stationed in the
fortress was most consoling to Tullis and his friends. He could not
destroy the Castle gates with shells, except by purest chance. He could
drop shells into the Castle, but to hit a gate twenty feet wide? Never!
Field ordnance was unknown to this country of mountains.

The Iron Count's inability to destroy the Castle gates made it feasible
for the men in the hills to devote considerable more time to drill and
preparation than they might have sacrificed if the conditions were the
reverse. They were confident that Quinnox could hold the Castle for
many days. With all this in mind, Captain Haas and Prince Dantan beat
down the objections of the impatient Americans; the work of preparation
against ignominous failure went on as rapidly as possible. Haas would
not attack until he was ready, or it became absolutely certain that the
men at the Castle were in dire need.

Signalling between the Castle and the hills had been going on for days.
The absence of the "wigwag" system made it impossible to convey
intelligible messages.

Truxton King was growing haggard from worry and loss of sleep. He could
not understand the abominable, criminal procrastination. He was of a
race that did things with a dash and on the spur of the moment. His soul
sickened day by day. John Tullis, equally unhappy, but more
philosophical, often found him seated upon a rock at the top of the
ravine, an unlighted pipe in his fingers, his eyes intent upon the hazy
Castle.

"Cheer up, King. Our time will come," he was wont to say.

"I've just got to do something, Tullis. This standing around is killing
me." Again he would respond: "Don't forget that I love some one down
there, old man. Maybe she's worrying about me, as well as about you."
Once he gave poor Mr. Hobbs a frightful tongue-lashing and was afterward
most contrite and apologetic. Poor Hobbs had been guilty of asking if he
had a headache.

Truxton was assigned to several scouting expeditions, simply to provide
him with action and diverting excitement. One of these expeditions
determined the impossibility of entering the city through the railroad
yards because of the trestle-work and the barricade of freight cars at
the gap in the wall.

They had been in camp for a week. The stategists had practically decided
that the assault could be made within a day or two. All was in
readiness--or as near as it could be--and all was enthusiasm and
excitement.

"If Haas puts it off anothe