Page 70 (1/1)

"Failure means more to us than to you, Michael," half whispered the hoarse Ostro tooff toward the road that ran west of the castle grounds Michael watched them for a moment and then started swiftly in the direction of the city The watchers had not been able to distinguish the faces of the conspirators, but they could never forget the callish

"What shall we do?" whispered Anguish when the

"God knows!" answered Lorry "This is the ? Did we really see and hear thoseweakly before him

"There's no question about it! It's a case of abduction, and we have it in our power to spoil the whole job By Gad, but this is luck, Gren!" Anguish was quivering with exciteloss or alarm the steward? There's no time to be lost if ant to trap these fellows The chief devil is bound to escape, for we can't get him and the others, too, and they won't peach on hi there for? Damn it, the trap must be set!"

"Wait! Why not do the whole job ourselves?"

"Hohat do you mean?"

"Why should we alarm anybody? We know the plans as well as these scoundrels theht into the castle, capture the the Princess of Graustark with our own hands and right under the noses of her vaunted guardsmen, as Michael says" Lorry was thrilled by the spirit of adventure His hand gripped his friend's arrandest opportunity two huuish theasped Anguish

"It's the easiest thing in the world Besides, if we fail, we have nothing to lose If we succeed, see e've done! Don't hesitate, old man! Come on! Come on! We'll take 'em ourselves, as sure as fate Have you no nerve? What kind of an American are you? This chance won't come in ten lifetimes! Good God, man, are we not equal to those two scoundrels?"

"Two? There are at least ten of theuards are disposed of in advance, two of the Viennese are left with the horses, two are chucked off under the princess' , and one stands at the gate We can slug the ate, the fellows under theare harmless, and that leaves but our two friends and the cook We have every advantage in the world Can't you see?"