t now was the time for his stroke. He knew that the horse was
conquered, overcome chiefly by his own struggles, and letting him
breathe a little he urged him straight forward in the road toward the
castle, which was only a few hundred yards away.

As he emerged from the woods he saw that the road led through the
remains of an ancient wall, and across a bridge over a moat which was
partly filled up. In the cleared space in front of the wall several
soldiers were standing and near them were two hussars. The hussars rode
forward, as if they would prevent the flight of the horse, but John
urged on his waning spirit and he dashed over the moat and through the
wall into the inner precincts of the castle yard, where the animal
stopped dead beat and covered with foam.

He slipped from the horse, as a man, who had been sitting in a camp
chair in the shadow of a great pine, rose in surprise, and stood looking
at him. It was Prince Karl of Auersperg himself, in a uniform of gray
and silver, his great brown beard forked and spreading out
magnificently. John took off his cap, saluted and despite the fierce
beating of his heart stood calmly before him.

"What does this mean?" demanded the prince.

John was saved a reply by young Pappenheim, who came up running.

"It was my fault, Your Highness," he said. "We met him in the road
coming to the castle, where he said he wished to be employed as a
hostler. I told him to prove his skill by riding my horse, which
hitherto has tolerated no one but myself on his back. He rode him like a
Cossack, and here he is! The fault, sir, was mine, and I crave the
pardon of Your Highness, but this man has proved himself a horseman."

The prince combed his great forked beard with his fingers, and looked at
the young peasant with a contemplative eye. John surmised that
Pappenheim stood well with him, and would be forgiven.

"The test was, perhaps, severe," he said, "but the young man seems to
have endured it well. I might say that in his own little world he has
achieved a triumph. Send him to the stables, and tell Walther, the head
groom, to give him work."

After the one examining glance he no longer looked at John who had now
disappeared from his own world. John had no fear of detection. He had
let his semblance of a young beard grow again, and Prince Karl of
Auersperg would not dream of his presence there in the mountains of
Austria.

"Thanks, Your Highness," he said, again bowing respectfully