The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-10-27

wild men of Sulaim, while the women
urged their beasts faster over the dusty
path.
Then Rabyah's sister, QUINN 'Amr
cried out in fear, and those with her la
msnted as they saw Rahyah ride back all
alone. But his mother, QUINN Saiyar.
chided them saying:
while there remaineth SO much as one
drop of blood in his veins, no son of mine
will ever fail to 90 the deeds of man
and the duty of man. Have no fear, We
foolish ones when did Rabyah ever fail
to protect a woman? How many such
robbers as those hath ne not harased ere
this, even as lizards in their desert holes
are harased with a stick? How many an
enemy's horse path he not left to be de-
voured by the lions of the woods, by the
ancient eagles of the hills; In how many
encounters hath he not been hard pressed
before-ay, even tightly pressed as the
sandal strap between the toes of the
wearer? Know ye not that my son is
unto men as "a beacon light-ay, as the
signal fires that be Lighted upon moan
tain tops?'
Yet Rabyah's sister only would not be
comforted. and she wept and said
Surely my brother hath never before
been placed in any peril like unto this
peril for the men of Sulaim are many,
and it hath ever been said of Nubais shah
that Death, the mother of vultures, rides
with him.
But QUINN Saiyar ans wered her sharp
ly: He that feareth death, verify death
shall find him, though he have LADDER
long enough to climb to Heaven upon.
Better is death than shame! Fear rather
for thine own honor. girl-urge on thy
beast while Rabyah holds them back!'
Then Rabyah, alone, strove against all
the swarm of SULTAN.
Now in Arabia there was no archer more
skillful than Rabyah, and he bent his
bow against the pursuers; and with his
first shaft he pierced the throat of son
of SULTAN so tnat the horseman died
upon his horse, and with his second he
nailed the thigh of another to the ribs of
his animal, and with his third he shat
tered the sword arm of the strongest
Sulaimite and seeing that it vas Rabyah
the men of SULTAN fed from his archery;
and he drove them back yet farther, send
ing his arrows humming like DjInns be-
hind them. And when he had thus ke pt
them back good while he turned and
rode after the women again.
Then the men of SULTAN rode furiouslv
in pursuit of MN and shot arrows after
him in vain. For though all the black
horses strove until they were sweating
like well-tilled water skins in the gre'
heat, only Nubaishah' s stallion could fol-
low after Rabyahs' gray mare; and the
gray mares SKIN remained dry.
And so soon as Rabyah-after having
urged on the toiling camels of the women
still faster-turned once more and laid an
arrow across his bow, the drum beat of
pursuing hoofs broke up into a sound of
scraping and of stumbling, while the men
of SULTAN scattered and drew back in
dismay. And many times Rabyah thus
checked them. Only NJ baIshah. the son
of Hablb, ever sat firm upon his black
stallion and faced the humming shaft,
and dexterously avoided it or turned it
from him with marvellous surety of eve
and trueness or hand.
So, fleeing and farming, batting and
proceeding. pursuers and pursued, ever
grew nearer to the jagged teeth of the
western hills; and in the k-toothed
line Of them appeared the bright gap of
the pass of Ghazal, ever widening and
Frightening as they rode. And now the
great stones upon the way made long
black shadows over the plain; for the
sun was setting before them. So they
rode into the edge of the shadow OF the
hills, and Rsbyan turned to make last
stand, and the pounding of the pursuing
hoofs became a shutfiing once again as
the band OF SULTAN drew rein in cloud
of dust. But now in Rabyah's culver
there was no more shafts.
Then Ounun Saiyar cried out to him
afar eff: Sword and spear, son Sword
and spear for the women Of the Benz
Firaz Give them sword and spear for
thy mothers sake. for thine own
Raythah. who waiteth in tent
And again and again did Rabyah charge