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N:. A: Beverly 0 Secret that something like a threat ae Conipanied the message. Prince Gabriel was in complete con trol at Serros and was disposed to -laugh at the demands of his late cap tors. His half brother, the dethroned Prince Dantan, was still hiding in the fastuesseil of the hills, protected by a small company 'of nobles, and there was no hope that he ever could regain his crown. Gabriel's power over the army was supreme. The general pub licadmired Dantan, but it was helpless in the face of circumstances. "But why should Amphaiin seek to barass Graustark at this time?" de pnanded Beverly Calhoun in perplex Ity and wrath. "I should thIak the trutes would try to help her." "There Is an element of ol)posltilon to the course the government Is tak ing," the officer informed her in his own way, "but it is greatly In the ml nority. The Axphainians have hated Graustark since the last war, and the princess despises this American. It Is an open fact that the Duke of MiSzrox leads the opposition to Princess Volga, and she Is sure to have him beheaded If the chance affords. le is friendly to Graustark and has been against the polley of his princess from the start." "I'd like to hug the Duke of Mlzrox," cried Beverly warmly. The officer did not understand her, but Aunt Fanny was scandalized. "Good Lawd!" she muttered to the boxes and bags. As the coach rolled deeper and deep er into the rock shadowed wilderness Beverly Calhoun felt an undeniable sensation of nve ereeping over her. The brave, liuiptuous girl had plunged gayly Into the project which now led her Into the deadliest of inicerltati'es Nvith but little thought of ite con1se quencees. 'Tle first st oge of the JouIey b.1y coach had 1)e11 good fun. Tihiey ha passetd along pleatsantii roads, tiiougl quaint villages aid among interesling People, a.nd progrcss had beeni rapiitl. The sevom stage hld presented ralbor terrifyiniig IproI(ctS. and the thir th oy promised even greater vicissituts. Looking fi'omii the coaclh windows out 11pon the qjuiet, desolate graitllur of her surroutlinug., poor 11'everly begant to approeiate how ah. Ject ly hlelless10 .1nd ailonie she wI S. Ier companionsll were ugly, vicious lookiig men, aiy one of whoiml vouldi 1nspirec' t error by a look. She -had iitrustetd herself to the Care of these x strage creatures iII the m11o 111111t ol' ilnipir-ed courage, an1d n1ow1 uShe was conlstraiitd to regret her aclIon. True, they had proved worthy pro tectors as5 farO us they hadl~ gone, but the very piossihilit ies that lay in their power were appallinmg, 1now that she had 'th'ae to considler the situaition. The~1 dihicer in charge had -been ree ommiiended as a1 trusltd servant of the czar; ani Amerieani coinul had secured the escort for her' (direct. froml the fronl tier patrol authorities. Men high In power had. voucehed for tile Iutegeity of the detachment, but all thIs wvas for gotten in the mighty .solitude or the mounltains. She was begluning to fear her escort more than she feared the brigands of the hills.* Treachery seemled printed on their backs as they rodle ahead of her. The big officer was ever polite and alert, but she was readly to distrust hiim onl the slightest excuse. These men could not help knowing that she was rich, and it was reasonaible for thenm to sus8 peet that she carried money and jewels ,with her. In her mInd's eye she could picture these traitors rifling her bags and boxes In somie dlark 1pass, and( then there were other horrors that almost petrified her when she illlowed -herself to think of' them. Here anid there the travelers paissed by rude cots where dwelt woodmien andi mnouttieers, und at long Intervals a colltary but p iicturesqule horseman stood. aside an~d gave thiem the road. As the Ccil penel(trated de(eper into the gorge * signs of hmnan1 life and actrity he -came. fewerl. Thme sun1 could not sendi his light into tisu shadlowy tomb of granite. '1'he ruttle of the wheels and * the chitter of the horses' hoofs souinded * like, a conlstanmt crash of thunder ini the * ears of thme tender traveler, a dainty morsel among hawks and wvolves. T ihere was an unimistakable tremor * In her voice when she at- hast found heart to ask tile oticer where they 'vere . to spend the niighmt. It was far past noon, and Aunt' Fnnny had suggested opening the lunch baskets. One of the guides was called back, the leader be Jng as much In the dark as his charge. "There Is no village within twenty . miles," lie said, "and wve must sleep in jihe pass." Beverly's voice faltered. '"Out here npall. this awful'--. Then she caught -- .Andad opn By he l quick R6[ A r SM'CK EON, k tht s Author of Graustark It k tat" e w opyright 1904. bY Dodd v Moed and Con'pas herself quickily. it came to her sudden ly that she ,just not let these men see that she was ap~prehensive. Her voice was a trifle shrill and her eyes glisten ed with a strange new light as she went on, changing her tack completely: "How roinanUc! I've often wanted to do something like this." The officer looked bewildered and said nothing. Aunt Fanny was speech less. Later on, when the lieutenant had gone ahead to confer with the guides about the suspicious actions of a small troop of horsemen they had seen, Bev erly confided to the old negress that she was frightened almost out of her boots, but that she'd die before the men should see a sign of cowardice in a Calhoun. Aunt Fanny was not so proud and Imperious. It was wnh dif ficulty that her high strung young mis tress suppressed the wails that had long been utnder restraint In Aunt Fan ny's huge and turbule4t bosom. "Good Lawd, Miss Bev'ly, dey'll chop us all to pieces an' take ouah jewl'ry an' money an' clo'es an' ev'ything else we .done got about us. Good Lawd, le's tu'n back, Miss Bev'ly. We ain' got no mo' show out heah in dese mountains dan a" "13e still, Aunt Fanny!" commanded Beverly, with a fine show of courage. "You imust be brave. Don't you see we can't turn back? It's just as dan gerous and at hea) sight more so. If we let on we're not one bit afraid they'll resI)ect us, don't you see, and mien never harm woinenl whoni they respect." "T'ntph!" grunted Aunt Fanny, with examggerated irony. "Wllthy niever do!" mnalutalined Bev'erly, VIo WIS nOt at all sure about It. "And they look like real nice inen -- host Iel. evin though they have suii awfil whiskers." "'Ih'y's '.e wvust (rash Ah eveh did e," exilodled Aunt Fanniiiy. "ShI lon't let tleIII leari you," wils- I piered Beverly. it site of, her terror anti perlexity site was voinlteiled to smilie. I. was I all .-So like the 'farce comledies one sies I at the titeater. As 'e officel rotde up his face was 11:1le inl Ihie shadowy light of the after Itoo01, adill ,le was iantily very nerv MIS. "Vhuat is the latest news from the froiilY she inquired cheei'fully. "The men refuse to ride on," lie ex cli lined. speaking rapidly. making it still l01rder for her to understand. 'Our advaice gaad hs met a party of huntt er'a i'romn Axphiaulin. They insist th.at you -'the liie lady ii the coach'-are the Princess Yetive, returning. frtom a se cret visit to St. P'cetrsburg, wthere you went to pleadl for assistance from the czar." Beverly Ctalhoun gasped in astonish ment.- 10 twas too luere(dile to believe. It was actuially luihcrouts. Site laugh ed heairtily. "I low perf'ectly' absurd." "I am well awa~re that you are not the L'riucess Yet ive," lie c'onitinued em phtatically', "but what can 1 (do? The menf won' thetlkune me. They swear' they have been tricked and1( are panic stricken over the situaition. The hunt ers tell them that the Axphtain author ities, fully aware of the hurried flight ot' thte princess through these wilds, are preparinig to lntertcep~t her;. A large detachmuent of soldIers 'Is' already across the Graustark frontler, It is only3 a question of time before the ''red legs' wvill b~e upou01 them. I have assuredl themi that their beautiful char'ge is not the princess, but an Amerlean girl, andl that there is no mnyster'y about the coach and escort. All in vain. The Axiihaln guides al readUy feel that their hteads are on the block, while as for the Cossacks, not even may dire thr'eats of the awful an ger' of the white czar when he finds th1ey have disobeyed his commands "Speak to your muen once more, sir. and promise them big purges of gold when we reach Ganlook. I have no mnoney 0or vauabiiles wvith mie, but there I can obta in plenlty," said Beverly, shr'ewdly thinking it better that they shouldh hlilevIe her to be without funds. Thecav le had1 halted (luring this. colloquy. All the imetn were ahead con versing snilently and excitedly wilth mu'h gesticulationl. 'lThe driver, at stol id creature, seeminaghy indlifferent to all thtat wuas going on, alone remained at his p)ost. 'Tho situation, apparently dangerous, was certalinly most annoy Ing. But if Beverly could have read the mind of that silent tigure on the box she would have felt slightly re lieved, foi' 11e wvas intinitely more anx louts to proceed than even shte, but from far differ'ent reasons, ie wtas a Rums alan convict who hatd escap~ed on the way to SIb~erla. Disguised as a coach m~ian, lie was seeking life and safety ini Graustark .01' any- out; of the way place. inuitterekI little to hhiu Where the Cs b urt .P69imldeQ:- to go. IIe Was going head. HO dated'not go back; he iust t 0 On. At the end of half an hour the officer C Aturned. All hope had gone f m his ICee. "It is .useiesS!" he crL out. The guides refuse to proceed. See! 'hey are going off with their coun'try en! Ve are lost without (lcin. I do ot know what to do. We cannot -et o Gauloolt. I do not know the way. ud the daunger is great. A.h madain, ere they come! The Cossacks tire go nig back." As he spoke the surly mutincers were Iding slowly toward the coach. Every nanl had his pistol on the high pommel kf the saddle. Their faces wore an 7/ - V His only thought wo to get away. igly look. 'As. they passed the offlicer ane of them, pointing nhead OT him ,vith his sword, shouted savagely, 'Balak!" It was conclusive and convincing. rhey were desertgg her. "Oh, oh, oh! The cowards!" sobbed Beverly in rage and despair. "I must ro on! Is it possible that even such nen would leave" Bhe was luterrupted by the voice of he officer, who, rAising his cap to her, onunanded at the same time the driv r to turn his horses and follow the !scort to Balak. "What is that?" demanded Beverly ni alarm. lroin far off came the sound of fire trms. A dozen shots were l(I ,uad everherated down through the gloomy mss alead of the coach. "They a2re tighting somI)Iewlhere inl the aills in front of us," answered the now rightelned olliver. Turlinig quickly, he a1w tile desertiig lior.wiiiemen halt, listen ii minute anditen ii pui 51)11r their horses. l 4ried out sharply to the driver: 'Toie, there! Turn round! Ve have o t une to 10.40 With ia savage grin, the hiterto notionless driver hurled some insult ng reimark at the ollicer, who was al -eady followilig his Inca, iiow4n full light down the road, and, settling himl f iirmly ol tle seat, ta, king a freh '# Hut'4 rip 0i tle re sili, Lie N .1l o 1110) orses. at the sane time lashing them urlously with his whip, and started ie .coach ahead at a fearful pace. 111, ily thought was to get away as far ,s possible from the ltussian olleer. iten delliberately desert the coach and tifoccupants and take to the hills. CHAPTEit IV. IIOROU(IIILY mystilled by the action of the driver and at length terrified by the pace that carried them careening along hi narrow road, Beverly cried out to ilu, her voice shrill with alarm. Aunt [anny was crouching on the floor of tie coach between the seats, groanig and praying. "Stop! Where are you going?" cried Beverly, putting her head recklessly through the Window. If the man heard ier lie gave no evidence of the fact. Hils face was set forward, and he was guiding the horses with a firm, un qulvering hand. The coach rattled and bounded along the dangerous way hewn in the side of the mountiiln. A misstep or a false turn might easily start the clumsy vehicle rolling down the declivity on the right. The convict was taking desperate chances and, with a cool, calculating brain, prepared to leap to the ground in case of acci dent and save himself, without a thought for the victims inside. "Stop! Turn around!" she cried in a frenzy. "We shall be killed. Are you crazy ?" By this time they had struck a de scent in the road and were rushing along at breakneck speed Into oppress lye shadows that bore tile first im prints of night. Realizing at last that her cries were falling upon purposely deaf ears, Beverly Calhoun sank back into the seat, weak and terror stricken. It was plain to her that the horses were not running away, for the man had been lashing them furiously. There was but one conclusion-he was delib erately taking her farther Into the mountain fastnesses, his purpose lnown only to hiniself. A hundred ter rors presented thcuiselves to her as she lay huddled against the side of the coach, her eyes closed tightly. her tell der body tossed furiously about with the sway of the vehiele. There was the fundamental fear that she would Lie dashed to death down the sile of the mflouniltain, but apart irom hl is her quick brain was evolving all sorts of possible endings-none short of abso lute (isaster. Even as she prayed that sonethiing might intervene to check tle mIiad rush and to deliveer her from the horrors of the ilollient the ralcous voice Of the driver was heard calling to his horses, and the pace became slower. The aw fiul rocking and the joIting grew less severe, the elatter resoIved itself into a broken rumble, anmmd tilen, the coeah stopped with a miaity lurch. Dragging herself from' the corner, poor BOeverly ('. lhouin. no loiger a his dainful hieroi-:, gaze(l piteously out into the shadows. expeCin g the muimr derous blade of the driver to ieet ier as she did so. Paulol' hiiad svung from the box of the coach and was peering erc-Mr ~A wn t ilrst into the wopdland 'beio* ano iea upon the rocks to the left. He wore the expresslon of a man trapped and seek Iug means of escape. Suddenly he dart ed behind the-coach, ailgiost brusblug against Beverly's hat as he passed the window. She opened her lips to call hu1m. but even as she did so he took to Ii~s heels and raced back over the road they had traveled so precipitously. Overcome by surprise and dismay, she oily could watch the flight in si hence. Iess than a hundred feet from where the coach was standing 1he turn ed to the right and was lost among tle rocks. Ahead, four horses, covered with sweat, were panting ad heaving as if in great distress after their mad run. Aunt Fanny was still moaning and praying by turns In the bottom of the carriage. Darkness was, settling down upon the pass, and objects a hun. dred yards away were swallowed by the gloom. There was the blowing of the tir. the moaning of the old ly realized with a sh they were alone an( mountains, with night She never knew where tWe strength and courage came from, but she forced open the stubborn coach door and scrambled to the ground, looking fran tically In all directions for a single sign of hope. In the ruost despairing terror she had ever experienced she started toward the lead horses, hoping against hope that at least one of her men had remained faithful. A man stepped quietly from the inner side of the road and advanced with the uncertain tread of one who is overcome 'by amazement. He was a stranger and wore an odd, uncouth garb. The falling light told her that he was not one of her late protectors. Sbe shrank back with a faint cry of alarm, ready to fly to the protecting arms of hopeless Aunt Fanny if her uneertain legs could carry her. At the same Instant another ragged stranger, then two, three, four or flve, appeared as if by magic, some near her, others approaching from the shadows. "Who-who in heaven's name are [TO BE CONTINUED.] The sclence of algebra Is said to have been the invention of Mohamme(d of BuzhUa about 830 A. D. The sclence was Introduced into Spain by the Moors. 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