Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-09-20

bcTcWeu Hls Heau rCunu 10 IOOK nlHO.
In 30 doing his foot struck n stone and
instantly Abdullah glanced down to see
n dead or drunken man lying almost
ut his feet. With n swift movement,
he hid the jewel and started to walk
away. Then, bethinking that It would
be we'll TO make sure that this fellow
was dead or sleeping, he turned and
thrice kicked the PROSTATE Mesrour
upon the back, and with all his
strength.
II thought I saw him move" Abdul.
lab muttered after the third kick. ut
IL best to make sure" and no drew bis
knife.
Now, had not terror paralyzed him
Mcsrour would have cried out, but for
tunntely for himself before he found
his voice AbdulIah had buried the knife
three Inches deep In his fat thigh.
With an effort. Mesrour bore this also.
knowing that II he showed signs Of
life the next stroke would be In his
heart. Then, satisfied that this fellow,
whoever he might be. was either n
corpse or inscpsible, Abdullah drew out
the knife, wiped 1t on his victims robe
and departed.
Not long afterward Mesrour depart.
ed also toward the sultan's house, bel
lowing with rage aud pain and vowing
vengeance.
That very night Abdullah was SELF
ed and put to the question. In his SUI.
fering he confessed that he had been
to the tent Of the brethren and received
from n OF them the jewel which was
found upon him as q bribe to bring
the princess to 4 certain garden out
side the camp. But he named tha
wrong garden Further. when. they
asked which Of the brethren it was
who bribed him he said he did not
know. as their voices were alike and
their tent was In darkness. Moreover,
that he believed there was only one
man In it-at least he heard or saw no
other. He added that he was sum
moned to the tent by an Arab man
whom he had never seer before, but
who told him that IL he wished for
what he most desired and good fortune
he was to be there at a certain hour
after sunset. Then he tainted and was
put back in prison till the morning by
the command Of Saladin.
When the morning came Abdullah
was dead, who desired no more tor
ments with doom at the end Of them.
having made shift to strange himself
with his robe. Thus died Abdullah, as
faithful as he could be in such sore
straits, since he had betrayed neither
MasOuda nor his son, both OF whom
were In the plot, and said that only
n Of the brethren was present In the
tent, whereas he knew well that the
two of them were there and which Of
these spoke and gave him the jewel.
Very early that morning the breth-
rem, who were lying wakeful, heard
sounds without their tent and, looking
out, saw that it was surrounded by
mamelukes.
1.-The plot is discovered" said God
win to Wulf quietly, but with despair
in his face.
"Shall we fight?" asked Wulf as they
threw on their mail. But Goodwin an
swered:
May; it would serve us nothing to
kill a few brave men,
Then an officer entered the tent and
commanded them to give up their
swords and to follow him to Saladin
to answer a charge that had been laid
against them both; nor would he say
any more. So they went as prisoners
and after waiting awhile were ushered
into a large room of the house where
Saladin lodged, which was arranged
as a court, with a dais at one end.
Before this they were stood, till pres
emily the sultan entered through the
farther door and with him certain of
his emirs and secretaries. Also Rosa
mund, who looked YER pale, was
brought there, and in attendance on
her Masouda, calm faced as ever.
The brethren bowed to them, but
Snlndin, whose eyes were full of rage,
took no notice of their s~alutation. For
a moment there was silence, then Sal
adm babe n secretary read the charge,
which was brief. 1t was that they had
conspired to steal away the Princess
of Baalbec.
where Is the evidence against us?"
asked God win boldly. 1.-THE sultan is
just and convicts no man save on tes-
timony."
Again Saladin motioned to the secre'
tary, who read the words that had
been taken down from the lips of the
captain Abdullah. They demanded to
be allowed to examine the captain Alb
dullah and learned hat he was al
ready dead. Then the eunuch Mesrour
was carried forward, for walk he could
not, owing to the wound that Abdulfah
had given him, and told all his tale, how
he had suspected Abdullah and, fol.
lowing him, had heard him and one OF
the brethren speaking In the tent and
b worn that passed and afterward
e Abdullah with the jewel in his
hand.
When he had finished, Goodwin asked
which Of them he had heard speaking
with Abdullah, and he answered that
he could not say, as their voices were
50 alike, but n voice only had spoken.
Then Rosamund was ordered to give
her testimony and said, truly enough,
that she knew nothing of the plot and
had not thought of this flight. Masouda
also swore that she now heard Of it for
the first time. After this the secretary
announced that there was no more evi-
deDce and Draved of the sultan to give