gaze riveted upon the wood. For several minutes he saw
no sign of what was transpiring behind that screen of sere and
yellow autumn leaves, and then a man came running out, and after him
another and another.

The prince raised his field glasses to his eyes. He almost cried
aloud in his relief--the uniforms of the fugitives were those of
artillerymen, and only cavalry had accompanied the king. A moment
later there appeared in the center of his lenses a tall figure with
a full beard. He rode, swinging his saber above his head, and behind
him at full gallop came a squadron of the Royal Horse.

Old von der Tann could restrain himself no longer.

"The king! The king!" he cried to those about him, pointing in the
direction of the wood.

The officers gathered there and the soldiery before him heard and
took up the cry, and then from the old man's lips came the command,
"Charge!" and a thousand men tore down the slopes of Lustadt upon
the forces of Peter of Blentz, while from the east the king charged
their right flank at the head of the Royal Horse.

Peter of Blentz saw that the day was lost, for the troops upon the
right were crumpling before the false king while he and his
cavalrymen were yet a half mile distant. Before the retreat could
become a rout the prince regent ordered his forces to fall back
slowly upon a suburb that lies in the valley below the city.

Once safely there he raised a white flag, asking a conference with
Prince Ludwig.

"Your majesty," said the old man, "what answer shall we send the
traitor who even now ignores the presence of his king?"

"Treat with him," replied the American. "He may be honest enough in
his belief that I am an impostor."

Von der Tann shrugged his shoulders, but did as Barney bid, and for
half an hour the young man waited with Butzow while Von der Tann and
Peter met halfway between the forces for their conference.

A dozen members of the most powerful of the older nobility
accompanied Ludwig. When they returned their faces were a picture of
puzzled bewilderment. With them were several officers, soldiers and
civilians from Peter's contingency.

"What said he?" asked Barney.

"He said, your majesty," replied Von der Tann, "that he is confident
you are not the king, and that these men he has sent with me knew
the king well at Blentz. As proof that you are not the king he has
offered the evidence of your own denials--made not only to his
officers and soldiers, but to