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  JOAN OF THE SWORD HAND

  _WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR._

  THE STICKIT MINISTER. THE RAIDERS. THE PLAYACTRESS. THE LILAC SUNBONNET. BOG-MYRTLE AND PEAT. THE MEN OF THE MOSS HAGS. CLEG KELLY. THE GREY MAN. LADS' LOVE. LOCHINVAR. THE STANDARD BEARER. THE RED AXE. THE BLACK DOUGLAS. IONE MARCH. KIT KENNEDY.

  SWEETHEART TRAVELLERS. SIR TOADY LION.

  "She met on the middle flight a grey-bearded man."(Page 25.) _Frontispiece_]

  JOAN OF THE SWORD HAND

  BY S. R. CROCKETT

  LONDON WARD, LOCK & CO., LIMITED NEW YORK AND MELBOURNE 1900

  _The Illustrations to this edition of "Joan of the Sword Hand" are by FRANK RICHARDS._

  CONTENTS

  CHAP. PAGE I. THE HALL OF THE GUARD 7 II. THE BAITING OF THE SPARHAWK 14 III. JOAN DRAWS FIRST BLOOD 19 IV. THE COZENING OF THE AMBASSADOR 25 V. JOHANN THE SECRETARY 30 VI. AN AMBASSADOR'S AMBASSADOR 38 VII. H.R.H. THE PRINCESS IMPETUOSITY 47 VIII. JOHANN IN THE SUMMER PALACE 52 IX. THE ROSE GARDEN 59 X. PRINCE WASP 64 XI. THE KISS OF THE PRINCESS MARGARET 70 XII. JOAN FORSWEARS THE SWORD 79 XIII. THE SPARHAWK IN THE TOILS 84 XIV. AT THE HIGH ALTAR 90 XV. WHAT JOAN LEFT BEHIND 99 XVI. PRINCE WASP'S COMPACT 105 XVII. WOMAN'S WILFULNESS 111 XVIII. CAPTAINS BORIS AND JORIAN PROMOTE PEACE 120 XIX. JOAN STANDS WITHIN HER DANGER 126 XX. THE CHIEF CAPTAIN'S TREACHERY 131 XXI. ISLE RUGEN 139 XXII. THE HOUSE ON THE DUNES 144 XXIII. THE FACE THAT LOOKED INTO JOAN'S 150 XXIV. THE SECRET OF THERESA VON LYNAR 156 XXV. BORNE ON THE GREAT WAVE 163 XXVI. THE GIRL BENEATH THE LAMP 169 XXVII. WIFE AND PRIEST 175 XXVIII. THE RED LION FLIES AT KERNSBERG 182 XXIX. THE GREETING OF THE PRINCESS MARGARET 191 XXX. LOVE'S CLEAR EYE 197 XXXI. THE ROYAL MINX 204 XXXII. THE PRINCESS MARGARET IS IN A HURRY 212 XXXIII. A WEDDING WITHOUT A BRIDEGROOM 217 XXXIV. LITTLE JOHANNES RODE 222 XXXV. A PERILOUS HONEYMOON 229 XXXVI. THE BLACK DEATH 236 XXXVII. THE DROPPING OF A CLOAK 245 XXXVIII. THE RETURN OF THE BRIDE 251 XXXIX. PRINCE WASP STINGS 258 XL. THE LOVES OF PRIEST AND WIFE 266 XLI. THERESA KEEPS TROTH 277 XLII. THE WORDLESS MAN TAKES A PRISONER 287 XLIII. TO THE RESCUE 295 XLIV. THE UKRAINE CROSS 301 XLV. THE TRUTH-SPEAKING OF BORIS AND JORIAN 310 XLVI. THE FEAR THAT IS IN LOVE 315 XLVII. THE BROKEN BOND 324 XLVIII. JOAN GOVERNS THE CITY 332 XLIX. THE WOOING OF BORIS AND JORIAN 338 L. THE DIN OF BATTLE 345 LI. THERESA'S TREACHERY 355 LII. THE MARGRAF'S POWDER CHESTS 366 LIII. THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH VISIBLE 380 EPILOGUE OF EXPLICATION 388