Enterprise news-record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1910-1911, 1911-05-13

| R(JX TON
King
Copyright. 1909. by George
N Barr McCutcheon
N Copyright. 1909, by Dodd.
Mead q Company
Continued from First page.)


and down the avenue was the most
spectacular experience in Truxton's
life. He was up with Quinnox and
General Braze, galloping well in front
OF the yelling troops. These. mounted
carbineers, riding as Bedouins, swept
like thunder down the street, whlrled
into the broad, cpcn arena beyond the
dukes palace and We're upon the sur.
prised rutfians before they were fully
awake to the situation.
They came tumbling out of barns and
sheds. clutching their rifles in nerveless
hands, aghast in the face of absolute
destruction. The enemy, craven at the
outset, threw down their guns and tried
to escape through the alleys and side
streets at the end Of the common. Fir
ing all the time, the attacking force
rode them down as if they were so
many dogs.
After ten or fifteen minutes of this
desultory carnage it was reported that
a large force of men were entering the
avenue from Regengetz circus. Quin-
nox sent his chargers toward this great
horde of foot soldiers, but they did not
| falter, as he had expected. On they
swept, 1000 or 5000 of them. At their
head rode five or six officers. The fore
most was Count Marlanx.
Quinnox saw now that the Iron
Count was determined to storm the
| gates and gave the command to re-
| treat Waving their rifles and shout.
| ing dafianca nvar fhai, .ebo,,1,lo,s +bo
dragons drew up, wheeled and gal.
loped toward the gates.
Scarcely were the massive portals
closed and the great steel bars drop
| ped into place by the men who attend
ed them when low, dull explosion
shook the earth as if by volcanic force
Then came the crashing Of timbers,
the cracking of masonry, the whirring
OF a thousand missiles through the
air. Before the very eyes. of the
stunned, bewildered defenders, dis
mounting near the parade ground, the
| huge gates and pillars fell to the
| ground.
The gates had been dynamited.
Then 1t was that Truxton King re-
membered. Maranx's sappers had
been quietly at work for days drilling
from the common to the gates 1t was
a. strange coincidence that Marlanx
should have chosen this day for his
| eliminating assault on the castle. The
! skirmish at daybreak had hurried his
arrangements no doubt, but none the
less were his plans complete. The ex-
plosives had been laid during the night.
| Ihe fuses reached to the mouth of the
tunnel across the common. AS he
swept up the avenue at the head of
| his command, hawk faced and with
| glittering eyes, he .snarled the COM
mand that put fire to the fuses.
moment later his vanguard stream
ed through the aperture and faced the
deadly fire from the driveway.
AT last they began to advance across
the grassy meadow. When one man
fell under the fire of the guardsmen
another rushed into his place Three
times the indomitable Graustarkians
drove them back and as often did Mar
lanx drag them up again, exalted by
the example he set.
Cad, he is a soldier!' cried Trux-
ton. Hello! There's my friend Bru-
tus. He's no coward either. Here's
try for you, Brutus."
He dropped to his knee and took de-
| liberate aim at the frenzied henchman.
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 the
| heart.
The fall of Brutus urged the Iron
Count to greater fury. His horse had
been shot from under him. He 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
Missed about his ears, but he gave 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 a
quick dash for the shelter of the long
balconies. Marlanx. down in the pa.
rade ground. was fairly pushing his
men into the jaws of death.
Truxton Kings chance to pay his
debt to Vos Engo came after one of
the fiercest, 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 des-
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
40 the ground Truxton saw him fan.
He leaped over the low balustrade,
dropping his hot rifle, and dashed
across the terrace to his rivals assist
ance. hundred men shot at him.
ITS my turn~ shouted the Ameri-
can. 'I'll square 1t up il can. Then