The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-11

hope, though very little. Perchance
as you drew near Zimboe by the coast
road you may have noticed three
miles. or more from the gates of the
city a shoulder of the mountain al
most overhanging the path on which
you travelled where the rock is cut
away, showing the narrow entrance to
cave closed with a door of bronze"
Il saw it," answered Aziel, and was
told that there was the most sacred
hurying place of the city"
1t is the tomb of the high priestess-
es of Baaltis, went on ELISA. and
this day at sunrise l must visit it to
lay an offering upon the shrine of her
who was the Baaltis before me, enter
ing alone. and closing the gate. for
none may pass in there with me. Now
the plan is to lay hands on me as
go back from the tomb to the palace,
but 1 shall not go back, Aziel. 1 shall
stay in the tomb-nay do not fear
not dead. 1 have hidden food and water
there, enough for many days, and there
with the departed 1 shall live, till 1 am
of their number"
But if so, how can it help you. for
they will break in at the gates of the
place and drag you aWay?"
IF so, AZiel, they will drag away a
corpse, and that they will scarcely care
to present to Ithobal. See, in my breast
l have hidden poison, and here at my
girdle hangs a dagger: are not the two
of them enough to make an end of one
frail life? Should they dare to touch
me, as I shall tell them through the
bars, most certainly 1 shall drink the
bane, or use the knife, and when they
know it they will leave me unframed.
trusting to chance to snare me-"
You are bold" murmured Aziel, in
admiration, but self murder is sim
1T is a sin that I will dare, beloved,
as III past / would have dared it for
ing into the hands of 1thObai, for what
ever else L may be false, to you through
life and death l will be true"
Now Aziel groaned in his doubt and
bitterness of heart, then, turning to
Metem, asked:
Have you aught to say. Metem?"
Yes, prince, two things" answered
ELISA is rash indeed to speak thus
openly before me, who might carry her
words to the council or the priests"
Nay. Metem, I am not rash, for
know that, although you love gold, you
viii not betray me-"
You are right, lady, l shall not, for
gold would be Of little service to me in
city that is about TO be taken by
storm. Also. L hate Ithobal, who has
threatened my life-as you did also. by
the way-and will do my best to keep
you from his clutches. Now, for my
second point: 1t is that l can see little
use in all this, because Ithobal, being
defrauded of you, will attack, and
then
And then he may be beaten, Me-
TEN, for the citizens will fight for their
lives, and the Prince Aziel here, who
is a general skilled in war. will fight
also, if he has recovered his
Fear not, ELISA. Give me twoI
days and I will fight to the DEATH"
put il Aziel.
AT the least" she went on, this
scheme gives US breathing time, and
who knows but that fortune will turn,
or, if ii does not, ] have no better"
No more have l." said Metem, for
at length the old fox comes to his last
double. / might escape from this city,
or the prince might escape, but | am
sure that the three of US could not es-
cape together. seeing that within the
walls we are watched. and without
them the armies of Ithobal await us
Oh, Prince Aziel. I should have done
well to go as ] might have done when
you and Issachar were taken after
that mad meeting in the temple, from
which l never looked for anything but !
i'll. but 1 grow foolish in my old age. !
and thought that l should like to see
the last of you. Well so far we are !
all alive. except Issachar. who. al |
though bieoted. was still the most |
worthy of us. but how long we shall |
remain alive l cannot say. Now, our |
best chance is to defeat Ithoba, if we
can, and afterward. in the confusion, |
to escape from Zimboe and join our |
TO whom / have sent word to |
await us in a secret place beyond the |
first range of hills. If we cannot-why, |
then we must go a little sooner than |
we expected to find out who ii is that |
really shapes the destinies of men, and |
or no the sun and moon are |
the chariots of Ell and Baaltis. But. |
prince, you turn pale"
1T is nothing said Aziel: bring me |
some water. the fever still burns in |
me-"
Metem went to seek for water. while |
ELISA knelt by the couch and pressed |
ler lovers hand.
= must stay. no longer" she whis-