The Elbert County tribune., 1916-03-03
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of the army. Himself, he was content
to continue his revelry in the palace
with those who cared to join him.
male or female, creatures dissolute as
himself, who had clung to him fatuous-
ly in hope of possible reward at some
later time.
Before this ruler Count Sachio OF
Grahoffen presently bowed humbly
processing his friendship, giving no
token of his treacherous errand.
What. again, friend Sachio of Ora
hoffen?" jested Michael when he saw
him. You have become one of our
most faithful subjects, is it not SO?
/ still miss Count Frederick. who has
left many duties unperformed-I still
miss the young American, who should
be here to tighten the cares of the
heavy hours. Yet you ccme-late our
enemy, new our friend. What can we
do fer you, Sachio. to show cur graft
tudc for your faithfulness?"
Nothing. your majesty. save to al
low me division of flask, new and
then. with the greatest monarch of
b
low me to Join your majesty for a
lighter moment betines, after tie du-
ties of the day are done. Meantime
since / would not weary your majesty
i pray no more than safekeeping
within your majesty's walls, as l
wander here and there. The art treas
ures of this palace surpass any with
which ! am acquainted. AS youth.
tried to paint, and | still love the
work of those who have done as mas
ters what ray student hand could new
er do. May look at the pictures in
the galleries-the statues. your maj
esty?"
with all the heart in the world, my
dear Sachio!" exclaimed Michael
Your discerning Judgment is valued
most highly. Make free with what
you like, ana cCme to us when you
please"
This carte blanche was all that
Sachio could ask. He accepted 1t liter
ally. What he purposed actually was to
make free with anything he saw; and
he did indeed intend to return to
King Michael when he pleased. Thus
set free to wander as he liked IN the
palace of Gretzhoffen, he made no
doubt whatever of his own quick ar
rival at the hidden door of the lost
treasure Of Gretzhoffen. AS he bowed
himself out he scarce could conceal
the satisfaction cl his face.
Sachio was al alert and active soul.
His was no haphazard intellect, apt to
accept the dictum CT mind less exact
than his cwn. He was a soldier first.
and next a diplcEat, but all the time a
model secret agent, typical spy and
detective. He now set about the busi-
ness in hand, deliberately, with preci-
sion, methodically. so that he need not
do any task second time.
He himself had sketched rough
map of the lower galleries as he fan
cied them to lie. He calculated now
that with the aid of this chart and his
own earlier acquaintance with these
subterranean chambers. it would be
easy to find the last door that lay be
tween him and the buried treasure {
Gretzhcffen.
What scenes of horror these places
must have held Sachic did not pause
tc ask. That souls had passed cut there
through these Geld walls of stone, that
human flesh had quivereG here in tor
ment aEd human voices broken in
their anguish. meant naught to him.
A king had seen fit to surround his
treasures with such terrors in order
to fence away all intruders. He had
h.tv to1
floor of his torture chamber SO that
all might fear to intrude there in their
search. Some might he deferred by
such fears-but not Sachio of Grahof-
fen. He walked on calmly, unmoved.
sure that his own persistence, his own
cunning, had defeated the purpose of
the dead king. whose methods SO long
had defied the avarice and greed of
these two Kingdoms
Sachio lest little time In the earlier
portions of the subterranean galleries,
and satisfied himself only that he was
not being pursued. Soon he arrived
upon the lower levels, where he did
not expect to meet disturbance. Now
came the crux of his search.
He made his way slowly along the
darkened channels carved at some un-
known day from the granite rock on
which stood the Gretzhoffen castle.
tried door after door, and entered
chamber after chamber. slowly. Ile-
thodically, with no enthusiasm. but
only the air of a man covering all pos
sible mischances in his search.
He looked mcst carefully in that
portion of the vaults where, he had
found the half of the torn parchment
but got no further trace of the miss
ing portion. This gave him certain
pause. for he had figured that the
broken coin and the broken parchment
would correlate. would focus. some
wherc nearly at the same point. But
the stained and mildewed walls. still