Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-06-12

nnlSn the encounter HOW ne meant 10
deal with the other three OF the band |
know not ! dare say he did not think.
for the killing Of Michael was not pre-
meditated. Antoinette. left alone with
the duke, had tried to stanch his
wound. and thus was she busted till he
died, and then. hearing Ruperts
taunts. she had come forth TO ayenge
him. Me she had not seen. nor did she
TIL | darted out Of my ambush and
lcaped after Rupert into the moat
The same moment found my friends
Nh the scene. They had reached the
chateau I'm due time and waited ready
by the door But Johann, swept with
the rest to the rescue OF the duke, did
not open it-nay. he took part against
Rupert putting himself forward more
bravely than any I'm his anxiety TO
avert suspicion. and he had received a
wound. I'm the embrasure Of the win
dow. Till nearly half past . Sapt wait
ed; then. following my orders. he had
sent Fritz TO search the banks OF the
moat / was not there. fastening
back. Fritz told Sapt, and Sapt was
for following orders still and riding at
full speed back to TarlenhAm. while
Fritz would not hear OF abandoning
me. let me have ordered what would.
On this they disputed some few min
utes: then Sapt. persuaded by Fritz.
detached a party under Bernenstein 10
gallop back to TarlenheIm and bring
up the marshal. while the rest fell to
on the great door of the chateau. For
near fifteen minutes ii resisted them ;
then, just as Antolnette de Mauban
fred at Rupert Hentzau on the bridge.
they broke in. eight of them in all, and
the first door they came TO was the
door of Michaels room. and Michael
lay dead across the threshold. with a
sword thrust through his breast Sapt
cried out at his death, as / had heard,
and they rushed on the servants, but
these in fear dropped their weapons.
and Antoinette flung herself weeping
ut Sapts feet. And all she cried was
that | had been at the end of the
bridge ana had leaped Off What Of
the prisoner" asked Sapt, but she
shook her head Then Sapt and Fritz.
with the gentlemen behind them, cross
ed the bridge slowly. warily and. with
out noise. and Fritz stumbled over the
body of De Gautet in the way of the
door. They felt him and found him
dead.
Then they consulted. listening eager
ly for any sound from the cells below
but there came none, and they were
/ greatly afraid that the kings guards
had killed him and, having pushed his
body through the great pipe. had es-
capped the same way themselves. Yet
| because | had been seen here they had
still some hope thus. indeed, Fritz in
his friendship told mel. and, going back
to Michael's body. pushing aside An
toinette, who prayed by II. they found
a key to the door which | had locked
and opened the door The staircase
was dark, and they would not use
torch at first lest they should be the
more exposed to fire, but soon Fritz
cried: THE door down there is open.
/ See, there is llghtw So they went on
boldly and found none to oppose them.
And when they came TO the outer room
and saw the Belgian. BersOnin. lying
dead they thanked Cod Sapt saying,
AYE, he has been here" Then, rush
ing into the kings cell, they found
Detchard lying dead across the dead
physician and the king on his back.
with his chair by him. Aud Fritz cried.
Hes deadw and Sapt drove all out of
the room except Fritz and knelt down
by the king, and, having learned more
Of wounds and the signs Of death than
/ !, he soon knew that the king was not
dead nor If properly attended would
die. And they covered his face and
carried him to Duke Mlchaers room
and laid him there and Antoinette
rose from praying by the body of the
duke and went to battle the kings head
and dress his wounds till a doctor
came. And Sapt seeing | had been
there and having heard Antoinette's
story. sent Fritz to search the moat
and then the forest He dared send no
one else And Fritz found my horse
and feared the worst Then. as / have
told he found me. guided by the
shout with which | had called on Ru-
pert TO stop and face me. And | think
man has never been more glad %
find his own brother alive than was
Fritz TO come on me. so that in love
and anxiety for me he thought nothing
Of thing so great as would have been
the death OF Rupert Hentzau. Yet had
Fritz killed him should have grudged
IT,
The enterprise Of the kings rescue
being thus prOsperously concluded, il
lay on Colonel Sapt 10 secure secrecy
as to the king ever having been in need
Of rescue. Antolnette de Mauban and
Johann. the keeper (who indeed. was
too much hurt 10 be wagging his
tongue just now. were sworn to reveal
nothing, and Fritz went forth TO find
not the king. but the unnamed friend
of the king. who had lain in Zenda and
flashed for moment before the dazed
eyes Of Duke Michael's servants on the
drawbridge. The metamorphoss had
happened. and the king. wounded al
most TO death by the attacks OF the
Jailers who guarded his friend had az
last overcome them and rested now.
wounded, but alive. in Black Michael's
own room in the castle. There he had
been carried. his face covered with
cloak from the cell. and thence orders
issued that # his friend were found he
should be brought directly and pri-
vately TO the king and that meanwhile
messengers should ride at full speed TO
Tarlenheim TO tell Marshal Strakencz
to assure the princess of the kings
safety and to come himself with all
speed TO greet the king. The princess
was enjoined to remain at Tarlenheim