Part 2 (1/2)
”Letwhile,” answered Rupert Then he burst into a laugh, crying, ”Look, look!” and pointing to the foot of the last page of the letter I was th In his enjoyrown careless; his knee pressed e in the letter that caused him so much amusement he turned his head away for an instant My chance had come With a sudden movement I displaced hi it out, I snatched at the letter
Rupert, alar up on rippedRupert; then I darted on hied behind the ainst round
”Give ht!”
Then ca and timid:
”Rupert, you promised not to kill hih I hurled away theforward I saw Rupert of Hentzau; his hand was raised above his head and held a stout club I do not knohat followed; there came--all in a confused blur of instant sequence--an oath froht to hold hireat thud on ain I was on my back, with a terrible pain in my head, and a dull, drea eagerly to one another
I could not hear what they were saying; I had no great desire to hear I fancied, so about me; they looked at ain I heard Rupert's laugh, and saw his club poised over ht hi his cousin that he had proh a straw in the scales, but that he was held back only by a doubt whether I alive or my dead body would be more inconvenient to dispose of Yet then I did not understand, but lay there listless And presently the talking forrew blurred and diether to foribber over me, some such monster as a man sees in his dreas and gibberings hauntedbecah it were not
Yet I had onesuddenly acrossout, ”By God, I will!”
”No, no,” cried another Then, ”What's that?” There was a rush of feet, the cries of er or excite, oaths, and scuffling Then careeary with the puzzle of it Would they not be quiet? Quiet hat I wanted At last they grew quiet; I closed ain The pain was less now; they were quiet; I could sleep
When ain his iven and the calls she hasthat he could have done other and better than in fact he did Even now I lie awake at night so clever plans by which I could have thwarted Rupert's sches I am very acute; Anton von Strofzin's idle talk furnishes me with many a clue, and I draw inferences sure and swift as a detective in the story books
Bauer is my tool, I a off with a ball in his arm, and carry my precious burden in triuaht truth--I fear that, unless Heaven sent ht in h not by that fellow Bauer, I swear! Well, there it was They had made a fool of me I lay on the road with a bloody head, and Rupert of Hentzau had the queen's letter
CHAPTER III AGAIN TO ZENDA
By Heaven's care, or--since a reat share of such attention--by good luck, I had not to trust for my life to the slender thread of an oath sworn by Rupert of Hentzau The visions of my dazed brain were transmutations of reality; the scuffle, the rush, the retreat were not all drea coon chanced to co with three or four stout lads in it at thea second and ood carrier and his lads leapt down and rushed on hting it out--I could guess who that was--and called on the rest to stand; but they, more prudent, laid hands on hi the road towards the station Open country lay there and the promise of safety My new friends set off in pursuit; but a couple of revolver shots, heard by me, but not understood, awoke their caution Good Samaritans, but not round, congratulating themselves and round They forced a drink of rough wine down my throat, and in arew clear tobut repeat in urgent tones, ”The Golden Lion, The Golden Lion! Twenty crowns to carrythat I knew o, one picked up on and set out for the hotel where Rudolf Rassendyll was The one thought ht be and tell hih to let myself be robbed of the queen's letter
He was there He stood on the threshold of the inn, waiting for h it was not yet the hour of my appointht figure and his red hair by the light of the hall laht of his mother! I stretched out , ”I've lost it”
He started at the words, and sprang forward to entleman is my friend,” he said ”Give him to me I'll speak to you later” He waited while I was lifted down froon into the arms that he held ready for me, and himself carried me across the threshold I was quite clear in the head by now and understood all that passed There were one or two people in the hall, but Mr Rassendyll took no heed of the-room There he set me down in an ar, but anxiety ake in his eyes
”I've lost it,” I said again, looking up at hi ”Will you wait, or can you tell ive ave reat deal of water, and then I h faint, I was not confused, and I gave my story in brief, hurried, yet sufficient words He ed
”A letter, too?” he exclaie mixture of increased apprehension and unlooked-for joy
”Yes, a letter, too; she wrote a letter, and I carried that as well as the box I've lost them both, Rudolf God help me, I've lost them both!
Rupert has the letter too!” I think I must have been weak and unmanned from the blow I had received, for my co ain and looked in his face as he stood in thought, his hand caressing the strong curve of his clean-shaven chin Now that I ith hih ere still together in Strelsau or at Tarlenhei how to hoodwink Black Michael, send Rupert of Hentzau to his own place, and bring the king back to his throne For Mr Rassendyll, as he stood before , nor indeed since he reigned in Strelsau, save that a few flecks of gray spotted his hair
My battered head achedthe bell twice, and a short, thickset e appeared; he wore a suit of tweed, and had the air of slish servants