Barney stooped and removed the bandoleer of cartridges from the fallen trooper, as well as his revolver and carbine.  Then he took the girl’s hand and together they turned into the wood.  Behind them came the sound of pursuit.  They heard the loud words of Maenck as he ordered his three remaining men into the wood on foot.  As he advanced, Barney looked to the magazine of his carbine and the cylinder of his revolver.

“Why were they pursuing you?” he asked.

“They were taking me to Blentz to force me to wed Leopold,” she replied.  “They told me that my father’s life depended upon my consenting; but I should not have done so.  The honor of my house is more precious than the life of any of its members.  I escaped them a few miles back, and they were following to overtake me.”

A noise behind them caused Barney to turn.  One of the troopers had come into view.  He carried his carbine in his hands and at sight of the man with the fugitive girl he raised it to his shoulder; but as the American turned toward him his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped.

Instantly Barney knew that the fellow had noted his resemblance to the king.  Barney’s body was concealed from the view of the other by a bush which grew between them, so the man saw only the face of the American.  The fellow turned and shouted to Maenck:  “The king is with her.”

“Nonsense,” came the reply from farther back in the wood.  “If there is a man with her and he will not surrender, shoot him.”  At the words Barney and the girl turned once more to their flight.  From behind came the command to halt—­“Halt! or I fire.”  Just ahead Barney saw the river.

They were sure to be taken there if he was unable to gain the time necessary to make good a crossing.  Upon the opposite side was a continuation of the wood.  Behind them the leading trooper was crashing through the underbrush in renewed pursuit.  He came in sight of them again, just as they reached the river bank.  Once more his carbine was leveled.  Barney pushed the girl to her knees behind a bush.  Then he wheeled and fired, so quickly that the man with the already leveled gun had no time to anticipate his act.

With a cry the fellow threw his hands above his head, staggered forward and plunged full length upon his face.  Barney gathered the princess in his arms and plunged into the shallow stream.  The girl held his carbine as he stumbled over the rocky bottom.  The water deepened rapidly—­the opposite shore seemed a long way off and behind there were three more enemies in hot pursuit.

Under ordinary circumstances Barney could have found it in his heart to wish the little Luthanian river as broad as the Mississippi, for only under such circumstances as these could he ever hope to hold the Princess Emma in his arms.  Two years before she had told him that she loved him; but at the same time she had given him to understand that their love was hopeless.  She might refuse to wed the king; but that she should ever wed another while the king lived was impossible, unless Leopold saw fit to release her from her betrothal to him and sanction her marriage to another.  That he ever would do this was to those who knew him not even remotely possible.