The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-04-18
CHAPTER ri.

water, III which she mingled wine.
Goodwin drank OF it, and his faintness
left him, SO that he was able to stand
up and move his arms and legs.
"why," he said, at is nothing. was
me at all. Lady Masouda, when last
! saw you you were hanging from those
jaws. Say, are you hurtT"
NAY" she answered, "fOr / wear
mail, like you, and the teeth glanced
on 1t so that she held me by the cloak
only. Come; let us skin the beast and
take its pelt as present to the lord
AlJe-bal."
Good" said Goodwin. "And l give
you the claws for a necklace"
"Be sure that will wear them" she
answered and helped wulf to fay the
lioness while he sat by resting.
Come; let US begone from this place
rs swiftly as we can"
So having shown them the skin of
the lion that they might know it was
but a dead thing. at the sight of which
they snorted and trembled, they packed
it upon one Of the mules and rode off
slowly into valley some Ave miles
away, where was water, but no trees.
Here, since Goodwin needed rest, they
stopped all that day and the night. The
next morning, having slept we'll, he
was himself again, and they started
forward through broken country to-
ward a deep cleft on either side of
which stood tall mountain. ...
This Is Al-je,bal's gateway" said
Masouda, "aRd tonight we should sleep
In the gate, whence one days ride
brings us to his city"
upon the sides Of the cleft, they saw
castle, a great building, with high
walls, to which they came at sunset. 1t
seemed that they were expected in this
place, for men FASTENED to meet them,
who greeted Masouda and eyed the
brethren curiously. These took them
not into the castle, but to kind OF
hostelry at its back. A..
Next morAing they went on again to
q billy country with beautiful and fer
tile valleys. Through this they rode
for two hours, passing on their way
sayeral villages. where sornber eyed
people were laboring In the fields.
From each village as they drew near
to 1t horsemen would gallop out and
challenge them, whereon Masouda rode
forward and spoke with the leader
alone. Then he would touch his fore
head with his hand and bow his head,
and they rode on unmolested.
"See," she said when they had thus
been stopped for the fourth time,
"what chance you had of winning
through to Masyaf unguarded."
Now they rode up long slope and
at its crest paused to look upon a mar
velous scene Below them stretched a
vast plain, full OF villages, cornfields
olive groves and vineyards. In the
center Of this plain, some fifteen miles
away, rose a great mountain, which
seemed to be walled all about. Within
the wall was city of which the white.
nat rooted houses climbed the slopes
Of the mountain, and on its crest lev
el space Of land covered with trees and
q great, many lowered castle surround
ed by more houses.
Behold the home Of Al-je-bal, lord of
the mountain" said Masouda, where
we must sleep tonight. Now, brethren,
listen to me. Few strangers who en-
ter that castle come thence living.
There Is still time. l can pass you
back as 1 passed you hither. VIII you
60 on?"
1--WE will go on, they answered with
one breath.
"why? What have you to gain? You
seek a certain maiden. Why seek her
here whS..s yeu,say has been taken to
dtn? Decsass the AL. ebal in
bygone days swore b bcfr.end one of
your blood. But that a;-je-bal is dead.
and another OF his line rules who took
ne such oath. How do you know that
he will befriend you-how that he will
not enslave or kill you? / have power
In this land, why or how does not mat
ter. and can protect you against all
that dwell In it--as l swear | will, for
did not one Of you save my life" and
she glanced at Godwin-"except my
lord Slnan, against whom l have no
power, for am his slave" -fs
"He is the enemy of Saladin and may
help us for his hates sake. Whatever
chances, we will obey the command of
the dead" ..
She heard and bowed her head in as
sent, then said, looking up again:
80 be 1t. You are not easily turned
from your purpose. and like that
spirit well. But hear my counsel. While
you are In this city speak no Arabic
and pretend to understand none. Also
drink nothing but water, which is good
here, for the lord Sinan sets strange
wines before his guests that, if they
pass the lips. produce visions and
kind OF waking madness in which you
might do deeds whereof you were aft
erward ashamed"
Fear not" answered Wulf. Water
shall be our drink, who have had
enough of dragged wines"
You, Sir Goodwin, went on Masou-
da, shave about your neck n certain
ring which you We're mad enough TO
show TO me, a stranger, ring with
writing on ii which none can read save
the great men that in this land are