It was evident then to him that she was betraying him, and without
further loss of time he turned his back toward the hangings and
commenced a rapid examination of his hiding place. In the alcove
the man and the girl whispered, and then cautiously and with great
stealth, the man rose and drew his curved saber. On tiptoe he
approached the hangings, the girl creeping at his side. Neither
spoke now, nor was there any sound in the room as the girl sprang
forward and with outstretched arm and pointing finger indicated
a point upon the curtain at the height of a man's breast. Then
she stepped to one side, and her companion, raising his blade to
a horizontal position, lunged suddenly forward and with the full
weight of his body and his right arm, drove the sharp point through
the hangings and into the niche behind for its full length.
Bertha Kircher, finding her struggles futile and realizing that she
must conserve her strength for some chance opportunity of escape,
desisted from her efforts to break from the grasp of Prince Metak
as the fellow fled with her through the dimly lighted corridors
of the palace. Through many chambers the prince fled, bearing his
prize. It was evident to the girl that, though her captor was the
king's son, he was not above capture and punishment for his deeds,
as otherwise he would not have shown such evident anxiety to escape
with her, as well as from the results of his act.
Pages:
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394