The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-05-09


Saladin sprang to his feet, his very
beard bristling with wrath, and, draw
ing his saber, shouted aloud:
You scorn Mohammed! Behold!
avenge Mohammed upon you! Take
him away and he struck him with
the fiat of his scimiter.
Then mamelukes leaped upon the
prince. Dragging him to the entrance
of the tent they forced him to his knees
and there beheaded him.
In the hush that followed this ter
rible deed King Guy said to Goodwin:
ASK the sultan if it is my turn
next"
"Nay," answered Saladin. kings do
not kill kings, but that truce breaker
has met with no more than his de-
serts." ~
Then came a scene still more dread
full. Saladin went to the door of his
tent and, standing over the body of
Reginald, babe them parade the cap
tive Templars and Hospitalers before
him. s--rS%..
"These also are faith breakers" he
shouted, land of their unclean tribes
doctors of the law"-and he turned to
the great crowd of his captains about
him-"take each of you one of them
and kill him!''
Now the emirs hung back, for,
though fanatics, they were brave and
loved not this slaughter of defenseless
men, and even the mamelukes muir
INJURED aloud.
But Saladin cried again:
"They are worthy of death, and he
who disobeys my command shall him
self be slain ~-'
Sultan" said Goodwin, 1--WE cannot
witness such crime. We ask that we
may die with them
Nay" he answered.; you have eat
en- of my salt, and to kill you would be
murder. Get you to the tent Of the
Princess of Baalbec yonder, for there
you will see nothing of the death Of
these Franks, your fellow worshipers.'
SO the brethren turned and, led by a
mameluke. fed aghast for the first
time in their lives past the long lines
of Templars and Hospitalers, who in
the last red light Of the dying day
knelt upon the sand and prayed, while
the emirs came up to kill them.
They entered the tent, none forbid
ding them, and at the end of it saw
two women crouched together on some
cushions. who arose, clinging to each
other Then the women saw also and
sprang forward with cry Of joy, say
ing:
$50 you live-you live"
aye, Rosamund." answered God
win, ito see this shame-would God
that we did not-while others die. They
murder the knights of the holy orders.
TO your knees stnd pray for their pass.
ing souls'
So they knelt down and prayed til.
the tumult died away and they knew.
that all was done
Rosamund had little to tell, excep,
that she had been well treated and Al
ways kept by the person of the sultal
marching to and fro with his army, for
lie awaited the fulfillment of his dream
concerning her. Then they told her ali
that had CHANGED to them; also of the
vision of Goodwin and its dreadful ac-
complishment and of the death of Has
san beneath the sword of Wulf. At
that story Rosamund wept and shrank
from him q little, for though it was
this prince who had stolen her from
her home she loved Hassan. Yet when
Wulf said humbly: The fault is not
mine; it was 80 fated. Would that 1
had died instead of this Saracenr'
Rosamund answered: mo. no. | am
proud that you should have conquered"
But Wulf shook his head and said:
Il am not proud. Although weary
with that awful battle, l was still the
younger and stronger man, though at
first he well nigh mastered me by his
skill and quickness. At least we part
ed friends. Look, he gave me this"
and he showed her the great emerald
badge which the dying prince had given
him.
do you know" asked Masouda.
that this jewel is very famous, not
only for its value, but because 1t is
said to have belonged to one Of the
children of the prophet, and to bring
good fortune to it's owner? There is
scarce soldier in the sultans army
who would not give all he has for yon-
der trinket, which Is known throughout
the land as the star of Hassan. So be-
ware. Sir Wulf, lest you be robbed or
murdered, although you have eaten the
salt of Salah-ed-din."
Il remember the captain Abdullah
looking at ii greedily and lamenting