CHAPTER XXI
THE RETURN
From the highlands below the Monastery, Captain Haas and his men wereable to study the situation in the city. The impracticability of anassault on any one of the stubborn, well-guarded gates was at oncerecognised. A force of seven hundred men, no matter how well trained ordetermined, could not be expected to surmount walls that had oftenwithstood the attack of as many thousands. The wisdom of delaying untila few thousand loyal, though poorly armed countrymen could be broughtinto play against the city appealed at once to Prince Dantan and JohnTullis.
Withdrawing to an unexposed cut in the hills, safe from the shells thatmight be thrown up from the fortress, they established their camps,strongly entrenched and practically invulnerable against any attack frombelow. Squads of men were sent without delay into the hills and valleysto call the panic-stricken, wavering farmers into the fold. John Tullisheaded the company that struck off into the well-populated Ganlookdistrict.
Marlanx, as if realising the nature of the movement in the hills, begana furious assault on the gates leading to the Castle. The watchers inthe hills could see as well as hear the conflict that raged almost attheir feet, so to speak. They cheered like mad when the motley army ofthe usurper was frustrated in the attempt to take the main gates. Fromthe walls about the park, Quinnox's men, few as they were, sent suchdeadly volleys into the streets below that the hordes fell back andfound shelter behind the homes of the rich. With half an eye, one couldsee that the rascals were looting the palaces, secure from anyopposition on the part of the government forces; through the glasses,scattered crowds of men could be seen carrying articles from the houses;more than one of the mansions went up in flames as the day grew old andthe lust of the pillagers increased.
The next morning, Captain Haas announced to his followers that Marlanxhad begun to shell the Castle. Big guns in the fortress were hurlinggreat shells over the city, dropping them in the park. On the otherhand, Colonel Quinnox during the night had swung three Gatling guns tothe top of the wall; they were stationed at intervals along the wall,commanding every point from which an assault might be expected. It was awell-known fact that there was no heavy ordnance at the Castle. All daylong, Marlanx's men, stationed in the upper stories of houses close tothe walls, kept up a constant rifle fire, their bullets being directedagainst the distant windows of the Castle. That this desultory fusillademet with scant response at the hands of Quinnox, was quite apparent tothe uneasy, champing watchers near the Monastery.
"Marlanx will not begin the actual bombardment until he knows thatTullis is drawing together a formidable force," prophesied PrinceDantan.
"But when he does begin the real shelling," mourned Truxton King,chafing like a lion under the deadly inaction. "I can't bear the thoughtof what it means to those inside the Castle. He can blow it to piecesover their heads. Then, from the house tops, he can pick them off likeblackbirds. It's awful! Is there nothing that we can do, Prince? Damn itall, I know we can force a gate. And if we once get in where thosecowardly dogs are lording it, you'll see 'em take the walls likesteeple-chasers."
"My dear Mr. King," said Prince Dantan calmly, "you don't know ColonelQuinnox and the House Guard. The Quinnoxs have guarded Graustark'srulers for I don't know how many generations. History does not go backso far, I fear. You may depend on it, there will be no living guardsmeninside those walls when Marlanx lays his hands on the Prince."
That night recruits from the farms and villages began to straggle intothe camp. They were armed with rifles, ordinary shotguns and antique"blunderbusses;" swords, staves and aged lances. All were willing to diein the service of the little Prince; all they needed was a determined,capable leader to rally them from the state of utter panic. Theyreported that the Crown foragers might expect cheerful and plenteoustribute from the farmers and stock growers. Only the mountaineers werehostile.
The army now grew with astonishing rapidity. The recruits were notfighting men in a military sense, but their hearts were true and theyhungered for the chance to stamp out the evil that lay at their feet. Bythe close of the second day nearly three thousand men were encampedabove the city. Late that night John Tullis rode into camp at the headof a great company from the Ganlook province. He had retaken the town ofGanlook, seized the fortress, and recruited the entire fighting strengthof the neighbourhood. More than that, he had unlimbered and conveyed tothe provisional camp two of the big guns that stood above the gates atthe fortress. There had been a dozen skirmishes between the regulars androving bands of desperadoes. A savage fight took place at Ganlook andanother in the gap below the witch's hut. In both of these sanguinaryaffrays the government forces had come off victorious, splendid omensthat did not fail to put confidence into the hearts of the men.
Marlanx trained two of his big guns on the camp in the hills. From thefortress he threw many futile shells toward their place of shelter. Theydid no damage; instead of death, they brought only laughter to thescornful camp. Under cover of night, the two Ganlook cannons wereplanted in a position commanding the southeastern city gate. It was theplan of the new besiegers to bombard this gate, tearing it to pieceswith shot. When their force was strong enough offensively, an assaultwould be flung against this opening. Drill and discipline werenecessary, however, before the attempt could be made. In the presentchaotic, untrained condition of their forces, an assault would prove notonly ineffectual, but disastrous. Day after day the recruits were putthrough hard drill under the direction of the regular officers. Everyday saw the force increased. This made hard work for the drill-masters.The willingness of the recruits, however, lessened the taskconsiderably.
The knowledge that Marlanx had no big guns except those stationed in thefortress was most consoling to Tullis and his friends. He could notdestroy the Castle gates with shells, except by purest chance. He coulddrop shells into the Castle, but to hit a gate twenty feet wide? Never!Field ordnance was unknown to this country of mountains.
The Iron Count's inability to destroy the Castle gates made it feasiblefor the men in the hills to devote considerable more time to drill andpreparation than they might have sacrificed if the conditions were thereverse. They were confident that Quinnox could hold the Castle formany days. With all this in mind, Captain Haas and Prince Dantan beatdown the objections of the impatient Americans; the work of preparationagainst ignominous failure went on as rapidly as possible. Haas wouldnot attack until he was ready, or it became absolutely certain that themen at the Castle were in dire need.
Signalling between the Castle and the hills had been going on for days.The absence of the "wigwag" system made it impossible to conveyintelligible messages.
Truxton King was growing haggard from worry and loss of sleep. He couldnot understand the abominable, criminal procrastination. He was of arace that did things with a dash and on the spur of the moment. His soulsickened day by day. John Tullis, equally unhappy, but morephilosophical, often found him seated upon a rock at the top of theravine, an unlighted pipe in his fingers, his eyes intent upon the hazyCastle.
"Cheer up, King. Our time will come," he was wont to say.
"I've just got to do something, Tullis. This standing around is killingme." Again he would respond: "Don't forget that I love some one downthere, old man. Maybe she's worrying about me, as well as about you."Once he gave poor Mr. Hobbs a frightful tongue-lashing and was afterwardmost contrite and apologetic. Poor Hobbs had been guilty of asking if hehad a headache.
Truxton was assigned to several scouting expeditions, simply to providehim with action and diverting excitement. One of these expeditionsdetermined the impossibility of entering the city through the railroadyards because of the trestle-work and the barricade of freight cars atthe gap in the wall.
They had been in camp for a week. The stategists had practically decidedthat the assault could be made within a day or two. All was inreadiness--or as near as it could be--and all was enthusiasm andexcitement.
"If Haas puts it off another day I'm going to start a round robin
,whatever that is," said Truxton. As he said it to a Dawsbergen officerwho could not understand English, it is doubtful if that gentleman'spolite nod of acquiescence meant unqualified approval of the project.
At first they had built no fires at night. Now the force was soformidable that this precaution was unnecessary. The air was chill andthere were tents for but a few of the troopers. The fires in the ravinealways were surrounded by great circles of men, eagerly discussing thecoming battle. At the upper end of the ravine were the tents of theofficers, Prince Dantan and John Tullis. The latter shared his with Kingand Mr. Hobbs. Up here, the circle about the kindly pile of burning logswas small, select and less demonstrative. Here they smoked in silencemost of the time, each man's thoughts delivered to himself.
Above, on the jutting rock, sat the disconsolate, lovesick Truxton. Itwas the night before the proposed assault on the gates. The guns were inposition and the cannonading was to begin at daybreak. He was full ofthe bitterness of doubt and misgiving. Was she in love with Vos Engo?Was the Count's suit progressing favourably under the fire of the enemy?Was his undoubted bravery having its effect upon the waveringsusceptibilities of the distressed Loraine?
Here was he, Truxton King, idle and useless for more than a week, beyondrange of the guns of the foe, while down there was Vos Engo in the thickof it, at the side of the girl he loved in those long hours of peril,able to comfort her, to cheer her, to fight for her. It was maddening.He was sick with uncertainty, consumed by jealousy. His pipe was not outnow: he was smoking furiously.
The sound of a voice in sharp command attracted his attention. One ofthe sentries in the road below the elbow of the ridge had stopped someone who was approaching the camp. There was a bright moon, and Truxtoncould see other pickets hurrying to join the first. A few moments laterthe trespassers were escorted through the lines and taken directly toheadquarters. A man and two women, King observed. Somewhat interested,he sauntered down from his lonely boulder and joined the group ofofficers.
John Tullis was staring hard at the group approaching from the roadway.They were still outside the circle of light, but it was plain to allthat the newcomers were peasants. The women wore the short red skirtsand the pointed bonnets of the lower classes. Gaudy shawls covered theirshoulders. One was tall and slender, with a bearing that was notpeasant-like. It was she who held Tullis's intense, unbelieving gazeuntil they were well inside the fire-light. She walked ahead of hercompanions. Suddenly he sprang forward with a cry of amazement.
It was the Countess Ingomede.
Her arrival created a sensation. In a moment she was in the centre of anamazed circle of men. Tullis, after his first low, eager greeting at theedge of the fire circle, drew her near to the warmth-giving flames.Prince Dantan and Captain Haas threw rugs and blankets in a great heapfor her to sit upon. Every one was talking at once. The Countess wassmiling through her tears.
"Make room for my maid and her father. They are colder and morefatigued than I," she said, lifting her tired, glorious eyes to JohnTullis, who stood beside her. "We have come from Balak. They sufferedmuch, that I might enjoy the slender comforts I was so ready to sharewith them."
"Thank God, you are here," he said in low, intense tones. She could notmistake the fervour in his voice nor the glow in his eyes. Her wondrous,yellowish orbs looked steadily into his, and he was satisfied. They paidtribute to the emotion that moved him to the depths of his being. Loveleaped up to him from those sweet, tired eyes; leaped with the unerringforce of an electric current that finds its lodestone in spite of mortalwill.
"I knew you were here, John. I am not going back to Count Marlanx. It isended."
"I knew it would come, Ingomede. You will let me tell you how glad Iam--some day?"
"Some day, when I am truly, wholly free from him, John. I know what youwill say, and I think you know what I shall say in reply." Bothunderstood and were exalted. No other word passed between them touchingupon the thing that was uppermost in their minds.
Food was provided for the wayfarers, and Tullis's tent was made readyfor the Countess and her maid.
"Truxton," said he, "we will have to find other quarters for the night.I've let my apartment--furnished."
"She's gloriously beautiful, John," was all that Truxton said, puffingmoodily at his pipe. He was thinking of one more beautiful, however. "Isuppose you'd think it a favour if I'd pot Marlanx for you to-morrow."
"It doesn't matter whether he's potted or not, my friend. She will notgo back to him. He will have to find another prisoner for hishousehold."
Truxton's thoughts went with a shudder to the underground room and thefair prisoner who had shared it with him. The dread of what might havebeen the fate of Loraine Tullis--or what might still be in store forher--brought cold chills over him. He abruptly turned away and sat downat the outer edge of the group.
The Countess's story was soon told. Sitting before the great fire,surrounded by eager listeners, she related her experiences. PrinceDantan was her most attentive listener.
She had been seized on the night of the ball as she started across herfather's garden. Before sunrise she was well on her way to Balak, incharge of three of the Count's most faithful henchmen. As for themessages that were sent to Edelweiss, she knew nothing of them, exceptthe last, which she had managed to get through with the assistance ofJosepha's father. She was kept a close prisoner in a house just outsideof Balak, and came to learn all of the infamous projects of her husband.At the end of ten days her maid was sent to her from Edelweiss. Shebrought the news of the calamity that had befallen the city. It was thenthat she determined to break away from her captors and try to reach theMonastery of St. Valentine, where protection would be afforded her forthe time being. After several days of ardent persuasion, she and Josephaprevailed upon the latter's father to assist them in their flight. Notonly was he persuaded, but in the end he journeyed with them through thewildest country north of Ganlook. They were four days in covering thedistance, partly on foot, partly by horse. Near the city they heard ofthe presence of troops near the Monastery. Farmers' wives told them ofthe newly formed army and of its leaders. She determined to make herway to the camp of those who would destroy her husband, eager to givethem any assistance that her own knowledge of Marlanx's plans mightprovide.
Many details are omitted in this brief recital of her story. Perhaps itis well to leave something to the imagination.
One bit of information she gave created no end of consternation amongthe would-be deliverers of the city. It had the effect of making themall the more resolute; the absolute necessity for immediately regainingcontrol in the city was forced upon them. She told them that CountMarlanx had lately received word that the Grand Duke Paulus was likelyto intervene before many days, acting on his own initiative, in thebelief that he could force the government of Graustark to grant therailway privileges so much desired by his country. Marlanx realised thathe would have to forestall the wily Grand Duke. If he were in absolutecontrol of the Graustark government when the Russian appeared, he and healone would be in a position to deal with the situation. Unless theCastle fell into his hands beforehand, insuring the fall of the royalhouse and the ministry, the Grand Duke's natural inclination would be tofirst befriend the hapless Prince and then to demand recompense inwhatsoever form he saw fit.
"The Grand Duke may send a large force of men across the border at anytime," said the Countess in conclusion. "Count Marlanx is sure to make adecisive assault as soon as he hears that the movement has begun. He hadhopes of starving them out, thus saving the Castle from destruction, butas that seems unlikely, his shells will soon begin to rain in earnestupon the dear old pile."
Truxton King was listening with wide open ears. As she finished thisdreary prediction he silently arose to his feet and, without a word toany one, stalked off in the darkness. Tullis looked after him and shookhis head sadly.
"I'll be happy on that fellow's account when daybreak comes and we arereally at it," he said to Prince Dantan, who knew something of King's
affliction.
But Truxton King was not there at daybreak. When he strode out of thecamp that night, he left it behind forever.
The unfortunate lack of means to communicate with the occupants of theCastle had been the source of great distress to Captain Haas. If thedefenders could be informed as to the exact hour of the assault from theoutside, they could do much toward its speedy success by making a fiercesortie from behind their own walls. A quick dash from the Castle groundswould serve to draw Marlanx's attention in that direction, diminishingthe force that he would send to check the onslaught at the gates. Butthere was no means of getting word to Colonel Quinnox. His two or threehundred men would be practically useless at the most critical period ofthe demonstration.
Truxton King had all this in mind as he swung off down the mountainroad, having stolen past the sentries with comparative ease. He wassmiling to himself. If all went well with him, Colonel Quinnox would beable to rise to the occasion. If he failed in the daring mission he hadelected to perform, the only resulting harm would be to himself; theplans of the besiegers would not suffer.
He knew his ground well by this time. He had studied it thoroughly fromthe forlorn boulder at the top of the ravine. By skirting the upperwalls, on the mountain side, he might, in a reasonably short space oftime, reach the low woodlands north of the Castle walls. The dangerfrom Marlanx's scouts outside the city was not great; they had beenscattered and beaten by Haas's recruiting parties. He stood in moredanger from the men he would help, they who were the watchful defendersof the Castle.
It must have been two o'clock when he crossed the King's Highway, a mileor more above the northern gates, and struck down into the same thickundergrowth that had protected him and Hobbs on a memorable night notlong before.
At three o'clock, a dripping figure threw up his hands obligingly andlaughed with exultation when confronted by a startled guardsman _inside_the Castle walls and not more than fifty yards from the water gates!
He had timed his entrance by the sound of the guardsman's footstep onthe stone protecting wall that lined the little stream. When he came tothe surface inside the water gate, the sentry was at the extreme end ofhis beat. He shouted a friendly cry as he advanced toward the man,calling out his own name.
Ten minutes later he was standing in the presence of the haggard,nerve-racked Quinnox, pouring into his astonished ears the news of thecoming attack. While he was discarding his wet clothing for others,preparations for the sortie were getting under way. The Colonel lost notime in routing out the sleeping guardsmen and reserves, and in sendingcommands to those already on duty at the gates. The quick rattle ofarms, the rush of feet, the low cries of relief, the rousing of horses,soon usurped the place of dreary, deadly calm.
When the sun peeped over the lofty hills, he saw inside the gates arestless, waiting company of dragoons, ready for the command to rideforth. Worn, haggard fellows, who had slept but little and who had eatenscarcely anything for three days; men who would have starved to death.Now they were forgetting their hunger and fatigue in the wild, exultantjoy of the prospect ahead.
Meantime, King had crossed the grounds with Colonel Quinnox, on the wayto the Castle. He was amazed, almost stupefied by the devastation thatalready had been wrought. Trees were down; great, gaping holes in theground marked the spots where shells had fallen; the plaza was an almostimpassable heap of masonry and soil, torn and rent by huge projectiles.But it was his first clear view of the Castle itself that appalled theAmerican.
A dozen or more balls had crashed into the facade. Yawning fissures,gigantic holes, marked the path of the ugly messengers from Marlanx.Nearly all of the windows had been wrecked by riflemen who shot from theroofs of palaces in and about the avenue. Two of the smaller minaretswere in ruins; a huge pillar in the lower balcony was gone; the terracehad been ploughed up by a single ricochetting shell.
"Great God!" gasped King. "It is frightful!"
"They began bombarding yesterday afternoon. We were asked to surrenderat three o'clock. Our reply brought the shells, Mr. King. It wasterrible."
"And the loss of life, Colonel?" demanded the other breathlessly.
"After the first two or three shells we found places of shelter for thePrince and his friends. They are in the stone tower beyond the Castle,overlooking what still remains of the ancient moat. Ah, there are nofaltering hearts here, Mr. King. The most glorious courage instead.Count Vos Engo guards the Prince and the ladies of the household. Alas!it was hunger that we feared the most. To-day we should have resorted tohorse's flesh. There was no other way. We knew that relief would comesome day. John Tullis was there. We had faith in him and in you. And nowit is to-day! This shall be our day, thank God! Nothing can stand beforeus!"
"Tullis is very anxious about his sister," ventured Truxton. Quinnoxlooked straight ahead, but smiled.
"She is the pluckiest of them all."
"Is she well?"
"Perhaps a trifle thin, sir, that is all. I dare say that is due toscarcity of nourishment, although the Prince and his closest associateswere the last to feel deprivation."
"How does the Prince take all this, Colonel?"
"As any Prince of Graustark would, sir. There is no other way. It is inthe blood."
"Poor little chap!"
"He will rejoice to know that you have found his lucky stone soeffective. The Prince has never wavered in his loyalty to that pebble,sir."
Together they entered the Castle. Inside there were horrid signs ofdestruction, particularly off the balconies.
"No one occupies the upper part of the Castle now, sir."
Attendants sped to the tower, shouting the battle tidings. Nocompunction was felt in arousing the sleeping household. As a matter offact, there was no protest from the eager ladies and gentlemen whohurried forth to hear the news.
The Prince came tumbling down the narrow iron stairs from his roomabove, shouting joyously to Truxton King. No man was ever so welcome. Hewas besieged with questions, handshakings and praises. Even the Duke ofPerse, hobbling on crutches, had a kindly greeting for him. Tearsstreamed down the old man's cheeks when King told him of his daughter'ssafe arrival in the friendly camp.
Truxton picked the Prince up in his arms and held him close to hisbreast, patting his back all the while, his heart so full that he couldnot speak.
"I knowed you'd come back," Bobby kept crying in his ear. "Aunt Lorainesaid you wouldn't, but I said you would. I knowed it--I knowed it! Andnow you're going to be a baron, sure enough. Isn't he, Uncle Caspar?"
But Truxton was not listening to the eager prattle. He rememberedafterward that Bobby's hands and face were hot with fever. Just now hewas staring at the narrow staircase. Vos Engo and Loraine weredescending slowly. The former was white and evidently very weak. Heleaned on the girl for support.
Count Halfont offered the explanation. "Vos Engo was shot last week,through the shoulder. He is too brave to give up, as you may see. Ithappened on the terrace. There was an unexpected fusilade from thehousetops. Eric placed himself between the marksmen and Miss Tullis. Abullet that might have killed her instantly, struck him in the shoulder.They were fleeing to the balcony. He fell and she dragged him to a placeof safety. The wound is not so serious as it might have been, but heshould be in bed. He, like most of us, has not removed his clothing infive days and nights."
King never forgot the look in Loraine's eyes as she came down the steps.Joy and anguish seemed to combine themselves in that long, intense look.He saw her hand go to her heart. Her lips were parted. He knew she wasbreathing quickly, tremulously.
The Prince was whispering in his ear: "Keep the lucky stone, Mr. King.Please keep it. It will surely help you. I gave her your kiss. She washappy--awful happy for awhile. 'Nen the Count he saved her from thebullet. But you just keep the lucky stone." King put him down and walkeddirectly across to meet her at the foot of the steps.
She gave him her hands. The look in her tired eyes went straight to hisheart. Vos Engo drew back, his face set in a frown o
f displeasure.
"My brother?" she asked, without taking her gaze from his eyes.
"He is well. He will see you to-day."
"And you, Truxton?" was her next question, low and quavering.
"Unharmed and unchanged, Loraine," he said softly. "Tell me, did VosEngo stand between you and the fire from the--"
"Yes, Truxton," she said, dropping her eyes as if in deep pain.
"And you have not--broken your promise to him?"
"No. Nor have I broken my promise to you."
"He is a brave man. I can't help saying it," said the American, deeplines suddenly appearing in his face. Swiftly he turned to Vos Engo,extending his hand. "My hand, sir, to a brave man!"
Vos Engo stared at him for a moment and then turned away, ignoring thefriendly hand. A hot flush mounted to Loraine's brow.
"This is a brave man, too, Eric," she said very quietly.
Vos Engo's response was a short, bitter laugh.