The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1851-01-09
THE TRAITOR LOVER.

During the siege of Damascus, Dera
was appointed to patrol round the city
and the camp with 1000 horses. AS q
party Of these were one night going
their rounds near the walls, they hearC
the distant neighing of a horse, ano
looking narrowly around deserted a
horseman coming stealthily from the
gate Keisan. Hating in shadowy
place, they waited until he came close
to them, when, rushing forth, they made
him prisoner He was a youthful Syri.
an, richly and gallantly arrayed, and
apparently a person Of distinction
Scarcely had they seized him when
they beheld another horseman issuing
from the same gate, who in soft voice
called upon their captive, by the name
of Jonas. They commanded the latter
to invite his companion to advance
He seemed to comply, and called out
something in Greek, upon hearing
which the other turned bridal and gal
loped back into the city. The Arabs,
ignorant of Greek, and suspecting the
words to be a warning, would have slain
their prisoner on the spot, but upon
second thought, conducted him to
Khaled. The youth avowed himself
nobleman of Damascus, and betrothed
to a beautiful maiden named Eudocea /;
but her parents, from some capricious
reason, had Withdrawn their consent to
his nuptials; whereupon the lovers had
secretly agreed to fly from Damascus.
A sum of gold had bribed the sentinels
who kept watch that night at the gate.
The damsel, disguised in male attire,
and accompanied by two domestics.
was following her lover at a distance,
as he sailed in advance. His reply in
Greek, when she called upon him was,
" that the bird is caught,n a warning
at the hearing of which she fed back
to the city. Khaled was not man to
be moved by love tale; but he gave
the prisoner his alternative, embrace
the faith of Islam,a said he, :" and when
Damascus falls into our power you shall
haveyeur betrothed; refuse, and your
head is the forfeit.2 The youth paused
not between a scimetar and a bride
He made immediate profession of faith
between tho hands of Khaled, and
thenceforth fought zealously for the
capture of the city, since its downfall
was to crown his hopes. When Damas-
Gus Welded to its foes, he sought the
dwelling of Eudocea, and learnt a new
proof of her affection. Supposing on
his capture by the Arabs, that he had
fallen a martyr to his faith, she had re-
nounced the world, and shut herself up
in a convent. With a throbbing heart
he fastened to the convent, but when
the IUrt x1ziud~l ---:1--- haho old him q
renegade. she turned from him with
scorn. retired to her cell, and refused to
see him more. She was among the no.
bic ladies who followed Thomas and
Herbs into exile. Her lover, frantic at
the thoughts of losing her, reminded
Khaled of his promise to restore her to
him. and entreated that sne might be
detained: but Khaled pleaded the cove
nant of Aba Obediah, according to
which all had free leave to depart
When Jonas afterwards discovered that
Khaled meditated pursuit of the ex-
lies, but was discouraged by the lapse
of time, he offered TO conduct him by
short and secret passes through the
mountains, which would insure his
overtaking them. His offer was ac-
cepted. On the fourth day after the
departure of the exiles Khaled set out
in pursuit, with 1000 chosen horsemen,
who, by the advice of Jonas, were dis
guised as Christian Arabs. For some
time they traced the exiles along the
plains, by the numerous footprints of
mules and camels, and by the articles
thrown away to enable them to travel
more expeditiously. Atlength the foot
prints turned towards the mountains of
Lebanon, and were lost in their arid
and rocky defles. The moslems began
to falter. Courage p cried Jonas,
"they will be entangled among the
mountains, they cannot now escape"
In the midst of the carnage and con-
fusion, Jonas fastened in search of his
betrothed IF she had treated him with
disdain as a renegade, she now regard
ed him with horror, as the traitor who
had brought this destruction upon his
unhappy countrymen. All his en-
treaties for her to forgive and be recon-
ciled to him were of no avail. She SOL
emnly vowed to repair to Constantine
pie, and end her days in a convent
Find ng supplication fruitless, he seized
her, and after violent struggle, threw
her on the ground and made her pris-
oner. She made no further resistance,
but, submitting to captivity, seated her
self quietly on the grass. The lover
fattered himself that she relented, but
watching her opportunity, she suddenly
drew forth poniard, plunged it in her
breast, and fell dead at his feet.
The FIRST FUeITIVE SLAVE LAW
The Boston Post has the following bit
of political history: