The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-04-09

our beasts: ,,U charged hither and thithei
lin the pitchy blackness mistaking friend
for foe; and then there fell "A silence as sud
den as had been the tumult, for the enemy,
slipping from our fingers, seemed to have
disappeared into the earth.
Ahou Kursm and Amood Sim held an
improvised council OF war.
Let us take to the mountains" piped
the latter in falsetto OF shivering fear.
Abou kuram laid an iron hand on Amood's
trembling arm.
1.-The cause is thine. not mine," he said
with quick but fearful emphasis. "Dc
what secmeth TO thee good. Only if thou
give not Instant orders that every coward
who seeks to fly -be cut down, and my
men with me will return as we came aud
thou and thy possessions can 90 70 eternal
destruction"
~ Is we'll; IL is wellr' laughed Amood
Sim hysterically. IL did but Jest. BY
this right hand, the man who flieth a foot
shall. have death for his portion. Proclaim
it absoad, Isnrael Numar. II there be any
man afraid TO fight, bring him here that l
may cleave the dog in twol decree that
all who are afraid shall die the most miser-
able death mind of man can devise. /
would not 20 to the mountains without
all the flocks that have ever fed on them.
See thou to it, Ismael Numar, that every
coward shall be put ingloriously to death"
my lords will shall be obeyed," answer
ed Ismaei Numar, with alacrity.
AS the enemy did not return scouts were
sent out TO discover his whereabouts. They
came back in the early morning with the
intelligence that he lay beyond swelling
I'm the plain, about league and half TO
the north, and the army was Immediately
put in motion TO give him battle.
Keeping his counsels TO himself, Abou
Kuram quietly laid his plans about the dis
position of the troops, and by a swift and
adroit maneuver he contrived to get his
own contingent in the rear. The arrange
ment, as may be guessed, was gstle to the
taste of Amood Sim.
Finding himself unexpectedly where the
fighting promised to be hottest, he came to
Abou kuram with fine air of gracious
ness and q profusion Of honeyed words TO
beg his great brother TO accept the post
OF honor In Che van. But the great broth.
er's modesty would not suffer him to as
sumo glory that properly belonged to an
other. BY all the right OF war, al the pre-.
negatives Of fame and achievement, the dis
tinction OF leading 90 victory should fall To
the lion hearted Amood Sim, whose deeds
OF valor were a theme of inspiration 10 poet
and warrior throughout the length and
breadth of the land. IL was n lesson In
guile that would have benefited any cour-
tier in Europe to note how those two ex-
pert dssembers wheedled and palavered,
and how mean and worthless each made
himself i'm comparison with the other
Abou Kuram protested he was but rs the
dust under the hoof of Amood Sims
charger and Amood Sim swore n solemn
oath be was not ft To bind the spur upon
Abou Kuram's heel. Abou said that Amood
was second Skander el Rumi, and Amood
that Abou was in strength and courage as
was Gabriel himself 80 the soft blandish-
ments and subtle self depreciations went
on as fervently as IL each man were con.
vinced he spoke gospel truth. But In tn,
end Abou Kuram was not to be moved out
of his humility, so Amood Sim, after a
useless expenditure OF breath and time.
had TO make the best Of his unwelcome
honors. Having regained possession OF
himself by this time he accepted the be
hests Of fate without ruffie in his sleek
hypocrisy. though ] thought there was
something Of wry twist in his feigning
mouth as he turned to ride 70 the post Of