Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-04

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4 s'He should be here at 49,"
guard at the west gate and two to at
tend the carriage and horses in the
ravine beyond the CASTLE"
"When did these men arrive?"
This morning. | kept them in my
sisters home until an hour ago. They
are now in the ravine awaiting Os-
from and myself Are you sure, Mi
chael, that the guards and the cook
have been made to understand every
detail? The faintest slip will mean
ruin"
"They are to be trusted fully. Their
pay is to be high enough to make it an
object to be infallible. The guard,
Dushan, will leave the gate unwatch-
ed, and you will chloroform him, with
his consent, of course. You will enter,
as have explained before, and crawl
along in the dark shadow Of the wall
until you reach the arbor that leads
to the kitchen and scullery. Here an
other guard, Rabbo, known to Ostrom
as a comrade in her royal highness'
service not more than year ago, will
be encountered He will be bound
and gagged without the least noise or
struggle. Just as the clock strikes Q
the cook will walk past the scullery
window in the basement thrice, carry
ing lighted candle. You will see
THIS light through the WINDOW ana
will know that all is well inside the
castle. Ostrom, you will then lead
the two Viennese to place directly
beneath the third window in the prin-
cess sleeping apartment There are
several clumps of shrubbery there, and
under these they will hide, protected
from the gaze of any Waterman who
is not with us. You and Geddos will
be admitted to the scullery by the
cook, who will conduct you to the hall
leading to her highness, bedroom. The
man who guards her door is called
pannox. He will not be at his post,
but will accompany you when you
leave the castle. You will understand
how carefully you must enter her room
and how deeply she must be chloro-
formed. In the adjoining room her
lady in waiting, the Countess Dagmar,
sleeps. If her door is ajar, you are to
creep in and chloroform her, leaving
her undisturbed. Then the princess is
to be wrapped in the cloth you take
with you and lowered from the viii
dow to the men below. They are to
remain in hiding until you have left
the castle and have reached their side.
1t will not be difficult, if caution is OBJ
served, for you to get outside of the
wall and to the carriage in the ravine.
I have given you this plan of action
before, know, but I desire to I'M
press it firmly upon your minds. There
must not be the slightest deviation.
The precision of clockworls is neces-.
sary."
The man named Michael Kissed the
foregoing into the ears of his compan-
ions, the palsied Americans hearing
every WORD distinctly. They scarcely
breathed, SO tremendous was the re-
straint imposed upon their nerves. A
crime SO huge, SO daring as the abduc-
ton of a princess, the actual invasion
of castle to commit the theft Of hui
man being just as an ordinary burglar
would steal in and make way with the
contents of silver chest, was beyond
their power of comprehension.
We understand fully how it is to be
done, and we shall get her to Ganlook
on time" said Geddos confidently.
''.Not a hair OF her head must be
harmed" cautioned the arch conspira-
tor. "In four days shall meet you at
Ganlook. You will keep her in close
confinement until you hear from me.
Have you the guards uniforms that
you are to wear tonightY
"Ihey are with the carriage in the
ravine. Ostrom and 1 will don them
before going to the castle. In case we
are seen they will throw observers off
the track long enough for us to secure
a good start in our flight.
Remember, there is to be no failure
This may mean death to you, certainly
a long prison term, If you are appre-
hended. know it is a daring deed, but
it is just Of the kind that succeeds.
Who would dream that mortal man
could find the courage to steal prin-
cess Of the realm from her bed and
spirit her away from under the very
noses of her Wanted guardsmen7 It is
the bold, the impossible plan that
wins"
Ito Be Continued)
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a bad egg requires no faster n