Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-03-02
A Story of
 Grausfark
 By GEORGE: BARR M'CUTCHEON
|Y

appeared before them, accompanied by two of the men. Crisply she com handed the girl to come forth.
 She was in the outer room for the better part of an hour listening to Anna Cromer and Mime. Drovnask, who dinned the praises of the great Count MarlanX into her ears. They bathed the girls face and freshened her garments. It occurred to her that she was being prepared for visit of the redoubtable MarlanX himself and put the question plainly. "No," said Anna Cromer. Hes not coming here. You are going to him. He will not be Count Marlanx after tomorrow, but Citizen Marlanx, one of the people, one of us"
 Little did they know Marlanx.
 "Julius and Peter will come for you tonight" said Mime. Drovnask, with an evil, suggestive smile.
 Truxton was beginning to tremble with the fear that she would not be returned to their room when the door was opened and she came in.
 Some time in the tense, suffocating hours of the night they heard the sounds of many footsteps shufIiing about the outer room. There were hoarse, guttural, subdued goodbys and well wishes, the creaking of heavy doors and the dropping of bolts. Eventually King, who had been lis tening alertly, realized that but two of the men remained in the room, Peter Brutus and Julius Spantz.
 An hour crept by and another. King was grooming under the suspense. The time was too slowly approaching when he was to attempt the most des- perate act in all this sanguinary trag- edy.
 He had told her of his plan. She knew the part she was to play. And if all went well-ah, then.
 Suddenly he started to his feet, his jaws set, his eyes gleaming. The tele- graph instrument was clicking in the outer room.
 Taking his position near the girl, who was crouching in real dismay, he leaned against the wall, his hands be- hind him. every muscle strained and taut.
 The door opened, and Julius Spantz, bewhiskered and awkward, entered He wore a raincoat and storm hat and carried a rope In one of his hands.
 'Time you were asleep" he said stupidly, addressing King. He turned to the girl Come, madam, must''-
 He did not complete the sentence The whole weight of Truxton Kings body was behind the terrific blow that landed on the mans jaw. Julius Spantz's knees crumpled. He lunged against the wall. The man was stun ned beyond all power of immediate action. It was the work of an instant to snatch the revolver from his coat pocket.
 Guard the doorr' whispered King to the girl, pressing the revolver into her hand, "and shoot if you have top'
 A handkerchief was stuffed into the unconscious mans mouth. The long coat and boots were jerked from his limp body before his hands and feet were bound with the rope lie carried. The bushy whiskers and wig were re- moved from his head and transferred in flash to that of the American. Then the boots, coat and hat found new wearer.
 Peter Brutus was standing in the stairway leading to the sewer.
 Hurry up, Julius," he called i'm peratively. "They are below with the boat"
 When a tall, grunting man emerged from the inner room bearing the limp figure of girl in frayed raincoat he did not wait to ask questions, but rush. ed over and locked the cell door. Then be led the way down the narrow stair way. His only reply to Kings gut tural remark in the Graustark Ian guage was:
 Don't speak, you fool! Not word until we reach the river"
 A moment later the girl was being lowered through the hole into rough, eager arms. Brutus and his compan- ion dropped through, the secret block of masonry was closed, and off through the shallow waters of the sew CT glided the party riverward in the noiseless boat that had come up to ferry them.
 There were three men in the boat, not counting TruXton King.
 CHAPTER XIV.
 ON THE RIVER.