th. This is merely a land of promise to me. You go southward,
to the city of Edelweiss. But not through the gates; oh, no! There are
other ways, as you will find. If you should, by any chance, escape the
jurisdiction of the court I am sending you to, I sincerely trust you may
honour me with another visit here. I come often to the hovel in the
glen. It is the only friendly house I know of in all Graustark. Some day
I may be able to recompense its beauteous mistress. My good friends,
Dangloss, and Halfont, and Braze--and Tullis, whom I know only by
reputation--are, as yet, unaware of my glorious return to Graustark,
else they would honour me with their distinguished presence. Some day I
may invite them to dine with me. I shall enjoy seeing them eat of the
humble pie I can put before them. Good-bye, my brave Sir Galahad; I may
never see you again."

With a courtly bow he turned from the tense-muscled captive and directed
his final instructions to the men. "Take him at once to the city, but be
on your guard. A single false move now means utter ruin for all of us.
Our affairs go so well at present that we cannot afford to offend Dame
Fortune. She smiles on us, my men. Take this fool to the house on the
Monastery road. There you will turn him over to the others. It is for
them to drag the truth from his lips. I'd suggest, dear Mr. King, that
you tell them all you know before they begin the dragging process. It is
a very unpleasant way they have." With a curt nod to the men, he strode
out through the mouth of the cave and was gone. Dusk had settled down
upon mountain and valley; a thin fog swam high in the air above. One of
the men cut the rope that bound Truxton's feet.

"Get up," said the Newport man. "We've got to be movin'. How'd you like
the old man? Smart bug, ain't he? Say, he'll throw the hooks into them
guys down in Edelweiss so hard one of these days that they won't come
out till they rot out."

Still gagged and somewhat dizzy, King was hurried off into the narrow
mountain path, closely surrounded by the five men.

"They tell me your friend, the Cook guy, got plugged down in the Gap
when he tried to duck this afternoon," volunteered the Yankee
unconcernedly.

Hobbs shot? King's eyes suddenly filled with tears, a great wave of pity
and shame rushing to his heart. Poor Hobbs! He had led him into this; to
gratify a vain-glorious whim, he had done the little Englishman to
death.

The silent, cautious march down th