Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-11
PRINCESS MARTHA
BY PERCY BREBNER.
J. ride SOM
CHAPTER XXI.
The Rescue.

The Rescue.
The white signal had gone. but Ellerey' 8
eyes remained fixed upon the moving black
line until fold In the hills hid it from
sight. Something seemed to have gone out
Of his life. suddenly as a candle IS blown
out in a room. Then he turned and held
out the paper to the soldier.
Stefan read the penciled lines, turned the
paper over meditatively, and then read
them again. The words seemed to burn
their way into his brain as they had burnt
into Ellerey's. but the effect was somewhat
different.
ut is not like a woman. is IT." said
Stefan
VERY like. think"
Stefan shook his head. as though he re-
GREETED his compa MONS ignorance.
Il took liking to Grigosie.' he said. i
saw the making of grand comrade IN
GrigoSie / can understand his doing TINS
kind of thing. but not a woman. -.
The fact remains that she is woman,
said Ellerey.
WONDERFUL" answered the soldier, as he
handed back the paper. 1t would appear
that the making of a man rests much In
his clothes. I've never known good come
from a petticoat. Grigose didn't wear one
! Maybe he recognized that he was man.
hidden by a cruel mistake in the shape OF a
woman. Ah captain. women have had the
spelling of many a good man I've drunk
with and fought beside. wish you better
fate than theirs"
.sThis does not look like treachery." said
Ellerey 1t was evident that he had not
| been attending to his companion, but had
been following out a train of thought OF MS
| own, and now put his decision into words.
We're standing here like two fools, at
any rate" Stefan said. I'VE ought to know
the value of precaution by this time. What
is to be done, captain? Are you for Stur-
atzberg. or for crossing the mountains ,,s
|, ="
minds that is needed IL we are not to
starve.''
Ellerey was still following his own
| thoughts. What can her plan Der ne
said What hope for her cause is there in
these hills? What mercy can she expect
from Vasilici?"
LAS Grigosie. none; as woman. she may
persuade these men to anything stefan
answered. 'Snme power she has, or why
did they not kill Grigose at once?"
1T is terrible thought. Stefan, but may
they not have reserved her for Vaslilci
yengeanceo Did they not cry to US that we
might go free IL the lad were given up?
She heard that; she argued with us, you re-
member She has sacrificed herself for
u.s."
well, captain shall we follow? Give me
but leave to kill something on the way and
get on friendly terms with my stomach.
care not which road we take. nor to what 1t
leads u.s."
I'VE will follow her." said Ellerey
Grigose In a tight place" murmured Ste
|. fan keep watch captain, while l gather
up what we take with US, and MI our masks
at GriGoses fairy fountain yonder.
When Stefan returned. he found Ellerey
standing on the edge of the plateau look
ing down into the pass.
'sWhat is It, captain?' he called out as
he came.
fan, that is ALL" EIlerey answered, pointing
I,doWn into the valley.
A savage oath burst FROM Stefans lips.
| They've played the lad false in this, they'll
| play him false in ALL" and the tone In which
| he said it revealed for moment the real
| heart Of the man hidden deep down under
| this rough exterior.
From a hidden pathway at the foot of
! the hills the brigands came out sinSly. four
| score of them at least. Each man looked
| I'D at the plateau as he issued from the
| path, and the manner in which his eager
steps gave way at once to an easier ana
more souching gait showed plainly enough
| that the object of their coming had been
| attained that no further hurry was neces-
| sary Some went to the places where the
fires had been. and kicked the ashes to-
sether: while others stacked their arms and
sat down in twos and threes along the
pass.
| ..Those were revolver shots that woke US,
captain" said Stefan thoughtfully.. L ex-
pect Grigose meant to rouse us as soon as
we could no longer prevent his going. and
intended us to make the best of our
chances
and we've missed them" said Ellerey.
81 fancy this Is meant to be our last ed-
venture, Stefan"
They'll come up the path presently. and
the sooner the better" was the answer. "A
few of them shall finish their adventures
along with US; but We'll fight our last fight
here captain, not in the tower yonder."
''I have sudden lust for life. Stefan, a
longing to be face to face with Vasiltci once
more" whispered Ellerey. as though he
| ha IN the valley below
might hear his secret. IF we wait until
shutdown we might get through them In the
darkness"
! "Our original plan" Stefan answered. II
am with you captain and If you will watch
| those blackguards yonder, I'll turn my at
| tention to bird that's lowering on the
mountain above. Heaven grant he comes
within range, and an empty stomach does
not put my eye out"
| Put the bird seemed to have no more in
| tention Of serving two hungry men FOR food
| than the brigands meant to throw away
| their lives by an attempt to win the plateau.
| They posted sentinels, one near the foot of
| the zlgZag path and one beyond the camp
| fire toward the head of the pass; the rest
| sat or stood at their ease between these
| two points, and unless they changed their
| Man at night. Ellerey perceived that, If the
| sentry at the foot of the path were once ST.
| fenced without being able to give warning.
| the road to the way taken by the princess
and her ca ptors would be clear. He studied
/
| fully so that he might the more easily find
! that road and he noticed how long time
! elapsed between the relief Of the sentries.
| If they attacked the man soon after his
coming on duty. SO much the longer start
| would they obtain.
| The day wore on. and he and Stefan fin
ished the scraps of food which were left.
| and thanked their good fortune that they
| had not the terrors of thirst to face. Stefan
! still watched the mountains above for a
| bird and Ellerey planned the work of the
night in every detail. explaining some new
| point to the soldier every time he APP
preached him. He had paid little attention
to the men In the valley below for some
time when he was startled by single shot.
| which rang out clearly in the still air. For
a moment he thought that Stefan had got
| his bird at last. but the next instant the
! soldier was beside him. as startled as he
was. It was the sentry toward the head OF
the pass who had fired. and he now came
| rushing toward his companions who quickly
seized their weapons.
do hear horses?" exclaimed Stefan ex-
| citedly. by the father and mother I never
knew. there are horses galloping up the
| pass. There are several Of them. and they
| come quickly"
The brigands were evidently unprepared
| for such an attack. and did not appear to
| have a capable leader among them. They
| had not come there to fight, only to starve