Part 45 (1/2)
”I've naught to do omen, Captain, and I see none in our coood co a bit of o between us, and Anton shall cover our rear There's such pleasure in the thought of striking another blow that there's even a hope in it that we ht,” Maritza said ”Let us make the attempt to-morrow”
”Why not to-day?” Stefan asked
”The food is not all gone,” she said; ”besides, the day holds possibilities Let us wait a day, Captain”
”If the atteht? The darkness will help us,” said Ellerey
”I prefer dying in the sunlight,” said Stefan, ”but so long as I die in the open the stars will serve”
”In the night if you will, but not to-night,” pleaded Maritza, laying her hand on Ellerey's arht
”Hope dies hard with you, Princess”
”I have a fancy to look upon another dawn,” she returned ”Perhaps to-reat event into see it I do not know, but in us all there is a vein of superstition I will go and relieve Anton”
Stefan watched her as she went up the stairs and disappeared into the upper chae my opinion of women, she would,” he said; but Ellerey took no notice of the reht
The day passed quietly The brigands e stone above the doorway remained balanced on the wall But to those within the hours dragged heavily Stefan spent his ti that the revolvers were in good order and loaded The occupation see him nearer to his e with the regularity of a wild beast in a cage A dozen times or more he climbed to the roof, but hardly spoke a word to whoever happened to be sentry there Maritza lay down and appeared to sleep a good deal when her duty on the roof was over, for she demanded to take her turn with the rest; and Anton was restless and nervous He lay down, but he did not sleep; his eyes were constantly on the Princess
”You knoe have decided?” said Ellerey to hi the day
”Yes, Captain”
”You have no better plan?”
”No, Captain, so that I die with her I a A camp-fire blazed upon the plateau, and two in the pass below, around which the besiegers gathered Still there were no signs that an attack wastiht prove useful to-ht And he determined which direction to take should Providence so far favor theain the pass It was a relief to find even this employht was alh the early hours; now Anton paced the roof restlessly while Maritza still slept She was to go on duty at dawn, so ht she see the new day break as she wished When Ellerey ca heavily, and the Princess lay in her corner with her arraceful repose and rest
The thought of the certain death that awaited her made Ellerey sick almost, and with a shudder and a curse at his own impotence, he cast himself down For a time he tossed and turned restlessly this way and that until, utterly wearied out, sleep fell upon hi the care from his face with pleasant dreams Now he cli of a lark and the sighing sound of the long waving grass in his ears; now he heard the rustle of silk beside hihter answered him, a little foot stepped out bravely beside his own, and a little hand rested confidently in his There was hter about him, and then a sudden pause, and darkness, and out of it a sharp crackling sound
”What was that?”
Ellerey had started up only half awake It was Stefan's sudden question which thoroughly aroused hiht was in the chaht and movement in his dream He looked across at Maritza's corner and saw that it was eing to his feet ”The Princess has gone on duty”
”It sounded like revolver shots to me,” the soldier answered as he followed Ellerey quickly to the roof They stepped from the broken stairs into the open, and then stood still, turning to look at each other There was no one there The stone still rested on the wall, and a rope which had been in the lower cha a few feet over the parapet Both ether The plateau was ee of it, no one stood there at the head of the zig-zag path
”Gone!” Ellerey exclai, and Stefan knew it
”By that rope And Anton, too Maybe oke none too soon, Captain”
And then, as Ellerey turned questioning eyes to him, he added: ”There's the look of treachery in this”