Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-01-09


dovbc tyranny. And her rule
alone is more cruelty heavy than we
can bear already"
~ pass no criticism on phorenice's
rule. | have not seen it. But crave
your mercy Nais, on the newcomer
into this kingdom. | am strong, say
YOU, and therefore 7 am a tyrant,
say you. Now to me this sequence is
faulty
"Who should strong man use
strength for. if not for himself And
if for himself, why that spells tyran-
~. You will get all your hearts de-
,ires, my lord. and you will forget
that many thousand of the common
people will have to pay for them.
"And this is all your accusation?'
at seems to be black enough |
sn one that has a compassion for my
fellow men, my lord, and because OF
that compassion you see mo what |
am to-day. There was a time, not
long passed. when I slept rs soft and
ate as dainty as any in Atlantis"
! ! smiled. Your speech told me
that much from the first"
"Then I would l had cast the
speech OFF, too, if that is also livery
Of the tyrant's class. But l tel you
saw all the opprS ssion myself from
the oppressor's side. ] was high in
/ rhorenice's favor then"
THAT, too, is easy of credence.
Nlga is the fangirl to the empress
. 1n,1 IN bp Iii I'd
and those who have seen YlCa could
make an easy guess al the parentage
of Nais."
I'VE were the daughters OF one
birth"
The torch had filled the captains
loom with resinous smoke, but the
Hame was growing pale. Dawn was
coming in grayly through n slender
arrow slit, and with it ever and again
the glow from some mountain out OF
sight, which was shooting forth spas
nodic bursts of fire. With it also
were mutterings Of distant falling
rocks and sulen tremblings, which
had endured all the night through,
and l judged that earth was in one
of her quakinE moods, and would
probably during the forthcoming day
offer us some Christening discomforts.
On this account perhaps. my senses
were stilled to certain evidences
which would otherwise have given me
suspicion; and. also. there is no de-
nying that my general wakefulncss
was Slapped by another matter. This
woman, Nais, interested me- vastly
out of the common; the mere pres
ence of her seemed 10 warm the or
cans Of my interior: and. Will" She
was there. all my thoughts and senses
were present in the room of the cap
tain of the gate in which We sat.
But of sudden the floor of the
chamber rocked and fell away be-
meath me, and in a tumult oi dust
and litter and bales OF the captains
plumber / fell dows (still seated on
the fagstone) into a pit which had
been digged beneath it, With the Vi
olence of the descent and the fluttcr
OF all these articles about my head
] was in no condition for immediate
action; and while ! was still half
stunned by the shock, and long be-
fore | could get my eyes into service
again | had been seized and bound
and half strangled with a moose of
hide. Voices were raised that
should be dispatched at once out of
the way; but one in authority cried
out that killing me at leisure, and as
a prisoner, promised more gcnteeI
sport: and so ! was thrust down on
the floor. while a whole army of men
trod in over me to the attack.
What had happened was clear &c
me now, though | was powerless &c
do anything in hinderance. The reb
els, with more craft than anyone hac
credited to them, had driven a gal
ley from their camp under the
ground intending so to make an en-
trance into the heart of the city. lr
their clumsy ignorance, and having
no one of sufficient talent in men
suration, hey had bungled sadly botf
in direction and length. and so hao
ended their burrow under this cham
Der of the captain of the gate. The
great fagstone in its fall had, il APP
pcared. crushed four of them tc
death, but these were little noticed
or lamented. Life was to them ;
bauble of the slendcrtst price and ;
horde of others pressed through the
opening, lusting for he fight. ant
rocking nothing of their risks anc
, perils.
Half choked by the foul air of III,
galley, and trodden on by this grca
procession of feet, it was it'll,
enough | could do to help my imme
tant city. But when the chief mas
of the attackers had passed through
and there came only here and Their
one eager to take his share at storm
ing The gate, a couple OF fellow
plucked me up out of the mud on tn
: focr and began dragging me dow
through the sinking darkness of III
galley towards the pit that gave j
entrance.
, Twenty times we were jostled b.
others Fastening to the attack, cithe
= form hunger for fight or from appe
titc for what they could steal. Blu
i, we came to the open at last; ano
= half Nuifocated though ! was, con
triyed TO do obeisance and say alou,
y the prescribed prayer TO the mos
high gods in gratitude for the fires
. air which they had provided.
Our Lord he Sun WAS on he yer0