At the stables a sleepy groom answered the summons of the officer, whom Barney had warned not to divulge the identity of himself or the princess. He left the princess in the shadows outside the building. After what seemed an eternity to the American, three horses were led into the courtyard, saddled, and bridled. The party mounted and approached the gates. Here, Barney knew, might be en-countered the most serious obstacle in their path. He rode close to the side of their unwilling conductor. Leaning for-ward in his saddle, he whispered in the man's ear.
"Failure to pass us through the gates," he said, "will be the signal for your death."The man reined in his mount and turned toward the American.
"I doubt if they will pass even me without a written order from Prince Peter," he said. "If they refuse, you must reveal your identity. The guard is composed of Luthanians --I doubt if they will dare refuse your majesty."Then they rode on up to the gates. A soldier stepped from the sentry box and challenged them.
"Lower the drawbridge," ordered the officer. "It is Captain Krantzwort on a mission for the king."The soldier approached, raising a lantern, which he had brought from the sentry box, and inspected the captain's face. He seemed ill at ease. In the light of the lantern, the American saw that he was scarce more than a boy--doubt-less a recruit. He saw the expression of fear and awe with which he regarded the officer, and it occurred to him that the effect of the king's presence upon him would be abso-lutely overpowering. Still the soldier hesitated.
"My orders are very strict, sir," he said. "I am to let no one leave without a written order from Prince Peter. If the sergeant or the lieutenant were here they would know what to do; but they are both at the castle--only two other soldiers are at the gates with me. Wait, and I will send one of them for the lieutenant.""No," interposed the American. "You will send for no one, my man. Come closer--look at my face."The soldier approached, holding his lantern above his head. As its feeble rays fell upon the face and uniform of the man on horseback, the sentry gave a little gasp of as-tonishment.
"Now, lower the drawbridge," said Barney Custer, "it is your king's command."Quickly the fellow hastened to obey the order. The chains creaked and the windlass groaned as the heavy planking sank to place across the moat.
As Barney passed the soldier he handed him the pardon Leopold had written for the American.
"Give this to your lieutenant," he said, "and tell him to hand it to Prince Peter before dawn tomorrow. Do not fail."A moment later the three were riding down the winding road toward Blentz. Barney had no further need of the officer who rode with them. He would be glad to be rid of him, for he anticipated that the fellow might find ample opportunity to betray them as they passed through the Austrian lines, which they must do to reach Lustadt.
He had told the captain that they were going to Tann in order that, should the man find opportunity to institute pur-suit, he might be thrown off the track. The Austrian sentries were no great distance ahead when Barney ordered a halt.
"Dismount," he directed the captain, leaping to the ground himself at the same time. "Put your hands behind your back."The officer did as he was bid, and Barney bound his wrists securely with a strap and buckle that he had re-moved from the cantle of his saddle as he rode. Then he led him off the road among some weeds and compelled him to lie down, after which he bound his ankles together and stuffed a gag in his mouth, securing it in place with a bit of stick and the chinstrap from the man's helmet. The threat of the revolver kept Captain Krantzwort silent and obedient throughout the hasty operations.
"Good-bye, captain," whispered Barney, "and let me sug-gest that you devote the time until your discovery and re-lease in pondering the value of winning your king's confi-dence in the future. Had you chosen your associates more carefully in the past, this need not have occurred."Barney unsaddled the captain's horse and turned him loose, then he remounted and, with the princess at his side, rode down toward Blentz.