Show 4 J r t r 0 N F JOAN OF rw I BY BYS BY'S S 'S R o ck h 1 Copyright 1898 1900 by S. S R. R crockett CHAPTER XIV f 7 l n i Isle Rugen At eventide of the third day of their t journeying j g the party came cameto to a great morass The horses picked their way warily the rotten t l through this tangle sticks ticks yielding as readily as W wet t mud beneath the their r hoofs Pools of stagnant stag stag- ft nant black water vater had to be evaded f l' l treacherous yellowy yelloW sands tested Farm bridges constructed of the firmer logs t Y l' l till tin all suddenly they came out uP upon upon's IJo I- I s 's Jo a fairylike little half halt moon of sand and tiny shells t Here was a large fiat flat bottomed boat dra drawn wn up against the shore In Inthe Inthe the stern a strange figure was seated a i a man tall tall and and angular clad in jerkin and trunks of brown tanned leather cross gartered hose of grey cloth and home made shoon of hide bide with the hair outside He wore a black scull cap and his head had bad the strange uncanny uncanny un un- cann canny look of ot of ota a wild animal It was not not not-at at the first glance nor yet at the second that Boris and Jorian found out the cause of or this curious appear appear- ance Meanwhile Werner von was putting into his hand some pledge or sign which he scrutinized carefully f 7 when Jorian gripped his companions companion's 1 arm Look he whispered hes got n no o I. I ears Nor any tongue responded Boris staring with all his eyes at the prodigy prod prod- And indeed the strange man nian was tt pointing fo to his mouth with the index annex y t finger of his right hand and signing him into the ther J the that that they were to f i ich ha had b been n wa tang or hem m. m A AX IJ r rhe e Duchess leapt from her horse hors X and stepped from the little pier o ostone of stone beside which the boat lay an and walking firmly from seat to seat sh she reached the stern where she sat down dow without seeming to have so much a as glanced at any of the company Werner von then motioned Captains Boris and Jorian Jorian to tak take their places in the bow and having bared his head he seated himself beside beside beside be be- side his mistress The wordless earless earless earless ear ear- less lessman man man took the oars and pushed off oft The ten men left on the shore ti set bet about building a fire and making shelters of brushwood as if they expected expected ex ex- to sta stay there some time The boat passed almost noiselessly along the strange man rowing strongly strong strong- I ly and the boat drawing steadily away i across the widest part of the still inI inland inland in in- I land sea Rea As they thus coasted along tI he e gloomy shores the sun went down and darkness came upon them at a a bo bound nd After a space tall trees again shot f up up p overhead and with a quick turn the Hie the boat passed between walls of trem- trem bring Ong l ng reeds reeds' that rustled against the oars oars lik like silk emerged on a black Hr circle le of w water ter and arid then gliding smoothly forward too ground in the bla blank dark As As the the broad k Keel kee el grated on on the the sand the W Wordless Man Alan left out and nd standing on th the the shore put his his hands to his mouth and emitted a long shout like a a blast blown o on on a conch sh shell ll It Ii had obviously a meaning for someone someone some someone some some- one and nd to put the matter beyond a doubt it was ans answered ere by y three shrill i whistles from behind the rampart of trees Joan sat still in the boat where she t. t had bad placed herself She had asked no o question and even even- these strange Y experiences did not alter her her tion lion Presently a light gleamed uncertainly uncertainly uncertainly through the trees now lost lost behind brushwood and again breaking breaking breaking break break- ing out A tall figure figur moved forward with a F p quick and firm It was that ofa of ot ota a woman roman who who carried carried a swinging lan Ian Ian 1 tern in her hand from which wheeling lights gleamed through a score ot of of variously colored little plates of of horn Standing still on a little wooden pier she held the lantern high so that the light feU fell on on those in the boat and their fates faces looked strangely white in that illuminated ir ted circle surrounded as as' it t was was was' wasby by a 3 pent house of ot tense blackness black pines black ph pines es black blackwater water black sky Follow me said the woman woman in a adeep adeep adeep deep rich voice voice voice-a a voice whose tones thrilled those who who heard beard them to their hearts so rich and low were some of the notes Joan of the Sword Hand rose to her feet s sI I 1 am the Duchess of ot of Hohenstein and and I 1 do not leave this boat till I J know in what place I am and who this this' may be that cries Follow to the daughter of Henry the Lion The tall woman turned without bowing bowing bowing bow bow- ing and looked at the girl I am the tite mother of Maurice von Lynar and this Is the Isle Rugen she said simply simp y as if the answer answer were all all sufficient all nt The he woman in the crimson cloak I waited for Joan to be assisted from the boat and then without a wo word d of greeting led the way up a little sanded sanded sand sand- ed p path th to a gate which opened in a high high stone wall walt Through this she admitted her guests whereupon they found themselves in an enclosure with towers and battlements battlements r rising sing dimly all round Then came a long grey building another door low and creaking heavily heavily ily on unaccustomed hinges a sudden n J burst of f light and anal lo lot the vand wanderer wanderers r found round p r Mem e eles ves wr within lh a lighte lighte hall wherein were were many many stands o of arms arms and armor mingled with skins skin of ot wild animals wide wide spreading spreading many many- tined d anthers land and other ther rec records Ids o othe of the the chase The woman who had been their guide now set down her lantern am and allowed the hood of her cloak to s slid slide ide from her head Werner and his two male p-lale companions the captains of Plas Plas- I l Follow m me enburg fell back a little at the appa appa- They had expected to see some some iome hag hagor or 01 crone fit companion of theIr heir wordless guide Instead a woman stood before them not girlish certainly nor y yet t in the first bloom of her y youth uth but glorious even ven among fair women by r reason son of the he ripeness ripeness' of her beauty Th The mother of that young paladin their heir It seemed impossible ble le This woman was too youthful too oo fair too bountiful in her gracious beauty beauty to be the mother of such a atense atense tense ense young yew-bow yew as Maurice von Lynar yuan My lady ady Joan she said in the j f t I f I c f fI f same thrilling my son has sent sento I mo o word that till a certain great danger danger dan dan- g ger ger r is 18 you are are to abide to-abide abide with me here on the thEr Isle Rugen I 1 live alone save for this one man man dumb Max Ulrich long since cruelly maimed maime I. I at the hands of his enemies 1 I can offer you no suite of attendants attendants b beyond beyond be be- yond those you ou bring with y you you u. u Our safety depends on the se secrecy r cy of ot our our abode as as for many years my own own life Ufe has done done I ask you ask jou therefore to re respect respect our privacy as as' as also also alsoto to impose e ethe the same upon upon- your soldiers The Duchess Joan bowed bowed- slightly As yo you you doubtless know I 1 have not come hither of my own free will she answered haughtily b but t I thank you madam for your hospitality Rest assured secrecy of ot your jour dwelling shall not be endangered by bym m me i Then with with a a large gesture the elder indicated the way up the broad staircase stair stair- case case and throwing her own own cloak completely ot off Sh she it across I her hei arm as it Jt dropped and so followed followed fol fol- lowed Joan out ont of sight Instinct t was so strong that as soon as the women had withdrawn themselves themselves them them- selves upstairs the three captains start started started d towards the door to make male the round of the defences The Wordless Man Dian accompanied them unasked The square enclosure in which they found foun themselves themselves seemed liker an old fortified farmhouse of grange than a regular castle though the walls were thick as those of any fortress being loop- loop holed fo for musketry and in those days dars of bombards few and heavy capable capable capable cap cap- able of standing a siege in good earnest earnest ear ear- earnest nest against a small smail army The three captains returned through the hall into a long dining ro room m faulted vault fault au It ed above wi vf witch h beams of soli soly oak Curtains drawn close alf aIr all all' about the walls In the he recess recesses s w wrt-e wrt re many stands of of ar arms aims of ot good and recent construction and opening a al' al cupboard I with the freedom freedom of a m man n at arms Boris Doris saw r ds s powder r and shot I 8 i e- e WiB an lye had had done hc i is ik h himself m if than which u no better could be e said e In a little wh while le the sound of foo foot foot- footsteps steps eps descending the nearer staircase was was' heard hear heard TIe The Wordless I 1 Man n move to the door and anal held it open as as' Joa Joan came in with a proud high look o oher on n h her l' l face Von Lynar's mother entered entered en en- immediately after her guest and it needed nothing more subtle than Wern Werner r von masculine masculin acumen to discern that no word had hac b been en spoken between them while they were alone With a queenly gesture the hostess motioned motioned mo mo- her guest to the place of honor and aDd indicating that the three soldiers w were wre re to take their places places- at the other side sille of the table Werner von yon moved automatically to obe obey but Jorian and Boris were already atthe aLthe sideboard dusting platters and making mak mak- ing inu them ready to serve the meal I thank thank you mad madam m said JO Jorian I tI Were we here as envoys of our mas- mas tet Prince Hugo of Plassenburg we Would gladly and proudly sit at meat with you But we are volunteers an and It have all our lives been men at arms arms We will U therefore assist this good good gentleman to serve an it please you to permit us The lady ladr bowed slightly and for the the first time smiled J My son remains in Castle Kerns berg erg she asked with an upward rd inflection in an indescribable softness atthe at athe atthe the he the same time overspreading her face and a warmth coming into her greyeyes grey greyeyes greyeyes eyes eyes which showed what this woman might be to those whom she really loved oved He keeps the Castle indeed in indeed in hi bin bill mistress's absence and mine said Werner He Ile will make a good sol sol- dier ier Our lady has already made him Count von Loen that he may be the equal of those who care for such titles A strange flash of remembrance and emotion motion passed over oer th the face of their hostess I And your jour own title my lord she asked after a little pause I am plain Werner von free ritter and faithful servant of ot my mr mis- mis In tress the Duchess Joan a as I IWas Was teas was also of her father Henry Heny the Li Lion n of ot j Hohenstein I have now no ns fait faithful l servants n s a said the young Duchess at last breaking break break- ft ing her Ingher her cold silence I have only nty trai traitors traitors trai trai- tors torsa a and d jailers about me rue me With that she became once once more more si si lent A painful restraint f fell ll upon the three who sat at table and though though their hostess and Werner von Orsel partook of the fish and brawn and nd fruit which their three servitors set before them in jn silver platters It t was but sparingly and without appetite All were glad when the meal was war over and they could rise from the table As t S soon soon as possible Boris and F J Jorian got outside into the long passage pas pas- sage which led to the kitchen j Jorian said Boris Boris solemnly lowering low low- J ering his voice to a whisper If It that l Courtland fellow had known what we know he would have been none so i J I J 1 h iI i r r. r Fit 1 v m 5 r The The secrecy of your dwelling dwelling shall not be endangered by me e eager er to get her home to bed hed at al and d i Z r board Ile be will viII melt melt even even Baltic Ice I f y said Jorian sententiously Yes es but greybeard Louis of Court Court i land is not the man to do the melt- melt ir mgt g t. t retorted B Boris ris But I 1 know who could said Jolian nodding his head with an air air t of immense I sagacity y Who said Boris short shortly y The door of the kitchen opened r f slightly and and the tall woman oman woman stood a moment with the latch in in her hand ready to enter enter- 1 Our bur co could ld melt the Baltic Bal Bal- tic ice said Jorian and winked at 7 Boris Borin with his left eye in a sly manner man nan t ner nero t Whereupon pon Boris dropped his and seizing Jorian by the shoulders he thrust him down upon a broad abroad broad stool Then he dragged the platter ot of- of fF brawn before him and anci dumped the mustard pot beside it upon the the deal C table with a resounding clap There he lie cried fill your sill silly mouth with that all you are good good for I have stood a deal of f fine larded ignorance from you jou sin in my time but nothing like this Y You u will be he saying next that my Lady Duchess might take a fancy to you She might d do worse said Jorian Jorian philosophically as he stirred the mu mus mus' musaid r z aid tard tard with his knife and looked about for or the ale tankard To be continued r |