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The Seaforth News, 1931-11-05, Page 6TAGE SIX THE SEAJ+ORTH NEWS. THU'RSDAY,'NOVEiM:BER 5, 193L '4P f the keit (Continued fronn Last Week)' resa suddenly. "Then you shall diel Max Ulrich, your knife!" Meanwhile Joriam and Sari: ex- .The dumb man gave the knife in a moment, but Theresa had not time to approach. "I went with him," said Alt Pikker calmly. "You went with him," repeated his another after a moment, not under- standing, "Could 1 let the young man go alone into the midst of his enemies?" "He went for my sake!" moaned Joan. "He is to die for me!" "Nay." corrected Alt Pikker, "he is to die for wedding the Princess Mar- garet of Cour'tland!" Again they cried out upon him in utmost astonishment --that is, all the mem "-Maurice von Lynar has married the Princess Margaret of Courtland? Inrpossiible!" "And why should he not?" his mother cried out. "I expeoted it from the first! quoth Joan of the Sword Hand, dis- dainful of their masculine ignorance. "Well," put in Alt Pikker, "at all event;, he hath married the Princess. Or she has married him, which is the same thing!" "But why? We knew nothing of t•hisli He told us nothing. We thought he went for our lady's sake to Courtland! Why did he marry her?" cried severally Von Orseln and the Plassenburg captains. "Why?" said Theresa the mother, with assurance. "Because he loved her doubtless. 'How ? Because he was his father's son!" And Theresa being calm and still- ing the others, Alt 'Pikker got time to tell his tale. 'There was silence in the grange of Isle Rugen while it was be- ing told, and even when it was ended for a space none spoke, But Theresa smiled well pleased and said in her heart, "I thank God! My son also shall meet Henry the Lion face to face and not be ashamed." After that they made their plans, "1 will go," said Conrad, "for I have influence with my brother—or, if not with •hi•tn, at least with the folk of Courtland. We wilt stop this heath- enieh ah ani ination." "I will go," said Theresa, "because he is my son. God will show me a way to help him." "We will all go," chorussed the captains; "that is—all save Werner—" "All except Boris—l" "All except Dorian—l" "Who will remain here on Isle Rugen with the Duchess Joan?" They looked at each other as they spoke. "You need not trouble yourselves! I will not remain on Isle Rugen—not an hour," said Joan. "Whoever stays, I go. Think you that I will permit this man to die in my stead? 'We will all go to Courtland. We will tell Prince Louis that I am no duchess, bat only the sister of a duke. We will prove to him that my father's bond of heritage -brotherhood is null and void. And then we will see whether he is willing to turn the princedom upside down for such a flowerless wife as II" "For such a wife," thought Conrad, 1 would turn the universe upside down though she stood in a beggar's kirtlel" ,But being loyally bound by his pro- mise he said nothing. It was Theresa von Lynar who put the matter practica'llly. "At a farts on the mainland, 'hidden t ming the salt marshes, there are hor- see—those you brought with you and others. They are waiting for such an nnergen'cy, Max will bring them to the landing -place. Three or four of your guard most accom'p'any him. The rest will make ready, and at the :irst ,hint of dawn we will set out There is yet time to save my snnl" She added in her heart, "Or, if not. then to avenge him." Strangely enough, Theresa was the :east downcast of the party. Death seemed a Shing so little to her, even to desirable, that though the matter ,oncetned her son's life, she com- manded herself and laid her plans as coolly as of she had been preparing a changed meaning and covert glances, inking each other when• this dull din- ner parade would be over, so that they i, tilt l: o en leathern points, undo .hutt,'ns, and stretch legs on benches with a tankard of ale at each right .elbow. according to the wont of stout war -captains not quite so ycting as they once avere. Thus they were sitting when there came a clamour at the outer door, the n'.'ise of voices, then a soldier's chal- lenge, and, un the back of that, Max 'Ulrich's weird answer—a sound al- most like the howl of a wolf cut off short in his throat by the hand that strangles hini. "There he is at last!" cried all in the dining -hall of the grange. "Thank God!" murtnured Theresa. For the man wanting words had known Henry the Lion, They waited a long moment of su- spense till the door behind !Werner was thrust open and the dumb man carne in, drenched and dripping. He was holding one by the arm, a man as tall as himself, grey and gaunt, who fronted the company with eyes ban- daged and 'hands tied behind his back. Max Ulrich had a sharp knife in his hand with a thin and slightly curved. blade, and as he thrust the pinioned man before him into the full light of the candles, he made signs that. if Itis lady wished it, he was prepared to de- spatch his prisoner on the spot. His lips moved rapidly and he seemed to be forming sentences, His mistress followed these movements with the closest attention. "He says," she began to translate, "that lie met this man' on the further side. He said that he had a message for Is:e Rugen, and refused to turn back on any condition. So Max blindfolded, bound, and gagged him, he being willing to be bound. And now he waits our pleasure," "Let him he unloosed," said Joan, gazing eagerly at the prisoner, and Theresa made the sign, Stolidly Ulrich unbound the broad bandage from the man's eyes, and a grey badger's brush of upright stubble rose slowly erect above a high narrow brow, like laid corn that dries in the stn. "Alt Pikker!" said Joan of the Sword . Hand, starting to. her feet. "Alt Pikkerl" cried in varied tones ,of wonderment Werner von Orsett and the two captains of Plassenburg, Jorian and Boris. And Alt Pikker it surely was. OH'A'PTEiR XLIII. To The 'Rescue, But the late prisoner did not speak at once, though his captor stood hack as though to permit him to explain himself. IHe was still bound and gag- ged. Discovering .which, Max in a very philosophical and leisurely man- ner assisted him to relieve himself of a rolled handkerchief which had been placed in his mouth. Even then his throat refused its of- , fice till Werner von Orseln handed him a gerat cup of wine from which he drank deeply. . "Speak! said Joan. "What disast er has brought you here? Is Kerns - berg taken " "The Egle'e Nest is harried, my lady, hut that is not what hath brought Inc hither!" "have they found out this my—pri- son? Arc they cunning to capture toe?" "Neither," returner! .Alt Pikker, "Maurice von Lynar is in the hands of his cruel enemies, and on the day after to morrow, at sunrise, he is to be torn to pieces by wild horses." "Why? "Wherefore?" "In what place?" "'Whet woitld dare?" came Ifrbm till about the table; but the mother of the young man sat silent as ,f she hail not heard. "To s3Ve. 'iernsherg front sack by the Muscovites, Maurice von. Lynar 'trent to Courtland in the guise of the Lady Joan. At the fords of the Alla 'we delivered .him upl" "You delivered him up?" cried The_ dinner in the grange- of Isle Rugeit; But her heart was proud within her with a great pride. "He is Henry the' Lion's son, He was bora- a duke. IIIe has married a pr'incess.IHe has tasted love and known sacrifice, if he dies it Nile be for, the sake of his siter's honour. 'Tis' no bad record for twenty years. These things he will count high above fame' and length of days!" The Tittle company which set out from Isle ,Rugen ea ride to Courtland•, had no thought or intention of rescu- ing Biatirice von Lynar by force of: arms. 'they knew their own impo- tence fair too exactly, Vet each of the leaders had a plan of action thought out, to be pursued when the city was reached.. 'If hear renunciation' of cher dignities were laughed at, as she feared, there was nothing for ,loan but to deliver. herself to 'Prince 'Louis, She 'had •re solved" to be his wife and princess in all that it concerned the deter 'world 16 see. - 'Their provinces would be un- ited, Kernsberg and Ho'heustein de- livered =conditionally into his hand. 'Ott his part, Werner von 'Orseln was prepared to point out to the Prince of'Coatrtland that with Joan as his wife and the armies and levies of 1Hoheatsteiu added to ,his own metier the 1S•parhawk's l'eadersh'ip, he iwvbuld be in a position to do without the aid of the Prince of Muscovy altogether. Further, that in case of attack from the north, not only IPiassenburg and the Mark, but all Ile Teutonic Bond must rally to his side. Boris and: 'Jor.ian, being stout- hearted captains of men-at-arms, were really for anything. But though their swords were loosened in their sheaths to be prepared for any assault, they were resolved also to give what offi- cial dignity they could to their mis- sion by a free use of the names of their master and mistress, +the ;Prince Hugo and +Princess 'Helene of ;Plas- sen'burg. 'They were sorry now that they had left their credentials behind them, at 'Kernsberg, but .they meant to make confidence and assured coun- tenances go as far as they would. Conrad, who was intimately • ac- quainted 'with the character of his brother, and 'who knew hors entirele• bee:was under the dominion of Prince Ivan, had resolved to use all powers within his reach. To save the Spar - hawk from a bloody and disgraceful death he would incite rebellion, as the people of 'Cowhand were not too sub- servient to Louis at any time. The only 'one of the party wholly without a settled .plan was he woman most deeply interested. Theresa von Lynar simply rode to Courtland to save her son or to die with him. She alone had no influence with Prince Ivan, no weapon to use against him except her woman's wit, As the cavalcade rode on, though 'few, they made a mot ungallant show. For Theresa head clad !Prince •Couraci in a coat o'f 'mail which had once be- longed to 'Henry the Zion, Joan glit- tered by his side in a corselet of steel rings while'Werner von Orseln and the two captains of 'Pl'assenburg fol- lowed' fu'l'ly armed, their accoutre- ments shining with the burnishing of many idle weeks. These, with the teen -at -amt's behind them, nt'ade up such an equipage as few 'princes could ride abroad with. !Bat to all of their the journey was naught, a mere race against time—so neither 'horse nor man was spared. And the two "women held• out best of alt. But when in the morning light of the second day they came in sight of Courtland, and saw on the green plain of the Alda a great concourse, it not needed Alt 'Pikers shout to urge all fat wand at a gallop, "lest after all they should arrive too late, 'T'hey have brought him out to die,' cried Deane "Ride, for the young m'an's 'lifer CHAPTER XLIV. The Ukraine 'Cross Upon the green plait' beside the Alla a great multitude was assembled. They had come together to witness a sight never seen in Courtland before —the dread punishment of the Uk- rainess r s C a It was to he done they said, upon the body of the handsome youth with whom the Princess Mar- garet was secretly in love—same even. whispered married to him, The townsfolk murmured among themselves. This was certainly the beginning of the end. Who knew what would come next? If the barbarous \luscovite punishments began in Courtland, it would end in all of then- reing made slaves, liable at any mo trent to knout and plet, Ivan had bewitched the Prince, That was clear, and for a certainty the Princess Mar- garet wept night and day. In this fa-. -1 i"n ran the bruit of that which teas to he. "Torn eo piece, by wild 'horses " It ,las a thing often talked shout, but ttie which none had seen in a ctvilie .d country for a thousand years.. Where was it to be done It was ,hocking, terrible; 'hut—it would be worth seeing. So all the city went out, the men with weapons under their cloaks pressing as near. as 'the sold- iers would allow them, 'chile the woe then, being more pitiful, stood afar. off and wept into their aprons -only putting aside the corners that They might see clearly ,and miss nothing„• At ten a great green square of riv- erside grass was 'held by the archers. of Courtland. 'The people extended far back to the city gate, At eleven the lances of Prince 'van's Cossacks were seen tapping the city wall. On the, high bank of the !Alla the people were, craning their necks and looking aver each other's shoulders, t'Phie lvgild music of . the Cossacks came nearer, cacti' tnein with the butt of his lance .set upon this thigh, and the 'ennon of blue and white,waving above. "Ilton' a long pitying "A—ate" went up from the People, FO now. the Sparhawk was in sight, and, a -t the 'first .glimpse of him they swayed from the Riga Gate, like a willow c'o'pse sitricken by a squall off the Baltic, so that it shows the under -grey of its leaves. "The poor lade' So handsome, so young!" • The first soft universal hush of pity broke presently into a myriad excla- mations of anger and deprecation; "How high he holds his head! Seel They have opened his shirt at the leck, Poor 'Princess, how,: she must love him! His hands are tiedbehind his back. He ,rides in that jolting cart as if he were.a •cbtequeror in triumph- al procession, instead of a victim go- ing to his doom," "Pity, pity that one so young should 'die such a death! They saw she is car- ried up to the top of the Castle wall that She may see, Ah, here .he comes! He is smiling! God forgive the but- chers,'echo by s'trengt'h of brute beasts would tear a'sund'er those comely: limbs that are ,fitt'e'r, to be a woman's joy! Down ,with all false and cruel princes, say I1 Nay. mistress, 1 will not be silent. And there are many who will back me, if I be called in question, Who is the M:useovfte, that the should 'bring This abominations into Courtland? If I had my way, Prince •Conrad'—" "Hush, hush! Here they comet ,Side by side, as usual, the devil and his dupe. A'h'al there is no sound of cheering! Let but a man shout, "Long live the Prince!' and II asill slit his wizean'd,' I, Henry the coppersmith, will do ,itl He shall sleep with'pennies on his eyes this night!" So through the fine by which the city gate communicated with the tap- estried stand set apart for the great spectators, th.e Princes ,Louis and Ivan, fool and knave, servant and m'as'ter, took their way. And they had scarce passed when .the people, mutinous and muttering, surged black behind the archers' guard. "Back there—stand Ib'ackl Way for their Excellencies—way!" "Stand back yourselves," carte the grow'lin'g answer. "'We be free Wren of Courtland. You will !find we are no Muscovite serfs, and that or the. day be done. Karl Wendelin, think shame—thou that are my sister's son —to be aiding and abetting such hea- then cruelty to a Christen. man, all. that t'h'ou may eat a great man's meat and wear a jerkin purrfied with gold." Such cries and others worse pur- sued the Princes' (train as it went, "Cossack—'Cossack! You are no .Gou.rtlanders, you archers] Not a girl in the city willl look at you after this! Butchers' s'1'aughtermen 'every one? Whipped hounds that are afraid of ten score Muscovites! Down, d'ogs. knock your foreheads on the ground! Here comes a Muscovi'te!" a * N Time angrily ran taunt and jeer, till' the Courtland guard, mostly young fellows with relatives and sw•eetheaurts among the ,crowd, grew well-nigh frantic with rage and shame. The rabble, which had hung on the Prince of Muscovy so l'on'g as he scattered. his largesse, hail now wheeled about with characteristic ficeleoess, "See yonder! 'What are they doing Peter Al'tmaar, what are they doing Tell us thou long matt Of what use is your great fathom of punLp_stater Can yott do nothing for your meat but reach down black puddings from the rafters?" \t thi'1 a I eyes turned to Pelcr, • a lanky overgrown lad with a keen eye, a weak mouth, and the gift of words. "Speak up, Peter! Aye, listen' to Peter—a good tad, Peter, as ever was l" "Strong Jan' the smith;'' take hint up on your back so that he may see the better!" "Harsh, there! Stop that woman weeping. We cannot hear for her noise. She says he is like her son, does she? Vc'sll• then, there will be time enough to weep for him after- wards." "They are bringing up four horses from the Muscovite, camp. The, folk ere getting as far off as they can from their heels," began Peter A•ltmaar, iooi, n under his hand over the people's heads. "Half a score of men are at each brute's heath. How they plunge) They will never stand still a moment. Ah, they are tethering thein to the great posts of stone in the middle of the green square, 13e - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3e tweet'; 'there is astable—no, a kind of squame wooden stand bike a platform" * * "The Pc-in'ces are 'sitting ate their 'horses, 'watching, 'Bravo,' that Was well done. We cense near to seeing the color of the hIuscovite'brains that time. One of the wilt! !senses spread his hoofs on either •si'de; of Prince tlean's 'head'!' "God send hint a better ai•m next bint'el-'Ted6 on, Peter' Aye, get on good Peter!" "Time Princes have gone .Lop into. their helically. They are laugh'in'g and talking as if it were 6t raree sh'o'w!" "What of :him, good Peter! How takes he all this?" "W'h'at of. `wilaotol " queried Peter, who like all .great talkers, was rapidly growing testy under questioning. "There is 'but ,one `he' to -day, man. The, yiou g lad, t'he I:P'rincess ivlangar- eit's 's'wee ttbea rat," "'T'hey'have brought hint down from the cart. The 'Cossacks are close about him. They have, part • all t'he 'Cour'tand sten" far back." "Aye, aye; they d'ard not trust them. O'h•,for an hour of .Prince Coanrall If we of the city trades had but a leader, tliis shame should not blot our name th'rough'out all Chris - tendon! W'h'at now, Peter?" "The' Muscovites are binding the lad to a wooden 'frame Pike the empty l'inte'ls o'f a door. ' Idle stand's erect, his hands in the corners aihote, and his feet in the corners below Tney 'have stripped hint to the waist." "Ilold me higher up, Jan t'he smith! I would see this out that you may te'l'l your children and your children's children. Aye—ah, so it is. It is true. I can see his body white in the sunshine. It shines s'len'der as "a peeled willow wand Then the woman who had wept began again. Her wailing angered the people. "He is like my son—save h'iml T -Ie is the .ve.ry make and image of my Kasper. Slender as a young willow, supple as an ash, eyes like tet berries of the _slaeth'orn. Give me a sword! Give an old woman a sword, and I will deliver 'hint myself, for my Kas- par's sake. God's grace—Is there never a man amongst you " And as her voice rose into a shriek there ran through all the multitude the strange shiver of fear with which a great crowd expects a horror. A hush fell broad and equal as dew Int of a .clear sky. A mighty s'ilen'ce lay on all the Falk. Peter A•ltmaar's lips moved, but no sound came from them. For now Maurice was set on high, so that all could see for themselves. White against the sky of noon, mak- ing the cross of Saint Andrew within the o'blon'g framework to which ,•te was lashed, they could discern the slim body of the young ratan N.110 was about to be torn asunder. The exe- cutioners held !tint up thus a minute or two for a spectacle, and then, their art•aegenaen.ts completed, they towered that living crucifix till it lay Hat upon its little pl'a'tform with the limbs ex- tended stark and tense towards the heels of the wild plunging horses of the Ukraine, . 'Then again the voice of Peter Alt- maar was heard, now ringing false like ams untested fiddle, "They are welding the manacle's upon his ankles and wrists, Listen to the strokes of the hammer. ,And in elle hush which followed, faintly and musically they could hear iron ring on iron, like anvil s'trakes in some village smithy heard in the. hush of a summer's alteration. "They are •casting loose 'the horses! A. Cossack with a `cruel whip stands by each to lash hint to furyl They are s'ip'ping the platform from under hint. God in. heaven! What is this?" (To Be Continued) The cheapness of Mother 'Graves'. bVornt lExteran!nator aputs it within reach of all, and it can be got at any druggist's. PROFESSIONIAL CARDS.-- Medical ARDS Medical DR. H. H'[3GIH ROSS, Physician. and ,Surgeon.' Late of London, Kos pita!, Loudon, England Special. atteirtion to diseases of the eye, Tear, nose and throat. Office and resB' deuce behind' Dominion Bank. Office Phone No. 5; Residence P4tone'Id4- DR, F. J. ',B'UIRRIOIWIS, Seafortfx. Office and residence, Goderich street, east of the United Citurcit. Coo:ats for the County of Fluron. Telephone No. 4.6. 'D'R. C. MIAIOKIAY.-;G Mackay.', honor graduate of Trinity 'Universftyr and gold medallist of Trinity Medi:call College; member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of. Oatariat. DR, F. J. R FiO!RISITER-Eye; Ear. Nose and Th'roat. Graduate iii Medi, sine, University of Toronto 'IMM Late Assistant. New York O'pfethet-• mic and Aural Institute, Moorefield:Q Eye, and Golden Square throat hmspe-• tats, London, England. At Comm- ercial Hotel, Seaforth, 3rd Monday fie each month, from 11 arm, to 3 gam. DIR. W. C. SBIR'OAT.—Graduate off Faculty of Medicine, University a Western Ontario, London. Member of College of Physicians and SUE goon's of Ontario, .Office in rear a Aberhart's drug store, Seniort . Phone 90. Hours 1.30-4 p.m., ?30 -9 p.m. Other hours by appointment; Dental T IR, J. A. Mttr'NN, Successor to Dr. R. R. Ross, graduate of North, western University; Chicago, Ilk` ff f- centiate Royal College of Dental Sur- geons, Toronto. Office over S'c!'Is'' hardware, :Main St., Seaforth. Pl:oae 151. DR. 'F. J, BiECHIEELY, graduate Royal College, of Dental Surgeons, Toronto. Office over W. R. Smit ik grocery, Main St., Seaforth. Phases, office 185W, residence 18511.. Auctioneer. IGIEOITGE ELLIOTT, Lieeesst t Auctioneer for the County of Formas_ Arrangements can be made •for Sale Date atThe Seaforth News. Chiron moderate and satisfaction guranteedlr WATSON AND REID' REAL ESTATE AND INSURANCE AGENCY (,Succssors to .James 'Watson) MAIIrN ST., S'EAFOR'PH, OIl' T. All kinds of Insurance risks area - ed at lowest rates in 'First -Gama Companies. THE McKILLOP Mutual Fire Insurance Co. FiAIRM AND IiSOLATE:D Town PROPERTY, 0 N L Y, IINS'UR2Dt Officers --- John 'Bennewies, Brod- hagen, President; ,Jas. Con•nolIy, Gadt- erich, Vice -IP -res.; ID. IF, INfelGregur,: Seaforth 'No, 4, Sec,-Treas. iDireotors—'Geo. R. M'c'Cartney, Sea^ forth No. 3; 'Alex. Broadfioot, &m - forth No, 3; James ';vans, Seaforth No. '5; ,Root, Ferris, 'Myth No. 1;, res. Sholdice, Walton No. 4; John Pepper-, iBrucefield; William Knox, Landes- borough. Agents—'Jas. Watt, !Blyth NO. 1; did_" E, 'Himchley, ;Seaforth; J. A. 'Murray,. 'Seaforth No. 3; W. J. Yeo, 'Clinton No. .3 R 'G. 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