The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08

| to tell one from the other at little distance or in dim light It was Gau-
 mata, dressed like Bartja, when Boges
 had introduced into the hanging gar- | dens by a secret trap door, turing him
 there with the prospect of an interview.
 with beloved Mandane. As Gau-I
 mata was coming from this interview Boges had called the attention of thsI group of nobles around the blue lily tol | him, and the rest we know. Gaumatal
 had, of course, escaped by the samsI
 secret trap door through which he had
 entered the gardens.
 The news of what had happened anal what was to happen spread all ovorI
 Babylon. and before the sun hadI reached it's zenith the streets wers | filled with great mob Prince BarttaI was most popular, and many peopleI | shouted his name and denounced thsI king. The soldiers were called out andI there were several riots for them toll ! subdue. The hour was fast approach- ing which had been set for the punish-
 ment of Nitetis, when there arrived inI
 great haste at the principal gate of thei city traveller, who presented a pass- port bearing the royal seal and made out In the names of Gyges The stran- !
 ger was Greek. of comma nding fg.l
 ure and noble bearing. The captain of the guards, who was summoned, said
 to him: Why do you appear here with
 a passport made out 10 Prince Gyges7
 You are. not the prince" The Stranger smiled and said "No," but Gyges and he had once exchanged clothes in Egypt whereby Gyges hadI saved his life and this passport he had found in the clothing of the prince. He was Phanes, formerly captain of the Greek bodyguard to the Pharaoh--and he could save the life of Bartja. He would be taken at once to the King. So confident did he seem, so much was Bartja loved. that the officer took Phanes to the presence of Cambyses
 and there passed from lip to lip through
 the crowd the rumor that Bartja was saved.
 After his flight from Egypt Phanes had passed some time in the Island of Samos, and then had started for Baby lon with the intention of seeking ser. vice under Cambyses. As he was com ing along the highway leading to ths | capital and was making his last stage at night he had seen three ruffians tear young man from his horse, stun | him with blows and prepare to throw him into the Euphrates. Phanes and hid attendants had rushed to the rescut
 and after driving off the assassins had
 taken the unconscious youth to the nearest post house. In this wounded
 youth Phanes, to his horror, thought
 he recognized the noble Bartja
 | But 1t was Gaumata; and when tho young man recovered sufficiently to talkl
 he told his rescuer the whole story of his
 visit to the hanging gardens and of how. 1 he had been lured by letter to the spot where the ruffians had attacked him. Het
 believed now that the whole thing hadt
 been plot of Boges. and that the eunuchi had attempted to kill him in order that
 evidence of his crime might perish with
 him. When Cambyses was informed byc the stranger that he was that Phanes who conquered Cyprus for Amasis he listened | to his story, and then ordered that
 Mundane be brought before him. The ter
 rified girl confessed all The eunuch, hear-t | ing how matters were going, had fled and. could not be found. Oropastes was sum-, moned and acknowledged that he had a 1 brother who bore a striking likeness td. Bartja-but he had supposed him on thell | frontier. The plot was now unraveled but a sudden thought struck the King. When, | was Croesus executed?' he asked. Thd l captain of the guards, the precipitation standing on his brow. stammered out that | he had not obeyed the royal order. ''This
 time you shall be forgiven,'' said theE
 King, Ego and bring all the prisoners be- l fore me-" | There was much rejoicing at the acqult- tai of the accused ones, and Cassandane was sent to bear the good news tof Nitetis But she came too late. When the. eunuch had read to Nitets the decree of | the King for her humiliation and death. the princess had taken the poison conn | tained in her ointment box. After linger- | ing some days she died In the arms ofE l Cambyses, happy in the knowledge of1 | his love. After the death of Nitetisx | Phanes and the oculst, Nebenchari, de- termined upon revenge upon Psamtik andS l Egypt, Phanes because of the murder of( | his son and the oculist because of thek | news which Phanes brought him of theI burning, by order of the Egyptian prince.Y of a chest containing his works upon( the science to which he had devoted hisf life. They revealed to Cambyses thaI truth concerning the birth of Nitetis, anal the Persian King, claiming the throne of Egypt by inheritance from his wife, marched vast army to the Nile andt conquered the land of the Pharaohs. Bartja married the fair Soppho. but wasl soon after secretly murdered the Kingi having given the order for his execution. in one of his fits of insanity. When. final-F l ly drink and epilepsy had killed Camby-| ses Darius married Atossa and reigned as King over half of the world. To| Nitetis there was erected near Babylon a great tomb, the ruins of which to this day form one of the wonders of Persia. Next weeks one page classic will be 'The King of the Peak" by Allan Cum ningham.
 
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