The Holly chieftain., 1901-09-20
CHAPTER w.
The Israelite.

bride he was o0rely perplexed; and the
lonsershe, reelected upon. what had
transSired, the deeper grew his rage
and chasrin. He walked alone in the
garden until the sun had set, and then
he went In and called for his minister
to attend him.
"Aboul Cassem. what think you OF
this outrage which the Scourge OF Da-
mascus has now committed!"
Il think it ID hixh-handed and
startling" replied the minister.
4 Has your daughter explained more
ITO you than have yet hearA!"
'6hs has told me all she knows, slre.
The robbsr came, according to his own
account, for the purpose of wrssting
her from the King Of Damascus: but
, she refused to go with him; and 70
urgent was she in her protestations,
that Julien finally went away and lsft
her. i think. however. that his retreat
was hastened by the fear that your
majesty might be upon him with q
dangerous force"
IT have no doubt that such Is the
case, About. But the end of this IL
not yet. This daring demon has run
at large long enough. He has already
stricken fearful blows upon our COM
merce, and now he takes new course
of attack upon our defenceless daugh-
tiers. 1t has come to be so that .
caravan Is not safe to start from Da-
mascus; nor are our merchants safe In
returning from other lands. 1t must
not be-so. By the heavens above me;
II shall not be so! must fnd some
way for this mans capture. have
sent out my armies against him, and
he has either avoided them, or met
and overcome them. Life Of my soul
Just think Of 1t. He met thousand Of
over the plains of Abilene as though
they had been 80 many women. What
shall ]. do. Aboul?" sH
There is but one way, sire, that
n conceive Of. 1t seems to be useless
TO send out force against him; for he
u . Quick-witted rascal; and, II he
cannot successfully cope with them.
he can keep out OF their way. He has
spies throughout the whole land"
"AyeI know he has!" cried the
Nking. with q fresh burst Of rage. "He
Ms friends among those who live
very near to our. capital. wish l
could get hold OF them"
Get hold Of the chieftain first"
"Ah-but how?"
1T must be done by strategem, sire.
II you cannot find soma one man who
Is able to entrap the Scourge, I see
not how you are ever to overcome him.
A single man with. wilt will and en-
durance may accomplish much. A lit
tie mouse. working in secret, may
uproot great tree .te
by my life. About. you have spoken
the truth. The work must be done
secretly. Have such . man about
me!''
How j. It with Judah, the Israel
.ite!" suggested the minister.
The king started and clapped his
hands together when he heard the
name. S3
"By the shsdes Of Taftarus, GOOD
About you have hit the, very man. Ju-
dab 10 with us now. left him In the
hail a. came in from the garden. /
viii send for him"
n slave, who stood Just without the
t6or. was sent after the man who had
bssn spoken Of. and ere long he made
his appearance before his royal mas
tar. He was middls-aged man. with
black hair and keen black eyes: with
! features sharp In outline. and mouldsd
- . east Of peculiar cunning: and
with body and limbs light and muscu-
lar. He was below the ordinary size
Of man; and what he may have lacked
In physical strength was more than
made upy BY, the quickness and prtef-
sion Of movement. He had been .
dweller In Damascus since childhood,
his mother having come from Judea,
In poverty and disgrace and given him
away to an oncsr Of the kings house,
hold. Ne
Judah" spoke the monarch, Il
want you to engage in . dangerous a.
tsrprise; bpt it you are successful, The
honor viii b. greater than the danger.
Are you willing to try TT"
Anything. sire that can yield me
honor and emoiument." replied the
/Israelite. with 4 low bow. GIVE me
the freedom Of . citizen, and GRID the
sword Of lieutenant about my loins,
and ! viii undertake anything.