Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 101, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1911 — The Knight of the Silver Star [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Knight of the Silver Star

A ©if

By PERCY BREBNER.

(COXTINVED.) CHAPTER IL lAJ w TOLD him-the simple truth. iffil A I which I must confess sounded Egfegl very much like a magnificent He. O'Ryan looked surprised, and his companions whispered among themselves when I had finished. “I'll take my oath I didn't come that way.” the captain said. “Which way, then?” t asked. *Td like to know. We certainly started up a mountain path, but before we had gone far they blindfolded us, and then we went down, where I Can't say. but it was somewhere near to roaring water.” “And how* long have you been here?” “I don't know. Time is not of much consequence in this country.” “What did you come for?” “Money,” was his laconic answer. “There must be a way out,” I said. “There ought to be since you found a way in. We'll talk of it tomorrow. Rest now. for we start early.” It was early morning when O'Ryan woke me. “Come and look for your friend,” be said. I felt refreshed, but terribly stiff and bruised. Sunlight was upon the mountain tops, the shadows of light, fleecy clouds crossing them swiftly. Before the cavern ran a broad, hard road. rough and snow caked, descending somewhat sharply to the right, ascending gradually to the left, and directly opposite v. was the way I had come last night. I stood looking at it in amazement. A glacier stretched up to the mountain opposite, a portion of it ending at the roadway against which the winds had piled loose snow, luckily for me, but part of it had cracked and sunk, turning to run beside the road for a few yards and then ending abruptly in what last night had appeared to me as a black line. Here the glacier was broken off, its support a straight wall of rock going down sheer for at least 500 feet. At the base roared a torrent which burst from the rock and lashed itself into foam over its rocky bed. “If your comrade wasn’t dead before he went over that, he was dead before he got to the bottom of it.” said O'Ryan. I looked down at the water tumbling among the rocks and saw a little black mass lying there motionless, save for the motion the swirling water gave it. It was impossible to say what it was, but I think it must have been Mustapha. for two spots suddenly rose from it, growing larger as they mounted toward us with heavy flight. “Vultures!” said my companion. Poor Mustapha! He had expected so much of tomorrow. God rest his soul! He had indeed found a new country.

It was still early when we started upon our journey. Two men were sent on In front and told to keep a sharp lookout; the others fell to the rear, and O’Ryan and I rode alone. “What am I to expect at the end of this journey?’’ I asked presently. “Faith, that’s more than I can tell. It’s every man for himself here, and you’ll find your life pretty much what you make it.” “That sounds promising.” “Oh. there’s plenty of promise. It’s Borneo' the fulfillment I’m whiting for. It’s al! very well to live back in the middle ages and feel like the hero of a hoys’ story book, but it wants paying for.” “Then the legend is true, or partly true?” I said. “I don't know anything about the legend or how these people came here. Anyway, her" they are and engaged in as pretty a piece of war as poor old Ireland has ever suffered, from. There are two factions In the country, the king’s party and the rebels, who are headed by a relation of his—Princess Dari". Those who fight for the princess fight chiefly for love of her, which Is all very well in its way, but not attractive to the adventurer who hopes some d"v to go home and enjoy himself. The king, on the other hand, pays his soldiers, and, not having enough men in tire country to fight his cause, he has got in a few foreigners to help them. I’m one of the foreigners. We have all been brought in secretlv. and not a man jack of us knows his way out” “Does the king pay well?” “I think he would if he could, but his lack of the necessary troubles me,” O’Ryan answered. “Then how does he manage?” “Much as they do at home—makes promises and pays for the accommodations. That’s not a, new trick. It .was an old fashioned one in the days of ancient Babylon. The king, as a matter of fact, expects to find a treasure. We were looking for signs of it When you came. I expect the treasure Is where the legendary part of the story cornea in.” “You found nothing of it?” “Not a cent Still, my undertaking the mission means promotion when I return.” “And with a prisoner too.”

“I would sooner have had a Mt of the treasure to take back," he answered bluntly. “I don’t deny that I shall try to make something for myself otit of bringing you back.” “How will you explain my coming?" I asked. It was well that I should know how to speak best for myself. To look after No. 1 seemed to be the creed of the country. “I shall tell the truM” he continued, i “There is no lie to equal it. I’m glad j you're a big, healthy looking fellow. ! We don't take much notice of weak i Hugs. As long as a man has a mighty 1 arm the size of his brain doesn’t mat- ! ter.” ; The mountains on either side of us harrowed as we went on until we were presently passing through a defile that a few resolute men could "have he’d aaainst an army. I noticed that O'Ryan quickened his pace and became silent for a time. Th" defile came to an end suddenly, and w" came out on to a broad road which swept round the slopes of the lower hills. An exclamation of astonishment and admiration burst from my lips. Away from the road the hills, green clad and wooded, undulated to level country, which stretched away for miles. Green pastures; arable land, clusters of rough stone dwellings here and there, a fiver glinting in the sunlight and woody hollows made as fair a landscaj-e as one could wish to see. Cattle were feeding below us, and I saw some women moving about the dwellings at the foot of the hill. “Your first real glimpse of Drussenland.” said O'Ryan. “Is that how you call the country?” “I didn't christen It. but that's the name of it.” . “It is very beautiful,** I said, “and doesn't look as if it were the seat of war.” “Things have been rather quiet lately probably because there’s a storm brewing. You see those women? Women do most of the work just now because all the men are under arms on one side or the other.” “And are unprotected women safe in such times?’” “WeU, I won’t go quite so far as to say that, but there Is a rough Sort of gallantry among us that compares fairly well with that of civilized nations when war is the order of the day.” “The legend says the women are beautiful.”

“And, by St Patrick, the legend’s right so far' If 1 ever get back to Iris 8 ’ land there’ll be moments when I shall wish myself here again, though the finest pair of eyes in the old country were looking at me. The women are all right and. luckily for most of us, cling to the man who cah hold his own against other men.” “Is there no marriage?” .“Oh, yes, we get married after the law of the country, but it’s not very binding here, so I suppose most of us will pose as bachelors when we get away, if we ever do. There’s no breach of promise and there’s no divorce, and if two men quarrel they just go to a quiet spot and hack away at each other until the affair is settled. The one who comes back takes possession of the lady or the money or whatever they have been fighting about.” “Primitive.” I said- “I judge, captain. that you are comfortably settledr “Trust a son of the house of Michael O'Ryan of County Kerry for that. I’ve had to fight about her twice, and each time I’ve crawled home again. Possession is something—nine . points of the law, as they say. but the tenth point is always in favor of the man who desires your property aid handles a sword as well as or perhaps better than you do." “Swords! Have you no firearms in this country?” “There may be a stray revolver or two brought in by some of the foreigners, but they’re not much use without ammunition, and that’s not to be had in Drussenland.”

At a turn of the road I saw again the snow clad peak which I had seen so often yesterday, looking far grander now than it did from the mountains. It rose almost abruptly from the low hills. I mentioned to my companion how I had been struck with it yesterday. “It is called Khrym, which means the white knight, and it is supposed to rule the-destinies of the Drussenlanders,” he said. “They worship it?” “Not exactly, but it Is a symbol of everything that is good and great. The

religion is as curious a jumble as the language. I wonder how far our advance guard is ahead? I thought we should have overtaken them by this time.” “Do you expect to be attacked?” I asked. "No, but we don’t want to be too far apart. We are in the rebels’ part of the country." He was evidently anxious, and we went on for a long time in silence. The road began to ascend again, and presently we got another and a wider view of the lower country. Far across the open plain I saw the dim outline of a c tv. at one side of which was a ti?.i:u.'c rock. “Yp '.dor is the capital.” said O’Ryan. ' d the rock?” ‘ 1 -« gr- t stronghold of the city—- ; of the country—the fortress of . »■ -, a plain abruptly, its • ’ too jagged as though ligbtp! • d i-nt-rv sport with it. • • ’ ■are bi shape, but I could r > v height from this dis7-- i! V. ' - i- ;» tn : gh?y stronghold,” said • ■: t use. “and I trust In. never find myself shut on the t • of its walls.” “WT-V?” “It has a •••><l name for those who displease the king. Those who are carried to its gates seldom return. It is the time of the middle ages here. Verrail. and they were barbarous times, you know. Death has a hundred ghastly realities in the fortress of Yadasara.’’ There was little swagger about this adventurer as he spoke. Fearless as he was about most things, the fortress had inspired him with awe. He shook up his horse, and we went on at a 1 rapid trot, the men behind keeping I close tons. Soon afterward we entered a wood. O'Ryan reined in his horse, and we proceeded slowly and silently. “I wonder where those fellows are.” he said. -J '

We were approaching /he outskirts of the wood, and he had hardly spoken when there was a sharp clatter of horses’ hoofs coming rapidly toward us, and a moment later our advance guard appeared. A strong company of the enemy was before qs, not by chance, but apparently awaiting our advent. “Were you seen?” asked O’Ryan. The men did not think so. There were only seven of us, and I was unarmed. It would be madness to go on. and O'Ryan evidently thought so, for after a moment’s thought he turned his horse from the road into the wood. “We must get away if we can.” be said. is a chance of reaching the open country this way. Look out for the holes,” he added, turning to me. “I am sorry we haven’t a sparq sword. You must take your chance.” (To be continued.)

PRINCESS DARIA.