nd, loyalty
to her people. Nothing to be done here but to use force or
strategy. Each did his duty, and yet each remained an enemy to
the other.

But hadn't the sentinel mentioned a name? Hadn't he said
something about someone's having been unfaithful to him?
Loveydear--why, she knew Loveydear--the beautiful dragon-fly
who lived at the lakeside among the waterlilies.

Maya quivered with excitement. Here, perhaps, was her salvation.
But she wasn't quite sure how much good her knowledge would be
to her. So she said prudently:

"Who is Loveydear, if I may ask?"

"Never mind, little one. She's not your affair, and she's lost
to me forever. I shall never find her again."

"I know Miss Loveydear." Maya forced herself to put the utmost
indifference into her tone. "She belongs to the family of
dragon-flies and she's the loveliest lady of all."

A tremendous change came over the warrior. He seemed to have
forgotten where he was. He leapt over to Maya's sides as if
blown by a violent gust.

"What! You know Loveydear? Tell me where she is. Tell me, right
away."

"No."

Maya spoke quietly and firmly; she glowed with secret delight.

"I'll bite your head off if you don't tell." The warrior drew
dangerously close.

"It will be bitten off anyhow. Go ahead. I shan't betray the
lovely dragon-fly. She's a close friend of mine.... You want to
imprison her."

The warrior breathed hard. In the gathering dawn Maya could see
that his forehead was pale and his eyes tragic with the inner
struggle he was waging.

"Good God!" he said wildly. "It's time to rouse the soldiers.-- No,
no, little bee, I don't want to harm Loveydear. I love her,
more dearly than my life. Tell me where I shall find her again."

Maya was clever. She purposely hesitated before she said:

"But I love my life."

"If you tell me where Loveydear lives"--Maya could see that
the sentinel spoke with difficulty and was trembling all
over-- "I'll set you free. You can fly wherever you want."

"Will you keep your word?"

"My word of honor as a brigand," said the sentinel proudly.

Maya could scarcely speak. But, if she was to be in time to warn
her people of the attack, every moment counted. Her heart
exulted.

"Very well," she said, "I believe you. Listen, then. Do you know
the ancient linden-trees near the castle? Beyond them lies one
meadow after another, and finally comes a big lake. In a cove at
the south end where the brook empties into the lake