The Washington times., 1909-11-22
TRUXTON KING

would be sheIed from the fortress,
greatly as the dictator might regret
the destruction of the historic and
WeI-belOyed structure. No one would
be spared If IL became necessary to
lombard the rejection of his offer of
mercy would be taken as sign that
the defenders were ready TO die for
lost caUse. He would CheerfulIy
see 90 II tlat they died as quickly as
possible, n order that the course of
government might not be INSTRUCTED
any longer than necessary.
me defenders of the castle tore his
message IN two and sent it back to
MN without dlsnguring it by single
word IN reply The scOrnful laughter
document by Count Halfont did noh
lose any of its force in the report
that the truce bearers carried, with
considerable uneasiness, to the iron
count later on.
No one in the castle was deceived by
MarlanN promise TO provide safe
conduct for the prince They knew that
the boy was doomed if he fell into
the hands Of this Ubiquitous old schemer.
More than that, there was not a heart
among them so faint that &c was not
confident of eventual victory over the
usurper- They could hold out for weeks
against starvation. Hope is an able
prOVider.
A single, distant volley at sunset had
puzzled the men on guard at the castle.
they had no means of knowing that
the committee of ten and its wretched
friends had been shot down like dogs
IN the public square. Peter Brutus
was in charge of the squad Of execu-
TONERS,
Soon after the return Of MarIanx's
messengers to the tower a number Of
carriages were observed approaching in
castle avenue They were halted a
couple OF hundred yards from the
gates and once more flag Of truce was
presented There was single line
from AIarlanx.
Il am sending tndlsputabIe witnesses
to bear testimony to the thoroughne.ss
Of my conquest. MARLANX-"
Investigation convinced the captain of
the guard that the motley caravan in
the avenue was made up Of loyal repre-
sentative citizens from the important
villages Of the realm. They were adj
United 10 the grounds without question.
The Countess Prandeville, of GaulOOk,
terribly agltated, was one of the first to
enter the haven Of safety, such as 1t
was After her came the mayors and
the magistrates of a dozen villages.
Count MaTlanX's reason for delivering
these people over to their friends in the
castle was at once manifest.
BY the words Of their mouths his al
most complete mastery of the situation
was conveyed to the princes defenders.
In every instance the representative
from a village sOTrOWfully admitted that
MarlanNs men were in control. Gan
look. an ancient stronghold, had been
taken without a struggle by a FaIdful
OF men. The countess husband was
even now. confined In his own castle un-
der guard.
The news was staggering. Count Hal
font had based his strongest hopes on
the assistance that would naturally
come from the villages. Moreover, the
strangely commissioned eunissaries cast
additional gloom over the situation by
the report that mOuntaineers, herdsmeu
and WocdChOppers in the north We're
hocEing 70 the assistance of the iron
count, followed by hOrdes OF outlaws
from the ANphain hills. They We're
swarming into the city. These men had
always been thorns in the side of the
crowns peacemakers.
1t is worse than I thought" said
Count HalfOnt, after listening to the
words of the excited magistrate. Are
there 10 loyal men outside these walls?'
Thousands, sir but they are not or
gained They have no leader. and but
little with which to fight against such
eft is hard to realize that a force of
three OF four thousand desperadOas has
the power 10 defy an entire kingdom.
A city Of 1000 people I'm the hands of
hirelingsl The shame Of it.'
TruNtcn King was leaning against a
column not FAR from the little group,
nervously pulling away at the pipe
Quinnox had given him As if impelled
by common thought. a half dozen
pairs Of eyes were turned in his direc-
uon- Their owners Rocked as quickly
away, again moved by q common
thought
The minister of mines gave utterarce
10 p single sentence that might well
have been called the eDitome IF that
shreWd. concentrated thought:
There must DC some one who can
get 10 Jof Iuils before III is too late"
They looked at one another and then
once more at the American who had
come among them, avowedly i'm quest
of adventure.
The Continuation of This story VIII
he Found IA Tomorrow