Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-22
CHAPTER XIV.
The Price of Wisdom.

A y eastern sun, monstrous and
~ molten and blinking tears OF fire.
e dwelt an instant in the west ere
"A it sank beneath the rim Of the
mountains beyond which lies the
river Danube. Instantly, as though py a
wizard 8 encEantment. the heat spell passed
Srcrn the face of the withered land and
the sweetness OF the night came down All
the woods we're alive now, as though the
voice Of Even had hidden them rejoice.
I7iyds appeared. fitting from the swaying
hcughs OF oak and elm and sycamore.
Strings buboled over as though rejoicing
that their enemy slept. Life that had peeh
dormant but ten minutes ago answered 10
the reveille 'of twilight and added a note
musical to the song. Men breathed full
breath Of the soft breezes and said that IL
was good to live The very landscape, re-
vealiug new beauties in the mellow hSht,
might have been sensible Of the hour ana
fits meaning.
1t was the evening Of the second day af-
ter Gavin Ord and his friend Arthur Ken
you had dined together IN the Hotel Mos
k va at bucharest. a railway ana Twelve
hours abuse OF its hardness had carried
them @ stage upon this Journey Wiling
Hungarian ponies, mules, IN whose eyes
the negative virtues might be read, prousht
item 90 the foot Of the mountains ana lelt
them there TO camp with what luxury they
might. Attended by sleek Turk they had
discovered In the capital their escort BOAST
ed no less than four heroes OF the hne-
for this had been Cecil Chesuys u1alter2-
bic determination. that they should not go
IL the mountains alone.
It's q fools errand and may be danger
Gus" said he. these soldiers are th'eves'
but they will see that no one else robs you.
VIII ask the ministry 90 pick out as good
sTeciueus as Ee can. Don't complain when
you see them. They are much less harm
less than they look
Gavin d.I not Ike the business ct all,
but as Chesncys good will was necessary
t. the expedition. he put up with 1t, ana
the four shabby soldiers accompanied MIN
from Bucharest They were ill-manneFed
fellows enough. raw-boned. high-cheeked,
sallOw-faCcd rufiians, whose paradise
enow" could be found wherever good come
~ plump girls and bad tobacco might be
found. Their energy at meal times became
truly proiigious. They were as ravenous
wolves. seeking what they might devour;
end. as Arthur Kenyon remarked. they
would have eaten his boots If he had taken
them of.
Now, this pretty company. Englishmen,
RCumaniaus a Greek and n Turk, en-
CRmped In the woods together upon the
evening Of the second day, and found what
comfort they could beneath the sheltering
leaves OF a spacious beech. 1t had been
Gaviu's intention to put up at = guest
house named by the guide book ne had
purchased in Vienna; but when they came
10 the place where the inn should have
stood they discovered nothing but charred
runs and ciuerous relics; and. by all the
gods said Arthur Kenyon. the red cock
has crowed here before US" romantic
ear would have listened greedily at such
time to the guides tales Of border pleas
Rntries-Eirls carried shriel<ing to the noun
taius. roofs blazing, priests burned in their
holy oils, babes hoist on bayonets-for such
they would have made a simple affair In
which a drunken herdsman and a paraf1n
lamp had figured notably; but. Gavin was
IN no mood for narratives. and he sent
them TO the right about, one for wood. an
other for water. "A third to hunt cot or
homestead II such were to be discovered.
The hotel Of the Belle Etoile after all,
he said gloomily; well II might have been
worse, Arthur
Just SO. II I had not stocked your lar
DER at Slavitesti YOU would now be doing
what the amiable Foulon advised the
French people TO do a hundred years ago
eating hay with relish, my dear boy. Well,
there's red wine strong enough to poison
White Bull and maize bread tough enough
fOr a guinea set Of ready-made grinders,
20 say nothing OF cheese, sausage and bis
cults. Fail on. Mscduff, and damned be he
who eats enough
81 don't care twopence about the food"
ND Gavin savaEely; IT'S the delay I fret