The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-05-21
(Copyright, 1898. 1900. BY s. r. Crockett.)

| lection to their Excellencies' repre-
sentatives"
THAT sounds well enough" answer
ed Boris doubtfully, but will it stand
probation, think you, when Hugo
scowls at us from under his browse"
Well" said Jorian, "at all events,
there is always our Helene. think
we may risk it."
True" meditated Boris, you say
we'll There is always Helene. The
Little Playmate will not let our necks
be stretched! Not at least for sue
couring Princess in distress"
In a short quarter of an hour the
drums of the Plassenburg Palace
Guard had beaten to arms. From gate
to gate the light sea-wind had borne
the cheerful trumpet call. and when
Joan returned, heartless and downcast,
with half dozen more mouldy rascals,
| smelling of undertakes and damp
stable straw, she found before her
more than half the horsemen of Plas-
senburg armed cap-a-pie in FURNISHED
steel. Whereat she could only look
at Boris in establishment.
"Your Highness," said that captain,
saluting gravely, 1--WE are only able to
accompany you as ENJOYS Extraordin-
airy of the Prince and Princess of Plas-
senburg. But as such we feel it our
duty in order properly to support our
State to take with us a suitable attend
ANGEL"
Before Joan could reply messenger
came squirting up the long, narrow
streets. Joan took the letter and
opened it with jerk.
From High Captain Won Orseln to
the Princess Joan.
"Come with all speed, if you would
be in time. We are hard beset. The
enemy are all about us. Prince Con-
rad has ordered a charged"
The face of the woman whitened
as she read, but at the same moment
the fingers of Joan of the Sword Hand
frightened upon the hilt She read the
letter aloud There was no comment.
Boris cried an order, Jorian dropped
to the rear, and the retinue of the En-
voys Extraordinary swung out on the
road towards the great battle.
AS Joan and Sthe war-captalns of
Plassenburg came nearer they heard
low growing roar like the distant
sound of the breakers on the outer
shore at Isle Rugen. 1t rose and fell
as the fitful wind bore it towards
them, but 1t never entirely ceased.
They dashed through the fords of
Ia ~
the Plassenburg Guard gathering
eagerly behind them. Joan led, on a
i black horse which Conrad had given
her The two war-captains with one
mind set their steel caps more firmly
on their heads.
They came nearer. A few wreaths
of smoke, hanging over the yet distant
field, told where Russ and Teuton met
in battle array. A solemn, slumberous
reverberation heard at intervals split
the dull general roar apart. 1t was
the new cannon which had come from
the Margraf George to help beat bach
the common foe. Then they began t
pass limping men hasting citywarS
with fleeing and panic-stricken wretch
es who looked over their shoulders al
if they saw steel flashing at theil
backs.
"Kernsbergi" cried Joan, her swort
high in the air, as she set spurs in he
black stallion and swept onward ;
good twenty yards before the rush o
the horsemen of Plassenburg.
Joan's quick glance about her TO
Conrad told her nothing of his where
abouts. But the two war-captains
more experienced, perceived that tn
Muscovites were already everywher
victorious Their wings outfanke
and overlapped the slender array Q
CORTLAND Only about the cannon an
on the far right did any seem to b
I making a stand.
"Therel" cried Jorian, COUGHING hi
lance, there by the cannon is wher
we will get our bellyful of lighting"
He pointed where, amid confusio
I Of fighting men, wounded and strus
Cling horses, and the great black tube
of the Margraf's cannon, they saw tn
sturdy form of Werner Won Orsell
grown larger through the smoke an
dusty smother, bestriding the body {
a fallen knight. He fought as on
fights a swarm of angry bees, strikin
every way with desperate courag
The charging squadrons of Plassel
burg divided to pass right and left {
the cannon. Joan first of all, wit
her sword lifted and crying not Kern
berg now, but Conrad! Conrad!
drove straight into the heart of tt
| Cossack swarm. At the trampling
| the horses feet the Muscovites LITE
| their eyes. They had been too intel
| to kill to waste thought on any pc
i sible succor.
v Joan felt herself strike right al
L left. Her heart was crazed within h
Il so that she set spurs in her steed al
I rode him forward, plunging and flu
4 Gus. Then blowing wisp of viii
| plume was swept aside, and through
helmet (broken as nut is crack
and falls apart Joan saw the ia
err head of her Prince. A trickle
I'd blood wetted clinging curl on
OF forehead and stole down his pa