Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-07-12

OIL tue ODpOoitO oiAN
s on which the castle was situ-
9 ated, there lies large tract
of wood. 1t is rising ground, ana Ill
the center of the demesne, on the top
of the hill. stands fine modern .cha-
teau the property of distant klnsman
of Fritzs, the Count Stanislas Won lar
lenhelm. Count Stanislas himself was
a student and recluse. He seldom
visited the house and had on FrlUs
request very readily and courteously
offered me its hospitality for myself
and my party. This, then, was our
destination, chosen ostenslbly for the
sake of the boar hunting fOr the wood
was carefully preserved, and boars,
once common all over Ruritania, We're
still to be found there in considerable
numbers), really because 1t brought us
within striking distance Of the Duke
of Strelsaus more magnificent dwell
ing on the other side of the town. A
large party of servants, with horses
and luggage. started early in the morn
ing. We followed at midday, travelling
by train for thirty miles and then
mounting our horses to ride the re-
manning distance to the chateau.
We were a gallant party. Besides
Sapt and Fritz / was accompanied by
ten gentlemen. Every one of them had
been carefully chosen and no less care
fully sounded by my two friends, and
all were devotedly attached to the per-
son of the king. They were told part
Of the truth. The attempt on my life
in the summer house was revealed to
them as a spur to their loyalty and an
Indictment against Michael. They were
also informed that friend Of the
kings was suspected to be forcibly
confined within the castle of Zenda.
His rescue was one of the objects or
the expedition; but, it was added, the
kings main desire was to carry into
effect certain steps against his treach-
erous brother, as to the precise nature
of which they could not at present be
further enlightened. Enough that the
king commanded their services and
would rely on their devotion when oc-
casion arose to call for it. Young, well
bred, brave and loyal, they asked nc
more. They were ready to prove their
dutiful obedience and prayed for a
fight as the best and most exhllaratine
mode of showing it.
Thus the scene was shifted from
Strelsau to the chateau of Tarlenhein
and castle of Zenda which frOwned al
US across the valley. l tried to shift
my thoughts also, to forget my love
and to bend all my energies to the tasb
before me. 1t was to get the king out
of the castle alive Force was useless
In some trick lay the chance, and
had already an. linking of what We
must do. But l was terribly ham
pered by the publicity which attended
my movements. Michael must know
by now of my expedition, and | knew
Michael too well to suppose that his
eyes would be blinded by the feint Of
the boar hunt. He would understand
very well what the real quarry was
That. however must be risked-tha1
and all 1t might mean, for Sapt, no less
than myself, recognized that the pres
ent state of things had become unen
durable.
And there was one thing that
dared to calculate On-not, as L now
know, without warrant. 1t was thls-
that Black Michael would not believe
that 1 meant well by the king. Tie
could not appreciated will not say an
honest man, for the thoughts OF my
own heart have been revealed-but
man acting honestly. He saw my op
nortunity as / had seen it, as Sept hao
teen it: he knew the princess-nay
land l declare that a sneaking sort OF
pity for him invaded mel, in his way
he loved her. He. would think thai
Sapt and Fritz could be bribed, so the
bride were large enough. Thinking
thus, would he kill the king, my riva
and my danger? Aye, verify, that h'
would. with as little conjunction a!
he would kill a rat. But he would XII
Rudolf Rassendyll first, If he could
and nothing but the certainty or Delnt
utterly damned by the release OF TIT
king alive and his restoration to th'
throne would drive him to throw away
the trump card which he held in re
serve to balk the supposed game or thf
impudent impostor Rassendyll. Mus
ing on all this as I rode along, l tool
courage.
Michael knew of my coming sure
enough. l had not been in the house
an hour when an imposing embassy
arrived from him. He did not quite
reach the impudence Of sending m!
would be assassins, but he sent INT
other three Of his famous Six-th'
three Ruritanian gentlemen, Lauen
gram, Krafstein and Rupert Hentzau
A fine, strapping trio they were, splen
didly hOrsed and admirably equipped
Young Rupert, who looked OAR
devil and could not have been mor'
than twenty-five or twenty-three, tool
the lead and made us the neates
speech, wherein my devoted subjec
and loving brother, Michael of Strel
sau, prayed me to pardon him for no
paying his addresses in person and
further, for not putting his castle a
my disposal, the reason for both o
these apparent derelictions being tina
he and several of his servants lay slcl
of scarlet fever and were in yer,
sad and also in very infectious state
So declared young Rupert with an in
solent smile on his curling upper IL
and a toss of his thick hair-he was
handsome villain, and the gossip ra
that many lady had troubled ne
Lonrf For him a lrnadN