The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-13

and carried her off; which seemed TO I
the ambassador a very strange story (
I But the king told it with great fervor, |
/ and he besought the count to scatter
! his attendants all through the wood
/ and seek the robber; yet he charged
/ them not TO kill the man themselves.
/ but to keep him till he came. For I
have sworn to kill with my own hand
he cried
Now, Count Sergius, however. much
astonished he might be, could do moth
ing but accede to the kings request,
and he sent off all his men to scour
the woods and mounting his horse.
himself set off with them, showing
great zeal in the kings service, but
still thinking the kings story very
strange one. Thus Ne king was left
alone with his two guards and with
the officer who had smiled.
''WiIl you not go also, sir?'' asked
the king.
I'VE have found them, sir, we have
FOUND them"
Then he hasn't five minutes to
liver cried the king in fierce joy, and
he logged out his sword. adding: The
moment 1 set my eyes on him l will
kill him. There IS no need for words
between me and him."
At this speech the face of the officer
grew suddenly grave and alarmed;
and he put spurs to his horse and
hastened after the king, who had at
once dashed away in the direction in
which the man had pointed; but the
king had got a start and kept it. so
that the officer seemed terribly fright
ened, and muttered to himself:
Heaven send that he does not kill
btu before he knows" and he added
some very impatient words concern
ing the foIlies of princes and, above all,
of princes OF love.
Thus. while the ambassador and his
men searched high and low for the
noted robber, and the kings men
hunted for the student of the univer-
sity. the king. followed by two OF ms f.
guards at a distance of about hfty
yards for his horse was better than
theirs) came straight to where Osra
and her lover stood together and a
few yards behind the guards came the
officer; and he also had by now drawn
his sword But he rode so eagerly
that he overlook and passed the king 5
guards, and got within thirty yards
of the king by the time that the king
was within twenty Of the lovers. But
the king ret him get no nearer. for ne
dug his spurs again into his horse 5
side and the horse bounded forward
while the king cried furiously to ms
sister: Stand away from him" The
princess cd not heed but stood in
wholly unarmed) holding up the little
dagger in her hand. The King laugh
ed scornful1y and angrily, thinking
that Osra menaced him with the wea-
ron and not suppOsing that it was her
self for whom she destined it And
having reached them, the King leapt
from his horse and ran at them, with
his sword raised to strike Osra gave
cry of terror. Mercy she cried
: Mercy But the King had no thought
of mercy and he would certainly then
and there have killed her lover, had
not the officer gaining moment $
time by the Kings dismounting. at
this very instant come gallOpihg up;
and, there being no time for any eX-
r PLANTATION, he leant from his saddle
and dashed by, and, putting out his
' hand, snatched the Kings sword away
from him, just as the King was about
| to thrust it through his sisters love-.
l But the officers horse was going 50
! furiously that he could not stop it
l for hard on 40 yards. and he narrowly
escaped splitting his head against a
: great bough that hung low across the
Il grassy path; and he dropped first his
. own sword and then the Kings; but
= at last, he brought the horse to a
l standsttll. and leaping down, ran
= back towards where the swords lay.
y But at the moment the King also ran
: towards them; for the fury that he
- had been in before was as nothing to
q that which now possessed him. After
y his sword was snatched from him he
= stood in speeches. anger for a full
= minute, but then had turned to pur-
4 sue the man who had dared to treat
= him with such insult; and now. in his
- desire to be at the officer. he
4 had come very near to forgetting the
! student. Just as the officer came tic
where the Kings sword lay, and
h picked it up, the King in his turn
4 reached the officers sword and picked
n up that. The King came with rush
d at the officer, who, seeing that tbs
9 King was likely to kill him, or he the
a King, If he stood his ground, turned
n tail and sped away at the top of his
# speed through the forest, but as ht
n went, thinking that the time had come
$ for plain speaking, he looked back OYel
= his shoulder and shouted:
ID Sire, it's the Grand Duke himself
n The King stopped short in sudder
5 amazemem.
: rs the man mad?" he asked. "WhC
is the Grand Duke?"
It's the Grand Duke, Sire, who i.
with the Princess. And you would
have killed him if I had not snatcheC
your sword said the officer, and h,
also came to halt, but he kept {
very wary eye on KING Rudolf.
Il should certainly have killed him
let him be who he will said the King
But why do you call him the Crane
Duke?"
The officer very cautiously ap
preached the King. and. seeing tina
the King made no threatening motion
he at last trusted himself so close tina
he could speak to the King in a. YER
low voice; and what he said seemed
to astonish, please and amuse tn
King immensely. For he clapped tn
officer on the back, laughed heartily
and cried:
"a pretty trick! On my life. a pref
ty trick
Now Osra and her lover had no
heard what the officer had shouted #
the King, and when Osra saw he
brother returning from among tn
trees alone and with his sword, sh
still supposed that her lover must die
and She turned and flung her arm
round his neck and chung to him fCr
moment. kissing him. Then she face
the King, with a smile on her fac
and the little dagger in her hanC
,x But the King came up. wearing
scornful smile. and he asked her:
What is the dagger for, my Wifi
. sister,"
For me, if you kill him." said sh
- You would kill yourself, then. if
m killed him.
+ + Il would not live moment after /
at was dead"