The San Francisco call., 1897-12-19

conscious state, but early in the after
noon she felt better and was able to
look at the beauties of the country
through which they rode. Close at her
bride rode a young soldier, one of Aer
fathers guards. She had not spokA
to him through the morning, and he
had not presumed to address her. Now
! she called his attention to the beauti-
! full trees and flowers along the road,
and gradually they fell to the rear of
| the long train. Once the officer, in
| obedience to her commands, turned his
! gaze up toward the top of a tree from
! which were hanging some branches OF
q scarlet creeper. The sun shone full
on his yellow hair and strong youthful
form, and Clytie recalled the words she
had heard her father speak in the
morning, "Ride by the princess bride
rein. You have a strong arm and a true
heart. I confide her to you They
were passing a spot where a spur of
the mountain, deeply cut by ravine,
ran down into the plain. This noun
tain was the stronghold of a fierce and
! terrible rObber king. The road was
only trail, uneven and narrow. The
King and all his attendants had just
passed out of sight around point of
rocks. The princess drew her horse up
and looked lOngingly at the flowers.
At this moment the sun shone on
something bright and moving up in
! the steep defile of the mountain At
once the young officer saw and under
| stood A band of marauders was de-
scending from the mountain fastness
and would certainly try to cut them
off and carry the princess away. He
seized her bride and urged her horse
to it's utmost speed. AS they reached
the mouth of the de1le he struck the
| horse with the fiat of his sword
Fly, dear lady, for God and your
! Princes sake"
So saying he plunged his spurs into
the f1anks of his horse and charged up
the pass. The war cry of his race rang
out, bringing the whole train to a halt,
and in moment the flying princeks
appeared before the startled King. Ttk
men-at-arms rushed to the rescue; the
strife was short and swift; the D6b-
| bers fed, leaving six of their number
dead on the ground, but the gallant
young soldier lay bleeding and dying.
The King refined his horse beside him,
and the princess threw herself down
and tried in vain to stanch the blood
that flowed from his breast. "Oh,
what misfortune" she mOaned.
Not so, dear princess" he saidW
opening his eyes and smiling a proud
and happy smile. my life, had it
been long or short, was all yours. It
has been granted to me to render you
in one moment a service we'll worth
all of my life, and it is now mine to
drain all of life's joy in one draught.
Years could add nothing to my hap
piness.''
SO saying he died.
They mounted their horses and
proceeded sadly on their way. King
Sigmund and Prince HeliOs came out
from their city to meet them, and were
1neXpressibly shocked when they heard
| what had occurred. The prince swore
| mighty oath that. the festival once
over, he would ride out and externoin-
ate the robber king and his hordes.
The princess, who firmly believed that
| these troubles had been foretold bv
the bowling dog and black cat, was not
reassured to hear her lover speak in
this way. She trembled as she walked
| beside him over the crimson Garnet
which had been spread for them at the
entrance to the castle. They reached
the door; her foot caught on a fold al
the carpet; she stumbled at the ver%
threshold, murmuring, My every step
is attended with disaster" She fell
1alntlng into the arms of the prince.
He was very much alarmed, but the
hlng, her father, said that she must
have received some slight injury dur
ing the flight from the robbers. and
led her at once to her room and left
her in the care of her women.
The Princess Elsa, cousin of Prince
HeIlos, went up as soon as possible to
see their guest She found Clytie
weeping and moaning Seating heAS
| Calf he -I,1
the cause of Clytie's tears. The
princess was ashamed to tell of her
superstitious terrors, so she said she
was weeping for the death of the brave
soldier who had lost his life for her
sake.
At last she was as near the top of the
mountain as seemed prudent. Dis
mounting she stole softly out from
cover, and before her was the road
leading to the hunting grounds Lis
tening for a moment she heard the
sound of horses trampling and had onlv
time to crouch behind some bushes
when the band of robbers passed on
their way to the place of ambush. Their
frightful appearance made her heart
shrink with fear, not for herself, how
ever, but lest she might not find the
hunters in time to warn them. The
|
they were gone she came from her hid
ing place and began to climb the steen
way. In a few minutes the welcome
sound of hunting horn rang from cliff
to cliff. Springing on to high rock nv
the road, she blew long and loud rDon
her horn the call her father had taiIobt
her. She stopped to listen and Ihen
blew longer and louder than before
She knew full we'll that the robbers
would hear it, too, and that if it did
not reach her fathers ears she MIGHT
fall into the marauders' hands. but She.
also knew that there was no time ~
lose, so bravely sounded the call. soon
her fathers horn answered hers ana
following the direction from which the
sound came, she was soon in his arms
: 1t is not necessary for me to fell 1-o,,
how she told her tale; how, led nv ber
the Kings and their followers nassad
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