Part 33 (2/2)
”You have a e for me, Captain”
”I can answer that question when I knoho you are,” said Ellerey
The big hed too, pleased to huer in these hills, or you would know reat, but his lanced at Ellerey, and at the soldiers, to see the effect of his words
”Then I have ain co,” Vasilici answered ”I presume she would have done without my help if she could”
”I ae,” Ellerey said shortly The fellow's insolent erous ally the Queen had chosen ”Do you know the nature of the ?”
”Aye, as I know the price to be paid for my help The Queen has not dared to question ht find it too high if I did”
”Nor were you sent to argue, Captain, but to deliver the token,” said Vasilici, holding out his hand
Ellerey sed his rages a best he could, with a determination to take the pride out of this boaster so the bracelet of reat day dawns for dom of the hills comes to power and honor”
”Did they tell you that an ar?” asked Ellerey
”Fifty armies will not stop me and those I lead when I elect to strike,”
cried the brigand, snapping his fingers ”The puppets in Sturatzberg will either bow to me or squeal at their punishates shut and souard them,” Ellerey answered ”I am in a position to know that”
”Wehed loudly; it was the only way he could prevent hi this insolent scoundrel He al even in the salanced at hi of as in his ain to watch Vasilici The h if the tales told of hi time impressed his folloith his bluster and attitudes, playing a carefully studied part before the to that vein of romance which life in the mountains had fostered in them; and he played the part now for the benefit of Ellerey and his co into a pose, he turned the box this way and that, as though the opening of it were a supre which a little delay would materially add to Then with a flourish he drew the knife froain to carefully replace the knife
”Freedom to this wretched land at last,” he said, ”and so I open the Queen's token”
The box fell to the ground with the packing it had contained, and then with an oath Vasilici drew hiht, one hand upon the haft of his knife in a moment
”Is this how her Majesty attempts to fool me!” he cried
Ellerey took a step forward to look, and an oath burst from his lips, too It was not the iron bracelet of old, curious in shape and work by its little chain in the brigand's hand
CHAPTER XV
THE RACE FOR LIFE
The action a e beforehand As a rule, such moments happen from a chain of circumstances which the man has not foreseen, and therefore has uided entirely by the attitude of those about hiht of what has occurred in the past or what may happen in the future This was Ellerey's position He had expected to see the bracelet of olden cross He knew that in some manner he had been deceived, and who but the Queen could have placed this unexpected token in his keeping? By hisfor the brigand, a norant; and under other conditions he norance and entered into explanations
As it was, the whole bearing of Vasilici, his bluster and his swagger, had roused Ellerey's anger He had felt that thewhat he supposed to be a friendly e, and the keen desire to show his conteue sle to be clenched and to strike He had forced hier asserted itself No question of duty or expediency seemed to bind him; only a boastful enemy was before him to be answered in the same fashi+on as he questioned, and if that did not suffice, to be punished as he merited