The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-02-15

l thing been heard from herr" asked Tullis. He had been thinking of her for days and nights.
 .'Well. nothing defnite,'' said King evasively.
 CHAPTER XIX. l THE RETURN.
 TROM the highlands below the | Monastery Captain Haas and E his men were able to study the
 situation in the city. The i'm practicability of an assault on any one of the stubborn. we'll guarded gates was at once recognized. A force of ] 700 men, no matter how we'll trained or how determined, could not be ex- pected to surmount walls that had often withstood the attack of as many until a few thousand loyal though poorly armed couptrymen could be brought into play against the city ap- pealed at once to Prince Dantan and John Tullis.
 Squads of men were sent without de- lay into the hills and valleys to call the panic, stricken. wavering farmers into the fold. John Tullis headed the company that struck off into the we'll populated Ganlook district
 Marlanx. as if realizing the nature of the movement in the hills, began furious assault on the gates leading to the castle The watchers in the hills 1 could see as we'll as hear the conflict that ragged almost at their feet, so to speak.
 The next morning Captain Haas an- nounced to his followers that MarfAnx . had begun to shell the castle. Big guns in the fortress were hurling great i shells over the city, dropping them in the park. On the other hand. Colonel Quinnox during the night had swung three Calling guns to the top of the l wall; they were stationed at intervals alongs the wall, commanding every point from which an assault might be 1 expected.
 That night recruits from the farms and villages began to struggle into the i camp. They were armed with rifles. ] ordinary shotguns and unique blun- derbusses, swords, Sstaves and aged lances. All were willing to die in the service of the little prince. By the close of the second day nearly 5000 men were encamped above the city. ; Late that night John Tullis rode into camp at the head of great company from the Ganlook province. He had 1 retaken the town of Ganlook, seized ! the fortress and recruited the entire fighting strength of the neighborhOod. More than that. he had unlimbered and conveyed to the provisional camp two of the big guns that stood above the gates at the fortress.
 Marlanx trained two of his big guns on the camp in the hills. From the fortress he threw many futiles shells toward their place of shelter. They did no damage; instead of death. they brought only laughter to the scornful camp. Under cover of night the two Ganlook cannons were planted in po- Sition commanding the southeastern 1 city gate. It was the plan of the new besiegers to lombard this gate, tear ing it to pieces with shot.
 The knowledge that MarlanX had no big guns except those stationed in the fortress was most consoling to Tullis and his friends. He could not destroy the castle gates with shells, except by purest chance. He could drop shells into the castle. but to hit gate twenty feet wide? Never.
 TruXton King was growing haggard from worry and loss of sleep. He could not understand the abominable. criminal procrastination. He was of a race that did things with dash and on the spur of the moment. His soul sickened day by day. John Tullis. equally unhappy, but more philosoph- ical. often found him seated upon a rock at the top of the ravine, an un- lighted pipe in his fingers, his eyes ln- tent upon the hazy castle.
 1 "Cheer up. King. Our time will 1 come." he was wont to say.
 Then came the night before the pro- posed assault on the gates. The guns were in position. and the cannonading was to begin at daybreak. Truxton was full of the bitterness of doubt and misgiying. Was she in love with Vos Engo? Was the counts suit progressing favorably under the fire of the enemy: Was his undoubted bravery having it's effect upon the wavering susceptibilities of the dis tressed Lorraine?
 The sound of voice ill sharp com mand attracted his attention. There was bright moon. and TruXton could see other pickets hurrying to join the first. A few moments later several trespassers were escorted ! through the lines and taken directly to headquarters-a man and two wo- men. King observed.
 | John Tullis was staring hard at the group approaching from the roadway One woman walked ahead of her com panions. Suddenly he sprang forward with cry of amazement.
 It was the Countess Ingomede. Her arrival created 8 sensation. In | a moment she was in the center of all amazed circle of men. Tullis, after lis first low. eager greeting at the