TRUXTON KING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14209, 4 November 1909, Page 3

TRUXTON KING.

[PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

A STORY OF GRAUSTABK.

BY GEORGE BARR McCUTCHEON.

Author of " Graustark." " The Alternative." ' The Fliers," " Beverley of Qraustark," " Jane Cable." " The Man from Brodney's," " Brewster's Millions," " The Husbands of Edith." " The Daughter of Anderson Crow," eto.

CHAPTER XX.—(Continued.) "My dear Mr. King, I'm sorry — began Tullis, genuinely surprised. " But it seems that she's promised to marry Vos Engo. I'll tell you how it happened." Then ho related the episode of the rout in Castle Avenue. "It's all wrong for her to marry that chap.' If she hasn't been bullied into it before we get back to her, I'd like to know if you won't put a stop to his impudence. What' right has such a fellow as Vos Engo to a good American girl like Loraine ? None whatever. Besides, I'm going to fight him when we're through lighting Marlanx. 1 want you as my second. Can't say whether, it will,be swords, pistols, or knuckles. I hopo you'll oblige me. As a matter of fact, I had two primary objects in looking you up out here in the hills. First, to ask you for Loraine; second, to engage you as my second." Tullis was silent for a while. Then ho said, quite seriously: " King, I have looked with some favour upon Vos Engo. I thought she liked him. ~ He isn't a bad fellow, believe me. I want Loraine to be happy. As for this promise to him, I'll talk that over with herif God permits me to see her again! I shall allow her to choose, King. You or Vos Engo— one she loves, that's all. As for seconding you, 1 am at your service." King beamed. " That means, I take it, that you want me to win at least one of tho contests. Well," with his whimsical, irresistible smile, "it won't be necessary to try for the other if Vos Engo shoots me in this one." -

" You will never know the extent of my gratitude, King. You have saved her from a hellish' fate. ' I shall bo disappointed in her if she does not choose you. I owe you a debt of gratitude almost* as great for saving that dear little boy ofours. I shall not forget what you* have done— never!" \ *■ ■ .■

Early in the afternoon the force under Captain Haas was divided into three companies, for strategic purposes. The plan to surprise and defeat the skulkers in the ravine had been carefully thought out. Two strong companies struck off into the hills the third and weakest of the trio kept the road, apparently marching straight into the trap. Signals had Seen arranged. At a given sign the three parties were to swoop down upon the position held by the enemy. Several hours passed. The troop in the highroad prepared to camp just below tho treacherous pass in which the ambush was known to be laid. Scouts had located the confident rascals in the ravines above the highway. With the news that, their prey was approaching, they were being rapidly rushed into position at the head' of the pass. ' :,'• J \. .... Shortly before sunset the troop in the road began to advance,, riding resolutely into the ravine. Even as the gloating, excited desperadoes prepared to open fire from their hidden position at the head of the pass, their pickets came running in with the word that two large forces were I drawing in on them from the north and east. .;

The trappers were trapped. They realised that they had been out-generalled, and they understood their deficiencies. Not a man among them knew the finer points of warfare. They were thugs and rouseaboute and ill-omened fellows who could stab in the back; they were craven in the face of an. open peril. There were few shots fired. The men in ambuscade tried to escape to the fastnesses of the hills. Some of them stood ground and fought, only to be mown down by the enemy; others were surrounded and "made captive; but few actually succeeded in evading the troopers. All were ready to sue for mercy and to proclaim their willingness to divert allegiance from dictator to Crown. Herded like so many cattle, guarded like wolves, they were driven cityward, few if any of them exhibiting the slightest symptom of regret or discomfiture. I In fact, they seemed more than philoso- ! phic : they were most jovial. These were soldiers of fortune, in the plainest sense. It mattered little with whom thev were allied or against whom they fought, eo long as the pay was adequate' and prompt. Indeed, the leaders of the party—officers by grace of lucky tosses—benignly proffered the services of themselves and men in the movement to displace Count Marlanx ! "He cannot hold out," said the evilfaced captain in cool derision. "He cannot keep his promises to us. So why should we cut our own throats? All we ask is transportation to Austria after the job's over. That's where most of us came from, Your Excellencies. Count on us, if you need us. Down with Marlanx!" . "Long live Prince—" Three-fourths of them stopped there because they did not even know the name of the little ruler.

CHAPTER XXI. THE KETURK.

From the highlands below the monastery Captain Haas and his men were able to study the situation in the city. The impracticability of an assault on any one of the stubborn, well-guarded gates was at once recognised. A force of seven hundred men, no matter how well trained or determined, could not be expected to surmount walls that had often withstood the attack of as many thousands. The wisdom of delaying until a few thousand loyal, though poorly armed countrymen could be brought into play against the city appealed at once to Prince Dantan and John Tullis. Withdrawing to an unexposed cut in the hills safe from the shells that might be thrown up from the fortress, they estabi lished their camps, strongly entrenched and practically invulnerable against any attack from below. Squads of men were sent without delay into the hills and valleys to call the panic-stricken, wavering farmers into the fold. John Tullis headed the company that struck off into the wellpopulated Ganlook district. Marlanx, as if realising the nature of the movement in the hills, began a furious assault on the gates leading to the castle. The watchers in the hills could see as well as hear the conflict that raged almost at their feet, so to speak. They cheered like mad when the motley army of the usurper was frustrated in the attempt to take the main, gates. From the walls about the park, Quinnox's men, few as they were, sent such deadly volleys into the streets below -that the horde* fell back and found shelter behind the homes of the rich. With half an eye, one could toe that the rascals vere looting the palaces, secure from any opposition on the part of the government forces ; through, the glasses, scattered crowds of men . could bo seen carrying articles from the houses; more than one of the mansions went up in flames as the day grew old and the lust of the pillagers increased. " ; _ The next morning, Captain Haas announced to his followers that Marlanx had begun to shell the castle. Big guns in tho fortress were hurling great shells over the city, dropping them in the park. On the other hand, Colonel Quinnox during the night had swung three Catling guns to the top of the wall; they were stationed at intervals along the wall, commanding every point from which an assault might bo expected. It was a well-known fact that there was no heavy ordnance at the castle. 411 day long, Marlanx's men, stationed in the upper storeys of houses close to the walls kept up a constant rifle fire, their bullet's bein.c directed against the distant windows of the castle. That-this desultory freilhde met with scant response at the hands of Quinnox, .was quite apparent to the uneasy; champing watchers near the monaster** ' : ', . ■ ,

I " Marlanx will not begin the actual bombardment until he knows that Tullis is drawing together a formidable force," prophesied Prince Dantan. " But when he does begin the real shelling," mourned Truxton King, chafing like a lion under the deadly inaction, " I can't bear the thought.of what it means to those inside the castle." He can blow it to pieces over their heads. Then, from the house tops, he can pick them off like blackbirds. It e awful ! 16 there nothing that we can do, Prince?" —— it all,- I know we con force a gale. And if we once got in where those cowardly dogs are lording it, you'll see 'em take the walls like steeplechasers. " My dear Mr. King," said Prince Dantan calmly, " you don't know Colonel Quinnox and the House Guard. The Quinnoxs have guarded Graustark's rulers for I don't know how many generations. History does not go, back so far, I fear. You may depend on it, there will be no living guardsmen inside those walls when Marlanx lays his hands on the Prince." That"night recruits from the farms and villages began to straggle into the camp. They were armed with rifles, ordinary shotguns, and antique " blunderbusses:'" swords, staves, and aged lances. All were willing to die in the service of the little Princo; all they needed was a determined, capable leader to rally them from the state of utter panic. They reported that the Crown foragers might expect cheerful and plenteous ■ tribute from the farmers and stockgrowere. Only the mountaineers were hostile. (To be continued daily).