The herald., 1896-05-17

trained in the ways of the woods
when Gertrud Richter reached the
gravelly bottom of the cleft of st. Martin
she found the rivulet wholly dried up by
the long heats Of summer Here in a secure
recess she waited full five minutes to let the
heat OF pursui. pass by, and there in the
stiffness which ensued she cried twice
Cuckoo in exact imitation of the bird
1t was the note Of hope which had checred
the heart of the Count, hearing it from
the window of the beleaguered chalet
Very swiftly the girl made her way along
the cleft, which, as in the manner of such
places in limestone districts, now opened
out into ravine with precpitous sides, now
contracted into passage little wider than a
tunnel, and anon debouched quite unex-
pectedly upon the bare side of rec!pitous
cliff.
But the latter not Unexpectedly to Ger.
trud Richter. Many time had she clam
bered down to the steep break-neck path
which led almost to the roofs of st. Polten
There it was at last. Through the narrow
half overgrown opening Of st. Martins
Loeb, Truda could see the lights of St. Pol
ten glimmering beneath her. She even
heard the band playing-that of the regi-
ment which she had risked her life to sum
mon. 1t seemed as if she could almost cry
down to them, they were so near. She
could see the bright lights of the cafe, and
the officers sitting in front of it at the little
round tables, smoking with crossed legs
and no doubt talking infinite scandal
But there was a hard Climb yet to come
and what made it much more difficult, she
had to climb down, not up.
But little Gertrud grasped the edge OF the
sill of st. Martins Loch and lei herself drop
with confidence over the bare scarp of tie
cleft. Her feet did not quite reach the next
LEDGE so she let go, with catch in her
throat lest in the years since last she had
been there, the foothold beneath her might
have been knocked away either by the
weather or by random fee.
No. it was still there. Her feet gripped
the broad firm edge, and she tip-toed out
upon it to feel fer the rowan tree which
used to grow from a cleft to the right. 1t
was gone, and Trudas heart for the first
time fluttered wildly. 1t would be terrible
should she be fixed all night on this bare
Limestone ledge, like beetle pinned to
wall, while the flelds above were making
an end of the one most dear to her-that
is, CT her father.
But Truda did not hesitate more than q
momen.. She remembered that the ledge
beneath her was very broad, and that tho
rock sioped little towards it. So without
moments hesitation she swung herself
over, and, stretching to the full extern. of
her arms, she let it go. She Slid downward
bodily, snatching at every smallest promi-
nence which would break her fall, and
bruising herself cruelty upon the rocks.
But what of that, thought Truda, when
she stood safely upon the ledge. and the
worst was over. She called to mind that
goats track led down a tail of debris to the
back Of the Rathaus of st. Polten. In a
moment she was digging her heels into the
sliding iks Of shale, and descending reck-
lessly towards the lights of the town.
In five minutes more Gertrude Richter
dishevelled and bleeding from dozen
scratches on her hands and arms, was tell
ing her tale to the Colonel OF the Hussars
of the Black Eagle.
The Count OF st. Polten besieged by
forcats- impossble!" said he looking at
the wares Of a seller of matches and auto
matically selecting one with a pretty pic
ture.
Nevertheless, in spite of the impossibi.ity,
the bugles sounded, the saddles filed, and
the hoofs elattered merrily up the road to-
wards the cha. eau of ST. Polten The path
led uphill all the way, but the men set
themselves light-hear,edly to their task.
And first Of them all. with the Colonel
little way behind her. rode the Breslau
school girl upon cavalry saddle.
And as they went they came in sight of
that which made them spur yet faster and
more fercely-the flames OF burning house
mounting redly to the skies. The heart
of the maid throbbed violently Was the
thing which she had done to be all in vane