The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-04-20


Touching these Franks, what is your
will"
The beady eyes, which seemed to
search out their souls, fixed themselves
upon them, and for a long while Sinan
considered.
"Iet them stay here" he said at
length. II may have questions to ask
them"
For time there was silence. So in
tense was the silence, so dreadful
seemed that inhuman, snakelike man,
SO strange his aged, passionless coun-
cilors, and the place of council sur
rounded by a dizzy gulf, that fear took
hold of the brothers like the fear Of an
evil dream. At length there was a stir
behind them, and at word from Ma
SCUBA they separated, falling apart a
pace or two, and stood opposite each
other and sideways to Sinan. Standing
thus, they saw the curtains drawn.
Through them came four men, carrying
a stretcher covered with a cloth, be-
meath which they could see the outline
Of a form that lay there stirless. The
four men brought the stretcher to the
front of the canopy, set it on the
ground, Frustrated themselves and re-
tired. walking backward down the
length of the terrace.
Again there was silence, while the
brethren wondered whose corpse it
was that lay beneath the cloth, for
corpse it must surely be, though nei-
Their the lord of the mountain nor his
dais and guards seemed to concern
themselves in the matter Again the
curtains parted, and procession ad
vanced UP the terrace. First came a
great man clad in white robe blazon-
ed with the bleeding dagger, after
whom walked a tall woman shrouded
In long veil, who was followed by a
thickset knight clad in Frankish ar
NOR and wearing cape Of which the
cowl covered his head as though to
keep the rays Of the sun from beating
on his helmet. Lastly walked four
guards. The leader Of the little band
reached the space before the canopy
and, prostrating himself by the side
Of the stretcher, lay still. She who
walked behind him stopped also and,
seeing the black heap upon the cushion,
shuddered.
woman. unveii," commanded the
voice of Sinan.
She hesitated. then swiftly undid
some fastening, so that her drapery fell
from her head The brethren stared,
rubbed their eyes and stared again.
Before them stood Rosamund!
Yes, it was Rosamund, worn with
sickness, terrors and travel, Rosamund
herself beyond all doubt. At the sight
of her pale, queenly beauty the heap
on the cushion stirred beneath his
black cloak, and the beady eyes were
filed with an evil. eager light. Even
the dais seemed to wake from their
contemp!a alton, and Masouda bit her
red lip. turned pale beneath her olive
skin and watched with devouring eyes,
waiting to read this woman's heart
"Rosamund!' cried the brethren with
one voice.
She heard. AS they sprang toward
her she glanced wildly from face to
face, then with low cry flung an arm
about the neck of each and would have
fallen in the ecstasy of her joy had
they not held her. Indeed, her knees
touched the ground. AS they stopped to
lift her 1t flashed into Godwins mind
that Masouda had told Sinan that they
were her brethren. The thought was
followed by another. If this were so,
they might be left with her, whereas
otherwise that black robed devil
Listen" he whispered in English,
1--WE are not your cousins-we are your
brothers, your half brothers, and we
know no Arabic"
She heard and Wulf heard, but the
watchers thought that they were but
welcoming each other, for Wulf began
to talk also, random words in French,
such as Greeting, sister, We'll
found, sister, and kissed her on the
forehead.
Rosamund opened her eyes, which
had closed, and. gaining her feet, gave
one hand to each of the brethren. Then
the voice Of Masouda was heard inter-
preting the words of Sinan.
ut seems, lady, that you know these
knights
Il do-well. They are my brothers,
from whom I was stolen when they
We're drugged and our father was
killed"
How is that, lady, seeing that you
are said to be the niece of Salah-ed- din ?
Are these knights, then, the nephews
of Salah-ed-dinf'
"Nay," answered Rosamund. "they
are my fathers sons, but OF another
wife,
The answer appeared to satisfy ST.
nan. who fixed his eyes upon the pale
beauty Of Rosamund and asked no
more questions. While he remained
thus thinking n noise arose ut the end
of the terrace. and the brethren, turn
ing their heads, saw that the thickset
knight was striving to thrust his way
through the guards who stood by the
curtaias and barred his path with the
shafts of their spears. Then it came
into Codwin's mind that just before
Rosan.und unveiled he had seen this
knight suddenly turn and walk down
the terrace.
The lord Sinan looked up at the
sound and made sign. Thereon two
Of the dais sprang TO their feet and ran
toward the curtains. where they spoke
with the knight who turned and came
back with them. though slowly, as one