The San Francisco call., 1905-01-29

Jerusalem was destroyed and its King
a prisoner. The holy rood was taken
as a trophy. Two hundred knights of
the sacred orders lay within a score of
yards of them, butchered cruelty by
those very emirs and doctors of the
law who stood grave and silent behind
their masters seat, at the express
command of that merciless master.
Defeated, shamed, bereaved-yet they
ate, and. being human, could take
comfort from the thought that having
eaten. by the law of the Arabs.sat least
their lives were safe.
Saladin called Goodwin and Wuf to
him that they might interpret for him,
and gave them food. and they also ate
who were compelled to it by hunger.
Have you seen your cousin, the
Princess? 2" he asked; "and how found
you her?" he asked presently.
Then. remembering over what ne
had fallen outside her tent, and look-
ing at those miserable feasters, anger
took hold Of Goodwin, and he answered
boldly:
Sire, we found her sick with the
sights AMI sounds of war and shamed
to know that her uncle the conquer
ing sovereign of the East, had slaught-
cred two hundred unarmed men,"
Wulf trembled at his words, put
Saladin listened and showed no anger.
Doubtless he answered, she
things me cruel, and you also think me
cruel-a despot who delights in the
death of his enemies. Yet it Is not 30,
for I desire peace and to save life, not
to destroy 1t. It Is you Christians VINO
for hard upon hundred years nave
drenched these sands with blood, be-
cause you say that you wish TO possess
the land where your prophet nveo ana
died more than eleven centuries ago.
How many Saracens have you siam
Hundreds of thousands of them. More
over, peace with you is no peace. Inese
orders that destroyed tonight nave
broken it a score of times. Well, VIII
bear no more. Allah has given me ana
my army the victory, and Will take
your cities and drive the Franks back
into the sea. Let them seek their own
lands and worship Allah there after
their own fashion and leave the East
in quiet.
Now. Sir Goodwin, tell these captives
for me that tomorrow / send those OF
them who are unwounded to Damascus,
there to await ransom while l Deslege
Jerusalem and the other CHRISTIAN
cities. Let them have no fear; I have
emptied the cup of my anger; no more
of them shall die, and priest of their
faith, the Bishop of Nazareth, shall
stay WIFI lUtlI SlCh ill luJ oAAAS ~
minister to them after their own rites. ,
SO Goodwin rose and told them, and
they answered not a word, who had
lost all hope and courage.
Afterward he asked whether he and
his brother were also to be sent to Da-
mascus.
Saladin replied, mo; he would keep
them for a while to interpret, then they
might go their ways without ransom"
AZ. @-It nr1r hn nn r.
tiveS were sent to Damascus, and that
day Saladin took the castle of Tiberias.
setting at liberty Eschiva, the wife of
Raymond, and her children. Then he
moved on to- Acre, which he took, re-
lievinG four thousand Moslem captiveS,
and so on to other towns, all Of which
fell before him, till at length he came
to Ascalon, which he besieged in form,
setting up his mangonels against its
walls.
The night was dark outside of AS
Gallon, save when the flashes of light
ming in the storm that rolled down
from the mountains to the sea lit 1t up,
showing the thousands of white tents
set around the city, the walls and the
sentries who watched upon them, the
feathery palms that stood against the
sky, the mighty, snow-crowned range
of Lebanon and encircling all the black
breast of the troubled ocean. In a
little open space of the garden of an
empty house that stood without the
walls, man and a woman were talk
ing, both of them wrapped in dark
cloaks. They were Goodwin and Ma
souda.
well" said Goodwin, eagerly, 'is all
ready?"
She nodded and answered:
AT length, all. Tomorrow afternoon
an assault will be made upon Ascalon,
but even if it is taken the camp will
net be moved that night. There will
be great confusion and Abdullah, who
is somewhat sick, will be the captain
of the guard over the Princess tent.
He will allow the soldiers to slip away
to assist in the sack of the city. nor
will they betray him. AT sunset but
one eunuch will be on watch-Mes-
rour and 1 will find means to put him
to sleep. Abdullah will bring the Prin-
cess to this garden disguised as his
young son and there you two and /
shall meet them"
What them" asked Goodwin.
do you remember the old Arab
who brought you the horses Flame
and Smoke and took no payment for
them, he who was named Son of the
Sand? Well, as you know, he is my
uncle, and he has more horses of that
breed. l have seen him and he is
we'll pleased at the tale of Flame and
Smoke and the knights who rode
them, and more particularly at the
way in which they came to their end,
which he says has brought credit to
their ancient blood. At the end of
this garden is cave, which was once
a sepulchre. There we shall find the
horses-four of them--and with them
nv uncle, Son of the Sand, and by the
morning light we shall be a hundred
miles away and lie hid with his tribe
until we can slip to the coast and
board a Christian ship. Does it please
you?"
very we'll; but what is Abdullah's
price?''
lone only-the enchanted star. the
Luck of the House of Hassan-for
nothing else will he take such risks.
VIII Sir Wulf give it?''
surely answered Goodwin with a
laugh.
Good. Then it must be done to-
night When I return I will send Alb
dullah to your tent. Fear not; If he
takes the jewels he will give the price.
since otherwise he thinks it will bring
him i'll fortune"
Does the lady, Rosamund know ?''
asked Goodwin again.
She shook her head.
Nay, she is mad to escape; she
thinks of little else all day long, But
what is the use of telling her till the
time comes? The fewer in such a plot
the better and if anything goes wrong