The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-07-17

CHAPTER XXI.
hla Maieatx'a Wait.


In the heart of the woods. untrodden
before by man. the sound OF the ham,
mer awoke the German emperor after
his hours Of anxious study. BY choice
he had declined TO sleep IN the radio
plane, and rolled himself In his blsn-
kets on an open spot OF turf. The cares
Of the day were upon him again with
all their perplexities. The sun had not
risen, and the cool breath OF the morn
ing came to his lungs with invigorat.
ing freshness. while bird OF the far
north was beginning q thin piping to
its mate, and a camp robber. brilliant
ly impertinent.s hoped round his
woodland ctuch and gazed unsbashed
at royalty.
He threw aside the blankets which
had been tightly rolled round him.
walked to the brook. whose song had
iulled him in his dreams Of the night,
and bathed his hands and face In the
icy water. A great trout. disturbed
by the intrusion, sped swiftly away
from a rock and disappeared in =
dark pool with a nal sweep Of its
tail. The emperor dried his face on
his handkerchief and walked slowly
across the glade to the Norma. which
he entered curiously.
There they all were as on the night
before, tired, work-worn and anxious.
the chancellor still with his sleeves
rolled up, the rear admiral stripped 10
his undershirt and the engineer peer
ing through his glasses at the tangles
Of wire. On the night before the
kaiser had stormed and threatened.
had mumbled angry soliloquies. and
sworn mighty oaths TO the unheeding
woods. Now at the sight OF these
faces before him he understood TO the
full that these. his hosts. must have
labored throughout the night trying
to undo the accident which perhaps his
own hands had wrought II softened
his mood
They saluted him, and 'Brockton rose
stifiy TO his feet. wiped his hands o.
his trousers. and repaired 10 the rear
of the radioplane. from which he
apologetically returned with breakfast
for his guest. The emperor ate with
an appetite which was made keen by
the balsamy night air in which he had
slept. and then began wishing that
he. too. might take part In this manual
toll. Almost involuntarily he assisted
the fat old chancellor. who was Dry-
ing loose another board with a crow
bar: but he felt that he was In the
way. and after lounging round the
craft for a time decided that he would
have another look at the brook. II
was swarming with trout. and, half
ashamed OF his get. he returned to
the Norma, and. like boy preparing
to play trua1t. furtisely secured a
line, and attached It to a fly which be
had In his pocket book.
IL was noon before the workers saw
him again. They came out OF the dark
huh for cold luncheon. and were
joined by the emperor. who sat silent
~ through the meal. Again they re
sumed work. and this time II was
dusk when they emerged. There be
fore them was a camp fire. and stu
diously bro.ling trout, caught with and
prepared by his own hands. was the
kaiser. On huge pieces of birch bark
before the Goals he had spread his
catch, and with a boys jubllation
laughed at their surprise. His
national philosophy had conquered.
and the sovereign had become a dem
ocrat in truth. AS boy he recounted
his adventures OF the day. and as
tired boy he went TO rest. The next
day was given up TO the rife. and
hunting such as he had never dreamed
Of having was before him. Indeed. he
had turned camp hunter. and with
success. SO ended the second day, and
so passed many others.
And each day brought him nearer TO
those round him, each night brought
him better rest. and every hour added
to the broadening OF his serenity. He
was now merely man among men.
playing his part In his own way, en-
Toying Il. and finding the worries OF
empire dropping away in this spot
where all his crown OF rulership
awaited him nothing. What was the
need to fret when his hands were
tied? Why not dismiss II all from
his mind? The great federation would
pass on and on long after his bones
had gone to dust. Here in these Ca
madam woods, which he had never
dared hope to invade. was life such as
he had dreamed Of. freedom such as
he had never known. and absence OF
all formally. Here were men who
were learning 70 love him for himself,
and for whom he was forming an az
lection that would last him TO the end.
Strange as II seemed, the cloud
which had disturbed him on the night
OF the accident had taken another
form. Then II had been because he
was to be detained for an indefinite
time Now II was because the deten-
tion was 70 be so short, and he saw
with regret that the time for his de-
parture was nearly at hand. He fore
saw the reluctance with which he
would enter that craft Of the air and
hear its metal door close him In Tor
homeward flight, but as a prison door
shutting him out forever from the for
ests and hills. the pools and brooks.
which he had learned to love. Only
now and then. AZ he tramped beside