Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-20
ArL0XEEISrtz
w. JGo4NA.GzdA5r:
Copyright, 1893, by John Alexander Steuart.l
CHAPTER XVI.


winds again. Fate had cut off the last
chance OF escape, and could look for moth
; ING but immediate death For had heard
something of the portentiOus mysteries of
statccraft that make such havoc of the con-
/ science OF rulers and understood that be-
! hind the personal will and inclination of
| Abou kuram were reasons of such fearful
| coCeucy as no prince who valued his secur-
| ity could ignore. However friendly the
! gov, -, might be at heart, he was not a
| free agent, but merely the instrument of a
! tyraunous system which sentenced and
| slew with ruthless disregard of the sanctity
| of private thoughts.
This WAS driven in upon me with stag
gering emphasis when the leather faced in
CRATE had relieved of his pains, humbly
vcnturing to commend the wisdom of his
| masters speech, enlarged on the abso-
| lutte necessity of preserving the state from
| foreign intrigue at all hazards and at what
/ ever cost of blood and ending up with the
I proposition, Let my lord decree death
| forthwith, and while he dispatcheth weight
| Ter matters | will see this rogue executed"
But we had both mistaken the force of
! Abou Kuram's character. y weak man is
The slave of his Office; a strong man is its
/ master and director. Perhaps 1t was the
working Of humanity in his breast, per-
/ haps it WAS sudden conviction of my in
nOcence, or, what is more likely, it may
have been u princes dislike of dictation
and interference that influenced my judge,
but he unexpectedly took Il course of his
own.
Words of wisdom drop from thy mouth
as honey from honeycomb, Abdallah, 5"
he said, with Il severe look at his counsel
or. Foreign intriguers and spies must
indeed be given to the fowls of the air and
the beasts of the earth. 1t is my duty and
privilege to guard the state. l will take
care they are not neglected. Again, bust
ness, as thou well sayest, presseth hard, and
in order that thou mayest give thy mind to
other and more important affairs l will
myself execute justice on this stranger.
Get thee forth with all haste, and thou,
Koor Ali, who will command next to my
self, go with him and take no rest until
my army be ready for war"
The two men bowed very low and has
tened out. He watched until they had
gone, with clamOrous mob at their heels,
then turning 10 me he said briefly:
Il have purposes that will astOnish thy
friend Abdallah Thou shalt ride by my
bride rein, aud we shall see of what stuff
thou art made. Nay, nay; no speeches, as
he saw the fullnes5 of heart coming into
my face. This is time for action. Be
SlUS lnOu IllSQIeSJ ina cause 10 repent Oh
thy fair words, for if thou shouldst prove
false thou shalt die the cruclest death Alb
dallah can devise to atone for this present
clemency."
With that he turned abruptly to a fawn-
ing official and said in brusquc tone:
The stranger will have need of food See
thou TO his wants, and thy head answer for
his safe keeping" Whereupon, rising
quickly, he swept majestically into an in
ner room without giving me the opportuni
ty of saying word of thanks.
Ny first impulse was to sit down and sob
aloud. 1t seemed that nothing else could
relieve my pent up feelings, and indeed
careful observer might have noticed an I'M
usual moisture about the lashes, which l
wiped furtively while trying to jest with
my attendant.
The rising sun. they say, is worshiped,
and certainly the favor of Il prince insures
many smiles and ch>cQuiOus attentions.
The demeanOr of the people toward me
changed as sinGularly my shifting for
tuEc. These who had spat on me with foul
imprecations but an hour before now 81
luted me with loud calculations of friend
ship and blessing. Many man probably
would have valued the tokens of good will
more than did. l had been defiant to the
mob in my adversely; in my triumph hope
Mood to respond with any cordiality to the
greetings OF people, who, if Abou kuram' S
humor had been different, would have
shouted themselves hoarse with glee at see
ing my head slashed off my shoulders.
The sight of one eager face, however,
among the many fawning ones gave me a
genuine thrill of pleasure. Said Achmet
had haunted the place all the morning like
perturbed spirit, and now on the first OPP
portunity he came running forward to con-
graduate me on my new lease of life. | had
not much to say, but gave the good souls
hand a hearty Christian wiring, and he did
not resent it, though to shake hands with
an infidel or stranger is pollution to the Or
binary Nusselman.
When sorrows come, says the poet, they
come not in single spies, but in battalions
Once or twice in a lifetime few happy
mortals have the sweet experience of find
ing joys, too, come trOoping in companies
While my bencfactor and myself were in
converse together, TO the further delight of
US both, word came from Abou kuram
that until the troops were ready l was to
I've his guest or Said Achmet's, Just accord
ing to my fancy. Needless to say what
/ choice made nor how deeply grateful
was to AbUu Kuram for this fresh sign Of
his graCiUusness.
Said AChmet carried me of with as proud
heart rs If were the greatest tnan in the
| lind and treated me with n tenderness that
mere greatness could never have evoked.
Indeed If had been his own son risen from
the dead he could not have been more Law
ish of the caressing attentions in word and
act that the tremulous affection of an old
man delights in or evinced livelier regret
at the parting that was near.
For the most part of three happy days
was with him, listening to wondroGs tales
of the diabolical proves of the man on the
black horse from Tabal, or discussing the
prospects of the campaign with him, or
| drinking in the wise and varied discourse
/ of my host himself rs we sat inhaling fra
| grant essences in the shade of his garden
| palms.
/ How far off all that is now, and how
strangely tinged with mystic hues! Said
Achmet has long since gone to his account
And on his grave. with shining eyes,
! The Syrian stars look down,
but the memory CT his benign refuge re-
mains with me as beautiful dream of a
| day spent on an azure summer isle after
escape from devastating tempests.
The preparations at the castle went on
/ with more hustle than speed, for it ap-
/ peared TO be the determined object of every
| man to get into his fellow way and thwart
/ him in his work The scene was one OF
constant confusion and uproar. Night and
/ day the hubbub went on, waxing ever
/ louder and shriller, till it seemed like pan
/ demonium come again, but ut length order
/ began to rise out of chaos, and even the
! novice mind could see that the preparations
were really going on.
Men came hurrying in from outlying dis
tricts, horses and camels were got ready,
swords, spears and matchlocks were fur
bished up, ammunition was laid out, water
skins were filled. provisions were loaded
on swapping, grunting pack camels-a hun
dred pounds to every beast-and all the
while the soldiers badgered, shouted, jested
and blasphemed in way that might have