Putnam patriot., 1908-12-18

| The ietters,' snapped Chauvenet | "ls the message safer, demanded | Durand.
 "Losti Lost. They are lostl lost
 my way, and he nearly killed me-the little soldier-as I crossed strange | field"
 When they had ierked the truth from | Zmai. Chauyenet flung open the door
 and oawied through the house for the | innkeeper.
 I Horses. Saddle eur two horses quick
 and get another if you have to steal
 1t" he screamed. Then he turned into
 the room to curse Zmai. while Durand | with towel and water sought 10 ease the ache in the big fellows head and | cleanse his face
 | So that beggarly little servant did
 t. did her He stole that paper had | given you, did he? What do you im- agine brought you to this country
 for if you are to let two stupid fools l play with you as though you were . | clownY'
 1 The Servian. on his knees before
 Durand. suffered the torrent of abuse | meekly- He was . sceundrel. hired to | do murder, and his vilifieation by xn | angered employer did not greatly trou-
 bic him. particularly since he under stood little of Chaayenets rapid Ger man.
 h half an hour Chauvenet was again in fury. learning at Lamar | that the operator had gone down the I road twenty miles to dance and would not be back until morning. The imperturbahle Durand shisered
 m the night air and prodded Chauve- net with irenies.
 We have no time to lose. That message must 90 tonight You may be sure NJ. Armitage Will not send it for us Come. we've got to go down to Storm Springs
 They rode away la the starlight. leav- ing the postmaster alarmed and won dering. Chanvenet and Dnrand were well mounted on horses that Chauvenet had sent into the hills in advance of his own coming Zmai rode grim and si- lent on a clumsy blow horse. which was the best the publican could find for him. The knife was not the only weapon he had known in Servia. He carried a potato sack across his saddle bow. Chauvenet and Durand sent him ahead to set the pace with his inferior mount They talked together in low tones as they followed. He is not so bia a fool. this Armi- tage" remarked Durand. ~He Is quite deep in fact. 1 wish if were he we are trying to stablish on a throne and not that pitiful seapegraee in Vienna ''I gave him his chance down there in the valley. and he laughed at me. It is quite possible that he is not fool and quite certain that he Is not q cow ard
 "Ihen he would not he safe king. Our young friend in Vienna is a good deal of fool and altogether cow ard. We shall have to provide him
 with spine at his coronation"
 If we fail''- began Chauvenet.
 You suggest a fruitful but unpleas- ant topic. If we fail we shall be fortu- nate if we reach the hospitabie shores of the Argentine for future residence. Paris and Vienna would not know us again. If Winkelried succeeds in VI enna and we lose here, where do wa arrive?"
 I've arrive quite where MT Armitage chooses to land us. He is . gentleman of resources; he has money: hs laughs cheerfuliy at misadventures: he has had yon watched by the shrewdest eyes in Europe. and you are considered q hard man to keep track of. my dear Durand. And not least important, he has tonight snatched away that little cabiegram that was the signal to Win kelried to go ahead He Is a very an moving and vexatious person. this Ar mitage. Even Zmai. whose knife made him a terror in Seryia. seems unable to cope with him"
 And the fair daughter of the val Iey"-
 "Pish. We are not discussing the young lady"
 ~I can understand how unpleasant the subject must be to you. my dear Jules What do you imagine she knows of NJ. Armitage? If he Is the man we think he is. and possible heir to great throne, it would be impossible for her to marry him"
 His tastes are democratic. In Mon- tana he is quite popular"
 Durand flung away his cigarette and laughed suddenly.
 Has it occurred to you that this whole affair is decidedly amusingg Here we are in one of the free Ameri- can states about to turn . card that will dethrsae 2 king if we are lucky. And here is a man we are trying to get out of the way-a man we might make king if he were not q fool, In Amerf- ca, It touches my sense of humor. my dear Jules"
 An exclamation from Zmai arrested them. The Servian jerked up his horse. and they were instantly at his side They had reached a point near the bunting preserve in the main highway. It was about half past o'clock. an hour at which Virginia mountain roads are usually free of travellers. and they had been sending their horses along as briskIy as the uneven roads and the pace of Zmai's laggard beast permitted
 The beat Of a horses hoofs could be heard quite distinctly in the road ahead of them The road tended downward. and the strain of the as cent was marked in the approaching animals walk in moment the three men heard the horses qaiek snort of satisfaction as il reached leyeier ground. Then. scenting the other anl- mal= ii threw up it's bead and neighed