Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-09

-. You. at least, Ninsbe the richer" said
| tbs. Well. 1 do not drudge 1t you. and as
Ithobals If I take aker to him limb by
| limb" .'s.3t
NAY, friend, that,,,1s not the bargain.
| Remember. she must be delivered to him
| without hurt or blemiSh, otherwise we shall
| cave a
Having reached the platform in front of
the tomb. the procession of mourners
ranged themseIvey about it in a semicircle.
| With their backs to the edge of the cliff
that rose sheer, for sixty feet or more
| from the plain haneath, across which, but
at a little distance from its foot, ran the
| read followed b3 the caravans of mer-
| chants in their journeys to and from the
| coast. Then, a hymn having been sung,
| invoking the blessngl of the gods on the
| dead priestess, Eissa as the Lady Baal-
| It's, unlocked the gates of bronze with a
| golden key that hung at her girdle, and
the bearers of the bowls of offerings pushed
them into the mouth of the tomb, whose
| threshold they were not allowed to pass.
Next. with bowed head and hands crossed
| upon her breast, ELISA entered the tomb,
and, locking the bronze gate behind her.
| took up two of the bowls and vanished
| with them into it's gloomy depths.
why did she lock the gates? asked a
| priestess of Mesa. ut is not customary"
Doubtless because it was her pleasure to
! do So" answered Mesa, sharply, though
etiS eAASo "ohuSISu why udu ioShSu
| the gate.
| When an hour was gone by and ELISA
| he'd not returned, her wonder turned to
fear and doubt.
Call to the Lady Baaltis,' she said, "for
her prayers are long, and fear lest she
| 81 ould Lave come to harm"
So they called. setting their lips against
| the bars Of the gate until presently ELISA
came and stood before them.
| why should you disturb me in the holy
! place." she asked.
Lady, because they set the night watch
| upon the wallis" answered Mesa, land it
| Is time to return to the temple"
Return, then" said ELISA, land leave
me in peace. What, you cannot, Mesa?
| Nay, and shall 1 tell you why? Because
you have plotted to deliver me this night to
ing to Ithobal. and when you come to them
empty-handed they will greet you with
hard words. Nay, trouble not to deny it,
Mesa. l have taken sanctuary in this holy
place.
Now Mesa pressed her thin lips together
and answered:
Those who dare to lay hands upon the
person Of the living Baaltis will not shrink
dead sisters
Il know it, Mesa, but the gates are
barred, and here have food and drink in
plenty"
Gates, however strong, can be broken, :"
answered the priestess. so. lady, do not
wait I'LL you are dragged hence like some
discovered slave"
"Ay," replied ELISA with a little laugh,
but what If, rather than be thus dishon-
cred, l should choose to break another
gate, that of my own life? Look, traitress,
here is poison and here is Steel and swear
to you that, should any lay a hand upon
me. by one or other of them will die be-
fore their eyes. Then. If you will, bear
these bones to Ithobal. and take his thanks
for them. Now, begone and give this mes
sage to my father and all those who have
plotted with him, that since they cannot
bride 1thobal with my beauty, they will do
we'll to be men and to fight him with their
swords" and shs turned and left them,
vanishing into the darkness Of the tomb.
Great, indeed, was the dismay of the
councillors eff Zimboe and the priests who
had plotted with them when, an hour later,
Mesa came, not to deliver ELISA into their
hands, but to repeat to them her threats
and message. In vain did they appeal to
Saxon, who only shook his head and an
Swered:
"Of this 1 am sure, that what my daugh-
ter has threatened that she will certainly
do If you force her to the choice. But If
| you will not believe me. go ask her and sat
| isfy yourselves. / know well what she will
| answer you, and hold that this is a judg-
| ment upon US. who first made her Baaltls
! against her will, and now would do sacri-
| lege to her office and violence to herself
| So the leaders of them visited the holy
| tomb and reasoned with ELISA through the
bars, but got no comfort from her, for she
| spoke with them cwith4t vial of poison in
| her UOSOHl anu JHe uItheu udSSeE III IeT
hand, telling them what she had told Mesa
| that they had best give up their plot and
| fight Ith0Aai like men, seeing that, even If
! she surrendered herself to them, W hsen. he
| grew weary OF her the war must coma at
| i;ts,.
For hundred years. she added this
| storm has gathered, and now it must burst.
| When 1t has rolled away it will be known
| who is master of the land the ancient city
| of Zimboe or Ithobai, king of the tribes"
| So they went back as they had come, and
next day at the dawn, with a bold face but
| heavy hearts, received the messengers of
| King Ithobal and told them their tale. The
| messengers heard and laughed.
1--WE glad" they answered, "since we
| who are not in love with the daughter of
Saxon desire war and not peace, holding, as
we do, that the time has come when yoa,
! upstart white men who have usurped the
| land should be set beneath our heel. Nor
! do we think that the task will be difficult,
| FOR surely we have little to fear from city
| whose councillors cannot conquer the will
| of a single maid"
Then, although in their despair the elders
| offered other girls to Ithobal in marriage
| as many as he would. and with them a
| great pribe in money, the ENJOYS took their
! leave. saying that nothing would avail,
| since they preferred spear thrusts to gold
| for which they had little use, and Ithobal
| their king, had fixed his heart on one wo-
man alone.
I So, with a heavy and foreboding heart,
| the city of Zimboe prepared itself to resist
| attack, for, as they had guessed, when he
learned all. the rage of Ithobal was great,
| nor would he listen to any terms that they
could offer, save one which they had no
| power to grant-that ELISA should be de-
! hvered unframed into his hands. Councils
of war were held. and to these, as soon as
| he was sufficiently recovered from his sick
| ness. the Prince Aziel was bidden for he
was known to be a skilled general; there
| fore, though he had been the cause Of much
| of their II ouble. they sought his aid. Also,
| should the struggle be prolonged, they
| hoped through him to win Israel and per
| haps Egypt, to their cause. Aziel's counsel
| was thai they should sally out against the
| army OF Ithobal by night, since he EXPECT
| ed to attack and not to be attacked but
| to this advice they would not listen, for
| they trusted to their walls. Indeed, in this
Metem supported them, and when tn,
| prince a-g-,ed with them he answered:
| Your tactics would be good enough.
| prince, If you had at your back the lions of
Judah or the wild Arab horsemen of the
| desert. But here you must deal with mon
| OF my own breed, and we Phoenicians are
| traders, not fighting men-like rats, we
| fight only when there is no other chance
| for our lives, nor do We strike the first
| blow. 1t is true that there are some good
| soldiers In the city, but they are foreign
mercenaries, and as for the rest, half
breeds and freed slaves, they belong as
| fu to CoJyo