EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS

THE MAD KING

PART I

I

A RUNAWAY HORSE

All Lustadt was in an uproar. The mad king had escaped. Littleknots of excited men stood upon the street corners listening to eachlatest rumor concerning this most absorbing occurrence. Before thepalace 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 theboy-king who had been hastened to the grim castle of Blentz upon thedeath of the old king, his father. 

There had been murmurings then when the lad's uncle, Peter ofBlentz, had announced to the people of Lutha the sudden mentalaffliction which had fallen upon his nephew, and more murmurings fora time after the announcement that Peter of Blentz had beenappointed Regent during the lifetime of the young King Leopold, "oruntil God, in His infinite mercy, shall see fit to restore to us infull mental vigor our beloved monarch. "

But ten years is a long time. The boy-king had become but a vaguememory to the subjects who could recall him at all. 

There were many, of course, in the capital city, Lustadt, who stillretained a mental picture of the handsome boy who had ridden outnearly every morning from the palace gates beside the tall, martialfigure of the old king, his father, for a canter across the broadplain which lies at the foot of the mountain town of Lustadt; buteven these had long since given up hope that their young king wouldever ascend his throne, or even that they should see him aliveagain. 

Peter of Blentz had not proved a good or kind ruler. Taxes haddoubled during his regency. Executives and judiciary, following theexample of their chief, had become tyrannical and corrupt. For tenyears there had been small joy in Lutha. 

There had been whispered rumors off and on that the young king wasdead these many years, but not even in whispers did the men of Luthadare voice the name of him whom they believed had caused his death. For lesser things they had seen their friends and neighbors throwninto the hitherto long-unused dungeons of the royal castle. 

And now came the rumor that Leopold of Lutha had escaped the Castleof Blentz and was roaming somewhere in the wild mountains or ravinesupon 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-visagedminister of war, "there's more than coincidence in this matter. Someone has betrayed us. That he should have escaped upon the veryeve of the arrival at Blentz of the new physician is mostsuspicious. None but you, Coblich, had knowledge of the part thatDr. Stein was destined to play in this matter, " concluded PrincePeter pointedly. 

Coblich looked the Regent full in the eye. 

"Your highness wrongs not only my loyalty, but my intelligence, " hesaid quietly, "by even so much as intimating that I have any guiltyknowledge of Leopold's escape. With Leopold upon the throne ofLutha, where, think you, my prince, would old Coblich be?"

Peter smiled. 

"You are right, Coblich, " he said. "I know that you would not besuch a fool; but whom, then, have we to thank?"

"The walls have ears, prince, " replied Coblich, "and we have notalways 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 fora 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 pointto curry favor with the common soldiers. When he was minister of warhe treated them better than he did his officers. "

"It seems strange, Coblich, that so shrewd a man as you should havebeen unable to discover some irregularity in the political life ofPrince Ludwig von der Tann before now, " said the prince querulously. "He is the greatest menace to our peace and sovereignty. With Vonder Tann out of the way there would be none powerful enough toquestion our right to the throne of Lutha--after poor Leopold passesaway. "

"You forget that Leopold has escaped, " suggested Coblich, "and thatthere 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 thepeople--this and a thorough description of him. A handsome rewardfor his safe return to Blentz might not be out of the way, Coblich. "

"It shall be done, your highness, " replied Coblich. "And about Vonder Tann? You have never spoken to me quite so--ah--er--pointedlybefore. He hunts a great deal in the Old Forest. It might bepossible--in fact, it has happened, before--there are many accidentsin hunting, are there not, your highness?"

"There are, Coblich, " replied the prince, "and if Leopold is able hewill make straight for the Tann, so that there may be two huntingtogether in a day or so, Coblich. "

"I understand, your highness, " replied the minister. "With yourpermission, I shall go at once and dispatch troops to search theforest for Leopold. Captain Maenck will command them. "

"Good, Coblich! Maenck is a most intelligent and loyal officer. Wemust reward him well. A baronetcy, at least, if he handles thismatter well, " said Peter. "It might not be a bad plan to hint at asmuch to him, Coblich. "

And so it happened that shortly thereafter Captain Ernst Maenck, incommand of a troop of the Royal Horse Guards of Lutha, set outtoward the Old Forest, which lies beyond the mountains that arevisible upon the other side of the plain stretching out beforeLustadt. At the same time other troopers rode in many directionsalong the highways and byways of Lutha, tacking placards upon treesand fence posts and beside the doors of every little rural postoffice. 

The placard told of the escape of the mad king, offering a largereward for his safe return to Blentz. 

It was the last paragraph especially which caused a young man, thefollowing day in the little hamlet of Tafelberg, to whistle as hecarefully read it over. 

"I am glad that I am not the mad king of Lutha, " he said as he paidthe storekeeper for the gasoline he had just purchased and steppedinto 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 theking, " replied the traveler. "Worse still, it gives such an accountof the maniacal ferocity of the fugitive as to warrant anyone inshooting him on sight. "

As the young man spoke the storekeeper had examined his face closelyfor the first time. A shrewd look came into the man's ordinarilystolid countenance. He leaned forward quite close to the other'sear. 

"We of Lutha, " he whispered, "love our 'mad king'--no reward couldbe offered that would tempt us to betray him. Even inself-protection we would not kill him, we of the mountains whoremember 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 mustguard against. I could not help but note that mein Herr spoke tooperfect German for a foreigner. Were I in mein Herr's place, Ishould speak mostly the English, and, too, I should shave off the'full, reddish-brown beard. '"

Whereupon the storekeeper turned hastily back into his shop, leavingBarney Custer of Beatrice, Nebraska, U. S. A. , to wonder if all theinhabitants of Lutha were afflicted with a mental disorder similarto that of the unfortunate ruler. 

"I don't wonder, " soliloquized the young man, "that he advised me toshave off this ridiculous crop of alfalfa. Hang election bets, anyway; if things had gone half right I shouldn't have had to wearthis badge of idiocy. And to think that it's got to be for a wholemonth longer! A year's a mighty long while at best, but a year incompany with a full set of red whiskers is an eternity. "

The road out of Tafelberg wound upward among tall trees toward thepass that would lead him across the next valley on his way to theOld Forest, where he hoped to find some excellent shooting. All his life Barney had promised himself that some day he shouldvisit his mother's native land, and now that he was here he found itas wild and beautiful as she had said it would be. 

Neither his mother nor his father had ever returned to the littlecountry since the day, thirty years before, that the big Americanhad literally stolen his bride away, escaping across the border buta scant half-hour ahead of the pursuing troop of Luthanian cavalry. Barney had often wondered why it was that neither of them would everspeak of those days, or of the early life of his mother, VictoriaRubinroth, though of the beauties of her native land Mrs. Custernever tired of talking. 

Barney Custer was thinking of these things as his machine wound upthe picturesque road. Just before him was a long, heavy grade, andas he took it with open muffler the chugging of his motor drownedthe 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 speedof the animal would have been enough to have told him that it wasbeyond the control of its frail rider, even without the addedtestimony of the broken bit that dangled beneath the tenselyoutstretched chin. 

Foam flecked the beast's neck and shoulders. It was evident thatthe horse had been running for some distance, yet its speed wasstill that of the thoroughly frightened runaway. 

The road at the point where the animal had passed Custer was cutfrom the hillside. At the left an embankment rose steeply to aheight of ten or fifteen feet. On the right there was a drop of ahundred feet or more into a wooded ravine. Ahead, the roadapparently ran quite straight and smooth for a considerabledistance. 

Barney Custer knew that so long as the road ran straight the girlmight be safe enough, for she was evidently an excellent horsewoman;but he also knew that if there should be a sharp turn to the leftahead, the horse in his blind fright would in all probability dashheadlong into the ravine below him. 

There was but a single thing that the man might attempt if he wereto save the girl from the almost certain death which seemed in storefor her, since he knew that sooner or later the road would turn, asall mountain roads do. The chances that he must take, if he failed, could only hasten the girl's end. There was no alternative except tosit supinely by and see the fear-crazed horse carry its rider intoeternity, and Barney Custer was not the sort for that role. 

Scarcely had the beast come abreast of him than his foot leaped tothe accelerator. Like a frightened deer the gray roadster sprangforward in pursuit. The road was narrow. Two machines could not havepassed upon it. Barney took the outside that he might hold the horseaway from the dangerous ravine. 

At the sound of the whirring thing behind him the animal cast anaffrighted glance in its direction, and with a little squeal ofterror redoubled its frantic efforts to escape. The girl, too, looked back over her shoulder. Her face was very white, but her eyeswere steady and brave. 

Barney Custer smiled up at her in encouragement, and the girl smiledback at him. 

"She's sure a game one, " thought Barney. 

Now she was calling to him. At first he could not catch her wordsabove 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 tothe 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 wasbarely room between the horse and the edge of the road for the fourwheels of the roadster, and Barney must be very careful not to touchthe horse. The thought of that and what it would mean to the girlsent a cold shudder through Barney Custer's athletic frame. 

The man cast a glance to his right. His machine drove from the leftside, 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-handfender, the wheels on that side must have been on the very verge ofthe embankment. 

Now he was abreast the girl. Just ahead he could see where the roaddisappeared around a corner of the bluff at the dangerous curve thegirl had warned him against. 

Custer leaned far out over the side of his car. The lunging of thehorse in his stride, and the swaying of the leaping car carried himfirst close to the girl and then away again. With his right hand heheld the car between the frantic horse and the edge of theembankment. His left hand, outstretched, was almost at the girl'swaist. The turn was just before them. 

"Jump!" cried Barney. 

The girl fell backward from her mount, turning to grasp Custer's armas it closed about her. At the same instant Barney closed thethrottle, and threw all the weight of his body upon the foot brake. 

The gray roadster swerved toward the embankment as the hind wheelsskidded on the loose surface gravel. They were at the turn. Thehorse was just abreast the bumper. There was one chance in athousand 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 notturn--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 fullin the side. There was a sickening lurch as the hind wheels slidover the embankment, and then the man shoved the girl from therunning board to the road, and horse, man and roadster went overinto the ravine. 

A moment before a tall young man with a reddish-brown beard hadstood at the turn of the road listening intently to the sound of thehurrying hoof beats and the purring of the racing motor carapproaching from the distance. In his eyes lurked the look of thehunted. For a moment he stood in evident indecision, but just beforethe runaway horse and the pursuing machine came into view he slippedover the edge of the road to slink into the underbrush far downtoward the bottom of the ravine. 

When Barney pushed the girl from the running board she fell heavilyto the road, rolling over several times, but in an instant shescrambled to her feet, hardly the worse for the tumble other than afew scratches. 

Quickly she ran to the edge of the embankment, a look of immenserelief coming to her soft, brown eyes as she saw her rescuerscrambling 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 hada nasty fall. "

"I am not hurt at all, " she replied. "But for you I should be lyingdead, or terribly maimed down there at the bottom of that awfulravine at this very moment. It's awful. " She drew her shouldersupward in a little shudder of horror. "But how did you escape? Evennow 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 nothingto do with it I am positive. It was just luck. I simply dropped outonto that bush down there. "

They were standing side by side, now peering down into the ravinewhere the car was visible, bottom side up against a tree, near thebase of the declivity. The horse's head could be seen protrudingfrom beneath the wreckage. 

"I'd better go down and put him out of his misery, " said Barney, "ifhe is not already dead. "

"I think he is quite dead, " said the girl. "I have not seen himmove. "

Just then a little puff of smoke arose from the machine, followed bya tongue of yellow flame. Barney had already started toward thehorse. 

"Please don't go, " begged the girl. "I am sure that he is quitedead, and it wouldn't be safe for you down there now. The gasolinetank may explode any minute. "

Barney stopped. 

"Yes, he is dead all right, " he said, "but all my belongings aredown there. My guns, six-shooters and all my ammunition. And, " headded ruefully, "I've heard so much about the brigands that infestthese mountains. "

The girl laughed. 

"Those stories are really exaggerated, " she said. "I was born inLutha, 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 beafraid. "

Barney Custer looked up at her quickly, and then he grinned. Hisonly fear had been that he would not meet brigands, for Mr. BernardCuster, Jr. , was young and the spirit of Romance and Adventurebreathed strong within him. 

"Why do you smile?" asked the girl. 

"At our dilemma, " evaded Barney. "Have you paused to consider oursituation?"

The girl smiled, too. 

"It is most unconventional, " she said. "On foot and alone in themountains, far from home, and we do not even know each other'sname. "

"Pardon me, " cried Barney, bowing low. "Permit me to introducemyself. I am, " and then to the spirits of Romance and Adventure wasadded 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 whathe had expected. An American girl would have laughed, knowing thathe but joked. This girl did not laugh. Instead her face went white, and she clutched her bosom with her two hands. Her brown eyes peeredsearchingly 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 pressedit to her lips. 

Here was a pretty muddle! Barney Custer swore at himself inwardlyfor a boorish fool. What in the world had ever prompted him to speakthose ridiculous words! And now how was he to unsay them withoutmortifying 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 cleanbreast of it. Somehow, he managed to stumble through his explanationof what had prompted him, and when he had finished he saw that thegirl was smiling indulgently at him. 

"It shall be Mr. Bernard Custer if you wish it so, " she said; "butyour majesty need fear nothing from Emma von der Tann. Your secretis as safe with me as with yourself, as the name of Von der Tannmust assure you. "

She looked to see the expression of relief and pleasure that herfather's name should have brought to the face of Leopold of Lutha, but when he gave no indication that he had ever before heard thename 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 forgiveand forget my foolish words, and then let me accompany you to theend of your journey. "

"Whither were you bound when I became the means of wrecking yourmotor 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 herfather scout the idea that Leopold was mad. For what other purposewould he hasten toward the Old Forest than to take refuge in herfather'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 therequickly and in safety I can show you a short path across themountains that my father taught me years ago. It touches the mainroad but once or twice, and much of the way passes through densewoods and undergrowth where an army might hide. "

"Hadn't we better find the nearest town, " suggested Barney, "where Ican obtain some sort of conveyance to take you home?"

"It would not be safe, " said the girl. "Peter of Blentz will havetroops out scouring all Lutha about Blentz and the Old Forest untilthe king is captured. "

Barney Custer shook his head despairingly. 

"Won't you please believe that I am but a plain American?" hebegged. 

Upon the bole of a large wayside tree a fresh, new placard staredthem in the face. Emma von der Tann pointed at one of theparagraphs. 

"Gray eyes, brown hair, and a full reddish-brown beard, " she read. "No matter who you may be, " she said, "you are safer off thehighways 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 mindrose 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 ofwearing a green wastebasket bonnet trimmed with red roses for sixmonths, or a beard for twelve. If I shave off the beard before thefifth of November I shall be without honor in the sight of all menor else I shall have to wear the green bonnet. The beard is badenough, but the bonnet--ugh!"

Emma von der Tann was now quite assured that the poor fellow wasindeed quite demented, but she had seen no indications of violenceas yet, though when that too might develop there was no telling. However, he was to her Leopold of Lutha, and her father's house hadbeen loyal to him or his ancestors for three hundred years. 

If she must sacrifice her life in the attempt, nevertheless stillmust she do all within her power to save her king from recapture andto lead him in safety to the castle upon the Tann. 

"Come, " she said; "we waste time here. Let us make haste, for theway is long. At best we cannot reach Tann by dark. "

"I will do anything you wish, " replied Barney, "but I shall neverforgive myself for having caused you the long and tedious journeythat lies before us. It would be perfectly safe to go to the nearesttown and secure a rig. "

Emma von der Tann had heard that it was always well to humor maniacsand 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 yourbeard. "

Barney started to laugh, but when he saw the deep seriousness of thegirl's eyes he changed his mind. Then he recalled her ratherpeculiar insistence that he was a king, and it suddenly occurred tohim 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, " forhe had determined that the best way to handle her would be to humorher--he had always heard that that was the proper method forhandling the mentally defective. "Where is the--er--ah--sanatorium?"he blurted out at last. 

"The what?" she asked. "There is no sanatorium near here, yourmajesty, 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 othermight do next. 

Barney had evolved a plan. He would try and ascertain the locationof the institution from which the girl had escaped and then asgently as possible lead her back to it. It was not safe for asbeautiful a woman as she to be roaming through the forest in anysuch manner as this. He wondered what in the world the authoritiesat the asylum had been thinking of to permit her to ride out alonein 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 suddenlydifficult and he took the girl's arm to help her down a rather steepplace. At the bottom of the ravine there was a little brook. 

"There used to be a fallen log across it here, " said the girl. "Howin the world am I ever to get across, your majesty?"

"If you call me that again, I shall begin to believe that I am aking, " he humored her, "and then, being a king, I presume that itwouldn't be proper for me to carry you across, or would it? Neverreally 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 tobelieve that he was the king. In fact, he looked much as she hadalways pictured Leopold as looking. She had known him as a boy, andthere were many paintings and photographs of his ancestors in herfather's castle. She saw much resemblance between these and theyoung man. 

The brook was very narrow, and the girl thought that it took theyoung man an unreasonably long time to carry her across, though shewas forced to admit that she was far from uncomfortable in thestrong arms that bore her so easily. 

"Why, what are you doing?" she cried presently. "You are notcrossing the stream at all. You are walking right up the middle ofit!"

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 notbelieve that insanity lurked behind that laughing, level gaze of hercarrier. She found herself continually forgetting that the man wasmad. He had turned toward the bank now, and a couple of stepscarried them to the low sward that fringed the little brooklet. Herehe lowered her to the ground. 

"Your majesty is very strong, " she said. "I should not haveexpected it after the years of confinement you have suffered. "

"Yes, " he said, realizing that he must humor her--it was difficultto remember that this lovely girl was insane. "Let me see, now justwhat was I in prison for? I do not seem to be able to recall it. InNebraska, they used to hang men for horse stealing; so I am sure itmust have been something else not quite so bad. Do you happen toknow?"

"When the king, your father, died you were thirteen years old, " thegirl explained, hoping to reawaken the sleeping mind, "and then youruncle, Prince Peter of Blentz, announced that the shock of yourfather's death had unbalanced your mind. He shut you up in Blentzthen, 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 yourlife so that Peter may become king. But I suppose you learned ofthat, 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 themad king's subjects were as loyal as you, and as brave, he would nothave languished for ten years behind the walls of Blentz. "

"I am a Von der Tann, " she said proudly, as though that wasexplanation sufficient to account for any bravery or loyalty. 

"Even a Von der Tann might, without dishonor, hesitate to accompanya mad man through the woods, " he replied, "especially if shehappened 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 shediscovered that she would very much have liked to hear him say it. 

"Suppose, " said Barney, "that Peter's soldiers run across us--whatthen?"

"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 ispossible that Peter might do so. He hates my father even more nowthan he did when the old king lived. "

"I wish, " said Mr. Custer, "that I had gone down after my guns. Whydidn't you tell me, in the first place, that I was a king, and thatI might get you in trouble if you were found with me? Why, they mayeven take me for an emperor or a mikado--who knows? And then look atall 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 wastebaskethat with the red roses?" asked Barney. 

A very sad look came into the girl's eyes. It was pitiful to thinkthat this big, handsome young man, for whose return to the throneall Lutha had prayed for ten long years, was only a silly half-wit. What might he not have accomplished for his people had this terriblemisfortune not overtaken him! In every other way he seemed fitted tobe the savior of his country. If she could but make him remember!

"Your majesty, " she said, "do you not recall the time that yourfather came upon a state visit to my father's castle? You were alittle boy then. He brought you with him. I was a little girl, andwe played together. You would not let me call you 'highness, ' butinsisted that I should always call you Leopold. When I forgot youwould accuse me of lese-majeste, and sentence me to--to punishment. "

"What was the punishment?" asked Barney, noticing her hesitation andwishing to encourage her in the pretty turn her dementia had taken. 

Again the girl hesitated; she hated to say it, but if it would helpto 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-majesteoften. "

"We were little children then, your majesty, " the girl reminded him. 

Had he thought her of sound mind Mr. Custer might have takenadvantage of his royal prerogatives on the spot, for the girl's lipswere most tempting; but when he remembered the poor, weak mind, tears almost came to his eyes, and there sprang to his heart a greatdesire to protect and guard this unfortunate child. 

"And when I was Crown Prince what were you, way back there in thebeautiful 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 aprincess! 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 abargain?"

"The king's will is law, " she said. 

They had come to a very steep hillside, up which thehalf-obliterated trail zigzagged toward the crest of a flat-toppedhill. 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, breathingheavily after the stiff climb. 

The girl's hair had come loose about her temples and a lock wasblowing over her face. Her cheeks were very red and her eyes bright. Barney thought he had never looked upon a lovelier picture. Hesmiled down into her eyes and she smiled back at him. 

"I wished, back there a way, " he said, "that that little brook hadbeen as wide as the ocean--now I wish that this little hill had beenas 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 shenever uttered it, for at that moment a ruffian in picturesque ragsleaped out from behind a near-by bush, confronting them with leveledrevolver. He was so close that the muzzle of the weapon almosttouched Barney's face. In that the fellow made his mistake. 

"You see, " said Barney unexcitedly, "that I was right about thebrigands after all. What do you want, my man?"

The man's eyes had suddenly gone wide. He stared with open mouth atthe 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 itplain that you would be worth as much dead as alive, and I have nomind to lose you, so do not tempt me to kill you. "

Barney's hands went up, but not in the way that the brigand hadexpected. Instead, one of them seized his weapon and shoved itaside, while with the other Custer planted a blow between his eyesand sent him reeling backward. The two men closed, fighting forpossession of the gun. In the scrimmage it was exploded, but amoment later the American succeeded in wresting it from hisadversary and hurled it into the ravine. 

Striking at one another, the two surged backward and forward at thevery edge of the hill, each searching for the other's throat. Thegirl stood by, watching the battle with wide, frightened eyes. Ifshe could only do something to aid the king!

She saw a loose stone lying at a little distance from the fightersand hastened to procure it. If she could strike the brigand a singlegood blow on the side of the head, Leopold might easily overpowerhim. When she had gathered up the rock and turned back toward thetwo she saw that the man she thought to be the king was not much inthe way of needing outside assistance. She could not but marvel atthe strength and dexterity of this poor fellow who had spent almosthalf his life penned within the four walls of a prison. It must be, she thought, the superhuman strength with which maniacs are alwayscredited. 

Nevertheless, she hurried toward them with her weapon; but justbefore she reached them the brigand made a last mad effort to freehimself from the fingers that had found his throat. He lungedbackward, dragging the other with him. His foot struck upon the rootof 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 headedby an officer break through the trees at a short distance from wherethe 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 isyour highness?"

The girl paid no attention to the officer. Instead, she hurrieddown the steep embankment toward the underbrush into which the twomen had fallen. There was no sound from below, and no movement inthe bushes to indicate that a moment before two desperately battlinghuman beings had dropped among them. 

The soldiers were close upon the girl's heels, but it was she whofirst reached the two quiet figures that lay side by side upon thestony ground halfway down the hillside. 

When the officer stopped beside her she was sitting on the groundholding the head of one of the combatants in her lap. 

A little stream of blood trickled from a wound in the forehead. Theofficer stooped closer. 

"He is dead?" he asked. 

"The king is dead, " replied the Princess Emma von der Tann, a littlesob in her voice. 

"The king!" exclaimed the officer; and then, as he bent lower overthe white face: "Leopold!"

The girl nodded. 

"We were searching for him, " said the officer, "when we heard theshot. " Then, arising, he removed his cap, saying in a very lowvoice: "The king is dead. Long live the king!"

III

AN ANGRY KING

The soldiers stood behind their officer. None of them had ever seenLeopold of Lutha--he had been but a name to them--they cared nothingfor him; but in the presence of death they were awed by the majestyof the king they had never known. 

The hands of Emma von der Tann were chafing the wrists of the manwhose head rested in her lap. 

"Leopold!" she whispered. "Leopold, come back! Mad king you mayhave been, but still you were king of Lutha--my father's king--myking. "

The girl nearly cried out in shocked astonishment as she saw theeyes of the dead king open. But Emma von der Tann was quick-witted. She knew for what purpose the soldiers from the palace were scouringthe country. 

Had she not thought the king dead she would have cut out her tonguerather than reveal his identity to these soldiers of his greatenemy. Now she saw that Leopold lived, and she must undo the harmshe 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. Goback to your new king and tell him that this poor young man cannever more stand between him and the throne. "

The officer hesitated. 

"We shall have to take the king's body with us, your highness, " hesaid. 

The officer evidently becoming suspicious, came closer, and as hedid so Barney Custer sat up. 

"Go away!" cried the girl, for she saw that the king was attemptingto speak. "My father's people will carry Leopold of Lutha in stateto the capital of his kingdom. "

"What's all this row about?" he asked. "Can't you let a dead kingalone if the young lady asks you to? What kind of a short sport areyou, 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, yourmajesty. "

Barney Custer turned his incredulous eyes upon the lieutenant. 

"Et tu, Brute?" he cried in anguished accents, letting his head fallback into the girl's lap. He found it very comfortable there indeed. 

The officer smiled and shook his head. Then he tapped his foreheadmeaningly. 

"I did not know, " he said to the girl, "that he was so bad. Butcome--it is some distance to Blentz, and the afternoon is alreadywell 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 strictorders to arrest not only the king, but any companions who may havebeen 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 theopportunity 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 wouldtake away my commission were I to tell him that I had found a Vonder 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 thegirl in a very small voice and with wide incredulous eyes. "Youwould not dare thus to humiliate a Von der Tann?"

"I am very sorry, " said the officer, "but I am a soldier, andsoldiers must obey their superiors. My orders are strict. You may bethankful, " 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 willbe accorded every consideration of dignity and courtesy while undermy escort. You need not entertain any fear of me, " he concluded. 

Barney Custer, during this, to him, remarkable dialogue, had risento his feet, and assisted the girl in rising. Now he turned andspoke to the officer. 

"This farce, " he said, "has gone quite far enough. If it is a jokeit is becoming a very sorry one. I am not a king. I am anAmerican--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 toarresting me and throwing me into one of your musty old dungeonsyou 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. "Butwe waste time in idle discussion. Will your majesty be so good as toaccompany 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. Beforethem stood the soldiers with drawn revolvers, and now at the summitof the hill a dozen more appeared in command of a sergeant. Theywere 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 wherehe lay--the fellow's neck had been broken by the fall. A shortdistance from where the man had confronted them the two prisonerswere brought to the main road where they saw still other troopers, and with them the horses of those who had gone into the forest onfoot. 

Barney and the girl were mounted on two of the animals, the soldierswho had ridden them clambering up behind two of their comrades. Amoment later the troop set out along the road which leads to Blentz. 

The prisoners rode near the center of the column, surrounded bytroopers. For a time they were both silent. Barney was wondering ifhe had accidentally tumbled into the private grounds of Lutha'slargest madhouse, or if, in reality, these people mistook him forthe young king--it seemed incredible. 

It had commenced slowly to dawn upon him that perhaps the girl wasnot crazy after all. Had not the officer addressed her as "yourhighness"? Now that he thought upon it he recalled that she did havequite a haughty and regal way with her at times, especially so whenshe 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 entiretroop of cavalry should be composed of maniacs, yet they allpersisted in speaking and acting as though he were indeed the madking 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 ofher. To the best of his knowledge he had never before associatedwith a real princess. When he recalled that he had treated her as hewould an ordinary mortal, and that he had thought her demented, andhad tried to humor her mad whims, he felt very foolish indeed. 

Presently he turned a sheepish glance in her direction, to find herlooking 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, yourmajesty?"

"For thinking you insane, and for getting you into this horriblepredicament, " 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 Ibegin to believe that it must be I who am mad, after all, or else Ibear 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 hedecided 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 prettilybefore the familiar name, "but do not forget your part of thecompact. "

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 upon 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 BarneyCuster looked up at the grim towers and mighty, buttressed walls hisheart sank. It had taken the mad king ten years to make his escapefrom that gloomy and forbidding pile!

"Poor child, " he murmured, thinking of the girl. 

Before the barbican the party was halted by the guard. An officerwith a lantern stepped out upon the lowered portcullis. Thelieutenant who had captured them rode forward to meet him. 

"A detachment of the Royal Horse Guards escorting His Majesty theKing, who is returning to Blentz, " he said in reply to the officer'ssharp challenge. 

"The king!" exclaimed the officer. "You have found him?" and headvanced with raised lantern searching for the monarch. 

"At last, " whispered Barney to the girl at his side, "I shall bevindicated. This man, at least, who is stationed at Blentz mustknow his king by sight. "

The officer came quite close, holding his lantern until therays fell full in Barney's face. He scrutinized the young manfor a moment. There was neither humility nor respect in hismanner, so that the American was sure that the fellow haddiscovered the imposture. 

From the bottom of his heart he hoped so. Then the officerswung the lantern until its light shone upon the girl. 

"And who's the wench with him?" he asked the officer whohad found them. 

The man was standing close beside Barney's horse, and the words werescarce out of his month when the American slipped from his saddle tothe portcullis and struck the officer full in the face. 

"She is the Princess von der Tann, you boor, " said Barney, "and letthat help you remember it in future. "

The officer scrambled to his feet, white with rage. Whipping outhis 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 preventthe assault and Emma von der Tann sprang from her saddle and threwherself 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 withanger. 

"Why not?" he bellowed. "You were a fool not to have done ityourself. Maenck will do it and get a baronetcy. It will mean acaptaincy for me at least. Let me at him--no man can strike KarlSchonau and live. "

"The king is unarmed, " cried Emma von der Tann. "Would you murderhim in cold blood?"

"He shall not murder him at all, your highness, " said LieutenantButzow quietly. "Give me your sword, Lieutenant Schonau. I place youunder arrest. What you have just said will not please the Regentwhen it is reported to him. You should keep your head better whenyou are angry. "

"It is the truth, " growled Schonau, regretting that his anger hadled him into a disclosure of the plot against the king's life, butlike most weak characters fearing to admit himself in error evenmore than he feared the consequences of his rash words. 

"Do you intend taking my sword?" asked Schonau suddenly, turningtoward 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 thePrincess von der Tann further humiliation. Their position issufficiently unpleasant without our adding to the degradation ofit. "

"Very well, " grumbled Schonau. "Pass on into the courtyard. "

Barney and the girl remounted and the little cavalcade moved forwardthrough the ballium and the great gate into the court beyond. 

"Did you notice, " said Barney to the princess, "that even hebelieves me to be the king? I cannot fathom it. "

Within the castle they were met by a number of servants andsoldiers. An officer escorted them to the great hall, and presentlya dark visaged captain of cavalry entered and approached them. Butzow saluted. 

"His Majesty, the King, " he announced, "has returned to Blentz. Inaccordance with the commands of the Regent I deliver his augustperson 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 indicationof 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 wouldknow that he was not king. 

Butzow recounted the details of the finding of the king. As hespoke, Maenck's eyes, restless and furtive, seemed to be appraisingthe personal charms of the girl who stood just back of Barney. 

The American did not like the appearance of the officer, but he sawthat he was evidently supreme at Blentz, and he determined to appealto him in the hope that the man might believe his story and untanglethe ridiculous muddle that a chance resemblance to a fugitivemonarch had thrown him and the girl into. 

"Captain, " said Barney, stepping closer to the officer, "there hasbeen a mistake in identity here. I am not the king. I am an Americantraveling for pleasure in Lutha. The fact that I have gray eyes andwear a full reddish-brown beard is my only offense. You aredoubtless familiar with the king's appearance and so you at leasthave already seen that I am not his majesty. 

"Not being the king, there is no cause to detain me longer, and as Iam not a fugitive and never have been, this young lady has beenguilty of no misdemeanor or crime in being in my company. Thereforeshe too should be released. In the name of justice and commondecency I am sure that you will liberate us both at once and furnishthe Princess von der Tann, at least, with a proper escort to herhome. "

Maenck listened in silence until Barney had finished, a half smileupon his thick lips. 

"I am commencing to believe that you are not so crazy as we have allthought, " he said. "Certainly, " and he let his eyes rest upon Emmavon der Tann, "you are not mentally deficient in so far as yourjudgment of a good-looking woman is concerned. I could not have madea better selection myself. 

"As for my familiarity with your appearance, you know as well as Ithat I have never seen you before. But that is not necessary--youconform perfectly to the printed description of you with which thekingdom is flooded. Were that not enough, the fact that you werediscovered with old Von der Tann's daughter is sufficient to removethe least doubt as to your identity. "

"You are governor of Blentz, " cried Barney, "and yet you say thatyou have never seen the king?"

"Certainly, " replied Maenck. "After you escaped the entirepersonnel of the garrison here was changed, even the old servants toa man were withdrawn and others substituted. You will havedifficulty in again escaping, for those who aided you before are nolonger here. "

"There is no man in the castle of Blentz who has ever seen theking?" asked Barney. 

"None who has seen him before tonight, " replied Maenck. "But were wein 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. Allthat concerns me is that you do not escape again, and you may restassured that while Ernst Maenck is governor of Blentz you shall notescape 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 bushywhiskers, who stood just behind him. 

The query was propounded in an ironical tone, and with a manner thatmade no pretense of concealing the contempt of the speaker for theman he thought the king. 

The eyes of the Princess Emma were blazing as she caught the scantrespect in Maenck's manner. She looked quickly toward Barney to seeif he intended rebuking the man for his impertinence. She saw thatthe king evidently intended overlooking Maenck's attitude. But Emmavon der Tann was of a different mind. 

She had seen Maenck several times at social functions in thecapital. He had even tried to win a place in her favor, but she hadalways disliked him, even before the nasty stories of his past lifehad become common gossip, and within the year she had won his hatredby definitely indicating to him that he was persona non grata, in sofar as she was concerned. Now she turned upon him, her eyes flashingwith indignation. 

"Do you forget, sir, that you address the king?" she cried. "Thatyou are without honor I have heard men say, and I may truly believeit now that I have seen what manner of man you are. The mostlowly-bred boor in all Lutha would not be so ungenerous as to takeadvantage of his king's helplessness to heap indignities upon him. 

"Leopold of Lutha shall come into his own some day, and my dearesthope is that his first act may be to mete out to such as you thepunishment you deserve. "

Maenck paled in anger. His fingers twitched nervously, but hecontrolled his temper remarkably well, biding his time for revenge. 

"Take the king to his apartments, Stein, " he commanded curtly, "andyou, Lieutenant Butzow, accompany them with a guard, nor leave untilyou see that he is safely confined. You may return here afterwardfor my further instructions. In the meantime I wish to examine theking's mistress. "

For a moment tense silence reigned in the apartment after Maenck haddelivered his wanton insult. 

Emma von der Tann, her little chin high in the air, stood straightand haughty, nor was there any sign in her expression to indicatethat 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 toeat that, word for word. "

Maenck stepped back, his hand upon his sword. Butzow laid a handupon Barney's arm. 

"Don't, your majesty, " he implored, "it will but make your positionmore unpleasant, nor will it add to the safety of the Princess vonder Tann for you to strike him now. "

Barney shook himself free from Butzow, and before either Stein orthe lieutenant could prevent had sprung upon Maenck. 

The latter had not been quick enough with his sword, so that Barneyhad struck him twice, heavily in the face before the officer wasable to draw. Butzow had sprung to the king's side, and wasattempting to interpose himself between Maenck and the American. Ina moment more the sword of the infuriated captain would be in theking's heart. Barney turned the first thrust with his forearm. 

"Stop!" cried Butzow to Maenck. "Are you mad, that you would killthe king?"

Maenck lunged again, viciously, at the unprotected body of hisantagonist. 

"Die, you pig of an idiot!" he screamed. 

Butzow saw that the man really meant to murder Leopold. He seizedBarney by the shoulder and whirled him backward. At the same instanthis own sword leaped from his scabbard, and now Maenck found himselffacing 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 sworeto protect the person of the king with my life, and while I live noman shall affront Leopold of Lutha in my presence, or threaten hissafety else he accounts to me for his act. Return your sword, Captain Maenck, nor ever again draw it against the king while I benear. "

Slowly Maenck sheathed his weapon. Black hatred for Butzow and theman he was protecting smoldered in his eyes. 

"If he wishes peace, " said Barney, "let him apologize to theprincess. "

"You had better apologize, captain, " counseled Butzow, "for if theking should command me to do so I should have to compel you to, " andthe lieutenant half drew his sword once more. 

There was something in Butzow's voice that warned Maenck that hissubordinate would like nothing better than the king's command to runhim through. 

He well knew the fame of Butzow's sword arm, and having no stomachfor 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 youmay return to your throne quickly. "

Butzow formed the soldiers about the American, and the party movedsilently out of the great hall, leaving Captain Maenck and PrincessEmma 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 youmust accompany us. In this the governor of Blentz is well within hisauthority, and I must obey him. "

"Heaven help her!" murmured Barney. 

"The governor will not dare harm her, " said Butzow. "Your majestyneed 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 theprincess for several seconds. A cunning expression supplanted theanger that had shown so plainly upon his face but a moment before. The girl had moved to one side of the apartment and was pretendingan 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 fora long time. I doubt if Peter will care to release you soon, for hehas no love for your father--and it will be easier for both if weestablish pleasant relations from the beginning. What do you say?"

"I shall not be at Blentz long, " she replied, not even looking inMaenck's direction, "though while I am it shall be as a prisoner andnot as a guest. It is incredible that one could believe me willingto pose as the guest of a traitor, even were he less impossible thanthe notorious and infamous Captain Maenck. "

Maenck smiled. He was one of those who rather pride themselves uponthe possession of racy reputations. He walked across the room to abell cord which he pulled. Then he turned toward the girl again. 

"I have given you an opportunity, " he said, "to lighten the burdensof your captivity. I hoped that you would be sensible and accept myadvances 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 commandedwith a sinister tone. 

The man, who was in the livery of Peter of Blentz, bowed, and with adeferential sign to the girl led the way from the room. Emma von derTann followed her guide up a winding stairway which spiraled withina tower at the end of a long passage. On the second floor of thecastle the servant led her to a large and beautifully furnishedsuite of three rooms--a bedroom, dressing-room and boudoir. Aftershowing her the rooms that were to be hers the servant left heralone. 

As soon as he had gone the Princess von der Tann took another turnthrough the suite, looking to the doors and windows to ascertain howsecurely 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 eachin turn had another door opening into the boudoir. The onlyconnection with the corridor without was through a single doorwayfrom the boudoir. This door was equipped with a massive bolt, which, when she had shot it, gave her a feeling of immense relief andsecurity. The windows were all too high above the court on one sideand the moat upon the other to cause her the slightest apprehensionof danger from the outside. 

The girl found the boudoir not only beautiful, but extremelycomfortable and cozy. A huge log-fire blazed upon the hearth, and, though it was summer, its warmth was most welcome, for the night waschill. Across the room from the fireplace a full length oil of aformer Blentz princess looked down in arrogance upon the unwillingoccupant of the room. It seemed to the girl that there was anexpression of annoyance upon the painted countenance that another, and an enemy of her house, should be making free with herbelongings. She wondered a little, too, that this huge oil shouldhave been bung in a lady's boudoir. It seemed singularly out ofplace. 

"If she would but smile, " thought Emma von der Tann, "she woulddetract less from the otherwise pleasant surroundings, but I supposeshe serves her purpose in some way, whatever it may be. "

There were papers, magazines and books upon the center table andmore books upon a low tier of shelves on either side of thefireplace. The girl tried to amuse herself by reading, but she foundher thoughts continually reverting to the unhappy situation of theking, and her eyes momentarily wandered to the cold and repellentface of the Blentz princess. 

Finally she wheeled a great armchair near the fireplace, and withher back toward the portrait made a final attempt to submerge herunhappy thoughts in a current periodical. 

When Barney and his escort reached the apartments that had beenoccupied by the king of Lutha before his escape, Butzow and thesoldiers 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 atproper intervals. "

"Medicine?" ejaculated Barney. "What in the world do I need ofmedicine? There is nothing the matter with me. "

Stein smiled indulgently. 

"Ah, your majesty, " he said, "if you could but realize the sadaffliction that clouds your life! You may never sit upon your throneuntil the last trace of this sinister mental disorder is eradicated, so take your medicine voluntarily, or otherwise Joseph will becompelled to administer it by force. Remember, sire, that onlythrough 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 andkissed it. 

"God has been good indeed, your majesty, " he whispered. "It was Hewho made it possible for old Joseph to deceive them and find his wayto your side. "

"Who are you, my man?" asked Barney. 

"I am from Tann, " whispered the old man, in a very low voice. "Hishighness, the prince, found the means to obtain service for me withthe new retinue that has replaced the old which permitted yourmajesty's escape. There was another from Tann among the formerservants here. 

"It was through his efforts that you escaped before, you willrecall. I have seen Fritz and learned from him the way, so that ifyour majesty does not recall it it will make no difference, for Iknow it well, having been over it three times already since I camehere, to be sure that when the time came that they should recaptureyou 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 leftupon the table--"contains the means whereby, through my hands, youwere to be slowly poisoned. "

"Do you know what it is?"

"Bichloride of mercury, your majesty. One dose would have beensufficient, and after a few days--perhaps a week--you would havedied in great agony. "

Barney shuddered. 

"But I am not the king, Joseph, " said the young man, "so even hadthey 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, " hesaid, "if he makes so bold as to suggest that your majesty must notagain deny that he is king. That only tends to corroborate thecontention 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 uponthe throne which Peter has kept from you all these years. "

Barney sighed. They were determined that he should be king whetherhe would or no. He had often thought he would like to be a king; butnow the realization of his boyish dreaming which seemed so imminentbade fair to be almost anything than pleasant. 

Barney suddenly realized that the old fellow was talking. He wasexplaining how they might escape. It seemed that a secret passageled from this very chamber to the vaults beneath the castle and fromthere through a narrow tunnel below the moat to a cave in thehillside far beyond the structure. 

"They will not return again tonight to see your majesty, " saidJoseph, "and so we had best make haste to leave at once. I have arope and swords in readiness. We shall need the rope to make our waydown the hillside, but let us hope that we shall not need theswords. "

"I cannot leave Blentz, " said Barney, "unless the Princess Emma goeswith us. "

"The Princess Emma!" cried the old man. "What Princess Emma?"

"Princess von der Tann, " replied Barney. "Did you not know that shewas captured with me!"

The old man was visibly affected by the knowledge that his youngmistress was a prisoner within the walls of Blentz. He seemed tornby conflicting emotions--his duty toward his king and his love forthe daughter of his old master. So it was that he seemed muchrelieved when he found that Barney insisted upon saving the girlbefore any thought of their own escape should be taken intoconsideration. 

"My first duty, your majesty, " said Joseph, "is to bring you safelyout of the hands of your enemies, but if you command me to try tobring your betrothed with us I am sure that his highness, PrinceLudwig, would be the last to censure me for deviating thus from hisinstructions, for if he loves another more than he loves his king itis his daughter, the beautiful Princess Emma. "

"What do you mean, Joseph, " asked Barney, "by referring to theprincess as my betrothed? I never saw her before today. "

"It has slipped your majesty's mind, " said the old man sadly; "butyou and my young mistress were betrothed many years ago while youwere yet but children. It was the old king's wish that you wed thedaughter of his best friend and most loyal subject. "

Here was a pretty pass, indeed, thought Barney. It was sufficientlyembarrassing to be mistaken for the king, but to be thrown into thisfalse position in company with a beautiful young woman to whom theking was engaged to be married, and who, with the others, thoughthim to be the king, was quite the last word in impossible positions. 

Following this knowledge there came to Barney the first pangs ofregret that he was not really the king, and then the realization, sosudden that it almost took his breath away, that the girl was verybeautiful and very much to be desired. He had not thought about thematter until her utter impossibility was forced upon him. 

It was decided that Joseph should leave the king's apartment at onceand discover in what part of the castle Emma von der Tann wasimprisoned. Their further plans were to depend upon the informationgained by the old man during his tour of investigation of thecastle. 

In the interval of his absence Barney paced the length of his prisontime and time again. He thought the fellow would never return. Perhaps he had been detected in the act of spying, and was himself aprisoner in some other part of the castle! The thought came toBarney like a blow in the face, for he realized that then he wouldbe entirely at the mercy of his captors, and that there would benone to champion the cause of the Princess von der Tann. 

When his nervous tension had about reached the breaking point therecame a sound of stealthy movement just outside the door of his room. Barney halted close to the massive panels. He heard a key fittedquietly and then the lock grated as it turned. 

Barney thought that they had surely detected Joseph's duplicity andhad come to make short work of the king before other traitors arosein their midst entirely to frustrate their plans. The young Americanstepped to the wall behind the door that he might be out of sight ofwhoever entered. Should it prove other than Joseph, might the Lordhelp them! The clenched fists, square-set chin, and gleaming grayeyes of the prisoner presaged no good for any incoming enemy. 

Slowly the door swung open and a man entered the room. Barneybreathed a deep sigh of relief--it was Joseph. 

"Well?" cried the young man from behind him, and Joseph started asthough Peter of Blentz himself had laid an accusing finger upon hisshoulder. "What news?"

"Your majesty, " gasped Joseph, "how you did startle me! I found theapartments of the princess, sire. There is a bare chance that we maysucceed 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 notdiscovered; but the worst of it is that next to her apartments, andbetween them and your majesty's, are the apartments of CaptainMaenck. 

"He is sure to be there and officers and servants may be coming andgoing throughout the entire night, for the man is a convivialfellow, 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 oneof the two huge tile panels that flanked the fireplace on eitherside was in reality a door hiding the entrance to a shaft that rosefrom the vaults beneath the castle to the roof. At each floor therewas a similar secret door concealing the mouth of the passage. Fromthe vaults a corridor led through another secret panel to the tunnelthat wound downward to the cave in the hillside. 

"Beyond that we shall find horses, your majesty, " concluded the oldman. "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 inhis mind for some means of rescuing the princess without so greatrisk of detection, and as the plan of the secret passageway becameclear to him he thought that he saw a way to accomplish the thingwith 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. Ithink we are going to find the rescuing of the Princess Emma theeasiest 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 feetin length and two swords. As he buckled one of the weapons to Barneyhis eyes fell upon the American's seal ring that encircled the thirdfinger of his left hand. 

"The Royal Ring of Lutha!" exclaimed Joseph. "Where is it, yourmajesty? 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 bewearing a royal ring?"

"The profaning miscreants!" cried Joseph. "They have dared to filchfrom you the great ring that has been handed down from king to kingfor three hundred years. When did they take it from you?"

"I have never seen it, Joseph, " replied the young man, "and possiblythis fact may assure you where all else has failed that I am no trueking of Lutha, after all. "

"Ah, no, your majesty, " replied the old servitor; "it but makesassurance doubly sure as to your true identity, for the fact thatyou have not the ring is positive proof that you are king and thatthey have sought to hide the fact by removing the insignia of yourdivine right to rule in Lutha. "

Barney could not but smile at the old fellow's remarkable logic. Hesaw that nothing short of a miracle would ever convince Joseph thathe was not the real monarch, and so, as matters of greaterimportance were to the fore, he would have allowed the subject todrop had not the man attempted to recall to the impoverished memoryof his king a recollection of the historic and venerated relic ofthe 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 thatformed the setting? From the blood of Charlemagne was the ruby made, so history tells us, and the setting represented the protectingwings of the power of the kings of Lutha spread to the four pointsof the compass. Now your majesty must recall the royal ring, I amsure. "

Barney only shook his head, much to Joseph's evident sorrow. 

"Never mind the ring, Joseph, " said the young man. "Bring your ropeand lead me to the floor above. "

"The floor above? But, your majesty, we cannot reach the vaults andtunnel by going upward!"

"You forget, Joseph, that we are going to fetch the Princess Emmafirst. "

"But she is not on the floor above us, sire; she is upon the samefloor 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 panelat the left of the fireplace. Here he fumbled about for a momentuntil his fingers found the hidden catch that held the cunninglydevised door in place. An instant later the panel swung inwardbefore his touch, and standing to one side, the old fellow bowed lowas he ushered Barney into the Stygian darkness of the space beyondtheir vision. 

Joseph halted the young man just within the doorway, cautioning himagainst the danger of falling into the shaft, then he closed thepanel, and a moment later had found the lantern he had hidden thereand lighted it. The rays disclosed to the American the rough masonryof the interior of a narrow, well-built shaft. A rude ladderstanding upon a narrow ledge beside him extended upward to loseitself in the shadows above. At its foot the top of another ladderwas visible protruding through the opening from the floor beneath. 

No sooner had Joseph's lantern shown him the way than Barney wasascending the ladder toward the floor above. At the next landing hewaited for the old man. 

Joseph put out the light and placed the lantern where they couldeasily find it upon their return. Then he cautiously slipped thecatch that held the panel in place and slowly opened the door untila narrow line of lesser darkness showed from without. 

For a moment they stood in silence listening for any sound from thechamber beyond, but as nothing occurred to indicate that theapartment was occupied the old man opened the portal a triflefurther, and finally far enough to permit his body to pass through. Barney followed him. They found themselves in a large, emptychamber, identical in size and shape with that which they had justquitted upon the floor below. 

From this the two passed into the corridor beyond, and thence to theapartments at the far end of the wing, directly over those occupiedby Emma von der Tann. 

Barney hastened to a window overlooking the moat. By leaning farout he could see the light from the princess's chamber shining uponthe sill. He wished that the light was not there, for the window wasin 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 thedialogue, 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 inimmersing herself in the periodical, to the exclusion of her unhappythoughts and the depressing influence of the austere countenance ofthe Blentz Princess hanging upon the wall behind her. 

But presently she became unaccountably nervous. At the slightestsound from the palace-life on the floor below she would start upwith a tremor of excitement. Once she heard footsteps in thecorridor before her door, but they passed on, and she thought shediscerned the click of a latch a short distance further on along thepassageway. 

Again she attempted to gather up the thread of the article she hadbeen reading, but she was unsuccessful. A stealthy scratchingbrought her round quickly, staring in the direction of the greatportrait. The girl would have sworn that she had heard a noisewithin her chamber. She shuddered at the thought that it might havecome from that painted thing upon the wall. 

What was the matter with her? Was she losing all control of herselfto be frightened like a little child by ghostly noises?

She tried to return to her reading, but for the life of her shecould not keep her eyes off the silent, painted woman who stared andstared and stared in cold, threatening silence upon this ancientenemy of her house. 

Presently the girl's eyes went wide in horror. She could feel thescalp upon her head contract with fright. Her terror-filled gaze wasfrozen upon that awful figure that loomed so large and sinisterabove her, for the thing had moved! She had seen it with her owneyes. There could be no mistake--no hallucination of overwroughtnerves about it. The Blentz Princess was moving slowly toward her!

Like one in a trance the girl rose from her chair, her eyes gluedupon the awful apparition that seemed creeping upon her. Slowly shewithdrew toward the opposite side of the chamber. As the paintingmoved more quickly the truth flashed upon her--it was mounted on adoor. 

The crack of the door widened and beyond it the girl saw dimly, eyesfastened upon her. With difficulty she restrained a shriek. Theportal 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 faceof 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 evenPeter of Blentz would countenance such abhorrent treatment of aprisoner. "

"You do not know Peter my dear, " responded Maenck. "But you need notfear. You shall be my wife. Peter has promised me a baronetcy forthe capture of Leopold, and before I am done I shall be made aprince, of that you may rest assured, so you see I am not so bad amatch after all. "

He crossed over toward her and would have laid a rough hand upon herarm. 

The girl sprang away from him, running to the opposite side of thelibrary table at which she had been reading. Maenck started topursue her, when she seized a heavy, copper bowl that stood upon thetable and hurled it full in his face. The missile struck him aglancing blow, but the edge laid open the flesh of one cheek almostto the jaw bone. 

With a cry of pain and rage Captain Ernst Maenck leaped across thetable full upon the young girl. With vicious, murderous fingers heseized upon her fair throat, shaking her as a terrier might shake arat. Futilely the girl struck at the hate-contorted features soclose to hers. 

"Stop!" she cried. "You are killing me. "

The fingers released their hold. 

"No, " muttered the man, and dragged the princess roughly across theroom. 

Half a dozen steps he had taken when there came a sudden crash ofbreaking glass from the window across the chamber. Both turned inastonishment to see the figure of a man leap into the room, carryingthe shattered crystal and the casement with him. In one hand was anaked sword. 

"The king!" cried Emma von der Tann. 

"The devil!" muttered Maenck, as, dropping the girl, he scurriedtoward the great painting from behind which he had found ingress tothe chambers of the princess. 

Maenck was a coward, and he had seen murder in the eyes of the manrushing upon him. With a bound he reached the picture which stillstood swung wide into the room. 

Barney was close behind him, but fear lent wings to the governor ofBlentz, so that he was able to dart into the passage behind thepicture and slam the door behind him a moment before the infuriatedman was upon him. 

The American clawed at the edge of the massive frame, but all to noavail. Then he raised his sword and slashed the canvas, hoping tofind a way into the place beyond, but mighty oaken panels barred hisfurther progress. With a whispered oath he turned back toward thegirl. 

"Thank Heaven that I was in time, Emma, " he cried. 

"Oh, Leopold, my king, but at what a price, " replied the girl. "Hewill return now with others and kill you. He is furious--so furiousthat he scarce knows what he does. "

"He seemed to know what he was doing when he ran for that hole inthe wall, " replied Barney with a grin. "But come, it won't pay tolet them find us should they return. "

Together they hastened to the window beyond which the girl could seea rope dangling from above. The sight of it partially solved theriddle of the king's almost uncanny presence upon her window sill inthe very nick of time. 

Below, the lights in the watch tower at the outer gate were plainlyvisible, and the twinkling of them reminded Barney of the danger ofdetection from that quarter. Quickly he recrossed the apartment tothe wall-switch that operated the recently installed electriclights, 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 andmade it fast about her body below her arms, leaving a sufficientlength terminating in a small loop to permit her to support herselfmore comfortably with one foot within the noose. Then he stepped tothe outer sill, and reaching down assisted her to his side. 

Far below them the moonlight played upon the sluggish waters of themoat. 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 shouldersof Joseph leaning from the window of the chamber directly abovethem. 

"Hoist away, Joseph!" whispered the American, and to the girl: "Bebrave. 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 narrowsill. His cheek so close to hers that once he felt the soft velvetof it brush his own. Involuntarily his arm tightened about thesupple body. 

"My princess!" he murmured, and as he turned his face toward herstheir lips almost touched. 

Joseph was pulling upon the rope from above. They could feel ittighten beneath the girl's arms. Impulsively Barney Custer drew thesweet lips closer to his own. There was no resistance. 

"I love you, " he whispered. The words were smothered as their lipsmet. 

Joseph, above, wondered at the great weight of the Princess Emma vonder Tann. 

"I love you, Leopold, forever, " whispered the girl, and then asJoseph's Herculean tugging seemed likely to drag them both from thenarrow sill, Barney lifted the girl upward with one hand while heclung to the window frame with the other. The distance to the sillabove was short, and a moment later Joseph had grasped theprincess's hand and was helping her over the ledge into the roombeyond. 

At the same instant there came a sudden commotion from the interiorof the room in the window of which Barney still stood waiting forJoseph to remove the rope from about the princess and lower it forhim. Barney heard the heavy feet of men, the clank of arms, andmuttered oaths as the searchers stumbled against the furniture. 

Presently one of them found the switch and instantly the room wasflooded with light, which revealed to the American a dozen Luthaniantroopers 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 Maenckdirecting them. Only a thin portiere screened him from their view. It was but a matter of seconds before they would investigate thewindow through which Maenck knew the king had found ingress. 

Yes! It had come. 

"Look to the window, " commanded Maenck. "He may have gone as hecame. "

Two of the soldiers crossed the room toward the casement. From aboveJoseph was lowering the rope; but it was too late. The men would beat the window before he could clamber out of their reach. 

"Hoist away!" he whispered to Joseph. "Quick now, my man, and makeyour escape with the Princess von der Tann. It is the king'scommand. "

Already the soldiers were at the window. At the sound of his voicethey tore aside the draperies; at the same instant the pseudo-kingturned and leaped out into the blackness of the night. 

There were exclamations of surprise and rage from the soldiers--awoman's scream. Then from far below came a dull splash as the bodyof 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 hadattempted to make their escape in this harebrained way. Immediatelyall the resources at his command were put to the task of searchingthe moat and the adjacent woods. 

He was sure that one or both of the prisoners would be stunned byimpact with the surface of the water, and then drowned before theyregained consciousness, but he did not know Bernard Custer, nor thefacility and almost uncanny ease with which that young man couldnegotiate a high dive into shallow water. 

Nor did he know that upon the floor above him one Joseph washastening along a dark corridor toward a secret panel in anotherapartment, and that with him was the Princess Emma bound for libertyand safety far from the frowning walls of Blentz. 

As Barney's head emerged above the surface of the moat he shook itvigorously to free his eyes from water, and then struck out for thefurther bank. 

Long before his pursuers had reached the courtyard and alarmed thewatch at the barbican, the American had crawled out upon dry landand hastened across the broad clearing to the patch of stunted treesthat grew lower down upon the steep hillside before the castle. 

He shrank from the thought of leaving Blentz without knowingpositively that Joseph had made good the escape of himself and theprincess, but he finally argued that even if they had been retaken, he could serve her best by hastening to her father and fetching theonly succor that might prevail against the strength of Blentz--armedmen in sufficient force to storm the ancient fortress. 

He had scarcely entered the wood when he heard the sound of thesearchers at the moat, and saw the rays of their lanterns flittinghither and thither as they moved back and forth along the bank. 

Then the young man turned his face from the castle and set forthacross the unfamiliar country in the direction of the Old Forest andthe castle Von der Tann. 

The memory of the warm lips that had so recently been pressed to hisurged him on in the service of the wondrous girl who had come sosuddenly into his life, bringing to him the realization of a lovethat he knew must alter, for happiness or for sorrow, all thebalance of his existence, even unto death. 

He dreaded the day of reckoning when, at last, she must learn thathe was no king. He did not have the temerity to hope that hercourage would be equal to the great sacrifice which theacknowledgment of her love for one not of noble blood must entail;but he could not believe that she would cease to love him when shelearned the truth. 

So the future looked black and cheerless to Barney Custer as hetrudged along the rocky, moonlit way. The only bright spot was therealization that for a while at least he might be serving the onewoman in all the world. 

All the balance of the long night the young man traversed valley andmountain, holding due south in the direction he supposed the OldForest to lie. He passed many a little farm tucked away in thehollow of a hillside, and quaint hamlets, and now and then the ruinsof an ancient feudal stronghold, but no great forest of black oaksloomed before him to apprise him of the nearness of his goal, nordid 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 Luthawarned him from intercourse with the men of Lutha until he mightknow which were friends and which enemies of the hapless monarch. 

Dawn found him still upon his way, but with the determination fullycrystallized 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 heparalleled them close enough that he might have ample opportunity tohail 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 despairentirely of meeting any who could give him direction unless heturned and retraced his steps to the nearest farm. 

Directly before him the narrow trail he had been following for thepast few miles wound sharply about the shoulder of a protrudingcliff. He would see what lay beyond the turn--perhaps he would findthe Old Forest there, after all. 

But instead he found something very different, though in its wayquite as interesting, for as he rounded the rugged bluff he cameface 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 Americanpresented aught but a respectable appearance. His khaki motoringsuit, soaked from immersion in the moat, had but partially driedupon him. Mud from the banks of the stagnant pool caked his legs tothe knees, almost hiding his once tan puttees. More mud streaked hisjacket front and stained its sleeves to the elbows. He wasbare-headed, for his cap had remained in the moat at Blentz, and hisdisheveled hair was tousled upon his head, while his full beard haddried into a weird and tangled fringe about his face. At his sidestill hung the sword that Joseph had buckled there, and it was thisthat caused the two men the greatest suspicion of this strangelooking character. 

They continued to eye Barney in silence, every now and then castingapprehensive glances beyond him, as though expecting others of hiskind to appear in the trail at his back. And that is precisely whatthey did fear, for the sword at Barney's side had convinced themthat he must be an officer of the army, and they looked to see hiscommand following in his wake. 

The young man saluted them pleasantly, asking the direction to theOld Forest. They thought it strange that a soldier of Lutha shouldnot know his own way about his native land, and so judged that hisquestion was but a blind to deceive them. 

"Why do you not ask your own men the way?" parried one of thefellows. 

"I have no men, I am alone, " replied Barney. "I am a stranger inLutha 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 arean officer. Why should you desire to conceal the fact from twohonest 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. "Iwould not delay you if I could; but before you go please be goodenough to tell me how to reach the Old Forest and the ancient castleof the Prince von der Tann. "

For a moment the two men whispered together, then the spokesmanturned to Barney. 

"We will lead you upon the right road. Come, " and the two turnedtheir horses, one of them starting slowly back up the trail whilethe other remained waiting for Barney to pass him. 

The American, suspecting nothing, voiced his thanks, and set outafter him who had gone before. As he passed the fellow who waitedthe latter moved in behind him, so that Barney walked between thetwo. Occasionally the rider at his back turned in his saddle to scanthe trail behind, as though still fearful that Barney had been lyingto them and that he would discover a company of soldiers chargingdown upon them. 

The trail became more and more difficult as they advanced, untilBarney wondered how the little horses clung to the steepmountainside, where he himself had difficulty in walking withoutusing his hand to keep from falling. 

Twice the American attempted to break through the taciturnity of hisguides, but his advances were met with nothing more than sultrygrunts or silence, and presently a suspicion began to obtrude itselfamong his thoughts that possibly these "honest farmers" weresomething more sinister than they represented themselves to be. 

A malign and threatening atmosphere seemed to surround them. Eventhe cat-like movement of their silent mounts breathed a sinistersecrecy, and now, for the first time, Barney noticed the short, uglylooking carbines that were slung in boots at their saddle-horns. Then, promoted to further investigation, he dropped back beside theman who had been riding behind him, and as he did so he saw beneaththe fellow's cloak the butts of two villainous-looking pistols. 

As Barney dropped back beside him the man turned his mount acrossthe narrow trail, and reining him in motioned Barney ahead. 

"I have changed my mind, " said the American, "about going to the OldForest. "

He had determined that he might as well have the thing out now aslater, and discover at once how he stood with these two, and whetheror not his suspicions of them were well grounded. 

The man ahead had halted at the sound of Barney's voice, and swungabout 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 atall 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 thehorse 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 wickedlooking pistols. 

For a moment he stood in silence, debating mentally the wisdom ofattempting 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 themountainside, then they turned into a narrow ravine near the summitof the hills--a deep, rocky, wooded ravine into whose black shadowsit seemed the sun might never penetrate. 

A winding path led crookedly among the pines that grew thickly inthis sheltered hollow, until presently, after half an hour of roughgoing, they came upon a small natural clearing, rock-bound andimpregnable. 

As they filed from the wood Barney saw a score of villainous fellowsclustered about a camp fire where they seemed engaged in cookingtheir 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 inalarm, and as many weapons as there were men leaped to view; butwhen they saw Barney's companions they returned their pistols totheir holsters, and at sight of Barney they pressed forward toinspect the prisoner. 

"Who have we here?" shouted a big blond giant, who affectedextremely gaudy colors in his selection of wearing apparel, andwhose pistols and knife had their grips heavily ornamented withpearl and silver. 

"A stranger in Lutha he calls himself, " replied one of Barney'scaptors. "But from the sword I take it he is one of old Peter'swolfhounds. "

"Well, he's found the wolves at any rate, " replied the giant, with awide grin at his witticism. "And if Yellow Franz is the particularwolf 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, andI lost my way in your infernal mountains. All I wish is to be setupon the right road to Tann, and if you will do that for me youshall be well paid for your trouble. "

The giant, Yellow Franz, had come quite close to Barney and wasinspecting 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 weretorn away as though the paper had once been tacked upon wood, andthen torn down without removing the tacks. 

At sight of it Barney's heart sank. The look of the thing was alltoo familiar. Before the yellow one had commenced to read aloud fromit 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, youhave stumbled upon the richest haul in all Lutha. Down upon yourmarrow-bones, you swine, and rub your low-born noses in the dirtbefore 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 wideeyes he pressed forward to get a nearer view of the wonderful personof a king. 

"Take a good look at him, Rudolph, " cried Yellow Franz. "It is thefirst and will probably be the last time you will ever see a king. Kings seldom visit the court of their fellow monarch, Yellow Franzof the Black Mountains. 

"Come, my children, remove his majesty's sword, lest he fall andstick himself upon it, and then prepare the royal chamber, seeing toit that it be made so comfortable that Leopold will remain with us along time. Rudolph, fetch food and water for his majesty, and see toit that the silver plates and the golden goblets are well scouredand polished up. "

They conducted Barney to a miserable lean-to shack at one side ofthe clearing, and for a while the motley crew loitered aboutbandying coarse jests at the expense of the "king. " The boy, Rudolph, brought food and water, he alone of them all evincing theslightest respect or awe for the royalty of their unwilling guest. 

After a time the men tired of the sport of king-baiting, for Barneyshowed 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 lowesteem, but that he was king they never doubted, attributing hisdenials 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 messengerdispatched by Yellow Franz, and from the repeated gestures towardhimself that had accompanied the giant's instructions to hisemissary, Barney was positive that the man's errand had to do withhim. 

After the men had left his prison, leaving the boy standingawkwardly in wide-eyed contemplation of his august charge, theAmerican 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 hecould not pay the debt Yellow Franz stole me from my home and saysthat he will keep me until my father pays him, and that if he doesnot pay he will make a bandit of me, and that then some day I shallbe caught and hanged until I am dead. "

"Can't you escape?" asked the young man. "It would seem to me thatthere would be many opportunities for you to get away undetected. "

"There are, but I dare not. Yellow Franz says that if I run away hewill be sure to come across me some day again and that then he willkill me. "

Barney laughed. 

"He is just talking, my boy, " he said. "He thinks that byfrightening 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 himmore than killing me, and he would have done it long since but fortwo 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 mehe knows that my father would never pay him. "

"How much does your father owe him?"

"Five hundred marks, your majesty, " replied Rudolph. "Two hundred ofthis amount is the original debt, and the balance Yellow Franz hasadded since he captured me, so that it is really ransom money. Butmy father is a poor man, so that it will take a long time before hecan 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 silentfor some time, thinking. Possibly he could effect his own escapewith 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 toYellow Franz later, so that the youth need not fear the brigand'srevenge. It was worth thinking about, at any rate. 

"How long do you imagine they will keep me, Rudolph?" he asked aftera time. 

"Yellow Franz has already sent Herman to Lustadt with a message forPrince Peter, telling him that you are being held for ransom, anddemanding the payment of a huge sum for your release. Day aftertomorrow or the next day he should return with Prince Peter's reply. 

"If it is favorable, arrangements will be made to turn you over toPrince Peter's agents, who will have to come to some distant meetingplace with the money. A week, perhaps, it will take, maybe longer. "

It was the second day before Herman returned from Lustadt. He rodein just at dark, his pony lathered from hard going. 

Barney and the boy saw him coming, and the youth ran forward withthe others to learn the news that he had brought; but Yellow Franzand his messenger withdrew to a hut which the brigand chief reservedfor his own use, nor would he permit any beside the messenger toaccompany him to hear the report. 

For half an hour Barney sat alone waiting for word from Yellow Franzthat arrangements had been consummated for his release, and then outof the darkness came Rudolph, wide-eyed and trembling. 

"Oh, my king?" he whispered. "What shall we do? Peter has refusedto ransom you alive, but he has offered a great sum for unquestionedproof of your death. Already he has caused a proclamation to beissued stating that you have been killed by bandits after escapingfrom Blentz, and ordering a period of national mourning. In threeweeks 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 scarcebelieve that in the twentieth century there could be any suchmedieval plotting against a king's life, and yet, on second thought, had he not ample proof of the lengths to which Peter of Blentz waswilling to go to obtain the crown of Lutha!

"I do not know, your majesty, " replied Rudolph, "when they will doit; but soon, doubtless, since the sooner it is done the sooner theycan collect their pay. "

Further conversation was interrupted by the sound of footstepswithout, and an instant later Yellow Franz entered the squalidapartment and the dim circle of light which flickered feebly fromthe smoky lantern that hung suspended from the rafters. 

He stopped just within the doorway and stood eyeing the Americanwith an ugly grin upon his vicious face. Then his eyes fell upon thetrembling Rudolph. 

"Get out of here, you!" he growled. "I've got private business withthis king. And see that you don't come nosing round either, or I'llslit that soft throat for you. "

Rudolph slipped past the burly ruffian, barely dodging a brutal blowaimed at him by the giant, and escaped into the darkness without. 

"And now for you, my fine fellow, " said the brigand, turning towardBarney. "Peter says you ain't worth nothing to him--alive, but thatyour 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 aclose 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 Ibe, and as there ain't nobody that can do a better job of the kindthan me, or do it so painlessly, why I just got to do it myself, andthat's all there is to it. But, as I says, there ain't no greatrush. If you want to pray, why, go ahead and pray. I'll wait foryou. "

"I don't remember, " said Barney, "when I have met so generous aparty as you, my friend. Your self-sacrificing magnanimity quiteoverpowers me. It reminds me of another unloved Robin Hood whom Ionce met. It was in front of Burket's coal-yard on Ella Street, backin 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 decush on yeh; but I'm feelin' so good about de last guy I stuck upI'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 astruggle; but just how he was to overcome the great beast whoconfronted him with menacing pistol was, to say the least, notprecisely plain. He wished the man would come a little nearer wherehe might have some chance to close with him before the fellow couldfire. To gain time the American assumed a prayerful attitude, butkept one eye on the bandit. 

Presently Yellow Franz showed indications of impatience. He fingeredthe trigger of his weapon, and then slowly raised it on a line withBarney's chest. 

"Hadn't you better come closer?" asked the young man. "You mightmiss at that distance, or just wound me. "

Yellow Franz grinned. 

"I don't miss, " he said, and then: "You're certainly a game one. Ifit wasn't for the hundred thousand marks, I'd be hanged if I'd killyou. "

"The chances are that you will be if you do, " said Barney, "sowouldn't you rather take one hundred and fifty thousand marks andlet 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 crazyking?" he asked. 

"I have told you that I am not the king, " said Barney. "I am anAmerican with a father who would gladly pay that amount on my safedelivery 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, " hesaid. 

"I'll make it two hundred thousand, " said Barney. 

"No--it's a waste of time talking about it. It's worth more thanmoney to me to know that I'll always have this thing on Peter, andthat when he's king he won't dare bother me for fear I'll publishthe details of this little deal. Come, you must be through prayingby this time. I can't wait around here all night. " Again YellowFranz raised his pistol toward Barney's heart. 

Before the brigand could pull the trigger, or Barney hurl himselfupon his would-be assassin, there was a flash and a loud report fromthe open window of the shack. 

With a groan Yellow Franz crumpled to the dirt floor, andsimultaneously Barney was upon him and had wrested the pistol fromhis hand; but the precaution was unnecessary for Yellow Franz wouldnever again press finger to trigger. He was dead even before Barneyreached his side. 

In possession of the weapon, the American turned toward the windowfrom which had come the rescuing shot, and as he did so he saw theboy, Rudolph, clambering over the sill, white-faced and trembling. In his hand was a smoking carbine, and on his brow great beads ofcold sweat. 

"God forgive me!" murmured the youth. "I have killed a man. "

"You have killed a dangerous wild beast, Rudolph, " said Barney, "andboth God and your fellow man will thank and reward you. "

"I am glad that I killed him, though, " went on the boy, "for hewould have killed you, my king, had I not done so. Gladly would I goto the gallows to save my king. "

"You are a brave lad, Rudolph, " said Barney, "and if ever I get outof the pretty pickle I'm in you'll be well rewarded for your loyaltyto Leopold of Lutha. After all, " thought the young man, "being akind has its redeeming features, for if the boy had not thought mehis monarch he would never have risked the vengeance of thebloodthirsty brigands in this attempt to save me. "

"Hasten, your majesty, " whispered the boy, tugging at the sleeve ofBarney's jacket. "There is no time to be lost. We must be far awayfrom here when the others discover that Yellow Franz has beenkilled. "

Barney stooped above the dead man, and removing his belt andcartridges transferred them to his own person. Then blowing out thelantern 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 glancingexpectantly toward the shack to which their chief had gone todispatch the king. It is not every day that a king is murdered, andeven these hardened cut-throats felt the spell of awe at the thoughtof what they believed the sharp report they had heard from the shackportended. 

Keeping well to the far side of the clearing, Rudolph led Barneyaround the group of men and safely into the wood below them. Fromthis point the boy followed the trail which Barney and his captorshad traversed two days previously, until he came to a divergingravine that led steeply up through the mountains upon their righthand. 

In the distance behind them they suddenly heard, faintly, theshouting 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 willnot see that we have turned up this ravine, and so they will ride ondown the other. I have chosen this way because their horses cannotfollow us here, and thus we shall be under no great disadvantage. Itmay be, however, that we shall have to hide in the mountains for awhile, since there will be no place of safety for us between hereand Lustadt until after the edge of their anger is dulled. "

And such proved to be the case, for try as they would they found itimpossible to reach Lustadt without detection by the brigands whopatrolled every highway and byway from their rugged mountains to thecapital of Lutha. 

For nearly three weeks Barney and the boy hid in caves or denseunderbrush by day, and by night sought some avenue which would leadthem past the vigilant sentries that patrolled the ways to freedom. 

Often they were wet by rains, nor were they ever in the warmsunlight for a sufficient length of time to become thoroughly dryand comfortable. Of food they had little, and of the poorestquality. 

They dared not light a fire for warmth or cooking, and their lightwas so miserable that, but for the boy's pitiful terror at thethought of being recaptured by the bandits, Barney would long sincehave made a break for Lustadt, depending upon their arms andammunition to carry them safely through were they discovered bytheir enemies. 

Rudolph had contracted a severe cold the first night, and now, ithaving settled upon his lungs, he had developed a persistent andaggravating cough that caused Barney not a little apprehension. When, after nearly three weeks of suffering and privation, it becameclear that the boy's lungs were affected, the American decided totake matters into his own hands and attempt to reach Lustadt and agood doctor; but before he had an opportunity to put his plan intoexecution the entire matter was removed from his jurisdiction. 

It happened like this: After a particularly fatiguing anduncomfortable night spent in attempting to elude the sentinels whoblocked their way from the mountains, daylight found them near alittle spring, and here they decided to rest for an hour beforeresuming their way. 

The little pool lay not far from a clump of heavy bushes which wouldoffer them excellent shelter, as it was Barney's intention to gointo hiding as soon as they had quenched their thirst at the spring. 

Rudolph was coughing pitifully, his slender frame wracked by theconvulsion of each new attack. Barney had placed an arm about theboy 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 regretfilled his mind as he realized that the child's pathetic conditionwas the direct result of his self-sacrificing attempt to save hisking. Barney felt much like a murderer and a thief, and dreaded thetime 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, whohad suffered so uncomplainingly and whose every thought had been forthe safety and comfort of his king. 

Today, thought Barney, I'll take this child through to Lustadt evenif every ragged brigand in Lutha lies between us and the capital;but even as he spoke a sudden crashing of underbrush behind causedhim to wheel about, and there, not twenty paces from them, stood twoof Yellow Franz's cutthroats. 

At sight of Barney and the lad they gave voice to a shout oftriumph, and raising their carbines fired point-blank at the twofugitives. 

But Barney had been equally as quick with his own weapon, and at themoment that they fired he grasped Rudolph and dragged him backwardto a great boulder behind which their bodies might be protected fromthe fire of their enemies. 

Both the bullets of the bandits' first volley had been directed atBarney, for it was upon his head that the great price rested. Theyhad missed him by a narrow margin, due, perhaps, to the fact thatthe mounts of the brigands had been prancing in alarm at theunexpected sight of the two strangers at the very moment that theirriders attempted to take aim and fire. 

But now they had ridden back into the brush and dismounted, andafter hiding their ponies they came creeping out upon their belliesupon opposite sides of Barney's shelter. 

The American saw that it would be an easy thing for them to pick himoff if he remained where he was, and so with a word to Rudolph hesprang up and the boy with him. Each delivered a quick shot at thebandit nearest him, and then together they broke for the bushes inwhich 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 theAmerican thrown a strong arm about him. 

"I'm shot, your majesty, " murmured the boy, his head droppingagainst Barney's breast. 

With the lad grasped close to him, the young man turned at the edgeof the brush to meet the charge of the two ruffians. The wounding ofthe youth had delayed them just enough to preclude their making thistemporary 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 theforemost brigand came to a sudden stop. An expression ofbewilderment crossed his features. He extended his arms straightbefore him, the revolver slipped from his grasp, and then like adying top he pivoted once drunkenly and collapsed upon the turf. 

At the instant of his fall his companion and the American firedpoint-blank at one another. 

Barney felt a burning sensation in his shoulder, but it wasforgotten for the moment in the relief that came to him as he sawthe second rascal sprawl headlong upon his face. Then he turned hisattention to the limp little figure that hung across his left arm. 

Gently Barney laid the boy upon the sward, and fetching water fromthe pool bathed his face and forced a few drops between the whitelips. The cooling draft revived the wounded child, but brought on aparoxysm of coughing. When this had subsided Rudolph raised his eyesto those of the man bending above him. 

"Thank God, your majesty is unharmed, " he whispered. "Now I can diein peace. "

The white lids drooped lower, and with a tired sigh the boy layquiet. Tears came to the young man's eyes as he let the limp bodygently to the ground. 

"Brave little heart, " he murmured, "you gave up your life in theservice of your king as truly as though you had not been allmistaken in the object of your veneration, and if it lies within thepower of Barney Custer you shall not have died in vain. "

VII

THE REAL LEOPOLD

Two hours later a horseman pushed his way between tumbled andtangled briers along the bottom of a deep ravine. 

He was hatless, and his stained and ragged khaki betokened muchexposure to the elements and hard and continued usage. At hissaddle-bow a carbine swung in its boot, and upon either hip wasstrapped a long revolver. Ammunition in plenty filled the crossbelts that he had looped about his shoulders. 

Grim and warlike as were his trappings, no less grim was the set ofhis strong jaw or the glint of his gray eyes, nor did the patch ofbrown stain that had soaked through the left shoulder of his jackettend to lessen the martial atmosphere which surrounded him. Fortunate it was for the brigands of the late Yellow Franz that noneof them chanced in the path of Barney Custer that day. 

For nearly two hours the man had ridden downward out of the highhills 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 longuntenanted ruin. He was wondering what had become of all theinhabitants of Lutha when his horse came to a sudden halt before anobstacle which entirely blocked the narrow trail at the bottom ofthe ravine. 

As the horseman's eyes fell upon the thing they went wide inastonishment, for it was no less than the charred remnants of theonce beautiful gray roadster that had brought him into thistwentieth century land of medieval adventure and intrigue. Barneysaw that the machine had been lifted from where it had fallen acrossthe horse of the Princess von der Tann, for the animal's decayingcarcass now lay entirely clear of it; but why this should have beendone, or by whom, the young man could not imagine. 

A glance aloft showed him the road far above him, from which he, thehorse and the roadster had catapulted; and with the sight of itthere flashed to his mind the fair face of the young girl in whoseservice the thing had happened. Barney wondered if Joseph had beensuccessful in returning her to Tann, and he wondered, too, if shemourned for the man she had thought king--if she would be very angryshould she ever learn the truth. 

Then there came to the American's mind the figure of the shopkeeperof Tafelberg, and the fellow's evident loyalty to the mad king hehad never seen. Here was one who might aid him, thought Barney. Hewould have the will, at least and with the thought the young manturned his pony's head diagonally up the steep ravine side. 

It was a tough and dangerous struggle to the road above, but at lastby dint of strenuous efforts on the part of the sturdy little beastthe two finally scrambled over the edge of the road and stood oncemore upon level footing. 

After breathing his mount for a few minutes Barney swung himselfinto the saddle again and set off toward Tafelberg. He met no oneupon the road, nor within the outskirts of the village, and so hecame to the door of the shop he sought without attracting attention. 

Swinging to the ground he tied the pony to one of the supportingcolumns of the porch-roof and a moment later had stepped within theshop. 

From a back room the shopkeeper presently emerged, and when he sawwho it was that stood before him his eyes went wide inconsternation. 

"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 cannotunderstand it, sire. "

"Hospital?" queried the young man. "What do you mean, my goodfellow? I have been in no hospital. "

"You were there only last evening when I inquired after you of thedoctor, " insisted the shopkeeper, "nor did any there yet suspectyour true identity. "

"Last evening I was hiding far up in the mountains from YellowFranz's band of cutthroats, " replied Barney. "Tell me what manner ofriddle 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 isat a hospital in Tafelberg?"

"Yes, your majesty, I have found the true king, and it is so that hewas at the Tafelberg sanatorium last evening. It was beside theremnants of your wrecked automobile that two of the men of Tafelbergfound you. 

"One leg was pinioned beneath the machine which was on fire whenthey discovered you. They brought you to my shop, which is the firston the road into town, and not guessing your true identity they tookmy word for it that you were an old acquaintance of mine and withoutmore ado turned you over to my care. "

Barney scratched his head in puzzled bewilderment. He began todoubt 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 conclusionthat all that had passed since the instant that his car shot overthe edge of the road into the ravine had been but the hallucinationsof a fever-excited brain, and that for the past three weeks he hadbeen lying in a hospital cot instead of experiencing the strange andinexplicable adventures that he had believed to have befallen him. 

But yet the more he thought of it the more ridiculous such aconclusion appeared, for it did not in the least explain the ponytethered without, which he plainly could see from where he stoodwithin the shop, nor did it satisfactorily account for the blotch ofblood upon his shoulder from a wound so fresh that the stain stillwas damp; nor for the sword which Joseph had buckled about his waistwithin Blentz's forbidding walls; nor for the arms and ammunition hehad taken from the dead brigands--all of which he had before him astangible evidence of the rationality of the past few weeks. 

"My friend, " said Barney at last, "I cannot wonder that you havemistaken me for the king, since all those I have met within Luthahave leaped to the same error, though not one among them made theslightest pretense of ever having seen his majesty. A ridiculousbeard started the trouble, and later a series of happenings, no oneof which was particularly remarkable in itself, aggravated it, untilbut a moment since I myself was almost upon the point of believingthat I am the king. 

"But, my dear Herr Kramer, I am not the king; and when you haveaccompanied me to the hospital and seen that your patient still isthere, you may be willing to admit that there is some justificationfor 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 thehospital, providing you are not he, or he you, maintains as sturdilyas do you that he is not Leopold. If one of you, whichever beking--providing that you are not one and the same, and that I be notthe only maniac in the sad muddle--if one of you would but trust myloyalty and love for the true king and admit your identity, then Imight be of some real service to that one of you who is reallyLeopold. Herr Gott! My words are as mixed as my poor brain. "

"If you will listen to me, Herr Kramer, " said Barney, "and believewhat I tell you, I shall be able to unscramble your ideas in so faras they pertain to me and my identity. As to the man you say wasfound beneath my car, and who now lies in the sanatorium ofTafelberg, I cannot say until I have seen and talked with him. Hemay be the king and he may not; but if he insists that he is not, Ishall be the last to wish a kingship upon him. I know from sadexperience the hardships and burdens that the thing entails. "

Then Barney narrated carefully and in detail the principal events ofhis life, from his birth in Beatrice to his coming to Lutha uponpleasure. He showed Herr Kramer his watch with his monogram upon it, his seal ring, and inside the pocket of his coat the label of histailor, with his own name written beneath it and the date that thegarment 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 tobelieve that you are not the king. "

"Direct me to the sanatorium, " suggested Barney, "and if it bewithin the range of possibility I shall learn whether the man wholies there is Leopold or another, and if he be the king I shallserve him as loyally as you would have served me. Together we mayassist him to gain the safety of Tann and the protection of oldPrince Ludwig. "

"If you are not the king, " said Kramer suspiciously, "why should yoube so interested in aiding Leopold? You may even be an enemy. Howcan I know?"

"You cannot know, my good friend, " replied Barney. "But had I beenan enemy, how much more easily might I have encompassed my designs, whatever they might have been, had I encouraged you to believe thatI was king. The fact that I did not, must assure you that I have noulterior designs against Leopold. "

This line of reasoning proved quite convincing to the oldshopkeeper, and at last he consented to lead Barney to thesanatorium. Together they traversed the quiet village streets to theoutskirts of the town, where in large, park-like grounds thewell-known sanatorium of Tafelberg is situated in quietsurroundings. It is an institution for the treatment of nervousdiseases to which patients are brought from all parts of Europe, andis doubtless Lutha's principal claim upon the attention of the outerworld. 

As the two crossed the gardens which lay between the gate and themain entrance and mounted the broad steps leading to the veranda anold servant opened the door, and recognizing Herr Kramer, noddedpleasantly to him. 

"Your patient seems much brighter this morning, Herr Kramer, " hesaid, "and has been asking to be allowed to sit up. "

"He is still here, then?" questioned the shopkeeper with a sigh thatmight have indicated either relief or resignation. 

"Why, certainly. You did not expect that he had entirely recoveredovernight, did you?"

"No, " replied Herr Kramer, "not exactly. In fact, I did not knowwhat I should expect. "

As the two passed him on their way to the room in which the patientlay, the servant eyed Herr Kramer in surprise, as though wonderingwhat had occurred to his mentality since he had seen him theprevious day. He paid no attention to Barney other than to bow tohim as he passed, but there was another who did--an attendantstanding in the hallway through which the two men walked toward theprivate room where one of them expected to find the real mad king ofLutha. 

He was a dark-visaged fellow, sallow and small-eyed; and as hisglance rested upon the features of the American a puzzled expressioncrossed his face. He let his gaze follow the two as they moved on upthe corridor until they turned in at the door of the room theysought, then he followed them, entering an apartment next to that inwhich 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 abouthis own height. The face that turned toward them as they entered wascovered by a full, reddish-brown beard, and the eyes that looked upat them in troubled surprise were gray. Beyond these Barney couldsee no likenesses to himself; yet they were sufficient, he realized, to have deceived any who might have compared one solely to theprinted 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 surethat before both of us he will admit nothing. "

Barney nodded, and the shopkeeper of Tafelberg withdrew and closedthe door behind him. The American approached the bedside with acheery "Good morning. "

The man returned the salutation with a slight inclination of hishead. There was a questioning look in his eyes; but dominating thatwas a pitiful, hunted expression that touched the American's heart. 

The man's left hand lay upon the coverlet. Barney glanced at thethird finger. About it was a plain gold band. There was no royalring of the kings of Lutha in evidence, yet that was no indicationthat the man was not Leopold; for were he the king and desirous ofconcealing his identity, his first act would be to remove everysymbol 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 atthe bottom of a ravine. I feel that I owe you full reparation forthe injuries you received, though it is beyond me how you happenedto be found under the machine. Unless I am truly mad, I was the onlyoccupant of the roadster when it plunged over the embankment. "

"It is very simple, " replied the man upon the cot. "I chanced to beat 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 Barneyquite suddenly, after the manner of one who administers a thirddegree. 

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 theAmerican felt something within the fingers of the other. For aninstant his own fingers tightened upon those that lay within them, so that as the others were withdrawn his index finger pressed closeupon the thing that had aroused his curiosity. 

It was a large setting turned inward upon the third finger of theleft hand. The gold band that Barney had seen was but the oppositeside of the same ring. 

A quick look of comprehension came to Barney's eyes. The man uponthe cot evidently noted it and rightly interpreted its cause, for, having freed his hand, he now slipped it quickly beneath thecoverlet. 

"I have passed through a series of rather remarkable adventuressince I came to Lutha, " said Barney apparently quite irrelevantly, after the two had remained silent for a moment. "Shortly after mycar fell upon you I was mistaken for the fugitive King Leopold bythe young lady whose horse fell into the ravine with my car. She isa most loyal supporter of the king, being none other than thePrincess Emma von der Tann. From her I learned to espouse the causeof Leopold. "

Step by step Barney took the man through the adventures that hadbefallen him during the past three weeks, closing with the story ofthe death of the boy, Rudolph. 

"Above his dead body I swore to serve Leopold of Lutha as loyally asthe poor, mistaken child had served me, your majesty, " and Barneylooked straight into the eyes of him who lay upon the little ironcot. 

For a moment the man held his eyes upon those of the American, butfinally, 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 thesetting of the royal ring of the kings of Lutha upon the thirdfinger 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 andprotect your majesty, and place you upon the throne that has beenstolen from you. I have sworn to serve you. The old shopkeeper, HerrKramer, who brought me here, is an honest, loyal old soul. He woulddie for you, your majesty. Trust us. Let us help you. Tomorrow, Kramer tells me, Peter of Blentz is to have himself crowned as kingin 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 beendoing for the past ten years? No, you will not. Even if you do notwant the crown, you were born to the duties and obligations itentails, 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 thatfiend of Blentz?" cried the king. "How am I to know that you willnot drag me back to the terrors of that awful castle, and to thepoisonous potions of the new physician Peter has employed toassassinate me? I can trust none. 

"Go away and leave me. I do not want to be king. I wish only to goaway as far from Lutha as I can get and pass the balance of my lifein peace and security. Peter may have the crown. He is welcome toit, 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 wasnot one of those iron characters and courageous hearts that wouldwillingly fight to the death for his own rights and the rights andhappiness of his people. Perhaps the long years of bitterdisappointment and misery, the tedious hours of imprisonment, andthe constant haunting fears for his life had reduced him to thispitiable condition. 

Whatever the cause, Barney Custer was determined to overcome theman's aversion to assuming the duties which were rightly his, for inhis memory were the words of Emma von der Tann, in which she hadmade plain to him the fate that would doubtless befall her fatherand 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 begiven up uselessly for a king with so mean a spirit that he wouldnot take a scepter when it was forced upon him?

And the people of Lutha? Were they to be further and continuallyrobbed and downtrodden beneath the heel of Peter's scoundrellyofficials because their true king chose to evade theresponsibilities that were his by birth?

For half an hour Barney pleaded and argued with the king, until heinfused in the weak character of the young man a part of his owntireless enthusiasm and courage. Leopold commenced to take heart andsee things in a brighter and more engaging light. Finally he becamequite excited about the prospects, and at last Barney obtained awilling promise from him that he would consent to being placed uponhis throne and would go to Lustadt at any time that Barney shouldcome for him with a force from the retainers of Prince Ludwig vonder Tann. 

"Let us hope, " cried the king, "that the luck of the reigning houseof Lutha has been at last restored. Not since my aunt, the PrincessVictoria, ran away with a foreigner has good fortune shone upon myhouse. It was when my father was still a young man--before he hadyet come to the throne--and though his reign was marked with greatpeace and prosperity for the people of Lutha, his own privatefortunes were most unhappy. 

"My mother died at my birth, and the last days of my father's lifewere filled with suffering from the cancer that was slowly killinghim. Let us pray, Herr Custer, that you have brought new life to thefortunes of my house. "

"Amen, your majesty, " said Barney. "And now I'll be off forTann--there must not be a moment lost if we are to bring you toLustadt in time for the coronation. Herr Kramer will watch over you, but as none here guesses your true identity you are safer here thananywhere else in Lutha. Good-bye, your majesty. Be of good heart. We'll have you on the road to Lustadt and the throne tomorrowmorning. "

After Barney Custer had closed the door of the king's chamber behindhim and hurried down the corridor, the door of the room next theking's opened quietly and a dark-visaged fellow, sallow andsmall-eyed, emerged. Upon his lips was a smile of cunningsatisfaction, as he hastened to the office of the medical directorand 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 beenfound, a dust-covered horseman reined in before the great gate ofthe castle of Prince Ludwig von der Tann. The unsettled politicalconditions which overhung the little kingdom of Lutha were evidentin the return to medievalism which the raised portcullis and thearmed guard upon the barbican of the ancient feudal fortressrevealed. Not for a hundred years before had these things been doneother than as a part of the ceremonials of a fete day, or in honorof visiting royalty. 

At the challenge from the gate Barney replied that he bore a messagefor the prince. Slowly the portcullis sank into position across themoat 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 ofPeter!" cried Barney in amazement. "Has the Princess Emma returnedfrom her captivity in the castle of Blentz?"

"She is with her father now, having returned nearly three weeksago, " replied the officer, "and Peter has disclaimed responsibilityfor the outrage, promising that those responsible shall be punished. He has convinced Prince Ludwig that Leopold is dead, and for thesake of Lutha--to save her from civil strife--my prince has patcheda truce with Peter; though unless I mistake the character of thelatter and the temper of the former it will be short-lived. 

"To demonstrate to the people, " continued the officer, "that PrinceLudwig and Peter are good friends, the great Von der Tann willattend the coronation, but that he takes little stock in thesincerity of the Prince of Blentz would be apparent could the latterhave a peep beneath the cloaks and look into the loyal hearts of themen of Tann who rode down to Lustadt today. "

Barney did not wait to hear more. He was glad that in the gatheringdusk the officer had not seen his face plainly enough to mistake himfor the king. With a parting, "Then I must ride to Lustadt with mymessage for the prince, " he wheeled his tired mount and trotted downthe steep trail from Tann toward the highway which leads to thecapital. 

All night Barney rode. Three times he wandered from the way and wasforced to stop at farmhouses to inquire the proper direction; butdarkness hid his features from the sleepy eyes of those who answeredhis summons, and daylight found him still forging ahead in thedirection of the capital of Lutha. 

The American was sunk in unhappy meditation as his weary littlemount plodded slowly along the dusty road. For hours the man had notbeen able to urge the beast out of a walk. The loss of timeconsequent upon his having followed wrong roads during the night andthe exhaustion of the pony which retarded his speed to what seemedlittle better than a snail's pace seemed to assure the failure ofhis mission, for at best he could not reach Lustadt before noon. 

There was no possibility of bringing Leopold to his capital in timefor the coronation, and but a bare possibility that Prince Ludwigwould accept the word of an entire stranger that Leopold lived, forthe acknowledgment of such a condition by the old prince couldresult in nothing less than an immediate resort to arms by the twofactions. It was certain that Peter would be infinitely more anxiousto proceed with his coronation should it be rumored that Leopoldlived, and equally certain that Prince Ludwig would interpose everyobstacle, even to armed resistance, to prevent the consummation ofthe ceremony. 

Yet there seemed to Barney no other alternative than to place beforethe king's one powerful friend the information that he had. It wouldthen rest with Ludwig to do what he thought advisable. 

An hour from Lustadt the road wound through a dense forest, whosepleasant shade was a grateful relief to both horse and rider fromthe hot sun beneath which they had been journeying the greater partof the morning. Barney was still lost in thought, his eyes bentforward, when at a sudden turning of the road he came face to facewith a troop of horse that were entering the main highway at thispoint from an unfrequented byroad. 

At sight of them the American instinctively wheeled his mount in aneffort to escape, but at a command from an officer a half dozentroopers spurred after him, their fresh horses soon overtaking hisjaded pony. 

For a moment Barney contemplated resistance, for these were troopersof the Royal Horse, the body which was now Peter's most effectivepersonal tool; but even as his hand slipped to the butt of one ofthe revolvers at his hip, the young man saw the foolish futility ofsuch a course, and with a shrug and a smile he drew rein and turnedto face the advancing soldiers. 

As he did so the officer rode up, and at sight of Barney's face gavean exclamation of astonishment. The officer was Butzow. 

"Well met, your majesty, " he cried saluting. "We are riding to thecoronation. We shall be just in time. "

"To see Peter of Blentz rob Leopold of a crown, " said the Americanin a disgusted tone. 

"To see Leopold of Lutha come into his own, your majesty. Long livethe king!" cried the officer. 

Barney thought the man either poking fun at him because he was notthe king, or, thinking he was Leopold, taking a mean advantage ofhis helplessness to bait him. Yet this last suspicion seemed unfairto Butzow, who at Blentz had given ample evidence that he was agentleman, and of far different caliber from Maenck and the otherswho served Peter. 

If he could but convince the man that he was no king and thus gainhis liberty long enough to reach Prince Ludwig's ear, his missionwould 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 uponthe cavalry officer in an effort to convince him that he was notLeopold. 

The king had given the American his great ring to safeguard for himuntil it should be less dangerous for Leopold to wear it, and forfear that at the last moment someone within the sanatorium mightrecognize 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 lestButzow should see it and by it be convinced that Barney was indeedLeopold. 

"Never mind who you are, " cried Butzow, thinking to humor the king'sstrange obsession. "You look enough like Leopold to be his twin, andyou must help us save Lutha from Peter of Blentz. "

The American showed in his expression the surprise he felt at thesewords 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 youknow the truth you will see that I have done only that which Ibelieved to be the duty of a patriotic officer and a truegentleman. "

They had rejoined the troop by this time, and the entire company wasonce more headed toward Lustadt. Butzow had commanded one of thetroopers to exchange horses with Barney, bringing the jaded animalinto the city slowly, and now freshly mounted the American wasmaking better time toward his destination. His spirits rose, and asthey galloped along the highway, he listened with renewed interestto the story which Lieutenant Butzow narrated in detail. 

It seemed that Butzow had been absent from Lutha for a number ofyears as military attache to the Luthanian legation at a foreigncourt. He had known nothing of the true condition at home until hisreturn, when he saw such scoundrels as Coblich, Maenck, and Steinhigh in the favor of the prince regent. For some time before theevents that had transpired after he had brought Barney and thePrincess Emma to Blentz he had commenced to have his doubts as tothe true patriotism of Peter of Blentz; and when he had learnedthrough the unguarded words of Schonau that there was a realfoundation for the rumor that the regent had plotted theassassination of the king his suspicions had crystallized intoknowledge, and he had sworn to serve his king before allothers--were he sane or mad. From this loyalty he could not beshaken. 

"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 thepeople by attempting to interpose any obstacle. When he sees Leopoldof Lutha ride into the capital of his kingdom at the head of even sosmall a force as ours he will know that the end of his own power isat hand, for he is not such a fool that he does not perfectlyrealize that he is the most cordially hated man in all Lutha, andthat only those attend upon him who hope to profit through hissuccess or who fear his evil nature. "

"If Peter is crowned today, " asked Barney, "will it prevent Leopoldregaining his throne?"

"It is difficult to say, " replied Butzow; "but the chances are thatthe throne would be lost to him forever. To regain it he would haveto plunge Lutha into a bitter civil war, for once Peter isproclaimed king he will have the law upon his side, and with theresources of the State behind him--the treasury and the army--hewill feel in no mood to relinquish the scepter without a struggle. Idoubt much that you will ever sit upon your throne, sire, unless youdo so within the very next hour. "

For some time Barney rode in silence. He saw that only by a masterstroke 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 thatno man lived who could be happy in possession of one. Then therecame before his mind's eye the delicate, patrician face of Emma vonder Tann. 

Would Peter of Blentz be true to his new promises to the house ofVon der Tann? Barney doubted it. He recalled all that it might meanof danger and suffering to the girl whose kisses he still felt uponhis lips as though it had been but now that hers had placed themthere. He recalled the limp little body of the boy, Rudolph, and theSpartan loyalty with which the little fellow had given his life inthe service of the man he had thought king. The pitiful figure ofthe fear-haunted man upon the iron cot at Tafelberg rose before himand cried for vengeance. 

To this man was the woman he loved betrothed! He knew that he mightnever wed the Princess Emma. Even were she not promised to another, the iron shackles of convention and age-old customs must foreverseparate her from an untitled American. But if he couldn't have herhe 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 becrowned today we have no time to lose. "

Butzow smiled a relieved smile. The king had at last regained hissenses!

Within the ancient cathedral at Lustadt a great and gorgeouslyattired assemblage had congregated. All the nobles of Lutha weregathered there with their wives, their children, and theirretainers. There were the newer nobility of the lowlands--many whosepatents dated but since the regency of Peter--and there were theproud nobility of the highlands--the old nobility of which PrinceLudwig von der Tann was the chief. 

It was noticeable that though a truce had been made between Ludwigand Peter, yet the former chancellor of the kingdom did not standupon the chancel with the other dignitaries of the State and court. 

Few there were who knew that he had been invited to occupy a placeof honor there, and had replied that he would take no active part inthe making of any king in Lutha whose veins did not pulse to theflow of the blood of the house in whose service he had grown gray. 

Close packed were the retainers of the old prince so that theirgreat number was scarcely noticeable, though quite so was the factthat they kept their cloaks on, presenting a somber appearance inthe midst of all the glitter of gold and gleam of jewels thatsurrounded them--a grim, business-like appearance that cast a chillupon Peter of Blentz as his eyes scanned the multitude of facesbelow him. 

He would have shown his indignation at this seeming affront had hedared; but until the crown was safely upon his head and the royalscepter in his hand Peter had no mind to do aught that mightjeopardize the attainment of the power he had sought for the pastten years. 

The solemn ceremony was all but completed; the Bishop of Lustadt hadreceived the great golden crown from the purple cushion upon whichit had been borne at the head of the procession which accompaniedPeter up the broad center aisle of the cathedral. He had raised itabove the head of the prince regent, and was repeating the solemnwords which precede the placing of the golden circlet upon the man'sbrow. In another moment Peter of Blentz would be proclaimed the kingof 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 riotwithin her fair bosom. In the act that she was witnessing she sawthe eventual ruin of her father's house. That Peter would long wantfor an excuse to break and humble his ancient enemy she did notbelieve; but this was not the only cause for the sorrow thatoverwhelmed her. 

Her most poignant grief, like that of her father, was for the deadking, Leopold; but to the sorrow of the loyal subject was added thegrief of the loving woman, bereft. Close to her heart she hugged thememory of the brief hours spent with the man whom she had beentaught since childhood to look upon as her future husband, but forwhom the all-consuming fires of love had only been fanned to lifewithin her since that moment, now three weeks gone, that he hadcrushed her to his breast to cover her lips with kisses for theshort moment ere he sacrificed his life to save her from a fateworse than death. 

Before her stood the Nemesis of her dead king. The last act of thehideous crime against the man she had loved was nearing its close. As the crown, poised over the head of Peter of Blentz, sank slowlydownward the girl felt that she could scarce restrain her desire toshriek aloud a protest against the wicked act--the crowning of amurderer king of her beloved Lutha. 

A glance at the old man at her side showed her the stern, commandingfeatures of her sire molded in an expression of haughty dignity;only the slight movement of the muscles of the strong jaw revealedthe tensity of the hidden emotions of the stern old warrior. He wasmeeting disappointment and defeat as a Von der Tann should--brave tothe end. 

The crown had all but touched the head of Peter of Blentz when asudden commotion at the back of the cathedral caused the bishop tolook up in ill-concealed annoyance. At the sight that met his eyeshis hands halted in mid-air. 

The great audience turned as one toward the doors at the end of thelong central aisle. There, through the wide-swung portals, they sawmounted men forcing their way into the cathedral. The great horsesshouldered aside the foot-soldiers that attempted to bar their way, and twenty troopers of the Royal Horse thundered to the very foot ofthe chancel steps. 

At their head rode Lieutenant Butzow and a tall young man in soiledand tattered khaki, whose gray eyes and full reddish-brown beardbrought an exclamation from Captain Maenck who commanded the guardabout Peter of Blentz. 

"Mein Gott--the king!" cried Maenck, and at the words Peter wentwhite. 

In open-mouthed astonishment the spectators saw the hurryingtroopers and heard Butzow's "The king! The king! Make way forLeopold, King of Lutha!"

And a girl saw, and as she saw her heart leaped to her mouth. Hersmall 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, threwaside his cloak and leaped to the chancel steps beside Butzow andthe others who were mounting them. Behind him a hundred cloaksdropped from the shoulders of his fighting men, exposing not silksand satins and fine velvet, but the coarse tan of khaki, and grimcartridge belts well filled, and stern revolvers slung to well-wornservice belts. 

As Butzow and Barney stepped upon the chancel Peter of Blentz leapedforward. "What mad treason is this?" he fairly screamed. 

"The days of treason are now past, prince, " replied Butzowmeaningly. "Here is not treason, but Leopold of Lutha come to claimhis 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 asyet. They awaited a leader. Old Von der Tann scrutinized theAmerican closely. 

"How may we know that you are Leopold?" he asked. "For ten years wehave not seen our king. "

"The governor of Blentz has already acknowledged his identity, "cried Butzow. "Maenck was the first to proclaim the presence of theputative king. "

At that someone near the chancel cried: "Long live Leopold, king ofLutha!" and at the words the whole assemblage raised their voices ina 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 thecoronation proceed. "

Maenck took a step toward Barney and Butzow, when old Prince von derTann interposed his giant frame with grim resolve. 

"Hold!" He spoke in a low, stern voice that brought the cowardlyMaenck to a sudden halt. 

The men of Tann had pressed eagerly forward until they stood, withbared swords, a solid rank of fighting men in grim semicircle behindtheir chief. There were cries from different parts of the cathedralof: "Crown Leopold, our true king! Down with Peter! Down with theassassin!"

"Enough of this, " cried Peter. "Clear the cathedral!"

He drew his own sword, and with half a hundred loyal retainers athis back pressed forward to clear the chancel. There was a brieffight, from which Barney, much to his disgust, was barred by themighty figure of the old prince and the stalwart sword-arm ofButzow. He did get one crack at Maenck, and had the satisfaction ofseeing 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 captainagain during the battle. 

When Peter saw that more than half of the palace guard were shoutingfor Leopold, and fighting side by side with the men of Tann, herealized the futility of further armed resistance at this time. Slowly he withdrew, and at last the fighting ceased and somesemblance of order was restored within the cathedral. 

Fearfully, the bishop emerged from hiding, his robes disheveled andhis miter askew. Butzow grasped him none too reverently by the armand dragged him before Barney. The crown of Lutha dangled in thepriest's palsied hands. 

"Crown the king!" cried the lieutenant. "Crown Leopold, king ofLutha!"

A mad roar of acclaim greeted this demand, and again from all partsof the cathedral rose the same wild cry. But in the lull thatfollowed there were some who demanded proof of the tattered youngman 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 stoodawaiting the outcome, ready to demand the crown upon the firstindication of wavering belief in the man he knew was not Leopold. 

"How may we know that you are really Leopold?" again asked Ludwig ofBarney. 

The American raised his left hand, upon the third finger of whichgleamed the great ruby of the royal ring of the kings of Lutha. EvenPeter of Blentz started back in surprise as his eyes fell upon thering. 

Where had the man come upon it?

Prince von der Tann dropped to one knee before Mr. Bernard Custer ofBeatrice, Nebraska, U. S. A. , and lifted that gentleman's hand to hislips, and as the people of Lutha saw the act they went mad with joy. 

Slowly Prince Ludwig rose and addressed the bishop. "Leopold, therightful heir to the throne of Lutha, is here. Let the coronationproceed. "

The quiet of the sepulcher fell upon the assemblage as the holy manraised the crown above the head of the king. Barney saw from thecorner of his eye the sea of faces upturned toward him. He saw therelief and happiness upon the stern countenance of the old prince. 

He hated to dash all their new found joy by the announcement that hewas not the king. He could not do that, for the moment he did Peterwould step forward and demand that his own coronation continue. Howwas he to save the throne for Leopold?

Among the faces beneath him he suddenly descried that of a beautifulyoung girl whose eyes, filled with the tears of a great happinessand a greater love, were upturned to his. To reveal his trueidentity would lose him this girl forever. None save Peter knew thathe was not the king. All save Peter would hail him gladly as Leopoldof Lutha. How easily he might win a throne and the woman he loved bya moment of seeming passive compliance. 

The temptation was great, and then he recalled the boy, lying deadfor his king in the desolate mountains, and the pathetic light inthe eyes of the sorrowful man at Tafelberg, and the great trust andconfidence in the heart of the woman who had shown that she lovedhim. 

Slowly Barney Custer raised his palm toward the bishop in a gestureof restraint. 

"There are those who doubt that I am king, " he said. "In thesecircumstances there should be no coronation in Lutha until alldoubts are allayed and all may unite in accepting without questionthe royal right of the true Leopold to the crown of his father. Letthe coronation wait, then, until another day, and all will be well. "

"It must take place before noon of the fifth day of November, or notuntil a year later, " said Prince Ludwig. "In the meantime the PrinceRegent must continue to rule. For the sake of Lutha the coronationmust 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 twodays. "

"It is the king's command, " said Barney quietly. 

"But Peter of Blentz will rule for these two days, and in that timewith the army at his command there is no telling what he mayaccomplish, " 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 placePrince Peter, Coblich, Maenck, and Stein under arrest. We chargethem with treason against their king, and conspiring to assassinatetheir rightful monarch. "

Butzow smiled as he turned with his troopers at his back to executethis most welcome of commissions; but in a moment he was again atBarney's side. 

"They have fled, your majesty, " he said. "Shall I ride to Blentzafter them?"

"Let them go, " replied the American, and then, with his retinueabout him the new king of Lutha passed down the broad aisle of thecathedral of Lustadt and took his way to the royal palace betweenranks of saluting soldiery backed by cheering thousands. 

IX

THE KING'S GUESTS

Once within the palace Barney sought the seclusion of a small roomoff the audience chamber. Here he summoned Butzow. 

"Lieutenant, " said the American, "for the sake of a woman, a deadchild and an unhappy king I have become dictator of Lutha forforty-eight hours; but at noon upon the fifth this farce must cease. Then we must place the true Leopold upon the throne, or a newdictator must replace me. 

"In vain I have tried to convince you that I am not the king, andtoday in the cathedral so great was the temptation to take advantageof the odd train of circumstances that had placed a crown within myreach that I all but surrendered to it--not for the crown of gold, Butzow, but for an infinitely more sacred diadem which belongs tohim to whom by right of birth and lineage, belongs the crown ofLutha. I do not ask you to understand--it is not necessary--but thisyou must know and believe: that I am not Leopold, and that the trueLeopold lies in hiding in the sanatorium at Tafelberg, from whichyou and I, Butzow, must fetch him to Lustadt before noon on thefifth. "

"But, sire--" commenced Butzow, when Barney raised his hand. 

"Enough of that, Butzow!" he cried almost irritably. "I am sick ofbeing 'sired' and 'majestied'--my name is Custer. Call me that whenothers are not present. Believe what you will, but ride with me insecrecy to Tafelberg tonight, and together we shall bring backLeopold of Lutha. Then we may call Prince Ludwig into ourconfidence, and none need ever know of the substitution. 

"I doubt if many had a sufficiently close view of me today torealize the trick that I have played upon them, and if they note adifference they will attribute it to the change in apparel, for weshall see to it that the king is fittingly garbed before we exhibithim 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 obeywhatever commands you see fit to give, and so I will ride toTafelberg tonight, though what we shall find there I cannot imagine, unless there are two Leopolds of Lutha. But shall we also findanother royal ring upon the finger of this other king?"

Barney smiled. "You're a typical hard-headed Dutchman, Butzow, " hesaid. 

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 intowhich you fall I might believe that you were other than the king butfor the ring. "

"It is my commission from the king, " replied Barney. "Leopoldplaced it upon my finger in token of his royal authority to act inhis 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 theAmerican was busy with tailors whom he had ordered sent to thepalace 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 mighteasily wear clothes that had been fitted to Barney; and it was partof his plan to have everything in readiness for the substitutionwhich was to take place the morning of the coronation. 

Then there were foreign dignitaries, and the heads of numerousdomestic and civic delegations to be given audience. Old Von derTann stood close behind Barney prompting him upon the royal dutiesthat had fallen so suddenly upon his shoulders, and none thought itstrange that he was unfamiliar with the craft of kingship, for wasit not common knowledge that he had been kept a close prisoner inBlentz since boyhood, nor been given any coaching for the dutiesPeter of Blentz never intended he should perform?

After it was all over Prince Ludwig's grim and leathery face relaxedinto a smile of satisfaction. 

"None who witnessed the conduct of your first audience, sire, " hesaid, "could for a moment doubt your royal lineage--if ever a manwas born to kingship, your majesty, it be you. "

Barney smiled, a bit ruefully, however, for in his mind's eye he sawa future moment when the proud old Prince von der Tann would knowthe truth of the imposture that had been played upon him, and theyoung man foresaw that he would have a rather unpleasant half-hour. 

At a little distance from them Barney saw Emma von der Tannsurrounded by a group of officials and palace officers. Since he hadcome to Lustadt that day he had had no word with her, and now hecrossed toward her, amused as the throng parted to form an aisle forhim, the men saluting and the women curtsying low. 

He took both of the girl's hands in his, and, drawing one throughhis arm, took advantage of the prerogatives of kingship to lead heraway from the throng of courtiers. 

"I thought that I should never be done with all the tiresomebusiness which seems to devolve upon kings, " he said, laughing. "Allthe while that I should have been bending my royal intellect tomatters of state, I was wondering just how a king might find a wayto see the woman he loves without interruptions from the horde thatdogs his footsteps. "

"You seem to have found a way, Leopold, " she whispered, pressing hisarm close to her. "Kings usually do. "

"It is not because I am a king that I found a way, Emma, " hereplied. "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, andthere is no longer aught to fear from Peter or any other. To me atleast, it is most unkind still to deny your identity. "

"I wonder, " said Barney, "if your love could withstand the knowledgethat 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, andwhen it does, remember that I have always done my best to undeceiveyou. I know that you are not for such as I, my princess, and when Ihave returned your true king to you all that I shall ask is that yoube happy with him. "

"I shall always be happy with my king, " she whispered, and the lookthat she gave him made Barney Custer curse the fate that had failedto 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 twohorsemen 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 atthe side of the public square, a diner sitting at a table upon thewalk spied the tall figure and the bearded face of him who rode afew feet in advance of his companion. Leaping to his feet the manwaved 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 ofBeatrice and Lieutenant Butzow of the Royal Horse rode out into thenight upon the road to Tafelberg. 

When Peter of Blentz had escaped from the cathedral he had hastilymounted with a handful of his followers and hurried out of Lustadtalong the road toward his formidable fortress at Blentz. Half wayupon the journey he had met a dusty and travel-stained horsemanhastening toward the capital city that Peter and his lieutenants hadjust 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. "Ihave 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 thepalace at Lustadt. But the real Leopold of Lutha was slain by YellowFranz'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 takea great ring from his finger--a ring with a mighty ruby set in itscenter--and give it to the other. Both were bearded men with grayeyes--either might have passed for the king by the description uponthe placards that have covered Lutha for the past month. At first hedenied his identity, but when the other had convinced him that hesought only the king's welfare he at last admitted that he wasLeopold. "

"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, butwhen I left Tafelberg he had not yet done so, and if you hasten youmay reach there before they take him away, and if there be anyreward for my loyalty to you, prince, my name is Ferrath. "

"Ride with us and if you have told the truth, fellow, there shall bea reward and if not--then there shall be deserts, " and Peter ofBlentz wheeled his horse and with his company galloped on towardTafelberg. 

As he rode he talked with his lieutenants Coblich, Maenck, andStein, and among them it was decided that it would be best thatPeter stop at Blentz for the night while the others rode on toTafelberg. 

"Do not bring Leopold to Blentz, " directed Peter, "for if it be hewho lies at Tafelberg and they find him gone it will be towardBlentz that they will first look. Take him--"

The Regent leaned from his saddle so that his mouth was close to theear of Coblich, that none of the troopers might hear. 

Coblich nodded his head. 

"And, Coblich, the fewer that ride to Tafelberg tonight the surerthe success of the mission. Take Maenck, Stein and one other withyou. I shall keep this man with me, for it may prove but a plot tolure me to Tafelberg. "

Peter scowled at the now frightened hospital attendant. 

"Tomorrow I shall be riding through the lowlands, Coblich, and soyou may not find means to communicate with me, but before noon ofthe fifth have word at your town house in Lustadt for me of thesuccess of your venture. "

They had reached the point now where the road to Tafelberg branchesfrom that to Blentz, and the four who were to fetch the king wheeledtheir horses into the left-hand fork and cantered off upon theirmission. 

The direct road between Lustadt and Tafelberg is but little morethan half the distance of that which Coblich and his companions hadto traverse because of the wide detour they had made by ridingalmost to Blentz first, and so it was that when they cantered intothe little mountain town near midnight Barney Custer and LieutenantButzow were but a mile or two behind them. 

Had the latter had even the faintest of suspicions that the identityof the hiding place of the king might come to the knowledge of Peterof Blentz they could have reached Tafelberg ahead of Coblich and hisparty, but all unsuspecting they rode slowly to conserve the energyof their mounts for the return trip. 

In silence the two men approached the grounds surrounding thesanatorium. In the soft dirt of the road the hoofs of their mountsmade no sound, and the shadows of the trees that border the front ofthe enclosure hid them from the view of the trooper who held fourriderless horses in a little patch of moonlight that broke throughthe 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 Icannot make out his uniform. "

"Wait here, " said Butzow, and slipping from his horse he creptcloser to the man, hugging the dense shadows close to the trees. 

Barney reined in nearer the low wall. From his saddle he could seethe grounds beyond through the branches of a tree. As he looked hisattention was suddenly riveted upon a sight that sent his heart intohis throat. 

Three men were dragging a struggling, half-naked figure down thegravel walk from the sanatorium toward the gate. One kept a handclapped across the mouth of the prisoner, who struck and fought hisassailants with all the frenzy of despair. 

Barney leaped from his saddle and ran headlong after Butzow. Thelieutenant had reached the gate but an instant ahead of him when thetrooper, turning suddenly at some slight sound of the officer's footupon the ground, detected the man creeping upon him. In an instantthe fellow had whipped out a revolver, and raising it firedpoint-blank at Butzow's chest; but in the same instant a figure shotout of the shadows beside him, and with the report of the revolver aheavy fist caught the trooper on the side of the chin, crumpling himto the ground as if he were dead. 

The blow had been in time to deflect the muzzle of the firearm, andthe bullet whistled harmlessly past the lieutenant. 

"Your majesty!" exclaimed Butzow excitedly. "Go back. He might havekilled you. "

Barney leaped to the other's side and grasping him by the shoulderswheeled him about so that he faced the gate. 

"There, Butzow, " he cried, "there is your king, and from the looksof it he never needed a loyal subject more than he does this moment. Come!" Without waiting to see if the other followed him, BarneyCuster leaped through the gate full in the faces of the astonishedtrio that was dragging Leopold of Lutha from his sanctuary. 

At sight of the American the king gave a muffled cry of relief, andthen Barney was upon those who held him. A stinging uppercut liftedCoblich clear of the ground to drop him, dazed and bewildered, atthe foot of the monarch he had outraged. Maenck drew a revolver onlyto have it struck from his hand by the sword of Butzow, who hadfollowed closely upon the American's heels. 

Barney, seizing the king by the arm, started on a run for thegateway. In his wake came Butzow with a drawn sword beating backStein, who was armed with a cavalry saber, and Maenck who had nowdrawn his own sword. 

The American saw that the two were pressing Butzow much too closelyfor safety and that Coblich had now recovered from the effects ofthe blow and was in pursuit, drawing his saber as he ran. Barneythrust the king behind him and turned to face the enemy, at Butzow'sside. 

The three men rushed upon the two who stood between them and theirprey. The moonlight was now full in the faces of Butzow and theAmerican. For the first time Maenck and the others saw who it wasthat had interrupted them. 

"The impostor!" cried the governor of Blentz. "The false king!"

Imbued with temporary courage by the knowledge that his side had theadvantage of superior numbers he launched himself full upon theAmerican. To his surprise he met a sword-arm that none might haveexpected in an American, for Barney Custer had been a pupil of theredoubtable 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 theAmerican's point had found him twice to leave him streaming bloodfrom two deep flesh wounds. 

Neither of those who fought in the service of the king saw thetrembling, weak-kneed figure, which had stood behind them, turn andscurry through the gateway, leaving the men who battled for him totheir fate. 

The trooper whom Barney had felled had regained consciousness and ashe 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 ashe did he was quick to jump to the conclusion that this fleeingpersonification of abject terror was Leopold of Lutha; and so it wasthat as the king emerged from the gateway in search of freedom heran straight into the widespread arms of the trooper. 

Maenck and Coblich had seen the king's break for liberty, and thelatter maneuvered to get himself between Butzow and the open gatethat he might follow after the fleeing monarch. 

At the same instant Maenck, seeing that Stein was being worsted bythe American, rushed in upon the latter, and thus relieved, therat-faced doctor was enabled to swing a heavy cut at Barney whichstruck him a glancing blow upon the head, sending him stunned andbleeding to the sward. 

Coblich and the governor of Blentz hastened toward the gate, pausingfor an instant to overwhelm Butzow. In the fierce scrimmage thatfollowed the lieutenant was overthrown, though not before his swordhad passed through the heart of the rat-faced one. Deserting theirfallen comrade the two dashed through the gate, where to theirimmense relief they found Leopold safe in the hands of the trooper. 

An instant later the precious trio, with Leopold upon the horse ofthe late Dr. Stein, were galloping swiftly into the darkness of thewood that lies at the outskirts of Tafelberg. 

When Barney regained consciousness he found himself upon a cotwithin the sanatorium. Close beside him lay Butzow, and above themstood an interne and several nurses. No sooner had the Americanregained his scattered wits than he leaped to the floor. The interneand the nurses tried to force him back upon the cot, thinking thathe was in the throes of a delirium, and it required his best effortsto convince them that he was quite rational. 

During the melee Butzow regained consciousness; his wound being assuperficial as that of the American, the two men were soon donningtheir clothing, and, half-dressed, rushing toward the outer gate. 

The interne had told them that when he had reached the scene of theconflict in company with the gardener he had found them and anotherlying upon the sward. 

Their companion, he said, was quite dead. 

"That must have been Stein, " said Butzow. "And the others hadescaped with the king!"

"The king?" cried the interne. 

"Yes, the king, man--Leopold of Lutha. Did you not know that he whohas lain here for three weeks was the king?" replied Butzow. 

The interne accompanied them to the gate and beyond, but everywherewas silence. The king was gone. 

X

ON THE BATTLEFIELD

All that night and the following day Barney Custer and his aide rodein search of the missing king. 

They came to Blentz, and there Butzow rode boldly into the greatcourt, admitted by virtue of the fact that the guard upon the gateknew him only as an officer of the royal guard whom they believedstill loyal to Peter of Blentz. 

The lieutenant learned that the king was not there, nor had he beensince his escape. He also learned that Peter was abroad in thelowland recruiting followers to aid him forcibly to regain the crownof Lutha. 

The lieutenant did not wait to hear more, but, hurrying from thecastle, rode to Barney where the latter had remained in hiding inthe wood below the moat--the same wood through which he had stumbleda few weeks previously after his escape from the stagnant waters ofthe moat. 

"The king is not here, " said Butzow to him, as soon as the formerreached his side. "Peter is recruiting an army to aid him in seizingthe palace at Lustadt, and king or no king, we must ride for thecapital in time to check that move. Thank God, " he added, "that weshall have a king to place upon the throne of Lutha at noon tomorrowin spite of all that Peter can do. "

"What do you mean?" asked Barney. "Have you any clue to thewhereabouts 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 runwhen he might have seized something, even a stone, and fought at thesides of the men who were come to rescue him. And I saw you therealso. 

"The truth and the falsity of this whole strange business is beyondme, but this I know: if you are not the king today I pray God thatthe other may not find his way to Lustadt before noon tomorrow, forby then a brave man will sit upon the throne of Lutha, yourmajesty. "

Barney laid his hand upon the shoulder of the other. 

"It cannot be, my friend, " he said. "There is more than a throne atstake for me, but to win them both I could not do the thing yousuggest. 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. Thesight of Barney threw the servants and functionaries of the royalhousehold into wild excitement and confusion. Men ran hither andthither bearing the glad tidings that the king had returned. 

Old von der Tann was announced within ten minutes after Barneyreached his apartments. He urged upon the American the necessity forgreater caution in the future. 

"Your majesty's life is never safe while Peter of Blentz is abroadin Lutha, " cried he. 

"It was to save your king from Peter that we rode from Lustadt lastnight, " replied Barney, but the old prince did not catch the doublemeaning of the words. 

While they talked a young officer of cavalry begged an audience. Hehad important news for the king, he said. From him Barney learnedthat Peter of Blentz had succeeded in recruiting a fair-sized armyin the lowlands. Two regiments of government infantry and a squadronof cavalry had united forces with him, for there were those whostill accepted him as regent, believing his contention that the trueking was dead, and that he whose coronation was to be attempted wasbut the puppet of old Von der Tann. 

The morning of November 5 broke clear and cold. The old town ofLustadt was awakened with a start at daybreak by the booming ofcannon. Mounted messengers galloped hither and thither through thesteep, winding streets. Troops, foot and horse, moved at the doublefrom the barracks along the King's Road to the fortifications whichguard the entrance to the city at the foot of Margaretha Street. 

Upon the heights above the town Barney Custer and the old Prince vonder Tann stood surrounded by officers and aides watching the advanceof a skirmish line up the slopes toward Lustadt. Behind, the thinline columns of troops were marching under cover of two batteries offield artillery that Peter of Blentz had placed upon a wooden knollto 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 thefire of Prince Peter's artillery, while several machine guns hadbeen placed to sweep the slope up which the skirmish line wasadvancing. 

The trees that masked the enemy's pieces extended upward along theridge and the eastern edge of the city. Barney saw that a force ofmen might easily reach a commanding position from that direction andenter Lustadt almost in rear of the fortifications. Below him asquadron of the Royal Horse were just emerging from their stables, taking their way toward the plain to join in a concerted movementagainst 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 alongthe King's Road to the grove, " he commanded. "We will join himthere. "

And as the officer spurred down the steep and narrow street theAmerican, followed by Von der Tann and his staff, wheeled andgalloped 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 atthe purpose of this change in the position of the general staff, since from the wood they could see nothing of the battle waging uponthe slope. During his brief intercourse with the man he thought kinghe had quite forgotten that there had been any question as to theyoung man's sanity, for he had given no indication of possessingaught but a well-balanced mind. Now, however, he commenced to havemisgivings, if not of his sanity, then as to his judgment at least. 

"I fear, your majesty, " he ventured, "that we are putting ourselvestoo much out of touch with the main body of the army. We can neithersee nor accomplish anything from this position. "

"We were too far away to accomplish much upon the top of thatmountain, " replied Barney, "but we're going to commence doing thingsnow. You will please to ride back along the King's Road and takedirect command of the troops mobilized near the fort. 

"Direct the artillery to redouble their fire upon the enemy'sbattery for five minutes, and then to cease firing into the woodentirely. At the same instant you may order a cautious advanceagainst the troops advancing up the slope. 

"When you see us emerge upon the west side of the grove where theenemy's guns are now, you may order a charge, and we will take themsimultaneously upon their right flank with a cavalry charge. "

"But, your majesty, " exclaimed Von der Tann dubiously, "where willyou be in the mean time?"

"We shall be with the major's squadron, and when you see us emergingfrom the grove, you will know that we have taken Peter's guns andthat 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 hismount 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 asthough to question further the wisdom of the move, but finally witha shake of his head he trotted off in the direction of the fort. 

Five minutes later the enemy were delighted to note that the fireupon their concealed battery had suddenly ceased. 

Then Peter saw a force of foot-soldiers deploy from the city andadvance slowly in line of skirmishers down the slope to meet his ownfiring line. 

Immediately he did what Barney had expected that he would--turnedthe fire of his artillery toward the southwest, directly away fromthe point from which the American and the crack squadron wereadvancing. 

So it came that the cavalrymen crept through the woods upon the rearof the guns, unseen; the noise of their advance was drowned by thedetonation of the cannon. 

The first that the artillerymen knew of the enemy in their rear wasa shout of warning from one of the powder-men at a caisson, who hadcaught a glimpse of the grim line advancing through the trees at hisrear. 

Instantly an effort was made to wheel several of the pieces aboutand train them upon the advancing horsemen; but even had there beentime, a shout that rose from several of Peter's artillerymen as theRoyal Horse broke into full view would doubtless have prevented themaneuver, for at sight of the tall, bearded, young man who gallopedin front of the now charging cavalrymen there rose a shout of "Theking! The king!"

With the force of an avalanche the Royal Horse rode through thosetwo batteries of field artillery; and in the thick of the fight thatfollowed rode the American, a smile upon his face, for in his earsrang the wild shouts of his troopers: "For the king! For the king!"

In the moment that the enemy made their first determined stand abullet brought down the great bay upon which Barney rode. A dozen ofPeter's men rushed forward to seize the man stumbling to his feet. As many more of the Royal Horse closed around him, and there, forfive minutes, was waged as fierce a battle for possession of a kingas was ever fought. 

But already many of the artillerymen had deserted the guns that hadnot yet been attacked, for the magic name of king had turned theirblood to water. Fifty or more raised a white flag and surrenderedwithout striking a blow, and when, at last, Barney and his littlebodyguard fought their way through those who surrounded them theyfound the balance of the field already won. 

Upon the slope below the city the loyal troops were advancing uponthe enemy. Old Prince Ludwig paced back and forth behind them, apparently oblivious to the rain of bullets about him. Every momenthe turned his eyes toward the wooded ridge from which there nowbelched an almost continuous fusillade of shells upon the advancingroyalists. 

Quite suddenly the cannonading ceased and the old man halted in histracks, his gaze riveted upon the wood. For several minutes he sawno sign of what was transpiring behind that screen of sere andyellow autumn leaves, and then a man came running out, and after himanother and another. 

The prince raised his field glasses to his eyes. He almost criedaloud in his relief--the uniforms of the fugitives were those ofartillerymen, and only cavalry had accompanied the king. A momentlater there appeared in the center of his lenses a tall figure witha full beard. He rode, swinging his saber above his head, and behindhim 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 thedirection of the wood. 

The officers gathered there and the soldiery before him heard andtook 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 uponthe forces of Peter of Blentz, while from the east the king chargedtheir right flank at the head of the Royal Horse. 

Peter of Blentz saw that the day was lost, for the troops upon theright were crumpling before the false king while he and hiscavalrymen were yet a half mile distant. Before the retreat couldbecome a rout the prince regent ordered his forces to fall backslowly upon a suburb that lies in the valley below the city. 

Once safely there he raised a white flag, asking a conference withPrince Ludwig. 

"Your majesty, " said the old man, "what answer shall we send thetraitor who even now ignores the presence of his king?"

"Treat with him, " replied the American. "He may be honest enough inhis belief that I am an impostor. "

Von der Tann shrugged his shoulders, but did as Barney bid, and forhalf an hour the young man waited with Butzow while Von der Tann andPeter met halfway between the forces for their conference. 

A dozen members of the most powerful of the older nobilityaccompanied Ludwig. When they returned their faces were a picture ofpuzzled bewilderment. With them were several officers, soldiers andcivilians from Peter's contingency. 

"What said he?" asked Barney. 

"He said, your majesty, " replied Von der Tann, "that he is confidentyou are not the king, and that these men he has sent with me knewthe king well at Blentz. As proof that you are not the king he hasoffered the evidence of your own denials--made not only to hisofficers and soldiers, but to the man who is now your loyallieutenant, Butzow, and to the Princess Emma von der Tann, mydaughter. 

"He insists that he is fighting for the welfare of Lutha, while weare traitors, attempting to seat an impostor upon the throne of thedead Leopold. I will admit that we are at a loss, your majesty, toknow where lies the truth and where the falsity in this matter. 

"We seek only to serve our country and our king but there are thoseamong us who, to be entirely frank, are not yet convinced that youare Leopold. The result of the conference may not, then, meet withthe hearty approval of your majesty. "

"What was the result?" asked Barney. 

"It was decided that all hostilities cease, and that Prince Peter begiven an opportunity to establish the validity of his claim thatyour majesty is an impostor. If he is able to do so to the entiresatisfaction of a majority of the old nobility, we have agreed tosupport him in a return to his regency. "

For a moment there was deep silence. Many of the nobles stood withaverted faces and eyes upon the ground. 

The American, a half-smile upon his face, turned toward the men ofPeter who had come to denounce him. He knew what their verdict wouldbe. He knew that if he were to save the throne for Leopold he musthold it at any cost until Leopold should be found. 

Troopers were scouring the country about Lustadt as far as Blentz insearch of Maenck and Coblich. Could they locate these two and arrestthem "with all found in their company, " as his order read, he feltsure that he would be able to deliver the missing king to hissubjects 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 theold man. "But I have seen your majesty under fire, and if you arenot the king, for Lutha's sake you ought to be. "

"He is not Leopold, " said one of the officers who had accompaniedthe prince from Peter's camp. "I was governor of Blentz for threeyears and as familiar with the king's face as with that of my ownbrother. "

"No, " cried several of the others, "this man is not the king. "

Several of the nobles drew away from Barney. Others looked at himquestioningly. 

Butzow stepped close to his side, and it was noticeable that thetroopers, and even the officers, of the Royal Horse which Barney hadled in the charge upon the two batteries in the wood, pressed alittle closer to the American. This fact did not escape Butzow'snotice. 

"If you are content to take the word of the servants of a traitorand a would-be regicide, " he cried, "I am not. There has been noproof advanced that this man is not the king. In so far as I amconcerned he is the king, nor ever do I expect to serve another moreworthy of the title. 

"If Peter of Blentz has real proof--not the testimony of his ownfaction--that Leopold of Lutha is dead, let him bring it forwardbefore noon today, for at noon we shall crown a king in thecathedral at Lustadt, and I for one pray to God that it may be hewho has led us in battle today. "

A shout of applause rose from the Royal Horse, and from thefoot-soldiers who had seen the king charge across the plain, scattering the enemy before him. 

Barney, appreciating the advantage in the sudden turn affairs hadtaken following Butzow's words, swung to his saddle. 

"Until Peter of Blentz brings to Lustadt one with a better claim tothe throne, " he said, "we shall continue to rule Lutha, nor shallother than Leopold be crowned her king. We approve of the amnestyyou have granted, Prince Ludwig, and Peter of Blentz is free toenter Lustadt, as he will, so long as he does not plot against thetrue king. 

"Major, " he added, turning to the commander of the squadron at hisback, "we are returning to the palace. Your squadron will escort us, remaining on guard there about the grounds. Prince Ludwig, you willsee that machine guns are placed about the palace and commanding theapproaches to the cathedral. "

With a nod to the cavalry major he wheeled his horse and trotted upthe slope toward Lustadt. 

With a grim smile Prince Ludwig von der Tann mounted his horse androde toward the fort. At his side were several of the nobles ofLutha. They looked at him in astonishment. 

"You are doing his bidding, although you do not know that he is thetrue king?" asked one of them. 

"Were he an impostor, " replied the old man, "he would have insistedby word of mouth that he is king. But not once has he said that heis 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 apartmentsin the palace. No clue as to the whereabouts of Coblich, Maenck orthe king had been discovered. One by one his troopers had returnedto Butzow empty-handed, and as much at a loss as to the hiding-placeof their quarry as when they had set out upon their search. 

Peter of Blentz and his retainers had entered the city and alreadyhad commenced to gather at the cathedral. 

Peter, at the residence of Coblich, had succeeded in gathering abouthim many of the older nobility whom he pledged to support him incase he could prove to them that the man who occupied the royalpalace was not Leopold of Lutha. 

They agreed to support him in his regency if he produced proof thatthe true Leopold was dead, and Peter of Blentz waited with growinganxiety the coming of Coblich with word that he had the king incustody. Peter was staking all on a single daring move which he haddecided to make in his game of intrigue. 

As Barney paced within the palace, waiting for word that Leopold hadbeen found, Peter of Blentz was filled with equal apprehension ashe, too, waited for the same tidings. At last he heard the pound ofhoofs upon the pavement without and a moment later Coblich, hisclothing streaked with dirt, blood caked upon his face from a woundacross 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 timegetting him. Stein was killed and Maenck and I both wounded, and allmorning we have spent the time hiding from troopers who seemed to besearching for us. Only fifteen minutes since did we reach thehiding-place that you instructed us to use. But we have him, yourhighness, and he is in such a state of cowardly terror that he isready to agree to anything, if you will but spare his life and sethim free across the border. "

"It is too late for that now, Coblich, " replied Peter. "There is butone way that Leopold of Lutha can serve me now, and that is--dead. Were his corpse to be carried into the cathedral of Lustadt beforenoon today, and were those who fetched it to swear that the king waskilled by the impostor after being dragged from the hospital atTafelberg where you and Maenck had located him, and from which youwere attempting to rescue him, I believe that the people would tearour enemies to pieces. What say you, Coblich?"

The other stared at Peter of Blentz for several seconds while theatrocity of his chief's plan filtered through his brain. 

"My God!" he exclaimed at last. "You mean that you wish me tomurder 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 inmy life. I am getting old. No, I could never do it. I should notsleep nights. "

"If it is not done, Coblich, and Leopold comes into his own, " saidPeter slowly, "you will be caught and hanged higher than Haman. Andif you do not do it, and the imposter is crowned today, then youwill be either hanged officially or knifed unofficially, and withoutany choice in the matter whatsoever. Nothing, Coblich, but the deadbody of the true Leopold can save your neck. You have your choice, therefore, of letting him live to prove your treason, or letting himdie 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 shouldhave to do it with my own hands. "

So saying he left the room and a moment later Peter of Blentz smiledas he heard the pounding of a horse's hoofs upon the pavementwithout. 

Then the Regent entered the room he had recently quitted and spoketo the nobles of Lutha who were gathered there. 

"Coblich has found the body of the murdered king, " he said. "I havedirected him to bring it to the cathedral. He came upon the impostorand his confederate, Lieutenant Butzow, as they were bearing thecorpse from the hospital at Tafelberg where the king has lainunknown since the rumor was spread by Von der Tann that he had beenkilled by bandits. 

"He was not killed until last evening, my lords, and you shall seetoday the fresh wounds upon him. When the time comes that we canpresent this grisly evidence of the guilt of the impostor and thosewho uphold him, I shall expect you all to stand at my side, as youhave promised. "

With one accord the noblemen pledged anew their allegiance to Peterof Blentz if he could produce one-quarter of the evidence he claimedto possess. 

"All that we wish to know positively is, " said one, "that the manwho bears the title of king today is really Leopold of Lutha, orthat he is not. If not then he stands convicted of treason, and weshall know how to conduct ourselves. "

Together the party rode to the cathedral, the majority of the oldernobility now openly espousing the cause of the Regent. 

At the palace Barney was about distracted. Butzow was urging him totake the crown whether he was Leopold or not, for the younglieutenant saw no hope for Lutha, if either the scoundrelly Regentor the cowardly man whom Barney had assured him was the true kingshould come into power. 

It was eleven o'clock. In another hour Barney knew that he musthave found some new solution of his dilemma, for there seemed littleprobability that the king would be located in the brief intervalthat remained before the coronation. He wondered what they did topeople who stole thrones. For a time he figured his chances ofreaching the border ahead of the enraged populace. All had dependedupon the finding of the king, and he had been so sure that it couldbe accomplished in time, for Coblich and Maenck had had but a fewhours in which to conceal the monarch before the search was wellunder way. 

Armed with the king's warrants, his troopers had ridden through thecountry, searching houses, and questioning all whom they met. Patrols had guarded every road that the fugitives might take eitherto Lustadt, Blentz, or the border; but no king had been found and notrace of his abductors. 

Prince von der Tann, Barney was convinced, was on the point ofdeserting him, and going over to the other side. It was true thatthe old man had carried out his instructions relative to the placingof 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 beforethe royal palace of Lutha. It was crowded with throngs moving towardthe cathedral. Presently there came a knock upon the closed door ofhis 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 relativeto the assassination of the true Leopold. Soldier-like, he blurtedout his suspicions and his ultimatum. 

"None but the royal blood of Rubinroth may reign in Lutha whilethere be a Rubinroth left to reign and old Von der Tann lives, " hecried in conclusion. 

At the name "Rubinroth" Barney started. It was his mother's name. Suddenly the truth flashed upon him. He understood now the reticenceof both his father and mother relative to her early life. 

"Prince Ludwig, " said the young man earnestly, "I have only the goodof Lutha in my heart. For three weeks I have labored and riskeddeath a hundred times to place the legitimate heir to the crown ofLutha upon his throne. I--"

He hesitated, not knowing just how to commence the confession he wasdetermined to make, though he was positive that it would place Peterof Blentz upon the throne, since the old prince had promised tosupport the Regent could it be proved that Barney was an impostor. 

"I, " he started again, and then there came an interruption at thedoor. 

"A messenger, your majesty, " announced the doorman, "who says thathe must have audience at once upon a matter of life and death to theking. "

"We will see him in the ante-chamber, " replied Barney, moving towardthe door. "Await us here, Prince Ludwig. "

A moment later he re-entered the apartment. There was an expressionof renewed hope upon his face. 

"As we were about to remark, my dear prince, " he said, "I swear thatthe royal blood of the Rubinroths flows in my veins, and as God ismy judge, none other than the true Leopold of Lutha shall be crownedtoday. And now we must prepare for the coronation. If there betrouble in the cathedral, Prince Ludwig, we look to your sword inprotection of the king. "

"When I am with you, sire, " said Von der Tann, "I know that you areking. When I saw how you led the troops in battle, I prayed thatthere could be no mistake. God give that I am right. But God helpyou if you are playing with old Ludwig von der Tann. "

When the old man had left the apartment Barney summoned an aide andsent for Butzow. Then he hurried to the bath that adjoined theapartment, and when the lieutenant of horse was announced Barneycalled 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 indicatethe rejoicing that a loyal subject of Leopold of Lutha should havefelt at that announcement. 

"There is a man in the next room, " went on Barney, "who can lead usto the spot where Coblich and Maenck guard the king. Get him inhere. "

Butzow hastened to comply with the American's instructions, and amoment later returned to the apartment with the old shopkeeper ofTafelberg. 

As Barney shaved he issued directions to the two. Within the roomto the east, he said, there were the king's coronation robes, and ina smaller dressingroom beyond they would find a long gray cloak. 

They were to wrap all these in a bundle which the old shopkeeper wasto carry. 

"And, Butzow, " added Barney, "look to my revolvers and your own, andlay my sword out as well. The chances are that we shall have to usethem before we are ten minutes older. "

In an incredibly short space of time the young man emerged from thebath, his luxuriant beard gone forever, he hoped. Butzow looked athim with a smile. 

"I must say that the beard did not add greatly to your majesty'sgood looks, " he said. 

"Never mind the bouquets, old man, " cried Barney, cramming his armsinto the sleeves of his khaki jacket and buckling sword and revolverabout him, as he hurried toward a small door that opened upon theopposite side of the apartment to that through which his visitorshad been conducted. 

Together the three hastened through a narrow, little-used corridorand down a flight of well-worn stone steps to a door that let uponthe rear court of the palace. 

There were grooms and servants there, and soldiers too, who salutedButzow, according the old shopkeeper and the smooth-faced youngstranger only cursory glances. It was evident that without his beardit was not likely that Barney would be again mistaken for the king. 

At the stables Butzow requisitioned three horses, and soon the triowas galloping through a little-frequented street toward thenorthern, hilly environs of Lustadt. They rode in silence until theycame to an old stone building, whose boarded windows and generalappearance of dilapidation proclaimed its long tenantless condition. Rank weeds, now rustling dry and yellow in the November wind, chokedwhat once might have been a luxuriant garden. A stone wall, whichhad at one time entirely surrounded the grounds, had been almostcompletely removed from the front to serve as foundation stone for asmaller edifice farther down the mountainside. 

The horsemen avoided this break in the wall, coming up instead uponthe rear side where their approach was wholly screened from thebuilding by the wall upon that exposure. 

Close in they dismounted, and leaving the animals in charge of theshopkeeper of Tafelberg, Barney and Butzow hastened toward a smallpostern-gate which swung, groaning, upon a single rusted hinge. Eachfelt that there was no time for caution or stratagem. Instead alldepended upon the very boldness and rashness of their attack, and soas they came through into the courtyard the two dashed headlong forthe building. 

Chance accomplished for them what no amount of careful executionmight have done, and they came within the ruin unnoticed by the fourwho occupied the old, darkened library. 

Possibly the fact that one of the men had himself just entered andwas excitedly talking to the others may have drowned the noisyapproach of the two. However that may be, it is a fact that Barneyand the cavalry officer came to the very door of the libraryunheard. 

There they halted, listening. Coblich was speaking. 

"The Regent commands it, Maenck, " he was saying. "It is the onlything that can save our necks. He said that you had better be theone to do it, since it was your carelessness that permitted thefellow to escape from Blentz. "

Huddled in a far corner of the room was an abject figure tremblingin terror. At the words of Coblich it staggered to its feet. It wasthe king. 

"Have pity--have pity!" he cried. "Do not kill me, and I will goaway where none will ever know that I live. You can tell Peter thatI am dead. Tell him anything, only spare my life. Oh, why did I everlisten to the cursed fool who tempted me to think of regaining thecrown that has brought me only misery and suffering--the crown thathas now placed the sentence of death upon me. "

"Why not let him go?" suggested the trooper, who up to this time hadnot spoken. "If we don't kill him, we can't be hanged for hismurder. "

"Don't be too sure of that, " exclaimed Maenck. "If he goes away andnever 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 laterhe returns and gains his throne, he will see that we are hangedanyway for treason. 

"The safest thing to do is to put him where he at least cannot comeback 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 obeymy master, and let you two bear witness that I did the thing with myown 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 theinterior 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 Maencklunged awkwardly forward, stumbled, and collapsed at Leopold's feet. With a moan the king shrank back from the grisly thing that touchedhis boot, and then two men were in the center of the room, andthings were happening with a rapidity that was bewildering. 

About all that he could afterward recall with any distinctness wasthe terrified face of Coblich, as he rushed past him toward a doorin the opposite side of the room, and the horrid leer upon the faceof the dead trooper, who foolishly, had made a move to draw hisrevolver. 

Within the cathedral at Lustadt excitement was at fever heat. Itlacked but two minutes of noon, and as yet no king had come to claimthe crown. Rumors were running riot through the close-packedaudience. 

One man had heard the king's chamberlain report to Prince von derTann that the master of ceremonies had found the king's apartmentsvacant when he had gone to urge the monarch to hasten hispreparations for the coronation. 

Another had seen Butzow and two strangers galloping north throughthe city. A third told of a little old man who had come to the kingwith an urgent message. 

Peter of Blentz and Prince Ludwig were talking in whispers at thefoot of the chancel steps. Peter ascended the steps and facing theassemblage raised a silencing hand. 

"He who claimed to be Leopold of Lutha, " he said, "was but a madadventurer. He would have seized the throne of the Rubinroths hadhis nerve not failed him at the last moment. He has fled. The trueking is dead. Now I, Prince Regent of Lutha, declare the thronevacant, and announce myself king!"

There were a few scattered cheers and some hissing. A score of thenobles rose as though to protest, but before any could take a stepthe attention of all was directed toward the sorry figure of awhite-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 awhisper, so out of breath, and so filled with hysterical terror washe that his words came out in gasps that were audible to many ofthose 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 heardand 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 hasstolen the body of the king that Coblich and Maenck had discoveredand were bring to Lustadt. "

Von der Tann looked troubled. 

He knew not what to make of the series of wild tales that had cometo his ears within the past hour. He had hoped that the young manwhom 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 hadbeen many inexplicable occurrences which tended to cast a doubt uponthe man's claims--and yet, had he ever claimed to be the king? Itsuddenly occurred to the old prince that he had not. On the contraryhe had repeatedly stated to Prince Ludwig's daughter and toLieutenant Butzow that he was not Leopold. 

It seemed that they had all been so anxious to believe him king thatthey had forced the false position upon him, and now if he hadindeed committed the atrocity that Coblich charged against him, whocould wonder? With less provocation men had before attempted toseize thrones by more dastardly means. 

Peter of Blentz was speaking. 

"Let the coronation proceed, " he cried, "that Lutha may have a trueking to frustrate the plans of the impostor and the traitors who hadsupported him. "

He cast a meaning glance at Prince von der Tann. 

There were many cries for Peter of Blentz. "Let's have done withtreason, and place upon the throne of Lutha one whom we know to beboth a Luthanian and sane. Down with the mad king! Down with theimpostor!"

Peter turned to ascend the chancel steps. 

Von der Tann still hesitated. Below him upon one side of the aislewere massed his own retainers. Opposite them were the men of theRegent, and dividing the two the parallel ranks of Horse Guardsstretched from the chancel down the broad aisle to the great doors. These were strongly for the impostor, if impostor he was, who hadled them to victory over the men of the Blentz faction. 

Von der Tann knew that they would fight to the last ditch for theirhero should he come to claim the crown. Yet how would they fight--towhich side would they cleave, were he to attempt to frustrate thedesign of the Regent to seize the throne of Lutha?

Already Peter of Blentz had approached the bishop, who, eager topropitiate whoever seemed most likely to become king, gave thesignal for the procession that was to mark the solemn bearing of thecrown of Lutha up the aisle to the chancel. 

Outside the cathedral there was the sudden blare of trumpets. Thegreat doors swung violently open, and the entire throng were upontheir 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 turnedtoward the great doors through which the head of a procession wasjust visible. It was a grim looking procession--the head of it, atleast. 

There were four khaki-clad trumpeters from the Royal Horse Guards, the gay and resplendent uniforms which they should have donned todayconspicuous for their absence. From their brazen bugles soundedanother loud fanfare, and then they separated, two upon each side ofthe aisle, and between them marched three men. 

One was tall, with gray eyes and had a reddish-brown beard. He wasfully clothed in the coronation robes of Leopold. Upon his eitherhand 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 werenot already on duty within the cathedral. As the eyes of themultitude fell upon the man in the coronation robes there were criesof: "The king! Impostor!" and "Von der Tann's puppet!"

"Denounce him!" whispered one of Peter's henchmen in his master'sear. 

The Regent moved closer to the aisle, that he might meet theimpostor at the foot of the chancel steps. The procession was movingsteadily up the aisle. 

Among the clan of Von der Tann a young girl with wide eyes wasbending forward that she might have a better look at the face of theking. As he came opposite her her eyes filled with horror, and thenshe saw the eyes of the smooth-faced stranger at the king's side. They were brave, laughing eyes, and as they looked straight into herown the truth flashed upon her, and the girl gave a gasp of dismayas she realized that the king of Lutha and the king of her heartwere not one and the same. 

At last the head of the procession was almost at the foot of thechancel steps. There were murmurs of: "It is not the king, " and "Whois this new impostor?"

Leopold's eyes were searching the faces of the close-packed nobilityabout the chancel. At last they fell upon the face of Peter. Theyoung man halted not two paces from the Regent. The man went whiteas the king's eyes bored straight into his miserable soul. 

"Peter of Blentz, " cried the young man, "as God is your judge, tellthe 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 onme, your majesty, have pity!" he cried. 

"Who am I, man?" insisted the king. 

"You are Leopold Rubinroth, sire, by the grace of God, king ofLutha, " cried the frightened man. "Have mercy on an old man, yourmajesty. "

"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 wordfrom the lieutenant a dozen guardsmen seized the trembling man andhustled him from the cathedral amid hisses and execrations. 

Following the coronation the king was closeted in his privateaudience chamber in the palace with Prince Ludwig. 

"I cannot understand what has happened, even now, your majesty, " theold man was saying. "That you are the true Leopold is all that I ampositive of, for the discomfiture of Prince Peter evidenced thatfact all too plainly. But who the impostor was who ruled Lutha inyour name for two days, disappearing as miraculously as he came, Icannot guess. 

"But for another miracle which preserved you for us in the nick oftime he might now be wearing the crown of Lutha in your stead. Having Peter of Blentz safely in custody our next immediate taskshould be to hunt down the impostor and bring him to justice also;though"--and the old prince sighed--"he was indeed a brave man, anda 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 aslight flush tinged his cheek, and the shadow of a scowl crossed hisbrow. 

"Wait, " he said, "we shall not have to look far for your'impostor, '" and summoning an aide he dispatched him for "LieutenantButzow and Mr. Custer. "

A moment later the two entered the audience chamber. Barney foundthat Leopold the king, surrounded by comforts and safety, was a verydifferent person from Leopold the fugitive. The weak face now worean expression of arrogance, though the king spoke most graciously tothe American. 

"Here, Von der Tann, " said Leopold, "is your 'impostor. ' But for himI should doubtless be dead by now, or once again a prisoner atBlentz. "

Barney and Butzow found it necessary to repeat their stories severaltimes before the old man could fully grasp all that had transpiredbeneath his very nose without his being aware of scarce a singledetail of it. 

When he was finally convinced that they were telling the truth, heextended his hand to the American. 

"I knelt to you once, young man, " he said, "and kissed your hand. Ishould be filled with bitterness and rage toward you. On thecontrary, I find that I am proud to have served in the retinue ofsuch an impostor as you, for you upheld the prestige of the house ofRubinroth upon the battlefield, and though you might have had acrown, you refused it and brought the true king into his own. "

Leopold sat tapping his foot upon the carpet. It was all very wellif he, the king, chose to praise the American, but there was no needfor old von der Tann to slop over so. The king did not like it. As amatter of fact, he found himself becoming very jealous of the manwho had placed him upon his throne. 

"There is only one thing that I can harbor against you, " continuedPrince Ludwig, "and that is that in a single instance you deceivedme, for an hour before the coronation you told me that you were aRubinroth. "

"I told you, prince, " corrected Barney, "that the royal blood ofRubinroth flowed in my veins, and so it does. I am the son of therunaway Princess Victoria of Lutha. "

Both Leopold and Ludwig looked their surprise, and to the king'seyes came a sudden look of fear. With the royal blood in his veins, what was there to prevent this popular hero from some day strivingfor the throne he had once refused? Leopold knew that the minds ofmen were wont to change most unaccountably. 

"Butzow, " he said suddenly to the lieutenant of horse, "how many doyou imagine know positively that he who has ruled Lutha for the pasttwo days and he who was crowned in the cathedral this noon are notone 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, andthen there is Kramer, the loyal old shopkeeper of Tafelberg, whofollowed Coblich and Maenck all night and half a day as they draggedthe king to the hiding-place where we found him. Other than thesethere may be those who guess the truth, but there are none whoknow. "

For a moment the king sat in thought. Then he rose and commencedpacking back and forth the length of the apartment. 

"Why should they ever know?" he said at last, halting before thethree men who had been standing watching him. "For the sake of Luthathey should never know that another than the true king sat upon thethrone even for an hour. "

He was thinking of the comparison that might be drawn between theheroic figure of the American and his own colorless part in theevents which had led up to his coronation. In his heart of hearts hefelt that old Von der Tann rather regretted that the American hadnot been the king, and he hated the old man accordingly, and wascommencing 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; buthe was sorry and ashamed that it had come from Leopold. Butzow'slips almost showed the contempt that he felt for the ingratitude ofhis king. 

Barney Custer was the first to speak. 

"I think his majesty is quite right, " he said, "and tonight I canleave the palace after dark and cross the border some time tomorrowevening. The people need never know the truth. "

Leopold looked relieved. 

"We must reward you, Mr. Custer, " he said. "Name that which it lieswithin our power to grant you and it shall be yours. "

Barney thought of the girl he loved; but he did not mention hername, 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 Custerlost his temper. 

A flush mounted to his face, his chin went up, and there came to hislips bitter words of sarcasm. With an effort, however, he held histongue, and, turning his back upon the king, his broad shouldersproclaiming the contempt he felt, he walked slowly out of the room. 

Von der Tann and Butzow and Leopold of Lutha stood in silence as theAmerican passed out of sight beyond the portal. 

The manner of his going had been an affront to the king, and theyoung ruler had gone red with anger. 

"Butzow, " he cried, "bring the fellow back; he shall be taught alesson in the deference that is due kings. "

Butzow hesitated. "He has risked his life a dozen times for yourmajesty, " said the lieutenant. 

Leopold flushed. 

"Do not humiliate him, sire, " advised Von der Tann. "He has earneda greater reward at your hands than that. "

The king resumed his pacing for a moment, coming to a halt once morebefore the two. 

"We shall take no notice of his insolence, " he said, "and that shallbe our royal reward for his services. More than he deserves, we daresay, at that. "

As Barney hastened through the palace on his way to his new quartersto obtain his arms and order his horse saddled, he came suddenlyupon a girlish figure gazing sadly from a window upon the drearNovember world--her heart as sad as the day. 

At the sound of his footstep she turned, and as her eyes met thegray ones of the man she stood poised as though of half a mind tofly. For a moment neither spoke. 

"Can your highness forgive?" he asked. 

For answer the girl buried her face in her hands and dropped uponthe cushioned window seat before her. The American came close andknelt at her side. 

"Don't, " he begged as he saw her shoulders rise to the suddensobbing that racked her slender frame. "Don't!"

He thought that she wept from mortification that she had given herkisses to another than the king. 

"None knows, " he continued, "what has passed between us. None butyou and I need ever know. I tried to make you understand that I wasnot Leopold; but you would not believe. It is not my fault that Iloved you. It is not my fault that I shall always love you. Tell methat you forgive me my part in the chain of strange circumstancesthat deceived you into an acknowledgment of a love that you intendedfor 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. Itwas the king. 

The girl looked up suddenly into the eyes of the American bending soclose above her. 

"I can never forgive you, " she cried, "for not being the king, for Iam betrothed to him--and I love you!"

Before she could prevent him, Barney Custer had taken her in hisarms, and though at first she made a pretense of attempting toescape, at last she lay quite still. Her arms found their way aboutthe man's neck, and her lips returned the kisses that his wereshowering 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 gaspof 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 hadgone quite white. 

"Failing to rob me of my crown, " he cried in a trembling voice, "younow seek to rob me of my betrothed! Go to your father at once, andas for you--you shall learn what it means for you thus to meddle inthe affairs of kings. "

Barney saw the terrible position in which his love had placed thePrincess Emma. His only thought now was for her. Bowing low beforeher he spoke so that the king might hear, yet as though his wordswere for her ears alone. 

"Your highness knows the truth, now, " he said, "and that after all Iam not the king. I can only ask that you will forgive me thedeception. Now go to your father as the king commands. "

Slowly the girl turned away. Her heart was torn between love forthis man, and her duty toward the other to whom she had beenbetrothed in childhood. The hereditary instinct of obedience to hersovereign was strong within her, and the bonds of custom and societyheld her in their relentless shackles. With a sob she passed up thecorridor, curtsying to the king as she passed him. 

When she had gone Leopold turned to the American. There was an evillook in the little gray eyes of the monarch. 

"You may go your way, " he said coldly. "We shall give youforty-eight hours to leave Lutha. Should you ever return your lifeshall be the forfeit. "

The American kept back the hot words that were ready upon the end ofhis tongue. For her sake he must bow to fate. With a slightinclination of his head toward Leopold he wheeled and resumed hisway toward his quarters. 

Half an hour later as he was about to descend to the courtyard wherea trooper of the Royal Horse held his waiting mount, Butzow burstsuddenly into his room. 

"For God's sake, " cried the lieutenant, "get out of this. The kinghas changed his mind, and there is an officer of the guard on hisway here now with a file of soldiers to place you under arrest. Leopold swears that he will hang you for treason. Princess Emma hasspurned him, and he is wild with rage. "

The dismal November twilight had given place to bleak night as twomen cantered from the palace courtyard and turned their horses'heads northward toward Lutha's nearest boundary. All night theyrode, stopping at daylight before a distant farm to feed and watertheir mounts and snatch a mouthful for themselves. Then onward onceagain they pressed in their mad flight. 

Now that day had come they caught occasional glimpses of a body ofhorsemen far behind them, but the border was near, and their startsuch that there was no danger of their being overtaken. 

"For the thousandth time, Butzow, " said one of the men, "will youturn back before it is too late?"

But the other only shook his head obstinately, and so they came tothe great granite monument which marks the boundary between Luthaand her powerful neighbor upon the north. 

Barney held out his hand. "Good-bye, old man, " he said. "If I'velearned the ingratitude of kings here in Lutha, I have foundsomething that more than compensates me--the friendship of a braveman. Now hurry back and tell them that I escaped across the borderjust as I was about to fall into your hands and they will think thatyou have been pursuing me instead of aiding in my escape across theborder. "

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 thecoward who sits now upon the throne of Lutha. I have made up my mindduring this long ride from Lustadt, and I have come to the decisionthat I should prefer to raise corn in Nebraska with you rather thanserve in the court of an ingrate. "

"Well, you are an obstinate Dutchman, after all, " replied theAmerican with a smile, placing his hand affectionately upon theshoulder of his comrade. 

There was a clatter of horses' hoofs upon the gravel of the roadbehind them. 

The two men put spurs to their mounts, and Barney Custer gallopedacross the northern boundary of Lutha just ahead of a troop ofLuthanian cavalry, as had his father thirty years before; but aroyal princess had accompanied the father--only a soldieraccompanied the son. 

PART II

I

BARNEY RETURNS TO LUTHA

"What's the matter, Vic?" asked Barney Custer of his sister. "Youlook peeved. "

"I am peeved, " replied the girl, smiling. "I am terribly peeved. Idon't want to play bridge this afternoon. I want to go motoring withLieutenant 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 wantto?"

"I promised Margaret that I'd go. They're short one, and she'scoming after me in her car. "

"Where are you going to play--at the champion lady bridge player'son Fourth Street?" asked Barney, grinning. 

His sister answered with a nod and a smile. "Where you brought downthe wrath of the lady champion upon your head the other night whenyou were letting your mind wander across to Lutha and the OldForest, instead of paying attention to the game, " she added. 

"Well, cheer up, Vic, " cried her brother. "Bert'll probably setfire to the car, the way he did to their first one, and then youwon't have to go. "

"Oh, yes, I would; Margaret would send him after me in thatawful-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 withBert. "

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 Beatriceto the corn mill in which the former was interested. 

"I'm mighty sorry that you have to leave us, Butzow, " said Barney'spartner. "It's bad enough to lose you, but I'm afraid it will meanthe loss of Barney, too. He's been hunting for some excuse to getback to Lutha, and with you there and a war in sight I'm afraidnothing can hold him. "

"I don't know but that it may be just as well for my friends herethat I leave, " said Butzow seriously. "I did not tell you, Barney, all there is in this letter"--he tapped his breastpocket, where theforeign-looking envelope reposed with its contents. 

Custer looked at him inquiringly. 

"Besides saying that war between Austria and Serbia seemsunavoidable and that Lutha doubtless will be drawn into it, myinformant warns me that Leopold had sent emissaries to America tosearch for you, Barney, and myself. What his purpose may be myfriend does not know, but he warns us to be upon our guard. Von derTann wants me to return to Lutha. He has promised to protect me, andwith the country in danger there is nothing else for me to do. Imust go. "

"I wish I could go with you, " said Barney. "If it wasn't for thisdinged old mill I would; but Bert wants to go away this summer, andas I have been away most of the time for the past two years, it's upto me to stay. "

As the three men talked the afternoon wore on. Heavy cloudsgathered in the sky; a storm was brewing. Outside, a man, skulkingbehind a box car on the siding, watched the entrance through whichthe three had gone. He watched the workmen, and as quitting timecame and he saw them leaving for their homes he moved morerestlessly, transferring the package which he held from one hand toanother many times, yet always gingerly. 

At last all had left. The man started from behind the box car, onlyto jump back as the watchman appeared around the end of one of thebuildings. He watched the guardian of the property make his rounds;he saw him enter his office, and then he crept forward toward thebuilding, holding his queer package in his right hand. 

In the office the watchman came upon the three friends. At sight ofhim they looked at one another in surprise. 

"Why, what time is it?" exclaimed Custer, and as he looked at hiswatch he rose with a laugh. "Late to dinner again, " he cried. "Comeon, we'll go out this other way. " And with a cheery good night tothe watchman Barney and his friends hastened from the building. 

Upon the opposite side the stranger approached the doorway to themill. The rain was falling in blinding sheets. Ominously the thunderroared. Vivid flashes of lightning shot the heavens. The watchman, coming suddenly from the doorway, his hat brim pulled low over hiseyes, passed within a couple of paces of the stranger without seeinghim. 

Five minutes later there was a blinding glare accompanied by adeafening roar. It was as though nature had marshaled all her forcesin one mighty, devastating effort. At the same instant the walls ofthe great mill burst asunder, a nebulous mass of burning gas shotheavenward, and then the flames settled down to complete thedestruction of the ruin. 

It was the following morning that Victoria and Barney Custer, withLieutenant Butzow and Custer's partner, stood contemplating thesmoldering wreckage. 

"And to think, " said Barney, "that yesterday this muss was thelargest corn mill west of anywhere. I guess we can both takevacations now, Bert. "

"Who would have thought that a single bolt of lightning could haveresulted in such havoc?" mused Victoria. 

"Who would?" agreed Lieutenant Butzow, and then, with a suddennarrowing of his eyes and a quick glance at Barney, "if it WASlightning. "

The American looked at the Luthanian. "You think--" he started. 

"I don't dare think, " replied Butzow, "because of the fear of whatthis may mean to you and Miss Victoria if it was not lightning thatdestroyed the mill. I shouldn't have spoken of it but that it mayurge you to greater caution, which I cannot but think is mostnecessary since the warning I received from Lutha. "

"Why should Leopold seek to harm me now?" asked Barney. "It hasbeen almost two years since you and I placed him upon his throne, only to be rewarded with threats and hatred. In that time neither ofus 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 removeddefinitely and permanently, all will then be plain sailing for himin 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 likedthis 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 wassomething in his expression that she had never seen there before. 

"I want to come back soon, " he answered, "to--to Beatrice, " and heflushed and smiled at his own stumbling tongue. 

For about a week Barney Custer moped disconsolately, principallyabout the ruins of the corn mill. He was in everyone's way andaccomplished nothing. 

"I was never intended for a captain of industry, " he confided to hispartner for the hundredth time. "I wish some excuse would pop up towhich I might hang a reason for beating it to Europe. There'ssomething doing there. Nearly everybody has declared war uponeverybody else, and here I am stagnating in peace. I'd even welcomea tornado. "

His excuse was to come sooner than he imagined. That night, afterthe other members of his family had retired, Barney sat smokingwithin a screened porch off the living-room. His thoughts were upona trim little figure in riding togs, as he had first seen it nearlytwo years before, clinging desperately to a runaway horse upon thenarrow mountain road above Tafelberg. 

He lived that thrilling experience through again as he had manytimes before. He even smiled as he recalled the series of eventsthat had resulted from his resemblance to the mad king of Lutha. 

They had come to a culmination at the time when the king, whomBarney had placed upon a throne at the risk of his own life, discovered that his savior loved the girl to whom the king had beenbetrothed since childhood and that the girl returned the American'slove 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 itsformer fitful glow proclaimed his presence upon the porch, whoseblack shadows completely enveloped him. Before him stretched a wideacreage of lawn, tree dotted at the side of the house. Bushes hidthe stone wall that marked the boundary of the Custer grounds andextended here and there out upon the sward among the trees. Thenight was moonless but clear. A faint light pervaded the scene. 

Barney sat staring straight ahead, but his gaze did not stop uponthe familiar objects of the foreground. Instead it spanned twocontinents and an ocean to rest upon the little spot of woodland andrugged mountain and lowland that is Lutha. It was with an effortthat the man suddenly focused his attention upon that which laydirectly before him. A shadow among the trees had moved!

Barney Custer sat perfectly still, but now he was suddenly alert andwatchful. Again the shadow moved where no shadow should be moving. It crossed from the shade of one tree to another. Barney camecautiously to his feet. Silently he entered the house, runningquickly to a side door that opened upon the grounds. As he drew itback its hinges gave forth no sound. Barney looked toward the spotwhere he had seen the shadow. Again he saw it scuttle hurriedlybeneath 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 outamong 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 ofthe mill--"if it WAS lightning!"

Cold sweat broke from every pore of his body. His mother and fatherwere there in the house, and Vic--all sleeping peacefully. He ranquickly toward the menacing figure, and as he did so he saw theother halt behind a great tree and strike a match. In the glow ofthe 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 thepackage toward the house. Barney caught him by the throat, beatinghim heavily in the face; and then, realizing what the package was, he hurled the fellow from him, and sprang toward the hissing andsputtering missile where it lay close to the foundation wall of thehouse, though in the instant of his close contact with the man hehad recognized through the disguising beard the features of CaptainErnst 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 themin standing guard the balance of the night, the would-be assassindid not return. 

There was no question in Barney Custer's mind as to whom the bombwas intended for. That Maenck had hurled it toward the house afterBarney had seized him was merely the result of accident and theman's desire to get the death-dealing missile as far from himself aspossible before it exploded. That it would have wrecked the house inthe hope of reaching him, had he not fortunately interfered, was tooevident to the American to be questioned. 

And so he decided before the night was spent to put himself as farfrom his family as possible, lest some future attempt upon his lifemight endanger theirs. Then, too, righteous anger and a desire forrevenge prompted his decision. He would run Maenck to earth and havean accounting with him. It was evident that his life would not beworth a farthing so long as the fellow was at liberty. 

Before dawn he swore the gardener and chauffeur to silence, and atbreakfast announced his intention of leaving that day for New Yorkto seek a commission as correspondent with an old classmate, whoowned the New York Evening National. At the hotel Barney inquired ofthe proprietor relative to a bearded stranger, but the man had hadno one of that description registered. Chance, however, gave him aclue. His roadster was in a repair shop, and as he stopped in to getit he overheard a conversation that told him all he wanted to know. As he stood talking with the foreman a dust-covered automobilepulled into the garage. 

"Hello, Bill, " called the foreman to the driver. "Where you been soearly?"

"Took a guy to Lincoln, " replied the other. "He was in an awfulhurry. I bet we broke all the records for that stretch of road thismorning--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 lookedthe 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 wasmighty anxious to get back there an' be killed. "

Barney waited to hear no more. He did not even go home to saygood-bye to his family. Instead he leaped into his gray roadster--alater model of the one he had lost in Lutha--and the last thatBeatrice, Nebraska, saw of him was a whirling cloud of dust as heraced north out of town toward Lincoln. 

He was five minutes too late into the capital city to catch theeastbound limited that Maenck must have taken; but he caught thenext through train for Chicago, and the second day thereafter foundhim in New York. There he had little difficulty in obtaining thedesired credentials from his newspaper friend, especially sinceBarney offered to pay all his own expenses and donate to the paperanything he found time to write. 

Passenger steamers were still sailing, though irregularly, and afterscanning the passenger-lists of three he found the name he sought. "Captain Ernst Maenck, Lutha. " So he had not been mistaken, afterall. It was Maenck he had apprehended on his father's grounds. Evidently the man had little fear of being followed, for he had madeno effort to hide his identity in booking passage for Europe. 

The steamer he had caught had sailed that very morning. Barney wasnot so sorry, after all, for he had had time during his trip fromBeatrice to do considerable thinking, and had found it ratherdifficult to determine just what to do should he have overtakenMaenck 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 causinghis arrest and dragging his own name into the publicity of courtproceedings was little less distasteful to him. 

Furthermore, the pursuit of Maenck now gave Barney a legitimateexcuse for returning to Lutha, or at least to the close neighborhoodof the little kingdom, where he might await the outcome of eventsand be ready to give his services in the cause of the house of Vonder Tann should they be required. 

By going directly to Italy and entering Austria from that countryBarney managed to arrive within the boundaries of the dual monarchywith comparatively few delays. Nor did he encounter any considerablebodies of troops until he reached the little town of Burgova, whichlies not far from the Serbian frontier. Beyond this point hiscredentials would not carry him. The emperor's officers were polite, but firm. No newspaper correspondents could be permitted nearer thefront than Burgova. 

There was nothing to be done, therefore, but wait until somepropitious event gave him the opportunity to approach more closelythe Serbian boundary and Lutha. In the meantime he would communicatewith Butzow, who might be able to obtain passes for him to somevillage nearer the Luthanian frontier, when it should be an easymatter to cross through to Serbia. He was sure the Serbianauthorities would object less strenuously to his presence. 

The inn at which he applied for accommodations was already overrunby officers, but the proprietor, with scant apologies for acivilian, offered him a little box of a room in the attic. The placewas scarce more than a closet, and for that Barney was in a waythankful since the limited space could accommodate but a single cot, thus insuring him the privacy that a larger chamber would haveprecluded. 

He was very tired after his long and comfortless land journey, soafter 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 hewas awakened by the sound of voices apparently close to his ear. 

For a moment he thought the speakers must be in his own room, sodistinctly did he overhear each word of their conversation; butpresently he discovered that they were upon the opposite side of athin partition in an adjoining room. But half awake, and with thesole idea of getting back to sleep again as quickly as possible, Barney paid only the slightest attention to the meaning of the wordsthat fell upon his ears, until, like a bomb, a sentence brokethrough 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 halfconvinced him that the old man aspires to the throne. Leopold fearsthe loyalty of his army, which is for Von der Tann body and soul. Heknows that Von der Tann is strongly anti-Austrian, and I have madeit plain to him that if he allows his kingdom to take sides withSerbia he will have no kingdom when the war is over--it will be apart of Austria. 

"It was with greater difficulty, however, my dear Peter, that Iconvinced him that you, Von Coblich, and Captain Maenck were hismost loyal friends. He fears you yet, but, nevertheless, he haspardoned you all. Do not forget when you return to your dear Luthathat you owe your repatriation to Count Zellerndorf of Austria. "

"You may be assured that we shall never forget, " replied anothervoice that Barney recognized at once as belonging to Prince Peter ofBlentz, the one time regent of Lutha. 

"It is not for myself, " continued Count Zellerndorf, "that I craveyour gratitude, but for my emperor. You may do much to win hisundying gratitude, while for yourselves you may win to almost anyheight with the friendship of Austria behind you. I am sure thatshould any accident, which God forfend, deprive Lutha of her king, none would make a more welcome successor in the eyes of Austria thanour good friend Peter. "

Barney could almost see the smile of satisfaction upon the thin lipsof Peter of Blentz as this broad hint fell from the lips of theAustrian diplomat--a hint that seemed to the American little shortof the death sentence of Leopold, King of Lutha. 

"We owed you much before, count, " said Peter. "But for you weshould have been hanged a year ago--without your aid we should neverhave been able to escape from the fortress of Lustadt or cross theborder into Austria-Hungary. I am sorry that Maenck failed in hismission, for had he not we would have had concrete evidence topresent to the king that we are indeed his loyal supporters. Itwould have dispelled at once such fears and doubts as he may stillentertain of our fealty. "

"Yes, I, too, am sorry, " agreed Zellerndorf. "I can assure you thatthe news we hoped Captain Maenck would bring from America would havegone a long way toward restoring you to the confidence and goodgraces of the king. "

"I did my best, " came another voice that caused Barney's eyes to gowide in astonishment, for it was none other than the voice of Maenckhimself. "Twice I risked hanging to get him and only came away afterI had been recognized. "

"It is too bad, " sighed Zellerndorf; "though it may not be withoutits advantages after all, for now we still have this second bugbearto frighten Leopold with. So long, of course, as the American livesthere is always the chance that he may return and seek to gain thethrone. The fact that his mother was a Rubinroth princess might makeit easy for Von der Tann to place him upon the throne without muchopposition, and if he married the old man's daughter it is easy toconceive that the prince might favor such a move. At any rate, itshould not be difficult to persuade Leopold of the possibility ofsuch a thing. 

"Under the circumstances Leopold is almost convinced that his onlyhope of salvation lies in cementing friendly relations with the mostpowerful of Von der Tann's enemies, of which you three gentlemenstand preeminently in the foreground, and of assuring to himself thesupport of Austria. And now, gentlemen, " he went on after a pause, "good night. I have handed Prince Peter the necessary militarypasses to carry you safely through our lines, and tomorrow you maybe in Blentz if you wish. "

II

CONDEMNED TO DEATH

For some time Barney Custer lay there in the dark revolving in hismind all that he had overheard through the partition--the thinpartition which alone lay between himself and three men who would beonly too glad to embrace the first opportunity to destroy him. Buthis fears were not for himself so much as for the daughter of oldVon der Tann, and for all that might befall that princely house werethese three unhung rascals to gain Lutha and have their way with theweak and cowardly king who reigned there. 

If he could but reach Von der Tann's ear and through him the kingbefore the conspirators came to Lutha! But how might he accomplishit? Count Zellerndorf's parting words to the three had shown thatmilitary passes were necessary to enable one to reach Lutha. 

His papers were practically worthless even inside the lines. Thatthey would carry him through the lines he had not the slightesthope. There were two things to be accomplished if possible. One wasto cross the frontier into Lutha; and the other, which of course wasquite out of the question, was to prevent Peter of Blentz, VonCoblich, and Maenck from doing so. But was that altogetherimpossible?

The idea that followed that question came so suddenly that itbrought Barney Custer out onto the floor in a bound, to don hisclothes and sneak into the hall outside his room with the stealth ofa professional second-story man. 

To the right of his own door was the door to the apartment in whichthe three conspirators slept. At least, Barney hoped they slept. Hebent close to the keyhole and listened. From within came no soundother than the regular breathing of the inmates. It had been atleast half an hour since the American had heard the conversationcease. A glance through the keyhole showed no light within the room. Stealthily Barney turned the knob. Had they bolted the door? He feltthe tumbler move to the pressure--soundlessly. Then he pushed gentlyinward. The door swung. 

A moment later he stood in the room. Dimly he could see two beds--alarge one and a smaller. Peter of Blentz would be alone upon thesmaller bed, his henchmen sleeping together in the larger. Barneycrept toward the lone sleeper. At the bedside he fumbled in the darkgroping for the man's clothing--for the coat, in the breastpocket ofwhich he hoped to find the military pass that might carry him safelyout of Austria-Hungary and into Lutha. On the foot of the bed hefound some garments. Gingerly he felt them over, seeking the coat. 

At last he found it. His fingers, steady even under the nervoustension of this unaccustomed labor, discovered the inner pocket andthe folded paper. There were several of them; Barney took them all. 

So far he made no noise. None of the sleepers had stirred. Now hetook a step toward the doorway and--kicked a shoe that lay in hispath. The slight noise in that quiet room sounded to Barney's earslike the fall of a brick wall. Peter of Blentz stirred, turning inhis sleep. Behind him Barney heard one of the men in the other bedmove. He turned his head in that direction. Either Maenck or Coblichwas 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 steppedtoward 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 fromthe 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 threeconspirators. Maenck was closest to him--so close that Barney wasforced to turn at the top of the stairs. In the darkness he was justconscious of the form of the man who was almost upon him. Then heswung a vicious blow for the other's face--a blow that landed, forthere was a cry of pain and anger as Maenck stumbled back into thearms of the two behind him. From below came the sound of footstepshurrying 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 locatehim or even extricate themselves from the confusion of Maenck'ssudden collision with the other two. But what could Barney gain bythe slight delay that would be immediately followed by hisapprehension?

He didn't know. All that he was sure of was that there had been noother place to go than this little room. As he entered the firstthing that his eyes fell upon was the small square window. Here atleast was some slight encouragement. 

He ran toward it. The lower sash was raised. As the door behindhim opened to admit Peter of Blentz and his companions, Barneyslipped through into the night, hanging by his hands from the sillwithout. What lay beneath or how far the drop he could not guess, but that certain death menaced him from above he knew from theconversation he had overheard earlier in the evening. 

For an instant he hung suspended. He heard the men groping aboutthe room. Evidently they were in some fear of the unknown assailantthey sought, for they did not move about with undue rashness. Presently one of them struck a light--Barney could see its flarelighten 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 Custerlet 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 alow shed at the side of the inn. Upon the roof of this the Americanlanded, and from there he dropped to the courtyard without mishap. Glancing up, he saw the heads of three men peering from the windowof the room he had just quitted. 

"There he is!" cried one, and instantly the three turned back intothe room. As Barney fled from the courtyard he heard the rattle ofhasty footsteps upon the rickety stairway of the inn. 

Choosing an alley rather than a street in which he might run uponsoldiers at any moment, he moved quickly yet cautiously away fromthe inn. Behind him he could hear the voices of many men. They wereraised to a high pitch by excitement. It was clear to Barney thatthere were many more than the original three--Prince Peter had, inall probability, enlisted the aid of the military. 

Could he but reach the frontier with his stolen passes he would becomparatively safe, for the rugged mountains of Lutha offered manyplaces of concealment, and, too, there were few Luthanians who didnot hate Peter of Blentz most cordially--among the men of themountains at least. Once there he could defy a dozen Blentz princesfor the little time that would be required to carry him into Serbiaand comparative safety. 

As he approached a cross street a couple of squares from the inn hefound it necessary to pass beneath a street lamp. For a moment hepaused in the shadows of the alley listening. Hearing nothing movingin the street, Barney was about to make a swift spring for theshadows upon the opposite side when it occurred to him that it mightbe safer to make assurance doubly sure by having a look up and downthe street before emerging into the light. 

It was just as well that he did, for as he thrust his head aroundthe corner of the building the first thing that his eyes fell uponwas the figure of an Austrian sentry, scarcely three paces from him. The soldier was standing in a listening attitude, his head halfturned away from the American. The sounds coming from the directionof the inn were apparently what had attracted his attention. 

Behind him, Barney was sure he heard evidences of pursuit. Beforehim was certain detection should he attempt to cross the street. Oneither hand rose the walls of buildings. That he was trapped thereseemed little doubt. 

He continued to stand motionless, watching the Austrian soldier. Should the fellow turn toward him, he had but to withdraw his headwithin the shadow of the building that hid his body. Possibly theman might turn and take his beat in the opposite direction. In whichcase Barney was sure he could dodge across the street, undetected. 

Already the vague threat of pursuit from the direction of the innhad developed into a certainty--he could hear men moving toward himthrough 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 enoughto know that it might prove a very disagreeable matter to be caughtsneaking through back alleys at night. There was a single chance--asort of forlorn hope--and that was to risk fate and make a dashbeneath the sentry's nose for the opposite alley mouth. 

"Well, here goes, " thought Barney. He had heard that many of theAustrians were excellent shots. Visions of Beatrice, Nebraska, swarmed his memory. They were pleasant visions, made doubly alluringby the thought that the realities of them might never again be forhim. 

He turned once more toward the sounds of pursuit--the men upon histrack could not be over a square away--there was not an instant tobe lost. And then from above him, upon the opposite side of thealley, came a low: "S-s-t!"

Barney looked up. Very dimly he could see the dark outline of awindow some dozen feet from the pavement, and framed within it thelighter blotch that might have been a human face. Again came thechallenging: "S-s-t!" Yes, there was someone above, signaling tohim. 

"S-s-t!" replied Barney. He knew that he had been discovered, andcould think of no better plan for throwing the discoverer off hisguard 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 watchingyou, and thought you one of the Austrian pigs. Quick! They arecoming--I can hear them;" and at the same instant Barney sawsomething drop from the window to the ground. He crossed the alleyquickly, and could have shouted in relief for what he foundthere--the end of a knotted rope dangling from above. 

His pursuers were almost upon him when he seized the rude ladder toclamber upward. At the window's ledge a firm, young hand reached outand, seizing his own, almost dragged him through the window. Heturned to look back into the alley. He had been just in time; theAustrian sentry, alarmed by the sound of approaching footsteps downthe alley, had stepped into view. He stood there now with leveledrifle, a challenge upon his lips. From the advancing party came asatisfactory reply. 

At the same instant the girl beside him in the Stygian blackness ofthe room threw her arms about Barney's neck and drew his face downto hers. 

"Oh, Stefan, " she whispered, "what a narrow escape! It makes metremble to think of it. They would have shot you, my Stefan!"

The American put an arm about the girl's shoulders, and raised onehand to her cheek--it might have been in caress, but it wasn't. Itwas to smother the cry of alarm he anticipated would follow thediscovery that he was not "Stefan. " He bent his lips close to herear. 

"Do not make an outcry, " he whispered in very poor Serbian. "I amnot Stefan; but I am a friend. "

The exclamation of surprise or fright that he had expected was notforthcoming. 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 theAustrians get hold of me now it will be mighty difficult to convincethem that I am not a spy. " And then a sudden determination came tohim to trust his fate to this unknown girl, whose face, even, he hadnever seen. "I am entirely at your mercy, " he said. "There areAustrian soldiers in the street below. You have but to call to themto send me before the firing squad--or, you can let me remain hereuntil I can find an opportunity to get away in safety. I am tryingto reach Serbia. "

"Why do you wish to reach Serbia?" asked the girl suspiciously. 

"I have discovered too many enemies in Austria tonight to make itsafe for me to remain, " he replied, "and, further, my originalintention 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 giveme up you'd better do it at once. "

"I'm not going to give you up, " replied the girl. "I'm going tokeep you prisoner until Stefan returns--he will know best what to dowith you. Now you must come with me and be locked up. Do not try toescape--I have a revolver in my hand, " and to give her prisonerphysical proof of the weapon he could not see she thrust the muzzleagainst his side. 

"I'll take your word for the gun, " said Barney, "if you'll just turnit in the other direction. Go ahead--I'll follow you. "

"No, you won't, " replied the girl. "You'll go first; but beforethat 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 fingersrunning over his clothing in search of concealed weapons. Satisfiedat last that he was unarmed, the girl directed him to precede her, guiding his steps from behind with a hand upon his arm. Occasionallyhe felt the muzzle of her revolver touch his body. It was a mostunpleasant sensation. 

They crossed the room to a door which his captor directed him toopen, and after they had passed through and she had closed it behindthem the girl struck a match and lit a candle which stood upon alittle bracket on the partition wall. The dim light of the tallowdip showed Barney that he was in a narrow hall from which severaldoors opened into different rooms. At one end of the hall a stairwayled to the floor below, while at the opposite end another flightdisappeared into the darkness above. 

"This way, " said the girl, motioning toward the stairs that ledupward. 

Barney had turned toward her as she struck the match, obtaining anexcellent view of her features. They were clear-cut and regular. Hereyes were large and very dark. Dark also was her hair, which waspiled in great heaps upon her finely shaped head. Altogether theface was one not easily to be forgotten. Barney could scarce havetold whether the girl was beautiful or not, but that she wasstriking there could be no doubt. 

He preceded her up the stairway to a door at the top. At herdirection he turned the knob and entered a small room in which was acot, an ancient dresser and a single chair. 

"You will remain here, " she said, "until Stefan returns. Stefan willknow what to do with you. " Then she left him, taking the light withher, and Barney heard a key turn in the lock of the door after shehad closed it. Presently her footfalls died out as she descended tothe 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 vivididea of what the Austrians would have done to me if they'd caught mesneaking through the alleys of Burgova at midnight. "

Throwing himself on the cot Barney was soon asleep, for though hispredicament was one that, under ordinary circumstances might havemade sleep impossible, yet he had so long been without the boon ofslumber that tired nature would no longer be denied. 

When he awoke it was broad daylight. The sun was pouring in througha skylight in the ceiling of his tiny chamber. Aside from this therewere no windows in the room. The sound of voices came to him with anuncanny distinctness that made it seem that the speakers must be inthis very chamber, but a glance about the blank walls convinced himthat he was alone. 

Presently he espied a small opening in the wall at the head of hiscot. He rose and examined it. The voices appeared to be coming fromit. In fact, they were. The opening was at the top of a narrow shaftthat seemed to lead to the basement of the structure--apparentlyonce the shaft of a dumb-waiter or a chute for refuse or soiledclothes. 

Barney put his ear close to it. The voices that came from belowwere those of a man and a woman. He heard every word distinctly. 

"We must search the house, fraulein, " came in the deep voice of aman. 

"Whom do you seek?" inquired a woman's voice. Barney recognized itas the voice of his captor. 

"A Serbian spy, Stefan Drontoff, " replied the man. "Do you knowhim?"

There was a considerable pause on the girl's part before sheanswered, and then her reply was in such a low voice that Barneycould barely hear it. 

"I do not know him, " she said. "There are several men who lodgehere. What may this Stefan Drontoff look like?"

"I have never seen him, " replied the officer; "but by arresting allthe 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 nowwhom 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 smallattic-room at the head of the stairs. Here is a key that will fitthe 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. Hetold me so last night when he came in. "

"The devil!" muttered Barney Custer; but whether he referred to hispredicament or to the girl it would be impossible to tell. Alreadythe sound of heavy boots on the stairs announced the coming ofmen--several of them. Barney heard the rattle of accouterments--theclank 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 theskylight, and the door was impossible. 

Quickly he tilted the cot against the door, wedging its legs againsta crack in the floor--that would stop them for a minute or two. Thenhe wheeled the dresser beneath the skylight and, placing the chairon top of it, scrambled to the seat of the latter. His head was atthe height of the skylight. To force the skylight from its framerequired but a moment. A key entered the lock of the door from theopposite side and turned. He knew that someone without was pushing. Then he heard an oath and heavy battering upon the panels. A momentlater he had drawn himself through the skylight and stood upon theroof of the building. Before him stretched a series of uneven roofsto the end of the street. Barney did not hesitate. He started on arapid trot toward the adjoining roof. From that he clambered to ahigher one beyond. 

On he went, now leaping narrow courts, now dropping to low sheds andagain clambering to the heights of the higher buildings, until hehad come almost to the end of the row. Suddenly, behind him he hearda hoarse shout, followed by the report of a rifle. With a whir, abullet flew a few inches above his head. He had gained the lastroof--a large, level roof--and at the shot he turned to see how nearto him were his pursuers. 

Fatal turn!

Scarce had he taken his eyes from the path ahead than his foot fellupon a glass skylight, and with a loud crash he plunged through amida 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 thepit of the captain's stomach. With a howl of pain the officercatapulted Barney to the floor. There were three other beds in theroom, and in each bed one or two other officers. Before the Americancould regain his feet they were all sitting on him--all except theinfantry captain. He lay shrieking and cursing in a painful attemptto regain his breath, every atom of which Barney had knocked out ofhim. 

The officers sitting on Barney alternately beat him and questionedhim, interspersing their interrogations with lurid profanity. 

"If you will get off of me, " at last shouted the American, "I shallbe 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 anexplanation that would prove at all satisfactory as to how hehappened to be wandering around the rooftops of Burgova, hediscovered that his powers of invention were entirely inadequate. The need for explaining, however, was suddenly removed. A shadowfell upon them from above, and as they glanced up Barney saw thefigure of an officer surrounded by several soldiers looking downupon 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 brokenskylight to the floor beside them. 

"Who is the mad man?" cried the captain who had broken Barney'sfall. "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 Serbianspy!"

"Himmel!" ejaculated the officers in chorus. "You have done a gooddays' work, lieutenant. "

"The firing squad will do a better work in a few minutes, " repliedthe lieutenant, with a grim pointedness that took Barney's breathaway. 

III

BEFORE THE FIRING SQUAD

They marched Barney before the staff where he urged his Americannationality, pointing to his credentials and passes in support ofhis contention. 

The general before whom he had been brought shrugged his shoulders. "They are all Americans as soon as they are caught, " he said; "butwhy did you not claim to be Prince Peter of Blentz? You have hispasses as well. How can you expect us to believe your story when youhave in your possession passes for different men?

"We have every respect for our friends the Americans. I would evenstretch a point rather than chance harming an American; but you willadmit that the evidence is all against you. You were found in thevery building where Drontoff was known to stay while in Burgova. Theyoung woman whose mother keeps the place directed our officer toyour room, and you tried to escape, which I do not think that aninnocent American would have done. 

"However, as I have said, I will go to almost any length rather thanchance a mistake in the case of one who from his appearance mightpass more readily for an American than a Serbian. I have sent forPrince Peter of Blentz. If you can satisfactorily explain to him howyou chance to be in possession of military passes bearing his name Ishall be very glad to give you the benefit of every other doubt. "

Peter of Blentz. Send for Peter of Blentz! Barney wondered justwhat kind of a sensation it was to stand facing a firing squad. Hehoped that his knees wouldn't tremble--they felt a trifle weak evennow. There was a chance that the man might not recall his face, buta very slight chance. It had been his remarkable likeness to Leopoldof Lutha that had resulted in the snatching of a crown from PrincePeter's head. 

Likely indeed that he would ever forget his, Barney's, face, thoughhe had seen it but once without the red beard that had so added toBarney's likeness to the king. But Maenck would be along, of course, and Maenck would have no doubts--he had seen Barney too recently inBeatrice to fail to recognize him now. 

Several men were entering the room where Barney stood before thegeneral and his staff. A glance revealed to the prisoner that Peterof Blentz had come, and with him Von Coblich and Maenck. At the sameinstant Peter's eyes met Barney's, and the former, white andwide-eyed came almost to a dead halt, grasping hurriedly at the armof Maenck who walked beside him. 

"My God!" was all that Barney heard him say, but he spoke a namethat the American did not hear. Maenck also looked his surprise, buthis expression was suddenly changed to one of malevolent cunning andgratification. He turned toward Prince Peter with a fewlow-whispered words. A look of relief crossed the face of the Blentzprince. 

"You appear to know the gentleman, " said the general who had beenconducting Barney's examination. "He has been arrested as a Serbianspy, and military passes in your name were found upon his persontogether 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 knowanything about him, Prince Peter?"

"Yes, " replied Peter of Blentz, "I know him well by sight. Heentered my room last night and stole the military passes from mycoat--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 thegeneral, who, it seemed to Barney, was anxious to make no mistake, and to give the prisoner every reasonable chance--a state of mindthat rather surprised him in a European military chieftain, all ofwhom appeared to share the popular obsession regarding theprevalence of spies. 

"Pardon me, general, " interrupted Maenck. "I am well acquaintedwith 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. Hedid not again look at the prisoner, but turned to a lieutenant whostood near-by. "You may remove the prisoner, " he directed. "He willbe destroyed with the others--here is the order, " and he handed thesubaltern a printed form upon which many names were filled in and atthe bottom of which the general had just signed his own. It hadevidently been waiting the outcome of the examination of StefanDrontoff. 

Surrounded by soldiers, Barney Custer walked from the presence ofthe military court. It was to him as though he moved in a strangeworld of dreams. He saw the look of satisfaction upon the face ofPeter of Blentz as he passed him, and the open sneer of Maenck. Asyet he did not fully realize what it all meant--that he was marchingto his death! For the last time he was looking upon the faces of hisfellow men; for the last time he had seen the sun rise, never againto see it set. 

He was to be "destroyed. " He had heard that expression used manytimes 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 almostunconsciously. The soldiers marched him through the streets ofBurgova. The men were entirely impassive--even so early in the warthey had become accustomed to this grim duty. The young officer whocommanded them was more nervous than the prisoner--it was his firstdetail with a firing squad. He looked wonderingly at Barney, expecting momentarily to see the man collapse, or at least show somesign of terror at his close impending fate; but the American walkedsilently toward his death, puffing leisurely at his cigarette. 

At last, after what seemed a long time, his guard turned in at alarge gateway in a brick wall surrounding a factory. As they enteredBarney saw twenty or thirty men in civilian dress, guarded by adozen infantrymen. They were standing before the wall of a low brickbuilding. Barney noticed that there were no windows in the wall. Itsuddenly occurred to him that there was something peculiarly grimand sinister in the appearance of the dead, blank surface ofweather-stained brick. For the first time since he had faced themilitary court he awakened to a full realization of what it allmeant to him--he was going to be lined up against that ominous brickwall with these other men--they were going to shoot them. 

A momentary madness seized him. He looked about upon the otherprisoners and guards. A sudden break for liberty might give himtemporary respite. He could seize a rifle from the nearest soldier, and at least have the satisfaction of selling his life dearly. As helooked he saw more soldiers entering the factory yard. 

A sudden apathy overwhelmed him. What was the use? He could notescape. Why should he wish to kill these soldiers? It was not theywho were responsible for his plight--they were but obeying orders. The close presence of death made life seem very desirable. Thesemen, 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 killedas surely as though he took his place before the brick wall with theothers. 

He noticed now that these others evinced no inclination to contesttheir fates. Why should he, then? Doubtless many of them were asinnocent as he, and all loved life as well. He saw that several wereweeping silently. Others stood with bowed heads gazing at thehard-packed earth of the factory yard. Ah, what visions were theireyes 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 fellowwas herding the prisoners into position. When he was done Barneyfound himself in the front rank of the little, hopeless band. Opposite them, at a few paces, stood the firing squad, their gunbutts resting upon the ground. 

The young lieutenant stood at one side. He issued some instructionsin a low tone, then he raised his voice. 

"Ready!" he commanded. Fascinated by the horror of it, Barneywatched the rifles raised smartly to the soldiers' hips--themovement was as precise as though the men were upon parade. Everybolt 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 thecondemned. A man at Barney's right moaned. Another sobbed. 

"Fire!" There was the hideous roar of the volley. Barney Custercrumpled forward to the ground, and three bodies fell upon his. Amoment later there was a second volley--all had not fallen at thefirst. Then the soldiers came among the bodies, searching for signsof life; but evidently the two volleys had done their work. Thesergeant formed his men in line. The lieutenant marched them away. Only silence remained on guard above the pitiful dead in the factoryyard. 

The day wore on and still the stiffening corpses lay where they hadfallen. Twilight came and then darkness. A head appeared above thetop of the wall that had enclosed the grounds. Eyes peered throughthe night and keen ears listened for any sign of life within. Atlast, evidently satisfied that the place was deserted, a man crawledover the summit of the wall and dropped to the ground within. Hereagain he paused, peering and listening. 

What strange business had he here among the dead that demanded suchcaution in its pursuit? Presently he advanced toward the pile ofcorpses. Quickly he tore open coats and searched pockets. He ran hisfingers along the fingers of the dead. Two rings had rewarded hissearch and he was busy with a third that encircled the finger of abody that lay beneath three others. It would not come off. He pulledand tugged, and then he drew a knife from his pocket. 

But he did not sever the digit. Instead he shrank back with amuffled scream of terror. The corpse that he would have mutilatedhad staggered suddenly to its feet, flinging the dead bodies to oneside as it rose. 

"You fiend!" broke from the lips of the dead man, and the ghoulturned and fled, gibbering in his fright. 

The tramp of soldiers in the street beyond ceased suddenly at thesound from within the factory yard. It was a detail of the guardmarching to the relief of sentries. A moment later the gates swungopen and a score of soldiers entered. They saw a figure dodgingtoward the wall a dozen paces from them, but they did not see theother that ran swiftly around the corner of the factory. 

This other was Barney Custer of Beatrice. When the command to firehad been given to the squad of riflemen, a single bullet had creasedthe top of his head, stunning him. All day he had lain thereunconscious. It had been the tugging of the ghoul at his ring thathad 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 ascream--the fleeing hyena had been hit. Barney crouched in theshadow of a pile of junk. He heard the voices of soldiers as theygathered about the wounded man, questioning him, and a moment laterthe imperious tones of an officer issuing instructions to his men tosearch the yard. That he must be discovered seemed a certainty tothe American. He crouched further back in the shadows close to thewall, stepping with the utmost caution. 

Presently to his chagrin his foot touched the metal cover of amanhole; there was a resultant rattling that smote upon Barney'sears and nerves with all the hideous clatter of a boiler shop. Hehalted, petrified, for an instant. He was no coward, but after beingso near death, life had never looked more inviting, and he knew thatto be discovered meant certain extinction this time. 

The soldiers were circling the building. Already he could hear themnearing his position. In another moment they would round the cornerof the building and be upon him. For an instant he contemplated abold rush for the fence. In fact, he had gathered himself for theleaping start and the quick sprint across the open under the nosesof the soldiers who still remained beside the dying ghoul, when hismind suddenly reverted to the manhole beneath his feet. Here lay ahiding 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 ofgreat depth. There was no way to discover other than to plumb theabyss with his body. Above was death--below, a chance of safety. 

The soldiers were quite close when Barney lowered himself throughthe manhole. Clinging with his fingers to the upper edge his feetstill swung in space. How far beneath was the bottom? He heard thescraping of the heavy shoes of the searchers close above him, andthen he closed his eyes, released the grasp of his fingers, anddropped. 

IV

A RACE TO LUTHA

Barney's fall was not more than four or five feet. He found himselfupon a slippery floor of masonry over which two or three inches ofwater ran sluggishly. Above him he heard the soldiers pass the openmanhole. It was evident that in the darkness they had missed it. 

For a few minutes the fugitive remained motionless, then, hearing nosounds from above he started to grope about his retreat. Upon twosides were blank, circular walls, upon the other two circularopenings about four feet in diameter. It was through these openingsthat the tiny stream of water trickled. 

Barney came to the conclusion that he had dropped into a sewer. Toget out the way he had entered appeared impossible. He could notleap upward from the slimy, concave bottom the distance he haddropped. To follow the sewer upward would lead him nowhere nearerescape. There remained no hope but to follow the trickling streamdownward toward the river, into which his judgment told him theentire sewer system of the city must lead. 

Stooping, he entered the ill-smelling circular conduit, groping hisway slowly along. As he went the water deepened. It was half way tohis knees when he plunged unexpectedly into another tube running atright angles to the first. The bottom of this tube was lower thanthat of the one which emptied into it, so that Barney now foundhimself in a swiftly running stream of filth that reached above hisknees. Downward he followed this flood--faster now for the fear ofthe deadly gases which might overpower him before he could reach theriver. 

The water deepened gradually as he went on. At last he reached apoint where, with his head scraping against the roof of the sewer, his chin was just above the surface of the stream. A few more stepswould 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 andfrom the exertions of the past hour. Well, he would go on as far ashe could. The river lay ahead of him somewhere. Behind was only thehostile city. 

He took another step. His foot found no support. He surgedbackward in an attempt to regain his footing, but the power of theflood was too much for him. He was swept forward to plunge intowater that surged above his head as he sank. An instant later he hadregained the surface and as his head emerged he opened his eyes. 

He looked up into a starlit heaven! He had reached the mouth of thesewer and was in the river. For a moment he lay still, floating uponhis back to rest. Above him he heard the tread of a sentry along theriver front, and the sound of men's voices. 

The sweet, fresh air, the star-shot void above, acted as a powerfultonic to his shattered hopes and overwrought nerves. He lay inhalinggreat lungsful of pure, invigorating air. He listened to the voicesof the Austrian soldiery above him. All the buoyancy of his inherentAmericanism returned to him. 

"This is no place for a minister's son, " he murmured, and turningover struck out for the opposite shore. The river was not wide, andBarney was soon nearing the bank along which he could see occasionalcamp fires. Here, too, were Austrians. He dropped down-stream belowthese, and at last approached the shore where a wood grew close tothe water's edge. The bank here was steep, and the American had somedifficulty in finding a place where he could clamber up theprecipitous wall of rock. But finally he was successful, findinghimself in a little clump of bushes on the river's brim. Here he layresting and listening--always listening. It seemed to Barney thathis ears ached with the constant strain of unflagging duty that hisvery existence demanded of them. 

Hearing nothing, he crawled at last from his hiding place with thepurpose of making his way toward the south and to the frontier asrapidly as possible. He could hope only to travel by night, and heguessed that this night must be nearly spent. Stooping, he movedcautiously away from the river. Through the shadows of the wood hemade his way for perhaps a hundred yards when he was suddenlyconfronted 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 straightinto the arms of an Austrian sentry. To run would be to be shot. Toadvance would mean capture, and that too would mean death. 

For the barest fraction of an instant he hesitated, and then hisquick American wits came to his aid. Feigning intoxication heanswered the challenge in dubious Austrian that he hoped his maudlintongue would excuse. 

"Friend, " he answered thickly. "Friend with a drink--have one?"And he staggered drunkenly forward, banking all upon the credulityand thirst of the soldier who confronted him with fixed bayonet. 

That the sentry was both credulous and thirsty was evidenced by thefact that he let Barney come within reach of his gun. Instantly thedrunken Austrian was transformed into a very sober and active engineof destruction. Seizing the barrel of the piece Barney jerked it toone side and toward him, and at the same instant he leaped for thethroat of the sentry. 

So quickly was this accomplished that the Austrian had time only fora single cry, and that was choked in his windpipe by the steelfingers of the American. Together both men fell heavily to theground, Barney retaining his hold upon the other's throat. 

Striking and clutching at one another they fought in silence for acouple of minutes, then the soldier's struggles began to weaken. Hesquirmed and gasped for breath. His mouth opened and his tongueprotruded. His eyes started from their sockets. Barney closed hisfingers more tightly upon the bearded throat. He rained heavy blowsupon the upturned face. The beating fists of his adversary wavedwildly 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 notthe slightest indication of remaining life. The perpetration of thedeed sickened him; but he knew that his act was warranted, for ithad been either his life or the other's. He dragged the body back tothe bushes in which he had been hiding. There he stripped off theAustrian uniform, put his own clothes upon the corpse and rolled itinto the river. 

Dressed as an Austrian private, Barney Custer shouldered the deadsoldier's gun and walked boldly through the wood to the south. Momentarily he expected to run upon other soldiers, but though hekept straight on his way for hours he encountered none. The thinline of sentries along the river had been posted only to double thepreventive measures that had been taken to keep Serbian spies eitherfrom entering or leaving the city. 

Toward dawn, at the darkest period of the night, Barney saw lightsahead of him. Apparently he was approaching a village. He went morecautiously now, but all his care did not prevent him from runningfor the second time that night almost into the arms of a sentry. This time, however, Barney saw the soldier before he himself wasdiscovered. It was upon the edge of the town, in an orchard, thatthe sentinel was posted. Barney, approaching through the trees, darting from one to another, was within a few paces of the manbefore he saw him. 

The American remained quietly in the shadow of a tree waiting for anopportunity to escape, but before it came he heard the approach of asmall body of troops. They were coming from the village directlytoward the orchard. They passed the sentry and marched within adozen feet of the tree behind which Barney was hiding. 

As they came opposite him he slipped around the tree to the oppositeside. The sentry had resumed his pacing, and was now out of sightmomentarily among the trees further on. He could not see theAmerican, but there were others who could. They came in the shape ofa non-commissioned officer and a detachment of the guard to relievethe sentry. Barney almost bumped into them as he rounded the tree. There was no escape--the non-commissioned officer was within twofeet of him when Barney discovered him. "What are you doing here?"shouted the sergeant with an oath. "Your post is there, " and hepointed toward the position where Barney had seen the sentry. 

At first Barney could scarce believe his ears. In the darkness thesergeant had mistaken him for the sentinel! Could he carry it out?And if so might it not lead him into worse predicament? No, Barneydecided, nothing could be worse. To be caught masquerading in theuniform of an Austrian soldier within the Austrian lines was toplumb the uttermost depth of guilt--nothing that he might do nowcould make his position worse. 

He faced the sergeant, snapping his piece to present, hoping thatthis was the proper thing to do. Then he stumbled through a briefexcuse. The officer in command of the troops that had just passedhad demanded the way of him, and he had but stepped a few paces fromhis post to point out the road to his superior. 

The sergeant grunted and ordered him to fall in. Another man tookhis place on duty. They were far from the enemy and discipline waslax, so the thing was accomplished which under other circumstanceswould have been well night impossible. A moment later Barney foundhimself marching back toward the village, to all intents andpurposes an Austrian private. 

Before a low, windowless shed that had been converted into barracksfor the guard, the detail was dismissed. The men broke ranks andsought their blankets within the shed, tired from their lonely vigilupon sentry duty. 

Barney loitered until the last. All the others had entered. Hedared not, for he knew that any moment the sentry upon the post fromwhich he had been taken would appear upon the scene, afterdiscovering another of his comrades. He was certain to inquire ofthe sergeant. They would be puzzled, of course, and, being soldiers, they would be suspicious. There would be an investigation, whichwould start in the barracks of the guard. That neighborhood would atonce become a most unhealthy spot for Barney Custer, of Beatrice, Nebraska. 

When the last of the soldiers had entered the shed Barney glancedquickly about. No one appeared to notice him. He walked directlypast the doorway to the end of the building. Around this he found ayard, deeply shadowed. He entered it, crossed it, and passed outinto an alley beyond. At the first cross-street his way was blockedby the sight of another sentry--the world seemed composed entirelyof Austrian sentries. Barney wondered if the entire Austrian armywas kept perpetually upon sentry duty; he had scarce been able toturn without bumping into one. 

He turned back into the alley and at last found a crooked passagewaybetween buildings that he hoped might lead him to a spot where therewas no sentry, and from which he could find his way out of thevillage toward the south. The passage, after devious windings, ledinto a large, open court, but when Barney attempted to leave thecourt upon the opposite side he found the ubiquitous sentries uponguard there. 

Evidently there would be no escape while the Austrians remained inthe town. There was nothing to do, therefore, but hide until thehappy moment of their departure arrived. He returned to thecourtyard, and after a short search discovered a shed in one cornerthat had evidently been used to stable a horse, for there was strawat one end of it and a stall in the other. Barney sat down upon thestraw to wait developments. Tired nature would be denied no longer. His eyes closed, his head drooped upon his breast. In three minutesfrom the time he entered the shed he was stretched full length uponthe straw, fast asleep. 

The chugging of a motor awakened him. It was broad daylight. Manysounds came from the courtyard without. It did not take Barney longto gather his scattered wits--in an instant he was wide awake. Heglanced about. He was the only occupant of the shed. Rising, heapproached a small window that looked out upon the court. All waslife and movement. A dozen military cars either stood about or movedin and out of the wide gates at the opposite end of the enclosure. Officers and soldiers moved briskly through a doorway that led intoa large building that flanked the court upon one side. While Barneyslept the headquarters of an Austrian army corps had moved in andtaken possession of the building, the back of which abutted upon thecourt where lay his modest little shed. 

Barney took it all in at a single glance, but his eyes hung long andgreedily upon the great, high-powered machines that chugged orpurred 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 hewas quite positive; and what would fifty miles be to one of thosemachines?

Barney sighed as a great, gray-painted car whizzed into thecourtyard and pulled up before the doorway. Two officers jumped outand ran up the steps. The driver, a young man in a uniform notunlike that which Barney wore, drew the car around to the end of thecourtyard close beside Barney's shed. Here he left it and enteredthe building into which his passengers had gone. By reaching throughthe window Barney could have touched the fender of the machine. Afew seconds' start in that and it would take more than an Austrianarmy corps to stop him this side of the border. Thus mused Barney, knowing already that the mad scheme that had been born within hisbrain would be put to action before he was many minutes older. 

There were many soldiers on guard about the courtyard. The greatestdanger lay in arousing the suspicions of one of these should hechance to see Barney emerge from the shed and enter the car. 

"The proper thing, " thought Barney, "is to come from the buildinginto which everyone seems to pass, and the only way to be seencoming out of it is to get into it; but how the devil am I to getinto it?"

The longer he thought the more convinced he became that utterrecklessness and boldness would be his only salvation. Briskly hewalked from the shed out into the courtyard beneath the eyes of thesentries, the officers, the soldiers, and the military drivers. Hemoved straight among them toward the doorway of the headquarters asthough bent upon important business--which, indeed, he was. At leastit was quite the most important business to Barney Custer that thatyoung gentleman could recall having ventured upon for some time. 

No one paid the slightest attention to him. He had left his gun inthe shed for he noticed that only the men on guard carried them. Without an instant's hesitation he ran briskly up the short flightof steps and entered the headquarters building. Inside was anothersentry who barred his way questioningly. Evidently one must stateone's business to this person before going farther. Barney, withoutany 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 didknow, however, that there were altogether too many generals for anyone 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 agreat deal more than would be good for Barney Custer. The young manlooked toward the door through which he had just entered. His soleobject in coming into the spider's parlor had been to make itpossible for him to come out again in full view of all the guardsand officers and military chauffeurs, that their suspicions mightnot be aroused when he put his contemplated coup to the test. 

He glanced toward the door. Machines were whizzing in and out ofthe courtyard. Officers on foot were passing and repassing. Thesentry in the hallway was on the point of calling his sergeant. 

"Ah!" cried Barney. "There is the general now, " and without waitingto cast even a parting glance at the guard he stepped quicklythrough the doorway and ran down the steps into the courtyard. Looking neither to right nor to left, and with a convincing air ofself-confidence and important business, he walked directly to thebig, gray machine that stood beside the little shed at the end ofthe 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 wheelbrought it around headed toward the wide gates. Barney shifted tosecond speed, stepped on the accelerator and the cut-outsimultaneously, 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 itthat the young man at the wheel of the gray car was stealing themachine or that his life depended upon escape without detection. Itwas the very boldness of his act that crowned it with success. 

Once in the street Barney turned toward the south. Cars werepassing up and down in both directions, usually at high speed. Theirnumbers protected the fugitive. Momentarily he expected to behalted; but he passed out of the village without mishap and reacheda country road which, except for a lane down its center along whichautomobiles 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 boomof cannon and the bursting of shells. Presently the road forked. Thetroops were moving along the road on the left toward the distantbattle 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 hisright? Among all those officers there surely would be one who wouldquestion the purpose and destination of this private soldier whodrove alone in the direction of the nearby frontier. 

The moment had come when he must stake everything on his ability togain the open road beyond the plodding mass of troops. Diminishingthe speed of the car Barney turned it in toward the marching men atthe same time sounding his horn loudly. An infantry captain, marching beside his company, was directly in front of the car. Helooked up at the American. Barney saluted and pointed toward theright-hand fork. 

The captain turned and shouted a command to his men. Those who hadnot passed in front of the car halted. Barney shot through thelittle lane they had opened, which immediately closed up behind him. He was through! He was upon the open road! Ahead, as far as he couldsee, there was no sign of any living creature to bar his way, andthe 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 andforth between his great desk and the window that overlooked theroyal gardens. Upon the opposite side of the desk stood an oldman--a tall, straight, old man with the bearing of a soldier and thehead of a lion. His keen, gray eyes were upon the king, and sorrowwas written upon his face. He was Ludwig von der Tann, chancellor ofthe kingdom of Lutha. 

At last the king stopped his pacing and faced the old man, though hecould not meet those eagle eyes squarely, try as he would. It washis inability to do so, possibly, that added to his anger. Weakhimself, he feared this strong man and envied him his strength, which, in a weak nature, is but a step from hatred. There evidentlyhad been a long pause in their conversation, yet the king's nextwords took up the thread of their argument where it had broken. 

"You speak as though I had no right to do it, " he snapped. "Onemight think that you were the king from the manner with which youupbraid and reproach me. I tell you, Prince von der Tann, that Ishall stand it no longer. "

The king approached the desk and pounded heavily upon its polishedsurface with his fist. The physical act of violence imparted to hima certain substitute for the moral courage which he lacked. 

"I will tell you, sir, that I am king. It was not necessary that Iconsult you or any other man before pardoning Prince Peter and hisassociates. I have investigated the matter thoroughly and I amconvinced that they have been taught a sufficient lesson and thathereafter they will be my most loyal subjects. "

He hesitated. "Their presence here, " he added, "may prove anantidote to the ambitions of others who lately have taken it uponthemselves to rule Lutha for me. "

There was no mistaking the king's meaning, but Prince Ludwig did notshow by any change of expression that the shot had struck him in avulnerable spot; nor, upon the other hand, did he ignore theinsinuation. There was only sorrow in his voice when he replied. 

"Sire, " he said, "for some time I have been aware of the activity ofthose who would like to see Peter of Blentz returned to favor withyour majesty. I have warned you, only to see that my motives werealways misconstrued. There is a greater power at work, your majesty, than any of us--greater than Lutha itself. One that will stop atnothing in order to gain its ends. It cares naught for Peter ofBlentz, naught for me, naught for you. It cares only for Lutha. Forstrategic purposes it must have Lutha. It will trample you underfoot 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 ambitiousto maintain the integrity and freedom of Lutha. 

"For three hundred years the Von der Tanns have labored and foughtfor the welfare of Lutha. It was a Von der Tann that put the firstRubinroth king upon the throne of Lutha. To the last they were loyalto the former dynasty while that dynasty was loyal to Lutha. Onlywhen the king attempted to sell the freedom of his people to apowerful neighbor did the Von der Tanns rise against him. 

"Sire! the Von der Tanns have always been loyal to the house ofRubinroth. And but a single thing rises superior within theirbreasts to that loyalty, and that is their loyalty to Lutha. " Hepaused for an instant before concluding. "And I, sire, am a Von derTann. "

There could be no mistaking the old man's meaning. So long asLeopold was loyal to his people and their interests Ludwig von derTann would be loyal to Leopold. The king was cowed. He was very muchafraid of this grim old warrior. He chafed beneath his censure. 

"You are always scolding me, " he cried irritably. "I am gettingtired of it. And now you threaten me. Do you call that loyalty? Doyou call it loyalty to refuse to compel your daughter to keep herplighted troth? If you wish to prove your loyalty command thePrincess Emma to fulfil the promise you made my father--command herto 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 killherself rather than wed with your majesty. She is all I have left, sire. What good would be accomplished by robbing me of her if youcould not gain her by the act? Win her confidence and love, sire. Itmay be done. Thus only may happiness result to you and to her. "

"You see, " exclaimed the king, "what your loyalty amounts to! Ibelieve that you are saving her for the impostor--I have heard asmuch hinted at before this. Nor do I doubt that she would gladlyconnive with the fellow if she thought there was a chance of hisseizing the throne. "

Von der Tann paled. For the first time righteous indignation andanger got the better of him. He took a step toward the king. 

"Stop!" he commanded. "No man, not even my king, may speak suchwords to a Von der Tann. "

In an antechamber just outside the room a man sat near the door thatled into the apartment where the king and his chancellor quarreled. He had been straining his ears to catch the conversation which hecould hear rising and falling in the adjoining chamber, but till nowhe had been unsuccessful. Then came Prince Ludwig's last wordsbooming loudly through the paneled door, and the man smiled. He wasCount 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 ourpresence. When we again desire to be insulted we shall send foryou. "

As the chancellor passed into the antechamber Count Zellerndorf roseand greeted him warmly, almost effusively. Von der Tann returned hissalutations with courtesy but with no answering warmth. Then hepassed on out of the palace. 

"The old fox must have heard, " he mused as he mounted his horse andturned his face toward Tann and the Old Forest. 

When Count Zellerndorf of Austria entered the presence of Leopold ofLutha he found that young ruler much disturbed. He had resumed hisrestless pacing between desk and window, and as the Austrian enteredhe scarce paused to receive his salutation. Count Zellerndorf was afrequent visitor at the palace. There were few formalities betweenthis astute diplomat and the young king; those had passed graduallyaway as their acquaintance and friendship ripened. 

"Prince Ludwig appeared angry when he passed through theantechamber, " ventured Zellerndorf. "Evidently your majesty foundcause to rebuke him. "

The king nodded and looked narrowly at the Austrian. "The Prince vonder Tann insinuated that Austria's only wish in connection withLutha is to seize her, " he said. 

Zellerndorf raised his hands in well-simulated horror. 

"Your majesty!" he exclaimed. "It cannot be that the prince hasgone to such lengths to turn you against your best friend, myemperor. If he has I can only attribute it to his own ambitions. Ihave hesitated to speak to you of this matter, your majesty, but nowthat 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 wellknow the confidence which the house of Von der Tann has enjoyed forcenturies in Lutha; but I must brave your wrath in the interest ofright. I must tell you that it is common gossip in Vienna that Vonder Tann aspires to the throne of Lutha either for himself or forhis daughter through the American impostor who once sat upon yourthrone for a few days. And let me tell you more. 

"The American will never again menace you--he was arrested inBurgova as a spy and executed. He is dead; but not so are Von derTann's ambitions. When he learns that he no longer may rely upon thestrain of the Rubinroth blood that flowed in the veins of theAmerican from his royal mother, the runaway Princess Victoria, therewill remain to him only the other alternative of seizing the thronefor himself. He is a very ambitious man, your majesty. Already hehas caused it to become current gossip that he is the real powerbehind 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 thatsuffused the king's face, and then he shot the bolt that he had cometo fire, but which he had not dared to hope would find its target sodenuded of defense. 

"Your majesty, " he whispered, coming quite close to the king, "allLutha is inclined to believe that you fear Prince von der Tann. Onlya few of us know the truth to be the contrary. For the sake of yourprestige you must take some step to counteract this belief and stampit 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 inLutha believes that he would permit you to have any intercourse withPeter. I have brought from Blentz an invitation to your majesty tohonor the Blentz prince with your presence as a guest for theensuing week. Accept it, your majesty. 

"Nothing could more conclusively prove to the most skeptical thatyou are still the king, and that Von der Tann, nor any other, maynot dare to dictate to you. It will be the most splendid stroke ofstatesmanship that you could achieve at the present moment. "

For an instant the king stood in thought. He still feared Peter ofBlentz as the devil is reputed to fear holy water, though forconverse reasons. Yet he was very angry with Von der Tann. It wouldindeed be an excellent way to teach the presumptuous chancellor hisplace. 

Leopold almost smiled as he thought of the chagrin with which PrinceLudwig would receive the news that he had gone to Blentz as theguest of Peter. It was the last impetus that was required by hisweak, 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 inhis castle in the Old Forest word that an Austrian army had crossedthe Luthanian frontier--the neutrality of Lutha had been violated. The old chancellor set out immediately for Lustadt. At the palace hesought an interview with the king only to learn that Leopold haddeparted earlier in the day to visit Peter of Blentz. 

There was but one thing to do and that was to follow the king toBlentz. Some action must be taken immediately--it would never do tolet this breach of treaty pass unnoticed. 

The Serbian minister who had sent word to the chancellor of theinvasion by the Austrian troops was closeted with him for an hourafter his arrival at the palace. It was clear to both these men thatthe hand of Zellerndorf was plainly in evidence in both theimportant moves that had occurred in Lutha within the pasttwenty-four hours--the luring of the king to Blentz and the entranceof Austrian soldiery into Lutha. 

Following his interview with the Serbian minister Von der Tann rodetoward Blentz with only his staff in attendance. It was long pastmidnight when the lights of the town appeared directly ahead of thelittle party. They rode at a trot along the road which passesthrough the village to wind upward again toward the ancient feudalcastle that looks down from its hilltop upon the town. 

At the edge of the village Von der Tann was thunderstruck by achallenge from a sentry posted in the road, nor was his dismaylessened when he discovered that the man was an Austrian. 

"What is the meaning of this?" he cried angrily. "What are Austriansoldiers doing barring the roads of Lutha to the chancellor ofLutha?"

The sentry called an officer. The latter was extremely suave. Heregretted the incident, but his orders were most positive--no onecould be permitted to pass through the lines without an order fromthe general commanding. He would go at once to the general and seeif he could procure the necessary order. Would the prince be so goodas 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, "uponthe order of an Austrian. You may tell your general that my onlyregret is that I have not with me tonight the necessary force topass through his lines to my king--another time I shall not be sohandicapped, " and Ludwig, Prince von der Tann, wheeled his mount andspurred away in the direction of Lustadt, at his heels an extremelyangry and revengeful staff. 

VI

A TRAP IS SPRUNG

Long before Prince von der Tann reached Lustadt he had come to theconclusion that Leopold was in virtue a prisoner in Blentz. To provehis conclusion he directed one of his staff to return to Blentz andattempt to have audience with the king. 

"Risk anything, " he instructed the officer to whom he had entrustedthe mission. "Submit, if necessary, to the humiliation of seeking anAustrian pass through the lines to the castle. See the king at anycost 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 withintwenty-four hours I shall assume that he is indeed a prisoner. 

"I shall then direct the mobilization of the army and take suchsteps as seem fit to rescue him and drive the invaders from the soilof Lutha. If you do not return I shall understand that you are heldprisoner by the Austrians and that my worst fears have beenrealized. "

But Prince Ludwig was one who believed in being forehanded and so ithappened that the orders for the mobilization of the army of Luthawere issued within fifteen minutes of his return to Lustadt. Itwould do no harm, thought the old man, with a grim smile, to getthings well under way a day ahead of time. This accomplished, hesummoned the Serbian minister, with what purpose and to what effectbecame historically evident several days later. When, aftertwenty-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 beingentertained royally. He was told nothing of the attempt of hischancellor to see him, nor did he know that a messenger from Princevon der Tann was being held a prisoner in the camp of the Austriansin the village. He was surrounded by the creatures of Prince Peterand by Peter's staunch allies, the Austrian minister and theAustrian officers attached to the expeditionary force occupying thetown. They told him that they had positive information that theSerbians already had crossed the frontier into Lutha, and that thepresence of the Austrian troops was purely for the protection ofLutha. 

It was not until the morning following the rebuff of Prince von derTann that Peter of Blentz, Count Zellerndorf and Maenck heard of theoccurrence. They were chagrined by the accident, for they were notready to deliver their final stroke. The young officer of the guardhad, of course, but followed his instructions--who would havethought that old Von der Tann would come to Blentz! That hesuspected their motives seemed apparent, and now that his rebuff atthe gates had aroused his ire and, doubtless, crystallized hissuspicions, they might find in him a very ugly obstacle to thefruition of their plans. 

With Von der Tann actively opposed to them, the value of having theking upon their side would be greatly minimized. The people and thearmy had every confidence in the old chancellor. Even if he opposedthe king there was reason to believe that they might still side withhim. 

"What is to be done?" asked Zellerndorf. "Is there no way either towin or force Von der Tann to acquiescence?"

"I think we can accomplish it, " said Prince Peter, after a moment ofthought. "Let us see Leopold. His mind has been prepared to receivealmost gratefully any insinuations against the loyalty of Von derTann. With proper evidence the king may easily be persuaded to orderthe chancellor's arrest--possibly his execution as well. "

So they saw the king, only to meet a stubborn refusal upon the partof Leopold to accede to their suggestions. He still was madly inlove with Von der Tann's daughter, and he knew that a blow deliveredat 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 oftheir desires. What in the world could be the cause of the king'sstubborn desire to protect the man they knew he feared, hated, andmistrusted with all the energy of his suspicious nature? It was theking himself who answered their unspoken question. 

"I cannot believe in the disloyalty of Prince Ludwig, " he said, "norcould I, even if I desired it, take such drastic steps as yousuggest. Some day the Princess Emma, his daughter, will be myqueen. "

Count Zellerndorf was the first to grasp the possibilities that layin the suggestion the king's words carried. 

"Your majesty, " he cried, "there is a way to unite all factions inLutha. It would be better to insure the loyalty of Von der Tannthrough bonds of kinship than to antagonize him. Marry the PrincessEmma 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, butfor the welfare of the state--yes, for the sake of your very throne, sire--you should exert your royal prerogatives and command thePrincess 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 herto marry you. "

Leopold shook his head. "You do not know her, " he said. "You do notknow the Von der Tann nature--one cannot force a Von der Tann. "

"Pardon, sire, " urged Zellerndorf, "but I think it can beaccomplished. If the Princess Emma knew that your majesty believedher father to be a traitor--that the order for his arrest andexecution but awaited your signature--I doubt not that she wouldgladly become queen of Lutha, with her father's life and liberty asa 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 planwere sinking deep into the minds of all four. At last the king rose. He was mumbling to himself as though unconscious of the presence ofthe others. 

"She is a stubborn jade, " he mumbled. "It would be an excellentlesson for her. She needs to be taught that I am her king, " and thenas though his conscience required a sop, "I shall be very good toher. Afterward she will be happy. " He turned toward Zellerndorf. "You think it can be done?"

"Most assuredly, your majesty. We shall take immediate steps tofetch the Princess Emma to Blentz, " and the Austrian rose and backedfrom the apartment lest the king change his mind. Prince Peter andMaenck followed him. 

Princess Emma von der Tann sat in her boudoir in her father's castlein the Old Forest. Except for servants, she was alone in thefortress, for Prince von der Tann was in Lustadt. Her mind wasoccupied with memories of the young American who had entered herlife under such strange circumstances two years before--memoriesthat had been awakened by the return of Lieutenant Otto Butzow toLutha. He had come directly to her father and had been attached tothe prince's personal staff. 

From him she had heard a great deal about Barney Custer, and the oldinterest, never a moment forgotten during these two years, wasreawakened to all its former intensity. 

Butzow had accompanied Prince Ludwig to Lustadt, but Princess Emmawould not go with them. For two years she had not entered thecapital, and much of that period had been spent in Paris. Onlywithin the past fortnight had she returned to Lutha. 

In the middle of the morning her reveries were interrupted by theentrance of a servant bearing a message. She had to read it twicebefore she could realize its purport; though it was plainlyworded--the shock of it had stunned her. It was dated at Lustadt andsigned by one of the palace functionaries:

Prince von der Tann has suffered a slight stroke. Do not bealarmed, but come at once. The two troopers who bear this messagewill act as your escort. 

It required but a few minutes for the girl to change to her ridingclothes, and when she ran down into the court she found her horseawaiting her in the hands of her groom, while close by two mountedtroopers raised their hands to their helmets in salute. 

A moment later the three clattered over the drawbridge and along theroad that leads toward Lustadt. The escort rode a short distancebehind the girl, and they were hard put to it to hold the mad pacewhich she set them. 

A few miles from Tann the road forks. One branch leads toward thecapital and the other winds over the hills in the direction ofBlentz. The fork occurs within the boundaries of the Old Forest. Great trees overhang the winding road, casting a twilight shade evenat 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. Atfirst she thought nothing of it, turning her horse's head to therighthand side of the road to pass the party, all of whom were inuniform; but as she did so one of the men reined directly in herpath. The act was obviously intentional. 

The girl looked quickly up into the man's face, and her own wentwhite. He who stopped her way was Captain Ernst Maenck. She had notseen the man for two years, but she had good cause to remember himas the governor of the castle of Blentz and the man who hadattempted to take advantage of her helplessness when she had been aprisoner in Prince Peter's fortress. Now she looked straight intothe fellow's eyes. 

"Let me pass, please, " she said coldly. 

"I am sorry, " replied Maenck with an evil smile; "but the king'sorders are that you accompany me to Blentz--the king is there. "

For answer the girl drove her spur into her mount's side. The animalleaped forward, striking Maenck's horse on the shoulder and halfturning 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. "Itwill be easier for you. "

"I shall not come voluntarily, " she replied. "If you take me toBlentz you will have to take me by force, and if my king is notsufficiently a gentleman to demand an accounting of you, I am atleast 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 bequeen of Lutha. "

The Princess Emma turned toward her tardy escort that had justarrived upon the scene. 

"This person has stopped me, " she said, "and will not permit me tocontinue 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 ofthe conspirators of the plot. 

Weak as he was he was still a Rubinroth, and it was difficult for aVon der Tann to believe in the duplicity of a member of the housethey had served so loyally for centuries. With bowed head theprincess turned her horse into the road that led toward Blentz. Halfthe 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 buthe did not know what was passing in the girl's mind. She had seenthat escape for the moment was impossible, and so had decided tobide her time until a more propitious chance should come. In silenceshe rode among her captors. The thought of being brought to Blentzalive was unbearable. 

Somewhere along the road there would be an opportunity to escape. Her horse was fleet; with a short start he could easily outdistancethese heavier cavalry animals and as a last resort she could--shemust--find some way to end her life, rather than to be dragged tothe altar beside Leopold of Lutha. 

Since childhood Emma von der Tann had ridden these hilly roads. Sheknew every lane and bypath for miles around. She knew the shortcuts, the gullies and ravines. She knew where one might, with a goodjumper, save a wide detour, and as she rode toward Blentz she passedin review through her mind each of the many spots where a suddenbreak for liberty might have the best chance to succeed. 

And at last she hit upon the place where a quick turn would take herfrom the main road into the roughest sort of going for one notfamiliar with the trail. Maenck and his soldiers had alreadypartially relaxed their vigilance. The officer had come to theconclusion that his prisoner was resigned to her fate and that, after all, the fate of being forced to be queen did not appear sodark 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, shewheeled her mount between two trees, struck home her spur, and wasgone into the wood upon the steep hillside. 

With an oath, Maenck cried to his men to be after her. He himselfspurred into the forest at the point where the girl had disappeared. So sudden had been her break for liberty and so quickly had thefoliage swallowed her that there was something almost uncanny in it. 

A hundred yards from the road the trees were further apart, andthrough them the pursuers caught a glimpse of their quarry. The girlwas riding like mad along the rough, uneven hillside. Her mount, surefooted as a chamois, seemed in his element. But two of thehorses of her pursuers were as swift, and under the cruel spurs oftheir riders were closing up on their fugitive. The girl urged herhorse to greater speed, yet still the two behind closed in. 

A hundred yards ahead lay a deep and narrow gully, hid by bushesthat grew rankly along its verge. Straight toward this the PrincessEmma von der Tann rode. Behind her came her pursuers--two quiteclose and the others trailing farther in the rear. The girl reinedin a trifle, letting the troopers that were closest to her gainuntil they were but a few strides behind, then she put spur to herhorse and drove him at topmost speed straight toward the gully. Atthe bushes she spoke a low word in his backlaid ears, raised himquickly with the bit, leaning forward as he rose in air. Like a birdthat animal took the bushes and the gully beyond, while close behindhim 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 thegully, to see her two foremost pursuers plunging headlong into it. Then she shook free her reins and gave her mount his head along anarrow trail that both had followed many times before. 

Behind her, Maenck and the balance of his men came to a sudden stopat the edge of the gully. Below them one of the troopers wasstruggling to his feet. The other lay very still beneath hismotionless horse. With an angry oath Maenck directed one of his mento remain and help the two who had plunged over the brink, then withthe 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 ahighway that would lead her to Lustadt. Ordinarily she had been wontto bear a little to the north-east at this point and strike backinto the road that she had just left; but today she feared to do solest she be cut off before she gained the north and south highroadwhich the other road crossed a little farther on. 

To her right was a small farm across which she had never ridden, forshe always had made it a point never to trespass upon fencedgrounds. On the opposite side of the farm was a wood, and somewherebeyond that a small stream which the highroad crossed upon a littlebridge. 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 amoment to look behind her. A mile away she saw the head andshoulders of a horseman above some low bushes--the pursuers hadfound a way through the gully. 

Turning once more to her flight the girl rode rapidly across thefields toward the wood. Here she found a high wire fence so close tothickly growing trees upon the opposite side that she dared notattempt to jump it--there was no point at which she would not havebeen raked from the saddle by overhanging boughs. Slipping to theground she attacked the barrier with her bare hands, attempting totear away the staples that held the wire in place. For severalminutes she surged and tugged upon the unyielding metal strand. Anoccasional backward glance revealed to her horrified eyes the rapidapproach of her enemies. One of them was far in advance of theothers--in another moment he would be upon her. 

With redoubled fury she turned again to the fence. A superhumaneffort brought away a staple. One wire was down and an instant latertwo more. Standing with one foot upon the wires to keep them fromtangling about her horse's legs, she pulled her mount across intothe wood. The foremost horseman was close upon her as she finallysucceeded in urging the animal across the fallen wires. 

The girl sprang to her horse's side just as the man reached thefence. The wires, released from her weight, sprang up breast highagainst his horse. He leaped from the saddle the instant that thegirl was swinging into her own. Then the fellow jumped the fence andcaught her bridle. 

She struck at him with her whip, lashing him across the head andface, but he clung tightly, dragged hither and thither by thefrightened horse, until at last he managed to reach the girl's armand drag her to the ground. 

Almost at the same instant a man, unkempt and disheveled, sprangfrom behind a tree and with a single blow stretched the trooperunconscious upon the ground. 

VII

BARNEY TO THE RESCUE

As Barney Custer raced along the Austrian highroad toward thefrontier and Lutha, his spirits rose to a pitch of buoyancy to whichthey had been strangers for the past several days. For the firsttime in many hours it seemed possible to Barney to entertainreasonable hopes of escape from the extremely dangerous predicamentinto which he had gotten himself. 

He was even humming a gay little tune as he drove into a tiny hamletthrough which the road wound. No sign of military appeared to fillhim with apprehension. He was very hungry and the odor of cookingfell gratefully upon his nostrils. He drew up before the single inn, and presently, washed and brushed, was sitting before the first mealhe had seen for two days. In the enjoyment of the food he almostforgot the dangers he had passed through, or that other dangersmight be lying in wait for him at his elbow. 

From the landlord he learned that the frontier lay but three milesto the south of the hamlet. Three miles! Three miles to Lutha! Whatif 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 derTann. Once more he must save the king who had shown such scantgratitude upon another occasion. 

For Leopold, Barney Custer did not give the snap of his fingers; butwhat Leopold, the king, stood for in the lives and sentiments of theLuthanians--of the Von der Tanns--was very dear to the Americanbecause 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 hadbequeathed him. 

His meal disposed of to the last morsel, and paid for, Barneyentered the stolen car and resumed his journey toward Lutha. That hecould remain there he knew to be impossible, but in delivering hisnews to Prince Ludwig he might have an opportunity to see thePrincess Emma once again--it would be worth risking his life for, ofthat he was perfectly satisfied. And then he could go across intoSerbia with the new credentials that he had no doubt Prince von derTann would furnish him for the asking to replace those the Austrianshad confiscated. 

At the frontier Barney was halted by an Austrian customs officer;but when the latter recognized the military car and the Austrianuniform of the driver he waved him through without comment. Upon theother side the American expected possible difficulty with theLuthanian customs officer, but to his surprise he found the littlebuilding deserted, and none to bar his way. At last he was inLutha--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 alittle to the southeast, passing through Tafelberg and striking thenorth and south highway between that point and Lustadt, to which hecould hold until reaching the east and west road that runs throughboth Tann and Blentz on its way across the kingdom. 

The temptation to stop for a few minutes in Tafelberg for a visitwith his old friend Herr Kramer was strong, but fear that he mightbe recognized by others, who would not guard his secret so well asthe shopkeeper of Tafelberg would, decided him to keep on his way. So he flew through the familiar main street of the quaint oldvillage at a speed that was little, if any less, than fifty miles anhour. 

On he raced toward the south, his speed often necessarily diminishedupon the winding mountain roads, but for the most part clinging to areckless mileage that caused the few natives he encountered to fleeto the safety of the bordering fields, there to stand inopen-mouthed awe. 

Halfway between Tafelberg and the crossroad into which he purposedturning to the west toward Tann there is an S-curve where the basesof two small hills meet. The road here is narrow andtreacherous--fifteen miles an hour is almost a reckless speed atwhich to travel around the curves of the S. Beyond are open fieldsupon either side of the road. 

Barney took the turns carefully and had just emerged into the lastleg of the S when he saw, to his consternation, a half-dozenAustrian infantrymen lolling beside the road. An officer stood nearthem talking with a sergeant. To turn back in that narrow road wasimpossible. He could only go ahead and trust to his uniform and themilitary car to carry him safely through. Before he reached thegroup of soldiers the fields upon either hand came into view. Theywere dotted with tents, wagons, motor-vans and artillery. What didit 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 passit was Barney's only hope. He had passed through one Austrianarmy--why not another? He approached the outpost at a moderate rateof speed--to tear toward it at the rate his heart desired would beto awaken not suspicion only but positive conviction that hispurposes and motives were ulterior. 

The officer stepped toward the road as though to halt him. Barneypretended to be fussing with some refractory piece of controllingmechanism beneath the cowl--apparently he did not see the officer. He was just opposite him when the latter shouted to him. Barneystraightened up quickly and saluted, but did not stop. 

"Halt!" cried the officer. 

Barney pointed down the road in the direction in which he washeaded. 

"Halt!" repeated the officer, running to the car. 

Barney glanced ahead. Two hundred yards farther on was anotherpost--beyond that he saw no soldiers. He turned and shouted a volleyof intentionally unintelligible jargon at the officer, continuing topoint ahead of him. 

He hoped to confuse the man for the few seconds necessary for him toreach the last post. If the soldiers there saw that he had beenpermitted to pass through the first they doubtless would not hinderhis further passage. That they were watching him Barney could see. 

He had passed the officer now. There was no necessity fordalliance. He pressed the accelerator down a trifle. The car movedforward at increased speed. A final angry shout broke from theofficer behind him, followed by a quick command. Barney did not haveto wait long to learn the tenor of the order, for almost immediatelya 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 carresponded nobly--there was no sputtering, no choking. Just a rapidrush of increasing momentum as the machine gained headway by leapsand bounds. 

The bullets were ripping the air all about him. Just ahead thesecond outpost stood directly in the center of the road. There werethree soldiers and they were taking deliberate aim, as carefully asthough upon the rifle range. It seemed to Barney that they couldn'tmiss him. He swerved the car suddenly from one side of the road tothe other. At the rate that it was going the move was fraught withbut little less danger than the supine facing of the leveled gunsahead. 

The three rifles spoke almost simultaneously. The glass of thewindshield shattered in Barney's face. There was a hole in theleft-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 theswaying car as, lurching from side to side, it bore down upon them. Barney sounded the raucous military horn; but the soldiers seemedunconscious of their danger--they still stood there pumping leadtoward the onrushing Juggernaut. At the last instant they attemptedto rush from its path; but they were too late. 

At over sixty miles an hour the huge, gray monster bore down uponthem. One of them fell beneath the wheels--the two others werethrown high in air as the bumper struck them. The body of the manwho had fallen beneath the wheels threw the car half way across theroad--only iron nerve and strong arms held it from the ditch uponthe opposite side. 

Barney Custer had never been nearer death than at that moment--noteven when he faced the firing squad before the factory wall inBurgova. He had done that without a tremor--he had heard the bulletsof the outpost whistling about his head a moment before, with asmile upon his lips--he had faced the leveled rifles of the three hehad ridden down and he had not quailed. But now, his machine in thecenter of the road again, he shook like a leaf, still in the grip ofthe sickening nausea of that awful moment when the mighty, insensatemonster beneath him had reeled drunkenly in its mad flight, swervingtoward 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 theencampment in the field and heading toward him in pursuit. Barneygrinned. Once more he was master of his nerves. They'd have a merrychase, he thought, and again he accelerated the speed of the car. Once before he had had it up to seventy-five miles, and for amoment, when he had had no opportunity to even glance at thespeedometer, much higher. Now he was to find the maximum limit ofthe possibilities of the brave car he had come to look upon withreal affection. 

The road ahead was comparatively straight and level. Behind himcame the enemy. Barney watched the road rushing rapidly out of sightbeneath the gray fenders. He glanced occasionally at thespeedometer. Seventy-five miles an hour. Seventy-seven! "Goingsome, " 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 ofgreen. The fences were thin, wavering lines--the road a white-grayribbon, ironed by the terrific speed to smooth unwrinkledness. Hecould not take his eyes from the business of steering to glancebehind; but presently there broke faintly through the whir of thewind beating against his ears the faint report of a gun. He wasbeing fired upon again. He pressed down still further upon theaccelerator. The car answered to the pressure. The needle rosesteadily until it reached ninety miles an hour--and topped it. 

Then from somewhere in the radiator hose a hissing and a spurt ofsteam. Barney was dumbfounded. He had filled the cooling system atthe inn where he had eaten. It had been working perfectly before andsince. What could have happened? There could be but a singleexplanation. A bullet from the gun of one of the three men who hadattempted to stop him at the second outpost had penetrated theradiator, and had slowly drained it. 

Barney knew that the end was near, since the usefulness of the carin furthering his escape was over. At the speed he was going itwould be but a short time before the superheated pistons expandingin their cylinders would tear the motor to pieces. Barney felt thathe would be lucky if he himself were not killed when it happened. 

He reduced his speed and glanced behind. His pursuers had notgained upon him, but they still were coming. A bend in the road shutthem from his view. A little way ahead the road crossed over a riverupon a wooden bridge. On the opposite side and to the right of theroad was a wood. It seemed to offer the most likely possibilities ofconcealment in the vicinity. If he could but throw his pursuers offthe trail for a while he might succeed in escaping through the wood, eventually reaching Tann on foot. He had a rather hazy idea of theexact direction of the town and castle, but that he could find themeventually he was sure. 

The sight of the river and the bridge he was nearing suggested aplan, and the ominous grating of the overheated motor warned himthat whatever he was to do he must do at once. As he neared thebridge he reduced the speed of the car to fifteen miles an hour, andset the hand throttle to hold it there. Still gripping the steeringwheel with one hand, he climbed over the left-hand door to therunning board. As the front wheels of the car ran up onto the bridgeBarney gave the steering wheel a sudden turn to the right, andjumped. 

The car veered toward the wooden handrail, there was a splinteringof stanchions, as, with a crash, the big machine plunged throughthem headforemost into the river. Without waiting to give even aglance at his handiwork Barney Custer ran across the bridge, leapedthe fence upon the right-hand side and plunged into the shelter ofthe wood. 

Then he turned to look back up the road in the direction from whichhis pursuers were coming. They were not in sight--they had not seenhis ruse. The water in the river was of sufficient depth tocompletely 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 thebroken handrail, or, if they did, might not connect it with Barneyin any way. In this event they would continue in the direction ofLustadt, wondering what in the world had become of their quarry. Or, if they guessed that his car had gone over into the river, theywould doubtless believe that its driver had gone with it. In eitherevent Barney would be given ample time to find his way to Tann. 

He wished that he might find other clothes, since if he were dressedotherwise there would be no reason to imagine that his pursuerswould recognize him should they come upon him. None of them couldpossibly have gained a sufficiently good look at his features torecognize them again. 

The Austrian uniform, however, would convict him, or at least layhim under suspicion, and in Barney's present case, suspicion was asgood as conviction were he to fall into the hands of the Austrians. The garb had served its purpose well in aiding in his escape fromAustria, but now it was more of a menace than an asset. 

For a week Barney Custer wandered through the woods and mountains ofLutha. He did not dare approach or question any human being. Severaltimes he had seen Austrian cavalry that seemed to be scouring thecountry for some purpose that the American could easily believe wasclosely connected with himself. At least he did not feel disposed tostop them, as they cantered past his hiding place, to inquire thenature of their business. 

Such farmhouses as he came upon he gave a wide berth except atnight, and then he only approached them stealthily for suchprovender as he might filch. Before the week was up he had become anexpert chicken thief, being able to rob a roost as quietly as themost finished carpetbagger on the sunny side of Mason and Dixon'sline. 

A careless housewife, leaving her lord and master's rough shirt andtrousers hanging upon the line overnight, had made possible forBarney the coveted change in raiment. Now he was barged as aLuthanian peasant. He was hatless, since the lady had failed to hangout her mate's woolen cap, and Barney had not dared retain a singlevestige of the damning Austrian uniform. 

What the peasant woman thought when she discovered the empty linethe following morning Barney could only guess, but he was morallycertain that her grief was more than tempered by the gold piece hehad wrapped in a bit of cloth torn from the soldier's coat he hadworn, which he pinned on the line where the shirt and pants hadbeen. 

It was somewhere near noon upon the seventh day that Barney skirtinga little stream, followed through the concealing shade of a foresttoward the west. In his peasant dress he now felt safer to approacha farmhouse and inquire his way to Tann, for he had come asufficient distance from the spot where he had stolen his newclothes to hope that they would not be recognized or that the newsof their theft had not preceded him. 

As he walked he heard the sound of the feet of a horse gallopingover a dry field--muffled, rapid thud approaching closer upon hisright hand. Barney remained motionless. He was sure that the riderwould not enter the wood which, with its low-hanging boughs andthick underbrush, was ill adapted to equestrianism. 

Closer and closer came the sound until it ceased suddenly scarce ahundred yards from where the American hid. He waited in silence todiscover what would happen next. Would the rider enter the wood onfoot? What was his purpose? Was it another Austrian who had by somemiracle discovered the whereabouts of the fugitive? Barney couldscarce 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 naturewhere the first horse had come to a stop. He heard a voice urgingthe animal forward--pleading, threatening. A woman's voice. Barney'sexcitement became intense in sympathy with the subdued excitement ofthe woman whom he could not as yet see. 

A moment later the second rider came to a stop at the same point atwhich the first had reined in. A man's voice rose roughly. "Halt!"it cried. "In the name of the king, halt!" The American could nolonger resist the temptation to see what was going on so close tohim "in the name of the king. "

He advanced from behind his tree until he saw the two figures--aman's and a woman's. Some bushes intervened--he could not get aclear view of them, yet there was something about the figure of thewoman, whose back was toward him as she struggled to mount herfrightened horse, that caused him to leap rapidly toward her. Herounded a tree a few paces from her just as the man--a trooper inthe uniform of the house of Blentz--caught her arm and dragged herfrom the saddle. At the same instant Barney recognized the girl--itwas Princess Emma. 

Before either the trooper or the princess were aware of his presencehe had leaped to the man's side and dealt him a blow that stretchedhim at full length upon the ground--stunned. 

VIII

AN ADVENTUROUS DAY

For an instant the two stood looking at one another. The girl'seyes were wide with incredulity, with hope, with fear. She was thefirst 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 likea scarecrow. I'm Barney Custer. Don't you remember me now? Who didyou 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 hadbeen shot as a spy in Austria, and then there is that uncannyresemblance to the king--since he has shaved his beard it isinfinitely more remarkable. I thought you might be he. He has beenat Blentz and I knew that it was quite possible that he haddiscovered treachery upon the part of Prince Peter. In which case hemight have escaped in disguise. I really wasn't sure that you werenot he until you spoke. "

Barney stooped and removed the bandoleer of cartridges from thefallen trooper, as well as his revolver and carbine. Then he tookthe girl's hand and together they turned into the wood. Behind themcame the sound of pursuit. They heard the loud words of Maenck as heordered his three remaining men into the wood on foot. As headvanced, Barney looked to the magazine of his carbine and thecylinder of his revolver. 

"Why were they pursuing you?" he asked. 

"They were taking me to Blentz to force me to wed Leopold, " shereplied. "They told me that my father's life depended upon myconsenting; but I should not have done so. The honor of my house ismore precious than the life of any of its members. I escaped them afew miles back, and they were following to overtake me. "

A noise behind them caused Barney to turn. One of the troopers hadcome into view. He carried his carbine in his hands and at sight ofthe man with the fugitive girl he raised it to his shoulder; but asthe American turned toward him his eyes went wide and his jawdropped. 

Instantly Barney knew that the fellow had noted his resemblance tothe king. Barney's body was concealed from the view of the other bya bush which grew between them, so the man saw only the face of theAmerican. The fellow turned and shouted to Maenck: "The king is withher. "

"Nonsense, " came the reply from farther back in the wood. "If thereis a man with her and he will not surrender, shoot him. " At thewords Barney and the girl turned once more to their flight. Frombehind came the command to halt--"Halt! or I fire. " Just aheadBarney saw the river. 

They were sure to be taken there if he was unable to gain the timenecessary to make good a crossing. Upon the opposite side was acontinuation of the wood. Behind them the leading trooper wascrashing through the underbrush in renewed pursuit. He came in sightof them again, just as they reached the river bank. Once more hiscarbine was leveled. Barney pushed the girl to her knees behind abush. Then he wheeled and fired, so quickly that the man with thealready leveled gun had no time to anticipate his act. 

With a cry the fellow threw his hands above his head, staggeredforward and plunged full length upon his face. Barney gathered theprincess in his arms and plunged into the shallow stream. The girlheld his carbine as he stumbled over the rocky bottom. The waterdeepened rapidly--the opposite shore seemed a long way off andbehind there were three more enemies in hot pursuit. 

Under ordinary circumstances Barney could have found it in his heartto wish the little Luthanian river as broad as the Mississippi, foronly under such circumstances as these could he ever hope to holdthe Princess Emma in his arms. Two years before she had told himthat she loved him; but at the same time she had given him tounderstand that their love was hopeless. She might refuse to wed theking; but that she should ever wed another while the king lived wasimpossible, unless Leopold saw fit to release her from her betrothalto him and sanction her marriage to another. That he ever would dothis was to those who knew him not even remotely possible. 

He loved Emma von der Tann and he hated Barney Custer--hated himwith a jealous hatred that was almost fanatic in its intensity. Andeven that the Princess Emma von der Tann would wed him were she freeto wed was a question that was not at all clear in the mind ofBarney Custer. He knew something of the traditions of this noblefamily--of the pride of caste, of the fetish of blood thatinexorably dictated the ordering of their lives. 

The girl had just said that the honor of her house was more preciousthan the life of any of its members. How much more precious would itbe to her than her own material happiness! Barney Custer sighed andstruggled 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, gaveno evidence of displeasure if she noted the fierce pressure of hismuscles. Her eyes were riveted upon the wood behind. Presently a manemerged. 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. Thegirl saw Maenck and the other trooper emerge from the underbrushbeside the first. Maenck was crazed with anger. He shook his fistand screamed aloud his threatening commands to halt, and then, of asudden, gave an order to one of the men at his side. Immediately thefellow raised his carbine and fired at the escaping couple. 

The bullet struck the water behind them. At the sound of the reportthe girl raised the gun she held and leveled it at the group behindher. She pulled the trigger. There was a sharp report, and one ofthe troopers fell. Then she fired again, quickly, and again andagain. She did not score another hit, but she had the satisfactionof seeing Maenck and the last of his troopers dodge back to thesafety of protecting trees. 

"The cowards!" muttered Barney as the enemy's shot announced hissinister 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 hidingbehind 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 whatthe sensation must be to have done such a thing. I should feelterribly, but I don't. They were firing at you, trying to shoot youin 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 leftthe river, but did not fall dangerously near. Barney took thecarbine and replied, then both of them disappeared into the wood. 

For the balance of the day they tramped on in the direction ofLustadt, making but little progress owing to the fear ofapprehension. They did not dare utilize the high road, for they werestill too close to Blentz. Their only hope lay in reaching theprotection of Prince von der Tann before they should be recapturedby the king's emissaries. At dusk they came to the outskirts of atown. Here they hid until darkness settled, for Barney haddetermined to enter the place after dark and hire horses. 

The American marveled at the bravery and endurance of the girl. Hehad always supposed that a princess was so carefully guarded fromfatigue and privation all her life that the least exertion wouldprove her undoing; but no hardy peasant girl could have endured morebravely the hardships and dangers through which the Princess Emmahad passed since the sun rose that morning. 

At last darkness came, and with it they approached and entered thevillage. They kept to unlighted side streets until they met avillager, of whom they inquired their way to some private housewhere they might obtain refreshments. The fellow scrutinized themwith 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 goelsewhere than to the public inn? And if you are afraid to go thereyou 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. Waitright here, " and off he ran toward the inn. 

"I don't like the looks of that, " said Barney, after the man hadleft them. "He's gone to report us to someone. Come, we'd better getout of here before he comes back. "

The two turned up a side street away from the inn. They had gonebut a short distance when they heard the sound of voices and thethud of horses' feet behind them. The horses were coming at a walkand with them were several men on foot. Barney took the princess'hand and drew her up a hedge bordered driveway that led into privategrounds. In the shadows of the hedge they waited for the partybehind them to pass. It might be no one searching for them, but itwas just as well to be on the safe side--they were still nearBlentz. Before the men reached their hiding place a motor carfollowed and caught up with them, and as the party came opposite thedriveway Barney and the princess overheard a portion of theirconversation. 

"Some of you go back and search the street behind the inn--they maynot have come this way. " The speaker was in the motor car. "We willfollow along this road for a bit and then turn into the Lustadthighway. If you don't find them go back along the road toward Tann. "

In her excitement the Princess Emma had not noticed that BarneyCuster still held her hand in his. Now he pressed it. "It isMaenck's voice, " he whispered. "Every road will be guarded. "

For a moment he was silent, thinking. The searching party hadpassed on. They could still hear the purring of the motor asMaenck's car moved slowly up the street. 

"This is a driveway, " murmured Barney. "People who build drivewaysinto their grounds usually have something to drive. Whatever it isit should be at the other end of the driveway. Let's see if it willcarry two. "

Still in the shadow of the hedge they moved cautiously toward theupper end of the private road until presently they saw a buildinglooming in their path. 

"A garage?" whispered Barney. 

"Or a barn, " suggested the princess. 

"In either event it should contain something that can go, " returnedthe 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 happensyou mustn't be caught. "

Princess Emma dropped back close to the hedge and Barney approachedthe building, which proved to be a private garage. The doors werelocked, as also were the three windows. Barney passed entirelyaround the structure halting at last upon the darkest side. Here wasa window. Barney tried to loosen the catch with the blade of hispocket knife, but it wouldn't unfasten. His endeavors resulted onlyin snapping short the blade of his knife. For a moment he stoodcontemplating the baffling window. He dared not break the glass forfear of arousing the inmates of the house which, though he could notsee it, might be close at hand. 

Presently he recalled a scene he had witnessed on State Street inChicago several years before--a crowd standing before the window ofa jeweler's shop inspecting a neat little hole that a thief had cutin the glass with a diamond and through which he had inserted hishand and brought forth several hundred dollars worth of loot. ButBarney Custer wore no diamond--he would as soon have worn acelluloid collar. But women wore diamonds. Doubtless the PrincessEmma had one. He ran quickly to her side. 

"Have you a diamond ring?" he whispered. 

"Gracious!" she exclaimed, "you are progressing rapidly, " andslipped a solitaire from her finger to his hand. 

"Thanks, " said Barney. "I need the practice; but wait and you'llsee that a diamond may be infinitely more valuable than even thebroker claims, " and he was gone again into the shadows of thegarage. Here upon the window pane he scratched a rough deep circle, close to the catch. A quick blow sent the glass clattering to thefloor within. For a minute Barney stood listening for any sign thatthe noise had attracted attention, but hearing nothing he ran hishand through the hole that he had made and unlatched the frame. Amoment later he had crawled within. 

Before him, in the darkness, stood a roadster. He ran his hand overthe pedals and levers, breathing a sigh of relief as his touchrevealed the familiar control of a standard make. Then he went tothe 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 itleaves the garage--it's the through express for Lustadt and makes nostops for passengers or freight. "

He led her back to the garage and helped her into the seat besidehim. As silently as possible he ran the machine into the driveway. Ahundred yards to the left, half hidden by intervening trees andshrubbery, rose the dark bulk of a house. A subdued light shonethrough the drawn blinds of several windows--the only sign of lifeabout the premises until the car had cleared the garage and wasmoving slowly down the driveway. Then a door opened in the houseletting out a flood of light in which the figure of a man wassilhouetted. A voice broke the silence. 

"Who are you? What are you doing there? Come back!"

The man in the doorway called excitedly, "Friedrich! Come! Comequickly! Someone is stealing the automobile, " and the speaker camerunning toward the driveway at top speed. Behind him came Friedrich. Both were shouting, waving their arms and threatening. Theircombined din might have aroused the dead. 

Barney sought speed--silence now was useless. He turned to the leftinto the street away from the center of the town. In this directionhad gone the automobile with Maenck, but by taking the firstrighthand turn Barney hoped to elude the captain. In a momentFriedrich and the other were hopelessly distanced. It was with asigh of relief that the American turned the car into the darkshadows beneath the overarching trees of the first cross street. 

He was running without lights along an unknown way; and beside himwas the most precious burden that Barney Custer might ever expect tocarry. Under these circumstances his speed was greatly reduced fromwhat he would have wished, but at that he was forced to accept graverisks. The road might end abruptly at the brink of a ravine--itmight swerve perilously close to a stone quarry--or plunge headlonginto a pond or river. Barney shuddered at the possibilities; butnothing of the sort happened. The street ran straight out of thetown into a country road, rather heavy with sand. In the open thepossibilities of speed were increased, for the night, thoughmoonless, was clear, and the road visible for some distance ahead. 

The fugitives were congratulating themselves upon the excellentchance they now had to reach Lustadt. There was only Maenck and hiscompanion ahead of them in the other car, and as there were severalroads by which one might reach the main highway the chances werefair that Prince Peter's aide would miss them completely. 

Already escape seemed assured when the pounding of horses' hoofsupon the roadway behind them arose to blast their new found hope. Barney increased the speed of the car. It leaped ahead in responseto his foot; but the road was heavy, and the sides of the rutsgripping the tires retarded the speed. For a mile they held the leadof the galloping horsemen. The shouts of their pursuers fell clearlyupon their ears, and the Princess Emma, turning in her seat, couldeasily see the four who followed. At last the car began to drawaway--the distance between it and the riders grew gradually greater. 

"I believe we are going to make it, " whispered the girl, her voicetense 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, "andthere's a grade just ahead--we may find better going beyond, butthey're bound to gain on us before we reach the top. "

The girl strained her eyes into the night before them. On the rightof the road stood an ancient ruin--grim and forbidding. As her eyesrested upon it she gave a little exclamation of relief. 

"I know where we are now, " she cried. "The hill ahead is sandy, andthere is a quarter of a mile of sand beyond, but then we strike theLustadt highway, and if we can reach it ahead of them their horseswill have to go ninety miles an hour to catch us--provided this carpossesses any such speed possibilities. "

"If it can go forty we are safe enough, " replied Barney; "but we'llgive it a chance to go as fast as it can--the farther we are fromthe vicinity of Blentz the safer I shall feel for the welfare ofyour highness. "

A shot rang behind them, and a bullet whistled high above theirheads. The princess seized the carbine that rested on the seatbetween them. 

"Shall I?" she asked, turning its muzzle back over the lowered top. 

"Better not, " answered the man. "They are only trying to frightenus into surrendering--that shot was much too high to have been aimedat us--they are shooting over our heads purposely. If theydeliberately attempt to pot us later, then go for them, but to do itnow would only draw their fire upon us. I doubt if they wish to harmyour highness, but they certainly would fire to hit inself-defense. "

The girl lowered the firearm. "I am becoming perfectlybloodthirsty, " she said, "but it makes me furious to be hunted likea wild animal in my native land, and by the command of my king, atthat. And to think that you who placed him upon his throne, you whohave risked your life many times for him, will find no protection athis hands should you be captured is maddening. Ach, Gott, if I werea man!"

"I thank God that you are not, your highness, " returned Barneyfervently. 

Gently she laid her hand upon his where it gripped the steeringwheel. 

"No, " she said, "I was wrong--I do not need to be a man while therestill be such men as you, my friend; but I would that I were not theunhappy woman whom Fate had bound to an ingrate king--to a miserablecoward!"

They had reached the grade at last, and the motor was straining tothe Herculean task imposed upon it. 

Grinding and grating in second speed the car toiled upward throughthe clinging sand. The pace was snail-like. Behind, the horsemenwere gaining rapidly. The labored breathing of their mounts wasaudible even above the noise of the motor, so close were they. Thetop of the ascent lay but a few yards ahead, and the pursuers werebut a few yards behind. 

"Halt!" came from behind, and then a shot. The ping of the bulletand the scream of the ricochet warned the man and the girl thatthose behind them were becoming desperate--the bullet had struck oneof the rear fenders. Without again asking assent the princess turnedand, kneeling upon the cushion of the seat, fired at the nearesthorseman. The horse stumbled and plunged to his knees. Another, justbehind, ran upon him, and the two rolled over together with theirriders. Two more shots were fired by the remaining horsemen andanswered by the girl in the automobile, and then the car topped thehill, shot into high, and with renewed speed forged into the lastquarter-mile of heavy going toward the good road ahead; but now thegrade was slightly downward and all the advantage was upon the sideof the fugitives. 

However, their margin would be but scant when they reached thehighway, for behind them the remaining troopers were spurring theirjaded horses to a final spurt of speed. At last the white ribbon ofthe main road became visible. To the right they saw the headlightsof a machine. It was Maenck probably, doubtless attracted their wayby the shooting. 

But the machine was a mile away and could not possibly reach theintersection of the two roads before they had turned to the lefttoward Lustadt. Then the incident would resolve itself into a simpletest of speed between the two cars--and the ability and nerve of thedrivers. Barney hadn't the slightest doubt now as to the outcome. His borrowed car was a good one, in good condition. And in thematter of driving he rather prided himself that he needn't take hishat off to anyone when it came to ability and nerve. 

They were only about fifty feet from the highway. The girl touchedhis hand again. "We're safe, " she cried, her voice vibrant withexcitement, "we're safe at last. " From beneath the bonnet, as thoughin answer to her statement, came a sickly, sucking sputter. Themomentum of the car diminished. The throbbing of the engine ceased. They sat in silence as the machine coasted toward the highway andcame to a dead stop, with its front wheels upon the road to safety. The girl turned toward Barney with an exclamation of surprise andinterrogation. 

"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 arelatively simple matter. Open fields spread in all directions aboutthe crossroads at which their car had come to its humiliating stop. There was no cover. To have sought escape by flight, thus in theopen, would have been to expose the princess to the fire of thetroopers. Barney could not do this. He preferred to surrender andtrust 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 ownmachine and with a low bow saluted the princess, an ironical smileupon his thin lips. Then he turned his attention toward hercompanion. 

"Who are you?" he demanded gruffly. In the darkness he failed torecognize 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 thatto Prince Peter and the king. When I tell them the trouble you havecaused us--well, God help you. "

The journey to Blentz was a short one. They had been much nearerthat grim fortress than either had guessed. At the outskirts of thetown they were challenged by Austrian sentries, through which Maenckpassed with ease after the sentinel had summoned an officer. Fromthis man Maenck received the password that would carry them throughthe 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 thecourtyard Austrian soldiers mingled with the men of the bodyguard ofthe king of Lutha. Within, the king's officers fraternized with theofficers of the emperor. Maenck led his prisoners to the great hallwhich was filled with officers and officials of both Austria andLutha. 

The king was not there. Maenck learned that he had retired to hisapartments a few minutes earlier in company with Prince Peter ofBlentz and Von Coblich. He sent a servant to announce his returnwith the Princess von der Tann and a man who had attempted toprevent her being brought to Blentz. 

Barney had, as far as possible, kept his face averted from Maencksince they had entered the lighted castle. He hoped to escaperecognition, for he knew that if his identity were guessed it mightgo hard with the princess. As for himself, it might go even harder, but of that he gave scarcely a thought--the safety of the princesswas paramount. 

After a few minutes of waiting the servant returned with the king'scommand to fetch the prisoners to his apartments. The face of thePrincess Emma was haggard. For the first time Barney saw signs offear upon her countenance. With leaden steps they accompanied theirguard up the winding stairway to the tower rooms that had beenfurnished for the king. They were the same in which Emma von derTann had been imprisoned two years before. 

On either side of the doorway stood a soldier of the king'sbodyguard. As Captain Maenck approached they saluted. A servantopened the door and they passed into the room. Before them werePeter of Blentz and Von Coblich standing beside a table at whichLeopold of Lutha was sitting. The eyes of the three men were uponthe doorway as the little party entered. The king's face was flushedwith 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 herknee in formal curtsy. The king was about to speak again when hiseyes wandered to the face of the American. Instantly his own wentwhite and then scarlet. The eyes of Peter of Blentz followed thoseof the king, widening in astonishment as they rested upon thefeatures of Barney Custer. 

"You told me he was dead, " shouted the king. "What is the meaningof this, Captain Maenck?"

Maenck looked at his male prisoner and staggered back as thoughstruck 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 manwas shot by an Austrian firing squad in Burgova over a week ago. "

"Sire, " exclaimed Maenck, "this is the first sight I have had of theprisoners except in the darkness of the night; until this instant Ihad not the remotest suspicion of his identity. He told me that hewas 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 aningrate? You miserable puppy. "

A silence, menacing in its intensity, fell upon the littleassemblage. The king trembled. His rage choked him. The otherslooked as though they scarce could believe the testimony of theirown ears. All there, with the possible exception of the king, knewthat he deserved even more degrading appellations; but they wereEuropeans, and to Europeans a king is a king--that they can neverforget. It had been the inherent suggestion of kingship that hadbent the knee of the Princess Emma before the man she despised. 

But to the American a king was only what he made himself. In thisinstance he was not even a man in the estimation of Barney Custer. Maenck took a step toward the prisoner--a menacing step, for hishand had gone to his sword. Barney met him with a level look frombetween 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 asdead, and so in his bravado he dares affront you. He has beenconvicted of spying by the Austrians. He is still a spy. It isunnecessary to repeat the formality of a trial. "

Leopold at last found his voice, though it trembled and broke as hespoke. 

"Carry out the sentence of the Austrian court in the morning, " hesaid. "A volley now might arouse the garrison in the town and bemisconstrued. "

Maenck ordered Barney escorted from the apartment, then he turnedtoward the king. 

"And the other prisoner, sire?" he inquired. 

"There is no other prisoner, " he said. "Her highness, the Princessvon der Tann, is a guest of Prince Peter. She will be escorted toher apartment at once. "

"Her highness, the Princess von der Tann, is not a guest of PrincePeter. " The girl's voice was low and cold. "If Mr. Custer is aprisoner, her highness, too, is a prisoner. If he is to be shot, shedemands a like fate. To die by the side of a MAN would be infinitelypreferable to living by the side of your majesty. "

Once again Leopold of Lutha reddened. For a moment he paced theroom angrily to hide his emotion. Then he turned once to Maenck. 

"Escort the prisoner to the north tower, " he commanded, "and thisinsolent girl to the chambers next to ours. Tomorrow we shall talkwith her again. "

Outside the room Barney turned for a last look at the princess as hewas being led in one direction and she in another. A smile ofencouragement was on his lips and cold hopelessness in his heart. She answered the smile and her lips formed a silent "good-bye. " Theyformed something else, too--three words which he was sure he couldnot have mistaken, and then they parted, he for the death chamberand she for what fate she could but guess. 

As his guard halted before a door at the far end of a long corridorBarney Custer sensed a sudden familiarity in his surroundings. Hewas conscious of that sensation which is common to all of us--ofhaving lived through a scene at some former time, to each minutestdetail. 

As the door opened and he was pushed into the room he realized thatthere was excellent foundation for the impression--he immediatelyrecognized the apartment as the same in which he had once beforebeen imprisoned. At that time he had been mistaken for the mad kingwho had escaped from the clutches of Peter of Blentz. The same kingwas now visiting as a guest the fortress in which he had spent tenbitter years as a prisoner. 

"Say your prayers, my friend, " admonished Maenck, as he was about toleave him alone, "for at dawn you die--and this time the firingsquad will make a better job of it. "

Barney did not answer him, and the captain departed, locking thedoor after him and leaving two men on guard in the corridor. Alone, Barney looked about the room. It was in no wise changed since hisformer visit to it. He recalled the incidents of the hour of hisimprisonment here, thought of old Joseph who had aided his escape, looked at the paneled fireplace, whose secret, it was evident, noteven the master of Blentz was familiar with--and grinned. 

"'For at dawn you die!'" he repeated to himself, still smilingbroadly. Then he crossed quickly to the fireplace, running hisfingers along the edge of one of the large tiled panels that hid theentrance to the well-like shaft that rose from the cellars beneathto the towers above and which opened through similar concealed exitsupon each floor. If the floor above should be untenanted he might beable to reach it as he and Joseph had done two years ago when theyopened the secret panel in the fireplace and climbed a hidden ladderto the room overhead; and then by vacant corridors reached the farend of the castle above the suite in which the princess had beenconfined and near which Barney had every reason to believe she wasnow imprisoned. 

Carefully Barney's fingers traversed the edges of the panel. Nohidden latch rewarded his search. Again and again he examined theperfectly fitted joints until he was convinced either that there wasno latch there or that it was hid beyond possibility of discovery. With each succeeding minute the American's heart and hopes sanklower and lower. Two years had elapsed since he had seen the secretportal swing to the touch of Joseph's fingers. One may forget muchin two years; but that he was at work upon the right panel Barneywas positive. However, it would do no harm to examine its mate whichresembled 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 wasvisible. Barney examined it more carefully. A round, white figure ofthe conventional design that was burned into the tile bore thetelltale smudge. 

Otherwise it differed apparently in no way from the numerous otherround, white figures that were repeated many times in the scheme ofdecoration. Barney placed his thumb exactly over the mark thatanother thumb had left there and pushed. The figure sank into thepanel beneath the pressure. Barney pushed harder, breathless withsuspense. The panel swung in at his effort. The American could havewhooped with delight. 

A moment more and he stood upon the opposite side of the secret doorin utter darkness, for he had quickly closed it after him. To strikea match was but the matter of a moment. The wavering light revealedthe top of the ladder that led downward and the foot of anotherleading aloft. He struck still more matches in search of the rope. It was not there, but his quest revealed the fact that the well atthis point was much larger than he had imagined--it broadened into asmall chamber. 

The light of many matches finally led him to the discovery of apassageway directly behind the fireplace. It was narrow, and afterspanning the chimney descended by a few rough steps to a slightlylower level. It led toward the opposite end of the castle. Could itbe possible that it connected directly with the apartments in thefarther tower--in the tower where the king was and the PrincessEmma? Barney could scarce hope for any such good luck, but at leastit was worth investigating--it must lead somewhere. 

He followed it warily, feeling his way with hands and feet andoccasionally striking a match. It was evident that the corridor layin the thick wall of the castle, midway between the bottoms of thewindows of the second floor and the tops of those upon thefirst--this would account for the slightly lower level of thepassage from the floor of the second story. 

Barney had traversed some distance in the darkness along theforgotten corridor when the sound of voices came to him from beyondthe wall at his right. He stopped, motionless, pressing his earagainst the side wall. As he did so he became aware of the fact thatat this point the wall was of wood--a large panel of hardwood. Nowhe could hear even the words of the speaker upon the opposite side. 

"Fetch her here, captain, and I will talk with her alone. " The voicewas the king's. "And, captain, you might remove the guard frombefore the door temporarily. I shall not require them, nor do I wishthem 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 theprincess. The American struck a match and examined the panel beforehim. It reached to the top of the passageway and was some three feetin width. 

At one side were three hinges, and at the other an ancient springlock. For an instant Barney stood in indecision. What should he do?His entry into the apartments of the king would result in alarmingthe entire fortress. Were he sure the king was alone it might beaccomplished. Should he enter now or wait until the Princess Emmahad been brought to the king?

With the question came the answer--a bold and daring scheme. Hisfingers sought the lock. Very gently, he unlatched it and pushedoutward upon the panel. Suddenly the great doorway gave beneath histouch. It opened a crack letting a flood of light into his dark cellthat almost blinded him. 

For a moment he could see nothing, and then out of the glaring blurgrew the figure of a man sitting at a table--with his back towardthe panel. 

It was the king, and he was alone. Noiselessly Barney Custerentered the apartment, closing the panel after him. At his back nowwas the great oil painting of the Blentz princess that had hid thesecret entrance to the room. He crossed the thick rugs until hestood behind the king. Then he clapped one hand over the mouth ofthe monarch of Lutha and threw the other arm about his neck. 

"Make the slightest outcry and I shall kill you, " he whispered inthe ear of the terrified man. 

Across the room Barney saw a revolver lying upon a small table. Heraised the king to his feet and, turning his back toward the weapondragged him across the apartment until the table was within easyreach. Then he snatched up the revolver and swung the king aroundinto a chair facing him, the muzzle of the gun pressed against hisface. 

"Silence, " he whispered. 

The king, white and trembling, gasped as his eyes fell upon the faceof the American. 

"You?" His voice was barely audible. 

"Take off your clothes--every stitch of them--and if any one asksfor admittance, deny them. Quick, now, " as the king hesitated. "Mylife is forfeited unless I can escape. If I am apprehended I shallsee that you pay for my recapture with your life--if any one entersthis room without my sanction they will enter it to find a dead kingupon the floor; do you understand?"

The king made no reply other than to commence divesting himself ofhis clothing. Barney followed his example, but not before he hadcrossed to the door that opened into the main corridor and shot thebolt upon the inside. When both men had removed their clothingBarney pointed to the little pile of soiled peasant garb that he hadworn. 

"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 atLeopold. The king picked up one of the garments gingerly between thetips of his thumb and finger. 

"Hurry!" admonished the American, drawing the silk half-hose of theruler of Lutha over his foot. "If you don't hurry, " he added, "someone may interrupt us, and you know what the result would be--toyou. "

Scowling, Leopold donned the rough garments. Barney, fully clothedin the uniform the king had been wearing, stepped across theapartment to where the king's sword and helmet lay upon the sidetable that had also borne the revolver. He placed the helmet uponhis head and buckled the sword-belt about his waist, then he facedthe king, behind whom was a cheval glass. In it Barney saw hisimage. The king was looking at the American, his eyes wide and hisjaw dropped. Barney did not wonder at his consternation. He himselfwas dumbfounded by the likeness which he bore to the king. It waspositively uncanny. He approached Leopold. 

"Remove your rings, " he said, holding out his hand. The king did ashe was bid, and Barney slipped the two baubles upon his fingers. Oneof them was the royal ring of the kings of Lutha. 

The American now blindfolded the king and led him toward the panelwhich had given him ingress to the room. Through it the two menpassed, Barney closing the panel after them. Then he conducted theking back along the dark passageway to the room which the Americanhad but recently quitted. At the back of the panel which led intohis former prison Barney halted and listened. No sound came frombeyond the partition. Gently Barney opened the secret door atrifle--just enough to permit him a quick survey of the interior ofthe apartment. It was empty. A smile crossed his face as he thoughtof the difficulty Leopold might encounter the following morning inconvincing 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? TheAmerican was sentenced to be shot at dawn. They would shoot the kinginstead. Then there would be none to whom to return the kingship. What would he do with it? The temptation was great. Again a thronelay within his grasp--a throne and the woman he loved. None mightever know unless he chose to tell--his resemblance to Leopold wastoo perfect. It defied detection. 

With an exclamation of impatience he wheeled about and dragged thefrightened monarch back to the room from which he had stolen him. Ashe 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 frombeyond 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 eyeshe had removed the blind after they had entered the apartment. Hecrossed to the table where the king had been sitting when hesurprised him, motioning the ragged ruler to follow and be seated. 

"Take that pen, " he said, "and write a full pardon for Mr. BernardCuster, and an order requiring that he be furnished with money andset at liberty at dawn. "

The king did as he was bid. For a moment the American stood lookingat him before he spoke again. 

"You do not deserve what I am going to do for you, " he said. "AndLutha deserves a better king than the one my act will give her; butI am neither a thief nor a murderer, and so I must forbear leavingyou to your just deserts and return your throne to you. I shall doso after I have insured my own safety and done what I can forLutha--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 yourway to Brosnov, on the Serbian frontier. Await me there. When I can, I shall come. Again we may exchange clothing and you can return toLustadt. I shall cross over into Siberia out of your reach, for Iknow you too well to believe that any sense of honor or gratitudewould prevent you signing my death-warrant at the first opportunity. Now, come!"

Once again Barney led the blindfolded king through the dark corridorto the room in the opposite tower--to the prison of the American. Atthe open panel he shoved him into the apartment. Then he drew thedoor quietly to, leaving the king upon the inside, and retraced hissteps to the royal apartments. Crossing to the center table, hetouched an electric button. A moment later an officer knocked at thedoor, which, in the meantime, Barney had unbolted. 

"Enter!" said the American. He stood with his back toward the dooruntil he heard it close behind the officer. When he turned he wasapparently examining his revolver. If the officer suspected hisidentity, it was just as well to be prepared. Slowly he raised hiseyes to the newcomer, who stood stiffly at salute. The officerlooked him full in the face. 

"I answered your majesty's summons, " said the man. 

"Oh, yes!" returned the American. "You may fetch the PrincessEmma. "

The officer saluted once more and backed out of the apartment. Barney walked to the table and sat down. A tin box of cigarettes laybeside the lamp. Barney lighted one of them. The king had good tastein the selection of tobacco, he thought. Well, a man must need havesome redeeming characteristics. 

Outside, in the corridor, he heard voices, and again the knock atthe 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 theroom. Behind her was the officer who had been despatched to bringher. Barney nodded to the latter. 

"You may go, " he said. He drew a chair from the table and asked theprincess to be seated. She ignored his request. 

"What do you wish of me?" she asked. She was looking straight intohis eyes. The officer had withdrawn and closed the door after him. They were alone, with nothing to fear; yet she did not recognizehim. 

"You are the king, " she continued in cold, level tones, "but if youare also a gentleman, you will at once order me returned to myfather at Lustadt, and with me the man to whom you owe so much. I donot expect it of you, but I wish to give you the chance. 

"I shall not go without him. I am betrothed to you; but untiltonight I should rather have died than wed you. Now I am ready tocompromise. If you will set Mr. Custer at liberty in Serbia andreturn me unharmed to my father, I will fulfill my part of ourbetrothal. "

Barney Custer looked straight into the girl's face for a longmoment. A half smile played upon his lips at the thought of hersurprise when she learned the truth, when suddenly it dawned uponhim that she and he were both much safer if no one, not even herloyal self, guessed that he was other than the king. It is notdifficult to live a part, but often it is difficult to act one. Somelittle 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 actimplied. 

It seemed a poor return for her courage and loyalty to him that herstatement to the man she thought king had revealed. He marveled thata Von der Tann could have spoken those words--a Von der Tann who butthe day before had refused to save her father's life at the loss ofthe family honor. It seemed incredible to the American that he hadwon such love from such a woman. Again came the mighty temptation tokeep the crown and the girl both; but with a straightening of hisbroad shoulders he threw it from him. 

She was promised to the king, and while he masqueraded in the king'sclothes, he at least would act the part that a king should. He drewa folded paper from his inside pocket and handed it to the girl. 

"Here is the American's pardon, " he said, "drawn up and signed bythe king's own hand. "

She opened it and, glancing through it hurriedly, looked up at theman before her with a questioning expression in her eyes. 

"You came, then, " she said, "to a realization of the enormity ofyour 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 havetried to believe that a Rubinroth could not be guilty of suchbaseness. And now, tell me what your answer is to my proposition. "

"We shall return to Lustadt tonight, " he replied. "I fear thepurpose of Prince Peter. In fact, it may be difficult--evenimpossible--for us to leave Blentz; but we can at least make theattempt. "

"Can we not take Mr. Custer with us?" she asked. "Prince Peter maydisregard your majesty's commands and, after you are gone, have himshot. Do not forget that he kept the crown from Peter of Blentz--itis certain that Prince Peter will never forget it. "

"I give you my word, your highness, that I know positively that if Ileave Blentz tonight Prince Peter will not have Mr. Custer shot inthe morning, and it will so greatly jeopardize his own plans if weattempt to release the prisoner that in all probability we ourselveswill 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 theBlentz faction answered the summons. As the man closed the door andapproached, saluting, Barney stepped close to him. 

"We are leaving for Tann tonight, " he said, "at once. You willconduct us from the castle and procure horses for us. All the time Ishall walk at your elbow, and in my hand I shall carry this, " and hedisplayed the king's revolver. "At the first indication of defectionupon your part I shall kill you. Do you perfectly understand me?"

"But, your majesty, " exclaimed the officer, "why is it necessarythat you leave thus surreptitiously? May not the king go and come inhis own kingdom as he desires? Let me announce your wishes to PrincePeter that he may furnish you with a proper escort. Doubtless hewill wish to accompany you himself, sire. "

"You will do precisely what I say without further comment, " snappedBarney. "Now get a--" He had been about to say: "Now get a move onyou, " when it occurred to him that this was not precisely the sortof language that kings were supposed to use to their inferiors. Sohe changed it. "Now get a couple of horses for her highness andmyself, as well as your own, for you will accompany us to Tann. "

The officer looked at the weapon in the king's hand. He measuredthe distance between himself and the king. He well knew the reputedcowardice of Leopold. Could he make the leap and strike up theking's hand before the timorous monarch found even the courage ofthe cornered rat to fire at him? Then his eyes sought the face ofthe king, searching for the signs of nervous terror that would makehis conquest an easy one; but what he saw in the eyes that boredstraight into his brought his own to the floor at the king's feet. 

What new force animated Leopold of Lutha? Those were not the eyesof a coward. No fear was reflected in their steely glitter. Theofficer mumbled an apology, saluted, and turned toward the door. Athis elbow walked the impostor; a cavalry cape that had belonged tothe king now covered his shoulders and hid the weapon that pressedits hard warning now and again into the short-ribs of the Blentzofficer. Just behind the American came the Princess Emma von derTann. 

The three passed through the deserted corridors of the sleepingcastle, taking a route at Barney's suggestion that led them to thestable courtyard without necessitating traversing the main corridorsor the great hall or the guardroom, in all of which there still wereAustrian and Blentz soldiers, whose duties or pleasures had keptthem 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 theprincess. He left the princess in the shadows outside the building. After what seemed an eternity to the American, three horses were ledinto the courtyard, saddled, and bridled. The party mounted andapproached the gates. Here, Barney knew, might be encountered themost serious obstacle in their path. He rode close to the side oftheir unwilling conductor. Leaning forward in his saddle, hewhispered in the man's ear. 

"Failure to pass us through the gates, " he said, "will be the signalfor 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 fromPrince Peter, " he said. "If they refuse, you must reveal youridentity. The guard is composed of Luthanians--I doubt if they willdare refuse your majesty. "

Then they rode on up to the gates. A soldier stepped from thesentry box and challenged them. 

"Lower the drawbridge, " ordered the officer. "It is CaptainKrantzwort on a mission for the king. "

The soldier approached, raising a lantern, which he had brought fromthe sentry box, and inspected the captain's face. He seemed ill atease. In the light of the lantern, the American saw that he wasscarce more than a boy--doubtless a recruit. He saw the expressionof fear and awe with which he regarded the officer, and it occurredto him that the effect of the king's presence upon him would beabsolutely overpowering. Still the soldier hesitated. 

"My orders are very strict, sir, " he said. "I am to let no oneleave without a written order from Prince Peter. If the sergeant orthe lieutenant were here they would know what to do; but they areboth at the castle--only two other soldiers are at the gates withme. 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 itsfeeble 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'scommand. "

Quickly the fellow hastened to obey the order. The chains creakedand the windlass groaned as the heavy planking sank to place acrossthe moat. 

As Barney passed the soldier he handed him the pardon Leopold hadwritten for the American. 

"Give this to your lieutenant, " he said, "and tell him to hand it toPrince Peter before dawn tomorrow. Do not fail. "

A moment later the three were riding down the winding road towardBlentz. Barney had no further need of the officer who rode withthem. He would be glad to be rid of him, for he anticipated that thefellow might find ample opportunity to betray them as they passedthrough 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 bethrown off the track. The Austrian sentries were no great distanceahead when Barney ordered a halt. 

"Dismount, " he directed the captain, leaping to the ground himselfat the same time. "Put your hands behind your back. "

The officer did as he was bid, and Barney bound his wrists securelywith a strap and buckle that he had removed from the cantle of hissaddle as he rode. Then he led him off the road among some weeds andcompelled him to lie down, after which he bound his ankles togetherand stuffed a gag in his mouth, securing it in place with a bit ofstick and the chinstrap from the man's helmet. The threat of therevolver kept Captain Krantzwort silent and obedient throughout thehasty operations. 

"Good-bye, captain, " whispered Barney, "and let me suggest that youdevote the time until your discovery and release in pondering thevalue of winning your king's confidence in the future. Had youchosen your associates more carefully in the past, this need nothave occurred. "

Barney unsaddled the captain's horse and turned him loose, then heremounted and, with the princess at his side, rode down towardBlentz. 

X

A NEW KING IN LUTHA

As the two riders approached the edge of the village of Blentz asentry barred their way. To his challenge the American replied thatthey were "friends from the castle. "

"Advance, " directed the sentry, "and give the countersign. "

Barney rode to the fellow's side, and leaning from the saddlewhispered in his ear the word "Slankamen. "

Would it pass them out as it had passed Maenck in? Barney scarcelybreathed as he awaited the result of his experiment. The soldierbrought his rifle to present and directed them to pass. With a sighof relief that was almost audible the two rode into the village andthe Austrian lines. 

Once within they met with no further obstacle until they reached thelast line of sentries upon the far side of the town. It was withmore confidence that Barney gave the countersign here, nor was hesurprised that the soldier passed them readily; and now they wereupon the highroad to Lustadt, with nothing more to bar their way. 

For hours they rode on in silence. Barney wanted to talk with hiscompanion, but as king he found nothing to say to her. The girl'smind was filled with morbid reflections of the past few hours anddumb 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 incharacter no two men could have differed more widely. The man turnedto her. 

"We are almost there, " he said. "You must be very tired. "

The words reflected a consideration that had never been acharacteristic of Leopold. The girl began to wonder if there mightnot possibly be a vein of nobility in the man, after all, that shehad never discovered. Since she had entered his apartments at Blentzhe had been in every way a different man from the Leopold she hadknown of old. The boldness of his escape from Blentz supposed acourage that the king had never given the slightest indication of inthe past. Could it be that he was making a genuine effort to becomea man--to win her respect?

They were approaching Lustadt as the sun rose. A troop of horse wasjust emerging from the north gate. As it neared them they saw thatthe cavalrymen wore the uniforms of the Royal Horse Guard. At theirhead rode a lieutenant. As his eyes fell upon the face of theprincess 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 heand the Luthanian officer had been inseparable. Surely Butzow wouldpenetrate his disguise. He returned his friend's salute, looked himfull 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 theAustrians are moving an entire army corps into Lutha, together withsiege howitzers. Serbia has demanded that all Austrian troops bewithdrawn from Luthanian territory at once, and has offered toassist your majesty in maintaining your neutrality by force, ifnecessary. "

As Butzow spoke his eyes were often upon the Princess Emma, and itwas quite evident that he was much puzzled to account for herpresence with the king. She was supposed to be at Tann, and Butzowknew well enough her estimate of Leopold to know that she would notbe in his company of her own volition. His expression as headdressed the man he supposed to be his king was far fromdeferential. Barney could scarce repress a smile. 

"We will ride at once to the palace, " he said. "At the gate you mayinstruct one of your sergeants to telephone to Prince von der Tannthat the king is returning and will grant him audience immediately. You and your detachment will will act as our escort. "

Butzow saluted and turned to his troopers, giving the necessarycommands that brought them about in the wake of the pseudo-king. Once again Barney Custer, of Beatrice, rode into Lustadt as king ofLutha. The few people upon the streets turned to look at him as hepassed, but there was little demonstration of love or enthusiasm. 

Leopold had awakened no emotions of this sort in the hearts of hissubjects. Some there were who still remembered the gallant actionsof their ruler on the field of battle when his forces had defeatedthose of the regent, upon that other occasion when this sameAmerican had sat upon the throne of Lutha for two days and had ledthe little army to victory; but since then the true king had beenwith them daily in his true colors. Arrogance, haughtiness, andpetty tyranny had marked his reign. Taxes had gone even higher thanunder the corrupt influence of the Blentz regime. The king's dayswere spent in bed; his nights in dissipation. Old Ludwig von derTann seemed Lutha's only friend at court. Him the people loved andtrusted. 

It was the old chancellor who met them as they entered thepalace--the Princess Emma, Lieutenant Butzow, and the false king. Asthe old man's eyes fell upon his daughter, he gave an exclamation ofsurprise and of incredulity. He looked from her to the American. 

"What is the meaning of this, your majesty?" he cried in a voicehoarse with emotion. "What does her highness in your company?"

There was neither fear nor respect in Prince Ludwig's tone--onlyanger. He was demanding an accounting from Leopold, the man; notfrom Leopold, the king. Barney raised his hand. 

"Wait, " he said, "before you judge. The princess was brought toBlentz by Prince Peter. She will tell you that I have aided her toescape and that I have accorded her only such treatment as a womanhas a right to expect from a king. "

The girl inclined her head. 

"His majesty has been most kind, " she said. "He has treated me withevery consideration and respect, and I am convinced that he was nota willing party to my arrest and forcible detention at Blentz; or, "she added, "if he was, he regretted his action later and has madefull reparation by bringing me to Lustadt. "

Prince von der Tann found difficulty in hiding his surprise at thisevidence of chivalry in the cowardly king. But for his daughter'stestimony he could not have believed it possible that it lay withinthe nature of Leopold of Lutha to have done what he had done withinthe past few hours. 

He bowed low before the man who wore the king's uniform. TheAmerican 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 getto work. Your highness"--and he turned toward the PrincessEmma--"must be greatly fatigued. Lieutenant Butzow, you will seethat a suite is prepared for her highness. Afterward you may callupon Count Zellerndorf, whom I understand returned to Lustadtyesterday, and notify him that I will receive him in an hour. Informthe Serbian minister that I desire his presence at the palaceimmediately. Lose no time, lieutenant, and be sure to impress uponthe Serbian minister that immediately means immediately. "

Butzow saluted and the Princess Emma curtsied, as the king turnedand, slipping his arm through that of Prince Ludwig, walked away inthe direction of the royal apartments. Once at the king's deskBarney turned toward the chancellor. In his mind was thedetermination to save Lutha if Lutha could be saved. He had beenforced to place the king in a position where he would be helpless, though that he would have been equally as helpless upon his thronethe American did not doubt for an instant. However, the course ofevents had placed within his hands the power to serve not only Luthabut the house of Von der Tann as well. He would do in the king'splace what the king should have done if the king had been a man. 

"Now, Prince Ludwig, " he said, "tell me just what conditions we mustface. Remember that I have been at Blentz and that there the King ofLutha is not apt to learn all that transpires in Lustadt. "

"Sire, " replied the chancellor, "we face a grave crisis. Not onlyis there within Lutha the small force of Austrian troops thatsurround Blentz, but now an entire army corps has crossed theborder. Unquestionably they are marching on Lustadt. The emperor isgoing to take no chances. He sent the first force into Lutha tocompel Serbian intervention and draw Serbian troops from theAustro-Serbian battle line. Serbia has withheld her forces at myrequest, but she will not withhold them for long. We must make adeclaration at once. If we declare against Austria we are faced bythe menace of the Austrian troops already within our boundaries, butwe shall have Serbia to help us. 

"A Serbian army corps is on the frontier at this moment awaitingword from Lutha. If it is adverse to Austria that army corps willcross the border and march to our assistance. If it is favorable toAustria it will none the less cross into Lutha, but as enemiesinstead of allies. Serbia has acted honorably toward Lutha. She hasnot violated our neutrality. She has no desire to increase herpossessions in this direction. 

"On the other hand, Austria has violated her treaty with us. Shehas marched troops into our country and occupied the town of Blentz. Constantly in the past she has incited internal discord. She isopenly championing the Blentz cause, which at last I trust yourmajesty has discovered is inimical to your interests. 

"If Austria is victorious in her war with Serbia, she will find somepretext to hold Lutha whether Lutha takes her stand either for oragainst her. And most certainly is this true if it occurs thatAustrian troops are still within the boundaries of Lutha when peaceis negotiated. Not only our honor but our very existence demandsthat 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 suchan effort as will win us the respect of the world and a voice in thepeace negotiations. 

"If we must bow to the surrender of our national integrity, let usdo so only after we have exhausted every resource of the country inour country's defense. In the past your majesty has not appeared torealize the menace of your most powerful neighbor. I beg of you, sire, to trust me. Believe that I have only the interests of Luthaat heart, and let us work together for the salvation of our countryand your majesty's throne. "

Barney laid his hand upon the old man's shoulder. It seemed a shameto carry the deception further, but the American well knew that onlyso could he accomplish aught for Lutha or the Von der Tanns. Oncethe old chancellor suspected the truth as to his identity he wouldbe 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 formershould 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 noquestions. What Von der Tann had told him, what he had seen with hisown eyes since he had entered Lutha, and what he had overheard inthe inn at Burgova was sufficient evidence that the fate of Luthahung upon the prompt and energetic decisions of the man who sat uponLutha'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 tobe questioned. Were Von der Tann to seize the reins of government astate of revolution would exist that would divide the state into twobitter factions, weaken its defense, and give Austria what she mostdesired--a plausible pretext for intervention. 

Lutha's only hope lay in united defense of her liberties under theleadership of the one man whom all acknowledged king--Leopold. Verywell, Barney Custer, of Beatrice, would be Leopold for a few days, since the real Leopold had proven himself incompetent to meet theemergency. 

General Petko, the Serbian minister to Lutha, brought to theaudience the memory of a series of unpleasant encounters with theking. Leopold had never exerted himself to hide his pro-Austriansentiments. Austria was a powerful country--Serbia, a relativelyweak neighbor. Leopold, being a royal snob, had courted the favor ofthe emperor and turned up his nose at Serbia. The general wasprepared for a repetition of the veiled affronts that Leopolddelighted in according him; but this time he brought with him areply that for two years he had been living in the hope of some daybeing able to deliver to the young monarch he so cordially despised. 

It was an ultimatum from his government--an ultimatum couched interms from which all diplomatic suavity had been stripped. If BarneyCuster, of Beatrice, could have read it he would have smiled, for inplain American it might have been described as announcing to Leopoldprecisely "where he got off. " But Barney did not have theopportunity to read it, since that ultimatum was never delivered. 

Barney took the wind all out of it by his first words. "Yourexcellency may wonder why it is that we have summoned you at such anearly hour, " he said. 

General Petko inclined his head in deferential acknowledgment of thetruth of the inference. 

"It is because we have learned from our chancellor, " continued theAmerican, "that Serbia has mobilized an entire army corps upon theLuthanian frontier. Am I correctly informed?"

General Petko squared his shoulders and bowed in assent. At the sametime he reached into his breast-pocket for the ultimatum. 

"Good!" exclaimed Barney, and then he leaned close to the ear of theSerbian. "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 armycorps until the Austrians have evacuated Luthanian territory, Luthawill loan Serbia an army corps until such time as peace is declaredbetween Serbia and Austria. Other than this neither government willincur any obligations to the other. 

"We may not need your help, but it will do us no harm to have themwell on the way toward Lustadt as quickly as possible. CountZellerndorf will be here in a few minutes. We shall, through him, give Austria twenty-four hours to withdraw all her troops beyond ourfrontiers. The army of Lutha is mobilized before Lustadt. It is nota large army, but with the help of Serbia it should be able to drivethe Austrians from the country, provided they do not leave of theirown accord. "

General Petko smiled. So did the American and the chancellor. Eachknew 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 saythat your majesty need have no apprehension but that a Serbian armycorps will be crossing into Lutha before noon today. "

"And now, Prince Ludwig, " said the American after the Serbian hadbowed himself out of the apartment, "I suggest that you takeimmediate steps to entrench a strong force north of Lustadt alongthe road to Blentz. "

Von der Tann smiled as he replied. "It is already done, sire, " hesaid. 

"But I passed in along the road this morning, " said Barney, "and sawnothing 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 ofthe highway that those who came and went might not suspect our plansand carry word of them to the Austrians. A few hours will completethe link across the road. "

"Good! Let it be completed at once. Here is Count Zellerndorfnow, " as the minister was announced. 

Von der Tann bowed himself out as the Austrian entered the king'spresence. For the first time in two years the chancellor felt thatthe destiny of Lutha was safe in the hands of her king. What hadcaused the metamorphosis in Leopold he could not guess. He did notseem to be the same man that had whined and growled at their lastaudience a week before. 

The Austrian minister entered the king's presence with an expressionof ill-concealed surprise upon his face. Two days before he had leftLeopold safely ensconced at Blentz, where he was to have remainedindefinitely. He glanced hurriedly about the room in search ofPrince Peter or another of the conspirators who should have beenwith the king. He saw no one. The king was speaking. The Austrian'seyes went wider, not only at the words, but at the tone of voice. 

"Count Zellerndorf, " said the American, "you were doubtless aware ofthe embarrassment under which the king of Lutha was compelled atBlentz to witness the entry of a foreign army within his domain. Butwe are not now at Blentz. We have summoned you that you may receivefrom us, and transmit to your emperor, the expression of oursurprise and dismay at the unwarranted violation of Luthanianneutrality. "

"But, your majesty--" interrupted the Austrian. 

"But nothing, your excellency, " snapped the American. "The momentfor diplomacy is passed; the time for action has come. You willoblige us by transmitting to your government at once a request thatevery 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 theychance to be looking for trouble. When can you expect a reply fromVienna?"

"By noon, your majesty, " replied the Austrian, "but are youirretrievably bound to your present policy? Remember the power ofAustria, sire. Think of your throne. Think--"

"We have thought of everything, " interrupted Barney. "A throne meansless to us than you may imagine, count; but the honor of Lutha meansa great deal. "

XI

THE BATTLE

At five o'clock that afternoon the sidewalks bordering MargarethaStreet were crowded with promenaders. The little tables before thecafes were filled. Nearly everyone spoke of the great war and of theperil which menaced Lutha. Upon many a lip was open disgust at thesupine attitude of Leopold of Lutha in the face of an Austrianinvasion of his country. Discontent was open. It was ripening tosomething worse for Leopold than an Austrian invasion. 

Presently a sergeant of the Royal Horse Guards cantered down thestreet from the palace. He stopped here and there, and, dismounting, tacked placards in conspicuous places. At the notice, and in eachinstance cheers and shouting followed the sergeant as he rode on tothe next stop. 

Now, at each point men and women were gathered, eagerly awaiting anexplanation of the jubilation farther up the street. Those whom thesergeant passed called to him for an explanation, and not receivingit, followed in a quickly growing mob that filled Margaretha Streetfrom wall to wall. When he dismounted he had almost to fight his wayto the post or door upon which he was to tack the next placard. Thecrowd surged about him in its anxiety to read what the placard bore, and then, between the cheering and yelling, those in the frontpassed back to the crowd the tidings that filled them with so greatrejoicing. 

"Leopold has declared war on Austria!" "The king calls forvolunteers!" "Long live the king!"

The battle of Lustadt has passed into history. Outside of thelittle kingdom of Lutha it received but passing notice by the worldat large, whose attention was riveted upon the great conflicts alongthe 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 fromgeneration to generation to the end of time. 

How the cavalry that the king sent north toward Blentz met theadvancing Austrian army. How, fighting, they fell back upon theinfantry which lay, a thin line that stretched east and west acrossthe north of Lustadt, in its first line of trenches. A pitifullyweak line it was, numerically, in comparison with the forces of theinvaders; but it stood its ground heroically, and from the heightsto the north of the city the fire from the forts helped to hold theenemy in check for many hours. 

And then the enemy succeeded in bringing up their heavy artillery tothe ridge that lies three miles north of the forts. Shells werebursting in the trenches, the forts, and the city. To the south astream of terror-stricken refugees was pouring out of Lustadt alongthe King's Road. Rich and poor, animated by a common impulse, filledthe narrow street that led to the city's southern gate. Carts drawnby dogs, laden donkeys, French limousines, victorias, wheelbarrows--every conceivable wheeled vehicle and beast ofburden--were jammed in a seemingly inextricable tangle in the madrush for safety. 

Rumor passed back and forth through the fleeing thousands. Now cameword that Fort No. 2 had been silenced by the Austrian guns. Immediately followed news that the Luthanian line was falling backupon the city. Fear turned to panic. Men fought to outdistance theirneighbors. 

A shell burst upon a roof-top in an adjoining square. 

Women fainted and were trampled. Hoarse shouts of anger mingledwith screams of terror, and then into the midst of it fromMargaretha Street rode a man on horseback. Behind him were a scoreof officers. A trumpeter raised his instrument to his lips, andabove the din of the fleeing multitude rose the sharp, triple callthat announces the coming of the king. The mob halted and turned. 

Looking down upon them from his saddle was Leopold of Lutha. Hispalm was raised for silence and there was a smile upon his lips. Quite suddenly, and as by a miracle, fear left them. They made aline for him and his staff to ride through. One of the officersturned in his saddle to address a civilian friend in an automobile. 

"His majesty is riding to the firing line, " he said and he raisedhis voice that many might hear. Quickly the word passed from mouthto mouth, and as Barney Custer, of Beatrice, passed along MargarethaStreet he was followed by a mad din of cheering that drowned thebooming of the distant cannon and the bursting of the shells abovethe city. 

The balance of the day the pseudo-king rode back and forth along hislines. Three of his staff were killed and two horses were shot frombeneath him, but from the moment that he appeared the Luthanian lineceased to waver or fall back. The advanced trenches that they hadabandoned to the Austrians they took again at the point of thebayonet. Charge after charge they repulsed, and all the time therehovered above the enemy Lutha's sole aeroplane, watching, watching, ever watching for the coming of the allies. Somewhere to thenortheast the Serbians were advancing toward Lustadt. Would theycome in time?

It was five o'clock in the morning of the second day, and though theLuthanian line still held, Barney Custer knew that it could not holdfor long. The Austrian artillery fire, which had been rather wildthe preceding day, had now become of deadly accuracy. Each burstingshell filled some part of the trenches with dead and wounded, andthough their places were taken by fresh men from the reserve, therewould soon be no reserve left to call upon. 

At his left, in the rear, the American had massed the bulk of hisreserves, and at the foot of the heights north of the city and justbelow the forts the major portion of the cavalry was drawn up in theshelter of a little ravine. Barney's eyes were fixed upon thesoaring 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 wereapproaching, he would strike the blow that he had decided upon. Fromtime to time he glanced at his watch. 

The fifteen minutes had almost elapsed when there fluttered from thetiny monoplane a paper parachute. It dropped for several hundredfeet before it spread to the air pressure and floated more gentlytoward the earth and a moment later there burst from its basket apuff of white smoke. Two more parachutes followed the first and twomore puffs of smoke. Then the machine darted rapidly off toward thenortheast. 

Barney turned to Prince von der Tann with a smile. "They are nonetoo soon, " he said. 

The old prince bowed in acquiescence. He had been very happy fortwo days. Lutha might be defeated now, but she could never besubdued. She had a king at last--a real king. Gott! How he hadchanged. It reminded Prince von der Tann of the day he had riddenbeside the imposter two years before in the battle with the forcesof Peter of Blentz. Many times he had caught himself scrutinizingthe face of the monarch, searching for some proof that after all hewas not Leopold. 

"Direct the commanders of forts three and four to concentrate theirfire on the enemy's guns directly north of Fort No. 3, " Barneydirected an aide. "Simultaneously let the cavalry and ColonelKazov's infantry make a determined assault on the Austriantrenches. "

Then he turned his horse toward the left of his line, where, alittle to the rear, lay the fresh troops that he had been holding inreadiness against this very moment. As he galloped across the plain, his staff at his heels, shrapnel burst about them. Von der Tannspurred 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 maybe preserved to your people and your throne. "

"I believe the men fight better when they think their king iswatching them, " said the American simply. 

"I know it, sire, " replied Von der Tann, "but even so, Lutha couldill afford to lose you now. I thank God, your majesty, that I havelived to see this day--to see the last of the Rubinroths upholdingthe glorious traditions of the Rubinroth blood. "

Barney led the reserves slowly through the wood to the rear of theextreme left of his line. The attack upon the Austrian right centerappeared to be meeting with much greater success than the Americandared to hope for. Already, through his glasses, he could seeindications that the enemy was concentrating a larger force at thispoint to repulse the vicious assaults of the Luthanians. To do thisthey must be drawing from their reserves back of other portions oftheir line. 

It was what Barney had desired. The three bombs from the aeroplanehad told him that the Serbians had been sighted three miles away. Already they were engaging the Austrians. He could hear the rattleof rifles and quick-firers and the roar of cannon far to thenortheast. 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 ofthe Luthanian left wing. They were almost upon the Austrians beforethey emerged from the shelter of the wood, and then with hoarseshouts and leveled bayonets they charged the enemy's position. Thefight there was the bloodiest of the two long days. Back and forththe tide of battle surged. In the thick of it rode the false kingencouraging his men to greater effort. Slowly at last they bore theAustrians from their trenches. Back and back they bore them untilretreat became a rout. The Austrian right was crumpled back upon itscenter!

Here the enemy made a determined stand; but just before dark a greatshouting arose from the heights to their left, where the bulk oftheir artillery was stationed. Both the Luthanian and Austriantroops engaged in the plain saw Austrian infantry and artilleryrunning down the slopes in disorderly rout. Upon their heads came acheering line of soldiers firing as they ran, and above them wavedthe battleflag of Serbia. 

A mighty shout rose from the Luthanian ranks--an answering groanfrom the throats of the Austrians. Hemmed in between the two linesof allies, the Austrians were helpless. Their artillery wascaptured, retreat cut off. There was but a single alternative tomassacre--the white flag. 

A few regiments between Lustadt and Blentz, but nearer the lattertown, escaped back into Austria, the balance Barney arranged withthe Serbian minister to have taken back to Serbia as prisoners ofwar. The Luthanian army corps that the American had promised theSerbs was to be utilized along the Austrian frontier to prevent thepassage of Austrian troops into Serbia through Lutha. 

The return to Lustadt after the battle was made through cheeringtroops and along streets choked with joy-mad citizenry. The name ofthe soldier-king was upon every tongue. Men went wild withenthusiasm as the tall figure rode slowly through the crowd towardthe palace. 

Von der Tann, grim and martial, found his lids damp with themoisture of a great happiness. Even now with all the proofs ofreality about him, it seemed impossible that this scene could beaught but the ephemeral vapors of a dream--that Leopold of Lutha, the coward, the craven, could have become in a single day the heroicfigure that had loomed so large upon the battlefield of Lustadt--thesimple, modest gentleman who received the plaudits of his subjectswith bowed head and humble mien. 

As Barney Custer rode up Margaretha Street toward the royal palaceof the kings of Lutha, a dust-covered horseman in the uniform of anofficer of the Horse Guards entered Lustadt from the south. It wasthe young aide of Prince von der Tann's staff, who had been sent toBlentz nearly a week earlier with a message for the king, and whohad been captured and held by the Austrians. 

During the battle before Lustadt all the Austrian troops had beenwithdrawn from Blentz and hurried to the front. It was then that theaide had been transferred to the castle, from which he had escapedearly that morning. To reach Lustadt he had been compelled to circlethe Austrian position, coming to Lustadt from the south. 

Once within the city he rode straight to the palace, flung himselffrom his jaded mount, and entered the left wing of the building--thewing in which the private apartments of the chancellor were located. 

Here he inquired for the Princess Emma, learning with evident reliefthat she was there. A moment later, white with dust, his facestreamed with sweat, he was ushered into her presence. 

"Your highness, " he blurted, "the king's commands have beendisregarded--the American is to be shot tomorrow. I have justescaped from Blentz. Peter is furious. He realizes that whether theAustrians win or lose, his standing with the king is gone forever. 

"In a fit of rage he has ordered that Mr. Custer be sacrificed tohis desire for revenge, in the hope that it will insure for him thefavor of the Austrians. Something must be done at once if he is tobe saved. "

For a moment the girl swayed as though about to fall. The youngofficer stepped quickly to support her, but before he reached herside she had regained complete mastery of herself. From the streetwithout there rose the blare of trumpets and the cheering of thepopulace. 

Through senses numb with the cold of anguish the meaning of thetumult slowly filtered to her brain--the king had come. He wasreturning from the battlefield, covered with honors and flushed withglory--the man who was to be her husband; but there was no rejoicingin the heart of the Princess Emma. 

Instead, there was a dull ache and impotent rebellion at theinjustice of the thing--that Leopold should be reaping these greatrewards, while he who had made it possible for him to be a king atall was to die on the morrow because of what he had done to placethe 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 themost. "

The officer bowed and hastened from the apartment in search ofButzow. The girl approached the window and stood there for a longtime, looking out at the surging multitude that pressed around thepalace gates, filling Margaretha Street with a solid mass of happyfaces. 

They cheered the king, the chancellor, the army; but most often theycheered the king. From a despised monarch Leopold had risen in asingle bound to the position of a national idol. 

Repeatedly he was called to the balcony over the grand entrance thatthe people might feast their eyes on him. The princess wondered howlong it was before she herself would be forced to offer hercongratulations and, perchance, suffer his caresses. She shiveredand cringed at the thought, and then there came a knock upon thedoor, and in answer to her permission it opened, and the king stoodupon the threshold alone. 

At a glance the man took in the pain and sorrow mirrored upon thegirl'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 beenplaying--forgot that the Princess Emma was ignorant of his identity. He had come to her to share with her the happiness of the hour--theglory of the victorious arms of Lutha. For a time he had almostforgotten that he was not the king, and now he was forgetting thathe was not Barney Custer to the girl who stood before him withmisery and hopelessness writ so large upon her countenance. 

For a brief instant the girl did not reply. She was weighing theproblematical value of an attempt to enlist the king in the cause ofthe American. Leopold had shown a spark of magnanimity when he hadwritten a pardon for Mr. Custer; might he not rise again above hispetty jealousy and save the American's life? It was a forlorn hopeto 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 yourcommands, sire, " replied the girl, "and that Mr. Custer is to beshot 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--yougave your royal word. You can save him. You have an army at yourcommand. Do not forget that he once saved you. "

The note of appeal in her voice and the sorrow in her eyes gaveBarney Custer a twinge of compunction. The necessity for longerconcealing his identity in so far as the salvation of Lutha wasconcerned seemed past; but the American had intended to carry thedeception to the end. 

He had given the matter much thought, but he could find no groundsfor belief that Emma von der Tann would be any happier in theknowledge that her future husband had had nothing to do with thevictory of his army. If she was doomed to a life at his side, whynot permit her the grain of comfort that she might derive from thememory of her husband's achievements upon the battlefield ofLustadt? Why rob her of that little?

But now, face to face with her, and with the evidence of hersuffering so plain before him, Barney's intentions wavered. Likemost fighting men, he was tender in his dealings with women. And nowthe last straw came in the form of a single tiny tear that trickleddown 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 notworth 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 notdeceive me even if he had an opportunity--which he has not had. Butif 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 atthe man before her. She did not understand. Why should she? Barneydrew 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 Istole the automobile, " he said. "I forgot to return it. Now do youknow 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 hadescaped 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 atBlentz 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 themorning. "

"Gott!" exclaimed the girl. "What are we to do?"

"There is but one thing to do, " replied the American, "and that isfor Butzow and me to ride to Blentz as fast as horses will carry usand 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, " hereplied 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 beloyal to Leopold and the promise that my father made his king when Iwas only a little girl; but since I thought that you were to beshot, I have wished a thousand times that I had gone with you toAmerica two years ago. Take me with you now, Barney. We can sendLieutenant Butzow to rescue the king, and before he has returned wecan 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 Ican. And there is your father to consider. If Butzow rides to Blentzand rescues the king, it may be difficult to get him back to Lustadtwithout the truth of his identity and mine becoming known. With methere, the change can be effected easily, and not even Butzow needknow what has happened. 

"If the people should guess that it was not Leopold who won thebattle of Lustadt there might be the devil to pay, and your fatherwould go down along with the throne. No, I must stay until Leopoldis safe in Lustadt. But there is a hope for us. I may be able towrest from Leopold his sanction of our marriage. I shall nothesitate to use threats to get it, and I rather imagine that he willbe in such a terror-stricken condition that he will assent to anyterms 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 toneither did it seem strange. For two years each had known the loveof the other. The girl's betrothal to the king had prevented anavowal of their love while Barney posed in his own identity. Nowthey merely accepted the conditions that had existed for two yearsas though a matter of fact which had been often discussed betweenthem. 

"Of course I'll marry you, " said the princess. "Why in the worldwould I want you to take me to America otherwise?"

As Barney Custer took her in his arms he was happier than he hadever before been in all his life, and so, too, was the Princess Emmavon der Tann. 

XII

LEOPOLD WAITS FOR DAWN

After the American had shoved him through the secret doorway intothe tower room of the castle of Blentz, Leopold had stood forseveral 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 purposeddoing 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. Helooked about him. The room was vacant except for himself. Herecognized it as the one in which he had spent ten years of his lifeas a prisoner. He shuddered. What had become of the American? Heapproached the door and listened. Beyond the panels he could hearthe 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 ussend 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 themorning if you do not open the door and fetch Prince Peter. "

"Ah!" exclaimed one of the soldiers. "Then there will be three ofus shot together. "

Leopold went white. He had not connected the sentence of theAmerican with himself; but now, quite vividly, he realized what itmight mean to him if he failed before dawn to convince someone thathe was not the American. Peter would not be awake at so early anhour, and if he had no better success with others than he was havingwith these soldiers, it was possible that he might be led out andshot before his identity was discovered. The thing was preposterous. The king's knees became suddenly quite weak. They shook, and hislegs gave beneath his weight so that he had to lean against the backof a chair to keep from falling. 

Once more he turned to the soldiers. This time he pleaded withthem, begging them to carry word to Prince Peter that a terriblemistake had been made, and that it was the king and not the Americanwho was confined in the death chamber. But the soldiers only laughedat him, and finally threatened to come in and beat him if he againinterrupted their conversation. 

It was a white and shaken prisoner that the officer of the guardfound when he entered the room at dawn. The man before him, his facestreaked with tears of terror and self-pity, fell upon his kneesbefore him, beseeching him to carry word to Peter of Blentz, that hewas the king. The officer drew away with a gesture of disgust. 

"I might well believe from your actions that you are Leopold, " hesaid; "for, by Heaven, you do not act as I have always imagined theAmerican would act in the face of danger. He has a reputation forbravery that would suffer could his admirers see him now. "

"But I am not the American, " pleaded the king. "I tell you that theAmerican came to my apartments last night, overpowered me, forced meto change clothing with him, and then led me back here. "

A sudden inspiration came to the king with the memory of all thathad transpired during that humiliating encounter with the American. 

"I signed a pardon for him!" he cried. "He forced me to do so. Ifyou think I am the American, you cannot kill me now, for there is apardon signed by the king, and an order for the American's immediaterelease. Where is it? Do not tell me that Prince Peter did notreceive it. "

"He received it, " replied the officer, "and I am here to acquaintyou 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, " andthe man emphasized the last two words. 

Leopold of Lutha spent two awful days a prisoner at Blentz, notknowing at what moment Prince Peter might see fit to carry out theverdict of the Austrian court martial. He could convince no one thathe was the king. Peter would not even grant him an audience. Uponthe evening of the third day, word came that the Austrians had beendefeated before Lustadt, and those that were not prisoners wereretreating through Blentz toward the Austrian frontier. 

The news filtered to Leopold's prison room through the servant whobrought him his scant and rough fare. The king was utterlydisheartened before this word reached him. For the moment he seemedto 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 thetrue king. 

There was the chance that the American, flushed with success andpower, might elect to hold the crown he had seized. Who would guessthe transfer that had been effected, or, guessing, would dare voicehis suspicions in the face of the power and popularity that Leopoldknew such a victory as the impostor had won must have given him inthe hearts and minds of the people of Lutha? Still, there was a barepossibility that the American would be as good as his word, andreturn 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 ofhonor, whose bare word was as good as another's bond. 

He was commencing, under this line of reasoning, to achieve acertain hopeful content when the door to his prison opened and Peterof Blentz, black and scowling, entered. At his elbow was CaptainErnst Maenck. 

"Leopold has defeated the Austrians, " announced the former. "Untilyou returned to Lutha he considered the Austrians his best friends. I do not know how you could have reached or influenced him. It is tolearn how you accomplished it that I am here. The fact that hesigned your pardon indicates that his attitude toward you changedsuddenly--almost within an hour. There is something at the bottom ofit all, and that something I must know. "

"I am Leopold!" cried the king. "Don't you recognize me, PrincePeter? Look at me! Maenck must know me. It was I who wrote andsigned the American's pardon--at the point of the American'srevolver. He forced me to exchange clothing with him, and then hebrought 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 yourresemblance 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 astory. How in the world could the American have brought you throughthe castle, from one end to the other, unseen? There was a guardbefore the king's door and another before this. No, Herr Custer, youwill have to concoct a more plausible tale. 

"No, " and Peter of Blentz scowled savagely, as though to impressupon his listener the importance of his next utterance, "there weremore than you and the king involved in his sudden departure fromBlentz and in his hasty change of policy toward Austria. To be quitecandid, it seems to me that it may be necessary to my futurewelfare--vitally necessary, I may say--to know precisely how allthis occurred, and just what influence you have over Leopold ofLutha. Who was it that acted as the go-between in the king'snegotiations with you, or rather, yours with the king? And whatargument did you bring to bear to force Leopold to the action hetook?"

"I have told you all that I know about the matter, " whined the king. "The American appeared suddenly in my apartment. When he brought mehere he first blindfolded me. I have no idea by what route wetraveled through the castle, and unless your guards outside thisdoor were bribed they can tell you more about how we got in herethan I can--provided we entered through that doorway, " and the kingpointed to the door which had just opened to admit his two visitors. 

"Oh, pshaw!" exclaimed Maenck. "There is but one door to thisroom--if the king came in here at all, he came through that door. "

"Enough!" cried Peter of Blentz. "I shall not be trifled withlonger. I shall give you until tomorrow morning to make a fullexplanation of the truth and to form some plan whereby you mayutilize once more whatever influence you had over Leopold to the endthat he grant to myself and my associates his royal assurance thatour 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 youthat if you do not accede to my wishes the order of the Austrianmilitary court that sentenced you to death at Burgova will becarried out in the morning. "

With his final words the two men turned and left the room. Behindthem, upon the floor, inarticulate with terror, knelt Leopold ofLutha, his hands outstretched in supplication. 

The long night wore its weary way to dawn at last. The sleeplessman, alternately tossing upon his bed and pacing the floor, lookedfearfully from time to time at the window through which thelightening of the sky would proclaim the coming day and his lasthour on earth. His windows faced the west. At the foot of the hillbeneath the castle nestled the village of Blentz, once moreenveloped in peaceful silence since the Austrians were gone. 

An unmistakable lessening of the darkness in the east had justannounced the proximity of day, when the king heard a clatter ofhorses' hoofs upon the road before the castle. The sound ceased atthe gates and a loud voice broke out upon the stillness of the dyingnight demanding entrance "in the name of the king. "

New hope burst aflame in the breast of the condemned man. Theimpostor had not forsaken him. Leopold ran to the window, leaningfar out. He heard the voices of the sentries in the barbican as theyconversed with the newcomers. Then silence came, broken only by therapid footsteps of a soldier hastening from the gate to the castle. His hobnail shoes pounding upon the cobbles of the courtyard echoedamong the angles of the lofty walls. When he had entered the castlethe silence became oppressive. For five minutes there was no soundother than the pawing of the horses outside the barbican and thesubdued conversation of their riders. 

Presently the soldier emerged from the castle. With him was anofficer. The two went to the barbican. Again there was a parleybetween the horsemen and the guard. Leopold could hear the officerdemanding terms. He would lower the drawbridge and admit them uponconditions. 

One of these the king overheard--it concerned an assurance of fullpardon for Peter of Blentz and the garrison; and again Leopold heardthe officer addressing someone as "your majesty. "

Ah, the impostor was there in person. Ach, Gott! How Leopold ofLutha hated him, and yet, in the hands of this American lay not onlyhis throne but his very life as well. 

Evidently the negotiations proved unsuccessful for after a time theparty wheeled their horses from the gate and rode back towardBlentz. As the sound of the iron-shod hoofs diminished in thedistance, with them diminished the hopes of the king. 

When they ceased entirely his hopes were at an end, to be supplantedby renewed terror at the turning of the knob of his prison door asit swung open to admit Maenck and a squad of soldiers. 

"Come!" ordered the captain. "The king has refused to intercede inyour behalf. When he returns with his army he will find your body atthe 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 forwardupon his face. Roughly the soldiers seized the unconscious man anddragged him from the room. 

Along the corridor they hauled him and down the winding stairswithin the north tower to the narrow slit of a door that opened uponthe courtyard. To the foot of the west wall they brought him, tossing him brutally to the stone flagging. Here one of the soldiersbrought a flagon of water and dashed it in the face of the king. Thecold douche returned Leopold to a consciousness of the nearness ofhis 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. Thedismal men leaning upon their shadowy guns seemed unearthly spectersin the weird light of the hour that is neither God's day nor devil'snight. With difficulty two of them dragged Leopold to his feet. 

Then the dismal men formed in line before him at the opposite sideof the courtyard. Maenck stood to the left of them. He was givingcommands. They fell upon the doomed man's ears with all the crueltyof physical blows. Tears coursed down his white cheeks. Withincoherent 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 kingfrom Lustadt to Blentz. During the long, hard ride there had beenlittle or no conversation between the American and his friend, forButzow was still unsuspicious of the true identity of the man whoposed as the ruler of Lutha. The lieutenant was all anxiety to reachBlentz and rescue the American he thought imprisoned there and indanger of being shot. 

At the gate they were refused admittance unless the king wouldaccept conditions. Barney refused--there was another way to gainentrance to Blentz that not even the master of Blentz knew. Butzowurged him to accede to anything to save the life of the American. Herecalled all that the latter had done in the service of Lutha andLeopold. Barney leaned close to the other's ear. 

"If they have not already shot him, " he whispered, "we shall savethe prisoner yet. Let them think that we give up and are returningto Lustadt. Then follow me. "

Slowly the little cavalcade rode down from the castle of Blentztoward the village. Just out of sight of the grim pile where theroad wound down into a ravine Barney turned his horse's head up thenarrow defile. In single file Butzow and the troopers followed untilthe rank undergrowth precluded farther advance. Here the Americandirected that they dismount, and, leaving the horses in charge ofthree troopers, set out once more with the balance of the company onfoot. 

It was with difficulty that the men forced their way through thebushes, but they had not gone far when their leader stopped before asheer wall of earth and stone, covered with densely growingshrubbery. Here he groped in the dim light, feeling his way with hishands before him, while at his heels came his followers. At last heseparated a wall of bushes and disappeared within the aperture hishands had made. One by one his men followed, finding themselves ininky darkness, but upon a smooth stone floor and with stone wallsclose upon either hand. Those who lifted their hands above theirheads discovered an arched stone ceiling close above them. 

Along this buried corridor the "king" led them, for though he hadnever traversed it himself the Princess Emma had, and from her hehad received minute directions. Occasionally he struck a match, andpresently in the fitful glare of one of these he and those directlybehind him saw the foot of a ladder that disappeared in the Stygiandarkness above. 

"Follow me up this, very quietly, " he said to those behind him. "Upto the third landing. "

They did as he bid them. At the third landing Barney felt for thelatch he knew was there--he was on familiar ground now. Finding ithe pushed open the door it held in place, and through a tiny cracksurveyed the room beyond. It was vacant. The American threw the doorwide and stepped within. Directly behind him was Butzow, his eyeswide in wonderment. After him filed the troopers until seventeen ofthem 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 followedthe lieutenant raced for the door of the apartment. Close behind himcame the American and the seventeen. 

It took but a moment to reach the stairway down which the rescuerstumbled pell-mell. 

Maenck was giving his commands to the firing squad with fiendishdeliberation and delay. He seemed to enjoy dragging out the agonythat the condemned man suffered. But it was this very cruelty thatcaused Maenck's undoing and saved the life of Leopold of Lutha. Justbefore he gave the word to fire Maenck paused and laughed aloud atthe pitiable figure trembling and whining against the stone wallbefore him, and during that pause a commotion arose at the towerdoorway behind the firing squad. 

Maenck turned to discover the cause of the interruption, and as heturned he saw the figure of the king leaping toward him with leveledrevolver. At the king's back a company of troopers of the RoyalHorse Guard was pouring into the courtyard. 

Maenck snatched his own revolver from his hip and fired point-blankat the "king. " The firing squad had turned at the sound of assaultfrom the rear. Some of them discharged their pieces at the advancingtroopers. Butzow gave a command and seventeen carbines poured theirdeadly hail into the ranks of the Blentz retainers. At Maenck's shotthe "king" staggered and fell to the pavement. 

Maenck leaped across his prostrate form, yelling to his men "Shootthe American. " Then he was lost to Barney's sight in thehand-to-hand scrimmage that was taking place. The American tried toregain his feet, but the shock of the wound in his breast hadapparently paralyzed him for the moment. A Blentz soldier wasrunning toward the prisoner standing open-mouthed against the wall. The fellow's rifle was raised to his hip--his intention was only tooobvious. 

Barney drew himself painfully and slowly to one elbow. The man wasrapidly nearing the true Leopold. In another moment he would shoot. The American raised his revolver and, taking careful aim, fired. Thesoldier 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 thefar end of the courtyard. Two of the Blentz faction were standing alittle apart, backing slowly away and at the same time deliberatelyfiring at the king. Barney seemed the only one who noticed them. Once again he raised his revolver and fired. One of the men sat downsuddenly, looked vacantly about him, and then rolled over upon hisside. The other fired once more at the king and the same instantBarney fired at the soldier. Soldier and king--would-be assassin andhis victim--fell simultaneously. Barney grimaced. The wound in hisbreast was painful. He had done his best to save the king. It was nofault of his that he had failed. It was a long way to Beatrice. Hewondered 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 courtyardand castle of Blentz. After the first resistance the soldiery ofPeter fled to the guardroom. Butzow followed them, and there theylaid down their arms. Then the lieutenant returned to the courtyardto look for the king and Barney Custer. He found them both, and bothwere wounded. He had them carried to the royal apartments in thenorth tower. When Barney regained consciousness he found thescowling portrait of the Blentz princess frowning down upon him. Helay upon a great bed where the soldiers, thinking him king, hadplaced him. Opposite him, against the farther wall, the real kinglay upon a cot. Butzow was working over him. 

"Not so bad, after all, Barney, " the lieutenant was saying. "Only aflesh 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 closedhis eyes wearily. Presently he asked a question. 

"Is he badly wounded?" and he indicated the figure upon the greatbed. 

Butzow turned and crossed to where the American lay. He saw that thelatter's eyes were open and that he was conscious. 

"How does your majesty feel?" he asked. There was more respect inhis tone than ever before. One of the Blentz soldiers had told himhow the "king, " after being wounded by Maenck, had raised himselfupon his elbow and saved the prisoner's life by shooting three ofhis assailants. 

"I thought I was done for, " answered Barney Custer, "but I ratherguess the bullet struck only a glancing blow. It couldn't haveentered my lungs, for I neither cough nor spit blood. To tell youthe truth, I feel surprisingly fit. How's the prisoner?"

"Only a flesh wound in the calf of his left leg, sire, " repliedButzow. 

"I am glad, " was Barney's only comment. He didn't want to be kingof Lutha; but he had foreseen that with the death of the king hisimposture might be forced upon him for life. 

After Butzow and one of the troopers had washed and dressed thewounds 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 werepassing 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 castlehas failed to reveal them. "

Barney scowled. He had hoped to place these two conspirators onceand for all where they would never again threaten the peace of thethrone of Lutha--in hell. For a moment he lay in thought. Then headdressed the officer again. 

"Leave your force here, " he said, "to guard us. Ride, yourself, toLustadt and inform Prince von der Tann that it is the king's desirethat every effort be made to capture these two men. Have thembrought to Lustadt immediately they are apprehended. Bring them deador alive. "

Again Butzow saluted and prepared to leave the room. 

"Wait, " said Barney. "Convey our greetings to the Princess von derTann, and inform her that my wound is of small importance, as isalso that of the--Mr. Custer. You may go, lieutenant. "

When they were alone Barney turned toward the king. The other layupon his side glaring at the American. When he caught the latter'seyes upon him he spoke. 

"What do you intend doing with me?" he said. "Are you going to keepyour word and return my identity?"

"I have promised, " replied Barney, "and what I promise I alwaysperform. "

"Then exchange clothing with me at once, " cried the king, halfrising from his cot. 

"Not so fast, my friend, " rejoined the American. "There are a fewtrifling details to be arranged before we resume our properpersonalities. "

"Do you realize that you should be hanged for what you have done?"snarled the king. "You assaulted me, stole my clothing, left me hereto be shot by Peter, and sat upon my throne in Lustadt while I lay aprisoner condemned to death. "

"And do you realize, " replied Barney, "that by so doing I saved yourfoolish little throne for you; that I drove the invaders from yourdominions; that I have unmasked your enemies, and that I have onceagain proven to you that the Prince von der Tann is your best friendand most loyal supporter?"

"You laid your plebeian hands upon me, " cried the king, raising hisvoice. "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 hadreceived at the American's hands was as nothing by comparison withthe service that the American had done him. Apparently Leopold hadalready forgotten that three times Barney Custer had saved his lifein the courtyard below. From the man's demeanor, now that his lifewas no longer at stake, Barney caught an inkling of what hisattitude might be when once again he was returned to the despoticpower of his kingship. 

"It is futile to reason with you, " he said. "There is only one wayto 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 ofyour two-by-four kingdom. If you do as I say you shall have yourthrone back again. If you refuse, why by Heaven you shall never haveit. I'll stay king of Lutha myself. "

"What are your terms?" asked the king. 

"That Prince Peter of Blentz, Captain Ernst Maenck, and old VonCoblich be tried, convicted, and hanged for high treason, " repliedthe American. 

"That is easy, " said the king. "I should do so anyway immediately Iresumed my throne. Now get up and give me my clothes. Take this cotand I will take the bed. None will know of the exchange. "

"Again you are too fast, " answered Barney. "There is anothercondition. "

"Well?"

"You must promise upon your royal honor that Ludwig, Prince von derTann, remain chancellor of Lutha during your life or his. "

"Very well, " assented the king. "I promise, " and again he half rosefrom his cot. 

"Hold on a minute, " admonished the American; "there is yet one morecondition of which I have not made mention. "

"What, another?" exclaimed Leopold testily. "How much do you wantfor returning to me what you have stolen?"

"So far I have asked for nothing for myself, " replied Barney. "NowI am coming to that part of the agreement. The Princess Emma von derTann is betrothed to you. She does not love you. She has honored mewith her affection, but she will not wed until she has been formallyreleased from her promise to wed Leopold of Lutha. The king mustsign such a release and also a sanction of her marriage to BarneyCuster, of Beatrice. Do you understand what I want?"

The king went livid. He came to his feet beside the cot. For themoment, his wound was forgotten. He tottered toward the impostor. 

"You scoundrel!" he screamed. "You scoundrel! You have stolen myidentity and my throne and now you wish to steal the woman who lovesme. "

"Don't get excited, Leo, " warned the American, "and don't talk soloud. 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'llhave 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 theproposition. Now I am going to sleep. In the meantime you may thinkit over. If the papers are not ready when it comes time for us toleave, and from the way I feel now I rather think I shall be readyto mount a horse by morning, I shall ride back to Lustadt as king ofLutha, and I shall marry her highness into the bargain, and you maygo hang!

"How the devil you will earn a living with that king job taken awayfrom you I don't know. You're a long way from New York, and in thepresent state of carnage in Europe I rather doubt that there aremany headwaiters jobs open this side of the American metropolis, andI can't for the moment think of anything else at which you wouldshine--with all due respect to some excellent headwaiters I haveknown. "

For some time the king remained silent. He was thinking. Herealized that it lay in the power of the American to do preciselywhat he had threatened to do. No one would doubt his identity. EvenPeter of Blentz had not recognized the real king despite Leopold'srepeated and hysterical claims. 

Lieutenant Butzow, the American's best friend, had no more suspectedthe exchange of identities. Von der Tann, too, must have beendeceived. Everyone had been deceived. There was no hope that thepeople, who really saw so little of their king, would guess thedeception that was being played upon them. Leopold groaned. Barneyopened his eyes and turned toward him. 

"What's the matter?" he asked. 

"I will sign the release and the sanction of her highness' marriageto you, " said the king. 

"Good!" exclaimed the American. "You will then go at once toBrosnov as originally planned. I will return to Lustadt and get herhighness, and we will immediately leave Lutha via Brosnov. There youand I will effect a change of raiment, and you will ride back toLustadt with the small guard that accompanies her highness and me tothe frontier. "

"Why do you not remain in Lustadt?" asked the king. "You could aswell be married there as elsewhere. "

"Because I don't trust your majesty, " replied the American. "It mustbe 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 Luthadid as he was bid. The result was two short, crisply wordeddocuments. At the bottom of each was the signature of Leopold ofLutha. Barney took the two papers and carefully tucked them beneathhis pillow. 

"Now let's sleep, " he said. "It is getting late and we both needthe rest. In the morning we have long rides ahead of us. Goodnight. "

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 impostorimpartially from her great gilt frame. It must have been close tomidnight that the painting moved--just a fraction of an inch. Thenit remained motionless for a time. Again it moved. This time itrevealed a narrow crack at its edge. In the crack an eye shone. 

One of the sleepers moved. He opened his eyes. Stealthily heraised himself on his elbow and gazed at the other across theapartment. He listened intently. The regular breathing of thesleeper proclaimed the soundness of his slumber. Gingerly the manplaced one foot upon the floor. The eye glued to the crack at theedge of the great, gilt frame of the Blentz princess remainedfastened upon him. He let his other foot slip to the floor besidethe first. Carefully he raised himself until he stood erect upon thefloor. Then, on tiptoe he started across the room. 

The eye in the dark followed him. The man reached the side of thesleeper. Bending over he listened intently to the other's breathing. Satisfied that slumber was profound he stepped quickly to a wardrobein which a soldier had hung the clothing of both the king and theAmerican. He took down the uniform of the former, casting from timeto time apprehensive glances toward the sleeper. The latter did notstir, and the other passed to the little dressing-room adjoining. 

A few minutes later he reentered the apartment fully clothed andwearing the accouterments of Leopold of Lutha. In his hand was adrawn sword. Silently and swiftly he crossed to the side of thesleeping man. The eye at the crack beside the gilded frame pressedcloser to the aperture. The sword was raised above the body of theslumberer--its point hovered above his heart. The face of the manwho wielded it was hard with firm resolve. 

His muscles tensed to drive home the blade, but something held hishand. His face paled. His shoulders contracted with a littleshudder, and he turned toward the door of the apartment, almostrunning across the floor in his anxiety to escape. The eye in thedark maintained its unblinking vigilance. 

With his hand upon the knob a sudden thought stayed the fugitive'sflight. He glanced quickly back at the sleeper--he had not moved. Then the man who wore the uniform of the king of Lutha recrossed theapartment to the bed, reached beneath one of the pillows andwithdrew two neatly folded official-looking documents. These heplaced in the breastpocket of his uniform. A moment later he waswalking down the spiral stairway to the main floor of the castle. 

In the guardroom the troopers of the Royal Horse who were not onguard were stretched in slumber. Only a corporal remained awake. Asthe man entered the guardroom the corporal glanced up, and as hiseyes fell upon the newcomer, he sprang to his feet, saluting. 

"Turn out the guard!" he cried. "Turn out the guard for hismajesty, the king!"

The sleeping soldiers, but half awake, scrambled to their feet, their muscles reacting to the command that their brains but halfperceived. They snatched their guns from the racks and formed a linebehind the corporal. The king raised his fingers to the vizor of hishelmet in acknowledgment of their salute. 

"Saddle up quietly, corporal, " he said. "We shall ride to Lustadttonight. "

The non-commissioned officer saluted. "And an extra horse for HerrCuster?" he said. 

The king shook his head. "The man died of his wound about an hourago, " he said. "While you are saddling up I shall arrange with someof the Blentz servants for his burial--now hurry!"

The corporal marched his troopers from the guardroom toward thestables. The man in the king's clothes touched a bell which wasobviously a servant call. He waited impatiently a reply to hissummons, tapping his finger-tips against the sword-scabbard that wasbelted to his side. At last a sleepy-eyed man responded--a man whohad grown gray in the service of Peter of Blentz. At sight of theking he opened his eyes in astonishment, pulled his foretop, andbowed uneasily. 

"Come closer, " whispered the king. The man did so, and the kingspoke in his ear earnestly, but in scarce audible tones. The eyes ofthe listener narrowed to mere slits--of avarice and cunning, cruellycold and calculating. The speaker searched through the pockets ofthe king's clothes that covered him. At last he withdrew a roll ofbills. The amount must have been a large one, but he did not stop tocount it. He held the money under the eyes of the servant. Thefellow's claw-like fingers reached for the tempting wealth. Henodded his head affirmatively. 

"You may trust me, sire, " he whispered. 

The king slipped the money into the other's palm. "And as muchmore, " he said, "when I receive proof that my wishes have beenfulfilled. "

"Thank you, sire, " said the servant. 

The king looked steadily into the other's face before he spokeagain. 

"And if you fail me, " he said, "may God have mercy on your soul. "Then he wheeled and left the guardroom, walking out into thecourtyard where the soldiers were busy saddling their mounts. 

A few minutes later the party clattered over the drawbridge and downthe road toward Blentz and Lustadt. From a window of the apartmentsof Peter of Blentz a man watched them depart. When they passedacross a strip of moonlit road, and he had counted them, he smiledwith relief. 

A moment later he entered a panel beside the huge fireplace in thewest wall and disappeared. There he struck a match, found a candleand lighted it. Walking a few steps he came to a figure sleepingupon a pile of clothing. He stooped and shook the sleeper by theshoulder. 

"Wake up!" he cried in a subdued voice. "Wake up, Prince Peter; Ihave 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 thewalls of your castle. The king's troopers have departed; but that isa small matter compared with the other. Here, behind the portrait ofyour great-grandmother, I have listened and watched all night. Iopened the secret door a fraction of an inch--just enough to permitme to look into the apartment where the king and the American laywounded. They had been talking as I opened the door, but after thatthey ceased--the king falling asleep at once--the American feigningslumber. For a long time I watched, but nothing happened until nearmidnight. Then the American arose and donned the king's clothes. 

"He approached Leopold with drawn sword, but when he would havethrust it through the heart of the sleeping man his nerve failedhim. Then he stole some papers from the room and left. Just now hehas ridden out toward Lustadt with the men of the Royal Horse whocaptured the castle yesterday. "

Before Maenck was half-way through his narrative, Peter of Blentzwas wide awake and all attention. His eyes glowed with suddenlyaroused interest. 

"Somewhere in this, prince, " concluded Maenck, "there must lie theseed of fortune for you and me. "

Peter nodded. "Yes, " he mused, "there must. "

For a time both men were buried in thought. Suddenly Maenck snappedhis fingers. "I have it!" he cried. He bent toward Prince Peter'sear and whispered his plan. When he was done the Blentz princegrasped his hand. 

"Just the thing, Maenck!" he cried. "Just the thing. Leopold willnever again listen to idle gossip directed against our loyalty. If Iknow him--and who should know him better--he will heap honors uponyou, my Maenck; and as for me, he will at least forgive me and takeme back into his confidence. Lose no time now, my friend. We arefree now to go and come, since the king's soldiers have beenwithdrawn. "

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 fourfeet deep. It looked like a grave. When he had finished the old manhobbled to a shed that leaned against the south wall. Here wereboards, tools, and a bench. It was the castle workshop. The old manselected a number of rough pine boards. These he measured and sawed, fitted and nailed, working all the balance of the night. By dawn, hehad a long, narrow box, just a trifle smaller than the hole he haddug in the garden. The box resembled a crude coffin. When it wasquite finished, including a cover, he dragged it out into the gardenand set it upon two boards that spanned the hole, so that it restedprecisely 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 histhumb he felt of the edge--for an ax it was marvelously sharp. Theold fellow grinned and shook his head, as one who appreciates inanticipation the consummation of a good joke. Then he creptnoiselessly through the castle's corridors and up the spiralstairway in the north tower. In one hand was the sharp ax. 

The moment Lieutenant Butzow had reached Lustadt he had gonedirectly to Prince von der Tann; but the moment his message had beendelivered 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. Ithink all that he has been through has unnerved him. He was slightlywounded in the left leg. The king was wounded in the breast. Hismajesty conducted himself in a most valiant and generous manner. Wounded, he lay upon his stomach in the courtyard of the castle anddefended Mr. Custer, who was, of course, unarmed. The king shotthree of Prince Peter's soldiers who were attempting to assassinateMr. Custer. "

Emma von der Tann smiled. It was evident that Lieutenant Butzow hadnot discovered the deception that had been practiced upon him incommon with all Lutha--she being the only exception. It seemedincredible that this good friend of the American had not seen in theheroism of the man who wore the king's clothes the attributes andear-marks of Barney Custer. She glowed with pride at the narrationof his heroism, though she suffered with him because of his wound. 

It was not yet noon when the detachment of the Royal Horse arrivedin Lustadt from Blentz. At their head rode one whom all upon thestreets of the capital greeted enthusiastically as king. The partyrode directly to the royal palace, and the king retired immediatelyto his apartments. A half hour later an officer of the king'shousehold knocked upon the door of the Princess Emma von der Tann'sboudoir. In accord with her summons he entered, salutedrespectfully, 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 tograsp the enormity of the thing that had overwhelmed her--the daringof the action that the message explained. The note was short and tothe point, and was signed only with initials. 

DEAREST EMMA:

The king died of his wounds just before midnight. Ishall keep the throne. There is no other way. Noneknows and none must ever know the truth. Your fatheralone may suspect; but if we are married at once ouralliance will cement him and his faction to us. Sendword by the bearer that you agree with the wisdomof my plan, and that we may be wed at once--thisafternoon, in fact. 

The people may wonder for a few days at the strangehaste, but my answer shall be that I am going to thefront with my troops. The son and many of the highofficials of the Kaiser have already established theprecedent, marrying hurriedly upon the eve of theirdeparture 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. Theofficer stood in respectful silence awaiting the answer that theking had told him to bring. The princess sat down before the carvedbit of furniture. Mechanically she drew a piece of note paper from adrawer. Many times she dipped her pen in the ink before she coulddetermine what reply to send. Ages of ingrained royalisticprinciples were shocked and shattered by the enormity of the thingthe man she loved had asked of her, and yet cold reason told herthat it was the only way. 

Lutha would be lost should the truth be known--that the king wasdead, for there was no heir of closer blood connection with theroyal house than Prince Peter of Blentz, whose great-grandmother hadbeen 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 andhanded it to the officer, who bowed and left the room. 

A half hour later officers of the Royal Horse were riding throughthe streets of Lustadt. Some announced to the people upon thestreets the coming marriage of the king and princess. Others rode tothe houses of the nobility with the king's command that they bepresent at the ceremony in the old cathedral at four o'clock thatafternoon. 

Never had there been such bustling about the royal palace or in thepalaces of the nobles of Lutha. The buzz and hum of excitedconversation filled the whole town. That the choice of the king metthe approval of his subjects was more than evident. Upon every lipwas praise and love of the Princess Emma von der Tann. The future ofLutha seemed assured with a king who could fight joined in marriageto a daughter of the warrior line of Von der Tann. 

The princess was busy up to the last minute. She had not seen herfuture husband since his return from Blentz, for he, too, had beenbusy. Twice he had sent word to her, but on both occasions hadregretted that he could not come personally because of the pressureof state matters and the preparations for the ceremony that was totake 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 broadcenter aisle to the foot of the chancel. Guardsmen lining the way oneither hand stood rigidly at salute until she stopped at the end ofthe soft, rose-strewn carpet and turned to await the coming of theking. 

Presently the doors at the opposite end of the cathedral opened. There was a fanfare of trumpets, and up the center aisle toward thewaiting girl walked the royal groom. It seemed ages to the princesssince she had seen her lover. Her eyes devoured him as he approachedher. She noticed that he limped, and wondered; but for a moment thefact carried no special suggestion to her brain. 

The people had risen as the king entered. Again, the pieces of theguardsmen had snapped to present; but silence, intense and utter, reigned over the vast assembly. The only movement was the measuredstride of the king as he advanced to claim his bride. 

At the head of each line of guardsmen, nearest the chancel and uponeither side of the bridal party, the ranks were formed ofcommissioned officers. Butzow was among them. He, too, out of thecorner of his eye watched the advancing figure. Suddenly he notedthe limp, and gave a little involuntary gasp. He looked at thePrincess Emma, and saw her eyes suddenly widen with consternation. 

Slowly at first, and then in a sudden tidal wave of memory, Butzow'sstory of the fight in the courtyard at Blentz came back to her. 

"I saw but little of Mr. Custer, " he had said. "He was slightlywounded in the left leg. The king was wounded in the breast. " ButLieutenant Butzow had not known the true identity of either. 

The real Leopold it was who had been wounded in the left leg, andthe man who was approaching her up the broad cathedral aisle waslimping noticeably--and favoring his left leg. The man to whom shewas to be married was not Barney Custer--he was Leopold of Lutha!

A hundred mad schemes rioted through her brain. The wedding mustnot go on! But how was she to avert it? The king was within a fewpaces of her now. There was a smile upon his lips, and in that smileshe saw the final confirmation of her fears. When Leopold of Luthasmiled his upper lip curved just a trifle into a shadow of a sneer. It was a trivial characteristic that Barney Custer did not share incommon with the king. 

Half mad with terror, the girl seized upon the only subterfuge whichseemed at all likely to succeed. It would, at least, give her aslight reprieve--a little time in which to think, and possibly findan 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 hernarrowly, sprang forward and caught her in his arms, where she laylimp with closed eyes as though in a dead faint. The king ranforward. The people craned their necks. A sudden burst ofexclamations rose throughout the cathedral, and then LieutenantButzow, shouldering his way past the chancel, carried the PrincessEmma to a little anteroom off the east transept. Behind him walkedthe king, the bishop, and Prince Ludwig. 

XV

MAENCK BLUNDERS

After a hurried breakfast Peter of Blentz and Captain Ernst Maenckleft the castle of Blentz. Prince Peter rode north toward thefrontier, Austria, and safety, Captain Maenck rode south towardLustadt. Neither knew that general orders had been issued tosoldiery and gendarmerie of Lutha to capture them dead or alive. SoPrince Peter rode carelessly; but Captain Maenck, because of thenature of his business and the proximity of enemies about Lustadt, proceeded with circumspection. 

Prince Peter was arrested at Tafelberg, and, though he stormed andraged and threatened, he was immediately packed off under heavyguard back toward Lustadt. 

Captain Ernst Maenck was more fortunate. He reached the capital ofLutha in safety, though he had to hide on several occasions fromdetachments of troops moving toward the north. Once within the cityhe rode rapidly to the house of a friend. Here he learned that whichset him into a fine state of excitement and profanity. The king andthe 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 hisastonished friend could ask a single question. He hurried straighttoward the cathedral. The king had just arrived, and entered whenMaenck came up, breathless. The guard at the doorway did notrecognize him. If they had they would have arrested him. Insteadthey contented themselves with refusing him admission, and when heinsisted they threatened him with arrest. 

To be arrested now would be to ruin his fine plan, so he turned andwalked away. At the first cross street he turned up the side of thecathedral. The grounds were walled up on this side, and he sought invain for entrance. At the rear he discovered a limousine standing inthe alley where its chauffeur had left it after depositing hispassengers at the front door of the cathedral. The top of thelimousine was but a foot or two below the top of the wall. 

Maenck clambered to the hood of the machine, and from there to thetop. A moment later he dropped to the earth inside the cathedralgrounds. Before him were many windows. Most of them were too highfor him to reach, and the others that he tried at first weresecurely fastened. Passing around the end of the building, he atlast discovered one that was open--it led into the east transept. 

Maenck crawled through. He was within the building that held theman he sought. He found himself in a small room--evidently adressing-room. There were two doors leading from it. He approachedone and listened. He heard the tones of subdued conversation beyond. 

Very cautiously he opened the door a crack. He could not believethe good fortune that was revealed before him. On a couch lay thePrincess Emma von der Tann. Beside her her father. At the door wasLieutenant Butzow. The bishop and a doctor were talking at the headof the couch. Pacing up and down the room, resplendent in themarriage robes of a king of Lutha, was the man he sought. 

Maenck drew his revolver. He broke the barrel, and saw that therewas a good cartridge in each chamber of the cylinder. He closed itquietly. Then he threw open the door, stepped into the room, tookdeliberate aim, and fired. 

The old man with the ax moved cautiously along the corridor upon thesecond floor of the Castle of Blentz until he came to a certaindoor. Gently he turned the knob and pushed the door inward. Holdingthe ax behind his back, he entered. In his pocket was a great rollof money, and there was to be an equal amount waiting him at Lustadtwhen his mission had been fulfilled. 

Once within the room, he looked quickly about him. Upon a great bedlay the figure of a man asleep. His face was turned toward theopposite wall away from the side of the bed nearer the menacingfigure of the old servant. On tiptoe the man with the ax approached. The neck of his victim lay uncovered before him. He swung the axbehind him. A single blow, as mighty as his ancient muscles coulddeliver, would suffice. 

Barney Custer opened his eyes. Directly opposite him upon the wallwas a dark-toned photogravure of a hunting scene. It tilted slightlyforward upon its wire support. As Barney's opened it chanced thatthey were directed straight upon the shiny glass of the picture. Thelight from the window struck the glass in such a way as to transformit into a mirror. The American's eyes were glued with horror uponthe reflection that he saw there--an old man swinging a huge ax downupon his head. 

It is an open question as to which of the two was the most surprisedat the cat-like swiftness of the movement that carried Barney Custerout of that bed and landed him in temporary safety upon the oppositeside. 

With a snarl the old man ran around the foot of the bed to cornerhis prey between the bed and the wall. He was swinging the ax asthough to hurl it. So close was he that Barney guessed it would bedifficult for him to miss his mark. The least he could expect wouldbe a frightful wound. To have attempted to escape would havenecessitated turning his back to his adversary, inviting instantdeath. To grapple with a man thus armed appeared an equally hopelessalternative. 

Shoulder-high beside him hung the photogravure that had alreadysaved his life once. Why not again? He snatched it from itshangings, lifted it above his head in both hands, and hurled it atthe head of the old man. The glass shattered full upon the ancient'scrown, the man's head went through the picture, and the framesettled over his shoulders. At the same instant Barney Custer leapedacross the bed, seized a light chair, and turned to face his foeupon 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 thatthe broken glass had made. Now he was in a berserker rage. 

As he charged again he uttered a peculiar whistling noise frombetween his set teeth. To the American it sounded like the hissingof a snake, and as he would have met a snake he met the venomousattack of the old man. 

When the short battle was over the Blentz servitor lay unconsciousupon the floor, while above him leaned the American, uninjured, ripping long strips from a sheet torn from the bed, twisting theminto rope-like strands and, with them, binding the wrists and anklesof his defeated foe. Finally he stuffed a gag between the toothlessgums. 

Running to the wardrobe, he discovered that the king's uniform wasgone. That, with the witness of the empty bed, told him the wholestory. The American smiled. "More nerve than I gave him credit for, "he mused, as he walked back to his bed and reached under the pillowfor the two papers he had forced the king to sign. They, too, weregone. Slowly Barney Custer realized his plight, as there filteredthrough his mind a suggestion of the possibilities of the trick thathad been played upon him. 

Why should Leopold wish these papers? Of course, he might merelyhave taken them that he might destroy them; but something toldBarney Custer that such was not the case. And something, too, toldhim whither the king had ridden and what he would do there when hearrived. 

He ran back to the wardrobe. In it hung the peasant attire that hehad stolen from the line of the careless house frau, and laterwished upon his majesty the king. Barney grinned as he recalled theroyal disgust with which Leopold had fingered the soiled garments. He scarce blamed him. Looking further toward the back of thewardrobe, the American discovered other clothing. 

He dragged it all out upon the floor. There was an old shootingjacket, 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 ratherlarge frame. Hastily he dressed, and, taking the ax the old man hadbrought to the room as the only weapon available, he walked boldlyinto the corridor, down the spiral stairway and into the guardroom. 

Barney Custer was prepared to fight. He was desperate. He couldhave slunk from the Castle of Blentz as he had entered it--throughthe secret passageway to the ravine; but to attempt to reach Lustadton foot was not at all compatible with the urgent haste that he feltnecessary. He must have a horse, and a horse he would have if he hadto fight his way through a Blentz army. 

But there were no armed retainers left at Blentz. The guardroom wasvacant; but there were arms there and ammunition. Barneycommandeered a sword and a revolver, then he walked into thecourtyard and crossed to the stables. The way took him by thegarden. In it he saw a coffin-like box resting upon planks above agrave-like excavation. Barney investigated. The box was empty. Onceagain he grinned. "It is not always wise, " he mused, "to count yourcorpses before they're dead. What a lot of work the old man mighthave spared himself if he'd only caught his cadaver first--or atleast tried to. "

Passing on by his own grave, he came to the stables. A groom wascurrying a strong, clean-limbed hunter haltered in the doorway. Theman looked up as Barney approached him. A puzzled expression enteredthe fellow's eyes. He was a young man--a stupid-looking lout. It wasevident that he half recognized the face of the newcomer as one hehad seen before. Barney nodded to him. 

"Never mind finishing, " he said. "I am in a hurry. You may saddlehim at once. " The voice was authoritative--it brooked no demur. Thegroom touched his forehead, dropped the currycomb and brush, andturned back into the stable to fetch saddle and bridle. 

Five minutes later Barney was riding toward the gate. The portculliswas raised--the drawbridge spanned the moat--no guard was there tobar his way. The sunlight flooded the green valley, stretchinglazily below him in the soft warmth of a mellow autumn morning. Behind him he had left the brooding shadows of the grim oldfortress--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 wasforgotten. Lightly he touched his spurs to the hunter's sides. Tossing his head and curveting, the animal broke into a long, easytrot. Where the road dipped into the ravine and down through thevillage 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 roadto Lustadt. It would cut ten miles off the distance that the mainwagonroad covered, and it was a good road for a horseman. It shouldbring him to Lustadt by one o'clock or a little after. The roadwound through the hills to the east of the main highway, and wasscarcely more than a trail where it crossed the Ru River upon anarrow bridge that spanned the deep mountain gorge that walls the Rufor ten miles through the hills. 

When Barney reached the river his hopes sank. The bridge wasgone--dynamited by the Austrians in their retreat. The nearestbridge was at the crossing of the main highway over ten miles to thesouthwest. There, too, the river might be forded even if theAustrians had destroyed that bridge also; but here or elsewhere inthe hills there could be no fording--the banks of the Ru wereperpendicular cliffs. 

The misfortune would add nearly twenty miles to his journey--hecould not now hope to reach Lustadt before late in the afternoon. Turning his horse back along the trail he had come, he retraced hisway until he reached a narrow bridle path that led toward thesouthwest. The trail was rough and indistinct, yet he pushedforward, even more rapidly than safety might have suggested. Thenoble beast beneath him was all loyalty and ambition. 

"Take it easy, old boy, " whispered Barney into the slim, pointedears that moved ceaselessly backward and forward, "you'll get yourchance when we strike the highway, never fear. "

And he did. 

So unexpected had been Maenck's entrance into the room in the easttransept, so sudden his attack, that it was all over before a handcould be raised to stay him. At the report of his revolver the kingsank to the floor. At almost the same instant Lieutenant Butzowwhipped 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 hisfingers. Prince Ludwig ran to the king's side and, kneeling there, raised Leopold's head in his arms. The bishop and the doctor bentover the limp form. The Princess Emma stood a little apart. She hadleaped from the couch where she had been lying. Her eyes were widein horror. Her palms pressed to her cheeks. 

It was upon this scene that a hatless, dust-covered man in a redhunting coat burst through the door that had admitted Maenck. Theman had seen and recognized the conspirator as he climbed to the topof the limousine and dropped within the cathedral grounds, and hehad followed close upon his heels. 

No one seemed to note his entrance. All ears were turned toward thedoctor, 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 stealthe king's clothes at Blentz and I followed him here. He is theAmerican--the impostor. " Then his eyes, circling the faces about himto note the results of his announcements, fell upon the face of theman 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 ofsurprise and incredulity burst from every lip. The old chancellorlooked from the man in the red hunting coat to the still form of theman upon the floor in the blood-spattered marriage garments of aking 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 huntingcoat. 

"Who are you?" he demanded. 

Before Barney could speak Lieutenant Butzow spoke. 

"He is the king, your highness, " he said. "I rode with him toBlentz to free Mr. Custer. Both were wounded in the courtyard in thefight that took place there. I helped to dress their wounds. Theking was wounded in the breast--Mr. Custer in the left leg. "

Prince von der Tann looked puzzled. Again he turned his eyesquestioningly toward the newcomer. 

"Is this the truth?" he asked. 

Barney looked toward the Princess Emma. In her eyes he could readthe relief that the sight of him alive had brought her. Since shehad recognized the king she had believed that Barney was dead. Thetemptation was great--he dreaded losing her, and he feared he wouldlose her when her father learned the truth of the deception that hadbeen practiced upon him. He might lose even more--men had lost theirheads for tampering with the affairs of kings. 

"Well?" persisted the chancellor. 

"Lieutenant Butzow is partially correct--he honestly believes thathe is entirely so, " replied the American. "He did ride with me fromLustadt to Blentz to save the man who lies dead here at your feet. The lieutenant thought that he was riding with his king, just asyour highness thought that he was riding with his king during thebattle 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 Ilove. She knows and the king knew that I intended restoring hisidentity to him with no one the wiser for the interchange that hadtaken place. The king upset my plans by stealing back his identitywhile I slept, with the result that you see before you upon thefloor. He has died as he had lived--futilely. "

As he spoke the Princess Emma had crossed the room toward him. Nowshe stood at his side, her hand in his. Tense silence reigned in theapartment. The old chancellor stood with bowed head, buried inthought. All eyes were upon him except those of the doctor, who hadturned 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 eversince he had discovered, as he believed, that Barney had trickedLeopold after the latter had saved his life at Blentz and ridden toLustadt in the king's guise. Now that he knew the whole truth herealized how stupid he had been not to guess that the man who hadled the victorious Luthanian army before Lustadt could not have beenthe cowardly Leopold. 

Presently the chancellor broke the silence. 

"You say that Leopold of Lutha lived futilely. You are right; butwhen 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 abrave 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, " heargued, "other than Peter of Blentz. Your mother's marriage to aforeigner did not bar the succession of her offspring. Aside fromthe fact that Peter of Blentz is out of the question, is the moreimportant fact that your line is closer to the throne than his. Heknew it, and this knowledge was the real basis of his hatred ofyou. "

As the old chancellor ceased speaking he drew his sword and raisedit 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. Helost no time in saying so. All that he wanted of Lutha was the girlhe had found there, as his father before him had found the girl ofhis choice. Von der Tann pleaded with him. 

"Twice have I fought under you, sire, " he urged. "Twice, and onlytwice since the old king died, have I felt that the future of Luthawas safe in the hands of her ruler, and both these times it was youwho sat upon the throne. Do not desert us now. Let me live to seeLutha once more happy, with a true Rubinroth upon the throne and mydaughter at his side. "

Butzow added his pleas to those of the old chancellor. The Americanhesitated. 

"Let us leave it to the representatives of the people and to thehouse of nobles, " he suggested. 

The chancellor of Lutha explained the situation to both houses. Their reply was unanimous. He carried it to the American, whoawaited 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 oldman. 

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 notshirk. It is not for you or for me to choose. God chose for you whenyou 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'squeen. "

And so Barney Custer, of Beatrice, was crowned King of Lutha, andEmma became his queen. Maenck died of his wound on the floor of thelittle room in the east transept of the cathedral of Lustadt besidethe body of the king he had slain. Prince Peter of Blentz was triedby the highest court of Lutha on the charge of treason; he was foundguilty and hanged. Von Coblich committed suicide on the eve of hisarrest. Lieutenant Otto Butzow was ennobled and given theconfiscated estates of the Blentz prince. He became a general in thearmy of Lutha, and was sent to the front in command of the armycorps 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