ly at the wall before them.

Suddenly the train shot out into the open, farm-spattered valley.
Truxton fell back dumbfounded.

"The country!" he exclaimed. "We've been carried away. I--I can't
believe my senses. Could we have slept--what a fool, what an idiot! God
in heaven! The Prince! He is lost!" He was beside himself with anguish
and despair, raging like a madman, cursing himself for a fool, a dog, a
murderer!

Little less distressed than her companion, Loraine Tullis still had the
good sense to keep him from leaping from the car. He had shouted to her
that he must get back to the city; she could go on to the next town and
find a hiding place. He would come to her as soon as he had given the
alarm.

"You would be killed," she cried, clutching his arm fiercely. "You never
can jump, Truxton. See how we are running. If you jump, I shall follow.
I won't go on alone. I am as much to blame as you."

The big, strong fellow broke down and cried, utterly disheartened.

"Don't cry, Truxton, please don't cry!" she pleaded. "Something will
happen. We must stop sometime. Then we can get another train back, or
telegraph, or hire a wagon. It must be very early. The sun is scarcely
up. Do be brave! Don't give up!"

He squared his shoulders. "You put me to shame!" he cried abjectly.
"I'm--I'm unnerved, that's all. It was too much of a blow. After we'd
got away from those scoundrels so neatly, too. Oh, it's maddening! I'll
be all right in a minute. You plucky, plucky darling!"

The train whirled through a small hamlet without even slackening its
speed. Truxton endeavoured to shout a warning to two men who stood by
the gates; but they merely laughed, not comprehending. Then he undertook
to arrest the attention of the engineer. He leaned from the door and
shouted. The effort was futile, almost disastrous. A lurch came near to
hurling him to the rocky road bed. Now and then they passed farmers on
the high road far above, bound for the city. They called out to them,
but the cries were in vain. With every minute they were running farther
and farther away from the city of Edelweiss; every mile was adding to
the certainty of the doom which hung over the little Prince and his
people.

A second small station flew by. "Ronn: seven kilometers to Edelweiss."
He looked at her in despair.

"We're going faster and faster," he grated. "This is the fastest train
in the world, Loraine, bar none."

Just then his gaze alighted on the pathe