The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-11-05


men with him With these he at once
set forth. bidding Lukovitch collect all
the men he could and follow him as
spPedilv as poSsibe II Mistitch had
really gone to Dobrava then he would
find him there and have the truth ont
of him. but If. as the prince hardly
doubted he was making for Praslok
there was time to intercept him. time
to carry or Sophy and the other in
mates of the castle send them back to
safety within the walls of Volseui and
himself ride on to meet Mistitch With
his mind at ease.
Relying on Zerkovitch's information.
he assumed that the troopers had not
started from Savua till in the morn.
ing They had started at o. lie reck
oned also on Zerkovitch's statement
that they were hut fifty strong They
were hundred Yet. had he known
the truth. ne could not have used more
haste. and he would not have waited
for another man He stayed to tell no
man in Nolseni the news about his ia
ther except Lukovitch. But as his
twenty rode out of the gate behind
him he turned his head to Zerkovitch
who trotted beside him. for Zerkovitch
neither could nor would rest till the
game was played. and said. Tell them
that the king is dead and that ! reign"
Zerkovitch whispered the news to the
man next him. and II ran along the
line. A low, stern cheer. hardly more
than q murmured assurance Of loyalty
and service. came from the lips Of the
men In sheepskins.
Mistitch saw them coming and turn.
ed to his troop. He had time for lit
tie speech, and Stafnitz had taught hin.
what to say: Men. you are servants or
the king and of the king only. Not
even the Prince Of Slavna can com.
mand you against the kings orders
The kings orders are that we take
Baroness Dobrava to Slavna. no mat
ter who resists. II need he. these or
ders stand even against the prince"
Stafnitz's soldlers-the men he pet.
ted. the men who had felt the princes
stern hand-were only too glad to hear
1t. To strike for the king and yet
against the hated prlnce-it was lux
ury. a happy and unlocked for harmo.
nizing Of their duty and their pleasure.
Their answering cheer was loud and
fierce.
II struck harsh on the ears OF the ad.
vancing prince. His face grew hard
and strained as he heard the shouts
and saw the soiled body OF men across
the path, barring access to his own
castle. And within a yard or two Of
their ranks by the side Of the road sat
the figure which he knew so well and
90 well loved.
Now Mistitch played his card, that
move in the game which Sophy's cool
submission 10 his demand had for the
moment thwarted, but 10 which the
princes headlong anger and fear now
gave an opening. the opening which
Stafnitz had from the first foreseen.
1t would need little TO make the fiery
prince forget prudence when he was
face to face with Mistltch. II was not
q safe game for Mistitch personally
both Stafnitz and he knew that-but
Captain Hercules was confident He
would not be caught twice by the Vol
seni trick OF swordl The satisfaction
OF his revenge and the unstinted re-
wards that his colonel offered made It
worth his while to accept the risk and
rendered II grateful to his heart
Sophy sat smiling. She would fain
have averted the encounter and had
shaped her maneuvers to that end. 1t
was not to be so. II seemed. Now, she
did not doubt monselgneur's success
but she wished that Zerkovitch had
not reached Volseni so quickly; that
the prince had stayed behind his walls
till his plans were ready, and that she
was going a prisoner to Slavna to see
the king, trusting to her face. her
tongue, her courage and the star of her
own fortune. Never had her buoyant
self confidence run higher
On the top OF the causeway Max Won
Hollbrandt looked TO his revolver, Pc.
ter Vassip loosened his knife in It's
leather sheath. A window above the
gate opened, and Marie Zerkovitch's
frightened face looked out The wo-
men servants Jostled old Vassip in the
doorway. The grooms stood outside
tne blhDles, NO one InONeu. ODly lne
princes little troop came on. When
they were fifty yards away Mistltch
cried 70 his men, Draw swordsg and
himself pricked his horse with his spur
and rode up TO where Sophy was.
Mistitch drew his horse up parallel
to Sophy's head to tail, on her right
side, between her and the approaching
force. With the instinct of hatred she
shrank away from him. It had all been
foreseen and rehearsed in Stafnitz's
mind. Mistitch cried loudly. "In the
kings name. Baroness Dobravap He
leaned from the saddle and caught heI
right wrist in his huge hand. He had
the justification that at his first attempt
to touch her sophy's hand had flown tC
her little revolver and held 1t now
Mistitch crushed her wrist. The re
volver fell to the ground. Sophy gave
one cry of pain. Mistitch dropped hel
wrist and reached his arm about hel