The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-05-04

two reasons. First, the chancellor was
afraid Of motors. He had horSeman 3
hatred and fear Of machines. Second,
he was not Of a mind to rouse King
Karl from a nights sleep, even to bring
the hand Of the Princess Hedwig. His
intention was to put up ut some Inn
In village not far from the lodge and
to reach Karl by messenger early In
the morning, before the hunters left
for the day.
Then, all being prepared duly and In
order. Mettlich himself would arrive,
and things would go forward with
dignity and dispatch.
The valley of the Ar deepened. The
cliff rose above them, wall broken
here and there by the offtake of mar
row ravines, filled with forest trees.
There was a pause while the chains
on the rear wheels were supplemented
by others In front, for there must be
no danger Of skid. And another
pause, where the road slanted peril
ously toward the brink of the chasm
and caution dictated teat the chancel'
lor alight, and make hundred feet or
so Of dangerous curve afoOt.
1t required diplomacy to get him out
But it was finally done, and his heavy
figure, draped in its military cape
went on ahead, outlined by the lamps
of the car behind him.
He was well around the curve, and
the cliff was broken by a wedge OF
timber, when a curiously shaped OBJ
ject projected itself over the edge OF
the bank, and rolling down, lay almost
at his feet. The lamps brought 1t Into
sharp relief-a man, gagged and tied
and rolled, cigar shaped, in an auto
mobile robe.
The chancellor turned, and called tC
his men. Then he bent over the bun
die. The others ran up, and cut the
bonds. What with cold and long in
action, and his recent drop over the
bank, the man could not speak. One
of the secret service men had a flask
and held it to his lips. An amazing
situation, indeed, increased by the dis
covery that under the robe he wore
| only his undergarments, with a sol
dier's tunic wrapped around his shout
ders. They carried him into the ca
where he lay with head lolling back
and his swollen tongue protruding
Half dead he was, with cold and loni
anxiety. The brandy cleared his mine
long before he could speak, and q
saw by the uniforms that he was II
the hands of the enemy. He turne'
sulkily silent then, convinced that b
had escaped one death but to meet an
other. Twenty-four hours now he hat
faced eternity, and he was ready.
He preferred, however, to die full.
clothed, and when, in response to hi
pointing up the bank and to his IN
articulate mouthings, one Of the secre
police examined the bit Of WOODLAND
with his pocket flash, he found q pal
of trousers where Milky had left them
neatly folded and hung over the brancl
Of q tree. The brandy being supple
mented by hot coffee from patent bot
tie. the man revived further, made al
effort, and sat up. His tongue wa
still swollen, but they made out wha
he said. He had been there since tn
night before. He was of Karnia, an
a kings messenger.
Il was coming back from the bal
rier," he said thickly, "where I ha
carried dispatches to the officer l
charge. On my return man halle
me from the side Of the road, nea
where you found me. ! thought tina
he desired to be taken on, and stoppe
my car. But he attacked me. He wa
armed and / was not. He knocked m
senseless, and when I awakened | wa