The Washington times., 1906-01-28

bowed and turned 10 go.
stay a moment comrades said
Leo. and. chief. give me your arm;
my scratch grows stiff; cannot walk
fast. We viii finish this hunt together"
What does thou? Art mad?" asked
Ayesha.
Il know not whether I am mad he
answered, but I know that thou art
wicked and unjust. Look now, than
these hunters none Drawer ever
breathed. That man'-and he pointed
TO the one whom the leopard had
struck down-"took my place and went
in before me because I ordered that We
should attack the creature, and thus
was felled. AS thou seest all, thou
mjghtest have seen this also. Then il
sprang on me, and the rest of these.
my friends. ran round waiting a
chance To strike, which at first they
could not do unless they would have
killed me with il, since I and the brute
rolled over and over in the snow. AS il
was, one of them seized IL with his
bare hands; look at the teeth marks
on his arm. So if they are to perish
on the mountain. !, wnO am the man
to blame, perish with them"
Now. while the hunters looked at
him with fervent gratitude in their
cleverly enough;
In truth, my lord Leo, had I known
all the tile, well highest thou have
named me wicked and unjust. but
knew only what l saw, and out Of their
own mouths did I condemn them Ny
servants, my lord here has pleaded for
you, and you are forgiven; more, he
who rushed in upon the leopard and
he who seized il with his hands shall
be rewarded and advanced. Go; but 1
warn you if you suffer my lord 10 come
into more danger, you shall not escape
so easily again"
So they bowed and went, still bless
ing Leo with their eyes, since death by
exposure on the mountain SHOWS was
the most terrible form OF punishment
known to these people, and one only
inflicted by the direct order OF Hes
upon murderers or other great Grim
mails
When we had left the sanctuary and
were alone again in the hall, the storm
that 1 had seen gathering upon Leo's
face broke in earnest. Ayesha renewed
her inquiries about his wounds, and
wished TO call Oros, the physician, TO
dress them, and as he refused this, Of
fered TO do so herself. He begged that
she would leave his wounds alone, and
then, his great beard bristling with
wrath. asked her solemnIy if he was a
child IN arms. query so absurd that
I could not help laughing.
Then he scolded her-yes. he scolded
Ayesha. Wishing to know what she
meant % by spying upon him with her
magic. an evil gift that he had always
disIiked and mistTusted. CD by con-
demning brave and excellent men, his
good friends, TO a death Of fiendish
cruelty upon such evidence, or rather
out of temper. on no evidence at all;
and CD by giving him into charge OF
them. as though he were little boy,
and telling them that they would have
to answer for IT if he were hurt: he
who. in his time, had killed every sort
of big game known and passed through
some perils and encounters.
Thus he beat her with his words.
and, wonderful 10 say, Ayesha, this
being more than woman. submitted to
the chastisement meekly. Yet had any
other man dared TO address her with
roughness even. I doubt not that his
speech and his life would have come to
a swift and simultaneous end, for l
knew that now. as of old, she could
Stay by the mere effort OF her will. But
she did not slay; she did not even
threaten, only, as any other loving wo-
man might have done, she began to cry.
Yes, great tears gathered in those love
ly. eyes OF hers and, rolling one by one
down her face. fell-for her head was
bent humbly forward-like heavy rain
drops on the marble floor.
At the sight of this touching evil
dence of her human. loving heart all
Leo's anger melted. Now it was he
who grew penitent and prayed her par
don humbly. She gave him her hand
in token of forgiveness, saying:
LEI others speak to me as they WIZ
sorry should l have been To try it,
but from thee, Leo. / cannot bear
harsh words oh, thou art cruel, cruel.
In what have 1 offended? Can l help
8. if my spirit keeps its watch upon
fhee, as indeed. though thou knewest
4. not it has done ever since we parted
yonder in the place OF life? Can /
help 1t if, like some mother who sees
her little child at play upon noun
tain's edge, my soul is torn with ag-
ony when | know thee in dangers that
am pOwerless to prevent or share?
WA: are the lives of a few half-wild
huatsiaeR that l should let them
weigh fer a single breath against thy
safety, seeing that if | slew these, 9TH
ers would be more careful of thee?
Whereas if I Stay them not, they or