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Show I B S-R;CROCKETT.o-?mo B (CopyrlBht, 1858, 1000, by S. 11. Crockett. I CHAPTER XVII Continued. "I luivo It!" said ho nt Inst, with his eyes on the misty plain of night, B with Its twinkling pln-polnts of flro y which were the wutchflrcs of the enemy. B The three men stirred n little to in- B 4lcato attention, lmt die not speak. "Listen," ho said, "and do not Interrupt. In-terrupt. Yon must deliver mo up. I am the causo of war I, tho Duchess Joan. Hear you! I bavo a husband who makes war becauso I contemn his bed and board. He has summoned the Muscovite to help him to woo me. Well, If I am to bo Riven up, it is for us to stlpulato that tho armies bo withdrawn, first beyond tho Alia, and then as far ns Courtland. I will go with them; they will not find me out at least, not till they are back in their own land." "What matter?" cried Bnlta, "They would return as soon as they discovered discov-ered tho cheat." "Let us sink or swim together," said Husslto George. "Wo want no talk of surrender!" But grey, dry Alt Plkkcr said nothing, noth-ing, weighing all with a Judicial mind. "No, thoy would not come back," said tho Sparhawk: "or, at worst, wo "would havo time that Is, you would have time to revlctual Kernsberg, to fill tho tanks and reservoirs, to summon sum-mon in tho hlllmen. They would soon -learn that there had been no Joan 1 within tho city but tho one they had carried back with them to Courtland. Plassenburg, slow to move, would have time to bring up its men to protect pro-tect Its borders from tho Muscovite. All good chances are possible If only I am out of tho way. Surrender me, but by privato treaty, and not till you havo seen them safe across the fords of tho Alia!" "Nny, God's truth!" cried tho three, "that wo will not do! They would kill you by slow torture ns soon as thoy found out that they had been tricked." "Well," said the Sparhawk slowly, "but by that time they would havo been tricked." I Then Ait Plkkcr f poke In his turn ' "Men," he said, "this Dane is a man ! a better than any of us. There Is wisdom in what he says. Yo have i heard in church how priests preach j concerning One who died for tho peo- J pie. Hero is one ready to die If no better may be for the people!" "And for our Duchess Joan!" said tho Sparhawk, taking his hat from his i head at the name of his lady. "Our Lady Joan! Ay, that Is It!" said tho old man. "We would all glad-br glad-br dlo in battle for our lady. Wo have I mono more we have risked our own Honor nnd her favor In order to con- I vcy her away from these dnngers. Let tho boy bo given up: and that ho go not alono without fit attendance, I will go with him ;'s his chamberlain." CHAPTER XVIII. I The Greeting of the Princess Mar- I garet. I They wcro making terms concern- I ing treaty of delivery thus: I "When tho last Muscovite has I crossed tho Alln, when tho men of 1 Courtland stnnd ready to fqllow 1 then, and not sooner, wo will deliver I up our Lady Joan. For this wo shall I recoivo from you, Louis, Prlnco of I Courtland, fifty hogshead of wine, six E hundred wngonlonds of good wheat, I and tho four great Iron cannon now standing before the Strnlsund Gate. K Tills all to bo completed before wo of Kornsberg hnnd our Lndy over." I "It Is a thing agreed," ausworcd B Louis of Courtland, who longed to bo B gone, and, nbove nil, to get his Mus- B covlto nllles out of his country. For B not only did thoy take nl ltlio best of B evorything in tho field, but, lllto lo- B fiwts, thoy spread themselves over tho B year, carrying plunder nnd rnplno B -through tho territories of Courtland Bj .itself, treating it, Indeed, ns so much conquered country, so that men woro I Be BJj The arms of the Princess Margaret BE were about her neck. oxally deserting ills colorx In ordor to BE g back to protect their wives and BE dughtors from tho Cosnncke of the t Don nnd tho Strcllts of Llttlo Russia. BE Moreover, he wanted that proud BE wonch, his wife. Without her as his B prisoner, ho dared tint go back to his BflJ capital city. Ho hud Kworn an oath Bflff beforo tho people. For tho rest, BBC Kornsberg itself rould wait. Without IBE a head It would soon fall In, and, be- BE sides, ho flattered hlintolf Unit ho BE would so sway uiv' ir (t,!"i't( the Dueh- BBB ess, wlion ho ouro had her safe In his IBK jmlaco by tho mouths of Alia, that BBB slio would ropent her folly, nnd at no BBS distant day sit kneo by knee with him flflfl v on his tlirouo of state In tho audience hall when tho suitors camo to plead concerning the law. And even his guest Prince Ivan was complaisant, standing behind Louis's chiitr nnd smiling to himself. "Brother of mine," he would say, "I camo to help you to your wife. It Is your own affair how you tako her and what you do with hor when you get her. For me, as soon ns you havo her safe within tho summer palaco, nnd havo given me, according to promise, my heart's desire, your sister Margaret, Mar-garet, so soon will I depart for Moscow. Mos-cow. My father, indeed, sends dnlly posts praying my Instant despatch, for ho only waits my return to launch a host upon his enemy tho King of Po-lognla." Po-lognla." And Prlnco Louis, reaching over tho arm of his chair, patted his friend's small, sweet-scented hand, thanked him for his most unselfish and generous assistance. Thus the leaguer of Hohonstcln attained at-tained its object. Prlco Louis had not, It Is true, stormed tho heights of Kernsberg ns ho had sworn to do. Ho hnd, In fnct, left behind him to tho traitors who delivered their Duchess Duch-ess a lnrgo portion of his stores and munitions of war. Nevertheless, he returned proud In heart to his capital city. For In tho midst of his most faithful body of cavalry rodo the young Duchess Joan, Princess of Courtland. on n whlto Neapolitan barb, with reins that Jingled with sll-vor sll-vor bells and rosettes of ribbon on tho bosses of her harness. No Indignity had been offered to her. Indeed, ns great honor was done hor as was possible In tho circumstances. circum-stances. Prlnco I .on Is had approached and led her by tho hand to tho steed which awaited her at tho fords of tho Alia. The soldiers of Courtland elevated ele-vated their spears and tho trumpets brayed a salute. Then, without a word spoken, her husband had bowed and withdrawn ns a gentleman should. Prlnco Ivan then approached, nnd on one knee begged the prlvilogo of kissing kiss-ing her fair hnnd. Tho captive Princess spoke not at all, as was Indeed natural and fitting. A woman conquered does not easily forgive those who havo humbled her pride. She talked llttlo oven to Alt Plkker, and then only apart. Tho nearest guide, who had been chosen because of his knowledge of German, could not hear a murmur. With bowed head and eyes that dwelt steadily on the undulating mane of her white barb, Joan swayed her graceful body and compressed her lips like one captured but In no wise vanquished. van-quished. And the soldiers of the army of Courtland (thoso of them who were married) whispered ono to another, noting her domeanor, "Our good Prince is but nt the beginning of his troubles: for, by nrunhlld, did you ever seo such a wench? They say sho can engage tiny two fencers of hor army nt ono time! "Her eye is lllto n rnpler thrust," whispered another. "Just now I went nenr her to look, and sho arched nn eyebrow nt mo, no more, nnd lo! I wont cold nt my marrow as If I felt the blue steel stand out at my backbone." back-bone." "It is the hunger and tho nngor that hnvo done It," said another; "and, indeed, in-deed, small wonder! Sho looked not so pale when I saw hor ride along Courtland Street tho day to tho Don tho day sho was to bo married. Her face was like that, of any saint In chnpcl when tho sun shines through tho stnlned glnss in tho western windows. win-dows. Then her eyes did not plorco you through, but Instead thoy shono with their own proper light nnd were very gracious." "A strango wench, n most strange wench," responded the first, "bo soon to chango her mind." "Ha!" laughed his companion, "llttlo "llt-tlo doubt of Mint! Besides, Is sho not a princess? and whoreforo should our Prlnco's wlfo not chnngo her mind?" They entered Courtlnnd, and the flags How gaily as on the dny of wedding. wed-ding. The drums bent, and tho populace popu-lace drank from spigots Mint foamed red wine. Tlion the Prince LouIb camo, with lint In hnnd, nnd begged Mint the Princess Joan would graciously gra-ciously allow him to rldo bosldo her through the streets. Ho spoko respectfully, re-spectfully, and .loan could only bow her heud In ncquloBcence. Thus thoy camo to tho courtyard of tho palaco, tho pcoplo shouting behind be-hind thorn. Thore, on tho steps, gowned In whlto nnd gold, with baro head overrun with rlngletH, stood tho PrlnceRs Margaret among her women. And nt sight of her tho heart of tho fnlso princess gnvo n mighty bound, as Joan of tho Sword Hand drew hor hood closer about her face and tried to remember In v,hnt fashion n lady dismounted from her horse. "My lndy," said i'rlnco Louis, standing stand-ing hat In hand beforo hor bnrb, "I commit you to Mid enro of my slstor, tho Prlucess Marguret, knowing tho nnclent friendship that there is between be-tween you. Sho will spenk for mo, knowing nil my will, nnd being nlso herself shortly contracted In marrlago to my good friend, Prlnco Ivan of Muscovy. Open your hearts to ettch othor, I pray you, i.nd bo assured that no evil or Indignity shall befall one whom I admire ns tho fairest of women wom-en nnd honor ns niv wedded wlfo!" Jonn made hlrn no answer, but looped from lit"' Ioi'ko without waiting wait-ing for the hand of Alt Plkker, which many thought strange. In nnother momont the arms of tho I'rlncoss Margaret woro about her neck, and that impuisivo princess was kissing hor heartily on cheek and lips, talking all tho while. "Quick! Let us got in from all these staring, stupid men. You aro to lodge in my palaco to long as It lists you. My brother hath promised it Whero aro your women? Lot them corao and uutiro.yoii speedily!" "I havo no women." said Joan, in a low voice, blushing meanwhile; "they would not arcompnny a poor betrayed be-trayed prisoner from Kernsberg to a prison cell!" "Prison cell, Indeed! Yol. will find that I have n vo-y comfortable dungeon dun-geon ready for you! Come my maidens maid-ens will assist you! Hasten pray do mako haste!" cried tho impetuous llttlo llt-tlo lady, her arm cso about tho tall Joan. "I thank you," said tho false bride-, with somo reluctance, "but I nm well accustomed to wait on myself." "Indeed, I do not wonder," cried tho ready Princess; "maids aro vexatious "Got wot," she murmured; "strange things to hear, Indeed!" creatures, woll called 'tirewomen.' But come seo tho beautiful rooms I havo chosen for you! Thoy woro onco my brother Conrad's, and qulto near mlno." And she took her friend by tho hand and with a llght-hcnrtcd, skipping skip-ping motion convoyed her to her su tumor tu-mor pnlncc, kissed her ngaln at the door, and shut her In with nnothOr imperious im-perious adjuration to bo speedy. "I will give you a quarter of an hour," she cried, as she lingered a moment; "then I will come to hear alt your story, every word, and you must tako a long time In the telling. There will bo so many strange things to tell, nnd I can hardly wait a moment longer to henr them." Then tho false Princess, her heart beating wildly nnd tho thrill of Margaret's Mar-garet's last caressing touch yet on her lips, staggered rather than walked to a chair, for brain and eyo were reeling. reel-ing. "God wot," she murmured; "strango things to hear, indeed! Sweet lady, you llttlo know how strango! This Is ton thousand times a straitcr place to bo In than when 1 played tho Count von Loen. Ah, women, women, what you bring a poor, innocent man to!" And so, without unhooking her cloak or throwing back tho hood, this sadly bowlldorcd Vrido sat down and tried to select any hopeful line of action out of tho whirling chaos of her thoughts. And oven as sho sat there a knock camo sharply at tho door. (To bo continued.) |
