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Show IJOANfipip) (Copyright, 13SS, 1800, by B. It. CiocUclO B CHAPTER XIII. BBB Joan Stands Within Her Danger. BBB So soon as Werner von Orseln re- BBB turned to Castle Kernsberg with news HI of the forcing of the Alia and the Bflfl 'Overwhelming numbers of the Musco- HT vlte hordes, tlio sad-eyed Duchess of BBS llohcnstcln became once more Joan BBC of the Sword Hand. BBS The lnvndlug army must lmvo mini-ucred mini-ucred thirty thousand, at least. There BBS were, nil told, about two thousand In BBl KernBherg. Von Orseln, Indeed, could BBS easily have raised more. Kay, they BBS would have conio In of thcmBclvcs by BBX hundreds to fight for their Duchess, BBS but the little town could not feed BBJ BBJ When Werner von Orseln and Peter BBJ Balta met (bo Invader at the fords of BBJ the Alia, Maurlco von Linnr and Alt BBJ Plkker had romalned with Joan, noml- BBJ nnlly to assist her dispositions, but BBJ really to form a check uixm tho lm- B petuoslty of her tcini'or. BB Now Von Orseln wns back again. BBJ The fords of tho Alia were forced, and BBJ tho fighting strength of Kcrnsbcrg BBJ united Itself In the Englo's Nest to BBJ mako Its final stnnd. BBJ Aloft on tho highest ramparts there BBJ was a terraco walk which the Spar- BBJ hawk much affected, specially when he BBJ wns on guard at night. It looked tow. BBJ - ards tho east, and from It tho first BBJ f glimpse of tho Courtlandors would be BBJ. obtained. BBT Presently tho chief captain's step BBJ was heard on tho stone turnpike. Bfl "Ha, Sparhawk," he cried, "this Is BBJ cold cheer! Why could we not have Bfl talked comfortably In hall, with a Bfl beaker of mead at one's elbow?" BB "I wanted to speak with you on a B matter we cannot mention elsewhere," Bfl said Maurlco von Lynar. BB "How long can wo hold out If they BM beslcgo us?" BB "Two months, certainly with luck, BB three!" Bfl "And what of tho Duchess Joan?" B persisted the young man. Bfl "Why, In tho samo time she will be dead or wed!" said Von Orseln, with Bfl an affectation of carelessness easily BJ seen through. BV "Wo must get her away to a place Bj of safety," said tho young man. Von IBj Orseln laughed. Bj "Get her? Who would pcrsuado or Bj compel our lady? Whither would she BJ go? Would sho bo safer thcro than H , here? Would tho Courtlander not find B out in twenty-four hours that thcro B was no Joan of the Sword Hand in BJ Kernsberg, and follow her trail?" BJ iA "Wo must persuade her capture BJ her, compel her, if necessary. Kerns BJ berg cannot for long hold out ngalnst BJ both the Muscovito nnd tho Court- BJ lander." Bj "What? Capturo Joan of tho Sword B Hand nnd enrry her off? Tho mead B buzzes In tho boy's hend. Ho grows fl dotty with anxiety and too much hard I "Von Orseln," said tho youth, with simple earnestness, not heeding his taunts, "I liavo thought deeply. I sco I no way out of It but this. Our lady will eagorly go on reconnaissance if I you represent it as necessary. You I must tako ten good men nnd rldo I north, far north, oven to the edges of I tho Daltic, to a placo I know of, which I nono hut I and ono other can find. Thore, with a few trusty fellows to j guard her, sho will bo snfo till tho j, push of tho times is over." 1 "But how," said Von Orseln, mcdl- 1 fating, "will you prevent her absence 'j being known? Tho passngo of so largo a party may easily bo trnced and j ' remembered. Though our folk nro j truo enough nnd loyal enough, sooner j or later what is known in tho Cnstlo is known In tho town, and what Is "What? Capture Joan of the Sword Hand and carry her off!" known in tho town becomes known to ' the enemy!" Maurlco von Lynar leaned forward ) towards his chief captain and whispered whis-pered a few words In his ear. "Ah!" he said, nnd nodded. Then, . after n pause for thought, ho added, "That is nono so ill thought on for n beardless younker! I will think It ovor, sleop on It, nnd toll you my opinion opin-ion tomorrow! At. any rate," tho chlof cnptnln growled to hlmsolf, "you havo a pretty part sot for mo. I may forthwith order my Bhroiid. I shall never bo nblo to faco my lady again!" Tho Duchess Joan wns In high spirits. It had been Judged necessary, Jn continuation with her chief oftlMrs. I to rldo a reconnaissance to ascertain whether tho advancing enemy had cut Kernbcrg off towards tho north. On this matter Von Orseln thought that her Highness had better Judge for herself. her-self. Hero at last was something to he done. It wns almost llko tho old foraying days, but now In a more des-pcrato des-pcrato cause. No ono In all Cnstlo Kernsberg was to know of tho doparturo of this cavalcade. cav-alcade. The Sparhawk was appointed to command during Von Orseln's absence. ab-sence. Ten men only were to go, and these picked nnd sifted riders cnosen because of their powers of silence and because, being unmarried, they had no wives to worm secrets out of them. Jouu and her chief captain rodo on ahead, Von Orseln glancing keenly about him, and Joan riding freo nnd careless, as In old days when sho ovcr-pasfed ovcr-pasfed the hills to drive a prey from tho lands of her father's enemies. It was grey morning when they came to a goatherd's hut at tho top of the green valley. Already thoy had passed the bounds of Hohcnstein by hnlf n dozen miles. Tho goatherd had led his light skipping train to tho hills for tho day, and tho rude and chnotlc remains of his breakfast wero still on the table. Boris and Jorian cleared these away, and, with tho trained alacrity of seasoned men at arras, they placed beforo tho party a breakfast prepared with speed out of which they had brought with them and those thlngB which they had found to their hand by foraging In tho cottage of tho goatherd to-wit, sliced neat's tongue dried in tho smoke, bread of fine wheat which Jorian had carried all the way In a net at his Bad-dlo Bad-dlo bow. Boris had chargo of tho wino skins, and upon a shelf abovo the door they found a great butter pot full of freshly mado curded goat's milk, very delicious both to taste and smell. ' Of these things they ate and drank largely, Joan and Von Orseln being together to-gether at tho upper end of tho table. Doris and Jorian had to sit with them, though much agalnht tholr wills, being be-ing (splto of their sweethearts) moro accustomed to tho company of honest men nt arms than to tho practice of dainty eating In ladles' society. Soon Joan of the Sword Hand' roso to her feet, for tho ex-men at arms had few words to say. "Let us now mount and ride homeward," home-ward," sho said, "thcro aro no enemy to bo found on this northerly road. Wo shall be moro fortunato upon another occasion." Then Werner von Orseln norved himself for a battle moro serious than any ho had ovor fought at tho elbow of Henry .tho Lion of Hohcnstein. Hohcn-stein. '".My lady," ho said, Btandlng up and bowing gravely beforo her, "you sco hero eleven men who lovo you far abovo their lives, of whom I am tho chief. Two others also thcro are, who, though not of our nation, nro In heart Joined to us, especially In this thing that wo havo done. With nil respect, your Highness cannot go back. Wo havo como out, not to mako n reconnnlssancc, but to put your Grace In n place of safety till tho storm blows ovor." Tho Duchess had slowly risen to her foot, with her hand on tho sword which swung nt her bolt. "Yoil lmvo suddenly gono mod, Werner!" Wer-ner!" she sold; "lot us havo no moro of this. I bid you mount and ride. Back to Kernsberg, I sny! Yo aro not such fools nnd trnitors as to dellvor tho maiden Castle, tho Kaglo's Nest of Hohcnstein, Into tho hands of our eno-mles?" eno-mles?" "Nny," said Von Orseln, lookltig steadily upon tho ground, "thnt will we not do. Kernsberg Is iu good hands, nnd will fight bravely. But wo cannot hold out with our few folk and scanty provender against tho leaguer of thirty thousand. Nevertheless wo will not permit you to sacrlflco yourself for our snkes or for tho sake of tho women and children of tho city." Joan drew her sword. "Werner von Orsoln, will you obey mo, or must I slay you with my hand?" sho cried. Tho chlof captain yet further bowod his head and abased his eyes. "Wo havo thought also of this," he made nnswer. "Mo you may kill, but these that aro with mo will defend thomsolves, though thoy will not strike ono they lovo moro than tholr lives. But man by man wo havo sworn to do this thing. At all hazards you must nbldo In our hands till tho danger Is ovorpast. For mo (this ho added In a deeper tono), I am your Immediate officer. There Is nono to como between us. It Is your right to slay mo If you will. Mlno la tho ro-sponhlblllty ro-sponhlblllty for this deed, though tho design was not mine. Here Is my sword. Slay your chief captain with It If you will. Ho has faithfully served your houso for ftve-and-thlrty years. TIb perhaps tlmo ho rested now." And with thoso words Werner von Orseln took his sword by tho point and offered tho Hilt to his mistress. Joan of tho Sword Hand shook with mingled passion nnd helplessness, and her eyes wero dark nnd troubled. "Put up your bludo," alio sold, striking strik-ing tho hilt with her hand; "if you havo not deserved death, no moro havo I deserved this! But you said that tho design wus not yours. Who, then, has dared to plot against tho liberty of Joan of llnlinsteln?" "I would I could claim the honor," said Werner tho chief captain: "but truly tho ninttcr canio from Maurlco von Lynar, tho Dane. It Is to his mother, who after tho death of the Count von Lynar .continued to dwell In a secret strength on tho Baltic ahore, that wo aro conducting your Grace!" "Maurlco von Lynar?" exclaimed Joan, astonished. "Ho remains in Cnstlo Kernsberg then?" "Ayo," snld Werner, relieved by her tone, "ho will tako your placo when danger comes. In morning twilight twi-light or at dusk he makes none so 111 a Lady Duchess, nnd, I' faith, his sword hand Is brisk enough. If tho town bo taken, better thnt ho than you bo found In Castle Kernsberg. Is tho thing not well Invented, my lady?" Werner looked tip hopefully. Ho thought ho Tuid pleaded his cause well. "Traitor! supplanted" cried Joan Indignantly; "this Dane In my place! "Werner von Orseln, will you oo"ey me?" I will hang him from tho highest window win-dow In tho Castlo of Kernsberg, If ovor I win back to mlno own again." "My lady," said Werner, gently nnd respectfully, "your servant Von Lynar bade mo tell you that he would as faithfully nnd loyally tako your place now as ho did on a former occasion!" "Ah," said Joan, smiling wnnly with a quick change of mood, "I hope ho will be moro ready to glvo up his privileges on this occasion than on that!" She was thinking of tho Princess Margaret and the heritage of troublo upon which, as tho Count von Loen, sho had caused tho Sparhawk to enter. Then a now thought seemed to strike hor. "But my nurso and my women how can ho keep the lmposturo secret? Ho may pass before tho stupid oyes of men. But thoy " "They hnvo been sent out of harm's way Into Plassonburg. Thcro Is not a woman born of woman In all tho Cnstlo of Kernsberg!" "Yes," mused Jonn, "I havo indeed boon fairly cozened. I gavo that order or-der also by tho Dane's advice. Well, lot hi in havo his run. Wo will reeve him a firm collar of hemp at tho end of It, nnd mnyho for Werner von Orseln Or-seln also, as a traitor nllkc to his bread and his mistress. Till then I hopo you will both enjoy playing your parts." Tho chief captain bowed, i "I nm content, my lndy," ho said respectfully. re-spectfully. "Now, good Jailers all," cried Joan, "lend on. I will follow. Or would you prefer to enrry mo with you handcuffed hand-cuffed and chained? I will go with you In what fashion seemoth good to my masters!" Sho paused and looked around tho little goatherd's hut. "Only," she said, nodding hor head, "I warn you I will tako my own tlmo and manner of coming back!" Thoro was a doop sllonco as tho men drow their bolts tighter and prepared pre-pared to mount nnd depart. (To bo continued.) |