Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-10

| point in a struggle that could not be pro-
| longed, but would be rather sharp, short
and decisive. If his men failed al the on
| set all was lost; if they gained but little
ascendancy now, their mastery of the field
became fairly assured. Great would be the
| reward for success; the fruits of victory
| free baron cut down stalwart trooper; his
blade pierced the throat of another.
Clear the way to Charles!" he cried, ex-
ultantly. He is our guerdon."
So terrible that rush. the guard of Spain
| on the right and the troops of Flanders on
| the left began to give way; only the men
| of Friedwald stood but with the breaking
of the forces on each side it was inevitable
| they, too, must soon be overwhelmed. In
voluntarily as the quick eye of the emperor
detected this sign of impending disaster.
he half started from his chair. His hand
| sought his side; in his eyes shone steely
| light. The prelate quickly crossed himself
and raised his head as if in prayer.
The penance, sire he murmured, but
his voice trembled.
Mechanically Charles replaced his blade.
Yea; better kingdom lost" he muttered,
than a broken VOW"
Yet, after so many battles won in the
i field and Diet; after titanic contests with
kings In Christendom, and Solyman in the
| east. to fall, by the mockery of fate into
the grasp of thevng mountain rif1er-
ambition! power! we SOW but the sand"
whispered safety.
''Vainglory- is a sleeveless Grand" muir
INJURED the spirit of the fiagellant.
Yet he gazed half-fiedcely at his priestly
adviser, when suddenly his gloomy eye
frightened; the inutility of ambition was
| forgotten; unconsciously he clasped the
arm of the joculatriX, who had drawn near.
| His grip was like gauntlet; even in her
| tense, strained mood she WINGED.
THE fight is not yet lost," he exclaimed.
| AS he spoke the figure of knight, fully
armed, VINO had made his way through the
avenue of tents, was seen swiftly descend
| ing the hill. Upon his strong Arabian
| steed. the riders appearance and bearing
/ signaled him as a soldier apart from the
rank and file of the guard. His coat-of-
! arms. that of the house of Fredwald, was
richly emblaZoned upon the housings of his
courser. Whence had he come? The at
! tendants and equerries had not seen him in
/ the camp Only the taciturn armorer of
Friedwald looked complacently after him,
! stroking his great beard one we'll salts
fled. AS this late-comer approached the
wavering yet more perilously.
"A miracle, Sire!' cried the prelate.
But, one that partakeS more of earth
than Heaven" retorted Charles, with ready
! irony.
WHO is he, Sire?" breathlessly asked the
young girl. At her feet whmpe the blue
eyed page. holding to her skirt, all his
courage gone. .--.----
But ere he could answer-if he had seen
mt to do so-from below, out of the vortex,
came the clamorous shouts:
The duke! The duke"'
The master of the mountain pass heard
also, and felt at that moment a sudden
quittance; could 1t be possible after all, the
end was not far? He could not believe it,
yet paroxysm of fury seized him; his
strength became redoubled; wherever his
sword touched a trooper fell.
But like wave, recovering from the re-