VIII
AN ADVENTUROUS DAY
For an instant the two stood looking at one another. The girl'seyes were wide with incredulity, with hope, with fear. She was thefirst to break the silence.
"Who are you?" she breathed in a half whisper.
"I don't wonder that you ask," returned the man. "I must look likea scarecrow. I'm Barney Custer. Don't you remember me now? Who didyou think I was?"
The girl took a step toward him. Her eyes lighted with relief.
"Captain Maenck told me that you were dead," she said, "that you hadbeen shot as a spy in Austria, and then there is that uncannyresemblance to the king--since he has shaved his beard it isinfinitely more remarkable. I thought you might be he. He has beenat Blentz and I knew that it was quite possible that he haddiscovered treachery upon the part of Prince Peter. In which case hemight have escaped in disguise. I really wasn't sure that you werenot he until you spoke."
Barney stooped and removed the bandoleer of cartridges from thefallen trooper, as well as his revolver and carbine. Then he tookthe girl's hand and together they turned into the wood. Behind themcame the sound of pursuit. They heard the loud words of Maenck as heordered his three remaining men into the wood on foot. As headvanced, Barney looked to the magazine of his carbine and thecylinder of his revolver.
"Why were they pursuing you?" he asked.
"They were taking me to Blentz to force me to wed Leopold," shereplied. "They told me that my father's life depended upon myconsenting; but I should not have done so. The honor of my house ismore precious than the life of any of its members. I escaped them afew miles back, and they were following to overtake me."
A noise behind them caused Barney to turn. One of the troopers hadcome into view. He carried his carbine in his hands and at sight ofthe man with the fugitive girl he raised it to his shoulder; but asthe American turned toward him his eyes went wide and his jawdropped.
Instantly Barney knew that the fellow had noted his resemblance tothe king. Barney's body was concealed from the view of the other bya bush which grew between them, so the man saw only the face of theAmerican. The fellow turned and shouted to Maenck: "The king is withher."
"Nonsense," came the reply from farther back in the wood. "If thereis a man with her and he will not surrender, shoot him." At thewords Barney and the girl turned once more to their flight. Frombehind came the command to halt--"Halt! or I fire." Just aheadBarney saw the river.
They were sure to be taken there if he was unable to gain the timenecessary to make good a crossing. Upon the opposite side was acontinuation of the wood. Behind them the leading trooper wascrashing through the underbrush in renewed pursuit. He came in sightof them again, just as they reached the river bank. Once more hiscarbine was leveled. Barney pushed the girl to her knees behind abush. Then he wheeled and fired, so quickly that the man with thealready leveled gun had no time to anticipate his act.
With a cry the fellow threw his hands above his head, staggeredforward and plunged full length upon his face. Barney gathered theprincess in his arms and plunged into the shallow stream. The girlheld his carbine as he stumbled over the rocky bottom. The waterdeepened rapidly--the opposite shore seemed a long way off andbehind there were three more enemies in hot pursuit.
Under ordinary circumstances Barney could have found it in his heartto wish the little Luthanian river as broad as the Mississippi, foronly under such circumstances as these could he ever hope to holdthe Princess Emma in his arms. Two years before she had told himthat she loved him; but at the same time she had given him tounderstand that their love was hopeless. She might refuse to wed theking; but that she should ever wed another while the king lived wasimpossible, unless Leopold saw fit to release her from her betrothalto him and sanction her marriage to another. That he ever would dothis was to those who knew him not even remotely possible.
He loved Emma von der Tann and he hated Barney Custer--hated himwith a jealous hatred that was almost fanatic in its intensity. Andeven that the Princess Emma von der Tann would wed him were she freeto wed was a question that was not at all clear in the mind ofBarney Custer. He knew something of the traditions of this noblefamily--of the pride of caste, of the fetish of blood thatinexorably dictated the ordering of their lives.
The girl had just said that the honor of her house was more preciousthan the life of any of its members. How much more precious would itbe to her than her own material happiness! Barney Custer sighed andstruggled through the swirling waters that were now above his hips.If he pressed the lithe form closer to him than necessity demanded,who may blame him?
The girl, whose face was toward the bank they had just quitted, gaveno evidence of displeasure if she noted the fierce pressure of hismuscles. Her eyes were riveted upon the wood behind. Presently a manemerged. He called to them in a loud and threatening tone.
Barney redoubled his Herculean efforts to gain the opposite bank.He was in midstream now and the water had risen to his waist. Thegirl saw Maenck and the other trooper emerge from the underbrushbeside the first. Maenck was crazed with anger. He shook his fistand screamed aloud his threatening commands to halt, and then, of asudden, gave an order to one of the men at his side. Immediately thefellow raised his carbine and fired at the escaping couple.
The bullet struck the water behind them. At the sound of the reportthe girl raised the gun she held and leveled it at the group behindher. She pulled the trigger. There was a sharp report, and one ofthe troopers fell. Then she fired again, quickly, and again andagain. She did not score another hit, but she had the satisfactionof seeing Maenck and the last of his troopers dodge back to thesafety of protecting trees.
"The cowards!" muttered Barney as the enemy's shot announced hissinister intention; "they might have hit your highness."
The girl did not reply until she had ceased firing.
"Captain Maenck is notoriously a coward," she said. "He is hidingbehind a tree now with one of his men--I hit the other."
"You hit one of them!" exclaimed Barney enthusiastically.
"Yes," said the girl. "I have shot a man. I often wondered whatthe sensation must be to have done such a thing. I should feelterribly, but I don't. They were firing at you, trying to shoot youin the back while you were defenseless. I am not sorry--I cannot be;but I only wish that it had been Captain Maenck."
In a short time Barney reached the bank and, helping the girl up,climbed to her side. A couple of shots followed them as they leftthe river, but did not fall dangerously near. Barney took thecarbine and replied, then both of them disappeared into the wood.
For the balance of the day they tramped on in the direction ofLustadt, making but little progress owing to the fear ofapprehension. They did not dare utilize the high road, for they werestill too close to Blentz. Their only hope lay in reaching theprotection of Prince von der Tann before they should be recapturedby the king's emissaries. At dusk they came to the outskirts of atown. Here they hid until darkness settled, for Barney haddetermined to enter the place after dark and hire horses.
The American marveled at the bravery and endurance of the girl. Hehad always supposed that a princess was so carefully guarded fromfatigue and privation all her life that the least exertion wouldprove her undoing; but no hardy peasant girl could have endured morebravely the hardships and dangers through which the Princess Emmahad passed since the sun rose that morning.
At last darkness came, and with it they approached and entered thevillage. They kept to unlighted side streets until they met avillager, of whom they inquired their way to some private housewhere they might obtain refreshments. The fellow scrutinized themwith evident suspicion.
"There is an inn yonder," he said, pointing toward the main street."You can obtain food there. Why should respectable folk want to goelsewhere than to the public inn? And if you are afraid to go thereyou must have very good reasons for not wanting to be seen, and--"he stopped short as though assailed by an idea. "Wait," he cried,excitedly, "I will go and see if I can find a
place for you. Waitright here," and off he ran toward the inn.
"I don't like the looks of that," said Barney, after the man hadleft them. "He's gone to report us to someone. Come, we'd better getout of here before he comes back."
The two turned up a side street away from the inn. They had gonebut a short distance when they heard the sound of voices and thethud of horses' feet behind them. The horses were coming at a walkand with them were several men on foot. Barney took the princess'hand and drew her up a hedge bordered driveway that led into privategrounds. In the shadows of the hedge they waited for the partybehind them to pass. It might be no one searching for them, but itwas just as well to be on the safe side--they were still nearBlentz. Before the men reached their hiding place a motor carfollowed and caught up with them, and as the party came opposite thedriveway Barney and the princess overheard a portion of theirconversation.
"Some of you go back and search the street behind the inn--they maynot have come this way." The speaker was in the motor car. "We willfollow along this road for a bit and then turn into the Lustadthighway. If you don't find them go back along the road toward Tann."
In her excitement the Princess Emma had not noticed that BarneyCuster still held her hand in his. Now he pressed it. "It isMaenck's voice," he whispered. "Every road will be guarded."
For a moment he was silent, thinking. The searching party hadpassed on. They could still hear the purring of the motor asMaenck's car moved slowly up the street.
"This is a driveway," murmured Barney. "People who build drivewaysinto their grounds usually have something to drive. Whatever it isit should be at the other end of the driveway. Let's see if it willcarry two."
Still in the shadow of the hedge they moved cautiously toward theupper end of the private road until presently they saw a buildinglooming in their path.
"A garage?" whispered Barney.
"Or a barn," suggested the princess.
"In either event it should contain something that can go," returnedthe American. "Let us hope that it can go like--like--ah--the wind."
"And carry two," supplemented the princess.
"Wait here," said Barney. "If I get caught, run. Whatever happensyou mustn't be caught."
Princess Emma dropped back close to the hedge and Barney approachedthe building, which proved to be a private garage. The doors werelocked, as also were the three windows. Barney passed entirelyaround the structure halting at last upon the darkest side. Here wasa window. Barney tried to loosen the catch with the blade of hispocket knife, but it wouldn't unfasten. His endeavors resulted onlyin snapping short the blade of his knife. For a moment he stoodcontemplating the baffling window. He dared not break the glass forfear of arousing the inmates of the house which, though he could notsee it, might be close at hand.
Presently he recalled a scene he had witnessed on State Street inChicago several years before--a crowd standing before the window ofa jeweler's shop inspecting a neat little hole that a thief had cutin the glass with a diamond and through which he had inserted hishand and brought forth several hundred dollars worth of loot. ButBarney Custer wore no diamond--he would as soon have worn acelluloid collar. But women wore diamonds. Doubtless the PrincessEmma had one. He ran quickly to her side.
"Have you a diamond ring?" he whispered.
"Gracious!" she exclaimed, "you are progressing rapidly," andslipped a solitaire from her finger to his hand.
"Thanks," said Barney. "I need the practice; but wait and you'llsee that a diamond may be infinitely more valuable than even thebroker claims," and he was gone again into the shadows of thegarage. Here upon the window pane he scratched a rough deep circle,close to the catch. A quick blow sent the glass clattering to thefloor within. For a minute Barney stood listening for any sign thatthe noise had attracted attention, but hearing nothing he ran hishand through the hole that he had made and unlatched the frame. Amoment later he had crawled within.
Before him, in the darkness, stood a roadster. He ran his hand overthe pedals and levers, breathing a sigh of relief as his touchrevealed the familiar control of a standard make. Then he went tothe double doors. They opened easily and silently.
Once outside he hastened to the side of the waiting girl.
"It's a machine," he whispered. "We must both be in it when itleaves the garage--it's the through express for Lustadt and makes nostops for passengers or freight."
He led her back to the garage and helped her into the seat besidehim. As silently as possible he ran the machine into the driveway. Ahundred yards to the left, half hidden by intervening trees andshrubbery, rose the dark bulk of a house. A subdued light shonethrough the drawn blinds of several windows--the only sign of lifeabout the premises until the car had cleared the garage and wasmoving slowly down the driveway. Then a door opened in the houseletting out a flood of light in which the figure of a man wassilhouetted. A voice broke the silence.
"Who are you? What are you doing there? Come back!"
The man in the doorway called excitedly, "Friedrich! Come! Comequickly! Someone is stealing the automobile," and the speaker camerunning toward the driveway at top speed. Behind him came Friedrich.Both were shouting, waving their arms and threatening. Theircombined din might have aroused the dead.
Barney sought speed--silence now was useless. He turned to the leftinto the street away from the center of the town. In this directionhad gone the automobile with Maenck, but by taking the firstrighthand turn Barney hoped to elude the captain. In a momentFriedrich and the other were hopelessly distanced. It was with asigh of relief that the American turned the car into the darkshadows beneath the overarching trees of the first cross street.
He was running without lights along an unknown way; and beside himwas the most precious burden that Barney Custer might ever expect tocarry. Under these circumstances his speed was greatly reduced fromwhat he would have wished, but at that he was forced to accept graverisks. The road might end abruptly at the brink of a ravine--itmight swerve perilously close to a stone quarry--or plunge headlonginto a pond or river. Barney shuddered at the possibilities; butnothing of the sort happened. The street ran straight out of thetown into a country road, rather heavy with sand. In the open thepossibilities of speed were increased, for the night, thoughmoonless, was clear, and the road visible for some distance ahead.
The fugitives were congratulating themselves upon the excellentchance they now had to reach Lustadt. There was only Maenck and hiscompanion ahead of them in the other car, and as there were severalroads by which one might reach the main highway the chances werefair that Prince Peter's aide would miss them completely.
Already escape seemed assured when the pounding of horses' hoofsupon the roadway behind them arose to blast their new found hope.Barney increased the speed of the car. It leaped ahead in responseto his foot; but the road was heavy, and the sides of the rutsgripping the tires retarded the speed. For a mile they held the leadof the galloping horsemen. The shouts of their pursuers fell clearlyupon their ears, and the Princess Emma, turning in her seat, couldeasily see the four who followed. At last the car began to drawaway--the distance between it and the riders grew gradually greater.
"I believe we are going to make it," whispered the girl, her voicetense with excitement. "If you could only go a little faster, Mr.Custer, I'm sure that we will."
"She's reached her limit in this sand," replied the man, "andthere's a grade just ahead--we may find better going beyond, butthey're bound to gain on us before we reach the top."
The girl strained her eyes into the night before them. On the rightof the road stood an ancient ruin--grim and forbidding. As her eyesrested upon it she gave a little exclamation of relief.
"I know where we are now," she cried. "The hill ahead is sandy, andthere is a quarter of a mile of sand beyond, but then we strike theLustadt highway, and if we can reach it ahead of them their horseswill have to go ninety miles an hour to catch us--provided this carpossesses any such speed possibilities."
"If it
can go forty we are safe enough," replied Barney; "but we'llgive it a chance to go as fast as it can--the farther we are fromthe vicinity of Blentz the safer I shall feel for the welfare ofyour highness."
A shot rang behind them, and a bullet whistled high above theirheads. The princess seized the carbine that rested on the seatbetween them.
"Shall I?" she asked, turning its muzzle back over the lowered top.
"Better not," answered the man. "They are only trying to frightenus into surrendering--that shot was much too high to have been aimedat us--they are shooting over our heads purposely. If theydeliberately attempt to pot us later, then go for them, but to do itnow would only draw their fire upon us. I doubt if they wish to harmyour highness, but they certainly would fire to hit inself-defense."
The girl lowered the firearm. "I am becoming perfectlybloodthirsty," she said, "but it makes me furious to be hunted likea wild animal in my native land, and by the command of my king, atthat. And to think that you who placed him upon his throne, you whohave risked your life many times for him, will find no protection athis hands should you be captured is maddening. Ach, Gott, if I werea man!"
"I thank God that you are not, your highness," returned Barneyfervently.
Gently she laid her hand upon his where it gripped the steeringwheel.
"No," she said, "I was wrong--I do not need to be a man while therestill be such men as you, my friend; but I would that I were not theunhappy woman whom Fate had bound to an ingrate king--to a miserablecoward!"
They had reached the grade at last, and the motor was straining tothe Herculean task imposed upon it.
Grinding and grating in second speed the car toiled upward throughthe clinging sand. The pace was snail-like. Behind, the horsemenwere gaining rapidly. The labored breathing of their mounts wasaudible even above the noise of the motor, so close were they. Thetop of the ascent lay but a few yards ahead, and the pursuers werebut a few yards behind.
"Halt!" came from behind, and then a shot. The ping of the bulletand the scream of the ricochet warned the man and the girl thatthose behind them were becoming desperate--the bullet had struck oneof the rear fenders. Without again asking assent the princess turnedand, kneeling upon the cushion of the seat, fired at the nearesthorseman. The horse stumbled and plunged to his knees. Another, justbehind, ran upon him, and the two rolled over together with theirriders. Two more shots were fired by the remaining horsemen andanswered by the girl in the automobile, and then the car topped thehill, shot into high, and with renewed speed forged into the lastquarter-mile of heavy going toward the good road ahead; but now thegrade was slightly downward and all the advantage was upon the sideof the fugitives.
However, their margin would be but scant when they reached thehighway, for behind them the remaining troopers were spurring theirjaded horses to a final spurt of speed. At last the white ribbon ofthe main road became visible. To the right they saw the headlightsof a machine. It was Maenck probably, doubtless attracted their wayby the shooting.
But the machine was a mile away and could not possibly reach theintersection of the two roads before they had turned to the lefttoward Lustadt. Then the incident would resolve itself into a simpletest of speed between the two cars--and the ability and nerve of thedrivers. Barney hadn't the slightest doubt now as to the outcome.His borrowed car was a good one, in good condition. And in thematter of driving he rather prided himself that he needn't take hishat off to anyone when it came to ability and nerve.
They were only about fifty feet from the highway. The girl touchedhis hand again. "We're safe," she cried, her voice vibrant withexcitement, "we're safe at last." From beneath the bonnet, as thoughin answer to her statement, came a sickly, sucking sputter. Themomentum of the car diminished. The throbbing of the engine ceased.They sat in silence as the machine coasted toward the highway andcame to a dead stop, with its front wheels upon the road to safety.The girl turned toward Barney with an exclamation of surprise andinterrogation.
"The jig's up," he groaned; "we're out of gasoline!"