Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-09-17
FEaa he WsVuIig HasazlasI
CATCHING A RARFAR
BY sEoRaR l. AIEnN.


gave rise to the Well-kn0Wn saying
loo Catching q Tartar" am not
prepared 70 say; but It was very
likely, for the circumstances &c the
popular phrase aptly.
Charles Twelfth, OfSweeden, sur.
named on account Of his Warlike
propenslties BY his admirers, the
Lion Of the North" and BY bis do.
tractors, with equal justice, perhaps,
The "Madman Of the North" acct.
dentally encountered, Ct the chateau
G0rtz, . young creature from the
banks Of the VOlga-a niece Of Bar.
on GortZ So powerful was the i'm.
preston she at once made upon the
hitherto impFegnable heart Of the
hero, so completely was be SPELL
bound In her charms, that he seem.
ed to lose all recollection Of other
matters, even Of the disastrous bat
tie Of PultoWS.
The name Of this enchantress was
the Princess Ikla-for she was =
princess, her mother the baron's
sister, having married the Hetman
Of the TataFs. Being left an or.
phan at an early age, she had taken
up her residence with Baron GOrtz
In Stralsund.
The baron was Q bit Of an histOri-
Amor thought he was-and was
then engaged In writing . history
Of the king, who called upon him
often to revise and correct the work.
Besides the baron was one Of the
crown councillors, aud was often
entrusted with important business
Of the state.
Charles the Twelfth had that de.
sire, which seems inherent in the
breast Of greatness-he wished. TO
be loved for himself alone, without
any regard to his state and gran
deur consequently he had himself
presented TO Ikla under the simple
title Of Count DOlfen, aud IN that
same name be paid his court to the
cratic princess; for her tartar
blood made her disregard many Of
the cOnventionalities OF life, though
her uncle often declared that she
had the blood Of the Gortzes full in
her veins, and there was not much
of the Kalmuck about him.
Baron Gortz was highly delight
ed at the prospect of becoming the
uncle OF the king but that delight
was tempered by q wholesome
dread of.his prospective nephew-in-
law. For stripping off the dazzling
veil Of his military glory, we must
acknowledge that the "LiOn Of the
North" was an unmIligated tyraut,
aud ruled his subjects in a very ar
bitrary manner.
Baron Goriz had proof of this,
one day, when he received q ! letter
from the king. 1t contained these
words:
"BARoH DE GoRrz Information
has reached me that the Captain OF
Hulans, Gustavus ReinOld, who was
condemned to death for neglect of
orders at the battle of Pultowa, but
who escaped before the execution
of his sentence, has been seen in
StraIsuud. Write instantly to the
Governor; tell him | hold him re-
spOnsible for the apprehension of
this traitor. Within five minutes
of his being taken and identified,
let him be shot. Aud the person
in whose house he shall be found
shall be forthwith shot.
CHARLES"
This letter troubled the good old
baron sorely, for his niece had made
him promise to intercede Tor this
identical young officer. lie broke
into a cold perspiratiOn when he
reflected that if he did so the proba-
bility was that he should get him.
self shot for his pains. He wished
fOndly in his heart that the king
aud Ikla were married, for then be
should be his uncle, and he could
never think Of shooting one Of the
rosal family.
lie wrote the order to the gov
ernOr, aud sent it by a servant, who
Informed him that one of the police
wished TO speak with him. Won
dering at this he hasteued 10 the
hall below. On his return, he found
Ikla, a petite, darE.baired, dark
eyed gypsy OF a woman, gazing list
lessly from the large bay window
Into the street below. She noticed
that he was In a state OF great per.
turbatiOn.
What Is the matter 2" she asked.
Il want to put you on your quart"
he exclaimed, brealhlessIy. "rhe po.
lice have sent TO say the! have rea-
son TO believe that a young man j.
concealed somewhere in my cha.
teau."
Il know it." answered Ikla, cool
ly. al concealed him."
"Yuu" exclaimed the baron.
"WhO is he ?"
"Gustavus Reinold."
The baron uttered o dismal
groan.
"lkla, you have murdered me !"
lac cried; aud sank feebly into u
chair.
"Not so bad as that, l hope" she
replied, smilingly.
II tell you that whoever harbors
the traitor is to be shOtl" exclaimed
the frightened baron irately.
"You know we'll that Gustavus
Is no traitor"
"What signifies that =? If the king
orders, it. he must be shetland so
must l" And the baron grOaned
again. "What made you take so
fatal an interest in this young
man ?"
"His misfOrtunes," replied Ikla.
"He is innocent l know 1t, and my
dear mother, your sister, knew It
also. Forced by a cruel and uniust