The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-24

have entrusted them to one of his sub
! ordinates.
Bring me-" whispered the prince to
! his general. -Four of my own pigeons.
/ Do not disturb the thongs attached to
! the girdle when you open the cage, but
| take the ambassadors pigeons out and
substitute four of my own. Keep these
! pigeons of Damascus separate from
/ ours; we may yet have use for them in
I communicating with the governor of
/ Damascus"
/ The general quick to see the scheme
which was in the princes mind, brought
! four Baalbek pigeons, identical with
/ the othcic IL size and color. He
( brought with him also a cage, into
which TIE Damascus pigeons were put,
and thus the transfer was made with
out the knowledge of the slumbering
ambassador. His cloak was arranged
about him so that it concealed the cage
attached to the girdle and then the
ambassadors own servants were sent
for, and he was confided to their care.
When Haziddin awoke he found him
self in SumptuOus room of the palace.
He had but hay remembrance Of the
latter part OF the meal with the prince,
and his first thought went with thrill
of fear toward the cage which had
been under his cloak Finding, how
ever, that this was intact, he was much
relieved in his mind, and could but
| hope that in his cups he had not bah
| bled anything of his mission which
might arouse suspicion in the mind of
the prince. His first meeting with the
ruler of Baalbek after the breakfast
they had had together, set all doubts
finally at rest. because the prince re-
ceiVed him with a friendship which
was unmistakable. The physician
apologized for being overcome by the
potency of the wine, and pleaded that
he had hitherto been unused to liquor
OF such strength. The prince waved
away all reference to the subject. say
ing that he himself had succumbed on
the same occasion, and had but slight
recollection of what had passed be-
tween them.
fsmail assigned to the ambassador
one of the palaces near the Pantheon.
and Haziddin found himself free to
come and so as he pleased, without es-
pionage or restriction. He sDeedily
learned that one of the armies of Baal-
bek was at the north near Antioch, the
other to the west at Tripoli, leaving
the great city practically unprotected
and this unprecedented state of affairs.
jumping so cOincident with the designs
of his master. that he FASTENED to COM
municate the intelligence. He wrote:
IF Baalbek is Immediately attacked.
it cannot be protected. Half of the
army is at the shore of the Mediter-
ranean, near Tripoli; the other half is
north at Antioch. The prince has no
suspicion. If you conceal the main
body of your army behind the hills to
the south of Baalbek and come on
yourself with a small retinue. sending
notice to the prince of your arrival. he
will likely himself come out of the gates
to meet you, and, having secured his
person, while ] with my followers hold
the open gates, you can march into
Baalbek unmolested. Once with
force inside the walls of Baalbek, the
city is as nearly as possible impregna-
BILE, and, holding the prince prisoner
you may make with him your own
terms. The city is indescribably rich,
and probably never before in the his
tory of the world has there been op-
portunity of accommodating so much
treasure with so little risk
This writing Haziddin attached to the
leg of a pigeon, and throwing the bird
aloft from the walls, it promptly dis
appeared over the housetops, and a few
moments later was in the hands of its
master. the prince of Baalbek, who
read the treacherOus message with
amazement Then, initiating the ambas-
sedor's writing, he penned a note, say
ing that this was not the timeto invade
Baalbek, but as there We're rumors that
the armies were about to leave the city,
one going to the north and the other to
the west, the ambassador would send,
by another pigeon, news of the proper
moment to strike.
This communication the prince at
tached to the leg of one of the Damas-
Gus pigeons, and, throwing it into the
air, saw with satisfaction that the bird
flew straight across the hills towards
the south
Ismail that night sent messengers
on swift Arabian horses to |
Tripoli and to Antioch, recalling his /
armies. directing his generals to avoid !
Baalbek, and to join force in the