The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-27
THE BRETHREN
A Romance of the Crusades
BY H. RIDER HAGGARD.

am his slave
He is the enemy of Saladin. and
may help us for his hates sake
Yes, he is the enemy of Salah-ed-
din now more than ever. He may
help you or he may not. Also" she
added, with meaning, you may not
wish the help he offers. Obi" and
there was a note of entreaty in her
voice, think, think! For the last time,
pray you, Think
I'VE have thought" answered God
win, solemnly; land, whatever chances,
| we will obey the command of the
| dead"
She heard, and bowed her head In as
sent, then said, looking up again:
$50 be it. You are not easily turned
from your purpose, and 1 like that
spirit we'll. But hear my counsel
While you are in this city speak no
Arabic and pretend to understand none
Also drink nothing but water, which
! Is good here, for the lord Sinan sets
strange wines before his guests, that
II they pass the lips, produce visions
ana Kind of waking madness in which
| You might do deeds whereof you were
: afterward ashamed. Or you might
swear oaths that would sit heavy on
your souls, and yet could not be broken
except at the cost of life
Fear not" answered Wulf. Water
Shall be our drink. who have had
enough of drugged Wines" for he re-
membered the Christmas feast in the
Hall at Steeple
You, Sir Goodwin" went on Masou-
da, have about your neck a certain
ring which you were mad enough to
snow 10 me. Stranger-a ring with
writing on it that none can read save
the great men that in this land are
calied the dais. Well, as it chances,
the secret is safe with me; but be wise
| and say nothing of that ring. and let
no one see it,
why not?" asked Goodwin. ut is
the token of our dead uncle to the AL
| je-bal'
She looked around her cautiously and
| replied:
Because it is, or was once, the great
Slgnet, and a day may come when 1t
Will save your lives. Doubtless when
the lord who is dead thought it gone
forever he caused another to be fash
Toned, so like that l who have had it
in my hand could not tell the two
apart. To him who holds that ring
all gates are open: but to let it be
known that you have it's double means
death, Do you understand
They nodded. and she continued:
"Lastly-though you may think that
this seems much to ask-trust me al
ways, even if l seem to play you false,
who for your sakes," and she sighed,
have broken oaths and spoken words
for which the punishment is to die by
| torment. Nav, thank me not, for 1 do
| only what l must who am a slaYe-a
| slave"
"A slave to whom?" asked Goodwin,
| staring at her.
ITO the Lord of all the Mountains"
she answered with smile that was
sweet yet very sad to see: and without
another word spurred on her horse.
What does she mean" asked God
! win of Wulf. when she was out of
hearing, seeing that if Masouda speak
truth, for our salSes. in warning us
against him, she is breaking her fealty
4! to this lord?"
Il do not know. brother, and 1 do
not seek to know. All her talk may be
a part of a plot to blind us, or it may
not. Let well alone and trust in for
! tune, say II
"A good rede," answered Goodwin, and
J they rode forward In silence.
They crossed the plain, and towards
evening came to the wall of the outer
city, hating in front of the great
gateway. Here, as at the first castle,
Q band of solemn-looking mounted
men came out to meet them, and,
| having spoken a-few words with Ma
SCUBA, led them over the drawbridge
that spanned the first rock-cut moat,
| and through triple gates of iron into
the city. Then they passed up street
very steep and narrow, from the roofs
and windows of the houses on either
side of which hundreds of people
many of them seemed to be engaged
| at their evening prayer-watched them
| go by. At the head of this street they
reached another fortified gateway, on
| the turrets of which, so motionless
that at first they took them to be
| statues cut in stone stood guards
wrapped in long white robes. After
parley, this also was opened to them,
| and again they rode through triple
| doors. Then they saw all the wonder
| of the place, 10. between the outer
city where they stood and the castle,
with its inner tower that was built
around and beneath 1t, yawned vast
gulf over ninety feet in depth. Across
this gulf ran a causeway some 200
yards in length, built of blocks of
stone, quite unrailed, and not more
than three PAGES wide, which cause
way was supported upon arches rear
| ed up at intervals from the bottom of
the gulf.
ride on and have no fear" said
Masouda. Your horses are trained to
nights, and the mules and mine will
| follow
So Goodwin, showing nothing in his
face of the doubt that he felt in his
| heart, patted Flame upon the neck,
| and, after hanging back a little, the
! horse started, lifting its hoofs high
and glancing from side to side at the
| terrible gulf beneath. Where Flame
| went Smoke knew that 1t could go,
| and came on bravely, but snorting a
| little, while the mules, that did not
fear nights so long as the ground was
firm beneath their feet, followed Only
Masouda's horse was terrified, backed,
and strove to wheel round, till she
drove the spur into 1t, when of sud-
den it started and came over at
gallon.
At length they were across, and pass
ing under another gateway which had
broad terraces on either side of 1t.
rode up a long street and entered the
great court yard, around which stood
the castle, a vast and frowning fort
ress Here a white-robed officer camc
forward, greeting them with a low
bow, and with him servants who as
sisted them to dismount. These men
took the horses to a great range OF
stables on one side of the court yard
whittier the brethren followed to see
the beasts groomed and fed. Then the
officer who had stood patiently by the
while, conducted them through door
ways and down passages to the guest
chambers, large vaulted rooms, where
they found their baggage ready for
them. Here Masouda said that she
would see them again on the follow
ing morning, and departed In company