The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-18

here. II so, you must cut them down
or be cut down. and bring your story
to an end. Sir Goodwin. here is an
other key that you may use if you
are alone. Take it,"
He did so, and Masouda continued.
Now il both of YOU. or one OF you.
win through TO this cave, enter with
your horses. lock the door bar Il, and
wait. If may be / will join you here
with the princess. But II 1 do not
come by the dawn and you are not
discovered and overwhelmed-which
should not be. seeing that one man can
hold that door against many-then
know that the worst has happened.
and fly to Salah-ed-din and tell him
of this road. by which he may take
vengeance upon his foe Sinan. Only
then. l pray you. doubt not that have
done nv best. who II fail must die
most horribly. Now. farewell. I'M
til we meet again or-do not meet
again. Go; you know the road"
They turned to obey. but when they
had gone n few PAGES Goodwin look
ed round and saw MaSouda watch
ing them. The moonlight shone full
upon her face, and by it he saw also
that tears were running from her dark
and tender eyes. Back he came again,
and with him Wulf. for that sight
drew them. Down he bent before her
till his knee touched the ground. and.
taking her hand. he kissed it, and said
in gentle voice:
''Henceforth through life, through
death, we serve two ladies'" and what
he did Wulf did also.
"Mayhap," she answered sadly; two
ladies-but one love"
Then they went and, creeping
through the bushes to the path, wan
nh 10
ana came to the guest-houSe safely.
Once more it was night, and high
above the mountain fortress of Masyaf
shone the full summer moon. lighting
crag and tower as with some vast sill
yer lamp. Forth from the guest
house gate rode the brethren. side
by side upon their splendid steeds,
and the moon-rays sparkled upon their
coats of mail, their polished bucklers,
blazoned with the cognizance of a
grining skull. their close fitting helms.
and the points of the long tough lances
that had been given them. Round
them rode their escort, while in front
and behind went mob of people.
The nation of the Assassins had
thrown off its gloom this night, for
the while it was no longer oppressed
even by the fear of attack from its
mighty foe, saladin. To death IL was
accustomed; death was it's watchword;
death in many dreadful forms its daily
bread. From the walls of Masyaf, day
by day. fedais went out to murder this
great one, or that great one. at the
bidding of their lord Sinan. For the
most part they came not back again:
they waited week by week, month by
MONTH year by year, till the moment
was ripe. then gave the poisoned cup
or drove home the dagger and es-
capped or were slain. Death waited
them abroad, and If they failed, death
waited them at home The dreadful
caliph was himself a sword of death
At his will they hurled themselves
from towers or from precipices; to sat
isfy his policy they sacrificed their
wives and children. And their re-
ward-in life, the drugged cup and
voluptuous dreams; after, it, as they
believed, still more voluptuous para
disc.
All forms OF human agony and doom
were known to this people; but now
they were promised an unfamiliar
sight, that of Frankish knights STAY
ing each other in single combat be-
meath the silent moon, fitting at full
gallop upon narrow place where
many might hesitate to walk, and
oh, joy!-falling perchance, horse and
NJ
So they were happy, for to them this
was night of festival. to be followed
by a morrow of still greater festival,
when their sultan and their god took
to himself this stranger beauty as a
wife. Doubtless, too. he would soon
weary of her, and they would be call
ed together to see her cast from some
topmost tower and hear her frail bones
break on the cruel rocks below Or
{ a -
watch her writhe out her life in the
pangs of poison upon a charge of
sorcery. 1t was indeed a night Of
festival, night filled full of promise
of rich joys to come
On rode the brethren, with stern, i'm
passive faces but wondering in their
hearts whether they would live to see
another dawn. The shouting crowd
surged round them, breaking through
the circle of their guards. A hand
was thrust UP to Goodwin; in il was
letter. which he took and read by
the bright moonlight. It was written
in English, and brief:
I cannot speak with you. God be
with you both, my brothers, God and
the spirit of my father. Strike home,
Wulf. strike home, Goodwin, and fear
not for me who will guard myself
Conquer or die. and in life or death,
await me. Tomorrow in the flesh, or
in the spirit, we will talk-Rosa,-
mund."
Goodwin handed the paper to wulf,
and, as he did so, saw that the guards
had caught its bearer, a wlthered,
gray-haired woman. They asked her
some questions. but she shook her
head. Then they cast her down, tram
pied the life out Of her beneath their
horses hoofs, and went on laughing.
The mob laughed also.
Tear that paper up" said Goodwin.
Wulf did so, saying:
Our Rosamund has a brave heart.
Well. we are of the same blood, and