Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-08-23
said they would reach nv moonrise

Ing their way along the stony road az
n slow amblc, they crossed the bed Of
two streams, then almost dry, TIL ut
length they heard running water sound.
Ing above that Of the slow wash of the
sea to their left, and Masouda babe
them halt. SO they waited until pres
emily the moon rose In u clear sky, re.
veallng n wide river in front.
Follow me-" said Mnsouda, "for I
know the ford, and at this season the
stream Is not deep. Pilgrim Peter,
ride you Mt my side in case I should
be washed from the saddle, and. Pill
grim John, come you behind, md IL
they hang back prick the mules with
your sword point"
Thus. then, they entered the river,
which many might have feared TO do
at night, and, although once or twice
the water rose TO their saddles and
the mules were stubborn in the swift
stream, in the end gained the farther
bank in safety. Thence they pursued
their path through mountains till at
length the sun rose. and they found
themselves In a lonely land where no
n was to be seen. Hero they halted
in a grove Of oaks. off saddled their an
imals, tethered and fed them with bar
ley which they had brought upon a
mule, and ate Of the food that MnsOuda
had provided. Then. having secured
the beasts. they lay down to sleep, all
three of them, since Masouda said that
here there was nothing TO fear, and.
being weary. slept on till the heat Of
noon was past, when once more they
fed the horses and mules and, having
dined themselves, set forward upon
their way.
Now their road-if road II could be
called. for they could see nOne-ran
ever upward through rough, mountain
Gus country, where seemed to dwell
neither mar nor beast. At sunset they
halted again and Mt moomrise went for.
ward till the night turned toward
morning, when they came to n place
where was a little cave. Before they
reached this spot of a sudden the ST.
lence of those lonely hills was broken
by a sound of roaring. not very near
to them, but loud and long.
Lions said Masouda. 1--WE draw
near the country where there are many
of them and therefore shall do well to
halt presently. since it is best to pass
through that land in daylight
SO when they came to the cave, hav-
ing heard no more of the lion, or lions,
they unsaddled there, purposing to put
the horses into it. where they would be
safe from the attack Of any such raven
ing beast. But when they tried to do
this Smoke and Flame spread out their
nostrils and, setting their feet firm be-
fore them, refused to enter the place,
about which there was an evil smell.
Perhaps jacknls have been here"
said Masouda. Let us tcther them all
in the open"
This. then, they did, building a fire
In front OF them with dry wood that
lay about in plenty, for here grew SOM
Dor cedar trees. The brethren sat by
this fire: but. the night being hot, Ma
SCUBA aid herself down about fifteen
PAGES away under "A cedar tree, which
grew almost in front of the mouth OF
the cave, and slept. being tired with
long riding. Wulf slept also, since God
win had agreed to keep watch for the
first part of the night,
For an hour or more he sat close by
the horses and noted that they fed un-
easily and would not lie down. Soon,
however, h was lost in his own
thoughts and. aS he heard no more OF
the lions, fell 10 wondering over the
strangcness of their journey. He VOL
dercd also about Masouda, who she
was, how she came to know so much,
why she b%efriended them, if she really
was II friend. and other things. Why,
he was sleeping at his post, and the
eyes in the darkness yOnder were not
those of a oma Women's eyes were
not green and gold; they did not grow
large, then lessen and vanish.
The night was very still and the 81
lence deep. Rising, lie began to walk
up and down in front of the cave,
drawing his sword and holding 1t in his
band. Masouda lay upon the ground
with her head pillowed on a saddlebag,
and the moonlight fell through the ce-
dar boughs upon her face. Goodwin
stopped to look at it and wondered that
he had never noted beforahow beauti-
full she was.
Goodwin turned aside. 1t seemed not
right 10 watch her thus, although In
truth he had only come to know thai
she was safe. lie went back to the
fire and, lifting a cedar bough, which
blazed like a torch in his left hand
was about to lay it down again on thu
center of the fame when suddenly h'
heard the sharp and terrible cry of &
woman in an agony of pain or fear
and at the Same moment the horse!
and mules began TO plunge and snort
In an instant, the blazing bough still
in his hand. he was back by the cave
and, 10. there before him. the form o
Masouda hanging from its jaws. stoo(
a great yellow beast, which. although
he had mover seen its like, he knew
must be a lioneSs.
The woman in Its mouth cumDereI
It. and, running swiftly, Goodwin came
face to face with the brute just OPP
posite the fire. He hurled the burnln,
=, bough ut il. whcreon il dropped Ma
, SCUBA and, rearing itself straight upol
: its hind legs. stretched out its claw
and seemed about to fall on him, Fo
, this Goodwin did not wait. He charge
straight at it and with all the strengtl