The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1906-09-13
JOAN 4 III SWORD HAND
~ S'RCROCHETT. .AuMoc AZ Tie Rsmaasao
Copyright 1898 1900 by s. R. crockett)

4 "eiu lheln ana punctuating his mean
| ing upon the palm OF his left hand
with the fingers of his right. III |,
| 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.
as we are proud"
Joan of the Sword! Hoch,"
me men-at-arms at the lower table,
the bearded captains at the high
BOARD, the very page boys lounging in
'he nlches, rose to their feet at the
very name. pronounced in a voice of
thunder-pride by Chief Captain Wer-
ner.
thank you, gentlemen. on behalf
OF my lady, in whose name | COM
mand here said Werner, bowling cere-
monlously to all around, while the
otners settled themselves to listen
Now, worthy soldiers of Plassen.
burg, he went on, "be 1t known to
you that If Ito suppose a case which
VIII not happen) | were to tell our
Lady Joan what you have confessed
10 us here and boosted of-that you
lled and double lied to her-I lay my
ne and the lives of these good fel.
lows that the pair of you would be
aswing from the corner gallery of the
Lion ROVER in something under five
minutes"
Jorlan rose to his feet. up, Boris!"
he cried; "no-Bor-Russian, no kern of
Hohenstein that ever lived, shall over
crow captain of the armies of Plas-
senDurg and soldier of the Princess
Helene-Heaven bless her. Take your
ring in your hand. Boris, for we will
go up straightway, you and |. And
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-
enburg. Then we will see IL indeed
we shall be aswing in five minutes.
Ready, Boris?"
Aye, thrice ready, Jorian!"
About then! Quick march,"
A 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.
Stand to the doors!" cried Werner.
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 handshalxings.
The two men had stopped perforee,
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 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 a false word
from any-no, not If it were on
WSiitu INiSHI VI dIleT u christmas
making. She would not forgive
1t from your old Longbeard upstairs
whose business 1t is-that Is, IL she
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 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. 81
think we can satisfy her-but at
cheaper price than ring of rubies
set In gold!"