The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-04-05


would" he growled. a halter for
YOU. sire, was my suggestion. But he
offers you safe conduct across the from.
tier and a million crowns"
Il prefer your offer, my lord, IL
am bound to one" 81. .~
"You refuse"
"0f course 4*
81 told Michael you would" And
the villain, his temper restored. gave
me the sunniest of smiles. ''The fact
is, between ourselves" he continued,
Michael doesn't understand gentle,
man." ~
began to laugh.
"And your / asked.
Il do" he said. well, well, the
halter be IT," w.
SIN sorry you won't live to see It."
l observed @
Has his majesty done me the honor
to fasten particular quarrel on meT
Il would You were few years older
though j
"oh, God gives years. but the devil
gives increase" laughed. he. 81 car
hold my own" @5@
'How Is your prisoner / asked.
"The X
"Your prisoner
Il forgot your wishes, sire. Well. be
Is alive"
He rose to his feet. initiated him.
Then came the most audacious thing
I have known in my life. My friends
were some thirty yards away. Rupert
called to a groom TO bring him his
horse and dismissed the fellow with Q
crown. The horse stood near. ! stood
still. suspecting nothing. Rupert made
as though to mount. Then he suddenly
turned to me. his left hand resting OF
his belt. his right outstretched.
''Shake hands," he said. 4~4 r.5
| bowed, and did as he had foreseeT
II put my hands behind me. Quicker
than thought his left hand darted out
at me and a small dagger flashed II
the air. He struck me In the left shout
der Had | not swerved II had beer
my heart. With a cry l staggered back
Without touching the stirrup lie leapet
upon his horse aud was on like an ar
row, pursued by cries and revolver
shots-the last as useless as the first
and sank into my chair, bleeding pro
fusely, rs I watched the DEVILS brat
disappear down the long avenue. VI;
friends surrounded me, and then
tainted.
suppose that was put TO bed ana
there lay unconscious or half consclou,
for many hours, for II was night wher
/ awGSe to my full mind and found
Fritz beside me. I was weak and
weary, bur he babe me be Of good
cheer, saying that my wound woult
soon heal and that meanwhile all hat
gone well. for Johann. The keeper. had
fallen into the snare we had laid fol
him and was even now In the house.
"And the queer thing Is" pursued
Fritz, that fancy he's not altogether
sorry TO find himself here. He seems e
think that when Black Michael BAL
brought on his coup, witnesses Of how
Il was effected-saying. Of course, III,
Six themselves-will not be at a pre-
\ mium."s
This idea argued a sirewdness In
our captive which led me to build
hopes Oh his assistance. I ordered
him 20 lie brought In at once. Sap,
conducted him and set him In q chaIl
By my bedside. lie was sulIen ant
afraid. but, 10 say truth, after youns
Rupert's exploit we also had our fears
and II he got as far as possible from
sapt's formidable six shooter Sap
kept him as. far as he could from me
Moreover, when he came In his handI
were bound, but that would not SUI
fer.
need not stay 90 recount the safe
guards and rewards we promised thu
fcilow--all Of which were HONORABLE,
observed and paid. 80 that he live
now In prosperity Though where
may not mention)-and we were thi
4 HADIt ANt6 AnHbuluGil Us We hpV1l learn
Ell that he was rather weak maj
than a wicked and had acted through
out this matter more from fear Of Oh,
duke and Of his own brother Max thar
for any love Of what was done. Bu
be had persuaded all Of his loyalty
and, though not In their secret coun
sells, was yet. by his knowledge d
tiielr dispositions within the castle
nbic 20 lay bare before Us the yer,
heart Of their devices. And here, II
brief. II his story: $751;. -s@-
Below the level Of the ground In tn
castle. approached by n flight or stonl
steps which abutted on the end or III,
drnwbridge, were situate two small
rooms. cut out of Tie rock itself. TIL
outer Df the two Ind no windows, bu
was always lighted with candles: III,
inner had one square window, whIcI