"The story! The story of his capture! Tell us the story," came eagerly
from those assembled. Ravone leaned back languidly, his face tired and
drawn once more, as if the mere recalling of the hardships past was hard
to bear.
"First, your highness, may I advise you and your cabinet to send another
ultimatum to the people of Dawsbergen?" he asked. "This time say to them
that you hold two Dawsbergen princes in your hand. One cannot and will
not be restored to them. The other will be released on demand. Let the
embassy be directed to meet the Duke of Matz, the premier. He is now
with the army, not far from your frontier. May it please your highness,
I have myself taken the liberty of despatching three trusted followers
with the news of Gabriel's capture. The two Bappos and Carl Vandos are
now speeding to the frontier. Your embassy will find the Duke of Matz in
possession of all the facts."
"The Duke of Matz, I am reliably informed, some day is to be
father-in-law to Dawsbergen," smilingly said Yetive. "I shall not wonder
if he responds most favorably to an ultimatum."
Ravone and Candace exchanged glances of amusement, the latter breaking
into a deplorable little gurgle of laughter.
"I beg to inform you that the duke's daughter has disdained the offer
from the crown," said Ravone. "She has married Lieutenant Alsanol, of
the royal artillery, and is as happy as a butterfly. Captain Baldos
could have told you how the wayward young woman defied her father and
laughed at the beggar prince."
"Captain Baldos is an exceedingly discreet person," Beverly
volunteered. "He has told no tales out of school."
"I am reminded of the fact that you gave your purse into my keeping one
memorable day--the day when we parted from our best of friends at
Ganlook's gates. I thought you were a princess, and you did not know
that I understood English. That was a sore hour for us. Baldos was our
life, the heart of our enterprise. Gabriel hates him as he hates his own
brother. Steadfastly has Baldos refused to join us in the plot to seize
Prince Gabriel. He once took an oath to kill him on sight, and I was so
opposed to this that he had to be left out of the final adventures."
"Please tell us how you succeeded in capturing that--your half-brother,"
cried Beverly, forgetting that it was another's place to make the
request. The audience drew near, eagerly attentive.
"At another time I shall rejoice in telling the story in detail. For the
present let me ask you to be satisfied with the statement that we
tricked him by means of letters into the insane hope that he could
capture and slay his half-brother. Captain Baldos suggested the
plan. Had he been arrested yesterday, I feel that it would have
failed. Gabriel was and is insane. We led him a chase through the
Graustark hills until the time was ripe for the final act. His small
band of followers fled at our sudden attack, and he was taken almost
without a struggle, not ten miles from the city of Edelweiss. In his mad
ravings we learned that his chief desire was to kill his brother and
sister and after that to carry out the plan that has long been in his
mind. He was coming to Edelweiss for the sole purpose of entering the
castle by the underground passage, with murder in his heart. Gabriel was
coming to kill the Princess Yetive and Mr. Lorry. He has never forgotten
the love he bore for the princess, nor the hatred he owes his rival. It
was the duty of Captain Baldos to see that he did not enter the passage
in the event that he eluded us in the hills."