Page:The Prisoner of Zenda.djvu/62

48 leave us you and I will mount our horses—Fritz must stay here and guard the king's room—and ride here at a gallop. The king will be ready—Josef will tell him—and he must ride back with me to Strelsau, and you ride as if the devil were behind you to the frontier."

I took it all in in a second, and nodded my head.

"There's a chance," said Fritz, with his first sign of hopefulness.

"If I escape detection," said I.

"If we're detected," said Sapt, "I'll send Black Michael down below before I go myself, so help me Heaven! Sit in that chair, man."

I obeyed him.

He darted from the room, calling, "Josef! Josef!" In three minutes he was back, and Josef with him. The latter carried a jug of hot water, soap, and razors. He was trembling as Sapt told him how the land lay, and bade him shave me.

Suddenly Fritz smote on his thigh:

"But the guard! They'll know! they'll know!"