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Show I SHLVEIR J A tafifiiaifii HL If ID)iri!flsinikinidl H HIAPTKH VI. mm "f A 1 T ho Is probably right." 1 JK i"A onswored. HB Mft "-,f co"rco ho Is. I don'l mm ISsiSJ doubt your pluck, Verrnll HB but you've hud no practice." HB "Therpfore thcro can bo no ells- . H JB "Sure, It's lint tho honor or dlshonot HB I'm thinking of: It's tho result A HJf knight sent from Khrym has cot tin HB right to bite tho dust nt his first en- IH counter, ntul ns suro ns you do you HE won't linvo u friend among tho lot of HB them." jMm "A cheerful outlook," I said, with n HB fort'od laugh. "What shall wo light HJ wlth-swords?" WM "Lances a llcrco charge across tht HJ ntfim, and then" Hj "Dust biting," I suggested. H "It's no jesting matter. This Vnscn, JH c I hear, has" never been worsted, and BJ It's no light gaum he'll piny at this tour. B rmmcut. I warrant. If ho can put an Hj cud to your adventure, my boy, ha Hj will. Ilnvo you over used n lanco?" Hj "I have learned how to' handle one H since I came here." Hj "Hut have you ever charged nt any- thing with It!" H "No." H "Then yon don't know what a devil's JE toy It Is to play with. There's only j one thing to ho dime wo must get out of It somehow." H "WIujh Is this tournament to bo?" H "At once, tomorrow or the next day. H It Is only for the princess to decide." iflj "There Is a court tonight." iHj O'ltynn nodded. HJ "Come, iimn, lighten your heart a Hj little. We're not tied to the post in M tho Kipiaro yet." HJ "It's a question of time, I'm think- jH lri"g. I'd feel u deal safer lu Yuda- Hj Kuril." HJ To say that I hud no plan In my HJ mind when I attended court that night Hj would be untrue'. jH I was n Into arrival upon a more HE than usually brilliant scene. Hero In Hj Driissenland It was much tho same as EM nt home, more color and freedom than 'K J0 there would be at such a function In ' 83; ' tho old country, perhaps, but the same. jM foundation to both political Intrigue OB and personal Interest. H The first man I encountered was JH Widen. "I have been waiting for yon," he jH paid.' "There Is mischief brewing. It HJ hangs In the air tonight. Vasca and jH Komo of his party have been pressing jH round the princess ever since alio came H "And she Is pleased with such at- Hj tent Ion?" I asked. JH "I could rend neither plensuro nor Hj displeasure In her face. Few can read HJ her, Vorrall, If she chooses that they m shall not." HI "Thnt Is true. Even a princes? enn- H not help being a woman." Hj "Vasca has a persuaslvo tongue, and JH ho Is her klusiimn. That counts for HJ something." HI "For much, my dear Walen. It Is HJ dillleult to refuse a kinsman, and kins- HJ men, knowing this, take advantage HJ and ask hard things. I will learn SH more of this Intrigue." H "And speak carefully," he cautioned, H "Much depends upon your caution." jH Who could know that better than I Hj did? Were conllriuatlou neodcil. It HI came In the many glances directed to- Hj ward me as I made my way to tho H top of the hall where Princess Darin Hj was, "Sir Verrnll!" H It was -i woman who called me lis I was n. king my way through tho crowd, and I could not refuse to an-I an-I wer her liekuiilng linger. She was ntniulliu-. i no of a Utile group of I dani'"' and .millers, tricked out most H tiwlofu !v, l'"iders of fashion In the coin ' iV'ieius Darin. I knew the M v :ii( . ' nieddlcsunm a little vixen H IIS o- B "is 'i t v.e hear true?' she nuked us, ' w. I Joined the party. "VV'.i i '.iiii'd dure lo speak anything H K.llt tin l-uth'lo the ,:uly Aldrlda?" M "As ready as ever with words, Sir Verrall," said a young Jackanapes, a Drusseuhtnd type of Piccadilly loun- Ker. I caiinol better describe hlui. "And ileeds, too, Sir Knight, If deeds nro called for," I answered, touching H tho hilt of my sword. M "You aro quick to take offense M whero none was Intended." Mm. "I am a soldier tlrst. a courtier lifter- 'JPE ward," I answered. "Pardon my fl Khortcnmlngs." jjj "Is It true, theuV" .suld I.ady Aldii- I da, "I was afraid we were to be dls- I appointed." "I should grieve to disappoint you. Will you toll mo what Is expected of nu?" 'It is whispered that there is to be ti grand tournament and that you aro (o hold tho lleftl against all comers. Rlnco wo have never seen your prowess, prow-ess, Is It wonderful that wo aro or-cited?" or-cited?" nml sho laughed. "I have heard nothing of It." I answered. an-swered. "P'lt If n won! from uie can Have you disappointment, I.ndy Aldrlda, Al-drlda, be assured It shall be spoken." "I would olTer you my scarf as a token, sir Verrall, had I not a knight i ie Jealous " c Copyright, 1907. by R. F. Fenno & Co. t, j -riuy rather a hundred, J .tidy Aldrlda, Aldrl-da, or you do yourself a grave Injustice." Injus-tice." , "A sword as keen as your wit should Insuro success. Vet how few excel lu both!" I nuidn my way as quickly as I could toward the princess. The priest Jnsnr was beside h:,r: so was Vomit Vasca. There was a look f annoyance lu her face, which was banNh'd by a smile as I approached. "You come at a convenient time, Sir Verrall," she said, giving me her hand to kiss. "Your name Is on every lip tonight. It seems." "I rejoice, 'your highness, if I tun fairly spoken of." "I would call to ii count any man whi) spoke otherwise of the Knight of j the Silver Slur." said Vasca. "I have been suggesting a bravo dls. piny. Sir Veniill." he went on airily, ns though wo had been the greatest of friends, "a display to make young hearts bent with pleasure and bright eyes sparkle with excitement. The princess has not yet given her consent. Will you not add your persuasion to mine?" s "You have worked In secret, Count Vasca. or my persuasion should hare seconded yours before this. Is It truu that you Tould have me keep tho Held against all comers? Surely you do me too much honor." "Do yd'u desire this inlmle combat. Sir A'errull?" asked the princess. "Most heartily, your highness. Yet why should I bo so honored to destroy tho delight of so many? To hold the Held against so many gallant warriors were Impossible Let me succeed once, twice n dozen times. Still I am but human and my arm can feel fatigue. How say you, Count Vasca? Young hearts beat highest when young lovers lov-ers do bravely. Let lovers break a lance for those they love, and since fow hearts hold mo dear enough to beat the faster at my coming you and I will break a lanco for honor's sake." "A challenge! A challenge!" said some about' us. It may . havo been fancy, but I thought, the princess paled a little. "It Is bravely spoken," said Jasar, and his eyes turned from mo to the princess. "May 1 venture to persuade your highness lu this matter?" I suld, lowing low-ing low before her. . Itather unwillingly she gavo her consent. con-sent. I should have been better pleased pleas-ed had she withheld It. "I accept the challenge. No love creeps Into our combat, Sir Verrall. You have so willed It. Let it bo for 1 honor," The news that the challenge had been given and accepted passed llko magic through the hall. At any rate, N AhJ "FOIt IIONOII AND KOIt TIIC AI'I'llllVATi OP M 1'IIIXI lS ' STAIH I had only one man to light. That was better than having a dozen, one after tho otherr. I remained bcsldo tho princess. "You- havo chosen u strong adversary," adver-sary," she suld in h low tone. I had no alternative, your highness. I had to accept or give tho challenge. I preferred to give It. . Ilnvo I offended offend-ed you?'' "oii uavo not offended me." "You have lientd nothing of this projected tournament until tonight?" "I heard of It today from my esquire." She exchanged u quick glance with the priest which 1 could nut read. I did not uudetvtaiid her well; tho priest I did not understand nt all. "Sir Verrall. you have my good wishes. The test Is ono I would not willingly, have put yon to." "Your good wishes nro a suro armor, your highness," 1 said, stooping to pick up the handkerchief sho dropped. Our eyes met as our hands touched over the handkerchief which I held to her. A look In them gavo mo courage. "Add only this favor," I suld. "Let mo keep this handkerchief us my token." to-ken." "You light for honor. Sir Verrall." she answered quickly. "For honor und for tho approval of my princess." She turned from mo with a heightened height-ened color and, with Jasar. Joined her suit, but she left the handkerchief In I my hand. CIIAPTKK VII. fVJ y! STOOD bending over tho ! handkerchief ' jfpr a moment rtavafj and then hiistlly'concoalod It. lhotfa.1 1U(, lurHt forgotten what occasioned the gift until rudely re-l re-l minded by Walen as wo left the hall together. "1 fear you have played Into nsea's hands, Verrall," he. said. "Or he Into mine." "True, or he Into yours. It Is dillleult dilll-eult to Judge." "Knowing so little of me, you would say," I went on, putting, I knew, his thoughts Into words. "My dear Walen, Wa-len, I ask only a fair Held and no favor. fa-vor. A few true friends and a good cause and success Is half won." "Men fall In a good cause, Verrall." "To prove that It is good to those who remain." I aio'wered. Ill news gets abroad quickly, and O'ltyun had heanf what hud taken place before I Joined him. "Verrall, you're an almighty fool Sure. It's sorry I am to be compelled to tell you (lie truth."' "I don't fancy ,ou'vo succeeded lu doing It now. There was nothing for It but a bold move. Vasca had determined de-termined to force me Into this light and to leave no loophole for escape. .Hotter surely, to grip the. situation llrm-ly llrm-ly and trust to luck." "Luck!" he exclaimed. "I know what Vnscn can do. You don't" . "I very soon shall." "I'd llko to change places with you," O'ltyun said. "A piece of national conceit.. My luuce play may be as good as yours.", "Sure, that's not It at all. Tho one who fights dies lighting; the one who Is left dies there. I'm the ono who's left. That Is what troubles me." And he waved Ids baud toward the square. "It's a bad sign when a man barks as loudly as Vasca does," I said. "That's a sound, enough argument when civilization has knocked halt the fighting power out of n inaci, but It's Just meaningless hero. In Driissenland Driissen-land ii man daren't bark unless ho cnn bite. I'd give a good deal to bo back In Yndasnrii. Tho place Is full of blackguards, black-guards, to bo sure, but thoy'ro bluck- guards you cnn understand none of theso tournament businesses and nonsense non-sense of that kind." There wero three days of waiting before the tournament, three days In which I had to steel myself to behave calmly, as usual, three days during which I could hardly rt'innln still for a moment. The day dawned bright mid sunny. but with a keenness lu the air which perhaps my nervous excitement exag- I gerated. 1 woke early and never, sure- I If. have hours been so leaden winged as they wero'tlint morning. "Wo will not be tho first to nrrlvo." said O'Kynn. curbing my Impatience. "It would only be to show anxiety." "Which, of course, wo do not feel," I said, with n nervous laugh. Wo waited In ltonee until It was tlmo to go, nnd In silence we rodo to the camp. Plentiful ns the accommodation In the lists had seeiued to mo. It was evidently evi-dently not too much. Kvcry seat, cv- , cry point of vantage, hud been taken. , There were two entrances reserved for tho knights who were to take part In the day's proceedings, facing each other oth-er and shut o'T from tho arena by a barrier .which was only opened to let n knight pass in lo combat. On one side .if the lists was u gallery, lu which were the marshal and Ids heralds, tiud opposite, n similar gallery, wiiere Princess Darin sat with her retinue. ret-inue. My ees wero riveted on this gallery, but t could not tell 'whether she had noti. ed me or whether she looked nnxtous nr IndltTerciit. "Your tlni" approaches. Verrall." said O'ltynn. looking to the harness of my horse. The trump.'!, sounded, and a roar of welcome amp from u thousand throats, or or combats had excited. but my entr nr e heralded the perfnvm mice which I, id brought this crowd to , gcther. As I rode past tho gallery the marshal ami his attendants rose t" give mo courteous welcome, fio had they risen to each knight us ho en tered' the ll-ts, but there was keener , criticism In their eyes as they rose to me. Some friends I had among them, somo enemies. I could probably have divided friends from foes by tho ex presslon on ihelr faces. I kept my liorso well In hand. I had no desire now to show off gallantly. Tho business busi-ness before mo was too serious and might all too soon give the llo to my warlike iipixMirnueo. Slmvby I walked the horse round the lists until I was opposite the gallery In which Princess 'Dnrla sat. The princess rose, and Isnlutcd her gravely, wondering If at that moment i the huiiic thought rim through both our brains the thought of the handkerchief handker-chief which she bad given and which ! even then was lying close to my heart Then I rode back and stood beneath the nutrslnl's gallery. 4 "Heralds, sound 'he challenge of the Knight of the Silver Star once!" he cried. The trumpets' music idled tho air, and before the echoes had died among the hills i lie bun;lcr at the opposite sldo of the lists to whlclr I had entered enter-ed was thrown open, nnd Count Vasca rodo Into (he arena. "I iiccept tho challenge." ho cried, nnd then, approaching me. ho suld 111 l n lower wilce: "Xo love creeps Into our combat, sin Verrnll. You havo willed, that it shall bo for hftnor." "For honor, Count Vasca, and for love, too, If you will," I answered defiantly. de-fiantly. "So soon a dllToroiit talol Danger gives Increasing beauty to a fair face likely to bo lost." "It Is rather to challenge you to your best. Von harp on love so constantly con-stantly perchance honor Is not enough lo .strengthen your arm against mo." A hiss iif race was his only answer . "To achievement, knights!" cried the herald. "Sound trumpets!" As the blast rung out 1 turned m horse, und the next moment the count und I wore rushing madly at each nth er. In that Instant my mind was a blank. Action had driven out even the thought of fear. We met Ills lanco shivered ugalnst my shield, a blow which shook inc. but did not make me reel lu the saddle. Either my .ilm was untrue or he avoided the" blow, for my lance only glanced uloii" his armor, nnd I continued my rm'.i tov nrd (lieNipposlte side of the lists Perhaps there was some surprise that I was Still In the saddle, a satisfaction satisfac-tion that the combat was not to be a, die sided affair, that if not all I claim cd to be 1 was at least no craven carpet car-pet knufht. At itny rate, a cheer rang nut. and I felt encouraged. Tuning. 1- saw that the count had been supplied with another lance and was ready to charge again. There was d moment's pause; then the trumrjets sounded, and once more we rushed upon each other. The spirit of battle was upon me. I bad more conlldence, and 1 dug the spurt Into my horse, leaning forward to the charge. I hardly knew What had happened, brought as I was to a sudden standstill by n blow which seemed to strike me full lu the body, I reeled backward, but my horse, being thrown upon his hnunches, saved me, and with a mighty effort I succeeded In keeping my seat. As my Uorso struggled up 1 regained my full consciousness, to tlnd Vasca 's" horse also struggling to his feet. Ids rider still III the saddle, und to see that both our lances wero broken bro-ken short to tho handle. My blow had been as tierce as Ids. Victory was with neither of us yet. A great roar of applause arose around us as we passed to opposite sides of the lists. Both of us had to bo given a fresh lance, and probably the count, llko myself, felt tho need of recovering himself a little before again rushing to the onslaught. I had no knowledge qf how much of this kind of thing he could stand without showing signs of . weakness, but I was perfectly sure that another blow llko tho last would ; be quite enough for me. j Kven now wo seemed u long time j reaching each other, nnd my eyes refused re-fused to see my enemy clearly ns he . en mo, yet 1 felt that lie, loo, wished to end the combat; that he, too, was , bent on mitkbig n desperate endeavor, i Gathering all my strength together I rushed to meet him, nnd even ns I did so I remembered O Itynn's advice. I Perhaps even nt that late moment I feared to'recolvo such a blow as the I Inst, tint liatp,i-r lite motive w that decided me I acted upon the ml vice. I slightly cheeked my pace, und ns we met I swened n little nnd 'leveled 'lev-eled my lance at Viisca's helmet. The sudden action made me reel, and had the count's huice struck me then I should have been unborved. Hut fortune for-tune favored me. Vasca attempted to alter Ids course In a similar manner, hut his -horse, going faster thnn mine, stumbled forward. Ills lance' missed mo altogether, while mine only struck 'him lightly. It wus not my blow that ' unseated hlui, but Ids stumbling charger. The count made a frantic 1 effort to keep Ills lioiu from falling. I but In vain, and he rolled heavily from Ills Silddle to the ground. Shout after shout rent the air. Who could tell how the count had fallen? The fact remained that, while he rolled roll-ed In the dust. I remained In the saddle. sad-dle. So they shouted ns men will at victory, satlsilcd and Jubilant. "Sir Verrall! Sir Verrall! Tho Knight of the Silver Star!" The codnt struggled to his feet. 1 "A stumbling steed Is no kulgUl's dishonor iiutticv horse!"' he cried "(iron fo., Sir ermll as. v"l "III" I -.'ll K'H ,r , .. ,, s -00;I mist r saw waving hid- In the gal HJ Idles; as tliroi;;h n i r u fog I beant HJ my iiiiine und Vnscn'-1 HJ The sharp note of a bugle urousoil jHJ mo somewhat. Cor tin Instant I fun- H cled It the miiiiiiious to number charge M nnd turned my horse mechanically; 19 Hut there was other business In hand'. H A blare of trumpets had summoned to HJ the mimic battle, but (his was one- ,HJ sharp, long drawn note, a note of H alarm always In Driisseulnnd. Tin- M shouting ceased; hands no longer H uuved. I think I saw the princess rlsf, B and lenve her gallery suddenly. I know I H that there was u mass of movement j H on nfl sides of tho INts. Knights und B soldiers rushed across the turf, and 1 ' HJ was borno along with them to tho bar IHJ rlcr. H "To nrms! To arms!" wns now the IB cry on every side. HJ "Bravely done, Sir Verrnll!" And 1 H aw o'ltynn press townrd me through M the crowd. JH "What Is It?" I snld almost in ft HJ whisper. HJ "Fntlh. It's what stilts us best real HJ fighting The enemy nro In force be- HJ fore the town " JH il, i,i-Coniiuued.) HJ MB |