The Tomahawk., 1915-06-03
the fellow was in perfect health

the fellow was In perfect health II
have my own doctor.
: Nonsense, I replied, an extra
opinion can do you no harm. Besides.
her majesty's commands must be
obeyed. Let me feel your pulse {
Il took it in my hand before he could
object. 1t was beating at tremen-
dous rate.
!" I see clearly what is the matter.
with you, said. You are suffering
from want of fresh air. Instead Of be-
ing shut up in these two rooms-I sup
pose that is the door of your bedroom?
you ought to be out in the grounds.
Let me advise you to put on your hat
at once, and come out. will give you
my arm ],
The wretch sank into chair
Indeed, senior, am too i'll to be
moved. Tomorrow, perhaps
You make mistake l retorted.
interrupting him I assure you these
rooms are unhealthy. Let me see your
bedroom s-
While I spoke went up and turned
the handle of the door, AS I had an
t1cipated, it was locked. Gomez sprang
towards me with flashing eyes. did
not hesitate moment.
Sit down, Senior Gomez, if you
please, or / will shoot you like a dog
And l snatched out my revolver and
leveled it at his breast.
He sank back, shuddering. I turned
tho key, and opened the bedroom
door," .r
|! The ambassador stopped deliberate
~, struck a match and carefully relit
his cigar, which had goAe pat. l did
not dare to speak.
There" he said, sending out a great
pun OF smoke-"there, seated on the
floor, amid disorganized army of
ieaden troops, his hands black with
dirt, his hair rough like dogs, and
his charming lips all smeared with
jam, I beheld his majesty the king OF
Spain, calmly devouring one of his ia
vorite tarts." 49,
And after?" I said, as the ambassa-
dor again came to full stop.
And after? Why, is there anything
more? / caught up the young rascal
in my arms, king or no king, and made
two steps of it to where his mother
was waiting. Do not ask me to de-
scribe that scene. Such emotions are
sacred"
II am not quite sure that have fol-
lowed all the steps by which you ar
rived at your discovery said pres
emily. r.
my friend, you cannot have been
listening. Did not tell you at the out
set that the boy left his tutors room
with only a hat on? The moment l
! heard of the wraps 1 perceived that
something must have taken place dur
ing the passage through those desert
ed corridors. When I found that no
one had seen the face of the boy who
| entered the carriage, and that his
walk and bearing were different from
the kings the whole plot was clear
| The conspirators, afraid to risk carry
| ing the young monarch through the
streets of his own capital, had disposed
of him in the palace on the way cut,
and carried away another boy to cre-
ate false scent
The scheme was clever enough
The moment had realized the charac-
ter of the plot, it only remained to dis
| cover whether the king had been taken
out of the building since, and, if not.
with whom he was likely to be con-
cealed. At the same time took pre-
cautions against his slipping through
my fingers while was engaged in the
search" -..
"The cook, suppose, made fun
confession?"
Il had left him very little to ION
fess. 1t appeared that he had been the
chief contriver of the plot. in revenge
for his own dismissal He had got two
accomplices from outside, one of them
that doctor, who was as great an I'm.
postor as was myself. @
"They elaborated their plans with
good deal of ingenuity. Gomez began
feignins illness several days before the
review. and made his nephew come to
and fro continually, so that his appear.
ance ceased to excite remark. Then
they dispatched the warning through
Pamplona. and lay in wait
THE king was, OF course, brought
straight from the tutors presence into
the cooks apartment, and exchanged
for Pedrillo, and all that remained
was for Gomez to keep the child pris.
oner, by force or persuasion, till they
could contrive to smuggle him out ot
the way unobserved. The idea Of oh.
tanning the ransom while the captive
was still in his own palace was
brilliant afterthought.'
They were not punished?'
sNo;. it would have been unwise.
They were informed that If they ever
referred to their exploit they would
be put on trial for high treason, and
they seem to have held their tongues
OF course the fiction Of the illness was
kept up to the end, and the kings con
valescence duly announced.
The ambassador paused, and an
peared to be hesitating whether to say
anything more At last he added:
When finally took my leave The