Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1896-06-26

F, Smith gave the alarm, and crossed
| their pixies in front of him. A tall Off
| Ger came clanking out in response to
| their summons, and following him
were Il number Of men in arms. The
| officer demanded to know who the III
| truder was, and Smith said he was q
stranger who had lost his way and, moi
recognizing thn place. thought ne
| would inquire where be was The Off
Ger gave q command to the guard, who
| raised their lances instantly, and then
he asked Smith to accompany him into
the courtyard. This done, the officer
who looked at him sharply, ordered
the gates to be closed, and sent a mes
senger in hot haste to the castle In
evident RESPONSE to the message there
poured out of the castle door and down
the steps d multitude of men, most OF
whom had drawn swords in theii
hands, although some We're without
arms of any sort, and looked as if they
had rushed away from the banquetine
table. 4 number of servants held
torches and the courtyard was as bril-
liantly Illuminated as the inside Of the
castle itself.
When the mob saw Smith they rails
ed great shout and brandished their
weapons, and, to his Amusement, he
heard cry go forth:
.1'hc emperorl The emperor.
Smith flushed with pleasure at this,
because lie had several times been
told that he resenlbled the Emperor
William, and / have always thought
that he trimmed his mustache to fur
ther this likeness and in other respects
dressed the part. a moment later his
satisfaction grew less when a number
Of men pointed their swords at his
threat, and one cried:
Let us bring in his head to the
Knight of Ehrenburg; it will be an ac-
ceptable present"
\ shout went up.
Are the gates closed|
Yes answered the officer who had
given the command.
Then kill him where he stands
Hold onv' cried Smith, raising his
voice above the tumult. There has
been some mistake here. / am merely
q poor traveller who has lost his way
You have indeed. sire" they cried.
sword aloft:
1--WE will find your way for you, and
it will be Il short cut to he'll, where you
rjghtfully belong.
Permit me to say" said Smith
again, that you have made a mistake.
belong to the United States
But the men swarmed around him,
paying little heed to his words, each
seeming eager for the first thrust at
at him, and got in one another's way:
thus Smith for the moment escaped
disaster
AT this crisis there appeared in the
castle doorway an old man of excep-
tional tallness, dressed as if for mas
querade in Il complete suit of armor,
but without helmet on his gray head.
Smith could not see his face plainly,
but he saw enough of it to notice the
look of command that was in it, The
tall man held up his right hand.
"Stop!" he cried in a voice that rang
out into the night echoing against the
gates and reechoing again from the
castle walls.
At the word every sword point drop
ped to the ground and the crowd drew
back from Smith so that he stood
alone in the center of the circle. The
old warrior came with dignitied tread
down the stone steps, caught up Il
torch from the hand of one of his ser
yitors, and, the circle parting to give
way, strobe toward Smith and held UP
the torch, scrutiniZing him with the
eyes Of an eagle.
Eve have, indeed, the emperor Il
prisoner" he said slowly, letting his
torch fall on tile co5ble stones of the
castle yard.
'1rhen let us kill him, tyrant and
traitor that he ISL shouted some one
from behind the old man.
''HushH said another, my lord of
Ehrenburg speaks. Silence for the
Knight of Ehrenburg.
When silence once again reigned the
Knight Of Ehrenburg spoke, slowly
tut distinctly
I've have the emperor a prisoner"
he repeated "but only till the moment
some ones sword pierces his false
heart
The crowd seemed to take this as
permission of the lord of Ehrenburg
that they might kill, and they shouted
and brandished their weapons once
more, but the knight of Ehrenburg
held up his hand again and demanded
silence
IF we kill him then who shall be
emperor"
His son at Trayes,' some one an
swered.
Yes replied the knight, Ibis son