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Serbia has demanded that all Austrian troops be withdrawn from Luthanian territory at once, and has offered to assist your majesty in maintaining your neutrality by force, if necessary." As Butzow spoke his eyes were often upon the Princess Emma, and it was quite evident that he was much puzzled to account for her presence with the king.
It seemed that Butzow had been absent from Lutha for a number of years as military attache to the Luthanian legation at a foreign court. He had known nothing of the true condition at home until his return, when he saw such scoundrels as Coblich, Maenck, and Stein high in the favor of the prince regent.
The lieutenant drew himself up haughtily. "I am not a Dutchman, your majesty. I am a Luthanian." Barney laughed. "Whatever else you may be, Butzow, you're a brick," he said, laying his hand upon the other's arm. Butzow looked at him narrowly. "From your speech," he said, "and the occasional Americanisms into which you fall I might believe that you were other than the king but for the ring."
Neither his mother nor his father had ever returned to the little country since the day, thirty years before, that the big American had literally stolen his bride away, escaping across the border but a scant half-hour ahead of the pursuing troop of Luthanian cavalry.
Immediately followed news that the Luthanian line was falling back upon the city. Fear turned to panic. Men fought to outdistance their neighbors. A shell burst upon a roof-top in an adjoining square. Women fainted and were trampled. Hoarse shouts of anger mingled with screams of terror, and then into the midst of it from Margaretha Street rode a man on horseback.
The two men put spurs to their mounts, and Barney Custer galloped across the northern boundary of Lutha just ahead of a troop of Luthanian cavalry, as had his father thirty years before; but a royal princess had accompanied the father only a soldier accompanied the son. "What's the matter, Vic?" asked Barney Custer of his sister. "You look peeved." "I am peeved," replied the girl, smiling.
A careless housewife, leaving her lord and master's rough shirt and trousers hanging upon the line overnight, had made possible for Barney the coveted change in raiment. Now he was barged as a Luthanian peasant. He was hatless, since the lady had failed to hang out her mate's woolen cap, and Barney had not dared retain a single vestige of the damning Austrian uniform.
"Let's have done with treason, and place upon the throne of Lutha one whom we know to be both a Luthanian and sane. Down with the mad king! Down with the impostor!" Peter turned to ascend the chancel steps. Von der Tann still hesitated. Below him upon one side of the aisle were massed his own retainers.
Now that he knew the whole truth he realized how stupid he had been not to guess that the man who had led the victorious Luthanian army before Lustadt could not have been the cowardly Leopold. Presently the chancellor broke the silence. "You say that Leopold of Lutha lived futilely. You are right; but when you say that he has died futilely, you are, I believe, wrong.
Three of his staff were killed and two horses were shot from beneath him, but from the moment that he appeared the Luthanian line ceased to waver or fall back. The advanced trenches that they had abandoned to the Austrians they took again at the point of the bayonet.
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