Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-06-14

0OoCA AAoO@hCAf ILL Ill
comprehending. And then, Dead
the king?"
"Dead. Hear the bell"
"Then-" But he could not at once
formulate the thought In his mind.
Speech came hard. He was still In a
cloud.
"They say" said the other man,
that the crown prince is missing, that
he has been stolen. The people are
frenzied."
He went on, dilating on the rumors.
Still Haeckel labored. The kingi The
crown princel There vas something
that he was to do. 1t was just be-
yond him, but he could not remember.
Then, by accident, the other man
touched the hidden spring of his MEM
DRY.
"There are some who think that
Mettlich-"
"Mettlichl That was the word.
With it the curtain split, as it were,
the cloud was gone. Haeckel put a
hand to his head.
A few minutes later, a strange figure
dashed out of the hospital. The night
Waterman had Joined the mob, and
was at that moment selecting a rifle
from d cart. Around the cart we're
students, still in their carnival fnery,
wearing the colors of his W corps.
Haeckel, desperate of eye, pallid and
gaunt, clad still in his hospital shirt
and trousers, Haeckel climbed on to-
the wagon, and mounted to the seat.
a strange swaying figure, with a band1
age on his head. In spite of that,
there were some who knew him.
"Haeckelr !" they cried. The word
spread. The crowd Of students pressed
close.
"What would you do?" he cried to-
them. "You know me. You see me-
now. I have been done almost to
death by those you would aid. Aye,
arm yourselves, but not against your
king. We have sworn to stand to-
gether. l call OF you, men OF my
corps, to follow me-. There are those
who tonight will murder the little king
and put King Mob on the throne. And
they be those who have tortured me.
Look at mel This they have lone to-
| HE. ne IOIe IAt DdIdd6C Jill oh0
showed his SCARED head. "Quickl !" he
cried. 81 know where they hide, these
spawn of hell. Who will follow met
To the kingl"
"To the kingi"
They took up the cry, a few at first.
then all of them. More than his words,
the gaunt and wounded figure of
1I--z1-- - ~ 1A,A fn.1oht fn- him
He reeled before them. Two leaped
up and .steadied him, finally, indeed,
took him on their shoulders, and led
{ the way. They made a wedge Of men,
and pushed through the mob.
ITO the little king!' was the cry,
they raised, and ran, a flying wedge OF
white, fantastic figures. Those who
crowN~ Esed. Urged By
, Haeckel, H. rough the Streets
: Haeckel knew. Il was because he
: had known that they had done away
, with him. His mind, working now with
almost unnatural activity, flew ahead
to the house in the Road of the Good
Children, and to what might be enact
: ing there. His eyes burned. Now at
last he would thwart them, unless
Just before they turned into the
street, a horseman had dashed out
of it and flung himself cut of the sad
die. The door was bolted, but it
opened to his ring, and Milky faced
. the concierge, Milky, with a drawn re-
volver in his hand, and a face deathly
white. t
He had had no time to fire, no time
even to speak. The revolver flew out
of his hand at one blow from the fail
like arms of the concierge. Behind
him somewhere was coming, Milky
knew, a detachment of cavalry. But
he had outdistanced them, riding fren-
ziedly, had leaped hedges and bitches
across the park. He must hold this
man until they came.
Struggling in the grasp of the con-
cierge, he yet listened for them. From
the first he knew it was a losing bat
tie. He had lost before. But he
fought fiercely, with the strength of a
dozen. His frenzy was equaled by that
of the other man, and his weight was
less by a half. He went down finally
and lay still, a battered, twisted fig
ure.
But Black Humbert, breathing hard,
had heard sounds in the street, and
put up the chain. He stood at bay, a
huge. shaken figure at the foot of the
stone staircase. He was for flight
now. But surely-outside at the door
some one gave the secret knock Of the
tribunal, and followed it by the pass
word. He breathed again. Friends, of
course, come for the ammunition. But,
to be certain, he went to the window
of his bureau, and looked out through
the bars. Students