Rocky Ford enterprise., 1906-01-19
JOAN &4h 4H SWORD HAND
~ sRROdETT. .41Mloc cV Ne Rxx,c.So
(copyright. 1855. 1900. by 8. r. croekett)

ha, ha!-Katrin's Jewel, well quaff
many a beaker. The Rhenish shall
flow. And Peg and Moll and ElIsabet
shall be there-yes. and many a good
fellow"
shut the door!" quoth Werner. the
chief captain. at this point. sit down.
sentlemen! Captains Jorian and
boris. you do not seem to know that
you are no longer In Piassenburg.
Here are no tables OF Karl the NIL.
ier's Son TO hamper our lIege mis-.
tress. DO you know that you have
lied to her and made Jest OF It?"
He spoke very slowly. leaning to-
ward them and punctuating his mean.
Ing upon the palm OF his lcf, hand
with the fingers OF his right. III l.
Werner OF onein. 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"
loan OF the Sword Hoch."
The m"n'atarms Mt tn. lower table.
the bearded captains at III. high
board. tn. very page boys ioungins In
the inches. rose to their feet mt the
very name. pronounced In voice Of
'hnndcr'pride by Chief Captain wcr-
ncr.
II thank you. gentlemen. on behalf
OF my lady. In whose name I com.
mand here said Werner. bowling core
'nonionsiy 10 all around. while the
Others settled themselves To listen.
Nov. worthy soldiers OF Piasscn.
burg" he wen, on. BE Il known to
you that II ito suppose u case which
viii not hnppcnb were To tell our
Lady Joan wha, you have confessed
'o US here and boastca of-that you
He'd and double lied to hcr-i lay my
life and the lives Of these good fci.
lows iha, the pair of you would be
nSw!ns from the corner gallery OF tho
Lions Tower in something under nv.
minutes"
Jor!ah rose TO his feet. -up. Boris!"
lie cried: "Ho-DorRuEsian. no kern OF
Hohcnsicln that ever lived. shall over.
crow n captain OF the armies OF Pias.
kcnbufs and a soldier of the Princess
iicl-rc-iioascn bless her. Take your
ring in your hand. Boris. for No will
so M straishtsay. you and !. And
NC Will tell the Lady Duchess Joan
that. having no sweetheart OF legal
standing. and no desire for any. Ne
chouS"d her into the belief that wc
would bcsios her rings upon our be.
ttoihcd in the rose gardens Of Pias.
schbuTs. Then NC will sec II indeed
Nc shall be asSiHE in ave minutes.
Ready. BorlsT'
Aye. thrice ready. Iorian."
'Abou, then. Quick march."
a srca, noise OF ciappinR rose all
round the hall as the tao stout sol.
dicrs set themselves to march up the
staircase by which they had just dcs.
ccndcd.
Stand to tn. doors." cried Werner.
the chisf captain. do not let them
pass. stand up and drink deep cup
TO them. rather! To Captains IoTian
and Boris Of P!asscnbuTE. brave fcl.
lows bo,h'"
The toast vas drunk amid multi.
tudinous shoutinEs and handshakinEs.
The two men had stopped pcFfoTCC.
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. Nuw hcarkcn we'll said
Werner: these good fellows OF mine
will bear me out that lie not. You
have done bravely and spoken mp like
good men taken in a fault. but We
will not permit you to go to your
deaths. For our Lady Joan-God bless
hpr-would not take a false word
frum any-no. not IL II were on
Twelfth Night or after a Christmas
merry making. She would not forgive
It from your old LonEbcard upstairs.
whose business It is-that Is. IL she
found ii ont. To the Eallows!' she
would say. and wc-why. We should
sorrow for having to hasten ;hC
stre;chiuEs 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 PlassenburE. be wise. seek
out a Gretchen and a Katrin and be-
stow the rings upon thcm-that H. II
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" muttcrcd Jorian. II
think we can satisfy her-buf at n
cheaper price than a ring of rubiCs
set in gnld'"
CHAPTER u.