Evening star., 1901-08-24
CHAPTER XXVI.

The news which Sergeant CardonO had to
communicate was indeed fitted to shake the
strongest nerves. If true, it took away
from Rollo at once any hope of the success
of his mission. He saw himself returning
disgraced and impotent to the camp of Ca
brera, either to be shot out of hand, or,
worse STILL to be sent over the frontier as
something too useless and feeble to be fur
ther employed.
Briefly the boys news as repeated by La
Giralda to the sergeant, Informed Rollo
that though the court was presently at
La Granja and many courtiers in the VII
lage of San Idefenso, the royal guards,
through fear and hunger, had mutinied and
marched back to Madrid and that the gyp-
sizes were gathering among the mountains
in order to make a night attack upon the
stranded and forsaken court of Spain.
In Rollo's opinion, not moment was to
be lost. The object of the Gitanos was pure
pIunder, but they would think nothing Of
bIcodshed, and would doubtless give the
whole palace and town over to rapine and
pilage. Themselves desperate with hunger
and isolation, they had resolved to strike
a blow which would ring from one end of
Spain to the other.
1t was their intention, so the imp said
to kill the queen regent and her daughter
to slaughter the ministers and courtiers in
attendance, to plunder the palace from top
to bottom and to give all within the neigh
boring town of San Ildefenso to the sword
The program as thus badly announced
| ror, even those who had been hardened by
years of fraticidal warfare in which guar
ter was neither given nor expected.
Besides the pIunder of the palace and its
occupants the leaders of the gypses ex-
pected that they would obtain great re-
wards from Don Carlos for thus removing
| the only obstacles to his undisputed pos
! session of the throne of Spain.
The heart of RoIlo beat violently. His
Scottish birth and training gave him
| natural reverence for the sanctity of sick
| ness and death, and the idea of these men
! plotting ghoulshly to utilize 'the onlaytng
| of the hand of providence" (as his father
would have phrased IT. for the purposes
| of plunder and rapine, unspeakably 1e-
| yolted him.
| He Immediately called a council of war,
| at which, despite the frowns of Sergeant
| Cardono, little Concha Cabezos had her
place.
La Giralda was summoned Also but ex-
cused herself, saying: 1T is better that !
| should not know what you intend to do.
| am, after all, Gitana, and might be
| tempted to reveal your secrets If l knew
| them. 1t is better, therefore, that should
| not. Let me- therefore, keep my own place
| as a seryitor in your company, to cut the
| brushwood of your fire and to bring the
! water from the spring. In those things you
| will find me faithful. Trust the gypsy 70
further"
| Rolo remembering her loyalty In the
| matter of Dolores at the village of Ell Sar
ria was about to make an objection, but
| significant gesture from the sergeant re-
strained him in time.
Whereupon Rollo addressed himself to
| the Others setting clearly before them the
| gravity OF the situation
| John Mortimer shook his head gravely.
| He could not approve How often has
my father told that the first loss is the
| least. This all comes of trying to make
up my loss of the abbot priorato"
| Etienne shrugged his shoulders and
| philosophicaIly quoted a Gascon proverb
| to the effect that who buys the flock must
| take the black sheep also.
| EI Sarria simply recollected that his gun
/ and pistol We're in good order and waited
/ for orders
| The conference therefore resolved itself
| into trio of consultants-Rollo. because
| he was the leader; Sergeant Cardono. be-
| cause he knew the country, and Concha-
because she was Concha.
| They were within hour of twos rapid
| march of La Granja over a pass in the
| Guardarrama. The sergeant volunteered to
| lead them down into the gardens In that
I time He knew a path often travelled by
| smugglers on their way to Segovia.
1T Is clear that If we are to carry away
/ the queen regent and her daughter we must
| forestaH the gypsies. said Rolo.
Concha clasped her hand pitifully.
| All the poor Young queen. she cried.
| Praise to the saints that was not born
| princess! 1t goes To my heart to make her
| prisoner
Finally 1t was judged that they should
| make night march over the mountains,
| find some suitable place to lie up in during
| the day, and in the morning send in La
| Giralda and the sergeant to San Ildefenso
/ in the guise of fagot sellers to find out If
| the gypsy boy of Baza had spoken the
truth.
| San Ildefenso and La Granja are two of
1 the most strangely situated places IN Spain.
| A high and generally snow-clad sierra
| divides them from Madrid and the south.
| The palace is one Of the most high-lying
| places upon earth. having originally been
one of the mountain ranges of the monks
/ OF Segovia, to which a king of Spain took
| a fancy, and, what is more remarkable.
| for which he was willing to pay good
| money.
| Upon the site palace has been erected.
| a miniature Versailles, infinitely more
| charming that che original. with walks,
| fountains, waterfalls, all fed by the cold
| snow water Of the Guadarrama and famed
| by the pure air OF the mountains. This
grange has been for centuries favorite
| resort of the court of Spain, especially
| during these last years of the Regent
Christina, who. when tired Of the precision