Part 18 (1/2)
”It should be done from the inside,” Trent mused.
”One of them was,” the earl told him, ”the man who tried was skillful, adroit and courageous. He had flirted with death a hundred times, just as you have done Mr. Trent, but they set a trap for him there which a fool would have pa.s.sed by; a trap so skillfully baited that only a clever man would have tried to use it to further his cause. Yet he failed. You have no idea of the household at that fantastic castle in the mountains. You have no idea of the imperious temper and power of the man who owns it, the mult.i.tude of servitors who would kill did he but suggest it, the motley company he entertains there.”
This mention of many visitors interested Trent.
”He entertains a great deal then?”
”Only those he knows, men and women. The life there as reported to me reads like a chronicle of medieval days.”
”The other man who failed--what did he go as?”
”A steeple chase jockey. The count kept a great stud and raced all over Continental Europe. He owned Daliborka the great horse which won the _Grand Prix_.”
”The horse that was stolen?”
”Exactly. Daliborka and three other thoroughbreds were missing from the stables. The man who pretended to be a jockey and was instead a man of lineage and wealth secreted the horses at intervals along the forest road that runs from the castle to the coast. It was his idea when he had obtained the draft to make his way by relays to the nearest harbour.
The poor fellows never had the opportunity to throw a leg across any of them. You see, Mr. Trent, there is no chance at all.”
”I will make one,” the American said confidently, ”I am going to enjoy this.”
”After what I have said you still persist?”
”Because of it,” laughed Anthony Trent. He had forgotten everything but the prospect of coming danger, the duel that was to be fought between him and this fabulous magnate. It was characteristic of Trent that he swept aside all other possible inmates of the lonely castle as beneath his notice. His business was with the superior.
”How do you know he is still in London?” Trent demanded.
”I keep myself informed,” the earl said. ”A newspaper clipping concern sends me every notice of him.”
”I want them,” the younger man observed, ”I want everything that will help me.”
He read through the brief notices eagerly and wished English papers discussed personalities with the detail American periodicals employed.
The only item that interested him deeply was a notice that Count Michael Temesvar had visited the automobile show at the Crystal Palace and seemed interested in the new twelve cylinder Lion car.
”Rather humorous in its way,” the earl said smiling, ”since I own a great deal of stock in that company. That's why I have that inordinately high powered car in the garage which you and Arthur seem to like.”
”Humorous!” Trent repeated, ”I don't know that it isn't more humorous than you know. Do you think he has any idea you are interested in the company?”
”Few know it,” the earl said, ”and I don't see why he should when even my friends are ignorant.”
”How much of it do you own?” Trent asked eagerly.
”More probably than any one stockholder.”
”And a letter from you to the manager would make me solid.” He explained the slang, ”I mean if you wrote a letter to the manager asking that I be given certain powers would he honor it?”
”Most certainly,” the earl answered. ”There can be no doubt about it.”
CHAPTER EIGHT