The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1858-03-11
CHAPTER II,

CHAPTER II.
For full an hour, Ben Zegris lay be-
meath the cold moonbeams, with life half
dying in its cells; but help was near at
hand. His retainers, having mustered
aid from the palace, hurried back from
the scene of the late conflict, and once
more bore the master onward to his halls.
Slowly the lamp of life seemed aickering
to the socket, then he arose from his
couch, weak and enervate, but with a soul
burning to a maddening thirst, which
nothing but revenge could allay, There,
upon his temples, stamped in the purple
characters, was the deep-branded es-
cutcheon of his hereditary foes, and bit
ter oath curdled within his soul, that on
the morrow the deadly seed of royal an
ger should be sown within Mohammed' S
breast Yet he dreamed not that fate it.
self might foresall him. But SO it was.
Even at that hour, when planning fear
tul vengeance, the kings favoilte stood,
DamoCles-like, with the sword of a tempt
ed doom hanging above his head.
Abdallah, though yet young in years,
knew full well how deep, how scathing
were the fires of hereditary hatred, and
that Ben Zegris would not scruple to
stoop to any means, in order to bring
about the downfall of his family. And
now, unless success should crown his
hastily devised scheme, the jealous mon
arch would wreak that ruin which tle Ze-
girls coveted.
Scarce a moon agone, the young Abcn-
cerrage had met with Isabelle, the new
favorlte of the sensual monarch, at one of
The royal feasts. He had loved her, and
.he few hot words that had passed be-
ween them, in the absence of her attend,
INT, had assured him that his passion
Was returned with equal warmth The
Moorish beauty found that the imposed
ibackleS Of haremic love CALLED the
'1ul, when free, consuming passion,
With one of her own choice, self.reined,
vas to be found within the palace walls
She languished among tho gorgeous ;.
pendds of her gilded prison. and when .
he favdrte told her of the happy refuge :,
n the eastern clme--when he poured A
he vows of his idolatry into her willing a
ar, she longed to fly the shacElos that .
ound her to one she could but loalhe. !,
md Abdallah had pledged her, on the 9
onor of bis race, that ere long, thou. !,
md leagues should lie between her and ~
S hareuI. but now that life ~
epended on immediate exertion, there :, ~
,mained no alternative but TO tear her r
om the palace before the morning watch, =,
+ remain and brave his monqrch's rage ~ ~
o desperate man, there are no difficult =,
es- which appear insurmountble, and 20
oeds from which the high soul would ii
rink in horror, at another hour, but H. u,
.em as the dispassionate events of the :"
fe of every day. So. with a noiseless, A
It-like tread, starting from every shad- ~ ~
v that fell across his path, did the Aben- ov ov
,rrage move onward through the Shad- ~ ~
Wy gardens of the palace. Thrice was W
} challenged by the sentinels; but when N,
ey knew him, they dared not question, 60, .w
tie thinking that, did he gain the object IN.
+ which he sought, their lives alone "
'uld appetse their masters fury.
The court was gained, and still with for
at same unechoed tread he assembled
e broad. marble staircase, leading to
e open turret, high over which tower
the latticed windows oil the royal ha- cal
m. |: was fearful undertaking to ed.
NIB upward to the dizzy height of the 9th
chancel, which distinguish oyc
the apartment of the favorite mistress; ed
t love knoweth no obstacles, and, with exc
beating heart, Abdsllah commenced tbr
aling the wall, trusting to the shadows as
lich were already settling on the west hot
D wing to shield him from prEiaG z q, .
But he had not noticed tn y
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