Rocky Ford enterprise., 1906-08-17
<le!!!! l@!!AG ILL.,; sE e.; SWORD HAND
~ S.RcROCkETT. .Au1zor o/ MeRxaeuSo
isss. 1900. by 8. II. croeketD


to say against the Lady Joan. Prin-
cess OF courtland. Who wrongs her
name has me to reckon wiih-ay. were
II my brother Ivan himself"
mot ]. certainly. my good Louis"
answered Ivan easily. II would not
wrong the lady by word or deed for all
Germany from BorRussia To the
Rhine-fali."
He turned to Alexis the Deacon. who
was at his elbow.
Fiji up his cup-remembcr what
bade you" he said sharply In an un'
dertonc.
more. He pushes II from him" an
swered Alexis In the same haif.whis.
per.
Prince Ivan regarded Louis OF Court.
land with disgust. Look at him!
Who can wonder at the lady's tastcT
He is n pretty prince OF great prov
!ncc. But II he live he will do well
enough To MI chair and hold n gold
en- rod. Take him away. Alexis"
Nay" said Theresa. with quick
alarm. ''ict him stay. There are many
consult Prince Louis later
Il fear the Prince will not be OF
great Use to u.s." smiled Prince Ivan.
III only I Ind known. would have
conserved his prInccly senses more
carefully. But the llsht wine OF our
country IL dangerously strong"
Convey his Highness TO the rear.
and lay him upon the powder bnrrcis!"
He Indicated with his hand tho array
OF boxes and kegs piled In the dusk OF
tho tent. The scrvitors did MS they
were told: they lifted Prince Louis
and would have carried him to that
grim couch. but. struck with some pc
culiariiy. Alexis the Deacon suddenly
bent over the lax body and thrust his
hand Into tho bosom of his princciy
habit. now tarnishcd thick with wine
stains and spilled meats.
"EXccilency." he said. turning TO his
master. the Prince In dead: His
heart does not beat. II is the stroke!
warned you II would comc."
Prince Ivan strodc hastily towards
the body OF Louis OF CORTLAND.
Surely not?" he cried. In seeming
astonIshmcnt. This may prove very
inconvcnIcnt. Yet. after all. what
does It matter? With your assistance.
madam. the city Is ours. And then whn;
matters dead prince or living prince?
\ garrison In every fort. n squadron
OF good Cossacks prickinE across every
plain. n taN.collector In every village
these are the best securities of
princedom. But this Is like our good
Louis. He never did anything at n
right time all his life
Theresa stood on the other side of
the dead man as the servitors lowered
him for the inspection of their lord.
The weary, wrinliled face had been
smoothcd as with the passage of
hand.
Il am glad he spoke of his wife Mt
the last" she murmured. And she
added to herself. This falls out well
it relieves me of necessity"
spoken like woman!" cried
Prince Ivan. looking admirlngly Mt her.
Pray forgive my bitter speech. and
remember that | have borne long with
this mani"
He turned to the servitors and di.
rected them with a motion of his hand
towards the back of the pavilion.
Drop the curtain" he said.
And as the silken folds dropped
heavily down the curtain fell upon the
career and regality OF Louis. Prince
of Courtland. hereditary Defender o.
the Holy See.
The men did not bear him far.
They placed him upon the boxes OF
powder for the Margrafs cannon.
which for safety and dryness Ivan had
bade them bring to his pavilion. The
dead man lay in the dark, open-eyed,
as II staring at the circling shadows
as the servitors moved athwart about
the supper table. at which a woman
sat eating and drinking with her en-
emy.
And then Theresa had spoken. Very
fully she had told what she had
learned of the defenses of the place,
which gates were guarded by the
Kernsbergers. which by the men of
Plassenburg. which by the remnants
of the broken army of Courtland. She
spoke in a hushed voice, the Prince
slipping and nodding as he looked into
her eyes. She gave the passwords
of the inner and outer defences, the
numbers of the defenders at each gate.
the plans for bringing provisions up
the Alla-indeed. everything that n
besieging general needs to know.
And as soon as she told the pass
words the Prince asked her to par.
don him a moment. He struck a sill.
yer bell and with scarce a moments
delay Alexis entered.
GO" said the Prince; "send one OF
our fellows familiar with the speech
of Courtland into the city by the Plas.
senburg gate. The passwords are
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