FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46  
47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   >>   >|  
e. Drain your flask, Fritz, for heaven's sake, boy!" Fritz did as he was bid. "We're an hour early," said Sapt. "We'll send word forward for your Majesty's arrival, for there'll be no one here to meet us yet. And meanwhile--" "Meanwhile," said I, "the King'll be hanged if he doesn't have some breakfast." Old Sapt chuckled, and held out his hand. "You're an Elphberg, every inch of you," said he. Then he paused, and looking at us, said quietly, "God send we may be alive tonight!" "Amen!" said Fritz von Tarlenheim. The train stopped. Fritz and Sapt leapt out, uncovered, and held the door for me. I choked down a lump that rose in my throat, settled my helmet firmly on my head, and (I'm not ashamed to say it) breathed a short prayer to God. Then I stepped on the platform of the station at Strelsau. A moment later, all was bustle and confusion: men hurrying up, hats in hand, and hurrying off again; men conducting me to the buffet; men mounting and riding in hot haste to the quarters of the troops, to the Cathedral, to the residence of Duke Michael. Even as I swallowed the last drop of my cup of coffee, the bells throughout all the city broke out into a joyful peal, and the sound of a military band and of men cheering smote upon my ear. King Rudolf the Fifth was in his good city of Strelsau! And they shouted outside-- "God save the King!" Old Sapt's mouth wrinkled into a smile. "God save 'em both!" he whispered. "Courage, lad!" and I felt his hand press my knee. CHAPTER 5 The Adventures of an Understudy With Fritz von Tarlenheim and Colonel Sapt close behind me, I stepped out of the buffet on to the platform. The last thing I did was to feel if my revolver were handy and my sword loose in the scabbard. A gay group of officers and high dignitaries stood awaiting me, at their head a tall old man, covered with medals, and of military bearing. He wore the yellow and red ribbon of the Red Rose of Ruritania--which, by the way, decorated my unworthy breast also. "Marshal Strakencz," whispered Sapt, and I knew that I was in the presence of the most famous veteran of the Ruritanian army. Just behind the Marshal stood a short spare man, in flowing robes of black and crimson. "The Chancellor of the Kingdom," whispered Sapt. The Marshal greeted me in a few loyal words, and proceeded to deliver an apology from the Duke of Strelsau. The duke, it seemed, had been afflicted with a sudden i
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46  
47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

whispered

 

Strelsau

 
Marshal
 

buffet

 

military

 

hurrying

 

stepped

 

platform

 

Tarlenheim

 

revolver


Colonel
 

apology

 

scabbard

 

Understudy

 

CHAPTER

 

sudden

 

wrinkled

 

shouted

 

afflicted

 

Courage


Adventures

 

proceeded

 

Ruritania

 

ribbon

 

flowing

 

Rudolf

 

decorated

 

Strakencz

 

presence

 
famous

veteran

 
Ruritanian
 

unworthy

 

breast

 

yellow

 

awaiting

 

greeted

 

dignitaries

 

officers

 

bearing


medals

 

Kingdom

 

covered

 

Chancellor

 

crimson

 

deliver

 

mounting

 
paused
 

Elphberg

 

breakfast