The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

This is the second installmcnt OF
"Thc Brethren H. Rider Haggard's
latest novel. "Thc Brethren" Is
stirring romance of the Crusades, and
marks the authors entry into the
ranks of the writers of historical ro-
nance. Although radically more tenn
pcratc than many of the stories that
made Mr.. Haggards fame, "The
'Brethren' still possesses all the power
10 interest and hold the reader that
this authors more purely imaginative
earlier works possessed.
''The Brethren" will appear in five
il,staIlments.
Copyright. 1904, by Mcclure, Phillips
& Co.
7ROM that day forward fear
settled on the place-fear of
y some blow that none could
Il foresee, and against which they
could not guard. Sir Andrew
even talked of leaving Steeple and OF
taking up his abode in London, where
he thought that they might be safer
but such foul weather set in that II
was impossible TO travel the roads.
and still less to sail the sea. So 1t
. was arranged that if they moved at
all-and there Awere many things
against it, not the least of which were
Sir Andrews weak health and the
lack of a house to go tot should not
be till after New Years day.
Thus the time went on, and nothing
happened to disturb them. The friends
of whom the old knight took counsel
laughed at their forebodings, saying
that so long as they did not wander
about unguarded. there was little
danger of any fresh attack on them,
and if one should by chance be made.
with the aid of the men they had
they could hold the hall against
company until help was summoned.
Moreover, at heart, none of them be-
lieved that Saladin Or his emissaries
would stir in this business before the
spring, or more probably until another
year had passed. Still. they always
set guards at night, and, besides
themselves, kept twenty stout men
sleeping at the hall, and arranged also
that on the lighting of a signal nre
upon the tower Of Steeple Church
their neighbors should come to succor
them
So the time went on toward Christ
mas, before which the weather changed
and became calm with sharp frost.
1t was on the shortest day that
Prior rode up to the hall and told Sir
Andrew that he was going to South
minister to buy some wine for their
Christmas cheer. The knight asked
what wine there was at Southminster.
The Prior answered that he had heard
that ship laden among other things
with wine OF Cyprus of wonderful
quality had come into the river
Crouch with her rudder broken. He
added that as no shipwrights could
be got from London till after the
Christmas feast to repair il, the chap
man, a Cypriote, who was in charge of
the wine, was selling as much as he
could in Southminster and to the
houses about at a cheap rate. and de-
livering it by means of vain that ne
had hired.
sir Andrew replied that this seemed
a fair chance to get fine liquor, which
was hard to come by in Essex in
those times. The end of 1T
was that he bade Wulf. whose taste
in strong drink was nice, to ride with
the Prior into Southininster, and If
he liked the stuff to buy a few casks
of it for them to make merry with at
Observation-Disclosures he himself. be-
cause of his ailments, now drank only
water.
So wulf went. nothing loth-for in
this dark season of the year when
there was no fishing, it grew very dull
loitering about the hall, and since he
did not read much, like Goodwin. sit
ting for long hours by the fire at night
watching Rosamund going to and fro
upon her tasks but not speaking with
her overmuch. For Notwithstanding
all their pretense of forgetfulness, some
sort of veil had fallen between the
brethren and Rosamund and their in
tercourse was not SO open and famlllar
as of old. She could not but remember
that they were no more her cousins
- 1.-r Lao % nd f10f q
must guard herself lest she seemed to
show preference to one above the 9TH
err The brethren for their part must
always bear in mind also that they
were bound not tc show their love, and
that their cousin Rosamund was no
longer a simple English lady. but also
by created rank, as by blood, prin-
cess of the East, whom destiny might
yet lift beyond the reach of either OF
them.
Moreover. as has been said. dread
sat upon the rooftree nkfa croaking
raven, nor could they escqte from the
shadow of it's wing. Far away in the
East a mighty monarch had turned
his thoughts toward this English
home and the maid of his royal blood
who dwelt there and was mingled with
his visions of conquest and of the
triumph of his faith. Driven on by
no dead oath. by no mere fancy of inn
perial desire, but by some spiritual
hope or need, he had determined to
draw her to him. by fair means il he
could; il not, by foul. Already means
both foul and fair had failed, for that
the attack at Death Creek quay had
to do with this matter they could no
longer doubt. 1t was certain also
that others would be tried again and
again till his end was won or Rosa
mund was dead-for here. IL even she
would go back upon her word, mar
riage itself could not shield her. So
the old house was sad and saddest OF
all seemed the face of the old knight.
Sir Andrew, oppressed as he was with
sickness. with memories and fears.
Therefore, Wulf could find pleasure
even in an errand to Southminster to
buy wine, OF which, in truth, he would
have been glad to drink deeply, IL only
to drown his thoughts awhile.
So away he rode up SteepIe Hill with