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Show ' J0ANx9iJli ' W S -R; CROCKETT. Auftor o Tfc&ritteZGo iptngii it" iipvi i H I. imloii i CHAPTER XIV. (tie nuocn At eventide of die third da) of their journeying (lie part) mint Id n great morass Tlii horse picked thvlr ) wntll) t'lrotigh thla tangle the rotten slick )lvldllM an rcadll) an wet mud henettli their huofe Pools of stag tinnt black wall r hud to bo evadi d treacherous )ellow n'l tested, bridges constructed of ilia firmer logs till all suddenly lhi) camt out upon n fair) like fltile half moon nf sand and titty sheila Here wa a largo Hal bottomed boat, drawn up against the shore In the lern a strange figure was seated. a man, tail and angular, clad In Jerkin and trmika of brown tanned leather, cross gartirod hive of grey cloth, and home trw'e ahuon of lild with (lie lialr e-itsldt I In word a black scull cap. and hi head had the strange un canny look iif a wild animal It was r not at the Hrai glance nor yet at thi ll i-eetmil Ibat Ikirli and Jorlau found I out the eauee of thla rurloua appear I finer I Meanwhile Werner ton Orstln wu I putting into hi liaml some pledge or Mian which he scrutinised cnrefull). when Jorlan grippal lit companion1 arm r "look." lie whltred. "ho's got "o coral" i "Nor an) tongue!' responded Ilorls , Marlng with all lila ( at llio prod ley. And, Indeed, tlio strange man was pointing to hli inoiilli wllh the Index linger of hl right hand and algnlng ' that the) were to follow lilra Into the boat which had been walling for them i The Duchess leapt from licr horse and stepped from tlio little plir of stone beside which thu boil la), and walking firmly from sent to aeat hc rcnchnl the atom, when he aat down without iemltiK to Iiao so tnucli a glanced at an) of the rpnipun) Werner on Orstln thin motioned Captain Ilorl nnd Jorlan to take their place In the bow, nnd hating bared lila head he seated himself be- aide Ida mistress The wordloa. ear- lias man took the oar and puiheil off The ten men left on the horo ct about building a lire nnd making slit Her of brushwood, a If they ex peeled to ta there wine time . ' .., Tlio boat iwssi'd almost iuilelel) 1 along, the atrange man rowing strong- 1 ly and the boat drawing steadily away I across the widest part of thu mill In 1 land sen. As they tliua coasted along 1 ' C tho gloom) iiliore the aun went . R down and darkness came upon thcra '3r('""i.' ""at n bound. 'J After paco tall tree again ehot up otcrhoad, and with a quick turn thohoat paired between walls of trembling trem-bling reeds that nulled ngalnsl the oara like silk, i nit rged on a black ilrcln of water, and thin, gliding smoothly forward, took ground In tlio blank dark A the broad keel grain! on Jho sand, the Vtordlcs Man left out, and, , standing on tho shore, put hli hands to hi mouth and i milted n long shout like a Wait blown on n conch shell It had obvious!) a meaning for tome- one and to put the matter bc)ond a , doubt It was aiiKwered b threo shrill whistle from behind the rampart of tree. Joan nt v t 111 In tho boat whero sho had placed herself. She had asked no question, and even theso atrango experiences did not nller her resolu ', tlon Presently a light gleamed uncertainly uncer-tainly through Iho trie, now lost behind brushwood and again break-i break-i Ing out. A tall figure movtd forward with a " , step quick and firm It was that of ' a woman who carried a swinging Inn- " j ' Follow me I" ' j tern In her hand, from which wheeling lights gleamed through a score of variously colored little plates of horn t Standing still on n ll'lle wooden I pier she held the lantern high, so that tho light fell on thoe lu the boat, nnd their faces looked strangely white In that Illuminated circle, surrounded ns It was by a pent house of tense blackness, black pines, black water, black sky "Follow me!" said the woman. In a deep, rich voice a tolce whose tones (lirllled those who heard them to their hearts, so rich and low wero somo of the notes Joan of the Sword Hand rose to her feet. "I am the Ductus of Hohcnttuln, and I do not tcaw this boat till I Mow In what plan- I am and who thin mat lie that erb-n follow ' to the daughter of lleur) the l.lon'" The tall woman turned without bow lug and looked at the girl I am th mother of Maurlco ion Ijimr and this la the Isle Itugen' slie said Mmpl,, as If the answer wer nil iximeli-nt The woman In the crimson eloak walii-d for Joan tit I asalslnl from tin boat, and then, without a word of ureetlng l.il the up a lllll.i sand id path to a gate which opened lu a high stum wall Through - she admitted her guest whereupon the) found themselves lu an enclosure with Iowkm and battlement rising dlml) all round Then ratue a Ion are) building another dcir. low aud creaking beat II) on unaccustomed hinges, n uddi n hi rsi of light, und In' the wandinr found Mii'insiltcH within n lighted hall, win n In were man) stands of aim and armor, mlni-led with fkln of wild animal, wide spreading man) lined aniler. and other record of the chasc Tlie woman who had lietn llulr guide now set down her land rn and allowed the hood of her cloak to slhli ftom lii'i head Werner nnd Ills two male companions, the captain of n renburg fell back a Utile at the appa rlllon The) had expected to see wiine hag or irone ill companion or their woidlts guide Instead a woman too lii-furi- them not glrllh certalnl) nor )et In the first bloom of her )outh but glorious een among fair women b) reason of the rlpencmi of her beauty The mother of that )oung paladin their Simihawk? It seuneil imol ble Thl woman wn too oulliful loo fair too iHiuntlful lu her grnclou beaut) to he the mothir of uch a tinsc )otmg )ew bow as .Mnurlce on l.nar "My lad) Joan' sho said In the same thrilling wilcc. ni) son ha ent mc word that till n certain greni dan ger I otcrpast )oit are to abide wllh mi here on the Isle Itugeu I Ilc alone, sale for thla one man dumb Max I Irlch, long aluce cruel!) maimed at the hand of his memles I can offer ii no suite of nttendanta be-)ond be-)ond those )ou bring with lou Our afet) depi nil on the secrec) of our abode as for man) year in) own life has done I ask )ou, therefore, to respect re-spect our prhucy n also to Imposo the same ujion jour soldiers" Tim Duello Joan bowed (lightly "As )ou doublli-K know, I haxo not como hither of my own free will," ho answered haiightlt), "but I thank lou, madam, for )our hospitality. Itest nssurcd that the sicn-cy of jour dwelling shnll not he tndangered by mo'" Then wllh n largo gesture the elder Indicated Iho way up the broad lalr case, and throwing her own cloak completel) ofT he caught It ncros hir arm a It dropped and so fol lowed Joan out of sight Instinct was so strong that, as koon a tho women had withdrawn thorn-silies thorn-silies upstairs, the three captains started toward the door (o make tho round of the d fence The Wordless Man nccntnpanlcd tlum unasked Tho square enclosure In which they found themseles seemed llker nn old fortified farmhouse of grunge than a regular castle, though tho wnlls.wero thick as Ihoso of an) fortress being loop-holed loop-holed for musketrj, and (In Uioho da)s of bombards few nnd hea)j) capable cap-able of standing a slige In good earnest ear-nest against a small arm) The threo captain rtlurned through the hall lulu a long dining room tanned tann-ed above wllh beams of sulld oak Curtains were drawn clojo all about tin walls In the n cesses were mnny titaiids of arms of good nnd recent construction and opining a cupboard with tho fricdom of u man at arms, Ilorl aw ramrod powder and hot arranged In order. a neatl) n though ho hail done It himself (ban which nn In iter could be said In a Hi He while the sound of foot sUp diKcending the nearer staircase wa hrnnl The Wordless lan moted to the door and held It open, as Joan come lu with a proud, high look on nor face Von I.ynar's mother entered en-tered Immediately after her guest, and it nci .led nothing more subtle ihnu Vtiriur ton Orseln's masculine nrumt n lo discern that no word had bi.n spnkin between I hem while they tun il ne With a quecnl) gesture the hostess motion, mo-tion, i her guest to the place of honor, and Imlleailng that the three soldiers were lo take their places at the other side of the table Werner von Orsoln moted automatically to obey, but Jnrlan and Ilorl were already at the sideboard, dilating Wallers and making mak-ing them rend) to serve I he meal ' I thank )ou. madam, ' said Jorlan Were we hero as mtoys of our master mas-ter Prince Hugo of IMassenburg. we would glad!) and proudl) sit nt meat with jou Hut we are olunteera, and hate all our lives been men at arms We will therefore assist this vod gentleman to sertc, an It please jou to permit us'" The lad) bowed slight!) and for the first time smiled. "My son remains In Castle Kerns bergT' she asked with an upward Inflection, In-flection, an Indescribable roflnesa at the some time otersprendlng her face, and n warmth coming Into her grey ejes -shlch showed what this woman might be to those whom she realty loted "He keep the Csitle Indeed In his mistress s absence nnd mine," tlW Werner He will make a good soldier sol-dier Our lad) ha already made him Count ton l.oen that he may be the equal of thoe who rare for ue!i title ' A atraugr flash of remembrance and emotion passed oter the face of their hostess "And tour own title my lord' she asked after a little pause 'I am plain Werner ton Orwln, free rltter and faithful sertnnt of my mistress mis-tress the thirties loan, a I was also of her father Henri the l.lon of lloliensteln "1 hate now no fitltl ful servants," said the young Duchess at last, breaking break-ing hi r rol.l sih mt I hate only traitors trai-tors and jailer about me ' Willi Hun she became once more si-li si-li m A painful rtsiralut fell upon tho alv!t iSl mmm i'Ffl "The secrecy of your dwelling shall not be endangered by me." three who sat at table, and though their luwte nnd Werner von Orscln parttaik of the fish nnd brawn and fruit which their threo mrtltors set licfore them In sitter platters, It was but sparing!) and without appetite. All were glad when the meal was oter and the) could rise from the table A soon a sislble Ilorls and Jorlan got mil side Into the long passage pas-sage which led to the kitchen "Jorlan ' said Ilorls solemnl) lowering low-ering hi tolce lo a whisper, "If that Courtland fellow had known what we know, he would hate been none so eagtr to get her home to bed and board' ' Ice will melt etcn Ilaltlc led" aid Jorlan aentenllousl) "es. but gto) beard 1-oul of Court-land Court-land Is not tlio man to do Iho melt-lug'" melt-lug'" ntorted Ilorl "Hut I know who could," said Jorlan, nodding his head wllh an air of Immense sagacity. "Who?" said Ilorls, shortly Tho door of Iho kitchen opened slightly and the tall woman stood a moment wllh tho lakh In her hand, ready to enter. 'Our Bparhnwk could melt tho Ilaltlc Ilal-tlc Ice'" said Jorlan, nnd winked at Ilorls with his lift c)e In a sly manner man-ner Wherciion Ilorls dropped his knlfo nnd, seising Jorlan by tho shoulders) ho thrust him down upon a broad stool Then lie dragged tho platter of brawn beforo htm and dumped the mustard pot besldo It upon the deal table with n resounding clap "There"' he cried, "fill your silly mouth with that, Fatsldes' TIs all )oo nro good for I have stood a deal of lino larded Ignorance from jou In tnj lime hut nothing like this. You will be saying next that my lady Duchiss might tako n fancy lo yout" "Hlio might do w or kuI" said Jorlan philosophically, a ho stirred the mus-tnrd mus-tnrd wllh his knlfo nnd looked about for the aln tankard (To be continued ) |
