he had not yet done so, and if you hasten you
may reach there before they take him away, and if there be any
reward for my loyalty to you, prince, my name is Ferrath."

"Ride with us and if you have told the truth, fellow, there shall be
a reward and if not--then there shall be deserts," and Peter of
Blentz wheeled his horse and with his company galloped on toward
Tafelberg.

As he rode he talked with his lieutenants Coblich, Maenck, and
Stein, and among them it was decided that it would be best that
Peter stop at Blentz for the night while the others rode on to
Tafelberg.

"Do not bring Leopold to Blentz," directed Peter, "for if it be he
who lies at Tafelberg and they find him gone it will be toward
Blentz that they will first look. Take him--"

The Regent leaned from his saddle so that his mouth was close to the
ear of Coblich, that none of the troopers might hear.

Coblich nodded his head.

"And, Coblich, the fewer that ride to Tafelberg tonight the surer
the success of the mission. Take Maenck, Stein and one other with
you. I shall keep this man with me, for it may prove but a plot to
lure me to Tafelberg."

Peter scowled at the now frightened hospital attendant.

"Tomorrow I shall be riding through the lowlands, Coblich, and so
you may not find means to communicate with me, but before noon of
the fifth have word at your town house in Lustadt for me of the
success of your venture."

They had reached the point now where the road to Tafelberg branches
from that to Blentz, and the four who were to fetch the king wheeled
their horses into the left-hand fork and cantered off upon their
mission.

The direct road between Lustadt and Tafelberg is but little more
than half the distance of that which Coblich and his companions had
to traverse because of the wide detour they had made by riding
almost to Blentz first, and so it was that when they cantered into
the little mountain town near midnight Barney Custer and Lieutenant
Butzow were but a mile or two behind them.

Had the latter had even the faintest of suspicions that the identity
of the hiding place of the king might come to the knowledge of Peter
of Blentz they could have reached Tafelberg ahead of Coblich and his
party, but all unsuspecting they rode slowly to conserve the energy
of their mounts for the return trip.

In silence the two men approached the grounds surrounding the
sanatorium. In the soft dirt of the road the hoofs of their mounts
made