The Argosy, April 1912 — page 126: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

112 THE ARGOSY. They had just completed this operation and had started forward when the keen eyes of Fardulf detected something moving in the brush behind them. Immediately he ran ta the spot, but found nothing. Yet it was with a feeling of uncertainty that they again took up their march. An hour later Philip once more remarked the same phenomenon, and rushing to in- vestigate, saw a man in the dress of a Frankish soldier disappearing into the forest depths. Could it be that here was a spy of Charle- magne? Some one that had seen him change from Philip of Brittany into Friar Dominic, and would now hurry to the king with the information? The comrades, ill at ease, hurried on toward Regensburg, resolutely decided not to turn back, but yet fearful of the reception that might await them. Finally, at three in the afternoon, when they were only five miles from the city, they sat down to rest and wait for an hour be- fore continuing, as they wished to enter Regensburg under cover of darkness. They had scarcely done so when Fardulf again noticed the man in Frankish uniform, this time very near them. “T will find out who he is,” declared the monk resolutely, “but first you must obey me in one matter.”’ “What is that?” asked Philip. Fardulf, from somewhere about him, pro- duced a black woolen hood with two holes cut in it-for the eyes to look through. “This you must wear whenever any one else is about. Also you must bend your figure and limp, for there are many in Regensburg who would know you by your stature alone. You must talk with a dif- ferent voice, and if any one asks why you have assumed the hood, you must tell them that it is the service of a penance. Quick! Put it on now. I want to talk with that Frank who has been lurking about all day.” Philip quickly drew the woolen bag over his head while Fardulf stood up and stretched out his hands to the mysterious visitor. “Frater, pax vobiscum,” he said, greet- ing him in Latin. The Frank heard the voice and saw the gesture, but appeared to hesitate. Fardulf encouraged him to draw near and asked wh-t he wished that had mduced him to follow them all day. “Can you tell me, holy father,” replied the man, “where I could find my Lord Philip of Brittany. I have searched long—’”’ With a sudden great cry of delight Philip threw off his mask and leaped to his feet. Then he sprang forward toward the soldier. “Johann! Johann!” he shouted, over- come with joy, and seized the Breton in his arm, Quicker than Fardulf, he had recognized the familiarity of the voice and features, although Johann was still many paces away. “Oh, my Lord Philip!” cried the faith- ful lieutenant, tears of joy streaming down his face, and for a moment he could say no more, but knelt before his master. “Johann! And alive!” shouted Philip, scarcely able to credit his senses. “Tell me how you came here and in this hated uni- form.”’ “In the fight at the monastery, when the battering-rams of the Franks broke in the gates on both sides,” replied Johann, “we were desperately assailed and had a ter- rific hand-to-hand encounter. But the numbers of the enemy were too much for us and, at last, all but two or three fell. J, with two others, backed into a corner and continued the battle. But presently a battle- ax crashed down upon my helmet, knocking me senseless to the floor. ‘“At the same time (I did not learn this until later), a spear-thrust entered my side and I bled profusely. The Franks, think- ing 1 was dead, passed on. It was night when I regained consciousness, and, though weak, I was able to move about. I stanched the flow of blood from my side and crawled about. Dead bodies were everywhere; the Franks had not even buried their own dead, but were eating and drink- ing up-stairs in the monastery. Charle- magne, I learned later, had already depart- ed for Regensburg, beside himself with rage that you had escaped him. Once the place had fallen, he returned to more press- ing affairs. “To make a long story short, I found a dead Frank, stripped off his uniform and put it on instead of my own. Then I crawled out and made my way toward the camp, where, passing as a soldier, I made friends with a lonely and disgruntled guard and secured food and the story that you had escaped. When I knew that I set forth to find you, and in doing so chanced upon the most remarkable part of my adventures. “Yesterday I had passed through an open glade and was just about to plunge into the woods again when a sudden spar- kle, coming from nowhere in particular, CoOnniclooolkks CO