The Ordway new era., 1912-01-26
"Will your majesty deign to ride this

"Will your majesty deign to ride this
afternoon"
And suddenly the car looked up.
who art thou?" he asked in excel.
lent English.
Your physician, sir" answered.
At these words he fell to trembling
violently.
II will not ride" he cried. 1T is a
plot to murder me. l have no physi-
clan. He is an assassin. Help mel"
The flunkies fell back and the blue
lined sedan chair began to bob up and
down dismally in their midst. saw
soldiers without crane their heads
forward to peer into the apartment
Then little man came limping In and.
catching sight of me. cried In an affect
ed voice:
Nicolas! Nicolas. mon souveraine!
Qu' est-ce gu on fait, done, avec CO
monsieur-ci?" ("What Is this man do
fng here?") It was Philippe, the char
latan. "Seize him!" he cried in Rus
sian. I understood instinctively, II
am his doctor!" shouted In German.
But without regarding my cries the
funkies rushed at me and seized me;
for several moments the cars cham
ber was confused medley Of shouts
and scuffling; then was outside,
trussed and pinioned and helpless.
From within I heard the cars shrill
tones in German:
Il will not ride. I will not ride.
dreamed that you had put an assassin
In the coach with me"
Suddenly the outer door was flung
open violently, and q big. blackboard
ed man few into the room as though
propelled from q catapult and. with a
succession Of running leaps. dashed
into the presence OF the car, heaving
the attendant servitors aside like nine
pins. It was the Grand Duke Alexis.
Following him, all a-glitter with orders.
came man in uniform whom rightly
surmised to be General Kaulbars. The
general stopped to regard me as I lay
PROSTATE upon the floor. But inside
heard the grand duke roaring at his
sovereign in his strong bass.
"What the devils this?" he cried, in
English. Wont drive, Nick? say
you shall drive. It's good for you to
drive. You shall drive to hell II I
command 1t. Curse you, Nick, are you
going to make me lose my temper?"
The czar must have sprung at him,
for a violent fight followed Somebody
shut the door Of the apartment with q
bang. I heard . table overturned and
the cars voice shouting shrilly in
Russian. The guards spranG forward.
threateningly, but Kaulbars, standing
over me, shouted to them In volleying
Russian. Sullenly they withdrew. And
all at once the door opened and the
sedan chair came out. Inside, the car
lay. trussed and bound and gagged.
only his eyes shining with futile malev-
olence. 1ne grand duke followed.
but smiling.
II said thou shouldst ride. Nicholas"
he cried. Take him to his carriage.
Philippe" he added. as the dapper
Frenchman came mincing out. He saw
me and stopped. while the cortege
went on through the apartment
and along the corridor. who the devil
10 this!" he demanded.
"Just what I wished to know" said
kaulbars. "Speak up, fellow" he con-
tinued in English.
Il am his majesty's physician" an
swered boldly. why. these soldiers
saw me enter in his company"
Kaulbars translated and the soldiers
confirmed my statement.
Then why are you not with his ma
1esty?" the grand duke demanded
because in his At Of madness he
refused to drive, and told his fiunkies
to soize me-or It was Phil-that little
cried angrily. X tried
to make him dFive-as you did.
But I succeeded" said the grand
duke. motioning to the men to unite
me. When I had regained my feet hs
continued amiably:
'Herr Doctor. 10 II still yosr desirs
that his majesty 60 driving1"
ut is," I answered.
Then, II I release you. you win
doubtless gladly ride after his coach
and sec that he does NOT take too much
ARR he asked.
''Besides," said Kaulbars, though
tho eQuery who attends him has orders
to unbind him should the violence sub.
side. he may fear to lay hands upon
his sovereign. WIN you not accept ten
thousand apologies, Herr Doctor, and
ride after your illustrious patient?''
"And see .tnat he returns before the
night air chills him." added the grand
duke.
Wou,a - ro< o A.. "a