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lips of the Austrian diplomat--a hint that seemed to the
American little short of the death sentence of Leopold, King
of Lutha.
"We owed you much before, count," said Peter. "But for
you we should have been hanged a year ago--without your
aid we should never have been able to escape from the
fortress of Lustadt or cross the border into Austria-Hungary.
I am sorry that Maenck failed in his mission, for had he
not we would have had concrete evidence to present to the
king that we are indeed his loyal supporters. It would have
dispelled at once such fears and doubts as he may still
entertain of our fealty."
"Yes, I, too, am sorry," agreed Zellerndorf. "I can assure
you that the news we hoped Captain Maenck would bring
from America would have gone a long way toward re-
storing you to the confidence and good graces of the king."
"I did my best," came another voice that caused Barney's
eyes to go wide in astonishment, for it was none other than
the voice of Maenck himself. "Twice I risked hanging to
get him and only came away after I had been recognized."
"It is too bad," sighed Zellerndorf; "though it may not be
without its advantages after all, for now we still have this
second bugbear to frighten Leopold with. So long, of course,
as the American lives there is always the chance that he
may return and seek to gain the throne. The fact that his
mother was a Rubinroth princess might make it easy for
Von der Tann to place him upon the throne without much
opposition, and if he married the old man's daughter it is
easy to conceive that the prince might favor such a move.
At any rate, it should not be difficult to persuade Leopold
of the possibility of such a thing.
"Under the circumstances Leopold is almost convinced
that his only hope of salvation lies in cementing friendly
relations with the most powerful of Von der Tann's enemies,
of which you three gentlemen stand preeminently in the
foreground, and of assuring to himself the support of Aus-
tria. And now, gentlemen," he went on after a pause, "good
a
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night. I have handed Prince Peter the necessary military
passes to carry you safely through our lines, and tomorrow
you may be in Blentz if you wish."
II
CONDEMNED TO DEATH
FOR SOME time Barney Custer lay there in the dark revolv-
ing in his mind all that he had overheard through the parti-
tion--the thin partition which alone lay between himself
and three men who would be only too glad to embrace the
first opportunity to destroy him. But his fears were not for
himself so much as for the daughter of old Von der Tann,
and for all that might befall that princely house were these
three unhung rascals to gain Lutha and have their way
with the weak and cowardly king who reigned there.
If he could but reach Von der Tann's ear and through
him the king before the conspirators came to Lutha! But
how might he accomplish it? Count Zellerndorf's parting
words to the three had shown that military passes were
necessary to enable one to reach Lutha.
His papers were practically worthless even inside the lines.
That they would carry him through the lines he had not
the slightest hope. There were two things to be accomplished
if possible. One was to cross the frontier into Lutha; and
the other, which of course was quite out of the question,
was to prevent Peter of Blentz, Von Coblich, and Maenck
from doing so. But was that altogether impossible?
The idea that followed that question came so suddenly
that it brought Barney Custer out onto the floor in a bound,
to don his clothes and sneak into the hall outside his room
with the stealth of a professional second-story man.
To the right of his own door was the door to the apart-
ment in which the three conspirators slept. At least, Barney
hoped they slept. He bent close to the keyhole and lis-
tened. From within came no sound other than the regular
breathing of the inmates. It had been at least half an hour
since the American had heard the conversation cease. A
glance through the keyhole showed no light within the
a
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room. Stealthily Barney turned the knob. Had they bolted
the door? He felt the tumbler move to the pressure--
soundlessly. Then he pushed gently inward. The door swung.
A moment later he stood in the room. Dimly he could
see two beds--a large one and a smaller. Peter of Blentz
would be alone upon the smaller bed, his henchmen sleep-
ing together in the larger. Barney crept toward the lone
sleeper. At the bedside he fumbled in the dark groping for
the man's clothing--for the coat, in the breastpocket of
which he hoped to find the military pass that might carry
him safely out of Austria-Hungary and into Lutha. On the
foot of the bed he found some garments. Gingerly he felt
them over, seeking the coat.
At last he found it. His fingers, steady even under the
nervous tension of this unaccustomed labor, discovered the
inner pocket and the folded paper. There were several of
them; Barney took them all.
So far he made no noise. None of the sleepers had stirred.
Now he took a step toward the doorway and--kicked a
shoe that lay in his path. The slight noise in that quiet room
sounded to Barney's ears like the fall of a brick wall. Peter
of Blentz stirred, turning in his sleep. Behind him Barney
heard one of the men in the other bed move. He turned his
head in that direction. Either Maenck or Coblich was sitting
up peering through the darkness.
"Is that you, Prince Peter?" The voice was Maenck's.
"What's the matter?" persisted Maenck.
"I'm going for a drink of water," replied the American,
and stepped toward the door.
Behind him Peter of Blentz sat up in bed.
"That you, Maenck?" he called.
Instantly Maenck was out of bed, for the first voice had
come from the vicinity of the doorway; both could not be
Peter's.
"Quick!" he cried; "there's someone in our room."
Barney leaped for the doorway, and upon his heels came
a
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Click here to buy
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the three conspirators. Maenck was closest to him--so close
that Barney was forced to turn at the top of the stairs. In
the darkness he was just conscious of the form of the man
who was almost upon him. Then he swung a vicious blow
for the other's face--a blow that landed, for there was a
cry of pain and anger as Maenck stumbled back into the
arms of the two behind him. From below came the sound
of footsteps hurrying up the stairs to the accompaniment
of a clanking saber. Barney's retreat was cut off.
Turning, he dodged into his own room before the enemy
could locate him or even extricate themselves from the con-
fusion of Maenck's sudden collision with the other two. But
what could Barney gain by the slight delay that would be
immediately followed by his apprehension?
He didn't know. All that he was sure of was that there
had been no other place to go than this little room. As he
entered the first thing that his eyes fell upon was the small
square window. Here at least was some slight encourage-
ment.
He ran toward it. The lower sash was raised. As the
door behind him opened to admit Peter of Blentz and his
companions, Barney slipped through into the night, hanging
by his hands from the sill without. What lay beneath or
how far the drop he could not guess, but that certain death
menaced him from above he knew from the conversation he
had overheard earlier in the evening.
For an instant he hung suspended. He heard the men
groping about the room. Evidently they were in some fear
of the unknown assailant they sought, for they did not
move about with undue rashness. Presently one of them
struck a light--Barney could see its flare lighten the window [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl freetocraft.keep.pl
lips of the Austrian diplomat--a hint that seemed to the
American little short of the death sentence of Leopold, King
of Lutha.
"We owed you much before, count," said Peter. "But for
you we should have been hanged a year ago--without your
aid we should never have been able to escape from the
fortress of Lustadt or cross the border into Austria-Hungary.
I am sorry that Maenck failed in his mission, for had he
not we would have had concrete evidence to present to the
king that we are indeed his loyal supporters. It would have
dispelled at once such fears and doubts as he may still
entertain of our fealty."
"Yes, I, too, am sorry," agreed Zellerndorf. "I can assure
you that the news we hoped Captain Maenck would bring
from America would have gone a long way toward re-
storing you to the confidence and good graces of the king."
"I did my best," came another voice that caused Barney's
eyes to go wide in astonishment, for it was none other than
the voice of Maenck himself. "Twice I risked hanging to
get him and only came away after I had been recognized."
"It is too bad," sighed Zellerndorf; "though it may not be
without its advantages after all, for now we still have this
second bugbear to frighten Leopold with. So long, of course,
as the American lives there is always the chance that he
may return and seek to gain the throne. The fact that his
mother was a Rubinroth princess might make it easy for
Von der Tann to place him upon the throne without much
opposition, and if he married the old man's daughter it is
easy to conceive that the prince might favor such a move.
At any rate, it should not be difficult to persuade Leopold
of the possibility of such a thing.
"Under the circumstances Leopold is almost convinced
that his only hope of salvation lies in cementing friendly
relations with the most powerful of Von der Tann's enemies,
of which you three gentlemen stand preeminently in the
foreground, and of assuring to himself the support of Aus-
tria. And now, gentlemen," he went on after a pause, "good
a
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T
n
n
s
s
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night. I have handed Prince Peter the necessary military
passes to carry you safely through our lines, and tomorrow
you may be in Blentz if you wish."
II
CONDEMNED TO DEATH
FOR SOME time Barney Custer lay there in the dark revolv-
ing in his mind all that he had overheard through the parti-
tion--the thin partition which alone lay between himself
and three men who would be only too glad to embrace the
first opportunity to destroy him. But his fears were not for
himself so much as for the daughter of old Von der Tann,
and for all that might befall that princely house were these
three unhung rascals to gain Lutha and have their way
with the weak and cowardly king who reigned there.
If he could but reach Von der Tann's ear and through
him the king before the conspirators came to Lutha! But
how might he accomplish it? Count Zellerndorf's parting
words to the three had shown that military passes were
necessary to enable one to reach Lutha.
His papers were practically worthless even inside the lines.
That they would carry him through the lines he had not
the slightest hope. There were two things to be accomplished
if possible. One was to cross the frontier into Lutha; and
the other, which of course was quite out of the question,
was to prevent Peter of Blentz, Von Coblich, and Maenck
from doing so. But was that altogether impossible?
The idea that followed that question came so suddenly
that it brought Barney Custer out onto the floor in a bound,
to don his clothes and sneak into the hall outside his room
with the stealth of a professional second-story man.
To the right of his own door was the door to the apart-
ment in which the three conspirators slept. At least, Barney
hoped they slept. He bent close to the keyhole and lis-
tened. From within came no sound other than the regular
breathing of the inmates. It had been at least half an hour
since the American had heard the conversation cease. A
glance through the keyhole showed no light within the
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
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f
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room. Stealthily Barney turned the knob. Had they bolted
the door? He felt the tumbler move to the pressure--
soundlessly. Then he pushed gently inward. The door swung.
A moment later he stood in the room. Dimly he could
see two beds--a large one and a smaller. Peter of Blentz
would be alone upon the smaller bed, his henchmen sleep-
ing together in the larger. Barney crept toward the lone
sleeper. At the bedside he fumbled in the dark groping for
the man's clothing--for the coat, in the breastpocket of
which he hoped to find the military pass that might carry
him safely out of Austria-Hungary and into Lutha. On the
foot of the bed he found some garments. Gingerly he felt
them over, seeking the coat.
At last he found it. His fingers, steady even under the
nervous tension of this unaccustomed labor, discovered the
inner pocket and the folded paper. There were several of
them; Barney took them all.
So far he made no noise. None of the sleepers had stirred.
Now he took a step toward the doorway and--kicked a
shoe that lay in his path. The slight noise in that quiet room
sounded to Barney's ears like the fall of a brick wall. Peter
of Blentz stirred, turning in his sleep. Behind him Barney
heard one of the men in the other bed move. He turned his
head in that direction. Either Maenck or Coblich was sitting
up peering through the darkness.
"Is that you, Prince Peter?" The voice was Maenck's.
"What's the matter?" persisted Maenck.
"I'm going for a drink of water," replied the American,
and stepped toward the door.
Behind him Peter of Blentz sat up in bed.
"That you, Maenck?" he called.
Instantly Maenck was out of bed, for the first voice had
come from the vicinity of the doorway; both could not be
Peter's.
"Quick!" he cried; "there's someone in our room."
Barney leaped for the doorway, and upon his heels came
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
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D
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Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
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w
w
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.
.
.
A
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the three conspirators. Maenck was closest to him--so close
that Barney was forced to turn at the top of the stairs. In
the darkness he was just conscious of the form of the man
who was almost upon him. Then he swung a vicious blow
for the other's face--a blow that landed, for there was a
cry of pain and anger as Maenck stumbled back into the
arms of the two behind him. From below came the sound
of footsteps hurrying up the stairs to the accompaniment
of a clanking saber. Barney's retreat was cut off.
Turning, he dodged into his own room before the enemy
could locate him or even extricate themselves from the con-
fusion of Maenck's sudden collision with the other two. But
what could Barney gain by the slight delay that would be
immediately followed by his apprehension?
He didn't know. All that he was sure of was that there
had been no other place to go than this little room. As he
entered the first thing that his eyes fell upon was the small
square window. Here at least was some slight encourage-
ment.
He ran toward it. The lower sash was raised. As the
door behind him opened to admit Peter of Blentz and his
companions, Barney slipped through into the night, hanging
by his hands from the sill without. What lay beneath or
how far the drop he could not guess, but that certain death
menaced him from above he knew from the conversation he
had overheard earlier in the evening.
For an instant he hung suspended. He heard the men
groping about the room. Evidently they were in some fear
of the unknown assailant they sought, for they did not
move about with undue rashness. Presently one of them
struck a light--Barney could see its flare lighten the window [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]