
+toward Lincoln.
+
+He was five minutes too late into the capital city to catch
+the eastbound limited that Maenck must have taken; but
+he caught the next through train for Chicago, and the
+second day thereafter found him in New York.  There he
+had little difficulty in obtaining the desired credentials from
+his newspaper friend, especially since Barney offered to pay
+all his own expenses and donate to the paper anything he
+found time to write.
+
+Passenger steamers were still sailing, though irregularly,
+and after scanning the passenger-lists of three he found the
+name he sought.  "Captain Ernst Maenck, Lutha."  So he had
+not been mistaken, after all.  It was Maenck he had appre-
+hended on his father's grounds.  Evidently the man had little
+fear of being followed, for he had made no effort to hide
+his identity in booking passage for Europe.
+
+The steamer he had caught had sailed that very morning.
+Barney was not so sorry, after all, for he had had time
+during his trip from Beatrice to do considerable thinking,
+and had found it rather difficult to determine just what to
+do should he have overtaken Maenck in the United States.
+He couldn't kill the man in cold blood, justly as he may
+have deserved the fate, and the thought of causing his ar-
+rest and dragging his own name into the publicity of court
+proceedings was little less distasteful to him.
+
+Furthermore, the pursuit of Maenck now gave Barney a
+legitimate excuse for returning to Lutha, or at least to the
+close neighborhood of the little kingdom, where he might
+await the outcome of events and be ready to give his services
+in the cause of the house of Von der Tann should they be
+required.
+
+By going directly to Italy and entering Austria from that
+country Barney managed to arrive within the boundaries of
+the dual monarchy with comparatively few delays.  Nor did
+he encounter any considerable bodies of troops until he
+reached the little town of Burgova, which lies not far from the
+Serbian frontier.  Beyond this point his credentials would
+not carry him.  The emperor's officers were polite, but firm.
+No newspaper correspondents could be permitted nearer
+the front than Burgova.
+
+There was nothing to be done, therefore, but wait until
+some propitious event gave him the opportunity to approach
+more closely the Serbian boundary and Lutha.  In the mean-
+time he would communicate with Butzow, who might be
+able to obtain passes for him to some village nearer the
+Luthanian frontier, when it should be an easy matter to
+cross through to Serbia.  He was sure the Serbian authori-
+ties would object less strenuously to his presence.
+
+The inn at which he applied for accommodations was al-
+ready overrun by officers, but the proprietor, with scant
+apologies for a civilian, offered him a little box of a room in
+the attic.  The place was scarce more than a closet, and for
+that Barney was in a way thankful since the limited space
+could accommodate but a single cot, thus insuring him the
+privacy that a larger chamber would have precluded.
+
+He was very tired after his long and comfortless land
+journey, so after an early dinner he went immediately to
+his room and to bed.  How long he slept he did not know,
+but some time during the night he was awakened by the
+sound of voices apparently close to his ear.
+
+For a moment he thought the speakers must be in his
+own room, so distinctly did he overhear each word of their
+conversation; but presently he discovered that they were
+upon the opposite side of a thin partition in an adjoining
+room.  But half awake, and with the sole idea of getting
+back to sleep again as quickly as possible, Barney paid only
+the slightest attention to the meaning of the words that fell
+upon his ears, until, like a bomb, a sentence broke through
+his sleepy faculties, banishing Morpheus upon the instant.
+
+"It will take but little now to turn Leopold against Von
+der Tann."  The speaker evidently was an Austrian.  "Already
+I have half convinced him that the old man aspires to the
+throne.  Leopold fears the loyalty of his army, which is for
+Von der Tann body and soul.  He knows that Von der Tann
+is strongly anti-Austrian, and I have made it plain to him
+that if he allows his kingdom to take sides with Serbia he
+will have no kingdom when the war is over--it will be a
+part of Austria.
+
+"It was with greater difficulty, however, my dear Peter,
+that I convinced him that you, Von Coblich, and Captain
+Maenck were his most loyal friends.  He fears you yet, but,
+nevertheless, he has pardoned you all.  Do not forget when
+you return to your dear Lutha that you owe your repatria-
+tion to Count Zellerndorf of Austria."
+
+"You may be assured that we shall never forget," replied
+another voice that Barney recognized at once as belonging
+to Prince Peter of Blentz, the one time regent of Lutha.
+
+"It is not for myself," continued Count Zellerndorf, "that I
+crave your gratitude, but for my emperor.  You may do
+much to win his undying gratitude, while for yourselves
+you may win to almost any height with the friendship of
+Austria behind you.  I am sure that should any accident,
+which God forfend, deprive Lutha of her king, none would
+make a more welcome successor in the eyes of Austria than
+our good friend Peter."
+
+Barney could almost see the smile of satisfaction upon the
+thin lips of Peter of Blentz as this broad hint fell from the
+lips of the Austrian diplomat--a hint that seemed to the
+American little short of the death sentence of Leopold, King
+of Lutha.
+
+"We owed you much before, count," said Peter.  "But for
+you we should have been hanged a year ago--without your
+aid we should never have been able to escape from the
+fortress of Lustadt or cross the border into Austria-Hungary.
+I am sorry that Maenck failed in his mission, for had he
+not we would have had concrete evidence to present to the
+king that we are indeed his loyal supporters.  It would have
+dispelled at once such fears and doubts as he may still
+entertain of our fealty."
+
+"Yes, I, too, am sorry," agreed Zellerndorf.  "I can assure
+you that the news we hoped Captain Maenck would bring
+from America would have gone a long way toward re-
+storing you to the confidence and good graces of the king."
+
+"I did my best," came another voice that caused Barney's
+eyes to go wide in astonishment, for it was none other than
+the voice of Maenck himself.  "Twice I risked hanging to
+get him and only came away after I had been recognized."
+
+"It is too bad," sighed Zellerndorf; "though it may not be
+without its advantages after all, for now we still have this
+second bugbear to frighten Leopold with.  So long, of course,
+as the American lives there is always the chance that he
+may return and seek to gain the throne.  The fact that his
+mother was a Rubinroth princess might make it easy for
+Von der Tann to place him upon the throne without much
+opposition, and if he married the old man's daughter it is
+easy to conceive that the prince might favor such a move.
+At any rate, it should not be difficult to persuade Leopold
+of the possibility of such a thing.
+
+"Under the circumstances Leopold is almost convinced
+that his only hope of salvation lies in cementing friendly
+relations with the most powerful of Von der Tann's enemies,
+of which you three gentlemen stand preeminently in the
+foreground, and of assuring to himself the support of Aus-
+tria.  And now, gentlemen," he went on after a pause, "good
+night.  I have handed Prince Peter the necessary military
+passes to carry you safely through our lines, and tomorrow
+you may be in Blentz if you wish."
+
+
+
+
+II
+
+CONDEMNED TO DEATH
+
+FOR SOME time Barney Custer lay there in the dark revolv-
+ing in his mind all that he had overheard through the parti-
+tion--the thin partition which alone lay between himself
+and three men who would be only too glad to embrace the
+first opportunity to destroy him.  But his fears were not for
+himself so much as for the daughter of old Von der Tann,
+and for all that might befall that princely house were these
+three unhung rascals to gain Lutha and have their way
+with the weak and cowardly king who reigned there.
+
+If he could but reach Von der Tann's ear and through
+him the king before the conspirators came to Lutha!  But
+how might he accomplish it?  Count Zellerndorf's parting
+words to the three had shown that military passes were
+necessary to enable one to reach Lutha.
+
+His papers were practically worthless even inside the lines.
+That they would carry him through the lines he had not
+the slightest hope.  There were two things to be accomplished
+if possible.  One was to cross the frontier into Lutha; and
+the other, which of course was quite out of the question,
+was to prevent Peter of Blentz, Von Coblich, and Maenck
+from doing so.  But was that altogether impossible?
+
+The idea that followed that question came so suddenly
+that it brought Barney Custer out onto the floor in a bound,
+to don his clothes and sneak into the hall outside his room
+with the stealth of a professional second-story man.
+
+To the right of his own door was the door to the apart-
+ment in which the three conspirators slept.  At least, Barney
+hoped they slept.  He bent close to the keyhole and lis-
+tened.  From within came no sound other than the regular
+breathing of the inmates.  It had been at least half an hour
+since the American had heard the conversation cease.  A
+glance through the keyhole showed no light within the
+room.  Stealthily Barney turned the knob.  Had they bolted
+the door?  He felt the tumbler move to the pressure--
+soundlessly.  Then he pushed gently inward.  The door swung.
+
+A moment later he stood in the room.  Dimly he could
+see two beds--a large one and a smaller.  Peter of Blentz
+would be alone upon the smaller bed, his henchmen sleep-
+ing together in the larger.  Barney crept toward the lone
+sleeper.  At the bedside he fumbled in the dark groping for
+the man's clothing--for the coat, in the breastpocket of
+which he hoped to find the military pass that might carry
+him safely out of Austria-Hungary and into Lutha.  On the
+foot of the bed he found some garments.  Gingerly he felt
+them over, seeking the coat.
+
+At last he found it.  His fingers, steady even under the
+nervous tension of this unaccustomed labor, discovered the
+inner pocket and the folded paper.  There were several of
+them; Barney took them all.
+
+So far he made no noise.  None of the sleepers had stirred.
+Now he took a step toward the doorway and--kicked a
+shoe that lay in his path.  The slight noise in that quiet room
+sounded to Barney's ears like the fall of a brick wall.  Peter
+of Blentz stirred, turning in his sleep.  Behind him Barney
+heard one of the men in the other bed move.  He turned his
+head in that direction.  Either Maenck or Coblich was sitting
+up peering through the darkness.
+
+"Is that you, Prince Peter?"  The voice was Maenck's.
+
+"What's the matter?" persisted Maenck.
+
+"I'm going for a drink of water," replied the American,
+and stepped toward the door.
+
+Behind him Peter of Blentz sat up in bed.
+
+"That you, Maenck?" he called.
+
+Instantly Maenck was out of bed, for the first voice had
+come from the vicinity of the doorway; both could not be
+Peter's.
+
+"Quick!" he cried; "there's someone in our room."
+
+Barney leaped for the doorway, and upon his heels came
+the three conspirators.  Maenck was closest to him--so close
+that Barney was forced to turn at the top of the stairs.  In
+the darkness he was just conscious of the form of the man
+who was almost upon him.  Then he swung a vicious blow
+for the other's face--a blow that landed, for there was a
+cry of pain and anger as Maenck stumbled back into the
+arms of the two behind him.  From below came the sound
+of footsteps hurrying up the stairs to the accompaniment
+of a clanking saber.  Barney's retreat was cut off.
+
+Turning, he dodged into his own room before the enemy
+could locate him or even extricate themselves from the con-
+fusion of Maenck's sudden collision with the other two.  But
+what could Barney gain by the slight delay that would be
+immediately followed by his apprehension?
+
+He didn't know.  All that he was sure of was that there
+had been no other place to go than this little room.  As he
+entered the first thing that his eyes fell upon was the small
+square window.  Here at least was some slight encourage-
+ment.
+
+He ran toward it.  The lower sash was raised.  As the
+door behind him opened to admit Peter of Blentz and his
+companions, Barney slipped through into the night, hanging
+by his hands from the sill without.  What lay beneath or
+how far the drop he could not guess, but that certain death
+menaced him from above he knew from the conversation he
+had overheard earlier in the evening.
+
+For an instant he hung suspended.  He heard the men
+groping about the room.  Evidently they were in some fear
+of the unknown assailant they sought, for they did not
+move about with undue rashness.  Presently one of them
+struck a light--Barney could see its flare lighten the window
+casing for an instant.
+
+"The room is empty," came a voice from above him.
+
+"Look to the window!" cried Peter of Blentz, and then
+Barney Custer let go his hold upon the sill and dropped
+into the blackness below.
+
+His fall was a short one, for the window had been di-
+rectly over a low shed at the side of the inn.  Upon the
+roof of this the American landed, and from there he dropped
+to the courtyard without mishap.  Glancing up, he saw the
+heads of three men peering from the window of the room
+he had just quitted.
+
+"There he is!" cried one, and instantly the three turned
+back into the room.  As Barney fled from the courtyard he
+heard the rattle of hasty footsteps upon the rickety stairway
+of the inn.
+
+Choosing an alley rather than a street in which he might
+run upon soldiers at any moment, he moved quickly yet
+cautiously away from the inn.  Behind him he could hear
+the voices of many men.  They were raised to a high pitch
+by excitement.  It was clear to Barney that there were many
+more than the original three--Prince Peter had, in all proba-
+bility, enlisted the aid of the military.
+
+Could he but reach the frontier with his stolen passes he
+would be comparatively safe, for the rugged mountains of
+Lutha offered many places of concealment, and, too, there
+were few Luthanians who did not hate Peter of Blentz
+most cordially--among the men of the mountains at least.
+Once there he could defy a dozen Blentz princes for the little
+time that would be required to carry him into Serbia and
+comparative safety.
+
+As he approached a cross street a couple of squares from
+the inn he found it necessary to pass beneath a street lamp.
+For a moment he paused in the shadows of the alley listen-
+ing.  Hearing nothing moving in the street, Barney was about
+to make a swift spring for the shadows upon the opposite
+side when it occurred to him that it might be safer to make
+assurance doubly sure by having a look up and down the
+street before emerging into the light.
+
+It was just as well that he did, for as he thrust his head
+around the corner of the building the first thing that his eyes
+fell upon was the figure of an Austrian sentry, scarcely three
+paces from him.  The soldier was standing in a listening
+attitude, his head half turned away from the American.  The
+sounds coming from the direction of the inn were apparently
+what had attracted his attention.
+
+Behind him, Barney was sure he heard evidences of pur-
+suit.  Before him was certain detection should he attempt to
+cross the street.  On either hand rose the walls of buildings.
+That he was trapped there seemed little doubt.
+
+He continued to stand motionless, watching the Austrian
+soldier.  Should the fellow turn toward him, he had but to
+withdraw his head within the shadow of the building that
+hid his body.  Possibly the man might turn and take his beat
+in the opposite direction.  In which case Barney was sure
+he could dodge across the street, undetected.
+
+Already the vague threat of pursuit from the direction of
+the inn had developed into a certainty--he could hear men
+moving toward him through the alley from the rear.  Would
+the sentry never move!  Evidently not, until he heard the
+others coming through the alley.  Then he would turn, and
+the devil would be to pay for the American.
+
+Barney was about hopeless.  He had been in the war zone
+long enough to know that it might prove a very disagreeable
+matter to be caught sneaking through back alleys at night.
+There was a single chance--a sort of forlorn hope--and that
+was to risk fate and make a dash beneath the sentry's nose
+for the opposite alley mouth.
+
+"Well, here goes," thought Barney.  He had heard that
+many of the Austrians were excellent shots.  Visions of Bea-
+trice, Nebraska, swarmed his memory.  They were pleasant
+visions, made doubly alluring by the thought that the reali-
+ties of them might never again be for him.
+
+He turned once more toward the sounds of pursuit--the
+men upon his track could not be over a square away--there
+was not an instant to be lost.  And then from above him,
+upon the opposite side of the alley, came a low: "S-s-t!"
+
+Barney looked up.  Very dimly he could see the dark out-
+line of a window some dozen feet from the pavement, and
+framed within it the lighter blotch that might have been a
+human face.  Again came the challenging: "S-s-t!"  Yes, there
+was someone above, signaling to him.
+
+"S-s-t!" replied Barney.  He knew that he had been dis-
+covered, and could think of no better plan for throwing the
+discoverer off his guard than to reply.
+
+Then a soft voice floated down to him--a woman's voice!
+
+"Is that you?"  The tongue was Serbian.  Barney could
+understand it, though he spoke it but indifferently.
+
+"Yes," he replied truthfully.
+
+"Thank Heaven!" came the voice from above.  "I have
+been watching you, and thought you one of the Austrian
+pigs.  Quick!  They are coming--I can hear them;" and at
+the same instant Barney saw something drop from the win-
+dow to the ground.  He crossed the alley quickly, and could
+have shouted in relief for what he found there--the end of
+a knotted rope dangling from above.
+
+His pursuers were almost upon him when he seized the
+rude ladder to clamber upward.  At the window's ledge a
+firm, young hand reached out and, seizing his own, almost
+dragged him through the window.  He turned to look back
+into the alley.  He had been just in time; the Austrian sentry,
+alarmed by the sound of approaching footsteps down the
+alley, had stepped into view.  He stood there now with
+leveled rifle, a challenge upon his lips.  From the advancing
+party came a satisfactory reply.
+
+At the same instant the girl beside him in the Stygian
+blackness of the room threw her arms about Barney's neck
+and drew his face down to hers.
+
+"Oh, Stefan," she whispered, "what a narrow escape!  It
+makes me tremble to think of it.  They would have shot you,
+my Stefan!"
+
+The American put an arm about the girl's shoulders, and
+raised one hand to her cheek--it might have been in caress,
+but it wasn't.  It was to smother the cry of alarm he antici-
+pated would follow the discovery that he was not "Stefan."
+He bent his lips close to her ear.
+
+"Do not make an outcry," he whispered in very poor
+Serbian.  "I am not Stefan; but I am a friend."
+
+The exclamation of surprise or fright that he had expected
+was not forthcoming.  The girl lowered her arms from about
+his neck.
+
+"Who are you?" she asked in a low whisper.
+
+"I am an American war correspondent," replied Barney,
+"but if the Austrians get hold of me now it will be mighty
+difficult to convince them that I am not a spy."  And then a
+sudden determination came to him to trust his fate to this
+unknown girl, whose face, even, he had never seen.  "I am
+entirely at your mercy," he said.  "There are Austrian soldiers
+in the street below.  You have but to call to them to send
+me before the firing squad--or, you can let me remain here
+until I can find an opportunity to get away in safety.  I am
+trying to reach Serbia."
+
+"Why do you wish to reach Serbia?" asked the girl sus-
+piciously.
+
+"I have discovered too many enemies in Austria tonight
+to make it safe for me to remain," he replied, "and, further,
+my original intention was to report the war from the Serbian
+side."
+
+The girl hesitated for a while, evidently in thought.
+
+"They are moving on," suggested Barney.  "If you are
+going to give me up you'd better do it at once."
+
+"I'm not going to give you up," replied the girl.  "I'm going
+to keep you prisoner until Stefan returns--he will know best
+what to do with you.  Now you must come with me and be
+locked up.  Do not try to escape--I have a revolver in my
+hand," and to give her prisoner physical proof of the weapon
+he could not see she thrust the muzzle against his side.
+
+"I'll take your word for the gun," said Barney, "if you'll
+just turn it in the other direction.  Go ahead--I'll follow you."
+
+"No, you won't," replied the girl.  "You'll go first; but
+before that you'll raise your hands above your head.  I want
+to search you."
+
+Barney did as he was bid and a moment later felt deft
+fingers running over his clothing in search of concealed
+weapons.  Satisfied at last that he was unarmed, the girl
+directed him to precede her, guiding his steps from behind
+with a hand upon his arm.  Occasionally he felt the muzzle
+of her revolver touch his body.  It was a most unpleasant
+sensation.
+
+They crossed the room to a door which his captor directed
+him to open, and after they had passed through and she had
+closed it behind them the girl struck a match and lit a candle
+which stood upon a little bracket on the partition wall.  The
+dim light of the tallow dip showed Barney that he was in a
+narrow hall from which several doors opened into different
+rooms.  At one end of the hall a stairway led to the floor
+below, while at the opposite end another flight disappeared
+into the darkness above.
+
+"This way," said the girl, motioning toward the stairs
+that led upward.
+
+Barney had turned toward her as she struck the match,
+obtaining an excellent view of her features.  They were clear-
+cut and regular.  Her eyes were large and very dark.  Dark
+also was her hair, which was piled in great heaps upon her
+finely shaped head.  Altogether the face was one not easily
+to be forgotten.  Barney could scarce have told whether the
+girl was beautiful or not, but that she was striking there
+could be no doubt.
+
+He preceded her up the stairway to a door at the top.  At
+her direction he turned the knob and entered a small room
+in which was a cot, an ancient dresser and a single chair.
+
+"You will remain here," she said, "until Stefan returns.
+Stefan will know what to do with you."  Then she left him,
+taking the light with her, and Barney heard a key turn in
+the lock of the door after she had closed it.  Presently her
+footfalls died out as she descended to the lower floors.
+
+"Anyhow," thought the American, "this is better than the
+Austrians.  I don't know what Stefan will do with me, but I
+have a rather vivid idea of what the Austrians would have
+done to me if they'd caught me sneaking through the alleys
+of Burgova at midnight."
+
+Throwing himself on the cot Barney was soon asleep, for
+though his predicament was one that, under ordinary cir-
+cumstances might have made sleep impossible, yet he had
+so long been without the boon of slumber that tired nature
+would no longer be denied.
+
+When he awoke it was broad daylight.  The sun was
+pouring in through a skylight in the ceiling of his tiny
+chamber.  Aside from this there were no windows in the
+room.  The sound of voices came to him with an uncanny
+distinctness that made it seem that the speakers must be in
+this very chamber, but a glance about the blank walls con-
+vinced him that he was alone.
+
+Presently he espied a small opening in the wall at the
+head of his cot.  He rose and examined it.  The voices ap-
+peared to be coming from it.  In fact, they were.  The opening
+was at the top of a narrow shaft that seemed to lead to
+the basement of the structure--apparently once the shaft of
+a dumb-waiter or a chute for refuse or soiled clothes.
+
+Barney put his ear close to it.  The voices that came from
+below were those of a man and a woman.  He heard every
+word distinctly.
+
+"We must search the house, fraulein," came in the deep
+voice of a man.
+
+"Whom do you seek?" inquired a woman's voice.  Barney
+recognized it as the voice of his captor.
+
+"A Serbian spy, Stefan Drontoff," replied the man.  "Do
+you know him?"
+
+There was a considerable pause on the girl's part before
+she answered, and then her reply was in such a low voice
+that Barney could barely hear it.
+
+"I do not know him," she said.  "There are several men
+who lodge here.  What may this Stefan Drontoff look like?"
+
+"I have never seen him," replied the officer; "but by ar-
+resting all the men in the house we must get this Stefan
+also, if he is here."
+
+"Oh!" cried the girl, a new note in her voice, "I guess I
+know now whom you mean.  There is one man here I have
+heard them call Stefan, though for the moment I had for-
+gotten it.  He is in the small attic-room at the head of the
+stairs.  Here is a key that will fit the lock.  Yes, I am sure
+that he is Stefan.  You will find him there, and it should be
+easy to take him, for I know that he is unarmed.  He told
+me so last night when he came in."
+
+"The devil!" muttered Barney Custer; but whether he
+referred to his predicament or to the girl it would be im-
+possible to tell.  Already the sound of heavy boots on the
+stairs announced the coming of men--several of them.  Bar-
+ney heard the rattle of accouterments--the clank of a scab-
+bard--the scraping of gun butts against the walls.  The
+Austrians were coming!
+
+He looked about.  There was no way of escape except the
+door and the skylight, and the door was impossible.
+
+Quickly he tilted the cot against the door, wedging its
+legs against a crack in the floor--that would stop them for a
+minute or two.  then he wheeled the dresser beneath the sky-
+light and, placing the chair on top of it, scrambled to the
+seat of the latter.  His head was at the height of the sky-
+light.  to force the skylight from its frame required but a
+moment.  A key entered the lock of the door from the op-
+posite side and turned.  He knew that someone without was
+pushing.  Then he heard an oath and heavy battering upon
+the panels.  A moment later he had drawn himself through
+the skylight and stood upon the roof of the building.  Be-
+fore him stretched a series of uneven roofs to the end of
+the street.  Barney did not hesitate.  He started on a rapid trot
+toward the adjoining roof.  From that he clambered to a
+higher one beyond.
+
+On he went, now leaping narrow courts, now dropping
+to low sheds and again clambering to the heights of the
+higher buildings, until he had come almost to the end of the
+row.  Suddenly, behind him he heard a hoarse shout, fol-
+lowed by the report of a rifle.  With a whir, a bullet flew
+a few inches above his head.  He had gained the last roof--
+a large, level roof--and at the shot he turned to see how
+near to him were his pursuers.
+
+Fatal turn!
+
+Scarce had he taken his eyes from the path ahead than
+his foot fell upon a glass skylight, and with a loud crash he
+plunged through amid a shower of broken glass.
+
+His fall was a short one.  Directly beneath the skylight
+was a bed, and on the bed a fat Austrian infantry captain.
+Barney lit upon the pit of the captain's stomach.  With a
+howl of pain the officer catapulted Barney to the floor.  There
+were three other beds in the room, and in each bed one or
+two other officers.  Before the American could regain his
+feet they were all sitting on him--all except the infantry
+captain.  He lay shrieking and cursing in a painful attempt
+to regain his breath, every atom of which Barney had
+knocked out of him.
+
+The officers sitting on Barney alternately beat him and
+questioned him, interspersing their interrogations with lurid
+profanity.
+
+"If you will get off of me," at last shouted the American,
+"I shall be glad to explain--and apologize."
+
+They let him up, scowling ferociously.  He had promised
+to explain, but now that he was confronted by the immedi-
+ate necessity of an explanation that would prove at all satis-
+factory as to how he happened to be wandering around the
+rooftops of Burgova, he discovered that his powers of in-
+vention were entirely inadequate.  The need for explaining,
+however, was suddenly removed.  A shadow fell upon them
+from above, and as they glanced up Barney saw the figure
+of an officer surrounded by several soldiers looking down
+upon him.
+
+"Ah, you have him!" cried the new-comer in evident satis-
+faction.  "It is well.  Hold him until we descend."
+
+A moment later he and his escort had dropped through
+the broken skylight to the floor beside them.
+
+"Who is the mad man?" cried the captain who had broken
+Barney's fall.  "The assassin!  He tried to murder me."
+
+"I cannot doubt it," replied the officer who had just de-
+scended, "for the fellow is no other than Stefan Drontoff,
+the famous Serbian spy!"
+
+"Himmel! ejaculated the officers in chorus.  "You have
+done a good days' work, lieutenant."
+
+"The firing squad will do a better work in a few minutes,"
+replied the lieutenant, with a grim pointedness that took
+Barney's breath away.
+
+
+
+
+III
+
+BEFORE THE FIRING SQUAD
+
+THEY MARCHED Barney before the staff where he urged his
+American nationality, pointing to his credentials and passes
+in support of his contention.
+
+The general before whom he had been brought shrugged
+his shoulders.  "They are all Americans as soon as they are
+caught," he said; "but why did you not claim to be Prince
+Peter of Blentz?  You have his passes as well.  How can you
+expect us to believe your story when you have in your pos-
+session passes for different men?
+
+"We have every respect for our friends the Americans.  I
+would even stretch a point rather than chance harming an
+American; but you will admit that the evidence is all against
+you.  You were found in the very building where Drontoff
+was known to stay while in Burgova.  The young woman
+whose mother keeps the place directed our officer to your
+room, and you tried to escape, which I do not think that
+an innocent American would have done.
+
+"However, as I have said, I will go to almost any length
+rather than chance a mistake in the case of one who from
+his appearance might pass more readily for an American
+than a Serbian.  I have sent for Prince Peter of Blentz.  If
+you can satisfactorily explain to him how you chance to be
+in possession of military passes bearing his name I shall be
+very glad to give you the benefit of every other doubt."
+
+Peter of Blentz.  Send for Peter of Blentz!  Barney won-
+dered just what kind of a sensation it was to stand facing a
+firing squad.  He hoped that his knees wouldn't tremble--
+they felt a trifle weak even now.  There was a chance that
+the man might not recall his face, but a very slight chance.
+It had been his remarkable likeness to Leopold of Lutha
+that had resulted in the snatching of a crown from Prince
+Peter's head.
+
+Likely indeed that he would ever forget his, Barney's,
+face, though he had seen it but once without the red beard
+that had so added to Barney's likeness to the king.  But
+Maenck would be along, of course, and Maenck would have
+no doubts--he had seen Barney too recently in Beatrice to
+fail to recognize him now.
+
+Several men were entering the room where Barney stood
+before the general and his staff.  A glance revealed to the
+prisoner that Peter of Blentz had come, and with him Von
+Coblich and Maenck.  At the same instant Peter's eyes met
+Barney's, and the former, white and wide-eyed came al-
+most to a dead halt, grasping hurriedly at the arm of Maenck
+who walked beside him.
+
+"My God!" was all that Barney heard him say, but he
+spoke a name that the American did not hear.  Maenck also
+looked his surprise, but his expression was suddenly changed
+to one of malevolent cunning and gratification.  He turned
+toward Prince Peter with a few low-whispered words.  A look
+of relief crossed the face of the Blentz prince.
+
+"You appear to know the gentleman," said the general
+who had been conducting Barney's examination.  "He has
+been arrested as a Serbian spy, and military passes in your
+name were found upon his person together with the papers
+of an American newspaper correspondent, which he claims
+to be.  He is charged with being Stefan Drontoff, whom we
+long have been anxious to apprehend.  Do you chance to
+know anything about him, Prince Peter?"
+
+"Yes," replied Peter of Blentz, "I know him well by sight.
+He entered my room last night and stole the military passes
+from my coat--we all saw him and pursued him, but he
+got away in the dark.  There can be no doubt but that he
+is the Serbian spy."
+
+"He insists that he is Bernard Custer, an American," urged
+the general, who, it seemed to Barney, was anxious to make
+no mistake, and to give the prisoner every reasonable chance
+--a state of mind that rather surprised him in a European
+military chieftain, all of whom appeared to share the popu-
+lar obsession regarding the prevalence of spies.
+
+"Pardon me, general," interrupted Maenck.  "I am well
+acquainted with Mr. Custer, who spent some time in Lutha
+a couple of years ago.  This man is not he."
+
+"That is sufficient, gentlemen, I thank you," said the gen-
+eral.  He did not again look at the prisoner, but turned to a
+lieutenant who stood near-by.  "You may remove the pris-
+oner," he directed.  "He will be destroyed with the others--
+here is the order," and he handed the subaltern a printed
+form upon which many names were filled in and at the bot-
+tom of which the general had just signed his own.  It had
+evidently been waiting the outcome of the examination of
+Stefan Drontoff.
+
+Surrounded by soldiers, Barney Custer walked from the
+presence of the military court.  It was to him as though he
+moved in a strange world of dreams.  He saw the look of
+satisfaction upon the face of Peter of Blentz as he passed
+him, and the open sneer of Maenck.  As yet he did not
+fully realize what it all meant--that he was marching to
+his death!  For the last time he was looking upon the faces
+of his fellow men; for the last time he had seen the sun
+rise, never again to see it set.
+
+He was to be "destroyed."  He had heard that expression
+used many times in connection with useless horses, or vicious
+dogs.  Mechanically he drew a cigarette from his pocket and
+lighted it.  There was no bravado in the act.  On the contrary
+it was done almost unconsciously.  The soldiers marched him
+through the streets of Burgova.  The men were entirely im-
+passive--even so early in the war they had become accus-
+tomed to this grim duty.  The young officer who commanded
+them was more nervous than the prisoner--it was his first
+detail with a firing squad.  He looked wonderingly at Bar-
+ney, expecting momentarily to see the man collapse, or at
+least show some sign of terror at his close impending fate;
+but the American walked silently toward his death, puffing
+leisurely at his cigarette.
+
+At last, after what seemed a long time, his guard turned
+in at a large gateway in a brick wall surrounding a factory.
+As they entered Barney saw twenty or thirty men in civilian
+dress, guarded by a dozen infantrymen.  They were stand-
+ing before the wall of a low brick building.  Barney noticed
+that there were no windows in the wall.  It suddenly oc-
+curred to him that there was something peculiarly grim
+and sinister in the appearance of the dead, blank surface
+of weather-stained brick.  For the first time since he had
+faced the military court he awakened to a full realization of
+what it all meant to him--he was going to be lined up
+against that ominous brick wall with these other men--
+they were going to shoot them.
+
+A momentary madness seized him.  He looked about upon
+the other prisoners and guards.  A sudden break for liberty
+might give him temporary respite.  He could seize a rifle
+from the nearest soldier, and at least have the satisfaction of
+selling his life dearly.  As he looked he saw more soldiers
+entering the factory yard.
+
+A sudden apathy overwhelmed him.  What was the use?
+He could not escape.  Why should he wish to kill these
+soldiers?  It was not they who were responsible for his plight
+--they were but obeying orders.  The close presence of death
+made life seem very desirable.  These men, too, desired life.
+Why should he take it from them uselessly.  At best he
+might kill one or two, but in the end he would be killed as
+surely as though he took his place before the brick wall
+with the others.
+
+He noticed now that these others evinced no inclination
+to contest their fates.  Why should he, then?  Doubtless
+many of them were as innocent as he, and all loved life as
+well.  He saw that several were weeping silently.  Others
+stood with bowed heads gazing at the hard-packed earth of
+the factory yard.  Ah, what visions were their eyes beholding
+for the last time!  What memories of happy firesides!  What
+dear, loved faces were limned upon that sordid clay!
+
+His reveries were interrupted by the hoarse voice of a
+sergeant, breaking rudely in upon the silence and the dumb
+terror.  The fellow was herding the prisoners into position.
+When he was done Barney found himself in the front rank
+of the little, hopeless band.  Opposite them, at a few paces,
+stood the firing squad, their gun butts resting upon the
+ground.
+
+The young lieutenant stood at one side.  He issued some
+instructions in a low tone, then he raised his voice.
+
+"Ready!" he commanded.  Fascinated by the horror of it,
+Barney watched the rifles raised smartly to the soldiers'
+hips--the movement was as precise as though the men were
+upon parade.  Every bolt clicked in unison with its fellows.
+
+"Aim!"  the pieces leaped to the hollows of the men's
+shoulders.  The leveled barrels were upon a line with the
+breasts of the condemned.  A man at Barney's right moaned.
+Another sobbed.
+
+"Fire!"  There was the hideous roar of the volley.  Barney
+Custer crumpled forward to the ground, and three bodies
+fell upon his.  A moment later there was a second volley--
+all had not fallen at the first.  Then the soldiers came among
+the bodies, searching for signs of life; but evidently the two
+volleys had done their work.  The sergeant formed his men
+in line.  The lieutenant marched them away.  Only silence
+remained on guard above the pitiful dead in the factory
+yard.
+
+The day wore on and still the stiffening corpses lay where
+they had fallen.  Twilight came and then darkness.  A head
+appeared above the top of the wall that had enclosed the
+grounds.  Eyes peered through the night and keen ears lis-
+tened for any sign of life within.  At last, evidently satisfied
+that the place was deserted, a man crawled over the summit
+of the wall and dropped to the ground within.  Here again
+he paused, peering and listening.
+
+What strange business had he here among the dead that
+demanded such caution in its pursuit?  Presently he ad-
+vanced toward the pile of corpses.  Quickly he tore open
+coats and searched pockets.  He ran his fingers along the
+fingers of the dead.  Two rings had rewarded his search
+and he was busy with a third that encircled the finger of a
+body that lay beneath three others.  It would not come off.
+He pulled and tugged, and then he drew a knife from his
+pocket.
+
+But he did not sever the digit.  Instead he shrank back
+with a muffled scream of terror.  The corpse that he would
+have mutilated had staggered suddenly to its feet, flinging
+the dead bodies to one side as it rose.
+
+"You fiend!" broke from the lips of the dead man, and
+the ghoul turned and fled, gibbering in his fright.
+
+The tramp of soldiers in the street beyond ceased sud-
+denly at the sound from within the factory yard.  It was a
+detail of the guard marching to the relief of sentries.  A
+moment later the gates swung open and a score of soldiers
+entered.  They saw a figure dodging toward the wall a
+dozen paces from them, but they did not see the other that
+ran swiftly around the corner of the factory.
+
+This other was Barney Custer of Beatrice.  When the com-
+mand to fire had been given to the squad of riflemen, a
+single bullet had creased the top of his head, stunning him.
+All day he had lain there unconscious.  It had been the
+tugging of the ghoul at his ring that had roused him to life
+at last.
+
+Behind him, as he scurried around the end of the factory
+building, he heard the scattering fire of half a dozen rifles,
+followed by a scream--the fleeing hyena had been hit.  Bar-
+ney crouched in the shadow of a pile of junk.  He heard the
+voices of soldiers as they gathered about the wounded
+man, questioning him, and a moment later the imperious
+tones of an officer issuing instructions to his men to search
+the yard.  That he must be discovered seemed a certainty
+to the American.  He crouched further back in the shadows
+close to the wall, stepping with the utmost caution.
+
+Presently to his chagrin his foot touched the metal cover of
+a manhole; there was a resultant rattling that smote upon
+Barney's ears and nerves with all the hideous clatter of a
+boiler shop.  He halted, petrified, for an instant.  He was no
+coward, but after being so near death, life had never looked
+more inviting, and he knew that to be discovered meant
+certain extinction this time.
+
+The soldiers were circling the building.  Already he could
+hear them nearing his position.  In another moment they
+would round the corner of the building and be upon him.
+For an instant he contemplated a bold rush for the fence.  In
+fact, he had gathered himself for the leaping start and the
+quick sprint across the open under the noses of the soldiers
+who still remained beside the dying ghoul, when his mind
+suddenly reverted to the manhole beneath his feet.  Here
+lay a hiding place, at least until the soldiers had departed.
+
+Barney stooped and raised the heavy lid, sliding it to one
+side.  How deep was the black chasm beneath he could not
+even guess.  Doubtless it led into a coal bunker, or it might
+open over a pit of great depth.  There was no way to dis-
+cover other than to plumb the abyss with his body.  Above
+was death--below, a chance of safety.
+
+The soldiers were quite close when Barney lowered him-
+self through the manhole.  Clinging with his fingers to the
+upper edge his feet still swung in space.  How far beneath
+was the bottom?  He heard the scraping of the heavy shoes
+of the searchers close above him, and then he closed his
+eyes, released the grasp of his fingers, and dropped.
+
+
+
+
+IV
+
+A RACE TO LUTHA
+
+BARNEY'S FALL was not more than four or five feet.  He
+found himself upon a slippery floor of masonry over which
+two or three inches of water ran sluggishly.  Above him he
+heard the soldiers pass the open manhole.  It was evident
+that in the darkness they had missed it.
+
+For a few minutes the fugitive remained motionless, then,
+hearing no sounds from above he started to grope about his
+retreat.  Upon two sides were blank, circular walls, upon the
+other two circular openings about four feet in diameter.  It
+was through these openings that the tiny stream of water
+trickled.
+
+Barney came to the conclusion that he had dropped into
+a sewer.  To get out the way he had entered appeared im-
+possible.  He could not leap upward from the slimy, concave
+bottom the distance he had dropped.  To follow the sewer
+upward would lead him nowhere nearer escape.  There
+remained no hope but to follow the trickling stream down-
+ward toward the river, into which his judgment told him
+the entire sewer system of the city must lead.
+
+Stooping, he entered the ill-smelling circular conduit, grop-
+ing his way slowly along.  As he went the water deepened.
+It was half way to his knees when he plunged unexpectedly
+into another tube running at right angles to the first.  The
+bottom of this tube was lower than that of the one which
+emptied into it, so that Barney now found himself in a
+swiftly running stream of filth that reached above his knees.
+Downward he followed this flood--faster now for the fear
+of the deadly gases which might overpower him before he
+could reach the river.
+
+The water deepened gradually as he went on.  At last he
+reached a point where, with his head scraping against the
+roof of the sewer, his chin was just above the surface of
+the stream.  A few more steps would be all that he could take
+in this direction without drowning.  Could he retrace his way
+against the swift current?  He did not know.  He was weak-
+ened from the effects of his wound, from lack of food and
+from the exertions of the past hour.  Well, he would go on
+as far as he could.  The river lay ahead of him somewhere.
+Behind was only the hostile city.
+
+He took another step.  His foot found no support.  He
+surged backward in an attempt to regain his footing, but the
+power of the flood was too much for him.  He was swept
+forward to plunge into water that surged above his head
+as he sank.  An instant later he had regained the surface
+and as his head emerged he opened his eyes.
+
+He looked up into a starlit heaven!  He had reached the
+mouth of the sewer and was in the river.  For a moment he
+lay still, floating upon his back to rest.  Above him he heard
+the tread of a sentry along the river front, and the sound of
+men's voices.
+
+The sweet, fresh air, the star-shot void above, acted as a
+powerful tonic to his shattered hopes and overwrought
+nerves.  He lay inhaling great lungsful of pure, invigorating
+air.  He listened to the voices of the Austrian soldiery above
+him.  All the buoyancy of his inherent Americanism returned
+to him.
+
+"This is no place for a minister's son," he murmured, and
+turning over struck out for the opposite shore.  The river
+was not wide, and Barney was soon nearing the bank along
+which he could see occasional camp fires.  Here, too, were
+Austrians.  He dropped down-stream below these, and at last
+approached the shore where a wood grew close to the
+water's edge.  The bank here was steep, and the American
+had some difficulty in finding a place where he could clamber
+up the precipitous wall of rock.  But finally he was success-
+ful, finding himself in a little clump of bushes on the
+river's brim.  Here he lay resting and listening--always lis-
+tening.  It seemed to Barney that his ears ached with the
+constant strain of unflagging duty that his very existence
+demanded of them.
+
+Hearing nothing, he crawled at last from his hiding place
+with the purpose of making his way toward the south and
+to the frontier as rapidly as possible.  He could hope only to
+travel by night, and he guessed that this night must be
+nearly spent.  Stooping, he moved cautiously away from the
+river.  Through the shadows of the wood he made his way
+for perhaps a hundred yards when he was suddenly con-
+fronted by a figure that stepped from behind the bole of a
+tree.
+
+"Halt!  Who goes there?" came the challenge.
+
+Barney's heart stood still.  With all his care he had run
+straight into the arms of an Austrian sentry.  To run would
+be to be shot.  To advance would mean capture, and that
+too would mean death.
+
+For the barest fraction of an instant he hesitated, and
+then his quick American wits came to his aid.  Feigning
+intoxication he answered the challenge in dubious Austrian
+that he hoped his maudlin tongue would excuse.
+
+"Friend," he answered thickly.  "Friend with a drink--
+have one?"  And he staggered drunkenly forward, banking
+all upon the credulity and thirst of the soldier who con-
+fronted him with fixed bayonet.
+
+That the sentry was both credulous and thirsty was evi-
+denced by the fact that he let Barney come within reach of
+his gun.  Instantly the drunken Austrian was transformed into
+a very sober and active engine of destruction.  Seizing the
+barrel of the piece Barney jerked it to one side and toward
+him, and at the same instant he leaped for the throat of the
+sentry.
+
+So quickly was this accomplished that the Austrian had
+time only for a single cry, and that was choked in his wind-
+pipe by the steel fingers of the American.  Together both men
+fell heavily to the ground, Barney retaining his hold upon
+the other's throat.
+
+Striking and clutching at one another they fought in
+silence for a couple of minutes, then the soldier's struggles
+began to weaken.  He squirmed and gasped for breath.  His
+mouth opened and his tongue protruded.  His eyes started
+from their sockets.  Barney closed his fingers more tightly
+upon the bearded throat.  He rained heavy blows upon the
+upturned face.  The beating fists of his adversary waved
+wildly now--the blows that reached Barney were pitifully
+weak.  Presently they ceased.  The man struggled violently
+for an instant, twitched spasmodically and lay still.
+
+Barney clung to him for several minutes longer, until
+there was not the slightest indication of remaining life.  The
+perpetration of the deed sickened him; but he knew that
+his act was warranted, for it had been either his life or the
+other's.  He dragged the body back to the bushes in which
+he had been hiding.  There he stripped off the Austrian
+uniform, put his own clothes upon the corpse and rolled it
+into the river.
+
+Dressed as an Austrian private, Barney Custer shouldered
+the dead soldier's gun and walked boldly through the wood
+to the south.  Momentarily he expected to run upon other
+soldiers, but though he kept straight on his way for hours
+he encountered none.  The thin line of sentries along the
+river had been posted only to double the preventive measures
+that had been taken to keep Serbian spies either from enter-
+ing or leaving the city.
+
+Toward dawn, at the darkest period of the night, Barney
+saw lights ahead of him.  Apparently he was approaching a
+village.  He went more cautiously now, but all his care did
+not prevent him from running for the second time that night
+almost into the arms of a sentry.  This time, however, Barney
+saw the soldier before he himself was discovered.  It was
+upon the edge of the town, in an orchard, that the sentinel
+was posted.  Barney, approaching through the trees, darting
+from one to another, was within a few paces of the man be-
+fore he saw him.
+
+The American remained quietly in the shadow of a tree
+waiting for an opportunity to escape, but before it came he
+heard the approach of a small body of troops.  They were
+coming from the village directly toward the orchard.  They
+passed the sentry and marched within a dozen feet of the
+tree behind which Barney was hiding.
+
+As they came opposite him he slipped around the tree to
+the opposite side.  The sentry had resumed his pacing, and
+was now out of sight momentarily among the trees further
+on.  He could not see the American, but there were others
+who could.  They came in the shape of a non-commissioned
+officer and a detachment of the guard to relieve the sentry.
+Barney almost bumped into them as he rounded the tree.
+There was no escape--the non-commissioned officer was
+within two feet of him when Barney discovered him.  "What
+are you doing here?" shouted the sergeant with an oath.
+"Your post is there," and he pointed toward the position
+where Barney had seen the sentry.
+
+At first Barney could scarce believe his ears.  In the dark-
+ness the sergeant had mistaken him for the sentinel!  Could
+he carry it out?  And if so might it not lead him into worse
+predicament?  No, Barney decided, nothing could be worse.
+To be caught masquerading in the uniform of an Austrian
+soldier within the Austrian lines was to plumb the utter-
+most depth of guilt--nothing that he might do now could
+make his position worse.
+
+He faced the sergeant, snapping his piece to present, hop-
+ing that this was the proper thing to do.  Then he stumbled
+through a brief excuse.  The officer in command of the troops
+that had just passed had demanded the way of him, and
+he had but stepped a few paces from his post to point out
+the road to his superior.
+
+The sergeant grunted and ordered him to fall in.  Another
+man took his place on duty.  They were far from the enemy
+and discipline was lax, so the thing was accomplished which
+under other circumstances would have been well night im-
+possible.  A moment later Barney found himself marching
+back toward the village, to all intents and purposes an Aus-
+trian private.
+
+Before a low, windowless shed that had been converted
+into barracks for the guard, the detail was dismissed.  The
+men broke ranks and sought their blankets within the shed,
+tired from their lonely vigil upon sentry duty.
+
+Barney loitered until the last.  All the others had entered.
+He dared not, for he knew that any moment the sentry
+upon the post from which he had been taken would appear
+upon the scene, after discovering another of his comrades.
+He was certain to inquire of the sergeant.  They would be
+puzzled, of course, and, being soldiers, they would be
+suspicious.  There would be an investigation, which would
+start in the barracks of the guard.  That neighborhood would
+at once become a most unhealthy spot for Barney Custer,
+of Beatrice, Nebraska.
+
+When the last of the soldiers had entered the shed Bar-
+ney glanced quickly about.  No one appeared to notice him.
+He walked directly past the doorway to the end of the
+building.  Around this he found a yard, deeply shadowed.
+He entered it, crossed it, and passed out into an alley be-
+yond.  At the first cross-street his way was blocked by the
+sight of another sentry--the world seemed composed en-
+tirely of Austrian sentries.  Barney wondered if the entire
+Austrian army was kept perpetually upon sentry duty; he
+had scarce been able to turn without bumping into one.
+
+He turned back into the alley and at last found a crooked
+passageway between buildings that he hoped might lead
+him to a spot where there was no sentry, and from which he
+could find his way out of the village toward the south.  The
+passage, after devious windings, led into a large, open court,
+but when Barney attempted to leave the court upon the
+opposite side he found the ubiquitous sentries upon guard
+there.
+
+Evidently there would be no escape while the Austrians
+remained in the town.  There was nothing to do, therefore,
+but hide until the happy moment of their departure arrived.
+He returned to the courtyard, and after a short search dis-
+covered a shed in one corner that had evidently been used
+to stable a horse, for there was straw at one end of it and a
+stall in the other.  Barney sat down upon the straw to wait
+developments.  Tired nature would be denied no longer.  His
+eyes closed, his head drooped upon his breast.  In three
+minutes from the time he entered the shed he was stretched
+full length upon the straw, fast asleep.
+
+The chugging of a motor awakened him.  It was broad
+daylight.  Many sounds came from the courtyard without.
+It did not take Barney long to gather his scattered wits--in
+an instant he was wide awake.  He glanced about.  He was
+the only occupant of the shed.  Rising, he approached a
+small window that looked out upon the court.  All was life
+and movement.  A dozen military cars either stood about or
+moved in and out of the wide gates at the opposite end of
+the enclosure.  Officers and soldiers moved briskly through a
+doorway that led into a large building that flanked the court
+upon one side.  While Barney slept the headquarters of an
+Austrian army corps had moved in and taken possession of
+the building, the back of which abutted upon the court
+where lay his modest little shed.
+
+Barney took it all in at a single glance, but his eyes hung
+long and greedily upon the great, high-powered machines
+that chugged or purred about him.
+
+Gad!  If he could but be behind the wheel of such a car
+for an hour!  The frontier could not be over fifty miles to
+the south, of that he was quite positive; and what would
+fifty miles be to one of those machines?
+
+Barney sighed as a great, gray-painted car whizzed into
+the courtyard and pulled up before the doorway.  Two offi-
+cers jumped out and ran up the steps.  The driver, a young
+man in a uniform not unlike that which Barney wore, drew
+the car around to the end of the courtyard close beside
+Barney's shed.  Here he left it and entered the building into
+which his passengers had gone.  By reaching through the
+window Barney could have touched the fender of the ma-
+chine.  A few seconds' start in that and it would take more
+than an Austrian army corps to stop him this side of the
+border.  Thus mused Barney, knowing already that the mad
+scheme that had been born within his brain would be put
+to action before he was many minutes older.
+
+There were many soldiers on guard about the courtyard.
+The greatest danger lay in arousing the suspicions of one
+of these should he chance to see Barney emerge from the
+shed and enter the car.
+
+"The proper thing," thought Barney, "is to come from
+the building into which everyone seems to pass, and the
+only way to be seen coming out of it is to get into it; but
+how the devil am I to get into it?"
+
+The longer he thought the more convinced he became
+that utter recklessness and boldness would be his only sal-
+vation.  Briskly he walked from the shed out into the court-
+yard beneath the eyes of the sentries, the officers, the sol-
+diers, and the military drivers.  He moved straight among
+them toward the doorway of the headquarters as though
+bent upon important business--which, indeed, he was.  At
+least it was quite the most important business to Barney
+Custer that that young gentleman could recall having ven-
+tured upon for some time.
+
+No one paid the slightest attention to him.  He had left
+his gun in the shed for he noticed that only the men on
+guard carried them.  Without an instant's hesitation he ran
+briskly up the short flight of steps and entered the head-
+quarters building.  Inside was another sentry who barred his
+way questioningly.  Evidently one must state one's business
+to this person before going farther.  Barney, without any
+loss of time or composure, stepped up to the guard.
+
+"Has General Kampf passed in this morning?" he asked
+blithely.  Barney had never heard of any "General Kampf,"
+nor had the sentry, since there was no such person in the
+Austrian army.  But he did know, however, that there were
+altogether too many generals for any one soldier to know
+the names of them all.
+
+"I do not know the general by sight," replied the sentry.
+
+Here was a pretty mess, indeed.  Doubtless the sergeant
+would know a great deal more than would be good for
+Barney Custer.  The young man looked toward the door
+through which he had just entered.  His sole object in com-
+ing into the spider's parlor had been to make it possible for
+him to come out again in full view of all the guards and
+officers and military chauffeurs, that their suspicions might
+not be aroused when he put his contemplated coup to the
+test.
+
+He glanced toward the door.  Machines were whizzing in
+and out of the courtyard.  Officers on foot were passing and
+repassing.  The sentry in the hallway was on the point of
+calling his sergeant.
+
+"Ah!" cried Barney.  "There is the general now," and
+without waiting to cast even a parting glance at the guard
+he stepped quickly through the doorway and ran down
+the steps into the courtyard.  Looking neither to right nor to
+left, and with a convincing air of self-confidence and im-
+portant business, he walked directly to the big, gray ma-
+chine that stood beside the little shed at the end of the
+courtyard.
+
+To crank it and leap to the driver's seat required but a
+moment.  The big car moved smoothly forward.  A turn of
+the steering wheel brought it around headed toward the
+wide gates.  Barney shifted to second speed, stepped on
+the accelerator and the cut-out simultaneously, and with a
+noise like the rattle of a machine gun, shot out of the court-
+yard.
+
+None who saw his departure could have guessed from
+the manner of it that the young man at the wheel of the
+gray car was stealing the machine or that his life depended
+upon escape without detection.  It was the very boldness of
+his act that crowned it with success.
+
+Once in the street Barney turned toward the south.  Cars
+were passing up and down in both directions, usually at
+high speed.  Their numbers protected the fugitive.  Momen-
+tarily he expected to be halted; but he passed out of the
+village without mishap and reached a country road which,
+except for a lane down its center along which automobiles
+were moving, was blocked with troops marching southward.
+Through this soldier-walled lane Barney drove for half an
+hour.
+
+From a great distance, toward the southeast, he could
+hear the boom of cannon and the bursting of shells.  Presently
+the road forked.  The troops were moving along the road on
+the left toward the distant battle line.  Not a man or ma-
+chine was turning into the right fork, the road toward the
+south that Barney wished to take.
+
+Could he successfully pass through the marching soldiers
+at his right?  Among all those officers there surely would be
+one who would question the purpose and destination of this
+private soldier who drove alone in the direction of the near-
+by frontier.
+
+The moment had come when he must stake everything on
+his ability to gain the open road beyond the plodding mass
+of troops.  Diminishing the speed of the car Barney turned it
+in toward the marching men at the same time sounding his
+horn loudly.  An infantry captain, marching beside his com-
+pany, was directly in front of the car.  He looked up at the
+American.  Barney saluted and pointed toward the right-
+hand fork.
+
+The captain turned and shouted a command to his men.
+Those who had not passed in front of the car halted.  Barney
+shot through the little lane they had opened, which im-
+mediately closed up behind him.  He was through!  He was
+upon the open road!  Ahead, as far as he could see, there
+was no sign of any living creature to bar his way, and the
+frontier could not be more than twenty-five miles away.
+
+
+
+
+V
+
+THE TRAITOR KING
+
+IN HIS CASTLE at Lustadt, Leopold of Lutha paced nerv-
+ously back and forth between his great desk and the window
+that overlooked the royal gardens.  Upon the opposite side
+of the desk stood an old man--a tall, straight, old man with
+the bearing of a soldier and the head of a lion.  His keen,
+gray eyes were upon the king, and sorrow was written
+upon his face.  He was Ludwig von der Tann, chancellor
+of the kingdom of Lutha.
+
+At last the king stopped his pacing and faced the old man,
+though he could not meet those eagle eyes squarely, try as
+he would.  It was his inability to do so, possibly, that added
+to his anger.  Weak himself, he feared this strong man and
+envied him his strength, which, in a weak nature, is but
+a step from hatred.  There evidently had been a long pause
+in their conversation, yet the king's next words took up the
+thread of their argument where it had broken.
+
+"You speak as though I had no right to do it," he snapped.
+"One might think that you were the king from the manner
+with which you upbraid and reproach me.  I tell you, Prince
+von der Tann, that I shall stand it no longer."
+
+The king approached the desk and pounded heavily upon
+its polished surface with his fist.  The physical act of vio-
+lence imparted to him a certain substitute for the moral
+courage which he lacked.
+
+"I will tell you, sir, that I am king.  It was not necessary
+that I consult you or any other man before pardoning Prince
+Peter and his associates.  I have investigated the matter
+thoroughly and I am convinced that they have been taught
+a sufficient lesson and that hereafter they will be my most
+loyal subjects."
+
+He hesitated.  "Their presence here," he added, "may
+prove an antidote to the ambitions of others who lately have
+taken it upon themselves to rule Lutha for me."
+
+There was no mistaking the king's meaning, but Prince
+Ludwig did not show by any change of expression that the
+shot had struck him in a vulnerable spot; nor, upon the other
+hand, did he ignore the insinuation.  There was only sorrow
+in his voice when he replied.
+
+"Sire," he said, "for some time I have been aware of the
+activity of those who would like to see Peter of Blentz re-
+turned to favor with your majesty.  I have warned you, only
+to see that my motives were always misconstrued.  There is a
+greater power at work, your majesty, than any of us--
+greater than Lutha itself.  One that will stop at nothing in
+order to gain its ends.  It cares naught for Peter of Blentz,
+naught for me, naught for you.  It cares only for Lutha.  For
+strategic purposes it must have Lutha.  It will trample you
+under foot to gain its end, and then it will cast Peter of
+Blentz aside.  You have insinuated, sire, that I am ambitious.
+I am.  I am ambitious to maintain the integrity and freedom
+of Lutha.
+
+"For three hundred years the Von der Tanns have labored
+and fought for the welfare of Lutha.  It was a Von der Tann
+that put the first Rubinroth king upon the throne of Lutha.
+To the last they were loyal to the former dynasty while
+that dynasty was loyal to Lutha.  Only when the king at-
+tempted to sell the freedom of his people to a powerful
+neighbor did the Von der Tanns rise against him.
+
+"Sire! the Von der Tanns have always been loyal to the
+house of Rubinroth.  And but a single thing rises superior
+within their breasts to that loyalty, and that is their loyalty
+to Lutha."  He paused for an instant before concluding.  "And
+I, sire, am a Von der Tann."
+
+There could be no mistaking the old man's meaning.  So
+long as Leopold was loyal to his people and their interests
+Ludwig von der Tann would be loyal to Leopold.  The king
+was cowed.  He was very much afraid of this grim old war-
+rior.  He chafed beneath his censure.
+
+"You are always scolding me," he cried irritably.  "I am
+getting tired of it.  And now you threaten me.  Do you call
+that loyalty?  Do you call it loyalty to refuse to compel your
+daughter to keep her plighted troth?  If you wish to prove
+your loyalty command the Princess Emma to fulfil the prom-
+ise you made my father--command her to wed me at once."
+
+Von der Tann looked the king straight in the eyes.
+
+"I cannot do that," he said.  "She has told me that she will
+kill herself rather than wed with your majesty.  She is all I
+have left, sire.  What good would be accomplished by rob-
+bing me of her if you could not gain her by the act?  Win
+her confidence and love, sire.  It may be done.  Thus only
+may happiness result to you and to her."
+
+"You see," exclaimed the king, "what your loyalty amounts
+to!  I believe that you are saving her for the impostor--I
+have heard as much hinted at before this.  Nor do I doubt
+that she would gladly connive with the fellow if she thought
+there was a chance of his seizing the throne."
+
+Von der Tann paled.  For the first time righteous indigna-
+tion and anger got the better of him.  He took a step toward
+the king.
+
+"Stop!" he commanded.  "No man, not even my king, may
+speak such words to a Von der Tann."
+
+In an antechamber just outside the room a man sat near
+the door that led into the apartment where the king and his
+chancellor quarreled.  He had been straining his ears to catch
+the conversation which he could hear rising and falling in
+the adjoining chamber, but till now he had been unsuccess-
+ful.  Then came Prince Ludwig's last words booming loudly
+through the paneled door, and the man smiled.  He was
+Count Zellerndorf, the Austrian minister to Lutha.
+
+The king's outraged majesty goaded him to an angry
+retort.
+
+"You forget yourself, Prince von der Tann," he cried.
+"Leave our presence.  When we again desire to be insulted
+we shall send for you."
+
+As the chancellor passed into the antechamber Count
+Zellerndorf rose and greeted him warmly, almost effusively.
+Von der Tann returned his salutations with courtesy but
+with no answering warmth.  Then he passed on out of the
+palace.
+
+"The old fox must have heard," he mused as he mounted
+his horse and turned his face toward Tann and the Old
+Forest.
+
+When Count Zellerndorf of Austria entered the presence
+of Leopold of Lutha he found that young ruler much dis-
+turbed.  He had resumed his restless pacing between desk
+and window, and as the Austrian entered he scarce paused
+to receive his salutation.  Count Zellerndorf was a frequent
+visitor at the
+palace.  There were few formalities between
+this astute diplomat and the young king; those had passed
+gradually away as their acquaintance and friendship ripened.
+
+"Prince Ludwig appeared angry when he passed through
+the antechamber," ventured Zellerndorf.  "Evidently your
+majesty found cause to rebuke him."
+
+The king nodded and looked narrowly at the Austrian.
+"The Prince von der Tann insinuated that Austria's only
+wish in connection with Lutha is to seize her," he said.
+
+Zellerndorf raised his hands in well-simulated horror.
+
+"Your majesty!" he exclaimed.  "It cannot be that the prince
+has gone to such lengths to turn you against your best
+friend, my emperor.  If he has I can only attribute it to his
+own ambitions.  I have hesitated to speak to you of this
+matter, your majesty, but now that the honor of my own
+ruler is questioned I must defend him.
+
+"Bear with me then, should what I have to say wound
+you.  I well know the confidence which the house of Von der
+Tann has enjoyed for centuries in Lutha; but I must brave
+your wrath in the interest of right.  I must tell you that it is
+common gossip in Vienna that Von der Tann aspires to the
+throne of Lutha either for himself or for his daughter
+through the American impostor who once sat upon your
+throne for a few days.  And let me tell you more.
+
+"The American will never again menace you--he was
+arrested in Burgova as a spy and executed.  He is dead; but
+not so are Von der Tann's ambitions.  When he learns that he
+no longer may rely upon the strain of the Rubinroth blood
+that flowed in the veins of the American from his royal
+mother, the runaway Princess Victoria, there will remain to
+him only the other alternative of seizing the throne for him-
+self.  He is a very ambitious man, your majesty.  Already he
+has caused it to become current gossip that he is the real
+power behind the throne of Lutha--that your majesty is
+but a figure-head, the puppet of Von der Tann."
+
+Zellerndorf paused.  He saw the flush of shame and anger
+that suffused the king's face, and then he shot the bolt that
+he had come to fire, but which he had not dared to hope
+would find its target so denuded of defense.
+
+"Your majesty," he whispered, coming quite close to the
+king, "all Lutha is inclined to believe that you fear Prince
+von der Tann.  Only a few of us know the truth to be the
+contrary.  For the sake of your prestige you must take some
+step to counteract this belief and stamp it out for good and
+all.  I have planned a way--hear it.
+
+"Von der Tann's hatred of Peter of Blentz is well known.
+No man in Lutha believes that he would permit you to have
+any intercourse with Peter.  I have brought from Blentz
+an invitation to your majesty to honor the Blentz prince
+with your presence as a guest for the ensuing week.  Accept
+it, your majesty.
+
+"Nothing could more conclusively prove to the most skep-
+tical that you are still the king, and that Von der Tann, nor
+any other, may not dare to dictate to you.  It will be the
+most splendid stroke of statesmanship that you could achieve
+at the present moment."
+
+For an instant the king stood in thought.  He still feared
+Peter of Blentz as the devil is reputed to fear holy water,
+though for converse reasons.  Yet he was very angry with
+Von der Tann.  It would indeed be an excellent way to
+teach the presumptuous chancellor his place.
+
+Leopold almost smiled as he thought of the chagrin with
+which Prince Ludwig would receive the news that he had
+gone to Blentz as the guest of Peter.  It was the last impetus
+that was required by his weak, vindictive nature to press
+it to a decision.
+
+"Very well," he said, "I will go tomorrow."
+
+It was late the following day that Prince von der Tann
+received in his castle in the Old Forest word that an Austrian
+army had crossed the Luthanian frontier--the neutrality of
+Lutha had been violated.  The old chancellor set out im-
+mediately for Lustadt.  At the palace he sought an interview
+with the king only to learn that Leopold had departed
+earlier in the day to visit Peter of Blentz.
+
+There was but one thing to do and that was to follow the
+king to Blentz.  Some action must be taken immediately--it
+would never do to let this breach of treaty pass unnoticed.
+
+The Serbian minister who had sent word to the chancellor
+of the invasion by the Austrian troops was closeted with
+him for an hour after his arrival at the palace.  It was clear
+to both these men that the hand of Zellerndorf was plainly in
+evidence in both the important moves that had occurred in
+Lutha within the past twenty-four hours--the luring of the
+king to Blentz and the entrance of Austrian soldiery into
+Lutha.
+
+Following his interview with the Serbian minister Von der
+Tann rode toward Blentz with only his staff in attendance.
+It was long past midnight when the lights of the town ap-
+peared directly ahead of the little party.  They rode at a
+trot along the road which passes through the village to wind
+upward again toward the ancient feudal castle that looks
+down from its hilltop upon the town.
+
+At the edge of the village Von der Tann was thunder-
+struck by a challenge from a sentry posted in the road, nor
+was his dismay lessened when he discovered that the man
+was an Austrian.
+
+"What is the meaning of this?" he cried angrily.  "What
+are Austrian soldiers doing barring the roads of Lutha to the
+chancellor of Lutha?"
+
+The sentry called an officer.  The latter was extremely
+suave.  He regretted the incident, but his orders were most
+positive--no one could be permitted to pass through the
+lines without an order from the general commanding.  He
+would go at once to the general and see if he could procure
+the necessary order.  Would the prince be so good as to await
+his return?  Von der Tann turned on the young officer, his
+face purpling with rage.
+
+"I will pass nowhere within the boundaries of Lutha," he
+said, "upon the order of an Austrian.  You may tell your
+general that my only regret is that I have not with me to-
+night the necessary force to pass through his lines to my
+king--another time I shall not be so handicapped," and Lud-
+wig, Prince von der Tann, wheeled his mount and spurred
+away in the direction of Lustadt, at his heels an extremely
+angry and revengeful staff.
+
+
+
+
+VI
+
+A TRAP IS SPRUNG
+
+LONG BEFORE Prince von der Tann reached Lustadt he had
+come to the conclusion that Leopold was in virtue a prisoner
+in Blentz.  To prove his conclusion he directed one of his
+staff to return to Blentz and attempt to have audience with
+the king.
+
+"Risk anything," he instructed the officer to whom he had
+entrusted the mission.  "Submit, if necessary, to the humilia-
+tion of seeking an Austrian pass through the lines to the
+castle.  See the king at any cost and deliver this message
+to him and to him alone and secretly.  Tell him my fears,
+and that if I do not have word from him within twenty-
+four hours I shall assume that he is indeed a prisoner.
+
+"I shall then direct the mobilization of the army and
+take such steps as seem fit to rescue him and drive the in-
+vaders from the soil of Lutha.  If you do not return I shall
+understand that you are held prisoner by the Austrians and
+that my worst fears have been realized."
+
+But Prince Ludwig was one who believed in being fore-
+handed and so it happened that the orders for the mobiliza-
+tion of the army of Lutha were issued within fifteen minutes
+of his return to Lustadt.  It would do no harm, thought the
+old man, with a grim smile, to get things well under way a
+day ahead of time.  This accomplished, he summoned the
+Serbian minister, with what purpose and to what effect be-
+came historically evident several days later.  When, after
+twenty-four hours' absence, his aide had not returned from
+Blentz, the chancellor had no regrets for his forehanded-
+ness.
+
+In the castle of Peter of Blentz the king of Lutha was be-
+ing entertained royally.  He was told nothing of the attempt
+of his chancellor to see him, nor did he know that a messen-
+ger from Prince von der Tann was being held a prisoner
+in the camp of the Austrians in the village.  He was sur-
+rounded by the creatures of Prince Peter and by Peter's
+staunch allies, the Austrian minister and the Austrian officers
+attached to the expeditionary force occupying the town.
+They told him that they had positive information that the
+Serbians already had crossed the frontier into Lutha, and
+that the presence of the Austrian troops was purely for the
+protection of Lutha.
+
+It was not until the morning following the rebuff of
+Prince von der Tann that Peter of Blentz, Count Zellern-
+dorf and Maenck heard of the occurrence.  They were cha-
+grined by the accident, for they were not ready to deliver
+their final stroke.  The young officer of the guard had, of
+course, but followed his instructions--who would have thought
+that old Von der Tann would come to Blentz!  That he
+suspected their motives seemed apparent, and now that
+his rebuff at the gates had aroused his ire and, doubtless,
+crystallized his suspicions, they might find in him a very
+ugly obstacle to the fruition of their plans.
+
+With Von der Tann actively opposed to them, the value
+of having the king upon their side would be greatly mini-
+mized.  The people and the army had every confidence in
+the old chancellor.  Even if he opposed the king there was
+reason to believe that they might still side with him.
+
+"What is to be done?" asked Zellerndorf.  "Is there no
+way either to win or force Von der Tann to acquiescence?"
+
+"I think we can accomplish it," said Prince Peter, after a
+moment of thought.  "Let us see Leopold.  His mind has
+been prepared to receive almost gratefully any insinuations
+against the loyalty of Von der Tann.  With proper evidence
+the king may easily be persuaded to order the chancellor's
+arrest--possibly his execution as well."
+
+So they saw the king, only to meet a stubborn refusal
+upon the part of Leopold to accede to their suggestions.  He
+still was madly in love with Von der Tann's daughter, and
+he knew that a blow delivered at her father would only
+tend to increase her bitterness toward him.  The conspirators
+were nonplussed.
+
+They had looked for a comparatively easy road to the
+consummation of their desires.  What in the world could be
+the cause of the king's stubborn desire to protect the man
+they knew he feared, hated, and mistrusted with all the
+energy of his suspicious nature?  It was the king himself
+who answered their unspoken question.
+
+"I cannot believe in the disloyalty of Prince Ludwig," he
+said, "nor could I, even if I desired it, take such drastic
+steps as you suggest.  Some day the Princess Emma, his
+daughter, will be my queen."
+
+Count Zellerndorf was the first to grasp the possibilities
+that lay in the suggestion the king's words carried.
+
+"Your majesty," he cried, "there is a way to unite all
+factions in Lutha.  It would be better to insure the loyalty
+of Von der Tann through bonds of kinship than to an-
+tagonize him.  Marry the Princess Emma at once.
+
+"Wait, your majesty," he added, as Leopold raised an ob-
+jecting hand.  "I am well informed as to the strange obsti-
+nacy of the princess, but for the welfare of the state--yes,
+for the sake of your very throne, sire--you should exert
+your royal prerogatives and command the Princess Emma to
+carry out the terms of your betrothal."
+
+"What do you mean, Zellerndorf?" asked the king.
+
+"I mean, sire, that we should bring the princess here and
+compel her to marry you."
+
+Leopold shook his head.  "You do not know her," he said.
+"You do not know the Von der Tann nature--one cannot
+force a Von der Tann."
+
+"Pardon, sire," urged Zellerndorf, "but I think it can be
+accomplished.  If the Princess Emma knew that your majesty
+believed her father to be a traitor--that the order for his
+arrest and execution but awaited your signature--I doubt
+not that she would gladly become queen of Lutha, with
+her father's life and liberty as a wedding gift."
+
+For several minutes no one spoke after Count Zellerndorf
+had ceased.  Leopold sat looking at the toe of his boot.
+Peter of Blentz, Maenck, and the Austrian watched him in-
+tently.  The possibilities of the plan were sinking deep into
+the minds of all four.  At last the king rose.  He was mum-
+bling to himself as though unconscious of the presence of
+the others.
+
+"She is a stubborn jade," he mumbled.  "It would be an
+excellent lesson for her.  She needs to be taught that I am
+her king," and then as though his conscience required a
+sop, "I shall be very good to her.  Afterward she will be
+happy."  He turned toward Zellerndorf.  "You think it can
+be done?"
+
+"Most assuredly, your majesty.  We shall take immediate
+steps to fetch the Princess Emma to Blentz," and the Aus-
+trian rose and backed from the apartment lest the king
+change his mind.  Prince Peter and Maenck followed him.
+
+
+Princess Emma von der Tann sat in her boudoir in her
+father's castle in the Old Forest.  Except for servants, she
+was alone in the fortress, for Prince von der Tann was in
+Lustadt.  Her mind was occupied with memories of the
+young American who had entered her life under such strange
+circumstances two years before--memories that had been
+awakened by the return of Lieutenant Otto Butzow to Lutha.
+He had come directly to her father and had been attached
+to the prince's personal staff.
+
+From him she had heard a great deal about Barney
+Custer, and the old interest, never a moment forgotten dur-
+ing these two years, was reawakened to all its former in-
+tensity.
+
+Butzow had accompanied Prince Ludwig to Lustadt, but
+Princess Emma would not go with them.  For two years she
+had not entered the capital, and much of that period had
+been spent in Paris.  Only within the past fortnight had she
+returned to Lutha.
+
+In the middle of the morning her reveries were inter-
+rupted by the entrance of a servant bearing a message.  She
+had to read it twice before she could realize its purport;
+though it was plainly worded--the shock of it had stunned
+her.  It was dated at Lustadt and signed by one of the
+palace functionaries:
+
+
+Prince von der Tann has suffered a slight stroke.  Do
+not be alarmed, but come at once.  The two troopers
+who bear this message will act as your escort.
+
+
+It required but a few minutes for the girl to change to
+her riding clothes, and when she ran down into the court she
+found her horse awaiting her in the hands of her groom,
+while close by two mounted troopers raised their hands to
+their helmets in salute.
+
+A moment later the three clattered over the drawbridge
+and along the road that leads toward Lustadt.  The escort
+rode a short distance behind the girl, and they were hard
+put to it to hold the mad pace which she set them.
+
+A few miles from Tann the road forks.  One branch leads
+toward the capital and the other winds over the hills in the
+direction of Blentz.  The fork occurs within the boundaries
+of the Old Forest.  Great trees overhang the winding road,
+casting a twilight shade even at high noon.  It is a lonely
+spot, far from any habitation.
+
+As the Princess Emma approached the fork she reined in
+her mount, for across the road to Lustadt a dozen horse-
+men barred her way.  At first she thought nothing of it,
+turning her horse's head to the righthand side of the road
+to pass the party, all of whom were in uniform; but as she
+did so one of the men reined directly in her path.  The act
+was obviously intentional.
+
+The girl looked quickly up into the man's face, and her
+own went white.  He who stopped her way was Captain
+Ernst Maenck.  She had not seen the man for two years, but
+she had good cause to remember him as the governor of the
+castle of Blentz and the man who had attempted to take
+advantage of her helplessness when she had been a prisoner
+in Prince Peter's fortress.  Now she looked straight into the
+fellow's eyes.
+
+"Let me pass, please," she said coldly.
+
+"I am sorry," replied Maenck with an evil smile; "but the
+king's orders are that you accompany me to Blentz--the
+king is there."
+
+For answer the girl drove her spur into her mount's side.
+The animal leaped forward, striking Maenck's horse on the
+shoulder and half turning him aside, but the man clutched
+at the girl's bridle-rein, and, seizing it, brought her to a stop.
+
+"You may as well come voluntarily, for come you must,"
+he said.  "It will be easier for you."
+
+"I shall not come voluntarily," she replied.  "If you take
+me to Blentz you will have to take me by force, and if my
+king is not sufficiently a gentleman to demand an account-
+ing of you, I am at least more fortunate in the possession
+of a father who will."
+
+"Your father will scarce wish to question the acts of his
+king," said Maenck--"his king and the husband of his
+daughter."
+
+"What do you mean?" she cried.
+
+"That before you are many hours older, your highness,
+you will be queen of Lutha."
+
+The Princess Emma turned toward her tardy escort that
+had just arrived upon the scene.
+
+"This person has stopped me," she said, "and will not
+permit me to continue toward Lustadt.  Make a way for me;
+you are armed!"
+
+Maenck smiled.  "Both of them are my men," he explained.
+
+The girl saw it all now--the whole scheme to lure her
+to Blentz.  Even then, though, she could not believe the king
+had been one of the conspirators of the plot.
+
+Weak as he was he was still a Rubinroth, and it was
+difficult for a Von der Tann to believe in the duplicity of a
+member of the house they had served so loyally for cen-
+turies.  With bowed head the princess turned her horse into
+the road that led toward Blentz.  Half the troopers pre-
+ceded her, the balance following behind.
+
+Maenck wondered at the promptness of her surrender.
+
+"To be a queen--ah! that was the great temptation," he
+thought but he did not know what was passing in the girl's
+mind.  She had seen that escape for the moment was im-
+possible, and so had decided to bide her time until a more
+propitious chance should come.  In silence she rode among
+her captors.  The thought of being brought to Blentz alive
+was unbearable.
+
+Somewhere along the road there would be an opportunity
+to escape.  Her horse was fleet; with a short start he could
+easily outdistance these heavier cavalry animals and as a
+last resort she could--she must--find some way to end her
+life, rather than to be dragged to the altar beside Leopold
+of Lutha.
+
+Since childhood Emma von der Tann had ridden these
+hilly roads.  She knew every lane and bypath for miles
+around.  She knew the short cuts, the gullies and ravines.
+She knew where one might, with a good jumper, save a
+wide detour, and as she rode toward Blentz she passed in
+review through her mind each of the many spots where a
+sudden break for liberty might have the best chance to
+succeed.
+
+And at last she hit upon the place where a quick turn
+would take her from the main road into the roughest sort of
+going for one not familiar with the trail.  Maenck and his
+soldiers had already partially relaxed their vigilance.  The
+officer had come to the conclusion that his prisoner was
+resigned to her fate and that, after all, the fate of being
+forced to be queen did not appear so dark to her.
+
+They had wound up a wooded hill and were half way
+up to the summit.  The princess was riding close to the right-
+hand side of the road.  Quite suddenly, and before a hand
+could be raised to stay her, she wheeled her mount between
+two trees, struck home her spur, and was gone into the
+wood upon the steep hillside.
+
+With an oath, Maenck cried to his men to be after her.
+He himself spurred into the forest at the point where the
+girl had disappeared.  So sudden had been her break for
+liberty and so quickly had the foliage swallowed her that
+there was something almost uncanny in it.
+
+A hundred yards from the road the trees were further
+apart, and through them the pursuers caught a glimpse of
+their quarry.  The girl was riding like mad along the rough,
+uneven hillside.  Her mount, surefooted as a chamois, seemed
+in his element.  But two of the horses of her pursuers were
+as swift, and under the cruel spurs of their riders were clos-
+ing up on their fugitive.  The girl urged her horse to greater
+speed, yet still the two behind closed in.
+
+A hundred yards ahead lay a deep and narrow gully,
+hid by bushes that grew rankly along its verge.  Straight
+toward this the Princess Emma von der Tann rode.  Behind
+her came her pursuers--two quite close and the others trail-
+ing farther in the rear.  The girl reined in a trifle, letting the
+troopers that were closest to her gain until they were but a
+few strides behind, then she put spur to her horse and drove
+him at topmost speed straight toward the gully.  At the
+bushes she spoke a low word in his backlaid ears, raised
+him quickly with the bit, leaning forward as he rose in air.
+Like a bird that animal took the bushes and the gully be-
+yond, while close behind him crashed the two luckless
+troopers.
+
+Emma von der Tann cast a single backward glance over
+her shoulder, as her horse regained his stride upon the op-
+posite side of the gully, to see her two foremost pursuers
+plunging headlong into it.  Then she shook free her reins
+and gave her mount his head along a narrow trail that both
+had followed many times before.
+
+Behind her, Maenck and the balance of his men came to a
+sudden stop at the edge of the gully.  Below them one of the
+troopers was struggling to his feet.  The other lay very still
+beneath his motionless horse.  With an angry oath Maenck
+directed one of his men to remain and help the two who
+had plunged over the brink, then with the others he rode
+along the gully searching for a crossing.
+
+Before they found one their captive was a mile ahead of
+them, and, barring accident, quite beyond recapture.  She
+was making for a highway that would lead her to Lustadt.
+Ordinarily she had been wont to bear a little to the north-
+east at this point and strike back into the road that she had
+just left; but today she feared to do so lest she be cut off
+before she gained the north and south highroad which the
+other road crossed a little farther on.
+
+To her right was a small farm across which she had never
+ridden, for she always had made it a point never to trespass
+upon fenced grounds.  On the opposite side of the farm was
+a wood, and somewhere beyond that a small stream which
+the highroad crossed upon a little bridge.  It was all new
+country to her, but it must be ventured.
+
+She took the fence at the edge of the clearing and then
+reined in a moment to look behind her.  A mile away she
+saw the head and shoulders of a horseman above some low
+bushes--the pursuers had found a way through the gully.
+
+Turning once more to her flight the girl rode rapidly
+across the fields toward the wood.  Here she found a high
+wire fence so close to thickly growing trees upon the opposite
+side that she dared not attempt to jump it--there was no
+point at which she would not have been raked from the
+saddle by overhanging boughs.  Slipping to the ground she
+attacked the barrier with her bare hands, attempting to
+tear away the staples that held the wire in place.  For several
+minutes she surged and tugged upon the unyielding metal
+strand.  An occasional backward glance revealed to her hor-
+rified eyes the rapid approach of her enemies.  One of them
+was far in advance of the others--in another moment he
+would be upon her.
+
+With redoubled fury she turned again to the fence.  A
+superhuman effort brought away a staple.  One wire was
+down and an instant later two more.  Standing with one foot
+upon the wires to keep them from tangling about her
+horse's legs, she pulled her mount across into the wood.  The
+foremost horseman was close upon her as she finally suc-
+ceeded in urging the animal across the fallen wires.
+
+The girl sprang to her horse's side just as the man reached
+the fence.  The wires, released from her weight, sprang up
+breast high against his horse.  He leaped from the saddle
+the instant that the girl was swinging into her own.  Then
+the fellow jumped the fence and caught her bridle.
+
+She struck at him with her whip, lashing him across the
+head and face, but he clung tightly, dragged hither and
+thither by the frightened horse, until at last he managed to
+reach the girl's arm and drag her to the ground.
+
+Almost at the same instant a man, unkempt and dis-
+heveled, sprang from behind a tree and with a single blow
+stretched the trooper unconscious upon the ground.
+
+
+
+
+VII
+
+BARNEY TO THE RESCUE
+
+AS BARNEY CUSTER raced along the Austrian highroad to-
+ward the frontier and Lutha, his spirits rose to a pitch of
+buoyancy to which they had been strangers for the past
+several days.  For the first time in many hours it seemed
+possible to Barney to entertain reasonable hopes of escape
+from the extremely dangerous predicament into which he
+had gotten himself.
+
+He was even humming a gay little tune as he drove into
+a tiny hamlet through which the road wound.  No sign of
+military appeared to fill him with apprehension.  He was
+very hungry and the odor of cooking fell gratefully upon his
+nostrils.  He drew up before the single inn, and presently,
+washed and brushed, was sitting before the first meal he
+had seen for two days.  In the enjoyment of the food he
+almost forgot the dangers he had passed through, or that
+other dangers might be lying in wait for him at his elbow.
+
+From the landlord he learned that the frontier lay but
+three miles to the south of the hamlet.  Three miles!  Three
+miles to Lutha!  What if there was a price upon his head in
+that kingdom?  It was HER home.  It had been his mother's
+birthplace.  He loved it.
+
+Further, he must enter there and reach the ear of old
+Prince von der Tann.  Once more he must save the king who
+had shown such scant gratitude upon another occasion.
+
+For Leopold, Barney Custer did not give the snap of his
+fingers; but what Leopold, the king, stood for in the lives
+and sentiments of the Luthanians--of the Von der Tanns--
+was very dear to the American because it was dear to a
+trim, young girl and to a rugged, leonine, old man, of both
+of whom Barney was inordinately fond.  And possibly, too, it
+was dear to him because of the royal blood his mother
+had bequeathed him.
+
+His meal disposed of to the last morsel, and paid for,
+Barney entered the stolen car and resumed his journey
+toward Lutha.  That he could remain there he knew to be
+impossible, but in delivering his news to Prince Ludwig he
+might have an opportunity to see the Princess Emma once
+again--it would be worth risking his life for, of that he was
+perfectly satisfied.  And then he could go across into Serbia
+with the new credentials that he had no doubt Prince von
+der Tann would furnish him for the asking to replace those
+the Austrians had confiscated.
+
+At the frontier Barney was halted by an Austrian customs
+officer; but when the latter recognized the military car and
+the Austrian uniform of the driver he waved him through
+without comment.  Upon the other side the American ex-
+pected possible difficulty with the Luthanian customs offi-
+cer, but to his surprise he found the little building deserted,
+and none to bar his way.  At last he was in Lutha--by noon
+on the following day he should be at Tann.
+
+To reach the Old Forest by the best roads it was neces-
+sary to bear a little to the southeast, passing through Tafel-
+berg and striking the north and south highway between that
+point and Lustadt, to which he could hold until reaching
+the east and west road that runs through both Tann and
+Blentz on its way across the kingdom.
+
+The temptation to stop for a few minutes in Tafelberg for
+a visit with his old friend Herr Kramer was strong, but fear
+that he might be recognized by others, who would not
+guard his secret so well as the shopkeeper of Tafelberg
+would, decided him to keep on his way.  So he flew through
+the familiar main street of the quaint old village at a speed
+that was little, if any less, than fifty miles an hour.
+
+On he raced toward the south, his speed often necessarily
+diminished upon the winding mountain roads, but for the
+most part clinging to a reckless mileage that caused the
+few natives he encountered to flee to the safety of the
+bordering fields, there to stand in open-mouthed awe.
+
+Halfway between Tafelberg and the crossroad into which
+he purposed turning to the west toward Tann there is an
+S-curve where the bases of two small hills meet.  The road
+here is narrow and treacherous--fifteen miles an hour is al-
+most a reckless speed at which to travel around the curves
+of the S.  Beyond are open fields upon either side of the
+road.
+
+Barney took the turns carefully and had just emerged into
+the last leg of the S when he saw, to his consternation, a
+half-dozen Austrian infantrymen lolling beside the road.  An
+officer stood near them talking with a sergeant.  To turn back
+in that narrow road was impossible.  He could only go ahead
+and trust to his uniform and the military car to carry him
+safely through.  Before he reached the group of soldiers the
+fields upon either hand came into view.  They were dotted
+with tents, wagons, motor-vans and artillery.  What did it
+mean?  What was this Austrian army doing in Lutha?
+
+Already the officer had seen him.  This was doubtless an
+outpost, however clumsily placed it might be for strategic
+purposes.  To pass it was Barney's only hope.  He had passed
+through one Austrian army--why not another?  He approached
+the outpost at a moderate rate of speed--to tear toward it
+at the rate his heart desired would be to awaken not sus-
+picion only but positive conviction that his purposes and mo-
+tives were ulterior.
+
+The officer stepped toward the road as though to halt
+him.  Barney pretended to be fussing with some refractory
+piece of controlling mechanism beneath the cowl--appar-
+ently he did not see the officer.  He was just opposite him
+when the latter shouted to him.  Barney straightened up
+quickly and saluted, but did not stop.
+
+"Halt!" cried the officer.
+
+Barney pointed down the road in the direction in which
+he was headed.
+
+"Halt!" repeated the officer, running to the car.
+
+Barney glanced ahead.  Two hundred yards farther on
+was another post--beyond that he saw no soldiers.  He
+turned and shouted a volley of intentionally unintelligible
+jargon at the officer, continuing to point ahead of him.
+
+He hoped to confuse the man for the few seconds neces-
+sary for him to reach the last post.  If the soldiers there saw
+that he had been permitted to pass through the first they
+doubtless would not hinder his further passage.  That they
+were watching him Barney could see.
+
+He had passed the officer now.  There was no necessity for
+dalliance.  He pressed the accelerator down a trifle.  The car
+moved forward at increased speed.  a final angry shout
+broke from the officer behind him, followed by a quick
+command.  Barney did not have to wait long to learn the
+tenor of the order, for almost immediately a shot sounded
+from behind and a bullet whirred above his head.  Another
+shot and another followed.
+
+Barney was pressing the accelerator downward to the
+limit.  The car responded nobly--there was no sputtering,
+no choking.  Just a rapid rush of increasing momentum as
+the machine gained headway by leaps and bounds.
+
+The bullets were ripping the air all about him.  Just ahead
+the second outpost stood directly in the center of the road.
+There were three soldiers and they were taking deliberate
+aim, as carefully as though upon the rifle range.  It seemed
+to Barney that they couldn't miss him.  He swerved the car
+suddenly from one side of the road to the other.  At the
+rate that it was going the move was fraught with but little
+less danger than the supine facing of the leveled guns ahead.
+
+The three rifles spoke almost simultaneously.  The glass of
+the windshield shattered in Barney's face.  There was a hole
+in the left-hand front fender that had not been there before.
+
+"Rotten shooting," commented Barney Custer, of Beatrice.
+
+The soldiers still stood in the center of the road firing at
+the swaying car as, lurching from side to side, it bore down
+upon them.  Barney sounded the raucous military horn; but
+the soldiers seemed unconscious of their danger--they still
+stood there pumping lead toward the onrushing Juggernaut.
+At the last instant they attempted to rush from its path; but
+they were too late.
+
+At over sixty miles an hour the huge, gray monster bore
+down upon them.  One of them fell beneath the wheels--the
+two others were thrown high in air as the bumper struck
+them.  The body of the man who had fallen beneath the
+wheels threw the car half way across the road--only iron
+nerve and strong arms held it from the ditch upon the op-
+posite side.
+
+Barney Custer had never been nearer death than at that
+moment--not even when he faced the firing squad before
+the factory wall in Burgova.  He had done that without a
+tremor--he had heard the bullets of the outpost whistling
+about his head a moment before, with a smile upon his lips--
+he had faced the leveled rifles of the three he had ridden
+down and he had not quailed.  But now, his machine in the
+center of the road again, he shook like a leaf, still in the
+grip of the sickening nausea of that awful moment when
+the mighty, insensate monster beneath him had reeled
+drunkenly in its mad flight, swerving toward the ditch and
+destruction.
+
+For a few minutes he held to his rapid pace before he
+looked around, and then it was to see two cars climbing into
+the road from the encampment in the field and heading to-
+ward him in pursuit.  Barney grinned.  Once more he was
+master of his nerves.  They'd have a merry chase, he thought,
+and again he accelerated the speed of the car.  Once before
+he had had it up to seventy-five miles, and for a moment,
+when he had had no opportunity to even glance at the
+speedometer, much higher.  Now he was to find the maxi-
+mum limit of the possibilities of the brave car he had come
+to look upon with real affection.
+
+The road ahead was comparatively straight and level.  Be-
+hind him came the enemy.  Barney watched the road rushing
+rapidly out of sight beneath the gray fenders.  He glanced
+occasionally at the speedometer.  Seventy-five miles an hour.
+Seventy-seven!  "Going some," murmured Barney as he saw
+the needle vibrate up to eighty.  Gradually he nursed her up
+and up to greater speed.
+
+Eighty-five!  The trees were racing by him in an indis-
+tinct blur of green.  The fences were thin, wavering lines--
+the road a white-gray ribbon, ironed by the terrific speed
+to smooth unwrinkledness.  He could not take his eyes from
+the business of steering to glance behind; but presently there
+broke faintly through the whir of the wind beating against
+his ears the faint report of a gun.  He was being fired upon
+again.  He pressed down still further upon the accelerator.
+The car answered to the pressure.  The needle rose steadily
+until it reached ninety miles an hour--and topped it.
+
+Then from somewhere in the radiator hose a hissing and a
+spurt of steam.  Barney was dumbfounded.  He had filled the
+cooling system at the inn where he had eaten.  It had been
+working perfectly before and since.  What could have hap-
+pened?  There could be but a single explanation.  A bullet
+from the gun of one of the three men who had attempted
+to stop him at the second outpost had penetrated the radia-
+tor, and had slowly drained it.
+
+Barney knew that the end was near, since the usefulness
+of the car in furthering his escape was over.  At the speed
+he was going it would be but a short time before the super-
+heated pistons expanding in their cylinders would tear the
+motor to pieces.  Barney felt that he would be lucky if he
+himself were not killed when it happened.
+
+He reduced his speed and glanced behind.  His pursuers
+had not gained upon him, but they still were coming.  A
+bend in the road shut them from his view.  A little way
+ahead the road crossed over a river upon a wooden bridge.
+On the opposite side and to the right of the road was a
+wood.  It seemed to offer the most likely possibilities of con-
+cealment in the vicinity.  If he could but throw his pursuers
+off the trail for a while he might succeed in escaping
+through the wood, eventually reaching Tann on foot.  He
+had a rather hazy idea of the exact direction of the town
+and castle, but that he could find them eventually he was
+sure.
+
+The sight of the river and the bridge he was nearing sug-
+gested a plan, and the ominous grating of the overheated
+motor warned him that whatever he was to do he must do
+at once.  As he neared the bridge he reduced the speed of
+the car to fifteen miles an hour, and set the hand throttle to
+hold it there.  Still gripping the steering wheel with one
+hand, he climbed over the left-hand door to the running
+board.  As the front wheels of the car ran up onto the bridge
+Barney gave the steering wheel a sudden turn to the right,
+and jumped.
+
+The car veered toward the wooden handrail, there was a
+splintering of stanchions, as, with a crash, the big machine
+plunged through them headforemost into the river.  Without
+waiting to give even a glance at his handiwork Barney Cus-
+ter ran across the bridge, leaped the fence upon the right-
+hand side and plunged into the shelter of the wood.
+
+Then he turned to look back up the road in the direction
+from which his pursuers were coming.  They were not in
+sight--they had not seen his ruse.  The water in the river
+was of sufficient depth to completely cover the car--no sign
+of it appeared above the surface.
+
+Barney turned into the wood smiling.  His scheme had
+worked well.  The occupants of the two cars following him
+might not note the broken handrail, or, if they did, might
+not connect it with Barney in any way.  In this event they
+would continue in the direction of Lustadt, wondering what
+in the world had become of their quarry.  Or, if they guessed
+that his car had gone over into the river, they would doubt-
+less believe that its driver had gone with it.  In either event
+Barney would be given ample time to find his way to Tann.
+
+He wished that he might find other clothes, since if he
+were dressed otherwise there would be no reason to imagine
+that his pursuers would recognize him should they come
+upon him.  None of them could possibly have gained a suf-
+ficiently good look at his features to recognize them again.
+
+The Austrian uniform, however, would convict him, or at
+least lay him under suspicion, and in Barney's present case,
+suspicion was as good as conviction were he to fall into the
+hands of the Austrians.  The garb had served its purpose
+well in aiding in his escape from Austria, but now it was
+more of a menace than an asset.
+
+For a week Barney Custer wandered through the woods
+and mountains of Lutha.  He did not dare approach or
+question any human being.  Several times he had seen Aus-
+trian cavalry that seemed to be scouring the country for
+some purpose that the American could easily believe was
+closely connected with himself.  At least he did not feel dis-
+posed to stop them, as they cantered past his hiding place,
+to inquire the nature of their business.
+
+Such farmhouses as he came upon he gave a wide berth
+except at night, and then he only approached them stealthily
+for such provender as he might filch.  Before the week was
+up he had become an expert chicken thief, being able to rob
+a roost as quietly as the most finished carpetbagger on the
+sunny side of Mason and Dixon's line.
+
+A careless housewife, leaving her lord and master's rough
+shirt and trousers hanging upon the line overnight, had
+made possible for Barney the coveted change in raiment.
+Now he was barged as a Luthanian peasant.  He was hat-
+less, since the lady had failed to hang out her mate's
+woolen cap, and Barney had not dared retain a single ves-
+tige of the damning Austrian uniform.
+
+What the peasant woman thought when she discovered
+the empty line the following morning Barney could only
+guess, but he was morally certain that her grief was more
+than tempered by the gold piece he had wrapped in a bit
+of cloth torn from the soldier's coat he had worn, which he
+pinned on the line where the shirt and pants had been.
+
+It was somewhere near noon upon the seventh day that
+Barney skirting a little stream, followed through the con-
+cealing shade of a forest toward the west.  In his peasant
+dress he now felt safer to approach a farmhouse and in-
+quire his way to Tann, for he had come a sufficient distance
+from the spot where he had stolen his new clothes to hope
+that they would not be recognized or that the news of their
+theft had not preceded him.
+
+As he walked he heard the sound of the feet of a horse
+galloping over a dry field--muffled, rapid thud approach-
+ing closer upon his right hand.  Barney remained motionless.
+He was sure that the rider would not enter the wood which,
+with its low-hanging boughs and thick underbrush, was ill
+adapted to equestrianism.
+
+Closer and closer came the sound until it ceased suddenly
+scarce a hundred yards from where the American hid.  He
+waited in silence to discover what would happen next.
+Would the rider enter the wood on foot?  What was his pur-
+pose?  Was it another Austrian who had by some miracle
+discovered the whereabouts of the fugitive?  Barney could
+scarce believe it possible.
+
+Presently he heard another horse approaching at the same
+mad gallop.  He heard the sound of rapid, almost frantic
+efforts of some nature where the first horse had come to a
+stop.  He heard a voice urging the animal forward--plead-
+ing, threatening.  A woman's voice.  Barney's excitement be-
+came intense in sympathy with the subdued excitement of
+the woman whom he could not as yet see.
+
+A moment later the second rider came to a stop at the
+same point at which the first had reined in.  A man's voice
+rose roughly.  "Halt!" it cried.  "In the name of the king,
+halt!"  The American could no longer resist the temptation to
+see what was going on so close to him "in the name of the
+king."
+
+He advanced from behind his tree until he saw the two
+figures--a man's and a woman's.  Some bushes intervened--
+he could not get a clear view of them, yet there was some-
+thing about the figure of the woman, whose back was to-
+ward him as she struggled to mount her frightened horse,
+that caused him to leap rapidly toward her.  He rounded a
+tree a few paces from her just as the man--a trooper in the
+uniform of the house of Blentz--caught her arm and dragged
+her from the saddle.  At the same instant Barney recognized
+the girl--it was Princess Emma.
+
+Before either the trooper or the princess were aware of
+his presence he had leaped to the man's side and dealt him
+a blow that stretched him at full length upon the ground--
+stunned.
+
+
+
+
+VIII
+
+AN ADVENTUROUS DAY
+
+FOR AN INSTANT the two stood looking at one another.  The
+girl's eyes were wide with incredulity, with hope, with fear.
+She was the first to break the silence.
+
+"Who are you?" she breathed in a half whisper.
+
+"I don't wonder that you ask," returned the man.  "I must
+look like a scarecrow.  I'm Barney Custer.  Don't you re-
+member me now?  Who did you think I was?"
+
+The girl took a step toward him.  Her eyes lighted with
+relief.
+
+"Captain Maenck told me that you were dead," she said,
+"that you had been shot as a spy in Austria, and then there
+is that uncanny resemblance to the king--since he has shaved
+his beard it is infinitely more remarkable.  I thought you
+might be he.  He has been at Blentz and I knew that it was
+quite possible that he had discovered treachery upon the
+part of Prince Peter.  In which case he might have escaped
+in disguise.  I really wasn't sure that you were not he until
+you spoke."
+
+Barney stooped and removed the bandoleer of cartridges
+from the fallen trooper, as well as his revolver and carbine.
+Then he took the girl's hand and together they turned into
+the wood.  Behind them came the sound of pursuit.  They
+heard the loud words of Maenck as he ordered his three
+remaining men into the wood on foot.  As he advanced,
+Barney looked to the magazine of his carbine and the cylin-
+der of his revolver.
+
+"Why were they pursuing you?" he asked.
+
+"They were taking me to Blentz to force me to wed
+Leopold," she replied.  "They told me that my father's life
+depended upon my consenting; but I should not have done
+so.  The honor of my house is more precious than the life of
+any of its members.  I escaped them a few miles back, and
+they were following to overtake me."
+
+A noise behind them caused Barney to turn.  One of the
+troopers had come into view.  He carried his carbine in his
+hands and at sight of the man with the fugitive girl he
+raised it to his shoulder; but as the American turned toward
+him his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped.
+
+Instantly Barney knew that the fellow had noted his re-
+semblance to the king.  Barney's body was concealed from
+the view of the other by a bush which grew between them,
+so the man saw only the face of the American.  The fellow
+turned and shouted to Maenck: "The king is with her."
+
+"Nonsense," came the reply from farther back in the wood.
+"If there is a man with her and he will not surrender, shoot
+him."  At the words Barney and the girl turned once more
+to their flight.  From behind came the command to halt--
+"Halt! or I fire."  Just ahead Barney saw the river.
+
+They were sure to be taken there if he was unable to gain
+the time necessary to make good a crossing.  Upon the op-
+posite side was a continuation of the wood.  Behind them
+the leading trooper was crashing through the underbrush
+in renewed pursuit.  He came in sight of them again, just as
+they reached the river bank.  Once more his carbine was
+leveled.  Barney pushed the girl to her knees behind a bush.
+Then he wheeled and fired, so quickly that the man with
+the already leveled gun had no time to anticipate his act.
+
+With a cry the fellow threw his hands above his head,
+staggered forward and plunged full length upon his face.
+Barney gathered the princess in his arms and plunged into
+the shallow stream.  The girl held his carbine as he stumbled
+over the rocky bottom.  The water deepened rapidly--the
+opposite shore seemed a long way off and behind there were
+three more enemies in hot pursuit.
+
+Under ordinary circumstances Barney could have found it
+in his heart to wish the little Luthanian river as broad as the
+Mississippi, for only under such circumstances as these could
+he ever hope to hold the Princess Emma in his arms.  Two
+years before she had told him that she loved him; but at
+the same time she had given him to understand that their
+love was hopeless.  She might refuse to wed the king; but
+that she should ever wed another while the king lived was
+impossible, unless Leopold saw fit to release her from her
+betrothal to him and sanction her marriage to another.  That
+he ever would do this was to those who knew him not even
+remotely possible.
+
+He loved Emma von der Tann and he hated Barney
+Custer--hated him with a jealous hatred that was almost
+fanatic in its intensity.  And even that the Princess Emma
+von der Tann would wed him were she free to wed was a
+question that was not at all clear in the mind of Barney
+Custer.  He knew something of the traditions of this noble
+family--of the pride of caste, of the fetish of blood that
+inexorably dictated the ordering of their lives.
+
+The girl had just said that the honor of her house was
+more precious than the life of any of its members.  How much
+more precious would it be to her than her own material
+happiness!  Barney Custer sighed and struggled through the
+swirling waters that were now above his hips.  If he pressed
+the lithe form closer to him than necessity demanded, who
+may blame him?
+
+The girl, whose face was toward the bank they had just
+quitted, gave no evidence of displeasure if she noted the
+fierce pressure of his muscles.  Her eyes were riveted upon
+the wood behind.  Presently a man emerged.  He called to
+them in a loud and threatening tone.
+
+Barney redoubled his Herculean efforts to gain the oppo-
+site bank.  He was in midstream now and the water had
+risen to his waist.  The girl saw Maenck and the other
+trooper emerge from the underbrush beside the first.  Maenck
+was crazed with anger.  He shook his fist and screamed aloud
+his threatening commands to halt, and then, of a sudden,
+gave an order to one of the men at his side.  Immediately
+the fellow raised his carbine and fired at the escaping couple.
+
+The bullet struck the water behind them.  At the sound of
+the report the girl raised the gun she held and leveled it at
+the group behind her.  She pulled the trigger.  There was a
+sharp report, and one of the troopers fell.  Then she fired
+again, quickly, and again and again.  She did not score an-
+other hit, but she had the satisfaction of seeing Maenck and
+the last of his troopers dodge back to the safety of protecting
+trees.
+
+"The cowards!" muttered Barney as the enemy's shot an-
+nounced his sinister intention; "they might have hit your
+highness."
+
+The girl did not reply until she had ceased firing.
+
+"Captain Maenck is notoriously a coward," she said.  "He
+is hiding behind a tree now with one of his men--I hit the
+other."
+
+"You hit one of them!" exclaimed Barney enthusiastically.
+
+"Yes," said the girl.  "I have shot a man.  I often wondered
+what the sensation must be to have done such a thing.  I
+should feel terribly, but I don't.  They were firing at you,
+trying to shoot you in the back while you were defenseless.
+I am not sorry--I cannot be; but I only wish that it had
+been Captain Maenck."
+
+In a short time Barney reached the bank and, helping the
+girl up, climbed to her side.  A couple of shots followed
+them as they left the river, but did not fall dangerously
+near.  Barney took the carbine and replied, then both of
+them disappeared into the wood.
+
+For the balance of the day they tramped on in the
+direction of Lustadt, making but little progress owing to the
+fear of apprehension.  They did not dare utilize the high
+road, for they were still too close to Blentz.  Their only hope
+lay in reaching the protection of Prince von der Tann before
+they should be recaptured by the king's emissaries.  At
+dusk they came to the outskirts of a town.  Here they hid
+until darkness settled, for Barney had determined to enter
+the place after dark and hire horses.
+
+The American marveled at the bravery and endurance of
+the girl.  He had always supposed that a princess was so
+carefully guarded from fatigue and privation all her life that
+the least exertion would prove her undoing; but no hardy
+peasant girl could have endured more bravely the hardships
+and dangers through which the Princess Emma had passed
+since the sun rose that morning.
+
+At last darkness came, and with it they approached and
+entered the village.  They kept to unlighted side streets until
+they met a villager, of whom they inquired their way to
+some private house where they might obtain refreshments.
+The fellow scrutinized them with evident suspicion.
+
+"There is an inn yonder," he said, pointing toward the
+main street.  "You can obtain food there.  Why should re-
+spectable folk want to go elsewhere than to the public inn?
+And if you are afraid to go there you must have very good
+reasons for not wanting to be seen, and--" he stopped short
+as though assailed by an idea.  "Wait," he cried, excitedly,
+"I will go and see if I can find a place for you.  Wait right
+here," and off he ran toward the inn.
+
+"I don't like the looks of that," said Barney, after the
+man had left them.  "He's gone to report us to someone.
+Come, we'd better get out of here before he comes back."
+
+The two turned up a side street away from the inn.  They
+had gone but a short distance when they heard the sound
+of voices and the thud of horses' feet behind them.  The
+horses were coming at a walk and with them were several
+men on foot.  Barney took the princess' hand and drew her up
+a hedge bordered driveway that led into private grounds.  In
+the shadows of the hedge they waited for the party behind
+them to pass.  It might be no one searching for them, but it
+was just as well to be on the safe side--they were still near
+Blentz.  Before the men reached their hiding place a motor
+car followed and caught up with them, and as the party
+came opposite the driveway Barney and the princess over-
+heard a portion of their conversation.
+
+"Some of you go back and search the street behind the
+inn--they may not have come this way."  The speaker was
+in the motor car.  "We will follow along this road for a bit
+and then turn into the Lustadt highway.  If you don't find
+them go back along the road toward Tann."
+
+In her excitement the Princess Emma had not noticed that
+Barney Custer still held her hand in his.  Now he pressed it.
+"It is Maenck's voice," he whispered.  "Every road will be
+guarded."
+
+For a moment he was silent, thinking.  The searching party
+had passed on.  They could still hear the purring of the
+motor as Maenck's car moved slowly up the street.
+
+"This is a driveway," murmured Barney.  "People who
+build driveways into their grounds usually have something
+to drive.  Whatever it is it should be at the other end of the
+driveway.  Let's see if it will carry two."
+
+Still in the shadow of the hedge they moved cautiously
+toward the upper end of the private road until presently
+they saw a building looming in their path.
+
+"A garage?" whispered Barney.
+
+"Or a barn," suggested the princess.
+
+"In either event it should contain something that can go,"
+returned the American.  "Let us hope that it can go like--
+like--ah--the wind."
+
+"And carry two," supplemented the princess.
+
+"Wait here," said Barney.  "If I get caught, run.  What-
+ever happens you mustn't be caught."
+
+Princess Emma dropped back close to the hedge and
+Barney approached the building, which proved to be a
+private garage.  The doors were locked, as also were the
+three windows.  Barney passed entirely around the structure
+halting at last upon the darkest side.  Here was a window.
+Barney tried to loosen the catch with the blade of his pocket
+knife, but it wouldn't unfasten.  His endeavors resulted only
+in snapping short the blade of his knife.  For a moment he
+stood contemplating the baffling window.  He dared not break
+the glass for fear of arousing the inmates of the house
+which, though he could not see it, might be close at hand.
+
+Presently he recalled a scene he had witnessed on State
+Street in Chicago several years before--a crowd standing
+before the window of a jeweler's shop inspecting a neat little
+hole that a thief had cut in the glass with a diamond and
+through which he had inserted his hand and brought forth
+several hundred dollars worth of loot.  But Barney Custer
+wore no diamond--he would as soon have worn a celluloid
+collar.  But women wore diamonds.  Doubtless the Princess
+Emma had one.  He ran quickly to her side.
+
+"Have you a diamond ring?" he whispered.
+
+"Gracious!" she exclaimed, "you are progressing rapidly,"
+and slipped a solitaire from her finger to his hand.
+
+"Thanks," said Barney.  "I need the practice; but wait and
+you'll see that a diamond may be infinitely more valuable
+than even the broker claims," and he was gone again into
+the shadows of the garage.  Here upon the window pane he
+scratched a rough deep circle, close to the catch.  A quick
+blow sent the glass clattering to the floor within.  For a
+minute Barney stood listening for any sign that the noise
+had attracted attention, but hearing nothing he ran his hand
+through the hole that he had made and unlatched the
+frame.  A moment later he had crawled within.
+
+Before him, in the darkness, stood a roadster.  He ran his
+hand over the pedals and levers, breathing a sigh of relief
+as his touch revealed the familiar control of a standard
+make.  Then he went to the double doors.  They opened
+easily and silently.
+
+Once outside he hastened to the side of the waiting girl.
+
+"It's a machine," he whispered.  "We must both be in it
+when it leaves the garage--it's the through express for Lus-
+tadt and makes no stops for passengers or freight."
+
+He led her back to the garage and helped her into the
+seat beside him.  As silently as possible he ran the machine
+into the driveway.  A hundred yards to the left, half hidden
+by intervening trees and shrubbery, rose the dark bulk of a
+house.  A subdued light shone through the drawn blinds of
+several windows--the only sign of life about the premises
+until the car had cleared the garage and was moving slowly
+down the driveway.  Then a door opened in the house let-
+ting out a flood of light in which the figure of a man was
+silhouetted.  A voice broke the silence.
+
+"Who are you?  What are you doing there?  Come back!"
+
+The man in the doorway called excitedly, "Friedrich!  Come!
+Come quickly!  Someone is stealing the automobile," and the
+speaker came running toward the driveway at top speed.
+Behind him came Friedrich.  Both were shouting, waving
+their arms and threatening.  Their combined din might have
+aroused the dead.
+
+Barney sought speed--silence now was useless.  He turned
+to the left into the street away from the center of the town.
+In this direction had gone the automobile with Maenck, but
+by taking the first righthand turn Barney hoped to elude
+the captain.  In a moment Friedrich and the other were
+hopelessly distanced.  It was with a sigh of relief that the
+American turned the car into the dark shadows beneath the
+overarching trees of the first cross street.
+
+He was running without lights along an unknown way;
+and beside him was the most precious burden that Barney
+Custer might ever expect to carry.  Under these circumstances
+his speed was greatly reduced from what he would have
+wished, but at that he was forced to accept grave risks.  The
+road might end abruptly at the brink of a ravine--it might
+swerve perilously close to a stone quarry--or plunge head-
+long into a pond or river.  Barney shuddered at the possibili-
+ties; but nothing of the sort happened.  The street ran straight
+out of the town into a country road, rather heavy with
+sand.  In the open the possibilities of speed were increased,
+for the night, though moonless, was clear, and the road
+visible for some distance ahead.
+
+The fugitives were congratulating themselves upon the ex-
+cellent chance they now had to reach Lustadt.  There was
+only Maenck and his companion ahead of them in the other
+car, and as there were several roads by which one might
+reach the main highway the chances were fair that Prince
+Peter's aide would miss them completely.
+
+Already escape seemed assured when the pounding of
+horses' hoofs upon the roadway behind them arose to blast
+their new found hope.  Barney increased the speed of the
+car.  It leaped ahead in response to his foot; but the road
+was heavy, and the sides of the ruts gripping the tires re-
+tarded the speed.  For a mile they held the lead of the
+galloping horsemen.  The shouts of their pursuers fell clearly
+upon their ears, and the Princess Emma, turning in her seat,
+could easily see the four who followed.  At last the car be-
+gan to draw away--the distance between it and the riders
+grew gradually greater.
+
+"I believe we are going to make it," whispered the girl,
+her voice tense with excitement.  "If you could only go a
+little faster, Mr. Custer, I'm sure that we will."
+
+"She's reached her limit in this sand," replied the man,
+"and there's a grade just ahead--we may find better going
+beyond, but they're bound to gain on us before we reach
+the top."
+
+The girl strained her eyes into the night before them.  On
+the right of the road stood an ancient ruin--grim and for-
+bidding.  As her eyes rested upon it she gave a little ex-
+clamation of relief.
+
+"I know where we are now," she cried.  "The hill ahead is
+sandy, and there is a quarter of a mile of sand beyond, but
+then we strike the Lustadt highway, and if we can reach it
+ahead of them their horses will have to go ninety miles an
+hour to catch us--provided this car possesses any such
+speed possibilities."
+
+"If it can go forty we are safe enough," replied Barney;
+"but we'll give it a chance to go as fast as it can--the
+farther we are from the vicinity of Blentz the safer I shall
+feel for the welfare of your highness."
+
+A shot rang behind them, and a bullet whistled high
+above their heads.  The princess seized the carbine that
+rested on the seat between them.
+
+"Shall I?" she asked, turning its muzzle back over the low-
+ered top.
+
+"Better not," answered the man.  "They are only trying
+to frighten us into surrendering--that shot was much too
+high to have been aimed at us--they are shooting over our
+heads purposely.  If they deliberately attempt to pot us later,
+then go for them, but to do it now would only draw their
+fire upon us.  I doubt if they wish to harm your highness,
+but they certainly would fire to hit in self-defense."
+
+The girl lowered the firearm.  "I am becoming perfectly
+bloodthirsty," she said, "but it makes me furious to be
+hunted like a wild animal in my native land, and by the
+command of my king, at that.  And to think that you who
+placed him upon his throne, you who have risked your life
+many times for him, will find no protection at his hands
+should you be captured is maddening.  Ach, Gott, if I
+were a man!"
+
+"I thank God that you are not, your highness," returned
+Barney fervently.
+
+Gently she laid her hand upon his where it gripped the
+steering wheel.
+
+"No," she said, "I was wrong--I do not need to be a man
+while there still be such men as you, my friend; but I would
+that I were not the unhappy woman whom Fate had bound
+to an ingrate king--to a miserable coward!"
+
+They had reached the grade at last, and the motor was
+straining to the Herculean task imposed upon it.
+
+Grinding and grating in second speed the car toiled up-
+ward through the clinging sand.  The pace was snail-like.  Be-
+hind, the horsemen were gaining rapidly.  The labored
+breathing of their mounts was audible even above the noise
+of the motor, so close were they.  The top of the ascent lay
+but a few yards ahead, and the pursuers were but a few
+yards behind.
+
+"Halt!" came from behind, and then a shot.  The ping of
+the bullet and the scream of the ricochet warned the man
+and the girl that those behind them were becoming desper-
+ate--the bullet had struck one of the rear fenders.  Without
+again asking assent the princess turned and, kneeling upon
+the cushion of the seat, fired at the nearest horseman.  The
+horse stumbled and plunged to his knees.  Another, just be-
+hind, ran upon him, and the two rolled over together with
+their riders.  Two more shots were fired by the remaining
+horsemen and answered by the girl in the automobile, and
+then the car topped the hill, shot into high, and with re-
+newed speed forged into the last quarter-mile of heavy
+going toward the good road ahead; but now the grade
+was slightly downward and all the advantage was upon the
+side of the fugitives.
+
+However, their margin would be but scant when they
+reached the highway, for behind them the remaining troop-
+ers were spurring their jaded horses to a final spurt of
+speed.  At last the white ribbon of the main road became
+visible.  To the right they saw the headlights of a machine.
+It was Maenck probably, doubtless attracted their way by
+the shooting.
+
+But the machine was a mile away and could not possibly
+reach the intersection of the two roads before they had
+turned to the left toward Lustadt.  Then the incident would
+resolve itself into a simple test of speed between the two
+cars--and the ability and nerve of the drivers.  Barney hadn't
+the slightest doubt now as to the outcome.  His borrowed
+car was a good one, in good condition.  And in the matter
+of driving he rather prided himself that he needn't take his
+hat off to anyone when it came to ability and nerve.
+
+They were only about fifty feet from the highway.  The
+girl touched his hand again.  "We're safe," she cried, her
+voice vibrant with excitement, "we're safe at last."  From be-
+neath the bonnet, as though in answer to her statement,
+came a sickly, sucking sputter.  The momentum of the car
+diminished.  The throbbing of the engine ceased.  They sat
+in silence as the machine coasted toward the highway and
+came to a dead stop, with its front wheels upon the road
+to safety.  The girl turned toward Barney with an exclama-
+tion of surprise and interrogation.
+
+"The jig's up," he groaned.; "we're out of gasoline!"
+
+
+
+
+IX
+
+THE CAPTURE
+
+THE CAPTURE of Princess Emma von der Tann and Barney
+Custer was a relatively simple matter.  Open fields spread in
+all directions about the crossroads at which their car had
+come to its humiliating stop.  There was no cover.  To have
+sought escape by flight, thus in the open, would have been
+to expose the princess to the fire of the troopers.  Barney
+could not do this.  He preferred to surrender and trust to
+chance to open the way to escape later.
+
+When Captain Ernst Maenck drove up he found the pris-
+oners disarmed, standing beside the now-useless car.  He
+alighted from his own machine and with a low bow saluted
+the princess, an ironical smile upon his thin lips.  Then he
+turned his attention toward her companion.
+
+"Who are you?" he demanded gruffly.  In the darkness
+he failed to recognize the American whom he thought dead
+in Austria.
+
+"A servant of the house of Von der Tann," replied Barney.
+
+"You deserve shooting," growled the officer, "but we'll
+leave that to Prince Peter and the king.  When I tell them
+the trouble you have caused us--well, God help you."
+
+The journey to Blentz was a short one.  They had been
+much nearer that grim fortress than either had guessed.  At
+the outskirts of the town they were challenged by Austrian
+sentries, through which Maenck passed with ease after the
+sentinel had summoned an officer.  From this man Maenck
+received the password that would carry them through the
+line of outposts between the town and the castle--"Slanka-
+men."  Barney, who overheard the word, made a mental note
+of it.
+
+At last they reached the dreary castle of Peter of Blentz.
+In the courtyard Austrian soldiers mingled with the men of
+the bodyguard of the king of Lutha.  Within, the king's offi-
+cers fraternized with the officers of the emperor.  Maenck
+led his prisoners to the great hall which was filled with
+officers and officials of both Austria and Lutha.
+
+The king was not there.  Maenck learned that he had re-
+tired to his apartments a few minutes earlier in company
+with Prince Peter of Blentz and Von Coblich.  He sent a
+servant to announce his return with the Princess von der
+Tann and a man who had attempted to prevent her being
+brought to Blentz.
+
+Barney had, as far as possible, kept his face averted from
+Maenck since they had entered the lighted castle.  He hoped
+to escape recognition, for he knew that if his identity were
+guessed it might go hard with the princess.  As for himself,
+it might go even harder, but of that he gave scarcely a
+thought--the safety of the princess was paramount.
+
+After a few minutes of waiting the servant returned with
+the king's command to fetch the prisoners to his apartments.
+The face of the Princess Emma was haggard.  For the first
+time Barney saw signs of fear upon her countenance.  With
+leaden steps they accompanied their guard up the winding
+stairway to the tower rooms that had been furnished for
+the king.  They were the same in which Emma von der Tann
+had been imprisoned two years before.
+
+On either side of the doorway stood a soldier of the king's
+bodyguard.  As Captain Maenck approached they saluted.
+A servant opened the door and they passed into the room.
+Before them were Peter of Blentz and Von Coblich standing
+beside a table at which Leopold of Lutha was sitting.  The
+eyes of the three men were upon the doorway as the little
+party entered.  The king's face was flushed with wine.  He
+rose as his eyes rested upon the face of the princess.
+
+"Greetings, your highness," he cried with an attempt at
+cordiality.
+
+The girl looked straight into his eyes, coldly, and then
+bent her knee in formal curtsy.  The king was about to speak
+again when his eyes wandered to the face of the American.
+Instantly his own went white and then scarlet.  The eyes of
+Peter of Blentz followed those of the king, widening in as-
+tonishment as they rested upon the features of Barney Cus-
+ter.
+
+"You told me he was dead," shouted the king.  "What is
+the meaning of this, Captain Maenck?"
+
+Maenck looked at his male prisoner and staggered back
+as though struck between the eyes.
+
+"Mein Gott," he exclaimed, "the impostor!"
+
+"You told me he was dead," repeated the king accusingly.
+
+"As God is my judge, your majesty," cried Peter of Blentz,
+"this man was shot by an Austrian firing squad in Burgova
+over a week ago."
+
+"Sire," exclaimed Maenck, "this is the first sight I have
+had of the prisoners except in the darkness of the night;
+until this instant I had not the remotest suspicion of his
+identity.  He told me that he was a servant of the house of
+Von der Tann."
+
+"I told you the truth, then," interjected Barney.
+
+"Silence, you ingrate!" cried the king.
+
+"Ingrate?" repeated Barney.  "You have the effrontery to
+call me an ingrate?  You miserable puppy."
+
+A silence, menacing in its intensity, fell upon the little
+assemblage.  The king trembled.  His rage choked him.  The
+others looked as though they scarce could believe the testi-
+mony of their own ears.  All there, with the possible excep-
+tion of the king, knew that he deserved even more degrad-
+ing appellations; but they were Europeans, and to Euro-
+peans a king is a king--that they can never forget.  It had
+been the inherent suggestion of kingship that had bent the
+knee of the Princess Emma before the man she despised.
+
+But to the American a king was only what he made him-
+self.  In this instance he was not even a man in the estimation
+of Barney Custer.  Maenck took a step toward the prisoner
+--a menacing step, for his hand had gone to his sword.
+Barney met him with a level look from between narrowed
+lids.  Maenck hesitated, for he was a great coward.  Peter
+of Blentz spoke:
+
+"Sire," he said, "the fellow knows that he is already as
+good as dead, and so in his bravado he dares affront you.
+He has been convicted of spying by the Austrians.  He is
+still a spy.  It is unnecessary to repeat the formality of a
+trial."
+
+Leopold at last found his voice, though it trembled and
+broke as he spoke.
+
+"Carry out the sentence of the Austrian court in the
+morning," he said.  "A volley now might arouse the garrison
+in the town and be misconstrued."
+
+Maenck ordered Barney escorted from the apartment, then
+he turned toward the king.
+
+"And the other prisoner, sire?" he inquired.
+
+"There is no other prisoner," he said.  "Her highness, the
+Princess von der Tann, is a guest of Prince Peter.  She will
+be escorted to her apartment at once."
+
+"Her highness, the Princess von der Tann, is not a guest
+of Prince Peter."  The girl's voice was low and cold.  "If Mr.
+Custer is a prisoner, her highness, too, is a prisoner.  If he is
+to be shot, she demands a like fate.  To die by the side of a
+MAN would be infinitely preferable to living by the side of
+your majesty."
+
+Once again Leopold of Lutha reddened.  For a moment
+he paced the room angrily to hide his emotion.  Then he
+turned once to Maenck.
+
+"Escort the prisoner to the north tower," he commanded,
+"and this insolent girl to the chambers next to ours.  To-
+morrow we shall talk with her again."
+
+Outside the room Barney turned for a last look at the
+princess as he was being led in one direction and she in
+another.  A smile of encouragement was on his lips and cold
+hopelessness in his heart.  She answered the smile and her
+lips formed a silent "good-bye."  They formed something
+else, too--three words which he was sure he could not have
+mistaken, and then they parted, he for the death chamber
+and she for what fate she could but guess.
+
+As his guard halted before a door at the far end of a long
+corridor Barney Custer sensed a sudden familiarity in his
+surroundings.  He was conscious of that sensation which is
+common to all of us--of having lived through a scene at
+some former time, to each minutest detail.
+
+As the door opened and he was pushed into the room he
+realized that there was excellent foundation for the impres-
+sion--he immediately recognized the apartment as the same
+in which he had once before been imprisoned.  At that time
+he had been mistaken for the mad king who had escaped
+from the clutches of Peter of Blentz.  The same king was
+now visiting as a guest the fortress in which he had spent
+ten bitter years as a prisoner.
+
+"Say your prayers, my friend," admonished Maenck, as
+he was about to leave him alone, "for at dawn you die--
+and this time the firing squad will make a better job of it."
+
+Barney did not answer him, and the captain departed,
+locking the door after him and leaving two men on guard
+in the corridor.  Alone, Barney looked about the room.  It was
+in no wise changed since his former visit to it.  He recalled
+the incidents of the hour of his imprisonment here, thought
+of old Joseph who had aided his escape, looked at the
+paneled fireplace, whose secret, it was evident, not even the
+master of Blentz was familiar with--and grinned.
+
+"'For at dawn you die!'" he repeated to himself, still
+smiling broadly.  Then he crossed quickly to the fireplace,
+running his fingers along the edge of one of the large tiled
+panels that hid the entrance to the well-like shaft that rose
+from the cellars beneath to the towers above and which
+opened through similar concealed exits upon each floor.  If
+the floor above should be untenanted he might be able to
+reach it as he and Joseph had done two years ago when they
+opened the secret panel in the fireplace and climbed a hid-
+den ladder to the room overhead; and then by vacant cor-
+ridors reached the far end of the castle above the suite in
+which the princess had been confined and near which Bar-
+ney had every reason to believe she was now imprisoned.
+
+Carefully Barney's fingers traversed the edges of the panel.
+No hidden latch rewarded his search.  Again and again he
+examined the perfectly fitted joints until he was convinced
+either that there was no latch there or that it was hid be-
+yond possibility of discovery.  With each succeeding minute
+the American's heart and hopes sank lower and lower.  Two
+years had elapsed since he had seen the secret portal swing
+to the touch of Joseph's fingers.  One may forget much in
+two years; but that he was at work upon the right panel
+Barney was positive.  However, it would do no harm to ex-
+amine its mate which resembled it in minutest detail.
+
+Almost indifferently Barney turned his attention to the
+other panel.  He ran his fingers over it, his eyes following
+them.  What was that?  A finger-print?  Upon the left side half
+way up a tiny smudge was visible.  Barney examined it
+more carefully.  A round, white figure of the conventional
+design that was burned into the tile bore the telltale smudge.
+
+Otherwise it differed apparently in no way from the
+numerous other round, white figures that were repeated
+many times in the scheme of decoration.  Barney placed his
+thumb exactly over the mark that another thumb had left
+there and pushed.  The figure sank into the panel beneath
+the pressure.  Barney pushed harder, breathless with sus-
+pense.  The panel swung in at his effort.  The American could
+have whooped with delight.
+
+A moment more and he stood upon the opposite side of
+the secret door in utter darkness, for he had quickly closed
+it after him.  To strike a match was but the matter of a mo-
+ment.  The wavering light revealed the top of the ladder that
+led downward and the foot of another leading aloft.  He
+struck still more matches in search of the rope.  It was not
+there, but his quest revealed the fact that the well at this
+point was much larger than he had imagined--it broadened
+into a small chamber.
+
+The light of many matches finally led him to the discovery
+of a passageway directly behind the fireplace.  It was nar-
+row, and after spanning the chimney descended by a few
+rough steps to a slightly lower level.  It led toward the
+opposite end of the castle.  Could it be possible that it con-
+nected directly with the apartments in the farther tower--
+in the tower where the king was and the Princess Emma?
+Barney could scarce hope for any such good luck, but at
+least it was worth investigating--it must lead somewhere.
+
+He followed it warily, feeling his way with hands and
+feet and occasionally striking a match.  It was evident that
+the corridor lay in the thick wall of the castle, midway be-
+tween the bottoms of the windows of the second floor and the
+tops of those upon the first--this would account for the
+slightly lower level of the passage from the floor of the
+second story.
+
+Barney had traversed some distance in the darkness along
+the forgotten corridor when the sound of voices came to
+him from beyond the wall at his right.  He stopped, motion-
+less, pressing his ear against the side wall.  As he did so he
+became aware of the fact that at this point the wall was of
+wood--a large panel of hardwood.  Now he could hear even
+the words of the speaker upon the opposite side.
+
+"Fetch her here, captain, and I will talk with her alone."
+The voice was the king's.  "And, captain, you might remove
+the guard from before the door temporarily.  I shall not re-
+quire them, nor do I wish them to overhear my conversa-
+tion with the princess."
+
+Barney could hear the officer acknowledge the commands
+of the king, and then he heard a door close.  The man had
+gone to fetch the princess.  The American struck a match
+and examined the panel before him.  It reached to the top
+of the passageway and was some three feet in width.
+
+At one side were three hinges, and at the other an ancient
+spring lock.  For an instant Barney stood in indecision.  What
+should he do?  His entry into the apartments of the king
+would result in alarming the entire fortress.  Were he sure
+the king was alone it might be accomplished.  Should he
+enter now or wait until the Princess Emma had been brought
+to the king?
+
+With the question came the answer--a bold and daring
+scheme.  His fingers sought the lock.  Very gently, he un-
+latched it and pushed outward upon the panel.  Suddenly
+the great doorway gave beneath his touch.  It opened a
+crack letting a flood of light into his dark cell that almost
+blinded him.
+
+For a moment he could see nothing, and then out of the
+glaring blur grew the figure of a man sitting at a table--
+with his back toward the panel.
+
+It was the king, and he was alone.  Noiselessly Barney
+Custer entered the apartment, closing the panel after him.
+At his back now was the great oil painting of the Blentz
+princess that had hid the secret entrance to the room.  He
+crossed the thick rugs until he stood behind the king.  Then
+he clapped one hand over the mouth of the monarch of
+Lutha and threw the other arm about his neck.
+
+"Make the slightest outcry and I shall kill you," he whis-
+pered in the ear of the terrified man.
+
+Across the room Barney saw a revolver lying upon a small
+table.  He raised the king to his feet and, turning his back
+toward the weapon dragged him across the apartment until
+the table was within easy reach.  Then he snatched up the
+revolver and swung the king around into a chair facing him,
+the muzzle of the gun pressed against his face.
+
+"Silence," he whispered.
+
+The king, white and trembling, gasped as his eyes fell
+upon the face of the American.
+
+"You?"  His voice was barely audible.
+
+"Take off your clothes--every stitch of them--and if any
+one asks for admittance, deny them.  Quick, now," as the
+king hesitated.  "My life is forfeited unless I can escape.  If I
+am apprehended
+I shall see that you pay for my recapture
+with your life--if any one enters this room without my
+sanction they will enter it to find a dead king upon the
+floor; do you understand?"
+
+The king made no reply other than to commence divesting
+himself of his clothing.  Barney followed his example, but
+not before he had crossed to the door that opened into the
+main corridor and shot the bolt upon the inside.  When both
+men had removed their clothing Barney pointed to the little
+pile of soiled peasant garb that he had worn.
+
+"Put those on," he commanded.
+
+The king hesitated, drawing back in disgust.  Barney
+paused, half-way into the royal union suit, and leveled the
+revolver at Leopold.  The king picked up one of the gar-
+ments gingerly between the tips of his thumb and finger.
+
+"Hurry!" admonished the American, drawing the silk half-
+hose of the ruler of Lutha over his foot.  "If you don't hurry,"
+he added, "someone may interrupt us, and you know what
+the result would be--to you."
+
+Scowling, Leopold donned the rough garments.  Barney,
+fully clothed in the uniform the king had been wearing,
+stepped across the apartment to where the king's sword and
+helmet lay upon the side table that had also borne the re-
+volver.  He placed the helmet upon his head and buckled the
+sword-belt about his waist, then he faced the king, behind
+whom was a cheval glass.  In it Barney saw his image.  The
+king was looking at the American, his eyes wide and his jaw
+dropped.  Barney did not wonder at his consternation.  He
+himself was dumbfounded by the likeness which he bore
+to the king.  It was positively uncanny.  He approached Leo-
+pold.
+
+"Remove your rings," he said, holding out his hand.  The
+king did as he was bid, and Barney slipped the two baubles
+upon his fingers.  One of them was the royal ring of the kings
+of Lutha.
+
+The American now blindfolded the king and led him to-
+ward the panel which had given him ingress to the room.
+Through it the two men passed, Barney closing the panel
+after them.  then he conducted the king back along the
+dark passageway to the room which the American had but
+recently quitted.  At the back of the panel which led into his
+former prison Barney halted and listened.  No sound came
+from beyond the partition.  Gently Barney opened the secret
+door a trifle--just enough to permit him a quick survey of
+the interior of the apartment.  It was empty.  A smile crossed
+his face as he thought of the difficulty Leopold might en-
+counter the following morning in convincing his jailers that
+he was not the American.
+
+Then he recalled his reflection in the cheval glass and
+frowned.  Could Leopold convince them?  He doubted it--
+and what then?  The American was sentenced to be shot at
+dawn.  They would shoot the king instead.  Then there would
+be none to whom to return the kingship.  What would he do
+with it?  The temptation was great.  Again a throne lay within
+his grasp--a throne and the woman he loved.  None might
+ever know unless he chose to tell--his resemblance to Leo-
+pold was too perfect.  It defied detection.
+
+With an exclamation of impatience he wheeled about
+and dragged the frightened monarch back to the room from
+which he had stolen him.  As he entered he heard a knock
+at the door.
+
+"Do not disturb me now," he called.  "Come again in
+half an hour."
+
+"But it is Her Highness, Princess Emma, sire," came a
+voice from beyond the door.  "You summoned her."
+
+"She may return to her apartments," replied Barney.
+
+All the time he kept his revolver leveled at the king,
+from his eyes he had removed the blind after they had
+entered the apartment.  He crossed to the table where the
+king had been sitting when he surprised him, motioning
+the ragged ruler to follow and be seated.
+
+"Take that pen," he said, "and write a full pardon for
+Mr. Bernard Custer, and an order requiring that he be fur-
+nished with money and set at liberty at dawn."
+
+The king did as he was bid.  For a moment the American
+stood looking at him before he spoke again.
+
+"You do not deserve what I am going to do for you," he
+said.  "And Lutha deserves a better king than the one my
+act will give her; but I am neither a thief nor a murderer,
+and so I must forbear leaving you to your just deserts and
+return your throne to you.  I shall do so after I have insured
+my own safety and done what I can for Lutha--what you
+are too little a man and king to do yourself.
+
+"So soon as they liberate you in the morning, make the
+best of your way to Brosnov, on the Serbian frontier.  Await
+me there.  When I can, I shall come.  Again we may ex-
+change clothing and you can return to Lustadt.  I shall cross
+over into Siberia out of your reach, for I know you too
+well to believe that any sense of honor or gratitude would
+prevent you signing my death-warrant at the first opportunity.
+Now, come!"
+
+Once again Barney led the blindfolded king through the
+dark corridor to the room in the opposite tower--to the
+prison of the American.  At the open panel he shoved him
+into the apartment.  Then he drew the door quietly to,
+leaving the king upon the inside, and retraced his steps to
+the royal apartments.  Crossing to the center table, he touched
+an electric button.  A moment later an officer knocked at the
+door, which, in the meantime, Barney had unbolted.
+
+"Enter!" said the American.  He stood with his back to-
+ward the door until he heard it close behind the officer.
+When he turned he was apparently examining his revolver.
+If the officer suspected his identity, it was just as well to
+be prepared.  Slowly he raised his eyes to the newcomer, who
+stood stiffly at salute.  The officer looked him full in the face.
+
+"I answered your majesty's summons," said the man.
+
+"Oh, yes!" returned the American.  "You may fetch the
+Princess Emma."
+
+The officer saluted once more and backed out of the
+apartment.  Barney walked to the table and sat down.  A
+tin box of cigarettes lay beside the lamp.  Barney lighted one
+of them.  The king had good taste in the selection of tobacco,
+he thought.  Well, a man must need have some redeeming
+characteristics.
+
+Outside, in the corridor, he heard voices, and again the
+knock at the door.  He bade them enter.  As the door opened
+Emma von der Tann, her head thrown back and a flush of
+anger on her face, entered the room.  Behind her was the
+officer who had been despatched to bring her.  Barney
+nodded to the latter.
+
+"You may go," he said.  He drew a chair from the table
+and asked the princess to be seated.  She ignored his re-
+quest.
+
+"What do you wish of me?" she asked.  She was looking
+straight into his eyes.  The officer had withdrawn and closed
+the door after him.  They were alone, with nothing to fear;
+yet she did not recognize him.
+
+"You are the king," she continued in cold, level tones,
+"but if you are also a gentleman, you will at once order
+me returned to my father at Lustadt, and with me the man
+to whom you owe so much.  I do not expect it of you, but I
+wish to give you the chance.
+
+"I shall not go without him.  I am betrothed to you; but
+until tonight I should rather have died than wed you.  Now
+I am ready to compromise.  If you will set Mr. Custer at
+liberty in Serbia and return me unharmed to my father,
+I will fulfill my part of our betrothal."
+
+Barney Custer looked straight into the girl's face for a
+long moment.  A half smile played upon his lips at the
+thought of her surprise when she learned the truth, when
+suddenly it dawned upon him that she and he were both
+much safer if no one, not even her loyal self, guessed that
+he was other than the king.  It is not difficult to live a part,
+but often it is difficult to act one.  Some little word or look,
+were she to know that he was Barney Custer, might betray
+them; no, it was better to leave her in ignorance, though
+his conscience pricked him for the disloyalty that his act
+implied.
+
+It seemed a poor return for her courage and loyalty to
+him that her statement to the man she thought king had
+revealed.  He marveled that a Von der Tann could have
+spoken those words--a Von der Tann who but the day be-
+fore had refused to save her father's life at the loss of the
+family honor.  It seemed incredible to the American that he
+had won such love from such a woman.  Again came the
+mighty temptation to keep the crown and the girl both;
+but with a straightening of his broad shoulders he threw it
+from him.
+
+She was promised to the king, and while he masqueraded
+in the king's clothes, he at least would act the part that a
+king should.  He drew a folded paper from his inside pocket
+and handed it to the girl.
+
+"Here is the American's pardon," he said, "drawn up and
+signed by the king's own hand."
+
+She opened it and, glancing through it hurriedly, looked
+up at the man before her with a questioning expression in
+her eyes.
+
+"You came, then," she said, "to a realization of the enor-
+mity of your ingratitude?"
+
+The man shrugged.
+
+"He will never die at my command," he said.
+
+"I thank your majesty," she said simply.  "As a Von der
+Tann, I have tried to believe that a Rubinroth could not be
+guilty of such baseness.  And now, tell me what your an-
+swer is to my proposition."
+
+"We shall return to Lustadt tonight," he replied.  "I fear
+the purpose of Prince Peter.  In fact, it may be difficult--even
+impossible--for us to leave Blentz; but we can at least
+make the attempt."
+
+"Can we not take Mr. Custer with us?" she asked.  "Prince
+Peter may disregard your majesty's commands and, after
+you are gone, have him shot.  Do not forget that he kept
+the crown from Peter of Blentz--it is certain that Prince
+Peter will never forget it."
+
+"I give you my word, your highness, that I know posi-
+tively that if I leave Blentz tonight Prince Peter will not
+have Mr. Custer shot in the morning, and it will so greatly
+jeopardize his own plans if we attempt to release the prisoner
+that in all probability we ourselves will be unable to es-
+cape."
+
+She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.
+
+"You give me your word that he will be safe?" she asked.
+
+"My royal word," he replied.
+
+"Very well, let us leave at once."
+
+Barney touched the bell once more, and presently an
+officer of the Blentz faction answered the summons.  As the
+man closed the door and approached, saluting, Barney
+stepped close to him.
+
+"We are leaving for Tann tonight," he said, "at once.  You
+will conduct us from the castle and procure horses for us.
+All the time I shall walk at your elbow, and in my hand I
+shall carry this," and he displayed the king's revolver.  "At
+the first indication of defection upon your part I shall kill
+you.  Do you perfectly understand me?"
+
+"But, your majesty," exclaimed the officer, "why is it
+necessary that you leave thus surreptitiously?  May not the
+king go and come in his own kingdom as he desires?  Let
+me announce your wishes to Prince Peter that he may fur-
+nish you with a proper escort.  Doubtless he will wish to
+accompany you himself, sire."
+
+"You will do precisely what I say without further com-
+ment," snapped Barney.  "Now get a--"  He had been about
+to say: "Now get a move on you," when it occurred to him
+that this was not precisely the sort of language that kings
+were supposed to use to their inferiors.  So he changed it.
+"Now get a couple of horses for her highness and myself,
+as well as your own, for you will accompany us to Tann."
+
+The officer looked at the weapon in the king's hand.  He
+measured the distance between himself and the king.  He
+well knew the reputed cowardice of Leopold.  Could he make
+the leap and strike up the king's hand before the timorous
+monarch found even the courage of the cornered rat to fire
+at him?  Then his eyes sought the face of the king, searching
+for the signs of nervous terror that would make his con-
+quest an easy one; but what he saw in the eyes that bored
+straight into his brought his own to the floor at the king's
+feet.
+
+What new force animated Leopold of Lutha?  Those were
+not the eyes of a coward.  No fear was reflected in their
+steely glitter.  The officer mumbled an apology, saluted, and
+turned toward the door.  At his elbow walked the impostor;
+a cavalry cape that had belonged to the king now covered
+his shoulders and hid the weapon that pressed its hard
+warning now and again into the short-ribs of the Blentz
+officer.  Just behind the American came the Princess Emma
+von der Tann.
+
+The three passed through the deserted corridors of the
+sleeping castle, taking a route at Barney's suggestion that led
+them to the stable courtyard without necessitating traversing
+the main corridors or the great hall or the guardroom, in all
+of which there still were Austrian and Blentz soldiers, whose
+duties or pleasures had kept them from their blankets.
+
+At the stables a sleepy groom answered the summons of
+the officer, whom Barney had warned not to divulge the
+identity of himself or the princess.  He left the princess in
+the shadows outside the building.  After what seemed an
+eternity to the American, three horses were led into the
+courtyard, saddled, and bridled.  The party mounted and
+approached the gates.  Here, Barney knew, might be en-
+countered the most serious obstacle in their path.  He rode
+close to the side of their unwilling conductor.  Leaning for-
+ward in his saddle, he whispered in the man's ear.
+
+"Failure to pass us through the gates," he said, "will be
+the signal for your death."
+
+The man reined in his mount and turned toward the
+American.
+
+"I doubt if they will pass even me without a written
+order from Prince Peter," he said.  "If they refuse, you must
+reveal your identity.  The guard is composed of Luthanians
+--I doubt if they will dare refuse your majesty."
+
+Then they rode on up to the gates.  A soldier stepped
+from the sentry box and challenged them.
+
+"Lower the drawbridge," ordered the officer.  "It is
+Captain Krantzwort on a mission for the king."
+
+The soldier approached, raising a lantern, which he had
+brought from the sentry box, and inspected the captain's
+face.  He seemed ill at ease.  In the light of the lantern, the
+American saw that he was scarce more than a boy--doubt-
+less a recruit.  He saw the expression of fear and awe with
+which he regarded the officer, and it occurred to him that
+the effect of the king's presence upon him would be abso-
+lutely overpowering.  Still the soldier hesitated.
+
+"My orders are very strict, sir," he said.  "I am to let no
+one leave without a written order from Prince Peter.  If the
+sergeant or the lieutenant were here they would know what
+to do; but they are both at the castle--only two other
+soldiers are at the gates with me.  Wait, and I will send one
+of them for the lieutenant."
+
+"No," interposed the American.  "You will send for no
+one, my man.  Come closer--look at my face."
+
+The soldier approached, holding his lantern above his
+head.  As its feeble rays fell upon the face and uniform of
+the man on horseback, the sentry gave a little gasp of as-
+tonishment.
+
+"Now, lower the drawbridge," said Barney Custer, "it is
+your king's command."
+
+Quickly the fellow hastened to obey the order.  The chains
+creaked and the windlass groaned as the heavy planking
+sank to place across the moat.
+
+As Barney passed the soldier he handed him the pardon
+Leopold had written for the American.
+
+"Give this to your lieutenant," he said, "and tell him to
+hand it to Prince Peter before dawn tomorrow.  Do not fail."
+
+A moment later the three were riding down the winding
+road toward Blentz.  Barney had no further need of the
+officer who rode with them.  He would be glad to be rid of
+him, for he anticipated that the fellow might find ample
+opportunity to betray them as they passed through the
+Austrian lines, which they must do to reach Lustadt.
+
+He had told the captain that they were going to Tann in
+order that, should the man find opportunity to institute pur-
+suit, he might be thrown off the track.  The Austrian sentries
+were no great distance ahead when Barney ordered a halt.
+
+"Dismount," he directed the captain, leaping to the ground
+himself at the same time.  "Put your hands behind your
+back."
+
+The officer did as he was bid, and Barney bound his
+wrists securely with a strap and buckle that he had re-
+moved from the cantle of his saddle as he rode.  Then he
+led him off the road among some weeds and compelled him
+to lie down, after which he bound his ankles together and
+stuffed a gag in his mouth, securing it in place with a bit
+of stick and the chinstrap from the man's helmet.  The threat
+of the revolver kept Captain Krantzwort silent and obedient
+throughout the hasty operations.
+
+"Good-bye, captain," whispered Barney, "and let me sug-
+gest that you devote the time until your discovery and re-
+lease in pondering the value of winning your king's confi-
+dence in the future.  Had you chosen your associates more
+carefully in the past, this need not have occurred."
+
+Barney unsaddled the captain's horse and turned him
+loose, then he remounted and, with the princess at his side,
+rode down toward Blentz.
+
+
+
+X
+
+A NEW KING IN LUTHA
+
+AS THE TWO riders approached the edge of the village of
+Blentz a sentry barred their way.  To his challenge the
+American replied that they were "friends from the castle."
+
+"Advance," directed the sentry, "and give the counter-
+sign."
+
+Barney rode to the fellow's side, and leaning from the
+saddle whispered in his ear the word "Slankamen."
+
+Would it pass them out as it had passed Maenck in?
+Barney scarcely breathed as he awaited the result of his
+experiment.  The soldier brought his rifle to present and
+directed them to pass.  With a sigh of relief that was almost
+audible the two rode into the village and the Austrian lines.
+
+Once within they met with no further obstacle until they
+reached the last line of sentries upon the far side of the
+town.  It was with more confidence that Barney gave the
+countersign here, nor was he surprised that the soldier
+passed them readily; and now they were upon the high-
+road to Lustadt, with nothing more to bar their way.
+
+For hours they rode on in silence.  Barney wanted to talk
+with his companion, but as king he found nothing to say to
+her.  The girl's mind was filled with morbid reflections of the
+past few hours and dumb terror for the future.  She would
+keep her promise to the king; but after--life would not be
+worth the living; why should she live?  She glanced at the
+man beside her in the light of the coming dawn.  Ah, why
+was he so like her American in outward appearances only?
+Their own mothers could scarce have distinguished them,
+and yet in character no two men could have differed more
+widely.  The man turned to her.
+
+"We are almost there," he said.  "You must be very tired."
+
+The words reflected a consideration that had never been
+a characteristic of Leopold.  The girl began to wonder if
+there might not possibly be a vein of nobility in the man,
+after all, that she had never discovered.  Since she had en-
+tered his apartments at Blentz he had been in every way a
+different man from the Leopold she had known of old.  The
+boldness of his escape from Blentz supposed a courage that
+the king had never given the slightest indication of in the
+past.  Could it be that he was making a genuine effort to
+become a man--to win her respect?
+
+They were approaching Lustadt as the sun rose.  A troop
+of horse was just emerging from the north gate.  As it neared
+them they saw that the cavalrymen wore the uniforms of
+the Royal Horse Guard.  At their head rode a lieutenant.  As
+his eyes fell upon the face of the princess and her com-
+panion, he brought his troopers to a halt, and, with in-
+credulity plain upon his countenance, advanced to meet
+them, his hand raised in salute to the king.  It was Butzow.
+
+Now Barney was sure that he would be recognized.  For
+two years he and the Luthanian officer had been inseparable.
+Surely Butzow would penetrate his disguise.  He returned
+his friend's salute, looked him full in the eyes, and asked
+where he was riding.
+
+"To Blentz, your majesty," replied Butzow, "to demand
+an audience.  I bear important word from Prince von der
+Tann.  He has learned the Austrians are moving an entire
+army corps into Lutha, together with siege howitzers.  Serbia
+has demanded that all Austrian troops be withdrawn from
+Luthanian territory at once, and has offered to assist your
+majesty in maintaining your neutrality by force, if neces-
+sary."
+
+As Butzow spoke his eyes were often upon the Princess
+Emma, and it was quite evident that he was much puzzled
+to account for her presence with the king.  She was sup-
+posed to be at Tann, and Butzow knew well enough her
+estimate of Leopold to know that she would not be in his
+company of her own volition.  His expression as he addressed
+the man he supposed to be his king was far from deferen-
+tial.  Barney could scarce repress a smile.
+
+"We will ride at once to the palace," he said.  "At the
+gate you may instruct one of your sergeants to telephone to
+will act as our escort."
+
+Butzow saluted and turned to his troopers, giving the
+necessary commands that brought them about in the wake
+of the pseudo-king.  Once again Barney Custer, of Beatrice,
+rode into Lustadt as king of Lutha.  The few people upon
+the streets turned to look at him as he passed, but there
+was little demonstration of love or enthusiasm.
+
+Leopold had awakened no emotions of this sort in the
+hearts of his subjects.  Some there were who still remembered
+the gallant actions of their ruler on the field of battle when
+his forces had defeated those of the regent, upon that other
+occasion when this same American had sat upon the
+throne of Lutha for two days and had led the little army
+to victory; but since then the true king had been with them
+daily in his true colors.  Arrogance, haughtiness, and petty
+tyranny had marked his reign.  Taxes had gone even higher
+than under the corrupt influence of the Blentz regime.
+The king's days were spent in bed; his nights in dissipation.
+Old Ludwig von der Tann seemed Lutha's only friend at
+court.  Him the people loved and trusted.
+
+It was the old chancellor who met them as they entered
+the palace--the Princess Emma, Lieutenant Butzow, and
+the false king.  As the old man's eyes fell upon his daughter,
+he gave an exclamation of surprise and of incredulity.  He
+looked from her to the American.
+
+"What is the meaning of this, your majesty?" he cried in
+a voice hoarse with emotion.  "What does her highness in
+your company?"
+
+There was neither fear nor respect in Prince Ludwig's
+tone--only anger.  He was demanding an accounting from
+Leopold, the man; not from Leopold, the king.  Barney
+raised his hand.
+
+"Wait," he said, "before you judge.  The princess was
+brought to Blentz by Prince Peter.  She will tell you that I
+have aided her to escape and that I have accorded her only
+such treatment as a woman has a right to expect from a
+king."
+
+The girl inclined her head.
+
+"His majesty has been most kind," she said.  "He has
+treated me with every consideration and respect, and I am
+convinced that he was not a willing party to my arrest and
+forcible detention at Blentz; or," she added, "if he was, he
+regretted his action later and has made full reparation by
+bringing me to Lustadt."
+
+Prince von der Tann found difficulty in hiding his surprise
+at this evidence of chivalry in the cowardly king.  But for
+his daughter's testimony he could not have believed it pos-
+sible that it lay within the nature of Leopold of Lutha to
+have done what he had done within the past few hours.
+
+He bowed low before the man who wore the king's uni-
+form.  The American extended his hand, and Von der Tann,
+taking it in his own, raised it to his lips.
+
+"And now," said Barney briskly, "let us go to my apart-
+ments and get to work.  Your highness"--and he turned to-
+ward the Princess Emma--"must be greatly fatigued.  Lieu-
+tenant Butzow, you will see that a suite is prepared for her
+highness.  Afterward you may call upon Count Zellerndorf,
+whom I understand returned to Lustadt yesterday, and noti-
+fy him that I will receive him in an hour.  Inform the Serbian
+minister that I desire his presence at the palace immediately.
+Lose no time, lieutenant, and be sure to impress upon the
+Serbian minister that immediately means immediately."
+
+Butzow saluted and the Princess Emma curtsied, as the
+king turned and, slipping his arm through that of Prince
+Ludwig, walked away in the direction of the royal apart-
+ments.  Once at the king's desk Barney turned toward the
+chancellor.  In his mind was the determination to save Lutha
+if Lutha could be saved.  He had been forced to place the
+king in a position where he would be helpless, though that
+he would have been equally as helpless upon his throne the
+American did not doubt for an instant.  However, the course
+of events had placed within his hands the power to serve
+not only Lutha but the house of Von der Tann as well.  He
+would do in the king's place what the king should have
+done if the king had been a man.
+
+"Now, Prince Ludwig," he said, "tell me just what con-
+ditions we must face.  Remember that I have been at Blentz
+and that there the King of Lutha is not apt to learn all
+that transpires in Lustadt."
+
+"Sire," replied the chancellor, "we face a grave crisis.  Not
+only is there within Lutha the small force of Austrian troops
+that surround Blentz, but now an entire army corps has
+crossed the border.  Unquestionably they are marching on
+Lustadt.  The emperor is going to take no chances.  He sent
+the first force into Lutha to compel Serbian intervention and
+draw Serbian troops from the Austro-Serbian battle line.
+Serbia has withheld her forces at my request, but she will
+not withhold them for long.  We must make a declaration
+at once.  If we declare against Austria we are faced by the
+menace of the Austrian troops already within our bound-
+aries, but we shall have Serbia to help us.
+
+"A Serbian army corps is on the frontier at this moment
+awaiting word from Lutha.  If it is adverse to Austria that
+army corps will cross the border and march to our assist-
+ance.  If it is favorable to Austria it will none the less cross
+into Lutha, but as enemies instead of allies.  Serbia has
+acted honorably toward Lutha.  She has not violated our
+neutrality.  She has no desire to increase her possessions in
+this direction.
+
+"On the other hand, Austria has violated her treaty with
+us.  She has marched troops into our country and occupied
+the town of Blentz.  Constantly in the past she has incited
+internal discord.  She is openly championing the Blentz
+cause, which at last I trust your majesty has discovered is
+inimical to your interests.
+
+"If Austria is victorious in her war with Serbia, she will
+find some pretext to hold Lutha whether Lutha takes her
+stand either for or against her.  And most certainly is this
+true if it occurs that Austrian troops are still within the
+boundaries of Lutha when peace is negotiated.  Not only our
+honor but our very existence demands that there be no
+Austrian troops in Lutha at the close of this war.  If we
+cannot force them across the border we can at least make
+such an effort as will win us the respect of the world and
+a voice in the peace negotiations.
+
+"If we must bow to the surrender of our national integrity,
+let us do so only after we have exhausted every resource of
+the country in our country's defense.  In the past your majesty
+has not appeared to realize the menace of your most power-
+ful neighbor.  I beg of you, sire, to trust me.  Believe that I
+have only the interests of Lutha at heart, and let us work
+together for the salvation of our country and your majesty's
+throne."
+
+Barney laid his hand upon the old man's shoulder.  It
+seemed a shame to carry the deception further, but the
+American well knew that only so could he accomplish aught
+for Lutha or the Von der Tanns.  Once the old chancellor
+suspected the truth as to his identity he would be the first
+to denounce him.
+
+"I think that you and I can work together, Prince Lud-
+wig," he said.  "I have sent for the Serbian and Austrian
+ministers.  The former should be here immediately."
+
+Nor did they have long to wait before the tall Slav was
+announced.  Barney lost no time in getting down to business.
+He asked no questions.  What Von der Tann had told him,
+what he had seen with his own eyes since he had entered
+Lutha, and what he had overheard in the inn at Burgova
+was sufficient evidence that the fate of Lutha hung upon
+the prompt and energetic decisions of the man who sat
+upon Lutha's throne for the next few days.
+
+Had Leopold been the present incumbent Lutha would
+have been lost, for that he would play directly into the
+hands of Austria was not to be questioned.  Were Von der
+Tann to seize the reins of government a state of revolution
+would exist that would divide the state into two bitter
+factions, weaken its defense, and give Austria what she most
+desired--a plausible pretext for intervention.
+
+Lutha's only hope lay in united defense of her liberties
+under the leadership of the one man whom all acknowledged
+king--Leopold.  Very well, Barney Custer, of Beatrice, would
+be Leopold for a few days, since the real Leopold had
+proven himself incompetent to meet the emergency.
+
+General Petko, the Serbian minister to Lutha, brought to
+the audience the memory of a series of unpleasant encounters
+with the king.  Leopold had never exerted himself to hide
+his pro-Austrian sentiments.  Austria was a powerful country
+--Serbia, a relatively weak neighbor.  Leopold, being a royal
+snob, had courted the favor of the emperor and turned up
+his nose at Serbia.  The general was prepared for a repetition
+of the veiled affronts that Leopold delighted in according
+him; but this time he brought with him a reply that for
+two years he had been living in the hope of some day being
+able to deliver to the young monarch he so cordially de-
+spised.
+
+It was an ultimatum from his government--an ultimatum
+couched in terms from which all diplomatic suavity had
+been stripped.  If Barney Custer, of Beatrice, could have
+read it he would have smiled, for in plain American it might
+have been described as announcing to Leopold precisely
+"where he got off."  But Barney did not have the opportunity
+to read it, since that ultimatum was never delivered.
+
+Barney took the wind all out of it by his first words.  "Your
+excellency may wonder why it is that we have summoned
+you at such an early hour," he said.
+
+General Petko inclined his head in deferential acknowl-
+edgment of the truth of the inference.
+
+"It is because we have learned from our chancellor,"
+continued the American, "that Serbia has mobilized an en-
+tire army corps upon the Luthanian frontier.  Am I correctly
+informed?"
+
+General Petko squared his shoulders and bowed in assent.
+At the same time he reached into his breast-pocket for the
+ultimatum.
+
+"Good!" exclaimed Barney, and then he leaned close to
+the ear of the Serbian.  "How long will it take to move that
+army corps to Lustadt?"
+
+General Petko gasped and returned the ultimatum to his
+pocket.
+
+"Sire!" he cried, his face lighting with incredulity.  "You
+mean--"
+
+"I mean," said the American, "that if Serbia will loan
+Lutha an army corps until the Austrians have evacuated
+Luthanian territory, Lutha will loan Serbia an army corps
+until such time as peace is declared between Serbia and
+Austria.  Other than this neither government will incur any
+obligations to the other.
+
+"We may not need your help, but it will do us no harm
+to have them well on the way toward Lustadt as quickly as
+possible.  Count Zellerndorf will be here in a few minutes.
+We shall, through him, give Austria twenty-four hours to
+withdraw all her troops beyond our frontiers.  The army of
+Lutha is mobilized before Lustadt.  It is not a large army,
+but with the help of Serbia it should be able to drive the
+Austrians from the country, provided they do not leave of
+their own accord."
+
+General Petko smiled.  So did the American and the chan-
+cellor.  Each knew that Austria would not withdraw her
+army from Lutha.
+
+"With your majesty's permission I will withdraw," said
+the Serbian, "and transmit Lutha's proposition to my gov-
+ernment; but I may say that your majesty need have no
+apprehension but that a Serbian army corps will be crossing
+into Lutha before noon today."
+
+"And now, Prince Ludwig," said the American after the
+Serbian had bowed himself out of the apartment, "I sug-
+gest that you take immediate steps to entrench a strong
+force north of Lustadt along the road to Blentz."
+
+Von der Tann smiled as he replied.  "It is already done,
+sire," he said.
+
+"But I passed in along the road this morning," said Bar-
+ney, "and saw nothing of such preparations."
+
+"The trenches and the soldiers were there, nevertheless,
+sire," replied the old man, "only a little gap was left on
+either side of the highway that those who came and went
+might not suspect our plans and carry word of them to
+the Austrians.  A few hours will complete the link across
+the road."
+
+"Good!  Let it be completed at once.  Here is Count Zel-
+lerndorf now," as the minister was announced.
+
+Von der Tann bowed himself out as the Austrian entered
+the king's presence.  For the first time in two years the
+chancellor felt that the destiny of Lutha was safe in the
+hands of her king.  What had caused the metamorphosis
+in Leopold he could not guess.  He did not seem to be the
+same man that had whined and growled at their last audi-
+ence a week before.
+
+The Austrian minister entered the king's presence with an
+expression of ill-concealed surprise upon his face.  Two days
+before he had left Leopold safely ensconced at Blentz,
+where he was to have remained indefinitely.  He glanced
+hurriedly about the room in search of Prince Peter or an-
+other of the conspirators who should have been with the
+king.  He saw no one.  The king was speaking.  The Austrian's
+eyes went wider, not only at the words, but at the tone of
+voice.
+
+"Count Zellerndorf," said the American, "you were doubt-
+less aware of the embarrassment under which the king of
+Lutha was compelled at Blentz to witness the entry of a
+foreign army within his domain.  But we are not now at
+Blentz.  We have summoned you that you may receive from
+us, and transmit to your emperor, the expression of our
+surprise and dismay at the unwarranted violation of Luth-
+anian neutrality."
+
+"But, your majesty--" interrupted the Austrian.
+
+"But nothing, your excellency," snapped the American.
+"The moment for diplomacy is passed; the time for action
+has come.  You will oblige us by transmitting to your govern-
+ment at once a request that every Austrian soldier now in
+Lutha be withdrawn by noon tomorrow."
+
+Zellerndorf looked his astonishment.
+
+"Are you mad, sire?" he cried.  "It will mean war!"
+
+"It is what Austria has been looking for," snapped the
+American, "and what people look for they usually get, es-
+pecially if they chance to be looking for trouble.  When can
+you expect a reply from Vienna?"
+
+"By noon, your majesty," replied the Austrian, "but are
+you irretrievably bound to your present policy?  Remember
+the power of Austria, sire.  Think of your throne.  Think--"
+
+"We have thought of everything," interrupted Barney.
+"A throne means less to us than you may imagine, count;
+but the honor of Lutha means a great deal."
+
+
+
+XI
+
+THE BATTLE
+
+AT FIVE o'clock that afternoon the sidewalks bordering Mar-
+garetha Street were crowded with promenaders.  The little
+tables before the cafes were filled.  Nearly everyone spoke
+of the great war and of the peril which menaced Lutha.
+Upon many a lip was open disgust at the supine attitude
+of Leopold of Lutha in the face of an Austrian invasion of
+his country.  Discontent was open.  It was ripening to some-
+thing worse for Leopold than an Austrian invasion.
+
+Presently a sergeant of the Royal Horse Guards cantered
+down the street from the palace.  He stopped here and there,
+and, dismounting, tacked placards in conspicuous places.  At
+the notice, and in each instance cheers and shouting fol-
+lowed the sergeant as he rode on to the next stop.
+
+Now, at each point men and women were gathered,
+eagerly awaiting an explanation of the jubilation farther up
+the street.  Those whom the sergeant passed called to him
+for an explanation, and not receiving it, followed in a quickly
+growing mob that filled Margaretha Street from wall to
+wall.  When he dismounted he had almost to fight his way
+to the post or door upon which he was to tack the next
+placard.  The crowd surged about him in its anxiety to
+read what the placard bore, and then, between the cheering
+and yelling, those in the front passed back to the crowd the
+tidings that filled them with so great rejoicing.
+
+"Leopold has declared war on Austria!"  "The king calls
+for volunteers!"  "Long live the king!"
+
+
+The battle of Lustadt has passed into history.  Outside of
+the little kingdom of Lutha it received but passing notice
+by the world at large, whose attention was riveted upon the
+great conflicts along the banks of the Meuse, the Marne,
+and the Aisne.  But in Lutha!  Ah, it will be told and re-
+told, handed down from mouth to mouth and from genera-
+tion to generation to the end of time.
+
+How the cavalry that the king sent north toward Blentz
+met the advancing Austrian army.  How, fighting, they fell
+back upon the infantry which lay, a thin line that stretched
+east and west across the north of Lustadt, in its first line of
+trenches.  A pitifully weak line it was, numerically, in com-
+parison with the forces of the invaders; but it stood its
+ground heroically, and from the heights to the north of
+the city the fire from the forts helped to hold the enemy
+in check for many hours.
+
+And then the enemy succeeded in bringing up their
+heavy artillery to the ridge that lies three miles north of
+the forts.  Shells were bursting in the trenches, the forts, and
+the city.  To the south a stream of terror-stricken refugees
+was pouring out of Lustadt along the King's Road.  Rich
+and poor, animated by a common impulse, filled the narrow
+street that led to the city's southern gate.  Carts drawn by
+dogs, laden donkeys, French limousines, victorias, wheel-
+barrows--every conceivable wheeled vehicle and beast of
+burden--were jammed in a seemingly inextricable tangle in
+the mad rush for safety.
+
+Rumor passed back and forth through the fleeing thou-
+sands.  Now came word that Fort No. 2 had been silenced
+by the Austrian guns.  Immediately followed news that the
+Luthanian line was falling back upon the city.  Fear turned
+to panic.  Men fought to outdistance their neighbors.
+
+A shell burst upon a roof-top in an adjoining square.
+
+Women fainted and were trampled.  Hoarse shouts of
+anger mingled with screams of terror, and then into the
+midst of it from Margaretha Street rode a man on horse-
+back.  Behind him were a score of officers.  A trumpeter
+raised his instrument to his lips, and above the din of
+the fleeing multitude rose the sharp, triple call that an-
+nounces the coming of the king.  The mob halted and turned.
+
+Looking down upon them from his saddle was Leopold
+of Lutha.  His palm was raised for silence and there was a
+smile upon his lips.  Quite suddenly, and as by a miracle,
+fear left them.  They made a line for him and his staff to
+ride through.  One of the officers turned in his saddle to
+address a civilian friend in an automobile.
+
+"His majesty is riding to the firing line," he said and he
+raised his voice that many might hear.  Quickly the word
+passed from mouth to mouth, and as Barney Custer, of
+Beatrice, passed along Margaretha Street he was followed
+by a mad din of cheering that drowned the booming of the
+distant cannon and the bursting of the shells above the
+city.
+
+The balance of the day the pseudo-king rode back and
+forth along his lines.  Three of his staff were killed and two
+horses were shot from beneath him, but from the moment
+that he appeared the Luthanian line ceased to waver or
+fall back.  The advanced trenches that they had abandoned
+to the Austrians they took again at the point of the bayonet.
+Charge after charge they repulsed, and all the time there
+hovered above the enemy Lutha's sole aeroplane, watching,
+watching, ever watching for the coming of the allies.  Some-
+where to the northeast the Serbians were advancing toward
+Lustadt.  Would they come in time?
+
+It was five o'clock in the morning of the second day, and
+though the Luthanian line still held, Barney Custer knew
+that it could not hold for long.  The Austrian artillery fire,
+which had been rather wild the preceding day, had now
+become of deadly accuracy.  Each bursting shell filled some
+part of the trenches with dead and wounded, and though
+their places were taken by fresh men from the reserve,
+there would soon be no reserve left to call upon.
+
+At his left, in the rear, the American had massed the
+bulk of his reserves, and at the foot of the heights north of
+the city and just below the forts the major portion of the
+cavalry was drawn up in the shelter of a little ravine.  Bar-
+ney's eyes were fixed upon the soaring aeroplane.
+
+In his hand was his watch.  He would wait another fifteen
+minutes, and if by then the signal had not come that the
+Serbians were approaching, he would strike the blow that
+he had decided upon.  From time to time he glanced at his
+watch.
+
+The fifteen minutes had almost elapsed when there flut-
+tered from the tiny monoplane a paper parachute.  It dropped
+for several hundred feet before it spread to the air pressure
+and floated more gently toward the earth and a moment
+later there burst from its basket a puff of white smoke.  Two
+more parachutes followed the first and two more puffs of
+smoke.  Then the machine darted rapidly off toward the
+northeast.
+
+Barney turned to Prince von der Tann with a smile.  "They
+are none too soon," he said.
+
+The old prince bowed in acquiescence.  He had been very
+happy for two days.  Lutha might be defeated now, but she
+could never be subdued.  She had a king at last--a real
+king.  Gott!  How he had changed.  It reminded Prince von
+der Tann of the day he had ridden beside the imposter two
+years before in the battle with the forces of Peter of Blentz.
+Many times he had caught himself scrutinizing the face of
+the monarch, searching for some proof that after all he
+was not Leopold.
+
+"Direct the commanders of forts three and four to con-
+centrate their fire on the enemy's guns directly north of Fort
+No. 3," Barney directed an aide.  "Simultaneously let the
+cavalry and Colonel Kazov's infantry make a determined as-
+sault on the Austrian trenches."
+
+Then he turned his horse toward the left of his line, where,
+a little to the rear, lay the fresh troops that he had been
+holding in readiness against this very moment.  As he gal-
+loped across the plain, his staff at his heels, shrapnel burst
+about them.  Von der Tann spurred to his side.
+
+"Sire," he cried, "it is unnecessary that you take such
+grave risks.  Your staff is ready and willing to perform such
+service that you may be preserved to your people and your
+throne."
+
+"I believe the men fight better when they think their king
+is watching them," said the American simply.
+
+"I know it, sire," replied Von der Tann, "but even so,
+Lutha could ill afford to lose you now.  I thank God, your
+majesty, that I have lived to see this day--to see the last of
+the Rubinroths upholding the glorious traditions of the
+Rubinroth blood."
+
+Barney led the reserves slowly through the wood to the
+rear of the extreme left of his line.  The attack upon the
+Austrian right center appeared to be meeting with much
+greater success than the American dared to hope for.  Al-
+ready, through his glasses, he could see indications that
+the enemy was concentrating a larger force at this point to
+repulse the vicious assaults of the Luthanians.  To do this
+they must be drawing from their reserves back of other por-
+tions of their line.
+
+It was what Barney had desired.  The three bombs from
+the aeroplane had told him that the Serbians had been
+sighted three miles away.  Already they were engaging the
+Austrians.  He could hear the rattle of rifles and quick-firers
+and the roar of cannon far to the northeast.  And now he
+gave the word to the commander of the reserve.
+
+At a rapid trot the men moved forward behind the ex-
+treme left end of the Luthanian left wing.  They were almost
+upon the Austrians before they emerged from the shelter of
+the wood, and then with hoarse shouts and leveled bayonets
+they charged the enemy's position.  The fight there was the
+bloodiest of the two long days.  Back and forth the tide of
+battle surged.  In the thick of it rode the false king en-
+couraging his men to greater effort.  Slowly at last they bore
+the Austrians from their trenches.  Back and back they bore
+them until retreat became a rout.  The Austrian right was
+crumpled back upon its center!
+
+Here the enemy made a determined stand; but just be-
+fore dark a great shouting arose from the heights to their
+left, where the bulk of their artillery was stationed.  Both the
+Luthanian and Austrian troops engaged in the plain saw
+Austrian infantry and artillery running down the slopes in
+disorderly rout.  Upon their heads came a cheering line of
+soldiers firing as they ran, and above them waved the battle-
+flag of Serbia.
+
+A mighty shout rose from the Luthanian ranks--an an-
+swering groan from the throats of the Austrians.  Hemmed
+in between the two lines of allies, the Austrians were help-
+less.  Their artillery was captured, retreat cut off.  There was
+but a single alternative to massacre--the white flag.
+
+A few regiments between Lustadt and Blentz, but nearer
+the latter town, escaped back into Austria, the balance Bar-
+ney arranged with the Serbian minister to have taken back
+to Serbia as prisoners of war.  The Luthanian army corps that
+the American had promised the Serbs was to be utilized
+along the Austrian frontier to prevent the passage of Austrian
+troops into Serbia through Lutha.
+
+The return to Lustadt after the battle was made through
+cheering troops and along streets choked with joy-mad
+citizenry.  The name of the soldier-king was upon every
+tongue.  Men went wild with enthusiasm as the tall figure
+rode slowly through the crowd toward the palace.
+
+Von der Tann, grim and martial, found his lids damp with
+the moisture of a great happiness.  Even now with all the
+proofs of reality about him, it seemed impossible that this
+scene could be aught but the ephemeral vapors of a dream
+--that Leopold of Lutha, the coward, the craven, could
+have become in a single day the heroic figure that had
+loomed so large upon the battlefield of Lustadt--the simple,
+modest gentleman who received the plaudits of his subjects
+with bowed head and humble mien.
+
+As Barney Custer rode up Margaretha Street toward the
+royal palace of the kings of Lutha, a dust-covered horseman
+in the uniform of an officer of the Horse Guards entered
+Lustadt from the south.  It was the young aide of Prince
+von der Tann's staff, who had been sent to Blentz nearly a
+week earlier with a message for the king, and who had
+been captured and held by the Austrians.
+
+During the battle before Lustadt all the Austrian troops
+had been withdrawn from Blentz and hurried to the front.
+It was then that the aide had been transferred to the castle,
+from which he had escaped early that morning.  To reach
+Lustadt he had been compelled to circle the Austrian posi-
+tion, coming to Lustadt from the south.
+
+Once within the city he rode straight to the palace, flung
+himself from his jaded mount, and entered the left wing of
+the building--the wing in which the private apartments of
+the chancellor were located.
+
+Here he inquired for the Princess Emma, learning with
+evident relief that she was there.  A moment later, white
+with dust, his face streamed with sweat, he was ushered
+into her presence.
+
+"Your highness," he blurted, "the king's commands have
+been disregarded--the American is to be shot tomorrow.  I
+have just escaped from Blentz.  Peter is furious.  He realizes
+that whether the Austrians win or lose, his standing with
+the king is gone forever.
+
+"In a fit of rage he has ordered that Mr. Custer be sacri-
+ficed to his desire for revenge, in the hope that it will in-
+sure for him the favor of the Austrians.  Something must be
+done at once if he is to be saved."
+
+For a moment the girl swayed as though about to fall.
+The young officer stepped quickly to support her, but be-
+fore he reached her side she had regained complete mastery
+of herself.  From the street without there rose the blare of
+trumpets and the cheering of the populace.
+
+Through senses numb with the cold of anguish the mean-
+ing of the tumult slowly filtered to her brain--the king had
+come.  He was returning from the battlefield, covered with
+honors and flushed with glory--the man who was to be
+her husband; but there was no rejoicing in the heart of the
+Princess Emma.
+
+Instead, there was a dull ache and impotent rebellion
+at the injustice of the thing--that Leopold should be reap-
+ing these great rewards, while he who had made it possible
+for him to be a king at all was to die on the morrow be-
+cause of what he had done to place the Rubinroth upon
+his throne.
+
+"Perhaps Lieutenant Butzow might find a way," suggested
+the officer.  "He or your father; they are both fond of Mr.
+Custer."
+
+"Yes," said the girl dully, "see Lieutenant Butzow--he
+would do the most."
+
+The officer bowed and hastened from the apartment in
+search of Butzow.  The girl approached the window and
+stood there for a long time, looking out at the surging multi-
+tude that pressed around the palace gates, filling Margaretha
+Street with a solid mass of happy faces.
+
+They cheered the king, the chancellor, the army; but most
+often they cheered the king.  From a despised monarch Leo-
+pold had risen in a single bound to the position of a national
+idol.
+
+Repeatedly he was called to the balcony over the grand
+entrance that the people might feast their eyes on him.  The
+princess wondered how long it was before she herself would
+be forced to offer her congratulations and, perchance, suffer
+his caresses.  She shivered and cringed at the thought, and
+then there came a knock upon the door, and in answer to
+her permission it opened, and the king stood upon the
+threshold alone.
+
+At a glance the man took in the pain and sorrow mir-
+rored upon the girl's face.  He stepped quickly across the
+room toward her.
+
+"What is it?" he asked.  "What is the matter?"
+
+For a moment he had forgotten the part that he had
+been playing--forgot that the Princess Emma was ignorant
+of his identity.  He had come to her to share with her the
+happiness of the hour--the glory of the victorious arms of
+Lutha.  For a time he had almost forgotten that he was not
+the king, and now he was forgetting that he was not Barney
+Custer to the girl who stood before him with misery and
+hopelessness writ so large upon her countenance.
+
+For a brief instant the girl did not reply.  She was weigh-
+ing the problematical value of an attempt to enlist the king
+in the cause of the American.  Leopold had shown a spark of
+magnanimity when he had written a pardon for Mr. Custer;
+might he not rise again above his petty jealousy and save
+the American's life?  It was a forlorn hope to the woman
+who knew the true Leopold so well; but it was a hope.
+
+"What is the matter?" the king repeated.
+
+"I have just received word that Prince Peter has ignored
+your commands, sire," replied the girl, "and that Mr. Custer
+is to be shot tomorrow."
+
+Barney's eyes went wide with incredulity.  Here was a
+pretty pass, indeed!  The princess came close to him and
+seized his arm.
+
+"You promised, sire," she said, "that he would not be
+harmed--you gave your royal word.  You can save him.  You
+have an army at your command.  Do not forget that he
+once saved you."
+
+The note of appeal in her voice and the sorrow in her
+eyes gave Barney Custer a twinge of compunction.  The
+necessity for longer concealing his identity in so far as the
+salvation of Lutha was concerned seemed past; but the
+American had intended to carry the deception to the end.
+
+He had given the matter much thought, but he could find
+no grounds for belief that Emma von der Tann would be
+any happier in the knowledge that her future husband had
+had nothing to do with the victory of his army.  If she was
+doomed to a life at his side, why not permit her the grain
+of comfort that she might derive from the memory of her
+husband's achievements upon the battlefield of Lustadt?  Why
+rob her of that little?
+
+But now, face to face with her, and with the evidence of
+her suffering so plain before him, Barney's intentions wa-
+vered.  Like most fighting men, he was tender in his dealings
+with women.  And now the last straw came in the form of a
+single tiny tear that trickled down the girl's cheek.  He
+seized the hand that lay upon his arm.
+
+"Your highness," he said, "do not grieve for the American.
+He is not worth it.  He has deceived you.  He is not at
+Blentz."
+
+The girl drew her hand from his and straightened to her
+full height.
+
+"What do you mean, sire?" she exclaimed.  "Mr. Custer
+would not deceive me even if he had an opportunity--which
+he has not had.  But if he is not at Blentz, where is he?"
+
+Barney bowed his head and looked at the floor.
+
+"He is here, your highness, asking your forgiveness," he
+said.
+
+There was a puzzled expression upon the girl's face as
+she looked at the man before her.  She did not understand.
+Why should she?  Barney drew a diamond ring from his
+little finger and held it out to her.
+
+"You gave it to me to cut a hole in the window of the
+garage where I stole the automobile," he said.  "I forgot to
+return it.  Now do you know who I am?"
+
+Emma von der Tann's eyes showed her incredulity; then,
+act by act, she recalled all that this man had said and
+done since they had escaped from Blentz that had been
+so unlike the king she knew.
+
+"When did you assume the king's identity?" she asked.
+
+Barney told her all that had transpired in the king's apart-
+ments at Blentz before she had been conducted to the
+king's presence.
+
+"And Leopold is there now?" she asked.
+
+"He is there," replied Barney, "and he is to be shot in
+the morning."
+
+"Gott!" exclaimed the girl.  "What are we to do?"
+
+"There is but one thing to do," replied the American,
+"and that is for Butzow and me to ride to Blentz as fast as
+horses will carry us and rescue the king."
+
+"And then?" asked the girl, a shadow crossing her face.
+
+"And then Barney Custer will have to beat it for the
+boundary," he replied with a sorry smile.
+
+She came quite close to him, laying her hands upon his
+shoulders.
+
+"I cannot give you up now," she said simply.  "I have
+tried to be loyal to Leopold and the promise that my father
+made his king when I was only a little girl; but since I
+thought that you were to be shot, I have wished a thousand
+times that I had gone with you to America two years ago.
+Take me with you now, Barney.  We can send Lieutenant
+Butzow to rescue the king, and before he has returned we
+can be safe across the Serbian frontier."
+
+The American shook his head.
+
+"I got the king into this mess and I must get him out,"
+he said.  "He may deserve to be shot, but it is up to me
+to prevent it, if I can.  And there is your father to consider.
+If Butzow rides to Blentz and rescues the king, it may be
+difficult to get him back to Lustadt without the truth of
+his identity and mine becoming known.  With me there, the
+change can be effected easily, and not even Butzow need
+know what has happened.
+
+"If the people should guess that it was not Leopold who
+won the battle of Lustadt there might be the devil to pay,
+and your father would go down along with the throne.  No,
+I must stay until Leopold is safe in Lustadt.  But there is a
+hope for us.  I may be able to wrest from Leopold his
+sanction of our marriage.  I shall not hesitate to use threats
+to get it, and I rather imagine that he will be in such a
+terror-stricken condition that he will assent to any terms for
+his release from Blentz.  If he gives me such a paper, Emma,
+will you marry me?"
+
+Perhaps there never had been a stranger proposal than
+this; but to neither did it seem strange.  For two years each
+had known the love of the other.  The girl's betrothal to
+the king had prevented an avowal of their love while Barney
+posed in his own identity.  Now they merely accepted the
+conditions that had existed for two years as though a mat-
+ter of fact which had been often discussed between them.
+
+"Of course I'll marry you," said the princess.  "Why in the
+world would I want you to take me to America otherwise?"
+
+As Barney Custer took her in his arms he was happier
+than he had ever before been in all his life, and so, too,
+was the Princess Emma von der Tann.
+
+
+
+
+XII
+
+LEOPOLD WAITS FOR DAWN
+
+AFTER THE American had shoved him through the secret
+doorway into the tower room of the castle of Blentz, Leopold
+had stood for several minutes waiting for the next command
+from his captor.  Presently, hearing no sound other than that
+of his own breathing, the king ventured to speak.  He asked
+the American what he purposed doing with him next.
+
+There was no reply.  For another minute the king listened
+intently; then he raised his hands and removed the bandage
+from his eyes.  He looked about him.  The room was vacant
+except for himself.  He recognized it as the one in which he
+had spent ten years of his life as a prisoner.  He shuddered.
+What had become of the American?  He approached the
+door and listened.  Beyond the panels he could hear the two
+soldiers on guard there conversing.  He called to them.
+
+"What do you want?" shouted one of the men through
+the closed door.
+
+"I want Prince Peter!" yelled the king.  "Send him at
+once!"
+
+The soldiers laughed.
+
+"He wants Prince Peter," they mocked.  "Wouldn't you
+rather have us send the king to you?" they asked.
+
+"I am the king!" yelled Leopold.  "I am the king!  Open
+the door, pigs, or it will go hard with you!  I shall have you
+both shot in the morning if you do not open the door and
+fetch Prince Peter."
+
+"Ah!" exclaimed one of the soldiers.  "Then there will be
+three of us shot together."
+
+Leopold went white.  He had not connected the sentence
+of the American with himself; but now, quite vividly, he
+realized what it might mean to him if he failed before dawn
+to convince someone that he was not the American.  Peter
+would not be awake at so early an hour, and if he had no
+better success with others than he was having with these
+soldiers, it was possible that he might be led out and shot
+before his identity was discovered.  The thing was prepos-
+terous.  The king's knees became suddenly quite weak.  They
+shook, and his legs gave beneath his weight so that he had
+to lean against the back of a chair to keep from falling.
+
+Once more he turned to the soldiers.  This time he pleaded
+with them, begging them to carry word to Prince Peter that
+a terrible mistake had been made, and that it was the king
+and not the American who was confined in the death cham-
+ber.  But the soldiers only laughed at him, and finally threat-
+ened to come in and beat him if he again interrupted their
+conversation.
+
+It was a white and shaken prisoner that the officer of the
+guard found when he entered the room at dawn.  The man
+before him, his face streaked with tears of terror and self-
+pity, fell upon his knees before him, beseeching him to carry
+word to Peter of Blentz, that he was the king.  The officer
+drew away with a gesture of disgust.
+
+"I might well believe from your actions that you are Leo-
+pold," he said; "for, by Heaven, you do not act as I have
+always imagined the American would act in the face of
+danger.  He has a reputation for bravery that would suffer
+could his admirers see him now."
+
+"But I am not the American," pleaded the king.  "I tell
+you that the American came to my apartments last night,
+overpowered me, forced me to change clothing with him,
+and then led me back here."
+
+A sudden inspiration came to the king with the memory
+of all that had transpired during that humiliating encounter
+with the American.
+
+"I signed a pardon for him!" he cried.  "He forced me to
+do so.  If you think I am the American, you cannot kill me
+now, for there is a pardon signed by the king, and an order
+for the American's immediate release.  Where is it?  Do not
+tell me that Prince Peter did not receive it."
+
+"He received it," replied the officer, "and I am here to
+acquaint you with the fact, but Prince Peter said nothing
+about your release.  All he told me was that you were not to
+be shot this morning," and the man emphasized the last two
+words.
+
+Leopold of Lutha spent two awful days a prisoner at
+Blentz, not knowing at what moment Prince Peter might
+see fit to carry out the verdict of the Austrian court martial.
+He could convince no one that he was the king.  Peter would
+not even grant him an audience.  Upon the evening of the
+third day, word came that the Austrians had been defeated
+before Lustadt, and those that were not prisoners were re-
+treating through Blentz toward the Austrian frontier.
+
+The news filtered to Leopold's prison room through the
+servant who brought him his scant and rough fare.  The king
+was utterly disheartened before this word reached him.  For
+the moment he seemed to see a ray of hope, for, since the
+impostor had been victorious, he would be in a position to
+force Peter of Blentz to give up the true king.
+
+There was the chance that the American, flushed with
+success and power, might elect to hold the crown he had
+seized.  Who would guess the transfer that had been ef-
+fected, or, guessing, would dare voice his suspicions in the
+face of the power and popularity that Leopold knew such a
+victory as the impostor had won must have given him in
+the hearts and minds of the people of Lutha?  Still, there
+was a bare possibility that the American would be as good
+as his word, and return the crown as he had promised.
+Though he hated to admit it, the king had every reason to
+believe that the impostor was a man of honor, whose bare
+word was as good as another's bond.
+
+He was commencing, under this line of reasoning, to
+achieve a certain hopeful content when the door to his prison
+opened and Peter of Blentz, black and scowling, entered.
+At his elbow was Captain Ernst Maenck.
+
+"Leopold has defeated the Austrians," announced the
+former.  "Until you returned to Lutha he considered the Aus-
+trians his best friends.  I do not know how you could have
+reached or influenced him.  It is to learn how you accom-
+plished it that I am here.  The fact that he signed your
+pardon indicates that his attitude toward you changed sud-
+denly--almost within an hour.  There is something at the
+bottom of it all, and that something I must know."
+
+"I am Leopold!" cried the king.  "Don't you recognize me,
+Prince Peter?  Look at me!  Maenck must know me.  It was I
+who wrote and signed the American's pardon--at the point
+of the American's revolver.  He forced me to exchange cloth-
+ing with him, and then he brought me here to this room
+and left me."
+
+The two men looked at the speaker and smiled.
+
+"You bank too strongly, my friend," said Peter of Blentz,
+"upon your resemblance to the king of Lutha.  I will admit
+that it is strong, but not so strong as to convince me of the
+truth of so improbable a story.  How in the world could the
+American have brought you through the castle, from one
+end to the other, unseen?  There was a guard before the
+king's door and another before this.  No, Herr Custer, you
+will have to concoct a more plausible tale.
+
+"No," and Peter of Blentz scowled savagely, as though to
+impress upon his listener the importance of his next utterance,
+"there were more than you and the king involved in his
+sudden departure from Blentz and in his hasty change of
+policy toward Austria.  To be quite candid, it seems to me
+that it may be necessary to my future welfare--vitally neces-
+sary, I may say--to know precisely how all this occurred,
+and just what influence you have over Leopold of Lutha.
+Who was it that acted as the go-between in the king's nego-
+tiations with you, or rather, yours with the king?  And what
+argument did you bring to bear to force Leopold to the
+action he took?"
+
+"I have told you all that I know about the matter,"
+whined the king.  "The American appeared suddenly in my
+apartment.  When he brought me here he first blindfolded
+me.  I have no idea by what route we traveled through the
+castle, and unless your guards outside this door were bribed
+they can tell you more about how we got in here than I
+can--provided we entered through that doorway," and the
+king pointed to the door which had just opened to admit
+his two visitors.
+
+"Oh, pshaw!" exclaimed Maenck.  "There is but one door
+to this room--if the king came in here at all, he came
+through that door."
+
+"Enough!" cried Peter of Blentz.  "I shall not be trifled
+with longer.  I shall give you until tomorrow morning to make
+a full explanation of the truth and to form some plan whereby
+you may utilize once more whatever influence you had
+over Leopold to the end that he grant to myself and my
+associates his royal assurance that our lives and property
+will be safe in Lutha."
+
+"But I tell you it is impossible," wailed the king.
+
+"I think not," sneered Prince Peter, "especially when I tell
+you that if you do not accede to my wishes the order of the
+Austrian military court that sentenced you to death at Bur-
+gova will be carried out in the morning."
+
+With his final words the two men turned and left the
+room.  Behind them, upon the floor, inarticulate with terror,
+knelt Leopold of Lutha, his hands outstretched in supplica-
+tion.
+
+The long night wore its weary way to dawn at last.  The
+sleepless man, alternately tossing upon his bed and pacing
+the floor, looked fearfully from time to time at the window
+through which the lightening of the sky would proclaim the
+coming day and his last hour on earth.  His windows faced
+the west.  At the foot of the hill beneath the castle nestled
+the village of Blentz, once more enveloped in peaceful si-
+lence since the Austrians were gone.
+
+An unmistakable lessening of the darkness in the east
+had just announced the proximity of day, when the king
+heard a clatter of horses' hoofs upon the road before the
+castle.  The sound ceased at the gates and a loud voice broke
+out upon the stillness of the dying night demanding en-
+trance "in the name of the king."
+
+New hope burst aflame in the breast of the condemned
+man.  The impostor had not forsaken him.  Leopold ran to
+the window, leaning far out.  He heard the voices of the
+sentries in the barbican as they conversed with the new-
+comers.  Then silence came, broken only by the rapid foot-
+steps of a soldier hastening from the gate to the castle.  His
+hobnail shoes pounding upon the cobbles of the courtyard
+echoed among the angles of the lofty walls.  When he had
+entered the castle the silence became oppressive.  For five
+minutes there was no sound other than the pawing of the
+horses outside the barbican and the subdued conversation
+of their riders.
+
+Presently the soldier emerged from the castle.  With him
+was an officer.  The two went to the barbican.  Again there
+was a parley between the horsemen and the guard.  Leo-
+pold could hear the officer demanding terms.  He would
+lower the drawbridge and admit them upon conditions.
+
+One of these the king overheard--it concerned an assur-
+ance of full pardon for Peter of Blentz and the garrison; and
+again Leopold heard the officer addressing someone as "your
+majesty."
+
+Ah, the impostor was there in person.  Ach, Gott!  How
+Leopold of Lutha hated him, and yet, in the hands of this
+American lay not only his throne but his very life as well.
+
+Evidently the negotiations proved unsuccessful for after a
+time the party wheeled their horses from the gate and rode
+back toward Blentz.  As the sound of the iron-shod hoofs
+diminished in the distance, with them diminished the hopes
+of the king.
+
+When they ceased entirely his hopes were at an end,
+to be supplanted by renewed terror at the turning of the
+knob of his prison door as it swung open to admit Maenck
+and a squad of soldiers.
+
+"Come!" ordered the captain.  "The king has refused to
+intercede in your behalf.  When he returns with his army he
+will find your body at the foot of the west wall in the court-
+yard."
+
+With an ear-piercing shriek that rang through the grim
+old castle, Leopold of Lutha flung his arms above his head
+and lunged forward upon his face.  Roughly the soldiers
+seized the unconscious man and dragged him from the room.
+
+Along the corridor they hauled him and down the wind-
+ing stairs within the north tower to the narrow slit of a
+door that opened upon the courtyard.  To the foot of the
+west wall they brought him, tossing him brutally to the stone
+flagging.  Here one of the soldiers brought a flagon of water
+and dashed it in the face of the king.  The cold douche re-
+turned Leopold to a consciousness of the nearness of his
+impending fate.
+
+He saw the little squad of soldiers before him.  He saw
+the cold, gray wall behind, and, above, the cold, gray sky
+of early dawn.  The dismal men leaning upon their shadowy
+guns seemed unearthly specters in the weird light of the
+hour that is neither God's day nor devil's night.  With diffi-
+culty two of them dragged Leopold to his feet.
+
+Then the dismal men formed in line before him at the
+opposite side of the courtyard.  Maenck stood to the left of
+them.  He was giving commands.  They fell upon the doomed
+man's ears with all the cruelty of physical blows.  Tears
+coursed down his white cheeks.  With incoherent mumblings
+he begged for his life.  Leopold, King of Lutha, trembling
+in the face of death!
+
+
+
+
+XIII
+
+THE TWO KINGS
+
+TWENTY TROOPERS had ridden with Lieutenant Butzow and
+the false king from Lustadt to Blentz.  During the long, hard
+ride there had been little or no conversation between the
+American and his friend, for Butzow was still unsuspicious
+of the true identity of the man who posed as the ruler of
+Lutha.  The lieutenant was all anxiety to reach Blentz and
+rescue the American he thought imprisoned there and in
+danger of being shot.
+
+At the gate they were refused admittance unless the king
+would accept conditions.  Barney refused--there was another
+way to gain entrance to Blentz that not even the master of
+Blentz knew.  Butzow urged him to accede to anything to
+save the life of the American.  He recalled all that the latter
+had done in the service of Lutha and Leopold.  Barney leaned
+close to the other's ear.
+
+"If they have not already shot him," he whispered, "we
+shall save the prisoner yet.  Let them think that we give up
+and are returning to Lustadt.  Then follow me."
+
+Slowly the little cavalcade rode down from the castle of
+Blentz toward the village.  Just out of sight of the grim pile
+where the road wound down into a ravine Barney turned
+his horse's head up the narrow defile.  In single file Butzow
+and the troopers followed until the rank undergrowth pre-
+cluded farther advance.  Here the American directed that
+they dismount, and, leaving the horses in charge of three
+troopers, set out once more with the balance of the com-
+pany on foot.
+
+It was with difficulty that the men forced their way
+through the bushes, but they had not gone far when their
+leader stopped before a sheer wall of earth and stone, cov-
+ered with densely growing shrubbery.  Here he groped in
+the dim light, feeling his way with his hands before him,
+while at his heels came his followers.  At last he separated
+a wall of bushes and disappeared within the aperture his
+hands had made.  One by one his men followed, finding
+themselves in inky darkness, but upon a smooth stone floor
+and with stone walls close upon either hand.  Those who
+lifted their hands above their heads discovered an arched
+stone ceiling close above them.
+
+Along this buried corridor the "king" led them, for though
+he had never traversed it himself the Princess Emma had,
+and from her he had received minute directions.  Occasionally
+he struck a match, and presently in the fitful glare of one of
+these he and those directly behind him saw the foot of a
+ladder that disappeared in the Stygian darkness above.
+
+"Follow me up this, very quietly," he said to those behind
+him.  "Up to the third landing."
+
+They did as he bid them.  At the third landing Barney
+felt for the latch he knew was there--he was on familiar
+ground now.  Finding it he pushed open the door it held in
+place, and through a tiny crack surveyed the room beyond.
+It was vacant.  The American threw the door wide and
+stepped within.  Directly behind him was Butzow, his eyes
+wide in wonderment.  After him filed the troopers until
+seventeen of them stood behind their lieutenant and the
+"king."
+
+Through the window overlooking the courtyard came a
+piteous wailing.  Barney ran to the casement and looked out.
+Butzow was at his side.
+
+"Himmel!" ejaculated the Luthanian.  "They are about to
+shoot him.  Quick, your majesty," and without waiting to see
+if he were followed the lieutenant raced for the door of the
+apartment.  Close behind him came the American and the
+seventeen.
+
+It took but a moment to reach the stairway down which
+the rescuers tumbled pell-mell.
+
+Maenck was giving his commands to the firing squad
+with fiendish deliberation and delay.  He seemed to enjoy
+dragging out the agony that the condemned man suffered.
+But it was this very cruelty that caused Maenck's undoing
+and saved the life of Leopold of Lutha.  Just before he gave
+the word to fire Maenck paused and laughed aloud at the
+pitiable figure trembling and whining against the stone wall
+before him, and during that pause a commotion arose at
+the tower doorway behind the firing squad.
+
+Maenck turned to discover the cause of the interruption,
+and as he turned he saw the figure of the king leaping to-
+ward him with leveled revolver.  At the king's back a com-
+pany of troopers of the Royal Horse Guard was pouring
+into the courtyard.
+
+Maenck snatched his own revolver from his hip and fired
+point-blank at the "king."  The firing squad had turned at the
+sound of assault from the rear.  Some of them discharged
+their pieces at the advancing troopers.  Butzow gave a com-
+mand and seventeen carbines poured their deadly hail into
+the ranks of the Blentz retainers.  At Maenck's shot the "king"
+staggered and fell to the pavement.
+
+Maenck leaped across his prostrate form, yelling to his
+men "Shoot the American."  Then he was lost to Barney's
+sight in the hand-to-hand scrimmage that was taking place.
+The American tried to regain his feet, but the shock of the
+wound in his breast had apparently paralyzed him for the
+moment.  A Blentz soldier was running toward the prisoner
+standing open-mouthed against the wall.  The fellow's rifle
+was raised to his hip--his intention was only too obvious.
+
+Barney drew himself painfully and slowly to one elbow.
+The man was rapidly nearing the true Leopold.  In another
+moment he would shoot.  The American raised his revolver
+and, taking careful aim, fired.  The soldier shrieked, covered
+his face with his hands, spun around once, and dropped at
+the king's feet.
+
+The troopers under Butzow were forcing the men of Blentz
+toward the far end of the courtyard.  Two of the Blentz fac-
+tion were standing a little apart, backing slowly away and at
+the same time deliberately firing at the king.  Barney seemed
+the only one who noticed them.  Once again he raised his
+revolver and fired.  One of the men sat down suddenly, looked
+vacantly about him, and then rolled over upon his side.  The
+other fired once more at the king and the same instant
+Barney fired at the soldier.  Soldier and king--would-be
+assassin and his victim--fell simultaneously.  Barney gri-
+maced.  The wound in his breast was painful.  He had done
+his best to save the king.  It was no fault of his that he had
+failed.  It was a long way to Beatrice.  He wondered if Emma
+von der Tann would be on the station platform, awaiting
+him--then he swooned.
+
+Butzow and his seventeen had it all their own way in the
+courtyard and castle of Blentz.  After the first resistance the
+soldiery of Peter fled to the guardroom.  Butzow followed
+them, and there they laid down their arms.  Then the lieu-
+tenant returned to the courtyard to look for the king and
+Barney Custer.  He found them both, and both were
+wounded.  He had them carried to the royal apartments in
+the north tower.  When Barney regained consciousness he
+found the scowling portrait of the Blentz princess frowning
+down upon him.  He lay upon a great bed where the soldiers,
+thinking him king, had placed him.  Opposite him, against
+the farther wall, the real king lay upon a cot.  Butzow was
+working over him.
+
+"Not so bad, after all, Barney," the lieutenant was saying.
+"Only a flesh wound in the calf of the leg."
+
+The king made no reply.  He was afraid to declare his
+identity.  First he must learn the intentions of the impostor.
+He only closed his eyes wearily.  Presently he asked a ques-
+tion.
+
+"Is he badly wounded?" and he indicated the figure upon
+the great bed.
+
+Butzow turned and crossed to where the American lay.
+He saw that the latter's eyes were open and that he was
+conscious.
+
+"How does your majesty feel?" he asked.  There was more
+respect in his tone than ever before.  One of the Blentz sol-
+diers had told him how the "king," after being wounded by
+Maenck, had raised himself upon his elbow and saved the
+prisoner's life by shooting three of his assailants.
+
+"I thought I was done for," answered Barney Custer, "but
+I rather guess the bullet struck only a glancing blow.  It
+couldn't have entered my lungs, for I neither cough nor
+spit blood.  To tell you the truth, I feel surprisingly fit.
+How's the prisoner?"
+
+"Only a flesh wound in the calf of his left leg, sire," re-
+plied Butzow.
+
+"I am glad," was Barney's only comment.  He didn't want
+to be king of Lutha; but he had foreseen that with the death
+of the king his imposture might be forced upon him for life.
+
+After Butzow and one of the troopers had washed and
+dressed the wounds of both men Barney asked them to leave
+the room.
+
+"I wish to sleep," he said.  "If I require you I will ring."
+
+Saluting, the two backed from the apartment.  Just as
+they were passing through the doorway the American called
+out to Butzow.
+
+"You have Peter of Blentz and Maenck in custody?" he
+asked.
+
+"I regret having to report to your majesty," replied the
+officer, "that both must have escaped.  A thorough search of
+the entire castle has failed to reveal them."
+
+Barney scowled.  He had hoped to place these two con-
+spirators once and for all where they would never again
+threaten the peace of the throne of Lutha--in hell.  For a
+moment he lay in thought.  Then he addressed the officer
+again.
+
+"Leave your force here," he said, "to guard us.  Ride, your-
+self, to Lustadt and inform Prince von der Tann that it is the
+king's desire that every effort be made to capture these two
+men.  Have them brought to Lustadt immediately they are
+apprehended.  Bring them dead or alive."
+
+Again Butzow saluted and prepared to leave the room.
+
+"Wait," said Barney.  "Convey our greetings to the Prin-
+cess von der Tann, and inform her that my wound is of
+small importance, as is also that of the--Mr. Custer.  You
+may go, lieutenant."
+
+When they were alone Barney turned toward the king.
+The other lay upon his side glaring at the American.  When
+he caught the latter's eyes upon him he spoke.
+
+"What do you intend doing with me?" he said.  "Are you
+going to keep your word and return my identity?"
+
+"I have promised," replied Barney, "and what I promise
+I always perform."
+
+"Then exchange clothing with me at once," cried the
+king, half rising from his cot.
+
+"Not so fast, my friend," rejoined the American.  "There
+are a few trifling details to be arranged before we resume
+our proper personalities."
+
+"Do you realize that you should be hanged for what you
+have done?" snarled the king.  "You assaulted me, stole my
+clothing, left me here to be shot by Peter, and sat upon my
+throne in Lustadt while I lay a prisoner condemned to
+death."
+
+"And do you realize," replied Barney, "that by so doing
+I saved your foolish little throne for you; that I drove the
+invaders from your dominions; that I have unmasked your
+enemies, and that I have once again proven to you that the
+Prince von der Tann is your best friend and most loyal
+supporter?"
+
+"You laid your plebeian hands upon me," cried the king,
+raising his voice.  "You humiliated me, and you shall suffer
+for it."
+
+Barney Custer eyed the king for a long moment before he
+spoke again.  It was difficult to believe that the man was so
+devoid of gratitude, and so blind as not to see that even
+the rough treatment that he had received at the American's
+hands was as nothing by comparison with the service that
+the American had done him.  Apparently Leopold had al-
+ready forgotten that three times Barney Custer had saved
+his life in the courtyard below.  From the man's demeanor,
+now that his life was no longer at stake, Barney caught an
+inkling of what his attitude might be when once again he
+was returned to the despotic power of his kingship.
+
+"It is futile to reason with you," he said.  "There is only
+one way to handle such as you.  At present I hold the power
+to coerce you, and I shall continue to hold that power until
+I am safely out of your two-by-four kingdom.  If you do as
+I say you shall have your throne back again.  If you refuse,
+why by Heaven you shall never have it.  I'll stay king of
+Lutha myself."
+
+"What are your terms?" asked the king.
+
+"That Prince Peter of Blentz, Captain Ernst Maenck, and
+old Von Coblich be tried, convicted, and hanged for high
+treason," replied the American.
+
+"That is easy," said the king.  "I should do so anyway
+immediately I resumed my throne.  Now get up and give
+me my clothes.  Take this cot and I will take the bed.
+None will know of the exchange."
+
+"Again you are too fast," answered Barney.  "There is an-
+other condition."
+
+"Well?"
+
+"You must promise upon your royal honor that Ludwig,
+Prince von der Tann, remain chancellor of Lutha during
+your life or his."
+
+"Very well," assented the king.  "I promise," and again he
+half rose from his cot.
+
+"Hold on a minute," admonished the American; "there
+is yet one more condition of which I have not made mention."
+
+"What, another?" exclaimed Leopold testily.  "How much
+do you want for returning to me what you have stolen?"
+
+"So far I have asked for nothing for myself," replied Bar-
+ney.  "Now I am coming to that part of the agreement.
+The Princess Emma von der Tann is betrothed to you.  She
+does not love you.  She has honored me with her affection,
+but she will not wed until she has been formally released
+from her promise to wed Leopold of Lutha.  The king must
+sign such a release and also a sanction of her marriage to
+Barney Custer, of Beatrice.  Do you understand what I
+want?"
+
+The king went livid.  He came to his feet beside the cot.
+For the moment, his wound was forgotten.  He tottered to-
+ward the impostor.
+
+"You scoundrel!" he screamed.  "You scoundrel!  You have
+stolen my identity and my throne and now you wish to steal
+the woman who loves me."
+
+"Don't get excited, Leo," warned the American, "and
+don't talk so loud.  The Princess doesn't love you, and you
+know it as well as I.  She will never marry you.  If you want
+your dinky throne back you'll have to do as I desire; that
+is, sign the release and the sanction.
+
+"Now let's don't have any heroics about it.  You have
+the proposition.  Now I am going to sleep.  In the meantime
+you may think it over.  If the papers are not ready when it
+comes time for us to leave, and from the way I feel now I
+rather think I shall be ready to mount a horse by morning,
+I shall ride back to Lustadt as king of Lutha, and I shall
+marry her highness into the bargain, and you may go hang!
+
+"How the devil you will earn a living with that king job
+taken away from you I don't know.  You're a long way from
+New York, and in the present state of carnage in Europe
+I rather doubt that there are many headwaiters jobs open
+this side of the American metropolis, and I can't for the
+moment think of anything else at which you would shine--
+with all due respect to some excellent headwaiters I have
+known."
+
+For some time the king remained silent.  He was thinking.
+He realized that it lay in the power of the American to do
+precisely what he had threatened to do.  No one would
+doubt his identity.  Even Peter of Blentz had not recognized
+the real king despite Leopold's repeated and hysterical
+claims.
+
+Lieutenant Butzow, the American's best friend, had no
+more suspected the exchange of identities.  Von der Tann,
+too, must have been deceived.  Everyone had been deceived.
+There was no hope that the people, who really saw so little
+of their king, would guess the deception that was being
+played upon them.  Leopold groaned.  Barney opened his eyes
+and turned toward him.
+
+"What's the matter?" he asked.
+
+"I will sign the release and the sanction of her highness'
+marriage to you," said the king.
+
+"Good!" exclaimed the American.  "You will then go at
+once to Brosnov as originally planned.  I will return to Lus-
+tadt and get her highness, and we will immediately leave
+Lutha via Brosnov.  There you and I will effect a change of
+raiment, and you will ride back to Lustadt with the small
+guard that accompanies her highness and me to the frontier."
+
+"Why do you not remain in Lustadt?" asked the king.
+"You could as well be married there as elsewhere."
+
+"Because I don't trust your majesty," replied the American.
+"It must be done precisely as I say or not at all.  Are you
+agreeable?"
+
+The king assented with a grumpy nod.
+
+"Then get up and write as I dictate," said Barney.  Leo-
+pold of Lutha did as he was bid.  The result was two short,
+crisply worded documents.  At the bottom of each was the
+signature of Leopold of Lutha.  Barney took the two papers
+and carefully tucked them beneath his pillow.
+
+"Now let's sleep," he said.  "It is getting late and we both
+need the rest.  In the morning we have long rides ahead of
+us.  Good night."
+
+The king did not respond.  In a short time Barney was
+fast asleep.  The light still burned.
+
+
+
+
+XIV
+
+"THE KING'S WILL IS LAW"
+
+THE BLENTZ princess frowned down upon the king and
+impostor impartially from her great gilt frame.  It must have
+been close to midnight that the painting moved--just a frac-
+tion of an inch.  Then it remained motionless for a time.
+Again it moved.  This time it revealed a narrow crack at its
+edge.  In the crack an eye shone.
+
+One of the sleepers moved.  He opened his eyes.  Stealthily
+he raised himself on his elbow and gazed at the other across
+the apartment.  He listened intently.  The regular breathing
+of the sleeper proclaimed the soundness of his slumber.  Gin-
+gerly the man placed one foot upon the floor.  The eye glued
+to the crack at the edge of the great, gilt frame of the
+Blentz princess remained fastened upon him.  He let his
+other foot slip to the floor beside the first.  Carefully he
+raised himself until he stood erect upon the floor.  Then, on
+tiptoe he started across the room.
+
+The eye in the dark followed him.  The man reached the
+side of the sleeper.  Bending over he listened intently to the
+other's breathing.  Satisfied that slumber was profound he
+stepped quickly to a wardrobe in which a soldier had hung
+the clothing of both the king and the American.  He took
+down the uniform of the former, casting from time to time
+apprehensive glances toward the sleeper.  The latter did not
+stir, and the other passed to the little dressing-room adjoin-
+ing.
+
+A few minutes later he reentered the apartment fully
+clothed and wearing the accouterments of Leopold of Lutha.
+In his hand was a drawn sword.  Silently and swiftly he
+crossed to the side of the sleeping man.  The eye at the crack
+beside the gilded frame pressed closer to the aperture.  The
+sword was raised above the body of the slumberer--its point
+hovered above his heart.  The face of the man who wielded
+it was hard with firm resolve.
+
+His muscles tensed to drive home the blade, but some-
+thing held his hand.  His face paled.  His shoulders con-
+tracted with a little shudder, and he turned toward the
+door of the apartment, almost running across the floor in his
+anxiety to escape.  The eye in the dark maintained its un-
+blinking vigilance.
+
+With his hand upon the knob a sudden thought stayed
+the fugitive's flight.  He glanced quickly back at the sleeper
+--he had not moved.  Then the man who wore the uniform
+of the king of Lutha recrossed the apartment to the bed,
+reached beneath one of the pillows and withdrew two neatly
+folded official-looking documents.  These he placed in the
+breastpocket of his uniform.  A moment later he was walk-
+ing down the spiral stairway to the main floor of the castle.
+
+In the guardroom the troopers of the Royal Horse who
+were not on guard were stretched in slumber.  Only a cor-
+poral remained awake.  As the man entered the guardroom
+the corporal glanced up, and as his eyes fell upon the new-
+comer, he sprang to his feet, saluting.
+
+"Turn out the guard!" he cried.  "Turn out the guard for
+his majesty, the king!"
+
+The sleeping soldiers, but half awake, scrambled to their
+feet, their muscles reacting to the command that their brains
+but half perceived.  They snatched their guns from the racks
+and formed a line behind the corporal.  The king raised his
+fingers to the vizor of his helmet in acknowledgment of their
+salute.
+
+"Saddle up quietly, corporal," he said.  "We shall ride to
+Lustadt tonight."
+
+The non-commissioned officer saluted.  "And an extra horse
+for Herr Custer?" he said.
+
+The king shook his head.  "The man died of his wound
+about an hour ago," he said.  "While you are saddling up I
+shall arrange with some of the Blentz servants for his burial
+--now hurry!"
+
+The corporal marched his troopers from the guardroom
+toward the stables.  The man in the king's clothes touched a
+bell which was obviously a servant call.  He waited impa-
+tiently a reply to his summons, tapping his finger-tips against
+the sword-scabbard that was belted to his side.  At last a
+sleepy-eyed man responded--a man who had grown gray
+in the service of Peter of Blentz.  At sight of the king he
+opened his eyes in astonishment, pulled his foretop, and
+bowed uneasily.
+
+"Come closer," whispered the king.  The man did so, and
+the king spoke in his ear earnestly, but in scarce audible
+tones.  The eyes of the listener narrowed to mere slits--of
+avarice and cunning, cruelly cold and calculating.  The speak-
+er searched through the pockets of the king's clothes that
+covered him.  At last he withdrew a roll of bills.  The amount
+must have been a large one, but he did not stop to count it.
+He held the money under the eyes of the servant.  The fel-
+low's claw-like fingers reached for the tempting wealth.  He
+nodded his head affirmatively.
+
+"You may trust me, sire," he whispered.
+
+The king slipped the money into the other's palm.  "And
+as much more," he said, "when I receive proof that my
+wishes have been fulfilled."
+
+"Thank you, sire," said the servant.
+
+The king looked steadily into the other's face before he
+spoke again.
+
+"And if you fail me," he said, "may God have mercy on
+your soul."  Then he wheeled and left the guardroom, walk-
+ing out into the courtyard where the soldiers were busy
+saddling their mounts.
+
+A few minutes later the party clattered over the draw-
+bridge and down the road toward Blentz and Lustadt.  From
+a window of the apartments of Peter of Blentz a man
+watched them depart.  When they passed across a strip of
+moonlit road, and he had counted them, he smiled with re-
+lief.
+
+A moment later he entered a panel beside the huge fire-
+place in the west wall and disappeared.  There he struck a
+match, found a candle and lighted it.  Walking a few steps
+he came to a figure sleeping upon a pile of clothing.  He
+stooped and shook the sleeper by the shoulder.
+
+"Wake up!" he cried in a subdued voice.  "Wake up, Prince
+Peter; I have good news for you."
+
+The other opened his eyes, stretched, and at last sat up.
+
+"What is it, Maenck?" he asked querulously.
+
+"Great news, my prince," replied the other.
+
+"While you have been sleeping many things have trans-
+pired within the walls of your castle.  The king's troopers
+have departed; but that is a small matter compared with
+the other.  Here, behind the portrait of your great-grand-
+mother, I have listened and watched all night.  I opened the
+secret door a fraction of an inch--just enough to permit me
+to look into the apartment where the king and the American
+lay wounded.  They had been talking as I opened the door,
+but after that they ceased--the king falling asleep at once--
+the American feigning slumber.  For a long time I watched,
+but nothing happened until near midnight.  Then the Ameri-
+can arose and donned the king's clothes.
+
+"He approached Leopold with drawn sword, but when
+he would have thrust it through the heart of the sleeping
+man his nerve failed him.  Then he stole some papers from
+the room and left.  Just now he has ridden out toward
+Lustadt with the men of the Royal Horse who captured
+the castle yesterday."
+
+Before Maenck was half-way through his narrative, Peter
+of Blentz was wide awake and all attention.  His eyes
+glowed with suddenly aroused interest.
+
+"Somewhere in this, prince," concluded Maenck, "there
+must lie the seed of fortune for you and me."
+
+Peter nodded.  "Yes," he mused, "there must."
+
+For a time both men were buried in thought.  Suddenly
+Maenck snapped his fingers.  "I have it!" he cried.  He bent
+toward Prince Peter's ear and whispered his plan.  When he
+was done the Blentz prince grasped his hand.
+
+"Just the thing, Maenck!" he cried.  "Just the thing.  Leo-
+pold will never again listen to idle gossip directed against
+our loyalty.  If I know him--and who should know him
+better--he will heap honors upon you, my Maenck; and
+as for me, he will at least forgive me and take me back
+into his confidence.  Lose no time now, my friend.  We are
+free now to go and come, since the king's soldiers have been
+withdrawn."
+
+In the garden back of the castle an old man was busy
+digging a hole.  It was a long, narrow hole, and, when it
+was completed, nearly four feet deep.  It looked like a grave.
+When he had finished the old man hobbled to a shed that
+leaned against the south wall.  Here were boards, tools, and
+a bench.  It was the castle workshop.  The old man selected
+a number of rough pine boards.  These he measured and
+sawed, fitted and nailed, working all the balance of the
+night.  By dawn, he had a long, narrow box, just a trifle
+smaller than the hole he had dug in the garden.  The box
+resembled a crude coffin.  When it was quite finished, in-
+cluding a cover, he dragged it out into the garden and set
+it upon two boards that spanned the hole, so that it rested
+precisely over the excavation.
+
+All these precautions methodically made, he returned to
+the castle.  In a little storeroom he searched for and found an
+ax.  With his thumb he felt of the edge--for an ax it was
+marvelously sharp.  The old fellow grinned and shook his
+head, as one who appreciates in anticipation the consumma-
+tion of a good joke.  Then he crept noiselessly through the
+castle's corridors and up the spiral stairway in the north
+tower.  In one hand was the sharp ax.
+
+
+The moment Lieutenant Butzow had reached Lustadt he
+had gone directly to Prince von der Tann; but the moment
+his message had been delivered to the chancellor he sought
+out the chancellor's daughter, to tell her all that had oc-
+curred at Blentz.
+
+"I saw but little of Mr. Custer," he said.  "He was very
+quiet.  I think all that he has been through has unnerved
+him.  He was slightly wounded in the left leg.  The king was
+wounded in the breast.  His majesty conducted himself in a
+most valiant and generous manner.  Wounded, he lay upon
+his stomach in the courtyard of the castle and defended
+Mr. Custer, who was, of course, unarmed.  The king shot
+three of Prince Peter's soldiers who were attempting to
+assassinate Mr. Custer."
+
+Emma von der Tann smiled.  It was evident that Lieuten-
+ant Butzow had not discovered the deception that had been
+practiced upon him in common with all Lutha--she being
+the only exception.  It seemed incredible that this good friend
+of the American had not seen in the heroism of the man who
+wore the king's clothes the attributes and ear-marks of Bar-
+ney Custer.  She glowed with pride at the narration of his
+heroism, though she suffered with him because of his wound.
+
+It was not yet noon when the detachment of the Royal
+Horse arrived in Lustadt from Blentz.  At their head rode
+one whom all upon the streets of the capital greeted enthusi-
+astically as king.  The party rode directly to the royal palace,
+and the king retired immediately to his apartments.  A half
+hour later an officer of the king's household knocked upon
+the door of the Princess Emma von der Tann's boudoir.  In
+accord with her summons he entered, saluted respectfully,
+and handed her a note.
+
+It was written upon the personal stationary of Leopold of
+Lutha.  The girl read and reread it.  For some time she could
+not seem to grasp the enormity of the thing that had over-
+whelmed her--the daring of the action that the message
+explained.  The note was short and to the point, and was
+signed only with initials.
+
+DEAREST EMMA:
+
+
+The king died of his wounds just before midnight.  I
+shall keep the throne.  There is no other way.  None
+knows and none must ever know the truth.  Your father
+alone may suspect; but if we are married at once our
+alliance will cement him and his faction to us.  Send
+word by the bearer that you agree with the wisdom
+of my plan, and that we may be wed at once--this
+afternoon, in fact.
+
+The people may wonder for a few days at the strange
+haste, but my answer shall be that I am going to the
+front with my troops.  The son and many of the high
+officials of the Kaiser have already established the prece-
+dent, marrying hurriedly upon the eve of their departure
+for the front.
+
+With every assurance of my undying love, believe me,
+
+Yours,
+B. C.
+
+
+The girl walked slowly across the room to her writing
+table.  The officer stood in respectful silence awaiting the
+answer that the king had told him to bring.  The princess sat
+down before the carved bit of furniture.  Mechanically she
+drew a piece of note paper from a drawer.  Many times she
+dipped her pen in the ink before she could determine what
+reply to send.  Ages of ingrained royalistic principles were
+shocked and shattered by the enormity of the thing the man
+she loved had asked of her, and yet cold reason told her
+that it was the only way.
+
+Lutha would be lost should the truth be known--that the
+king was dead, for there was no heir of closer blood con-
+nection with the royal house than Prince Peter of Blentz,
+whose great-grandmother had been a Rubinroth princess.
+Slowly, at last, she wrote as follows:
+
+
+SIRE:
+The king's will is law.
+EMMA
+
+
+
+That was all.  Placing the note in an envelope she sealed
+it and handed it to the officer, who bowed and left the
+room.
+
+A half hour later officers of the Royal Horse were riding
+through the streets of Lustadt.  Some announced to the
+people upon the streets the coming marriage of the king
+and princess.  Others rode to the houses of the nobility with
+the king's command that they be present at the ceremony
+in the old cathedral at four o'clock that afternoon.
+
+Never had there been such bustling about the royal pal-
+ace or in the palaces of the nobles of Lutha.  The buzz and
+hum of excited conversation filled the whole town.  That the
+choice of the king met the approval of his subjects was more
+than evident.  Upon every lip was praise and love of the
+Princess Emma von der Tann.  The future of Lutha seemed
+assured with a king who could fight joined in marriage to a
+daughter of the warrior line of Von der Tann.
+
+The princess was busy up to the last minute.  She had
+not seen her future husband since his return from Blentz,
+for he, too, had been busy.  Twice he had sent word to her,
+but on both occasions had regretted that he could not come
+personally because of the pressure of state matters and the
+preparations for the ceremony that was to take place in the
+cathedral in so short a time.
+
+At last the hour arrived.  The cathedral was filled to over-
+flowing.  After the custom of Lutha, the bride had walked
+alone up the broad center aisle to the foot of the chancel.
+Guardsmen lining the way on either hand stood rigidly at
+salute until she stopped at the end of the soft, rose-strewn
+carpet and turned to await the coming of the king.
+
+Presently the doors at the opposite end of the cathedral
+opened.  There was a fanfare of trumpets, and up the center
+aisle toward the waiting girl walked the royal groom.  It
+seemed ages to the princess since she had seen her lover.  Her
+eyes devoured him as he approached her.  She noticed that
+he limped, and wondered; but for a moment the fact car-
+ried no special suggestion to her brain.
+
+The people had risen as the king entered.  Again, the
+pieces of the guardsmen had snapped to present; but si-
+lence, intense and utter, reigned over the vast assembly.
+The only movement was the measured stride of the king
+as he advanced to claim his bride.
+
+At the head of each line of guardsmen, nearest the chan-
+cel and upon either side of the bridal party, the ranks were
+formed of commissioned officers.  Butzow was among them.
+He, too, out of the corner of his eye watched the advancing
+figure.  Suddenly he noted the limp, and gave a little in-
+voluntary gasp.  He looked at the Princess Emma, and saw
+her eyes suddenly widen with consternation.
+
+Slowly at first, and then in a sudden tidal wave of mem-
+ory, Butzow's story of the fight in the courtyard at Blentz
+came back to her.
+
+"I saw but little of Mr. Custer," he had said.  "He was
+slightly wounded in the left leg.  The king was wounded in
+the breast."  But Lieutenant Butzow had not known the true
+identity of either.
+
+The real Leopold it was who had been wounded in the
+left leg, and the man who was approaching her up the
+broad cathedral aisle was limping noticeably--and favoring
+his left leg.  The man to whom she was to be married was
+not Barney Custer--he was Leopold of Lutha!
+
+A hundred mad schemes rioted through her brain.  The
+wedding must not go on!  But how was she to avert it?  The
+king was within a few paces of her now.  There was a smile
+upon his lips, and in that smile she saw the final confirma-
+tion of her fears.  When Leopold of Lutha smiled his upper
+lip curved just a trifle into a shadow of a sneer.  It was a
+trivial characteristic that Barney Custer did not share in
+common with the king.
+
+Half mad with terror, the girl seized upon the only sub-
+terfuge which seemed at all likely to succeed.  It would, at
+least, give her a slight reprieve--a little time in which to
+think, and possibly find an avenue from her predicament.
+
+She staggered forward a step, clapped her two hands
+above her heart, and reeled as though to fall.  Butzow, who
+had been watching her narrowly, sprang forward and caught
+her in his arms, where she lay limp with closed eyes as
+though in a dead faint.  The king ran forward.  The people
+craned their necks.  A sudden burst of exclamations rose
+throughout the cathedral, and then Lieutenant Butzow,
+shouldering his way past the chancel, carried the Princess
+Emma to a little anteroom off the east transept.  Behind him
+walked the king, the bishop, and Prince Ludwig.
+
+
+
+
+XV
+
+MAENCK BLUNDERS
+
+AFTER a hurried breakfast Peter of Blentz and Captain
+Ernst Maenck left the castle of Blentz.  Prince Peter rode
+north toward the frontier, Austria, and safety, Captain
+Maenck rode south toward Lustadt.  Neither knew that gen-
+eral orders had been issued to soldiery and gendarmerie of
+Lutha to capture them dead or alive.  So Prince Peter rode
+carelessly; but Captain Maenck, because of the nature of
+his business and the proximity of enemies about Lustadt,
+proceeded with circumspection.
+
+Prince Peter was arrested at Tafelberg, and, though he
+stormed and raged and threatened, he was immediately
+packed off under heavy guard back toward Lustadt.
+
+Captain Ernst Maenck was more fortunate.  He reached
+the capital of Lutha in safety, though he had to hide on
+several occasions from detachments of troops moving toward
+the north.  Once within the city he rode rapidly to the house
+of a friend.  Here he learned that which set him into a fine
+state of excitement and profanity.  The king and the Princess
+Emma von der Tann were to be wed that very afternoon!
+It lacked but half an hour to four o'clock.
+
+Maenck grabbed his cap and dashed from the house be-
+fore his astonished friend could ask a single question.  He
+hurried straight toward the cathedral.  The king had just
+arrived, and entered when Maenck came up, breathless.  The
+guard at the doorway did not recognize him.  If they had
+they would have arrested him.  Instead they contented them-
+selves with refusing him admission, and when he insisted
+they threatened him with arrest.
+
+To be arrested now would be to ruin his fine plan, so he
+turned and walked away.  At the first cross street he turned
+up the side of the cathedral.  The grounds were walled
+up on this side, and he sought in vain for entrance.  At the
+rear he discovered a limousine standing in the alley where
+its chauffeur had left it after depositing his passengers at
+the front door of the cathedral.  The top of the limousine
+was but a foot or two below the top of the wall.
+
+Maenck clambered to the hood of the machine, and from
+there to the top.  A moment later he dropped to the earth
+inside the cathedral grounds.  Before him were many win-
+dows.  Most of them were too high for him to reach, and
+the others that he tried at first were securely fastened.  Pass-
+ing around the end of the building, he at last discovered
+one that was open--it led into the east transept.
+
+Maenck crawled through.  He was within the building that
+held the man he sought.  He found himself in a small room
+--evidently a dressing-room.  There were two doors leading
+from it.  He approached one and listened.  He heard the
+tones of subdued conversation beyond.
+
+Very cautiously he opened the door a crack.  He could not
+believe the good fortune that was revealed before him.  On
+a couch lay the Princess Emma von der Tann.  Beside her
+her father.  At the door was Lieutenant Butzow.  The bishop
+and a doctor were talking at the head of the couch.  Pacing
+up and down the room, resplendent in the marriage robes
+of a king of Lutha, was the man he sought.
+
+Maenck drew his revolver.  He broke the barrel, and saw
+that there was a good cartridge in each chamber of the cyl-
+inder.  He closed it quietly.  Then he threw open the door,
+stepped into the room, took deliberate aim, and fired.
+
+The old man with the ax moved cautiously along the cor-
+ridor upon the second floor of the Castle of Blentz until he
+came to a certain door.  Gently he turned the knob and
+pushed the door inward.  Holding the ax behind his back,
+he entered.  In his pocket was a great roll of money, and
+there was to be an equal amount waiting him at Lustadt
+when his mission had been fulfilled.
+
+Once within the room, he looked quickly about him.
+Upon a great bed lay the figure of a man asleep.  His face
+was turned toward the opposite wall away from the side of
+the bed nearer the menacing figure of the old servant.  On
+tiptoe the man with the ax approached.  The neck of his
+victim lay uncovered before him.  He swung the ax behind
+him.  a single blow, as mighty as his ancient muscles could
+deliver, would suffice.
+
+Barney Custer opened his eyes.  Directly opposite him
+upon the wall was a dark-toned photogravure of a hunting
+scene.  It tilted slightly forward upon its wire support.  As
+Barney's opened it chanced that they were directed
+straight upon the shiny glass of the picture.  The light from
+the window struck the glass in such a way as to transform
+it into a mirror.  The American's eyes were glued with horror
+upon the reflection that he saw there--an old man swinging
+a huge ax down upon his head.
+
+It is an open question as to which of the two was the
+most surprised at the cat-like swiftness of the movement
+that carried Barney Custer out of that bed and landed him
+in temporary safety upon the opposite side.
+
+With a snarl the old man ran around the foot of the bed
+to corner his prey between the bed and the wall.  He was
+swinging the ax as though to hurl it.  So close was he that
+Barney guessed it would be difficult for him to miss his
+mark.  The least he could expect would be a frightful wound.
+To have attempted to escape would have necessitated turn-
+ing his back to his adversary, inviting instant death.  To
+grapple with a man thus armed appeared an equally hope-
+less alternative.
+
+Shoulder-high beside him hung the photogravure that
+had already saved his life once.  Why not again?  He snatched
+it from its hangings, lifted it above his head in both hands,
+and hurled it at the head of the old man.  The glass shat-
+tered full upon the ancient's crown, the man's head went
+through the picture, and the frame settled over his shoul-
+ders.  At the same instant Barney Custer leaped across the
+bed, seized a light chair, and turned to face his foe upon
+more even turns.
+
+The old man did not pause to remove the frame from
+about his neck.  Blood trickled down his forehead and cheeks
+from deep gashes that the broken glass had made.  Now he
+was in a berserker rage.
+
+As he charged again he uttered a peculiar whistling noise
+from between his set teeth.  To the American it sounded like
+the hissing of a snake, and as he would have met a snake he
+met the venomous attack of the old man.
+
+When the short battle was over the Blentz servitor lay
+unconscious upon the floor, while above him leaned the
+American, uninjured, ripping long strips from a sheet torn
+from the bed, twisting them into rope-like strands and, with
+them, binding the wrists and ankles of his defeated foe.
+Finally he stuffed a gag between the toothless gums.
+
+Running to the wardrobe, he discovered that the king's
+uniform was gone.  That, with the witness of the empty
+bed, told him the whole story.  The American smiled.  "More
+nerve than I gave him credit for," he mused, as he walked
+back to his bed and reached under the pillow for the two
+papers he had forced the king to sign.  They, too, were
+gone.  Slowly Barney Custer realized his plight, as there
+filtered through his mind a suggestion of the possibilities of
+the trick that had been played upon him.
+
+Why should Leopold wish these papers?  Of course, he
+might merely have taken them that he might destroy them;
+but something told Barney Custer that such was not the
+case.  And something, too, told him whither the king had
+ridden and what he would do there when he arrived.
+
+He ran back to the wardrobe.  In it hung the peasant
+attire that he had stolen from the line of the careless house
+frau, and later wished upon his majesty the king.  Barney
+grinned as he recalled the royal disgust with which Leopold
+had fingered the soiled garments.  He scarce blamed him.
+Looking further toward the back of the wardrobe, the
+American discovered other clothing.
+
+He dragged it all out upon the floor.  There was an old
+shooting jacket, several pairs of trousers and breeches, and
+a hunting coat.  In a drawer at the bottom of the wardrobe
+he found many old shoes, puttees, and boots.
+
+From this miscellany he selected riding breeches, a pair
+of boots, and the red hunting coat as the only articles that
+fitted his rather large frame.  Hastily he dressed, and, taking
+the ax the old man had brought to the room as the only
+weapon available, he walked boldly into the corridor, down
+the spiral stairway and into the guardroom.
+
+Barney Custer was prepared to fight.  He was desperate.
+He could have slunk from the Castle of Blentz as he had
+entered it--through the secret passageway to the ravine;
+but to attempt to reach Lustadt on foot was not at all
+compatible with the urgent haste that he felt necessary.  He
+must have a horse, and a horse he would have if he had to
+fight his way through a Blentz army.
+
+But there were no armed retainers left at Blentz.  The
+guardroom was vacant; but there were arms there and am-
+munition.  Barney commandeered a sword and a revolver,
+then he walked into the courtyard and crossed to the stables.
+The way took him by the garden.  In it he saw a coffin-like
+box resting upon planks above a grave-like excavation.  Bar-
+ney investigated.  The box was empty.  Once again he grinned.
+"It is not always wise," he mused, "to count your corpses
+before they're dead.  What a lot of work the old man might
+have spared himself if he'd only caught his cadaver first--
+or at least tried to."
+
+Passing on by his own grave, he came to the stables.  A
+groom was carrying a strong, clean-limbed hunter haltered
+in the doorway.  The man looked up as Barney approached
+him.  A puzzled expression entered the fellow's eyes.  He was
+a young man--a stupid-looking lout.  It was evident that he
+half recognized the face of the newcomer as one he had
+seen before.  Barney nodded to him.
+
+"Never mind finishing," he said.  "I am in a hurry.  You
+may saddle him at once."  The voice was authoritative--it
+brooked no demur.  The groom touched his forehead, dropped
+the currycomb and brush, and turned back into the stable
+to fetch saddle and bridle.
+
+Five minutes later Barney was riding toward the gate.
+The portcullis was raised--the drawbridge spanned the moat
+--no guard was there to bar his way.  The sunlight flooded
+the green valley, stretching lazily below him in the soft
+warmth of a mellow autumn morning.  Behind him he had
+left the brooding shadows of the grim old fortress--the cold,
+cruel, depressing stronghold of intrigue, treason, and sud-
+den death.
+
+He threw back his shoulders and filled his lungs with the
+sweet, pure air of freedom.  He was a new man.  The wound
+in his breast was forgotten.  Lightly he touched his spurs to
+the hunter's sides.  Tossing his head and curveting, the ani-
+mal broke into a long, easy trot.  Where the road dipped into
+the ravine and down through the village to the valley the
+rider drew his restless mount into a walk; but, once in the
+valley, he let him out.  Barney took the short road to Lus-
+tadt.  It would cut ten miles off the distance that the main
+wagonroad covered, and it was a good road for a horseman.
+It should bring him to Lustadt by one o'clock or a little
+after.  The road wound through the hills to the east of the
+main highway, and was scarcely more than a trail where it
+crossed the Ru River upon a narrow bridge that spanned
+the deep mountain gorge that walls the Ru for ten miles
+through the hills.
+
+When Barney reached the river his hopes sank.  The
+bridge was gone--dynamited by the Austrians in their re-
+treat.  The nearest bridge was at the crossing of the main
+highway over ten miles to the southwest.  There, too, the
+river might be forded even if the Austrians had destroyed
+that bridge also; but here or elsewhere in the hills there
+could be no fording--the banks of the Ru were perpendicular
+cliffs.
+
+The misfortune would add nearly twenty miles to his
+journey--he could not now hope to reach Lustadt before
+late in the afternoon.  Turning his horse back along the trail
+he had come, he retraced his way until he reached a nar-
+row bridle path that led toward the southwest.  The trail
+was rough and indistinct, yet he pushed forward, even
+more rapidly than safety might have suggested.  The noble
+beast beneath him was all loyalty and ambition.
+
+"Take it easy, old boy," whispered Barney into the slim,
+pointed ears that moved ceaselessly backward and forward,
+"you'll get your chance when we strike the highway, never
+fear."
+
+And he did.
+
+
+So unexpected had been Maenck's entrance into the
+room in the east transept, so sudden his attack, that it was
+all over before a hand could be raised to stay him.  At the
+report of his revolver the king sank to the floor.  At almost
+the same instant Lieutenant Butzow whipped a revolver
+from beneath his tunic and fired at the assassin.  Maenck
+staggered forward and stumbled across the body of the king.
+Butzow was upon him instantly, wresting the revolver from
+his fingers.  Prince Ludwig ran to the king's side and, kneel-
+ing there, raised Leopold's head in his arms.  The bishop
+and the doctor bent over the limp form.  The Princess Emma
+stood a little apart.  She had leaped from the couch where
+she had been lying.  Her eyes were wide in horror.  Her
+palms pressed to her cheeks.
+
+It was upon this scene that a hatless, dust-covered man
+in a red hunting coat burst through the door that had ad-
+mitted Maenck.  The man had seen and recognized the con-
+spirator as he climbed to the top of the limousine and
+dropped within the cathedral grounds, and he had followed
+close upon his heels.
+
+No one seemed to note his entrance.  All ears were turned
+toward the doctor, who was speaking.
+
+"The king is dead," he said.
+
+Maenck raised himself upon an elbow.  He spoke feebly.
+
+"You fools," he cried.  "That man was not the king.  I saw
+him steal the king's clothes at Blentz and I followed him
+here.  He is the American--the impostor."  Then his eyes,
+circling the faces about him to note the results of his an-
+nouncements, fell upon the face of the man in the red hunt-
+ing coat.  Amazement and wonder were in his face.  Slowly
+he raised his finger and pointed.
+
+"There is the king," he said.
+
+Every eye turned in the direction he indicated.  Exclama-
+tions of surprise and incredulity burst from every lip.  The
+old chancellor looked from the man in the red hunting coat
+to the still form of the man upon the floor in the blood-
+spattered marriage garments of a king of Lutha.  He let the
+king's head gently down upon the carpet, and then he rose
+to his feet and faced the man in the red hunting coat.
+
+"Who are you?" he demanded.
+
+Before Barney could speak Lieutenant Butzow spoke.
+
+"He is the king, your highness," he said.  "I rode with
+him to Blentz to free Mr. Custer.  Both were wounded in
+the courtyard in the fight that took place there.  I helped
+to dress their wounds.  The king was wounded in the breast--
+Mr. Custer in the left leg."
+
+Prince von der Tann looked puzzled.  Again he turned
+his eyes questioningly toward the newcomer.
+
+"Is this the truth?" he asked.
+
+Barney looked toward the Princess Emma.  In her eyes he
+could read the relief that the sight of him alive had brought
+her.  Since she had recognized the king she had believed
+that Barney was dead.  The temptation was great--he
+dreaded losing her, and he feared he would lose her when
+her father learned the truth of the deception that had been
+practiced upon him.  He might lose even more--men had
+lost their heads for tampering with the affairs of kings.
+
+"Well?" persisted the chancellor.
+
+"Lieutenant Butzow is partially correct--he honestly be-
+lieves that he is entirely so," replied the American.  "He did
+ride with me from Lustadt to Blentz to save the man who
+lies dead here at your feet.  The lieutenant thought that he
+was riding with his king, just as your highness thought that
+he was riding with his king during the battle of Lustadt.
+You were both wrong--you were riding with Mr. Bernard
+Custer, of Beatrice.  I am he.  I have no apologies to make.
+What I did I would do again.  I did it for Lutha and for the
+woman I love.  She knows and the king knew that I intended
+restoring his identity to him with no one the wiser for the
+interchange that had taken place.  The king upset my plans
+by stealing back his identity while I slept, with the result
+that you see before you upon the floor.  He has died as he
+had lived--futilely."
+
+As he spoke the Princess Emma had crossed the room to-
+ward him.  Now she stood at his side, her hand in his.
+Tense silence reigned in the apartment.  The old chancellor
+stood with bowed head, buried in thought.  All eyes were
+upon him except those of the doctor, who had turned his
+attention from the dead king to the wounded assassin.  But-
+zow stood looking at Barney Custer in open relief and ad-
+miration.  He had been trying to vindicate his friend in his
+own mind ever since he had discovered, as he believed, that
+Barney had tricked Leopold after the latter had saved his
+life at Blentz and ridden to Lustadt in the king's guise.  Now
+that he knew the whole truth he realized how stupid he
+had been not to guess that the man who had led the vic-
+torious Luthanian army before Lustadt could not have been
+the cowardly Leopold.
+
+Presently the chancellor broke the silence.
+
+"You say that Leopold of Lutha lived futilely.  You are
+right; but when you say that he has died futilely, you are,
+I believe, wrong.  Living, he gave us a poor weakling.  Dy-
+ing, he leaves the throne to a brave man, in whose veins
+flows the blood of the Rubinroths, hereditary rulers of Lutha.
+
+"You are the only rightful successor to the throne of
+Lutha," he argued, "other than Peter of Blentz.  Your
+mother's marriage to a foreigner did not bar the succession
+of her offspring.  Aside from the fact that Peter of Blentz is
+out of the question, is the more important fact that your
+line is closer to the throne than his.  He knew it, and this
+knowledge was the real basis of his hatred of you."
+
+As the old chancellor ceased speaking he drew his sword
+and raised it on high above his head.
+
+"The king is dead," he said.  "Long live the king!"
+
+
+
+
+XVI
+
+KING OF LUTHA
+
+BARNEY CUSTER, of Beatrice, had no desire to be king of
+Lutha.  He lost no time in saying so.  All that he wanted of
+Lutha was the girl he had found there, as his father before
+him had found the girl of his choice.  Von der Tann pleaded
+with him.
+
+"Twice have I fought under you, sire," he urged.  "Twice,
+and only twice since the old king died, have I felt that the
+future of Lutha was safe in the hands of her ruler, and both
+these times it was you who sat upon the throne.  Do not
+desert us now.  Let me live to see Lutha once more happy,
+with a true Rubinroth upon the throne and my daughter
+at his side."
+
+Butzow added his pleas to those of the old chancellor.
+The American hesitated.
+
+"Let us leave it to the representatives of the people and
+to the house of nobles," he suggested.
+
+The chancellor of Lutha explained the situation to both
+houses.  Their reply was unanimous.  He carried it to the
+American, who awaited the decision of Lutha in the royal
+apartments of the palace.  With him was the Princess Emma
+von der Tann.
+
+"The people of Lutha will have no other king, sire," said
+the old man.
+
+Barney turned toward the girl.
+
+"There is no other way, my lord king," she said with
+grave dignity.  "With her blood your mother bequeathed
+you a duty which you may not shirk.  It is not for you or
+for me to choose.  God chose for you when you were born."
+
+Barney Custer took her hand in his and raised it to his
+lips.
+
+"Let the King of Lutha," he said, "be the first to salute
+Lutha's queen."
+
+And so Barney Custer, of Beatrice, was crowned King of
+Lutha, and Emma became his queen.  Maenck died of his
+wound on the floor of the little room in the east transept of
+the cathedral of Lustadt beside the body of the king he
+had slain.  Prince Peter of Blentz was tried by the highest
+court of Lutha on the charge of treason; he was found guilty
+and hanged.  Von Coblich committed suicide on the eve of
+his arrest.  Lieutenant Otto Butzow was ennobled and given
+the confiscated estates of the Blentz prince.  He became a
+general in the army of Lutha, and was sent to the front in
+command of the army corps that guarded the northern
+frontier of the little kingdom.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg Etext of The Mad King by Edgar Rice Burroughs
+
+I have made the following changes to the text:
+PAGE  CHAPTER  PARAGRAPH  LINE  ORIGINAL          CHANGED TO
+  72     VIII          3     1  Ludstadt          Lustadt
+  81                   3     2  mier              miter
+  83                   7     3  Ludstadt          Lustadt
+  86                   3     2  him arm           his arm
+  90                   4     4  monarch, he       monarch he
+  94                   2     4  colums            columns
+  98                   2     2  imposter          impostor
+ 121                   1     1  approaced         approached
+ 126                   2     5  from              from the
+ 140                   6     5  whom, appeared    whom appeared
+ 142                   5     1  once side         one side
+ 143                   4     8  knew              drew
+ 158                   4     5  presumptious      presumptuous
+ 182                   5     3  jeweler's shot    jeweler's shop
+ 189                   8     2  ingrate?"         ingrate?
+ 193                   5     3  oil panting       oil painting
+ 200                   7     1  soldiers          soldier
+ 211                   2     1  men and woman     men and women
+ 212                   3     5  instruments       instrument
+ 217                   4     1  The cheered       They cheered
+ 217                   6     2  gril's face       girl's face
+ 218                         1  magnamity         magnanimity
+ 218                   7     2  him.  Barney's    him, Barney's
+ 225                   3     3  horseman          horsemen
+ 228                   5     1  ajaculated        ejaculated
+ 233                   8     6  king of Lustadt,  king of Lutha,
+ 234                   6     2  You               "You
+ 251                         9  Luthania army     Luthanian army
+ 252                   2     3  poor, weakling    poor weakling
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg Etext of The Mad King by Edgar Rice Burroughs
+
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+<br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+<br>
+<h1>THE MAD KING</h1>
+<br><br>
+
+<h2>BY EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS</h2>
+
+<br><br>
+
+<br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_1">PART I<br>
+</h1>
+
+<h1 id="ref_2">Chapter I A RUNAWAY HORSE</h1>
+
+<br>
+<p>ALL LUSTADT was in an uproar. The mad king had escaped. Little
+knots of excited men stood upon the street corners listening to
+each latest rumor concerning this most absorbing occurrence.
+Before the palace a great crowd surged to and fro, awaiting they
+knew not what.<br>
+</p>
+
+For ten years no man of them had set eyes upon the face of the
+boy-king who had been hastened to the grim castle of Blentz upon
+the death of the old king, his father. <br>
+<p>There had been murmurings then when the lad's uncle, Peter of
+Blentz, had announced to the people of Lutha the sudden mental
+affliction which had fallen upon his nephew, and more murmurings
+for a time after the announcement that Peter of Blentz had been
+appointed Regent during the lifetime of the young King Leopold,
+"or until God, in His infinite mercy, shall see fit to restore to
+us in full mental vigor our beloved monarch."<br>
+</p>
+
+But ten years is a long time. The boy-king had become but a vague
+memory to the subjects who could recall him at all. <br>
+<p>There were many, of course, in the capital city, Lustadt, who
+still retained a mental picture of the handsome boy who had
+ridden out nearly every morning from the palace gates beside the
+tall, martial figure of the old king, his father, for a canter
+across the broad plain which lies at the foot of the mountain
+town of Lustadt; but even these had long since given up hope that
+their young king would ever ascend his throne, or even that they
+should see him alive again.<br>
+</p>
+
+Peter of Blentz had not proved a good or kind ruler. Taxes had
+doubled during his regency. Executives and judiciary, following
+the example of their chief, had become tyrannical and corrupt.
+For ten years there had been small joy in Lutha. <br>
+<p>There had been whispered rumors off and on that the young king
+was dead these many years, but not even in whispers did the men
+of Lutha dare voice the name of him whom they believed had caused
+his death. For lesser things they had seen their friends and
+neighbors thrown into the hitherto long-unused dungeons of the
+royal castle.<br>
+</p>
+
+And now came the rumor that Leopold of Lutha had escaped the
+Castle of Blentz and was roaming somewhere in the wild mountains
+or ravines upon the opposite side of the plain of Lustadt. <br>
+<p>Peter of Blentz was filled with rage and, possibly, fear as
+well.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I tell you, Coblich," he cried, addressing his dark-visaged
+minister of war, there's more than coincidence in this matter.
+Someone has betrayed us. That he should have escaped upon the
+very eve of the arrival at Blentz of the new physician is most
+suspicious. None but you, Coblich, had knowledge of the part that
+Dr. Stein was destined to play in this matter," concluded Prince
+Peter pointedly. <br>
+<p>Coblich looked the Regent full in the eye.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Your highness wrongs not only my loyalty, but my intelligence,"
+he said quietly, "by even so much as intimating that I have any
+guilty knowledge of Leopold's escape. With Leopold upon the
+throne of Lutha, where, think you, my prince, would old Coblich
+be?" <br>
+<p>Peter smiled.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You are right, Coblich," he said. "I know that you would not be
+such a fool; but whom, then, have we to thank?" <br>
+<p>"The walls have ears, prince," replied Coblich, "and we have
+not always been as careful as we should in discussing the matter.
+Something may have come to the ears of old Von der Tann. I don't
+for a moment doubt but that he has his spies among the palace
+servants, or even the guard. You know the old fox has always made
+it a point to curry favor with the common soldiers. When he was
+minister of war he treated them better than he did his
+officers."<br>
+</p>
+
+"It seems strange, Coblich, that so shrewd a man as you should
+have been unable to discover some irregularity in the political
+life of Prince Ludwig von der Tann before now," said the prince
+querulously. "He is the greatest menace to our peace and
+sovereignty. With Von der Tann out of the way there would be none
+powerful enough to question our right to the throne of
+Lutha--after poor Leopold passes away." <br>
+<p>"You forget that Leopold has escaped," suggested Coblich, "and
+that there is no immediate prospect of his passing away."<br>
+</p>
+
+"He must be retaken at once, Coblich!" cried Prince Peter of
+Blentz. "He is a dangerous maniac, and we must make this fact
+plain to the people--this and a thorough description of him. A
+handsome reward for his safe return to Blentz might not be out of
+the way, Coblich." <br>
+<p>"It shall be done, your highness," replied Coblich. "And about
+Von der Tann? You have never spoken to me quite
+so--ah--er--pointedly before. He hunts a great deal in the Old
+Forest. It might be possible--in fact, it has happened,
+before--there are many accidents in hunting, are there not, your
+highness?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"There are, Coblich," replied the prince, "and if Leopold is able
+he will make straight for the Tann, so that there may be two
+hunting together in a day or so, Coblich." <br>
+<p>"I understand, your highness," replied the minister. "With
+your permission, I shall go at once and dispatch troops to search
+the forest for Leopold. Captain Maenck will command them."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Good, Coblich! Maenck is a most intelligent and loyal officer.
+We must reward him well. A baronetcy, at least, if he handles
+this matter well," said Peter. "It might not be a bad plan to
+hint at as much to him, Coblich." <br>
+<p>And so it happened that shortly thereafter Captain Ernst
+Maenck, in command of a troop of the Royal Horse Guards of Lutha,
+set out toward the Old Forest, which lies beyond the mountains
+that are visible upon the other side of the plain stretching out
+before Lustadt. At the same time other troopers rode in many
+directions along the highways and byways of Lutha, tacking
+placards upon trees and fence posts and beside the doors of every
+little rural post office.<br>
+</p>
+
+The placard told of the escape of the mad king, offering a large
+reward for his safe return to Blentz. <br>
+<p>It was the last paragraph especially which caused a young man,
+the following day in the little hamlet of Tafelberg, to whistle
+as he carefully read it over.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I am glad that I am not the mad king of Lutha," he said as he
+paid the storekeeper for the gasoline he had just purchased and
+stepped into the gray roadster for whose greedy maw it was
+destined. <br>
+<p>"Why, mein Herr?" asked the man.<br>
+</p>
+
+"This notice practically gives immunity to whoever shoots down
+the king," replied the traveler. "Worse still, it gives such an
+account of the maniacal ferocity of the fugitive as to warrant
+anyone in shooting him on sight." <br>
+<p>As the young man spoke the storekeeper had examined his face
+closely for the first time. A shrewd look came into the man's
+ordinarily stolid countenance. He leaned forward quite close to
+the other's ear.<br>
+</p>
+
+"We of Lutha," he whispered, "love our 'mad king'--no reward
+could be offered that would tempt us to betray him. Even in
+self-protection we would not kill him, we of the mountains who
+remember him as a boy and loved his father and his grandfather,
+before him. <br>
+<p>"But there are the scum of the low country in the army these
+days, who would do anything for money, and it is these that the
+king must guard against. I could not help but note that mein Herr
+spoke too perfect German for a foreigner. Were I in mein Herr's
+place, I should speak mostly the English, and, too, I should
+shave off the 'full, reddish-brown beard.'"<br>
+</p>
+
+Whereupon the storekeeper turned hastily back into his shop,
+leaving Barney Custer of Beatrice, Nebraska, U.S.A., to wonder if
+all the inhabitants of Lutha were afflicted with a mental
+disorder similar to that of the unfortunate ruler. <br>
+<p>"I don't wonder," soliloquized the young man, "that he advised
+me to shave off this ridiculous crop of alfalfa. Hang election
+bets, anyway; if things had gone half right I shouldn't have had
+to wear this badge of idiocy. And to think that it's got to be
+for a whole month longer! A year's a mighty long while at best,
+but a year in company with a full set of red whiskers is an
+eternity."<br>
+</p>
+
+The road out of Tafelberg wound upward among tall trees toward
+the pass that would lead him across the next some excellent
+shooting. All his life Barney had promised himself that some day
+he should visit his mother's native land, and now that he was
+here he found it as wild and beautiful as she had said it would
+be. <br>
+<p>Neither his mother nor his father had ever returned to the
+little country since the day, thirty years before, that the big
+American had literally stolen his bride away, escaping across the
+border but a scant half-hour ahead of the pursuing troop of
+Luthanian cavalry. Barney had often wondered why it was that
+neither of them would ever speak of those days, or of the early
+life of his mother, Victoria Rubinroth, though of the beauties of
+her native land Mrs. Custer never tired of talking.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney Custer was thinking of these things as his machine wound
+up the picturesque road. Just before him was a long, heavy grade,
+and as he took it with open muffler the chugging of his motor
+drowned the sound of pounding hoof beats rapidly approaching
+behind him. <br>
+<p>It was not until he topped the grade that he heard anything
+unusual, and at the same instant a girl on horseback tore past
+him. The speed of the animal would have been enough to have told
+him that it was beyond the control of its frail rider, even
+without the added testimony of the broken bit that dangled
+beneath the tensely outstretched chin.<br>
+</p>
+
+Foam flecked the beast's neck and shoulders. It was evident that
+the horse had been running for some distance, yet its speed was
+still that of the thoroughly frightened runaway. <br>
+<p>The road at the point where the animal had passed Custer was
+cut from the hillside. At the left an embankment rose steeply to
+a height of ten or fifteen feet. On the right there was a drop of
+a hundred feet or more into a wooded ravine. Ahead, the road
+apparently ran quite straight and smooth for a considerable
+distance.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney Custer knew that so long as the road ran straight the girl
+might be safe enough, for she was evidently an excellent
+horsewoman; but be also knew that if there should be a sharp turn
+to the left ahead, the horse in his blind fright would in all
+probability dash headlong into the ravine below him. <br>
+<p>There was but a single thing that the man might attempt if he
+were to save the girl from the almost certain death which seemed
+in store for her, since he knew that sooner or later the road
+would turn, as all mountain roads do. The chances that he must
+take, if he failed, could only hasten the girl's end. There was
+no alternative except to sit supinely by and see the fear-crazed
+horse carry its rider into eternity, and Barney Custer was not
+the sort for that role.<br>
+</p>
+
+Scarcely had the beast come abreast of him than his foot leaped
+to the accelerator. Like a frightened deer the gray roadster
+sprang forward in pursuit. The road was narrow. Two machines
+could not have passed upon it. Barney took the outside that he
+might hold the horse away from the dangerous ravine. <br>
+<p>At the sound of the whirring thing behind him the animal cast
+an affrighted glance in its direction, and with a little squeal
+of terror redoubled its frantic efforts to escape. The girl, too,
+looked back over her shoulder. Her face was very white, but her
+eyes were steady and brave.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney Custer smiled up at her in encouragement, and the girl
+smiled back at him. <br>
+<p>"She's sure a game one," thought Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+Now she was calling to him. At first he could not catch her words
+above the pounding of the horse's hoofs and the noise of his
+motor. Presently he understood. <br>
+<p>"Stop!" she cried. "Stop or you will be killed. The road turns
+to the left just ahead. You'll go into the ravine at that
+speed."<br>
+</p>
+
+The front wheel of the roadster was at the horse's right flank.
+Barney stepped upon the accelerator a little harder. There was
+barely room between the horse and the edge of the road for the
+four wheels of the roadster, and Barney must be very careful not
+to touch the horse. The thought of that and what it would mean to
+the girl sent a cold shudder through Barney Custer's athletic
+frame. <br>
+<p>The man cast a glance to his right. His machine drove from the
+left side, and he could not see the road at all over the right
+hand door. The sight of tree tops waving beneath him was all that
+was visible. Just ahead the road's edge rushed swiftly beneath
+the right-hand fender, the wheels on that side must have been on
+the very verge of the embankment.<br>
+</p>
+
+Now he was abreast the girl. Just ahead he could see where the
+road disappeared around a corner of the bluff at the dangerous
+curve the girl had warned him against. <br>
+<p>Custer leaned far out over the side of his car. The lunging of
+the horse in his stride, and the swaying of the leaping car
+carried him first close to the girl and then away again. With his
+right hand he held the car between the frantic horse and the edge
+of the embankment. His left hand, outstretched, was almost at the
+girl's waist. The turn was just before them.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Jump!" cried Barney. <br>
+<p>The girl fell backward from her mount, turning to grasp
+Custer's arm as it closed about her. At the same instant Barney
+closed the throttle, and threw all the weight of his body upon
+the foot brake.<br>
+</p>
+
+The gray roadster swerved toward the embankment as the hind
+wheels skidded on the loose surface gravel. They were at the
+turn. The horse was just abreast the bumper. There was one chance
+in a thousand of making the turn were the running beast out of
+the way. There was still a chance if he turned ahead of them. If
+he did not turn--Barney hated to think of what must follow. <br>
+<p>But it was all over in a second. The horse bolted straight
+ahead. Barney swerved the roadster to the turn. It caught the
+animal full in the side. There was a sickening lurch as the hind
+wheels slid over the embankment, and then the man shoved the girl
+from the running board to the road, and horse, man and roadster
+went over into the ravine.<br>
+</p>
+
+A moment before a tall young man with a reddish-brown beard had
+stood at the turn of the road listening intently to the sound of
+the hurrying hoof beats and the purring of the racing motor car
+approaching from the distance. In his eyes lurked the look of the
+hunted. For a moment he stood in evident indecision, but just
+before the runaway horse and the pursuing machine came into view
+he slipped over the edge of the road to slink into the underbrush
+far down toward the bottom of the ravine. <br>
+<p>When Barney pushed the girl from the running board she fell
+heavily to the road, rolling over several times, but in an
+instant she scrambled to her feet, hardly the worse for the
+tumble other than a few scratches.<br>
+</p>
+
+Quickly she ran to the edge of the embankment, a look of immense
+relief coming to her soft, brown eyes as she saw her rescuer
+scrambling up the precipitous side of the ravine toward her. <br>
+<p>"You are not killed?" she cried in German. "It is a
+miracle!"<br>
+</p>
+
+"Not even bruised," reassured Barney. "But you? You must have had
+a nasty fall." <br>
+<p>"I am not hurt at all," she replied. "But for you I should be
+lying dead, or terribly maimed down there at the bottom of that
+awful ravine at this very moment. It's awful." She drew her
+shoulders upward in a little shudder of horror. "But how did you
+escape? Even now I can scarce believe it possible."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I'm quite sure I don't know how I did escape," said Barney,
+clambering over the rim of the road to her side. "That I had
+nothing to do with it I am positive. It was just luck. I simply
+dropped out onto that bush down there." <br>
+<p>They were standing side by side, now peering down into the
+ravine where the car was visible, bottom side up against a tree,
+near the base of the declivity. The horse's head could be seen
+protruding from beneath the wreckage.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I'd better go down and put him out of his misery," said Barney,
+"if he is not already dead." <br>
+<p>"I think he is quite dead," said the girl. "I have not seen
+him move."<br>
+</p>
+
+Just then a little puff of smoke arose from the machine, followed
+by a tongue of yellow flame. Barney had already started toward
+the horse. <br>
+<p>"Please don't go," begged the girl. "I am sure that he is
+quite dead, and it wouldn't be safe for you down there now. The
+gasoline tank may explode any minute."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney stopped. <br>
+<p>"Yes, he is dead all right," he said, "but all my belongings
+are down there. My guns, six-shooters and all my ammunition.
+And," he added ruefully, "I've heard so much about the brigands
+that infest these mountains."<br>
+</p>
+
+The girl laughed. <br>
+<p>"Those stories are really exaggerated," she said. "I was born
+in Lutha, and except for a few months each year have always lived
+here, and though I ride much I have never seen a brigand. You
+need not be afraid."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney Custer looked up at her quickly, and then he grinned. His
+only fear had been that he would not meet brigands, for Mr.
+Bernard Custer, Jr., was young and the spirit of Romance and
+Adventure breathed strong within him. <br>
+<p>"Why do you smile?" asked the girl.<br>
+</p>
+
+"At our dilemma," evaded Barney. "Have you paused to consider our
+situation?" <br>
+<p>The girl smiled, too.<br>
+</p>
+
+"It is most unconventional," she said. "On foot and alone in the
+mountains, far from home, and we do not even know each other's
+name." <br>
+<p>"Pardon me," cried Barney, bowing low. "Permit me to introduce
+myself. I am," and then to the spirits of Romance and Adventure
+was added a third, the spirit of Deviltry, "I am the mad king of
+Lutha."<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_3">Chapter II OVER THE PRECIPICE</h1>
+
+THE EFFECT of his words upon the girl were quite different from
+what he had expected. An American girl would have laughed,
+knowing that he but joked. This girl did not laugh. Instead her
+face went white, and she clutched her bosom with her two hands.
+Her brown eyes peered searchingly into the face of the man. <br>
+"Leopold!" she cried in a suppressed voice. "Oh, your majesty,
+thank God that you are free--and sane!" <br>
+<p>Before he could prevent it the girl had seized his hand and
+pressed it to her lips.<br>
+</p>
+
+Here was a pretty muddle! Barney Custer swore at himself inwardly
+for a boorish fool. What in the world had ever prompted him to
+speak those ridiculous words! And now how was he to unsay them
+without mortifying this beautiful girl who had just kissed his
+hand? <br>
+<p>She would never forgive that--he was sure of it.<br>
+</p>
+
+There was but one thing to do, however, and that was to make a
+clean breast of it. Somehow, he managed to stumble through his
+explanation of what had prompted him, and when he had finished he
+saw that the girl was smiling indulgently at him. <br>
+<p>"It shall be Mr. Bernard Custer if you wish it so," she said;
+"but your majesty need fear nothing from Emma von der Tann. Your
+secret is as safe with me as with yourself, as the name of Von
+der Tann must assure you."<br>
+</p>
+
+She looked to see the expression of relief and pleasure that her
+father's name should have brought to the face of Leopold of
+Lutha, but when he gave no indication that he had ever before
+heard the name she sighed and looked puzzled. <br>
+<p>"Perhaps," she thought, "he doubts me. Or can it be possible
+that, after all, his poor mind is gone?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"I wish," said Barney in a tone of entreaty, "that you would
+forgive and forget my foolish words, and then let me accompany
+you to the end of your journey." <br>
+<p>"Whither were you bound when I became the means of wrecking
+your motor car?" asked the girl.<br>
+</p>
+
+"To the Old Forest," replied Barney. <br>
+<p>Now she was positive that she was indeed with the mad king of
+Lutha, but she had no fear of him, for since childhood she had
+heard her father scout the idea that Leopold was mad. For what
+other purpose would he hasten toward the Old Forest than to take
+refuge in her father's castle upon the banks of the Tann at the
+forest's verge?<br>
+</p>
+
+"Thither was I bound also," she said, "and if you would come
+there quickly and in safety I can show you a short path across
+the mountains that my father taught me years ago. It touches the
+main road but once or twice, and much of the way passes through
+dense woods and undergrowth where an army might hide." <br>
+<p>"Hadn't we better find the nearest town," suggested Barney,
+"where I can obtain some sort of conveyance to take you
+home?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"It would not be safe," said the girl. "Peter of Blentz will have
+troops out scouring all Lutha about Blentz and the Old Forest
+until the king is captured." <br>
+<p>Barney Custer shook his head despairingly.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Won't you please believe that I am but a plain American?" he
+begged. <br>
+<p>Upon the bole of a large wayside tree a fresh, new placard
+stared them in the face. Emma von der Tann pointed at one of the
+paragraphs.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Gray eyes, brown hair, and a full reddish-brown beard," she
+read. "No matter who you may be," she said, "you are safer off
+the highways of Lutha than on them until you can find and use a
+razor." <br>
+<p>"But I cannot shave until the fifth of November," said
+Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+Again the girl looked quickly into his eyes and again in her mind
+rose the question that had hovered there once before. Was he
+indeed, after all, quite sane? <br>
+<p>"Then please come with me the safest way to my father's," she
+urged. "He will know what is best to do."<br>
+</p>
+
+"He cannot make me shave," insisted Barney. <br>
+<p>"Why do you wish not to shave?" asked the girl.,<br>
+</p>
+
+"It is a matter of my honor," he replied. "I had my choice of
+wearing a green wastebasket bonnet trimmed with red roses for six
+months, or a beard for twelve. If I shave off the beard before
+the fifth of November I shall be without honor in the sight of
+all men or else I shall have to wear the green bonnet. The beard
+is bad enough, but the bonnet--ugh!" <br>
+<p>Emma von der Tann was now quite assured that the poor fellow
+was indeed quite demented, but she had seen no indications of
+violence as yet, though when that too might develop there was no
+telling. However, he was to her Leopold of Lutha, and her
+father's house had been loyal to him or his ancestors for three
+hundred years.<br>
+</p>
+
+If she must sacrifice her life in the attempt, nevertheless still
+must she do all within her power to save her king from recapture
+and to lead him in safety to the castle upon the Tann. <br>
+<p>"Come," she said; "we waste time here. Let us make haste, for
+the way is long. At best we cannot reach Tann by dark."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I will do anything you wish," replied Barney, "but I shall never
+forgive myself for having caused you the long and tedious journey
+that lies before us. It would be perfectly safe to go to the
+nearest town and secure a rig." <br>
+<p>Emma von der Tann had heard that it was always well to humor
+maniacs and she thought of it now. She would put the scheme to
+the test.<br>
+</p>
+
+"The reason that I fear to have you go to the village," she said,
+"is that I am quite sure they would catch you and shave off your
+beard." <br>
+<p>Barney started to laugh, but when he saw the deep seriousness
+of the girl's eyes he changed his mind. Then he recalled her
+rather peculiar insistence that he was a king, and it suddenly
+occurred to him that he had been foolish not to have guessed the
+truth before.<br>
+</p>
+
+"That is so," he agreed; "I guess we had better do as you say,"
+for he had determined that the best way to handle her would be to
+humor her--he had always heard that that was the proper method
+for handling the mentally defective. "Where is
+the--er--ah--sanatorium?" he blurted out at last. <br>
+<p>"The what?" she asked. "There is no sanatorium near here, your
+majesty, unless you refer to the Castle of Blentz."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Is there no asylum for the insane near by?" <br>
+<p>"None that I know of, your majesty."<br>
+</p>
+
+For a while they moved on in silence, each wondering what the
+other might do next. <br>
+<p>Barney had evolved a plan. He would try and ascertain the
+location of the institution from which the girl had escaped and
+then as gently as possible lead her back to it. It was not safe
+for as beautiful a woman as she to be roaming through the forest
+in any such manner as this. He wondered what in the world the
+authorities at the asylum had been thinking of to permit her to
+ride out alone in the first place.<br>
+</p>
+
+"From where did you ride today?" he blurted out suddenly. <br>
+<p>"From Tann."<br>
+</p>
+
+"That is where we are going now?" <br>
+<p>"Yes, your majesty."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney drew a breath of relief. The way had become suddenly
+difficult and he took the girl's arm to help her down a rather
+steep place. At the bottom of the ravine there was a little
+brook. <br>
+<p>"There used to be a fallen log across it here," said the girl.
+"How in the world am I ever to get across, your majesty?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"If you call me that again, I shall begin to believe that I am a
+king," he humored her, "and then, being a king, I presume that it
+wouldn't be proper for me to carry you across, or would it? Never
+really having been a king, I do not know." <br>
+<p>"I think," replied the girl, "that it would be eminently
+proper."<br>
+</p>
+
+She had difficulty in keeping in mind the fact that this
+handsome, smiling young man was a dangerous maniac, though it was
+easy to believe that he was the king. In fact, he looked much as
+she had always pictured Leopold as looking. She had known him as
+a boy, and there were many paintings and photographs of his
+ancestors in her father's castle. She saw much resemblance
+between these and the young man. <br>
+<p>The brook was very narrow, and the girl thought that it took
+the young man an unreasonably long time to carry her across,
+though she was forced to admit that she was far from
+uncomfortable in the strong arms that bore her so easily.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Why, what are you doing?" she cried presently. "You are not
+crossing the stream at all. You are walking right up the middle
+of it!" <br>
+<p>She saw his face flush, and then he turned laughing eyes upon
+her.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I am looking for a safe landing," he said. <br>
+<p>Emma von der Tann did not know whether to be frightened or
+amused. As her eyes met the clear, gray ones of the man she could
+not believe that insanity lurked behind that laughing, level gaze
+of her carrier. She found herself continually forgetting that the
+man was mad. He had turned toward the bank now, and a couple of
+steps carried them to the low sward that fringed the little
+brooklet. Here he lowered her to the ground.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Your majesty is very strong," she said. "I should not have
+expected it after the years of confinement you have suffered."
+<br>
+<p>"Yes," he said, realizing that he must humor her--it was
+difficult to remember that this lovely girl was insane. "Let me
+see, now just what was I in prison for? I do not seem to be able
+to recall it. In Nebraska, they used to hang men for horse
+stealing; so I am sure it must have been something else not quite
+so bad. Do you happen to know?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"When the king, your father, died you were thirteen years old,"
+the girl explained, hoping to reawaken the sleeping mind, "and
+then your uncle, Prince Peter of Blentz, announced that the shock
+of your father's death had unbalanced your mind. He shut you up
+in Blentz then, where you have been for ten years, and he has
+ruled as regent. Now, my father says, he has recently discovered
+a plot to take your life so that Peter may become king. But I
+suppose you learned of that, and because of it you escaped!" <br>
+<p>"This Peter person is all-powerful in Lutha?" he asked.<br>
+</p>
+
+"He controls the army," the girl replied. <br>
+<p>"And you really believe that I am the mad king Leopold?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"You are the king," she said in a convincing manner. <br>
+<p>"You are a very brave young lady," he said earnestly. "If all
+the mad king's subjects were as loyal as you, and as brave, he
+would not have languished for ten years behind the walls of
+Blentz."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I am a Von der Tann," she said proudly, as though that was
+explanation sufficient to account for any bravery or loyalty.
+<br>
+<p>"Even a Von der Tann might, without dishonor, hesitate to
+accompany a mad man through the woods," he replied, "especially
+if she happened to be a very--a very--" He halted, flushing.<br>
+</p>
+
+"A very what, your majesty?" asked the girl. <br>
+<p>"A very young woman," he ended lamely.<br>
+</p>
+
+Emma von der Tann knew that he had not intended saying that at
+all. Being a woman, she knew precisely what he had meant to say,
+and she discovered that she would very much have liked to hear
+him say it. <br>
+<p>"Suppose," said Barney, "that Peter's soldiers run across
+us--what then?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"They will take you back to Blentz, your majesty." <br>
+<p>"And you?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"I do not think that they will dare lay hands on me, though it is
+possible that Peter might do so. He hates my father even more now
+than he did when the old king lived." <br>
+<p>"I wish," said Mr. Custer, "that I had gone down after my
+guns. Why didn't you tell me, in the first place, that I was a
+king, and that I might get you in trouble if you were found with
+me? Why, they may even take me for an emperor or a mikado--who
+knows? And then look at all the trouble we'd be in."<br>
+</p>
+
+Which was Barney's way of humoring a maniac. <br>
+<p>"And they might even shave off your beautiful beard."<br>
+</p>
+
+Which was the girl's way. <br>
+<p>"Do you think that you would like me better in the green
+wastebasket hat with the red roses?" asked Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+A very sad look came into the girl's eyes. It was pitiful to
+think that this big, handsome young man, for whose return to the
+throne all Lutha had prayed for ten long years, was only a silly
+half-wit. What might he not have accomplished for his people had
+this terrible misfortune not overtaken him! In every other way he
+seemed fitted to be the savior of his country. If she could but
+make him remember! <br>
+<p>"Your majesty," she said, "do you not recall the time that
+your father came upon a state visit to my father's castle? You
+were a little boy then. He brought you with him. I was a little
+girl, and we played together. You would not let me call you
+'highness,' but insisted that I should always call you Leopold.
+When I forgot you would accuse me of lesemajeste, and sentence me
+to--to punishment.'<br>
+</p>
+
+"What was the punishment?" asked Barney, noticing her hesitation
+and wishing to encourage her in the pretty turn her dementia had
+taken. <br>
+<p>Again the girl hesitated; she hated to say it, but if it would
+help to recall the past to that poor, dimmed mind, it was her
+duty.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Every time I called you 'highness' you made me give you a--a
+kiss," she almost whispered. <br>
+<p>"I hope," said Barney, "that you will be guilty of lesemajeste
+often."<br>
+</p>
+
+"We were little children then, your majesty," the girl reminded
+him. <br>
+<p>Had he thought her of sound mind Mr. Custer might have taken
+advantage of his royal prerogatives on the spot, for the girl's
+lips were most tempting; but when he remembered the poor, weak
+mind, tears almost came to his eyes, and there sprang to his
+heart a great desire to protect and guard this unfortunate
+child.<br>
+</p>
+
+"And when I was Crown Prince what were you, way back there in the
+beautiful days of our childhood?" asked Barney. <br>
+<p>"Why, I was what I still am, your majesty," replied the girl.
+"Princess Emma von der Tann."<br>
+</p>
+
+So the poor child, beside thinking him a king, thought herself a
+princess! She certainly was mad. Well, he would humor her. <br>
+<p>"Then I should call you 'your highness,' shouldn't I?" he
+asked.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You always called me Emma when we were children." <br>
+<p>"Very well, then, you shall be Emma and I Leopold. Is it a
+bargain?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"The king's will is law," she said. <br>
+<p>They had come to a very steep hillside, up which the
+halfobliterated trail zigzagged toward the crest of a flat-topped
+hill. Barney went ahead, taking the girl's hand in his to help
+her, and thus they came to the top, to stand hand in hand,
+breathing heavily after the stiff climb.<br>
+</p>
+
+The girl's hair had come loose about her temples and a lock was
+blowing over her face. Her cheeks were very red and her eyes
+bright. Barney thought he had never looked upon a lovelier
+picture. He smiled down into her eyes and she smiled back at him.
+<br>
+<p>"I wished, back there a way," he said, "that that little brook
+had been as wide as the ocean--now I wish that this little hill
+had been as high as Mont Blanc."<br>
+</p>
+
+"You like to climb?" she asked. <br>
+<p>"I should like to climb forever--with you," he said
+seriously.<br>
+</p>
+
+She looked up at him quickly. A reply was on her lips, but she
+never uttered it, for at that moment a ruffian in picturesque
+rags leaped out from behind a near-by bush, confronting them with
+leveled revolver. He was so close that the muzzle of the weapon
+almost touched Barney's face. In that the fellow made his
+mistake. <br>
+<p>"You see," said Barney unexcitedly, "that I was right about
+the brigands after all. What do you want, my man?"<br>
+</p>
+
+The man's eyes had suddenly gone wide. He stared with open mouth
+at the young fellow before him. Then a cunning look came into his
+eyes. <br>
+<p>"I want you, your majesty," he said.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Godfrey!" exclaimed Barney. "Did the whole bunch escape?" <br>
+<p>"Quick!" growled the man. "Hold up your hands. The notice made
+it plain that you would be worth as much dead as alive, and I
+have no mind to lose you, so do not tempt me to kill you."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney's hands went up, but not in the way that the brigand had
+expected. Instead, one of them seized his weapon and shoved it
+aside, while with the other Custer planted a blow between his
+eyes and sent him reeling backward. The two men closed, fighting
+for possession of the gun. In the scrimmage it was exploded, but
+a moment later the American succeeded in wresting it from his
+adversary and hurled it into the ravine. <br>
+<p>Striking at one another, the two surged backward and forward
+at the very edge of the hill, each searching for the other's
+throat. The girl stood by, watching the battle with wide,
+frightened eyes. If she could only do something to aid the
+king!<br>
+</p>
+
+She saw a loose stone lying at a little distance from the
+fighters and hastened to procure it. If she could strike the
+brigand a single good blow on the side of the head, Leopold might
+easily overpower him. When she had gathered up the rock and
+turned back toward the two she saw that the man she thought to be
+the king was not much in the way of needing outside assistance.
+She could not but marvel at the strength and dexterity of this
+poor fellow who had spent almost half his life penned within the
+four walls of a prison. It must be, she thought, the superhuman
+strength with which maniacs are always credited. <br>
+<p>Nevertheless, she hurried toward them with her weapon; but
+just before she reached them the brigand made a last mad effort
+to free himself from the fingers that had found his throat. He
+lunged backward, dragging the other with him. His foot struck
+upon the root of a tree, and together the two toppled over into
+the ravine.<br>
+</p>
+
+As the girl hastened toward the spot where the two had
+disappeared, she was startled to see three troopers of the palace
+cavalry headed by an officer break through the trees at a short
+distance from where the battle had waged. The four men ran
+rapidly toward her. <br>
+<p>"What has happened here? shouted the officer to Emma von der
+Tann; and then, as he came closer: "Gott! Can it be possible that
+it is your highness?"<br>
+</p>
+
+The girl paid no attention to the officer. Instead, she hurried
+down the steep embankment toward the underbrush into which the
+two men had fallen. There was no sound from below, and no
+movement in the bushes to indicate that a moment before two
+desperately battling human beings had dropped among them. <br>
+<p>The soldiers were close upon the girl's heels, but it was she
+who first reached the two quiet figures that lay side by side
+upon the stony ground halfway down the hillside.<br>
+</p>
+
+When the officer stopped beside her she was sitting on the ground
+holding the head of one of the combatants in her lap. <br>
+<p>A little stream of blood trickled from a wound in the
+forehead. The officer stooped closer.<br>
+</p>
+
+"He is dead?" he asked. <br>
+<p>"The king is dead," replied the Princess Emma von der Tann, a
+little sob in her voice.<br>
+</p>
+
+"The king!" exclaimed the officer; and then, as he bent lower
+over the white face: "Leopold!" <br>
+<p>The girl nodded.<br>
+</p>
+
+"We were searching for him," said the officer, "when we heard the
+shot." Then, arising, he removed his cap, saying in a very low
+voice: "The king is dead. Long live the king!" <br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+
+<h1 id="ref_4">Chapter III AN ANGRY KING</h1>
+
+<br>
+<p>THE SOLDIERS stood behind their officer. None of them had ever
+seen Leopold of Lutha--he had been but a name to them--they cared
+nothing for him; but in the presence of death they were awed by
+the majesty of the king they had never known.<br>
+</p>
+
+The hands of Emma von der Tann were chafing the wrists of the man
+whose head rested in her lap. <br>
+<p>"Leopold!" she whispered. "Leopold, come back! Mad king you
+may have been, but still you were king of Lutha-my father's
+king--my king."<br>
+</p>
+
+The girl nearly cried out in shocked astonishment as she saw the
+eyes of the dead king open. But Emma von der Tann was
+quick-witted. She knew for what purpose the soldiers from the
+palace were scouring the country. <br>
+<p>Had she not thought the king dead she would have cut out her
+tongue rather than reveal his identity to these soldiers of his
+great enemy. Now she saw that Leopold lived, and she must undo
+the harm she had innocently wrought. She bent lower over Barney's
+face, trying to hide it from the soldiers.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Go away, please!" she called to them. "Leave me with my dead
+king. You are Peter's men. You do not care for Leopold, living or
+dead. Go back to your new king and tell him that this poor young
+man can never more stand between him and the throne." <br>
+<p>The officer hesitated.<br>
+</p>
+
+"We shall have to take the king's body with us, your highness,"
+he said. <br>
+<p>The officer evidently becoming suspicious, came closer, and as
+he did so Barney Custer sat up.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Go away!" cried the girl, for she saw that the king was
+attempting to speak. "My father's people will carry Leopold of
+Lutha in state to the capital of his kingdom." <br>
+<p>"What's all this row about?" he asked. "Can't you let a dead
+king alone if the young lady asks you to? What kind of a short
+sport are you, anyway? Run along, now, and tie yourself
+outside."<br>
+</p>
+
+The officer smiled, a trifle maliciously perhaps. <br>
+<p>"Ah," he said, "I am very glad indeed that you are not dead,
+your majesty."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney Custer turned his incredulous eyes upon the lieutenant.
+<br>
+<p>"Et tu, Brute?" he cried in anguished accents, letting his
+head fall back into the girl's lap. He found it very comfortable
+there indeed.<br>
+</p>
+
+The officer smiled and shook his head. Then he tapped his
+forehead meaningly. <br>
+<p>"I did not know," he said to the girl, "that he was so bad.
+But come--it is some distance to Blentz, and the afternoon is
+already well spent. Your highness will accompany us."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I?" cried the girl. "You certainly cannot be serious." <br>
+<p>"And why not, your highness?" asked the officer. "We had
+strict orders to arrest not only the king, but any companions who
+may have been involved in his escape."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I had nothing whatever to do with his escape," said the girl,
+"though I should have been only too glad to have aided him had
+the opportunity presented." <br>
+<p>"King Peter may think differently," replied the man.<br>
+</p>
+
+"The Regent, you mean?" the girl corrected him haughtily. <br>
+<p>The officer shrugged his shoulders.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Regent or King, he is ruler of Lutha nevertheless, and he would
+take away my commission were I to tell him that I had found a Von
+der Tann in company with the king and had permitted her to
+escape. Your blood convicts your highness." <br>
+<p>"You are going to take me to Blentz and confine me there?"
+asked the girl in a very small voice and with wide incredulous
+eyes. "You would not dare thus to humiliate a Von der Tann?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"I am very sorry," said the officer, "but I am a soldier, and
+soldiers must obey their superiors. My orders are strict. You may
+be thankful," he added, "that it was not Maenck who discovered
+you." <br>
+<p>At the mention of the name the girl shuddered.<br>
+</p>
+
+"In so far as it is in my power your highness and his majesty
+will be accorded every consideration of dignity and courtesy
+while under my escort. You need not entertain any fear of me," he
+concluded. <br>
+<p>Barney Custer, during this, to him, remarkable dialogue, had
+risen to his feet, and assisted the girl in rising. Now he turned
+and spoke to the officer.<br>
+</p>
+
+"This farce," he said, "has gone quite far enough. If it is a
+joke it is becoming a very sorry one. I am not a king. I am an
+American--Bernard Custer, of Beatrice, Nebraska, U.S.A. Look at
+me. Look at me closely. Do I look like a king?" <br>
+<p>"Every inch, your majesty," replied the officer.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney looked at the man aghast. <br>
+<p>"Well, I am not a king," he said at last, "and if you go to
+arresting me and throwing me into one of your musty old dungeons
+you will find that I am a whole lot more important than most
+kings. I'm an American citizen."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Yes, your majesty," replied the officer, a trifle impatiently.
+"But we waste time in idle discussion. Will your majesty be so
+good as to accompany me without resistance?" <br>
+<p>"If you will first escort this young lady to a place of
+safety," replied Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+"She will be quite safe at Blentz," said the lieutenant. <br>
+<p>Barney turned to look at the girl, a question in his eyes.
+Before them stood the soldiers with drawn revolvers, and now at
+the summit of the hill a dozen more appeared in command of a
+sergeant. They were two against nearly a score, and Barney Custer
+was unarmed.<br>
+</p>
+
+The girl shook her head. <br>
+<p>"There, is no alternative, I am afraid, your majesty," she
+said.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney wheeled toward the officer. <br>
+<p>"Very well, lieutenant," he said, "we will accompany you."<br>
+</p>
+
+The party turned back up the hillside, leaving the dead bandit
+where he lay--the fellow's neck had been broken by the fall. A
+short distance from where the man had confronted them the two
+prisoners were brought to the main road where they saw still
+other troopers, and with them the horses of those who had gone
+into the forest on foot. <br>
+<p>Barney and the girl were mounted on two of the animals, the
+soldiers who had ridden them clambering up behind two of their
+comrades. A moment later the troop set out along the road which
+leads to Blentz.<br>
+</p>
+
+The prisoners rode near the center of the column, surrounded by
+troopers. For a time they were both silent. Barney was wondering
+if he had accidentally tumbled into the private grounds of
+Lutha's largest madhouse, or if, in reality, these people mistook
+him for the young king--it seemed incredible. <br>
+<p>It had commenced slowly to dawn upon him that perhaps the girl
+was not crazy after all. Had not the officer addressed her as
+"your highness"? Now that he thought upon it he recalled that she
+did have quite a haughty and regal way with her at times,
+especially so when she had addressed the officer.<br>
+</p>
+
+Of course she might be mad, after all, and possibly the bandit,
+too, but it seemed unbelievable that the officer was mad and his
+entire troop of cavalry should be composed of maniacs, yet they
+all persisted in speaking and acting as though he were indeed the
+mad king of Lutha and the young girl at his side a princess. <br>
+<p>From pitying the girl he had come to feel a little bit in awe
+of her. To the best of his knowledge he had never before
+associated with a real princess. When he recalled that he had
+treated her as he would an ordinary mortal, and that he had
+thought her demented, and had tried to humor her mad whims, he
+felt very foolish indeed.<br>
+</p>
+
+Presently he turned a sheepish glance in her direction, to find
+her looking at him. He saw her flush slightly as his eyes met
+hers. <br>
+<p>"Can your highness ever forgive me?" he asked.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Forgive you!" she cried in astonishment. "For what, your
+majesty?" <br>
+<p>"For thinking you insane, and for getting you into this
+horrible predicament," he replied. "But especially for thinking
+you insane."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Did you think me mad?" she asked in wide-eyed astonishment. <br>
+<p>"When you insisted that I was a king, yes," he replied. "But
+now I begin to believe that it must be I who am mad, after all,
+or else I bear a remarkable resemblance to Leopold of Lutha."<br>
+</p>
+
+"You do, your majesty," replied the girl. <br>
+<p>Barney saw it was useless to attempt to convince them and so
+he decided to give up for the time.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Have me king, if you will," he said, "but please do not call me
+'your majesty' any more. It gets on my nerves." <br>
+<p>"Your will is law--Leopold," replied the girl, hesitating
+prettily before the familiar name, "but do not forget your part
+of the compact."<br>
+</p>
+
+He smiled at her. A princess wasn't half so terrible after all.
+<br>
+<p>"And your will shall be my law, Emma," he said.<br>
+</p>
+
+It was almost dark when they came to Blentz. The castle lay far
+up on the side of a steep hill above the town. It was an ancient
+pile, but had been maintained in an excellent state of repair. As
+Barney Custer looked up at the grim towers and mighty, buttressed
+walls his heart sank. It had taken the mad king ten years to make
+his escape from that gloomy and forbidding pile! <br>
+<p>"Poor child," he murmured, thinking of the girl.<br>
+</p>
+
+Before the barbican the party was halted by the guard. An officer
+with a lantern stepped out upon the lowered portcullis. The
+lieutenant who had captured them rode forward to meet him. <br>
+<p>"A detachment of the Royal Horse Guards escorting His Majesty
+the King, who is returning to Blentz," he said in reply to the
+officer's sharp challenge.<br>
+</p>
+
+"The king!" exclaimed the officer. "You have found him?" and he
+advanced with raised lantern searching for the monarch. <br>
+<p>"At last," whispered Barney to the girl at his side, "I shall
+be vindicated. This man, at least, who is stationed at Blentz
+must know his king by sight."<br>
+</p>
+
+The officer came quite close, holding his lantern until the rays
+fell full in Barney's face. He scrutinized the young man for a
+moment. There was neither humility nor respect in his manner, so
+that the American was sure that the fellow had discovered the
+imposture. <br>
+<p>From the bottom of his heart he hoped so. Then the officer
+swung the lantern until its light shone upon the girl.<br>
+</p>
+
+"And who's the wench with him?" he asked the officer who had
+found them. <br>
+<p>The man was standing close beside Barney's horse, and the
+words were scarce out of his month when the American slipped from
+his saddle to the portcullis and struck the officer full in the
+face.<br>
+</p>
+
+"She is the Princess von der Tann, you boor," said Barney, "and
+let that help you remember it in future." <br>
+<p>The officer scrambled to his feet, white with rage. Whipping
+out his sword he rushed at Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You shall die for that, you half-wit," he cried. <br>
+<p>Lieutenant Butzow, he of the Royal Horse, rushed forward to
+prevent the assault and Emma von der Tann sprang from her saddle
+and threw herself in front of Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+Butzow grasped the other officer's arm. <br>
+<p>"Are you mad, Schonau?" he cried. "Would you kill the
+king?"<br>
+</p>
+
+The fellow tugged to escape the grasp of Butzow. He was crazed
+with anger. <br>
+<p>"Why not?" he bellowed. "You were a fool not to have done it
+yourself. Maenck will do it and get a baronetcy. It will mean a
+captaincy for me at least. Let me at him--no man can strike Karl
+Schonau and live."<br>
+</p>
+
+"The king is unarmed," cried Emma von der Tann. "Would you murder
+him in cold blood?" <br>
+<p>"He shall not murder him at all, your highness," said
+Lieutenant Butzow quietly. "Give me your sword, Lieutenant
+Schonau. I place you under arrest. What you have just said will
+not please the Regent when it is reported to him. You should keep
+your head better when you are angry."<br>
+</p>
+
+"It is the truth," growled Schonau, regretting that his anger had
+led him into a disclosure of the plot against the king's life,
+but like most weak characters fearing to admit himself in error
+even more than he feared the consequences of his rash words. <br>
+<p>"Do you intend taking my sword?" asked Schonau suddenly,
+turning toward Lieutenant Butzow standing beside him.<br>
+</p>
+
+"We will forget the whole occurrence, lieutenant," replied
+Butzow, "if you will promise not to harm his majesty, or offer
+him or the Princess von der Tann further humiliation. Their
+position is sufficiently unpleasant without our adding to the
+degradation of it." <br>
+<p>"Very well," grumbled Schonau. "Pass on into the
+courtyard."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney and the girl remounted and the little cavalcade moved
+forward through the ballium and the great gate into the court
+beyond. <br>
+<p>"Did you notice," said Barney to the princess, "that even he
+believes me to be the king? I cannot fathom it."<br>
+</p>
+
+Within the castle they were met by a number of servants and
+soldiers. An officer escorted them to the great hall, and
+presently a dark visaged captain of cavalry entered and
+approached them. Butzow saluted. <br>
+<p>"His Majesty, the King," he announced, "has returned to
+Blentz. In accordance with the commands of the Regent I deliver
+his august person into your safe keeping, Captain Maenck."<br>
+</p>
+
+Maenck nodded. He was looking at Barney with evident curiosity.
+<br>
+<p>"Where did you find him?" he asked Butzow.<br>
+</p>
+
+He made no pretense of according to Barney the faintest
+indication of the respect that is supposed to be due to those of
+royal blood. Barney commenced to hope that he had finally come
+upon one who would know that he was not king. <br>
+<p>Butzow recounted the details of the finding of the king. As he
+spoke, Maenck's eyes, restless and furtive, seemed to be
+appraising the personal charms of the girl who stood just back of
+Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+The American did not like the appearance of the officer, but he
+saw that he was evidently supreme at Blentz, and he determined to
+appeal to him in the hope that the man might believe his story
+and untangle the ridiculous muddle that a chance resemblance to a
+fugitive monarch had thrown him and the girl into. <br>
+<p>"Captain," said Barney, stepping closer to the officer, "there
+has been a mistake in identity here. I am not the king. I am an
+American traveling for pleasure in Lutha. The fact that I have
+gray eyes and wear a full reddish-brown beard is my only offense.
+You are doubtless familiar with the king's appearance and so you
+at least have already seen that I am not his majesty.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Not being the king, there is no cause to detain me longer, and
+as I am not a fugitive and never have been, this young lady has
+been guilty of no misdemeanor or crime in being in my company.
+Therefore she too should be released. In the name of justice and
+common decency I am sure that you will liberate us both at once
+and furnish the Princess von der Tann, at least, with a proper
+escort to her home." <br>
+<p>Maenck listened in silence until Barney had finished, a half
+smile upon his thick lips.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I am commencing to believe that you are not so crazy as we have
+all thought," he said. "Certainly," and he let his eyes rest upon
+Emma von der Tann, "you are not mentally deficient in so far as
+your judgment of a good-looking woman is concerned. I could not
+have made a better selection myself. <br>
+<p>"As for my familiarity with your appearance, you know as well
+as I that I have never seen you before. But that is not
+necessary--you conform perfectly to the printed description of
+you with which the kingdom is flooded. Were that not enough, the
+fact that you were discovered with old Von der Tann's daughter is
+sufficient to remove the least doubt as to your identity."<br>
+</p>
+
+"You are governor of Blentz," cried Barney, "and yet you say that
+you have never seen the king?" <br>
+<p>"Certainly," replied Maenck. "After you escaped the entire
+personnel of the garrison here was changed, even the old servants
+to a man were withdrawn and others substituted. You will have
+difficulty in again escaping, for those who aided you before are
+no longer here."<br>
+</p>
+
+"There is no man in the castle of Blentz who has ever seen the
+king?" asked Barney. <br>
+<p>"None who has seen him before tonight," replied Maenck. "But
+were we in doubt we have the word of the Princess Emma that you
+are Leopold. Did she not admit it to you, Butzow?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"When she thought his majesty dead she admitted it," replied
+Butzow. <br>
+<p>"We gain nothing by discussing the matter," said Maenck
+shortly. "You are Leopold of Lutha. Prince Peter says that you
+are mad. All that concerns me is that you do not escape again,
+and you may rest assured that while Ernst Maenck is governor of
+Blentz you shall not escape and go at large again.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Are the royal apartments in readiness for his majesty, Dr.
+Stein?" he concluded, turning toward a rat-faced little man with
+bushy whiskers, who stood just behind him. <br>
+<p>The query was propounded in an ironical tone, and with a
+manner that made no pretense of concealing the contempt of the
+speaker for the man he thought the king.<br>
+</p>
+
+The eyes of the Princess Emma were blazing as she caught the
+scant respect in Maenck's manner. She looked quickly toward
+Barney to see if he intended rebuking the man for his
+impertinence. She saw that the king evidently intended
+overlooking Maenck's attitude. But Emma von der Tann was of a
+different mind. <br>
+<p>She had seen Maenck several times at social functions in the
+capital. He had even tried to win a place in her favor, but she
+had always disliked him, even before the nasty stories of his
+past life had become common gossip, and within the year she had
+won his hatred by definitely indicating to him that he was
+persona non grata, in so far as she was concerned. Now she turned
+upon him, her eyes flashing with indignation.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Do you forget, sir, that you address the king?" she cried. "That
+you are without honor I have heard men say, and I may truly
+believe it now that I have seen what manner of man you are. The
+most lowly-bred boor in all Lutha would not be so ungenerous as
+to take advantage of his king's helplessness to heap indignities
+upon him. <br>
+<p>"Leopold of Lutha shall come into his own some day, and my
+dearest hope is that his first act may be to mete out to such as
+you the punishment you deserve."<br>
+</p>
+
+Maenck paled in anger. His fingers twitched nervously, but he
+controlled his temper remarkably well, biding his time for
+revenge. <br>
+<p>"Take the king to his apartments, Stein," he commanded curtly,
+"and you, Lieutenant Butzow, accompany them with a guard, nor
+leave until you see that he is safely confined. You may return
+here afterward for my further instructions. In the meantime I
+wish to examine the king's mistress."<br>
+</p>
+
+For a moment tense silence reigned in the apartment after Maenck
+had delivered his wanton insult. <br>
+<p>Emma von der Tann, her little chin high in the air, stood
+straight and haughty, nor was there any sign in her expression to
+indicate that she had heard the man's words.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney was the first to take cognizance of them. <br>
+<p>"You cur!" he cried, and took a step toward Maenck. "You're
+going to eat that, word for word."<br>
+</p>
+
+Maenck stepped back, his hand upon his sword. Butzow laid a hand
+upon Barney's arm. <br>
+<p>"Don't, your majesty," he implored, "it will but make your
+position more unpleasant, nor will it add to the safety of the
+Princess von der Tann for you to strike him now."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney shook himself free from Butzow, and before either Stein or
+the lieutenant could prevent had sprung upon Maenck. <br>
+<p>The latter had not been quick enough with his sword, so that
+Barney had struck him twice, heavily in the face before the
+officer was able to draw. Butzow had sprung to the king's side,
+and was attempting to interpose himself between Maenck and the
+American. In a moment more the sword of the infuriated captain
+would be in the king's heart. Barney turned the first thrust with
+his forearm.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Stop!" cried Butzow to Maenck. "Are you mad, that you would kill
+the king?" <br>
+<p>Maenck lunged again, viciously, at the unprotected body of his
+antagonist.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Die, you pig of an idiot!" he screamed. <br>
+<p>Butzow saw that the man really meant to murder Leopold. He
+seized Barney by the shoulder and whirled him backward. At the
+same instant his own sword leaped from his scabbard, and now
+Maenck found himself facing grim steel in the hand of a master
+swordsman.<br>
+</p>
+
+The governor of Blentz drew back from the touch of that sharp
+point. <br>
+<p>"What do you mean?" he cried. "This is mutiny."<br>
+</p>
+
+"When I received my commission," replied Butzow, quietly, "I
+swore to protect the person of the king with my life, and while I
+live no man shall affront Leopold of Lutha in my presence, or
+threaten his safety else he accounts to me for his act. Return
+your sword, Captain Maenck, nor ever again draw it against the
+king while I be near." <br>
+<p>Slowly Maenck sheathed his weapon. Black hatred for Butzow and
+the man he was protecting smoldered in his eyes.<br>
+</p>
+
+"If he wishes peace," said Barney, "let him apologize to the
+princess." <br>
+<p>"You had better apologize, captain," counseled Butzow, "for if
+the king should command me to do so I should have to compel you
+to," and the lieutenant half drew his sword once more.<br>
+</p>
+
+There was something in Butzow's voice that warned Maenck that his
+subordinate would like nothing better than the king's command to
+run him through. <br>
+<p>He well knew the fame of Butzow's sword arm, and having no
+stomach for an encounter with it he grumbled an apology.<br>
+</p>
+
+"And don't let it occur again," warned Barney. <br>
+<p>"Come," said Dr. Stein, "your majesty should be in your
+apartments, away from all excitement, if we are to effect a cure,
+so that you may return to your throne quickly."<br>
+</p>
+
+Butzow formed the soldiers about the American, and the party
+moved silently out of the great hall, leaving Captain Maenck and
+Princess Emma von der Tann its only occupants. <br>
+<p>Barney cast a troubled glance toward Maenck, and half
+hesitated.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I am sorry, your majesty," said Butzow in a low voice, "but you
+must accompany us. In this the governor of Blentz is well within
+his authority, and I must obey him." <br>
+<p>"Heaven help her!" murmured Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+"The governor will not dare harm her," said Butzow. "Your majesty
+need entertain no apprehension." <br>
+<p>"I wouldn't trust him," replied the American. "I know his
+kind."<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_5">Chapter IV BARNEY FINDS A FRIEND</h1>
+
+<br>
+AFTER THE party had left the room Maenck stood looking at the
+princess for several seconds. A cunning expression supplanted the
+anger that had shown so plainly upon his face but a moment
+before. The girl had moved to one side of the apartment and was
+pretending an interest in a large tapestry that covered the wall
+at that point. Maenck watched her with greedy eves. Presently he
+spoke. <br>
+<p>"Let us be friends," he said. "You shall be my guest at Blentz
+for a long time. I doubt if Peter will care to release you soon,
+for he has no love for your father--and it will he easier for
+both if we establish pleasant relations from the beginning. What
+do you say?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"I shall not be at Blentz long," she replied, not even looking in
+Maenck's direction, "though while I am it shall be as a prisoner
+and not as a guest. It is incredible that one could believe me
+willing to pose as the guest of a traitor, even were he less
+impossible than the notorious and infamous Captain Maenck." <br>
+<p>Maenck smiled. He was one of those who rather pride themselves
+upon the possession of racy reputations. He walked across the
+room to a bell cord which he pulled. Then he turned toward the
+girl again.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I have given you an opportunity," he said, "to lighten the
+burdens of your captivity. I hoped that you would be sensible and
+accept my advances of friendship voluntarily," and he emphasized
+the word "voluntarily," "but--" <br>
+<p>He shrugged his shoulders.<br>
+</p>
+
+A servant had entered the apartment in response to Maenck's
+summons. <br>
+<p>"Show the Princess von der Tann to her apartments," he
+commanded with a sinister tone.<br>
+</p>
+
+The man, who was in the livery of Peter of Blentz, bowed, and
+with a deferential sign to the girl led the way from the room.
+Emma von der Tann followed her guide up a winding stairway which
+spiraled within a tower at the end of a long passage. On the
+second floor of the castle the servant led her to a large and
+beautifully furnished suite of three rooms--a bedroom,
+dressing-room and boudoir. After showing her the rooms that were
+to be hers the servant left her alone. <br>
+<p>As soon as he had gone the Princess von der Tann took another
+turn through the suite, looking to the doors and windows to
+ascertain how securely she might barricade herself against
+unwelcome visitors.<br>
+</p>
+
+She found that the three rooms lay in an angle of the old,
+moss-covered castle wall. <br>
+<p>The bedroom and dressing-room were connected by a doorway, and
+each in turn had another door opening into the boudoir. The only
+connection with the corridor without was through a single doorway
+from the boudoir. This door was equipped with a massive bolt,
+which, when she had shot it, gave her a feeling of immense relief
+and security. The windows were all too high above the court on
+one side and the moat upon the other to cause her the slightest
+apprehension of danger from the outside.<br>
+</p>
+
+The girl found the boudoir not only beautiful, but extremely
+comfortable and cozy. A huge log-fire blazed upon the hearth,
+and, though it was summer, its warmth was most welcome, for the
+night was chill. Across the room from the fireplace a full length
+oil of a former Blentz princess looked down in arrogance upon the
+unwilling occupant of the room. It seemed to the girl that there
+was an expression of annoyance upon the painted countenance that
+another, and an enemy of her house, should be making free with
+her belongings. She wondered a little, too, that this huge oil
+should have been bung in a lady's boudoir. It seemed singularly
+out of place. <br>
+<p>"If she would but smile," thought Emma von der Tann, "she
+would detract less from the otherwise pleasant surroundings, but
+I suppose she serves her purpose in some way, whatever it may
+be."<br>
+</p>
+
+There were papers, magazines and books upon the center table and
+more books upon a low tier of shelves on either side of the
+fireplace. The girl tried to amuse herself by reading, but she
+found her thoughts continually reverting to the unhappy situation
+of the king, and her eyes momentarily wandered to the cold and
+repellent face of the Blentz princess. <br>
+<p>Finally she wheeled a great armchair near the fireplace, and
+with her back toward the portrait made a final attempt to
+submerge her unhappy thoughts in a current periodical.<br>
+</p>
+
+When Barney and his escort reached the apartments that had been
+occupied by the king of Lutha before his escape, Butzow and the
+soldiers left him in company with Dr. Stein and an old servant,
+whom the doctor introduced as his new personal attendant. <br>
+<p>"Your majesty will find him a very attentive and faithful
+servant," said Stein. "He will remain with you and administer
+your medicine at proper intervals."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Medicine?" ejaculated Barney. "What in the world do I need of
+medicine? There is nothing the matter with me." <br>
+<p>Stein smiled indulgently.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Ah, your majesty," he said, "if you could but realize the sad
+affliction that clouds your life! You may never sit upon your
+throne until the last trace of this sinister mental disorder is
+eradicated, so take your medicine voluntarily, or otherwise
+Joseph will be compelled to administer it by force. Remember,
+sire, that only through this treatment will you be able to leave
+Blentz." <br>
+<p>After Stein had left the room Joseph bolted the door behind
+him. Then he came to where Barney stood in the center of the
+apartment, and dropping to his knees took the young man's hand in
+his and kissed it.<br>
+</p>
+
+"God has been good indeed, your majesty," he whispered. "It was
+He who made it possible for old Joseph to deceive them and find
+his way to your side." <br>
+<p>"Who are you, my man?" asked Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I am from Tann," whispered the old man, in a very low voice.
+"His highness, the prince, found the means to obtain service for
+me with the new retinue that has replaced the old which permitted
+your majesty's escape. There was another from Tann among the
+former servants here. <br>
+<p>"It was through his efforts that you escaped before, you will
+recall. I have seen Fritz and learned from him the way, so that
+if your majesty does not recall it it will make no difference,
+for I know it well, having been over it three times already since
+I came here, to be sure that when the time came that they should
+recapture you I might lead you out quickly before they could slay
+you."<br>
+</p>
+
+"You really think that they intend murdering me?" <br>
+<p>"There is no doubt about it, your majesty," replied the old
+man. "This very bottle"--Joseph touched the phial which Stein had
+left upon the table--"contains the means whereby, through my
+hands, you were to be slowly poisoned."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Do you know what it is?" <br>
+<p>"Bichloride of mercury, your majesty. One dose would have been
+sufficient, and after a few days--perhaps a week --you would have
+died in great agony."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney shuddered. <br>
+<p>"But I am not the king, Joseph," said the young man, "so even
+had they succeeded in killing me it would have profited them
+nothing."<br>
+</p>
+
+Joseph shook his head sadly. <br>
+<p>"Your majesty will pardon the presumption of one who loves
+him," he said, "if he makes so bold as to suggest that your
+majesty must not again deny that he is king. That only tends to
+corroborate the contention of Prince Peter that your majesty is
+not--er, just sane, and so, incompetent to rule Lutha. But we of
+Tann know differently, and with the help of the good God we will
+place your majesty upon the throne which Peter has kept from you
+all these years."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney sighed. They were determined that he should be king
+whether he would or no. He had often thought he would like to be
+a king; but now the realization of his boyish dreaming which
+seemed so imminent bade fair to be almost anything than pleasant.
+<br>
+<p>Barney suddenly realized that the old fellow was talking. He
+was explaining how they might escape. It seemed that a secret
+passage led from this very chamber to the vaults beneath the
+castle and from there through a narrow tunnel below the moat to a
+cave in the hillside far beyond the structure.<br>
+</p>
+
+"They will not return again tonight to see your majesty," said
+Joseph, "and so we had best make haste to leave at once. I have a
+rope and swords in readiness. We shall need the rope to make our
+way down the hillside, but let us hope that we shall not need the
+swords." <br>
+<p>"I cannot leave Blentz," said Barney, "unless the Princess
+Emma goes with us."<br>
+</p>
+
+"The Princess Emma!" cried the old man. "What Princess Emma?"
+<br>
+<p>"Princess von der Tann," replied Barney. "Did you not know
+that she was captured with me!"<br>
+</p>
+
+The old man was visibly affected by the knowledge that his young
+mistress was a prisoner within the walls of Blentz. He seemed
+torn by conflicting emotions--his duty toward his king and his
+love for the daughter of his old master. So it was that he seemed
+much relieved when he found that Barney insisted upon saving the
+girl before any thought of their own escape should be taken into
+consideration. <br>
+<p>"My first duty, your majesty," said Joseph, "is to bring you
+safely out of the hands of your enemies, but if you command me to
+try to bring your betrothed with us I am sure that his highness,
+Prince Ludwig, would be the last to censure me for deviating thus
+from his instructions, for if he loves another more than he loves
+his king it is his daughter, the beautiful Princess Emma."<br>
+</p>
+
+"What do you mean, Joseph," asked Barney, "by referring to the
+princess as my betrothed? I never saw her before today." <br>
+<p>"It has slipped your majesty's mind," said the old man sadly;
+"but you and my young mistress were betrothed many years ago
+while you were yet but children. It was the old king's wish that
+you wed the daughter of his best friend and most loyal
+subject."<br>
+</p>
+
+Here was a pretty pass, indeed, thought Barney. It was
+sufficiently embarrassing to be mistaken for the king, but to be
+thrown into this false position in company with a beautiful young
+woman to whom the king was engaged to be married, and who, with
+the others, thought him to be the king, was quite the last word
+in impossible positions. <br>
+<p>Following this knowledge there came to Barney the first pangs
+of regret that he was not really the king, and then the
+realization, so sudden that it almost took his breath away, that
+the girl was very beautiful and very much to be desired. He had
+not thought about the matter until her utter impossibility was
+forced upon him.<br>
+</p>
+
+It was decided that Joseph should leave the king's apartment at
+once and discover in what part of the castle Emma von der Tann
+was imprisoned. Their further plans were to depend upon the
+information gained by the old man during his tour of
+investigation of the castle. <br>
+<p>In the interval of his absence Barney paced the length of his
+prison time and time again. He thought the fellow would never
+return. Perhaps he had been detected in the act of spying, and
+was himself a prisoner in some other part of the castle! The
+thought came to Barney like a blow in the face, for he realized
+that then he would be entirely at the mercy of his captors, and
+that there would be none to champion the cause of the Princess
+von der Tann.<br>
+</p>
+
+When his nervous tension had about reached the breaking point
+there came a sound of stealthy movement just outside the door of
+his room. Barney halted close to the massive panels. He heard a
+key fitted quietly and then the lock grated as it turned. <br>
+<p>Barney thought that they had surely detected Joseph's
+duplicity and had come to make short work of the king before
+other traitors arose in their midst entirely to frustrate their
+plans. The young American stepped to the wall behind the door
+that he might be out of sight of whoever entered. Should it prove
+other than Joseph, might the Lord help them! The clenched fists,
+square-set chin, and gleaming gray eyes of the prisoner presaged
+no good for any incoming enemy.<br>
+</p>
+
+Slowly the door swung open and a man entered the room. Barney
+breathed a deep sigh of relief--it was Joseph. <br>
+<p>"Well?" cried the young man from behind him, and Joseph
+started as though Peter of Blentz himself had laid an accusing
+finger upon his shoulder. "What news?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"Your majesty," gasped Joseph, "how you did startle me! I found
+the apartments of the princess, sire. There is a bare chance that
+we may succeed in rescuing her, but a very bare one, indeed. <br>
+<p>"We must traverse a main corridor of the castle to reach her
+suite, and then return by the same way. It will be a miracle if
+we are not discovered; but the worst of it is that next to her
+apartments, and between them and your majesty's, are the
+apartments of Captain Maenck.<br>
+</p>
+
+"He is sure to be there and officers and servants may be coming
+and going throughout the entire night, for the man is a convivial
+fellow, sitting at cards and drink until sunrise nearly every
+day." <br>
+<p>"And when we have brought the princess in safety to my
+quarters," asked Barney, "what then? How shall we conduct her
+from the castle? You have not told me that as yet."<br>
+</p>
+
+The old man explained then the plan of escape. It seemed that one
+of the two huge tile panels that flanked the fireplace on either
+side was in reality a door hiding the entrance to a shaft that
+rose from the vaults beneath the castle to the roof. At each
+floor there was a similar secret door concealing the mouth of the
+passage. From the vaults a corridor led through another secret
+panel to the tunnel that wound downward to the cave in the
+hillside. <br>
+<p>"Beyond that we shall find horses, your majesty," concluded
+the old man. "They have been hidden in the woods since I came to
+Blentz. Each day I go there to water and feed them."<br>
+</p>
+
+During the servant's explanation Barney had been casting about in
+his mind for some means of rescuing the princess without so great
+risk of detection, and as the plan of the secret passageway
+became clear to him he thought that he saw a way to accomplish
+the thing with comparative safety in so far as detection was
+concerned. <br>
+<p>"Who occupies the floor above us, Joseph?" he asked.<br>
+</p>
+
+"It is vacant," replied the old man. <br>
+<p>"Good! Come, show me the entrance to the shaft," directed
+Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You will go without attempting to succor the Princess Emma?"
+exclaimed the old fellow in ill-concealed chagrin. <br>
+<p>"Far from it," replied Barney. "Bring your rope and the
+swords. I think we are going to find the rescuing of the Princess
+Emma the easiest part of our adventure."<br>
+</p>
+
+The old man shook his head, but went to another room of the
+suite, from which he presently emerged with a stout rope about
+fifty feet in length and two swords. As he buckled one of the
+weapons to Barney his eyes fell upon the American's seal ring
+that encircled the third finger of his left hand. <br>
+<p>"The Royal Ring of Lutha!" exclaimed Joseph. "Where is it,
+your majesty? What has become of the Royal Ring of the Kings of
+Lutha?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"I'm sure I don't know, Joseph," replied the young man. "Should I
+be wearing a royal ring?" <br>
+<p>"The profaning miscreants!" cried Joseph. "They have dared to
+filch from you the great ring that has been handed down from king
+to king for three hundred years. When did they take it from
+you?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"I have never seen it, Joseph," replied the young man, "and
+possibly this fact may assure you where all else has failed that
+I am no true king of Lutha, after all." <br>
+<p>"Ah, no, your majesty," replied the old servitor; "it but
+makes assurance doubly sure as to your true identity, for the
+fact that you have not the ring is positive proof that you are
+king and that they have sought to hide the fact by removing the
+insignia of your divine right to rule in Lutha."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney could not but smile at the old fellow's remarkable logic.
+He saw that nothing short of a miracle would ever convince Joseph
+that he was not the real monarch, and so, as matters of greater
+importance were to the fore, he would have allowed the subject to
+drop had not the man attempted to recall to the impoverished
+memory of his king a recollection of the historic and venerated
+relic of the dead monarchs of Lutha. <br>
+<p>"Do you not remember, sir," he asked, "the great ruby that
+glared, blood-red from its center, and the four sets of golden
+wings that formed the setting? From the blood of Charlemagne was
+the ruby made, so history tells us, and the setting represented
+the protecting wings of the power of the kings of Lutha spread to
+the four points of the compass. Now your majesty must recall the
+royal ring, I am sure."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney only shook his head, much to Joseph's evident sorrow. <br>
+<p>"Never mind the ring, Joseph," said the young man. "Bring your
+rope and lead me to the floor above."<br>
+</p>
+
+"The floor above? But, your majesty, we cannot reach the vaults
+and tunnel by going upward!" <br>
+<p>"You forget, Joseph, that we are going to fetch the Princess
+Emma first."<br>
+</p>
+
+"But she is not on the floor above us, sire; she is upon the same
+floor as we are," insisted the old man, hesitating. <br>
+<p>"Joseph, who do you think I am?" asked Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You are the king, my lord," replied the old man. <br>
+<p>"Then do as your king commands," said the American
+sharply.<br>
+</p>
+
+Joseph turned with dubious mutterings and approached the tiled
+panel at the left of the fireplace. Here he fumbled about for a
+moment until his fingers found the hidden catch that held the
+cunningly devised door in place. An instant later the panel swung
+inward before his touch, and standing to one side, the old fellow
+bowed low as he ushered Barney into the Stygian darkness of the
+space beyond their vision. <br>
+<p>Joseph halted the young man just within the doorway,
+cautioning him against the danger of falling into the shaft, then
+he closed the panel, and a moment later had found the lantern he
+had hidden there and lighted it. The rays disclosed to the
+American the rough masonry of the interior of a narrow,
+well-built shaft. A rude ladder standing upon a narrow ledge
+beside him extended upward to lose itself in the shadows above.
+At its foot the top of another ladder was visible protruding
+through the opening from the floor beneath.<br>
+</p>
+
+No sooner had Joseph's lantern shown him the way than Barney was
+ascending the ladder toward the floor above. At the next landing
+he waited for the old man. <br>
+<p>Joseph put out the light and placed the lantern where they
+could easily find it upon their return. Then he cautiously
+slipped the catch that held the panel in place and slowly opened
+the door until a narrow line of lesser darkness showed from
+without.<br>
+</p>
+
+For a moment they stood in silence listening for any sound from
+the chamber beyond, but as nothing occurred to indicate that the
+apartment was occupied the old man opened the portal a trifle
+further, and finally far enough to permit his body to pass
+through. Barney followed him. They found themselves in a large,
+empty chamber, identical in size and shape with that which they
+had just quitted upon the floor below. <br>
+<p>From this the two passed into the corridor beyond, and thence
+to the apartments at the far end of the wing, directly over those
+occupied by Emma von der Tann.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney hastened to a window overlooking the moat. By leaning far
+out he could see the light from the princess's chamber shining
+upon the sill. He wished that the light was not there, for the
+window was in plain view of the guard on the lookout upon the
+barbican. <br>
+<p>Suddenly he caught the sound of voices from the chamber
+beneath. For an instant he listened, and then, catching a few
+words of the dialogue, he turned hurriedly toward his
+companion.<br>
+</p>
+
+"The rope, Joseph! And for God's sake be quick about it." <br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+
+<h1 id="ref_6">Chapter V THE ESCAPE</h1>
+
+<br>
+<p>FOR HALF an hour the Princess von der Tann succeeded admirably
+in immersing herself in the periodical, to the exclusion of her
+unhappy thoughts and the depressing influence of the austere
+countenance of the Blentz Princess hanging upon the wall behind
+her.<br>
+</p>
+
+But presently she became unaccountably nervous. At the slightest
+sound from the palace-life on the floor below she would start up
+with a tremor of excitement. Once she heard footsteps in the
+corridor before her door, but they passed on, and she thought she
+discerned the click of a latch a short distance further on along
+the passageway. <br>
+<p>Again she attempted to gather up the thread of the article she
+had been reading, but she was unsuccessful. A stealthy scratching
+brought her round quickly, staring in the direction of the great
+portrait. The girl would have sworn that she had heard a noise
+within her chamber. She shuddered at the thought that it might
+have come from that painted thing upon the wall.<br>
+</p>
+
+What was the matter with her? Was she losing all control of
+herself to be frightened like a little child by ghostly noises?
+<br>
+<p>She tried to return to her reading, but for the life of her
+she could not keep her eyes off the silent, painted woman who
+stared and stared and stared in cold, threatening silence upon
+this ancient enemy of her house.<br>
+</p>
+
+Presently the girl's eyes went wide in horror. She could feel the
+scalp upon her head contract with fright. Her terrorfilled gaze
+was frozen upon that awful figure that loomed so large and
+sinister above her, for the thing had moved! She had seen it with
+her own eyes. There could be no mistake-no hallucination of
+overwrought nerves about it. The Blentz Princess was moving
+slowly toward her! <br>
+<p>Like one in a trance the girl rose from her chair, her eyes
+glued upon the awful apparition that seemed creeping upon her.
+Slowly she withdrew toward the opposite side of the chamber. As
+the painting moved more quickly the truth flashed upon her--it
+was mounted on a door.<br>
+</p>
+
+The crack of the door widened and beyond it the girl saw dimly,
+eyes fastened upon her. With difficulty she restrained a shriek.
+The portal swung wide and a man in uniform stepped into the room.
+<br>
+<p>It was Maenck.<br>
+</p>
+
+Emma von der Tann gazed in unveiled abhorrence upon the leering
+face of the governor of Blentz. <br>
+<p>"What means this intrusion?" cried the girl.<br>
+</p>
+
+"What would you have here?" <br>
+<p>"You," replied Maenck.<br>
+</p>
+
+The girl crimsoned. <br>
+<p>Maenck regarded her sneeringly.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You coward!" she cried. "Leave my apartments at once. Not even
+Peter of Blentz would countenance such abhorrent treatment of a
+prisoner." <br>
+<p>"You do not know Peter my dear," responded Maenck. "But you
+need not fear. You shall be my wife. Peter has promised me a
+baronetcy for the capture of Leopold, and before I am done I
+shall be made a prince, of that you may rest assured, so you see
+I am not so bad a match after all."<br>
+</p>
+
+He crossed over toward her and would have laid a rough hand upon
+her arm. <br>
+<p>The girl sprang away from him, running to the opposite side of
+the library table at which she had been reading. Maenck started
+to pursue her, when she seized a heavy, copper bowl that stood
+upon the table and hurled it full in his face. The missile struck
+him a glancing blow, but the edge laid open the flesh of one
+cheek almost to the jaw bone.<br>
+</p>
+
+With a cry of pain and rage Captain Ernst Maenck leaped across
+the table full upon the young girl. With vicious, murderous
+fingers he seized upon her fair throat, shaking her as a terrier
+might shake a rat. Futilely the girl struck at the hate-contorted
+features so close to hers. <br>
+<p>"Stop!" she cried. "You are killing me."<br>
+</p>
+
+The fingers released their hold. <br>
+<p>"No," muttered the man, and dragged the princess roughly
+across the room.<br>
+</p>
+
+Half a dozen steps he had taken when there came a sudden crash of
+breaking glass from the window across the chamber. Both turned in
+astonishment to see the figure of a man leap into the room,
+carrying the shattered crystal and the casement with him. In one
+hand was a naked sword. <br>
+<p>"The king!" cried Emma von der Tann.<br>
+</p>
+
+"The devil!" muttered Maenck, as, dropping the girl, he scurried
+toward the great painting from behind which he had found ingress
+to the chambers of the princess. <br>
+<p>Maenck was a coward, and he had seen murder in the eyes of the
+man rushing upon him. With a bound he reached the picture which
+still stood swung wide into the room.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney was close behind him, but fear lent wings to the governor
+of Blentz, so that he was able to dart into the passage behind
+the picture and slam the door behind him a moment before the
+infuriated man was upon him. <br>
+<p>The American clawed at the edge of the massive frame, but all
+to no avail. Then he raised his sword and slashed the canvas,
+hoping to find a way into the place beyond, but mighty oaken
+panels barred his further progress. With a whispered oath he
+turned back toward the girl.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Thank Heaven that I was in time, Emma," he cried. <br>
+<p>"Oh, Leopold, my king, but at what a price," replied the girl.
+"He will return now with others and kill you. He is furious--so
+furious that he scarce knows what he does."<br>
+</p>
+
+"He seemed to know what he was doing when he ran for that hole in
+the wall," replied Barney with a grin. "But come, it won't pay to
+let them find us should they return." <br>
+<p>Together they hastened to the window beyond which the girl
+could see a rope dangling from above. The sight of it partially
+solved the riddle of the king's almost uncanny presence upon her
+window sill in the very nick of time.<br>
+</p>
+
+Below, the lights in the watch tower at the outer gate were
+plainly visible, and the twinkling of them reminded Barney of the
+danger of detection from that quarter. Quickly he recrossed the
+apartment to the wall-switch that operated the recently installed
+electric lights, and an instant later the chamber was in total
+darkness. <br>
+<p>Once more at the girl's side Barney drew in one end of the
+rope and made it fast about her body below her arms, leaving a
+sufficient length terminating in a small loop to permit her to
+support herself more comfortably with one foot within the noose.
+Then he stepped to the outer sill, and reaching down assisted her
+to his side.<br>
+</p>
+
+Far below them the moonlight played upon the sluggish waters of
+the moat. In the distance twinkled the lights of the village of
+Blentz. From the courtyard and the palace came faintly the sound
+of voices, and the movement of men. A horse whinnied from the
+stables. <br>
+<p>Barney turned his eyes upward. He could see the head and
+shoulders of Joseph leaning from the window of the chamber
+directly above them.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Hoist away, Joseph!" whispered the American, and to the girl:
+"Be brave. Shut your eyes and trust to Joseph and --and--" <br>
+<p>"And my king," finished the girl for him.<br>
+</p>
+
+His arm was about her shoulders, supporting her upon the narrow
+sill. His cheek so close to hers that once he felt the soft
+velvet of it brush his own. Involuntarily his arm tightened about
+the supple body. <br>
+<p>"My princess!" he murmured, and as he turned his face toward
+hers their lips almost touched.<br>
+</p>
+
+Joseph was pulling upon the rope from above. They could feel it
+tighten beneath the girl's arms. Impulsively Barney Custer drew
+the sweet lips closer to his own. There was no resistance. <br>
+<p>"I love you," he whispered. The words were smothered as their
+lips met.<br>
+</p>
+
+Joseph, above, wondered at the great weight of the Princess Emma
+von der Tann. <br>
+<p>"I love you, Leopold, forever," whispered the girl, and then
+as Joseph's Herculean tugging seemed likely to drag them both
+from the narrow sill, Barney lifted the girl upward with one hand
+while he clung to the window frame with the other. The distance
+to the sill above was short, and a moment later Joseph had
+grasped the princess's hand and was helping her over the ledge
+into the room beyond.<br>
+</p>
+
+At the same instant there came a sudden commotion from the
+interior of the room in the window of which Barney still stood
+waiting for Joseph to remove the rope from about the princess and
+lower it for him. Barney heard the heavy feet of men, the clank
+of arms, and muttered oaths as the searchers stumbled against the
+furniture. <br>
+<p>Presently one of them found the switch and instantly the room
+was flooded with light, which revealed to the American a dozen
+Luthanian troopers headed by the murderous Maenck.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney looked anxiously aloft. Would Joseph never lower that
+rope! Within the room the men were searching. He could hear
+Maenck directing them. Only a thin portiere screened him from
+their view. It was but a matter of seconds before they would
+investigate the window through which Maenck knew the king had
+found ingress. <br>
+<p>Yes! It had come.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Look to the window," commanded Maenck. "He may have gone as he
+came." <br>
+<p>Two of the soldiers crossed the room toward the casement. From
+above Joseph was lowering the rope; but it was too late. The men
+would be at the window before he could clamber out of their
+reach.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Hoist away!" he whispered to Joseph. "Quick now, my man, and
+make your escape with the Princess von der Tann. It is the king's
+command." <br>
+<p>Already the soldiers were at the window. At the sound of his
+voice they tore aside the draperies; at the same instant the
+pseudo-king turned and leaped out into the blackness of the
+night.<br>
+</p>
+
+There were exclamations of surprise and rage from the soldiers--a
+woman's scream. Then from far below came a dull splash as the
+body of Bernard Custer struck the surface of the moat. <br>
+<p>Maenck, leaning from the window, heard the scream and the
+splash, and jumped to the conclusion that both the king and the
+princess had attempted to make their escape in this harebrained
+way. Immediately all the resources at his command were put to the
+task of searching the moat and the adjacent woods.<br>
+</p>
+
+He was sure that one or both of the prisoners would be stunned by
+impact with the surface of the water, and then drowned before
+they regained consciousness, but he did not know Bernard Custer,
+nor the facility and almost uncanny ease with which that young
+man could negotiate a high dive into shallow water. <br>
+<p>Nor did he know that upon the floor above him one Joseph was
+hastening along a dark corridor toward a secret panel in another
+apartment, and that with him was the Princess Emma bound for
+liberty and safety far from the frowning walls of Blentz.<br>
+</p>
+
+As Barney's head emerged above the surface of the moat he shook
+it vigorously to free his eyes from water, and then struck out
+for the further bank. <br>
+<p>Long before his pursuers had reached the courtyard and alarmed
+the watch at the barbican, the American had crawled out upon dry
+land and hastened across the broad clearing to the patch of
+stunted trees that grew lower down upon the steep hillside before
+the castle.<br>
+</p>
+
+He shrank from the thought of leaving Blentz without knowing
+positively that Joseph had made good the escape of himself and
+the princess, but he finally argued that even if they had been
+retaken, he could serve her best by hastening to her father and
+fetching the only succor that might prevail against the strength
+of Blentz--armed men in sufficient force to storm the ancient
+fortress. <br>
+<p>He had scarcely entered the wood when he heard the sound of
+the searchers at the moat, and saw the rays of their lanterns
+flitting hither and thither as they moved back and forth along
+the bank.<br>
+</p>
+
+Then the young man turned his face from the castle and set forth
+across the unfamiliar country in the direction of the Old Forest
+and the castle Von der Tann. <br>
+<p>The memory of the warm lips that had so recently been pressed
+to his urged him on in the service of the wondrous girl who had
+come so suddenly into his life, bringing to him the realization
+of a love that he knew must alter, for happiness or for sorrow,
+all the balance of his existence, even unto death.<br>
+</p>
+
+He dreaded the day of reckoning when, at last, she must learn
+that he was no king. He did not have the temerity to hope that
+her courage would be equal to the great sacrifice which the
+acknowledgment of her love for one not of noble blood must
+entail; but he could not believe that she would cease to love him
+when she learned the truth. <br>
+<p>So the future looked black and cheerless to Barney Custer as
+he trudged along the rocky, moonlit way. The only bright spot was
+the realization that for a while at least he might be serving the
+one woman in all the world.<br>
+</p>
+
+All the balance of the long night the young man traversed valley
+and mountain, holding due south in the direction he supposed the
+Old Forest to lie. He passed many a little farm tucked away in
+the hollow of a hillside, and quaint hamlets, and now and then
+the ruins of an ancient feudal stronghold, but no great forest of
+black oaks loomed before him to apprise him of the nearness of
+his goal, nor did he dare to ask the correct route at any of the
+homes he passed. <br>
+<p>His fatal likeness to the description of the mad king of Lutha
+warned him from intercourse with the men of Lutha until he might
+know which were friends and which enemies of the hapless
+monarch.<br>
+</p>
+
+Dawn found him still upon his way, but with the determination
+fully crystallized to hail the first man he met and ask the way
+to Tann. He still avoided the main traveled roads, but from time
+to time he paralleled them close enough that he might have ample
+opportunity to hail the first passerby. <br>
+<p>The road was becoming more and more mountainous and difficult.
+There were fewer homes and no hamlets, and now he began to
+despair entirely of meeting any who could give him direction
+unless he turned and retraced his steps to the nearest farm.<br>
+</p>
+
+Directly before him the narrow trail he had been following for
+the past few miles wound sharply about the shoulder of a
+protruding cliff. He would see what lay beyond the turn-perhaps
+he would find the Old Forest there, after all. <br>
+<p>But instead he found something very different, though in its
+way quite as interesting, for as he rounded the rugged bluff he
+came face to face with two evil-looking fellows astride stocky,
+rough-coated ponies.<br>
+</p>
+
+At sight of him they drew in their mounts and eyed him
+suspiciously. Nor was there great cause for wonderment in that,
+for the American presented aught but a respectable appearance.
+His khaki motoring suit, soaked from immersion in the moat, had
+but partially dried upon him. Mud from the banks of the stagnant
+pool caked his legs to the knees, almost hiding his once tan
+puttees. More mud streaked his jacket front and stained its
+sleeves to the elbows. He was bare-headed, for his cap had
+remained in the moat at Blentz, and his disheveled hair was
+tousled upon his head, while his full beard had dried into a
+weird and tangled fringe about his face. At his side still hung
+the sword that Joseph had buckled there, and it was this that
+caused the two men the greatest suspicion of this strange looking
+character. <br>
+<p>They continued to eye Barney in silence, every now and then
+casting apprehensive glances beyond him, as though expecting
+others of his kind to appear in the trail at his back. And that
+is precisely what they did fear, for the sword at Barney's side
+had convinced them that he must be an officer of the army, and
+they looked to see his command following in his wake.<br>
+</p>
+
+The young man saluted them pleasantly, asking the direction to
+the Old Forest. They thought it strange that a soldier of Lutha
+should not know his own way about his native land, and so judged
+that his question was but a blind to deceive them. <br>
+<p>"Why do you not ask your own men the way?" parried one of the
+fellows.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I have no men, I am alone," replied Barney. "I am a stranger in
+Lutha and have lost my way." <br>
+<p>He who had spoken before pointed to the sword at Barney's
+side.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Strangers traveling in Lutha do not wear swords," he said. "You
+are an officer. Why should you desire to conceal the fact from
+two honest farmers? We have done nothing. Let us go our way."
+<br>
+<p>Barney looked his astonishment at this reply.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Most certainly, go your way, my friends," he said laughing. "I
+would not delay you if I could; but before you go please be good
+enough to tell me how to reach the Old Forest and the ancient
+castle of the Prince von der Tann." <br>
+<p>For a moment the two men whispered together, then the
+spokesman turned to Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+"We will lead you upon the right road. Come," and the two turned
+their horses, one of them starting slowly back up the trail while
+the other remained waiting for Barney to pass him. <br>
+<p>The American, suspecting nothing, voiced his thanks, and set
+out after him who had gone before. As be passed the fellow who
+waited the latter moved in behind him, so that Barney walked
+between the two. Occasionally the rider at his back turned in his
+saddle to scan the trail behind, as though still fearful that
+Barney had been lying to them and that he would discover a
+company of soldiers charging down upon them.<br>
+</p>
+
+The trail became more and more difficult as they advanced, until
+Barney wondered how the little horses clung to the steep
+mountainside, where he himself had difficulty in walking without
+using his hand to keep from falling. <br>
+<p>Twice the American attempted to break through the taciturnity
+of his guides, but his advances were met with nothing more than
+sultry grunts or silence, and presently a suspicion began to
+obtrude itself among his thoughts that possibly these "honest
+farmers" were something more sinister than they represented
+themselves to be.<br>
+</p>
+
+A malign and threatening atmosphere seemed to surround them. Even
+the cat-like movement of their silent mounts breathed a sinister
+secrecy, and now, for the first time, Barney noticed the short,
+ugly looking carbines that were slung in boots at their
+saddle-horns. Then, promoted to further investigation, he dropped
+back beside the man who had been riding behind him, and as he did
+so he saw beneath the fellow's cloak the butts of two
+villainous-looking pistols. <br>
+<p>As Barney dropped back beside him the man turned his mount
+across the narrow trail, and reining him in motioned Barney
+ahead.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I have changed my mind," said the American, "about going to the
+Old Forest." <br>
+<p>He had determined that he might as well have the thing out now
+as later, and discover at once how he stood with these two, and
+whether or not his suspicions of them were well grounded.<br>
+</p>
+
+The man ahead had halted at the sound of Barney's voice, and
+swung about in the saddle. <br>
+<p>"What's the trouble?" he asked.<br>
+</p>
+
+"He don't want to go to the Old Forest," explained his companion,
+and for the first time Barney saw one of them grin. It was not at
+all a pleasant grin, nor reassuring. <br>
+<p>"He don't, eh?" growled the other. "Well, he ain't goin', is
+he? Who ever said he was?"<br>
+</p>
+
+And then he, too, laughed. <br>
+<p>"I'm going back the way I came," said Barney, starting around
+the horse that blocked his way.<br>
+</p>
+
+"No, you ain't," said the horseman. "You're goin' with us." <br>
+<p>And Barney found himself gazing down the muzzle of one of the
+wicked looking pistols.<br>
+</p>
+
+For a moment he stood in silence, debating mentally the wisdom of
+attempting to rush the fellow, and then, with a shake of his
+head, he turned back up the trail between his captors. <br>
+<p>"Yes," he said, "on second thought I have decided to go with
+you. Your logic is most convincing."<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_7">Chapter VI A KING'S RANSOM</h1>
+
+<br>
+FOR ANOTHER mile the two brigands conducted their captor along
+the mountainside, then they turned into a narrow ravine near the
+summit of the hills--a deep, rocky, wooded ravine into whose
+black shadows it seemed the sun might never penetrate. <br>
+<p>A winding path led crookedly among the pines that grew thickly
+in this sheltered hollow, until presently, after half an hour of
+rough going, they came upon a small natural clearing, rock-bound
+and impregnable.<br>
+</p>
+
+As they filed from the wood Barney saw a score of villainous
+fellows clustered about a camp fire where they seemed engaged in
+cooking their noonday meal. Bits of meat were roasting upon iron
+skewers, and a great iron pot boiled vigorously at one side of
+the blaze. <br>
+<p>At the sound of their approach the men sprang to their feet in
+alarm, and as many weapons as there were men leaped to view; but
+when they saw Barney's companions they returned their pistols to
+their holsters, and at sight of Barney they pressed forward to
+inspect the prisoner.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Who have we here?" shouted a big blond giant, who affected
+extremely gaudy colors in his selection of wearing apparel, and
+whose pistols and knife had their grips heavily ornamented with
+pearl and silver. <br>
+<p>"A stranger in Lutha he calls himself," replied one of
+Barney's captors. "But from the sword I take it he is one of old
+Peter's wolfhounds."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Well, he's found the wolves at any rate," replied the giant,
+with a wide grin at his witticism. "And if Yellow Franz is the
+particular wolf you're after, my friend, why here I am," he
+concluded, addressing the American with a leer. <br>
+<p>"I'm after no one," replied Barney. "I tell you I'm a
+stranger, and I lost my way in your infernal mountains. All I
+wish is to be set upon the right road to Tann, and if you will do
+that for me you shall be well paid for your trouble."<br>
+</p>
+
+The giant, Yellow Franz, had come quite close to Barney and was
+inspecting him with an expression of considerable interest.
+Presently he drew a soiled and much-folded paper from his breast.
+Upon one side was a printed notice, and at the corners bits were
+torn away as though the paper had once been tacked upon wood, and
+then torn down without removing the tacks. <br>
+<p>At sight of it Barney's heart sank. The look of the thing was
+all too familiar. Before the yellow one had commenced to read
+aloud from it Barney had repeated to himself the words he knew
+were coming.<br>
+</p>
+
+"'Gray eyes,'" read the brigand, "'brown hair, and a full,
+reddish-brown beard.' Herman and Friedrich, my dear children, you
+have stumbled upon the richest haul in all Lutha. Down upon your
+marrow-bones, you swine, and rub your low-born noses in the dirt
+before your king." <br>
+<p>The others looked their surprise.<br>
+</p>
+
+"The king?" one cried. <br>
+<p>"Behold!" cried Yellow Franz. "Leopold of Lutha!"<br>
+</p>
+
+He waved a ham-like hand toward Barney. <br>
+<p>Among the rough men was a young smooth-faced boy, and now with
+wide eyes he pressed forward to get a nearer view of the
+wonderful person of a king.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Take a good look at him, Rudolph," cried Yellow Franz. "It is
+the first and will probably be the last time you will ever see a
+king. Kings seldom visit the court of their fellow monarch,
+Yellow Franz of the Black Mountains. <br>
+<p>"Come, my children, remove his majesty's sword, lest he fall
+and stick himself upon it, and then prepare the royal chamber,
+seeing to it that it be made so comfortable that Leopold will
+remain with us a long time. Rudolph, fetch food and water for his
+majesty, and see to it that the silver plates and the golden
+goblets are well scoured and polished up."<br>
+</p>
+
+They conducted Barney to a miserable lean-to shack at one side of
+the clearing, and for a while the motley crew loitered about
+bandying coarse jests at the expense of the "king." The boy,
+Rudolph, brought food and water, he alone of them all evincing
+the slightest respect or awe for the royalty of their unwilling
+guest. <br>
+<p>After a time the men tired of the sport of king-baiting, for
+Barney showed neither rancor nor outraged majesty at their
+keenest thrusts, instead, often joining in the laugh with them at
+his own expense. They thought it odd that the king should hold
+his dignity in so low esteem, but that he was king they never
+doubted, attributing his denials to a disposition to deceive
+them, and rob them of the "king's ransom" they had already
+commenced to consider as their own.<br>
+</p>
+
+Shortly after Barney arrived at the rendezvous he saw a messenger
+dispatched by Yellow Franz, and from the repeated gestures toward
+himself that had accompanied the giant's instructions to his
+emissary, Barney was positive that the man's errand had to do
+with him. <br>
+<p>After the men had left his prison, leaving the boy standing
+awkwardly in wide-eyed contemplation of his august charge, the
+American ventured to open a conversation with his youthful
+keeper.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Aren't you rather young to be starting in the bandit business,
+Rudolph?" asked Barney, who had taken a fancy to the youth. <br>
+<p>"I do not want to be a bandit, your majesty," whispered the
+lad; "but my father owes Yellow Franz a great sum of money, and
+as he could not pay the debt Yellow Franz stole me from my home
+and says that he will keep me until my father pays him, and that
+if he does not pay he will make a bandit of me, and that then
+some day I shall be caught and hanged until I am dead."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Can't you escape?" asked the young man. "It would seem to me
+that there would be many opportunities for you to get away
+undetected." <br>
+<p>"There are, but I dare not. Yellow Franz says that if I run
+away he will be sure to come across me some day again and that
+then he will kill me."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney laughed. <br>
+<p>"He is just talking, my boy," he said. "He thinks that by
+frightening you he will be able to keep you from running
+away."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Your majesty does not know him," whispered the youth,
+shuddering. "He is the wickedest man in all the world. Nothing
+would please him more than killing me, and he would have done it
+long since but for two things. One is that I have made myself
+useful about his camp, doing chores and the like, and the other
+is that were he to kill me he knows that my father would never
+pay him." <br>
+<p>"How much does your father owe him?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"Five hundred marks, your majesty," replied Rudolph. "Two hundred
+of this amount is the original debt, and the balance Yellow Franz
+has added since he captured me, so that it is really ransom
+money. But my father is a poor man, so that it will take a long
+time before he can accumulate so large a sum. <br>
+<p>"You would really like to go home again, Rudolph?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"Oh, very much, your majesty, if I only dared." Barney was silent
+for some time, thinking. Possibly he could effect his own escape
+with the connivance of Rudolph, and at the same time free the
+boy. The paltry ransom he could pay out of his own pocket and
+send to Yellow Franz later, so that the youth need not fear the
+brigand's revenge. It was worth thinking about, at any rate. <br>
+<p>"How long do you imagine they will keep me, Rudolph?" he asked
+after a time.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Yellow Franz has already sent Herman to Lustadt with a message
+for Prince Peter, telling him that you are being held for ransom,
+and demanding the payment of a huge sum for your release. Day
+after tomorrow or the next day he should return with Prince
+Peter's reply. <br>
+<p>"If it is favorable, arrangements will be made to turn you
+over to Prince Peter's agents, who will have to come to some
+distant meeting place with the money. A week, perhaps, it will
+take, maybe longer."<br>
+</p>
+
+It was the second day before Herman returned from Lustadt. He
+rode in just at dark, his pony lathered from hard going. <br>
+<p>Barney and the boy saw him coming, and the youth ran forward
+with the others to learn the news that he had brought; but Yellow
+Franz and his messenger withdrew to a hut which the brigand chief
+reserved for his own use, nor would he permit any beside the
+messenger to accompany him to hear the report.<br>
+</p>
+
+For half an hour Barney sat alone waiting for word from Yellow
+Franz that arrangements had been consummated for his release, and
+then out of the darkness came Rudolph, wide-eyed and trembling.
+<br>
+<p>"Oh, my king?" he whispered. "What shall we do? Peter has
+refused to ransom you alive, but he has offered a great sum for
+unquestioned proof of your death. Already he has caused a
+proclamation to be issued stating that you have been killed by
+bandits after escaping from Blentz, and ordering a period of
+national mourning. In three weeks he is to be crowned king of
+Lutha."<br>
+</p>
+
+"When do they intend terminating my existence?" queried Barney.
+<br>
+<p>There was a smile upon his lips, for even now he could scarce
+believe that in the twentieth century there could be any such
+medieval plotting against a king's life, and yet, on second
+thought, had he not ample proof of the lengths to which Peter of
+Blentz was willing to go to obtain the crown of Lutha!<br>
+</p>
+
+"I do not know, your majesty," replied Rudolph, "when they will
+do it; but soon, doubtless, since the sooner it is done the
+sooner they can collect their pay." <br>
+<p>Further conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps
+without, and an instant later Yellow Franz entered the squalid
+apartment and the dim circle of light which flickered feebly from
+the smoky lantern that hung suspended from the rafters.<br>
+</p>
+
+He stopped just within the doorway and stood eyeing the American
+with an ugly grin upon his vicious face. Then his eyes fell upon
+the trembling Rudolph. <br>
+<p>"Get out of here, you!" he growled. "I've got private business
+with this king. And see that you don't come nosing round either,
+or I'll slit that soft throat for you."<br>
+</p>
+
+Rudolph slipped past the burly ruffian, barely dodging a brutal
+blow aimed at him by the giant, and escaped into the darkness
+without. <br>
+<p>"And now for you, my fine fellow," said the brigand, turning
+toward Barney. "Peter says you ain't worth nothing to him--alive,
+but that your dead body will fetch us a hundred thousand
+marks."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Rather cheap for a king, isn't it?" was Barney's only comment.
+<br>
+<p>"That's what Herman tells him," replied Yellow Franz. "But
+he's a close one, Peter is, and so it was that or nothing."<br>
+</p>
+
+"When are you going to pull off this little--er--ah-royal
+demise?" asked Barney. <br>
+<p>"If you mean when am I going to kill you," replied the bandit,
+"why, there ain't no particular rush about it. I'm a
+tender-hearted chap, I am. I never should have been in this
+business at all, but here I be, and as there ain't nobody that
+can do a better job of the kind than me, or do it so painlessly,
+why I just got to do it myself, and that's all there is to it.
+But, as I says, there ain't no great rush. If you want to pray,
+why, go ahead and pray. I'll wait for you."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I don't remember," said Barney, "when I have met so generous a
+party as you, my friend. Your self-sacrificing magnanimity quite
+overpowers me. It reminds me of another unloved Robin Hood whom I
+once met. It was in front of Burket's coal-yard on Ella Street,
+back in dear old Beatrice, at some unchristian hour of the night.
+<br>
+<p>"After he had relieved me of a dollar and forty cents he
+remarked: 'I gotta good mind to kick yer slats in fer not havin'
+more of de cush on yeh; but I'm feelin' so good about de last guy
+I stuck up I'll let youse off dis time.'"<br>
+</p>
+
+"I do not know what you are talking about," replied Yellow Franz;
+"but if you want to pray you'd better hurry up about it." <br>
+<p>He drew his pistol from its holster on the belt at his
+hips.<br>
+</p>
+
+Now Barney Custer had no mind to give up the ghost without a
+struggle; but just how he was to overcome the great beast who
+confronted him with menacing pistol was, to say the least, not
+precisely plain. He wished the man would come a little nearer
+where he might have some chance to close with him before the
+fellow could fire. To gain time the American assumed a prayerful
+attitude, but kept one eye on the bandit. <br>
+<p>Presently Yellow Franz showed indications of impatience. He
+fingered the trigger of his weapon, and then slowly raised it on
+a line with Barney's chest.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Hadn't you better come closer?" asked the young man. "You might
+miss at that distance, or just wound me." <br>
+<p>Yellow Franz grinned.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I don't miss," he said, and then: "You're certainly a game one.
+If it wasn't for the hundred thousand marks, I'd be hanged if I'd
+kill you." <br>
+<p>"The chances are that you will be if you do," said Barney, "so
+wouldn't you rather take one hundred and fifty thousand marks and
+let me make my escape?"<br>
+</p>
+
+Yellow Franz looked at the speaker a moment through narrowed
+lids. <br>
+<p>"Where would you find any one willing to pay that amount for a
+crazy king?" he asked.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I have told you that I am not the king," said Barney. "I am an
+American with a father who would gladly pay that amount on my
+safe delivery to any American consul." <br>
+<p>Yellow Franz shook his head and tapped his brow
+significantly.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Even if you was what you are dreaming, it wouldn't pay me," he
+said. <br>
+<p>"I'll make it two hundred thousand," said Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+"No--it's a waste of time talking about it. It's worth more than
+money to me to know that I'll always have this thing on Peter,
+and that when he's king he won't dare bother me for fear I'll
+publish the details of this little deal. Come, you must be
+through praying by this time. I can't wait around here all
+night." Again Yellow Franz raised his pistol toward Barney's
+heart. <br>
+<p>Before the brigand could pull the trigger, or Barney hurl
+himself upon his would-be assassin, there was a flash and a loud
+report from the open window of the shack.<br>
+</p>
+
+With a groan Yellow Franz crumpled to the dirt floor, and
+simultaneously Barney was upon him and had wrested the pistol
+from his hand; but the precaution was unnecessary for Yellow
+Franz would never again press finger to trigger. He was dead even
+before Barney reached his side. <br>
+<p>In possession of the weapon, the American turned toward the
+window from which had come the rescuing shot, and as he did so he
+saw the boy, Rudolph, clambering over the sill, white-faced and
+trembling. In his hand was a smoking carbine, and on his brow
+great beads of cold sweat.<br>
+</p>
+
+"God forgive me!" murmured the youth. "I have killed a man." <br>
+<p>"You have killed a dangerous wild beast, Rudolph," said
+Barney, "and both God and your fellow man will thank and reward
+you."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I am glad that I killed him, though," went on the boy, "for he
+would have killed you, my king, had I not done so. Gladly would I
+go to the gallows to save my king." <br>
+<p>"You are a brave lad, Rudolph," said Barney, "and if ever I
+get out of the pretty pickle I'm in you'll be well rewarded for
+your loyalty to Leopold of Lutha. After all," thought the young
+man, "being a kind has its redeeming features, for if the boy had
+not thought me his monarch he would never have risked the
+vengeance of the bloodthirsty brigands in this attempt to save
+me."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Hasten, your majesty," whispered the boy, tugging at the sleeve
+of Barney's jacket. "There is no time to be lost. We must be far
+away from here when the others discover that Yellow Franz has
+been killed." <br>
+<p>Barney stooped above the dead man, and removing his belt and
+cartridges transferred them to his own person. Then blowing out
+the lantern the two slipped out into the darkness of the
+night.<br>
+</p>
+
+About the camp fire of the brigands the entire pack was
+congregated. They were talking together in low voices, ever and
+anon glancing expectantly toward the shack to which their chief
+had gone to dispatch the king. It is not every day that a king is
+murdered, and even these hardened cutthroats felt the spell of
+awe at the thought of what they believed the sharp report they
+had heard from the shack portended. <br>
+<p>Keeping well to the far side of the clearing, Rudolph led
+Barney around the group of men and safely into the wood below
+them. From this point the boy followed the trail which Barney and
+his captors had traversed two days previously, until he came to a
+diverging ravine that led steeply up through the mountains upon
+their right hand.<br>
+</p>
+
+In the distance behind them they suddenly heard, faintly, the
+shouting of men. <br>
+<p>"They have discovered Yellow Franz," whispered the boy,
+shuddering.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Then they'll be after us directly," said Barney. <br>
+<p>"Yes, your majesty," replied Rudolph, "but in the darkness
+they will not see that we have turned up this ravine, and so they
+will ride on down the other. I have chosen this way because their
+horses cannot follow us here, and thus we shall be under no great
+disadvantage. It may be, however, that we shall have to hide in
+the mountains for a while, since there will be no place of safety
+for us between here and Lustadt until after the edge of their
+anger is dulled."<br>
+</p>
+
+And such proved to be the case, for try as they would they found
+it impossible to reach Lustadt without detection by the brigands
+who patrolled every highway and byway from their rugged mountains
+to the capital of Lutha. <br>
+<p>For nearly three weeks Barney and the boy hid in caves or
+dense underbrush by day, and by night sought some avenue which
+would lead them past the vigilant sentries that patrolled the
+ways to freedom.<br>
+</p>
+
+Often they were wet by rains, nor were they ever in the warm
+sunlight for a sufficient length of time to become thoroughly dry
+and comfortable. Of food they had little, and of the poorest
+quality. <br>
+<p>They dared not light a fire for warmth or cooking, and their
+light was so miserable that, but for the boy's pitiful terror at
+the thought of being recaptured by the bandits, Barney would long
+since have made a break for Lustadt, depending upon their arms
+and ammunition to carry them safely through were they discovered
+by their enemies.<br>
+</p>
+
+Rudolph had contracted a severe cold the first night, and now, it
+having settled upon his lungs, he had developed a persistent and
+aggravating cough that caused Barney not a little apprehension.
+When, after nearly three weeks of suffering and privation, it
+became clear that the boy's lungs were affected, the American
+decided to take matters into his own hands and attempt to reach
+Lustadt and a good doctor; but before he had an opportunity to
+put his plan into execution the entire matter was removed from
+his jurisdiction. <br>
+<p>It happened like this: After a particularly fatiguing and
+uncomfortable night spent in attempting to elude the sentinels
+who blocked their way from the mountains, daylight found them
+near a little spring, and here they decided to rest for an hour
+before resuming their way.<br>
+</p>
+
+The little pool lay not far from a clump of heavy bushes which
+would offer them excellent shelter, as it was Barney's intention
+to go into hiding as soon as they had quenched their thirst at
+the spring. <br>
+<p>Rudolph was coughing pitifully, his slender frame wracked by
+the convulsion of each new attack. Barney had placed an arm about
+the boy to support him, for the paroxysms always left him very
+weak.<br>
+</p>
+
+The young man's heart went out to the poor boy, and pangs of
+regret filled his mind as he realized that the child's pathetic
+condition was the direct result of his self-sacrificing attempt
+to save his king. Barney felt much like a murderer and a thief,
+and dreaded the time when the boy should be brought to a
+realization of his mistake. <br>
+<p>He had come to feel a warm affection for the loyal little lad,
+who had suffered so uncomplainingly and whose every thought had
+been for the safety and comfort of his king.<br>
+</p>
+
+Today, thought Barney, I'll take this child through to Lustadt
+even if every ragged brigand in Lutha lies between us and the
+capital; but even as he spoke a sudden crashing of underbrush
+behind caused him to wheel about, and there, not twenty paces
+from them, stood two of Yellow Franz's cutthroats. <br>
+<p>At sight of Barney and the lad they gave voice to a shout of
+triumph, and raising their carbines fired point-blank at the two
+fugitives.<br>
+</p>
+
+But Barney had been equally as quick with his own weapon, and at
+the moment that they fired he grasped Rudolph and dragged him
+backward to a great boulder behind which their bodies might be
+protected from the fire of their enemies. <br>
+<p>Both the bullets of the bandits' first volley had been
+directed at Barney, for it was upon his head that the great price
+rested. They had missed him by a narrow margin, due, perhaps, to
+the fact that the mounts of the brigands had been prancing in
+alarm at the unexpected sight of the two strangers at the very
+moment that their riders attempted to take aim and fire.<br>
+</p>
+
+But now they had ridden back into the brush and dismounted, and
+after hiding their ponies they came creeping out upon their
+bellies upon opposite sides of Barney's shelter. <br>
+<p>The American saw that it would be an easy thing for them to
+pick him off if he remained where he was, and so with a word to
+Rudolph he sprang up and the boy with him. Each delivered a quick
+shot at the bandit nearest him, and then together they broke for
+the bushes in which the brigand's mounts were hidden.<br>
+</p>
+
+Two shots answered theirs. Rudolph, who was ahead of Barney,
+stumbled and threw up his hands. He would have fallen had not the
+American thrown a strong arm about him. <br>
+<p>"I'm shot, your majesty," murmured the boy, his head dropping
+against Barney's breast.<br>
+</p>
+
+With the lad grasped close to him, the young man turned at the
+edge of the brush to meet the charge of the two ruffians. The
+wounding of the youth had delayed them just enough to preclude
+their making this temporary refuge in safety. <br>
+<p>As Barney turned both the men fired simultaneously, and both
+missed. The American raised his revolver, and with the flash of
+it the foremost brigand came to a sudden stop. An expression of
+bewilderment crossed his features. He extended his arms straight
+before him, the revolver slipped from his grasp, and then like a
+dying top he pivoted once drunkenly and collapsed upon the
+turf.<br>
+</p>
+
+At the instant of his fall his companion and the American fired
+point-blank at one another. <br>
+<p>Barney felt a burning sensation in his shoulder, but it was
+forgotten for the moment in the relief that came to him as he saw
+the second rascal sprawl headlong upon his face. Then he turned
+his attention to the limp little figure that hung across his left
+arm.<br>
+</p>
+
+Gently Barney laid the boy upon the sward, and fetching water
+from the pool bathed his face and forced a few drops between the
+white lips. The cooling draft revived the wounded child, but
+brought on a paroxysm of coughing. When this had subsided Rudolph
+raised his eyes to those of the man bending above him. <br>
+<p>"Thank God, your majesty is unharmed," he whispered. "Now I
+can die in peace."<br>
+</p>
+
+The white lids drooped lower, and with a tired sigh the boy lay
+quiet. Tears came to the young man's eyes as he let the limp body
+gently to the ground. <br>
+<p>"Brave little heart," he murmured, "you gave up your life in
+the service of your king as truly as though you had not been all
+mistaken in the object of your veneration, and if it lies within
+the power of Barney Custer you shall not have died in vain."<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_8">Chapter VII THE REAL LEOPOLD</h1>
+
+<br>
+TWO HOURS later a horseman pushed his way between tumbled and
+tangled briers along the bottom of a deep ravine. <br>
+<p>He was hatless, and his stained and ragged khaki betokened
+much exposure to the elements and hard and continued usage. At
+his saddle-bow a carbine swung in its boot, and upon either hip
+was strapped a long revolver. Ammunition in plenty filled the
+cross belts that he had looped about his shoulders.<br>
+</p>
+
+Grim and warlike as were his trappings, no less grim was the set
+of his strong jaw or the glint of his gray eyes, nor did the
+patch of brown stain that had soaked through the left shoulder of
+his jacket tend to lessen the martial atmosphere which surrounded
+him. Fortunate it was for the brigands of the late Yellow Franz
+that none of them chanced in the path of Barney Custer that day.
+<br>
+<p>For nearly two hours the man had ridden downward out of the
+high hills in search of a dwelling at which he might ask the way
+to Tann; but as yet he had passed but a single house, and that a
+long untenanted ruin. He was wondering what had become of all the
+inhabitants of Lutha when his horse came to a sudden halt before
+an obstacle which entirely blocked the narrow trail at the bottom
+of the ravine.<br>
+</p>
+
+As the horseman's eyes fell upon the thing they went wide in
+astonishment, for it was no less than the charred remnants of the
+once beautiful gray roadster that had brought him into this
+twentieth century land of medieval adventure and intrigue. Barney
+saw that the machine had been lifted from where it had fallen
+across the horse of the Princess von der Tann, for the animal's
+decaying carcass now lay entirely clear of it; but why this
+should have been done, or by whom, the young man could not
+imagine. <br>
+<p>A glance aloft showed him the road far above him, from which
+he, the horse and the roadster had catapulted; and with the sight
+of it there flashed to his mind the fair face of the young girl
+in whose service the thing had happened. Barney wondered if
+Joseph had been successful in returning her to Tann, and he
+wondered, too, if she mourned for the man she had thought
+king--if she would be very angry should she ever learn the
+truth.<br>
+</p>
+
+Then there came to the American's mind the figure of the
+shopkeeper of Tafelberg, and the fellow's evident loyalty to the
+mad king he had never seen. Here was one who might aid him,
+thought Barney. He would have the will, at least and with the
+thought the young man turned his pony's head diagonally up the
+steep ravine side. <br>
+<p>It was a tough and dangerous struggle to the road above, but
+at last by dint of strenuous efforts on the part of the sturdy
+little beast the two finally scrambled over the edge of the road
+and stood once more upon level footing.<br>
+</p>
+
+After breathing his mount for a few minutes Barney swung himself
+into the saddle again and set off toward Tafelberg. He met no one
+upon the road, nor within the outskirts of the village, and so he
+came to the door of the shop he sought without attracting
+attention. <br>
+<p>Swinging to the ground he tied the pony to one of the
+supporting columns of the porch-roof and a moment later had
+stepped within the shop.<br>
+</p>
+
+From a back room the shopkeeper presently emerged, and when he
+saw who it was that stood before him his eyes went wide in
+consternation. <br>
+<p>"In the name of all the saints, your majesty," cried the old
+fellow, "what has happened? How comes it that you are out of the
+hospital, and travel-stained as though from a long, hard ride? I
+cannot understand it, sire."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Hospital?" queried the young man. "What do you mean, my good
+fellow? I have been in no hospital." <br>
+<p>"You were there only last evening when I inquired after you of
+the doctor," insisted the shopkeeper, "nor did any there yet
+suspect your true identity."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Last evening I was hiding far up in the mountains from Yellow
+Franz's band of cutthroats," replied Barney. "Tell me what manner
+of riddle you are propounding." <br>
+<p>Then a sudden light of understanding flashed through Barney's
+mind.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Man!" he exclaimed. "Tell me--you have found the true king? He
+is at a hospital in Tafelberg?" <br>
+<p>"Yes, your majesty, I have found the true king, and it is so
+that he was at the Tafelberg sanatorium last evening. It was
+beside the remnants of your wrecked automobile that two of the
+men of Tafelberg found you.<br>
+</p>
+
+"One leg was pinioned beneath the machine which was on fire when
+they discovered you. They brought you to my shop, which is the
+first on the road into town, and not guessing your true identity
+they took my word for it that you were an old acquaintance of
+mine and without more ado turned you over to my care." <br>
+<p>Barney scratched his head in puzzled bewilderment. He began to
+doubt if he were in truth himself, or, after all, Leopold of
+Lutha. As no one but himself could, by the wildest stretch of
+imagination, have been in such a position, he was almost forced
+to the conclusion that all that had passed since the instant that
+his car shot over the edge of the road into the ravine had been
+but the hallucinations of a fever-excited brain, and that for the
+past three weeks he had been lying in a hospital cot instead of
+experiencing the strange and inexplicable adventures that he had
+believed to have befallen him.<br>
+</p>
+
+But yet the more he thought of it the more ridiculous such a
+conclusion appeared, for it did not in the least explain the pony
+tethered without, which he plainly could see from where he stood
+within the shop, nor did it satisfactorily account for the blotch
+of blood upon his shoulder from a wound so fresh that the stain
+still was damp; nor for the sword which Joseph had buckled about
+his waist within Blentz's forbidding walls; nor for the arms and
+ammunition he had taken from the dead brigands--all of which he
+had before him as tangible evidence of the rationality of the
+past few weeks. <br>
+<p>"My friend," said Barney at last, "I cannot wonder that you
+have mistaken me for the king, since all those I have met within
+Lutha have leaped to the same error, though not one among them
+made the slightest pretense of ever having seen his majesty. A
+ridiculous beard started the trouble, and later a series of
+happenings, no one of which was particularly remarkable in
+itself, aggravated it, until but a moment since I myself was
+almost upon the point of believing that I am the king.<br>
+</p>
+
+"But, my dear Herr Kramer, I am not the king; and when you have
+accompanied me to the hospital and seen that your patient still
+is there, you may be willing to admit that there is some
+justification for doubt as to my royalty." <br>
+<p>The old man shook his head.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I am not so sure of that," he said, "for he who lies at the
+hospital, providing you are not he, or he you, maintains as
+sturdily as do you that he is not Leopold. If one of you,
+whichever be king--providing that you are not one and the same,
+and that I be not the only maniac in the sad muddle--if one of
+you would but trust my loyalty and love for the true king and
+admit your identity, then I might be of some real service to that
+one of you who is really Leopold. Herr Gott! My words are as
+mixed as my poor brain." <br>
+<p>"If you will listen to me, Herr Kramer," said Barney, "and
+believe what I tell you, I shall be able to unscramble your ideas
+in so far as they pertain to me and my identity. As to the man
+you say was found beneath my car, and who now lies in the
+sanatorium of Tafelberg, I cannot say until I have seen and
+talked with him. He may be the king and he may not; but if he
+insists that he is not, I shall be the last to wish a kingship
+upon him. I know from sad experience the hardships and burdens
+that the thing entails."<br>
+</p>
+
+Then Barney narrated carefully and in detail the principal events
+of his life, from his birth in Beatrice to his coming to Lutha
+upon pleasure. He showed Herr Kramer his watch with his monogram
+upon it, his seal ring, and inside the pocket of his coat the
+label of his tailor, with his own name written beneath it and the
+date that the garment had been ordered. <br>
+<p>When he had completed his narrative the old man shook his
+head.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I cannot understand it," he said; "and yet I am almost forced to
+believe that you are not the king." <br>
+<p>"Direct me to the sanatorium," suggested Barney, "and if it be
+within the range of possibility I shall learn whether the man who
+lies there is Leopold or another, and if he be the king I shall
+serve him as loyally as you would have served me. Together we may
+assist him to gain the safety of Tann and the protection of old
+Prince Ludwig."<br>
+</p>
+
+"If you are not the king," said Kramer suspiciously, "why should
+you be so interested in aiding Leopold? You may even be an enemy.
+How can I know?" <br>
+<p>"You cannot know, my good friend," replied Barney. "But had I
+been an enemy, how much more easily might I have encompassed my
+designs, whatever they might have been, had I encouraged you to
+believe that I was king. The fact that I did not, must assure you
+that I have no ulterior designs against Leopold."<br>
+</p>
+
+This line of reasoning proved quite convincing to the old
+shopkeeper, and at last he consented to lead Barney to the
+sanatorium. Together they traversed the quiet village streets to
+the outskirts of the town, where in large, park-like grounds the
+well-known sanatorium of Tafelberg is situated in quiet
+surroundings. It is an institution for the treatment of nervous
+diseases to which patients are brought from all parts of Europe,
+and is doubtless Lutha's principal claim upon the attention of
+the outer world. <br>
+<p>As the two crossed the gardens which lay between the gate and
+the main entrance and mounted the broad steps leading to the
+veranda an old servant opened the door, and recognizing Herr
+Kramer, nodded pleasantly to him.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Your patient seems much brighter this morning, Herr Kramer," he
+said, "and has been asking to be allowed to sit up." <br>
+<p>"He is still here, then?" questioned the shopkeeper with a
+sigh that might have indicated either relief or resignation.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Why, certainly. You did not expect that he had entirely
+recovered overnight, did you?" <br>
+<p>"No," replied Herr Kramer, "not exactly. In fact, I did not
+know what I should expect."<br>
+</p>
+
+As the two passed him on their way to the room in which the
+patient lay, the servant eyed Herr Kramer in surprise, as though
+wondering what had occurred to his mentality since he had seen
+him the previous day. He paid no attention to Barney other than
+to bow to him as he passed, but there was another who did--an
+attendant standing in the hallway through which the two men
+walked toward the private room where one of them expected to find
+the real mad king of Lutha. <br>
+<p>He was a dark-visaged fellow, sallow and small-eyed; and as
+his glance rested upon the features of the American a puzzled
+expression crossed his face. He let his gaze follow the two as
+they moved on up the corridor until they turned in at the door of
+the room they sought, then he followed them, entering an
+apartment next to that in which Herr Kramer's patient lay.<br>
+</p>
+
+As Barney and the shopkeeper entered the small, whitewashed room,
+the former saw upon the narrow iron cot the figure of a man of
+about his own height. The face that turned toward them as they
+entered was covered by a full, reddishbrown beard, and the eyes
+that looked up at them in troubled surprise were gray. Beyond
+these Barney could see no likenesses to himself; yet they were
+sufficient, he realized, to have deceived any who might have
+compared one solely to the printed description of the other. <br>
+<p>At the doorway Kramer halted, motioning Barney within.<br>
+</p>
+
+"It will be better if you talk with him alone," he said. "I am
+sure that before both of us he will admit nothing." <br>
+<p>Barney nodded, and the shopkeeper of Tafelberg withdrew and
+closed the door behind him. The American approached the bedside
+with a cheery "Good morning."<br>
+</p>
+
+The man returned the salutation with a slight inclination of his
+head. There was a questioning look in his eyes; but dominating
+that was a pitiful, hunted expression that touched the American's
+heart. <br>
+<p>The man's left hand lay upon the coverlet. Barney glanced at
+the third finger. About it was a plain gold band. There was no
+royal ring of the kings of Lutha in evidence, yet that was no
+indication that the man was not Leopold; for were he the king and
+desirous of concealing his identity, his first act would be to
+remove every symbol of his kingship.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney took the hand in his. <br>
+<p>"They tell me that you are well on the road to recovery," he
+said. "I am very glad that it is so."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Who are you?" asked the man. <br>
+<p>"I am Bernard Custer, an American. You were found beneath my
+car at the bottom of a ravine. I feel that I owe you full
+reparation for the injuries you received, though it is beyond me
+how you happened to be found under the machine. Unless I am truly
+mad, I was the only occupant of the roadster when it plunged over
+the embankment."<br>
+</p>
+
+"It is very simple," replied the man upon the cot. "I chanced to
+be at the bottom of the ravine at the time and the car fell upon
+me." <br>
+<p>"What were you doing at the bottom of the ravine?" asked
+Barney quite suddenly, after the manner of one who administers a
+third degree.<br>
+</p>
+
+The man started and flushed with suspicion. <br>
+<p>"That is my own affair," he said.<br>
+</p>
+
+He tried to disengage his hand from Barney's, and as he did so
+the American felt something within the fingers of the other. For
+an instant his own fingers tightened upon those that lay within
+them, so that as the others were withdrawn his index finger
+pressed close upon the thing that had aroused his curiosity. <br>
+<p>It was a large setting turned inward upon the third finger of
+the left hand. The gold band that Barney had seen was but the
+opposite side of the same ring.<br>
+</p>
+
+A quick look of comprehension came to Barney's eyes. The man upon
+the cot evidently noted it and rightly interpreted its cause,
+for, having freed his hand, he now slipped it quickly beneath the
+coverlet. <br>
+<p>"I have passed through a series of rather remarkable
+adventures since I came to Lutha," said Barney apparently quite
+irrelevantly, after the two had remained silent for a moment.
+"Shortly after my car fell upon you I was mistaken for the
+fugitive King Leopold by the young lady whose horse fell into the
+ravine with my car. She is a most loyal supporter of the king,
+being none other than the Princess Emma von der Tann. From her I
+learned to espouse the cause of Leopold."<br>
+</p>
+
+Step by step Barney took the man through the adventures that had
+befallen him during the past three weeks, closing with the story
+of the death of the boy, Rudolph. <br>
+<p>"Above his dead body I swore to serve Leopold of Lutha as
+loyally as the poor, mistaken child had served me, your majesty,"
+and Barney looked straight into the eyes of him who lay upon the
+little iron cot.<br>
+</p>
+
+For a moment the man held his eyes upon those of the American,
+but finally, under the latter's steady gaze, they dropped and
+wandered. <br>
+<p>"Why do you address me as 'your majesty'?" he asked
+irritably.<br>
+</p>
+
+"With my forefinger I felt the ruby and the four wings of the
+setting of the royal ring of the kings of Lutha upon the third
+finger of your left hand," replied Barney. <br>
+<p>The king started up upon his elbow, his eyes wild with
+apprehension.<br>
+</p>
+
+"It is not so," he cried. "It is a lie! I am not the king." <br>
+<p>"Hush!" admonished Barney. "You have nothing to fear from me.
+There are good friends and loyal subjects in plenty to serve and
+protect your majesty, and place you upon the throne that has been
+stolen from you. I have sworn to serve you. The old shopkeeper,
+Herr Kramer, who brought me here, is an honest, loyal old soul.
+He would die for you, your majesty. Trust us. Let us help you.
+Tomorrow, Kramer tells me, Peter of Blentz is to have himself
+crowned as king in the cathedral at Lustadt.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Will you sit supinely by and see another rob you of your
+kingdom, and then continue to rob and throttle your subjects as
+he has been doing for the past ten years? No, you will not. Even
+if you do not want the crown, you were born to the duties and
+obligations it entails, and for the sake of your people you must
+assume them now." <br>
+<p>"How am I to know that you are not another of the creatures of
+that fiend of Blentz?" cried the king. "How am I to know that you
+will not drag me back to the terrors of that awful castle, and to
+the poisonous potions of the new physician Peter has employed to
+assassinate me? I can trust none.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Go away and leave me. I do not want to be king. I wish only to
+go away as far from Lutha as I can get and pass the balance of my
+life in peace and security. Peter may have the crown. He is
+welcome to it, for all of me. All I ask is my life and my
+liberty." <br>
+<p>Barney saw that while the king was evidently of sound mind,
+his was not one of those iron characters and courageous hearts
+that would willingly fight to the death for his own rights and
+the rights and happiness of his people. Perhaps the long years of
+bitter disappointment and misery, the tedious hours of
+imprisonment, and the constant haunting fears for his life had
+reduced him to this pitiable condition.<br>
+</p>
+
+Whatever the cause, Barney Custer was determined to overcome the
+man's aversion to assuming the duties which were rightly his, for
+in his memory were the words of Emma von der Tann, in which she
+had made plain to him the fate that would doubtless befall her
+father and his house were Peter of Blentz to become king of
+Lutha. Then, too, there was the life of the little peasant boy.
+Was that to be given up uselessly for a king with so mean a
+spirit that he would not take a scepter when it was forced upon
+him? <br>
+<p>And the people of Lutha? Were they to be further and
+continually robbed and downtrodden beneath the heel of Peter's
+scoundrelly officials because their true king chose to evade the
+responsibilities that were his by birth?<br>
+</p>
+
+For half an hour Barney pleaded and argued with the king, until
+he infused in the weak character of the young man a part of his
+own tireless enthusiasm and courage. Leopold commenced to take
+heart and see things in a brighter and more engaging light.
+Finally he became quite excited about the prospects, and at last
+Barney obtained a willing promise from him that he would consent
+to being placed upon his throne and would go to Lustadt at any
+time that Barney should come for him with a force from the
+retainers of Prince Ludwig von der Tann. <br>
+<p>"Let us hope," cried the king, "that the luck of the reigning
+house of Lutha has been at last restored. Not since my aunt, the
+Princess Victoria, ran away with a foreigner has good fortune
+shone upon my house. It was when my father was still a young
+man--before he had yet come to the throne--and though his reign
+was marked with great peace and prosperity for the people of
+Lutha, his own private fortunes were most unhappy.<br>
+</p>
+
+"My mother died at my birth, and the last days of my father's
+life were filled with suffering from the cancer that was slowly
+killing him. Let us pray, Herr Custer, that you have brought new
+life to the fortunes of my house." <br>
+<p>"Amen, your majesty," said Barney. "And now I'll be off for
+Tann--there must not be a moment lost if we are to bring you to
+Lustadt in time for the coronation. Herr Kramer will watch over
+you, but as none here guesses your true identity you are safer
+here than anywhere else in Lutha. Good-bye, your majesty. Be of
+good heart. We'll have you on the road to Lustadt and the throne
+tomorrow morning."<br>
+</p>
+
+After Barney Custer had closed the door of the king's chamber
+behind him and hurried down the corridor, the door of the room
+next the king's opened quietly and a darkvisaged fellow, sallow
+and small-eyed, emerged. Upon his lips was a smile of cunning
+satisfaction, as he hastened to the office of the medical
+director and obtained a leave of absence for twenty-four hours.
+<br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+
+<h1 id="ref_9">Chapter VIII THE CORONATION DAY</h1>
+
+<br>
+<p>TOWARD DUSK of the day upon which the mad king of Lutha had
+been found, a dust-covered horseman reined in before the great
+gate of the castle of Prince Ludwig von der Tann. The unsettled
+political conditions which overhung the little kingdom of Lutha
+were evident in the return to medievalism which the raised
+portcullis and the armed guard upon the barbican of the ancient
+feudal fortress revealed. Not for a hundred years before had
+these things been done other than as a part of the ceremonials of
+a fete day, or in honor of visiting royalty.<br>
+</p>
+
+At the challenge from the gate Barney replied that he bore a
+message for the prince. Slowly the portcullis sank into position
+across the moat and an officer advanced to meet the rider. <br>
+<p>"The prince has ridden to Lustadt with a large retinue," he
+said, "to attend the coronation of Peter of Blentz tomorrow."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Prince Ludwig von der Tann has gone to attend the coronation of
+Peter!" cried Barney in amazement. "Has the Princess Emma
+returned from her captivity in the castle of Blentz?" <br>
+<p>"She is with her father now, having returned nearly three
+weeks ago," replied the officer, "and Peter has disclaimed
+responsibility for the outrage, promising that those responsible
+shall be punished. He has convinced Prince Ludwig that Leopold is
+dead, and for the sake of Lutha--to save her from civil
+strife--my prince has patched a truce with Peter; though unless I
+mistake the character of the latter and the temper of the former
+it will be short-lived.<br>
+</p>
+
+"To demonstrate to the people," continued the officer, "that
+Prince Ludwig and Peter are good friends, the great Von der Tann
+will attend the coronation, but that he takes little stock in the
+sincerity of the Prince of Blentz would be apparent could the
+latter have a peep beneath the cloaks and look into the loyal
+hearts of the men of Tann who rode down to Lustadt today." <br>
+<p>Barney did not wait to hear more. He was glad that in the
+gathering dusk the officer had not seen his face plainly enough
+to mistake him for the king. With a parting, "Then I must ride to
+Lustadt with my message for the prince," he wheeled his tired
+mount and trotted down the steep trail from Tann toward the
+highway which leads to the capital.<br>
+</p>
+
+All night Barney rode. Three times he wandered from the way and
+was forced to stop at farmhouses to inquire the proper direction;
+but darkness hid his features from the sleepy eyes of those who
+answered his summons, and daylight found him still forging ahead
+in the direction of the capital of Lutha. <br>
+<p>The American was sunk in unhappy meditation as his weary
+little mount plodded slowly along the dusty road. For hours the
+man had not been able to urge the beast out of a walk. The loss
+of time consequent upon his having followed wrong roads during
+the night and the exhaustion of the pony which retarded his speed
+to what seemed little better than a snail's pace seemed to assure
+the failure of his mission, for at best he could not reach
+Lustadt before noon.<br>
+</p>
+
+There was no possibility of bringing Leopold to his capital in
+time for the coronation, and but a bare possibility that Prince
+Ludwig would accept the word of an entire stranger that Leopold
+lived, for the acknowledgment of such a condition by the old
+prince could result in nothing less than an immediate resort to
+arms by the two factions. It was certain that Peter would be
+infinitely more anxious to proceed with his coronation should it
+be rumored that Leopold lived, and equally certain that Prince
+Ludwig would interpose every obstacle, even to armed resistance,
+to prevent the consummation of the ceremony. <br>
+<p>Yet there seemed to Barney no other alternative than to place
+before the king's one powerful friend the information that he
+had. It would then rest with Ludwig to do what he thought
+advisable.<br>
+</p>
+
+An hour from Lustadt the road wound through a dense forest, whose
+pleasant shade was a grateful relief to both horse and rider from
+the hot sun beneath which they had been journeying the greater
+part of the morning. Barney was still lost in thought, his eyes
+bent forward, when at a sudden turning of the road he came face
+to face with a troop of horse that were entering the main highway
+at this point from an unfrequented byroad. <br>
+<p>At sight of them the American instinctively wheeled his mount
+in an effort to escape, but at a command from an officer a half
+dozen troopers spurred after him, their fresh horses soon
+overtaking his jaded pony.<br>
+</p>
+
+For a moment Barney contemplated resistance, for these were
+troopers of the Royal Horse, the body which was now Peter's most
+effective personal tool; but even as his hand slipped to the butt
+of one of the revolvers at his hip, the young man saw the foolish
+futility of such a course, and with a shrug and a smile he drew
+rein and turned to face the advancing soldiers. <br>
+<p>As he did so the officer rode up, and at sight of Barney's
+face gave an exclamation of astonishment. The officer was
+Butzow.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Well met, your majesty," he cried saluting. "We are riding to
+the coronation. We shall be just in time." <br>
+<p>"To see Peter of Blentz rob Leopold of a crown," said the
+American in a disgusted tone.<br>
+</p>
+
+"To see Leopold of Lutha come into his own, your majesty. Long
+live the king!" cried the officer. <br>
+<p>Barney thought the man either poking fun at him because he was
+not the king, or, thinking he was Leopold, taking a mean
+advantage of his helplessness to bait him. Yet this last
+suspicion seemed unfair to Butzow, who at Blentz had given ample
+evidence that he was a gentleman, and of far different caliber
+from Maenck and the others who served Peter.<br>
+</p>
+
+If he could but convince the man that he was no king and thus
+gain his liberty long enough to reach Prince Ludwig's ear, his
+mission would have been served in so far as it lay in his power
+to serve it. For some minutes Barney expended his best eloquence
+and logic upon the cavalry officer in an effort to convince him
+that he was not Leopold. <br>
+<p>The king had given the American his great ring to safeguard
+for him until it should be less dangerous for Leopold to wear it,
+and for fear that at the last moment someone within the
+sanatorium might recognize it and bear word to Peter of the
+king's whereabouts. Barney had worn it turned in upon the third
+finger of his left hand, and now he slipped it surreptitiously
+into his breeches pocket lest Butzow should see it and by it be
+convinced that Barney was indeed Leopold.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Never mind who you are," cried Butzow, thinking to humor the
+king's strange obsession. "You look enough like Leopold to be his
+twin, and you must help us save Lutha from Peter of Blentz." <br>
+<p>The American showed in his expression the surprise he felt at
+these words from an officer of the prince regent.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You wonder at my change of heart?" asked Butzow. <br>
+<p>"How can I do otherwise?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"I cannot blame you," said the officer. "Yet I think that when
+you know the truth you will see that I have done only that which
+I believed to be the duty of a patriotic officer and a true
+gentleman." <br>
+<p>They had rejoined the troop by this time, and the entire
+company was once more headed toward Lustadt. Butzow had commanded
+one of the troopers to exchange horses with Barney, bringing the
+jaded animal into the city slowly, and now freshly mounted the
+American was making better time toward his destination. His
+spirits rose, and as they galloped along the highway, he listened
+with renewed interest to the story which Lieutenant Butzow
+narrated in detail.<br>
+</p>
+
+It seemed that Butzow had been absent from Lutha for a number of
+years as military attache to the Luthanian legation at a foreign
+court. He had known nothing of the true condition at home until
+his return, when he saw such scoundrels as Coblich, Maenck, and
+Stein high in the favor of the prince regent. For some time
+before the events that had transpired after he had brought Barney
+and the Princess Emma to Blentz he had commenced to have his
+doubts as to the true patriotism of Peter of Blentz; and when he
+had learned through the unguarded words of Schonau that there was
+a real foundation for the rumor that the regent had plotted the
+assassination of the king his suspicions had crystallized into
+knowledge, and he had sworn to serve his king before all
+others--were he sane or mad. From this loyalty he could not be
+shaken. <br>
+<p>"And what do you intend doing now?" asked Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I intend placing you upon the throne of your ancestors, sire,"
+replied Butzow; "nor will Peter of Blentz dare the wrath of the
+people by attempting to interpose any obstacle. When he sees
+Leopold of Lutha ride into the capital of his kingdom at the head
+of even so small a force as ours he will know that the end of his
+own power is at hand, for he is not such a fool that he does not
+perfectly realize that he is the most cordially hated man in all
+Lutha, and that only those attend upon him who hope to profit
+through his success or who fear his evil nature." <br>
+<p>"If Peter is crowned today," asked Barney, "will it prevent
+Leopold regaining his throne?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"It is difficult to say," replied Butzow; "but the chances are
+that the throne would be lost to him forever. To regain it he
+would have to plunge Lutha into a bitter civil war, for once
+Peter is proclaimed king he will have the law upon his side, and
+with the resources of the State behind him--the treasury and the
+army--he will feel in no mood to relinquish the scepter without a
+struggle. I doubt much that you will ever sit upon your throne,
+sire, unless you do so within the very next hour." <br>
+<p>For some time Barney rode in silence. He saw that only by a
+master stroke could the crown be saved for the true king. Was it
+worth it? The man was happier without a crown. Barney had come to
+believe that no man lived who could be happy in possession of
+one. Then there came before his mind's eye the delicate,
+patrician face of Emma von der Tann.<br>
+</p>
+
+Would Peter of Blentz be true to his new promises to the house of
+Von der Tann? Barney doubted it. He recalled all that it might
+mean of danger and suffering to the girl whose kisses he still
+felt upon his lips as though it had been but now that hers had
+placed them there. He recalled the limp little body of the boy,
+Rudolph, and the Spartan loyalty with which the little fellow had
+given his life in the service of the man he had thought king. The
+pitiful figure of the fear-haunted man upon the iron cot at
+Tafelberg rose before him and cried for vengeance. <br>
+<p>To this man was the woman he loved betrothed! He knew that he
+might never wed the Princess Emma. Even were she not promised to
+another, the iron shackles of convention and age-old customs must
+forever separate her from an untitled American. But if he
+couldn't have her he still could serve her!<br>
+</p>
+
+"For her sake," he muttered. <br>
+<p>"Did your majesty speak?" asked Butzow.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Yes, lieutenant. We urge greater haste, for if we are to be
+crowned today we have no time to lose." <br>
+<p>Butzow smiled a relieved smile. The king had at last regained
+his senses!<br>
+</p>
+
+Within the ancient cathedral at Lustadt a great and gorgeously
+attired assemblage had congregated. All the nobles of Lutha were
+gathered there with their wives, their children, and their
+retainers. There were the newer nobility of the lowlands--many
+whose patents dated but since the regency of Peter--and there
+were the proud nobility of the highlands--the old nobility of
+which Prince Ludwig von der Tann was the chief. <br>
+<p>It was noticeable that though a truce had been made between
+Ludwig and Peter, yet the former chancellor of the kingdom did
+not stand upon the chancel with the other dignitaries of the
+State and court.<br>
+</p>
+
+Few there were who knew that he had been invited to occupy a
+place of honor there, and had replied that he would take no
+active part in the making of any king in Lutha whose veins did
+not pulse to the flow of the blood of the house in whose service
+he had grown gray. <br>
+<p>Close packed were the retainers of the old prince so that
+their great number was scarcely noticeable, though quite so was
+the fact that they kept their cloaks on, presenting a somber
+appearance in the midst of all the glitter of gold and gleam of
+jewels that surrounded them--a grim, businesslike appearance that
+cast a chill upon Peter of Blentz as his eyes scanned the
+multitude of faces below him.<br>
+</p>
+
+He would have shown his indignation at this seeming affront had
+he dared; but until the crown was safely upon his head and the
+royal scepter in his hand Peter had no mind to do aught that
+might jeopardize the attainment of the power he had sought for
+the past ten years. <br>
+<p>The solemn ceremony was all but completed; the Bishop of
+Lustadt had received the great golden crown from the purple
+cushion upon which it had been borne at the head of the
+procession which accompanied Peter up the broad center aisle of
+the cathedral. He had raised it above the head of the prince
+regent, and was repeating the solemn words which precede the
+placing of the golden circlet upon the man's brow. In another
+moment Peter of Blentz would be proclaimed the king of Lutha.<br>
+</p>
+
+By her father's side stood Emma von der Tann. Upon her haughty,
+high-bred face there was no sign of the emotions which ran riot
+within her fair bosom. In the act that she was witnessing she saw
+the eventual ruin of her father's house. That Peter would long
+want for an excuse to break and humble his ancient enemy she did
+not believe; but this was not the only cause for the sorrow that
+overwhelmed her. <br>
+<p>Her most poignant grief, like that of her father, was for the
+dead king, Leopold; but to the sorrow of the loyal subject was
+added the grief of the loving woman, bereft. Close to her heart
+she hugged the memory of the brief hours spent with the man whom
+she had been taught since childhood to look upon as her future
+husband, but for whom the allconsuming fires of love had only
+been fanned to life within her since that moment, now three weeks
+gone, that he had crushed her to his breast to cover her lips
+with kisses for the short moment ere he sacrificed his life to
+save her from a fate worse than death.<br>
+</p>
+
+Before her stood the Nemesis of her dead king. The last act of
+the hideous crime against the man she had loved was nearing its
+close. As the crown, poised over the head of Peter of Blentz,
+sank slowly downward the girl felt that she could scarce restrain
+her desire to shriek aloud a protest against the wicked act--the
+crowning of a murderer king of her beloved Lutha. <br>
+<p>A glance at the old man at her side showed her the stern,
+commanding features of her sire molded in an expression of
+haughty dignity; only the slight movement of the muscles of the
+strong jaw revealed the tensity of the hidden emotions of the
+stern old warrior. He was meeting disappointment and defeat as a
+Von der Tann should--brave to the end.<br>
+</p>
+
+The crown had all but touched the head of Peter of Blentz when a
+sudden commotion at the back of the cathedral caused the bishop
+to look up in ill-concealed annoyance. At the sight that met his
+eyes his hands halted in mid-air. <br>
+<p>The great audience turned as one toward the doors at the end
+of the long central aisle. There, through the wideswung portals,
+they saw mounted men forcing their way into the cathedral. The
+great horses shouldered aside the footsoldiers that attempted to
+bar their way, and twenty troopers of the Royal Horse thundered
+to the very foot of the chancel steps.<br>
+</p>
+
+At their head rode Lieutenant Butzow and a tall young man in
+soiled and tattered khaki, whose gray eyes and full reddish-brown
+beard brought an exclamation from Captain Maenck who commanded
+the guard about Peter of Blentz. <br>
+<p>"Mein Gott--the king!" cried Maenck, and at the words Peter
+went white.<br>
+</p>
+
+In open-mouthed astonishment the spectators saw the hurrying
+troopers and heard Butzow's "The king! The king! Make way for
+Leopold, King of Lutha!" <br>
+<p>And a girl saw, and as she saw her heart leaped to her mouth.
+Her small hand gripped the sleeve of her father's coat. "The
+king, father," she cried. "It is the king."<br>
+</p>
+
+Old Von der Tann, the light of a new hope firing his eyes, threw
+aside his cloak and leaped to the chancel steps beside Butzow and
+the others who were mounting them. Behind him a hundred cloaks
+dropped from the shoulders of his fighting men, exposing not
+silks and satins and fine velvet, but the coarse tan of khaki,
+and grim cartridge belts well filled, and stern revolvers slung
+to well-worn service belts. <br>
+<p>As Butzow and Barney stepped upon the chancel Peter of Blentz
+leaped forward. "What mad treason is this?" he fairly
+screamed.<br>
+</p>
+
+"The days of treason are now past, prince," replied Butzow
+meaningly. "Here is not treason, but Leopold of Lutha come to
+claim his crown which he inherited from his father." <br>
+<p>"It is a plot," cried Peter, "to place an impostor upon the
+throne! This man is not the king."<br>
+</p>
+
+For a moment there was silence. The people had not taken sides as
+yet. They awaited a leader. Old Von der Tann scrutinized the
+American closely. <br>
+<p>"How may we know that you are Leopold?" he asked. "For ten
+years we have not seen our king."<br>
+</p>
+
+"The governor of Blentz has already acknowledged his identity,"
+cried Butzow. "Maenck was the first to proclaim the presence of
+the putative king." <br>
+<p>At that someone near the chancel cried: "Long live Leopold,
+king of Lutha!" and at the words the whole assemblage raised
+their voices in a tumultuous: "Long live the king!"<br>
+</p>
+
+Peter of Blentz turned toward Maenck. "The guard!" he cried.
+"Arrest those traitors, and restore order in the cathedral. Let
+the coronation proceed." <br>
+<p>Maenck took a step toward Barney and Butzow, when old Prince
+von der Tann interposed his giant frame with grim resolve.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Hold!" He spoke in a low, stern voice that brought the cowardly
+Maenck to a sudden halt. <br>
+<p>The men of Tann had pressed eagerly forward until they stood,
+with bared swords, a solid rank of fighting men in grim
+semicircle behind their chief. There were cries from different
+parts of the cathedral of: "Crown Leopold, our true king! Down
+with Peter! Down with the assassin!"<br>
+</p>
+
+"Enough of this," cried Peter. "Clear the cathedral!" <br>
+<p>He drew his own sword, and with half a hundred loyal retainers
+at his back pressed forward to clear the chancel. There was a
+brief fight, from which Barney, much to his disgust, was barred
+by the mighty figure of the old prince and the stalwart sword-arm
+of Butzow. He did get one crack at Maenck, and had the
+satisfaction of seeing blood spurt from a fleshwound across the
+fellow's cheek.<br>
+</p>
+
+"That for the Princess Emma," he called to the governor of
+Blentz, and then men crowded between them and he did not see the
+captain again during the battle. <br>
+<p>When Peter saw that more than half of the palace guard were
+shouting for Leopold, and fighting side by side with the men of
+Tann, he realized the futility of further armed resistance at
+this time. Slowly he withdrew, and at last the fighting ceased
+and some semblance of order was restored within the
+cathedral.<br>
+</p>
+
+Fearfully, the bishop emerged from hiding, his robes disheveled
+and his miter askew. Butzow grasped him none too reverently by
+the arm and dragged him before Barney. The crown of Lutha dangled
+in the priest's palsied hands. <br>
+<p>"Crown the king!" cried the lieutenant. "Crown Leopold, king
+of Lutha!"<br>
+</p>
+
+A mad roar of acclaim greeted this demand, and again from all
+parts of the cathedral rose the same wild cry. But in the lull
+that followed there were some who demanded proof of the tattered
+young man who stood before them and claimed that he was king.
+<br>
+<p>"Let Prince Ludwig speak!" cried a dozen voices.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Yes, Prince Ludwig! Prince Ludwig!" took up the throng. <br>
+<p>Prince Ludwig von der Tann turned toward the bearded young
+man. Silence fell upon the crowded cathedral. Peter of Blentz
+stood awaiting the outcome, ready to demand the crown upon the
+first indication of wavering belief in the man he knew was not
+Leopold.<br>
+</p>
+
+"How may we know that you are really Leopold?" again asked Ludwig
+of Barney. <br>
+<p>The American raised his left hand, upon the third finger of
+which gleamed the great ruby of the royal ring of the kings of
+Lutha. Even Peter of Blentz started back in surprise as his eyes
+fell upon the ring.<br>
+</p>
+
+Where had the man come upon it? <br>
+<p>Prince von der Tann dropped to one knee before Mr. Bernard
+Custer of Beatrice, Nebraska, U.S.A., and lifted that gentleman's
+hand to his lips, and as the people of Lutha saw the act they
+went mad with joy.<br>
+</p>
+
+Slowly Prince Ludwig rose and addressed the bishop. "Leopold, the
+rightful heir to the throne of Lutha, is here. Let the coronation
+proceed." <br>
+<p>The quiet of the sepulcher fell upon the assemblage as the
+holy man raised the crown above the head of the king. Barney saw
+from the corner of his eye the sea of faces upturned toward him.
+He saw the relief and happiness upon the stern countenance of the
+old prince.<br>
+</p>
+
+He hated to dash all their new found joy by the announcement that
+he was not the king. He could not do that, for the moment he did
+Peter would step forward and demand that his own coronation
+continue. How was he to save the throne for Leopold? <br>
+<p>Among the faces beneath him he suddenly descried that of a
+beautiful young girl whose eyes, filled with the tears of a great
+happiness and a greater love, were upturned to his. To reveal his
+true identity would lose him this girl forever. None save Peter
+knew that he was not the king. All save Peter would hail him
+gladly as Leopold of Lutha. How easily he might win a throne and
+the woman he loved by a moment of seeming passive compliance.<br>
+</p>
+
+The temptation was great, and then he recalled the boy, lying
+dead for his king in the desolate mountains, and the pathetic
+light in the eyes of the sorrowful man at Tafelberg, and the
+great trust and confidence in the heart of the woman who had
+shown that she loved him. <br>
+<p>Slowly Barney Custer raised his palm toward the bishop in a
+gesture of restraint.<br>
+</p>
+
+"There are those who doubt that I am king," he said. "In these
+circumstances there should be no coronation in Lutha until all
+doubts are allayed and all may unite in accepting without
+question the royal right of the true Leopold to the crown of his
+father. Let the coronation wait, then, until another day, and all
+will be well." <br>
+<p>"It must take place before noon of the fifth day of November,
+or not until a year later," said Prince Ludwig. "In the meantime
+the Prince Regent must continue to rule. For the sake of Lutha
+the coronation must take place today, your majesty."<br>
+</p>
+
+"What is the date?" asked Barney. <br>
+<p>"The third, sire."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Let the coronation wait until the fifth." <br>
+<p>"But your majesty," interposed Von der Tann, "all may be lost
+in two days."<br>
+</p>
+
+"It is the king's command," said Barney quietly. <br>
+<p>"But Peter of Blentz will rule for these two days, and in that
+time with the army at his command there is no telling what he may
+accomplish," insisted the old man.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Peter of Blentz shall not rule Lutha for two days, or two
+minutes," replied Barney. "We shall rule. Lieutenant Butzow, you
+may place Prince Peter, Coblich, Maenck, and Stein under arrest.
+We charge them with treason against their king, and conspiring to
+assassinate their rightful monarch." <br>
+<p>Butzow smiled as he turned with his troopers at his back to
+execute this most welcome of commissions; but in a moment he was
+again at Barney's side.<br>
+</p>
+
+"They have fled, your majesty," he said. "Shall I ride to Blentz
+after them?" <br>
+<p>"Let them go," replied the American, and then, with his
+retinue about him the new king of Lutha passed down the broad
+aisle of the cathedral of Lustadt and took his way to the royal
+palace between ranks of saluting soldiery backed by cheering
+thousands.<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_10">Chapter IX THE KING'S GUESTS</h1>
+
+<br>
+ONCE WITHIN the palace Barney sought the seclusion of a small
+room off the audience chamber. Here he summoned Butzow. <br>
+<p>"Lieutenant," said the American, "for the sake of a woman, a
+dead child and an unhappy king I have become dictator of Lutha
+for forty-eight hours; but at noon upon the fifth this farce must
+cease. Then we must place the true Leopold upon the throne, or a
+new dictator must replace me.<br>
+</p>
+
+"In vain I have tried to convince you that I am not the king, and
+today in the cathedral so great was the temptation to take
+advantage of the odd train of circumstances that had placed a
+crown within my reach that I all but surrendered to it--not for
+the crown of gold, Butzow, but for an infinitely more sacred
+diadem which belongs to him to whom by right of birth and
+lineage, belongs the crown of Lutha. I do not ask you to
+understand--it is not necessary--but this you must know and
+believe: that I am not Leopold, and that the true Leopold lies in
+hiding in the sanatorium at Tafelberg, from which you and I,
+Butzow, must fetch him to Lustadt before noon on the fifth." <br>
+<p>"But, sire--" commenced Butzow, when Barney raised his
+hand.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Enough of that, Butzow!" he cried almost irritably. "I am sick
+of being 'sired' and 'majestied'--my name is Custer. Call me that
+when others are not present. Believe what you will, but ride with
+me in secrecy to Tafelberg tonight, and together we shall bring
+back Leopold of Lutha. Then we may call Prince Ludwig into our
+confidence, and none need ever know of the substitution. <br>
+<p>"I doubt if many had a sufficiently close view of me today to
+realize the trick that I have played upon them, and if they note
+a difference they will attribute it to the change in apparel, for
+we shall see to it that the king is fittingly garbed before we
+exhibit him to his subjects, while hereafter I shall continue in
+khaki, which becomes me better than ermine."<br>
+</p>
+
+Butzow shook his head. <br>
+<p>"King or dictator," he said, "it is all the same, and I must
+obey whatever commands you see fit to give, and so I will ride to
+Tafelberg tonight, though what we shall find there I cannot
+imagine, unless there are two Leopolds of Lutha. But shall we
+also find another royal ring upon the finger of this other
+king?"<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney smiled. "You're a typical hard-headed Dutchman, Butzow,"
+he said. <br>
+<p>The lieutenant drew himself up haughtily. "I am not a
+Dutchman, your majesty. I am a Luthanian."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney laughed. "Whatever else you may be, Butzow, you're a
+brick," he said, laying his hand upon the other's arm. <br>
+<p>Butzow looked at him narrowly.<br>
+</p>
+
+"From your speech," he said, "and the occasional Americanisms
+into which you fall I might believe that you were other than the
+king but for the ring." <br>
+<p>"It is my commission from the king," replied Barney. "Leopold
+placed it upon my finger in token of his royal authority to act
+in his behalf. Tonight, then Butzow, you and I shall ride to
+Tafelberg. Have three good horses. We must lead one for the
+king."<br>
+</p>
+
+Butzow saluted and left the apartment. For an hour or two the
+American was busy with tailors whom he had ordered sent to the
+palace to measure him for the numerous garments of a royal
+wardrobe, for he knew the king to be near enough his own size
+that he might easily wear clothes that had been fitted to Barney;
+and it was part of his plan to have everything in readiness for
+the substitution which was to take place the morning of the
+coronation. <br>
+<p>Then there were foreign dignitaries, and the heads of numerous
+domestic and civic delegations to be given audience. Old Von der
+Tann stood close behind Barney prompting him upon the royal
+duties that had fallen so suddenly upon his shoulders, and none
+thought it strange that he was unfamiliar with the craft of
+kingship, for was it not common knowledge that he had been kept a
+close prisoner in Blentz since boyhood, nor been given any
+coaching for the duties Peter of Blentz never intended he should
+perform?<br>
+</p>
+
+After it was all over Prince Ludwig's grim and leathery face
+relaxed into a smile of satisfaction. <br>
+<p>"None who witnessed the conduct of your first audience, sire,"
+he said, "could for a moment doubt your royal lineage--if ever a
+man was born to kingship, your majesty, it be you."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney smiled, a bit ruefully, however, for in his mind's eye he
+saw a future moment when the proud old Prince von der Tann would
+know the truth of the imposture that had been played upon him,
+and the young man foresaw that he would have a rather unpleasant
+half-hour. <br>
+<p>At a little distance from them Barney saw Emma von der Tann
+surrounded by a group of officials and palace officers. Since he
+had come to Lustadt that day he had had no word with her, and now
+he crossed toward her, amused as the throng parted to form an
+aisle for him, the men saluting and the women curtsying low.<br>
+</p>
+
+He took both of the girl's hands in his, and, drawing one through
+his arm, took advantage of the prerogatives of kingship to lead
+her away from the throng of courtiers. <br>
+<p>"I thought that I should never be done with all the tiresome
+business which seems to devolve upon kings," he said, laughing.
+"All the while that I should have been bending my royal intellect
+to matters of state, I was wondering just how a king might find a
+way to see the woman he loves without interruptions from the
+horde that dogs his footsteps."<br>
+</p>
+
+"You seem to have found a way, Leopold," she whispered, pressing
+his arm close to her. "Kings usually do." <br>
+<p>"It is not because I am a king that I found a way, Emma," he
+replied. "It is because I am an American."<br>
+</p>
+
+She looked up at him with an expression of pleading in her eyes.
+<br>
+<p>"Why do you persist?" she cried. "You have come into your own,
+and there is no longer aught to fear from Peter or any other. To
+me at least, it is most unkind still to deny your identity."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I wonder," said Barney, "if your love could withstand the
+knowledge that I am not the king." <br>
+<p>"It is the MAN I love, Leopold," the girl replied.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You think so now," he said, "but wait until the test comes, and
+when it does, remember that I have always done my best to
+undeceive you. I know that you are not for such as I, my
+princess, and when I have returned your true king to you all that
+I shall ask is that you be happy with him." <br>
+<p>"I shall always be happy with my king," she whispered, and the
+look that she gave him made Barney Custer curse the fate that had
+failed to make him a king by birth.<br>
+</p>
+
+An hour later darkness had fallen upon the little city of
+Lustadt, and from a small gateway in the rear of the palace
+grounds two horsemen rode out into the ill-paved street and
+turned their mounts' heads toward the north. At the side of one
+trotted a led horse. <br>
+<p>As they passed beneath the glare of an arc-light before a cafe
+at the side of the public square, a diner sitting at a table upon
+the walk spied the tall figure and the bearded face of him who
+rode a few feet in advance of his companion. Leaping to his feet
+the man waved his napkin above his head.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Long live the king!" he cried. "God save Leopold of Lutha!" <br>
+<p>And amid the din of cheering that followed, Barney Custer of
+Beatrice and Lieutenant Butzow of the Royal Horse rode out into
+the night upon the road to Tafelberg.<br>
+</p>
+
+When Peter of Blentz had escaped from the cathedral he had
+hastily mounted with a handful of his followers and hurried out
+of Lustadt along the road toward his formidable fortress at
+Blentz. Half way upon the journey he had met a dusty and
+travel-stained horseman hastening toward the capital city that
+Peter and his lieutenants had just left. <br>
+<p>At sight of the prince regent the fellow reined in and
+saluted.<br>
+</p>
+
+"May I have a word in private with your highness?" he asked. "I
+have news of the greatest importance for your ears alone." <br>
+<p>Peter drew to one side with the man.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Well," he asked, "and what news have you for Peter of Blentz?"
+<br>
+<p>The man leaned from his horse close to Peter's ear.<br>
+</p>
+
+"The king is in Tafelberg, your highness," he said. <br>
+<p>"The king is dead," snapped Peter. "There is an impostor in
+the palace at Lustadt. But the real Leopold of Lutha was slain by
+Yellow Franz's band of brigands weeks ago."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I heard the man at Tafelberg tell another that he was the king,"
+insisted the fellow. "Through the keyhole of his room I saw him
+take a great ring from his finger--a ring with a mighty ruby set
+in its center--and give it to the other. Both were bearded men
+with gray eyes--either might have passed for the king by the
+description upon the placards that have covered Lutha for the
+past month. At first he denied his identity, but when the other
+had convinced him that he sought only the king's welfare he at
+last admitted that he was Leopold." <br>
+<p>"Where is he now?" cried Peter.<br>
+</p>
+
+"He is still in the sanatorium at Tafelberg. In room
+twenty-seven. The other promised to return for him and take him
+to Lustadt, but when I left Tafelberg he had not yet done so, and
+if you hasten you may reach there before they take him away, and
+if there be any reward for my loyalty to you, prince, my name is
+Ferrath." <br>
+<p>"Ride with us and if you have told the truth, fellow, there
+shall be a reward and if not--then there shall be deserts," and
+Peter of Blentz wheeled his horse and with his company galloped
+on toward Tafelberg.<br>
+</p>
+
+As he rode he talked with his lieutenants Coblich, Maenck, and
+Stein, and among them it was decided that it would be best that
+Peter stop at Blentz for the night while the others rode on to
+Tafelberg. <br>
+<p>"Do not bring Leopold to Blentz," directed Peter, "for if it
+be he who lies at Tafelberg and they find him gone it will be
+toward Blentz that they will first look. Take him--"<br>
+</p>
+
+The Regent leaned from his saddle so that his mouth was close to
+the ear of Coblich, that none of the troopers might hear. <br>
+<p>Coblich nodded his head.<br>
+</p>
+
+"And, Coblich, the fewer that ride to Tafelberg tonight the surer
+the success of the mission. Take Maenck, Stein and one other with
+you. I shall keep this man with me, for it may prove but a plot
+to lure me to Tafelberg." <br>
+<p>Peter scowled at the now frightened hospital attendant.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Tomorrow I shall be riding through the lowlands, Coblich, and so
+you may not find means to communicate with me, but before noon of
+the fifth have word at your town house in Lustadt for me of the
+success of your venture." <br>
+<p>They had reached the point now where the road to Tafelberg
+branches from that to Blentz, and the four who were to fetch the
+king wheeled their horses into the left-hand fork and cantered
+off upon their mission.<br>
+</p>
+
+The direct road between Lustadt and Tafelberg is but little more
+than half the distance of that which Coblich and his companions
+had to traverse because of the wide detour they had made by
+riding almost to Blentz first, and so it was that when they
+cantered into the little mountain town near midnight Barney
+Custer and Lieutenant Butzow were but a mile or two behind them.
+<br>
+<p>Had the latter had even the faintest of suspicions that the
+identity of the hiding place of the king might come to the
+knowledge of Peter of Blentz they could have reached Tafelberg
+ahead of Coblich and his party, but all unsuspecting they rode
+slowly to conserve the energy of their mounts for the return
+trip.<br>
+</p>
+
+In silence the two men approached the grounds surrounding the
+sanatorium. In the soft dirt of the road the hoofs of their
+mounts made no sound, and the shadows of the trees that border
+the front of the enclosure hid them from the view of the trooper
+who held four riderless horses in a little patch of moonlight
+that broke through the opening in the trees at the main gate of
+the institution. <br>
+<p>Barney was the first to see the animals and the man.<br>
+</p>
+
+"S-s-st," he hissed, reining in his horse. <br>
+<p>Butzow drew alongside the American.<br>
+</p>
+
+"What can it mean?" asked Barney. "That fellow is a trooper, but
+I cannot make out his uniform." <br>
+<p>"Wait here," said Butzow, and slipping from his horse he crept
+closer to the man, hugging the dense shadows close to the
+trees.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney reined in nearer the low wall. From his saddle he could
+see the grounds beyond through the branches of a tree. As he
+looked his attention was suddenly riveted upon a sight that sent
+his heart into his throat. <br>
+<p>Three men were dragging a struggling, half-naked figure down
+the gravel walk from the sanatorium toward the gate. One kept a
+hand clapped across the mouth of the prisoner, who struck and
+fought his assailants with all the frenzy of despair.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney leaped from his saddle and ran headlong after Butzow. The
+lieutenant had reached the gate but an instant ahead of him when
+the trooper, turning suddenly at some slight sound of the
+officer's foot upon the ground, detected the man creeping upon
+him. In an instant the fellow had whipped out a revolver, and
+raising it fired point-blank at Butzow's chest; but in the same
+instant a figure shot out of the shadows beside him, and with the
+report of the revolver a heavy fist caught the trooper on the
+side of the chin, crumpling him to the ground as if he were dead.
+<br>
+<p>The blow had been in time to deflect the muzzle of the
+firearm, and the bullet whistled harmlessly past the
+lieutenant.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Your majesty!" exclaimed Butzow excitedly. "Go back. He might
+have killed you." <br>
+<p>Barney leaped to the other's side and grasping him by the
+shoulders wheeled him about so that he faced the gate.<br>
+</p>
+
+"There, Butzow," he cried, "there is your king, and from the
+looks of it he never needed a loyal subject more than he does
+this moment. Come!" Without waiting to see if the other followed
+him, Barney Custer leaped through the gate full in the faces of
+the astonished trio that was dragging Leopold of Lutha from his
+sanctuary. <br>
+<p>At sight of the American the king gave a muffled cry of
+relief, and then Barney was upon those who held him. A stinging
+uppercut lifted Coblich clear of the ground to drop him, dazed
+and bewildered, at the foot of the monarch he had outraged.
+Maenck drew a revolver only to have it struck from his hand by
+the sword of Butzow, who had followed closely upon the American's
+heels.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney, seizing the king by the arm, started on a run for the
+gateway. In his wake came Butzow with a drawn sword beating back
+Stein, who was armed with a cavalry saber, and Maenck who had now
+drawn his own sword. <br>
+<p>The American saw that the two were pressing Butzow much too
+closely for safety and that Coblich had now recovered from the
+effects of the blow and was in pursuit, drawing his saber as he
+ran. Barney thrust the king behind him and turned to face the
+enemy, at Butzow's side.<br>
+</p>
+
+The three men rushed upon the two who stood between them and
+their prey. The moonlight was now full in the faces of Butzow and
+the American. For the first time Maenck and the others saw who it
+was that had interrupted them. <br>
+<p>"The impostor!" cried the governor of Blentz. "The false
+king!"<br>
+</p>
+
+Imbued with temporary courage by the knowledge that his side had
+the advantage of superior numbers he launched himself full upon
+the American. To his surprise he met a sword-arm that none might
+have expected in an American, for Barney Custer had been a pupil
+of the redoubtable Colonel Monstery, who was, as Barney was wont
+to say, "one of the thanwhomest of fencing masters." <br>
+<p>Quickly Maenck fell back to give place to Stein, but not
+before the American's point had found him twice to leave him
+streaming blood from two deep flesh wounds.<br>
+</p>
+
+Neither of those who fought in the service of the king saw the
+trembling, weak-kneed figure, which had stood behind them, turn
+and scurry through the gateway, leaving the men who battled for
+him to their fate. <br>
+<p>The trooper whom Barney had felled had regained consciousness
+and as he came to his feet rubbing his swollen jaw he saw a
+disheveled, half-dressed figure running toward him from the
+sanatorium grounds. The fellow was no fool, and knowing the
+purpose of the expedition as he did he was quick to jump to the
+conclusion that this fleeing personification of abject terror was
+Leopold of Lutha; and so it was that as the king emerged from the
+gateway in search of freedom he ran straight into the widespread
+arms of the trooper.<br>
+</p>
+
+Maenck and Coblich had seen the king's break for liberty, and the
+latter maneuvered to get himself between Butzow and the open gate
+that he might follow after the fleeing monarch. <br>
+<p>At the same instant Maenck, seeing that Stein was being
+worsted by the American, rushed in upon the latter, and thus
+relieved, the rat-faced doctor was enabled to swing a heavy cut
+at Barney which struck him a glancing blow upon the head, sending
+him stunned and bleeding to the sward.<br>
+</p>
+
+Coblich and the governor of Blentz hastened toward the gate,
+pausing for an instant to overwhelm Butzow. In the fierce
+scrimmage that followed the lieutenant was overthrown, though not
+before his sword had passed through the heart of the rat-faced
+one. Deserting their fallen comrade the two dashed through the
+gate, where to their immense relief they found Leopold safe in
+the hands of the trooper. <br>
+<p>An instant later the precious trio, with Leopold upon the
+horse of the late Dr. Stein, were galloping swiftly into the
+darkness of the wood that lies at the outskirts of Tafelberg.<br>
+</p>
+
+When Barney regained consciousness he found himself upon a cot
+within the sanatorium. Close beside him lay Butzow, and above
+them stood an interne and several nurses. No sooner had the
+American regained his scattered wits than he leaped to the floor.
+The interne and the nurses tried to force him back upon the cot,
+thinking that he was in the throes of a delirium, and it required
+his best efforts to convince them that he was quite rational.
+<br>
+<p>During the melee Butzow regained consciousness; his wound
+being as superficial as that of the American, the two men were
+soon donning their clothing, and, half-dressed, rushing toward
+the outer gate.<br>
+</p>
+
+The interne had told them that when he had reached the scene of
+the conflict in company with the gardener he had found them and
+another lying upon the sward. <br>
+<p>Their companion, he said, was quite dead.<br>
+</p>
+
+"That must have been Stein," said Butzow. "And the others had
+escaped with the king!" <br>
+<p>"The king?" cried the interne.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Yes, the king, man--Leopold of Lutha. Did you not know that he
+who has lain here for three weeks was the king?" replied Butzow.
+<br>
+<p>The interne accompanied them to the gate and beyond, but
+everywhere was silence. The king was gone.<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_11">Chapter X ON THE BATTLEFIELD</h1>
+
+<br>
+ALL THAT night and the following day Barney Custer and his aide
+rode in search of the missing king. <br>
+<p>They came to Blentz, and there Butzow rode boldly into the
+great court, admitted by virtue of the fact that the guard upon
+the gate knew him only as an officer of the royal guard whom they
+believed still loyal to Peter of Blentz.<br>
+</p>
+
+The lieutenant learned that the king was not there, nor had he
+been since his escape. He also learned that Peter was abroad in
+the lowland recruiting followers to aid him forcibly to regain
+the crown of Lutha. <br>
+<p>The lieutenant did not wait to hear more, but, hurrying from
+the castle, rode to Barney where the latter had remained in
+hiding in the wood below the moat--the same wood through which he
+had stumbled a few weeks previously after his escape from the
+stagnant waters of the moat.<br>
+</p>
+
+"The king is not here," said Butzow to him, as soon as the former
+reached his side. "Peter is recruiting an army to aid him in
+seizing the palace at Lustadt, and king or no king, we must ride
+for the capital in time to check that move. Thank God," he added,
+"that we shall have a king to place upon the throne of Lutha at
+noon tomorrow in spite of all that Peter can do." <br>
+<p>"What do you mean?" asked Barney. "Have you any clue to the
+whereabouts of Leopold?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"I saw the man at Tafelberg whom you say is king," replied
+Butzow. "I saw him tremble and whimper in the face of danger. I
+saw him run when he might have seized something, even a stone,
+and fought at the sides of the men who were come to rescue him.
+And I saw you there also. <br>
+<p>"The truth and the falsity of this whole strange business is
+beyond me, but this I know: if you are not the king today I pray
+God that the other may not find his way to Lustadt before noon
+tomorrow, for by then a brave man will sit upon the throne of
+Lutha, your majesty."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney laid his hand upon the shoulder of the other. <br>
+<p>"It cannot be, my friend," he said. "There is more than a
+throne at stake for me, but to win them both I could not do the
+thing you suggest. If Leopold of Lutha lives he must be crowned
+tomorrow."<br>
+</p>
+
+"And if he does not live?" asked Butzow. <br>
+<p>Barney Custer shrugged his shoulders.<br>
+</p>
+
+It was dusk when the two entered the palace grounds in Lustadt.
+The sight of Barney threw the servants and functionaries of the
+royal household into wild excitement and confusion. Men ran
+hither and thither bearing the glad tidings that the king had
+returned. <br>
+<p>Old von der Tann was announced within ten minutes after Barney
+reached his apartments. He urged upon the American the necessity
+for greater caution in the future.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Your majesty's life is never safe while Peter of Blentz is
+abroad in Lutha," cried he. <br>
+<p>"It was to save your king from Peter that we rode from Lustadt
+last night," replied Barney, but the old prince did not catch the
+double meaning of the words.<br>
+</p>
+
+While they talked a young officer of cavalry begged an audience.
+He had important news for the king, he said. From him Barney
+learned that Peter of Blentz had succeeded in recruiting a
+fair-sized army in the lowlands. Two regiments of government
+infantry and a squadron of cavalry had united forces with him,
+for there were those who still accepted him as regent, believing
+his contention that the true king was dead, and that he whose
+coronation was to be attempted was but the puppet of old Von der
+Tann. <br>
+<p>The morning of November 5 broke clear and cold. The old town
+of Lustadt was awakened with a start at daybreak by the booming
+of cannon. Mounted messengers galloped hither and thither through
+the steep, winding streets. Troops, foot and horse, moved at the
+double from the barracks along the King's Road to the
+fortifications which guard the entrance to the city at the foot
+of Margaretha Street.<br>
+</p>
+
+Upon the heights above the town Barney Custer and the old Prince
+von der Tann stood surrounded by officers and aides watching the
+advance of a skirmish line up the slopes toward Lustadt. Behind,
+the thin line columns of troops were marching under cover of two
+batteries of field artillery that Peter of Blentz had placed upon
+a wooden knoll to the southeast of the city. <br>
+<p>The guns upon the single fort that, overlooking the broad
+valley, guarded the entire southern exposure of the city were
+answering the fire of Prince Peter's artillery, while several
+machine guns had been placed to sweep the slope up which the
+skirmish line was advancing.<br>
+</p>
+
+The trees that masked the enemy's pieces extended upward along
+the ridge and the eastern edge of the city. Barney saw that a
+force of men might easily reach a commanding position from that
+direction and enter Lustadt almost in rear of the fortifications.
+Below him a squadron of the Royal Horse were just emerging from
+their stables, taking their way toward the plain to join in a
+concerted movement against the troops that were advancing toward
+the fort. <br>
+<p>He turned to an aide de camp standing just behind him.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Intercept that squadron and direct the major to move due east
+along the King's Road to the grove," he commanded. "We will join
+him there." <br>
+<p>And as the officer spurred down the steep and narrow street
+the American, followed by Von der Tann and his staff, wheeled and
+galloped eastward.<br>
+</p>
+
+Ten minutes later the party entered the wood at the edge of town,
+where the squadron soon joined them. Von der Tann was mystified
+at the purpose of this change in the position of the general
+staff, since from the wood they could see nothing of the battle
+waging upon the slope. During his brief intercourse with the man
+he thought king he had quite forgotten that there had been any
+question as to the young man's sanity, for he had given no
+indication of possessing aught but a well-balanced mind. Now,
+however, he commenced to have misgivings, if not of his sanity,
+then as to his judgment at least. <br>
+<p>"I fear, your majesty," he ventured, "that we are putting
+ourselves too much out of touch with the main body of the army.
+We can neither see nor accomplish anything from this
+position."<br>
+</p>
+
+"We were too far away to accomplish much upon the top of that
+mountain," replied Barney, "but we're going to commence doing
+things now. You will please to ride back along the King's Road
+and take direct command of the troops mobilized near the fort.
+<br>
+<p>"Direct the artillery to redouble their fire upon the enemy's
+battery for five minutes, and then to cease firing into the wood
+entirely. At the same instant you may order a cautious advance
+against the troops advancing up the slope.<br>
+</p>
+
+"When you see us emerge upon the west side of the grove where the
+enemy's guns are now, you may order a charge, and we will take
+them simultaneously upon their right flank with a cavalry
+charge." <br>
+<p>"But, your majesty," exclaimed Von der Tann dubiously, "where
+will you be in the mean time?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"We shall be with the major's squadron, and when you see us
+emerging from the grove, you will know that we have taken Peter's
+guns and that everything is over except the shouting." <br>
+<p>"You are not going to accompany the charge!" cried the old
+prince.<br>
+</p>
+
+"We are going to lead it," and the pseudo-king of Lutha wheeled
+his mount as though to indicate that the time for talking was
+past. <br>
+<p>With a signal to the major commanding the squadron of Royal
+Horse, he moved eastward into the wood. Prince Ludwig hesitated a
+moment as though to question further the wisdom of the move, but
+finally with a shake of his head he trotted off in the direction
+of the fort.<br>
+</p>
+
+Five minutes later the enemy were delighted to note that the fire
+upon their concealed battery had suddenly ceased. <br>
+<p>Then Peter saw a force of foot-soldiers deploy from the city
+and advance slowly in line of skirmishers down the slope to meet
+his own firing line.<br>
+</p>
+
+Immediately he did what Barney had expected that he would--turned
+the fire of his artillery toward the southwest, directly away
+from the point from which the American and the crack squadron
+were advancing. <br>
+<p>So it came that the cavalrymen crept through the woods upon
+the rear of the guns, unseen; the noise of their advance was
+drowned by the detonation of the cannon.<br>
+</p>
+
+The first that the artillerymen knew of the enemy in their rear
+was a shout of warning from one of the powder-men at a caisson,
+who had caught a glimpse of the grim line advancing through the
+trees at his rear. <br>
+<p>Instantly an effort was made to wheel several of the pieces
+about and train them upon the advancing horsemen; but even had
+there been time, a shout that rose from several of Peter's
+artillerymen as the Royal Horse broke into full view would
+doubtless have prevented the maneuver, for at sight of the tall,
+bearded, young man who galloped in front of the now charging
+cavalrymen there rose a shout of "The king! The king!"<br>
+</p>
+
+With the force of an avalanche the Royal Horse rode through those
+two batteries of field artillery; and in the thick of the fight
+that followed rode the American, a smile upon his face, for in
+his ears rang the wild shouts of his troopers: "For the king! For
+the king!" <br>
+<p>In the moment that the enemy made their first determined stand
+a bullet brought down the great bay upon which Barney rode. A
+dozen of Peter's men rushed forward to seize the man stumbling to
+his feet. As many more of the Royal Horse closed around him, and
+there, for five minutes, was waged as fierce a battle for
+possession of a king as was ever fought.<br>
+</p>
+
+But already many of the artillerymen had deserted the guns that
+had not yet been attacked, for the magic name of king had turned
+their blood to water. Fifty or more raised a white flag and
+surrendered without striking a blow, and when, at last, Barney
+and his little bodyguard fought their way through those who
+surrounded them they found the balance of the field already won.
+<br>
+<p>Upon the slope below the city the loyal troops were advancing
+upon the enemy. Old Prince Ludwig paced back and forth behind
+them, apparently oblivious to the rain of bullets about him.
+Every moment he turned his eyes toward the wooded ridge from
+which there now belched an almost continuous fusillade of shells
+upon the advancing royalists.<br>
+</p>
+
+Quite suddenly the cannonading ceased and the old man halted in
+his tracks, his gaze riveted upon the wood. For several minutes
+he saw no sign of what was transpiring behind that screen of sere
+and yellow autumn leaves, and then a man came running out, and
+after him another and another. <br>
+<p>The prince raised his field glasses to his eyes. He almost
+cried aloud in his relief--the uniforms of the fugitives were
+those of artillerymen, and only cavalry had accompanied the king.
+A moment later there appeared in the center of his lenses a tall
+figure with a full beard. He rode, swinging his saber above his
+head, and behind him at full gallop came a squadron of the Royal
+Horse.<br>
+</p>
+
+Old von der Tann could restrain himself no longer. <br>
+<p>"The king! The king!" he cried to those about him, pointing in
+the direction of the wood.<br>
+</p>
+
+The officers gathered there and the soldiery before him heard and
+took up the cry, and then from the old man's lips came the
+command, "Charge!" and a thousand men tore down the slopes of
+Lustadt upon the forces of Peter of Blentz, while from the east
+the king charged their right flank at the head of the Royal
+Horse. <br>
+<p>Peter of Blentz saw that the day was lost, for the troops upon
+the right were crumpling before the false king while he and his
+cavalrymen were yet a half mile distant. Before the retreat could
+become a rout the prince regent ordered his forces to fall back
+slowly upon a suburb that lies in the valley below the city.<br>
+</p>
+
+Once safely there he raised a white flag, asking a conference
+with Prince Ludwig. <br>
+<p>"Your majesty," said the old man, "what answer shall we send
+the traitor who even now ignores the presence of his king?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"Treat with him," replied the American. "He may be honest enough
+in his belief that I am an impostor." <br>
+<p>Von der Tann shrugged his shoulders, but did as Barney bid,
+and for half an hour the young man waited with Butzow while Von
+der Tann and Peter met halfway between the forces for their
+conference.<br>
+</p>
+
+A dozen members of the most powerful of the older nobility
+accompanied Ludwig. When they returned their faces were a picture
+of puzzled bewilderment. With them were several officers,
+soldiers and civilians from Peter's contingency. <br>
+<p>"What said he?" asked Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+"He said, your majesty," replied Von der Tann, "that he is
+confident you are not the king, and that these men he has sent
+with me knew the king well at Blentz. As proof that you are not
+the king he has offered the evidence of your own denials--made
+not only to his officers and soldiers, but to the man who is now
+your loyal lieutenant, Butzow, and to the Princess Emma von der
+Tann, my daughter. <br>
+<p>"He insists that he is fighting for the welfare of Lutha,
+while we are traitors, attempting to seat an impostor upon the
+throne of the dead Leopold. I will admit that we are at a loss,
+your majesty, to know where lies the truth and where the falsity
+in this matter.<br>
+</p>
+
+"We seek only to serve our country and our king but there are
+those among us who, to be entirely frank, are not yet convinced
+that you are Leopold. The result of the conference may not, then,
+meet with the hearty approval of your majesty." <br>
+<p>"What was the result?" asked Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+"It was decided that all hostilities cease, and that Prince Peter
+be given an opportunity to establish the validity of his claim
+that your majesty is an impostor. If he is able to do so to the
+entire satisfaction of a majority of the old nobility, we have
+agreed to support him in a return to his regency." <br>
+<p>For a moment there was deep silence. Many of the nobles stood
+with averted faces and eyes upon the ground.<br>
+</p>
+
+The American, a half-smile upon his face, turned toward the men
+of Peter who had come to denounce him. He knew what their verdict
+would be. He knew that if he were to save the throne for Leopold
+he must hold it at any cost until Leopold should be found. <br>
+<p>Troopers were scouring the country about Lustadt as far as
+Blentz in search of Maenck and Coblich. Could they locate these
+two and arrest them "with all found in their company," as his
+order read, he felt sure that he would be able to deliver the
+missing king to his subjects in time for the coronation at
+noon.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney looked straight into the eyes of old Von der Tann. <br>
+<p>"You have given us the opinion of others, Prince Ludwig," he
+said. "Now you may tell us your own views of the matter."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I shall have to abide by the decision of the majority," replied
+the old man. "But I have seen your majesty under fire, and if you
+are not the king, for Lutha's sake you ought to be." <br>
+<p>"He is not Leopold," said one of the officers who had
+accompanied the prince from Peter's camp. "I was governor of
+Blentz for three years and as familiar with the king's face as
+with that of my own brother."<br>
+</p>
+
+"No," cried several of the others, "this man is not the king."
+<br>
+<p>Several of the nobles drew away from Barney. Others looked at
+him questioningly.<br>
+</p>
+
+Butzow stepped close to his side, and it was noticeable that the
+troopers, and even the officers, of the Royal Horse which Barney
+had led in the charge upon the two batteries in the wood, pressed
+a little closer to the American. This fact did not escape
+Butzow's notice. <br>
+<p>"If you are content to take the word of the servants of a
+traitor and a would-be regicide," he cried, "I am not. There has
+been no proof advanced that this man is not the king. In so far
+as I am concerned he is the king, nor ever do I expect to serve
+another more worthy of the title.<br>
+</p>
+
+"If Peter of Blentz has real proof--not the testimony of his own
+faction--that Leopold of Lutha is dead, let him bring it forward
+before noon today, for at noon we shall crown a king in the
+cathedral at Lustadt, and I for one pray to God that it may be he
+who has led us in battle today." <br>
+<p>A shout of applause rose from the Royal Horse, and from the
+foot-soldiers who had seen the king charge across the plain,
+scattering the enemy before him.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney, appreciating the advantage in the sudden turn affairs had
+taken following Butzow's words, swung to his saddle. <br>
+<p>"Until Peter of Blentz brings to Lustadt one with a better
+claim to the throne," he said, "we shall continue to rule Lutha,
+nor shall other than Leopold be crowned her king. We approve of
+the amnesty you have granted, Prince Ludwig, and Peter of Blentz
+is free to enter Lustadt, as he will, so long as he does not plot
+against the true king.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Major," he added, turning to the commander of the squadron at
+his back, "we are returning to the palace. Your squadron will
+escort us, remaining on guard there about the grounds. Prince
+Ludwig, you will see that machine guns are placed about the
+palace and commanding the approaches to the cathedral." <br>
+<p>With a nod to the cavalry major he wheeled his horse and
+trotted up the slope toward Lustadt.<br>
+</p>
+
+With a grim smile Prince Ludwig von der Tann mounted his horse
+and rode toward the fort. At his side were several of the nobles
+of Lutha. They looked at him in astonishment. <br>
+<p>"You are doing his bidding, although you do not know that he
+is the true king?" asked one of them.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Were he an impostor," replied the old man, "he would have
+insisted by word of mouth that he is king. But not once has he
+said that he is Leopold. Instead, he has proved his kingship by
+his acts." <br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+
+<h1 id="ref_12">Chapter XI A TIMELY INTERVENTION</h1>
+
+<br>
+<p>NINE O'CLOCK found Barney Custer pacing up and down his
+apartments in the palace. No clue as to the whereabouts of
+Coblich, Maenck or the king had been discovered. One by one his
+troopers had returned to Butzow empty-handed, and as much at a
+loss as to the hiding-place of their quarry as when they had set
+out upon their search.<br>
+</p>
+
+Peter of Blentz and his retainers had entered the city and
+already had commenced to gather at the cathedral. <br>
+<p>Peter, at the residence of Coblich, had succeeded in gathering
+about him many of the older nobility whom he pledged to support
+him in case he could prove to them that the man who occupied the
+royal palace was not Leopold of Lutha.<br>
+</p>
+
+They agreed to support him in his regency if he produced proof
+that the true Leopold was dead, and Peter of Blentz waited with
+growing anxiety the coming of Coblich with word that he had the
+king in custody. Peter was staking all on a single daring move
+which he had decided to make in his game of intrigue. <br>
+<p>As Barney paced within the palace, waiting for word that
+Leopold had been found, Peter of Blentz was filled with equal
+apprehension as he, too, waited for the same tidings. At last he
+heard the pound of hoofs upon the pavement without and a moment
+later Coblich, his clothing streaked with dirt, blood caked upon
+his face from a wound across the forehead, rushed in to the
+presence of the prince regent.<br>
+</p>
+
+Peter drew him hurriedly into a small study on the first floor.
+<br>
+<p>"Well?" he whispered, as the two faced each other.<br>
+</p>
+
+"We have him," replied Coblich. But we had the devil's own time
+getting him. Stein was killed and Maenck and I both wounded, and
+all morning we have spent the time hiding from troopers who
+seemed to be searching for us. Only fifteen minutes since did we
+reach the hiding-place that you instructed us to use. But we have
+him, your highness, and he is in such a state of cowardly terror
+that he is ready to agree to anything, if you will but spare his
+life and set him free across the border." <br>
+<p>"It is too late for that now, Coblich," replied Peter. "There
+is but one way that Leopold of Lutha can serve me now, and that
+is--dead. Were his corpse to be carried into the cathedral of
+Lustadt before noon today, and were those who fetched it to swear
+that the king was killed by the impostor after being dragged from
+the hospital at Tafelberg where you and Maenck had located him,
+and from which you were attempting to rescue him, I believe that
+the people would tear our enemies to pieces. What say you,
+Coblich?"<br>
+</p>
+
+The other stared at Peter of Blentz for several seconds while the
+atrocity of his chief's plan filtered through his brain. <br>
+<p>"My God!" he exclaimed at last. "You mean that you wish me to
+murder Leopold with my own hands?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"You put it too crudely, my dear Coblich," replied the other.
+<br>
+<p>"I cannot do it," muttered Coblich. "I have never killed a man
+in my life. I am getting old. No, I could never do it. I should
+not sleep nights."<br>
+</p>
+
+"If it is not done, Coblich, and Leopold comes into his own,"
+said Peter slowly, "you will be caught and hanged higher than
+Haman. And if you do not do it, and the imposter is crowned
+today, then you will be either hanged officially or knifed
+unofficially, and without any choice in the matter whatsoever.
+Nothing, Coblich, but the dead body of the true Leopold can save
+your neck. You have your choice, therefore, of letting him live
+to prove your treason, or letting him die and becoming chancellor
+of Lutha." <br>
+<p>Slowly Coblich turned toward the door. "You are right," he
+said, "but may God have mercy on my soul. I never thought that I
+should have to do it with my own hands."<br>
+</p>
+
+So saying he left the room and a moment later Peter of Blentz
+smiled as he heard the pounding of a horse's hoofs upon the
+pavement without. <br>
+<p>Then the Regent entered the room he had recently quitted and
+spoke to the nobles of Lutha who were gathered there.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Coblich has found the body of the murdered king," he said. "I
+have directed him to bring it to the cathedral. He came upon the
+impostor and his confederate, Lieutenant Butzow, as they were
+bearing the corpse from the hospital at Tafelberg where the king
+has lain unknown since the rumor was spread by Von der Tann that
+he had been killed by bandits. <br>
+<p>"He was not killed until last evening, my lords, and you shall
+see today the fresh wounds upon him. When the time comes that we
+can present this grisly evidence of the guilt of the impostor and
+those who uphold him, I shall expect you all to stand at my side,
+as you have promised."<br>
+</p>
+
+With one accord the noblemen pledged anew their allegiance to
+Peter of Blentz if he could produce one-quarter of the evidence
+he claimed to possess. <br>
+<p>"All that we wish to know positively is," said one, "that the
+man who bears the title of king today is really Leopold of Lutha,
+or that he is not. If not then he stands convicted of treason,
+and we shall know how to conduct ourselves."<br>
+</p>
+
+Together the party rode to the cathedral, the majority of the
+older nobility now openly espousing the cause of the Regent. <br>
+<p>At the palace Barney was about distracted. Butzow was urging
+him to take the crown whether he was Leopold or not, for the
+young lieutenant saw no hope for Lutha, if either the scoundrelly
+Regent or the cowardly man whom Barney had assured him was the
+true king should come into power.<br>
+</p>
+
+It was eleven o'clock. In another hour Barney knew that he must
+have found some new solution of his dilemma, for there seemed
+little probability that the king would be located in the brief
+interval that remained before the coronation. He wondered what
+they did to people who stole thrones. For a time he figured his
+chances of reaching the border ahead of the enraged populace. All
+had depended upon the finding of the king, and he had been so
+sure that it could be accomplished in time, for Coblich and
+Maenck had had but a few hours in which to conceal the monarch
+before the search was well under way. <br>
+<p>Armed with the king's warrants, his troopers had ridden
+through the country, searching houses, and questioning all whom
+they met. Patrols had guarded every road that the fugitives might
+take either to Lustadt, Blentz, or the border; but no king had
+been found and no trace of his abductors.<br>
+</p>
+
+Prince von der Tann, Barney was convinced, was on the point of
+deserting him, and going over to the other side. It was true that
+the old man had carried out his instructions relative to the
+placing of the machine guns; but they might be used as well
+against him, where they stood, as for him. <br>
+<p>From his window he could see the broad avenue which passes
+before the royal palace of Lutha. It was crowded with throngs
+moving toward the cathedral. Presently there came a knock upon
+the closed door of his chamber.<br>
+</p>
+
+At his "Enter" a functionary announced: "His Royal Highness
+Ludwig, Prince von der Tann!" <br>
+<p>The old man was much perturbed at the rumors he had heard
+relative to the assassination of the true Leopold. Soldier-like,
+he blurted out his suspicions and his ultimatum.<br>
+</p>
+
+"None but the royal blood of Rubinroth may reign in Lutha while
+there be a Rubinroth left to reign and old Von der Tann lives,"
+he cried in conclusion. <br>
+<p>At the name "Rubinroth" Barney started. It was his mother's
+name. Suddenly the truth flashed upon him. He understood now the
+reticence of both his father and mother relative to her early
+life.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Prince Ludwig," said the young man earnestly, "I have only the
+good of Lutha in my heart. For three weeks I have labored and
+risked death a hundred times to place the legitimate heir to the
+crown of Lutha upon his throne. I--" <br>
+<p>He hesitated, not knowing just how to commence the confession
+he was determined to make, though he was positive that it would
+place Peter of Blentz upon the throne, since the old prince had
+promised to support the Regent could it be proved that Barney was
+an impostor.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I," he started again, and then there came an interruption at the
+door. <br>
+<p>"A messenger, your majesty," announced the doorman, "who says
+that he must have audience at once upon a matter of life and
+death to the king."<br>
+</p>
+
+"We will see him in the ante-chamber," replied Barney, moving
+toward the door. "Await us here, Prince Ludwig." <br>
+<p>A moment later he re-entered the apartment. There was an
+expression of renewed hope upon his face.<br>
+</p>
+
+"As we were about to remark, my dear prince," he said, "I swear
+that the royal blood of the Rubinroths flows in my veins, and as
+God is my judge, none other than the true Leopold of Lutha shall
+be crowned today. And now we must prepare for the coronation. If
+there be trouble in the cathedral, Prince Ludwig, we look to your
+sword in protection of the king." <br>
+<p>"When I am with you, sire," said Von der Tann, "I know that
+you are king. When I saw how you led the troops in battle, I
+prayed that there could be no mistake. God give that I am right.
+But God help you if you are playing with old Ludwig von der
+Tann."<br>
+</p>
+
+When the old man had left the apartment Barney summoned an aide
+and sent for Butzow. Then he hurried to the bath that adjoined
+the apartment, and when the lieutenant of horse was announced
+Barney called through a soapy lather for his confederate to
+enter. <br>
+<p>"What are you doing, sire?" cried Butzow in amazement.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Cut out the 'sire,' old man," shouted Barney Custer of Beatrice.
+"this is the fifth of November and I am shaving off this alfalfa.
+The king is found!" <br>
+<p>"What?" cried Butzow, and upon his face there was little to
+indicate the rejoicing that a loyal subject of Leopold of Lutha
+should have felt at that announcement.<br>
+</p>
+
+"There is a man in the next room," went on Barney, "who can lead
+us to the spot where Coblich and Maenck guard the king. Get him
+in here." <br>
+<p>Butzow hastened to comply with the American's instructions,
+and a moment later returned to the apartment with the old
+shopkeeper of Tafelberg.<br>
+</p>
+
+As Barney shaved he issued directions to the two. Within the room
+to the east, he said, there were the king's coronation robes, and
+in a smaller dressingroom beyond they would find a long gray
+cloak. <br>
+<p>They were to wrap all these in a bundle which the old
+shopkeeper was to carry.<br>
+</p>
+
+"And, Butzow," added Barney, "look to my revolvers and your own,
+and lay my sword out as well. The chances are that we shall have
+to use them before we are ten minutes older." <br>
+<p>In an incredibly short space of time the young man emerged
+from the bath, his luxuriant beard gone forever, he hoped. Butzow
+looked at him with a smile.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I must say that the beard did not add greatly to your majesty's
+good looks," he said. <br>
+<p>"Never mind the bouquets, old man," cried Barney, cramming his
+arms into the sleeves of his khaki jacket and buckling sword and
+revolver about him, as he hurried toward a small door that opened
+upon the opposite side of the apartment to that through which his
+visitors had been conducted.<br>
+</p>
+
+Together the three hastened through a narrow, little-used
+corridor and down a flight of well-worn stone steps to a door
+that let upon the rear court of the palace. <br>
+<p>There were grooms and servants there, and soldiers too, who
+saluted Butzow, according the old shopkeeper and the smooth-faced
+young stranger only cursory glances. It was evident that without
+his beard it was not likely that Barney would be again mistaken
+for the king.<br>
+</p>
+
+At the stables Butzow requisitioned three horses, and soon the
+trio was galloping through a little-frequented street toward the
+northern, hilly environs of Lustadt. They rode in silence until
+they came to an old stone building, whose boarded windows and
+general appearance of dilapidation proclaimed its long tenantless
+condition. Rank weeds, now rustling dry and yellow in the
+November wind, choked what once might have been a luxuriant
+garden. A stone wall, which had at one time entirely surrounded
+the grounds, had been almost completely removed from the front to
+serve as foundation stone for a smaller edifice farther down the
+mountainside. <br>
+<p>The horsemen avoided this break in the wall, coming up instead
+upon the rear side where their approach was wholly screened from
+the building by the wall upon that exposure.<br>
+</p>
+
+Close in they dismounted, and leaving the animals in charge of
+the shopkeeper of Tafelberg, Barney and Butzow hastened toward a
+small postern-gate which swung, groaning, upon a single rusted
+hinge. Each felt that there was no time for caution or stratagem.
+Instead all depended upon the very boldness and rashness of their
+attack, and so as they came through into the courtyard the two
+dashed headlong for the building. <br>
+<p>Chance accomplished for them what no amount of careful
+execution might have done, and they came within the ruin
+unnoticed by the four who occupied the old, darkened library.<br>
+</p>
+
+Possibly the fact that one of the men had himself just entered
+and was excitedly talking to the others may have drowned the
+noisy approach of the two. However that may be, it is a fact that
+Barney and the cavalry officer came to the very door of the
+library unheard. <br>
+<p>There they halted, listening. Coblich was speaking.<br>
+</p>
+
+"The Regent commands it, Maenck," he was saying. "It is the only
+thing that can save our necks. He said that you had better be the
+one to do it, since it was your carelessness that permitted the
+fellow to escape from Blentz." <br>
+<p>Huddled in a far corner of the room was an abject figure
+trembling in terror. At the words of Coblich it staggered to its
+feet. It was the king.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Have pity--have pity!" he cried. "Do not kill me, and I will go
+away where none will ever know that I live. You can tell Peter
+that I am dead. Tell him anything, only spare my life. Oh, why
+did I ever listen to the cursed fool who tempted me to think of
+regaining the crown that has brought me only misery and
+suffering--the crown that has now placed the sentence of death
+upon me." <br>
+<p>"Why not let him go?" suggested the trooper, who up to this
+time had not spoken. "If we don't kill him, we can't be hanged
+for his murder."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Don't be too sure of that," exclaimed Maenck. "If he goes away
+and never returns, what proof can we offer that we did not kill
+him, should we be charged with the crime? And if we let him go,
+and later he returns and gains his throne, he will see that we
+are hanged anyway for treason. <br>
+<p>"The safest thing to do is to put him where he at least cannot
+come back to threaten us, and having done so upon the orders of
+Peter, let the king's blood be upon Peter's head. I, at least,
+shall obey my master, and let you two bear witness that I did the
+thing with my own hand." So saying he drew his sword and crossed
+toward the king.<br>
+</p>
+
+But Captain Ernst Maenck never reached his sovereign. <br>
+<p>As the terrified shriek of the sorry monarch rang through the
+interior of the desolate ruin another sound mingled with it,
+half-drowning the piercing wail of terror.<br>
+</p>
+
+It was the sharp crack of a revolver, and even as it spoke Maenck
+lunged awkwardly forward, stumbled, and collapsed at Leopold's
+feet. With a moan the king shrank back from the grisly thing that
+touched his boot, and then two men were in the center of the
+room, and things were happening with a rapidity that was
+bewildering. <br>
+<p>About all that he could afterward recall with any distinctness
+was the terrified face of Coblich, as he rushed past him toward a
+door in the opposite side of the room, and the horrid leer upon
+the face of the dead trooper, who foolishly, had made a move to
+draw his revolver.<br>
+</p>
+
+Within the cathedral at Lustadt excitement was at fever heat. It
+lacked but two minutes of noon, and as yet no king had come to
+claim the crown. Rumors were running riot through the
+close-packed audience. <br>
+<p>One man had heard the king's chamberlain report to Prince von
+der Tann that the master of ceremonies had found the king's
+apartments vacant when he had gone to urge the monarch to hasten
+his preparations for the coronation.<br>
+</p>
+
+Another had seen Butzow and two strangers galloping north through
+the city. A third told of a little old man who had come to the
+king with an urgent message. <br>
+<p>Peter of Blentz and Prince Ludwig were talking in whispers at
+the foot of the chancel steps. Peter ascended the steps and
+facing the assemblage raised a silencing hand.<br>
+</p>
+
+"He who claimed to be Leopold of Lutha," he said, "was but a mad
+adventurer. He would have seized the throne of the Rubinroths had
+his nerve not failed him at the last moment. He has fled. The
+true king is dead. Now I, Prince Regent of Lutha, declare the
+throne vacant, and announce myself king!" <br>
+<p>There were a few scattered cheers and some hissing. A score of
+the nobles rose as though to protest, but before any could take a
+step the attention of all was directed toward the sorry figure of
+a white-faced man who scurried up the broad center aisle.<br>
+</p>
+
+It was Coblich. <br>
+<p>He ran to Peter's side, and though he attempted to speak in a
+whisper, so out of breath, and so filled with hysterical terror
+was he that his words came out in gasps that were audible to many
+of those who stood near by.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Maenck is dead," he cried. "The impostor has stolen the king."
+<br>
+<p>Peter of Blentz went white as his lieutenant. Von der Tann
+heard and demanded an explanation.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You said that Leopold was dead," he said accusingly. <br>
+<p>Peter regained his self-control quickly.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Coblich is excited," he explained. "He means that the impostor
+has stolen the body of the king that Coblich and Maenck had
+discovered and were bring to Lustadt." <br>
+<p>Von der Tann looked troubled.<br>
+</p>
+
+He knew not what to make of the series of wild tales that had
+come to his ears within the past hour. He had hoped that the
+young man whom he had last seen in the king's apartments was the
+true Leopold. He would have been glad to have served such a one,
+but there had been many inexplicable occurrences which tended to
+cast a doubt upon the man's claims--and yet, had he ever claimed
+to be the king? It suddenly occurred to the old prince that he
+had not. On the contrary he had repeatedly stated to Prince
+Ludwig's daughter and to Lieutenant Butzow that he was not
+Leopold. <br>
+<p>It seemed that they had all been so anxious to believe him
+king that they had forced the false position upon him, and now if
+he had indeed committed the atrocity that Coblich charged against
+him, who could wonder? With less provocation men had before
+attempted to seize thrones by more dastardly means.<br>
+</p>
+
+Peter of Blentz was speaking. <br>
+<p>"Let the coronation proceed," he cried, "that Lutha may have a
+true king to frustrate the plans of the impostor and the traitors
+who had supported him."<br>
+</p>
+
+He cast a meaning glance at Prince von der Tann. <br>
+<p>There were many cries for Peter of Blentz. "Let's have done
+with treason, and place upon the throne of Lutha one whom we know
+to be both a Luthanian and sane. Down with the mad king! Down
+with the impostor!"<br>
+</p>
+
+Peter turned to ascend the chancel steps. <br>
+<p>Von der Tann still hesitated. Below him upon one side of the
+aisle were massed his own retainers. Opposite them were the men
+of the Regent, and dividing the two the parallel ranks of Horse
+Guards stretched from the chancel down the broad aisle to the
+great doors. These were strongly for the impostor, if impostor he
+was, who had led them to victory over the men of the Blentz
+faction.<br>
+</p>
+
+Von der Tann knew that they would fight to the last ditch for
+their hero should he come to claim the crown. Yet how would they
+fight--to which side would they cleave, were he to attempt to
+frustrate the design of the Regent to seize the throne of Lutha?
+<br>
+<p>Already Peter of Blentz had approached the bishop, who, eager
+to propitiate whoever seemed most likely to become king, gave the
+signal for the procession that was to mark the solemn bearing of
+the crown of Lutha up the aisle to the chancel.<br>
+</p>
+
+Outside the cathedral there was the sudden blare of trumpets. The
+great doors swung violently open, and the entire throng were upon
+their feet in an instant as a trooper of the Royal Horse shouted:
+"The king! The king! Make way for Leopold of Lutha!" <br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+
+<h1 id="ref_13">Chapter XII THE GRATITUDE OF A KING</h1>
+
+<br>
+<p>AT THE CRY silence fell upon the throng. Every head was turned
+toward the great doors through which the head of a procession was
+just visible. It was a grim looking procession --the head of it,
+at least.<br>
+</p>
+
+There were four khaki-clad trumpeters from the Royal Horse
+Guards, the gay and resplendent uniforms which they should have
+donned today conspicuous for their absence. From their brazen
+bugles sounded another loud fanfare, and then they separated, two
+upon each side of the aisle, and between them marched three men.
+<br>
+<p>One was tall, with gray eyes and had a reddish-brown beard. He
+was fully clothed in the coronation robes of Leopold. Upon his
+either hand walked the others--Lieutenant Butzow and a gray-eyed,
+smooth-faced, square-jawed stranger.<br>
+</p>
+
+Behind them marched the balance of the Royal Horse Guards that
+were not already on duty within the cathedral. As the eyes of the
+multitude fell upon the man in the coronation robes there were
+cries of: "The king! Impostor!" and "Von der Tann's puppet!" <br>
+<p>"Denounce him!" whispered one of Peter's henchmen in his
+master's ear.<br>
+</p>
+
+The Regent moved closer to the aisle, that he might meet the
+impostor at the foot of the chancel steps. The procession was
+moving steadily up the aisle. <br>
+<p>Among the clan of Von der Tann a young girl with wide eyes was
+bending forward that she might have a better look at the face of
+the king. As he came opposite her her eyes filled with horror,
+and then she saw the eyes of the smooth-faced stranger at the
+king's side. They were brave, laughing eyes, and as they looked
+straight into her own the truth flashed upon her, and the girl
+gave a gasp of dismay as she realized that the king of Lutha and
+the king of her heart were not one and the same.<br>
+</p>
+
+At last the head of the procession was almost at the foot of the
+chancel steps. There were murmurs of: "It is not the king," and
+"Who is this new impostor?" <br>
+<p>Leopold's eyes were searching the faces of the closepacked
+nobility about the chancel. At last they fell upon the face of
+Peter. The young man halted not two paces from the Regent. The
+man went white as the king's eyes bored straight into his
+miserable soul.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Peter of Blentz," cried the young man, "as God is your judge,
+tell the truth today. Who am I?" <br>
+<p>The legs of the Prince Regent trembled. He sank upon his
+knees, raising his hands in supplication toward the other. "Have
+pity on me, your majesty, have pity!" he cried.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Who am I, man?" insisted the king. <br>
+<p>"You are Leopold Rubinroth, sire, by the grace of God, king of
+Lutha," cried the frightened man. "Have mercy on an old man, your
+majesty."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Wait! Am I mad? Was I ever mad?" <br>
+<p>"As God is my judge, sire, no!" replied Peter of Blentz.<br>
+</p>
+
+Leopold turned to Butzow. <br>
+<p>"Remove the traitor from our presence," he commanded, and at a
+word from the lieutenant a dozen guardsmen seized the trembling
+man and hustled him from the cathedral amid hisses and
+execrations.<br>
+</p>
+
+Following the coronation the king was closeted in his private
+audience chamber in the palace with Prince Ludwig. <br>
+<p>"I cannot understand what has happened, even now, your
+majesty," the old man was saying. "That you are the true Leopold
+is all that I am positive of, for the discomfiture of Prince
+Peter evidenced that fact all too plainly. But who the impostor
+was who ruled Lutha in your name for two days, disappearing as
+miraculously as he came, I cannot guess.<br>
+</p>
+
+"But for another miracle which preserved you for us in the nick
+of time he might now be wearing the crown of Lutha in your stead.
+Having Peter of Blentz safely in custody our next immediate task
+should be to hunt down the impostor and bring him to justice
+also; though"--and the old prince sighed--"he was indeed a brave
+man, and a noble figure of a king as he led your troops to
+battle." <br>
+<p>The king had been smiling as Von der Tann first spoke of the
+"impostor," but at the old man's praise of the other's bravery a
+slight flush tinged his cheek, and the shadow of a scowl crossed
+his brow.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Wait," he said, "we shall not have to look far for your
+'impostor,'" and summoning an aide he dispatched him for
+"Lieutenant Butzow and Mr. Custer." <br>
+<p>A moment later the two entered the audience chamber. Barney
+found that Leopold the king, surrounded by comforts and safety,
+was a very different person from Leopold the fugitive. The weak
+face now wore an expression of arrogance, though the king spoke
+most graciously to the American.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Here, Von der Tann," said Leopold, "is your 'impostor.' But for
+him I should doubtless be dead by now, or once again a prisoner
+at Blentz." <br>
+<p>Barney and Butzow found it necessary to repeat their stories
+several times before the old man could fully grasp all that had
+transpired beneath his very nose without his being aware of
+scarce a single detail of it.<br>
+</p>
+
+When he was finally convinced that they were telling the truth,
+he extended his hand to the American. <br>
+<p>"I knelt to you once, young man," he said, "and kissed your
+hand. I should be filled with bitterness and rage toward you. On
+the contrary, I find that I am proud to have served in the
+retinue of such an impostor as you, for you upheld the prestige
+of the house of Rubinroth upon the battlefield, and though you
+might have had a crown, you refused it and brought the true king
+into his own."<br>
+</p>
+
+Leopold sat tapping his foot upon the carpet. It was all very
+well if he, the king, chose to praise the American, but there was
+no need for old von der Tann to slop over so. The king did not
+like it. As a matter of fact, he found himself becoming very
+jealous of the man who had placed him upon his throne. <br>
+<p>"There is only one thing that I can harbor against you,"
+continued Prince Ludwig, "and that is that in a single instance
+you deceived me, for an hour before the coronation you told me
+that you were a Rubinroth."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I told you, prince," corrected Barney, "that the royal blood of
+Rubinroth flowed in my veins, and so it does. I am the son of the
+runaway Princess Victoria of Lutha." <br>
+<p>Both Leopold and Ludwig looked their surprise, and to the
+king's eyes came a sudden look of fear. With the royal blood in
+his veins, what was there to prevent this popular hero from some
+day striving for the throne he had once refused? Leopold knew
+that the minds of men were wont to change most unaccountably.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Butzow," he said suddenly to the lieutenant of horse, "how many
+do you imagine know positively that he who has ruled Lutha for
+the past two days and he who was crowned in the cathedral this
+noon are not one and the same?" <br>
+<p>"Only a few besides those who are in this room, your majesty,"
+replied Butzow. "Peter and Coblich have known it from the first,
+and then there is Kramer, the loyal old shopkeeper of Tafelberg,
+who followed Coblich and Maenck all night and half a day as they
+dragged the king to the hiding-place where we found him. Other
+than these there may be those who guess the truth, but there are
+none who know."<br>
+</p>
+
+For a moment the king sat in thought. Then he rose and commenced
+packing back and forth the length of the apartment. <br>
+<p>"Why should they ever know?" he said at last, halting before
+the three men who had been standing watching him. "For the sake
+of Lutha they should never know that another than the true king
+sat upon the throne even for an hour."<br>
+</p>
+
+He was thinking of the comparison that might be drawn between the
+heroic figure of the American and his own colorless part in the
+events which had led up to his coronation. In his heart of hearts
+he felt that old Von der Tann rather regretted that the American
+had not been the king, and he hated the old man accordingly, and
+was commencing to hate the American as well. <br>
+<p>Prince Ludwig stood looking at the carpet after the king had
+spoken. His judgment told him that the king's suggestion was a
+wise one; but he was sorry and ashamed that it had come from
+Leopold. Butzow's lips almost showed the contempt that he felt
+for the ingratitude of his king.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney Custer was the first to speak. <br>
+<p>"I think his majesty is quite right," he said, "and tonight I
+can leave the palace after dark and cross the border some time
+tomorrow evening. The people need never know the truth."<br>
+</p>
+
+Leopold looked relieved. <br>
+<p>"We must reward you, Mr. Custer," he said. "Name that which it
+lies within our power to grant you and it shall be yours."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney thought of the girl he loved; but he did not mention her
+name, for he knew that she was not for him now. <br>
+<p>"There is nothing, your majesty," he said.<br>
+</p>
+
+"A money reward," Leopold started to suggest, and then Barney
+Custer lost his temper. <br>
+<p>A flush mounted to his face, his chin went up, and there came
+to his lips bitter words of sarcasm. With an effort, however, he
+held his tongue, and, turning his back upon the king, his broad
+shoulders proclaiming the contempt he felt, he walked slowly out
+of the room.<br>
+</p>
+
+Von der Tann and Butzow and Leopold of Lutha stood in silence as
+the American passed out of sight beyond the portal. <br>
+<p>The manner of his going had been an affront to the king, and
+the young ruler had gone red with anger.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Butzow," he cried, "bring the fellow back; he shall be taught a
+lesson in the deference that is due kings." <br>
+<p>Butzow hesitated. "He has risked his life a dozen times for
+your majesty," said the lieutenant.<br>
+</p>
+
+Leopold flushed. <br>
+<p>"Do not humiliate him, sire," advised Von der Tann. "He has
+earned a greater reward at your hands than that."<br>
+</p>
+
+The king resumed his pacing for a moment, coming to a halt once
+more before the two. <br>
+<p>"We shall take no notice of his insolence," he said, "and that
+shall be our royal reward for his services. More than he
+deserves, we dare say, at that."<br>
+</p>
+
+As Barney hastened through the palace on his way to his new
+quarters to obtain his arms and order his horse saddled, he came
+suddenly upon a girlish figure gazing sadly from a window upon
+the drear November world--her heart as sad as the day. <br>
+<p>At the sound of his footstep she turned, and as her eyes met
+the gray ones of the man she stood poised as though of half a
+mind to fly. For a moment neither spoke.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Can your highness forgive?" he asked. <br>
+<p>For answer the girl buried her face in her hands and dropped
+upon the cushioned window seat before her. The American came
+close and knelt at her side.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Don't," he begged as he saw her shoulders rise to the sudden
+sobbing that racked her slender frame. "Don't!" <br>
+<p>He thought that she wept from mortification that she had given
+her kisses to another than the king.<br>
+</p>
+
+"None knows," he continued, "what has passed between us. None but
+you and I need ever know. I tried to make you understand that I
+was not Leopold; but you would not believe. It is not my fault
+that I loved you. It is not my fault that I shall always love
+you. Tell me that you forgive me my part in the chain of strange
+circumstances that deceived you into an acknowledgment of a love
+that you intended for another. Forgive me, Emma!" <br>
+<p>Down the corridor behind them a tall figure approached on
+silent, noiseless feet. At sight of the two at the window seat it
+halted. It was the king.<br>
+</p>
+
+The girl looked up suddenly into the eyes of the American bending
+so close above her. <br>
+<p>"I can never forgive you," she cried, "for not being the king,
+for I am betrothed to him--and I love you!"<br>
+</p>
+
+Before she could prevent him, Barney Custer had taken her in his
+arms, and though at first she made a pretense of attempting to
+escape, at last she lay quite still. Her arms found their way
+about the man's neck, and her lips returned the kisses that his
+were showering upon her upturned mouth. <br>
+<p>Presently her glance wandered above the shoulder of the
+American, and of a sudden her eyes filled with terror, and, with
+a little gasp of consternation, she struggled to free
+herself.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Let me go!" she whispered. "Let me go--the king!" <br>
+<p>Barney sprang to his feet and, turning, faced Leopold. The
+king had gone quite white.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Failing to rob me of my crown," he cried in a trembling voice,
+"you now seek to rob me of my betrothed! Go to your father at
+once, and as for you--you shall learn what it means for you thus
+to meddle in the affairs of kings." <br>
+<p>Barney saw the terrible position in which his love had placed
+the Princess Emma. His only thought now was for her. Bowing low
+before her he spoke so that the king might hear, yet as though
+his words were for her ears alone.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Your highness knows the truth, now," he said, "and that after
+all I am not the king. I can only ask that you will forgive me
+the deception. Now go to your father as the king commands." <br>
+<p>Slowly the girl turned away. Her heart was torn between love
+for this man, and her duty toward the other to whom she had been
+betrothed in childhood. The hereditary instinct of obedience to
+her sovereign was strong within her, and the bonds of custom and
+society held her in their relentless shackles. With a sob she
+passed up the corridor, curtsying to the king as she passed
+him.<br>
+</p>
+
+When she had gone Leopold turned to the American. There was an
+evil look in the little gray eyes of the monarch. <br>
+<p>"You may go your way," he said coldly. "We shall give you
+forty-eight hours to leave Lutha. Should you ever return your
+life shall be the forfeit."<br>
+</p>
+
+The American kept back the hot words that were ready upon the end
+of his tongue. For her sake he must bow to fate. With a slight
+inclination of his head toward Leopold he wheeled and resumed his
+way toward his quarters. <br>
+<p>Half an hour later as he was about to descend to the courtyard
+where a trooper of the Royal Horse held his waiting mount, Butzow
+burst suddenly into his room.<br>
+</p>
+
+"For God's sake," cried the lieutenant, "get out of this. The
+king has changed his mind, and there is an officer of the guard
+on his way here now with a file of soldiers to place you under
+arrest. Leopold swears that he will hang you for treason.
+Princess Emma has spurned him, and he is wild with rage." <br>
+<p>The dismal November twilight had given place to bleak night as
+two men cantered from the palace courtyard and turned their
+horses' heads northward toward Lutha's nearest boundary. All
+night they rode, stopping at daylight before a distant farm to
+feed and water their mounts and snatch a mouthful for themselves.
+Then onward once again they pressed in their mad flight.<br>
+</p>
+
+Now that day had come they caught occasional glimpses of a body
+of horsemen far behind them, but the border was near, and their
+start such that there was no danger of their being overtaken.
+<br>
+<p>"For the thousandth time, Butzow," said one of the men, "will
+you turn back before it is too late?"<br>
+</p>
+
+But the other only shook his head obstinately, and so they came
+to the great granite monument which marks the boundary between
+Lutha and her powerful neighbor upon the north. <br>
+<p>Barney held out his hand. "Good-bye, old man," he said. "If
+I've learned the ingratitude of kings here in Lutha, I have found
+something that more than compensates me-the friendship of a brave
+man. Now hurry back and tell them that I escaped across the
+border just as I was about to fall into your hands and they will
+think that you have been pursuing me instead of aiding in my
+escape across the border."<br>
+</p>
+
+But again Butzow shook his head. <br>
+<p>"I have fought shoulder to shoulder with you, my friend," he
+said. "I have called you king, and after that I could never serve
+the coward who sits now upon the throne of Lutha. I have made up
+my mind during this long ride from Lustadt, and I have come to
+the decision that I should prefer to raise corn in Nebraska with
+you rather than serve in the court of an ingrate."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Well, you are an obstinate Dutchman, after all," replied the
+American with a smile, placing his hand affectionately upon the
+shoulder of his comrade. <br>
+<p>There was a clatter of horses' hoofs upon the gravel of the
+road behind them.<br>
+</p>
+
+The two men put spurs to their mounts, and Barney Custer galloped
+across the northern boundary of Lutha just ahead of a troop of
+Luthanian cavalry, as had his father thirty years before; but a
+royal princess had accompanied the father--only a soldier
+accompanied the son. <br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_14">PART II<br>
+</h1>
+
+<h1 id="ref_15">Chapter I BARNEY RETURNS TO LUTHA</h1>
+
+<br>
+<p>"WHAT'S THE MATTER, Vic?" asked Barney Custer of his sister.
+"You look peeved."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I am peeved," replied the girl, smiling. "I am terribly peeved.
+I don't want to play bridge this afternoon. I want to go motoring
+with Lieutenant Butzow. This is his last day with us." <br>
+<p>"Yes. I know it is, and I hate to think of it," replied
+Barney; "but why in the world do you have to play bridge if you
+don't want to?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"I promised Margaret that I'd go. They're short one, and she's
+coming after me in her car." <br>
+<p>"Where are you going to play--at the champion lady bridge
+player's on Fourth Street?" asked Barney, grinning.<br>
+</p>
+
+His sister answered with a nod and a smile. "Where you brought
+down the wrath of the lady champion upon your head the other
+night when you were letting your mind wander across to Lutha and
+the Old Forest, instead of paying attention to the game," she
+added. <br>
+<p>"Well, cheer up, Vic," cried her brother. "Bert'll probably
+set fire to the car, the way he did to their first one, and then
+you won't have to go."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Oh, yes, I would; Margaret would send him after me in that
+awful-looking, unwashed Ford runabout of his," answered the girl.
+<br>
+<p>"And then you WOULD go," said Barney.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You bet I would," laughed Victoria. "I'd go in a wheelbarrow
+with Bert." <br>
+<p>But she didn't have to; and after she had driven off with her
+chum, Barney and Butzow strolled down through the little city of
+Beatrice to the corn mill in which the former was interested.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I'm mighty sorry that you have to leave us, Butzow," said
+Barney's partner. "It's bad enough to lose you, but I'm afraid it
+will mean the loss of Barney, too. He's been hunting for some
+excuse to get back to Lutha, and with you there and a war in
+sight I'm afraid nothing can hold him." <br>
+<p>"I don't know but that it may be just as well for my friends
+here that I leave," said Butzow seriously. "I did not tell you,
+Barney, all there is in this letter"--he tapped his breastpocket,
+where the foreign-looking envelope reposed with its contents.<br>
+</p>
+
+Custer looked at him inquiringly. <br>
+<p>"Besides saying that war between Austria and Serbia seems
+unavoidable and that Lutha doubtless will be drawn into it, my
+informant warns me that Leopold had sent emissaries to America to
+search for you, Barney, and myself. What his purpose may be my
+friend does not know, but he warns us to be upon our guard. Von
+der Tann wants me to return to Lutha. He has promised to protect
+me, and with the country in danger there is nothing else for me
+to do. I must go."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I wish I could go with you," said Barney. "If it wasn't for this
+dinged old mill I would; but Bert wants to go away this summer,
+and as I have been away most of the time for the past two years,
+it's up to me to stay." <br>
+<p>As the three men talked the afternoon wore on. Heavy clouds
+gathered in the sky; a storm was brewing. Outside, a man,
+skulking behind a box car on the siding, watched the entrance
+through which the three had gone. He watched the workmen, and as
+quitting time came and he saw them leaving for their homes he
+moved more restlessly, transferring the package which he held
+from one hand to another many times, yet always gingerly.<br>
+</p>
+
+At last all had left. The man started from behind the box car,
+only to jump back as the watchman appeared around the end of one
+of the buildings. He watched the guardian of the property make
+his rounds; he saw him enter his office, and then he crept
+forward toward the building, holding his queer package in his
+right hand. <br>
+<p>In the office the watchman came upon the three friends. At
+sight of him they looked at one another in surprise.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Why, what time is it?" exclaimed Custer, and as he looked at his
+watch he rose with a laugh. "Late to dinner again," he cried.
+"Come on, we'll go out this other way." And with a cheery good
+night to the watchman Barney and his friends hastened from the
+building. <br>
+<p>Upon the opposite side the stranger approached the doorway to
+the mill. The rain was falling in blinding sheets. Ominously the
+thunder roared. Vivid flashes of lightning shot the heavens. The
+watchman, coming suddenly from the doorway, his hat brim pulled
+low over his eyes, passed within a couple of paces of the
+stranger without seeing him.<br>
+</p>
+
+Five minutes later there was a blinding glare accompanied by a
+deafening roar. It was as though nature had marshaled all her
+forces in one mighty, devastating effort. At the same instant the
+walls of the great mill burst asunder, a nebulous mass of burning
+gas shot heavenward, and then the flames settled down to complete
+the destruction of the ruin. <br>
+<p>It was the following morning that Victoria and Barney Custer,
+with Lieutenant Butzow and Custer's partner, stood contemplating
+the smoldering wreckage.<br>
+</p>
+
+"And to think," said Barney, "that yesterday this muss was the
+largest corn mill west of anywhere. I guess we can both take
+vacations now, Bert." <br>
+<p>"Who would have thought that a single bolt of lightning could
+have resulted in such havoc?" mused Victoria.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Who would?" agreed Lieutenant Butzow, and then, with a sudden
+narrowing of his eyes and a quick glance at Barney, "if it WAS
+lightning." <br>
+<p>The American looked at the Luthanian. "You think--" he
+started.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I don't dare think," replied Butzow, "because of the fear of
+what this may mean to you and Miss Victoria if it was not
+lightning that destroyed the mill. I shouldn't have spoken of it
+but that it may urge you to greater caution, which I cannot but
+think is most necessary since the warning I received from Lutha."
+<br>
+<p>"Why should Leopold seek to harm me now?" asked Barney. "It
+has been almost two years since you and I placed him upon his
+throne, only to be rewarded with threats and hatred. In that time
+neither of us has returned to Lutha nor in any way conspired
+against the king. I cannot fathom his motives."<br>
+</p>
+
+"There is the Princess Emma von der Tann," Butzow reminded him.
+"She still repulses him. He may think that, with you removed
+definitely and permanently, all will then be plain sailing for
+him in that direction. Evidently he does not know the princess."
+<br>
+<p>An hour later they were all bidding Butzow good-bye at the
+station. Victoria Custer was genuinely grieved to see him go, for
+she liked this soldierly young officer of the Royal Horse Guards
+immensely.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You must come back to America soon," she urged. <br>
+<p>He looked down at her from the steps of the moving train.
+There was something in his expression that she had never seen
+there before.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I want to come back soon," he answered, "to--to Beatrice," and
+he flushed and smiled at his own stumbling tongue. <br>
+<p>For about a week Barney Custer moped disconsolately,
+principally about the ruins of the corn mill. He was in
+everyone's way and accomplished nothing.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I was never intended for a captain of industry," he confided to
+his partner for the hundredth time. "I wish some excuse would pop
+up to which I might hang a reason for beating it to Europe.
+There's something doing there. Nearly everybody has declared war
+upon everybody else, and here I am stagnating in peace. I'd even
+welcome a tornado." <br>
+<p>His excuse was to come sooner than he imagined. That night,
+after the other members of his family had retired, Barney sat
+smoking within a screened porch off the livingroom. His thoughts
+were upon a trim little figure in riding togs, as he had first
+seen it nearly two years before, clinging desperately to a
+runaway horse upon the narrow mountain road above Tafelberg.<br>
+</p>
+
+He lived that thrilling experience through again as he had many
+times before. He even smiled as he recalled the series of events
+that had resulted from his resemblance to the mad king of Lutha.
+<br>
+<p>They had come to a culmination at the time when the king, whom
+Barney had placed upon a throne at the risk of his own life,
+discovered that his savior loved the girl to whom the king had
+been betrothed since childhood and that the girl returned the
+American's love even after she knew that he had but played the
+part of a king.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney's cigar, forgotten, had long since died out. Not even its
+former fitful glow proclaimed his presence upon the porch, whose
+black shadows completely enveloped him. Before him stretched a
+wide acreage of lawn, tree dotted at the side of the house.
+Bushes hid the stone wall that marked the boundary of the Custer
+grounds and extended here and there out upon the sward among the
+trees. The night was moonless but clear. A faint light pervaded
+the scene. <br>
+<p>Barney sat staring straight ahead, but his gaze did not stop
+upon the familiar objects of the foreground. Instead it spanned
+two continents and an ocean to rest upon the little spot of
+woodland and rugged mountain and lowland that is Lutha. It was
+with an effort that the man suddenly focused his attention upon
+that which lay directly before him. A shadow among the trees had
+moved!<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney Custer sat perfectly still, but now he was suddenly alert
+and watchful. Again the shadow moved where no shadow should be
+moving. It crossed from the shade of one tree to another. Barney
+came cautiously to his feet. Silently he entered the house,
+running quickly to a side door that opened upon the grounds. As
+he drew it back its hinges gave forth no sound. Barney looked
+toward the spot where he had seen the shadow. Again he saw it
+scuttle hurriedly beneath another tree nearer the house. This
+time there was no doubt. It was a man! <br>
+<p>Directly before the door where Barney stood was a pergola,
+ivy-covered. Behind this he slid, and, running its length, came
+out among the trees behind the night prowler. Now he saw him
+distinctly. The fellow was bearded, and in his right hand he
+carried a package. Instantly Barney recalled Butzow's comment
+upon the destruction of the mill --"if it WAS lightning!"<br>
+</p>
+
+Cold sweat broke from every pore of his body. His mother and
+father were there in the house, and Vic--all sleeping peacefully.
+He ran quickly toward the menacing figure, and as he did so he
+saw the other halt behind a great tree and strike a match. In the
+glow of the flame he saw it touch close to the package that the
+fellow held, and then he was upon him. <br>
+<p>There was a brief and terrific struggle. The stranger hurled
+the package toward the house. Barney caught him by the throat,
+beating him heavily in the face; and then, realizing what the
+package was, he hurled the fellow from him, and sprang toward the
+hissing and sputtering missile where it lay close to the
+foundation wall of the house, though in the instant of his close
+contact with the man he had recognized through the disguising
+beard the features of Captain Ernst Maenck, the principal tool of
+Peter of Blentz.<br>
+</p>
+
+Quick though Barney was to reach the bomb and extinguish the
+fuse, Maenck had disappeared before he returned to search for
+him; and, though he roused the gardener and chauffeur and took
+turns with them in standing guard the balance of the night, the
+would-be assassin did not return. <br>
+<p>There was no question in Barney Custer's mind as to whom the
+bomb was intended for. That Maenck had hurled it toward the house
+after Barney had seized him was merely the result of accident and
+the man's desire to get the deathdealing missile as far from
+himself as possible before it exploded. That it would have
+wrecked the house in the hope of reaching him, had he not
+fortunately interfered, was too evident to the American to be
+questioned.<br>
+</p>
+
+And so he decided before the night was spent to put himself as
+far from his family as possible, lest some future attempt upon
+his life might endanger theirs. Then, too, righteous anger and a
+desire for revenge prompted his decision. He would run Maenck to
+earth and have an accounting with him. It was evident that his
+life would not be worth a farthing so long as the fellow was at
+liberty. <br>
+<p>Before dawn he swore the gardener and chauffeur to silence,
+and at breakfast announced his intention of leaving that day for
+New York to seek a commission as correspondent with an old
+classmate, who owned the New York Evening National. At the hotel
+Barney inquired of the proprietor relative to a bearded stranger,
+but the man had had no one of that description registered.
+Chance, however, gave him a clue. His roadster was in a repair
+shop, and as he stopped in to get it he overheard a conversation
+that told him all he wanted to know. As he stood talking with the
+foreman a dust-covered automobile pulled into the garage.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Hello, Bill," called the foreman to the driver. "Where you been
+so early?" <br>
+<p>"Took a guy to Lincoln," replied the other. "He was in an
+awful hurry. I bet we broke all the records for that stretch of
+road this morning--I never knew the old boat had it in her."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Who was it?" asked Barney. <br>
+<p>"I dunno," replied the driver. "Talked like a furriner, and
+looked the part. Bushy black beard. Said he was a German army
+officer, an' had to beat it back on account of the war. Seemed to
+me like he was mighty anxious to get back there an' be
+killed."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney waited to hear no more. He did not even go home to say
+good-bye to his family. Instead he leaped into his gray
+roadster--a later model of the one he had lost in Lutha--and the
+last that Beatrice, Nebraska, saw of him was a whirling cloud of
+dust as he raced north out of town toward Lincoln. <br>
+<p>He was five minutes too late into the capital city to catch
+the eastbound limited that Maenck must have taken; but he caught
+the next through train for Chicago, and the second day thereafter
+found him in New York. There he had little difficulty in
+obtaining the desired credentials from his newspaper friend,
+especially since Barney offered to pay all his own expenses and
+donate to the paper anything he found time to write.<br>
+</p>
+
+Passenger steamers were still sailing, though irregularly, and
+after scanning the passenger-lists of three he found the name he
+sought. "Captain Ernst Maenck, Lutha." So he had not been
+mistaken, after all. It was Maenck he had apprehended on his
+father's grounds. Evidently the man had little fear of being
+followed, for he had made no effort to hide his identity in
+booking passage for Europe. <br>
+<p>The steamer he had caught had sailed that very morning. Barney
+was not so sorry, after all, for he had had time during his trip
+from Beatrice to do considerable thinking, and had found it
+rather difficult to determine just what to do should he have
+overtaken Maenck in the United States. He couldn't kill the man
+in cold blood, justly as he may have deserved the fate, and the
+thought of causing his arrest and dragging his own name into the
+publicity of court proceedings was little less distasteful to
+him.<br>
+</p>
+
+Furthermore, the pursuit of Maenck now gave Barney a legitimate
+excuse for returning to Lutha, or at least to the close
+neighborhood of the little kingdom, where he might await the
+outcome of events and be ready to give his services in the cause
+of the house of Von der Tann should they be required. <br>
+<p>By going directly to Italy and entering Austria from that
+country Barney managed to arrive within the boundaries of the
+dual monarchy with comparatively few delays. Nor did he encounter
+any considerable bodies of troops until he reached the little
+town of Burgova, which lies not far from the Serbian frontier.
+Beyond this point his credentials would not carry him. The
+emperor's officers were polite, but firm. No newspaper
+correspondents could be permitted nearer the front than
+Burgova.<br>
+</p>
+
+There was nothing to be done, therefore, but wait until some
+propitious event gave him the opportunity to approach more
+closely the Serbian boundary and Lutha. In the meantime he would
+communicate with Butzow, who might be able to obtain passes for
+him to some village nearer the Luthanian frontier, when it should
+be an easy matter to cross through to Serbia. He was sure the
+Serbian authorities would object less strenuously to his
+presence. <br>
+<p>The inn at which he applied for accommodations was already
+overrun by officers, but the proprietor, with scant apologies for
+a civilian, offered him a little box of a room in the attic. The
+place was scarce more than a closet, and for that Barney was in a
+way thankful since the limited space could accommodate but a
+single cot, thus insuring him the privacy that a larger chamber
+would have precluded.<br>
+</p>
+
+He was very tired after his long and comfortless land journey, so
+after an early dinner he went immediately to his room and to bed.
+How long he slept he did not know, but some time during the night
+he was awakened by the sound of voices apparently close to his
+ear. <br>
+<p>For a moment he thought the speakers must be in his own room,
+so distinctly did he overhear each word of their conversation;
+but presently he discovered that they were upon the opposite side
+of a thin partition in an adjoining room. But half awake, and
+with the sole idea of getting back to sleep again as quickly as
+possible, Barney paid only the slightest attention to the meaning
+of the words that fell upon his ears, until, like a bomb, a
+sentence broke through his sleepy faculties, banishing Morpheus
+upon the instant.<br>
+</p>
+
+"It will take but little now to turn Leopold against Von der
+Tann." The speaker evidently was an Austrian. "Already I have
+half convinced him that the old man aspires to the throne.
+Leopold fears the loyalty of his army, which is for Von der Tann
+body and soul. He knows that Von der Tann is strongly
+anti-Austrian, and I have made it plain to him that if he allows
+his kingdom to take sides with Serbia he will have no kingdom
+when the war is over--it will be a part of Austria. <br>
+<p>"It was with greater difficulty, however, my dear Peter, that
+I convinced him that you, Von Coblich, and Captain Maenck were
+his most loyal friends. He fears you yet, but, nevertheless, he
+has pardoned you all. Do not forget when you return to your dear
+Lutha that you owe your repatriation to Count Zellerndorf of
+Austria."<br>
+</p>
+
+"You may be assured that we shall never forget," replied another
+voice that Barney recognized at once as belonging to Prince Peter
+of Blentz, the one time regent of Lutha. <br>
+<p>"It is not for myself," continued Count Zellerndorf, "that I
+crave your gratitude, but for my emperor. You may do much to win
+his undying gratitude, while for yourselves you may win to almost
+any height with the friendship of Austria behind you. I am sure
+that should any accident, which God forfend, deprive Lutha of her
+king, none would make a more welcome successor in the eyes of
+Austria than our good friend Peter."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney could almost see the smile of satisfaction upon the thin
+lips of Peter of Blentz as this broad hint fell from the lips of
+the Austrian diplomat--a hint that seemed to the American little
+short of the death sentence of Leopold, King of Lutha. <br>
+<p>"We owed you much before, count," said Peter. "But for you we
+should have been hanged a year ago--without your aid we should
+never have been able to escape from the fortress of Lustadt or
+cross the border into Austria-Hungary. I am sorry that Maenck
+failed in his mission, for had he not we would have had concrete
+evidence to present to the king that we are indeed his loyal
+supporters. It would have dispelled at once such fears and doubts
+as he may still entertain of our fealty."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Yes, I, too, am sorry," agreed Zellerndorf. "I can assure you
+that the news we hoped Captain Maenck would bring from America
+would have gone a long way toward restoring you to the confidence
+and good graces of the king." <br>
+<p>"I did my best," came another voice that caused Barney's eyes
+to go wide in astonishment, for it was none other than the voice
+of Maenck himself. "Twice I risked hanging to get him and only
+came away after I had been recognized."<br>
+</p>
+
+"It is too bad," sighed Zellerndorf; "though it may not be
+without its advantages after all, for now we still have this
+second bugbear to frighten Leopold with. So long, of course, as
+the American lives there is always the chance that he may return
+and seek to gain the throne. The fact that his mother was a
+Rubinroth princess might make it easy for Von der Tann to place
+him upon the throne without much opposition, and if he married
+the old man's daughter it is easy to conceive that the prince
+might favor such a move. At any rate, it should not be difficult
+to persuade Leopold of the possibility of such a thing. <br>
+<p>"Under the circumstances Leopold is almost convinced that his
+only hope of salvation lies in cementing friendly relations with
+the most powerful of Von der Tann's enemies, of which you three
+gentlemen stand preeminently in the foreground, and of assuring
+to himself the support of Austria. And now, gentlemen," he went
+on after a pause, "good night. I have handed Prince Peter the
+necessary military passes to carry you safely through our lines,
+and tomorrow you may be in Blentz if you wish."<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_16">Chapter II CONDEMNED TO DEATH</h1>
+
+<br>
+FOR SOME time Barney Custer lay there in the dark revolving in
+his mind all that he had overheard through the partition--the
+thin partition which alone lay between himself and three men who
+would be only too glad to embrace the first opportunity to
+destroy him. But his fears were not for himself so much as for
+the daughter of old Von der Tann, and for all that might befall
+that princely house were these three unhung rascals to gain Lutha
+and have their way with the weak and cowardly king who reigned
+there. <br>
+<p>If he could but reach Von der Tann's ear and through him the
+king before the conspirators came to Lutha! But how might he
+accomplish it? Count Zellerndorf's parting words to the three had
+shown that military passes were necessary to enable one to reach
+Lutha.<br>
+</p>
+
+His papers were practically worthless even inside the lines. That
+they would carry him through the lines he had not the slightest
+hope. There were two things to be accomplished if possible. One
+was to cross the frontier into Lutha; and the other, which of
+course was quite out of the question, was to prevent Peter of
+Blentz, Von Coblich, and Maenck from doing so. But was that
+altogether impossible? <br>
+<p>The idea that followed that question came so suddenly that it
+brought Barney Custer out onto the floor in a bound, to don his
+clothes and sneak into the hall outside his room with the stealth
+of a professional second-story man.<br>
+</p>
+
+To the right of his own door was the door to the apartment in
+which the three conspirators slept. At least, Barney hoped they
+slept. He bent close to the keyhole and listened. From within
+came no sound other than the regular breathing of the inmates. It
+had been at least half an hour since the American had heard the
+conversation cease. A glance through the keyhole showed no light
+within the room. Stealthily Barney turned the knob. Had they
+bolted the door? He felt the tumbler move to the
+pressure-soundlessly. Then he pushed gently inward. The door
+swung. <br>
+<p>A moment later he stood in the room. Dimly he could see two
+beds--a large one and a smaller. Peter of Blentz would be alone
+upon the smaller bed, his henchmen sleeping together in the
+larger. Barney crept toward the lone sleeper. At the bedside he
+fumbled in the dark groping for the man's clothing--for the coat,
+in the breastpocket of which he hoped to find the military pass
+that might carry him safely out of Austria-Hungary and into
+Lutha. On the foot of the bed he found some garments. Gingerly he
+felt them over, seeking the coat.<br>
+</p>
+
+At last he found it. His fingers, steady even under the nervous
+tension of this unaccustomed labor, discovered the inner pocket
+and the folded paper. There were several of them; Barney took
+them all. <br>
+<p>So far he made no noise. None of the sleepers had stirred. Now
+he took a step toward the doorway and--kicked a shoe that lay in
+his path. The slight noise in that quiet room sounded to Barney's
+ears like the fall of a brick wall. Peter of Blentz stirred,
+turning in his sleep. Behind him Barney heard one of the men in
+the other bed move. He turned his head in that direction. Either
+Maenck or Coblich was sitting up peering through the
+darkness.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Is that you, Prince Peter?" The voice was Maenck's. <br>
+<p>"What's the matter?" persisted Maenck.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I'm going for a drink of water," replied the American, and
+stepped toward the door. <br>
+<p>Behind him Peter of Blentz sat up in bed.<br>
+</p>
+
+"That you, Maenck?" he called. <br>
+<p>Instantly Maenck was out of bed, for the first voice had come
+from the vicinity of the doorway; both could not be Peter's.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Quick!" he cried; "there's someone in our room." <br>
+<p>Barney leaped for the doorway, and upon his heels came the
+three conspirators. Maenck was closest to him--so close that
+Barney was forced to turn at the top of the stairs. In the
+darkness he was just conscious of the form of the man who was
+almost upon him. Then he swung a vicious blow for the other's
+face--a blow that landed, for there was a cry of pain and anger
+as Maenck stumbled back into the arms of the two behind him. From
+below came the sound of footsteps hurrying up the stairs to the
+accompaniment of a clanking saber. Barney's retreat was cut
+off.<br>
+</p>
+
+Turning, he dodged into his own room before the enemy could
+locate him or even extricate themselves from the confusion of
+Maenck's sudden collision with the other two. But what could
+Barney gain by the slight delay that would be immediately
+followed by his apprehension? <br>
+<p>He didn't know. All that he was sure of was that there had
+been no other place to go than this little room. As he entered
+the first thing that his eyes fell upon was the small square
+window. Here at least was some slight encouragement.<br>
+</p>
+
+He ran toward it. The lower sash was raised. As the door behind
+him opened to admit Peter of Blentz and his companions, Barney
+slipped through into the night, hanging by his hands from the
+sill without. What lay beneath or how far the drop he could not
+guess, but that certain death menaced him from above he knew from
+the conversation he had overheard earlier in the evening. <br>
+<p>For an instant he hung suspended. He heard the men groping
+about the room. Evidently they were in some fear of the unknown
+assailant they sought, for they did not move about with undue
+rashness. Presently one of them struck a light--Barney could see
+its flare lighten the window casing for an instant.<br>
+</p>
+
+"The room is empty," came a voice from above him. <br>
+<p>"Look to the window!" cried Peter of Blentz, and then Barney
+Custer let go his hold upon the sill and dropped into the
+blackness below.<br>
+</p>
+
+His fall was a short one, for the window had been directly over a
+low shed at the side of the inn. Upon the roof of this the
+American landed, and from there he dropped to the courtyard
+without mishap. Glancing up, he saw the heads of three men
+peering from the window of the room he had just quitted. <br>
+<p>"There he is!" cried one, and instantly the three turned back
+into the room. As Barney fled from the courtyard he heard the
+rattle of hasty footsteps upon the rickety stairway of the
+inn.<br>
+</p>
+
+Choosing an alley rather than a street in which he might run upon
+soldiers at any moment, he moved quickly yet cautiously away from
+the inn. Behind him he could hear the voices of many men. They
+were raised to a high pitch by excitement. It was clear to Barney
+that there were many more than the original three--Prince Peter
+had, in all probability, enlisted the aid of the military. <br>
+<p>Could he but reach the frontier with his stolen passes he
+would be comparatively safe, for the rugged mountains of Lutha
+offered many places of concealment, and, too, there were few
+Luthanians who did not hate Peter of Blentz most cordially--among
+the men of the mountains at least. Once there he could defy a
+dozen Blentz princes for the little time that would be required
+to carry him into Serbia and comparative safety.<br>
+</p>
+
+As he approached a cross street a couple of squares from the inn
+he found it necessary to pass beneath a street lamp. For a moment
+he paused in the shadows of the alley listening. Hearing nothing
+moving in the street, Barney was about to make a swift spring for
+the shadows upon the opposite side when it occurred to him that
+it might be safer to make assurance doubly sure by having a look
+up and down the street before emerging into the light. <br>
+<p>It was just as well that he did, for as he thrust his head
+around the corner of the building the first thing that his eyes
+fell upon was the figure of an Austrian sentry, scarcely three
+paces from him. The soldier was standing in a listening attitude,
+his head half turned away from the American. The sounds coming
+from the direction of the inn were apparently what had attracted
+his attention.<br>
+</p>
+
+Behind him, Barney was sure he heard evidences of pursuit. Before
+him was certain detection should he attempt to cross the street.
+On either hand rose the walls of buildings. That he was trapped
+there seemed little doubt. <br>
+<p>He continued to stand motionless, watching the Austrian
+soldier. Should the fellow turn toward him, he had but to
+withdraw his head within the shadow of the building that hid his
+body. Possibly the man might turn and take his beat in the
+opposite direction. In which case Barney was sure he could dodge
+across the street, undetected.<br>
+</p>
+
+Already the vague threat of pursuit from the direction of the inn
+had developed into a certainty--he could hear men moving toward
+him through the alley from the rear. Would the sentry never move!
+Evidently not, until he heard the others coming through the
+alley. Then he would turn, and the devil would be to pay for the
+American. <br>
+<p>Barney was about hopeless. He had been in the war zone long
+enough to know that it might prove a very disagreeable matter to
+be caught sneaking through back alleys at night. There was a
+single chance--a sort of forlorn hope--and that was to risk fate
+and make a dash beneath the sentry's nose for the opposite alley
+mouth.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Well, here goes," thought Barney. He had heard that many of the
+Austrians were excellent shots. Visions of Beatrice, Nebraska,
+swarmed his memory. They were pleasant visions, made doubly
+alluring by the thought that the realities of them might never
+again be for him. <br>
+<p>He turned once more toward the sounds of pursuit--the men upon
+his track could not be over a square away--there was not an
+instant to be lost. And then from above him, upon the opposite
+side of the alley, came a low: "S-s-t!"<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney looked up. Very dimly he could see the dark outline of a
+window some dozen feet from the pavement, and framed within it
+the lighter blotch that might have been a human face. Again came
+the challenging: "S-s-t!" Yes, there was someone above, signaling
+to him. <br>
+<p>"S-s-t!" replied Barney. He knew that he had been discovered,
+and could think of no better plan for throwing the discoverer off
+his guard than to reply.<br>
+</p>
+
+Then a soft voice floated down to him--a woman's voice! <br>
+<p>"Is that you?" The tongue was Serbian. Barney could understand
+it, though he spoke it but indifferently.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Yes," he replied truthfully. <br>
+<p>"Thank Heaven!" came the voice from above. "I have been
+watching you, and thought you one of the Austrian pigs. Quick!
+They are coming--I can hear them;" and at the same instant Barney
+saw something drop from the window to the ground. He crossed the
+alley quickly, and could have shouted in relief for what he found
+there--the end of a knotted rope dangling from above.<br>
+</p>
+
+His pursuers were almost upon him when he seized the rude ladder
+to clamber upward. At the window's ledge a firm, young hand
+reached out and, seizing his own, almost dragged him through the
+window. He turned to look back into the alley. He had been just
+in time; the Austrian sentry, alarmed by the sound of approaching
+footsteps down the alley, had stepped into view. He stood there
+now with leveled rifle, a challenge upon his lips. From the
+advancing party came a satisfactory reply. <br>
+<p>At the same instant the girl beside him in the Stygian
+blackness of the room threw her arms about Barney's neck and drew
+his face down to hers.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Oh, Stefan," she whispered, "what a narrow escape! It makes me
+tremble to think of it. They would have shot you, my Stefan!"
+<br>
+<p>The American put an arm about the girl's shoulders, and raised
+one hand to her cheek--it might have been in caress, but it
+wasn't. It was to smother the cry of alarm he anticipated would
+follow the discovery that he was not "Stefan." He bent his lips
+close to her ear.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Do not make an outcry," he whispered in very poor Serbian. "I am
+not Stefan; but I am a friend." <br>
+<p>The exclamation of surprise or fright that he had expected was
+not forthcoming. The girl lowered her arms from about his
+neck.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Who are you?" she asked in a low whisper. <br>
+<p>"I am an American war correspondent," replied Barney, "but if
+the Austrians get hold of me now it will be mighty difficult to
+convince them that I am not a spy." And then a sudden
+determination came to him to trust his fate to this unknown girl,
+whose face, even, he had never seen. "I am entirely at your
+mercy," he said. "There are Austrian soldiers in the street
+below. You have but to call to them to send me before the firing
+squad--or, you can let me remain here until I can find an
+opportunity to get away in safety. I am trying to reach
+Serbia."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Why do you wish to reach Serbia?" asked the girl suspiciously.
+<br>
+<p>"I have discovered too many enemies in Austria tonight to make
+it safe for me to remain," he replied, "and, further, my original
+intention was to report the war from the Serbian side."<br>
+</p>
+
+The girl hesitated for a while, evidently in thought. <br>
+<p>"They are moving on," suggested Barney. "If you are going to
+give me up you'd better do it at once."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I'm not going to give you up," replied the girl. "I'm going to
+keep you prisoner until Stefan returns--he will know best what to
+do with you. Now you must come with me and be locked up. Do not
+try to escape--I have a revolver in my hand," and to give her
+prisoner physical proof of the weapon he could not see she thrust
+the muzzle against his side. <br>
+<p>"I'll take your word for the gun," said Barney, "if you'll
+just turn it in the other direction. Go ahead--I'll follow
+you."<br>
+</p>
+
+"No, you won't," replied the girl. "You'll go first; but before
+that you'll raise your hands above your head. I want to search
+you." <br>
+<p>Barney did as he was bid and a moment later felt deft fingers
+running over his clothing in search of concealed weapons.
+Satisfied at last that he was unarmed, the girl directed him to
+precede her, guiding his steps from behind with a hand upon his
+arm. Occasionally he felt the muzzle of her revolver touch his
+body. It was a most unpleasant sensation.<br>
+</p>
+
+They crossed the room to a door which his captor directed him to
+open, and after they had passed through and she had closed it
+behind them the girl struck a match and lit a candle which stood
+upon a little bracket on the partition wall. The dim light of the
+tallow dip showed Barney that he was in a narrow hall from which
+several doors opened into different rooms. At one end of the hall
+a stairway led to the floor below, while at the opposite end
+another flight disappeared into the darkness above. <br>
+<p>"This way," said the girl, motioning toward the stairs that
+led upward.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney had turned toward her as she struck the match, obtaining
+an excellent view of her features. They were clearcut and
+regular. Her eyes were large and very dark. Dark also was her
+hair, which was piled in great heaps upon her finely shaped head.
+Altogether the face was one not easily to be forgotten. Barney
+could scarce have told whether the girl was beautiful or not, but
+that she was striking there could be no doubt. <br>
+<p>He preceded her up the stairway to a door at the top. At her
+direction he turned the knob and entered a small room in which
+was a cot, an ancient dresser and a single chair.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You will remain here," she said, "until Stefan returns. Stefan
+will know what to do with you." Then she left him, taking the
+light with her, and Barney heard a key turn in the lock of the
+door after she had closed it. Presently her footfalls died out as
+she descended to the lower floors. <br>
+<p>"Anyhow," thought the American, "this is better than the
+Austrians. I don't know what Stefan will do with me, but I have a
+rather vivid idea of what the Austrians would have done to me if
+they'd caught me sneaking through the alleys of Burgova at
+midnight."<br>
+</p>
+
+Throwing himself on the cot Barney was soon asleep, for though
+his predicament was one that, under ordinary circumstances might
+have made sleep impossible, yet he had so long been without the
+boon of slumber that tired nature would no longer be denied. <br>
+<p>When he awoke it was broad daylight. The sun was pouring in
+through a skylight in the ceiling of his tiny chamber. Aside from
+this there were no windows in the room. The sound of voices came
+to him with an uncanny distinctness that made it seem that the
+speakers must be in this very chamber, but a glance about the
+blank walls convinced him that he was alone.<br>
+</p>
+
+Presently he espied a small opening in the wall at the head of
+his cot. He rose and examined it. The voices appeared to be
+coming from it. In fact, they were. The opening was at the top of
+a narrow shaft that seemed to lead to the basement of the
+structure--apparently once the shaft of a dumb-waiter or a chute
+for refuse or soiled clothes. <br>
+<p>Barney put his ear close to it. The voices that came from
+below were those of a man and a woman. He heard every word
+distinctly.<br>
+</p>
+
+"We must search the house, fraulein," came in the deep voice of a
+man. <br>
+<p>"Whom do you seek?" inquired a woman's voice. Barney
+recognized it as the voice of his captor.<br>
+</p>
+
+"A Serbian spy, Stefan Drontoff," replied the man. "Do you know
+him?" <br>
+<p>There was a considerable pause on the girl's part before she
+answered, and then her reply was in such a low voice that Barney
+could barely hear it.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I do not know him," she said. "There are several men who lodge
+here. What may this Stefan Drontoff look like?" <br>
+<p>"I have never seen him," replied the officer; "but by
+arresting all the men in the house we must get this Stefan also,
+if he is here."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Oh!" cried the girl, a new note in her voice, "I guess I know
+now whom you mean. There is one man here I have heard them call
+Stefan, though for the moment I had forgotten it. He is in the
+small attic-room at the head of the stairs. Here is a key that
+will fit the lock. Yes, I am sure that he is Stefan. You will
+find him there, and it should be easy to take him, for I know
+that he is unarmed. He told me so last night when he came in."
+<br>
+<p>"The devil!" muttered Barney Custer; but whether he referred
+to his predicament or to the girl it would be impossible to tell.
+Already the sound of heavy boots on the stairs announced the
+coming of men--several of them. Barney heard the rattle of
+accouterments--the clank of a scabbard--the scraping of gun butts
+against the walls. The Austrians were coming!<br>
+</p>
+
+He looked about. There was no way of escape except the door and
+the skylight, and the door was impossible. <br>
+<p>Quickly he tilted the cot against the door, wedging its legs
+against a crack in the floor--that would stop them for a minute
+or two. then he wheeled the dresser beneath the skylight and,
+placing the chair on top of it, scrambled to the seat of the
+latter. His head was at the height of the skylight. to force the
+skylight from its frame required but a moment. A key entered the
+lock of the door from the opposite side and turned. He knew that
+someone without was pushing. Then he heard an oath and heavy
+battering upon the panels. A moment later he had drawn himself
+through the skylight and stood upon the roof of the building.
+Before him stretched a series of uneven roofs to the end of the
+street. Barney did not hesitate. He started on a rapid trot
+toward the adjoining roof. From that he clambered to a higher one
+beyond.<br>
+</p>
+
+On he went, now leaping narrow courts, now dropping to low sheds
+and again clambering to the heights of the higher buildings,
+until he had come almost to the end of the row. Suddenly, behind
+him he heard a hoarse shout, followed by the report of a rifle.
+With a whir, a bullet flew a few inches above his head. He had
+gained the last roof-a large, level roof--and at the shot he
+turned to see how near to him were his pursuers. <br>
+<p>Fatal turn!<br>
+</p>
+
+Scarce had he taken his eyes from the path ahead than his foot
+fell upon a glass skylight, and with a loud crash he plunged
+through amid a shower of broken glass. <br>
+<p>His fall was a short one. Directly beneath the skylight was a
+bed, and on the bed a fat Austrian infantry captain. Barney lit
+upon the pit of the captain's stomach. With a howl of pain the
+officer catapulted Barney to the floor. There were three other
+beds in the room, and in each bed one or two other officers.
+Before the American could regain his feet they were all sitting
+on him--all except the infantry captain. He lay shrieking and
+cursing in a painful attempt to regain his breath, every atom of
+which Barney had knocked out of him.<br>
+</p>
+
+The officers sitting on Barney alternately beat him and
+questioned him, interspersing their interrogations with lurid
+profanity. <br>
+<p>"If you will get off of me," at last shouted the American, "I
+shall be glad to explain--and apologize."<br>
+</p>
+
+They let him up, scowling ferociously. He had promised to
+explain, but now that he was confronted by the immediate
+necessity of an explanation that would prove at all satisfactory
+as to how he happened to be wandering around the rooftops of
+Burgova, he discovered that his powers of invention were entirely
+inadequate. The need for explaining, however, was suddenly
+removed. A shadow fell upon them from above, and as they glanced
+up Barney saw the figure of an officer surrounded by several
+soldiers looking down upon him. <br>
+<p>"Ah, you have him!" cried the new-comer in evident
+satisfaction. "It is well. Hold him until we descend."<br>
+</p>
+
+A moment later he and his escort had dropped through the broken
+skylight to the floor beside them. <br>
+<p>"Who is the mad man?" cried the captain who had broken
+Barney's fall. "The assassin! He tried to murder me."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I cannot doubt it," replied the officer who had just descended,
+"for the fellow is no other than Stefan Drontoff, the famous
+Serbian spy!" <br>
+<p>"Himmel! ejaculated the officers in chorus. "You have done a
+good days' work, lieutenant."<br>
+</p>
+
+"The firing squad will do a better work in a few minutes,"
+replied the lieutenant, with a grim pointedness that took
+Barney's breath away. <br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+
+<h1 id="ref_17">Chapter III BEFORE THE FIRING SQUAD</h1>
+
+<br>
+<p>THEY MARCHED Barney before the staff where he urged his
+American nationality, pointing to his credentials and passes in
+support of his contention.<br>
+</p>
+
+The general before whom he had been brought shrugged his
+shoulders. "They are all Americans as soon as they are caught,"
+he said; "but why did you not claim to be Prince Peter of Blentz?
+You have his passes as well. How can you expect us to believe
+your story when you have in your possession passes for different
+men? <br>
+<p>"We have every respect for our friends the Americans. I would
+even stretch a point rather than chance harming an American; but
+you will admit that the evidence is all against you. You were
+found in the very building where Drontoff was known to stay while
+in Burgova. The young woman whose mother keeps the place directed
+our officer to your room, and you tried to escape, which I do not
+think that an innocent American would have done.<br>
+</p>
+
+"However, as I have said, I will go to almost any length rather
+than chance a mistake in the case of one who from his appearance
+might pass more readily for an American than a Serbian. I have
+sent for Prince Peter of Blentz. If you can satisfactorily
+explain to him how you chance to be in possession of military
+passes bearing his name I shall be very glad to give you the
+benefit of every other doubt." <br>
+<p>Peter of Blentz. Send for Peter of Blentz! Barney wondered
+just what kind of a sensation it was to stand facing a firing
+squad. He hoped that his knees wouldn't tremble-they felt a
+trifle weak even now. There was a chance that the man might not
+recall his face, but a very slight chance. It had been his
+remarkable likeness to Leopold of Lutha that had resulted in the
+snatching of a crown from Prince Peter's head.<br>
+</p>
+
+Likely indeed that he would ever forget his, Barney's, face,
+though he had seen it but once without the red beard that had so
+added to Barney's likeness to the king. But Maenck would be
+along, of course, and Maenck would have no doubts--he had seen
+Barney too recently in Beatrice to fail to recognize him now.
+<br>
+<p>Several men were entering the room where Barney stood before
+the general and his staff. A glance revealed to the prisoner that
+Peter of Blentz had come, and with him Von Coblich and Maenck. At
+the same instant Peter's eyes met Barney's, and the former, white
+and wide-eyed came almost to a dead halt, grasping hurriedly at
+the arm of Maenck who walked beside him.<br>
+</p>
+
+"My God!" was all that Barney heard him say, but he spoke a name
+that the American did not hear. Maenck also looked his surprise,
+but his expression was suddenly changed to one of malevolent
+cunning and gratification. He turned toward Prince Peter with a
+few low-whispered words. A look of relief crossed the face of the
+Blentz prince. <br>
+<p>"You appear to know the gentleman," said the general who had
+been conducting Barney's examination. "He has been arrested as a
+Serbian spy, and military passes in your name were found upon his
+person together with the papers of an American newspaper
+correspondent, which he claims to be. He is charged with being
+Stefan Drontoff, whom we long have been anxious to apprehend. Do
+you chance to know anything about him, Prince Peter?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"Yes," replied Peter of Blentz, "I know him well by sight. He
+entered my room last night and stole the military passes from my
+coat--we all saw him and pursued him, but he got away in the
+dark. There can be no doubt but that he is the Serbian spy." <br>
+<p>"He insists that he is Bernard Custer, an American," urged the
+general, who, it seemed to Barney, was anxious to make no
+mistake, and to give the prisoner every reasonable chance --a
+state of mind that rather surprised him in a European military
+chieftain, all of whom appeared to share the popular obsession
+regarding the prevalence of spies.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Pardon me, general," interrupted Maenck. "I am well acquainted
+with Mr. Custer, who spent some time in Lutha a couple of years
+ago. This man is not he." <br>
+<p>"That is sufficient, gentlemen, I thank you," said the
+general. He did not again look at the prisoner, but turned to a
+lieutenant who stood near-by. "You may remove the prisoner," he
+directed. "He will be destroyed with the others-here is the
+order," and he handed the subaltern a printed form upon which
+many names were filled in and at the bottom of which the general
+had just signed his own. It had evidently been waiting the
+outcome of the examination of Stefan Drontoff.<br>
+</p>
+
+Surrounded by soldiers, Barney Custer walked from the presence of
+the military court. It was to him as though he moved in a strange
+world of dreams. He saw the look of satisfaction upon the face of
+Peter of Blentz as he passed him, and the open sneer of Maenck.
+As yet he did not fully realize what it all meant--that he was
+marching to his death! For the last time he was looking upon the
+faces of his fellow men; for the last time he had seen the sun
+rise, never again to see it set. <br>
+<p>He was to be "destroyed." He had heard that expression used
+many times in connection with useless horses, or vicious dogs.
+Mechanically he drew a cigarette from his pocket and lighted it.
+There was no bravado in the act. On the contrary it was done
+almost unconsciously. The soldiers marched him through the
+streets of Burgova. The men were entirely impassive--even so
+early in the war they had become accustomed to this grim duty.
+The young officer who commanded them was more nervous than the
+prisoner--it was his first detail with a firing squad. He looked
+wonderingly at Barney, expecting momentarily to see the man
+collapse, or at least show some sign of terror at his close
+impending fate; but the American walked silently toward his
+death, puffing leisurely at his cigarette.<br>
+</p>
+
+At last, after what seemed a long time, his guard turned in at a
+large gateway in a brick wall surrounding a factory. As they
+entered Barney saw twenty or thirty men in civilian dress,
+guarded by a dozen infantrymen. They were standing before the
+wall of a low brick building. Barney noticed that there were no
+windows in the wall. It suddenly occurred to him that there was
+something peculiarly grim and sinister in the appearance of the
+dead, blank surface of weather-stained brick. For the first time
+since he had faced the military court he awakened to a full
+realization of what it all meant to him--he was going to be lined
+up against that ominous brick wall with these other men-they were
+going to shoot them. <br>
+<p>A momentary madness seized him. He looked about upon the other
+prisoners and guards. A sudden break for liberty might give him
+temporary respite. He could seize a rifle from the nearest
+soldier, and at least have the satisfaction of selling his life
+dearly. As he looked he saw more soldiers entering the factory
+yard.<br>
+</p>
+
+A sudden apathy overwhelmed him. What was the use? He could not
+escape. Why should he wish to kill these soldiers? It was not
+they who were responsible for his plight --they were but obeying
+orders. The close presence of death made life seem very
+desirable. These men, too, desired life. Why should he take it
+from them uselessly. At best he might kill one or two, but in the
+end he would be killed as surely as though he took his place
+before the brick wall with the others. <br>
+<p>He noticed now that these others evinced no inclination to
+contest their fates. Why should he, then? Doubtless many of them
+were as innocent as he, and all loved life as well. He saw that
+several were weeping silently. Others stood with bowed heads
+gazing at the hard-packed earth of the factory yard. Ah, what
+visions were their eyes beholding for the last time! What
+memories of happy firesides! What dear, loved faces were limned
+upon that sordid clay!<br>
+</p>
+
+His reveries were interrupted by the hoarse voice of a sergeant,
+breaking rudely in upon the silence and the dumb terror. The
+fellow was herding the prisoners into position. When he was done
+Barney found himself in the front rank of the little, hopeless
+band. Opposite them, at a few paces, stood the firing squad,
+their gun butts resting upon the ground. <br>
+<p>The young lieutenant stood at one side. He issued some
+instructions in a low tone, then he raised his voice.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Ready!" he commanded. Fascinated by the horror of it, Barney
+watched the rifles raised smartly to the soldiers' hips--the
+movement was as precise as though the men were upon parade. Every
+bolt clicked in unison with its fellows. <br>
+<p>"Aim!" the pieces leaped to the hollows of the men's
+shoulders. The leveled barrels were upon a line with the breasts
+of the condemned. A man at Barney's right moaned. Another
+sobbed.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Fire!" There was the hideous roar of the volley. Barney Custer
+crumpled forward to the ground, and three bodies fell upon his. A
+moment later there was a second volley-all had not fallen at the
+first. Then the soldiers came among the bodies, searching for
+signs of life; but evidently the two volleys had done their work.
+The sergeant formed his men in line. The lieutenant marched them
+away. Only silence remained on guard above the pitiful dead in
+the factory yard. <br>
+<p>The day wore on and still the stiffening corpses lay where
+they had fallen. Twilight came and then darkness. A head appeared
+above the top of the wall that had enclosed the grounds. Eyes
+peered through the night and keen ears listened for any sign of
+life within. At last, evidently satisfied that the place was
+deserted, a man crawled over the summit of the wall and dropped
+to the ground within. Here again he paused, peering and
+listening.<br>
+</p>
+
+What strange business had he here among the dead that demanded
+such caution in its pursuit? Presently he advanced toward the
+pile of corpses. Quickly he tore open coats and searched pockets.
+He ran his fingers along the fingers of the dead. Two rings had
+rewarded his search and he was busy with a third that encircled
+the finger of a body that lay beneath three others. It would not
+come off. He pulled and tugged, and then he drew a knife from his
+pocket. <br>
+<p>But he did not sever the digit. Instead he shrank back with a
+muffled scream of terror. The corpse that he would have mutilated
+had staggered suddenly to its feet, flinging the dead bodies to
+one side as it rose.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You fiend!" broke from the lips of the dead man, and the ghoul
+turned and fled, gibbering in his fright. <br>
+<p>The tramp of soldiers in the street beyond ceased suddenly at
+the sound from within the factory yard. It was a detail of the
+guard marching to the relief of sentries. A moment later the
+gates swung open and a score of soldiers entered. They saw a
+figure dodging toward the wall a dozen paces from them, but they
+did not see the other that ran swiftly around the corner of the
+factory.<br>
+</p>
+
+This other was Barney Custer of Beatrice. When the command to
+fire had been given to the squad of riflemen, a single bullet had
+creased the top of his head, stunning him. All day he had lain
+there unconscious. It had been the tugging of the ghoul at his
+ring that had roused him to life at last. <br>
+<p>Behind him, as he scurried around the end of the factory
+building, he heard the scattering fire of half a dozen rifles,
+followed by a scream--the fleeing hyena had been hit. Barney
+crouched in the shadow of a pile of junk. He heard the voices of
+soldiers as they gathered about the wounded man, questioning him,
+and a moment later the imperious tones of an officer issuing
+instructions to his men to search the yard. That he must be
+discovered seemed a certainty to the American. He crouched
+further back in the shadows close to the wall, stepping with the
+utmost caution.<br>
+</p>
+
+Presently to his chagrin his foot touched the metal cover of a
+manhole; there was a resultant rattling that smote upon Barney's
+ears and nerves with all the hideous clatter of a boiler shop. He
+halted, petrified, for an instant. He was no coward, but after
+being so near death, life had never looked more inviting, and he
+knew that to be discovered meant certain extinction this time.
+<br>
+<p>The soldiers were circling the building. Already he could hear
+them nearing his position. In another moment they would round the
+corner of the building and be upon him. For an instant he
+contemplated a bold rush for the fence. In fact, he had gathered
+himself for the leaping start and the quick sprint across the
+open under the noses of the soldiers who still remained beside
+the dying ghoul, when his mind suddenly reverted to the manhole
+beneath his feet. Here lay a hiding place, at least until the
+soldiers had departed.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney stooped and raised the heavy lid, sliding it to one side.
+How deep was the black chasm beneath he could not even guess.
+Doubtless it led into a coal bunker, or it might open over a pit
+of great depth. There was no way to discover other than to plumb
+the abyss with his body. Above was death--below, a chance of
+safety. <br>
+<p>The soldiers were quite close when Barney lowered himself
+through the manhole. Clinging with his fingers to the upper edge
+his feet still swung in space. How far beneath was the bottom? He
+heard the scraping of the heavy shoes of the searchers close
+above him, and then he closed his eyes, released the grasp of his
+fingers, and dropped.<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_18">Chapter IV A RACE TO LUTHA</h1>
+
+<br>
+BARNEY'S FALL was not more than four or five feet. He found
+himself upon a slippery floor of masonry over which two or three
+inches of water ran sluggishly. Above him he heard the soldiers
+pass the open manhole. It was evident that in the darkness they
+had missed it. <br>
+<p>For a few minutes the fugitive remained motionless, then,
+hearing no sounds from above he started to grope about his
+retreat. Upon two sides were blank, circular walls, upon the
+other two circular openings about four feet in diameter. It was
+through these openings that the tiny stream of water
+trickled.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney came to the conclusion that he had dropped into a sewer.
+To get out the way he had entered appeared impossible. He could
+not leap upward from the slimy, concave bottom the distance he
+had dropped. To follow the sewer upward would lead him nowhere
+nearer escape. There remained no hope but to follow the trickling
+stream downward toward the river, into which his judgment told
+him the entire sewer system of the city must lead. <br>
+<p>Stooping, he entered the ill-smelling circular conduit,
+groping his way slowly along. As he went the water deepened. It
+was half way to his knees when he plunged unexpectedly into
+another tube running at right angles to the first. The bottom of
+this tube was lower than that of the one which emptied into it,
+so that Barney now found himself in a swiftly running stream of
+filth that reached above his knees. Downward he followed this
+flood--faster now for the fear of the deadly gases which might
+overpower him before he could reach the river.<br>
+</p>
+
+The water deepened gradually as he went on. At last he reached a
+point where, with his head scraping against the roof of the
+sewer, his chin was just above the surface of the stream. A few
+more steps would be all that he could take in this direction
+without drowning. Could he retrace his way against the swift
+current? He did not know. He was weakened from the effects of his
+wound, from lack of food and from the exertions of the past hour.
+Well, he would go on as far as he could. The river lay ahead of
+him somewhere. Behind was only the hostile city. <br>
+<p>He took another step. His foot found no support. He surged
+backward in an attempt to regain his footing, but the power of
+the flood was too much for him. He was swept forward to plunge
+into water that surged above his head as he sank. An instant
+later he had regained the surface and as his head emerged he
+opened his eyes.<br>
+</p>
+
+He looked up into a starlit heaven! He had reached the mouth of
+the sewer and was in the river. For a moment he lay still,
+floating upon his back to rest. Above him he heard the tread of a
+sentry along the river front, and the sound of men's voices. <br>
+<p>The sweet, fresh air, the star-shot void above, acted as a
+powerful tonic to his shattered hopes and overwrought nerves. He
+lay inhaling great lungsful of pure, invigorating air. He
+listened to the voices of the Austrian soldiery above him. All
+the buoyancy of his inherent Americanism returned to him.<br>
+</p>
+
+"This is no place for a minister's son," he murmured, and turning
+over struck out for the opposite shore. The river was not wide,
+and Barney was soon nearing the bank along which he could see
+occasional camp fires. Here, too, were Austrians. He dropped
+down-stream below these, and at last approached the shore where a
+wood grew close to the water's edge. The bank here was steep, and
+the American had some difficulty in finding a place where he
+could clamber up the precipitous wall of rock. But finally he was
+successful, finding himself in a little clump of bushes on the
+river's brim. Here he lay resting and listening--always
+listening. It seemed to Barney that his ears ached with the
+constant strain of unflagging duty that his very existence
+demanded of them. <br>
+<p>Hearing nothing, he crawled at last from his hiding place with
+the purpose of making his way toward the south and to the
+frontier as rapidly as possible. He could hope only to travel by
+night, and he guessed that this night must be nearly spent.
+Stooping, he moved cautiously away from the river. Through the
+shadows of the wood he made his way for perhaps a hundred yards
+when he was suddenly confronted by a figure that stepped from
+behind the bole of a tree.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Halt! Who goes there?" came the challenge. <br>
+<p>Barney's heart stood still. With all his care he had run
+straight into the arms of an Austrian sentry. To run would be to
+be shot. To advance would mean capture, and that too would mean
+death.<br>
+</p>
+
+For the barest fraction of an instant he hesitated, and then his
+quick American wits came to his aid. Feigning intoxication he
+answered the challenge in dubious Austrian that he hoped his
+maudlin tongue would excuse. <br>
+<p>"Friend," he answered thickly. "Friend with a drink-have one?"
+And he staggered drunkenly forward, banking all upon the
+credulity and thirst of the soldier who confronted him with fixed
+bayonet.<br>
+</p>
+
+That the sentry was both credulous and thirsty was evidenced by
+the fact that he let Barney come within reach of his gun.
+Instantly the drunken Austrian was transformed into a very sober
+and active engine of destruction. Seizing the barrel of the piece
+Barney jerked it to one side and toward him, and at the same
+instant he leaped for the throat of the sentry. <br>
+<p>So quickly was this accomplished that the Austrian had time
+only for a single cry, and that was choked in his windpipe by the
+steel fingers of the American. Together both men fell heavily to
+the ground, Barney retaining his hold upon the other's
+throat.<br>
+</p>
+
+Striking and clutching at one another they fought in silence for
+a couple of minutes, then the soldier's struggles began to
+weaken. He squirmed and gasped for breath. His mouth opened and
+his tongue protruded. His eyes started from their sockets. Barney
+closed his fingers more tightly upon the bearded throat. He
+rained heavy blows upon the upturned face. The beating fists of
+his adversary waved wildly now--the blows that reached Barney
+were pitifully weak. Presently they ceased. The man struggled
+violently for an instant, twitched spasmodically and lay still.
+<br>
+<p>Barney clung to him for several minutes longer, until there
+was not the slightest indication of remaining life. The
+perpetration of the deed sickened him; but he knew that his act
+was warranted, for it had been either his life or the other's. He
+dragged the body back to the bushes in which he had been hiding.
+There he stripped off the Austrian uniform, put his own clothes
+upon the corpse and rolled it into the river.<br>
+</p>
+
+Dressed as an Austrian private, Barney Custer shouldered the dead
+soldier's gun and walked boldly through the wood to the south.
+Momentarily he expected to run upon other soldiers, but though he
+kept straight on his way for hours he encountered none. The thin
+line of sentries along the river had been posted only to double
+the preventive measures that had been taken to keep Serbian spies
+either from entering or leaving the city. <br>
+<p>Toward dawn, at the darkest period of the night, Barney saw
+lights ahead of him. Apparently he was approaching a village. He
+went more cautiously now, but all his care did not prevent him
+from running for the second time that night almost into the arms
+of a sentry. This time, however, Barney saw the soldier before he
+himself was discovered. It was upon the edge of the town, in an
+orchard, that the sentinel was posted. Barney, approaching
+through the trees, darting from one to another, was within a few
+paces of the man before he saw him.<br>
+</p>
+
+The American remained quietly in the shadow of a tree waiting for
+an opportunity to escape, but before it came he heard the
+approach of a small body of troops. They were coming from the
+village directly toward the orchard. They passed the sentry and
+marched within a dozen feet of the tree behind which Barney was
+hiding. <br>
+<p>As they came opposite him he slipped around the tree to the
+opposite side. The sentry had resumed his pacing, and was now out
+of sight momentarily among the trees further on. He could not see
+the American, but there were others who could. They came in the
+shape of a non-commissioned officer and a detachment of the guard
+to relieve the sentry. Barney almost bumped into them as he
+rounded the tree. There was no escape--the non-commissioned
+officer was within two feet of him when Barney discovered him.
+"What are you doing here?" shouted the sergeant with an oath.
+"Your post is there," and he pointed toward the position where
+Barney had seen the sentry.<br>
+</p>
+
+At first Barney could scarce believe his ears. In the darkness
+the sergeant had mistaken him for the sentinel! Could he carry it
+out? And if so might it not lead him into worse predicament? No,
+Barney decided, nothing could be worse. To be caught masquerading
+in the uniform of an Austrian soldier within the Austrian lines
+was to plumb the uttermost depth of guilt--nothing that he might
+do now could make his position worse. <br>
+<p>He faced the sergeant, snapping his piece to present, hoping
+that this was the proper thing to do. Then he stumbled through a
+brief excuse. The officer in command of the troops that had just
+passed had demanded the way of him, and he had but stepped a few
+paces from his post to point out the road to his superior.<br>
+</p>
+
+The sergeant grunted and ordered him to fall in. Another man took
+his place on duty. They were far from the enemy and discipline
+was lax, so the thing was accomplished which under other
+circumstances would have been well night impossible. A moment
+later Barney found himself marching back toward the village, to
+all intents and purposes an Austrian private. <br>
+<p>Before a low, windowless shed that had been converted into
+barracks for the guard, the detail was dismissed. The men broke
+ranks and sought their blankets within the shed, tired from their
+lonely vigil upon sentry duty.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney loitered until the last. All the others had entered. He
+dared not, for he knew that any moment the sentry upon the post
+from which he had been taken would appear upon the scene, after
+discovering another of his comrades. He was certain to inquire of
+the sergeant. They would be puzzled, of course, and, being
+soldiers, they would be suspicious. There would be an
+investigation, which would start in the barracks of the guard.
+That neighborhood would at once become a most unhealthy spot for
+Barney Custer, of Beatrice, Nebraska. <br>
+<p>When the last of the soldiers had entered the shed Barney
+glanced quickly about. No one appeared to notice him. He walked
+directly past the doorway to the end of the building. Around this
+he found a yard, deeply shadowed. He entered it, crossed it, and
+passed out into an alley beyond. At the first cross-street his
+way was blocked by the sight of another sentry--the world seemed
+composed entirely of Austrian sentries. Barney wondered if the
+entire Austrian army was kept perpetually upon sentry duty; he
+had scarce been able to turn without bumping into one.<br>
+</p>
+
+He turned back into the alley and at last found a crooked
+passageway between buildings that he hoped might lead him to a
+spot where there was no sentry, and from which he could find his
+way out of the village toward the south. The passage, after
+devious windings, led into a large, open court, but when Barney
+attempted to leave the court upon the opposite side he found the
+ubiquitous sentries upon guard there. <br>
+<p>Evidently there would be no escape while the Austrians
+remained in the town. There was nothing to do, therefore, but
+hide until the happy moment of their departure arrived. He
+returned to the courtyard, and after a short search discovered a
+shed in one corner that had evidently been used to stable a
+horse, for there was straw at one end of it and a stall in the
+other. Barney sat down upon the straw to wait developments. Tired
+nature would be denied no longer. His eyes closed, his head
+drooped upon his breast. In three minutes from the time he
+entered the shed he was stretched full length upon the straw,
+fast asleep.<br>
+</p>
+
+The chugging of a motor awakened him. It was broad daylight. Many
+sounds came from the courtyard without. It did not take Barney
+long to gather his scattered wits--in an instant he was wide
+awake. He glanced about. He was the only occupant of the shed.
+Rising, he approached a small window that looked out upon the
+court. All was life and movement. A dozen military cars either
+stood about or moved in and out of the wide gates at the opposite
+end of the enclosure. Officers and soldiers moved briskly through
+a doorway that led into a large building that flanked the court
+upon one side. While Barney slept the headquarters of an Austrian
+army corps had moved in and taken possession of the building, the
+back of which abutted upon the court where lay his modest little
+shed. <br>
+<p>Barney took it all in at a single glance, but his eyes hung
+long and greedily upon the great, high-powered machines that
+chugged or purred about him.<br>
+</p>
+
+Gad! If he could but be behind the wheel of such a car for an
+hour! The frontier could not be over fifty miles to the south, of
+that he was quite positive; and what would fifty miles be to one
+of those machines? <br>
+<p>Barney sighed as a great, gray-painted car whizzed into the
+courtyard and pulled up before the doorway. Two officers jumped
+out and ran up the steps. The driver, a young man in a uniform
+not unlike that which Barney wore, drew the car around to the end
+of the courtyard close beside Barney's shed. Here he left it and
+entered the building into which his passengers had gone. By
+reaching through the window Barney could have touched the fender
+of the machine. A few seconds' start in that and it would take
+more than an Austrian army corps to stop him this side of the
+border. Thus mused Barney, knowing already that the mad scheme
+that had been born within his brain would be put to action before
+he was many minutes older.<br>
+</p>
+
+There were many soldiers on guard about the courtyard. The
+greatest danger lay in arousing the suspicions of one of these
+should he chance to see Barney emerge from the shed and enter the
+car. <br>
+<p>"The proper thing," thought Barney, "is to come from the
+building into which everyone seems to pass, and the only way to
+be seen coming out of it is to get into it; but how the devil am
+I to get into it?"<br>
+</p>
+
+The longer he thought the more convinced he became that utter
+recklessness and boldness would be his only salvation. Briskly he
+walked from the shed out into the courtyard beneath the eyes of
+the sentries, the officers, the soldiers, and the military
+drivers. He moved straight among them toward the doorway of the
+headquarters as though bent upon important business--which,
+indeed, he was. At least it was quite the most important business
+to Barney Custer that that young gentleman could recall having
+ventured upon for some time. <br>
+<p>No one paid the slightest attention to him. He had left his
+gun in the shed for he noticed that only the men on guard carried
+them. Without an instant's hesitation he ran briskly up the short
+flight of steps and entered the headquarters building. Inside was
+another sentry who barred his way questioningly. Evidently one
+must state one's business to this person before going farther.
+Barney, without any loss of time or composure, stepped up to the
+guard.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Has General Kampf passed in this morning?" he asked blithely.
+Barney had never heard of any "General Kampf," nor had the
+sentry, since there was no such person in the Austrian army. But
+he did know, however, that there were altogether too many
+generals for any one soldier to know the names of them all. <br>
+<p>"I do not know the general by sight," replied the sentry.<br>
+</p>
+
+Here was a pretty mess, indeed. Doubtless the sergeant would know
+a great deal more than would be good for Barney Custer. The young
+man looked toward the door through which he had just entered. His
+sole object in coming into the spider's parlor had been to make
+it possible for him to come out again in full view of all the
+guards and officers and military chauffeurs, that their
+suspicions might not be aroused when he put his contemplated coup
+to the test. <br>
+<p>He glanced toward the door. Machines were whizzing in and out
+of the courtyard. Officers on foot were passing and repassing.
+The sentry in the hallway was on the point of calling his
+sergeant.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Ah!" cried Barney. "There is the general now," and without
+waiting to cast even a parting glance at the guard he stepped
+quickly through the doorway and ran down the steps into the
+courtyard. Looking neither to right nor to left, and with a
+convincing air of self-confidence and important business, he
+walked directly to the big, gray machine that stood beside the
+little shed at the end of the courtyard. <br>
+<p>To crank it and leap to the driver's seat required but a
+moment. The big car moved smoothly forward. A turn of the
+steering wheel brought it around headed toward the wide gates.
+Barney shifted to second speed, stepped on the accelerator and
+the cut-out simultaneously, and with a noise like the rattle of a
+machine gun, shot out of the courtyard.<br>
+</p>
+
+None who saw his departure could have guessed from the manner of
+it that the young man at the wheel of the gray car was stealing
+the machine or that his life depended upon escape without
+detection. It was the very boldness of his act that crowned it
+with success. <br>
+<p>Once in the street Barney turned toward the south. Cars were
+passing up and down in both directions, usually at high speed.
+Their numbers protected the fugitive. Momentarily he expected to
+be halted; but he passed out of the village without mishap and
+reached a country road which, except for a lane down its center
+along which automobiles were moving, was blocked with troops
+marching southward. Through this soldier-walled lane Barney drove
+for half an hour.<br>
+</p>
+
+From a great distance, toward the southeast, he could hear the
+boom of cannon and the bursting of shells. Presently the road
+forked. The troops were moving along the road on the left toward
+the distant battle line. Not a man or machine was turning into
+the right fork, the road toward the south that Barney wished to
+take. <br>
+<p>Could he successfully pass through the marching soldiers at
+his right? Among all those officers there surely would be one who
+would question the purpose and destination of this private
+soldier who drove alone in the direction of the nearby
+frontier.<br>
+</p>
+
+The moment had come when he must stake everything on his ability
+to gain the open road beyond the plodding mass of troops.
+Diminishing the speed of the car Barney turned it in toward the
+marching men at the same time sounding his horn loudly. An
+infantry captain, marching beside his company, was directly in
+front of the car. He looked up at the American. Barney saluted
+and pointed toward the righthand fork. <br>
+<p>The captain turned and shouted a command to his men. Those who
+had not passed in front of the car halted. Barney shot through
+the little lane they had opened, which immediately closed up
+behind him. He was through! He was upon the open road! Ahead, as
+far as he could see, there was no sign of any living creature to
+bar his way, and the frontier could not be more than twenty-five
+miles away.<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_19">Chapter V THE TRAITOR KING</h1>
+
+<br>
+IN HIS CASTLE at Lustadt, Leopold of Lutha paced nervously back
+and forth between his great desk and the window that overlooked
+the royal gardens. Upon the opposite side of the desk stood an
+old man--a tall, straight, old man with the bearing of a soldier
+and the head of a lion. His keen, gray eyes were upon the king,
+and sorrow was written upon his face. He was Ludwig von der Tann,
+chancellor of the kingdom of Lutha. <br>
+<p>At last the king stopped his pacing and faced the old man,
+though he could not meet those eagle eyes squarely, try as he
+would. It was his inability to do so, possibly, that added to his
+anger. Weak himself, he feared this strong man and envied him his
+strength, which, in a weak nature, is but a step from hatred.
+There evidently had been a long pause in their conversation, yet
+the king's next words took up the thread of their argument where
+it had broken.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You speak as though I had no right to do it," he snapped. "One
+might think that you were the king from the manner with which you
+upbraid and reproach me. I tell you, Prince von der Tann, that I
+shall stand it no longer." <br>
+<p>The king approached the desk and pounded heavily upon its
+polished surface with his fist. The physical act of violence
+imparted to him a certain substitute for the moral courage which
+he lacked.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I will tell you, sir, that I am king. It was not necessary that
+I consult you or any other man before pardoning Prince Peter and
+his associates. I have investigated the matter thoroughly and I
+am convinced that they have been taught a sufficient lesson and
+that hereafter they will be my most loyal subjects." <br>
+<p>He hesitated. "Their presence here," he added, "may prove an
+antidote to the ambitions of others who lately have taken it upon
+themselves to rule Lutha for me."<br>
+</p>
+
+There was no mistaking the king's meaning, but Prince Ludwig did
+not show by any change of expression that the shot had struck him
+in a vulnerable spot; nor, upon the other hand, did he ignore the
+insinuation. There was only sorrow in his voice when he replied.
+<br>
+<p>"Sire," he said, "for some time I have been aware of the
+activity of those who would like to see Peter of Blentz returned
+to favor with your majesty. I have warned you, only to see that
+my motives were always misconstrued. There is a greater power at
+work, your majesty, than any of us-greater than Lutha itself. One
+that will stop at nothing in order to gain its ends. It cares
+naught for Peter of Blentz, naught for me, naught for you. It
+cares only for Lutha. For strategic purposes it must have Lutha.
+It will trample you under foot to gain its end, and then it will
+cast Peter of Blentz aside. You have insinuated, sire, that I am
+ambitious. I am. I am ambitious to maintain the integrity and
+freedom of Lutha.<br>
+</p>
+
+"For three hundred years the Von der Tanns have labored and
+fought for the welfare of Lutha. It was a Von der Tann that put
+the first Rubinroth king upon the throne of Lutha. To the last
+they were loyal to the former dynasty while that dynasty was
+loyal to Lutha. Only when the king attempted to sell the freedom
+of his people to a powerful neighbor did the Von der Tanns rise
+against him. <br>
+<p>"Sire! the Von der Tanns have always been loyal to the house
+of Rubinroth. And but a single thing rises superior within their
+breasts to that loyalty, and that is their loyalty to Lutha." He
+paused for an instant before concluding. "And I, sire, am a Von
+der Tann."<br>
+</p>
+
+There could be no mistaking the old man's meaning. So long as
+Leopold was loyal to his people and their interests Ludwig von
+der Tann would be loyal to Leopold. The king was cowed. He was
+very much afraid of this grim old warrior. He chafed beneath his
+censure. <br>
+<p>"You are always scolding me," he cried irritably. "I am
+getting tired of it. And now you threaten me. Do you call that
+loyalty? Do you call it loyalty to refuse to compel your daughter
+to keep her plighted troth? If you wish to prove your loyalty
+command the Princess Emma to fulfil the promise you made my
+father--command her to wed me at once."<br>
+</p>
+
+Von der Tann looked the king straight in the eyes. <br>
+<p>"I cannot do that," he said. "She has told me that she will
+kill herself rather than wed with your majesty. She is all I have
+left, sire. What good would be accomplished by robbing me of her
+if you could not gain her by the act? Win her confidence and
+love, sire. It may be done. Thus only may happiness result to you
+and to her."<br>
+</p>
+
+"You see," exclaimed the king, "what your loyalty amounts to! I
+believe that you are saving her for the impostor--I have heard as
+much hinted at before this. Nor do I doubt that she would gladly
+connive with the fellow if she thought there was a chance of his
+seizing the throne." <br>
+<p>Von der Tann paled. For the first time righteous indignation
+and anger got the better of him. He took a step toward the
+king.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Stop!" he commanded. "No man, not even my king, may speak such
+words to a Von der Tann." <br>
+<p>In an antechamber just outside the room a man sat near the
+door that led into the apartment where the king and his
+chancellor quarreled. He had been straining his ears to catch the
+conversation which he could hear rising and falling in the
+adjoining chamber, but till now he had been unsuccessful. Then
+came Prince Ludwig's last words booming loudly through the
+paneled door, and the man smiled. He was Count Zellerndorf, the
+Austrian minister to Lutha.<br>
+</p>
+
+The king's outraged majesty goaded him to an angry retort. <br>
+<p>"You forget yourself, Prince von der Tann," he cried. "Leave
+our presence. When we again desire to be insulted we shall send
+for you."<br>
+</p>
+
+As the chancellor passed into the antechamber Count Zellerndorf
+rose and greeted him warmly, almost effusively. Von der Tann
+returned his salutations with courtesy but with no answering
+warmth. Then he passed on out of the palace. <br>
+<p>"The old fox must have heard," he mused as he mounted his
+horse and turned his face toward Tann and the Old Forest.<br>
+</p>
+
+When Count Zellerndorf of Austria entered the presence of Leopold
+of Lutha he found that young ruler much disturbed. He had resumed
+his restless pacing between desk and window, and as the Austrian
+entered he scarce paused to receive his salutation. Count
+Zellerndorf was a frequent visitor at the palace. There were few
+formalities between this astute diplomat and the young king;
+those had passed gradually away as their acquaintance and
+friendship ripened. <br>
+<p>"Prince Ludwig appeared angry when he passed through the
+antechamber," ventured Zellerndorf. "Evidently your majesty found
+cause to rebuke him."<br>
+</p>
+
+The king nodded and looked narrowly at the Austrian. "The Prince
+von der Tann insinuated that Austria's only wish in connection
+with Lutha is to seize her," he said. <br>
+<p>Zellerndorf raised his hands in well-simulated horror.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Your majesty!" he exclaimed. "It cannot be that the prince has
+gone to such lengths to turn you against your best friend, my
+emperor. If he has I can only attribute it to his own ambitions.
+I have hesitated to speak to you of this matter, your majesty,
+but now that the honor of my own ruler is questioned I must
+defend him. <br>
+<p>"Bear with me then, should what I have to say wound you. I
+well know the confidence which the house of Von der Tann has
+enjoyed for centuries in Lutha; but I must brave your wrath in
+the interest of right. I must tell you that it is common gossip
+in Vienna that Von der Tann aspires to the throne of Lutha either
+for himself or for his daughter through the American impostor who
+once sat upon your throne for a few days. And let me tell you
+more.<br>
+</p>
+
+"The American will never again menace you--he was arrested in
+Burgova as a spy and executed. He is dead; but not so are Von der
+Tann's ambitions. When he learns that he no longer may rely upon
+the strain of the Rubinroth blood that flowed in the veins of the
+American from his royal mother, the runaway Princess Victoria,
+there will remain to him only the other alternative of seizing
+the throne for himself. He is a very ambitious man, your majesty.
+Already he has caused it to become current gossip that he is the
+real power behind the throne of Lutha--that your majesty is but a
+figure-head, the puppet of Von der Tann." <br>
+<p>Zellerndorf paused. He saw the flush of shame and anger that
+suffused the king's face, and then he shot the bolt that he had
+come to fire, but which he had not dared to hope would find its
+target so denuded of defense.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Your majesty," he whispered, coming quite close to the king,
+"all Lutha is inclined to believe that you fear Prince von der
+Tann. Only a few of us know the truth to be the contrary. For the
+sake of your prestige you must take some step to counteract this
+belief and stamp it out for good and all. I have planned a
+way--hear it. <br>
+<p>"Von der Tann's hatred of Peter of Blentz is well known. No
+man in Lutha believes that he would permit you to have any
+intercourse with Peter. I have brought from Blentz an invitation
+to your majesty to honor the Blentz prince with your presence as
+a guest for the ensuing week. Accept it, your majesty.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Nothing could more conclusively prove to the most skeptical that
+you are still the king, and that Von der Tann, nor any other, may
+not dare to dictate to you. It will be the most splendid stroke
+of statesmanship that you could achieve at the present moment."
+<br>
+<p>For an instant the king stood in thought. He still feared
+Peter of Blentz as the devil is reputed to fear holy water,
+though for converse reasons. Yet he was very angry with Von der
+Tann. It would indeed be an excellent way to teach the
+presumptuous chancellor his place.<br>
+</p>
+
+Leopold almost smiled as he thought of the chagrin with which
+Prince Ludwig would receive the news that he had gone to Blentz
+as the guest of Peter. It was the last impetus that was required
+by his weak, vindictive nature to press it to a decision. <br>
+<p>"Very well," he said, "I will go tomorrow."<br>
+</p>
+
+It was late the following day that Prince von der Tann received
+in his castle in the Old Forest word that an Austrian army had
+crossed the Luthanian frontier--the neutrality of Lutha had been
+violated. The old chancellor set out immediately for Lustadt. At
+the palace he sought an interview with the king only to learn
+that Leopold had departed earlier in the day to visit Peter of
+Blentz. <br>
+<p>There was but one thing to do and that was to follow the king
+to Blentz. Some action must be taken immediately--it would never
+do to let this breach of treaty pass unnoticed.<br>
+</p>
+
+The Serbian minister who had sent word to the chancellor of the
+invasion by the Austrian troops was closeted with him for an hour
+after his arrival at the palace. It was clear to both these men
+that the hand of Zellerndorf was plainly in evidence in both the
+important moves that had occurred in Lutha within the past
+twenty-four hours--the luring of the king to Blentz and the
+entrance of Austrian soldiery into Lutha. <br>
+<p>Following his interview with the Serbian minister Von der Tann
+rode toward Blentz with only his staff in attendance. It was long
+past midnight when the lights of the town appeared directly ahead
+of the little party. They rode at a trot along the road which
+passes through the village to wind upward again toward the
+ancient feudal castle that looks down from its hilltop upon the
+town.<br>
+</p>
+
+At the edge of the village Von der Tann was thunderstruck by a
+challenge from a sentry posted in the road, nor was his dismay
+lessened when he discovered that the man was an Austrian. <br>
+<p>"What is the meaning of this?" he cried angrily. "What are
+Austrian soldiers doing barring the roads of Lutha to the
+chancellor of Lutha?"<br>
+</p>
+
+The sentry called an officer. The latter was extremely suave. He
+regretted the incident, but his orders were most positive--no one
+could be permitted to pass through the lines without an order
+from the general commanding. He would go at once to the general
+and see if he could procure the necessary order. Would the prince
+be so good as to await his return? Von der Tann turned on the
+young officer, his face purpling with rage. <br>
+<p>"I will pass nowhere within the boundaries of Lutha," he said,
+"upon the order of an Austrian. You may tell your general that my
+only regret is that I have not with me tonight the necessary
+force to pass through his lines to my king--another time I shall
+not be so handicapped," and Ludwig, Prince von der Tann, wheeled
+his mount and spurred away in the direction of Lustadt, at his
+heels an extremely angry and revengeful staff.<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_20">Chapter VI A TRAP IS SPRUNG</h1>
+
+<br>
+LONG BEFORE Prince von der Tann reached Lustadt he had come to
+the conclusion that Leopold was in virtue a prisoner in Blentz.
+To prove his conclusion he directed one of his staff to return to
+Blentz and attempt to have audience with the king. <br>
+<p>"Risk anything," he instructed the officer to whom he had
+entrusted the mission. "Submit, if necessary, to the humiliation
+of seeking an Austrian pass through the lines to the castle. See
+the king at any cost and deliver this message to him and to him
+alone and secretly. Tell him my fears, and that if I do not have
+word from him within twentyfour hours I shall assume that he is
+indeed a prisoner.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I shall then direct the mobilization of the army and take such
+steps as seem fit to rescue him and drive the invaders from the
+soil of Lutha. If you do not return I shall understand that you
+are held prisoner by the Austrians and that my worst fears have
+been realized." <br>
+<p>But Prince Ludwig was one who believed in being forehanded and
+so it happened that the orders for the mobilization of the army
+of Lutha were issued within fifteen minutes of his return to
+Lustadt. It would do no harm, thought the old man, with a grim
+smile, to get things well under way a day ahead of time. This
+accomplished, he summoned the Serbian minister, with what purpose
+and to what effect became historically evident several days
+later. When, after twenty-four hours' absence, his aide had not
+returned from Blentz, the chancellor had no regrets for his
+forehandedness.<br>
+</p>
+
+In the castle of Peter of Blentz the king of Lutha was being
+entertained royally. He was told nothing of the attempt of his
+chancellor to see him, nor did he know that a messenger from
+Prince von der Tann was being held a prisoner in the camp of the
+Austrians in the village. He was surrounded by the creatures of
+Prince Peter and by Peter's staunch allies, the Austrian minister
+and the Austrian officers attached to the expeditionary force
+occupying the town. They told him that they had positive
+information that the Serbians already had crossed the frontier
+into Lutha, and that the presence of the Austrian troops was
+purely for the protection of Lutha. <br>
+<p>It was not until the morning following the rebuff of Prince
+von der Tann that Peter of Blentz, Count Zellerndorf and Maenck
+heard of the occurrence. They were chagrined by the accident, for
+they were not ready to deliver their final stroke. The young
+officer of the guard had, of course, but followed his
+instructions--who would have thought that old Von der Tann would
+come to Blentz! That he suspected their motives seemed apparent,
+and now that his rebuff at the gates had aroused his ire and,
+doubtless, crystallized his suspicions, they might find in him a
+very ugly obstacle to the fruition of their plans.<br>
+</p>
+
+With Von der Tann actively opposed to them, the value of having
+the king upon their side would be greatly minimized. The people
+and the army had every confidence in the old chancellor. Even if
+he opposed the king there was reason to believe that they might
+still side with him. <br>
+<p>"What is to be done?" asked Zellerndorf. "Is there no way
+either to win or force Von der Tann to acquiescence?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"I think we can accomplish it," said Prince Peter, after a moment
+of thought. "Let us see Leopold. His mind has been prepared to
+receive almost gratefully any insinuations against the loyalty of
+Von der Tann. With proper evidence the king may easily be
+persuaded to order the chancellor's arrest--possibly his
+execution as well." <br>
+<p>So they saw the king, only to meet a stubborn refusal upon the
+part of Leopold to accede to their suggestions. He still was
+madly in love with Von der Tann's daughter, and he knew that a
+blow delivered at her father would only tend to increase her
+bitterness toward him. The conspirators were nonplussed.<br>
+</p>
+
+They had looked for a comparatively easy road to the consummation
+of their desires. What in the world could be the cause of the
+king's stubborn desire to protect the man they knew he feared,
+hated, and mistrusted with all the energy of his suspicious
+nature? It was the king himself who answered their unspoken
+question. <br>
+<p>"I cannot believe in the disloyalty of Prince Ludwig," he
+said, "nor could I, even if I desired it, take such drastic steps
+as you suggest. Some day the Princess Emma, his daughter, will be
+my queen."<br>
+</p>
+
+Count Zellerndorf was the first to grasp the possibilities that
+lay in the suggestion the king's words carried. <br>
+<p>"Your majesty," he cried, "there is a way to unite all
+factions in Lutha. It would be better to insure the loyalty of
+Von der Tann through bonds of kinship than to antagonize him.
+Marry the Princess Emma at once.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Wait, your majesty," he added, as Leopold raised an objecting
+hand. "I am well informed as to the strange obstinacy of the
+princess, but for the welfare of the state--yes, for the sake of
+your very throne, sire--you should exert your royal prerogatives
+and command the Princess Emma to carry out the terms of your
+betrothal." <br>
+<p>"What do you mean, Zellerndorf?" asked the king.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I mean, sire, that we should bring the princess here and compel
+her to marry you." <br>
+<p>Leopold shook his head. "You do not know her," he said. "You
+do not know the Von der Tann nature--one cannot force a Von der
+Tann."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Pardon, sire," urged Zellerndorf, "but I think it can be
+accomplished. If the Princess Emma knew that your majesty
+believed her father to be a traitor--that the order for his
+arrest and execution but awaited your signature--I doubt not that
+she would gladly become queen of Lutha, with her father's life
+and liberty as a wedding gift." <br>
+<p>For several minutes no one spoke after Count Zellerndorf had
+ceased. Leopold sat looking at the toe of his boot. Peter of
+Blentz, Maenck, and the Austrian watched him intently. The
+possibilities of the plan were sinking deep into the minds of all
+four. At last the king rose. He was mumbling to himself as though
+unconscious of the presence of the others.<br>
+</p>
+
+"She is a stubborn jade," he mumbled. "It would be an excellent
+lesson for her. She needs to be taught that I am her king," and
+then as though his conscience required a sop, "I shall be very
+good to her. Afterward she will be happy." He turned toward
+Zellerndorf. "You think it can be done?" <br>
+<p>"Most assuredly, your majesty. We shall take immediate steps
+to fetch the Princess Emma to Blentz," and the Austrian rose and
+backed from the apartment lest the king change his mind. Prince
+Peter and Maenck followed him.<br>
+</p>
+
+Princess Emma von der Tann sat in her boudoir in her father's
+castle in the Old Forest. Except for servants, she was alone in
+the fortress, for Prince von der Tann was in Lustadt. Her mind
+was occupied with memories of the young American who had entered
+her life under such strange circumstances two years
+before--memories that had been awakened by the return of
+Lieutenant Otto Butzow to Lutha. He had come directly to her
+father and had been attached to the prince's personal staff. <br>
+<p>From him she had heard a great deal about Barney Custer, and
+the old interest, never a moment forgotten during these two
+years, was reawakened to all its former intensity.<br>
+</p>
+
+Butzow had accompanied Prince Ludwig to Lustadt, but Princess
+Emma would not go with them. For two years she had not entered
+the capital, and much of that period had been spent in Paris.
+Only within the past fortnight had she returned to Lutha. <br>
+<p>In the middle of the morning her reveries were interrupted by
+the entrance of a servant bearing a message. She had to read it
+twice before she could realize its purport; though it was plainly
+worded--the shock of it had stunned her. It was dated at Lustadt
+and signed by one of the palace functionaries:<br>
+</p>
+
+Prince von der Tann has suffered a slight stroke. Do not be
+alarmed, but come at once. The two troopers who bear this message
+will act as your escort. <br>
+<p>It required but a few minutes for the girl to change to her
+riding clothes, and when she ran down into the court she found
+her horse awaiting her in the hands of her groom, while close by
+two mounted troopers raised their hands to their helmets in
+salute.<br>
+</p>
+
+A moment later the three clattered over the drawbridge and along
+the road that leads toward Lustadt. The escort rode a short
+distance behind the girl, and they were hard put to it to hold
+the mad pace which she set them. <br>
+<p>A few miles from Tann the road forks. One branch leads toward
+the capital and the other winds over the hills in the direction
+of Blentz. The fork occurs within the boundaries of the Old
+Forest. Great trees overhang the winding road, casting a twilight
+shade even at high noon. It is a lonely spot, far from any
+habitation.<br>
+</p>
+
+As the Princess Emma approached the fork she reined in her mount,
+for across the road to Lustadt a dozen horsemen barred her way.
+At first she thought nothing of it, turning her horse's head to
+the righthand side of the road to pass the party, all of whom
+were in uniform; but as she did so one of the men reined directly
+in her path. The act was obviously intentional. <br>
+<p>The girl looked quickly up into the man's face, and her own
+went white. He who stopped her way was Captain Ernst Maenck. She
+had not seen the man for two years, but she had good cause to
+remember him as the governor of the castle of Blentz and the man
+who had attempted to take advantage of her helplessness when she
+had been a prisoner in Prince Peter's fortress. Now she looked
+straight into the fellow's eyes.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Let me pass, please," she said coldly. <br>
+<p>"I am sorry," replied Maenck with an evil smile; "but the
+king's orders are that you accompany me to Blentz--the king is
+there."<br>
+</p>
+
+For answer the girl drove her spur into her mount's side. The
+animal leaped forward, striking Maenck's horse on the shoulder
+and half turning him aside, but the man clutched at the girl's
+bridle-rein, and, seizing it, brought her to a stop. <br>
+<p>"You may as well come voluntarily, for come you must," he
+said. "It will be easier for you."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I shall not come voluntarily," she replied. "If you take me to
+Blentz you will have to take me by force, and if my king is not
+sufficiently a gentleman to demand an accounting of you, I am at
+least more fortunate in the possession of a father who will."
+<br>
+<p>"Your father will scarce wish to question the acts of his
+king," said Maenck--"his king and the husband of his
+daughter."<br>
+</p>
+
+"What do you mean?" she cried. <br>
+<p>"That before you are many hours older, your highness, you will
+be queen of Lutha."<br>
+</p>
+
+The Princess Emma turned toward her tardy escort that had just
+arrived upon the scene. <br>
+<p>"This person has stopped me," she said, "and will not permit
+me to continue toward Lustadt. Make a way for me; you are
+armed!"<br>
+</p>
+
+Maenck smiled. "Both of them are my men," he explained. <br>
+<p>The girl saw it all now--the whole scheme to lure her to
+Blentz. Even then, though, she could not believe the king had
+been one of the conspirators of the plot.<br>
+</p>
+
+Weak as he was he was still a Rubinroth, and it was difficult for
+a Von der Tann to believe in the duplicity of a member of the
+house they had served so loyally for centuries. With bowed head
+the princess turned her horse into the road that led toward
+Blentz. Half the troopers preceded her, the balance following
+behind. <br>
+<p>Maenck wondered at the promptness of her surrender.<br>
+</p>
+
+"To be a queen--ah! that was the great temptation," he thought
+but he did not know what was passing in the girl's mind. She had
+seen that escape for the moment was impossible, and so had
+decided to bide her time until a more propitious chance should
+come. In silence she rode among her captors. The thought of being
+brought to Blentz alive was unbearable. <br>
+<p>Somewhere along the road there would be an opportunity to
+escape. Her horse was fleet; with a short start he could easily
+outdistance these heavier cavalry animals and as a last resort
+she could--she must--find some way to end her life, rather than
+to be dragged to the altar beside Leopold of Lutha.<br>
+</p>
+
+Since childhood Emma von der Tann had ridden these hilly roads.
+She knew every lane and bypath for miles around. She knew the
+short cuts, the gullies and ravines. She knew where one might,
+with a good jumper, save a wide detour, and as she rode toward
+Blentz she passed in review through her mind each of the many
+spots where a sudden break for liberty might have the best chance
+to succeed. <br>
+<p>And at last she hit upon the place where a quick turn would
+take her from the main road into the roughest sort of going for
+one not familiar with the trail. Maenck and his soldiers had
+already partially relaxed their vigilance. The officer had come
+to the conclusion that his prisoner was resigned to her fate and
+that, after all, the fate of being forced to be queen did not
+appear so dark to her.<br>
+</p>
+
+They had wound up a wooded hill and were half way up to the
+summit. The princess was riding close to the righthand side of
+the road. Quite suddenly, and before a hand could be raised to
+stay her, she wheeled her mount between two trees, struck home
+her spur, and was gone into the wood upon the steep hillside.
+<br>
+<p>With an oath, Maenck cried to his men to be after her. He
+himself spurred into the forest at the point where the girl had
+disappeared. So sudden had been her break for liberty and so
+quickly had the foliage swallowed her that there was something
+almost uncanny in it.<br>
+</p>
+
+A hundred yards from the road the trees were further apart, and
+through them the pursuers caught a glimpse of their quarry. The
+girl was riding like mad along the rough, uneven hillside. Her
+mount, surefooted as a chamois, seemed in his element. But two of
+the horses of her pursuers were as swift, and under the cruel
+spurs of their riders were closing up on their fugitive. The girl
+urged her horse to greater speed, yet still the two behind closed
+in. <br>
+<p>A hundred yards ahead lay a deep and narrow gully, hid by
+bushes that grew rankly along its verge. Straight toward this the
+Princess Emma von der Tann rode. Behind her came her
+pursuers--two quite close and the others trailing farther in the
+rear. The girl reined in a trifle, letting the troopers that were
+closest to her gain until they were but a few strides behind,
+then she put spur to her horse and drove him at topmost speed
+straight toward the gully. At the bushes she spoke a low word in
+his backlaid ears, raised him quickly with the bit, leaning
+forward as he rose in air. Like a bird that animal took the
+bushes and the gully beyond, while close behind him crashed the
+two luckless troopers.<br>
+</p>
+
+Emma von der Tann cast a single backward glance over her
+shoulder, as her horse regained his stride upon the opposite side
+of the gully, to see her two foremost pursuers plunging headlong
+into it. Then she shook free her reins and gave her mount his
+head along a narrow trail that both had followed many times
+before. <br>
+<p>Behind her, Maenck and the balance of his men came to a sudden
+stop at the edge of the gully. Below them one of the troopers was
+struggling to his feet. The other lay very still beneath his
+motionless horse. With an angry oath Maenck directed one of his
+men to remain and help the two who had plunged over the brink,
+then with the others he rode along the gully searching for a
+crossing.<br>
+</p>
+
+Before they found one their captive was a mile ahead of them,
+and, barring accident, quite beyond recapture. She was making for
+a highway that would lead her to Lustadt. Ordinarily she had been
+wont to bear a little to the northeast at this point and strike
+back into the road that she had just left; but today she feared
+to do so lest she be cut off before she gained the north and
+south highroad which the other road crossed a little farther on.
+<br>
+<p>To her right was a small farm across which she had never
+ridden, for she always had made it a point never to trespass upon
+fenced grounds. On the opposite side of the farm was a wood, and
+somewhere beyond that a small stream which the highroad crossed
+upon a little bridge. It was all new country to her, but it must
+be ventured.<br>
+</p>
+
+She took the fence at the edge of the clearing and then reined in
+a moment to look behind her. A mile away she saw the head and
+shoulders of a horseman above some low bushes--the pursuers had
+found a way through the gully. <br>
+<p>Turning once more to her flight the girl rode rapidly across
+the fields toward the wood. Here she found a high wire fence so
+close to thickly growing trees upon the opposite side that she
+dared not attempt to jump it--there was no point at which she
+would not have been raked from the saddle by overhanging boughs.
+Slipping to the ground she attacked the barrier with her bare
+hands, attempting to tear away the staples that held the wire in
+place. For several minutes she surged and tugged upon the
+unyielding metal strand. An occasional backward glance revealed
+to her horrified eyes the rapid approach of her enemies. One of
+them was far in advance of the others--in another moment he would
+be upon her.<br>
+</p>
+
+With redoubled fury she turned again to the fence. A superhuman
+effort brought away a staple. One wire was down and an instant
+later two more. Standing with one foot upon the wires to keep
+them from tangling about her horse's legs, she pulled her mount
+across into the wood. The foremost horseman was close upon her as
+she finally succeeded in urging the animal across the fallen
+wires. <br>
+<p>The girl sprang to her horse's side just as the man reached
+the fence. The wires, released from her weight, sprang up breast
+high against his horse. He leaped from the saddle the instant
+that the girl was swinging into her own. Then the fellow jumped
+the fence and caught her bridle.<br>
+</p>
+
+She struck at him with her whip, lashing him across the head and
+face, but he clung tightly, dragged hither and thither by the
+frightened horse, until at last he managed to reach the girl's
+arm and drag her to the ground. <br>
+<p>Almost at the same instant a man, unkempt and disheveled,
+sprang from behind a tree and with a single blow stretched the
+trooper unconscious upon the ground.<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_21">Chapter VII BARNEY TO THE RESCUE</h1>
+
+<br>
+AS BARNEY CUSTER raced along the Austrian highroad toward the
+frontier and Lutha, his spirits rose to a pitch of buoyancy to
+which they had been strangers for the past several days. For the
+first time in many hours it seemed possible to Barney to
+entertain reasonable hopes of escape from the extremely dangerous
+predicament into which he had gotten himself. <br>
+<p>He was even humming a gay little tune as he drove into a tiny
+hamlet through which the road wound. No sign of military appeared
+to fill him with apprehension. He was very hungry and the odor of
+cooking fell gratefully upon his nostrils. He drew up before the
+single inn, and presently, washed and brushed, was sitting before
+the first meal he had seen for two days. In the enjoyment of the
+food he almost forgot the dangers he had passed through, or that
+other dangers might be lying in wait for him at his elbow.<br>
+</p>
+
+From the landlord he learned that the frontier lay but three
+miles to the south of the hamlet. Three miles! Three miles to
+Lutha! What if there was a price upon his head in that kingdom?
+It was HER home. It had been his mother's birthplace. He loved
+it. <br>
+<p>Further, he must enter there and reach the ear of old Prince
+von der Tann. Once more he must save the king who had shown such
+scant gratitude upon another occasion.<br>
+</p>
+
+For Leopold, Barney Custer did not give the snap of his fingers;
+but what Leopold, the king, stood for in the lives and sentiments
+of the Luthanians--of the Von der Tanns-was very dear to the
+American because it was dear to a trim, young girl and to a
+rugged, leonine, old man, of both of whom Barney was inordinately
+fond. And possibly, too, it was dear to him because of the royal
+blood his mother had bequeathed him. <br>
+<p>His meal disposed of to the last morsel, and paid for, Barney
+entered the stolen car and resumed his journey toward Lutha. That
+he could remain there he knew to be impossible, but in delivering
+his news to Prince Ludwig he might have an opportunity to see the
+Princess Emma once again--it would be worth risking his life for,
+of that he was perfectly satisfied. And then he could go across
+into Serbia with the new credentials that he had no doubt Prince
+von der Tann would furnish him for the asking to replace those
+the Austrians had confiscated.<br>
+</p>
+
+At the frontier Barney was halted by an Austrian customs officer;
+but when the latter recognized the military car and the Austrian
+uniform of the driver he waved him through without comment. Upon
+the other side the American expected possible difficulty with the
+Luthanian customs officer, but to his surprise he found the
+little building deserted, and none to bar his way. At last he was
+in Lutha--by noon on the following day he should be at Tann. <br>
+<p>To reach the Old Forest by the best roads it was necessary to
+bear a little to the southeast, passing through Tafelberg and
+striking the north and south highway between that point and
+Lustadt, to which he could hold until reaching the east and west
+road that runs through both Tann and Blentz on its way across the
+kingdom.<br>
+</p>
+
+The temptation to stop for a few minutes in Tafelberg for a visit
+with his old friend Herr Kramer was strong, but fear that he
+might be recognized by others, who would not guard his secret so
+well as the shopkeeper of Tafelberg would, decided him to keep on
+his way. So he flew through the familiar main street of the
+quaint old village at a speed that was little, if any less, than
+fifty miles an hour. <br>
+<p>On he raced toward the south, his speed often necessarily
+diminished upon the winding mountain roads, but for the most part
+clinging to a reckless mileage that caused the few natives he
+encountered to flee to the safety of the bordering fields, there
+to stand in open-mouthed awe.<br>
+</p>
+
+Halfway between Tafelberg and the crossroad into which he
+purposed turning to the west toward Tann there is an S-curve
+where the bases of two small hills meet. The road here is narrow
+and treacherous--fifteen miles an hour is almost a reckless speed
+at which to travel around the curves of the S. Beyond are open
+fields upon either side of the road. <br>
+<p>Barney took the turns carefully and had just emerged into the
+last leg of the S when he saw, to his consternation, a half-dozen
+Austrian infantrymen lolling beside the road. An officer stood
+near them talking with a sergeant. To turn back in that narrow
+road was impossible. He could only go ahead and trust to his
+uniform and the military car to carry him safely through. Before
+he reached the group of soldiers the fields upon either hand came
+into view. They were dotted with tents, wagons, motor-vans and
+artillery. What did it mean? What was this Austrian army doing in
+Lutha?<br>
+</p>
+
+Already the officer had seen him. This was doubtless an outpost,
+however clumsily placed it might be for strategic purposes. To
+pass it was Barney's only hope. He had passed through one
+Austrian army--why not another? He approached the outpost at a
+moderate rate of speed--to tear toward it at the rate his heart
+desired would be to awaken not suspicion only but positive
+conviction that his purposes and motives were ulterior. <br>
+<p>The officer stepped toward the road as though to halt him.
+Barney pretended to be fussing with some refractory piece of
+controlling mechanism beneath the cowl--apparently he did not see
+the officer. He was just opposite him when the latter shouted to
+him. Barney straightened up quickly and saluted, but did not
+stop.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Halt!" cried the officer. <br>
+<p>Barney pointed down the road in the direction in which he was
+headed.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Halt!" repeated the officer, running to the car. <br>
+<p>Barney glanced ahead. Two hundred yards farther on was another
+post--beyond that he saw no soldiers. He turned and shouted a
+volley of intentionally unintelligible jargon at the officer,
+continuing to point ahead of him.<br>
+</p>
+
+He hoped to confuse the man for the few seconds necessary for him
+to reach the last post. If the soldiers there saw that he had
+been permitted to pass through the first they doubtless would not
+hinder his further passage. That they were watching him Barney
+could see. <br>
+<p>He had passed the officer now. There was no necessity for
+dalliance. He pressed the accelerator down a trifle. The car
+moved forward at increased speed. a final angry shout broke from
+the officer behind him, followed by a quick command. Barney did
+not have to wait long to learn the tenor of the order, for almost
+immediately a shot sounded from behind and a bullet whirred above
+his head. Another shot and another followed.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney was pressing the accelerator downward to the limit. The
+car responded nobly--there was no sputtering, no choking. Just a
+rapid rush of increasing momentum as the machine gained headway
+by leaps and bounds. <br>
+<p>The bullets were ripping the air all about him. Just ahead the
+second outpost stood directly in the center of the road. There
+were three soldiers and they were taking deliberate aim, as
+carefully as though upon the rifle range. It seemed to Barney
+that they couldn't miss him. He swerved the car suddenly from one
+side of the road to the other. At the rate that it was going the
+move was fraught with but little less danger than the supine
+facing of the leveled guns ahead.<br>
+</p>
+
+The three rifles spoke almost simultaneously. The glass of the
+windshield shattered in Barney's face. There was a hole in the
+left-hand front fender that had not been there before. <br>
+<p>"Rotten shooting," commented Barney Custer, of Beatrice.<br>
+</p>
+
+The soldiers still stood in the center of the road firing at the
+swaying car as, lurching from side to side, it bore down upon
+them. Barney sounded the raucous military horn; but the soldiers
+seemed unconscious of their danger--they still stood there
+pumping lead toward the onrushing Juggernaut. At the last instant
+they attempted to rush from its path; but they were too late.
+<br>
+<p>At over sixty miles an hour the huge, gray monster bore down
+upon them. One of them fell beneath the wheels--the two others
+were thrown high in air as the bumper struck them. The body of
+the man who had fallen beneath the wheels threw the car half way
+across the road--only iron nerve and strong arms held it from the
+ditch upon the opposite side.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney Custer had never been nearer death than at that
+moment--not even when he faced the firing squad before the
+factory wall in Burgova. He had done that without a tremor--he
+had heard the bullets of the outpost whistling about his head a
+moment before, with a smile upon his lips-he had faced the
+leveled rifles of the three he had ridden down and he had not
+quailed. But now, his machine in the center of the road again, he
+shook like a leaf, still in the grip of the sickening nausea of
+that awful moment when the mighty, insensate monster beneath him
+had reeled drunkenly in its mad flight, swerving toward the ditch
+and destruction. <br>
+<p>For a few minutes he held to his rapid pace before he looked
+around, and then it was to see two cars climbing into the road
+from the encampment in the field and heading toward him in
+pursuit. Barney grinned. Once more he was master of his nerves.
+They'd have a merry chase, he thought, and again he accelerated
+the speed of the car. Once before he had had it up to
+seventy-five miles, and for a moment, when he had had no
+opportunity to even glance at the speedometer, much higher. Now
+he was to find the maximum limit of the possibilities of the
+brave car he had come to look upon with real affection.<br>
+</p>
+
+The road ahead was comparatively straight and level. Behind him
+came the enemy. Barney watched the road rushing rapidly out of
+sight beneath the gray fenders. He glanced occasionally at the
+speedometer. Seventy-five miles an hour. Seventy-seven! "Going
+some," murmured Barney as he saw the needle vibrate up to eighty.
+Gradually he nursed her up and up to greater speed. <br>
+<p>Eighty-five! The trees were racing by him in an indistinct
+blur of green. The fences were thin, wavering lines-the road a
+white-gray ribbon, ironed by the terrific speed to smooth
+unwrinkledness. He could not take his eyes from the business of
+steering to glance behind; but presently there broke faintly
+through the whir of the wind beating against his ears the faint
+report of a gun. He was being fired upon again. He pressed down
+still further upon the accelerator. The car answered to the
+pressure. The needle rose steadily until it reached ninety miles
+an hour--and topped it.<br>
+</p>
+
+Then from somewhere in the radiator hose a hissing and a spurt of
+steam. Barney was dumbfounded. He had filled the cooling system
+at the inn where he had eaten. It had been working perfectly
+before and since. What could have happened? There could be but a
+single explanation. A bullet from the gun of one of the three men
+who had attempted to stop him at the second outpost had
+penetrated the radiator, and had slowly drained it. <br>
+<p>Barney knew that the end was near, since the usefulness of the
+car in furthering his escape was over. At the speed he was going
+it would be but a short time before the superheated pistons
+expanding in their cylinders would tear the motor to pieces.
+Barney felt that he would be lucky if he himself were not killed
+when it happened.<br>
+</p>
+
+He reduced his speed and glanced behind. His pursuers had not
+gained upon him, but they still were coming. A bend in the road
+shut them from his view. A little way ahead the road crossed over
+a river upon a wooden bridge. On the opposite side and to the
+right of the road was a wood. It seemed to offer the most likely
+possibilities of concealment in the vicinity. If he could but
+throw his pursuers off the trail for a while he might succeed in
+escaping through the wood, eventually reaching Tann on foot. He
+had a rather hazy idea of the exact direction of the town and
+castle, but that he could find them eventually he was sure. <br>
+<p>The sight of the river and the bridge he was nearing suggested
+a plan, and the ominous grating of the overheated motor warned
+him that whatever he was to do he must do at once. As he neared
+the bridge he reduced the speed of the car to fifteen miles an
+hour, and set the hand throttle to hold it there. Still gripping
+the steering wheel with one hand, he climbed over the left-hand
+door to the running board. As the front wheels of the car ran up
+onto the bridge Barney gave the steering wheel a sudden turn to
+the right, and jumped.<br>
+</p>
+
+The car veered toward the wooden handrail, there was a
+splintering of stanchions, as, with a crash, the big machine
+plunged through them headforemost into the river. Without waiting
+to give even a glance at his handiwork Barney Custer ran across
+the bridge, leaped the fence upon the righthand side and plunged
+into the shelter of the wood. <br>
+<p>Then he turned to look back up the road in the direction from
+which his pursuers were coming. They were not in sight--they had
+not seen his ruse. The water in the river was of sufficient depth
+to completely cover the car--no sign of it appeared above the
+surface.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney turned into the wood smiling. His scheme had worked well.
+The occupants of the two cars following him might not note the
+broken handrail, or, if they did, might not connect it with
+Barney in any way. In this event they would continue in the
+direction of Lustadt, wondering what in the world had become of
+their quarry. Or, if they guessed that his car had gone over into
+the river, they would doubtless believe that its driver had gone
+with it. In either event Barney would be given ample time to find
+his way to Tann. <br>
+<p>He wished that he might find other clothes, since if he were
+dressed otherwise there would be no reason to imagine that his
+pursuers would recognize him should they come upon him. None of
+them could possibly have gained a sufficiently good look at his
+features to recognize them again.<br>
+</p>
+
+The Austrian uniform, however, would convict him, or at least lay
+him under suspicion, and in Barney's present case, suspicion was
+as good as conviction were he to fall into the hands of the
+Austrians. The garb had served its purpose well in aiding in his
+escape from Austria, but now it was more of a menace than an
+asset. <br>
+<p>For a week Barney Custer wandered through the woods and
+mountains of Lutha. He did not dare approach or question any
+human being. Several times he had seen Austrian cavalry that
+seemed to be scouring the country for some purpose that the
+American could easily believe was closely connected with himself.
+At least he did not feel disposed to stop them, as they cantered
+past his hiding place, to inquire the nature of their
+business.<br>
+</p>
+
+Such farmhouses as he came upon he gave a wide berth except at
+night, and then he only approached them stealthily for such
+provender as he might filch. Before the week was up he had become
+an expert chicken thief, being able to rob a roost as quietly as
+the most finished carpetbagger on the sunny side of Mason and
+Dixon's line. <br>
+<p>A careless housewife, leaving her lord and master's rough
+shirt and trousers hanging upon the line overnight, had made
+possible for Barney the coveted change in raiment. Now he was
+barged as a Luthanian peasant. He was hatless, since the lady had
+failed to hang out her mate's woolen cap, and Barney had not
+dared retain a single vestige of the damning Austrian
+uniform.<br>
+</p>
+
+What the peasant woman thought when she discovered the empty line
+the following morning Barney could only guess, but he was morally
+certain that her grief was more than tempered by the gold piece
+he had wrapped in a bit of cloth torn from the soldier's coat he
+had worn, which he pinned on the line where the shirt and pants
+had been. <br>
+<p>It was somewhere near noon upon the seventh day that Barney
+skirting a little stream, followed through the concealing shade
+of a forest toward the west. In his peasant dress he now felt
+safer to approach a farmhouse and inquire his way to Tann, for he
+had come a sufficient distance from the spot where he had stolen
+his new clothes to hope that they would not be recognized or that
+the news of their theft had not preceded him.<br>
+</p>
+
+As he walked he heard the sound of the feet of a horse galloping
+over a dry field--muffled, rapid thud approaching closer upon his
+right hand. Barney remained motionless. He was sure that the
+rider would not enter the wood which, with its low-hanging boughs
+and thick underbrush, was ill adapted to equestrianism. <br>
+<p>Closer and closer came the sound until it ceased suddenly
+scarce a hundred yards from where the American hid. He waited in
+silence to discover what would happen next. Would the rider enter
+the wood on foot? What was his purpose? Was it another Austrian
+who had by some miracle discovered the whereabouts of the
+fugitive? Barney could scarce believe it possible.<br>
+</p>
+
+Presently he heard another horse approaching at the same mad
+gallop. He heard the sound of rapid, almost frantic efforts of
+some nature where the first horse had come to a stop. He heard a
+voice urging the animal forward--pleading, threatening. A woman's
+voice. Barney's excitement became intense in sympathy with the
+subdued excitement of the woman whom he could not as yet see.
+<br>
+<p>A moment later the second rider came to a stop at the same
+point at which the first had reined in. A man's voice rose
+roughly. "Halt!" it cried. "In the name of the king, halt!" The
+American could no longer resist the temptation to see what was
+going on so close to him "in the name of the king."<br>
+</p>
+
+He advanced from behind his tree until he saw the two figures--a
+man's and a woman's. Some bushes intervened-he could not get a
+clear view of them, yet there was something about the figure of
+the woman, whose back was toward him as she struggled to mount
+her frightened horse, that caused him to leap rapidly toward her.
+He rounded a tree a few paces from her just as the man--a trooper
+in the uniform of the house of Blentz--caught her arm and dragged
+her from the saddle. At the same instant Barney recognized the
+girl--it was Princess Emma. <br>
+<p>Before either the trooper or the princess were aware of his
+presence he had leaped to the man's side and dealt him a blow
+that stretched him at full length upon the ground-stunned.<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_22">Chapter VIII AN ADVENTUROUS DAY</h1>
+
+<br>
+FOR AN INSTANT the two stood looking at one another. The girl's
+eyes were wide with incredulity, with hope, with fear. She was
+the first to break the silence. <br>
+<p>"Who are you?" she breathed in a half whisper.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I don't wonder that you ask," returned the man. "I must look
+like a scarecrow. I'm Barney Custer. Don't you remember me now?
+Who did you think I was?" <br>
+<p>The girl took a step toward him. Her eyes lighted with
+relief.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Captain Maenck told me that you were dead," she said, "that you
+had been shot as a spy in Austria, and then there is that uncanny
+resemblance to the king--since he has shaved his beard it is
+infinitely more remarkable. I thought you might be he. He has
+been at Blentz and I knew that it was quite possible that he had
+discovered treachery upon the part of Prince Peter. In which case
+he might have escaped in disguise. I really wasn't sure that you
+were not he until you spoke." <br>
+<p>Barney stooped and removed the bandoleer of cartridges from
+the fallen trooper, as well as his revolver and carbine. Then he
+took the girl's hand and together they turned into the wood.
+Behind them came the sound of pursuit. They heard the loud words
+of Maenck as he ordered his three remaining men into the wood on
+foot. As he advanced, Barney looked to the magazine of his
+carbine and the cylinder of his revolver.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Why were they pursuing you?" he asked. <br>
+<p>"They were taking me to Blentz to force me to wed Leopold,"
+she replied. "They told me that my father's life depended upon my
+consenting; but I should not have done so. The honor of my house
+is more precious than the life of any of its members. I escaped
+them a few miles back, and they were following to overtake
+me."<br>
+</p>
+
+A noise behind them caused Barney to turn. One of the troopers
+had come into view. He carried his carbine in his hands and at
+sight of the man with the fugitive girl he raised it to his
+shoulder; but as the American turned toward him his eyes went
+wide and his jaw dropped. <br>
+<p>Instantly Barney knew that the fellow had noted his
+resemblance to the king. Barney's body was concealed from the
+view of the other by a bush which grew between them, so the man
+saw only the face of the American. The fellow turned and shouted
+to Maenck: "The king is with her."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Nonsense," came the reply from farther back in the wood. "If
+there is a man with her and he will not surrender, shoot him." At
+the words Barney and the girl turned once more to their flight.
+From behind came the command to halt-"Halt! or I fire." Just
+ahead Barney saw the river. <br>
+<p>They were sure to be taken there if he was unable to gain the
+time necessary to make good a crossing. Upon the opposite side
+was a continuation of the wood. Behind them the leading trooper
+was crashing through the underbrush in renewed pursuit. He came
+in sight of them again, just as they reached the river bank. Once
+more his carbine was leveled. Barney pushed the girl to her knees
+behind a bush. Then he wheeled and fired, so quickly that the man
+with the already leveled gun had no time to anticipate his
+act.<br>
+</p>
+
+With a cry the fellow threw his hands above his head, staggered
+forward and plunged full length upon his face. Barney gathered
+the princess in his arms and plunged into the shallow stream. The
+girl held his carbine as he stumbled over the rocky bottom. The
+water deepened rapidly--the opposite shore seemed a long way off
+and behind there were three more enemies in hot pursuit. <br>
+<p>Under ordinary circumstances Barney could have found it in his
+heart to wish the little Luthanian river as broad as the
+Mississippi, for only under such circumstances as these could he
+ever hope to hold the Princess Emma in his arms. Two years before
+she had told him that she loved him; but at the same time she had
+given him to understand that their love was hopeless. She might
+refuse to wed the king; but that she should ever wed another
+while the king lived was impossible, unless Leopold saw fit to
+release her from her betrothal to him and sanction her marriage
+to another. That he ever would do this was to those who knew him
+not even remotely possible.<br>
+</p>
+
+He loved Emma von der Tann and he hated Barney Custer--hated him
+with a jealous hatred that was almost fanatic in its intensity.
+And even that the Princess Emma von der Tann would wed him were
+she free to wed was a question that was not at all clear in the
+mind of Barney Custer. He knew something of the traditions of
+this noble family--of the pride of caste, of the fetish of blood
+that inexorably dictated the ordering of their lives. <br>
+<p>The girl had just said that the honor of her house was more
+precious than the life of any of its members. How much more
+precious would it be to her than her own material happiness!
+Barney Custer sighed and struggled through the swirling waters
+that were now above his hips. If he pressed the lithe form closer
+to him than necessity demanded, who may blame him?<br>
+</p>
+
+The girl, whose face was toward the bank they had just quitted,
+gave no evidence of displeasure if she noted the fierce pressure
+of his muscles. Her eyes were riveted upon the wood behind.
+Presently a man emerged. He called to them in a loud and
+threatening tone. <br>
+<p>Barney redoubled his Herculean efforts to gain the opposite
+bank. He was in midstream now and the water had risen to his
+waist. The girl saw Maenck and the other trooper emerge from the
+underbrush beside the first. Maenck was crazed with anger. He
+shook his fist and screamed aloud his threatening commands to
+halt, and then, of a sudden, gave an order to one of the men at
+his side. Immediately the fellow raised his carbine and fired at
+the escaping couple.<br>
+</p>
+
+The bullet struck the water behind them. At the sound of the
+report the girl raised the gun she held and leveled it at the
+group behind her. She pulled the trigger. There was a sharp
+report, and one of the troopers fell. Then she fired again,
+quickly, and again and again. She did not score another hit, but
+she had the satisfaction of seeing Maenck and the last of his
+troopers dodge back to the safety of protecting trees. <br>
+<p>"The cowards!" muttered Barney as the enemy's shot announced
+his sinister intention; "they might have hit your highness."<br>
+</p>
+
+The girl did not reply until she had ceased firing. <br>
+<p>"Captain Maenck is notoriously a coward," she said. "He is
+hiding behind a tree now with one of his men--I hit the
+other."<br>
+</p>
+
+"You hit one of them!" exclaimed Barney enthusiastically. <br>
+<p>"Yes," said the girl. "I have shot a man. I often wondered
+what the sensation must be to have done such a thing. I should
+feel terribly, but I don't. They were firing at you, trying to
+shoot you in the back while you were defenseless. I am not
+sorry--I cannot be; but I only wish that it had been Captain
+Maenck."<br>
+</p>
+
+In a short time Barney reached the bank and, helping the girl up,
+climbed to her side. A couple of shots followed them as they left
+the river, but did not fall dangerously near. Barney took the
+carbine and replied, then both of them disappeared into the wood.
+<br>
+<p>For the balance of the day they tramped on in the direction of
+Lustadt, making but little progress owing to the fear of
+apprehension. They did not dare utilize the high road, for they
+were still too close to Blentz. Their only hope lay in reaching
+the protection of Prince von der Tann before they should be
+recaptured by the king's emissaries. At dusk they came to the
+outskirts of a town. Here they hid until darkness settled, for
+Barney had determined to enter the place after dark and hire
+horses.<br>
+</p>
+
+The American marveled at the bravery and endurance of the girl.
+He had always supposed that a princess was so carefully guarded
+from fatigue and privation all her life that the least exertion
+would prove her undoing; but no hardy peasant girl could have
+endured more bravely the hardships and dangers through which the
+Princess Emma had passed since the sun rose that morning. <br>
+<p>At last darkness came, and with it they approached and entered
+the village. They kept to unlighted side streets until they met a
+villager, of whom they inquired their way to some private house
+where they might obtain refreshments. The fellow scrutinized them
+with evident suspicion.<br>
+</p>
+
+"There is an inn yonder," he said, pointing toward the main
+street. "You can obtain food there. Why should respectable folk
+want to go elsewhere than to the public inn? And if you are
+afraid to go there you must have very good reasons for not
+wanting to be seen, and--" he stopped short as though assailed by
+an idea. "Wait," he cried, excitedly, "I will go and see if I can
+find a place for you. Wait right here," and off he ran toward the
+inn. <br>
+<p>"I don't like the looks of that," said Barney, after the man
+had left them. "He's gone to report us to someone. Come, we'd
+better get out of here before he comes back."<br>
+</p>
+
+The two turned up a side street away from the inn. They had gone
+but a short distance when they heard the sound of voices and the
+thud of horses' feet behind them. The horses were coming at a
+walk and with them were several men on foot. Barney took the
+princess' hand and drew her up a hedge bordered driveway that led
+into private grounds. In the shadows of the hedge they waited for
+the party behind them to pass. It might be no one searching for
+them, but it was just as well to be on the safe side--they were
+still near Blentz. Before the men reached their hiding place a
+motor car followed and caught up with them, and as the party came
+opposite the driveway Barney and the princess overheard a portion
+of their conversation. <br>
+<p>"Some of you go back and search the street behind the
+inn--they may not have come this way." The speaker was in the
+motor car. "We will follow along this road for a bit and then
+turn into the Lustadt highway. If you don't find them go back
+along the road toward Tann."<br>
+</p>
+
+In her excitement the Princess Emma had not noticed that Barney
+Custer still held her hand in his. Now he pressed it. "It is
+Maenck's voice," he whispered. "Every road will be guarded." <br>
+<p>For a moment he was silent, thinking. The searching party had
+passed on. They could still hear the purring of the motor as
+Maenck's car moved slowly up the street.<br>
+</p>
+
+"This is a driveway," murmured Barney. "People who build
+driveways into their grounds usually have something to drive.
+Whatever it is it should be at the other end of the driveway.
+Let's see if it will carry two." <br>
+<p>Still in the shadow of the hedge they moved cautiously toward
+the upper end of the private road until presently they saw a
+building looming in their path.<br>
+</p>
+
+"A garage?" whispered Barney. <br>
+<p>"Or a barn," suggested the princess.<br>
+</p>
+
+"In either event it should contain something that can go,"
+returned the American. "Let us hope that it can go
+like-like--ah--the wind." <br>
+<p>"And carry two," supplemented the princess.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Wait here," said Barney. "If I get caught, run. Whatever happens
+you mustn't be caught." <br>
+<p>Princess Emma dropped back close to the hedge and Barney
+approached the building, which proved to be a private garage. The
+doors were locked, as also were the three windows. Barney passed
+entirely around the structure halting at last upon the darkest
+side. Here was a window. Barney tried to loosen the catch with
+the blade of his pocket knife, but it wouldn't unfasten. His
+endeavors resulted only in snapping short the blade of his knife.
+For a moment he stood contemplating the baffling window. He dared
+not break the glass for fear of arousing the inmates of the house
+which, though he could not see it, might be close at hand.<br>
+</p>
+
+Presently he recalled a scene he had witnessed on State Street in
+Chicago several years before--a crowd standing before the window
+of a jeweler's shop inspecting a neat little hole that a thief
+had cut in the glass with a diamond and through which he had
+inserted his hand and brought forth several hundred dollars worth
+of loot. But Barney Custer wore no diamond--he would as soon have
+worn a celluloid collar. But women wore diamonds. Doubtless the
+Princess Emma had one. He ran quickly to her side. <br>
+<p>"Have you a diamond ring?" he whispered.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Gracious!" she exclaimed, "you are progressing rapidly," and
+slipped a solitaire from her finger to his hand. <br>
+<p>"Thanks," said Barney. "I need the practice; but wait and
+you'll see that a diamond may be infinitely more valuable than
+even the broker claims," and he was gone again into the shadows
+of the garage. Here upon the window pane he scratched a rough
+deep circle, close to the catch. A quick blow sent the glass
+clattering to the floor within. For a minute Barney stood
+listening for any sign that the noise had attracted attention,
+but hearing nothing he ran his hand through the hole that he had
+made and unlatched the frame. A moment later he had crawled
+within.<br>
+</p>
+
+Before him, in the darkness, stood a roadster. He ran his hand
+over the pedals and levers, breathing a sigh of relief as his
+touch revealed the familiar control of a standard make. Then he
+went to the double doors. They opened easily and silently. <br>
+<p>Once outside he hastened to the side of the waiting girl.<br>
+</p>
+
+"It's a machine," he whispered. "We must both be in it when it
+leaves the garage--it's the through express for Lustadt and makes
+no stops for passengers or freight." <br>
+<p>He led her back to the garage and helped her into the seat
+beside him. As silently as possible he ran the machine into the
+driveway. A hundred yards to the left, half hidden by intervening
+trees and shrubbery, rose the dark bulk of a house. A subdued
+light shone through the drawn blinds of several windows--the only
+sign of life about the premises until the car had cleared the
+garage and was moving slowly down the driveway. Then a door
+opened in the house letting out a flood of light in which the
+figure of a man was silhouetted. A voice broke the silence.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Who are you? What are you doing there? Come back!" <br>
+<p>The man in the doorway called excitedly, "Friedrich! Come!
+Come quickly! Someone is stealing the automobile," and the
+speaker came running toward the driveway at top speed. Behind him
+came Friedrich. Both were shouting, waving their arms and
+threatening. Their combined din might have aroused the dead.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney sought speed--silence now was useless. He turned to the
+left into the street away from the center of the town. In this
+direction had gone the automobile with Maenck, but by taking the
+first righthand turn Barney hoped to elude the captain. In a
+moment Friedrich and the other were hopelessly distanced. It was
+with a sigh of relief that the American turned the car into the
+dark shadows beneath the overarching trees of the first cross
+street. <br>
+<p>He was running without lights along an unknown way; and beside
+him was the most precious burden that Barney Custer might ever
+expect to carry. Under these circumstances his speed was greatly
+reduced from what he would have wished, but at that he was forced
+to accept grave risks. The road might end abruptly at the brink
+of a ravine--it might swerve perilously close to a stone
+quarry--or plunge headlong into a pond or river. Barney shuddered
+at the possibilities; but nothing of the sort happened. The
+street ran straight out of the town into a country road, rather
+heavy with sand. In the open the possibilities of speed were
+increased, for the night, though moonless, was clear, and the
+road visible for some distance ahead.<br>
+</p>
+
+The fugitives were congratulating themselves upon the excellent
+chance they now had to reach Lustadt. There was only Maenck and
+his companion ahead of them in the other car, and as there were
+several roads by which one might reach the main highway the
+chances were fair that Prince Peter's aide would miss them
+completely. <br>
+<p>Already escape seemed assured when the pounding of horses'
+hoofs upon the roadway behind them arose to blast their new found
+hope. Barney increased the speed of the car. It leaped ahead in
+response to his foot; but the road was heavy, and the sides of
+the ruts gripping the tires retarded the speed. For a mile they
+held the lead of the galloping horsemen. The shouts of their
+pursuers fell clearly upon their ears, and the Princess Emma,
+turning in her seat, could easily see the four who followed. At
+last the car began to draw away--the distance between it and the
+riders grew gradually greater.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I believe we are going to make it," whispered the girl, her
+voice tense with excitement. "If you could only go a little
+faster, Mr. Custer, I'm sure that we will." <br>
+<p>"She's reached her limit in this sand," replied the man, "and
+there's a grade just ahead--we may find better going beyond, but
+they're bound to gain on us before we reach the top."<br>
+</p>
+
+The girl strained her eyes into the night before them. On the
+right of the road stood an ancient ruin--grim and forbidding. As
+her eyes rested upon it she gave a little exclamation of relief.
+<br>
+<p>"I know where we are now," she cried. "The hill ahead is
+sandy, and there is a quarter of a mile of sand beyond, but then
+we strike the Lustadt highway, and if we can reach it ahead of
+them their horses will have to go ninety miles an hour to catch
+us--provided this car possesses any such speed
+possibilities."<br>
+</p>
+
+"If it can go forty we are safe enough," replied Barney; "but
+we'll give it a chance to go as fast as it can--the farther we
+are from the vicinity of Blentz the safer I shall feel for the
+welfare of your highness." <br>
+<p>A shot rang behind them, and a bullet whistled high above
+their heads. The princess seized the carbine that rested on the
+seat between them.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Shall I?" she asked, turning its muzzle back over the lowered
+top. <br>
+<p>"Better not," answered the man. "They are only trying to
+frighten us into surrendering--that shot was much too high to
+have been aimed at us--they are shooting over our heads
+purposely. If they deliberately attempt to pot us later, then go
+for them, but to do it now would only draw their fire upon us. I
+doubt if they wish to harm your highness, but they certainly
+would fire to hit in self-defense."<br>
+</p>
+
+The girl lowered the firearm. "I am becoming perfectly
+bloodthirsty," she said, "but it makes me furious to be hunted
+like a wild animal in my native land, and by the command of my
+king, at that. And to think that you who placed him upon his
+throne, you who have risked your life many times for him, will
+find no protection at his hands should you be captured is
+maddening. Ach, Gott, if I were a man!" <br>
+<p>"I thank God that you are not, your highness," returned Barney
+fervently.<br>
+</p>
+
+Gently she laid her hand upon his where it gripped the steering
+wheel. <br>
+<p>"No," she said, "I was wrong--I do not need to be a man while
+there still be such men as you, my friend; but I would that I
+were not the unhappy woman whom Fate had bound to an ingrate
+king--to a miserable coward!"<br>
+</p>
+
+They had reached the grade at last, and the motor was straining
+to the Herculean task imposed upon it. <br>
+<p>Grinding and grating in second speed the car toiled upward
+through the clinging sand. The pace was snail-like. Behind, the
+horsemen were gaining rapidly. The labored breathing of their
+mounts was audible even above the noise of the motor, so close
+were they. The top of the ascent lay but a few yards ahead, and
+the pursuers were but a few yards behind.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Halt!" came from behind, and then a shot. The ping of the bullet
+and the scream of the ricochet warned the man and the girl that
+those behind them were becoming desperate--the bullet had struck
+one of the rear fenders. Without again asking assent the princess
+turned and, kneeling upon the cushion of the seat, fired at the
+nearest horseman. The horse stumbled and plunged to his knees.
+Another, just behind, ran upon him, and the two rolled over
+together with their riders. Two more shots were fired by the
+remaining horsemen and answered by the girl in the automobile,
+and then the car topped the hill, shot into high, and with
+renewed speed forged into the last quarter-mile of heavy going
+toward the good road ahead; but now the grade was slightly
+downward and all the advantage was upon the side of the
+fugitives. <br>
+<p>However, their margin would be but scant when they reached the
+highway, for behind them the remaining troopers were spurring
+their jaded horses to a final spurt of speed. At last the white
+ribbon of the main road became visible. To the right they saw the
+headlights of a machine. It was Maenck probably, doubtless
+attracted their way by the shooting.<br>
+</p>
+
+But the machine was a mile away and could not possibly reach the
+intersection of the two roads before they had turned to the left
+toward Lustadt. Then the incident would resolve itself into a
+simple test of speed between the two cars--and the ability and
+nerve of the drivers. Barney hadn't the slightest doubt now as to
+the outcome. His borrowed car was a good one, in good condition.
+And in the matter of driving he rather prided himself that he
+needn't take his hat off to anyone when it came to ability and
+nerve. <br>
+<p>They were only about fifty feet from the highway. The girl
+touched his hand again. "We're safe," she cried, her voice
+vibrant with excitement, "we're safe at last." From beneath the
+bonnet, as though in answer to her statement, came a sickly,
+sucking sputter. The momentum of the car diminished. The
+throbbing of the engine ceased. They sat in silence as the
+machine coasted toward the highway and came to a dead stop, with
+its front wheels upon the road to safety. The girl turned toward
+Barney with an exclamation of surprise and interrogation.<br>
+</p>
+
+"The jig's up," he groaned.; "we're out of gasoline!" <br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+
+<h1 id="ref_23">Chapter IX THE CAPTURE</h1>
+
+<br>
+<p>THE CAPTURE of Princess Emma von der Tann and Barney Custer
+was a relatively simple matter. Open fields spread in all
+directions about the crossroads at which their car had come to
+its humiliating stop. There was no cover. To have sought escape
+by flight, thus in the open, would have been to expose the
+princess to the fire of the troopers. Barney could not do this.
+He preferred to surrender and trust to chance to open the way to
+escape later.<br>
+</p>
+
+When Captain Ernst Maenck drove up he found the prisoners
+disarmed, standing beside the now-useless car. He alighted from
+his own machine and with a low bow saluted the princess, an
+ironical smile upon his thin lips. Then he turned his attention
+toward her companion. <br>
+<p>"Who are you?" he demanded gruffly. In the darkness he failed
+to recognize the American whom he thought dead in Austria.<br>
+</p>
+
+"A servant of the house of Von der Tann," replied Barney. <br>
+<p>"You deserve shooting," growled the officer, "but we'll leave
+that to Prince Peter and the king. When I tell them the trouble
+you have caused us--well, God help you."<br>
+</p>
+
+The journey to Blentz was a short one. They had been much nearer
+that grim fortress than either had guessed. At the outskirts of
+the town they were challenged by Austrian sentries, through which
+Maenck passed with ease after the sentinel had summoned an
+officer. From this man Maenck received the password that would
+carry them through the line of outposts between the town and the
+castle--"Slankamen." Barney, who overheard the word, made a
+mental note of it. <br>
+<p>At last they reached the dreary castle of Peter of Blentz. In
+the courtyard Austrian soldiers mingled with the men of the
+bodyguard of the king of Lutha. Within, the king's officers
+fraternized with the officers of the emperor. Maenck led his
+prisoners to the great hall which was filled with officers and
+officials of both Austria and Lutha.<br>
+</p>
+
+The king was not there. Maenck learned that he had retired to his
+apartments a few minutes earlier in company with Prince Peter of
+Blentz and Von Coblich. He sent a servant to announce his return
+with the Princess von der Tann and a man who had attempted to
+prevent her being brought to Blentz. <br>
+<p>Barney had, as far as possible, kept his face averted from
+Maenck since they had entered the lighted castle. He hoped to
+escape recognition, for he knew that if his identity were guessed
+it might go hard with the princess. As for himself, it might go
+even harder, but of that he gave scarcely a thought--the safety
+of the princess was paramount.<br>
+</p>
+
+After a few minutes of waiting the servant returned with the
+king's command to fetch the prisoners to his apartments. The face
+of the Princess Emma was haggard. For the first time Barney saw
+signs of fear upon her countenance. With leaden steps they
+accompanied their guard up the winding stairway to the tower
+rooms that had been furnished for the king. They were the same in
+which Emma von der Tann had been imprisoned two years before.
+<br>
+<p>On either side of the doorway stood a soldier of the king's
+bodyguard. As Captain Maenck approached they saluted. A servant
+opened the door and they passed into the room. Before them were
+Peter of Blentz and Von Coblich standing beside a table at which
+Leopold of Lutha was sitting. The eyes of the three men were upon
+the doorway as the little party entered. The king's face was
+flushed with wine. He rose as his eyes rested upon the face of
+the princess.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Greetings, your highness," he cried with an attempt at
+cordiality. <br>
+<p>The girl looked straight into his eyes, coldly, and then bent
+her knee in formal curtsy. The king was about to speak again when
+his eyes wandered to the face of the American. Instantly his own
+went white and then scarlet. The eyes of Peter of Blentz followed
+those of the king, widening in astonishment as they rested upon
+the features of Barney Custer.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You told me he was dead," shouted the king. "What is the meaning
+of this, Captain Maenck?" <br>
+<p>Maenck looked at his male prisoner and staggered back as
+though struck between the eyes.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Mein Gott," he exclaimed, "the impostor!" <br>
+<p>"You told me he was dead," repeated the king accusingly.<br>
+</p>
+
+"As God is my judge, your majesty," cried Peter of Blentz, "this
+man was shot by an Austrian firing squad in Burgova over a week
+ago." <br>
+<p>"Sire," exclaimed Maenck, "this is the first sight I have had
+of the prisoners except in the darkness of the night; until this
+instant I had not the remotest suspicion of his identity. He told
+me that he was a servant of the house of Von der Tann."<br>
+</p>
+
+"I told you the truth, then," interjected Barney. <br>
+<p>"Silence, you ingrate!" cried the king.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Ingrate?" repeated Barney. "You have the effrontery to call me
+an ingrate? You miserable puppy." <br>
+<p>A silence, menacing in its intensity, fell upon the little
+assemblage. The king trembled. His rage choked him. The others
+looked as though they scarce could believe the testimony of their
+own ears. All there, with the possible exception of the king,
+knew that he deserved even more degrading appellations; but they
+were Europeans, and to Europeans a king is a king--that they can
+never forget. It had been the inherent suggestion of kingship
+that had bent the knee of the Princess Emma before the man she
+despised.<br>
+</p>
+
+But to the American a king was only what he made himself. In this
+instance he was not even a man in the estimation of Barney
+Custer. Maenck took a step toward the prisoner --a menacing step,
+for his hand had gone to his sword. Barney met him with a level
+look from between narrowed lids. Maenck hesitated, for he was a
+great coward. Peter of Blentz spoke: <br>
+<p>"Sire," he said, "the fellow knows that he is already as good
+as dead, and so in his bravado he dares affront you. He has been
+convicted of spying by the Austrians. He is still a spy. It is
+unnecessary to repeat the formality of a trial."<br>
+</p>
+
+Leopold at last found his voice, though it trembled and broke as
+he spoke. <br>
+<p>"Carry out the sentence of the Austrian court in the morning,"
+he said. "A volley now might arouse the garrison in the town and
+be misconstrued."<br>
+</p>
+
+Maenck ordered Barney escorted from the apartment, then he turned
+toward the king. <br>
+<p>"And the other prisoner, sire?" he inquired.<br>
+</p>
+
+"There is no other prisoner," he said. "Her highness, the
+Princess von der Tann, is a guest of Prince Peter. She will be
+escorted to her apartment at once." <br>
+<p>"Her highness, the Princess von der Tann, is not a guest of
+Prince Peter." The girl's voice was low and cold. "If Mr. Custer
+is a prisoner, her highness, too, is a prisoner. If he is to be
+shot, she demands a like fate. To die by the side of a MAN would
+be infinitely preferable to living by the side of your
+majesty."<br>
+</p>
+
+Once again Leopold of Lutha reddened. For a moment he paced the
+room angrily to hide his emotion. Then he turned once to Maenck.
+<br>
+<p>"Escort the prisoner to the north tower," he commanded, "and
+this insolent girl to the chambers next to ours. Tomorrow we
+shall talk with her again."<br>
+</p>
+
+Outside the room Barney turned for a last look at the princess as
+he was being led in one direction and she in another. A smile of
+encouragement was on his lips and cold hopelessness in his heart.
+She answered the smile and her lips formed a silent "good-bye."
+They formed something else, too--three words which he was sure he
+could not have mistaken, and then they parted, he for the death
+chamber and she for what fate she could but guess. <br>
+<p>As his guard halted before a door at the far end of a long
+corridor Barney Custer sensed a sudden familiarity in his
+surroundings. He was conscious of that sensation which is common
+to all of us--of having lived through a scene at some former
+time, to each minutest detail.<br>
+</p>
+
+As the door opened and he was pushed into the room he realized
+that there was excellent foundation for the impression--he
+immediately recognized the apartment as the same in which he had
+once before been imprisoned. At that time he had been mistaken
+for the mad king who had escaped from the clutches of Peter of
+Blentz. The same king was now visiting as a guest the fortress in
+which he had spent ten bitter years as a prisoner. <br>
+<p>"Say your prayers, my friend," admonished Maenck, as he was
+about to leave him alone, "for at dawn you die-and this time the
+firing squad will make a better job of it."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney did not answer him, and the captain departed, locking the
+door after him and leaving two men on guard in the corridor.
+Alone, Barney looked about the room. It was in no wise changed
+since his former visit to it. He recalled the incidents of the
+hour of his imprisonment here, thought of old Joseph who had
+aided his escape, looked at the paneled fireplace, whose secret,
+it was evident, not even the master of Blentz was familiar
+with--and grinned. <br>
+<p>"'For at dawn you die!'" he repeated to himself, still smiling
+broadly. Then he crossed quickly to the fireplace, running his
+fingers along the edge of one of the large tiled panels that hid
+the entrance to the well-like shaft that rose from the cellars
+beneath to the towers above and which opened through similar
+concealed exits upon each floor. If the floor above should be
+untenanted he might be able to reach it as he and Joseph had done
+two years ago when they opened the secret panel in the fireplace
+and climbed a hidden ladder to the room overhead; and then by
+vacant corridors reached the far end of the castle above the
+suite in which the princess had been confined and near which
+Barney had every reason to believe she was now imprisoned.<br>
+</p>
+
+Carefully Barney's fingers traversed the edges of the panel. No
+hidden latch rewarded his search. Again and again he examined the
+perfectly fitted joints until he was convinced either that there
+was no latch there or that it was hid beyond possibility of
+discovery. With each succeeding minute the American's heart and
+hopes sank lower and lower. Two years had elapsed since he had
+seen the secret portal swing to the touch of Joseph's fingers.
+One may forget much in two years; but that he was at work upon
+the right panel Barney was positive. However, it would do no harm
+to examine its mate which resembled it in minutest detail. <br>
+<p>Almost indifferently Barney turned his attention to the other
+panel. He ran his fingers over it, his eyes following them. What
+was that? A finger-print? Upon the left side half way up a tiny
+smudge was visible. Barney examined it more carefully. A round,
+white figure of the conventional design that was burned into the
+tile bore the telltale smudge.<br>
+</p>
+
+Otherwise it differed apparently in no way from the numerous
+other round, white figures that were repeated many times in the
+scheme of decoration. Barney placed his thumb exactly over the
+mark that another thumb had left there and pushed. The figure
+sank into the panel beneath the pressure. Barney pushed harder,
+breathless with suspense. The panel swung in at his effort. The
+American could have whooped with delight. <br>
+<p>A moment more and he stood upon the opposite side of the
+secret door in utter darkness, for he had quickly closed it after
+him. To strike a match was but the matter of a moment. The
+wavering light revealed the top of the ladder that led downward
+and the foot of another leading aloft. He struck still more
+matches in search of the rope. It was not there, but his quest
+revealed the fact that the well at this point was much larger
+than he had imagined--it broadened into a small chamber.<br>
+</p>
+
+The light of many matches finally led him to the discovery of a
+passageway directly behind the fireplace. It was narrow, and
+after spanning the chimney descended by a few rough steps to a
+slightly lower level. It led toward the opposite end of the
+castle. Could it be possible that it connected directly with the
+apartments in the farther tower-in the tower where the king was
+and the Princess Emma? Barney could scarce hope for any such good
+luck, but at least it was worth investigating--it must lead
+somewhere. <br>
+<p>He followed it warily, feeling his way with hands and feet and
+occasionally striking a match. It was evident that the corridor
+lay in the thick wall of the castle, midway between the bottoms
+of the windows of the second floor and the tops of those upon the
+first--this would account for the slightly lower level of the
+passage from the floor of the second story.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney had traversed some distance in the darkness along the
+forgotten corridor when the sound of voices came to him from
+beyond the wall at his right. He stopped, motionless, pressing
+his ear against the side wall. As he did so he became aware of
+the fact that at this point the wall was of wood--a large panel
+of hardwood. Now he could hear even the words of the speaker upon
+the opposite side. <br>
+<p>"Fetch her here, captain, and I will talk with her alone." The
+voice was the king's. "And, captain, you might remove the guard
+from before the door temporarily. I shall not require them, nor
+do I wish them to overhear my conversation with the
+princess."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney could hear the officer acknowledge the commands of the
+king, and then he heard a door close. The man had gone to fetch
+the princess. The American struck a match and examined the panel
+before him. It reached to the top of the passageway and was some
+three feet in width. <br>
+<p>At one side were three hinges, and at the other an ancient
+spring lock. For an instant Barney stood in indecision. What
+should he do? His entry into the apartments of the king would
+result in alarming the entire fortress. Were he sure the king was
+alone it might be accomplished. Should he enter now or wait until
+the Princess Emma had been brought to the king?<br>
+</p>
+
+With the question came the answer--a bold and daring scheme. His
+fingers sought the lock. Very gently, he unlatched it and pushed
+outward upon the panel. Suddenly the great doorway gave beneath
+his touch. It opened a crack letting a flood of light into his
+dark cell that almost blinded him. <br>
+<p>For a moment he could see nothing, and then out of the glaring
+blur grew the figure of a man sitting at a table-with his back
+toward the panel.<br>
+</p>
+
+It was the king, and he was alone. Noiselessly Barney Custer
+entered the apartment, closing the panel after him. At his back
+now was the great oil painting of the Blentz princess that had
+hid the secret entrance to the room. He crossed the thick rugs
+until he stood behind the king. Then he clapped one hand over the
+mouth of the monarch of Lutha and threw the other arm about his
+neck. <br>
+<p>"Make the slightest outcry and I shall kill you," he whispered
+in the ear of the terrified man.<br>
+</p>
+
+Across the room Barney saw a revolver lying upon a small table.
+He raised the king to his feet and, turning his back toward the
+weapon dragged him across the apartment until the table was
+within easy reach. Then he snatched up the revolver and swung the
+king around into a chair facing him, the muzzle of the gun
+pressed against his face. <br>
+<p>"Silence," he whispered.<br>
+</p>
+
+The king, white and trembling, gasped as his eyes fell upon the
+face of the American. <br>
+<p>"You?" His voice was barely audible.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Take off your clothes--every stitch of them--and if any one asks
+for admittance, deny them. Quick, now," as the king hesitated.
+"My life is forfeited unless I can escape. If I am apprehended I
+shall see that you pay for my recapture with your life--if any
+one enters this room without my sanction they will enter it to
+find a dead king upon the floor; do you understand?" <br>
+<p>The king made no reply other than to commence divesting
+himself of his clothing. Barney followed his example, but not
+before he had crossed to the door that opened into the main
+corridor and shot the bolt upon the inside. When both men had
+removed their clothing Barney pointed to the little pile of
+soiled peasant garb that he had worn.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Put those on," he commanded. <br>
+<p>The king hesitated, drawing back in disgust. Barney paused,
+half-way into the royal union suit, and leveled the revolver at
+Leopold. The king picked up one of the garments gingerly between
+the tips of his thumb and finger.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Hurry!" admonished the American, drawing the silk halfhose of
+the ruler of Lutha over his foot. "If you don't hurry," he added,
+"someone may interrupt us, and you know what the result would
+be--to you." <br>
+<p>Scowling, Leopold donned the rough garments. Barney, fully
+clothed in the uniform the king had been wearing, stepped across
+the apartment to where the king's sword and helmet lay upon the
+side table that had also borne the revolver. He placed the helmet
+upon his head and buckled the sword-belt about his waist, then he
+faced the king, behind whom was a cheval glass. In it Barney saw
+his image. The king was looking at the American, his eyes wide
+and his jaw dropped. Barney did not wonder at his consternation.
+He himself was dumbfounded by the likeness which he bore to the
+king. It was positively uncanny. He approached Leopold.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Remove your rings," he said, holding out his hand. The king did
+as he was bid, and Barney slipped the two baubles upon his
+fingers. One of them was the royal ring of the kings of Lutha.
+<br>
+<p>The American now blindfolded the king and led him toward the
+panel which had given him ingress to the room. Through it the two
+men passed, Barney closing the panel after them. then he
+conducted the king back along the dark passageway to the room
+which the American had but recently quitted. At the back of the
+panel which led into his former prison Barney halted and
+listened. No sound came from beyond the partition. Gently Barney
+opened the secret door a trifle--just enough to permit him a
+quick survey of the interior of the apartment. It was empty. A
+smile crossed his face as he thought of the difficulty Leopold
+might encounter the following morning in convincing his jailers
+that he was not the American.<br>
+</p>
+
+Then he recalled his reflection in the cheval glass and frowned.
+Could Leopold convince them? He doubted it-and what then? The
+American was sentenced to be shot at dawn. They would shoot the
+king instead. Then there would be none to whom to return the
+kingship. What would he do with it? The temptation was great.
+Again a throne lay within his grasp--a throne and the woman he
+loved. None might ever know unless he chose to tell--his
+resemblance to Leopold was too perfect. It defied detection. <br>
+<p>With an exclamation of impatience he wheeled about and dragged
+the frightened monarch back to the room from which he had stolen
+him. As he entered he heard a knock at the door.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Do not disturb me now," he called. "Come again in half an hour."
+<br>
+<p>"But it is Her Highness, Princess Emma, sire," came a voice
+from beyond the door. "You summoned her."<br>
+</p>
+
+"She may return to her apartments," replied Barney. <br>
+<p>All the time he kept his revolver leveled at the king, from
+his eyes he had removed the blind after they had entered the
+apartment. He crossed to the table where the king had been
+sitting when he surprised him, motioning the ragged ruler to
+follow and be seated.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Take that pen," he said, "and write a full pardon for Mr.
+Bernard Custer, and an order requiring that he be furnished with
+money and set at liberty at dawn." <br>
+<p>The king did as he was bid. For a moment the American stood
+looking at him before he spoke again.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You do not deserve what I am going to do for you," he said. "And
+Lutha deserves a better king than the one my act will give her;
+but I am neither a thief nor a murderer, and so I must forbear
+leaving you to your just deserts and return your throne to you. I
+shall do so after I have insured my own safety and done what I
+can for Lutha--what you are too little a man and king to do
+yourself. <br>
+<p>"So soon as they liberate you in the morning, make the best of
+your way to Brosnov, on the Serbian frontier. Await me there.
+When I can, I shall come. Again we may exchange clothing and you
+can return to Lustadt. I shall cross over into Siberia out of
+your reach, for I know you too well to believe that any sense of
+honor or gratitude would prevent you signing my death-warrant at
+the first opportunity. Now, come!"<br>
+</p>
+
+Once again Barney led the blindfolded king through the dark
+corridor to the room in the opposite tower--to the prison of the
+American. At the open panel he shoved him into the apartment.
+Then he drew the door quietly to, leaving the king upon the
+inside, and retraced his steps to the royal apartments. Crossing
+to the center table, he touched an electric button. A moment
+later an officer knocked at the door, which, in the meantime,
+Barney had unbolted. <br>
+<p>"Enter!" said the American. He stood with his back toward the
+door until he heard it close behind the officer. When he turned
+he was apparently examining his revolver. If the officer
+suspected his identity, it was just as well to be prepared.
+Slowly he raised his eyes to the newcomer, who stood stiffly at
+salute. The officer looked him full in the face.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I answered your majesty's summons," said the man. <br>
+<p>"Oh, yes!" returned the American. "You may fetch the Princess
+Emma."<br>
+</p>
+
+The officer saluted once more and backed out of the apartment.
+Barney walked to the table and sat down. A tin box of cigarettes
+lay beside the lamp. Barney lighted one of them. The king had
+good taste in the selection of tobacco, he thought. Well, a man
+must need have some redeeming characteristics. <br>
+<p>Outside, in the corridor, he heard voices, and again the knock
+at the door. He bade them enter. As the door opened Emma von der
+Tann, her head thrown back and a flush of anger on her face,
+entered the room. Behind her was the officer who had been
+despatched to bring her. Barney nodded to the latter.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You may go," he said. He drew a chair from the table and asked
+the princess to be seated. She ignored his request. <br>
+<p>"What do you wish of me?" she asked. She was looking straight
+into his eyes. The officer had withdrawn and closed the door
+after him. They were alone, with nothing to fear; yet she did not
+recognize him.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You are the king," she continued in cold, level tones, "but if
+you are also a gentleman, you will at once order me returned to
+my father at Lustadt, and with me the man to whom you owe so
+much. I do not expect it of you, but I wish to give you the
+chance. <br>
+<p>"I shall not go without him. I am betrothed to you; but until
+tonight I should rather have died than wed you. Now I am ready to
+compromise. If you will set Mr. Custer at liberty in Serbia and
+return me unharmed to my father, I will fulfill my part of our
+betrothal."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney Custer looked straight into the girl's face for a long
+moment. A half smile played upon his lips at the thought of her
+surprise when she learned the truth, when suddenly it dawned upon
+him that she and he were both much safer if no one, not even her
+loyal self, guessed that he was other than the king. It is not
+difficult to live a part, but often it is difficult to act one.
+Some little word or look, were she to know that he was Barney
+Custer, might betray them; no, it was better to leave her in
+ignorance, though his conscience pricked him for the disloyalty
+that his act implied. <br>
+<p>It seemed a poor return for her courage and loyalty to him
+that her statement to the man she thought king had revealed. He
+marveled that a Von der Tann could have spoken those words--a Von
+der Tann who but the day before had refused to save her father's
+life at the loss of the family honor. It seemed incredible to the
+American that he had won such love from such a woman. Again came
+the mighty temptation to keep the crown and the girl both; but
+with a straightening of his broad shoulders he threw it from
+him.<br>
+</p>
+
+She was promised to the king, and while he masqueraded in the
+king's clothes, he at least would act the part that a king
+should. He drew a folded paper from his inside pocket and handed
+it to the girl. <br>
+<p>"Here is the American's pardon," he said, "drawn up and signed
+by the king's own hand."<br>
+</p>
+
+She opened it and, glancing through it hurriedly, looked up at
+the man before her with a questioning expression in her eyes.
+<br>
+<p>"You came, then," she said, "to a realization of the enormity
+of your ingratitude?"<br>
+</p>
+
+The man shrugged. <br>
+<p>"He will never die at my command," he said.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I thank your majesty," she said simply. "As a Von der Tann, I
+have tried to believe that a Rubinroth could not be guilty of
+such baseness. And now, tell me what your answer is to my
+proposition." <br>
+<p>"We shall return to Lustadt tonight," he replied. "I fear the
+purpose of Prince Peter. In fact, it may be difficult--even
+impossible--for us to leave Blentz; but we can at least make the
+attempt."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Can we not take Mr. Custer with us?" she asked. "Prince Peter
+may disregard your majesty's commands and, after you are gone,
+have him shot. Do not forget that he kept the crown from Peter of
+Blentz--it is certain that Prince Peter will never forget it."
+<br>
+<p>"I give you my word, your highness, that I know positively
+that if I leave Blentz tonight Prince Peter will not have Mr.
+Custer shot in the morning, and it will so greatly jeopardize his
+own plans if we attempt to release the prisoner that in all
+probability we ourselves will be unable to escape."<br>
+</p>
+
+She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. <br>
+<p>"You give me your word that he will be safe?" she asked.<br>
+</p>
+
+"My royal word," he replied. <br>
+<p>"Very well, let us leave at once."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney touched the bell once more, and presently an officer of
+the Blentz faction answered the summons. As the man closed the
+door and approached, saluting, Barney stepped close to him. <br>
+<p>"We are leaving for Tann tonight," he said, "at once. You will
+conduct us from the castle and procure horses for us. All the
+time I shall walk at your elbow, and in my hand I shall carry
+this," and he displayed the king's revolver. "At the first
+indication of defection upon your part I shall kill you. Do you
+perfectly understand me?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"But, your majesty," exclaimed the officer, "why is it necessary
+that you leave thus surreptitiously? May not the king go and come
+in his own kingdom as he desires? Let me announce your wishes to
+Prince Peter that he may furnish you with a proper escort.
+Doubtless he will wish to accompany you himself, sire." <br>
+<p>"You will do precisely what I say without further comment,"
+snapped Barney. "Now get a--" He had been about to say: "Now get
+a move on you," when it occurred to him that this was not
+precisely the sort of language that kings were supposed to use to
+their inferiors. So he changed it. "Now get a couple of horses
+for her highness and myself, as well as your own, for you will
+accompany us to Tann."<br>
+</p>
+
+The officer looked at the weapon in the king's hand. He measured
+the distance between himself and the king. He well knew the
+reputed cowardice of Leopold. Could he make the leap and strike
+up the king's hand before the timorous monarch found even the
+courage of the cornered rat to fire at him? Then his eyes sought
+the face of the king, searching for the signs of nervous terror
+that would make his conquest an easy one; but what he saw in the
+eyes that bored straight into his brought his own to the floor at
+the king's feet. <br>
+<p>What new force animated Leopold of Lutha? Those were not the
+eyes of a coward. No fear was reflected in their steely glitter.
+The officer mumbled an apology, saluted, and turned toward the
+door. At his elbow walked the impostor; a cavalry cape that had
+belonged to the king now covered his shoulders and hid the weapon
+that pressed its hard warning now and again into the short-ribs
+of the Blentz officer. Just behind the American came the Princess
+Emma von der Tann.<br>
+</p>
+
+The three passed through the deserted corridors of the sleeping
+castle, taking a route at Barney's suggestion that led them to
+the stable courtyard without necessitating traversing the main
+corridors or the great hall or the guardroom, in all of which
+there still were Austrian and Blentz soldiers, whose duties or
+pleasures had kept them from their blankets. <br>
+<p>At the stables a sleepy groom answered the summons of the
+officer, whom Barney had warned not to divulge the identity of
+himself or the princess. He left the princess in the shadows
+outside the building. After what seemed an eternity to the
+American, three horses were led into the courtyard, saddled, and
+bridled. The party mounted and approached the gates. Here, Barney
+knew, might be encountered the most serious obstacle in their
+path. He rode close to the side of their unwilling conductor.
+Leaning forward in his saddle, he whispered in the man's ear.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Failure to pass us through the gates," he said, "will be the
+signal for your death." <br>
+<p>The man reined in his mount and turned toward the
+American.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I doubt if they will pass even me without a written order from
+Prince Peter," he said. "If they refuse, you must reveal your
+identity. The guard is composed of Luthanians --I doubt if they
+will dare refuse your majesty." <br>
+<p>Then they rode on up to the gates. A soldier stepped from the
+sentry box and challenged them.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Lower the drawbridge," ordered the officer. "It is Captain
+Krantzwort on a mission for the king." <br>
+<p>The soldier approached, raising a lantern, which he had
+brought from the sentry box, and inspected the captain's face. He
+seemed ill at ease. In the light of the lantern, the American saw
+that he was scarce more than a boy--doubtless a recruit. He saw
+the expression of fear and awe with which he regarded the
+officer, and it occurred to him that the effect of the king's
+presence upon him would be absolutely overpowering. Still the
+soldier hesitated.<br>
+</p>
+
+"My orders are very strict, sir," he said. "I am to let no one
+leave without a written order from Prince Peter. If the sergeant
+or the lieutenant were here they would know what to do; but they
+are both at the castle--only two other soldiers are at the gates
+with me. Wait, and I will send one of them for the lieutenant."
+<br>
+<p>"No," interposed the American. "You will send for no one, my
+man. Come closer--look at my face."<br>
+</p>
+
+The soldier approached, holding his lantern above his head. As
+its feeble rays fell upon the face and uniform of the man on
+horseback, the sentry gave a little gasp of astonishment. <br>
+<p>"Now, lower the drawbridge," said Barney Custer, "it is your
+king's command."<br>
+</p>
+
+Quickly the fellow hastened to obey the order. The chains creaked
+and the windlass groaned as the heavy planking sank to place
+across the moat. <br>
+<p>As Barney passed the soldier he handed him the pardon Leopold
+had written for the American.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Give this to your lieutenant," he said, "and tell him to hand it
+to Prince Peter before dawn tomorrow. Do not fail." <br>
+<p>A moment later the three were riding down the winding road
+toward Blentz. Barney had no further need of the officer who rode
+with them. He would be glad to be rid of him, for he anticipated
+that the fellow might find ample opportunity to betray them as
+they passed through the Austrian lines, which they must do to
+reach Lustadt.<br>
+</p>
+
+He had told the captain that they were going to Tann in order
+that, should the man find opportunity to institute pursuit, he
+might be thrown off the track. The Austrian sentries were no
+great distance ahead when Barney ordered a halt. <br>
+<p>"Dismount," he directed the captain, leaping to the ground
+himself at the same time. "Put your hands behind your back."<br>
+</p>
+
+The officer did as he was bid, and Barney bound his wrists
+securely with a strap and buckle that he had removed from the
+cantle of his saddle as he rode. Then he led him off the road
+among some weeds and compelled him to lie down, after which he
+bound his ankles together and stuffed a gag in his mouth,
+securing it in place with a bit of stick and the chinstrap from
+the man's helmet. The threat of the revolver kept Captain
+Krantzwort silent and obedient throughout the hasty operations.
+<br>
+<p>"Good-bye, captain," whispered Barney, "and let me suggest
+that you devote the time until your discovery and release in
+pondering the value of winning your king's confidence in the
+future. Had you chosen your associates more carefully in the
+past, this need not have occurred."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney unsaddled the captain's horse and turned him loose, then
+he remounted and, with the princess at his side, rode down toward
+Blentz. <br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+
+<h1 id="ref_24">Chapter X A NEW KING IN LUTHA</h1>
+
+AS THE TWO riders approached the edge of the village of Blentz a
+sentry barred their way. To his challenge the American replied
+that they were "friends from the castle." <br>
+<p>"Advance," directed the sentry, "and give the
+countersign."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney rode to the fellow's side, and leaning from the saddle
+whispered in his ear the word "Slankamen." <br>
+<p>Would it pass them out as it had passed Maenck in? Barney
+scarcely breathed as he awaited the result of his experiment. The
+soldier brought his rifle to present and directed them to pass.
+With a sigh of relief that was almost audible the two rode into
+the village and the Austrian lines.<br>
+</p>
+
+Once within they met with no further obstacle until they reached
+the last line of sentries upon the far side of the town. It was
+with more confidence that Barney gave the countersign here, nor
+was he surprised that the soldier passed them readily; and now
+they were upon the highroad to Lustadt, with nothing more to bar
+their way. <br>
+<p>For hours they rode on in silence. Barney wanted to talk with
+his companion, but as king he found nothing to say to her. The
+girl's mind was filled with morbid reflections of the past few
+hours and dumb terror for the future. She would keep her promise
+to the king; but after--life would not be worth the living; why
+should she live? She glanced at the man beside her in the light
+of the coming dawn. Ah, why was he so like her American in
+outward appearances only? Their own mothers could scarce have
+distinguished them, and yet in character no two men could have
+differed more widely. The man turned to her.<br>
+</p>
+
+"We are almost there," he said. "You must be very tired." <br>
+<p>The words reflected a consideration that had never been a
+characteristic of Leopold. The girl began to wonder if there
+might not possibly be a vein of nobility in the man, after all,
+that she had never discovered. Since she had entered his
+apartments at Blentz he had been in every way a different man
+from the Leopold she had known of old. The boldness of his escape
+from Blentz supposed a courage that the king had never given the
+slightest indication of in the past. Could it be that he was
+making a genuine effort to become a man--to win her respect?<br>
+</p>
+
+They were approaching Lustadt as the sun rose. A troop of horse
+was just emerging from the north gate. As it neared them they saw
+that the cavalrymen wore the uniforms of the Royal Horse Guard.
+At their head rode a lieutenant. As his eyes fell upon the face
+of the princess and her companion, he brought his troopers to a
+halt, and, with incredulity plain upon his countenance, advanced
+to meet them, his hand raised in salute to the king. It was
+Butzow. <br>
+<p>Now Barney was sure that he would be recognized. For two years
+he and the Luthanian officer had been inseparable. Surely Butzow
+would penetrate his disguise. He returned his friend's salute,
+looked him full in the eyes, and asked where he was riding.<br>
+</p>
+
+"To Blentz, your majesty," replied Butzow, "to demand an
+audience. I bear important word from Prince von der Tann. He has
+learned the Austrians are moving an entire army corps into Lutha,
+together with siege howitzers. Serbia has demanded that all
+Austrian troops be withdrawn from Luthanian territory at once,
+and has offered to assist your majesty in maintaining your
+neutrality by force, if necessary." <br>
+<p>As Butzow spoke his eyes were often upon the Princess Emma,
+and it was quite evident that he was much puzzled to account for
+her presence with the king. She was supposed to be at Tann, and
+Butzow knew well enough her estimate of Leopold to know that she
+would not be in his company of her own volition. His expression
+as he addressed the man he supposed to be his king was far from
+deferential. Barney could scarce repress a smile.<br>
+</p>
+
+"We will ride at once to the palace," he said. "At the gate you
+may instruct one of your sergeants to telephone to will act as
+our escort." <br>
+<p>Butzow saluted and turned to his troopers, giving the
+necessary commands that brought them about in the wake of the
+pseudo-king. Once again Barney Custer, of Beatrice, rode into
+Lustadt as king of Lutha. The few people upon the streets turned
+to look at him as he passed, but there was little demonstration
+of love or enthusiasm.<br>
+</p>
+
+Leopold had awakened no emotions of this sort in the hearts of
+his subjects. Some there were who still remembered the gallant
+actions of their ruler on the field of battle when his forces had
+defeated those of the regent, upon that other occasion when this
+same American had sat upon the throne of Lutha for two days and
+had led the little army to victory; but since then the true king
+had been with them daily in his true colors. Arrogance,
+haughtiness, and petty tyranny had marked his reign. Taxes had
+gone even higher than under the corrupt influence of the Blentz
+regime. The king's days were spent in bed; his nights in
+dissipation. Old Ludwig von der Tann seemed Lutha's only friend
+at court. Him the people loved and trusted. <br>
+<p>It was the old chancellor who met them as they entered the
+palace--the Princess Emma, Lieutenant Butzow, and the false king.
+As the old man's eyes fell upon his daughter, he gave an
+exclamation of surprise and of incredulity. He looked from her to
+the American.<br>
+</p>
+
+"What is the meaning of this, your majesty?" he cried in a voice
+hoarse with emotion. "What does her highness in your company?"
+<br>
+<p>There was neither fear nor respect in Prince Ludwig's
+tone--only anger. He was demanding an accounting from Leopold,
+the man; not from Leopold, the king. Barney raised his hand.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Wait," he said, "before you judge. The princess was brought to
+Blentz by Prince Peter. She will tell you that I have aided her
+to escape and that I have accorded her only such treatment as a
+woman has a right to expect from a king." <br>
+<p>The girl inclined her head.<br>
+</p>
+
+"His majesty has been most kind," she said. "He has treated me
+with every consideration and respect, and I am convinced that he
+was not a willing party to my arrest and forcible detention at
+Blentz; or," she added, "if he was, he regretted his action later
+and has made full reparation by bringing me to Lustadt." <br>
+<p>Prince von der Tann found difficulty in hiding his surprise at
+this evidence of chivalry in the cowardly king. But for his
+daughter's testimony he could not have believed it possible that
+it lay within the nature of Leopold of Lutha to have done what he
+had done within the past few hours.<br>
+</p>
+
+He bowed low before the man who wore the king's uniform. The
+American extended his hand, and Von der Tann, taking it in his
+own, raised it to his lips. <br>
+<p>"And now," said Barney briskly, "let us go to my apartments
+and get to work. Your highness"--and he turned toward the
+Princess Emma--"must be greatly fatigued. Lieutenant Butzow, you
+will see that a suite is prepared for her highness. Afterward you
+may call upon Count Zellerndorf, whom I understand returned to
+Lustadt yesterday, and notify him that I will receive him in an
+hour. Inform the Serbian minister that I desire his presence at
+the palace immediately. Lose no time, lieutenant, and be sure to
+impress upon the Serbian minister that immediately means
+immediately."<br>
+</p>
+
+Butzow saluted and the Princess Emma curtsied, as the king turned
+and, slipping his arm through that of Prince Ludwig, walked away
+in the direction of the royal apartments. Once at the king's desk
+Barney turned toward the chancellor. In his mind was the
+determination to save Lutha if Lutha could be saved. He had been
+forced to place the king in a position where he would be
+helpless, though that he would have been equally as helpless upon
+his throne the American did not doubt for an instant. However,
+the course of events had placed within his hands the power to
+serve not only Lutha but the house of Von der Tann as well. He
+would do in the king's place what the king should have done if
+the king had been a man. <br>
+<p>"Now, Prince Ludwig," he said, "tell me just what conditions
+we must face. Remember that I have been at Blentz and that there
+the King of Lutha is not apt to learn all that transpires in
+Lustadt."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Sire," replied the chancellor, "we face a grave crisis. Not only
+is there within Lutha the small force of Austrian troops that
+surround Blentz, but now an entire army corps has crossed the
+border. Unquestionably they are marching on Lustadt. The emperor
+is going to take no chances. He sent the first force into Lutha
+to compel Serbian intervention and draw Serbian troops from the
+Austro-Serbian battle line. Serbia has withheld her forces at my
+request, but she will not withhold them for long. We must make a
+declaration at once. If we declare against Austria we are faced
+by the menace of the Austrian troops already within our
+boundaries, but we shall have Serbia to help us. <br>
+<p>"A Serbian army corps is on the frontier at this moment
+awaiting word from Lutha. If it is adverse to Austria that army
+corps will cross the border and march to our assistance. If it is
+favorable to Austria it will none the less cross into Lutha, but
+as enemies instead of allies. Serbia has acted honorably toward
+Lutha. She has not violated our neutrality. She has no desire to
+increase her possessions in this direction.<br>
+</p>
+
+"On the other hand, Austria has violated her treaty with us. She
+has marched troops into our country and occupied the town of
+Blentz. Constantly in the past she has incited internal discord.
+She is openly championing the Blentz cause, which at last I trust
+your majesty has discovered is inimical to your interests. <br>
+<p>"If Austria is victorious in her war with Serbia, she will
+find some pretext to hold Lutha whether Lutha takes her stand
+either for or against her. And most certainly is this true if it
+occurs that Austrian troops are still within the boundaries of
+Lutha when peace is negotiated. Not only our honor but our very
+existence demands that there be no Austrian troops in Lutha at
+the close of this war. If we cannot force them across the border
+we can at least make such an effort as will win us the respect of
+the world and a voice in the peace negotiations.<br>
+</p>
+
+"If we must bow to the surrender of our national integrity, let
+us do so only after we have exhausted every resource of the
+country in our country's defense. In the past your majesty has
+not appeared to realize the menace of your most powerful
+neighbor. I beg of you, sire, to trust me. Believe that I have
+only the interests of Lutha at heart, and let us work together
+for the salvation of our country and your majesty's throne." <br>
+<p>Barney laid his hand upon the old man's shoulder. It seemed a
+shame to carry the deception further, but the American well knew
+that only so could he accomplish aught for Lutha or the Von der
+Tanns. Once the old chancellor suspected the truth as to his
+identity he would be the first to denounce him.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I think that you and I can work together, Prince Ludwig," he
+said. "I have sent for the Serbian and Austrian ministers. The
+former should be here immediately." <br>
+<p>Nor did they have long to wait before the tall Slav was
+announced. Barney lost no time in getting down to business. He
+asked no questions. What Von der Tann had told him, what he had
+seen with his own eyes since he had entered Lutha, and what he
+had overheard in the inn at Burgova was sufficient evidence that
+the fate of Lutha hung upon the prompt and energetic decisions of
+the man who sat upon Lutha's throne for the next few days.<br>
+</p>
+
+Had Leopold been the present incumbent Lutha would have been
+lost, for that he would play directly into the hands of Austria
+was not to be questioned. Were Von der Tann to seize the reins of
+government a state of revolution would exist that would divide
+the state into two bitter factions, weaken its defense, and give
+Austria what she most desired--a plausible pretext for
+intervention. <br>
+<p>Lutha's only hope lay in united defense of her liberties under
+the leadership of the one man whom all acknowledged
+king--Leopold. Very well, Barney Custer, of Beatrice, would be
+Leopold for a few days, since the real Leopold had proven himself
+incompetent to meet the emergency.<br>
+</p>
+
+General Petko, the Serbian minister to Lutha, brought to the
+audience the memory of a series of unpleasant encounters with the
+king. Leopold had never exerted himself to hide his pro-Austrian
+sentiments. Austria was a powerful country --Serbia, a relatively
+weak neighbor. Leopold, being a royal snob, had courted the favor
+of the emperor and turned up his nose at Serbia. The general was
+prepared for a repetition of the veiled affronts that Leopold
+delighted in according him; but this time he brought with him a
+reply that for two years he had been living in the hope of some
+day being able to deliver to the young monarch he so cordially
+despised. <br>
+<p>It was an ultimatum from his government--an ultimatum couched
+in terms from which all diplomatic suavity had been stripped. If
+Barney Custer, of Beatrice, could have read it he would have
+smiled, for in plain American it might have been described as
+announcing to Leopold precisely "where he got off." But Barney
+did not have the opportunity to read it, since that ultimatum was
+never delivered.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney took the wind all out of it by his first words. "Your
+excellency may wonder why it is that we have summoned you at such
+an early hour," he said. <br>
+<p>General Petko inclined his head in deferential acknowledgment
+of the truth of the inference.<br>
+</p>
+
+"It is because we have learned from our chancellor," continued
+the American, "that Serbia has mobilized an entire army corps
+upon the Luthanian frontier. Am I correctly informed?" <br>
+<p>General Petko squared his shoulders and bowed in assent. At
+the same time he reached into his breast-pocket for the
+ultimatum.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Good!" exclaimed Barney, and then he leaned close to the ear of
+the Serbian. "How long will it take to move that army corps to
+Lustadt?" <br>
+<p>General Petko gasped and returned the ultimatum to his
+pocket.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Sire!" he cried, his face lighting with incredulity. "You
+mean--" <br>
+<p>"I mean," said the American, "that if Serbia will loan Lutha
+an army corps until the Austrians have evacuated Luthanian
+territory, Lutha will loan Serbia an army corps until such time
+as peace is declared between Serbia and Austria. Other than this
+neither government will incur any obligations to the other.<br>
+</p>
+
+"We may not need your help, but it will do us no harm to have
+them well on the way toward Lustadt as quickly as possible. Count
+Zellerndorf will be here in a few minutes. We shall, through him,
+give Austria twenty-four hours to withdraw all her troops beyond
+our frontiers. The army of Lutha is mobilized before Lustadt. It
+is not a large army, but with the help of Serbia it should be
+able to drive the Austrians from the country, provided they do
+not leave of their own accord." <br>
+<p>General Petko smiled. So did the American and the chancellor.
+Each knew that Austria would not withdraw her army from
+Lutha.<br>
+</p>
+
+"With your majesty's permission I will withdraw," said the
+Serbian, "and transmit Lutha's proposition to my government; but
+I may say that your majesty need have no apprehension but that a
+Serbian army corps will be crossing into Lutha before noon
+today." <br>
+<p>"And now, Prince Ludwig," said the American after the Serbian
+had bowed himself out of the apartment, "I suggest that you take
+immediate steps to entrench a strong force north of Lustadt along
+the road to Blentz."<br>
+</p>
+
+Von der Tann smiled as he replied. "It is already done, sire," he
+said. <br>
+<p>"But I passed in along the road this morning," said Barney,
+"and saw nothing of such preparations."<br>
+</p>
+
+"The trenches and the soldiers were there, nevertheless, sire,"
+replied the old man, "only a little gap was left on either side
+of the highway that those who came and went might not suspect our
+plans and carry word of them to the Austrians. A few hours will
+complete the link across the road." <br>
+<p>"Good! Let it be completed at once. Here is Count Zellerndorf
+now," as the minister was announced.<br>
+</p>
+
+Von der Tann bowed himself out as the Austrian entered the king's
+presence. For the first time in two years the chancellor felt
+that the destiny of Lutha was safe in the hands of her king. What
+had caused the metamorphosis in Leopold he could not guess. He
+did not seem to be the same man that had whined and growled at
+their last audience a week before. <br>
+<p>The Austrian minister entered the king's presence with an
+expression of ill-concealed surprise upon his face. Two days
+before he had left Leopold safely ensconced at Blentz, where he
+was to have remained indefinitely. He glanced hurriedly about the
+room in search of Prince Peter or another of the conspirators who
+should have been with the king. He saw no one. The king was
+speaking. The Austrian's eyes went wider, not only at the words,
+but at the tone of voice.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Count Zellerndorf," said the American, "you were doubtless aware
+of the embarrassment under which the king of Lutha was compelled
+at Blentz to witness the entry of a foreign army within his
+domain. But we are not now at Blentz. We have summoned you that
+you may receive from us, and transmit to your emperor, the
+expression of our surprise and dismay at the unwarranted
+violation of Luthanian neutrality." <br>
+<p>"But, your majesty--" interrupted the Austrian.<br>
+</p>
+
+"But nothing, your excellency," snapped the American. "The moment
+for diplomacy is passed; the time for action has come. You will
+oblige us by transmitting to your government at once a request
+that every Austrian soldier now in Lutha be withdrawn by noon
+tomorrow." <br>
+<p>Zellerndorf looked his astonishment.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Are you mad, sire?" he cried. "It will mean war!" <br>
+<p>"It is what Austria has been looking for," snapped the
+American, "and what people look for they usually get, especially
+if they chance to be looking for trouble. When can you expect a
+reply from Vienna?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"By noon, your majesty," replied the Austrian, "but are you
+irretrievably bound to your present policy? Remember the power of
+Austria, sire. Think of your throne. Think--" <br>
+<p>"We have thought of everything," interrupted Barney. "A throne
+means less to us than you may imagine, count; but the honor of
+Lutha means a great deal."<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_25">Chapter XI THE BATTLE</h1>
+
+AT FIVE o'clock that afternoon the sidewalks bordering Margaretha
+Street were crowded with promenaders. The little tables before
+the cafes were filled. Nearly everyone spoke of the great war and
+of the peril which menaced Lutha. Upon many a lip was open
+disgust at the supine attitude of Leopold of Lutha in the face of
+an Austrian invasion of his country. Discontent was open. It was
+ripening to something worse for Leopold than an Austrian
+invasion. <br>
+Presently a sergeant of the Royal Horse Guards cantered down the
+street from the palace. He stopped here and there, and,
+dismounting, tacked placards in conspicuous places. At the
+notice, and in each instance cheers and shouting followed the
+sergeant as he rode on to the next stop. <br>
+<p>Now, at each point men and women were gathered, eagerly
+awaiting an explanation of the jubilation farther up the street.
+Those whom the sergeant passed called to him for an explanation,
+and not receiving it, followed in a quickly growing mob that
+filled Margaretha Street from wall to wall. When he dismounted he
+had almost to fight his way to the post or door upon which he was
+to tack the next placard. The crowd surged about him in its
+anxiety to read what the placard bore, and then, between the
+cheering and yelling, those in the front passed back to the crowd
+the tidings that filled them with so great rejoicing.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Leopold has declared war on Austria!" "The king calls for
+volunteers!" "Long live the king!" <br>
+<p>The battle of Lustadt has passed into history. Outside of the
+little kingdom of Lutha it received but passing notice by the
+world at large, whose attention was riveted upon the great
+conflicts along the banks of the Meuse, the Marne, and the Aisne.
+But in Lutha! Ah, it will be told and retold, handed down from
+mouth to mouth and from generation to generation to the end of
+time.<br>
+</p>
+
+How the cavalry that the king sent north toward Blentz met the
+advancing Austrian army. How, fighting, they fell back upon the
+infantry which lay, a thin line that stretched east and west
+across the north of Lustadt, in its first line of trenches. A
+pitifully weak line it was, numerically, in comparison with the
+forces of the invaders; but it stood its ground heroically, and
+from the heights to the north of the city the fire from the forts
+helped to hold the enemy in check for many hours. <br>
+<p>And then the enemy succeeded in bringing up their heavy
+artillery to the ridge that lies three miles north of the forts.
+Shells were bursting in the trenches, the forts, and the city. To
+the south a stream of terror-stricken refugees was pouring out of
+Lustadt along the King's Road. Rich and poor, animated by a
+common impulse, filled the narrow street that led to the city's
+southern gate. Carts drawn by dogs, laden donkeys, French
+limousines, victorias, wheelbarrows--every conceivable wheeled
+vehicle and beast of burden--were jammed in a seemingly
+inextricable tangle in the mad rush for safety.<br>
+</p>
+
+Rumor passed back and forth through the fleeing thousands. Now
+came word that Fort No. 2 had been silenced by the Austrian guns.
+Immediately followed news that the Luthanian line was falling
+back upon the city. Fear turned to panic. Men fought to
+outdistance their neighbors. <br>
+<p>A shell burst upon a roof-top in an adjoining square.<br>
+</p>
+
+Women fainted and were trampled. Hoarse shouts of anger mingled
+with screams of terror, and then into the midst of it from
+Margaretha Street rode a man on horseback. Behind him were a
+score of officers. A trumpeter raised his instrument to his lips,
+and above the din of the fleeing multitude rose the sharp, triple
+call that announces the coming of the king. The mob halted and
+turned. <br>
+<p>Looking down upon them from his saddle was Leopold of Lutha.
+His palm was raised for silence and there was a smile upon his
+lips. Quite suddenly, and as by a miracle, fear left them. They
+made a line for him and his staff to ride through. One of the
+officers turned in his saddle to address a civilian friend in an
+automobile.<br>
+</p>
+
+"His majesty is riding to the firing line," he said and he raised
+his voice that many might hear. Quickly the word passed from
+mouth to mouth, and as Barney Custer, of Beatrice, passed along
+Margaretha Street he was followed by a mad din of cheering that
+drowned the booming of the distant cannon and the bursting of the
+shells above the city. <br>
+<p>The balance of the day the pseudo-king rode back and forth
+along his lines. Three of his staff were killed and two horses
+were shot from beneath him, but from the moment that he appeared
+the Luthanian line ceased to waver or fall back. The advanced
+trenches that they had abandoned to the Austrians they took again
+at the point of the bayonet. Charge after charge they repulsed,
+and all the time there hovered above the enemy Lutha's sole
+aeroplane, watching, watching, ever watching for the coming of
+the allies. Somewhere to the northeast the Serbians were
+advancing toward Lustadt. Would they come in time?<br>
+</p>
+
+It was five o'clock in the morning of the second day, and though
+the Luthanian line still held, Barney Custer knew that it could
+not hold for long. The Austrian artillery fire, which had been
+rather wild the preceding day, had now become of deadly accuracy.
+Each bursting shell filled some part of the trenches with dead
+and wounded, and though their places were taken by fresh men from
+the reserve, there would soon be no reserve left to call upon.
+<br>
+<p>At his left, in the rear, the American had massed the bulk of
+his reserves, and at the foot of the heights north of the city
+and just below the forts the major portion of the cavalry was
+drawn up in the shelter of a little ravine. Barney's eyes were
+fixed upon the soaring aeroplane.<br>
+</p>
+
+In his hand was his watch. He would wait another fifteen minutes,
+and if by then the signal had not come that the Serbians were
+approaching, he would strike the blow that he had decided upon.
+From time to time he glanced at his watch. <br>
+<p>The fifteen minutes had almost elapsed when there fluttered
+from the tiny monoplane a paper parachute. It dropped for several
+hundred feet before it spread to the air pressure and floated
+more gently toward the earth and a moment later there burst from
+its basket a puff of white smoke. Two more parachutes followed
+the first and two more puffs of smoke. Then the machine darted
+rapidly off toward the northeast.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney turned to Prince von der Tann with a smile. "They are none
+too soon," he said. <br>
+<p>The old prince bowed in acquiescence. He had been very happy
+for two days. Lutha might be defeated now, but she could never be
+subdued. She had a king at last--a real king. Gott! How he had
+changed. It reminded Prince von der Tann of the day he had ridden
+beside the imposter two years before in the battle with the
+forces of Peter of Blentz. Many times he had caught himself
+scrutinizing the face of the monarch, searching for some proof
+that after all he was not Leopold.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Direct the commanders of forts three and four to concentrate
+their fire on the enemy's guns directly north of Fort No. 3,"
+Barney directed an aide. "Simultaneously let the cavalry and
+Colonel Kazov's infantry make a determined assault on the
+Austrian trenches." <br>
+<p>Then he turned his horse toward the left of his line, where, a
+little to the rear, lay the fresh troops that he had been holding
+in readiness against this very moment. As he galloped across the
+plain, his staff at his heels, shrapnel burst about them. Von der
+Tann spurred to his side.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Sire," he cried, "it is unnecessary that you take such grave
+risks. Your staff is ready and willing to perform such service
+that you may be preserved to your people and your throne." <br>
+<p>"I believe the men fight better when they think their king is
+watching them," said the American simply.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I know it, sire," replied Von der Tann, "but even so, Lutha
+could ill afford to lose you now. I thank God, your majesty, that
+I have lived to see this day--to see the last of the Rubinroths
+upholding the glorious traditions of the Rubinroth blood." <br>
+<p>Barney led the reserves slowly through the wood to the rear of
+the extreme left of his line. The attack upon the Austrian right
+center appeared to be meeting with much greater success than the
+American dared to hope for. Already, through his glasses, he
+could see indications that the enemy was concentrating a larger
+force at this point to repulse the vicious assaults of the
+Luthanians. To do this they must be drawing from their reserves
+back of other portions of their line.<br>
+</p>
+
+It was what Barney had desired. The three bombs from the
+aeroplane had told him that the Serbians had been sighted three
+miles away. Already they were engaging the Austrians. He could
+hear the rattle of rifles and quick-firers and the roar of cannon
+far to the northeast. And now he gave the word to the commander
+of the reserve. <br>
+<p>At a rapid trot the men moved forward behind the extreme left
+end of the Luthanian left wing. They were almost upon the
+Austrians before they emerged from the shelter of the wood, and
+then with hoarse shouts and leveled bayonets they charged the
+enemy's position. The fight there was the bloodiest of the two
+long days. Back and forth the tide of battle surged. In the thick
+of it rode the false king encouraging his men to greater effort.
+Slowly at last they bore the Austrians from their trenches. Back
+and back they bore them until retreat became a rout. The Austrian
+right was crumpled back upon its center!<br>
+</p>
+
+Here the enemy made a determined stand; but just before dark a
+great shouting arose from the heights to their left, where the
+bulk of their artillery was stationed. Both the Luthanian and
+Austrian troops engaged in the plain saw Austrian infantry and
+artillery running down the slopes in disorderly rout. Upon their
+heads came a cheering line of soldiers firing as they ran, and
+above them waved the battleflag of Serbia. <br>
+<p>A mighty shout rose from the Luthanian ranks--an answering
+groan from the throats of the Austrians. Hemmed in between the
+two lines of allies, the Austrians were helpless. Their artillery
+was captured, retreat cut off. There was but a single alternative
+to massacre--the white flag.<br>
+</p>
+
+A few regiments between Lustadt and Blentz, but nearer the latter
+town, escaped back into Austria, the balance Barney arranged with
+the Serbian minister to have taken back to Serbia as prisoners of
+war. The Luthanian army corps that the American had promised the
+Serbs was to be utilized along the Austrian frontier to prevent
+the passage of Austrian troops into Serbia through Lutha. <br>
+<p>The return to Lustadt after the battle was made through
+cheering troops and along streets choked with joy-mad citizenry.
+The name of the soldier-king was upon every tongue. Men went wild
+with enthusiasm as the tall figure rode slowly through the crowd
+toward the palace.<br>
+</p>
+
+Von der Tann, grim and martial, found his lids damp with the
+moisture of a great happiness. Even now with all the proofs of
+reality about him, it seemed impossible that this scene could be
+aught but the ephemeral vapors of a dream --that Leopold of
+Lutha, the coward, the craven, could have become in a single day
+the heroic figure that had loomed so large upon the battlefield
+of Lustadt--the simple, modest gentleman who received the
+plaudits of his subjects with bowed head and humble mien. <br>
+<p>As Barney Custer rode up Margaretha Street toward the royal
+palace of the kings of Lutha, a dust-covered horseman in the
+uniform of an officer of the Horse Guards entered Lustadt from
+the south. It was the young aide of Prince von der Tann's staff,
+who had been sent to Blentz nearly a week earlier with a message
+for the king, and who had been captured and held by the
+Austrians.<br>
+</p>
+
+During the battle before Lustadt all the Austrian troops had been
+withdrawn from Blentz and hurried to the front. It was then that
+the aide had been transferred to the castle, from which he had
+escaped early that morning. To reach Lustadt he had been
+compelled to circle the Austrian position, coming to Lustadt from
+the south. <br>
+<p>Once within the city he rode straight to the palace, flung
+himself from his jaded mount, and entered the left wing of the
+building--the wing in which the private apartments of the
+chancellor were located.<br>
+</p>
+
+Here he inquired for the Princess Emma, learning with evident
+relief that she was there. A moment later, white with dust, his
+face streamed with sweat, he was ushered into her presence. <br>
+<p>"Your highness," he blurted, "the king's commands have been
+disregarded--the American is to be shot tomorrow. I have just
+escaped from Blentz. Peter is furious. He realizes that whether
+the Austrians win or lose, his standing with the king is gone
+forever.<br>
+</p>
+
+"In a fit of rage he has ordered that Mr. Custer be sacrificed to
+his desire for revenge, in the hope that it will insure for him
+the favor of the Austrians. Something must be done at once if he
+is to be saved." <br>
+<p>For a moment the girl swayed as though about to fall. The
+young officer stepped quickly to support her, but before he
+reached her side she had regained complete mastery of herself.
+From the street without there rose the blare of trumpets and the
+cheering of the populace.<br>
+</p>
+
+Through senses numb with the cold of anguish the meaning of the
+tumult slowly filtered to her brain--the king had come. He was
+returning from the battlefield, covered with honors and flushed
+with glory--the man who was to be her husband; but there was no
+rejoicing in the heart of the Princess Emma. <br>
+<p>Instead, there was a dull ache and impotent rebellion at the
+injustice of the thing--that Leopold should be reaping these
+great rewards, while he who had made it possible for him to be a
+king at all was to die on the morrow because of what he had done
+to place the Rubinroth upon his throne.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Perhaps Lieutenant Butzow might find a way," suggested the
+officer. "He or your father; they are both fond of Mr. Custer."
+<br>
+<p>"Yes," said the girl dully, "see Lieutenant Butzow--he would
+do the most."<br>
+</p>
+
+The officer bowed and hastened from the apartment in search of
+Butzow. The girl approached the window and stood there for a long
+time, looking out at the surging multitude that pressed around
+the palace gates, filling Margaretha Street with a solid mass of
+happy faces. <br>
+<p>They cheered the king, the chancellor, the army; but most
+often they cheered the king. From a despised monarch Leopold had
+risen in a single bound to the position of a national idol.<br>
+</p>
+
+Repeatedly he was called to the balcony over the grand entrance
+that the people might feast their eyes on him. The princess
+wondered how long it was before she herself would be forced to
+offer her congratulations and, perchance, suffer his caresses.
+She shivered and cringed at the thought, and then there came a
+knock upon the door, and in answer to her permission it opened,
+and the king stood upon the threshold alone. <br>
+<p>At a glance the man took in the pain and sorrow mirrored upon
+the girl's face. He stepped quickly across the room toward
+her.<br>
+</p>
+
+"What is it?" he asked. "What is the matter?" <br>
+<p>For a moment he had forgotten the part that he had been
+playing--forgot that the Princess Emma was ignorant of his
+identity. He had come to her to share with her the happiness of
+the hour--the glory of the victorious arms of Lutha. For a time
+he had almost forgotten that he was not the king, and now he was
+forgetting that he was not Barney Custer to the girl who stood
+before him with misery and hopelessness writ so large upon her
+countenance.<br>
+</p>
+
+For a brief instant the girl did not reply. She was weighing the
+problematical value of an attempt to enlist the king in the cause
+of the American. Leopold had shown a spark of magnanimity when he
+had written a pardon for Mr. Custer; might he not rise again
+above his petty jealousy and save the American's life? It was a
+forlorn hope to the woman who knew the true Leopold so well; but
+it was a hope. <br>
+<p>"What is the matter?" the king repeated.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I have just received word that Prince Peter has ignored your
+commands, sire," replied the girl, "and that Mr. Custer is to be
+shot tomorrow." <br>
+<p>Barney's eyes went wide with incredulity. Here was a pretty
+pass, indeed! The princess came close to him and seized his
+arm.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You promised, sire," she said, "that he would not be harmed--you
+gave your royal word. You can save him. You have an army at your
+command. Do not forget that he once saved you." <br>
+<p>The note of appeal in her voice and the sorrow in her eyes
+gave Barney Custer a twinge of compunction. The necessity for
+longer concealing his identity in so far as the salvation of
+Lutha was concerned seemed past; but the American had intended to
+carry the deception to the end.<br>
+</p>
+
+He had given the matter much thought, but he could find no
+grounds for belief that Emma von der Tann would be any happier in
+the knowledge that her future husband had had nothing to do with
+the victory of his army. If she was doomed to a life at his side,
+why not permit her the grain of comfort that she might derive
+from the memory of her husband's achievements upon the
+battlefield of Lustadt? Why rob her of that little? <br>
+<p>But now, face to face with her, and with the evidence of her
+suffering so plain before him, Barney's intentions wavered. Like
+most fighting men, he was tender in his dealings with women. And
+now the last straw came in the form of a single tiny tear that
+trickled down the girl's cheek. He seized the hand that lay upon
+his arm.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Your highness," he said, "do not grieve for the American. He is
+not worth it. He has deceived you. He is not at Blentz." <br>
+<p>The girl drew her hand from his and straightened to her full
+height.<br>
+</p>
+
+"What do you mean, sire?" she exclaimed. "Mr. Custer would not
+deceive me even if he had an opportunity--which he has not had.
+But if he is not at Blentz, where is he?" <br>
+<p>Barney bowed his head and looked at the floor.<br>
+</p>
+
+"He is here, your highness, asking your forgiveness," he said.
+<br>
+<p>There was a puzzled expression upon the girl's face as she
+looked at the man before her. She did not understand. Why should
+she? Barney drew a diamond ring from his little finger and held
+it out to her.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You gave it to me to cut a hole in the window of the garage
+where I stole the automobile," he said. "I forgot to return it.
+Now do you know who I am?" <br>
+<p>Emma von der Tann's eyes showed her incredulity; then, act by
+act, she recalled all that this man had said and done since they
+had escaped from Blentz that had been so unlike the king she
+knew.<br>
+</p>
+
+"When did you assume the king's identity?" she asked. <br>
+<p>Barney told her all that had transpired in the king's
+apartments at Blentz before she had been conducted to the king's
+presence.<br>
+</p>
+
+"And Leopold is there now?" she asked. <br>
+<p>"He is there," replied Barney, "and he is to be shot in the
+morning."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Gott!" exclaimed the girl. "What are we to do?" <br>
+<p>"There is but one thing to do," replied the American, "and
+that is for Butzow and me to ride to Blentz as fast as horses
+will carry us and rescue the king."<br>
+</p>
+
+"And then?" asked the girl, a shadow crossing her face. <br>
+<p>"And then Barney Custer will have to beat it for the
+boundary," he replied with a sorry smile.<br>
+</p>
+
+She came quite close to him, laying her hands upon his shoulders.
+<br>
+<p>"I cannot give you up now," she said simply. "I have tried to
+be loyal to Leopold and the promise that my father made his king
+when I was only a little girl; but since I thought that you were
+to be shot, I have wished a thousand times that I had gone with
+you to America two years ago. Take me with you now, Barney. We
+can send Lieutenant Butzow to rescue the king, and before he has
+returned we can be safe across the Serbian frontier."<br>
+</p>
+
+The American shook his head. <br>
+<p>"I got the king into this mess and I must get him out," he
+said. "He may deserve to be shot, but it is up to me to prevent
+it, if I can. And there is your father to consider. If Butzow
+rides to Blentz and rescues the king, it may be difficult to get
+him back to Lustadt without the truth of his identity and mine
+becoming known. With me there, the change can be effected easily,
+and not even Butzow need know what has happened.<br>
+</p>
+
+"If the people should guess that it was not Leopold who won the
+battle of Lustadt there might be the devil to pay, and your
+father would go down along with the throne. No, I must stay until
+Leopold is safe in Lustadt. But there is a hope for us. I may be
+able to wrest from Leopold his sanction of our marriage. I shall
+not hesitate to use threats to get it, and I rather imagine that
+he will be in such a terror-stricken condition that he will
+assent to any terms for his release from Blentz. If he gives me
+such a paper, Emma, will you marry me?" <br>
+<p>Perhaps there never had been a stranger proposal than this;
+but to neither did it seem strange. For two years each had known
+the love of the other. The girl's betrothal to the king had
+prevented an avowal of their love while Barney posed in his own
+identity. Now they merely accepted the conditions that had
+existed for two years as though a matter of fact which had been
+often discussed between them.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Of course I'll marry you," said the princess. "Why in the world
+would I want you to take me to America otherwise?" <br>
+<p>As Barney Custer took her in his arms he was happier than he
+had ever before been in all his life, and so, too, was the
+Princess Emma von der Tann.<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_26">Chapter XII LEOPOLD WAITS FOR DAWN</h1>
+
+<br>
+AFTER THE American had shoved him through the secret doorway into
+the tower room of the castle of Blentz, Leopold had stood for
+several minutes waiting for the next command from his captor.
+Presently, hearing no sound other than that of his own breathing,
+the king ventured to speak. He asked the American what he
+purposed doing with him next. <br>
+<p>There was no reply. For another minute the king listened
+intently; then he raised his hands and removed the bandage from
+his eyes. He looked about him. The room was vacant except for
+himself. He recognized it as the one in which he had spent ten
+years of his life as a prisoner. He shuddered. What had become of
+the American? He approached the door and listened. Beyond the
+panels he could hear the two soldiers on guard there conversing.
+He called to them.<br>
+</p>
+
+"What do you want?" shouted one of the men through the closed
+door. <br>
+<p>"I want Prince Peter!" yelled the king. "Send him at
+once!"<br>
+</p>
+
+The soldiers laughed. <br>
+<p>"He wants Prince Peter," they mocked. "Wouldn't you rather
+have us send the king to you?" they asked.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I am the king!" yelled Leopold. "I am the king! Open the door,
+pigs, or it will go hard with you! I shall have you both shot in
+the morning if you do not open the door and fetch Prince Peter."
+<br>
+<p>"Ah!" exclaimed one of the soldiers. "Then there will be three
+of us shot together."<br>
+</p>
+
+Leopold went white. He had not connected the sentence of the
+American with himself; but now, quite vividly, he realized what
+it might mean to him if he failed before dawn to convince someone
+that he was not the American. Peter would not be awake at so
+early an hour, and if he had no better success with others than
+he was having with these soldiers, it was possible that he might
+be led out and shot before his identity was discovered. The thing
+was preposterous. The king's knees became suddenly quite weak.
+They shook, and his legs gave beneath his weight so that he had
+to lean against the back of a chair to keep from falling. <br>
+<p>Once more he turned to the soldiers. This time he pleaded with
+them, begging them to carry word to Prince Peter that a terrible
+mistake had been made, and that it was the king and not the
+American who was confined in the death chamber. But the soldiers
+only laughed at him, and finally threatened to come in and beat
+him if he again interrupted their conversation.<br>
+</p>
+
+It was a white and shaken prisoner that the officer of the guard
+found when he entered the room at dawn. The man before him, his
+face streaked with tears of terror and selfpity, fell upon his
+knees before him, beseeching him to carry word to Peter of
+Blentz, that he was the king. The officer drew away with a
+gesture of disgust. <br>
+<p>"I might well believe from your actions that you are Leopold,"
+he said; "for, by Heaven, you do not act as I have always
+imagined the American would act in the face of danger. He has a
+reputation for bravery that would suffer could his admirers see
+him now."<br>
+</p>
+
+"But I am not the American," pleaded the king. "I tell you that
+the American came to my apartments last night, overpowered me,
+forced me to change clothing with him, and then led me back
+here." <br>
+<p>A sudden inspiration came to the king with the memory of all
+that had transpired during that humiliating encounter with the
+American.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I signed a pardon for him!" he cried. "He forced me to do so. If
+you think I am the American, you cannot kill me now, for there is
+a pardon signed by the king, and an order for the American's
+immediate release. Where is it? Do not tell me that Prince Peter
+did not receive it." <br>
+<p>"He received it," replied the officer, "and I am here to
+acquaint you with the fact, but Prince Peter said nothing about
+your release. All he told me was that you were not to be shot
+this morning," and the man emphasized the last two words.<br>
+</p>
+
+Leopold of Lutha spent two awful days a prisoner at Blentz, not
+knowing at what moment Prince Peter might see fit to carry out
+the verdict of the Austrian court martial. He could convince no
+one that he was the king. Peter would not even grant him an
+audience. Upon the evening of the third day, word came that the
+Austrians had been defeated before Lustadt, and those that were
+not prisoners were retreating through Blentz toward the Austrian
+frontier. <br>
+<p>The news filtered to Leopold's prison room through the servant
+who brought him his scant and rough fare. The king was utterly
+disheartened before this word reached him. For the moment he
+seemed to see a ray of hope, for, since the impostor had been
+victorious, he would be in a position to force Peter of Blentz to
+give up the true king.<br>
+</p>
+
+There was the chance that the American, flushed with success and
+power, might elect to hold the crown he had seized. Who would
+guess the transfer that had been effected, or, guessing, would
+dare voice his suspicions in the face of the power and popularity
+that Leopold knew such a victory as the impostor had won must
+have given him in the hearts and minds of the people of Lutha?
+Still, there was a bare possibility that the American would be as
+good as his word, and return the crown as he had promised. Though
+he hated to admit it, the king had every reason to believe that
+the impostor was a man of honor, whose bare word was as good as
+another's bond. <br>
+<p>He was commencing, under this line of reasoning, to achieve a
+certain hopeful content when the door to his prison opened and
+Peter of Blentz, black and scowling, entered. At his elbow was
+Captain Ernst Maenck.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Leopold has defeated the Austrians," announced the former.
+"Until you returned to Lutha he considered the Austrians his best
+friends. I do not know how you could have reached or influenced
+him. It is to learn how you accomplished it that I am here. The
+fact that he signed your pardon indicates that his attitude
+toward you changed suddenly--almost within an hour. There is
+something at the bottom of it all, and that something I must
+know." <br>
+<p>"I am Leopold!" cried the king. "Don't you recognize me,
+Prince Peter? Look at me! Maenck must know me. It was I who wrote
+and signed the American's pardon--at the point of the American's
+revolver. He forced me to exchange clothing with him, and then he
+brought me here to this room and left me."<br>
+</p>
+
+The two men looked at the speaker and smiled. <br>
+<p>"You bank too strongly, my friend," said Peter of Blentz,
+"upon your resemblance to the king of Lutha. I will admit that it
+is strong, but not so strong as to convince me of the truth of so
+improbable a story. How in the world could the American have
+brought you through the castle, from one end to the other,
+unseen? There was a guard before the king's door and another
+before this. No, Herr Custer, you will have to concoct a more
+plausible tale.<br>
+</p>
+
+"No," and Peter of Blentz scowled savagely, as though to impress
+upon his listener the importance of his next utterance, "there
+were more than you and the king involved in his sudden departure
+from Blentz and in his hasty change of policy toward Austria. To
+be quite candid, it seems to me that it may be necessary to my
+future welfare--vitally necessary, I may say--to know precisely
+how all this occurred, and just what influence you have over
+Leopold of Lutha. Who was it that acted as the go-between in the
+king's negotiations with you, or rather, yours with the king? And
+what argument did you bring to bear to force Leopold to the
+action he took?" <br>
+<p>"I have told you all that I know about the matter," whined the
+king. "The American appeared suddenly in my apartment. When he
+brought me here he first blindfolded me. I have no idea by what
+route we traveled through the castle, and unless your guards
+outside this door were bribed they can tell you more about how we
+got in here than I can--provided we entered through that
+doorway," and the king pointed to the door which had just opened
+to admit his two visitors.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Oh, pshaw!" exclaimed Maenck. "There is but one door to this
+room--if the king came in here at all, he came through that
+door." <br>
+<p>"Enough!" cried Peter of Blentz. "I shall not be trifled with
+longer. I shall give you until tomorrow morning to make a full
+explanation of the truth and to form some plan whereby you may
+utilize once more whatever influence you had over Leopold to the
+end that he grant to myself and my associates his royal assurance
+that our lives and property will be safe in Lutha."<br>
+</p>
+
+"But I tell you it is impossible," wailed the king. <br>
+<p>"I think not," sneered Prince Peter, "especially when I tell
+you that if you do not accede to my wishes the order of the
+Austrian military court that sentenced you to death at Burgova
+will be carried out in the morning."<br>
+</p>
+
+With his final words the two men turned and left the room. Behind
+them, upon the floor, inarticulate with terror, knelt Leopold of
+Lutha, his hands outstretched in supplication. <br>
+<p>The long night wore its weary way to dawn at last. The
+sleepless man, alternately tossing upon his bed and pacing the
+floor, looked fearfully from time to time at the window through
+which the lightening of the sky would proclaim the coming day and
+his last hour on earth. His windows faced the west. At the foot
+of the hill beneath the castle nestled the village of Blentz,
+once more enveloped in peaceful silence since the Austrians were
+gone.<br>
+</p>
+
+An unmistakable lessening of the darkness in the east had just
+announced the proximity of day, when the king heard a clatter of
+horses' hoofs upon the road before the castle. The sound ceased
+at the gates and a loud voice broke out upon the stillness of the
+dying night demanding entrance "in the name of the king." <br>
+<p>New hope burst aflame in the breast of the condemned man. The
+impostor had not forsaken him. Leopold ran to the window, leaning
+far out. He heard the voices of the sentries in the barbican as
+they conversed with the newcomers. Then silence came, broken only
+by the rapid footsteps of a soldier hastening from the gate to
+the castle. His hobnail shoes pounding upon the cobbles of the
+courtyard echoed among the angles of the lofty walls. When he had
+entered the castle the silence became oppressive. For five
+minutes there was no sound other than the pawing of the horses
+outside the barbican and the subdued conversation of their
+riders.<br>
+</p>
+
+Presently the soldier emerged from the castle. With him was an
+officer. The two went to the barbican. Again there was a parley
+between the horsemen and the guard. Leopold could hear the
+officer demanding terms. He would lower the drawbridge and admit
+them upon conditions. <br>
+<p>One of these the king overheard--it concerned an assurance of
+full pardon for Peter of Blentz and the garrison; and again
+Leopold heard the officer addressing someone as "your
+majesty."<br>
+</p>
+
+Ah, the impostor was there in person. Ach, Gott! How Leopold of
+Lutha hated him, and yet, in the hands of this American lay not
+only his throne but his very life as well. <br>
+<p>Evidently the negotiations proved unsuccessful for after a
+time the party wheeled their horses from the gate and rode back
+toward Blentz. As the sound of the iron-shod hoofs diminished in
+the distance, with them diminished the hopes of the king.<br>
+</p>
+
+When they ceased entirely his hopes were at an end, to be
+supplanted by renewed terror at the turning of the knob of his
+prison door as it swung open to admit Maenck and a squad of
+soldiers. <br>
+<p>"Come!" ordered the captain. "The king has refused to
+intercede in your behalf. When he returns with his army he will
+find your body at the foot of the west wall in the
+courtyard."<br>
+</p>
+
+With an ear-piercing shriek that rang through the grim old
+castle, Leopold of Lutha flung his arms above his head and lunged
+forward upon his face. Roughly the soldiers seized the
+unconscious man and dragged him from the room. <br>
+<p>Along the corridor they hauled him and down the winding stairs
+within the north tower to the narrow slit of a door that opened
+upon the courtyard. To the foot of the west wall they brought
+him, tossing him brutally to the stone flagging. Here one of the
+soldiers brought a flagon of water and dashed it in the face of
+the king. The cold douche returned Leopold to a consciousness of
+the nearness of his impending fate.<br>
+</p>
+
+He saw the little squad of soldiers before him. He saw the cold,
+gray wall behind, and, above, the cold, gray sky of early dawn.
+The dismal men leaning upon their shadowy guns seemed unearthly
+specters in the weird light of the hour that is neither God's day
+nor devil's night. With difficulty two of them dragged Leopold to
+his feet. <br>
+<p>Then the dismal men formed in line before him at the opposite
+side of the courtyard. Maenck stood to the left of them. He was
+giving commands. They fell upon the doomed man's ears with all
+the cruelty of physical blows. Tears coursed down his white
+cheeks. With incoherent mumblings he begged for his life.
+Leopold, King of Lutha, trembling in the face of death!<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_27">Chapter XIII THE TWO KINGS</h1>
+
+<br>
+TWENTY TROOPERS had ridden with Lieutenant Butzow and the false
+king from Lustadt to Blentz. During the long, hard ride there had
+been little or no conversation between the American and his
+friend, for Butzow was still unsuspicious of the true identity of
+the man who posed as the ruler of Lutha. The lieutenant was all
+anxiety to reach Blentz and rescue the American he thought
+imprisoned there and in danger of being shot. <br>
+<p>At the gate they were refused admittance unless the king would
+accept conditions. Barney refused--there was another way to gain
+entrance to Blentz that not even the master of Blentz knew.
+Butzow urged him to accede to anything to save the life of the
+American. He recalled all that the latter had done in the service
+of Lutha and Leopold. Barney leaned close to the other's ear.<br>
+</p>
+
+"If they have not already shot him," he whispered, "we shall save
+the prisoner yet. Let them think that we give up and are
+returning to Lustadt. Then follow me." <br>
+<p>Slowly the little cavalcade rode down from the castle of
+Blentz toward the village. Just out of sight of the grim pile
+where the road wound down into a ravine Barney turned his horse's
+head up the narrow defile. In single file Butzow and the troopers
+followed until the rank undergrowth precluded farther advance.
+Here the American directed that they dismount, and, leaving the
+horses in charge of three troopers, set out once more with the
+balance of the company on foot.<br>
+</p>
+
+It was with difficulty that the men forced their way through the
+bushes, but they had not gone far when their leader stopped
+before a sheer wall of earth and stone, covered with densely
+growing shrubbery. Here he groped in the dim light, feeling his
+way with his hands before him, while at his heels came his
+followers. At last he separated a wall of bushes and disappeared
+within the aperture his hands had made. One by one his men
+followed, finding themselves in inky darkness, but upon a smooth
+stone floor and with stone walls close upon either hand. Those
+who lifted their hands above their heads discovered an arched
+stone ceiling close above them. <br>
+<p>Along this buried corridor the "king" led them, for though he
+had never traversed it himself the Princess Emma had, and from
+her he had received minute directions. Occasionally he struck a
+match, and presently in the fitful glare of one of these he and
+those directly behind him saw the foot of a ladder that
+disappeared in the Stygian darkness above.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Follow me up this, very quietly," he said to those behind him.
+"Up to the third landing." <br>
+<p>They did as he bid them. At the third landing Barney felt for
+the latch he knew was there--he was on familiar ground now.
+Finding it he pushed open the door it held in place, and through
+a tiny crack surveyed the room beyond. It was vacant. The
+American threw the door wide and stepped within. Directly behind
+him was Butzow, his eyes wide in wonderment. After him filed the
+troopers until seventeen of them stood behind their lieutenant
+and the "king."<br>
+</p>
+
+Through the window overlooking the courtyard came a piteous
+wailing. Barney ran to the casement and looked out. Butzow was at
+his side. <br>
+<p>"Himmel!" ejaculated the Luthanian. "They are about to shoot
+him. Quick, your majesty," and without waiting to see if he were
+followed the lieutenant raced for the door of the apartment.
+Close behind him came the American and the seventeen.<br>
+</p>
+
+It took but a moment to reach the stairway down which the
+rescuers tumbled pell-mell. <br>
+<p>Maenck was giving his commands to the firing squad with
+fiendish deliberation and delay. He seemed to enjoy dragging out
+the agony that the condemned man suffered. But it was this very
+cruelty that caused Maenck's undoing and saved the life of
+Leopold of Lutha. Just before he gave the word to fire Maenck
+paused and laughed aloud at the pitiable figure trembling and
+whining against the stone wall before him, and during that pause
+a commotion arose at the tower doorway behind the firing
+squad.<br>
+</p>
+
+Maenck turned to discover the cause of the interruption, and as
+he turned he saw the figure of the king leaping toward him with
+leveled revolver. At the king's back a company of troopers of the
+Royal Horse Guard was pouring into the courtyard. <br>
+<p>Maenck snatched his own revolver from his hip and fired
+point-blank at the "king." The firing squad had turned at the
+sound of assault from the rear. Some of them discharged their
+pieces at the advancing troopers. Butzow gave a command and
+seventeen carbines poured their deadly hail into the ranks of the
+Blentz retainers. At Maenck's shot the "king" staggered and fell
+to the pavement.<br>
+</p>
+
+Maenck leaped across his prostrate form, yelling to his men
+"Shoot the American." Then he was lost to Barney's sight in the
+hand-to-hand scrimmage that was taking place. The American tried
+to regain his feet, but the shock of the wound in his breast had
+apparently paralyzed him for the moment. A Blentz soldier was
+running toward the prisoner standing open-mouthed against the
+wall. The fellow's rifle was raised to his hip--his intention was
+only too obvious. <br>
+<p>Barney drew himself painfully and slowly to one elbow. The man
+was rapidly nearing the true Leopold. In another moment he would
+shoot. The American raised his revolver and, taking careful aim,
+fired. The soldier shrieked, covered his face with his hands,
+spun around once, and dropped at the king's feet.<br>
+</p>
+
+The troopers under Butzow were forcing the men of Blentz toward
+the far end of the courtyard. Two of the Blentz faction were
+standing a little apart, backing slowly away and at the same time
+deliberately firing at the king. Barney seemed the only one who
+noticed them. Once again he raised his revolver and fired. One of
+the men sat down suddenly, looked vacantly about him, and then
+rolled over upon his side. The other fired once more at the king
+and the same instant Barney fired at the soldier. Soldier and
+king--would-be assassin and his victim--fell simultaneously.
+Barney grimaced. The wound in his breast was painful. He had done
+his best to save the king. It was no fault of his that he had
+failed. It was a long way to Beatrice. He wondered if Emma von
+der Tann would be on the station platform, awaiting him--then he
+swooned. <br>
+<p>Butzow and his seventeen had it all their own way in the
+courtyard and castle of Blentz. After the first resistance the
+soldiery of Peter fled to the guardroom. Butzow followed them,
+and there they laid down their arms. Then the lieutenant returned
+to the courtyard to look for the king and Barney Custer. He found
+them both, and both were wounded. He had them carried to the
+royal apartments in the north tower. When Barney regained
+consciousness he found the scowling portrait of the Blentz
+princess frowning down upon him. He lay upon a great bed where
+the soldiers, thinking him king, had placed him. Opposite him,
+against the farther wall, the real king lay upon a cot. Butzow
+was working over him.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Not so bad, after all, Barney," the lieutenant was saying. "Only
+a flesh wound in the calf of the leg." <br>
+<p>The king made no reply. He was afraid to declare his identity.
+First he must learn the intentions of the impostor. He only
+closed his eyes wearily. Presently he asked a question.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Is he badly wounded?" and he indicated the figure upon the great
+bed. <br>
+<p>Butzow turned and crossed to where the American lay. He saw
+that the latter's eyes were open and that he was conscious.<br>
+</p>
+
+"How does your majesty feel?" he asked. There was more respect in
+his tone than ever before. One of the Blentz soldiers had told
+him how the "king," after being wounded by Maenck, had raised
+himself upon his elbow and saved the prisoner's life by shooting
+three of his assailants. <br>
+<p>"I thought I was done for," answered Barney Custer, "but I
+rather guess the bullet struck only a glancing blow. It couldn't
+have entered my lungs, for I neither cough nor spit blood. To
+tell you the truth, I feel surprisingly fit. How's the
+prisoner?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"Only a flesh wound in the calf of his left leg, sire," replied
+Butzow. <br>
+<p>"I am glad," was Barney's only comment. He didn't want to be
+king of Lutha; but he had foreseen that with the death of the
+king his imposture might be forced upon him for life.<br>
+</p>
+
+After Butzow and one of the troopers had washed and dressed the
+wounds of both men Barney asked them to leave the room. <br>
+<p>"I wish to sleep," he said. "If I require you I will
+ring."<br>
+</p>
+
+Saluting, the two backed from the apartment. Just as they were
+passing through the doorway the American called out to Butzow.
+<br>
+<p>"You have Peter of Blentz and Maenck in custody?" he
+asked.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I regret having to report to your majesty," replied the officer,
+"that both must have escaped. A thorough search of the entire
+castle has failed to reveal them." <br>
+<p>Barney scowled. He had hoped to place these two conspirators
+once and for all where they would never again threaten the peace
+of the throne of Lutha--in hell. For a moment he lay in thought.
+Then he addressed the officer again.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Leave your force here," he said, "to guard us. Ride, yourself,
+to Lustadt and inform Prince von der Tann that it is the king's
+desire that every effort be made to capture these two men. Have
+them brought to Lustadt immediately they are apprehended. Bring
+them dead or alive." <br>
+<p>Again Butzow saluted and prepared to leave the room.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Wait," said Barney. "Convey our greetings to the Princess von
+der Tann, and inform her that my wound is of small importance, as
+is also that of the--Mr. Custer. You may go, lieutenant." <br>
+<p>When they were alone Barney turned toward the king. The other
+lay upon his side glaring at the American. When he caught the
+latter's eyes upon him he spoke.<br>
+</p>
+
+"What do you intend doing with me?" he said. "Are you going to
+keep your word and return my identity?" <br>
+<p>"I have promised," replied Barney, "and what I promise I
+always perform."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Then exchange clothing with me at once," cried the king, half
+rising from his cot. <br>
+<p>"Not so fast, my friend," rejoined the American. "There are a
+few trifling details to be arranged before we resume our proper
+personalities."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Do you realize that you should be hanged for what you have
+done?" snarled the king. "You assaulted me, stole my clothing,
+left me here to be shot by Peter, and sat upon my throne in
+Lustadt while I lay a prisoner condemned to death." <br>
+<p>"And do you realize," replied Barney, "that by so doing I
+saved your foolish little throne for you; that I drove the
+invaders from your dominions; that I have unmasked your enemies,
+and that I have once again proven to you that the Prince von der
+Tann is your best friend and most loyal supporter?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"You laid your plebeian hands upon me," cried the king, raising
+his voice. "You humiliated me, and you shall suffer for it." <br>
+<p>Barney Custer eyed the king for a long moment before he spoke
+again. It was difficult to believe that the man was so devoid of
+gratitude, and so blind as not to see that even the rough
+treatment that he had received at the American's hands was as
+nothing by comparison with the service that the American had done
+him. Apparently Leopold had already forgotten that three times
+Barney Custer had saved his life in the courtyard below. From the
+man's demeanor, now that his life was no longer at stake, Barney
+caught an inkling of what his attitude might be when once again
+he was returned to the despotic power of his kingship.<br>
+</p>
+
+"It is futile to reason with you," he said. "There is only one
+way to handle such as you. At present I hold the power to coerce
+you, and I shall continue to hold that power until I am safely
+out of your two-by-four kingdom. If you do as I say you shall
+have your throne back again. If you refuse, why by Heaven you
+shall never have it. I'll stay king of Lutha myself." <br>
+<p>"What are your terms?" asked the king.<br>
+</p>
+
+"That Prince Peter of Blentz, Captain Ernst Maenck, and old Von
+Coblich be tried, convicted, and hanged for high treason,"
+replied the American. <br>
+<p>"That is easy," said the king. "I should do so anyway
+immediately I resumed my throne. Now get up and give me my
+clothes. Take this cot and I will take the bed. None will know of
+the exchange."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Again you are too fast," answered Barney. "There is another
+condition." <br>
+<p>"Well?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"You must promise upon your royal honor that Ludwig, Prince von
+der Tann, remain chancellor of Lutha during your life or his."
+<br>
+<p>"Very well," assented the king. "I promise," and again he half
+rose from his cot.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Hold on a minute," admonished the American; "there is yet one
+more condition of which I have not made mention." <br>
+<p>"What, another?" exclaimed Leopold testily. "How much do you
+want for returning to me what you have stolen?"<br>
+</p>
+
+"So far I have asked for nothing for myself," replied Barney.
+"Now I am coming to that part of the agreement. The Princess Emma
+von der Tann is betrothed to you. She does not love you. She has
+honored me with her affection, but she will not wed until she has
+been formally released from her promise to wed Leopold of Lutha.
+The king must sign such a release and also a sanction of her
+marriage to Barney Custer, of Beatrice. Do you understand what I
+want?" <br>
+<p>The king went livid. He came to his feet beside the cot. For
+the moment, his wound was forgotten. He tottered toward the
+impostor.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You scoundrel!" he screamed. "You scoundrel! You have stolen my
+identity and my throne and now you wish to steal the woman who
+loves me." <br>
+<p>"Don't get excited, Leo," warned the American, "and don't talk
+so loud. The Princess doesn't love you, and you know it as well
+as I. She will never marry you. If you want your dinky throne
+back you'll have to do as I desire; that is, sign the release and
+the sanction.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Now let's don't have any heroics about it. You have the
+proposition. Now I am going to sleep. In the meantime you may
+think it over. If the papers are not ready when it comes time for
+us to leave, and from the way I feel now I rather think I shall
+be ready to mount a horse by morning, I shall ride back to
+Lustadt as king of Lutha, and I shall marry her highness into the
+bargain, and you may go hang! <br>
+<p>"How the devil you will earn a living with that king job taken
+away from you I don't know. You're a long way from New York, and
+in the present state of carnage in Europe I rather doubt that
+there are many headwaiters jobs open this side of the American
+metropolis, and I can't for the moment think of anything else at
+which you would shine-with all due respect to some excellent
+headwaiters I have known."<br>
+</p>
+
+For some time the king remained silent. He was thinking. He
+realized that it lay in the power of the American to do precisely
+what he had threatened to do. No one would doubt his identity.
+Even Peter of Blentz had not recognized the real king despite
+Leopold's repeated and hysterical claims. <br>
+<p>Lieutenant Butzow, the American's best friend, had no more
+suspected the exchange of identities. Von der Tann, too, must
+have been deceived. Everyone had been deceived. There was no hope
+that the people, who really saw so little of their king, would
+guess the deception that was being played upon them. Leopold
+groaned. Barney opened his eyes and turned toward him.<br>
+</p>
+
+"What's the matter?" he asked. <br>
+<p>"I will sign the release and the sanction of her highness'
+marriage to you," said the king.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Good!" exclaimed the American. "You will then go at once to
+Brosnov as originally planned. I will return to Lustadt and get
+her highness, and we will immediately leave Lutha via Brosnov.
+There you and I will effect a change of raiment, and you will
+ride back to Lustadt with the small guard that accompanies her
+highness and me to the frontier." <br>
+<p>"Why do you not remain in Lustadt?" asked the king. "You could
+as well be married there as elsewhere."<br>
+</p>
+
+"Because I don't trust your majesty," replied the American. "It
+must be done precisely as I say or not at all. Are you
+agreeable?" <br>
+<p>The king assented with a grumpy nod.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Then get up and write as I dictate," said Barney. Leopold of
+Lutha did as he was bid. The result was two short, crisply worded
+documents. At the bottom of each was the signature of Leopold of
+Lutha. Barney took the two papers and carefully tucked them
+beneath his pillow. <br>
+<p>"Now let's sleep," he said. "It is getting late and we both
+need the rest. In the morning we have long rides ahead of us.
+Good night."<br>
+</p>
+
+The king did not respond. In a short time Barney was fast asleep.
+The light still burned. <br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+
+<h1 id="ref_28">Chapter XIV "THE KING'S WILL IS LAW"</h1>
+
+<br>
+<p>THE BLENTZ princess frowned down upon the king and impostor
+impartially from her great gilt frame. It must have been close to
+midnight that the painting moved--just a fraction of an inch.
+Then it remained motionless for a time. Again it moved. This time
+it revealed a narrow crack at its edge. In the crack an eye
+shone.<br>
+</p>
+
+One of the sleepers moved. He opened his eyes. Stealthily he
+raised himself on his elbow and gazed at the other across the
+apartment. He listened intently. The regular breathing of the
+sleeper proclaimed the soundness of his slumber. Gingerly the man
+placed one foot upon the floor. The eye glued to the crack at the
+edge of the great, gilt frame of the Blentz princess remained
+fastened upon him. He let his other foot slip to the floor beside
+the first. Carefully he raised himself until he stood erect upon
+the floor. Then, on tiptoe he started across the room. <br>
+<p>The eye in the dark followed him. The man reached the side of
+the sleeper. Bending over he listened intently to the other's
+breathing. Satisfied that slumber was profound he stepped quickly
+to a wardrobe in which a soldier had hung the clothing of both
+the king and the American. He took down the uniform of the
+former, casting from time to time apprehensive glances toward the
+sleeper. The latter did not stir, and the other passed to the
+little dressing-room adjoining.<br>
+</p>
+
+A few minutes later he reentered the apartment fully clothed and
+wearing the accouterments of Leopold of Lutha. In his hand was a
+drawn sword. Silently and swiftly he crossed to the side of the
+sleeping man. The eye at the crack beside the gilded frame
+pressed closer to the aperture. The sword was raised above the
+body of the slumberer--its point hovered above his heart. The
+face of the man who wielded it was hard with firm resolve. <br>
+<p>His muscles tensed to drive home the blade, but something held
+his hand. His face paled. His shoulders contracted with a little
+shudder, and he turned toward the door of the apartment, almost
+running across the floor in his anxiety to escape. The eye in the
+dark maintained its unblinking vigilance.<br>
+</p>
+
+With his hand upon the knob a sudden thought stayed the
+fugitive's flight. He glanced quickly back at the sleeper --he
+had not moved. Then the man who wore the uniform of the king of
+Lutha recrossed the apartment to the bed, reached beneath one of
+the pillows and withdrew two neatly folded official-looking
+documents. These he placed in the breastpocket of his uniform. A
+moment later he was walking down the spiral stairway to the main
+floor of the castle. <br>
+<p>In the guardroom the troopers of the Royal Horse who were not
+on guard were stretched in slumber. Only a corporal remained
+awake. As the man entered the guardroom the corporal glanced up,
+and as his eyes fell upon the newcomer, he sprang to his feet,
+saluting.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Turn out the guard!" he cried. "Turn out the guard for his
+majesty, the king!" <br>
+<p>The sleeping soldiers, but half awake, scrambled to their
+feet, their muscles reacting to the command that their brains but
+half perceived. They snatched their guns from the racks and
+formed a line behind the corporal. The king raised his fingers to
+the vizor of his helmet in acknowledgment of their salute.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Saddle up quietly, corporal," he said. "We shall ride to Lustadt
+tonight." <br>
+<p>The non-commissioned officer saluted. "And an extra horse for
+Herr Custer?" he said.<br>
+</p>
+
+The king shook his head. "The man died of his wound about an hour
+ago," he said. "While you are saddling up I shall arrange with
+some of the Blentz servants for his burial --now hurry!" <br>
+<p>The corporal marched his troopers from the guardroom toward
+the stables. The man in the king's clothes touched a bell which
+was obviously a servant call. He waited impatiently a reply to
+his summons, tapping his finger-tips against the sword-scabbard
+that was belted to his side. At last a sleepy-eyed man
+responded--a man who had grown gray in the service of Peter of
+Blentz. At sight of the king he opened his eyes in astonishment,
+pulled his foretop, and bowed uneasily.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Come closer," whispered the king. The man did so, and the king
+spoke in his ear earnestly, but in scarce audible tones. The eyes
+of the listener narrowed to mere slits--of avarice and cunning,
+cruelly cold and calculating. The speaker searched through the
+pockets of the king's clothes that covered him. At last he
+withdrew a roll of bills. The amount must have been a large one,
+but he did not stop to count it. He held the money under the eyes
+of the servant. The fellow's claw-like fingers reached for the
+tempting wealth. He nodded his head affirmatively. <br>
+<p>"You may trust me, sire," he whispered.<br>
+</p>
+
+The king slipped the money into the other's palm. "And as much
+more," he said, "when I receive proof that my wishes have been
+fulfilled." <br>
+<p>"Thank you, sire," said the servant.<br>
+</p>
+
+The king looked steadily into the other's face before he spoke
+again. <br>
+<p>"And if you fail me," he said, "may God have mercy on your
+soul." Then he wheeled and left the guardroom, walking out into
+the courtyard where the soldiers were busy saddling their
+mounts.<br>
+</p>
+
+A few minutes later the party clattered over the drawbridge and
+down the road toward Blentz and Lustadt. From a window of the
+apartments of Peter of Blentz a man watched them depart. When
+they passed across a strip of moonlit road, and he had counted
+them, he smiled with relief. <br>
+<p>A moment later he entered a panel beside the huge fireplace in
+the west wall and disappeared. There he struck a match, found a
+candle and lighted it. Walking a few steps he came to a figure
+sleeping upon a pile of clothing. He stooped and shook the
+sleeper by the shoulder.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Wake up!" he cried in a subdued voice. "Wake up, Prince Peter; I
+have good news for you." <br>
+<p>The other opened his eyes, stretched, and at last sat up.<br>
+</p>
+
+"What is it, Maenck?" he asked querulously. <br>
+<p>"Great news, my prince," replied the other.<br>
+</p>
+
+"While you have been sleeping many things have transpired within
+the walls of your castle. The king's troopers have departed; but
+that is a small matter compared with the other. Here, behind the
+portrait of your great-grandmother, I have listened and watched
+all night. I opened the secret door a fraction of an inch--just
+enough to permit me to look into the apartment where the king and
+the American lay wounded. They had been talking as I opened the
+door, but after that they ceased--the king falling asleep at
+once-the American feigning slumber. For a long time I watched,
+but nothing happened until near midnight. Then the American arose
+and donned the king's clothes. <br>
+<p>"He approached Leopold with drawn sword, but when he would
+have thrust it through the heart of the sleeping man his nerve
+failed him. Then he stole some papers from the room and left.
+Just now he has ridden out toward Lustadt with the men of the
+Royal Horse who captured the castle yesterday."<br>
+</p>
+
+Before Maenck was half-way through his narrative, Peter of Blentz
+was wide awake and all attention. His eyes glowed with suddenly
+aroused interest. <br>
+<p>"Somewhere in this, prince," concluded Maenck, "there must lie
+the seed of fortune for you and me."<br>
+</p>
+
+Peter nodded. "Yes," he mused, "there must." <br>
+<p>For a time both men were buried in thought. Suddenly Maenck
+snapped his fingers. "I have it!" he cried. He bent toward Prince
+Peter's ear and whispered his plan. When he was done the Blentz
+prince grasped his hand.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Just the thing, Maenck!" he cried. "Just the thing. Leopold will
+never again listen to idle gossip directed against our loyalty.
+If I know him--and who should know him better--he will heap
+honors upon you, my Maenck; and as for me, he will at least
+forgive me and take me back into his confidence. Lose no time
+now, my friend. We are free now to go and come, since the king's
+soldiers have been withdrawn." <br>
+<p>In the garden back of the castle an old man was busy digging a
+hole. It was a long, narrow hole, and, when it was completed,
+nearly four feet deep. It looked like a grave. When he had
+finished the old man hobbled to a shed that leaned against the
+south wall. Here were boards, tools, and a bench. It was the
+castle workshop. The old man selected a number of rough pine
+boards. These he measured and sawed, fitted and nailed, working
+all the balance of the night. By dawn, he had a long, narrow box,
+just a trifle smaller than the hole he had dug in the garden. The
+box resembled a crude coffin. When it was quite finished,
+including a cover, he dragged it out into the garden and set it
+upon two boards that spanned the hole, so that it rested
+precisely over the excavation.<br>
+</p>
+
+All these precautions methodically made, he returned to the
+castle. In a little storeroom he searched for and found an ax.
+With his thumb he felt of the edge--for an ax it was marvelously
+sharp. The old fellow grinned and shook his head, as one who
+appreciates in anticipation the consummation of a good joke. Then
+he crept noiselessly through the castle's corridors and up the
+spiral stairway in the north tower. In one hand was the sharp ax.
+<br>
+<p>The moment Lieutenant Butzow had reached Lustadt he had gone
+directly to Prince von der Tann; but the moment his message had
+been delivered to the chancellor he sought out the chancellor's
+daughter, to tell her all that had occurred at Blentz.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I saw but little of Mr. Custer," he said. "He was very quiet. I
+think all that he has been through has unnerved him. He was
+slightly wounded in the left leg. The king was wounded in the
+breast. His majesty conducted himself in a most valiant and
+generous manner. Wounded, he lay upon his stomach in the
+courtyard of the castle and defended Mr. Custer, who was, of
+course, unarmed. The king shot three of Prince Peter's soldiers
+who were attempting to assassinate Mr. Custer." <br>
+<p>Emma von der Tann smiled. It was evident that Lieutenant
+Butzow had not discovered the deception that had been practiced
+upon him in common with all Lutha--she being the only exception.
+It seemed incredible that this good friend of the American had
+not seen in the heroism of the man who wore the king's clothes
+the attributes and ear-marks of Barney Custer. She glowed with
+pride at the narration of his heroism, though she suffered with
+him because of his wound.<br>
+</p>
+
+It was not yet noon when the detachment of the Royal Horse
+arrived in Lustadt from Blentz. At their head rode one whom all
+upon the streets of the capital greeted enthusiastically as king.
+The party rode directly to the royal palace, and the king retired
+immediately to his apartments. A half hour later an officer of
+the king's household knocked upon the door of the Princess Emma
+von der Tann's boudoir. In accord with her summons he entered,
+saluted respectfully, and handed her a note. <br>
+<p>It was written upon the personal stationary of Leopold of
+Lutha. The girl read and reread it. For some time she could not
+seem to grasp the enormity of the thing that had overwhelmed
+her--the daring of the action that the message explained. The
+note was short and to the point, and was signed only with
+initials.<br>
+</p>
+
+DEAREST EMMA: <br>
+<p>The king died of his wounds just before midnight. I shall keep
+the throne. There is no other way. None knows and none must ever
+know the truth. Your father alone may suspect; but if we are
+married at once our alliance will cement him and his faction to
+us. Send word by the bearer that you agree with the wisdom of my
+plan, and that we may be wed at once--this afternoon, in
+fact.<br>
+</p>
+
+The people may wonder for a few days at the strange haste, but my
+answer shall be that I am going to the front with my troops. The
+son and many of the high officials of the Kaiser have already
+established the precedent, marrying hurriedly upon the eve of
+their departure for the front. <br>
+<p>With every assurance of my undying love, believe me,<br>
+</p>
+
+Yours, B. C. <br>
+<p>The girl walked slowly across the room to her writing table.
+The officer stood in respectful silence awaiting the answer that
+the king had told him to bring. The princess sat down before the
+carved bit of furniture. Mechanically she drew a piece of note
+paper from a drawer. Many times she dipped her pen in the ink
+before she could determine what reply to send. Ages of ingrained
+royalistic principles were shocked and shattered by the enormity
+of the thing the man she loved had asked of her, and yet cold
+reason told her that it was the only way.<br>
+</p>
+
+Lutha would be lost should the truth be known--that the king was
+dead, for there was no heir of closer blood connection with the
+royal house than Prince Peter of Blentz, whose great-grandmother
+had been a Rubinroth princess. Slowly, at last, she wrote as
+follows: <br>
+<p>SIRE: The king's will is law. EMMA<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<p>That was all. Placing the note in an envelope she sealed it
+and handed it to the officer, who bowed and left the room.<br>
+</p>
+
+A half hour later officers of the Royal Horse were riding through
+the streets of Lustadt. Some announced to the people upon the
+streets the coming marriage of the king and princess. Others rode
+to the houses of the nobility with the king's command that they
+be present at the ceremony in the old cathedral at four o'clock
+that afternoon. <br>
+<p>Never had there been such bustling about the royal palace or
+in the palaces of the nobles of Lutha. The buzz and hum of
+excited conversation filled the whole town. That the choice of
+the king met the approval of his subjects was more than evident.
+Upon every lip was praise and love of the Princess Emma von der
+Tann. The future of Lutha seemed assured with a king who could
+fight joined in marriage to a daughter of the warrior line of Von
+der Tann.<br>
+</p>
+
+The princess was busy up to the last minute. She had not seen her
+future husband since his return from Blentz, for he, too, had
+been busy. Twice he had sent word to her, but on both occasions
+had regretted that he could not come personally because of the
+pressure of state matters and the preparations for the ceremony
+that was to take place in the cathedral in so short a time. <br>
+<p>At last the hour arrived. The cathedral was filled to
+overflowing. After the custom of Lutha, the bride had walked
+alone up the broad center aisle to the foot of the chancel.
+Guardsmen lining the way on either hand stood rigidly at salute
+until she stopped at the end of the soft, rose-strewn carpet and
+turned to await the coming of the king.<br>
+</p>
+
+Presently the doors at the opposite end of the cathedral opened.
+There was a fanfare of trumpets, and up the center aisle toward
+the waiting girl walked the royal groom. It seemed ages to the
+princess since she had seen her lover. Her eyes devoured him as
+he approached her. She noticed that he limped, and wondered; but
+for a moment the fact carried no special suggestion to her brain.
+<br>
+<p>The people had risen as the king entered. Again, the pieces of
+the guardsmen had snapped to present; but silence, intense and
+utter, reigned over the vast assembly. The only movement was the
+measured stride of the king as he advanced to claim his
+bride.<br>
+</p>
+
+At the head of each line of guardsmen, nearest the chancel and
+upon either side of the bridal party, the ranks were formed of
+commissioned officers. Butzow was among them. He, too, out of the
+corner of his eye watched the advancing figure. Suddenly he noted
+the limp, and gave a little involuntary gasp. He looked at the
+Princess Emma, and saw her eyes suddenly widen with
+consternation. <br>
+<p>Slowly at first, and then in a sudden tidal wave of memory,
+Butzow's story of the fight in the courtyard at Blentz came back
+to her.<br>
+</p>
+
+"I saw but little of Mr. Custer," he had said. "He was slightly
+wounded in the left leg. The king was wounded in the breast." But
+Lieutenant Butzow had not known the true identity of either. <br>
+<p>The real Leopold it was who had been wounded in the left leg,
+and the man who was approaching her up the broad cathedral aisle
+was limping noticeably--and favoring his left leg. The man to
+whom she was to be married was not Barney Custer--he was Leopold
+of Lutha!<br>
+</p>
+
+A hundred mad schemes rioted through her brain. The wedding must
+not go on! But how was she to avert it? The king was within a few
+paces of her now. There was a smile upon his lips, and in that
+smile she saw the final confirmation of her fears. When Leopold
+of Lutha smiled his upper lip curved just a trifle into a shadow
+of a sneer. It was a trivial characteristic that Barney Custer
+did not share in common with the king. <br>
+<p>Half mad with terror, the girl seized upon the only subterfuge
+which seemed at all likely to succeed. It would, at least, give
+her a slight reprieve--a little time in which to think, and
+possibly find an avenue from her predicament.<br>
+</p>
+
+She staggered forward a step, clapped her two hands above her
+heart, and reeled as though to fall. Butzow, who had been
+watching her narrowly, sprang forward and caught her in his arms,
+where she lay limp with closed eyes as though in a dead faint.
+The king ran forward. The people craned their necks. A sudden
+burst of exclamations rose throughout the cathedral, and then
+Lieutenant Butzow, shouldering his way past the chancel, carried
+the Princess Emma to a little anteroom off the east transept.
+Behind him walked the king, the bishop, and Prince Ludwig. <br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+
+<h1 id="ref_29">Chapter XV MAENCK BLUNDERS</h1>
+
+<br>
+<p>AFTER a hurried breakfast Peter of Blentz and Captain Ernst
+Maenck left the castle of Blentz. Prince Peter rode north toward
+the frontier, Austria, and safety, Captain Maenck rode south
+toward Lustadt. Neither knew that general orders had been issued
+to soldiery and gendarmerie of Lutha to capture them dead or
+alive. So Prince Peter rode carelessly; but Captain Maenck,
+because of the nature of his business and the proximity of
+enemies about Lustadt, proceeded with circumspection.<br>
+</p>
+
+Prince Peter was arrested at Tafelberg, and, though he stormed
+and raged and threatened, he was immediately packed off under
+heavy guard back toward Lustadt. <br>
+<p>Captain Ernst Maenck was more fortunate. He reached the
+capital of Lutha in safety, though he had to hide on several
+occasions from detachments of troops moving toward the north.
+Once within the city he rode rapidly to the house of a friend.
+Here he learned that which set him into a fine state of
+excitement and profanity. The king and the Princess Emma von der
+Tann were to be wed that very afternoon! It lacked but half an
+hour to four o'clock.<br>
+</p>
+
+Maenck grabbed his cap and dashed from the house before his
+astonished friend could ask a single question. He hurried
+straight toward the cathedral. The king had just arrived, and
+entered when Maenck came up, breathless. The guard at the doorway
+did not recognize him. If they had they would have arrested him.
+Instead they contented themselves with refusing him admission,
+and when he insisted they threatened him with arrest. <br>
+<p>To be arrested now would be to ruin his fine plan, so he
+turned and walked away. At the first cross street he turned up
+the side of the cathedral. The grounds were walled up on this
+side, and he sought in vain for entrance. At the rear he
+discovered a limousine standing in the alley where its chauffeur
+had left it after depositing his passengers at the front door of
+the cathedral. The top of the limousine was but a foot or two
+below the top of the wall.<br>
+</p>
+
+Maenck clambered to the hood of the machine, and from there to
+the top. A moment later he dropped to the earth inside the
+cathedral grounds. Before him were many windows. Most of them
+were too high for him to reach, and the others that he tried at
+first were securely fastened. Passing around the end of the
+building, he at last discovered one that was open--it led into
+the east transept. <br>
+<p>Maenck crawled through. He was within the building that held
+the man he sought. He found himself in a small room --evidently a
+dressing-room. There were two doors leading from it. He
+approached one and listened. He heard the tones of subdued
+conversation beyond.<br>
+</p>
+
+Very cautiously he opened the door a crack. He could not believe
+the good fortune that was revealed before him. On a couch lay the
+Princess Emma von der Tann. Beside her her father. At the door
+was Lieutenant Butzow. The bishop and a doctor were talking at
+the head of the couch. Pacing up and down the room, resplendent
+in the marriage robes of a king of Lutha, was the man he sought.
+<br>
+<p>Maenck drew his revolver. He broke the barrel, and saw that
+there was a good cartridge in each chamber of the cylinder. He
+closed it quietly. Then he threw open the door, stepped into the
+room, took deliberate aim, and fired.<br>
+</p>
+
+The old man with the ax moved cautiously along the corridor upon
+the second floor of the Castle of Blentz until he came to a
+certain door. Gently he turned the knob and pushed the door
+inward. Holding the ax behind his back, he entered. In his pocket
+was a great roll of money, and there was to be an equal amount
+waiting him at Lustadt when his mission had been fulfilled. <br>
+<p>Once within the room, he looked quickly about him. Upon a
+great bed lay the figure of a man asleep. His face was turned
+toward the opposite wall away from the side of the bed nearer the
+menacing figure of the old servant. On tiptoe the man with the ax
+approached. The neck of his victim lay uncovered before him. He
+swung the ax behind him. a single blow, as mighty as his ancient
+muscles could deliver, would suffice.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney Custer opened his eyes. Directly opposite him upon the
+wall was a dark-toned photogravure of a hunting scene. It tilted
+slightly forward upon its wire support. As Barney's opened it
+chanced that they were directed straight upon the shiny glass of
+the picture. The light from the window struck the glass in such a
+way as to transform it into a mirror. The American's eyes were
+glued with horror upon the reflection that he saw there--an old
+man swinging a huge ax down upon his head. <br>
+<p>It is an open question as to which of the two was the most
+surprised at the cat-like swiftness of the movement that carried
+Barney Custer out of that bed and landed him in temporary safety
+upon the opposite side.<br>
+</p>
+
+With a snarl the old man ran around the foot of the bed to corner
+his prey between the bed and the wall. He was swinging the ax as
+though to hurl it. So close was he that Barney guessed it would
+be difficult for him to miss his mark. The least he could expect
+would be a frightful wound. To have attempted to escape would
+have necessitated turning his back to his adversary, inviting
+instant death. To grapple with a man thus armed appeared an
+equally hopeless alternative. <br>
+<p>Shoulder-high beside him hung the photogravure that had
+already saved his life once. Why not again? He snatched it from
+its hangings, lifted it above his head in both hands, and hurled
+it at the head of the old man. The glass shattered full upon the
+ancient's crown, the man's head went through the picture, and the
+frame settled over his shoulders. At the same instant Barney
+Custer leaped across the bed, seized a light chair, and turned to
+face his foe upon more even turns.<br>
+</p>
+
+The old man did not pause to remove the frame from about his
+neck. Blood trickled down his forehead and cheeks from deep
+gashes that the broken glass had made. Now he was in a berserker
+rage. <br>
+<p>As he charged again he uttered a peculiar whistling noise from
+between his set teeth. To the American it sounded like the
+hissing of a snake, and as he would have met a snake he met the
+venomous attack of the old man.<br>
+</p>
+
+When the short battle was over the Blentz servitor lay
+unconscious upon the floor, while above him leaned the American,
+uninjured, ripping long strips from a sheet torn from the bed,
+twisting them into rope-like strands and, with them, binding the
+wrists and ankles of his defeated foe. Finally he stuffed a gag
+between the toothless gums. <br>
+<p>Running to the wardrobe, he discovered that the king's uniform
+was gone. That, with the witness of the empty bed, told him the
+whole story. The American smiled. "More nerve than I gave him
+credit for," he mused, as he walked back to his bed and reached
+under the pillow for the two papers he had forced the king to
+sign. They, too, were gone. Slowly Barney Custer realized his
+plight, as there filtered through his mind a suggestion of the
+possibilities of the trick that had been played upon him.<br>
+</p>
+
+Why should Leopold wish these papers? Of course, he might merely
+have taken them that he might destroy them; but something told
+Barney Custer that such was not the case. And something, too,
+told him whither the king had ridden and what he would do there
+when he arrived. <br>
+<p>He ran back to the wardrobe. In it hung the peasant attire
+that he had stolen from the line of the careless house frau, and
+later wished upon his majesty the king. Barney grinned as he
+recalled the royal disgust with which Leopold had fingered the
+soiled garments. He scarce blamed him. Looking further toward the
+back of the wardrobe, the American discovered other clothing.<br>
+</p>
+
+He dragged it all out upon the floor. There was an old shooting
+jacket, several pairs of trousers and breeches, and a hunting
+coat. In a drawer at the bottom of the wardrobe he found many old
+shoes, puttees, and boots. <br>
+<p>From this miscellany he selected riding breeches, a pair of
+boots, and the red hunting coat as the only articles that fitted
+his rather large frame. Hastily he dressed, and, taking the ax
+the old man had brought to the room as the only weapon available,
+he walked boldly into the corridor, down the spiral stairway and
+into the guardroom.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney Custer was prepared to fight. He was desperate. He could
+have slunk from the Castle of Blentz as he had entered
+it--through the secret passageway to the ravine; but to attempt
+to reach Lustadt on foot was not at all compatible with the
+urgent haste that he felt necessary. He must have a horse, and a
+horse he would have if he had to fight his way through a Blentz
+army. <br>
+<p>But there were no armed retainers left at Blentz. The
+guardroom was vacant; but there were arms there and ammunition.
+Barney commandeered a sword and a revolver, then he walked into
+the courtyard and crossed to the stables. The way took him by the
+garden. In it he saw a coffin-like box resting upon planks above
+a grave-like excavation. Barney investigated. The box was empty.
+Once again he grinned. "It is not always wise," he mused, "to
+count your corpses before they're dead. What a lot of work the
+old man might have spared himself if he'd only caught his cadaver
+first-or at least tried to."<br>
+</p>
+
+Passing on by his own grave, he came to the stables. A groom was
+carrying a strong, clean-limbed hunter haltered in the doorway.
+The man looked up as Barney approached him. A puzzled expression
+entered the fellow's eyes. He was a young man--a stupid-looking
+lout. It was evident that he half recognized the face of the
+newcomer as one he had seen before. Barney nodded to him. <br>
+<p>"Never mind finishing," he said. "I am in a hurry. You may
+saddle him at once." The voice was authoritative--it brooked no
+demur. The groom touched his forehead, dropped the currycomb and
+brush, and turned back into the stable to fetch saddle and
+bridle.<br>
+</p>
+
+Five minutes later Barney was riding toward the gate. The
+portcullis was raised--the drawbridge spanned the moat --no guard
+was there to bar his way. The sunlight flooded the green valley,
+stretching lazily below him in the soft warmth of a mellow autumn
+morning. Behind him he had left the brooding shadows of the grim
+old fortress--the cold, cruel, depressing stronghold of intrigue,
+treason, and sudden death. <br>
+<p>He threw back his shoulders and filled his lungs with the
+sweet, pure air of freedom. He was a new man. The wound in his
+breast was forgotten. Lightly he touched his spurs to the
+hunter's sides. Tossing his head and curveting, the animal broke
+into a long, easy trot. Where the road dipped into the ravine and
+down through the village to the valley the rider drew his
+restless mount into a walk; but, once in the valley, he let him
+out. Barney took the short road to Lustadt. It would cut ten
+miles off the distance that the main wagonroad covered, and it
+was a good road for a horseman. It should bring him to Lustadt by
+one o'clock or a little after. The road wound through the hills
+to the east of the main highway, and was scarcely more than a
+trail where it crossed the Ru River upon a narrow bridge that
+spanned the deep mountain gorge that walls the Ru for ten miles
+through the hills.<br>
+</p>
+
+When Barney reached the river his hopes sank. The bridge was
+gone--dynamited by the Austrians in their retreat. The nearest
+bridge was at the crossing of the main highway over ten miles to
+the southwest. There, too, the river might be forded even if the
+Austrians had destroyed that bridge also; but here or elsewhere
+in the hills there could be no fording--the banks of the Ru were
+perpendicular cliffs. <br>
+<p>The misfortune would add nearly twenty miles to his
+journey--he could not now hope to reach Lustadt before late in
+the afternoon. Turning his horse back along the trail he had
+come, he retraced his way until he reached a narrow bridle path
+that led toward the southwest. The trail was rough and
+indistinct, yet he pushed forward, even more rapidly than safety
+might have suggested. The noble beast beneath him was all loyalty
+and ambition.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Take it easy, old boy," whispered Barney into the slim, pointed
+ears that moved ceaselessly backward and forward, "you'll get
+your chance when we strike the highway, never fear." <br>
+<p>And he did.<br>
+</p>
+
+So unexpected had been Maenck's entrance into the room in the
+east transept, so sudden his attack, that it was all over before
+a hand could be raised to stay him. At the report of his revolver
+the king sank to the floor. At almost the same instant Lieutenant
+Butzow whipped a revolver from beneath his tunic and fired at the
+assassin. Maenck staggered forward and stumbled across the body
+of the king. Butzow was upon him instantly, wresting the revolver
+from his fingers. Prince Ludwig ran to the king's side and,
+kneeling there, raised Leopold's head in his arms. The bishop and
+the doctor bent over the limp form. The Princess Emma stood a
+little apart. She had leaped from the couch where she had been
+lying. Her eyes were wide in horror. Her palms pressed to her
+cheeks. <br>
+<p>It was upon this scene that a hatless, dust-covered man in a
+red hunting coat burst through the door that had admitted Maenck.
+The man had seen and recognized the conspirator as he climbed to
+the top of the limousine and dropped within the cathedral
+grounds, and he had followed close upon his heels.<br>
+</p>
+
+No one seemed to note his entrance. All ears were turned toward
+the doctor, who was speaking. <br>
+<p>"The king is dead," he said.<br>
+</p>
+
+Maenck raised himself upon an elbow. He spoke feebly. <br>
+<p>"You fools," he cried. "That man was not the king. I saw him
+steal the king's clothes at Blentz and I followed him here. He is
+the American--the impostor." Then his eyes, circling the faces
+about him to note the results of his announcements, fell upon the
+face of the man in the red hunting coat. Amazement and wonder
+were in his face. Slowly he raised his finger and pointed.<br>
+</p>
+
+"There is the king," he said. <br>
+<p>Every eye turned in the direction he indicated. Exclamations
+of surprise and incredulity burst from every lip. The old
+chancellor looked from the man in the red hunting coat to the
+still form of the man upon the floor in the bloodspattered
+marriage garments of a king of Lutha. He let the king's head
+gently down upon the carpet, and then he rose to his feet and
+faced the man in the red hunting coat.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Who are you?" he demanded. <br>
+<p>Before Barney could speak Lieutenant Butzow spoke.<br>
+</p>
+
+"He is the king, your highness," he said. "I rode with him to
+Blentz to free Mr. Custer. Both were wounded in the courtyard in
+the fight that took place there. I helped to dress their wounds.
+The king was wounded in the breast-Mr. Custer in the left leg."
+<br>
+<p>Prince von der Tann looked puzzled. Again he turned his eyes
+questioningly toward the newcomer.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Is this the truth?" he asked. <br>
+<p>Barney looked toward the Princess Emma. In her eyes he could
+read the relief that the sight of him alive had brought her.
+Since she had recognized the king she had believed that Barney
+was dead. The temptation was great--he dreaded losing her, and he
+feared he would lose her when her father learned the truth of the
+deception that had been practiced upon him. He might lose even
+more--men had lost their heads for tampering with the affairs of
+kings.<br>
+</p>
+
+"Well?" persisted the chancellor. <br>
+<p>"Lieutenant Butzow is partially correct--he honestly believes
+that he is entirely so," replied the American. "He did ride with
+me from Lustadt to Blentz to save the man who lies dead here at
+your feet. The lieutenant thought that he was riding with his
+king, just as your highness thought that he was riding with his
+king during the battle of Lustadt. You were both wrong--you were
+riding with Mr. Bernard Custer, of Beatrice. I am he. I have no
+apologies to make. What I did I would do again. I did it for
+Lutha and for the woman I love. She knows and the king knew that
+I intended restoring his identity to him with no one the wiser
+for the interchange that had taken place. The king upset my plans
+by stealing back his identity while I slept, with the result that
+you see before you upon the floor. He has died as he had
+lived--futilely."<br>
+</p>
+
+As he spoke the Princess Emma had crossed the room toward him.
+Now she stood at his side, her hand in his. Tense silence reigned
+in the apartment. The old chancellor stood with bowed head,
+buried in thought. All eyes were upon him except those of the
+doctor, who had turned his attention from the dead king to the
+wounded assassin. Butzow stood looking at Barney Custer in open
+relief and admiration. He had been trying to vindicate his friend
+in his own mind ever since he had discovered, as he believed,
+that Barney had tricked Leopold after the latter had saved his
+life at Blentz and ridden to Lustadt in the king's guise. Now
+that he knew the whole truth he realized how stupid he had been
+not to guess that the man who had led the victorious Luthanian
+army before Lustadt could not have been the cowardly Leopold.
+<br>
+<p>Presently the chancellor broke the silence.<br>
+</p>
+
+"You say that Leopold of Lutha lived futilely. You are right; but
+when you say that he has died futilely, you are, I believe,
+wrong. Living, he gave us a poor weakling. Dying, he leaves the
+throne to a brave man, in whose veins flows the blood of the
+Rubinroths, hereditary rulers of Lutha. <br>
+<p>"You are the only rightful successor to the throne of Lutha,"
+he argued, "other than Peter of Blentz. Your mother's marriage to
+a foreigner did not bar the succession of her offspring. Aside
+from the fact that Peter of Blentz is out of the question, is the
+more important fact that your line is closer to the throne than
+his. He knew it, and this knowledge was the real basis of his
+hatred of you."<br>
+</p>
+
+As the old chancellor ceased speaking he drew his sword and
+raised it on high above his head. <br>
+<p>"The king is dead," he said. "Long live the king!"<br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<h1 id="ref_30">Chapter XVI KING OF LUTHA</h1>
+
+<br>
+BARNEY CUSTER, of Beatrice, had no desire to be king of Lutha. He
+lost no time in saying so. All that he wanted of Lutha was the
+girl he had found there, as his father before him had found the
+girl of his choice. Von der Tann pleaded with him. <br>
+<p>"Twice have I fought under you, sire," he urged. "Twice, and
+only twice since the old king died, have I felt that the future
+of Lutha was safe in the hands of her ruler, and both these times
+it was you who sat upon the throne. Do not desert us now. Let me
+live to see Lutha once more happy, with a true Rubinroth upon the
+throne and my daughter at his side."<br>
+</p>
+
+Butzow added his pleas to those of the old chancellor. The
+American hesitated. <br>
+<p>"Let us leave it to the representatives of the people and to
+the house of nobles," he suggested.<br>
+</p>
+
+The chancellor of Lutha explained the situation to both houses.
+Their reply was unanimous. He carried it to the American, who
+awaited the decision of Lutha in the royal apartments of the
+palace. With him was the Princess Emma von der Tann. <br>
+<p>"The people of Lutha will have no other king, sire," said the
+old man.<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney turned toward the girl. <br>
+<p>"There is no other way, my lord king," she said with grave
+dignity. "With her blood your mother bequeathed you a duty which
+you may not shirk. It is not for you or for me to choose. God
+chose for you when you were born."<br>
+</p>
+
+Barney Custer took her hand in his and raised it to his lips.
+<br>
+<p>"Let the King of Lutha," he said, "be the first to salute
+Lutha's queen."<br>
+</p>
+
+And so Barney Custer, of Beatrice, was crowned King of Lutha, and
+Emma became his queen. Maenck died of his wound on the floor of
+the little room in the east transept of the cathedral of Lustadt
+beside the body of the king he had slain. Prince Peter of Blentz
+was tried by the highest court of Lutha on the charge of treason;
+he was found guilty and hanged. Von Coblich committed suicide on
+the eve of his arrest. Lieutenant Otto Butzow was ennobled and
+given the confiscated estates of the Blentz prince. He became a
+general in the army of Lutha, and was sent to the front in
+command of the army corps that guarded the northern frontier of
+the little kingdom. <br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+
+<br>
+<p>End of Project Gutenberg Etext of The Mad King by Edgar Rice
+Burroughs<br>
+</p>
+
+I have made the following changes to the text: PAGE CHAPTER
+PARAGRAPH LINE ORIGINAL CHANGED TO 72 VIII 3 1 Ludstadt Lustadt
+81 3 2 mier miter 83 7 3 Ludstadt Lustadt 86 3 2 him arm his arm
+90 4 4 monarch, he monarch he 94 2 4 colums columns 98 2 2
+imposter impostor 121 1 1 approaced approached 126 2 5 from from
+the 140 6 5 whom, appeared whom appeared 142 5 1 once side one
+side 143 4 8 knew drew 158 4 5 presumptious presumptuous 182 5 3
+jeweler's shot jeweler's shop 189 8 2 ingrate?" ingrate? 193 5 3
+oil panting oil painting 200 7 1 soldiers soldier 211 2 1 men and
+woman men and women 212 3 5 instruments instrument 217 4 1 The
+cheered They cheered 217 6 2 gril's face girl's face 218 1
+magnamity magnanimity 218 7 2 him. Barney's him, Barney's 225 3 3
+horseman horsemen 228 5 1 ajaculated ejaculated 233 8 6 king of
+Lustadt, king of Lutha, 234 6 2 You "You 251 9 Luthania army
+Luthanian army 252 2 3 poor, weakling poor weakling <br>
+<p><br>
+</p>
+
+End of Project Gutenberg Etext of The Mad King by Edgar Rice
+Burroughs <br>
+</body>
+</html>
+
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