Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-05-27


first laundering pace when something
white-a veil, perhaps, dropped from
the cayalca6e OF lords and ladies some
DAYS before on the land and waited to
the beach-futtered like live thing
suddenly before him. In his tense
mood. Saladn, affrighted, sprang to
one side: then wheeling outright,
madly took the bit in his teeth. Per-
force his mistress resigned herseit,
sitting straight and sure, with little
hands hard and firm at the relns.
Saladin was behaving very badly, but
at least he was superb, worth con-
Quering, if
A brief thrill of apprehension seized
her as, again drawing near the point
Of land, ne showed no signs of yield
ings resisted all her attempts to turn,
to direct him to it. With nostrlls
thrust forward and breathing strong,
he continued to choose his own
course; to whirl her on; past the
promontory; around into the great
bay beyond-now q vast expanse, or
desert Of sand, broken only, about half
way across, by the small isle OF
Casque. Toward this rocky forma-
ton, pygmy to the great Mount
from which it lay concealed by the
intervening projection of land, the
horse rushed.
On, on! In vain she still endeavored
to stop him; thinking uneasily OF
stories the fishermen told Of this
| neighboring coast; Of the sands that
often shifted here, setting pitfalls for
the unwary. She saw the sky grow
yet darker noted the nearer Hastings
of light, and heard the louder rumD-
lings that followed. Then presently
another danger she had long been con-
scious of, on a sudden became real.
She saw, or thought she saw, faint
streak, like a silver line drawn across
the sky where the yellow sands
touched the sombrous horizon. And
/ Saladin seemed to observe it, too; to
! detect in it cause for wonder; reason
! for hesitation. At any rate, that head.
long speed now showed signs of di-
minishing; he clipped and tossed the
! sand less vigorously, and looked
around at his mistress with wild, I'M
easy eyes. Again she spoke to him;
pulled with all her strength at the
reins. and, at once, he stopped.
None too soon! Great drops Of rain
! had begun to fall, but the girl did not
notice them. The white line alone
riveted her attention.! 1t seemed to
! grow broader; to acquire an intangible
movement of its own; at the same
time to give out a sound-a strange,
low droning that filed the air. Heard
! for the first time, 4 stranger at the
Mount would have found it ineXplic-
able; to the Governors daughter, the
menacing cadence left no room Tor
doubt as to its origin.
The girls check paled; her gaze
swung in the opposite direction, to-
ward the point OF land, now so dis.
tant. Could they reach it? She did
not believe they could; indeed, the
grand" tide coming up behind on the
verge of the storm, faster than any
horse could gallop, would ovortake
them midway. And Saladin seemed
to know it also; beneath her, he
trembled. Yet must they try, she
thought, and had frightened the reins
to turn, when looking ahead once
more, she discerned 4 break in the
Re ic1o
Casque, and back Of the assure, a
shining spot which marked tiny
cove.
A moment she hesitated; what
should she do? Ride toward the isle
and the white danger, or toward the
point of mainland and from it:
Either alternative was desperate
one, but the isle lay much nearer; and
quickly, the brown eyes cleaning with
sudden courage, she decided; touched
her horse and pressed him forward.
But fast as she went the grand
tide came faster; struck with a loud
menacing sound the seward side OF
the isle and swung hungrily around
My lady cast over her shoulder
quick glance; the cove, however, was
near; only q line of small rocks, jut
ting from the sand, separated hcl
from it. If they could but pass, she
thought; they had passed, she tolt
herself joyfully, when of sudden tho
horse stumbled; fell. Thrown violent
" from his back, a moment was She
cognizant Of a. deafening roar; a riot
GUS advance of foam; above, a hun
dred birds that screamed distractedly;
then all these sounds mingled; dark
ness succeeded, and she remembered
no more.
ITO be continued.)