Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-08-16
She 0nSlpcreI ono TOrd On1u-uNUuu

r& *s y 81
She answered ono Uord o~nly-"Nuu."
we had such treasures in the place, ev-
cry thief in England would be our Wis
itor. some of them bearing high names,
| think"
When everything was finished Sir
Andrew said:
Listen now, Rosamund, and you
also, my nephews. | have never told
you the true tale of how the sister of
Saladin, who was known as Zobeide,
daughter of Ayoub and afterward
christened into our faith by the name
OF Mary. camc to be my wife, yet you
should learn it IL only to show how evil
returns upon n man. After the great
Nur-ed-din took Damascus, Ayoub was
made its governor; then some three and
twenty years ago came the capture Of
Harenc, in which my brother fell.
Here | was wounded and taken prison
er. They bore me to Damascus, where
l was lodged in the palace of Ayoub
and kindly treated. Here. too. 1t was.
while lay sick. that l made friends
WIN tut .OuIk Culddll uIu Will Ills
sister ZobeiGe, whom I met secretly in
the gardens Of the palace. The rest
may be guessed. Although she num-
Dercd but half my years, she loved me
as l loved her and for my sake offered
to change her faith and fly with me to
England if opportunity could be found.
which was hard.
nNou, oc A. chapoo5 hod n Prtop6
a dark and secret man named Jebal,
the young sheik Of a terrible people,
whose cruel rites no Christian under
stands. They are the subjects Of one
Mohammed. in Persia, and live in castles
at Masyaf, on Lebanon. This mar lad
been in alliance with the Franks, and
once in q battle I saved his life from
the Saracens at the risk of my own.
wherein he swore that did I summon
him from the ends Of the earth he
would come to me IL l needed help.
Moreover. he gave me his signet ring
as a token, and, by virtue of 1t. so he
said. power in his dominions equal to
his own, though these l never visited.
You know it," and. holding up his hand,
Sir Andrew showed them a heavy gold
ring in which was set n black stone
with red veins running across the stone
in the exact shape of Il dagger, and he
heath the dagger words cut in unknown
characters.
80 in my plight I ~bethought ME Of
Jebal and found means to send him a
letter sealed with his ring Nor did he
forget his promise, for within twelve
days IoDeide and | We're galloping for
Beirut on two horses so swift that all
the cavalry Of Ayoub could not over
take them. We reached the city. and
there were married, Rosamund. There,
too, your mother was baptized a Chris
tian. Thence, since 1t was not safe for
us TO stay In the east. we took ship and
came safe home, bearing this ring Of
iebal with us, for l would not give it
up, as his servants demanded that l
should do, except to him alone.
That is the story. Since then Sal.
adm. who in those days was but n no.
bic youth, has become the greatest sui
tan that the east has ever known, and,
having been told of you, Rosamund, by
that traitor LOzelle, he seeks to take
you in your mothers place, and, daugh-
ter, l tell you that l fear him."
AT least we have a year or longer in
which to prepare ourselves or to hide"
said Rosamund. His palmer must
travel back to the east before my uncle
Saladin can have our answer"
Aye said Sir Andrew, perhaps we
have a year"
What of the attack on the quay?"
asked Goodwin, who had been thinking.
THE knight Lozelle was named there.
Yet il Saladin had to do with it, it
seems strange that the blow should
have come before the word
Sir Andrew brooded awhile, then
said:
Bring In this palmer. 1 will ques-
ton him."
So the man Nicholas, who was found
still eating as though his hunger would
never be satisfied. was brought in by
Wifi. He bowed low before the Old
knight and Rosamund. studying them
the while with his sharp eyes. and the
roof and the floor and every other de-
tail of the chamber. for those eyes OF
his seemed to miss nothing.
You have brought me Il letter from
far away, Sir Palmer, who are named
Nicholas" said Sir Andrew. II find IT
strange that IN In your holy garb
should be chosen as the messenger Of
Saladin, with whom Christian men
have little to do"
But Saladin has much to do with
Christian men. Sir Andrew. Thus he
takes them prisoner even in times of
peace, as he did me-"
"Did he. then, take the knight Lozelle
prisoncr?"
1.-THE knight Lozelley' repeated the
palmer. WAS he a big, red faced man,
with a scar upon his forehead. who al
ways wore a black cloak over his
mail?"
That might be he"
Then he was not taken prisoner, but
he came to visit the sultan at Damas.
Gus while I lay in bonds there. After
ward he left. and at Jaffa l heard that
he had sailed for Europe three months
before l did"
Now the brethren look Mt each other.
So Lozelle tcas in England. But Sir
Andrew made no comment. only he
said:
Tell me your story, and be careful
that you speak the truth"