The Mad King [101]
him the pardon Leopold had written for the American.
"Give this to your lieutenant," he said, "and tell him to hand it to Prince Peter before dawn tomorrow. Do not fail."
A moment later the three were riding down the winding road toward Blentz. Barney had no further need of the officer who rode with them. He would be glad to be rid of him, for he anticipated that the fellow might find ample opportunity to betray them as they passed through the Austrian lines, which they must do to reach Lustadt.
He had told the captain that they were going to Tann in order that, should the man find opportunity to institute pur- suit, he might be thrown off the track. The Austrian sentries were no great distance ahead when Barney ordered a halt.
"Dismount," he directed the captain, leaping to the ground himself at the same time. "Put your hands behind your back."
The officer did as he was bid, and Barney bound his wrists securely with a strap and buckle that he had re- moved from the cantle of his saddle as he rode. Then he led him off the road among some weeds and compelled him to lie down, after which he bound his ankles together and stuffed a gag in his mouth, securing it in place with a bit of stick and the chinstrap from the man's helmet. The threat of the revolver kept Captain Krantzwort silent and obedient throughout the hasty operations.
"Good-bye, captain," whispered Barney, "and let me sug- gest that you devote the time until your discovery and re- lease in pondering the value of winning your king's confi- dence in the future. Had you chosen your associates more carefully in the past, this need not have occurred."
Barney unsaddled the captain's horse and turned him loose, then he remounted and, with the princess at his side, rode down toward Blentz.
X
A NEW KING IN LUTHA
AS THE TWO riders approached the edge of the village of Blentz a sentry barred their way. To his challenge the American replied that they were "friends from the castle."
"Advance," directed the sentry, "and give the counter- sign."
Barney rode to the fellow's side, and leaning from the saddle whispered in his ear the word "Slankamen."
Would it pass them out as it had passed Maenck in? Barney scarcely breathed as he awaited the result of his experiment. The soldier brought his rifle to present and directed them to pass. With a sigh of relief that was almost audible the two rode into the village and the Austrian lines.
Once within they met with no further obstacle until they reached the last line of sentries upon the far side of the town. It was with more confidence that Barney gave the countersign here, nor was he surprised that the soldier passed them readily; and now they were upon the high- road to Lustadt, with nothing more to bar their way.
For hours they rode on in silence. Barney wanted to talk with his companion, but as king he found nothing to say to her. The girl's mind was filled with morbid reflections of the past few hours and dumb terror for the future. She would keep her promise to the king; but after--life would not be worth the living; why should she live? She glanced at the man beside her in the light of the coming dawn. Ah, why was he so like her American in outward appearances only? Their own mothers could scarce have distinguished them, and yet in character no two men could have differed more widely. The man turned to her.
"We are almost there," he said. "You must be very tired."
The words reflected a consideration that had never been a characteristic of Leopold. The girl began to wonder if there might not possibly be a vein of nobility in the man, after all, that she had never discovered. Since she had en- tered his apartments at Blentz he had been in every way a different man from the Leopold she had known of old. The boldness of his escape from Blentz supposed a courage that the king had never given the slightest indication of in the past. Could it be that he was making a genuine effort to become a man--to win her respect?
They were approaching Lustadt as the
"Give this to your lieutenant," he said, "and tell him to hand it to Prince Peter before dawn tomorrow. Do not fail."
A moment later the three were riding down the winding road toward Blentz. Barney had no further need of the officer who rode with them. He would be glad to be rid of him, for he anticipated that the fellow might find ample opportunity to betray them as they passed through the Austrian lines, which they must do to reach Lustadt.
He had told the captain that they were going to Tann in order that, should the man find opportunity to institute pur- suit, he might be thrown off the track. The Austrian sentries were no great distance ahead when Barney ordered a halt.
"Dismount," he directed the captain, leaping to the ground himself at the same time. "Put your hands behind your back."
The officer did as he was bid, and Barney bound his wrists securely with a strap and buckle that he had re- moved from the cantle of his saddle as he rode. Then he led him off the road among some weeds and compelled him to lie down, after which he bound his ankles together and stuffed a gag in his mouth, securing it in place with a bit of stick and the chinstrap from the man's helmet. The threat of the revolver kept Captain Krantzwort silent and obedient throughout the hasty operations.
"Good-bye, captain," whispered Barney, "and let me sug- gest that you devote the time until your discovery and re- lease in pondering the value of winning your king's confi- dence in the future. Had you chosen your associates more carefully in the past, this need not have occurred."
Barney unsaddled the captain's horse and turned him loose, then he remounted and, with the princess at his side, rode down toward Blentz.
X
A NEW KING IN LUTHA
AS THE TWO riders approached the edge of the village of Blentz a sentry barred their way. To his challenge the American replied that they were "friends from the castle."
"Advance," directed the sentry, "and give the counter- sign."
Barney rode to the fellow's side, and leaning from the saddle whispered in his ear the word "Slankamen."
Would it pass them out as it had passed Maenck in? Barney scarcely breathed as he awaited the result of his experiment. The soldier brought his rifle to present and directed them to pass. With a sigh of relief that was almost audible the two rode into the village and the Austrian lines.
Once within they met with no further obstacle until they reached the last line of sentries upon the far side of the town. It was with more confidence that Barney gave the countersign here, nor was he surprised that the soldier passed them readily; and now they were upon the high- road to Lustadt, with nothing more to bar their way.
For hours they rode on in silence. Barney wanted to talk with his companion, but as king he found nothing to say to her. The girl's mind was filled with morbid reflections of the past few hours and dumb terror for the future. She would keep her promise to the king; but after--life would not be worth the living; why should she live? She glanced at the man beside her in the light of the coming dawn. Ah, why was he so like her American in outward appearances only? Their own mothers could scarce have distinguished them, and yet in character no two men could have differed more widely. The man turned to her.
"We are almost there," he said. "You must be very tired."
The words reflected a consideration that had never been a characteristic of Leopold. The girl began to wonder if there might not possibly be a vein of nobility in the man, after all, that she had never discovered. Since she had en- tered his apartments at Blentz he had been in every way a different man from the Leopold she had known of old. The boldness of his escape from Blentz supposed a courage that the king had never given the slightest indication of in the past. Could it be that he was making a genuine effort to become a man--to win her respect?
They were approaching Lustadt as the