The Elbert County tribune., 1906-01-18
Copyright. 1893 1900. BY 8. 4. 'crockett.)

ing upon the palm OF his left hand
with the fingers OF his right. ''If I,
Werner of Orseln. were now to walk
upstairs. and in so many words tell
| my lady, the sweet. easy princess
| as you name her. Joan of the Sword,
ms we nre proud"
Joan of the Swordl Hoch!"
The men-at-arms at the lower table.
the bearded captains at the high
board, the very page boys lounglng in
the inches. rose to their feet at the
very name. pronounced in a voice of
thunder-pride by Chief Captain Wer-
ner
I thank You, gentlemen, on behalf
of my lady. in whose name / COM
mand here said Werner, bowing cere-
moniously to all around. while the
others settled themselves to listen.
Now, worthy soldiers of Plassen-
burg" he went on, be 1t known to
you that II Ito suppose case which
will not happen) l were to tell our
Lady Joan what you have confessed
to us here and boasted of--that you
lied and double lied to her-I lay my
life and the lives OF these good fel-
lows that the pair of you would be
aswing from the corner gallery of the
Lions Tower in something under five
minutes
Jorian rose to his feet. up. Boris!"
he cried. "noBo or-Russian, no kern of
Hohenstein that ever lived, shall over
crow a captain of the armies of Plas-
senburg and soldier of the Princess
Helene-Heaven bless her. Take your
ring in your hand. Boris. for we will
we will tell the Lady Duchess Joan
that. having no sweetheart of legal
standing, and no desire for any, we
choused her into the belief that we
would bestow her rings upon our be-
trothed in the rose gardens of Plas-
senburg. Then we will see If indeed
we shall be aswing in five minutes
Ready. Boris?"
Aye, thrice ready, Jorian."
About then! Quick march,"
great noise of clapping rose all
round the hall as the two stout SOL
diers set themselves to march up the
staircase by which they had just des-
cended.
+,
the chief captain. do not let them
pass. Stand up and drink deep cup
to them, rather! To Captains Jorian
and Boris of Plassenburg, brave fell
lows BOTH"
The toast was drunk amid multi
tudinous shoutings and handshakings.
The two men had stopped perforce.
for the doors were in the hands of
the soldiers of the guard, and the pike
points clustered thick In their paths
They turned now in the direction of
the high table from which they had
risen.
"Sit down, gentlemen, and l also
will sit. Now hearken WE'LL" said
Werner; these good fellows of mine
will bear me out that lie not You
have done bravely and spoken up like
good men taken in fault. But we
will not permit you to go to your
deaths. For our Lady Joan-God bless
her-would not take false word
from any-no, not If 1t were on
Twelfth Night or after a Christmas
merry-making. She would not forgive
it from your old Longbeard upstairs.
whose business IL ls-t1at is, II Sne
found it out. To the gallows!' she
would say, and we-why. we should
sorrow for having to hasten the
stretchings of two good men. Keep
your rings, lads. and keep also your
wits about you when the duchess
questions you again. Nay, when you
return to Plassenburg. be wise. seek
out Gretchen and a Katrin and be-
stow the rings upon them-that is, if
ever you mean again to stand within
the danger of Joan of the Sword in
this her castle of Kernsberg!"
"Gretchens are none so scarce in
Plassenburg." muttered Jorian. Il
think we can satisfy her-but at
cheaper price than a ring of rubies
set in gold!'