An hour later darkness had fallen upon the little city of Lustadt,
and from a small gateway in the rear of the palace grounds two
horsemen rode out into the ill-paved street and turned their mounts'
heads toward the north. At the side of one trotted a led horse.

As they passed beneath the glare of an arc-light before a cafe at
the side of the public square, a diner sitting at a table upon the
walk spied the tall figure and the bearded face of him who rode a
few feet in advance of his companion. Leaping to his feet the man
waved his napkin above his head.

"Long live the king!" he cried. "God save Leopold of Lutha!"

And amid the din of cheering that followed, Barney Custer of
Beatrice and Lieutenant Butzow of the Royal Horse rode out into the
night upon the road to Tafelberg.

When Peter of Blentz had escaped from the cathedral he had hastily
mounted with a handful of his followers and hurried out of Lustadt
along the road toward his formidable fortress at Blentz. Half way
upon the journey he had met a dusty and travel-stained horseman
hastening toward the capital city that Peter and his lieutenants had
just left.

At sight of the prince regent the fellow reined in and saluted.

"May I have a word in private with your highness?" he asked. "I
have news of the greatest importance for your ears alone."

Peter drew to one side with the man.

"Well," he asked, "and what news have you for Peter of Blentz?"

The man leaned from his horse close to Peter's ear.

"The king is in Tafelberg, your highness," he said.

"The king is dead," snapped Peter. "There is an impostor in the
palace at Lustadt. But the real Leopold of Lutha was slain by Yellow
Franz's band of brigands weeks ago."

"I heard the man at Tafelberg tell another that he was the king,"
insisted the fellow. "Through the keyhole of his room I saw him take
a great ring from his finger--a ring with a mighty ruby set in its
center--and give it to the other. Both were bearded men with gray
eyes--either might have passed for the king by the description upon
the placards that have covered Lutha for the past month. At first he
denied his identity, but when the other had convinced him that he
sought only the king's welfare he at last admitted that he was
Leopold."

"Where is he now?" cried Peter.

"He is still in the sanatorium at Tafelberg. In room twenty-seven.
The other promised to return for him and take him to Lustadt, but
when I left Tafelberg