The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-10-16

is ROsamund?"
Gone! gone! gone" cried wulf.
Tel him, priest"
So the chaplain told him all he
knew.
Thus have we kept our oaths." went
on Wulf. "Oh. what can we do now,
save die for very shame?"
Nay, answered Goodwin, dreaming
ly; we can live on to save her. See,
these are her tokens-the cross for me.
the blood-stained sword for you, and
about its hilt the chain, a symbol of
her slavery. Now both of us must
bear the cross; both of us must WELD
the sword, and both of us must cut
the chain. or if we fail, then die"
You rave" said Wulf; land little
wonder. Here drink water. Would
that we had never touched aught else,
as she did, and desired that we should
DO. What said you of my uncle, priest?
Dead. or only dying? Nay. answer
not, let us see. Come, brother" Then
together they ran, or rather reeled.
torch in hand, along the passage.
Wulf saw the bloodstains on the floor
and laughed savagely.
The old man made a good fight"
ne said, while, like drunken brutes,
we slept. a"
They We're there. and before them,
beneath the white, shroud-like cloak.
lay Sir Andrew, the steel helm on his
head, and his face beneath it even
winter than the cloak. At the sound
or their footsteps he opened his eyes.
AT length at length" he muttered.
on, how many years have / waited
for you? Nay, be silent, for I do not
Know how long my strength will last,
but listen-kneel down and listen"
SO they knelt on either side of him,
ana IN quick, fierce words he told them
all-of the drugging, of the fight, of
the long parley carried on to give the
palmer knaVe time to climb to the win
dow; of his cowardly blow, and of
what CHANGED afterwards. Then his
strength seemed to fail him. but they
poured drink down his throat, and it
came back again.
Take horse swiftly" he gasped,
pausing now and again to rest, and
rouse the countryside. There is still a
! chance. Nay, seven hours have gone
by; there is no chance. Their plans
were too well laid; by now they will
be at sea. So hear me. Go to Pales-
tine. There is money for your faring
in my chest, but go alone, with no
! company, for in time of peace these
would betray you Goodwin, draw off
this ring from my finger, and with it
as token, find out Jebal, the black
| sheik of the Mountain Tribe at Mas
yaf on Lebanon, and bid him remem-
| Der the vow made to Andrew Darcy,
| the English knight. If any can aid
you, it will be Jebal, who hates the
| Houses of Nur-ed-din and of Ayoub
&c. L charge you, let nothing say
| nothing-turn you aside from seeking
| him.
afterwards act as God will guide
! you. If he still lives, kill that traitor
! Nicholas and Hugh Lozelle, but, save
in open war, spare the Emir Hassan,
| who did but do his duty as an East
| ern reads it, and shown some mercy,
for he could have slain or burnt us
| all. This riddle has been hard for me !;
yet now, I'm my dying hour, l seem to
J see it's answer. I think that Saladin
| did not dream in vain. Keep brave
! hearts, for I think also that at Masyaf
| you will find friends, and that things
will yet go WELL and our sorrows bear
| good fruit"
What is that you said? She left
| you my fathers sword, Wulf? Then
WELD it bravely, winning honor for
our name. She left you the cross,
Goodwin? Wear it worthily, winning
| glory for the lord. and salvation to
your soul. Remember what you have
! sworn. Whateer befall, bear no bit
! terness to one another, and be true to
one another, and to her. your lady, SO
| that when at the last you make your
| report to me before high heaven,
may have no cause to he ashamed of
| you, my nephews, Goodwin and Wulf."
For a moment he was silent, until
his face lit up as with great glad
ness, and he cried in a loud, clear
voice, Beloved wife, I hear you! Oh,
| God, l come"
Then though his eyes stayed open,
and the glad smile still rested on his
| face his Jaw fell.
Thus died Sir Andrew darcy.
! Still kneeling on either side of him,
| the brethren watched the end, and,
as his spirit passed, bowed their heads
in prayer.
1--WE have seen a great DEATH said
Goodwin presently. LET us learn a
lesson from it and when our time
comes we may die like him.
aye" answered Wulf. springing to
his feet: but first let us take ven
geance for it. Why, what is this
Rosamund's writing! Read it, God
win"
Goodwin took the parchment and read:
Follow me to Saladin. In that hope
/ live on
Surely we will follow you Rosa
! mund," he cried aloud. Follow you
through life to death or victory"
Then he threw down the paper, and
| calling for the chaplain to come to
/ watch the BODY, they ran INTO the ndli.
By this time about a half of the folk
were awake from their drugged sleep,
while others who had been doctored
by the man Ali in the barn came stag
| gering into the hall-wild-eyed white
| faced, and holding their hands to
| their heads and hearts. They were so
sick and bewildered, indeed, that it
was difficult to make them understand
what had CHANGED, and when they
! learned the truth, the most of them
could only groan. Still, a few were
| found strong enough in wit and body
| to grope their way through the dark
ness and the falling snow to Stangate
! Abbey, to Southminster, and to the
| houses of their neighbours, although
| of these there were none near, pray
! ing that every true man would arm
and ride to help them in the hunt. AL
SO Wulf, cursing the priest Matthew
and himself that he had not thought
of It before, called him from his pray
| ers by their dead uncle, and charged
! him 10 climb the church tower as
swiftly as he could, and set light to
the beacon that was laid ready there.
Away he went, taking flint, steel
| and finder with him, and ten minutes
later the blaze was iaring furiously
| above the roof of Steeple Church,
warning all men of the need of help.
| Then they armed, saddled such horses
as they had amongst them the three
] that had been left there by the mer-
| chant Georgios, and gathered all of
| them that were not too sick to ride
! or run, in the court yard of the Hall.