Evening star., 1901-09-07

were creeping up to take them in the rear.
when a sound altered his intention. There
is nothing more unmistakable to the ear
than the rebellious whimper of an angry
child compelled to do something against
its WILL
Rollo instantly comprehended the whole
chain of circumstances The treachery
touched him more nearly than he had
imagined. Those for whom he and his party
were imperiling their lives were in the act
of leaving them to perish as best they
might in the empty shell of the palace. Inc
royal birds were on the point Of flying.
A door opened, and through it Uhougn
dimly) Rollo could see the great waterman
glimmering and the stars above, chill over
the snowy shoulder of Penalara. He could
not make out who had opened the door, but
there was enough light to discern that a
lady wrapped In a mantilla went out nrst.
Then followed another; stouter ana OF
shorter stature, apparently carrying Dur
den. Then the whole doorway was op-
scu1ed by the tall figure of man.
''Munoz himself. by heaven! thought
Rollo.
And with a leap he was after him, in his
headlong course dashing to the ground
some other unseen person VINO confronted
him in the hall.
In a moment more he had caught the tall
man by the collar and swung him impetu-
ously round back within the doorway.
Move one sole inch and your blood De
on your own head!' he muttered. Ana the
captive. feeling Rollos steel cold at his
throat. remained prudently silent. Not SO
the lady without She uttered cry which
rang about the silent chateau.
"Munoz! My husband! Fernando where
art thou? Oh, they have slain him, and I
only am to blame!'
She turned around and rushed back to
the door, which she was about to enter
when a cry far more sudden ana terrlple
rang out behind her.
''They have killed the princess! Some
one hath slain my darling"
At the word Rollo abandoned the man
ho1 md
shout Of "Cardono! Ell Sarria! To me!
They are upon us!' he flung himself out
side.
There was little to be discerned clearly
when he emerged into the cool damp dark
ness, only a dim heap of writhing bodies
as in some combat Of hounds or OF the
denizens of the midnight forest. But Roilo
once and again saw flash of steel and
hand uplifted to strike. Without waiting
to think he gripped that which was top
most and therefore nearest to him, and
finding it Unexpectedly light, he swung
the thing clear by the garment he had
clutched. He felt a pain In his right shoul-
der. which at the time appeared no more
than the bite of squirrel or the sting of a
bee. With one heave he threw the object,
human or not. he could not Tor the mo no
ment determine, behind him into the black
ness of the hall.
.'Take hold there, somebody" he cried,
for by this time he could hear the clatter-
ing Of the feet of his followers on the
stairs and tagged passages.
Outside under the stars something or
some one larger and heavier lay on the
ground and moaned. AS Rollo bent over
it there came a rush of men from all sides
and the young man had scarcely time to
straighten himself up and draw his pistol
before he found himself attacked by half
a dozen men.
His pistol cracked and an assailant tum-
bled on his face. while the flash in the pan
revealed that he had already an ally. The
sergeant was beside him, by what means
did not then appear, for he had certainly
not come through the door, and at this
Rollo drew long breath and applied him
self to his sword play with renewed vigor.
The assailants he soon found were mostly
armed with long knives, which, however,
had little chance against the long and eX-
pert blades of the sergeant and Rollo.
After proving on several occasions the
deadly quality of these last, they broke and
ran this way and that, while from the win
doWs above where the two royal servants
were posted, with La Giralda on guard be-
tween them, a scattering fire broke out
which tumbled more than one of the fugi-
tives upon the grass.
With great and grave tenderness Rollo
and the sergeant carried that which lay on
the grass Within In a moment more they
had the door shut and bOlted, when from
the rear of the hall came the voice of Ell
Sarria.
For Gods sake" he cried, bring light,
for l have that here which is in human
form yet bites and scratches and howls
like wild beast. I cannot hold it long. 1t
is nothing less than devil incarnate."
Most strange and incomprehensible of all
that light revealed was the appearance of
the giant Ell sarria. who, his hands and
face bleeding with scratches, and seated
on the final steps of the corkscrew stair
case, held in his arms, clear of the ground,
the bent and contorted form of young
girl.
Presently Cardono desisted from his ex-
animation of the body of the waiting wo-
man. He shook his head, murmuring,
Dead! Dead! of a certainty stone dead!
And the sergeant was good judge OF
life and death. He had seen much of both.
Then he came over to where Ell Sarria
was still struggling awkwardly with the
wild and maniacal creature, as If he could
not bring his great strength to bear upon
a creature so 1.-the and quick. At the first
glance he started back and turned his gaze
next on the royal group.
For that which he now saw, distorted
with the impotence of passion and mad
ness was no other than the little girl whom
he had met in the camp of the gypsles on
the side of Guadarrama-the daughter of
Munoz, the plan maker and head center OF
the whole attack.
The sergeant stood moment or TWO
lingering his chin, as man does who con-
siders with himself whether it is worth
while shaving. Then with his usual de-
liberation he undid a leathern strap from
his waist and with great consideration but
equal effectiveness he buckled the girls
hands firmly behind her back. Then with
a neckerchief of silk he proceeded to do The
like office with her feet.
Just as he was tying the final knots, the
girl made one final and supreme effort.
She actually succeeded in twisting her body
out of the arms of Ell Sarria, and flung her
self headlong in the direction of Munoz
and the queen, splitting like a cat. But the
sergeant's shackles did their work, and the
poor tortured creature would have fallen on
her face upon the cold flags Of the stone
floor but that Ell Sarria caught her In his
arms, and, lifting her gently up, proceeded
to convey her to another apartment where
she might more safely be taken care of.
The queen regent was just able once moro
to stand upon her feet when Ell Sarria
passed with his burden. The eyes Of Munoz
fell upon the girls pale, distorted features.
He started back, and almost dropped the
queen In his horror.
''Whence came this she devil?' he cried.
''What is she doing here? Let her be locked
In dungeon. Eugene will show you where.
She will cut all our throats else!'
'Has this child not the honor to be
daughter to his eXcellency the Duke of
Rianzares?' inquired the sergeant, grinly.
"She is a maniac, tell you! 1 put her In
a mad house, and she has escaped! She
hath sworn my death!' cried Munoz, his
superciheus calm for once quite broken up.