Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-07-19
CHAPTER XIV.

EN1YT would have surprised the
I@t good people of Ruritania to
- know Of the foregoing talk,
lsGsSg for according to the official
reports, l had suffered a griev0us and
dangerous hurt from an accidental
spear thrust received in the course OF
my sport. caused the bulletins to be
of very serious character and created
great public excitement, whereby three
things occurred frst,I gravely Offend
ed the medical faculty of Strelsau by
refusing to summon to my bedside any
Of them save a young man, friend or
FritZ's. whom we could trust; second
". received word from Marshal Stra-
kencz that my orders seemed to nave
no more weight than his and that the
Princess Flavia was leaving FOR lar
lenheim under his unwilling escort
news whereat l Strove not be glad
and proud, and, thirdly, my brother,
the Duke of Strelsau, although too
we'll Informed to believe the account
of the origin of my sickness, was yet
persuaded by the reports and by my
seeming inactivity that I was In truth
incapable of action and that my life
was in some danger. This learned
from the man Johann, whom l was
compelled to trust and send back to
Zenda. where, by the way, Rupert
Hentzau had him sOundly logged for
daring to smirch the morals Of Zenda
by staying out all night. This. from
Rupert, Johann deeply resented, and
the dukes approval of it did more to
bind the keeper to my side than all
my promises.
On Flavias arrival 1 cannot dwell.
Her JOY at finding me up and well H.
stead of on my back and fighting with
death makes picture that even now
dances before my eyes till they grow
too dim to see it, and her reproaches
that had not trusted even her must
excuse the means took to quiet them.
In truth. to have her with me once
more was like taste of heaven to a
damned soul, the sweeter for the inev-
liable doom that was to follow, and L
reioiced in being able to waste two
whole days with her. And when / had
wasted two days the Duke OF Strelsau
arranged hunting party
The stroke was near now, for Sapt
and l after anxious consultations had
resolved that we must risk a blow, our
resolution being clinched by Johann's
news that the king grew peaked, pale
and ill and that his health was break
ing down under his rigorous conhne-
ment. Now, man, be he king or no
king, may as well die swiftly and as
becomes a gentleman, from bullet or
thrust, as rot his life out In cellar.
That thought made prompt action ad-
visable in the interests of the king.
From my own point Of view it grew
more and more necessary, for Stra-
kencz urged on me the need of
speedy marriage, and my own inclina-
lions seconded him with such terrible
insistence that feared for my resolu-
ton. I do not believe that l should
have done the deed l dreamed Of, but
I might have come to fight, and my
fight would have ruined the cause.
1t Is perhaps as strange thing as
has ever been in the history of a coun-
trv that the kings brother and the
kings personatOr in time Of profound
outward peace near a placid, undis-
turbed country town, under semDiance
Of amity. should wage desperate war
for the person and life of the king.
Yet such was the struggle that began
now between Zenda and Tarlenhelm.
When I look back on the time / seem
TO myself to have been half mad. Sapt
has told me that I suffered no Interior
ence and listened to no remOnstrances,
and if ever king Of Rurltania ruled
like q despot was in those days the
man. Look where would, saw moth
ing that made life sweet to me, and
took nv life in my hand and carried
It carelessly. as a man bangles an old
glove. At first they strove to guard
me. to keep me safe, to persuade me
not to expose myself, but when they
saw how l was set there grew up
among them, whether they knew the
truth or not feeling that fate ruled
the issue and that l must be left to
play my game with Michael my own
way.
Late next night l rose from table,
Il
where Flavia had sat by me, ana con-
ducted her to the door Of her apart
ments. There / kissed her hand anu
babe her sleep sound and wake to nap
nv DAVIS. Then l changed my clothes
and went out. Sapt and Fritz were
waiting for me with three men and the
horses. Over his saddle Sapt carried
a long coil of rope, and both were
heavily armed. l had with me u
short stout cudgel and a long KNIFE
Making a circuit, we avoided the town
and in an hour found ourselves slowly
mounting the hill that led to the cas-
tie of Zenda. The night was dark ana
very stormy, gusts OF wind ana spl's
of rain caught us as we breasted the
incline, and the great trees moaneu
and sighed. When we came. to a thick
clump about a quarter. Of q mile from
the castle we babe Our three friends
hide there with the horses. Sapt had
a whistle, and they could rejoin us in
a few moments If danger came, but up
till now we had met no one. / hoped
that Michael was still off his guard,
believing me to be safe in bed. How
ever that might be, we gained the top
of the hill without accident and found