The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-05-17
H TRAITOR LOVER.
BY H IRVING.

IuIlLB tuc Siege VI OdtludSCuS, DtIdl
was appointed to patrol around the city
andthe camp with two thousand horses
As a party of these were n night go
ing their rounds near the walls, they
heard the distant neighing of a horse
and, looking narrowly around, deserted
a horseman coming s%tealthily from tn,
gate Kelsan. Hating in a shadowy
place, they waited until he came close
to them, when, rushing forth, they
made him prisoner. He was a youth.
full Syrian, richly and CALAMITY arrayed,
and apparently a person of distinction.
Scarcely had they seized him, when
they beheld another herseman issuing
from the same gate, who in a soft voice
called upon their captive, by the name
of Jonas. They commanded the latter
to invite his companion to advance.
He seemed to reply, and called out
something in Greek; upon hearing
which, the other turned bride and gal
Hoped 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 up
on second thoughts, conducted him to
Khaled. The youth avowed himself a
nobleman of Damascus, and betrothed
to a beautiful maiden named Eudocea;
but her parents, from some capricious
reason, had withdrawn their consent
from his nuptials; %whereupon the lovers
had secretly agreed to flyfrom 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 lie sailed in advance. His reply in
Greek, when she called to him was,
''the bird is caught" a warning, at the
the hearing of which she fled back to
the city. Khaled was not a man to be
moved by a love tale; but he gave the
prisoner his alternative, Embrace the
faith of Islam," said he, land when
Damascus falls into u power, you
| shall have your b%etrothed; refuse, and
your head is the forfeit.'' The youth
paused not between a scimetar and q
bride. He made immediate profession
of faith between the bands of Khaled,
and thenceforth fought zealously for
the capture of the city, since its down
fall was to crown his hopes. When
Damascus yielded to its foes, he sought
the dwelling of Eudocea, and learnt a
new proof of her affections. Suppos-
ing, on his capture by the Arabs, that
he had fallen a martyr to his faith, she
renowned the world and shut herself up
in a convent. With a throbbing heart
he fastened to the convent; but, when
the lofty-minded maiden beheld him a
renegade she turned from him with
scorn, retired to her cell, and refused to
see him more. She was among the
noble 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 she might be
detained; but Khaled pleased the con-
vent of Aba Obediah, according to
which all had free leave to depart.
When Jonas afterwards discovered that
Khaled meditated a 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 &C
copied. On the fourth day after the
departure of the exiles, Khaled set out
in pursuit, with four thousand chosen
horsemen, who by the advice of Jonas,
were disguised as Christian Arabs. For
some time they traced the exiles along
the plains, by the numerous footprints
of the mules. and camels, and by
articles thrown away to enable
them to travel more expeditiously.
At length the footprints led toward the
mountains of Lebanon, and were lost
in their arid and rocky defles. The
Moslems began to falter. "Couragel''
cried JONAS" they will be entangled
among the mountains; they cannot
now escape In the midst of the car
mage and confusion, Jonas fastened in
search of his betrothed. If she had
treated him with disdain as n renegade,
she now regarded him with horror as
the traitor who had brought this des.
truction upon his unhappy countrymen.
All his e%ntreaties were of no avail. She
solemnly vowed to repair to Constan.
tinople and end her days in a convent.
Finding duplication fruitless, he seized
her, and after a violent struggle, threw
her on the ground and made her prison
er. She made no further resistance,
but submitting to captivity, seated her
self quietly on the grass. He iattered
himself that she relented; but, watch
ing her opportunity, she suddenly drew
forth a poniard, plunged it into hel
t.---A - ri - =. r n