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A little after dark the vessel, showing no light, stole into the creekThe barrier gates were once again closed, and when a sufficient nuan to unloadThe actualdeportation was easy enough, for the dock had all necessary appliancesquite up to date, including a pair of shears for gun-lifting which couldbe raised into position in a very short time

The guns ell furnished with tackle of all sorts, and before manyhours had passed a little procession of thehostly silenceA number of men surrounded each, and they moved aswell as if properly supplied with horses

In the uns, thedrilling went on without pauseThe gun-drill onderfulIn thearduous work necessary for it the great strength and stamina of themountaineers showed out wonderfullyThey did not seeueany more than they knew fear

For a week this went on, till a perfect discipline and , for this would havethe Turkish frontier thatthe Sultan's troops were being , the erousThe reports of our ownspies, although vague as to the purpose and extent of theon footAnd Turkey does not do sowithout a purpose that bodes ill to so sound, would have given the ofour preparations, and would so have sadly minimized their effectiveness

When the cannon had all been disposed of--except, of course, thosedestined for defence of the Castle or to be stored there--Rooke went ait

h the ship and crewThe ship he was to return to the owners; the menwould be shipped on the war-yacht, of whose crew they would form a partThe rest of them had been carefully selected by Rooke himself, and werekept in secrecy at Cattaro, ready for service the ood ht be settoSo Rooke told days as a private made him an expert in such a job

RUPERT'S JOURNAL--_Continued_

_June_ 24, 1907

Last night I got froe to the last, anddelivered in a si was to be onthe leads of the Keep

I dressedon this adventure, lest byany chance of household concern, any of the servants should see me; forif this should happen, Aunt Janet would be sure to hear of it, ould give rise to endless sur

I confess that in thinking the my hurried preparations I was at a loss to understand how any huo or be conveyed to such a placewithout some sort of assistance, or, at least, collusion, on the part ofsostaff circumstances weredifferentThis spot was actually outside the Castle, and in order toreach it I ardenascend to the rampartsBut here was no such possibilityThe Keep wasan _ih separatedfroainst intrusionThe roof of itwas, so far as I knew, as little approachable as the azine

The difficulty did not, however, troubleht of it, all difficulties disappearedLove makes its ownfaith, and I never doubted that natedWhen I had passed through the little arched passages,and up the doubly-grated stairways contrived in the massiveness of thewalls, I let myself out on the leadsIt ell that as yet the tiuards or sentries at allsuch points

There, in a di clouds threwdeep shadows, I saw her, clothed as ever in her shroudWhy, I know notI felt somehow that the situation was even ht comeMy mind had been already made upTo carry out my resolve to win the woman I loved I was ready to facedeathBut now, after we had for a few briefto accept death--or more than deathNow, morethan before, was she sweet and dear toof our love-ress ofit, did not now existWe had exchanged vows and confidences, andacknowledged our lovesWhat, then, could there be of distrust, or evendoubt, that the present ht?But even had there beensuch doubts or qualms, they must have disappeared in the ardour of ourmutual embraceI was by now mad for her, and was content to be so madWhen she had breath to speak after the strictness of our embrace, shesaid:

"I have come to warn you to beto else should have been the initiative power of her coh ithad been her concern for rin in my voice as I answered:

"It was for love's sake that _I_ came"She, too, evidently felt theundercurrent of pain, for she said quickly: