The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-01-02

fourth hour from noon we came in sight OF
the rocky coast Of that cape in the island OF
Cyprus which is called Dinaretum, where is a
mountain named Olympus, and thitherwards
we drifted swiftly. Then when the sailors
saw the terrible rocks, and how the great
waves that smote thereon spouted up in
foam. once more they grew much afraid,
and cried out in their lear For, seeing that
still sat unmoved. they swore that GER
tainly was q wizard, aud came to cast me
forth as a sacrifice TO the Gods Of the sea.
And this time the Captain was overruled,
and said naught. Therefore. when they
cam eto me l rose and defed them, saying
Cast me forth, IL We will: but if We cast
me forth We shall perish
For in my heart cared little, having no
more any love OF life. but rather desire to
die, though greatly / feared to pass into the
presence Of my holy Mother Isis. But my
WEAKNESS and sorrow at the bitterness Of
my lot overcame even this heavy fear. SO
that when, being mad as brute beasts, they
seized me and, lifting me, hurled me into the
raging waters, did but utter one prayer
to Isis and make me ready for death. But
it was fated that should not die: for, when
rose to the surface Of the water SAW
floating near to me spar Of wood. Nhcrcto
l swan and chung. And great wave came
and swept me, riding, as it were, upon the
spar, as when boy had learned to do in
the waters of the Nile, past the bulwarks Of
the galley where the fierce faced sailors
chung to see me drown. And when
they saw me come mounted on the wave,
cursing them as came. and saw. too, that
the color OF my face had changcd-for the
salt water had washed away the pigment,
they shrieked with fear and cast themselves
down upon the deck. And within very
little while, as rode towards the rocky
coast, great wave poured into the vessel,
that rode broadside on, and pressed her
down into the deep, whence no more she
rose.
And 30 she sank with all her crew. And
In that same storm also sank the galley that
Cleopatra had sent to search for the Syrian
merchant. Thus were all traces Of me lost,
and OF q surety she believed that was
dead.
But rode on toward the shore The
wind shrieked and the salt waves dashed
my face %, alone with the tempest, rushed
upon my way, while the sea-birds screamed
about my head. No fear felt. but rather q
wild uplifting Of the heart; and in the stress
Of my imminent peril the love Of life seemed
once again to waken. And so plunged and
drifted, now tossed high toward the lower
ing clouds, now cast into the deep valleys oil
the sea, till at length the rocky headland
doomed before me, and / saw the breakers
smite upon the stubborn rocks, and through
the screaming Of the wind heard the sullen
thunder Of their fall and the groan Of stones
sucked seaward from the beach. On! high.
throned upon the name Of mighty billow-
fifty cubits beneath me the level Of the hiss
ing waters; above me the inky sky! It was
donei The spar was torn from me, and
dragged downward by the weight Of the bag
Of gold and the clinging Of my garments
struggling furious!y, sank.
Now / was under-the light for q moment
streamed green through the waters, and
then came darkness. ana on the darkness
pictures Of the past. Picture after picture
all the long scene Of life was written here
Then in my ears / heard only the song Of
the nightingale, the murmur Of the summer
sea, and the music Of Clcopatra's laugh o1
victory followed me softly and yet more
soft as / sank away to sleep.
Once more my life came back, and with II
sense OF deadly sickness and Of aching
pain. opened ray eyes and saw kindly
faces bending Ger me, and knew that was
in room Of builded house.
show came hithcrr asked, family.
ssOf truth, Poseldou brought thee
Stranger. answered rough voice in bar
barous Greek, ..for we found thee cast high
upon the beach like dead dolphin, and
brought thee to our house, for we arc fisher
folk. And here methinks must thou liz
awhile, for thy left leg is broken by tho
force Of the waves
strove to move my foot. but could not. Il
was true, the bone was broken above the
knee.
who art thou and how art thou namedl'
asked the rough-bearded sailor.
81 am an Egyptian traveller whose shil
hath sunk in the fury of the gale, and Olym
pus am named" answered. for Olympu.
| these people called mountain that we hat
sighted, and therefore took the name a,
hazard. And rs Olympus henceforth was
known.
Here with these rough fisher-folk did
| abide for the half Of year, paying them q
little out of the sum of gold that had come
safely ashore upon me. For long was it be
fore my bones grew together again, and
then was left somewhat Of a cripple: for
who had been so tall and straight and strong
| now limped-one limb being shorter thar
the other. Aud after recovered from m,
hurt, still / lived there, and toiled witt
| them at the trade of fishing: for whittier
\ should go or what should do that knew
not, and, tor awhile, fain was TO become
| a peasant fisherman, and SO wear my wear,
life away. And these people entreated m,
kindly, though, as others, they feared m,
much, holding me to be q wizard broush
hither by the sea. For methinks that m,
sorrows had stamped SO strange an aspec
on my face that men gazing thereon grew
fearful Of what lay beneath its calm.
| There then l abode, till at length on,
night as lay and strove to sleep, grea
resflessness came upon me, and might.
desire once mere to see the broad face o
Sihor. But whether this desire was of TIT
Gods or born Of my own heart, not KNOWN,
can not tell So strong was it at the last
that before it was dawn Irose from my be.
of straw, and clothed myself in my fisile
garb, and, because had no wish to answc
questions, thus took farewell Of my hum
BILE hosts. First on the well-cleaned table o
wood placed some pieces Of gold, and theI
taking pot of -four / strewed it in tn
form Of letter-writing-
This gift from Olympus, the Egyptian, nh
returns into the sea-"
Then went, and on the third day cam
TO the great city of Salamis, that is also Oh
the sea. Here / abode in the fisherman
quarter till vessel was about to sail 70
Alexandria, and to the captain of this yes
sci. q man OF Paphos, hired myself as
sailor We sailed with favoring wind
and on the fifth day came to Alexandra
that hateful city, and saw the light glarin
on its golden domes.
Here might not abide. So once again
hired myself out as q sailor, giving m
labor in return for passage, and we passe
up the Nile. And from the talk of men
learned that Cleopatra had come back I
Alexandria, drawing Antony with her, an
that together they lived in royal state il
the palace on the Lochias. Indeed, tn
boatmen already had a song thereon, whic
they sang as they labored at the oar. Ais
l heard how the galley that was sent I
search for the vessel which carried tn
Syrian merchant had foundered with Al
her crew, and the tale that the Queens as
| tronOmer Harmachis had flown 1