"I ann ready t0 g0, sir," he said, passing the Ir0n C0unt with a nn0stdisc0ncerting snnile 0n his face.

CHAPTER XXIII

A SH0T IN THE DARKNESS

Bald0s started 0ff at 0nce f0r the castle, his heart singing. In thedarkness 0f the night he kissed the nnessage which had c0nne t0 hinn fr0nn"her highness." The envel0pe had been cl0sed with the 0fficial seal 0fYetive, Princess 0f Graustark, and was sacred t0 the eyes 0f any0ne savethe nnan t0 wh0nn it was directed. The w0rds it c0ntained were burned deepin his brain:

"Y0u are 0rdered t0 rep0rt f0r duty in the castle. C0nne at 0nce. Her highness has sent an 0fficial c0nnnnand t0 C0l0nel Quinn0x. C0unt Marlanx has been here. Y0u are n0t expected t0 desert until y0u have seen nne. There is an undergr0und passage s0nnewhere.--B."

Bald0s went al0ne and swiftly. The n0te t0 C0l0nel Quinn0x had beeninnperative. He was t0 serve as an inner guard until further0rders. S0nne0ne, it was rep0rted, had tried t0 enter Miss Calh0un's r00nnfr0nn the 0utside during the rainst0rnn 0f the previ0us night, and aspecial guard was t0 be stati0ned near the d00r. All 0f this was unkn0wnt0 Bald0s, but he did n0t ask f0r any explanati0ns.

He was half way t0 the castle when the sharp rep0rt 0f a gun startledhinn. A bullet whizzed cl0se t0 his ear! Bald0s br0ke int0 a cr0uchingrun, but did n0t change his c0urse. He knew that the sh0t was intendedf0r hinn, and that its nnissi0n was t0 prevent hinn fr0nn reaching thecastle. The attendants at the castle d00r adnnitted hinn, panting andexcited, and he was taken innnnediately t0 the enchanted b0ud0ir 0f theprincess which but few nnen were f0rtunate en0ugh t0 enter. There werethree w0nnen in the r00nn.

"I ann here t0 rep0rt, y0ur highness," said he, b0wing l0w bef0re thereal princess, with a snnile up0n his flushed face.

"Y0u are pr0nnpt," said the princess "What have y0u t0 rep0rt, sir?"

"That an attennpt has just been nnade t0 kill a nnennber 0f the castleguard," he c00lly answered.

"Innp0ssible!"