Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-07-26
ffabt dssr 81 the ehateau' DOM fail

can't read it-and charge her, Tor tne
sake Of all our lives, not to fail in what
1t orders"
The man was trembling, but / had to
trust to what he had Of courage and to
what he had of honesty. | dared not
wait, for feared that the king would
die.
When the fellow was gone, / called
Sapt and Fritz to me and unfolded the
plan that had formed. Sapt shook
his head over It,
"Why can't you waltz" he asked.
1.-THE king may de-"
michael will be forced to act before
that"
''Then," said 1, ''the king may live"
"Well, and II he does?"
"For fortnight? l asked simply.
And Sapt bit his mustache.
Suddenly Fritz-von Tarlenheim laid
his hand on my shoulder.
"Let us 60 and make the attempt"
said he.
II mean you to go-don't be afraid"
said 1.
"Aye, but do you stay here and take
care of the princess?"
A CLEAN came into old Sapt's eye.
eve should have Michael one way
or the other then" he chuckled, where
! as II you 60 and are killed with the
king what will become of those Of US
who are left?"
"They will serve Queen Flavia," said
I, "and / would to God could be one
Of them"
A pause followed. Old Sapt broke II
by saying sadly, yet with an unmeant
drollery that set Fritz and me laugh
ing:
"Why didn't old Rudolf III. marry
your-great -grandmother, was 1t"
"Come," said L; "it Is the king we
are thinking about"
at is true," said Fritz.
Moreover" went on, II have been
an impostor for the profit Of another
but l will not be one for my own, and
| IL the king Is not alive and on his
throne before the day of betrothal
comes will tell the truth, come what
may"
| "You shall go, lad" said Sapt.
Here is the plan l had made: A
strong party under Sapt's command
was to steal up to the door of the
chateau. If discovered prematurely
they were to kill anyone who found
them with their swords, for I wanted
no noise of firing. II all went well
they would be at the door when 10
ham opened 1t. They were to rush In
and secure the servants IL their mere
presence and the use Of the kings
name We're not enough. At the same
moment-and on this hinged the plan
q woman's cry was to ring out loud
and shrill from Antoinette de Mau
bans chamber. Again and again sht
was to cry: "Help, help! Michael
help!" and then to utter the name OF
young Rupert Hentzau. Then, as We
hoped, Michael, in fury, would rusf
out of his apartments opposite and
fall alive into. the hands of Sapt. Still
the cries would go on. My men would
let down the drawbridge, and it would
be strange If Rupert, hearing his name
thus taken in vain, did not descend
from where he slept and seek to cross
De Cautet might or might not come
with him. That must be left tx
chance.
And when Rupert set his foot on the
drawbridge? There was my part, fol
| | was minded for another swim In the
moat; and, lest should grow weary
/ had resolved to take with me a small
| wooden ladder on which l could RESI-
! my arms In the water-and my fee
when left 1t. l would rear 1t against
the wall just by the bridge, and wher
the bridge was across would stealthl
ly creep on to it-and then if Rupert
or De Gautet crossed in safety 1t would
be my misfortune, not my fault. They
dead. two men only would remain, and
for them we must trust to the con
| fusion we had created and tO"a sud
den rush. We should have the keys
of the door that led to the all impor
tant rooms. Perhaps they would rusf
out. II they stood by their orders
then the kings life hung on the swift
ness with which we could force the
outer door, and thanked God that mo-
| Rupert Hentzau watched, but Detch
ard. For though Detchard was q coo
man. relentless and no coward, he hat
neither the dash nor the recklessneSs
| of Rupert. Moreover, he, il any one
of them, really loved Black Michael
and it might be that he would leave
Bersonin to guard the king and rusl
across the bridge to take part In the
ARRAY on the other sl6e.
So planned-desperately. And thai
our enemy might be the Letter lulled t.
security l gave orders that our resi-
! dence should be brilliantly lighted
from top to bottom, as though we wers
engaged in revelry, and should so bt
kept all night, with music playing and
people moving to and fro. Strakencl
would be there, and lie was to conccl
our departure, If he could, from Fla
via. And IL we came not again by the
morning he was 10 march, o. emily ant
In force, To- the castle and demand the
person CT the king. If Back Mlchae
were not there, as I did not think he
would be, the marshal would take Fla
via with him, as swiftly as he could
to Strelsau and there proclaim Black
Michael's treachery and the probable
death of the king and rally all thai
there was honest and true round the
banner of the princess And, to say
| 1891, 4,.,n -x.~n x,,bok %houOht ynocl