Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-02-05
ZALA.

aquiline nose and black hawks eyes. She
was little fair Greek, with dark
| fringed blue eyes, and pretty soft way
of smiling that she still had even now,
in the midst of fear and haunting mem
cries of a happy home. The fact OF their
both being highly born may have drawn
/ them together. For Gala, the Scythian,
was a princes son, and had known
happy life, till one day, after hunting,
he awoke from heavy sleep among the
sand dunes to find the kidnapers' ropes
about his neck and ankles. He had
fought like a young tiger, but it had
been no use. and noM-his slim high
bred beauty and his courage and strength
would doubtless fetch high price. just
now he spent most of his time in chains
for he still had fits of violence. Lying
on the deck one sunset, his black curly
head against the mast, his eyes gazing
sullenly at nothingness, he caught sight
of the girl Zoe. One of the other slave
women, foul-tongued young fury, was
hooking her for soft hearted little fool
that did not know what fate had in store
| for her. Zala knew well why the other
girls hated Zoe The Phoenician trader
spared her a few of the hardships that
would fall to the ordinary slaves share,
because he knew well enough if he did
not he might lose what promised to be
| the best of his female merchandise. For
the little Greeks steady bravery and
endurance covered frailty of body and
nerves that Zala, born horseman as he
was, recognized at once. "A touch of the
whip and she'll die" he thought, as he
watched the girl face the woman's gibes.
/ The cool bravery of her race was in her
eyes, but the lovely, slender lines of her
| little figure were drawn tense, and the
pulse in the white throat beat like a
hammer, and as the woman tainted on
roughly telling of Tara's slave market,
and other things, Zoe seemed to be
| bracing herself against physical blows,
as she leaned against the side of the
pitching galley. Zala rose with growl,
| to stagger against the mast, for he had
| forgotten that his ankles were roped.
| The woman shrank away, for she got as
good as she gave from the Scythian's
sharp tongue In that day men often
| knew many languages. Zala had been
| fighter and, young as he was, had been
| In many strange camps, so he was able
to speak to Zoe, who, as soon as her
enemy had departed, collapsed into a
| frightened, trembling. child. From that
hour they were friends She would bring
him her share of food and drink, for
Zala, being rebellious, was often half
| starved. Sometimes he would eat wolf
| ishy, for he was no saint to deny him
self But then he would look at the
sweet, delicate face, and demand half
angrily, Hast thou eaten?" and she
would lie to him and say eyes. Zala,
yes"
| 1t was on one of these occasions that
he caught her to him fiercely and put
| his lips to hers 1t was enough to him
that she returned his kisses before he
| felt the slave merchants whip across his
shoulders. That also was enough for
his passionate nature, and fierce, unsub-
dued pride. He gripped the girl to him
! tigerishly, and she chung to him though
she was bruised and hurt in his savage
embrace. They tore her away from him
at last. and Zala was tied up and
thrashed, then flung under the deck to
mediate upon his sins, faint and sick,
but absolutely unsubdued. Two nights
afterward there was a heavy storm, the
slaves were driven below, and discipline
was somewhat relaxed by imminent dan
ger.
The storm had driven the galley out
of its course. For Zala and Zoe the in
evitabe separation was delayed, perhaps
for months. There was a glory not of
earth in the girls blue eyes. The trader
grunted with satisfaction; she was grow
| ing fairer every day, she would fetch
much gold. As for Zala, he was more
amenable. The trader did not guess at
| the reason that made the Scythian put
aside his fierce pride--because with tied
| limbs he could not, with all his cunning,
arrange those desperate stolen meetings
that were life to two souls on the slave
ship. In one of those dangerous hours,
Zala noticed how Zoe coughed-a hack
ing little cough--and how the cold air
was making her shiver. She was made
for warmth and light. A chill Novem-
| Der in the northern sea was not good
| for her, he thought anxiously So one
night he rose and made his way to the
traders cabin in the fore part of the
! galley. Under the light of swinging
lamp sat the Phoenieian casting up ac.
counts on a huge. sheet of parchment
He looked up. Zala stood with his back
to the cabin door, his dark eyes burning
tlre IN the paltor of his face. The trader
had merely to call his men. to have him
dragged back to the lower deck. But
he did not call He had lived a fearless
and evil life, but he feared his gods He
said afterward that Zala had the very
fire of Bael in his eyes, that night as he
spoke-quickly and hoarsely like man
in a fever
What hast thou done with the child :
Answer me, man, answer!"
The young Scythian had once com
manded men. The sense of that made
his tone like a whip lash, for all his
present fate. The trader could cope with
that, so he shrugged his shoulders and
answered, "Ah, ha, so it is that, is itp'
The terrible burning eyes fixed him
again. Give her to me-" said Zala.
give her to me, or by the gods it's my
dead body thou shalt take on thy ship
to Tara and--I am valuable. See!" He
rent the tattered tunic from him. and