The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-23
THE BRETHREN
A Romance of the Crusades
BY H. RIDER HAGGARD

IN which they had grown from child
nood TO youth, and from youth to
man estate in the company of the
ISu' lost Rosamund, who was the love
Vi poln, and whom both went forth to
seen mat past was all behind them.
anu III front a dark and troublous fu-
lure, OF which they could not read the
mystery nor guess the end.
Would they ever look on Steeple
nan again? Where they who stood
there about to match their strength
ana courage against all the might of
oaiadlh' doomed to fail or gloriously
to succeed?
through the darkness that shrouded
their forward path shone one hrieht
star OF love-but for which of them
dld that star shine, or was il per-
chance for neither? They knew not
row could they know aught save that
the venture seemed very desperate
indeed, the few to whom they had
spoken of it thought them mad. Yet
they remembered the last words of
SIR Andrews, bidding them keep a
nigh heart, since he believed that
things would yet go we'll 1t seemed to
them' IN trust, that they were not
quite alone-as though his brave spirit
colnpanoned them on their search.
guldlng their feet, with ghostly coun-
sci which they could not hear. They
remembered also their oaths to him. to
one another, and to Rosamund; and in
silent token that they would keep
them to the death, pressed each 9TH
ef's hands. Then turning their horses
southWards, they rode forward with
hght hearts, not caring what befel, if
only at the last, living or dead, Rosa
mund and her father should. in his
own words, find no cause to be
ashamed of them.
Through the hot blaze of a July
morning a drOmon, as certain mer-
chant vessels of that time were called.
might have been seen drifting before a
hght breeze into st. Georges bay, at
Beirut, on the coast of Syria. Cyprus,
whence she had sailed last, was not
hundred miles away, yet she had taken
six days to do the journey, not on ac-
count of storms-of which there were
none at this time of year, but through
lack of wind to move her Still, her
captain and the motley crowd of pas
sengers-for the most part, Eastern
merchants and their servants, together
with number of pilgrims of all ma
t1ons-thanked God for so prosperous
voyage-for in those times he who
crossed the seas without shipwreck was
very fortunate. Among these passen-
gers were Goodwin and Wulf, travelling,
as their uncle had hidden them, I'M
attended by squires or by servants.
Upon the ship they passed themselves
off as brothers named Peter and John
of Lincoln, a town of which they knew
something, having stayed there in their
way to the Scottish wars, simple gen.
tlemen of small estate, making a pill
gr1mage to the Holy Land in penitence
for their sins and for the repose of
the souls of their father and mother.
At this tale their fellow passengers,
with whom they had sailed from Ge-
noa. to which place they travelled over
land, shrugged their shoulders. For
these brethren looked what they were,
knights of high degree; and consider
ing their great stature, long swords,
and the coats of mail they always bore
beneath their gambesons, none believed
them but simple gentlefolk, bent on a
pious errand. Indeed, they nicknamed
them Sir Peter and Sir John and as
such they were known throughout the
voyage.
The brethren were seated together in
a little place apart in the bow of the
ship, and engaged. Goodwin in reading
from an Arabic translation of the Cos
pei made by some Egyptian monk, and
Wulf in following it with little ease
in the Latin version. OF the former
tongue, indeed, they had acquired
much in their youth. since they learn
ed it from St. Andrew with Rosa
mund although they could not talk 1t
as she did. who had been taught to
lisp it as an infant by her mother.
Knowing that much might hang upon
a knowledge of this tongue. they oc-
cupied their long journey in studying
It from such books as they could get;
also in speaking it with priest, who
had spent many years in the East,
and instructed them for a fee, and with
certain Syrian merchants and sailors.
Shut the book, brother" said Wuif;
there is Lebanon at last" and he
pointed to the great line of mountains
revealing themselves dinly through
their wrappings of mist. Glad l am
to see them, who have had enough of
these crooked scrolls and earnings
Aye" said Goodwin; "the Promised
Land"
"And the Land of Promise for us
answered his brother We'll, thank
God that the time has come to act,
though how we are to set about ft is
more than l can say"
Doubtless time will show. AS our
uncle babe, we will seek out this Sheik
Jebal-"
"Hush!" said Wulf, for just then
some merchants, and with them num-
Der of pilgrims, their travel-worn faces
full of rapture at the thought that the
terrors of the voyage were done, and
they were about to set foot upon the
ground their Lord had trodden, crowd
ed forward to the bow to obtain their
first view of it, and there burst into
and songs of thanksgiving. In
deed. one of these men-a trader known
as Thomas of Ipswich-was, they
found, standing close to them, and
seemed as though he listened to their
talk.
The brethren mingled with them