Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-02-08

an impression upon me l was the grain
Of sandi resolved obecome the diamond. |
/ commenced by stealing two horses. |
| associated comrade with myself, and pre-
pared myaelf to be able to roh small cara
vans. Thus, little by little, abated the
disproportion which existed at first be-
tween other men and me. now had my
part In the goods of the world, and was
even repaid With usury. had much CON
81 teration l became a master brgand. |
| acquired this castle by right force. The
satrap of Syria wished TO dlspossess me Of
ii, but | WAS already too rich to have any
thing to fear from him | gave money TO
the sutrap, meaning to keep the castle and
TO increase my domains. / name myself
treasurer of the tribute which Arabia
Petrea pays to the king Of kinge. take
upon myself the business Of receiver, and
not at all that OF payer.
"The grand desterham OF Babylon sent
mere, In the name Of the king Moabdar,
little satrap to strangle me. The man ar
rived with his orders, OF which was al
ready informed. had straugled III his
presence the four persons whom he had
brought with him 10 serve me with the
cord, sftef which asked him what was
the value of bis commission for slranglipg
me.
He answered that II would amount to
three hundred pieces Of gold. made him
see clearly that ha would make more by
Joining with me. made him a lieutenant
of brigands. He Is to-day one Of my best
officers, and one of the richest. IT you
will believe me you shall do as well as he
has done. The season for robbery was
never better than now since Moabdar is
killed and all Is confusion 10 Babylon"
"Moabdar killed ~ exclaimed Zadig
"And what then has become of the Royal
Princess Astarte 7"
81 know nothing of that" replied Ar
bogad, call know Is that Moabdar was
become mad, that he Is killed, that Baby
lon Is one great nest of cut throats, and
that all The empire is desolate that there
arc good blows yet to be thadeahd that, for
my part, have made an admirable thing
out Of IT,
"But Astarte !" said Zadlg "of your
grace tell me, ,"know you nothing whatever
of the destiny o. the Princess Z"
'Iheard something said about the Prince
Of Hircania answered the brigand; ''proba-
bly, she is in his seraglio, If she has not
been killed In the tumult but have more
taste for booty than for news. have
taken many women In my time, but have
never taken much notice of them. II
they were pretty sold them, without In
forming myself who they were. Rank Is
not thing of value aud a queen, If she
were ugly, would not easily tnd a pur-
chaser. Perhaps | have sold the Royal
Princess you speak of, perhaps she Ia
dead but II is small matter, and think
that you ought not to bother yourself
about It more than /.
While speaking thus he drank so cour-
ageously, he so Confounded all his ideas,
that Zadig could draw nothing further
from him with any clearness.
= he Babylonian remained without speak.
ing, molionless and plunged in thought.
Arbogad drank continually, told stories,
repeated incessantly that he was the hap
pest of men, and exhorted Zadig to make
himself happy also. Atlast, gently stupe'
fed with the fumes of the wine, he was
, carried of to sleep the sleep of the just
Zadig passed the night in the most violent
agitation.
"What 20 exclaimed he, "the king il
I mad, Is killed | caunot cease to lament
, 1t, the empire is desoated, and this hri
gaDd is happy. o, fortune o, destiny
a robber is happy, and the loyeliest being
thot nature has ever made has pefished
1 perhaps, in some fiightful manner, ol
lives, it may be, in a state worse thar
" death 0 Astarte o my love what hal
become Of you Z"
From the break of day he questioned al
those whom he met in the castle; bu
/ every one was occupied, no one had tim
to answer him. They had made during tn
, night new oonquests and were busy II
p. parting the spoils. All that he could oh
tain in the tunultuous confusion was per
mission to depart. He proilted by It with
. out delay, plunged in the abyss of hi
y sorrowful reflections, inquiet, agitated, hi
., mind occupied with the unhappy Astartt
u the king of Babylon, his faithful frien
Q Cador, the happy brigand Arbogad, aud
in shoIt, all the accidents and all the mis-
fortunes he had experienced.