CHAPTER VIII
THROUGH THE GANLOOK GATES
By this time they were passing the queer little huts that marked theoutskirts of a habitable community. These were the homes of shepherds,hunters and others whose vocations related especially to themountains. Farther on there were signs of farming interests; the homesbecame more numerous and more pretentious in appearance. The rock-linedgorge broadened into a fertile valley; the road was smooth and level, acondition which afforded relief to the travelers. Ravone had once moredressed the wounds inflicted by the lion; but he was unable to provideanything to subdue the fever. Baldos was undeniably ill. Beverly,between her exclamations of joy and relief at being in sight of Ganlook,was profuse in her expressions of concern for the hero of the Hawk andRaven. The feverish gleam in his dark eyes and the pain that marked hisface touched her deeply. Suffering softened his lean, sun-brownedfeatures, obliterating the mocking lines that had impressed her sounfavorably at the outset. She was saying to herself that he washandsome after a most unusual cast; it was an unforgetable face.
"Your highness," he said earnestly, after she had looked long andanxiously at his half-closed eyes, "we are within an hour of Ganlook. Itwill be dark before we reach the gates, I know, but you have nothing tofear during the rest of the trip. Franz shall drive you to the sentrypost and turn over the horses to your own men. My friends and I mustleave you at the end of the mountain road. We are--"
"Ridiculous!" she cried. "I'll not permit it! You must go to ahospital."
"If I enter the Ganlook gates it will be the same as entering the gatesof death," he protested.
"Nonsense! You have a fever or you wouldn't talk like that. I canpromise you absolute security."
"You do not understand, your highness."
"Nevertheless, you are going to a hospital," she firmly said. "You woulddie out here in the wilds, so what are the odds either way? Aunt Fanny,_will_ you be careful? Don't you know that the least movement ofthose bags hurts him?"
"Please, do not mind me, your highness. I am doing very well," he said,smiling.
The coach brought up in front of a roadside inn. While some of the menwere watering the horses others gathered about its open window. Aconversation in a tongue utterly incomprehensible to Beverly took placebetween Baldos and his followers. The latter seemed to be disturbedabout something, and there was no mistaking the solicitous air withwhich they regarded their leader. The pseudo-princess was patient aslong as possible and then broke into the discussion.
"What do they want?" she demanded in English.
"They are asking for instructions," he answered.
"Instruct them to do as I bid," she said. "Tell them to hurry along andget you a doctor; that's all."
Evidently his friends were of the same opinion, for after a longharangue in which he was obdurate to the last, they left the carriageand he sank back with a groan of dejection.
"What is it?" she anxiously demanded.
"They also insist that I shall go to a surgeon," he said hopelessly. Hiseyes were moist and he could not meet her gaze. She was full ofexultation.
"They have advised me to put myself under your protection, shameless asthat may seem to a man. You and you alone have the power to protect meif I pass beyond the walls of Ganlook."
"I?" she cried, all a-flutter.
"I could not thrust my head into the jaws of death unless the princessof Graustark were there to stay their fury. Your royal hand alone canturn aside the inevitable. Alas, I am helpless and know not what to do."
Beverly Calhoun sat very straight and silent beside the misguidedBaldos. After all, it was not within her power to protect him. She wasnot the princess and she had absolutely no influence in Ganlook. Theauthorities there could not be deceived as had been these ignorant menof the hills. If she led him into the city it was decidedly probablethat she might be taking him to his death. She only could petition, notcommand. Once at Yetive's side she was confident she could save the manwho had done so much for her, but Ganlook was many miles from Edelweiss,and there was no assurance that intervention could be obtained intime. On the other hand, if he went back to the hills he was likely todie of the poisonous fever. Beverly was in a most unhappy state ofmind. If she confessed to him that she was not the princess, he wouldrefuse to enter the gates of Ganlook, and be perfectly justified indoing so.
"But if I should fail?" she asked, at last, a shiver rushing over herand leaving her cold with dread.
"You are the only hope, your highness. You had better say farewell toBaldos and let him again seek the friendly valley," said he wearily. "Wecan go no farther. The soldiers must be near, your highness. It meanscapture if we go on. I cannot expose my friends to the dangers. Let mebe put down here, and do you drive on to safety. I shall fare muchbetter than you think, for I am young and strong and--"
"No! I'll risk it," she cried. "You must go into the city. Tell them soand say that I will protect you with my own life and honor."
Fever made him submissive; her eyes gave him confidence; her voicesoothed his fears, if he possessed them. Leaning from the window, hecalled his men together. Beverly looked on in wonder as these strangemen bade farewell to their leader. Many of them were weeping, and mostof them kissed his hand. There were broken sentences, tear-chokedpromises, anxious inquiries, and the parting was over.
"Where are they going?" Beverly whispered, as they moved away in thedusk.
"Back into the mountains to starve, poor fellows. God be kind to them,God be good to them," he half sobbed, his chin dropping to hisbreast. He was trembling like a leaf.
"Starve?" she whispered. "Have they no money?"
"We are penniless," came in muffled tones from the stricken leader.
Beverly leaned from the window and called to the departing ones. Ravoneand one other reluctantly approached. Without a word she opened a smalltraveling bag and drew forth a heavy purse. This she pressed into thehand of the student. It was filled with Graustark gavvos, for which shehad exchanged American gold in Russia.
"God be with you," she fervently cried. He kissed her hand, and the twostood aside to let the coach roll on into the dusky shadows thatseparated them from the gates of Ganlook, old Franz still driving--theonly one of the company left to serve his leader to the very end.
"Well, we have left them," muttered Baldos, as though to himself. "I maynever see them again--never see them again. God, how true they havebeen!"
"I shall send for them the moment I get to Ganlook and I'll promisepardons for them all," she cried rashly, in her compassion.
"No!" he exclaimed fiercely. "You are not to disturb them. Better thatthey should starve."
Beverly was sufficiently subdued. As they drew nearer the city gates herheart began to fail her. This man's life was in her weak, incapablehands and the time was nearing when she must stand between him anddisaster.
"Where are these vaunted soldiers of yours?" he suddenly asked, infiniteirony in his voice.
"My soldiers?" she said faintly.
"Isn't it rather unusual that, in time of trouble and uncertainty, weshould be able to approach within a mile of one of your most importantcities without even so much as seeing a soldier of Graustark?"
She felt that he was scoffing, but it mattered little to her.
"It is a bit odd, isn't it?" she agreed.
"Worse than that, your highness."
"I shall speak to Dangloss about it," she said serenely, and he lookedup in new surprise. Truly, she was an extraordinary princess.
Fully three-quarters of an hour passed before the coach waschecked. Beverly, looking from the windows, had seem the lighted windowsof cottages growing closer and closer together. The barking of roadsidedogs was the only sound that could be heard above the rattle of thewheels. It was too dark inside the coach to see the face of the manbeside her, but something told her that he was staring intently into thenight, alert and anxious. The responsibility of her position swoopeddown upon her like an avalanche as she thought of what the next
fewminutes were to bring forth. It was the sudden stopping of the coach andthe sharp commands from the outside that told her probation was at anend. She could no longer speculate; it was high time to act.
"The outpost," came from Baldos, in strained tones.
"Perhaps they won't know us--you, I mean," she whispered.
"Baron Dangloss knows everybody," he replied bitterly.
"What a horrid old busy-body he--" she started to say, but thoughtbetter of it.
A couple of lanterns flashed at the window, almost blinding her. AuntFanny groaned audibly, but the figure of Baldos seemed to stiffen withdefiance. Uniformed men peered into the interior with more rudeness andcuriosity than seemed respectful to a princess, to say the least. Theysaw a pretty, pleading face, with wide gray eyes and parted lips, butthey did not bow in humble submission as Baldos had expected. One of themen, evidently in command, addressed Beverly in rough but politetones. It was a question that he asked, she knew, but she could notanswer him, for she could not understand him.
"What do you want?" she put in English, with a creditable display ofdignity.
"He does not speak English, your highness," volunteered Baldos, in avoice so well disguised that it startled her. The officer was staringblankly at her.
"Every officer in my army should and must learn to speak English," shesaid, at her wits' end, "I decline to be questioned by the fellow. Willyou talk to him in my stead?"
"I, your highness?" he cried in dismay.
"Yes. Tell him who we are and ask where the hospital is," she murmured,sinking back with the air of a queen, but with the inward feeling thatall was lost.
"But I don't speak your language well," he protested.
"You speak it beautifully," she said. Baldos leaned forward painfullyand spoke to the officer in the Graustark tongue.
"Don't you know your princess?" he demanded, a trifle harshly. The man'seyes flew wide open in an instant and his jaw dropped.
"Th--the princess?" he gasped.
"Don't stare like that, sir. Direct us to the main gate at once, or youwill have cause to regret your slowness."
"But the princess was--is coming by the northern pass," mumbled theman. "The guard has gone out to meet her and--" Baldos cut him offshortly with the information that the princess, as he could see, hadcome by the lower pass and that she was eager to reach a resting-placeat once. The convincing tone of the speaker and the regal indifferenceof the lady had full effect upon the officer, who had never seen herhighness. He fell back with a deep obeisance, and gave a few bewilderedcommands to his men. The coach moved off, attended by a party offoot-soldiers, and Beverly breathed her first sigh of relief.
"You did it beautifully," she whispered to Baldos, and he wasconsiderably puzzled by the ardor of her praise. "Where are we goingnow?" she asked.
"Into the city, your highness," he answered. It was beginning to dawnupon him that she was amazingly ignorant and inconsequential for one whoenjoyed the right to command these common soldiers. Her old trepidationreturned with this brief answer. Something told her that he wasbeginning to mistrust her at last. After all, it meant everything to himand so little to her.
When the coach halted before the city gates she was in a dire state ofunhappiness. In the darkness she could feel the reproachful eyes of oldAunt Fanny searching for her abandoned conscience.
"Ask if Baron Dangloss is in Ganlook, and, if he is, command them totake me to him immediately," she whispered to Baldos, a suddeninspiration seizing her. She would lay the whole matter before the greatchief of police, and trust to fortune. Her hand fell impulsively uponhis and, to her amazement, it was as cold as ice. "What is the matter?"she cried in alarm.
"You trusted me in the wilds, your highness," he said tensely; "I amtrusting you now." Before she could reply the officer in charge of theGanlook gates appeared at the coach window. There were lights on allsides. Her heart sank like lead. It would be a miracle if she passed thegates unrecognized.
"I must see Baron Dangloss at once," she cried in English, utterlydisdaining her instructions to Baldos.
"The baron is engaged at present and can see no one," responded thegood-looking young officer in broken English.
"Where is he?" she demanded nervously.
"He is at the home of Colonel Goaz, the commandant. What is yourbusiness with him?"
"It is with him and not with you, sir," she said, imperious oncemore. "Conduct me to him immediately."
"You cannot enter the gates unless you--"
"Insolence!" exclaimed Baldos. "Is this the way, sir, in which youaddress the princess? Make way for her."
"The princess!" gasped the officer. Then a peculiar smile overspread hisface. He had served three years in the Castle Guard at Edelweiss! Therewas a long pause fraught with disaster for Beverly. "Yes, perhaps it isjust as well that we conduct her to Baron Dangloss," he said atlast. The deep meaning in his voice appealed only to the unhappygirl. "There shall be no further delay, _your highness!_" he addedmockingly. A moment later the gates swung open and they passedthrough. Beverly alone knew that they were going to Baron Dangloss underheavy guard, virtually as prisoners. The man knew her to be an impostorand was doing only his duty.
There were smiles of derision on the faces of the soldiers when Beverlyswept proudly between the files and up the steps leading to thecommandant's door, but there were no audible remarks. Baldos followed,walking painfully but defiantly, and Aunt Fanny came last with thehandbag. The guards grinned broadly as the corpulent negress waddled upthe steps. The young officer and two men entered the door with thewayfarers, who were ordered to halt in the hallway.
"Will your highness come with me?" said the officer, returning to thehall after a short absence. There was unmistakable derision in his voiceand palpable insolence in his manner. Beverly flushed angrily. "BaronDangloss is very _curious_ to see you," he added, with asmile. Nevertheless, he shrank a bit beneath the cold gleam in the eyesof the impostor.
"You will remain here," she said, turning to Baldos and thenegress. "And you will have nothing whatever to say to this veryimportant young man." The "important young man" actually chuckled.
"Follow me, your most royal highness," he said, preceding her throughthe door that opened into the office of the commandant. Baldos glaredafter them in angry amazement.
"Young man, some day and _soon_ you will be a much wiser soldierand, in the ranks," said Beverly hotly. The smile instantly receded fromthe insolent fellow's face, for there was a world of prophecy in the wayshe said it. Somehow, he was in a much more respectful humor when hereturned to the hall and stood in the presence of the tall, flushedstranger with the ragged uniform.
A short, fierce little man in the picturesque uniform of a Graustarkofficer arose as Beverly entered the office. His short beard bristled asthough it were concealing a smile, but his manner was polite, evendeferential. She advanced fearlessly toward him, a wayward smilestruggling into her face.
"I daresay you know I am not the princess," she said composedly. Everyvestige of fear was gone now that she had reached the line ofbattle. The doughty baron looked somewhat surprised at this frank way ofopening the interview.
"I am quite well aware of it," he said politely.
"They say you know everyone, Baron Dangloss," she boldly said. "Pray,who am I?"
The powerful official looked at the smiling face for a moment, his bushyeyebrows contracting ever so slightly. There was a shameless streak ofdust across her cheek, but there was also a dimple there that appealedto the grim old man. His eyes twinkled as he replied, with fineobsequiousness:
"You are Miss Beverly Calhoun, of Washington."