The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-11-12
CHAPTER LxxV.
The Last Siege.

the young American-Ex Excellency, l
intrude, but perhaps"
What is it?" demanded the noble
man calmly Are they calling us
from our own port?"
Precisely that, excellency. We
have a wireless call We were sum
moned out, and now are summoned
back again. They demand that we
shall come quickly
What is wrong?" demanded Count
Frederick, springing to his feet.
Everything, excellency! Word has
come that Graho>en is marching
against US once more-even now our
city may be besieged.'
For moment Count Frederick
stood silent. Il see," said he. That
faithless tyrant Cortislaw has forgot
his treaty and is going to war against
us when he thinks us unprepared. His
traitor and spy, Sachio, has kept him
we'll advised-I warrant that. How
are they coming this time?
I'm part by land, but also in a
strong fleet by sea-"
so they are attacking on what they
think the weaker side of our works.
Is there no such thing as faith among
kings-is there nowhere honesty in
all the worlds there no man OF
faithfulness and power any more?'
Sire" said the prime minister, un-
covering and bowling to him, there Is
one such in our own country"
Michael, our king-that man?'
mo, sire, not Michael, our king. 1t
IS none other than yourself mean. In
you only can our kingdom have any
hope-that is palmer now than it has
ever been in all our history. Times
must change or we are undone. We
must dethrone our king at last. Take
the place, | beseech you, excellency,
which belongs to you, the place which
you only can hold, for, believe me, it
is only in you that Gretzhoffen may
have any hope.
81 trust that you will remember
that it was myself that first made
this plain to your excellency,' he
added, thoughtfully.
Time for all that later said Count
Frederick hastily. First we must
get back to port and pull together
such forces as we can"
"Excellency, I, myself, attempted
something of that before we left"
said the prime minister. 81 attempted
to carry out such orders as l fancied
you would have given had you been
there. Some of the regiments, no
doubt, have assembled. The guns
may be ready on our sea-front now"
very well Full speed ahead then.
We may not be in time
They were but barely in time. Be-
fore the Adelina docked In Gretzhof-
fen port there might have been seen
in the bay the smoke Of the advanc-
ing f1eet-the GTahoffen expeditionary
force already was crowding in for the
landing. At the same time, upon the
opposite side of the city, the army of
Grahoffen, in full force, was advancing
over the route which heretofore had
carried the assault. Already this col
umn, composed of cavalry, infantry
and the full artillery of Grahoffen,
had passed the neutral strip. and was
entering the suburbs below the castle
walls of the Gretzhoffen citadel
They came exultantly, confident of
their victory, and swept on as though
eager to begin the sacking of the city.
And the sacking Of Gretzhoffen surely
had begun but for the arrival of one
man.
The prime minister was right. The
confidence of the people OF Gretzhof-
fen, as much of it as was left for any
one man, now rested solely in the
nobleman who held so prominent a
part in the countrys affairs of late
Count Frederick of Gretzhoffen. Swift
ly enough passed from lip to lip the
news that Count Frederick had come,
that he would lead the army, that he
would direct the defense of the city,
that his mind was organizing the re-
sistance. And as this word passed.
cheers followed it. The men flocked
readily to the standards, and once
more abided the shock of arms.
In this strained moment Count
Sachio of Grahoffen made good his
promise to his king-he fought in the
frcnt rank of his own troops, and not
even the Jealous eyes of Cortislaw
himself could find fault with his cour-
age or his judgment. He himself led
the last assault against the walls,
which finally broke through the outer
defenses. The forces of Grahoffen ad-
vanced so rapidly that it seemed in
deed as though Cortislaw would make
good his threat to leave standing not
one stone upon another in this capital
of his enemy.
This was Sachio's opportunity, and
he knew tit was his crucial hour.
One thought even more potent than
his ambition for military glory still
ruled the sosil of this warlike noble
man. Sachio fought that he might
gain one thing-the treasurers of the
king, buried deep somewhere in this
citadel That treasure was the cause
of this war. Without its discovery the
war itself was worthless