The Max Brand Megapack. Max Brand

only the reflection of the firelight.”

      Black Bart whined softly. Suddenly Dan straightened and threw up his arms, laughing low with exultation. Buck Daniels shuddered and dropped his head.

      “I am far behind,” said Dan, “but I’ll go fast.”

      He caught her in his arms, kissed her eyes and lips, and then whirled and ran from the room with that noiseless, padding step.

      “Kate!” groaned Buck Daniels, “you’ve let him go! We’ve all lost him for ever!”

      A sob answered him.

      “Go call him back,” pleaded Joe. “He will stay for your sake.”

      She whispered: “I would rather call back the wild geese who flew across the moon. And they are only beautiful when they are wild!”

      “But you’ve lost him, Kate, don’t you understand?”

      “The wild geese fly north again in spring,” said Buck, “and he’ll—”

      “Hush!” she said. “Listen!”

      Far off, above the rushing of the wind, they heard the weird whistling, a thrilling and unearthly music. It was sad with the beauty of the night. It was joyous with the exultation of the wind. It might have been the voice of some god who rode the northern storm south, south after the wild geese, south with the untamed.

      OUT OF THE DARK (1920)

      The principality of Pornia is not a large country and in the ordinary course of history it should have been swallowed entire, centuries ago, by one of the kingdoms which surround it. Its situation has saved it from this fate, for it is the buffer state between two great monarchies whose jealousy has preserved for Pornia an independent existence.

      Despite its independence, Pornia has never received much consideration from the rest of Europe, and the aim of its princes for many generations has been to foist it into the great councils by a strong alliance with one of the two kingdoms to which it serves as a buffer.

      The long-desired opportunity came at last in the reign of Alexander VI, who, one morning, commanded Rudolph of Herzvina to appear at the palace. As soon as the worthy old baron appeared, Alexander spoke to him as follows: “Rudolph, you are an old and respected counselor, a devoted servant of the State, and therefore I am delighted to announce that the greatest honor is about to descend upon your family, an honor so great that the entire State of Pornia will be elevated thereby. The Crown Prince Charles wishes to make your daughter his wife!”

      At this he stepped back, the better to note the joy with which old Rudolph would receive this announcement, but, to his astonishment, the baron merely bowed his head and sighed.

      “Your highness,” said Rudolph of Herzvina, “I have long known of the attachment which the crown prince has for my daughter, Bertha, but I fear that the marriage can never be consummated.”

      “Come, come!” said the prince genially. “It is a far leap indeed from Baron of Herzvina to father-in-law to Prince Charles, but there have been stranger things in history than this, though never anything that could so effectually elevate Pornia. Have no fear of Charles. He loves your daughter; he is strong-minded as the very devil; he will override any opposition from his father. As a matter of fact, it is no secret that Charles is already practically the ruler over his kingdom. So rejoice, Herzvina, and I will rejoice with you!”

      But the baron merely shook his head sadly and repeated: “I fear the marriage can never be consummated.”

      “Why not?” said the prince in some heat. “I tell you, his royal highness loves the girl. I could read passion even in the stilted language of his ambassador’s message. Why not?”

      “I was not thinking of his royal highness, but of the girl. She will not marry him.”

      The prince dropped into a chair with jarring suddenness.

      Rudolph continued hastily: “I have talked with Bertha many times and seriously of the matter; I have tried to convince her of her duty; but she will not hear me. The foolish girl says she does not love his highness.”

      The prince smote his hands together in an ecstasy of impatience.

      “Love! Love! In the name of God, Herzvina, what has love todo with this? This is the thing for which Pornia has waited during centuries. Through this alliance I can make a treaty that will place Pornia once and forever upon the map of the diplomatic powers. Love!”

      “I have said all this to her, but she is obdurate.”

      “Does she expect some fairy prince? She is not a child; she is not even—forgive me—beautiful.”

      “True. She is not even pretty, but even homely women, your highness, will sometimes think of love. It is a weakness of the sex.”

      He was not satirical; he was very earnest indeed. He continued: “I have tried every persuasion. She only says in reply: ‘He is too old. I cannot love him.’”

      An inspiration came to Alexander of Pornia. Under the stress of it he rose and so far forgot himself as to clap a hand upon the shoulder of Herzvina. In so doing he had to reach up almost as high as his head, for the princes of Pornia have been small men, time out of mind.

      “Baron,” he said, “will you let me try my hand at persuasion?”

      “It would be an honor, sire. My family is ever at the disposal of my prince.”

      He answered with a touch of emotion: “I know it, Rudolph; but will you trust the girl in my hands for a number of days? A thought has come to me. I know I can convince her that this love of which she dreams is a thing of the flesh alone, a physical necessity. Come, send her to me, and I shall tear away her illusions. She will not thank me for it, but she will marry the crown prince.”

      “I will send her to the palace to-day.”

      “Very good; and first tell her why I wish to speak with her. It may be that of herself she will change her mind when she learns the wishes of her prince. Farewell.”

      And the prince rode off to a review of the troops of the city guard. So it was that Bertha of Herzvina sat for a long time in a lonely room, after her arrival at the palace before the door opened, a man in livery bowed for the entrance of the prince, and she found herself alone with her sovereign.

      Automatically she curtsied, and he let her remain bowed while he slowly drew off his white gloves. He still wore his general’s uniform with the stiff padding which would not allow his body to grow old, for a prince of Pornia must always look the soldier.

      “Sit down,” he ordered, and as she obeyed he commenced to walk the room.

      He never sat quietly through an interview if he could avoid it; a constitutional weakness of the nerves made it almost impossible for him to meet another person’s eyes. The pacing up and down gave a plausible reason for the continual shifting of his glance.

      “A good day, a very good day,” he said. “The hussars were wonderful.”

      His shoulders strained further back. The prince himself always rode at the head of the hussars; in her childhood she had admired him. He stopped at a window and hummed a marching air. That was a planned maneuver, for his back was far more royal than his face, with its tall forehead and diminutive mouth and chin. She felt as if she were in the presence of a uniformed automaton.

      He broke off his humming and spoke without turning.

      “Well?”

      “My decision is unchanged.”

      “Impossible! In the length of a whole day even a woman must think twice.”

      “Yes, many times.”

      “You will not marry him?”

      “I cannot love him.”

      He whirled, and the pale blue eyes flashed at her a brief glance which made