| Show JO aan im OF DB F rau S 0 wu it I 1 ight Is 11 I 1 iou 0 hn I 1 S 1 1 ka it CHAPTER XIV isle rugen at ev entitle of the third lay jay of their journeying the parta cattle came to a great rho rhe homes boies picked thell way ally jarliv through this tangle tho I 1 ho lotten sticks iny ai readily reedil as a wet mud thir hoots of stag nant black alibel had to to L li la a 5 el ellow ION sands tested abildes ot of tile the firmer logs till all sudden they camo callo out upon it n fairylike little half moon or of sand cand and tiny shells here was a large flat bottomed boat dhawn up against the shore in the stein blein it 11 strange figure was ASS seated a man mail tall and angular clad lit in jerkin and trunks of brown bron tanned leather jeather cross gal 1 1 cd 11 hie e of trey cloth and home ionic ninde made jhoo it of hide with alth the bair mitilde lie he oie a black scull cap anti ami his heal had tile the salange titi anga un canny look of 0 a wild animal it was 88 not at the lie first glance 1101 set let OLL at the belond that polls anti and aoitan found 0 out ut the cause of this his cullous alpar itice Mean meanwhile lille weiner von orsell wan putting into his hand some pledge or sign which litch lie ho citie tull full when allen bollan clipped ills ilia a arm look he bp his he B s got no ears earsa nor any ani onic on uc boils bearing alib all lilt hla eek eeb at the prod agy and indeed the man was pointing to ilia his mouth with the index finger of his right hand blind and signing that the etc tt to follow him into the boat which lia ha I 1 been waiting for them the duchess leapt flom her horse and stepped from the little pier of stone atone beside which abich the lie boat lay and walling all ing firel aiom seat to seat beat she rench reached col the stern where here mie sat down without seeming to have ho bo much as 28 glanced at any of the coclan werner von on oriele then motioned captains boris and bortan to take their places in ili tile the how bow and having buted its his head lie seated himself be side his mist ml lems the earless man took the oars anti and pushed off the ten tell men left on tile the shore g att about building a firo fire and making r shelters bel t era of brushwood as it they ex to stay there some time the boat passed almost noiselessly along the strange man low lowing ing strong ly and tile boat drawing sto bt adaily away across the widest widel t part of the still in land sea As thus coasted along the lie gloomy shores the bun bull ment flown doan and dall daleness lai kness ness come came upon them a at t a bound after a space tall trees again shot up lip oie overhead and with mith a quick turn the boat passed between walla alls of irem trembling reeds that rustled the oars like silk on a black cirel of water and then gliding 1 forward took ground in the blank dark As the broa braal I 1 keel heel grated 0 the 8 band and the Vord Nord less lesa man alan lert left out and standing on the shoie put hla his hands handa ito to his mouth month and emitted a long shout like a blast blown on oil a ouch shell it had obviously a meaning for some one and to put the matter beyond a doubt it was as ans answered by three shrill les from behind tho the rampart of trees treen joan sat bat still in the boat where she aha had bad placed herself she had asked no question arid and even those strange experiences did not alter her resold tion presently it a light gleamed through the hiees no now lost behind and again break ing out A tall flauie figuie dovid forbid with mith a step quick and firm it mas that of a who inho carried a sul swinging nging lan jan f 11 I 1 follow unal met tet apin nin in her hand from which wheeling wheeling lights gleamed through a score of variously colored little plates of horn born standing still on A 6 little wooden pier she hold held the lantern high HO that the light fell on those in the bt boat and aid their faces looked strangely white in that illuminated circle surrounded as it was by a pont pent buge of nt tense blackness mack black alaci water black sky follow me said bald the woman oman in a deep rich voice a voice whose tones frilled those who heard beard them to their hearts so rich and low were some of 0 the notes aran tf 6 sword lund iland rose to her feet li i S W A eli h iu chesi oolf t aln pilot and 1 I ilo not him hat tills loal foal till 1111 I 1 I 1 11 ow OA in ill what I 1 am ain an and I 1 N who ho alili may bo be that lial ciet cl IL lollop I 1 ollon to the daughter of im I m tho lion I 1 loll 1011 the tall all woman hulled without it b ln ing anti looka at tile the gill I 1 lint am tile ho mother of ion on I 1 ienir and thlu hl i li 14 tin tail islo aurell raid fit III stall cuil I 1 JB 18 it if the answer wei M el ill the woman in ili the cl clrk ml walterl alted foi ail joan to to in bt frizill th the boat bax and then without a u woid mold ot it led tile the wai ill up lip a lutlo cl g sand and tol id puth mth t to a gate galt which in ili a stone htone wall aall through ihli site she admitted hot hei guests when upon cupi tile the fount foun 1 thenis dus in an ail enclosure with ith lowers anti rising diml all loudl I 1 lien cime cile it loll ion grei building al i door to low anti and cl ealIng anav it 11 on oil hinges a sudden belil of and lot lo 10 tile man wanderers landerer derer found allx nishen within a cled hall antio vi in mail of nisim and aenoi will mill of wild animals nally many tined actlis lint 1 is and ian ls of HIP flip chase c rho rhe Ao Ifill alio it find been their heir now HP bet iloan don hr laii tern awl and allond h hood of her cloak to 0 o slide front tier her in bad ad Jj and allot his hia amo HO companions the lie of ml bach it ft little at al tile the appa 1 it loll ion they had to 10 beo bee halile his hij or r cholle fit companion of their gulle instead tt a oman ionian stood before them not no rrt alid noi lot let t in the first bloon bloom of tier her dutli loath but glor long among fair momen by reason of tile the of tier her beauty the mother of that boling paladin abir it deemed blo ble thlu 4 moman was youthful too fair too bountiful in ill liet hei gracious I 1 beauty to to be tile the kolhei of bile baich a tense jiing em bow bo as maurice ion on unar my lad ad loan bite bald lit in the same thrilling oice nl ni hon haa bill sent bent mc m stoid old that lint till a cel tall gibat jan dan get gei Is orant orp nt aou ou ale aie to abide with mith HIP ale leie bele on oil the ish hie rust I 1 live alone sae for this his one man lumb dumb max long alace cruelly malmed maimed at tho the hantid of ills hla enemies I 1 can offer oi no suite of attendants be oid hosi uin bring mith ou oll our safety depends on the secief of our as fol foi many bears ears my on life hns has done dolle I 1 ask you loll theofore then fore to re out as an also to impose tile the bame upon lour BOld leiB the diachess Dit chess joan butted sligh tl As loll ion know I 1 have not come collie hit hi r of my illy own on diee will she ansA answered pred haugli haughtily til but I 1 thank 3 oil madam for our rest assured that hat tile he secrecy of your dailing dv tiling shall not be endangered by met me than with ith a large gesture the elder indicated the way up the broad stall case cane and throwing her own cloak completely olt off bile bhe caught it aerobic ber firm as it dropped and so BO fol loved lomed loan out of sight eight 4 0 0 instinct was so strong that as aa soon as tile tho had mith withdrawn dravin th them stives ii tile the three captains stait d boards the door to make the round of the de defence lencs i I 1 he wordless Word leas man han accompanied them uneal ed the equate enclosure in which they found seemed illier an old forti fortified fled farmhouse t of grange granbe than a regular castle though the he walls wall wore were thick hick as those of any fortress being loop holed for musketry and 11 in those dill ais 8 of bombards few and heavy capable of st a stage in good ear nest against a small email aimy the three captains returned through the tall liall into a long dining room vaulted above with beama of solid belld oak curtains acte dian close all about the he walls in the rec recesses isea acre ere many fila standa ads of arms ft cf good and recent co n and opening ulle allig a cupboard clipboard with the of a man at aims at ms boris saw faw ramrods powder arid and shot arran sid in ili older oi der as neatly as though he ie had done it blin sIf than which no better belter could be sail said in a little while the sound of foot steps descending the ho staircase was heard rhe wordless M in moved to 0 the door arid and hold it 11 open as joan came ja in with a proud high look on her face von I 1 anar 8 mother en feted immediately after her guest find it nothing more subtle than weiner von masculine acumen to discern that no word ord had been spoken between them while they A were ere alone with a que etil gesture the hostess in motioned her guest to the place of honor and indicating that the three soldiers were to take their places at the other side of the table werner von gracin moved automatically to obey but borlan and borla boris were already at the sideboard dusting platters plat tera teril and making them ready to serve tle the meal I 1 thank on oil madam said borlan were we here as aa envoys of our master hugo dlugo of we boull gladly and ail proudly hit aft at meat with you hut but we are volunteers and haye have ail our lives been anon at arms wo we will therefore assist this voil cod gentleman to seme bene an it please you to permit ys uell the lady ladi bowed slightly and for tace abe first time stalled smiled my son eon remains in castle morris kerns bergt berg I 1 she asked with an ugwa upward of inflection an indescribable loftness foft ness tress at I 1 the same time overspreading over spreading it her c face I 1 coming ts ba inight be to those thane wilom whom she really loved lie he lif keeps eps the castle indeed la in hla his mistress a absence and m mine I 1 e said werner lie will III make a good sol iler her 0 out ili lady has already made hlin him count von I 1 oen that ho he may be the nu nui equal I of elioso who care tor for such titles A bitang aliane flash of tind and ei emotion notion passed the face are of it their and MU own lidl my lord sho she asked aft aar t r a little pause 1 I fin am plain IN seni era r ion orsell free and falth lul servant of 0 my mis tile the duchess joan as I 1 was also of tier her alemy the llon lion of if bane now no ito feltl ful imant auts said ill tho duchess at last break ing tier her cold I 1 have only trill trat toia lots anti and jailers about me N ali iti that blip bile became once more st al luit lint A painful ie fell upon the r V the secrecy of your dwelling shall hall not be endangered by me three who to bat at table and though their hostess and abrner arner ion orsell partook of the fish and brawn brama and fruit which their three servitors set before them in asther platters it was waa hut but and ft without lahout appetite all were glad when the meal was waa oer unit ind thea the could rise from tho table able As soon noun as possible boris and hoilan got outside into the long passage abich led to the hitchan coilin Jo Jol ilin tati fald ald berls solemnly luw ering ills his olce bolce to a elsier hl sier lit 1 that courtland fellow had cnown 1 what wo we know lie ho would mould have been none lione so 80 eager to hot hr home to bed and hoard ice will ill int melt lieven even pattie lee ice I 1 said joeln I 1 nes CB but Bie bail 1 oula ol of court land la 19 not tile tho man to do the melting retorted letor ted boils but I 1 know who ho could said bald borlan nodding big head with ao an ar of IntillI lao sagacity who boils shortly the door of the lie kitchen opened and the tall woman moman stood oi a moment with the latch in her hand ready to ener our Spar hak could melt the baltic ice sald said coilan and winked at 4 boris with his left ee in a sly manner whereupon boris dropped hla his knife and lor cortail tail ill b the shoulders lie he thrust him down upon a broad stool moot then he be dragged the platter of 0 biown li awn before him and dumped the mustard pot pel beside it upon the deal table with mith a resounding clap I 1 I 1 lie he cried I 1 fill etheiel Th eie your ailcy 1 mouth with that Fat aldea all ou are good for I 1 hae stood a deal of fine larded ignorance from you la in my time but nothing like this you will be saing ing next that my lady Duc duchess liess might take a fancy to youl I 1 she might do worse 1 said philosophically as he stirred the mus laid v ith ill hla 3 knife arid and looked about for tile the ale tankard to ile he continued |
