Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-03-23

HE Ah1
and when they came to the outer room |
and saw the Belgian, Bersonin, lying |
dead they thanked God, 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. And Fritz cried, |
Hes dead.' 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
l, 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 Michaefs 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 doctor
came. And Sapt, seeing l had been
there ana having heard Antoinette's
story, sent Fritz 10 search the moat
and then the forest. He dared send no
one else. And Fritz found my horse
and feared the worst. Then, as l have
told, he found me, guided by the
shout with which l had called on Ru-
pert to stop and face me. And l think
4 man has never been more glad TO
find his own brother alive than was
Fritz to come on NE, SO that III love
and anxiety for me he thought nothing
of 4 thing 50 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, it
lay on Colonel Sapt to secure secrecy
us to tie king ever having been in need
of rescue. Antoinette dc Mauban and
Johann, the keeper (who, indeed, was
too much hurt to 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 a moment before the dazed
eyes of Duke Michaers servants on the
drawbridge. The metam0rphosis had
happened, and the king. wounded al
most. to death by the attacks of the
jailers who guarded his friend, had at
last overcome them and rested now,
wounded, but alive. in Black Michaers
own room in the castle. There he had
been carried. his face covered with a
cloak, from the cell. and thence orders
issued that if his friend were found he
should be brought directly and pri-
vately to the king and that meanwhile
messengers should ride at full SpeeG to
Tarlenheim to tell Marshal Strakcncz
to assure the princess of the king
safety and to come himself with all
speed to greet the king. The princess
was enjoined to remain at Tarlenheim
and there await her cousins coming or
his further injunctions. Thus the king
would come to his own again. having
wrought brave deeds and escaped al
most by Il miracle the treacherouS as
sault of his unnatural brother.
This ingenious arrangement of my
| long headed old friend proSpered in
every way save where it encountered
a force that often defeats the most
| cunning schemes. l mean nothing else
than the pleasure of woman, for. let
| her cousin and sovereign send what
command he chose Tor Colonel Sapt
chose for HIM, and let Marshal Stra-
| kencz insist as he would. the Princess
Flavia was in no way minded to rest at
Tarlenhein while her lover lay wound
| ed at Zenda, and when the marshal,
| Tn
| lenheim on the way TO Zenda the prn-
| cess carriage followed Immediately be
| hind. and in this order they passed
| through the town, where the report
| was already rife that the king, going
the night before to demonstrate with
his brother in all frendliness for that
he held one of the kings friends in
| confinement in the castle, had beer
most tfaito"ously set upon. that there
had been Il desperate conflict. that the
duke was slain. with several of his
gentlemen, and that the king. wounded
| as he was. had seized and held the cas-
tie of Zenda. All of which talk made
as may be supposed, mighty excite
mcnt. and the wires were set in mo
ton, and the tidinSS came to StreiSal
only just after orders had been sen
thither to parade the troops and over
awe the dissatisfied quarters of the
town with Il display of force.
Thus the Princess Flavia came I,
Zenda. And as she drove up the hill
with the marshal riding by the whee
and still imploring her to return il
obedience 10 the kings orders. Frit
Won Tarlenheim, with the prisoner o
Zenda, came to the edge of the forest
L had revived from my swoon an,
walked, resting on Fritz's arm, and
looking out from the cover of the trees
l saw the princess. Suddenly under
standing from a glance ut my compan
ions face that we must not meet heI
lK---s-'--.>s.-.-.'