The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-28
CONTINUED from yestsrday.)

CONTINUED from yestsrday.)
Eceafeety-~efr-ttfe fnfssftp portals
closed and the great steel bars drop
ped into place by the mcn who attend
ed them when a low, dull explosion
shock the earth as Il by volcanic force
Then came the crashing Of ti;nbers
the cracking of masonry. the whirrinG
Of a thousand missiles through the
air. Before the very eyes of the
stunned. bewildered defenders, dis
mounting Iear the parade ground. the
huge gates and pillars fell to the
ground.
Toe gates had been dynamited.
Then 1t wns that Truxton King re-
membered. Mnrlanx's sanners had
been quietly at work for days drilling
from the common to the gates. 1t was
a strange coincidence that Mariunx
should have chosen this day for his
eliminating assault on the castle. The
skirmlsh at daybreak had hurried his
arrangements nc doubt, but none the
less were his plans complete. The ex-
piosfves had been laid during the night.
The fuses reached to the mouth of the
tunnel across the common. As he
swept up the nvenue at the head OF
his command. hawk faced and with
Elittering eyes he snarled the COM
mand that put Gre to the fuses.
A moment later his vanguard stream
ed through the aperture and faced the
deadly FIRE from the driveway.
at tasr they began 10 advance across
the grassy meadow. When one man
fell under the IRE Of the guardsmen
another rushed into his place. Three
times the indomitab!e Granstarkians
drove them back and as often did Mar
tank drag them up again. exalted by
the example he set,
AGadrhH-is sa4dtef..s ersrd- Fsax-
ton. Hello, There's my friend Bru-
tus. He's no coward either. Here's
a try for you. Brutus.''
He dropped to his knee and took de-
libeEate aim at the frefsziet tenctraan.
The discovery that there were three
bullets in Brutus' breast when he was
picked up long afterward did not af-
feet the young mans contention that
his was the one that had found tho
heart.
The fall OF Brutus urged the Iron
Count TO greater fury. His horse had
teen shot from under him. lie was
on his feet. calling to his men to fol-
low him as he moved toward the stub
born row Of green and red. Bullets
hissed about his ears, but he rave no
heed to them.
The commander of the guard gave
the command TO fall back slowly to-
ward the castle.
Firing at every step, they crossed
the parade ground and then made q
quick dash for the shelter Of the long
balconies. Marlanx, down in the pa
rnde ground. was fairly pushing his
men into the jaws u death.
Truxton Kings chance to pay hi3
debt to vos Engo came after of
the fercest, most determined charges.
The young count had been fighting
desperately for some time. His weak
ness seemed TO have disappeared. AS
the foe fell back In the face of dcs-
perate resistance vos Engo sprang
down the steps and rushed after them,
calling others to join him In the at
tempt to complete the rout. Near the
edge OF the terrace he stopped. His
leg gave way under him. and he fell
to the ground. Truxton saw him fall.
He leaped over the low balustrade.
dropping his hot rife. and dashed
across the terrace to his rivals assist
ance. A hundred mel shot mt him.
Its my turn shouted the Ameri-
can. "In square 1t up IL | can. Then
we're event."
strong arms. threw him over his Shout
der and staggered toward the steps.
Release me, curse you shrieked
Vos Engo. striking his rescuer In tho
face with his fist
I'm saving you for another day."
said King AS he dropped behind the
balustrade With his burden safe.
There were other witnesses to Trux-
tons rash act. In a lofty window OF
the north wing crouched ii white faced
girl and a grim old man. The latter
held a rife In his tense though feeble
old hands. Now and then the old man
would sight his rifle and Are. The girl
crouched beside him was there to
designate a certain figure in the ever
changing mass Of humanity on the
parade ground. Her clear eyes
sought for and found .Marlanx: her UNI
wavering finger pointed him out to tho
old marksman.
She saw vos Engo fall. Then a tail,
well known figure sprang into view.
dashing toward her wounded lover.
Her heart stopped beating. With hec