IN FEAR OF A THRONE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14142, 18 August 1909, Page 10

IN FEAR OF A THRONE.

: PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

BY R, ANDOM AND R. HODDER, Authors of "We Three and Troddles," "Martha and I." "The Identity

Exchange," etc.

[COPYBIGnT.]

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS.

CHAPTERS I. and ll.—The story opens on the Continent, where four Englishmen are on a cycling tour, starting at Saarbruck, and at the first hostelry they spend the night. During the evening one 'Murrav) rushes in, asking where " Troddles is off to."" "Bed." replies that worthy, and Murray exclaims in astonishment that Troddles' ghost has gore by on. a bicycle. Nest day, after several adventures, the other three see Troddles, as they think, coming down » hill at a frightful pace and smash up at the bottom. Two convey him along the road, and are passed by a carriage going at break-neck speed. The carriage door is kicked off, and two occupants roll out, fighting savagely. One proves to be Troddles himself and the third of the party rushes tc his assistance, and finally Troddles ana his friend overcome the, stranger and the driver, and find that the man* who had been fighting with TrodcUes is clothed in a uniform blaring with orders. They pack him back in the carriage and set off after their own friends, to find that, the two looking after the rupposed injured Troddles had been astonished by their charge suddenly bolting. The four then continue their Journey, and meet a beautiful gin on horseback, who addresses Troddles as Karl, and demands to know why he hadn't kept his promise. After much confusion, the mistake is explained, and the girl remarks that Troddles has a dangerous likeness to one whom it is not well to resemb.e, even remotely. She also adds: *' Kail, Prince of Britsenbctg. is not so like himself as you are. and I would advise you not to enter the capital, but ride round it and leave the country this night. The frontier is only 60 miles away " CHAPTER ITI.— girl indicates that the prince is in danger through the ambition o. Wolfram von Deffulch, his nephew. The four set off for the frontier and arrived that night at an inn, where thev are confronted by the uniformed officer whom Troddles had set adrift in the carriage. The officer explains that a mistake arose through Troddles' resemblance to the prince, who is not. in full possession of his mental faculties, and calmh* requests Troddles to take the throne for a while. A suggestion of refusal is met by the threat of arrest on a charge of attempt 'to murder the Chief Minister of State, and the officer retires while the four cyclists consider the matter.

CHAPTER IV.—The four adventurers agree to the proposal, ami the officer departs. Another stranger,' however, turns up. introduces hunseU as Kerr Grot*, and wishes to conduct them to the castle of "Wederend. He leads the way on horseback, the others following on bicycles. Three of the Cyclist* fell into a ditch. flutes, being ahead, following the guide, doe.* not notice the accident. Bv the time the three rignt themselves thev have lost their way, .and then they fill into the hands of a mob of armed men, .who take them prisoners and march them away. J CHAPTER IV.—(Continued.) Whether our machines were accompanying us or not I could not discover. I asked ; but the reply in gutturals was not informing. Murray stuck his hands in his pockets, and whistled cheerfully, while Troddles walked along with an outward air of easy nonchalance, though inwardly he •was pondering on the possibility of creating a diversion in our favour by heaving bandit number one with the revolver at bandit number two similarly equipped, playing skittles with the rest of the mob, und escaping while they were sorting themselves out of the bushes and bracken. "Jolly affectionate lot of subjects you've got, 1 must say, Troddles," observed Murray. "I wonder if they often demonstrate like this?"' "Steady," s«jid I, warningly. "They may understand English. What is it, do voir —brigandage * Murray whistle! as though the idea were fr«h to him. "By jove!" raid he; "it's a lively lookout for us if that's their game. I thought it was some fuse over that abduction business, or I wouldn't have come so comfortably. Let's bluff, I've got my inflator in my" pocket. It won't look half bad in this light—something like a microscopic Maxim, and possibly their own blunderbusses aren't loaded." :,:;: ";i;..J^.'* 1 •■'' : ' : :::'' ■'■:,-■'?''' "I wouldn't gamble on that if I were you," said I. "They seem to have rather a. habit of carrying * their arms ready for use, and it would be awkward to get winged at the outset." "Oh, well, I'm going to smoke, and be hanged to the batch," retorted Murray ; carelessly. " And, upon my word," he added; "if they, only nut us somewhere dry with a bed to it', I'll forgive them the Test." For nearly an hour we tramped, mostly in silence, through forest and over moorland, and came at last to a square, solidlooking stone building, through the upper windows of which lights were flickering as If the inmates were up and rather expecting company. h This, we" speedily discovered, was our destination, and it rather comforted me, inasmuch as it suggested that my idea of brigandage was a wrong one. ' You can't fittingly imagine a decent substantial sort of house as the headquarters of brigands, anyhow. You expect a cave, or something like that, or at least a tent under the wUdwood trees.

We went in, through the front door, too, for all the world as though we had arrived on a visit to friends in the country. Once inside, our steps were directed up a broad imposing sort of staircase, along a hallway ana into a room which was simply, almost Spartanly, furnished with, a couple of chairs, a common but heavy old oak table, and a bureau of the same material and really ponderous in its proportions. The illumination was on the same simple scale, being afforded by a common tallow candle. .'

We were ushered into this apartment, end before we quite knew what had happened we were left there to our own devices, our guide parting with us on the threshold, 'and, fastening the door on us ere he retired, as a sort of guarantee of good faith, I suppose. Murray sank into a chair while he refilled his pipe. Trodc'lles was too tired and sleepy to take interest in anything. He said he should just shove the bureau against the door, .so that if our captors wouldn't let us get out we at least wouldn't let them in; then he should go to sleep for an hour or two. When he woke up he should take one of the chairs and go forth, like Samnon with the ass' jawbone, and slay everyone he met until he recaptured his liberty and his bike and after that he should get out of the beastly country at any price as fast as he could go. We said, " Hear hear !" but Troddles was asleep already, and, feeling nothing that we could do would be of much service until dybreak at least, we found places for ourselves on the floor and followed his example. .

When I awoke, stiff and cramped, from the Spartan-like nature of my couch, as well as, perhaps, the strenuous nature of the events of the day before, a misty autumnal sun was breaking through the window of our room, and my first recollection of my captive condition came to me in noticing, with a vague curiosity, that these same windows were heavily barred. For a time I lay idly speculating on the exciting affairs into which we had bepn suddenly plunged, and then growing tired of the inactivity, and yearning for companionship, I stirred up the others. "Now, you giddy little singing birds," said I, cheerfully exhorting, "come on and see what a nice, strong, fine cage we have."

Murray said " Cuss the cage!" and Troddlw rubbed his eyes and said he'd have bacon and eggs. He thought it was his landlady, and I have never seen a man look more thoroughly disappointed ™ - than did Troddles when he found it wasn't, and that, so far from bacon and eggs, it was a question whether we should get bread and water or a dog biscuit. To arouse Troddles thoroughly all you have to do iii to threaten to cut off his supplies. If you do, in place of a firstclass good-natured lump of humanity, you will have on your hands a tornado of speechless wrath and massive proportions that would be exceedingly useful in a scrimmage if you could by any manner of means contrive to direct it. "■ "No grub,!' he snorted. "We'll jolly '■■■'• soon see about that. Stand clear while I

ling the bell." ■ , :, We stood clear and waited in breathless

suspense while out stalwart chum picked up tho chair in which lie had passed the night, and sent it smashing against the door with such vigour and precision that the upper panels splintered at the im-

pact, and the chair fell back to . the ground in sections. It is a bit exciting when you demand attention in that way, and are not quite sure whether you will get coffee, and hot rolls, or be picked off by a series of pot-shots taken at you through the keyhole of your dungeon. In "this case neither result was forthcoming, and we, 100, began to rise in wrath and rebellion at the callous disregard that was being shown us. Murray wont over and inspected the door.

" You have fractured the upper panne], old man," said he, after a careful survey. "Knock the silly thing out altogether, and let mo climb through and go prospecting. I'll chance being shot sooner have it, in fact, than slow starvation."

A few energetic jabs with the sound chair loosened the woodwork still more, and a run and a shoulder lurch did the business and very nearly did for Troddles, who get an ugly cut from the splintered frame as his shoulder shot through it. We were puzzled to understand why our operations had not attracted attention. The row was enough to waken the soundest sleepers in Christendom; and even if we could assume/that they didn't care whether we got out or not, we couldn't comprehend such inattention to the expensive and extensive dilapidations we were causing to furniture and fixings. Anyway, it didn't matter much, and we were not exactly hankering after an interview with irate landlords. Vetoing Murray's generous proposition to brave the unknown single-handed, wo helped him through the aperture Troddles' efforts had provided, and got him to liberate us in a more easy and decorous manner. It was no serious trouble, the door being fastened top and bottom by, a couple of solid steel bolts, from which and other signs we conjectured that the room had been designed with some such purpose in view as that to wnich it had been put on our account. Arming ourselves with useful fragments of the broken chair, we set out on a tour of exploration, and, to our mystification, speedily discovered that the house was as empty and barren of furniture as it was of tenants. Not a sight or a sound of anyone could we discover, and, what was of far greater importance, not a trace of foodstuff did the place contain. We had threaded the lower passages, and were just debating on the advisability of getting outside, and searching at the nearest inn for what was obviously not to be obtained in our present quarters, when Murray stopped short, and bent forward in an attitude of eager attention.

"Hist!" said he cautiously. We listened, and sure enough the sounds of a stealthy footfall were to be detected approaching us from a passage which led round to the back of the building. It was gloomy in that barricaded, shuttered hall, and in obedience to a sign from Murray we drew up close against a wall just "a brief second before a short, rather tubby figure turned the corner. A revolver was swung negligently in his right hand, and on this Troddles' massive paw dropped suddenly. The man gave a start and an ejaculation of surprise, which was quickly suppressed by a swinging blow under the chin, by which method Troddles dissociated the man from his weapon and placed him in a restful, easy attitude on the floor at our feet.

(To be continued daily).