Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1901-10-24
CHAPTER XVI.
Tho Strauge HOrseman.

CHAPTER XVI.
The Strange Horseman.
At this moment the guard came
near to the place where his mistress
sat, his horse having moved OF his own
accord. and as she turned towards MIN
he spoke to her:
"My dear good lady, they lie to you
when they tell you that they mean You
no harm. / have heard them talk and
I know their plans. We are all TO be
sold into slavery in the kingdom be-
You'd the Syrian desert!
Mercy" cried Ulin, turning pale as
death and clasping her hands in agony
20 nv dream! my dream"
Easy, fair lady" said Al ADDE'S
aThis black rascal knows not what
ba saws. I allowed him to speak so
that l might see how his mind ran
1T is false" exclaimed Sbubai. 4
heard them lay the plan. You, my
mistress. are to be sold for "a
The guards speech was stopped by
two OF the robbers. who threw MN
hack upon HIS uoioS, 0AN
mouth with their hands.
"sir robber." cried Ulin, stretching
her hands out towards him, deceive
me no more. I think my poor slave
has told me the truth.
"a pest upon the slave, LADY! HIS
.onoue shall come out by the roots IL
he speaks again without my leave
stick to your saddle, and keep up
your courage"
As the Arab spoke he leaped upon
the back of his horse, and ere the prih-
cess could ask another question, the
party was upon the move, the order Oh
arrangements being the same as ne
fore. a.
1--WE are not going towards the
Pharphar." said Ulin.
mo" replied Abba. I'VE are 60
ing the other way"
aThen Shubal told us the truth.
"AIas, dear mistress, dare not
say"
"But you think so?'
81 cannot deny 1t.
sand you thought so before you
heard Shubal speak?
81 feared something of the kind.
Al Abbas overheard the girls as they
tbus conyersed, and he was presently
by their side.
LADY Ulin." he said. and he spoke
sternIy and sharply; "you are now on
the move. and when you stop again 1t
will be far away from Damascus
owe something to the officers OF tnat
city. and I will repay a part OF tne
aebt by taking you away from them.
Won are to go just as far as please
20 take you; and the more quietly
YOU 90 the better it will be Tor YOU
30 YOU had better begin to accommo-
date yourself to the circumstances.
He rode back to his place and uiin
crashed the bow of her saddle for sup
port.
Courage" said Abba, riding as near
as she could. There may De some
wav 10 escape The good spirits VIII
not desert us.
The prircess heard the words, and
.bev had a marked effect upon her.
She had naturally a strong resolution
ana when she was once resolved to
hear up, her strength was not long
N coming to her assistance. On the
nrosent occasion she knew that she
hod heard the worst In fact, she had
raason to believe that her captor
meant for her the most dreadful fate
~ which one in her station could be
subject. For a while she was COM
pletely stunned by the fearful blow;
hut as she came to reason with her
.elf she saw that her only hope was
In eseape. The Arabs were low. bru-
tal and sordid, and would sell heI
for gold. She could read In theil
evil faces that they were not to Dc
touched by sympathy. What then
could she do? She must get away
from them. And II this was to be
done she must summon all her ener'
giles to the work.
put alas, the case looked hopeless
enough; what could two weak giri'
do against such odds? Only some In
terposition beyond their own efforts
could save them. SO. after all. II hell
was TO come. 1t must come from som'
unknown source. And could such hell
be found? II fervent prayers coui'
be answered. and II the most holy meet
could be met, it might be hoped for.
At the end of some two or thre'
hours the party came to a thick grow
OF palms; near which was a spring
and here they stopped just lonl
enough to water the horses. The!
had started on again, and were a
some little distance from the grove
when one OF the Arabs who rode In tn
rear, came forward and informed nj
leader that horseman was following
them. AL Abbas looked back and saw
that the stranger was a black, am
that he rode a swift and powerfu
horse.