DR. SILEX.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 202, 24 August 1904, Page 11

DR. SILEX.

By HARRTS BURIAND

AbTHOR OF "DACOBKA," AND " THE UNSPEAKABLE THING."

CHAPTER XXV. I IHTE MARCH Td Till- rAPITAI.. J l^.rir'j - the ne.\! fi •.■■ •'. iy« ■■•■ cut? mov- ! *d tepidly. Tho dny nf: »r ( nvnr (l-iy ■ : Jkimiond had df'laifd : i b Jroihai a:i.l tank ofi' hi r:lh-'-'innee to f ■ kin,', tim twal cnarlTtiv. 1 of ih- cjstli , v. .)•= lirfd Sfflb plilfi'.inv i-n';- cf ! nijrhts an ! imen~at-:irm-. >'.•- g.itf< we-,-.- l1i;i"r wtd • Bpen. nnd wv rnmrail'-- n;.-d in uniH tn--Wnro of ti;;.;;)'"'- "'"' ! ''"'''■ •' i ' : ; "' ' "'- ---'Ct-n i, ,. At their head r• •. 1r- '--ir I'li.iif , di Sr'e, tin ' i> l m.i.ple.p mm,...:m-. \\ iui hi:; to .kH -.void in hi-, ii,i:i '. Count Ou.v "i \iivirorel t-ile mil 1 , jdf, £: t. him. and u>: mi I.- i lutai .-.us piv-M-d Hn-twiM-.n liie t«o. 1 rouid not scad '■::• Impa.s; ,^, mask- "f ■.'■icir mc ■-. Imt i : «ras a cold -lint in tl.-.-r e>es u+irh ~c--(nrded ill with the Mirrotiiidiiig hklhi ,»iasm. F.t liie lime. however, they h-.vl Jim greit object in cnniniou mkl I did j,,,; ilotlbl thnt I .i",v v. - ;i!d w.-rk ~,-icih-: Mil, a -inir.e I'^P"- 1 ' Hnl I M-u-cely d.ired to think what weuid happi-n win ■ Hi a I pnn)')se v.n- i>n-e ;(.-i-otnfili-licd. and 4H I silW those iWf> srifiiii;lt'll«f manhood facing ciifh other in the fiaiv tt tho torchlight. 1 fck tliAi the tine fc-iis not far o!f when A«MiiTii;i v, utilil he too small tn hold tlie pair oi tlt-iii. Thru the rank:- of sjldiers opened, and the PriueosH l-.M-<!f r..:ue fwivvard lo irelcmnc her fniilil'ul t'o!|i>wi'r.->. Sir Thuie Brie ftuns hini-elf from In- hwr.-e and knelt to kis? her hond. I noticed, how|V(T, that he did not look li.-i in the tvc?. mid that hi< face prevr even irnr.' ciild and hard as «he spoke a Irw tfords to him. Then c,n<- by on.- , -be c.ipfcun? and sail or ft filed pnM. doii g their 'pbeisance with ;jeutune plen>u,e on their

Wpathcr-beati'ii fuc-es; iuul, to my surprise *ud joy. CapliU) , . Thorlnswn \va> with them. After that the men were dismi>.-*( d. and iWerc euleitiiined niynlly by tlicir now comrades, wln-m Km ;: slmrl time apo U,ey had eueountriod in n terrible and bloody combat. I went anions them, and, #mkinf: my way to lho sid o of Captain thorlassen, grasped him by t he hand, and overwhelmed iiiiri with a torrent of queclion?. He told mc now he had been left for iead in a pool or blood, and that lie. m-nuid hnvn it it, Imd not brf»n for *nme worthy eitiaenf who Mine out by night with lanterns to pro if any live.il in that hecatomb of death. One of these, who had 'kill in eursrery. hnd sent, a message t< , the fort's for .1 doetr.r. end had "ivon the \r.'iinne.| man every comfiirt and aiu-nn-m tiM he could be IDOv-ed to thf can- of h , own comrade:. lie told m* fiirtlvr how thw had thejjght n« dead: how tUr\- had failed to Bnii a ■■at\=;inct.->rv pbv.i ot campaign: how thoiv h«>nri j Imd I'nil' , '! th'-in. ~nc\ they had detcrmiiwd to ft? wfore the closed them in: hr>\<r t'n° «-lprtS had all been ir.ored to the on f-ome pretrxt or othrr: how Hip .-hip? had tb-ni been burni by n few brave snd de?perst* men, headp<l by Sir Thule do Hue: how they had reBolved to kill then , betru.\er, anil been BhnmcH by the he to them; And how fount Gin hml .w.eii'-l negotiations for pener. nn'i proiiiii-cd i.i> a.-si.<L-The d.-ry xvsp iir. i" rejoieinc md llir men rrt •■.Mffi t" the for.*. Siv 'limit kr Tlri". knffpfw. reni.xined in the c.n*t.lo and t»a> Mr ir.t■ > ihf n-r-rni with f otnn Guy of Marmor<l. and ih" lour c'nief lend ti - ef ;h» pttiT. Th" n--'\t t\r\y I've call to nvni" ben-mi Count ('ii; , hp'i U"id hi- plans well, rir.r siirph". Thf kni;:;r L -- ir. coinmarni of ii 0000 !roops in tKe town hm been <:.-,- - : -v ■ -'•tmtlcl a* to ilieir viev h foip :.-■( ■ rTii.i r:]."nly dr.'lared hin: Bell. J'l.e men ref poiidc-i ;'s eagerly a Dicir leli<r.\ ? in ii ■■ r i«.t|p lri.l dont tlionph fliat. ni-r'n a ilnzoii an their r»q - ;iri'i i ,, ' l '■■.iifi.i Maria, niHc & vTr of (Ist- (UrlcTir•«■.--. «nd "purred thei I'-rsf* in hi' , to th" capH.il, cue i] thei.i i i i ! i.".-i with the news. It. m, quiii e\ i '.( lit 11vit i ouut (J , .! v-.is pom}.' '.ii ■.' '" r no l-'.ilniin policy < eiar." vhnl I l'-'l (ffitherod. he hn til.' I'-.ii/i iinnit'clmte knowlcdr 01 the rel • iii'ii. F.. C-ry ra in wa? '•"'' twl e\ fn' :''::i'inc of "■ (1 \ ail, . -, tlinupht o;ii. For uerk- pasi prnvipior i;?d in-en piled on wntrgonP. mm •ninutc -dr-i".'! of nrrrai'isalion niapp*" cut. rn r l the i, im]« f-rre iif'-l in I'furi r\;"-r, to uio\e a; ,111 hourS; nolir-e. had been 0111 that tlio Norl.hr 1 *'ro\'infe vvn- in rmolt. and thai in?tar erders niitrht arr'ne 10 unv.rh on tlin- 'irpr-ni s. Tliai vi iv ni,2'i< ihe wimli- , army an ilie ro.nl. A ;- : iH".i r ii , fot'-e «a« If m (Jeffui! tl-." ra-t'". il w.t-". st n-n.-'i ! IML-μ 'n\' luon , . of <-...i- «-ii!ij! -1 ; nrmr filh 'iK'ir liiic ,, . op" maxim, and "i iJllpfn-p'iir.dcv. All lh« re--t of rhe p')i ■itnil I'.ininnnition v.ere destined for ti enlr r; iiinme'ii ul A", rr.nehes. indeed he iii-i ivi e.xk In hear the nuts fccforc we reached iiN eapitr.l. r II was now tiie ■Iγ! r>l Or-tobfi". ai <!i»' sia to within fifty varus of tl shore was rovnvri willi hup soliil rr;n ii\ ice, !-e\era| fret i;i 1 hi-'kli' , '-.-. Tl iutural warmth nf (he land rlotibtle fcriii n narroM birurii'.arv of clear wai < toiuid I he is In-id. The (liermoinri er, uhich I once mo tad an opportunity ■" ronsnltictr, sto« Ht 10 rlp'Ti'ees ,n % io\p r.er°. T'ii« was 1 extraordinary readiacr the time (ear vi fho hisrli laliti de. and I realisf ow i' \va.» tho ~\s', urnianr- rverc ib vo support an p\is{"nce round tli<-" Nor Pole itself. 1 afl -rwcird- found, p<; a , Inarc , lih''l northward-, ihai the ground f lact - ia- quite warm beneall, the d< snd 1 li'l uiy harul on or i«n roc) 4'iUl vrvc i;|mvi lllljtl." ! ■' hoj Al'f 11 :i<h. \\ f ;.'o* Ix'rerl in ':..■■ «qii;ire V lore Hit , . asrlr- at oVi-ck p.m. (iroc Rich ir.p.'iii I'iiiif. Il w;i. an imprrs-i Tho it:n in.cj of n thoii.'s.-ind ioreh fi-!l r:" a lojij; line «.-f -pears, on t f.])\ JeTiT!^ , .inroiir and ■■i-.Tord-* of 1 Knljihi.«. «n 't,ir;v; -ilk r.ennons. ri annorp! r, n the dull ir of maxim* nm: Hfieen am! tlie prrcai ?ca nt prim and cagPY f»e< The r.ro bniin"r." newly MTonpht. tount flnv of Mnrmorel and the La. Thora. were •! == jsir- by sii!r». T Count and Sir Th::l" 'I* l Rri" rode hii *r and thither. <-V.iHin<r order? to 1 knjphts. who frhor-1 thorn in turn their nun. Thvn on? by "t.o o;;r eompnaie." 1 fan to file off lifwnrd* 1 * 1 *=• mw, Thr «vns a «=t-pa<iy ri-'- 1 ni nwl and tT.ii t»f fppi, pwr-lliiiL ■■■f! \vrP : ii- n-~ t ■foliimn crew. 'I 'n» f.-irr-hos hko n Inn? lino of sparks streiiining r frilo iii f . f|,. ,-1.n,. 5 «. l (7.1,1 into my ; pointed pine,-' r-|n«p to tho rrinee«s, wl iisrlnininrr nnv kind of conveyance, re ter Vior^i , in the ei»ntre «f fh* , enlrtrr \fy gilded wes raid »*ici« no fend 1 so* rl«th*d in the of an binary T nplißhinn.'n. but T •α-ore ?. t>l Boat of chain m.-\il beneafh my fur-fii

cloak. There were Iwo revolvers in my belt, nnd a bandolier r.f cartridges siting across my shoulders. V,> through tljp town. prxr--t clo'-cd doors and shuttfTrd windows, with never n voice to wi:-h us luck, (v a hand to wave us farev.oil. Tim jjTudcrn townspeople were resolved not. to commit i !'■ ernselves to uny appenrsno ,, of partisanship in the coining war unli 1 they raw which way the wind blew. And :-o we passed lliroui'li dark and idloii greets, till we i-i-.ierfed it] , on the s'.opjnc road which N ! lownrd-* I Iv vm' 1). !■'■.! ihf li.Tiir- wo ij.rvrr drew rein, pro-i-'T(i,!L' at :i unil'-u tr. p.K'C of rtlie'.U three !: ilr _n hour. Then v,v Miu-k rump for the i,i;?',i. Before 1 turned in I Mood with Captain ThorU-.-en on a -pur of rock and looked aoros* the ro;:r.try. Wo were still or. the top of :\ mm:» of boiilder-.-.trewn bills. Tlie riarkne-,.- ii,\, dotted with our fir's, and far away in the distance we could u-e M taint red ■/low. which betrayer' the po-itio.l-i o\ Oils < lilt JMKtS. The ;noon rose ii!)-ivi> the. horizon, and tlie whole rtc.-ne n:\-- kit lied in :i silvery liy'.it. A few mile-* iiway to the left the dark scenery bounded ;\ vuat plain of while. U was the ('.rent Frozen Sea, and .is 1 looked iii Toss it I recalled how we )i:i I g.i/.ed over it.s surface from the otii'T wide, little trnnkitipr that it would r\rr open a puthwr.y for us. Then we h.oked due north, iiml, lar away in the r'it-lenw. behind the of nionntain>. th' heavens glowed v.ith a veritable sen of lights, and I guessed that there lay the destination of our amiy —AvTS-nehes, the enpit.nl of Ai-tun'-.a. 1 re-inindi-d Thorlasserj of tnc d.ir 1 cnlJec! on him in his room, and by-side our fire we. talked of many thing" far into the night. rr-l i 1j :_ .- . ~,.,1 T AIA r>^<

Then we turned in to rest, and 1 did not. wake till tho noise ;il" n trumpet roused jno from my bleep. I The next day iv eonr-inued our march. ■ and did not halt until n.-on. We were now ' on 1 ho brink of a stt c-p hill doping down to Lho chores of o Ulo . which was walled in on cither f-.ide whh i iirTs of black rrH;. Tho Princr-s* tcki mc that this w.t;" the very lake of Nit.rii where her father's array had made a laai stand apiinst the innirpentP; and wbri.? ilip Lord of Argenteuil and Sir Thule do Brie had climb- | td ever a tall henp of plain to reach their horses. :»nd fly to r-iivr fcrr. A faint hazo lump over (he water, and '. as 1 rode doTvn tlie ?tf>*7> hill it once again i rtrnok mc that I-hud Inokeri on such a I RCfrif- before, only on the proTimif , occasion j i! I. .1 b'-en white and n^lγ , in the moon- ; lis'nl. and the silent Mirvre* had been! mrevrn with the vrrecknjic of hatrlr. with : broken wenpons, torn standards <">nri pr«it. 1 lie,>.pK of nVad «nd rlsirif: , . Vrh<>re.aß now fh." wafer flashed nmi sparkled \rith tln» reß.cetinn of a hundm 3 . n>-»»•*. anti the rortrs and eehned with the pr'vnnee of an army in the full pride of \ rHAPTF.R XXTI. r.Y THE LAKE OF NiTRU.. Our column strenmcrl the incline like pome long snake of glittering steel. Y\'p were now moving in extended order, and the scouts were more numerous and further ahead. Jt e\er there was a place f:.?hioned ior an attack it was this. The phrii-e alor>7 «':vrh the r-->nd ran \v.i.t scarcely tvo hutuire'.'. f«i in width, . bounded, on one s:d,-> b.T t'rtr hike, and on vhr othrr by p. pr«><-ipir.ous vr»l) ni rock. It was. ?o 1 learnt, the only road hefveoen TNlaiia the cimital—on tho ol'-«r a\Af. of thf lilcr the v.Tt-Tr. were dee]) »wrnin«t the rork its«ll' —sn.i I was not 1 i»-irpri"ed to !;<y>r that \> had been the , n.f.r. of the fleref-M an.-) nvwl derisive bat-

1 Us* in the history of A«i.nriria. i 1 !:rtd a t>«- word* rr.i'w .Sir Thule de - r.ih n=i he rode in the fi.-ml cf the col- I s Uinn to make, sotnc d reposition of the I ~ and hp Jiini-cif told mc that it ,i v.iis very unlikely thai ivr should emerge r on i lif i!' '•■/!.;■ ,Jio\v Avranelies without a i- nkinrii-.il. He quickly nrr'.nged for the i, protection or rh«.i I'rir.o!-.-.-., am! rode on. iie was no: mi- ■ n i-: , - n in hi* estimate of v the king's intent;.ms. Before we had ■if traversed half the irnoih of the l.ikT ,-j there was the wild alnrni of y trumpet p in the rii&tanci , ; liirn the sound of run--4 ning /cet far ahead, the clank of steel i B on i !ie rocky ground, cries and the crash n of arm. Tuen ;i lone shiwr seemed ro v run ihroneh ilr j wholr wilrnnn, ns 4 tho'igh it iiarl iiren an iron roc! struck :. against :,orn>.> .isrd nib<<tancp. A f.;-cini f> or t'.vn IntiT fn.TT ?!i" ihock of battle, ■ n ay.d the front rank* vmrr in flip, rhick ■ <• rt it. 'flip ourpo'iis h'.wi bf>Mi driven in; ip arrow's bfg.in to v. liistir through t-h? air and clink a/nir.st the rovks. 1 could see in ; he whiti? iighl ol i he firrs thai a it column of men were against, us. n.rd thai a t^rrih't , imti-i ro hand combrii ,1 ■V^as in prosrrc-s. swords row ami ,'„ 1f\): f.p-.nis wow thrust ba,rk\v,:ritf an-l ,«, forwards till Ihry m>! with blood. ,p (-.ay ppnnons itipj-Pil, and roso again if ciinson. Thfr? wt-ri- cries of "A ilarj c rr-orci!" "The King-!" 'Astuniia!" ," fho Qiicon!" a.id t.nr* whole air was full )r j ol" the tumult of battle. 1 ;ipn Sir Thtilc d A Ilrip ennip thunflpTing down the side of the column on his frrc.ai while horse, nnd F p.tw him fling '" himself into the thick of thp fight, and l\. hofli-ri the cry of "Dp Brie.", "Dp Brie!" and =aw the enemy's ranks part and <lo«? again as he drove himself into them v j like a wedge. ( ' v f moment 51 lat.cr F saw a small '" par'y of our own n:en drtnch themselvrs ~.| from ;he main body, dn-h down to fhe l 0 Fhoio of' t.he lake, and .wheel a gun into t; n p..?;lion f=o as to cover the enemy's . n rlankfi. l*ji to this lime tli-sre had been ',„ nn .•sur.nrl of !iri"i. Tno fight had bern ',' too coiTCPnt rated, and the mrioc too thick t" fin , "ill P-ifct)-. P.r.t sn npporj' , tuni;v li.H fvhlo:i(iv itself, and amomcTil la.or rarnc tlir- rattlf of rifles, IP . and t.he sharp report of Hip quick-nring n- "'in--. m> ' 1 could nrii, reptraiu myM>lf any lon<<j; frci. ( pftvc one look at. the Princess, and ho enw rhnt .-he was .-o hvomtried in v.ith a hi. wall of men that no chance arrow could ri, reach her: J Kpnrrp.d my hors« to the t m breach and flashed forward to the front, p.-, An .arrow struck ine full in the chest, =-. tmi in twn Hki , a. dead twijt. of The force of fhc hknv surprised mc; it rly sent mc reeling ha-ck on my horse, and he I w Rind of thp coat of mail Sir Thule h- dp Brie had lent mc. A moment later he my hor><> came crashing to the jrronnr , .: to 1 was stunni'd for a minute or two; and, when 1 rose. I saw t.hre*o arrows drivrr ■)<>. rlcrpi into stmjfgling body. I blew ■rr> onl his brains wit* my rrvnlver, and tip my •way on font across th? pebbles hp which bordered the l:iko. nl A? 1 did so. I paw a steel-clad linp ol rut men and hordes wheel out of the cneip- my's ranks, and thunder along tlie bead: io, to'the pun?. The rifles Fpokr three tim?i d(» and the prnn- Bni on-e. Tnen tmr kt.t in. died <mc by #mc »t their posts. But b , ? w. f*re Tα* renmants of tbr krvigkt* and* or- rctTim. sir Thule ds Brio and Ceimt G-ti] nin of Marmo-reT had rtitag tbemselves npot ieti taeir flanks, and were tearing ti«ir Traj

iirt.o th«m like tigers into (Tip midst of a pa-ck of hounds, ilore c.ime up I on eitber side, and when 1 marked the eene of conflict, at I»apt pighf-y ron ■rere engaged in a terrible enmbat. It wa?. ho-wevr-r, qaite evident that we I were oirtnmnbere<i. and the king.- f0.- ,- ---low-ers artfully retreating, step by step, so as to briarr the contest their own lines. 1 caught a rideidcss horse, jumped on its back, and rode to within ten yaras of the melee. It was no place for any one but a knight in complete armour. and 1 was useless a= a chill. F.wn ! the men-at-arms on either side foreboro !to fiing themsclve? into t-'uat "vvlii'iv>')o! of sseel. The air spnrkled with tin Hashing swords and axe«. Shorn plumes floated away into the lake. Tlje voi'v grround was red with blood, and a little stream of it, flowed down among til? pebbles. Taei! I saw that Count Guy or Marmorel iiad >::<n separated iron) tlie otliers. ■ ajid thii , at bast, lialf n dozen of li;s o;>poncuts lay ljpi.w-.rn hi.v an,l his fuil<'\vers. For a brief niow'iit my hf!a.rt was fdled ■nith a fierce joy. for ts deemed n.; though the iir;-;h song c; .John Silver had spoken the tmtii, .md that he would never live to marry the Prince;-?. But I quickly >tifled the unworthy thought. Here, at any rate, was a man fi.^htinp ,, for the woman he loved, and not a skulker, like myself, hanging on the outskirts of bat.tle. Theii suddenly, for some or other, our krughta seemed to give way and fa.ll back, and ther;' was a clear space betweeu them and those who .>ur■.■ounded Count (lay of V.armorid. The

Lard of Sanct.a Maria was (ighunjj alone, -.i.nd never before had 1 seen a man fight is ho did that day. M»n unci liors-.-.-; seemed to fcink bcnratli iis biows l.i-.o corn cut down by a pickle. Hi- v;: crimson from head to foot, mid hi.; hc-rpe's feet trampled in & pool of blood. .1 Ra-w his horse full, and noted Ihat Iho sprang from its bssoU b?.fore it? body j touched the ground. Not a man among 1 the knichrs went out :<> help him. A^ 1 n matter of fnet. the;.- l>.id bur left, him for a few seconds, though the swift and terrible course of the combat made it ) seem a.s many minute?. ! Then there rose a loud cry of "T> ■ Brit?: A rescue!" "Do Brie!' 5 and Sir Thule flung himself and his horse again *t t<,t- ring of knights with such force thai, lie bore two of thorn \o the ground. Inch inert he rarved his way through thorn. De-ating them riowr. with his axe., and '..rarapling them underfoot, backing and hewing HVo a mndmfin. Then £ saw him lean from his saddle, fling Omit Guy iri Marmorel «r«T>R= it knock two men from their borses with twn MW*SSi\c. Hoys. f.nd come galloping, back to the

i-fnr of the melee. ! ]t -nap an don* vriih ?nr>h strength RTifl swiftness tlmi im one- had ;h«: co-,;r-itffo or limp to hr,r hi> wny. TV.foro „ few seconds had psse-d. the v'l-e:,- im«* nf battle was raginjr as fiercely a* beSir Tbulo do Brio plared Cotinl Ouy npon his feet close to whett- 1 Br.ood. »nd the two men looked wicli other in the fa«». Theiv armour v.ns hattrrcd nnd rfMiteH red with blood. Cwm; Out I *-, helmet mm half (Aiwn aw*y am Srr" TJrele d* Erie's akieia wns reduce to a m«r* rti*j>rt*« Tna« «f , ~ -You hoT» saved my life.. Sir Thnle. Count Guy Baid -arid -he fa+e. of this kingdom. 1 shall not forget you." r f '■1 would rather you forgot Count Onv" the other answered, 'I d'd not fin' ii for the krejtfoms «J«, nor S et '•"r liH find a Count Our broke i>, Lharplv: '•and apffin 1 «■>' ' wil . no ; tH » rf tattle mi.«l. * ™ htlp ar '! i roll-timed movement, four f«-o «ma wore trained on the "rr.:«d by a stron, body o Ut» and The rfef "M ire wan torrifu-. and w ''«""''> JwS .nrcohnn,, ! thfl metnv'ft ranks. ,„,