Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-04-27

- cellar. drawing the battered
tzzzt door close after me. For ten
minutes or more we sat silent In the
dining room. Then old Sapt rubbed
his knuckles into his eyes. gave one
great gasp and was himself again AS
the clock on the manteipiece struck
he stamped his foot on the door. say
ing:
They've cot the kingr'
yes" said l. "'alls weilr as Black
Michaels dispatch said What q mo-
ment Il must have been FOR him when
the royal salutes were fred at Strel-
sau this morning. I wonder when he
got the messenger
1T must have been sent in the
morning" said Sapt They must
have sent it before news OF your ar
rival at Strelsou reached Zenda-I sup
pose it came from Zenda."
"And he's carried 70 about all dayw
exclaimed. Upon my honor. I'm not
the only man who's had a trying day!
What did be think. SaptT
"What does that mattcr7 What does
he think. lad. nowT'
l rose 10 my feet
1--WE must get back" I said. and
rouse every soldier ln Strcisau. We
ought 10 be Ia pursuit OF Michael be-
fore midday"
old Sapt pulled his pipe and care
fully liz Il from the candle which gut
tered on the table.
The king may be murdered while
we sit here" / urged
Sapt smoked FOR a moment IN silence.
afrT'1anH -.
out. "She must have attracted their
attention somehow. 1 see the game.
They came up Co kidnap the king and
AS I say-somehow thev found him.
II you hadn't gone 20 Srelsau. you
and ! and Fritz had been in heaven by
now"
And the kingT'
''Who knows whore the king Is
nowg" he asked.
come; let's be or" said l. But he
sat skill, and suddenly De burst into
one Of his grating chucklcs
"By love, we've shaken up Black
Michael~
come. conner 1 repeated Impatient
".
AND Wen shake him up bit more"
etN+.A fNAtaNAt.- rlAaAlF NNt .fNNafA
on his wriuklri weather beaten face
and his teeth working on an end OF
his grizzlei mustache. Ave. lad. Wen
30 back % SrciSou. The king shall be
In his capital aSain tomorrow"
THE hing"
''The crowned A.ngr'
you're madr' Z cried.
IF we go back aud tcu the trick we
played. what would you give for our
uvesT"
Just what they're worth" said I.
"And for the Kings thronce 10 YOU
think that the mobiles and the people
viii enjoy being fooled as YOU sc fool
ed them; DO you think they'll love a
king who was too drunk To be crowned
snd sent servant TO pcrsonate him?"
He was drusged-and I'm no serv-
ant"
Mine viii be Black NIchaers YER
sion"
he rose. came 70 me and laid bis
hand on my shoulder.
Lad" he said. IL you play the man
you may save tie king yet Go back
and keep his throne warm for him"
nut TIE AuAc hAoMS-L4c N4lialuS
he has employed know
AYE. but they can't speak" roared
Sapt ia grim triumph. We've got
'emi How can they denounce you
without denouncing themselves? This
is not the King. because we kidnapped
the king and murdered his servant
Can they say thatT'
The position flashed on me- Whether
Michael knew me or not he could not
speak Unless he produced the king.
what could he DO? And II he produced
the king. where was hel For a mo
ment was carried away headlong.
but In an instant the difficulties came
strong upon me.
81 must be found out" ! urged.
perhaps. but every hours some
thing. Above all. we must have a
king In Strelsau or the city will be
Michaers in four and twenty hours.
and what would the kings life be
worth then-Or his throne? Lad, you
pnust do IT."
Suppose they kiu the klng?"
They'll Kill him II you don't"
"Sapt suppose they have killed the
king7"
''Then. by heaven. you're as good an
Eiphberg as Black Michael. and you
shall reign In Ruritania. But I don't
believe they have. nor will they kin