The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1909-04-02
|
BY THE COUNTESS OF
| CROMARTIE.


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
memories of happy home. The fact
of their both being highly born may
have drawn them together. For Zala
the Scythian, was a princes sen, and
had known happy life, till one day,
after hunting, he awoke from a heavy
sleep among the sand dunes TO find
the kidnapers' ropes about his meek
and ankles. He had fought like " IN
tiger, but it had been no use, and
now-his slim highbred 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 sui
lenly at nothingness, he caught sight
of the girl Zoe. One Of the other
slave women, a foul-tongued young
fury, was hooking her for q soft
hearted little fool that did not know
what fate had in store for her. Gala
knew well why the other girls hated
Zoe. The Phoenician trader spared
her a few of the hardships that would
TALL TO the ordinary slaves share be-
cause he knew well enough if he Cil
not he might lose what promised 10 b.
the best Of his female merchandise
For the little Greeks steady bravery
and endurance covered a fraily Of
body and nerves that Zala, born horse.
man as he was, recognized at once.
"A touch of the whip and she'll die"
he thought, as he watched the girl fare
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. ana
as the woman tainted on roughly, tel
Ing OF Tara's slave market, and other
things, Zoe seemed to be bracinc her
self against physical blows as she
leaned against the side of the pitch
icg galley. Zala rose with a growl
to stagger against the mast, for he had
forgotten that his ankles were roDed
The woman shrank away, for she cot
as good as she gave from the Scvth
lanS 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 re.
bellious, was often half-starved. Some.
times he would eat wolfishly, for he
was no saint IT, deny himself. But
then he would look a. the sweet deli
cate face, and demand half angrilv.
Hast thou eaten?" and she would lie
10 him and say, "Yes, Zala yes"
1t was on one of these occasions that
he caught her to him fiercely and put
bis 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
Tor his passionate nature, and fierce
unsubdued pride. He gripped the girl
to him tigerishly, and she clung TO
him though she was bruised and hurt
IN his savage embrace. They tore be7
away from him at last and Zala was
tied up and thrashed, then flung un-
der the deck to mediate upon his
sins, faint and sick, but absolutely I'm
subdued. Two nights afterward there
was heavy storm, the slaves were
driven below, and discipline was some
what relaxed by imminent danger
The storm had driven the galley out
OF its course. For Zala and Zoe the
inevitable separation was DELAYED. per
maps for months. There was a glory
hot of earth in the girls blue ewes,
The trader grunted with satisfaction:
che was growing fairer every day. she
would fetch much gold. AS for ZaIa.
ne 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 these dangerous hours, Zala
noticed how Zoe eoughed-a hacking
little cough-and how the cold air
was making her SILVER. She was male
for warmth and light A chilli Noyem-
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 a
swinging lamp sat the Phoenician cast |
ing up accounts on huge sheet of |
parchment. He looked up. Zala stood
with his back to the cabin door his
dark eyes burning fire in the pallor of |
his face. The trader had merely tn |
call his men to have him dragged
back to the lower deck. But he did |
not call. He had liveu 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 a
man in a fever.
What hast thou done with tho
chlld! Answer me, man, answer"
The young Scythian had once com.
manded men. The sense of that made
his tone like whip-lash, for all his
present fate. The trader could cone
with that, so he shrugged his Shout
When Wilbur Wright wants to go ont
and break flying machine record he
has to smash one of his own. When
Brother Orville gets into the game