The daily Alaskan., 1917-04-16

was aBtonlshed not to see hlh at all Moreover, there was a strange stiffness ln the room, the silence of absence of any living thing. The man, thinking that, after all, his prisoner might have carried out bis threat, went to the chimney, fearing that he might see his body dangling there. There was noth. ing in the lower part, and, looking up, he saw only small patch of blue sky,
 With fear and trembling the jailer sent word to the count that hls prison CT had vanished In order to shield himself, he declared that he had heard strange sounds overhead during the night. He believed that his prisoner had carried out his threat to hang him. self and that witches had carried off the body.
 That was an age when people, instead of looking for natural causes, inferred everything to supernatural interfer- ence. The count so far leaned to the jailers opinion that he did not look far for a means of theprisoner's escape. He examined the only. outlet, the chimney, and satisfied himself that Conrad could not have climbed the hue. In those days chimneys were very large, and for one to work himself up fiue by his knees on one side and his back on the other was impossible. Conrad must have hung himself, and there was no accounting for the disappearance of the body except that the witches had carried 1t off.
 The jailer's suggestion saved him from punishment, and the count was obliged to fOregO the ransom. He was becoming reconciled to his disappoint- ment when one day q neighbor of Con- rad's came across the border and re- ported the suicide living at home in comfort with his wife and children.
 The count was aStOnished Indeed, he would not believe the report until he had sent a spy into the enemy's country to learn the truth. When the spy returned and said that he had seen Conrad sitting before his door, the count was convinced that he was there. But the spy. believing that witches had assisted Conrad to get away, supposed himself to be under the influence of his imagination. Conrad was sitting mo- tiOnIess at the time. and the spy got the idea into his head that he was a corpse. He reported that he had watched the figure ten long minutes, in all of which time it made no motion.
 The count, disgruutled at having lost his ransom and not satisfied with his spy's report, sent another, who saw Conrad chopping wood. This disposed of the theory that witches had carried back the corpse of a suicide, and the count determined to make a raid into the domains of Count Elginbrod with a view 10 again carrying off the wealthy Conrad.
 Now Conrad's home was near the border, and all the count had to do was to send a force across, kidnap Con- rad and carry him away before any of the barOn's forces could be brought to protect him. But t happened that Joan had been looking out of the win dow when the second spy saw her hus- band chopping wood and watched the man slipping away, as he supposed, unnoticed. Joan suspected what this meant and straightway took precau- tiOns She sent one OldershOw, a neighbor, to Count Hastings domain to win the confidence of the count and agree for a consideration to entice Con- rad away from his home so that he could be readily captured. This man succeeded in bis object. At the same time he was instructed by Joan to re- port that Joan was a witch.
 This confirmed Count Hastings be- lief in the iailer's suggestion that witches had been instrumental in Con- rad's disappearance, but he attributed the removal to one witch, Conrad's wife Nevertheless, he was so averse to being beaten even by witch that he accepted Oldershow's offer and, having paid him a round sum, sent a dozen men with him to kidnap Conrad.
 The expedition approached Conrad's house in the evening gloaming, and what was their horror to see the man they were after hanging by the neck to q tree near his house. They at once took to flight and never stopped run ming tin they had reached their start Ing point, having left OldershOw be- hind them. They reported what they had seen to the count. and OldershOw, returning. entered COnrad's house and poured a heap of gold he had received for his work in loans lap.
 This ended Count Hastings efforts to regain possession Of Conrad, for he was convinced of his being managed by a witch. that witch being Joan. But he sent a messenger to Baron El- ginbrOd to say that the baron had a witch in his domiEions. and if he did not get rid of her she would infect tho whole country.
 Upon this the baron sent for Joan and asked her what truth there was in the counts charge.
 Please, your worship" replied Joan, "when Count Hastings raided your do- main he carried off my husband and hold him for ransom. When the priS-