Part 47 (2/2)
”Then Sturatzberg is in uproar?”
”No; it is strangely quiet, all things considered--that quiet which presages a stor would strike if he knehere to strike, but he hardly knoho are his eneive him some idea where to aiht think twice before striking it You have powerful friends, one very powerful friend--one very powerful friend”
”You do not mean her Majesty?”
”I think you know I do not, Captain Ellerey,” the Baron answered ”It was the Countess Mavrodin who bid me come”
”I know that the cause of Princess Maritza is dear to her,” said Ellerey quietly
”It is, and tothe best for it by bringing two dozen horse back as though there as a stratageands No, Captain, the Countess bid me come to rescue the Princess, and you, to aid your escape out of Wallaria if need be, and her command is my law Do we understand each other, Captain Ellerey?”
They looked into each other's eyes for a moment
”Do you understand why I forced a duel upon you?” Petrescu went on
”I ht tell you that I believed the Queen's token was in your possession; it would be true; but that was not upperhts e stood face to face Therefore, when I co, you may well trust me, since I have little to win by it”
”Only partly do I understand you, Baron”
”You Northmen, in spite of your many virtues, are slower to understand than we Southerners are Would you have me pluck the fruit for you as well as show you the tree? Sturatzberg may be in open rebellion before a week is out, and Frina Mavrodin enerosity has a li
”You had better read that, Baron,” he said, handing him Maritza's letter
Petrescu took the scrap of paper and read it carefully
”I land,” he said as Petrescu looked at him ”She has re”
”Then the Countess is--”
”My friend, but Maritza---We waste precious time, Baron; I must follow Maritza”
”I understand Coed to leave soe of the tower and of the horses They were to wait there six days, and if by that time Baron Petrescu and his party had not returned, they were to go back to Sturatzberg, taking a circuitous road to avoid the soldiers encamped in the plain Stefan was left in command of these men, since he had had experience how the plateau could best be defended in case of need
That the brigands would attack them, however, seemed unlikely, for they had evidently fled in the belief that the ht was falling when the party, well arht behind the distant heights, herald of the moon, so there was little need to wait for the dawn; besides, one of the brigands had only been slightly wounded, and was pressed into their service as guide He loudly declared that he had no idea where his chief was hiding, until the Baron held a revolver to his head, and gave hied sufficiently to serve him better Before the thirty seconds had passed, it had worked to good effect, and he set out with a man on either side of him who had strict injunctions to see that he should be the first to pay for any treachery which ands cannot be far in front of us,” said the Baron; ”and this felloill know their likely haunt and give us warning in tiets to do so, the sun will rise in vain to-ht, often in single file, for the way contracted often to the narrowest of defiles That they had started right Ellerey knew, and he was inclined to think that so far their guide had not misled them There seemed to be no other way by which they could have coand stopped; his memory had been excellently aroused
”We approach an open space where my people sometimes halt,” he said
Two men were sent forward to reconnoitre, but found the place empty, and here they halted
”How much farther to where Vasilici is?” asked Petrescu