Sweden and was on
the point of being crowned king.

Joachim Brahe and his wife were at that time preparing to attend
Christian's coronation at Stockholm, and were deeply disturbed by what
seemed to them the mad purpose of the young patriot. Joachim offered to
do his utmost to reconcile Gustavus to the king, and Margaret threw
herself in tears and distress on his neck, beseeching him to desist from
an undertaking which she felt sure would bring death to him and ruin to
his whole family.

But Gustavus was not to be persuaded, and on the other hand he warned
Joachim against trusting himself in Christian's hands, speaking of him as
a base wretch whom no one could trust. Joachim proved equally hard to
move, and the three soon parted, Joachim and his wife for
Stockholm--where death awaited him at the hands of the traitor king--and
Gustavus for a place of concealment where he could foment his plans.
During this interval he met the old archbishop, Jacob Ulfsson, who
earnestly advised him to go to Stockholm and warmly promised to plead his
cause with the king. But the fugitive knew Christian far better than the
aged churchman and had no idea of putting his head within the wolfs jaws.
Little did the good archbishop dream of the terrible tragedy that was
even then taking place in Stockholm.

The news of it came to Gustavus in this way. One day while out hunting in
the vicinity of his hiding-place, he unexpectedly met the faithful old
steward of his brother-in-law Joachim, who was so choked with grief on
seeing him that he found it impossible to speak and could answer the
young lord's question only with tears and gestures. Finally he succeeded
in telling the fearful tale of that bloody day at Stockholm, the death
under the executioner's sword of the father and brother-in-law of the
horror-stricken listener, the imprisonment of his mother and sisters, and
the fact that he would soon become a hunted fugitive, a high price having
been set upon his head.

Who can describe the bitter grief of the son and brother at these
terrible tidings, the hot wrath of the patriot, the indignation of a true
and honest heart! On that fatal day the young fugitive had lost all he
loved and cherished and was made a hunted, homeless, and almost penniless
outlaw. But his courage did not fail him, he could foresee the
indignation of the people at the dastardly act, and he determined to
venture liberty and life against the ruthless tyrant.

A series o