en he was threatened with a bullet, he revealed all, and, alas! we
cannot doubt the truth of his statements. You may remember a few lines
on a slip of paper which read that one had better in an extreme case
follow the heroic example of the commanding general before R----."

"Yes, I didn't understand that, for the fort will have to surrender
soon. General von Falkenried said he hoped to take it to-morrow."

"Yes, and I fear he will do it!" answered the General, excitedly.

"You fear, your excellency?"

"Yes, there's been treachery, there's been foul villainy at work! They
will surrender the fort, and then as soon as their garrison have been
taken off as prisoners of war, and our men occupy the citadel, it will
be blown up."

"God help us!" cried the young prince, excitedly. "Cannot General
Falkenried be warned?"

"I fear we cannot possibly do it. I have already sent warnings by two
different ways, but our direct course to R---- is cut off. The enemy
holds the mountain pass, and it is quite impossible for the messengers
to reach the place in time."

Egon was silent for a moment.

The pass was obstructed by the enemy. He knew that Eschenhagen's
regiment was going forward to open it, but that would not be done for a
day or two.

"We have thought of everything," continued the general, "but there isn't
the faintest hope of doing anything. Falkenried will force them to
close, he never turns back, and then he and hundreds, yes, thousands, of
his men, will perish."

He began his walk again, too excited to keep still. But the young prince
stood by helpless; then a sudden bright thought entered his mind.

"Your excellency?"

"Well?"

"If it were possible in spite of everything, to send the despatches by
the mountain path--a good rider could get to R---- by to-morrow
morning; to be sure he'd have to ride for life or death--dash right
through the enemy."

"What folly! You are a soldier and should know that such a course would
be madness. The boldest rider would be shot down before he had been gone
an hour."

"But if one could find the man who would make the attempt? I know a man
who would do it."

The general scowled at the young man.

"Do you mean that you would venture upon this useless exposure? I forbid
it, once for all, Prince Adelsberg. I pride myself upon my officers'
bravery, but I cannot permit any such senseless experiments."

"I do not mean myself, your excellency," said Egon, earnestly. "The man