The Seaforth News, 1931-06-25, Page 6PAGE SIX
JOAN
of the
SwordHand
By S. R. erockett
(Continued from last week.) stained sword through his handker
chief and threw the linen away, had
"Nevertheless, it is mine by right something to do with the 'fact that
the rabble halted at the distance of
half -a -dozen yards and for many
minutes contented themselves with
hurling oaths and imprecations at him.
Johann Pyrmont .kept his sward in his
hand and stood by the body of his
fallen •foe in disdainful silence till the
arrival of fresh contingents through
the gate aroused the halting spirit of
the crowd. Knives and swords began.
to .gleam here and there in gunny
hands where at first there had been
only staves and chance -snatched
goads of iron.
"At hint! (Down with him! He
can only strike once!" These and
similar cries inspirited the rable of
Courtland, great haters of the Plas-
seniburg and the Teutonic west, to
rush in and make an end.
At Mast they did come ,on, not all
together, but in irregular undisciplin-
ed rushes. Johann's sword streaked
out this way and that. There was an
answering cry of pain, a turmoil a-
mong the assailants as a wounded
man whirled his way backward out of
the press. But this could not 'last for
long. The odds were too great. The
droning roar of hate from the edges
of the crowd grew louder and louder
as new and ever newer accretions
joined themselves to its changing
fringes.
Then suddenly carte a voice. "Back
on your lives, dogs and traitors!
Germans to the rescue! Danes,
Touts, iNorthmen to the rescue!"
Following the direction of the sound
Johann saw a young man drive
through the press, his sword bare in
his hand, his 'eyes glittering with
excitement. It was the Danish pri-
soner of the guard -hall at Kernsberg,
that same 'Sparhawk who had fought
with Werner von Orseln:
Ther crowd stared back and forth
betwixt hien and that other whom he
came to succour. Far more than ever
his extraordinary likeness to the sec-
retary •appeared. 'Apparent enough at
any time, it was accentuated now by
similarity of clothing. 'For,•1ike Joh-
ann Pyrmont, the (Sparhawk was. at-
tired in a black doublet and trunk
hose of scholastic cut, and as they
stood hack to back, little difference
could be noted between them, save
that the newcomer was a trifle taller.
"Saint Michael and all holy angels!"
cried the leader of the crowd, "can it
be that there are scores of these Plas
sen'burg black crows in Courtland
slaying whom they will? '.Here be
two of then as like as two peas, or a
couple at earthen pipkins front the
same potter's wheell"
The Dane 'flung a word over his
shoulder to his companion.
"Pardon rte, your grace," said the
Sparhawk, "if I stand back to back
with you, They are dangerous. We
must watch well for any chance of
escape."
and by birthright," retorted the sec-
retary, " as I am well prepared to
maintain -with tiny sword in the mean-
time. And, after, you can assure
yiourself from the mouth of the High
State's 'Councillor Dessauer that the
name and style are mine. Your ig-
norance, •however, need not defer
your chastisement"
"Follow me, Count von ,Loeb," said
the Prince; "I am too anxious to deal
with your insolence as it deserves to
quarrel as to names or titles, legal or
illegitimate. My quarrel is with your
fascinating body and prettyish face,
the beauty of which I will presently
improve with some •good Northland
steel."
And with his lithe and springy
walk the Prince of Muscovy passed
again along the alleys of the rose
garden till he reached the first open
space, where he turned upon the sec-
retary.
"We are arrived," he said; "our
business is so pressing, and we will be
so quickly 'finished, that there is no
need for the formality of seconds.
Though I honour you by crossing my
sword with yours, it is a mere formal-
ity. ,I have such skill of the weapon,
as I daresay report has told you, that
you may consider yourself dead
already. I look upon your chastise-
ment no more seriously than I might
the killing of a fly that has vexed me
with its buzzing. 'Guard!"
'But Johann Pyrmont bad been
trained in a school which permitted
no such windy preludes, and with the
fencer's smile on his face he kept hie
silence. 'His sword would answer all
such boastings, and that in good time.
And so it fell out.
From the very first crossing of the
swords Prince Wasp 'found himself
opposed by a quicker eye, a firmer
wrist, a method and science infinitely
superior to his own. /His most dash-
ing attack was repelled with apparent
ease, yet with a subtlety which inter-
posed nothing but the most delicate
of guards and parries between Prince
Ivan and victory. This gradually in-
furiated the Prince, till suddenly los-
• ing his temper he stamped his foot in
anger and rushed upon his foe with
the true Muscovite fire.
Then, indeed, had !Johann need of all
his most constant practice with the
sword, for the sting of the Wasp
flashed to kill as he struck straight
at the heart of :his foe.
But lo! the blade was turned aside,
the long-delayed answering' thrust
glittered out, .and the secretary's
sword stood a couple of handbreadths
in the boaster's shoulder.
With an effort Johann recovered his
blade and stood ready for the ripost
but the wound was more than enough.
The Prince staggered, cried out some
unintelligble words in the Muscovite
language, and patched forward slowly
on his face among the trampled leaves
and blown rose petals of the palace
garden.
The secretary grew paler than his
wont, and ran to lift his fallen enemy.
But, all unseen, other eyes had watch-
ed the combat, and from the door by
which they had ,entered, and from be -
.hind the trees of the surrounding
glade, there came the noise of pound-
ing footsteps and fierce cries of
",Seize him! Kill him! Tear him to
pieces! He has slain the good Prince,
the friend of the people! The Prince
Ivan is dad!"
And ere the secretary could touch
the body of his unconscious foe, or
'assure himself coocei sing his wound,
he found himself surrounded by a
yelling crowd of city loafers and gal-
lows' -rats, many of them rag -clad,
others bahited in heterogeneous
scraps of cast-off clothing, or articles
snatched from clothes -lines and
bleaching greens long -mourned,
doubtless, by the good wives of
Courtland.
The secretary eyed ,this unkempt
horde with haughty scorn, and his
THE, SEAFORTH NEWS. 'I1HChRSDiAY, JUNE 25, 1931,
cincts of the p'al'ace!"
And at her words the soldiers ad-
vanced rapidly.' A further diversion
was caused by the Sparhawk suddenly
cleaving a way through the crowd
and setting off at full speed in the dir-
ection of the river. Wheretipon the
rabble, grad to combine personal safe-
ty with the pleasures of the chase,
took to their heels after 'him. But,
light and unexpected in motion as his
namesake, the Sparhawk skimmed
down the alleys, darted sideways
through gates which she shut behind
hint with as clash of iron, and finally
plunged into the green rush of the
Alla swimming safe and unhurt to
the further shore, whither in the ab-
sence of boats at this particular spot,
none could pursue him,
CHAPTER X4.
fashion of •Countlancl this time, for
the sake of the guards at the door,
But remember that you are more than
ever plighted tometo be my instruc-
tor, dear Counh Vott Loen!"
She went to the door, and with her
Singers on the handle she turned her
about with a pretty vixenish expres
siott. "•I am so glad you stung the
Wasp. I love you for it!" sihe said.
But after she had vanished with
these words the secretary grew more
and more downcast in spirit. Even
this naive declaration of affection
failed to cheer him. He sat down and
gave himself up to the most melan-
choly anticipations.
At six a servitor silently entered
with a well-chosen and beautifully
cooked meal, of which the secretary
partook sparingly. At seven : jt grew
dark, and at ten all was quiet in 'the
city. The river rushed swiftly he-
neath, and the noise of it, as tire wa-
ter lapped against the foundations of
the summer palace, helped .to dis-
guise the sound of oars, as the boat,
a dark shadow upon greyish water,
de'tac'hed 'itself from the opp'osite
shore and approached the wind'o'w
from whose open casement Tohamn
s'yrnnont looked out.
A low yrhis".de carte„ from under-
neath, and presently followed the soft
reeving "whisk" of a coil of rope as it
passed through the window and fell
at his feet. The secretary looked about
forsomething to fasten it to, and fin-
ally; decided upon the iron uprights of
the great desk at which the Prince
had stood earlier in the day.
No sooner was this done than Jo-
hann set his foot on the top round
and began to descend. It was with a
sudden emptiness at the pit of the
stomach and a great desire to cry out
for some one to hold the ladder steady'
that the secretary found himself
swaying over the dark water. The.
boat seemed very -far away, a mere
spot of blackness upon the river's
face.
But presently, and while making up
his mind to practise the gymn'asti'c
of rope ladders quietly at home, he
made out a man holding the ladder,
while two other with grappled boat
hooks kept the boat steady fore and
aft.
A. shrouded figure sat in the stern.
The secretary seemed rather to find
himself in a boatvwhich rose swiftly
to meet him than to descend into it.
lie was handed from one to the other
of the rowers till he reached the
shrouded, figure in the stern, out of
folds of whose enveloping cloak a
small warns hand shot forth and 'pull-
ed him down upon the seat.
"Draw this corner about you,
Count," said a low voice; and in an-
other moment Johann fouad himself
under the shelter of one cloak with
that daring slip of nobility, the Prin-
cess Margaret of Courtland.
"I was obliged to come; there is no
danger. These fellows are of my
household and devoted to me. I did
not dare to risk anything going
wrong. Besides, I am a princess,
and—why need not I say it?—I want-
ed to come. I wanted to see you
again, though, indeed, there is snail
chance of that in such a night. And
'tis as well, for I ant sure my hair is
blown every way about my face."
"The horses are over there," she
added after a pause; "we are •almost
at the shore now—alas, too quickly!
But tI must not keep you. I want you
to come back the sooner. And rens-
eneber, if' Prince Wasp gets better and
•wsorties rte too much, or my brother
is unkind and insists upon marrying
nae to the' Bear, I will take one or two
of these fellows and conte to seek you
at Plassenburg, so make your reckon-
ing with that, Sir Count von Loin.
tAs I said, what is the use of being a
princess if you cannot marry whom.
you will? Most, I know, marry whom
they are told; but then they have not
the spirit of a Baltic weevil, let alone
that of Margaret, of Courtland."
They touched the shore almost at
the place where the Sparhawk had
landed in the morning when he es-
caped from the city rabble, and a
stone's throw further up the . bank
they found the horses waiting, ready
caparisoned for the journey.
Two melt were, by the Princess's
orders, to accompany Johann.
But with great thoughtfulness she
had provided a fourth horse for the
companion who, equally with himself,
was tinder the ban of the law for
wound the lieges of the Prin ce of
.Courtlancl within the precincts of the
pa
"lace,1'-Ie cannot have gone far," said the
Princess. "He would certainly con-
ceal himself till nightfall in the first
convenient hiding place. He will be
on the look -out for any chanceto re-.
lease you."
The Kiss of the Princess Margaret
The Princess and her guard were
1•eft alone with the secretary and the
unconscious body of the Prince of
Muscovy.
"Sirrah," site cried severely to the
former, "is this the 'first use you make
of our hospitality, thus to brawl. in
.the 1reet underneath my very win-
dows with our noble guest the Prince
Ivan? Take him to my brother's
room, and keep hint safety there to
await our lord's return, We shall see
what the Prince will say to this. And
as for this wounded man, take hint
to his own apartments, and let a sur-
geon be sent to him. Only not in too
great a hurry!" she added as an after-
thought to the commander of her
little company of palace guards.
So, merely detailing half a dozen to
carry the Prince to his�chantbers, the
captain of .the guard conducted the
secretary to the very room in which
an hour before .he had met the broth-
er of the Princess. Here he was con-
fined, with a couple of guards at the
door. Nor had he been long shut up
before he heard the quickstep of the
Princess coming along the passage-
way. He could distinguish it a long
way off, for the summer palace was
built mostly of wood, and every
sound was clearly audible.
"So," she said, as soon as the door
was shut, "you have killed Prince
Wasp 1"
"I trust not," said the secretary
gravely; "I meant only to wound hint.
But as he attacked me I could not do
otherwise than defend myself."
"Tut," cried the Princess, "I hope
you have •killed 'vim. It will be good
riddance, and most like the Muscov-
ites will send an army—which, with
your Plassen'burg to help us will make
a merry fight. It serves him right, in
any event, for Prince Wasp must al-
ways be thrusting his sting into hon-
est folk. He will be none the worse
for some of his own poison applied at
a rapier's point to keep him quiet for
sdme few days."
'But Johann was not in a mood to
relish the jubilation of the Princess.
He grew markedly uneasy in his
mind• Every moment he anticipated
that the 'Prince would return. A trial
would take place, and he did not
know what might be discovered.
The Princess Margaret delivered
him from his anxiety.
"The laws are strict against dud11-
ing;" she continued. "The Prince
Ivan is in high favour with my elder
brother, and it will be well that you
should he seen no more in Courtland
—for the present, that is. ;But in a
little the Prince !Wasp will die or he
will recover, In either case the affair
wii'1 blow over. Then you will come
back to teach me more foreign cus-
toms."
She smiled and held out her hand,
Johann kissed it, perhaps without the
fervour which might. have been ex-
pected nfrom a brisk young roan thus
highly favoured by the •fairest and
sprightliest of princesses.
"To -night," she went on, "there
will be a boat beneath that window.
It will be manned by those whom I
can trust. A ladder of rope will be
thrown to your casement. By it you,
will descend, and with a good horse
and a sufficient escort you can ride
either to Plassen'burg-or. to Kerns -
berg, which is nearer, and tell Joan of
the Sworcl Hand that her stater the
Prntcess Margaret sends you to her.
I will give you a letter to the minx.
though I am sure I shall not like her.
She is so forward, they say. But be
ready at the hour of midnight. Who
was that youth who fled as we carte
up?"
"A Danish knight who carte hither
in our train from Kernsberg," replied
Johann. "But for hint I should have
been lost indeed l"
"I must have a horse also for hint!"
cried the Princess. "Ile will surely
he on the watch and join you, know-
ing that his danger is as great as
yours. Hearken—they are mourning
for their precious Prince Wasp. To-
morrow they evill howl louder if by
good ]tap he goes home to -purga-
tory{"
.And through the open windows
carte a sound of distant shoutings as
they carried the wounded Prince to
his lodgings.
"Now," said the Princess, "for the
present fare you 'well—it f e teolder' can never thank or repay you. My
heart is heavy for that. I alit unwor-
thy of all your goodness. Itis not as'.
you think—"
He paused for words which might
warn without r.eveaiin'g his secret; but
the Princess, never long silent, struck
!n.
"Let there be no tallc of parting ex-
cept for the moment," she said. "Go,
you are my knight. Perhaps one day,
if you do not forget me, 'I may be yet
far kinder to your''DR. F. J. BUIRII:OOIWIS, 'Seaforth.
(And with a most tender kiss and a Office and residence, Goderie'h street,.
little -sob the Princess watt her lover, east of the- United Church.olercoroner
more aol more downcast and lis- for the County of Huron. Coroner verycited-
her1
t •f
cottoned byreason o
co - g dNo. 4b..
Hess, upon his way. So much did his
obvious depression affect Margaret of 'DR., C. MIAIOKAY.—C. Mackay,
Courtland, that after the secretary, honor graduate of 'Trinity University
with one of the men-at-arms leading and gold medallist of Trinity Medical.
the spare horse, had reached the top College; member of the College of
of the river bank, she suddenly bade Physicians and S.urge'mis of"Ontario.:
the rowers wait a -moment before
casting loose from the land.
"Your sword! Your sword!" she
called aloud, risking any listener in
her eagerness; "you have, forgotten
your sword."
INow it chanced tit'at the Sparhawk
had already come up with the little
party of travellers. He kissed the
hand of Johann Pyrmont placed him
on hit beast, and was preparing to
mount his steed with a glad heart,
when the voice frombeneathstartled
him.
"Do not trouble, I will bring the
sword," said the Sparhawk to Johann,
with his usual impetuosity, putting
the reins into the secretary's. hands.
And without a moment's hesitation
he flung himself down the bank. The Dental
Princess had leaped nimbly as'h•one,
and. was standingwith the sheathed.'
si
sword in her hand, O�IR. J. A, MU
NN, Successor to.
Dr, R. R. Ross, graduate of North-
western University,, Chicago, Ill. Li-
centiate Royal College of Dental Sur-
geons, Toronto. Office over Sills'•
hardware, 'Main St., Seaforth. Phone
151.
PROF'ES'SIONAL CARDS
Medical
,DR. H. fI1UIGIH RiOSIS, Physician:
and Surgeon. Late of London 1los-
pital, London, En'g'land. Special
attention to diseases of the eye, ear,
nose and throat. Office and resi-
dence behind Dominion Bank. Office•
Phone No. 5; Residence Phone 104.
The secretary did riot answer to.
this strange style of address, but -plac-
ed himself back to back with his ally,
and their two bright blades waved ev-
ery way. Only that of Johann Pyr
-
moot was already.well-nigh
tt reddened weU ig
half its length.
"Death to the Russ, to the lovers
of the Russians!" cried the Sparhawk,
and his blade dealt thrusts right and
left. But the pressure increased ev-
ery moment. YThose behind cried,
"Kill then! For they were out of
reach of those two shining streaks of
steel. Those before would gladly
have fallen behind, ;but could not for.
the forward thrust of 'their friends.
Still the ring narrowed, and the pair.
of gallant fighters would doubtlessly
have been swept away had not a div-
ersion conte to alter the face of 'things.
Out of the gate which led to the
wing of the palace occupied by the
Princess Margaret horst a little com-
pany of halberdiers, at sight of whom
the crowd gave ,sudclenly hack. The
Princess herself was with them.
"Take all prisoners, and bring them
within," she cried. "Well you know
that my brother is from honne, or you
fearless attitude, as he striped his dare not thus 'brawl in the very :pre -
DE, F. 7. R. FIOIRISITER--Eye, Ear -
Nose and Throat. Graduate in Medi -
doe, University of Toronto 1897.
Late Assistant New York Ophthal-
mic and Aural Institute, Moorefield's.
Eye, and Golden Square throat hospi-
tals, London, England.At Comm-
ercial Hotel,• Seaforth, 3rd Monday int
each month, from 11 a.m.sto 3 p.m.
• DR. W, C. S. PilbOIA'T.-+Graduate af`
Faculty of Medicine, University of
Western Ontario, London. Member
of College of Physicians and Sur-
geons of Ontario. Office in rear of
Aberhart's drug store, • . Seaforth.
Phone 90. Hours 1.30-4. p.m., 7.30'
-9 p.m. Other hours by appointment
When she saw the figure. came
bounding towards her down the peb-
bly bank, she gave a little cry, and
dropping the scabbard, threw her
arms impulsively about the Spar
hawk's neck.
"I could not let you go like that—
without ever telling you that I loved,
you—really, I mean," she whispered,
while the youth stood petrified with
astonishment, without sound or mo-
tion. "I will marry none but you—
neither Prince Ivan nor other. A w'o-
man should not tell a man that, I
know, lest he despise her; but a prin-
cess may, if the man dare not tell
her."
* *
"And what answered you?" asked
the secretary of his companion, as
they rode together through the night
out on the road to Kernsberg.
"Why, I said nothing—speech was
not• needed," quoth the Dane coolly.
"She kissed yoti?"
"Well," said the Sparhawk, "I
could not help that, could I?"
"But what said you to that?"
"Why, of course, I kissed her back
again, as a man ought!" he made ans-
wer,
"Poor Princess," mused the secre-
tary; "it is more than I could ever
have done for her—you had not seen
her before! 'Why theta did you. kiss
her?"
For these things are hidden from
women.
The Dane shrugged his shoulders in
the dark.
(To 'Be Continued.)
Protect the child from the ravages
of worm's by using Mother Graves'
Worn Exterminator. Rt is a stand-
ard remedy, and years of use have en-
hanced its reputation.
And tate event proved the wisdom
of her prophecy. For as soon as he
had .distinguished the slim figure of
the secretary landing from the boat
the Sparhawk appeared on the , crest
of the hill, though for the moment he
was still unseen by those below.
"Goodbye! For the present, good-
bye, dear Princess," said Johann, with
:his heart in his voice. "God knows, I
D. H. McInnes
chiropractor
Of Wingham, will be at the
Commercial Hotel, Seaforth
Monday, Wednesday and
Friday Afternoons
Diseases of all kinds success-
fully treated.
Electricity used.
DR, F, 5. BIECHtELY, graduate
Royal College of Dental Surgeons,
Toronto. Office over W. R. Smith's
grocery, Main St, Seaforth. Phonies,.
office 185'W, residence 1'85'5.
Auctioneer.
GEORGE ELUI'OTT, Licensed
Auctioneer for the County of Huron.
Arrangements tan be made for Sale
Date at The Seaforth News. Charges•
moderate- and satisfaction guranteed.
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