The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-01-12

one of the men, He has no real
authority at court, and he is but
one man against an unseen army
that will not strike until every
thing is ready. There can be
mo-"
THAT is what l have said to
my master, julius. but he will not
be convinced. He says that he
has had experience with one
American, Lorry, and he knows
the breed. Tullis has more power
at court than the people think.
He is shrewd and strong and not
to be caught mapping. AS a mat
ter of fact, the count says, Tullis
has already scented danger in the
air and has induced the ministry
to prepare for an uprising. OF
course, he cannot know of the
dynamiting that is to open the
way to success, but it is true that
If anybody can upset our plans, it
Is this meddling American. He is
self-appointed guardian of the
prince, and he is not to be sneered
at. The regents are puppets,
nothing more"
julius Spantz agreed with Bru-
tus. 81 know that the guard is
being strengthened and that GER
tain precautions are being taken
to prevent the abduction of the
prince. 1t is common rumor
among the soldiers that Count
Marlanx will some day seek to
overthrow the government and
take the throne. The air is full
of talk concerning this far-dis-
tant possibility. Thank God, it is
to be sooner than they think. If
Tullis and General Braze were
given a month or two longer, !
doubt if we could succeed. The
blow must catch them unpre-
pared"
"This is the 22d, Saturday is
the 26ht." They can do nothing
in four days." said one of the
women.
County Marlanx will be ready
on the 26th. He has said so. A
new strike will be declared on the
railroad on the 25th and the
strikers will be in the city with
their grievances. Saturdays cele-
bration will bring men from the
mountains and the mines to town.
A single blow, and we have won"
So spoke Brutus.
Then why all this fear of Tul-
LISP" demanded Anna Cromer.
1T is not like the Iron Count, -"
added Madame Drovnask with a
sneer.
Olga Platanova had not spoken.
She was not there to talk. She
was only to act on the 26th Of
July. She was the means to an
END. a.
well, fear or no fear, the
count lies awake trying to think
of way to entice him from the
city before the 26th. 1t may be
silly, madame, but Count Marlanx
is a wiser man than any of us
here. He is not afraid of Dan
gloss or Braze or Quinnox, but he
is afraid of what he calls 'Ameri-
can luck!' He is even supersti-
tious about it."
I'VE must not-we cannot fail"
grated William Spantz, and the
cry was reiterated by half a dozen
voices.
1.-The world demands success of
us" cried Anna Cromer. I'VE die
for success, we die for failure! 1t
is all one!"
The next morning, after a sleep
less night, Truxton King made
his first determined attempt to
escape. All night long he had lain
there thinking of the horrid thing
that was to happen on the black
26th. He counted the days, the
hours, the minutes. Morning
brought the 23d. Only three days
more! Oh, If he could but get
one word to John Tullis, the man
Marlanx feared; if he could break
away from these fiends long
enough to utter one cry of warn
ing to the world, even with his
dying gasp!
Marlanx feared the Americans!
He even feared him. helpless
captive! The thrill of exultation
that ran through his veins was
but the genesis of an impulse
that mastered him later on.
He knew that two armed men
stood guard in the outer room
lay and night. The dor to the
stairway leading into the armor-
er's shop was of iron and heavily
barred; the dor opening into the
sewer was even more securely
bolted; besides, there was a great
stone door at the foot of the
passage. The keys to these two
doris were never out of the pos
session of William Spantz; one of
his guards held the key to the
stairway door. His only chance
lay in his ability to suddenly over
power two men and make off by
way of the armorer's shop.
When his little door was opened
on the morning of the 23d, Trux-
ton Kings long, powerful figure
shot through as if sped by cata-
pult. The man with the candle
and the knife went down like a
beef. floored by a blow on the
jaw.
The American, his eyes blazing