Read Online The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope - Free Book Online Page B

hour’s something. Above all, we must have a King in Strelsau, or the city will be Michael’s in four-and-twenty hours, and what would the King’s life be worth then—or his throne? Lad, you must do it!”
    â€œSuppose they kill the King?”
    â€œThey’ll kill him, if you don’t.”
    â€œSapt, suppose they have killed the King?”
    â€œThen, by heaven, you’re as good an Elphberg as Black Michael, and you shall reign in Ruritania! But I don’t believe they have; nor will they kill him if you’re on the throne. Will they kill him, to put you in?”
    It was a wild plan—wilder even and more hopeless than the trick we had already carried through; but as I listened to Sapt I saw the strong points in our game. And then I was a young man and I loved action, and I was offered such a hand in such a game as perhaps never man played yet.
    â€œI shall be found out,” I said.
    â€œPerhaps,” said Sapt. “Come! to Strelsau! We shall be caught like rats in a trap if we stay here.”
    â€œSapt,” I cried, “I’ll try it!”
    â€œWell played!” said he. “I hope they’ve left us the horses. I’ll go and see.”
    â€œWe must bury that poor fellow,” said I.
    â€œNo time,” said Sapt.
    â€œI’ll do it.”
    â€œHang you!” he grinned. “I make you a King, and—Well, do it. Go and fetch him, while I look to the horses. He can’t lie very deep, but I doubt if he’ll care about that. Poor little Josef! He was an honest bit of a man.”
    He went out, and I went to the cellar. I raised poor Josef in my arms and bore him into the passage and thence towards the door of the house. Just inside I laid him down, remembering that I must find spades for our task. At this instant Sapt came up.
    â€œThe horses are all right; there’s the own brother to the one that brought you here. But you may save yourself that job.”
    â€œI’ll not go before he’s buried.”
    â€œYes, you will.”
    â€œNot I, Colonel Sapt; not for all Ruritania.”
    â€œYou fool!” said he. “Come here.”
    He drew me to the door. The moon was sinking, but about three hundred yards away, coming along the road from Zenda, I made out a party of men. There were seven or eight of them; four were on horseback and the rest were walking, and I saw that they carried long implements, which I guessed to be spades and mattocks, on their shoulders.
    â€œThey’ll save you the trouble,” said Sapt. “Come along.”
    He was right. The approaching party must, beyond doubt, be Duke Michael’s men, come to remove the traces of their evil work. I hesitated no longer, but an irresistible desire seized me.
    Pointing to the corpse of poor little Josef, I said to Sapt:
    â€œColonel, we ought to strike a blow for him!”
    â€œYou’d like to give him some company, eh! But it’s too risky work, your Majesty.”
    â€œI must have a slap at ’ em,” said I.
    Sapt wavered.
    â€œWell,” said he, “it’s not business, you know; but you’ve been good boy—and if we come to grief, why, hang me, it’ll save us lot of thinking! I’ll show you how to touch them.”
    He cautiously closed the open chink of the door.
    Then we retreated through the house and made our way to the back entrance. Here our horses were standing. A carriage-drive swept all round the lodge.
    â€œRevolver ready?” asked Sapt.
    â€œNo; steel for me,” said I.
    â€œGad, you’re thirsty tonight,” chuckled Sapt. “So be it.”
    We mounted, drawing our swords, and waited silently for a minute or two. Then we heard the tramp of men on the drive the other side of the house. They came to a stand, and one cried:
    â€œNow then, fetch him out!”
    â€œNow!” whispered Sapt.
    Driving the spurs into our horses, we rushed at a gallop round