no sound, and the shadows of the trees that border the front of
the enclosure hid them from the view of the trooper who held four
riderless horses in a little patch of moonlight that broke through
the opening in the trees at the main gate of the institution.

Barney was the first to see the animals and the man.

"S-s-st," he hissed, reining in his horse.

Butzow drew alongside the American.

"What can it mean?" asked Barney. "That fellow is a trooper, but I
cannot make out his uniform."

"Wait here," said Butzow, and slipping from his horse he crept
closer to the man, hugging the dense shadows close to the trees.

Barney reined in nearer the low wall. From his saddle he could see
the grounds beyond through the branches of a tree. As he looked his
attention was suddenly riveted upon a sight that sent his heart into
his throat.

Three men were dragging a struggling, half-naked figure down the
gravel walk from the sanatorium toward the gate. One kept a hand
clapped across the mouth of the prisoner, who struck and fought his
assailants with all the frenzy of despair.

Barney leaped from his saddle and ran headlong after Butzow. The
lieutenant had reached the gate but an instant ahead of him when the
trooper, turning suddenly at some slight sound of the officer's foot
upon the ground, detected the man creeping upon him. In an instant
the fellow had whipped out a revolver, and raising it fired
point-blank at Butzow's chest; but in the same instant a figure shot
out of the shadows beside him, and with the report of the revolver a
heavy fist caught the trooper on the side of the chin, crumpling him
to the ground as if he were dead.

The blow had been in time to deflect the muzzle of the firearm, and
the bullet whistled harmlessly past the lieutenant.

"Your majesty!" exclaimed Butzow excitedly. "Go back. He might have
killed you."

Barney leaped to the other's side and grasping him by the shoulders
wheeled him about so that he faced the gate.

"There, Butzow," he cried, "there is your king, and from the looks
of it he never needed a loyal subject more than he does this moment.
Come!" Without waiting to see if the other followed him, Barney
Custer leaped through the gate full in the faces of the astonished
trio that was dragging Leopold of Lutha from his sanctuary.

At sight of the American the king gave a muffled cry of relief, and
then Barney was upon those who held him. A stinging uppercut lifted
Coblich