Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-09-06

1.-THE rest IL short. Before the two
hours were gone a messenger came.
saying that the Al-jc-bal babe me do
what he had commanded.
Return answered; the princess
adorns herself. We follow presently
alone, as it is commanded
Then I threw this cloak about her
and babe her be brave, and, II we fail
ed, to choose whether she would take
Sinan or death for lord. Next, I took
the ring you had, the signet OF the dead
Al-je-bal. We came TO the guards,
and to them I showed the ring. They
bowed also, but when they saw that
we turned down the passage to the left
and not to the right, as we should have
done to come TO the doors of the inner
palace, they would have stopped us.
"'Acknowledge the signet,' I answer
ed. Dogs, what Is it to you which
road the signet takesT Then they also
let us pass.
"Now, following the passage, we
were out of the guest house and in the
gardens, and l led her to what is
called the prison tower, whence runs
tllf tN1tt way. I1tIc MtGe H1OIt
guards, whom I babe open in the name
of Sinan. They said: we obey not.
This place Is shut save to the signet
itself
"'Behold II" I answered. TT Is the
signet that he must have sent, sure
enough the captain said, to disobey
which is death
$50 they opened, though doubtfully,
and we entered, and 1 barred the door
behind us. Then, to be short. through
the darkness OF the tower basement,
guiding ourselves by the wall, we crept
TO the entrance Of that way of which I
know the secret. Aye. and along all
it's length and through the rock door
of escape at the end Of which | set so
that none can turn it save skilled ma
.ons with their tools, and into the cave
where we found you. 1t was no great
matter, having the signet, although
without the signet it had not been pos
sible tonight, when every gate Is guard
ed
Seated there on the grass in the dark
ness Goodwin told them Of their mad
Hut anu vi tHC Slh luS VI thV Suahb'
while Rosamund raised her hands and
thanked heaven for its mercies and
that they were without those accursed
walls.
You may be within them again be-
fore sunset" said Masouda grimly.
YES" answered Wulf, but not
alive. Now, what plan have you? To
ride for the coast townsI'
NO." replied Masouda. cat least not
straight, since to do so we must pass
through the country of the assassins,
who by this days light will be warned
to watch for US. We must ride through
the desert mountain lands to Emesa,
, many miles away, and cross the Oron-
ties there, then down into Baalbec and
. SO back to Beirut"
"Emesa?' said Goodwin. why, Sal
: adm holds that place. and of Baalhe'
the Lady Rosamund is princess"
(Which is besti" asked Masoudf
, shortly. THAT she should fall into tn
: hands of Salah-ed-din or back into
those of the master of the assassins
Choose which you wish"
81 choose Salah-ed din broke in
Rosamund, "for at least he is my uncle
=, and will do me no wrong"
Now at length the summer day be
: gan to break, and so soon as the dawr
! was gray. having drunk their FIJI and
as they had nothing else, eaten some
, water cress that grew in the stream
they frightened their saddle girths anC
started. Scarcely had they gone Il hun
dred yards when from the gulf be
meath that was hidden in gray mist
4 they heard the sound of horses hoof'
and mems voices.
4 Push on" said Masouda. "Al-je-ba
Is on our tracks"
h Upward they climbed through tn
gathering light till at length the.
reached q great table land that raj
> to the foot of some mountains a dozel
A miles or more away. Among thos'
mountains scared two peaks. set clos
q together. To these Masouda pointed
saying that their road ran between
them and that beyond lay the valley o
, the Orontes. While she spoke far be
? hind them they heard the sound o
a men shouting, although they could Sc
y nothing because Of the dense mist.
! Push on" said Masouda. There i
y no time to spare And they went fol-
10 ward, but only at a hand gallop, 70
"a the ground was still rough and tn
light uncertain.
"a When they had covered some 81
miles Of the distance between them an
= the mountain pass the sun rose sudder
- ly and sucked up the mist. This wa
20 what they saw: Before them lay a fla
sandy plain; behind, the stony groun
10 that they had traversed, and, ridin
:. over 1t, w miles from them, som
twenty men of the assassins.
"They cannot catch u.s. said Wul
=. but Masouda pointed to the RICH
~ where the mist still hung. and said:
"Yonder 1 see spears
Presently it thinned, n there,
., lea gue away, they saw a great bod
~ Of mounted soldiers. Perhaps theI
. were 400.
~ Look" she said. They have con
> round during the night, as | feare
. they would. Now we must cross IL
' path before them or be taken"
Half a mile farther on Il shout frol
- the great body of men 10 their RICH
~ which was answered by another shot
~ from those behind, told them that the