CHAPTER XX
BY THE WATER-GATE
It was a vast, lofty apartment, regal in its subdued lights. Anenormous, golden bed with gorgeous hangings stood far down the room. Sohuge was this royal couch that Truxton at first overlooked the figuresitting bolt upright in the middle of it. The tiny occupant called outin a very sleepy voice:
"Here I am, Mr. King. Gee, I hate a bed as big as this. They just makeme sleep in it."
An old woman advanced from the head of the couch and motioned Truxton toapproach.
"I am deeply honoured, your Highness," said the visitor, bowing verylow. Through the windows he could see motionless soldiers standing guardin the balcony.
"Come over here, Mr. King. Nurse won't let me get up. Excuse my nighty,will you, please? I'm to have pajamas next winter."
Truxton advanced to the side of the bed. His eyes had swept the room insearch of the one person he wanted most to see of all in the world. Anold male servitor was drawing the curtains at the lower end of the room.There was no one else there, except the nurse. They seemed as much apart of the furnishings of this room as if they had been fixtures fromthe beginning.
"I am sure you will like them," said Truxton, wondering whether she weredivinely secreted in one of the great, heavily draped window recesses.She had been in this room but recently. A subtle, delicate, enchantingperfume that he had noticed earlier in the evening--ah, he would neverforget it.
The Prince's legs were now hanging over the edge of the bed. His eyeswere dancing with excitement; sleep was momentarily routed.
"Say, Mr. King, I wish I was going with you to find Uncle Jack. You willfind him, won't you? I'm going to say it in my prayers to-night andevery night. They won't hardly let me leave this room. It's rotten luck.I want to fight, too."
"We are all fighting for you, Prince Robin."
"I want you to find Uncle Jack, Mr. King," went on Bobby eagerly. "Andtell him I didn't mean it when I banished him the other day. I reallyand truly didn't." He was having difficulty in keeping back the tears.
"I shall deliver the message, your Highness," said Truxton, his heartgoing out to the unhappy youngster. "Rest assured of that, please. Go tosleep and dream that I have found him and am bringing him back to you.The dream will come true."
"Are you sure?" brightening perceptibly.
"Positively."
"Americans always do what they say they will," said the boy, his eyessnapping. "Here's something for you to take with you, Mr. King. It's mylucky stone. It always gives good luck. Of course, you must promise tobring it back to me. It's an omen."
He unclasped his small fingers; in the damp palm lay one of thosepeculiarly milky, half-transparent pebbles, common the world over and ofvalue only to small, impressionable boys. Truxton accepted it withprofound gravity.
"I found it last 4th of July, when we were celebrating out there in thepark. I'm always going to have a 4th of July here. Don't you lose it,Mr. King, and you'll have good luck. Baron Dangloss says it's theluckiest kind of a stone. And when you come back, Mr. King, I'm going toknight you. I'd do it now, only Aunt Loraine says you'd be worryingabout your title all the time and might be 'stracted from your mission.I'm going to make a baron of you. That's higher than a count inGraustark. Vos Engo is only a count."
Truxton started. He looked narrowly into the frank, engaging eyes of theboy in the nighty.
"I shall be overwhelmed," he said. Then his hand went to his mouth inthe vain effort to cover the smile that played there.
"My mother used to say that American girls liked titles," said thePrince with ingenuous candor.
"Yes?" He hoped that she was eavesdropping.
"Nurse said that I was not to keep you long, Mr. King," said the Princeruefully. "I suppose you are very busy getting ready. I just wanted togive you my lucky stone and tell you about being a baron. I won't haveany luck till you come back. Tell Mr. Hobbs I'm thinking of making him acount. You're awful brave, Mr. King."
"Thank you, Prince Robin. May I--" he glanced uneasily at the distantnurse--"may I ask how your Aunt Loraine is feeling?"
"She acted very funny when I sent for you. I'm worried about her."
"What did she do, your Highness?"
"She rushed off to her room. I think, Mr. King, she was getting ready tocry or something. You see, she's in trouble."
"In trouble?"
"Yes. I can't tell you about it."
"She's worried about her brother, of course--and you."
"I just wish I could tell you--no, I won't. It wouldn't be fair," Bobbysaid, checking himself resolutely. "She's awful proud of you. I'm sureshe likes you, Mr. King."
"I'm very, very glad to hear that."
Bobby had great difficulty in keeping his most secret impressions tohimself. In fact, he floundered painfully in an attack on diplomacy.
"You should have seen her when Uncle Caspar came in to say you weregoing off to find her brother. She cried. Yes, sir, she did. She kissedme and--but you don't like to hear silly things about girls, do you?Great big men never do."
"I've heard enough to make me want to do something very silly myself,"said Truxton, radiant. "I--I don't suppose I could--er--see your AuntLoraine for a few minutes?"
"I think not. She said she just--now, you mustn't mind her, Mr.King--she just couldn't bear it, that's all. She told me to say she'dpray for you and--Oh, Mr. King, I do hope she won't marry that otherman!"
Truxton bent his knee. "Your Highness, as it seems I am not to see her,and as you seem to be the very best friend I have, I should very muchlike to ask a great favour of you. Will you take this old ring of mineand wish it on her finger just as soon as I have left your presence?"
"How did you know she was coming in again?" in wide-eyed wonder. "Excuseme. I shouldn't ask questions. What shall I wish?" It was the old ringthat had come from Spantz's shop. The Prince promptly hid it beneath thepillow.
"I'll leave that to you, my best of friends."
"I bet it'll be a good wish, all right. I know what to wish."
"I believe you do. Would you mind giving her something else from me?" Hehesitated before venturing the second request. Then, overswept by awarm, sweet impulse, he stepped forward, took the boy's face between hiseager hands, and pressed a kiss upon his forehead. "Give her that forme, will you, Prince Robin Goodfellow."
Bobby beamed. "But I never kiss her _there!_"
"I shall be ten thousand times obliged, your Highness, if you willdeliver it in the usual place."
"I'll do it!" almost shouted the Prince. Then he clapped his hand overhis mouth and looked, pop-eyed with apprehension, toward the nurse.
"Then, good-bye and God bless you," said Truxton. "I must be off. YourUncle Jack is waiting for me, up there in the hills."
Bobby's eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Mr. King, please give him my loveand make him hurry back. I--I need him awful!"
Truxton found Mr. Hobbs in a state bordering on collapse.
"I say, Mr. King, it's all right to say we'll go, but how the deuce arewe to do it? My word, there's no more chance of getting out of the--"
"Listen, Hobbs: we're going to swim out," said Truxton. He was engagedin stuffing food into a knapsack. Colonel Quinnox and Haddan had beenlistening to Hobbs's lamentations for half an hour, in King's room.
"Swim? Oh, I say! By hokey, he's gone clean daffy!" Hobbs was eyeing himwith alarm. The others looked hard at the speaker, scenting a joke.
"Not yet, Hobbs. Later on, perhaps. I had occasion to make a short tourof investigation this afternoon. Doubtless, gentlemen, you know wherethe water-gate is, back of the Castle. Well, I've looked it over--andunder, I might say. Hobbs, you and I will sneak under those slippery oldgates like a couple of eels. I forgot to ask if you can swim."
"To be sure I can. _Under_ the gates? My word!"
"Simple as rolling off a log," said Truxton carelessly. "The Cascadesand Basin of Venus run out through the gate. There is a space of atleast a foot below the bottom of the gate, which hasn't
been opened infifty years, I'm told. A good swimmer can wriggle through, d'ye see?That lets him out into the little canal that connects with the river.Then--"
"I see!" cried Quinnox. "It can be done! No one will be watching at thatpoint."
The sky was overcast, the night as black as ebony. The four men left theofficers' quarters at one o'clock, making their way to the historic oldgate in the glen below the Castle. Arriving at the wall, Truxton brieflywhispered his plans.
"You remember, Colonel Quinnox, that the stream is four or five feetdeep here at the gate. The current has washed a deeper channel under theiron-bound timbers. The gates are perhaps two feet thick. For somethinglike seven or eight feet from the bottom they are so constructed thatthe water runs through an open network of great iron bars. Now, Hobbsand I will go under the gates in the old-clothes you have given us. Whenwe are on the opposite side we'll stick close by the gate, and you maypass our dry clothes out between the bars above the surface of thewater. Our guns, the map and the food, as well. It's very simple. Thenwe'll drop down the canal a short distance and change our clothes in theunderbrush. Hobbs knows where we can procure horses and he knows atrusty guide on the other side of the city. So long, Colonel. I'll seeyou later."
"God be with you," said Quinnox fervently. The four men shook hands andKing slipped into the water without a moment's hesitation.
"Right after me, Hobbs," he said, and then his head went under.
A minute later he and Hobbs were on the outside of the gate, gasping forbreath. Standing in water to their necks, Quinnox and Haddan passed theequipment through the barred openings. There were whispered good-byesand then two invisible heads bobbed off in the night, wading in theswift-flowing canal, up to their chins. Swimming would have beendangerous, on account of the noise.
Holding their belongings high above their heads, with their hearts intheir mouths, King and the Englishman felt their way carefully along thebed of the stream. Not a sound was to be heard, except the barking ofdogs in the distance. The stillness of death hung over the land. Sostill, that the almost imperceptible sounds they made in breathing andmoving seemed like great volumes of noise in their tense ears.
A hundred yards from the gate they crawled ashore and made their way upover the steep bank into the thick, wild underbrush. Not a word had beenspoken up to this time.
"Quietly now, Hobbs. Let us get out of these duds. 'Gad, they're likeice. From now on, Hobbs, you lead the way. I'll do my customary act offollowing."
Hobbs was shivering from the cold. "I say, Mr. King, you're a wonder,that's wot you are. Think of going under those bally gates!"
"That's right, Hobbs, think of it, but don't talk."
They stealthily stripped themselves of the wet garments, and, after noend of trouble, succeeded in getting into the dry substitutes. Then theylowered the wet bundles into the water and quietly stole off through thebrush, Hobbs in the lead, intent upon striking the King's Highway, amile or two above town. It was slow, arduous going, because of theextreme caution required. A wide detour was made by the cannyHobbs--wider, in fact, than the impatient American thought whollynecessary. In time, however, they came to the Highway.
"Well, we've got a start, Hobbs. We'll win out, just as I said we would.Easy as falling off a log."
"I'm not so blooming sure of that," said Hobbs. He was recalling arecent flight along this very road. "We're a long way from being out ofthe woods."
"Don't be a kill-joy, Hobbs. Look at the bright side of things."
"I'll do that in the morning, when the sun's up," said Hobbs, with asigh. "Come along, sir. We take this path here for the upper road. It'sa good two hours' walk up the mountain to Rabot's, where we get thehorses."
All the way up the black, narrow mountain path Hobbs kept the lead. Kingfollowed, his thoughts divided between the blackness ahead and thesingle, steady light in a certain window now far behind. He had seen thelighted window in the upper balcony as he passed the Castle on the wayto the gate. Somehow he knew she was there saying good-bye and Godspeedto him.
At four o'clock, as the sun reached up with his long, red fingers frombehind the Monastery mountain, Truxton King and Hobbs rode away fromRabot's cottage high in the hills, refreshed and sound of heart. Rabot'sson rode with them, a sturdy, loyal lad, who had leaped joyously at thechance to serve his Prince. Undisturbed, they rode straight for thepasses below St. Valentine's. Behind and below them lay the sleeping,restless, unhappy city of Edelweiss, with closed gates and unfriendly,sullen walls. There reigned the darkest fiend that Graustark, in all herhistory, had ever come to know.
Truxton King had slipped through his fingers with almost ridiculousease. So simple had it been, that the two messengers, gloating in theprospect ahead, now spoke of the experience as if it were the mosttrivial thing in their lives. They mentioned it casually; that was all.
Now, let us turn to John Tullis and his quest in the hills. It goeswithout saying that he found no trace of his sister or her abductors.For five days he scoured the lonely, mysterious mountains, dragging thetired but loyal hundred about at his heels, distracted by fear andanguish over the possible fate of the adored one. On the fifth day, alarge force of Dawsbergen soldiers, led by Prince Dantan himself, foundthe fagged, disspirited American and his half-starved men encamped in arocky defile in the heart of the wilderness.
That same night a Graustark mountaineer passed the sentinels and broughtnews of the disturbance in Edelweiss. He could give no details. He onlyknew that there had been serious rioting in the streets and that thegates were closed against all comers. He could not tell whether therioters--most of whom he took to be strikers, had been subdued orwhether mob-law prevailed. He had been asked to cast his lot with thestrikers, but had refused. For this he was driven away from his home,which was burned. His wife and child were now at the Monastery, wheremany persons had taken refuge.
In a flash it occurred to John Tullis that Marlanx was at the bottom ofthis deviltry. The abduction of Loraine was a part of his plan! PrinceDantan advised a speedy return to the city. His men were at the commandof the American. Moreover, the Prince himself decided to accompany thetroops.
Before sunrise, the command, now five or six hundred strong, was pickingits way down the dangerous mountain roads toward the main highway.Fifteen miles below Edelweiss they came upon the company of soldierssent out to preserve order in the railroad camps.
The officer in charge exhibited a document, given under the hand andseal of Baron Dangloss, directing him to remain in command of the campsuntil the strikers, who were unruly, could be induced to resume workonce more. This order, of course, was a forgery, designed to mislead thelittle force until Marlanx saw fit to expose his hand to the world. Ithad come by messenger on the very day of the rioting. The messengerbrought the casual word that the government was arresting and punishingthe lawless, and that complete order would hardly be established forseveral days at the outside. He went so far as to admit that an attempton the life of the Prince had failed. Other reports had come to thecamps, and all had been to the effect that the rioting was over. Thestrikers, it seemed, were coming to terms with their employers and wouldsoon take up the work of construction once more. All this sufficed tokeep the real situation from reaching the notice of the young captain;he was obeying orders and awaiting the return of the workmen.
The relief that swept into the souls of the newly arrived company wasshort-lived. They had gone into camp, tired, sore and hungry, and werepreparing to take a long needed rest before taking up the last stage oftheir march toward the city. John Tullis was now in feverish haste toreach the city, where at least he might find a communication from themiscreants, demanding ransom. He had made up his mind to pay whateverthey asked. Down in his heart, however, there was a restless fear thatshe had not fallen into the hands of ordinary bandits. He could notbanish the sickening dread that she was in the power of Marlanx, to whomshe alone could pay the ransom exacted.
Hardly had the men thrown themselves from their horses when the
sound ofshooting in the distance struck their ears. Instantly the entire forcewas alert. A dozen shots were fired in rapid succession; then singlereports far apart. The steady beat of horses' feet was now plain to theattentive company. There was a quick, incisive call to arms; a squadstood ready for action. The clatter of hoofs drew nearer; a small groupof horsemen came thundering down the defile. Three minutes after thefiring was first heard, sentries threw their rifles to their shouldersand blocked the approach of the riders.
A wild, glad shout went up from the foremost horseman. He had pulled hisbeast to its haunches almost at the muzzles of the guns.
"Tullis!" he shouted, waving his hat.
John Tullis ran toward the excited group in the road. He saw three men,one of whom was shouting his name with all the power in his lungs.
"Thank God, we've found you!" cried the horseman, swinging to the grounddespite the proximity of strange rifles. "Put up your guns! We'refriends!"
"King!" exclaimed Tullis, suddenly recognising him. A moment later theywere clasping hands.
"This is luck! We find you almost as soon as we set out to do so. Glorybe! You've got a fair-sized army, too. We'll need 'em--and more."
"What has happened, King? Where have you been? We looked for you afteryour disap--"
"That's ancient history," interrupted the other. "How soon can you getthese troops on the march? There's not a moment to be lost."
"Good God, man, tell me what it is--what has happened? The Prince? Whatof him?" cried Tullis, grasping King's arm in the clutch of a vise.
"He sends his love and rescinds the order of exile," said King, smiling.Then seriously: "Marlanx has taken the city. It was all a game, thisgetting rid of you. He's superstitious about Americans. There wasbomb-throwing in the square and a massacre afterward. The Prince and allthe others are besieged in the Castle. I'll tell you all about it. Hobbsand I are the only men who have got away from the Castle alive. We leftlast night. Our object was to warn you in time to prevent an ambush.You've got to save the throne for Prince Robin. I'll explain as we goalong. I may as well inform you right now that there's a big force ofmen waiting for you in the ravine this side of the Monastery. We sawthem. Thank God, we got to you in time. You can now take 'em by surpriseand--whiff! They'll run like dogs. Back here a couple of miles we cameupon a small gang of real robbers. We had a bit of shooting and--Iregret to say--no one was bagged. I'd advise you to have this forcepushed along as rapidly as possible. I have a message from your sister,sir."
"Loraine? Where is she, King?"
"Don't tremble like that, old man. She's safe enough--in the Castle.Oh, it was a fine game Marlanx had in his mind."
While the troopers were making ready for the march, Truxton King andHobbs related their story to eager, horrified groups of officers. It maybe well to say that neither said more of his own exploits than wasabsolutely necessary to connect the series of incidents. Prince Dantanmarvelled anew at this fresh demonstration of Yankee courage andingenuity. King graphically narrated the tale from beginning to end. Thefull force of the amazing tragedy was brought home to the pale,half-dazed listeners. There were groans and curses and bitter cries ofvengeance. John Tullis was crushed; despair was written in his face,anguish in his eyes.
What was to become of the Prince?
"First of all, Tullis, we must destroy these scoundrels who are lying inwait for you in the ravine," said Prince Dantan. "After that you can bein a position to breathe easily while collecting the army of fightersthat Mr. King suggests. Surely, you will be able to raise a large anddetermined force. My men are at Prince Robin's disposal. Captain Haasmay command them as his own. I deplore the fact that I may not call uponthe entire Dawsbergen army. Marlanx evidently knows our laws. Our armycannot go to the aid of a neighbor. We have done so twice in half acentury and our people have been obliged to pay enormous indemnity. Butthere are men here. I am here. We will not turn back, Mr. Tullis. Mypeople will not hold me at fault for taking a hand in this. I shall sendmessengers to the Princess; she, of course, must know."
The battalion, augmented by the misguided company from the desertedrailroad camps, moved swiftly into the defile, led by young Rabot.Truxton King rode beside the brother of the girl he loved, utteringwords of cheer and encouragement.
"King, you _do_ put new courage into me. You are surcharged with hopeand confidence. By heaven, I believe we can drive out that damned beastand his dogs. We _will_ do it!"
"There's a chap named Brutus. I ask special permission to kill him.That's the only request I have to make."
"I very strongly oppose the appeal to Grand Duke Paulus. We must actdecisively before that alternative is forced upon the unhappy Halfont.It was Perse's scheme, months ago. Perse! Confound him, I believe he hasworked all along to aid--"
"Hold on, Tullis," interrupted King soberly. "I wouldn't say that if Iwere you. The Duke was wounded by the dynamiters and I understand helies on his bed and curses Marlanx from morning till night. He praysconstantly that his daughter may be freed from the old scoundrel."
"The Countess Ingomede--has anything been heard from her?" asked Tullis.He had been thinking of her for days--and nights.
"Well, nothing definite," said King evasively. He was reminded at thismoment of his own love affair. Seized by the boldest impulse that hadever come to him, he suddenly blurted out: "Tullis, I love your sister.I have loved her from the beginning. All that has happened in the lastweek has strengthened my adoration. I think she cares for me,but,--but--"
"My dear Mr. King, I'm sorry--" began Tullis, genuinely surprised.
"But it seems that she's promised to marry Vos Engo. I'll tell you howit happened." Then he related the episode of the rout in Castle Avenue."It's all wrong for her to marry that chap. If she hasn't been bulliedinto it before we get back to her, I'd like to know if you won't put astop to his damned impudence. What right has such a fellow as Vos Engoto a good American girl like Loraine? None whatever. Besides, I'm goingto fight him when we're through fighting Marlanx. I want you as mysecond. Can't say whether it will be swords, pistols or knuckles. I hopeyou'll oblige me. As a matter of fact, I had two primary objects inlooking you up out here in the hills. First, to ask you for Loraine;second, to engage you as my second."
Tullis was silent for a while. Then he said, quite seriously: "King, Ihave looked with some favour upon Vos Engo. I thought she liked him. Heisn't a bad fellow, believe me. I want Loraine to be happy. As for thispromise to him, I'll talk that over with her--if God permits me to seeher again I shall allow her to choose, King. You or Vos Engo--the oneshe loves, that's all. As for seconding you, I am at your service."
King beamed. "That means, I take it, that you want me to win at leastone of the contests. Well," with his whimsical, irresistible smile, "itwon't be necessary to try for the other if Vos Engo shoots me in thisone."
"You will never know the extent of my gratitude, King. You have savedher from a hellish fate. I shall be disappointed in her if she does notchoose you. I owe you a debt of gratitude almost as great for savingthat dear little boy of--ours. I shall not forget what you havedone--never!"
Early in the afternoon the force under Captain Haas was divided intothree companies, for strategic purposes. The plan to surprise and defeatthe skulkers in the ravine had been carefully thought out. Two strongcompanies struck off into the hills; the third and weakest of the triokept the road, apparently marching straight into the trap. Signals hadbeen arranged. At a given sign the three parties were to swoop down uponthe position held by the enemy.
Several hours passed. The troop in the highroad prepared to camp justbelow the treacherous pass in which the ambush was known to be laid.Scouts had located the confident rascals in the ravines above thehighway. With the news that their prey was approaching, they were beingrapidly rushed into position at the head of the pass.
Shortly before sunset the troop in the road began to advance, ridingresolutely into the ravine. Even as the gloating, excited desperadoesprepared to open fire from their hidd
en position at the head of thepass, their pickets came running in with the word that two large forceswere drawing in on them from the north and east.
The trappers were trapped. They realised that they had beenout-generalled, and they understood their deficiencies. Not a man amongthem knew the finer points of warfare. They were thugs and roustaboutsand ill-omened fellows who could stab in the back; they were craven inthe face of an open peril.
There were few shots fired. The men in ambuscade tried to escape to thefastnesses of the hills. Some of them stood ground and fought, only tobe mown down by the enemy; others were surrounded and made captive; butfew actually succeeded in evading the troopers. All were ready to suefor mercy and to proclaim their willingness to divert allegiance fromdictator to Crown. Herded like so many cattle, guarded like wolves, theywere driven city-ward, few if any of them exhibiting the slightestsymptom of regret or discomfiture. In fact, they seemed more thanphilosophic: they were most jovial. These were soldiers of fortune, inthe plainest sense. It mattered little with whom they were allied oragainst whom they fought, so long as the pay was adequate and prompt.
Indeed, the leaders of the party--officers by grace of luckytosses--benignly proffered the services of themselves and men in themovement to displace Count Marlanx!
"He cannot hold out," said the evil-faced captain in cool derision. "Hecannot keep his promises to us. So why should we cut our own throats?All we ask is transportation to Austria after the job's over. That'swhere most of us came from, your Excellencies. Count on us, if you needus. Down with Marlanx!"
"Long live Prince--" Three-fourths of them stopped there because theydid not even know the name of the little ruler.