A Modern Knight-Errant

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 34, 12 March 1930, Page 11

A Modern Knight-Errant

By ROLAND PERTWEE

COPVaiGH'E, PUBLISHUP BV SPEGXAU AEMNQIiMi^T ,

Author of **Ont to Win," "EiveiB to Croaa," "The Eaglo and the Wren," oto., eto. A Powerful Story of Revolution and Romance

CHAPTER XXX.— (Continued.) 1VTY DEAREST, MY LQVE, my ' eyerything," he said. "I want yqu to kuo\y i uuderstand your mind. 1 want you to think only of yourself in tliis. Take whicliever road seems right to you. 1 want you beyond everything in the" world, but more 1 want you to be kappy. My life is only of use to make you eo. If one half of your heart is to break that tbe otlier half shaJl'be niine, tlien take whatgver road. seems right to you. Listen. For seven years I've longed and ached for the you I'm holding in my arms. But there's another you, Bettany, a beacon that burns like a flame. ifivery day I've seen .that beacon burmng brighter. Those poor oorpses wlio lay heSpre your house while we stoocl upon the roof died in the light of it. Those boys in the stable theie, the prisoners of Plevi, and the brave men wlio are facing death in the marshes of Plesna, your beacon burns for thern. Bearest, there is an idea so much greater than can he expressed or shared by one woman and one man. Sometimes one sees that great idea in its simple immensity. i have, to-night, and though to put tho question is a torture, I have ridden baek to this place, where the roads divide to ask what right I have to make you kappy?" * * * T5ETTANY TOOK HIS FACE in her hands and kissed him: "I feel I have never loved you untij now. The greatness of that makes me afraid. But you are right, Nikko. We are only two people who love one another and in a nation's eyes that's a sruall thing. But we know, and we can thank God for liis gift." She di'ew hensplf up: ''Will you pleaee say to my gentlemen, the Queen rides to Plesna.'~ By the crazy doors of the deserted farm, four awed and silent men knelt in the grass at the feet of their uncrowned Queen, and kissed her hand and fcwore allegiance. And Raoul Fesfubert gave her his handkerchief, for her own was lost and she wag crying. CHAPTER XXXI. mo PIERRE KRESSIN, who knew the mysteries of the marsh, had been given the honour to ride forward and convey to the royalists at Plesna the news of the murder of Prince Oarelon and the coming of the Queen. It was full dawn. when under the ageis of a guide, after two hours of tortuous windings through rush and reed and over great wastes of suncracked mud, the little party came to the river ford. With the coming of Pierre Kressin bugles had . sounded the general muster, and in answer men rudely startled from sleep raced from caves in the mountain side from little huts of wattle, and from the tiny village which was headquarters for the force. The royalists were-eemmanded by a tall and spare man, Puke Ellarand of Svorzo, who, in the days of the King ! had been famous for ihe wisdom of his councils, and whose love of country was pecond to none. The Puke had commanded the Scirien axmy during the war. It was to him that Pierre. Kressin, with characteristic sjmplicity, delivered his message. ""ORINCE CARELON was murdered at Plevi and the Queen is crossing tlie marsh." / Tlien the Puke of Svorzo took Pierre to his breast and. kissed him on both cheeks, and hreathed a prayer, and gave orders that the bugles shguld be sounded. Then that fantastie eompany, men clressed in rags and skins and wearing leggings made of bark assenbled and marched to do honour to their Queen. And for all their motley they marched with heads back, ehgulders square, arms gwiuging, and ■ thirty, three inches to the stride. They car, ried no other weapons but swords, hut these to their eyes were brigkt, It was a strange encounter. " At first they did not recognise their Queen in the figure of a boy with the blackand crimson sash of ihe revolution about her waist. The Puke gave the order to bait, Then Natalie detaclied herself from her escort and rode forward, alone, she pulled off the hlack calpae and tossed it aside, the early sun turned her hair into ripples of dark flame. «jc A NP THERE WENT UP so great a cheer that three miles away water fowl rose in wliispg from tlie mai-sh. And then confusion, men breaking ran_ks,and sijrging in masses about the girl who sat so still astride her horse. "Natalie, Natalie, Natalie." The wcods rang with the name. Nikkq Cheyne drew apart and watclired. Love, emotion enthusiasm *and over_ all the face of a girl, the Queen, shining like a white fire. Old men wringing eacli other's hands and crying, unashamed of teara, young men beating each other with shut flsts, to give expression to their esctasv by pain. At the head of the subjects, with the Puke at lier stirrup, the Queen rode into Plesna. A young man wearing over hjp rags an armlet, to betoken tho rank of a junior officer, came up to Nikko and

saluted casually, "Y"ou gentlemen will follow after the companies have pass'ed," said he. "Latejr you will be advised in regard to rations and accommodation." "Thank you," said Nikko, and laughed. npHE YOUNG OFFICER glve a look JL of pity. No douht this night's work hag imposed on you a great strain, but — " Raoul looked swiftly from Nikko's drawn faco to that of the supercilious youngster. "Go to the devil," said he. Towards the jniddle of the afternoon an orderly presented himself at the miserable cottage where Nikko and his companions were hilleted, with instructions that he should report at once at headquarters. The Puke of Svorzo and his senior officers were seated at a long table. in Avhat once had been the village schoolroom. At Nikko's entrance, he rose, bowed formally and ehook hands. "I fear, Lox-d Cheyne" said he, "that in the emotion inspired by the coming of the Queen, our gratitude 1 to9 those who brought about her eseupe has been poorly expressed. To you in particular our thanks are due, not only in risking your life for a country that is not your own, but because your generosity may well pr'ove the salvation of Sciriel." "I do not understand^-my generosity — " "fTlHROUGH THE HOTJSE of _ Friends a letter from you was delivered into the hands, authorising a message to be sent over the frontier to a Mr Joris Howard." "Monsieur le Puc, I have more money than I know what to do with. I was told that the conditions here were severe — but that with money it was possible supplies from JugoSlavia might he smuggled over the mountains." "We had no money, Lord Cheyne, for the revolution which equld not ro'b us of our spirit guccessfully robbed us of our purse. But thanks to your faith in us, and with the help of God, the day is not very distant when we shall rgeover gur own." "What can my gift — "It was something mere than that. Nor can we rega^d it as a gfit. Many. thousands of pounds have been. spent in your name, in return for which, when the moment comes, stock to that value will be ispued to you in the Sciriel Restaration Fund," Nikko hesitated to l'eply. "In your letter, Lord Cheyne, you did not specjfy the manner of the relief to which this gmn was to be devo'ted." "Yqu werq short of food," gaid Nikko, "and " ^ ♦ "mRUE," SAIP THE PUKE, with eyes ablaze, "but greater than our hungqr for food was -the hunger for, juistice-rJpr honoflr^and , for free^ in'g our country. from a vile and kar-' barous oppressitin. Lord Cheyne, -.during the last week, with courage that should inspire an epic, rifles, macliinq guns and ammuuition liave been borne on men's shoulders across the snows and crags of these mountains." "But Monsieur le Puc?" f!Men have djed yp there gladly that the power may ba given us to win baclc our own. Already we have an arsenal of two hundred rifles, ten machine guns? and a hundred cases ot aramunition, 'and to qrown that achievement our beloved Queen is here "to lead us on the march tq vietory." Nikko Cheyne rose slowly, "Monsieur le Puc, you eannot be serimis when you speak of carrying w*5r into the enemy's country?" _ • "Something mere than serious," said he. "The astonishment you have shown will be sinai! to the astonish-' ment of Foscani when we enter Pjevo." ' (To be Cqntinued,)