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"one of the thanwhomest of fencing masters."
Quickly Maenck fell back to give place to Stein, but not
before the American's point had found him twice to leave
him streaming blood from two deep flesh wounds.
Neither of those who fought in the service of the king
saw the trembling, weak-kneed figure, which had stood be-
hind them, turn and scurry through the gateway, leaving
the men who battled for him to their fate.
The trooper whom Barney had felled had regained con-
sciousness and as he came to his feet rubbing his swollen
jaw he saw a disheveled, half-dressed figure running toward
him from the sanatorium grounds. The fellow was no fool,
and knowing the purpose of the expedition as he did he
was quick to jump to the conclusion that this fleeing personi-
fication of abject terror was Leopold of Lutha; and so it
was that as the king emerged from the gateway in search
of freedom he ran straight into the widespread arms of the
trooper.
Maenck and Coblich had seen the king's break for liberty,
and the latter maneuvered to get himself between Butzow
and the open gate that he might follow after the fleeing
monarch.
At the same instant Maenck, seeing that Stein was being
worsted by the American, rushed in upon the latter, and
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thus relieved, the rat-faced doctor was enabled to swing a
heavy cut at Barney which struck him a glancing blow upon
the head, sending him stunned and bleeding to the sward.
Coblich and the governor of Blentz hastened toward the
gate, pausing for an instant to overwhelm Butzow. In the
fierce scrimmage that followed the lieutenant was over-
thrown, though not before his sword had passed through
the heart of the rat-faced one. Deserting their fallen com-
rade the two dashed through the gate, where to their im-
mense relief they found Leopold safe in the hands of the
trooper.
An instant later the precious trio, with Leopold upon the
horse of the late Dr. Stein, were galloping swiftly into the
darkness of the wood that lies at the outskirts of Tafelberg.
When Barney regained consciousness he found himself
upon a cot within the sanatorium. Close beside him lay
Butzow, and above them stood an interne and several
nurses. No sooner had the American regained his scattered
wits than he leaped to the floor. The interne and the nurses
tried to force him back upon the cot, thinking that he was in
the throes of a delirium, and it required his best efforts to
convince them that he was quite rational.
During the melee Butzow regained consciousness; his
wound being as superficial as that of the American, the two
men were soon donning their clothing, and, half-dressed,
rushing toward the outer gate.
The interne had told them that when he had reached the
scene of the conflict in company with the gardener he had
found them and another lying upon the sward.
Their companion, he said, was quite dead.
"That must have been Stein," said Butzow. "And the
others had escaped with the king!"
"The king?" cried the interne.
"Yes, the king, man--Leopold of Lutha. Did you not
know that he who has lain here for three weeks was the
king?" replied Butzow.
The interne accompanied them to the gate and beyond,
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but everywhere was silence. The king was gone.
X
ON THE BATTLEFIELD
ALL THAT night and the following day Barney Custer and
his aide rode in search of the missing king.
They came to Blentz, and there Butzow rode boldly into
the great court, admitted by virtue of the fact that the
guard upon the gate knew him only as an officer of the
royal guard whom they believed still loyal to Peter of Blentz.
The lieutenant learned that the king was not there, nor
had he been since his escape. He also learned that Peter
was abroad in the lowland recruiting followers to aid him
forcibly to regain the crown of Lutha.
The lieutenant did not wait to hear more, but, hurrying
from the castle, rode to Barney where the latter had re-
mained in hiding in the wood below the moat--the same
wood through which he had stumbled a few weeks previ-
ously after his escape from the stagnant waters of the moat.
"The king is not here," said Butzow to him, as soon as the
former reached his side. "Peter is recruiting an army to aid
him in seizing the palace at Lustadt, and king or no king,
we must ride for the capital in time to check that move.
Thank God," he added, "that we shall have a king to place
upon the throne of Lutha at noon tomorrow in spite of all
that Peter can do."
"What do you mean?" asked Barney. "Have you any
clue to the whereabouts of Leopold?"
"I saw the man at Tafelberg whom you say is king,"
replied Butzow. "I saw him tremble and whimper in the face
of danger. I saw him run when he might have seized some-
thing, even a stone, and fought at the sides of the men who
were come to rescue him. And I saw you there also.
"The truth and the falsity of this whole strange business
is beyond me, but this I know: if you are not the king today
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I pray God that the other may not find his way to Lustadt
before noon tomorrow, for by then a brave man will sit
upon the throne of Lutha, your majesty."
Barney laid his hand upon the shoulder of the other.
"It cannot be, my friend," he said. "There is more than a
throne at stake for me, but to win them both I could not
do the thing you suggest. If Leopold of Lutha lives he
must be crowned tomorrow."
"And if he does not live?" asked Butzow.
Barney Custer shrugged his shoulders.
It was dusk when the two entered the palace grounds in
Lustadt. The sight of Barney threw the servants and func-
tionaries of the royal household into wild excitement and
confusion. Men ran hither and thither bearing the glad tid-
ings that the king had returned.
Old von der Tann was announced within ten minutes after
Barney reached his apartments. He urged upon the Ameri-
can the necessity for greater caution in the future.
"Your majesty's life is never safe while Peter of Blentz is
abroad in Lutha," cried he.
"It was to save your king from Peter that we rode from
Lustadt last night," replied Barney, but the old prince did
not catch the double meaning of the words.
While they talked a young officer of cavalry begged an
audience. He had important news for the king, he said.
From him Barney learned that Peter of Blentz had succeeded
in recruiting a fair-sized army in the lowlands. Two regi-
ments of government infantry and a squadron of cavalry
had united forces with him, for there were those who still
accepted him as regent, believing his contention that the
true king was dead, and that he whose coronation was to
be attempted was but the puppet of old Von der Tann.
The morning of November 5 broke clear and cold. The
old town of Lustadt was awakened with a start at daybreak
by the booming of cannon. Mounted messengers galloped
hither and thither through the steep, winding streets. Troops,
foot and horse, moved at the double from the barracks
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along the King's Road to the fortifications which guard the
entrance to the city at the foot of Margaretha Street.
Upon the heights above the town Barney Custer and the
old Prince von der Tann stood surrounded by officers and
aides watching the advance of a skirmish line up the slopes
toward Lustadt. Behind, the thin line columns of troops
were marching under cover of two batteries of field artil-
lery that Peter of Blentz had placed upon a wooden knoll
to the southeast of the city.
The guns upon the single fort that, overlooking the broad
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