Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-06-07

"Ill!' echoed Sapt, with a scornful
laugh. "They know his illnesses too
we'll He's been flr before
"Well, we must chance what they
think" said Fritz helplessly. "I'll car
~ the news and make the best of it."
Sapt raised his hand.
'Tell me-" said he, do you think the
king was drugged?'
81 do" said l.
"And who drugged him"
'aThat id hound, Black Mich
ael," said Fritz between his teeth.
AYE" said Sapt, chat he might
not come to be crowned. Rassendyll
here doesn't know our pretty Michael.
What think you, Fritz-has Michael
no king ready? Has half Strelsau no
other candidate? AS Gods alive, man,
the thrones lost if the king show him.
self not In Strelsau today. l know
Black Michael"
"We could carry him there" said 1.
"And very pretty picture he
makesw sneered Sapt.
Fritz Won Tarlenaeim buried his face
In his hands. The king breathed loud
ly and heavily. Sapt stirred him again
with his foot.
'The drunken dogw he said. "But
he's an Elphberg and the son of his
father, and may I rot before Black
Michael sits in his placer
For a moment or two we were all
silent. Then Sapt, knitting his bushy
gray brows, took his pipe from his
mouth and said to me:
GAS a man grows old he believes in
Fate. Fate sent you here. Fate sends
you now to Strelsau."
1 staggered back, murmuring, GOOD
Godw
Fritz looked up with an eager, be-
wildered gaze.
"Impossible!" / muttered. Il should
be known"
"It's risk-against certainty"
said Sapt. IF you shave, III wager
FOUL not be known. Are you afraid"
"Sirv'
"Come, lad-there, there. But It's
your life, you know, If you're known
and mine-and Fritzs here. But II
YOU don't go 1 swear to you Black
Michael will sit tonight on the throne
and the king lie in prison or his grave"
"The king would never forgive it, 1
stammered.
"Are we women? Who cares for his
forgivenessT"
The clock licked fifty times, and six
ty and seventy times, as l stood in
thought. Then suppose look came
over my face, for old Sapt caught me
by the hand, crying:
you'll go?"
eyes; I'll CO." said l, and turned
my eyes on the PROSTATE figure Of the
king on the floor.
Tonight" Sapt went on in hasty
whisper, 1--WE are to lodge in the pal
ace The moment they leave us you
and 1 will mount our horses-Fritz
must stay here and guard the kings
room-and ride here at gallOp. The
king will be ready-Josef will tell him
and he must ride back with me to
Strelsau, and you ride as If the devil
were behind you to the frontier"
l took it all in in a second and nod
ded my head.
There's a chance" said Fritz, with
his first sign of hopefulness.
"If l escape detection" said /.
eff we're detected" said Sapt, "Pll
send Black Michael down below before
/ go myself. so help me heaven! Sit
in that chair, man."
l obeyed him.
He darted from the room, calling,
"JOsef, Josef" In three minutes he
was back, and Josef with him. The
latter carried jug Of hot water, soap
and razors. He was trembling as Sapt
told him how the land lay and babe
him shave me.
Suddenly Fritz smote ON his thigh:
'But the guard! They'll know!
They'll known
Pooh! We shan't wait for the guard.
Well ride to Hofban and catch train
there. When they come the bird III
be flown"
"But the kingY
"The king will be in the wine cellar.
I'm going to carry him there now"
eff they find him?"
"They won't. How should they?
Josef will put them off,"
"But''-
Sapt stamped his foot.
"We're not playing" he roared.
"Don't l know the risk? If they do
find him he's no worse off than IL he
isn't crowned today in Strelsau."
So speaking, he flung the door open
and, STOPPING, put forth a strength l
did not dream be had and lifted the
king in his hands. And as he did so
the old woman, Johann, the keepers
mother, stood in the doorway. For
moment she stood, then she turned on
her heel without sign of surprise ano
clattered down the passage.
HAS she heard?" cried Fritz.
"Fl shut her m0utn! Sald oapt
grimly, and he bore off the king in his
arms.
For me, sat down in an armchair,
and as l sat there, half dazed, JOSEF
clipped and scraped me till my mus
tache and imperial were things Of the
past and my face was as bare as the
kings. And when Fritz saw me thus
he drew a long breath and exclaimed:
"By Jove, we shall do it!'
It was 6 o'clock now, and we had no
time to lose. Sapt hurried me into the
kings room, and 1 dressed myself IN
the uniform of a colonel Of the guard,
4,sn cI;Dpod on thp kings