The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-04-09

iiSh knight. II any can aid you, il will
be Jebal. who hates the houses of Nur-
cd-din and Of Ayoub. So. charge you,
let nothing-I say nothing-,urn you
aside from seeking him"
For moment the dying man was ST.
lent. until his face lit up as with a
great gladness, and he cried in loud.
clear voice: Beloved wife, l hear you!
o God, Gomez
Then, though his eyes stayed open
and the smile still rested on his face,
his jaw fell.
Thus died Sir Andrew Darcy.
I'VE have seen a great DEATH" said
Goodwin presently. Let US learn
lesson from it, that when our time
Cones we may die like him."
Aye" answered Wulf. springing to
his feet. But first let us take venge-
ance for it. Why, what is this? Rosa
mund's writing. Read it, Goodwin"
Goodwin took the parchment and read:
Follow me to Saladin. In that hope
/ live ON
Surely we will follow you, Rosa
mund"' lie cried aloud Follow you
through life to death or victory"
Then he threw down the paper. and
calling for the chaplain to come to
watch the body they ran into the hall.
By this time about half OF the folk
were awake from their drugged sleep.
while others who had been doctored in
the barn staggered into the hall. A
few were found strong enough in wit
and body to grope their way through
the darkness and the falling snow to
Stangate abbey, to Southminster and
to the houses of their neighbors, al
though Of these there were none near,
praying that every true man would
arm and ride to help them in the hunt;
also Wulf called the priest Matthew
and charged him to climb the church
tower as swiftly as he could and set
light to the beacon that was laid ready
there.
Away he went, taking flint, steel and
finder with him, and ten minutes later
the blaze was faring furiously above
the roof of Steeple church warning all
men of the need for help. Then they
armed, saddled such horses as they
had, among them the three that had
been left there by the merchant Geor-
gios, and gathered all of them who
were not too sick to ride or run in the
courtyard Of the hall.
At length the dawn began to break,
and by its first gray light they saw
men mounted and afoot feeling their
way through the snow, shouting to each
other as they came to know what
dreadful thing had happened at Stee-
pie. Soon as a band was got together
perhaps thirty men in ail-and there
began to search, though where to look
they knew not, for the snow had GOV,
cred up all traces Of their foes.
zone thing is certain" said Goodwin,
'they must have come by water"
AYE" answered Wulf, 'and landed
near by, since had they far to go they
would have taken the horses and must
run the risk also Of losing their path
in the darkness. To the staithe! Let
us try Steeple staithe."
So on they went across the meadow
to the creek. Beneath the thin Goa ting of
rhine they found a mark in the mud
by the staithe, made by the prov Of
large boat, and not far from it hole
in the earth into which a peg had been
driven to make her fast.
ITO st. Peters n-the-Wallv' cried
Wulf. ITO st. Peters, 1 say, for there
the boats or ship must pass, and may be
that in the darkness they have not yet
won out to sea-"
So they turned their horses heads,
and those Of them that were mounted
rode for st. Peters. On they galloped
through the falling snow, Goodwin and
Wulf leading the way, while behind
them Numbered an ever gathering
train Of knights, squires and yeomen,
who had seen the beacon fare on Stee-
pie tower or learned the tale from
messengers.
Hard they rode, but the lanes were
heavy with fallen snow and mud be-
meath, and the way was far. so that an
hour had gone by before Bradwell was
left behind and the shrine Of st. Chad
lay but half a mile in front. Now Of
a sudden the snow ceased, and a strong
northerly wind springing up drove the
thick mist before it.
"What is that" said Goodwin pres
emily, pointing to a great dim thing
upon the vapor hidden sea.
AS he spoke a strong gust Of wind
tore away the last wells Of mist. reveal
ing the red face of the risen sun and
not hundred yards away from them
for the tide was high-the tall masts Of
a galley creeping out to sea beneath
her banks of oars. AS they stared the
wind caught her, and on the mainmast
rose her beliying sail, while shout Of
laughter told them that they them
selves were seen. To the fore peak
ran up the yellow flag of Saladin,
streaming there like gold in the golden
sunlight.
Nor was this all, for on the high
poop appeared the tall shape of Rosa
mund herself and on one side of her,
clad now in coat of mail and turban,
the emir Hassan, whom they had
known as the merchant Georgios, and
on the other a stout man, also clad in
mail. who at that distance looked like
q Christian knight
In his fury and despair Wulf drove
his horse into the water till the waves
I 7XFVYNV !