Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-03-22

jumped to his sword. I rushed madIy at the Belgian. He gave way before me, and I drove him up against the wall. He was no swordsman, though he fought bravely, and in moment he lay on the floor before me- I turned. Detchard was not there. Faithful to his orders, he had not risked a fight with me, but had rushed straight to the door of the kings room, opened 1t and slammed it behind tim. Even now he was at his work inside.
 And surely he would have killed the king and perhaps me also had it not been for one devoted man who gave his life for the king, for when forced the door the sight I saw was this: The king stood in the corner of the room. Broken by his sickness, he could do nothing. His fettered hands moved uselessly up and down, and he was laughing horribly in half mad dsiirium. Detchard and the doctor were together in the middle of the room, and the doc tor had flung himself on the murderer, pinning his hands to lis sides for an instant. Then Detchard wrenched him. self free from the feeble grip, and as ! entered drove his sword through the haplesS man.
 Then he turned on me, crying:
 "At last!'
 We were sword to sword. By bless. cd chance neither he nor Bersonin had been wearing their revolvers. I found them afterward, ready loaded, on the mantelpiece of the outer room. It was hard by the door, ready to their hands, but my sudden rush in had cut off ac- cess to them. Yes, we were man to man, and we began to fight, silently, sternly and hard. Yet I remember lit- tie of it, save that the man was my match with the sword-nay. and more, for he knew more tricks than Land that he forced me back against the bars that guarded the entrance to Ja- cob's ladder. And l saw smile on his face, and he wounded me in the left arm.
 No glory do take for that contest. I believe that the man would have mastered me and slain me and then done his butchers work, for he was the most skillful swoTdsman I have ever met, but even as he pressed me hard the half mad, wasted, wan crea- ture in the corner leaped high in luna- tic mirth, shrieking:
 Its Cousin Rudolf! Cousin Rudolf! I'll help you, Cousin Rudolf" And, catching up chair in his hands (he could but just lift it from the ground and hold it uselessly before him), he came toward us. Hope came to me.
 Come on" I cried. Come on! Drive it against his legs"
 Detchard replied with a savage thrust. He all but had me.
 Come on. Come on. man" 1 cried. "Come and share the fun"
 And the king laughed gleefully and came on, pushing his chair before him.
 With an oath Detchard skipped back and before knew what he was doing had turned his sword against the king. He made one fierce cut at the king, and the king, with piteous cry, drop ped where he stood. The stout ruffian turned to face me again. But his own hand had prepared his destruction. for In. turning he trod in the pool of blood that flowed from the dead physician. He slipped; he fell. Like dart was upon him. I caught him by the throat, and before he could recover lrove my blade through his neck, and with a stified curse he fell across the body of his victim.
 Was the king dead? It was my first | thought. I rushed to where he lay. Aye, it seemed as if he were dead, for ne had great gash across the fore head, and he lay still in huddled mass on the floor. I dropped on my |