The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1916-02-25
CHAPTER Lxxv.


| aSHSy, AtciIuptou the prime
minister, at length approaching the
deck where Frederick still sat with
the young ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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 Grahoffen 10 marching
against US once moreover now our
city may be besieged."
| For q 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
well advised warrant that. How
are they coming this timer"
In 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.
ls 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, I'M
covering and bowling to him, there Is
one such In our own country"
Michael, our king-that man.
NO, sire, not Michael. our king. It
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.
I trust that you will remember
that 1t 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, /, myself, attempted |
something of that before we left"
said the prime minister. II attempted |
to carry out such orders as I 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 locked in Gretzhof-
ZEN port there might have been seen
In the bay the smoke of the advanc-
ing heet-the Grahoffen expeditionary
force already was crowding In for the
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
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
mad begun but for the arrival of one
man.
The prime minister was right. The
confidence of the people of Gretzhof.
len' as much OF it as was left for any
'ne man. now rested solely in the
nobleman who held so prominent a
part IN the country's affairs of late !
count Frederick of Gretzhoffen. Swift
y enough passed from lip to LID the |
news that Count Frederick had come. {
mat ne would lead the army, that he {
would direct the defense of the citv |
nat his mind was organizing the re-
ISSUANCE. And as this word passed,
'heers followed 1t. The men fiocked I
'eadily to the standards, and once
more abided the shock of arms.
In this strained moment Count I
'achio or Grahoffen made good his
'romise to his king-he fought in the I
ront rank OF his own troops, and not {
wen tie Jealous eyes OF Cortislaw 1
limself could find fault with his cour- !
ge or his Judgment. He himself led
ne last assault against the walls.
Which finally broke through the outer
licenses. The forces of Grahoffen ad. l
anced so rapidly that it seemed in {
eed as though Cortislaw would make I
God his threat to leave standing not g
ne stone upon another in this capital [
I his enemy. q
This was Sachio's opportunity, and 4
q knew lit was his crucial hour n
inc thought even more potent than
Is ambition for military glory stin q
uled the soul of this warlike noble II
IAN. Sachio fought that he might
ain one thing-the treasurers of the 4
ing, buried deep somewhere in this T.
ltadei. That treasure was the cause C
this war. Without it's discovery the a
ar itself was worthless. n
tE1-