The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-24
THE SALT LAKE HERALD: SUNDAY. APRIL "a, 1898

mascus began to pillow burrows IN ms
brow. He looked careworn and bag
gard To the kindly Inquiries Of the
prince regarding his health he replied
/ that there was nothing amiss
One evening an urgent message came
from the palace, requesting his attend
ance there. The prince met him with
concern on his brow.
Have you had word from your mas
ter, Omar, governor OF Damascus,
since you parted with him?" asked
Ismael.
q have rad no tidings," replied the
ambassador.
"a messenger has just come in from
Damascus, who says that Omar is in
deadly peril I thought you should
know this speedily, and so L sent for
you"
"Of what nature is this peril?" asked
the ambassador, turning pale
The messenger said something of
his falling a prisoner, sorely wounded,
in the hands of bis enemies"
"Of his enemiesi" echoed the ambas-
sador. He has many. Which one has
been victorious?"
Il have had no particulars. and per-
haps the news may not be true" an
swered the prince, sOOthingly.
May L question your messenger"
"Assuredly. He has gone to the tenn
pie of life to pray for some of his own
kin, who are in danger. Let US go
there together and find him.
But the messenger had already left
the temple before the arrival of his
master, and the two found the great
place entirely empty. Standing near
the edge of the slab before the mann
moth statue. the prince said:
stand upon that slab facing the
statue. and 1 will tell you more faith
fully than any messenger whether your
master shall live or die, and when
am Moslem," answered Hazid-
din, and pray TO none but Allah
In Baalbek," said the prince, care
lessly, ''all religions are tolerated. Here
we have temples for the worship of the
Roman and the Greek gods, and
mosques for the Moslems. Here Chris
tan, or the Jew, sun wOrshiper or
Pagan implore their several gods I'M
moleSted, and thus is Baalbek prosper
Gus. L confess liking for this temple
OF life, and 1 come here often. I
should, however, warn you that it is
the general belief of those who fire.
quent this place, that he who steps
upon the marble slab facing the god,
courts disaster, unless his heart is as
free from treachery and guile as this
stone beneath him is free from flaw
Perhaps you have heard the rumor.
and, therefore, hesitate
nave not heard 1t, heretofore, but
having heard it, do not hesitate" Say
ing which, the ambassador stepped
upon the stone. Instantly the marble
turned under him, and, falling, he
clutched its polished surface in vain,
dropping helDleSSly into the reservoir |
beneath. The air under his cloak bore !
him up and kept him from sinking The !
reservoir into which he had fallen |
proved TO be as large as the temple it
SELF circular in form, as was the edi- !
lice above it. Steps rose from the water |
IN unbroken rings around it, but even |
II he could have reached the edge of !
the huge tank in which he found him |
self, ascent by the steps was impossible. |
for, upon the first three burned Vigor- |
ously some chemical substance which |
luridly Illuminated the surface of this |
subterranean lake. He was surround
ed Immediately by water, and beyond |
that by rising rings of flame, and he
rightly surmised that this substance
was Greek fire, for where it dripped
into the water it still burned. floating
on the surface. a moment later the |
prince appeared on the upper steps,
outside the flaming circumference.
Ambassador" he cried. II told you
that If you stepped on the marble slab
you would be informed truly of the fate
of your master. I now announce to
you that ne dies tonight, being pris-
oner in my hands. His army was an
initiated in the pass of El-Zaid, while
he was on his way to capture this CITY
through your treachery. In your last
&C mmunication to him, you said that
you would investigate our water stor-
age, and learn how it was discharged.
This secret 1 shall proceed to put you
in possession of, but before doing so, 1
beg TO tell you that Damascus has
fallen and is in my possession. The res
ervoir, you will observe, is emptied by
pulling this lever, which releases a
trap door at the center of the bottom
of the tank"
The prince. with both hands on the
lever eXerted his strength, and de-
pressed it. Instantly the ambassador
felt the result. First, small whirlpool
became indented in the placid surface