Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-06-04


 Then for the second time l sworc to kill you. Yet 1 give you one Mure chance. Will you subscribe the Koran and embrace the faith of Islam or vii. you die?"
 Now the lips of Reginald turned pale and for q moment lie swayed ipon his seat Then his courage came back 10 him. aud lie answered in d strong voice.
 Sultan, l will have none of your mercy at such a price. HOT do l bow the knee to your dog of d false prophet. Saladin sprang to his feet, his very beard bristling with wrath, and, draw ing his saber, shouted aloud:
 You scorn Moha m,ned. Behold. avenge Mohammed upon you! Take him away" and he struck him with the fiat of his sciniter.
 Then manel,ikes leaped upon the prince Dragging him to tue entrance of the tent they forced him to his knees and there beheat'ed him.
 In the hush that followed this ter rihle decd King Gs;y said to G win:
 ..Ask the sultan if it is y 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 q scene still more dread full. SaiHdin went 10 the door of his tent nlti. stan'ling over the body of Reginald. bade them parade the cap tive Templars and Hospitalers before him.
 "'I'hese also are faith breakers he shouted, and of their unclcan tribes will I rid the world. Ho, my emirs and doctors of the lawr--;lnd he turned to the great crowd of his captains about hm-.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 mur- mured aloud.
 But Saladin cried again
 "They are worthy of death, and he who disobeys my command shall him. self be slain.'
 
 witness such Il 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 wonder, for there you will see nothing of the death of these Franks, your fellow worshipers."
 So the brethren turned and, led by a mameluke fled 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 knclt upon the sand and prayed. whil 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:
 "So you live-you live!'
 Aye, Rosamund," answered God win. ''to see this shame-would Gcd that we did not-while others die. They murder the knights of the holy orders. To your knees and pray for their pass ing souls"
 So they knelt down and prayed till the tumult died away and they knew that all was done.
 Rosanlund had little to tell, except that she had been we'll treated and al ways kept by the person of the sultan marching to and fro with his army, for he awaited the fulfillment of his dream concerning her. Then they told her all that had chanced 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 little, for though it was this prince who had stolen her fror3 her home she loved Hassan. Yet when Wulf said hunlbly: '"The fault is not mine; it was so fated. Would that had died instead of this Saracen.' Rosamund answered: "No, no. l an proud that you should have conquered-'
 But Wulf shook his head and said:
 "I am not proud. Although weary with that awful battle, 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. lie 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 it's value. but because 1t is said to have belonged to one of the children of the prophet, and to bring good fortune to its owner? There is scarce a soldier in the sI,tan's army who would not give all he has for yon' der trinket. which is known throughout the land as the star of IEassan. So be ware. Sir Wulf. lest you be robbed CT I..,