ow me. It was I who wrote and
signed the American's pardon--at the point of the American's
revolver. He forced me to exchange clothing with him, and then he
brought me here to this room and left me."

The two men looked at the speaker and smiled.

"You bank too strongly, my friend," said Peter of Blentz, "upon your
resemblance to the king of Lutha. I will admit that it is strong,
but not so strong as to convince me of the truth of so improbable a
story. How in the world could the American have brought you through
the castle, from one end to the other, unseen? There was a guard
before the king's door and another before this. No, Herr Custer, you
will have to concoct a more plausible tale.

"No," and Peter of Blentz scowled savagely, as though to impress
upon his listener the importance of his next utterance, "there were
more than you and the king involved in his sudden departure from
Blentz and in his hasty change of policy toward Austria. To be quite
candid, it seems to me that it may be necessary to my future
welfare--vitally necessary, I may say--to know precisely how all
this occurred, and just what influence you have over Leopold of
Lutha. Who was it that acted as the go-between in the king's
negotiations with you, or rather, yours with the king? And what
argument did you bring to bear to force Leopold to the action he
took?"

"I have told you all that I know about the matter," whined the king.
"The American appeared suddenly in my apartment. When he brought me
here he first blindfolded me. I have no idea by what route we
traveled through the castle, and unless your guards outside this
door were bribed they can tell you more about how we got in here
than I can--provided we entered through that doorway," and the king
pointed to the door which had just opened to admit his two visitors.

"Oh, pshaw!" exclaimed Maenck. "There is but one door to this
room--if the king came in here at all, he came through that door."

"Enough!" cried Peter of Blentz. "I shall not be trifled with
longer. I shall give you until tomorrow morning to make a full
explanation of the truth and to form some plan whereby you may
utilize once more whatever influence you had over Leopold to the end
that he grant to myself and my associates his royal assurance that
our lives and property will be safe in Lutha."

"But I tell you it is impossible," wailed the king.

"I think not," sneered Prince Peter, "especially when I tell you
that if yo