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were answering the fire of Prince Peter's artillery, while
several machine guns had been placed to sweep the slope
up which the skirmish line was advancing.
The trees that masked the enemy's pieces extended up-
ward along the ridge and the eastern edge of the city. Bar-
ney saw that a force of men might easily reach a command-
ing position from that direction and enter Lustadt almost in
rear of the fortifications. Below him a squadron of the Royal
Horse were just emerging from their stables, taking their
way toward the plain to join in a concerted movement
against the troops that were advancing toward the fort.
He turned to an aide de camp standing just behind him.
"Intercept that squadron and direct the major to move
due east along the King's Road to the grove," he commanded.
"We will join him there."
And as the officer spurred down the steep and narrow
street the American, followed by Von der Tann and his
staff, wheeled and galloped eastward.
Ten minutes later the party entered the wood at the edge
of town, where the squadron soon joined them. Von der
Tann was mystified at the purpose of this change in the
position of the general staff, since from the wood they could
see nothing of the battle waging upon the slope. During his
brief intercourse with the man he thought king he had quite
forgotten that there had been any question as to the young
man's sanity, for he had given no indication of possessing
aught but a well-balanced mind. Now, however, he com-
menced to have misgivings, if not of his sanity, then as to
his judgment at least.
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"I fear, your majesty," he ventured, "that we are putting
ourselves too much out of touch with the main body of the
army. We can neither see nor accomplish anything from
this position."
"We were too far away to accomplish much upon the top
of that mountain," replied Barney, "but we're going to
commence doing things now. You will please to ride back
along the King's Road and take direct command of the
troops mobilized near the fort.
"Direct the artillery to redouble their fire upon the enemy's
battery for five minutes, and then to cease firing into the
wood entirely. At the same instant you may order a cautious
advance against the troops advancing up the slope.
"When you see us emerge upon the west side of the
grove where the enemy's guns are now, you may order a
charge, and we will take them simultaneously upon their
right flank with a cavalry charge."
"But, your majesty," exclaimed Von der Tann dubiously,
"where will you be in the mean time?"
"We shall be with the major's squadron, and when you
see us emerging from the grove, you will know that we have
taken Peter's guns and that everything is over except the
shouting."
"You are not going to accompany the charge!" cried the
old prince.
"We are going to lead it," and the pseudo-king of Lutha
wheeled his mount as though to indicate that the time for
talking was past.
With a signal to the major commanding the squadron of
Royal Horse, he moved eastward into the wood. Prince Lud-
wig hesitated a moment as though to question further the
wisdom of the move, but finally with a shake of his head he
trotted off in the direction of the fort.
Five minutes later the enemy were delighted to note that
the fire upon their concealed battery had suddenly ceased.
Then Peter saw a force of foot-soldiers deploy from the
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city and advance slowly in line of skirmishers down the
slope to meet his own firing line.
Immediately he did what Barney had expected that he
would--turned the fire of his artillery toward the south-
west, directly away from the point from which the Ameri-
can and the crack squadron were advancing.
So it came that the cavalrymen crept through the woods
upon the rear of the guns, unseen; the noise of their advance
was drowned by the detonation of the cannon.
The first that the artillerymen knew of the enemy in their
rear was a shout of warning from one of the powder-men
at a caisson, who had caught a glimpse of the grim line ad-
vancing through the trees at his rear.
Instantly an effort was made to wheel several of the pieces
about and train them upon the advancing horsemen; but
even had there been time, a shout that rose from several of
Peter's artillerymen as the Royal Horse broke into full view
would doubtless have prevented the maneuver, for at sight
of the tall, bearded, young man who galloped in front of
the now charging cavalrymen there rose a shout of "The
king! The king!"
With the force of an avalanche the Royal Horse rode
through those two batteries of field artillery; and in the
thick of the fight that followed rode the American, a smile
upon his face, for in his ears rang the wild shouts of his
troopers: "For the king! For the king!"
In the moment that the enemy made their first determined
stand a bullet brought down the great bay upon which
Barney rode. A dozen of Peter's men rushed forward to
seize the man stumbling to his feet. As many more of the
Royal Horse closed around him, and there, for five minutes,
was waged as fierce a battle for possession of a king as was
ever fought.
But already many of the artillerymen had deserted the
guns that had not yet been attacked, for the magic name of
king had turned their blood to water. Fifty or more raised
a white flag and surrendered without striking a blow, and
when, at last, Barney and his little bodyguard fought their
way through those who surrounded them they found the
balance of the field already won.
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Upon the slope below the city the loyal troops were ad-
vancing upon the enemy. Old Prince Ludwig paced back
and forth behind them, apparently oblivious to the rain of
bullets about him. Every moment he turned his eyes toward
the wooded ridge from which there now belched an almost
continuous fusillade of shells upon the advancing royalists.
Quite suddenly the cannonading ceased and the old man
halted in his tracks, his gaze riveted upon the wood. For
several minutes he saw no sign of what was transpiring be-
hind that screen of sere and yellow autumn leaves, and then
a man came running out, and after him another and an-
other.
The prince raised his field glasses to his eyes. He almost
cried aloud in his relief--the uniforms of the fugitives were
those of artillerymen, and only cavalry had accompanied the
king. A moment later there appeared in the center of his
lenses a tall figure with a full beard. He rode, swinging his
saber above his head, and behind him at full gallop came a
squadron of the Royal Horse.
Old von der Tann could restrain himself no longer.
"The king! The king!" he cried to those about him, point-
ing in the direction of the wood.
The officers gathered there and the soldiery before him
heard and took up the cry, and then from the old man's
lips came the command, "Charge!" and a thousand men tore
down the slopes of Lustadt upon the forces of Peter of
Blentz, while from the east the king charged their right flank
at the head of the Royal Horse.
Peter of Blentz saw that the day was lost, for the troops
upon the right were crumpling before the false king while
he and his cavalrymen were yet a half mile distant. Before
the retreat could become a rout the prince regent ordered
his forces to fall back slowly upon a suburb that lies in the
valley below the city.
Once safely there he raised a white flag, asking a confer-
ence with Prince Ludwig.
"Your majesty," said the old man, "what answer shall we
send the traitor who even now ignores the presence of his
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