The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-22
CHAPTER II.
Slave and Princess.

The gardh In which MacIste had sought
refuge from his pursuers CHANGED to be
that OF the royal palace-the garden OF
HasdrubaI, ruler Of Carthage. The mob
had seen Maciste. the child in his arms,
crash Though the hedge and over the
wall into the garden. His moment OF
respite was due to their leaders fear To
set foot in that spot sacred to royalty.
As Maciste halted. painting. his eyes fen
upon the most gioriously beautiful woman
he had ever seen Her diaphanous robe.
heavily jeweled, revealed the figure Of q
goddess. Her diademed head had a
queenly poise- Her dark eyes glowed
with the mystic fires Of the East At
her side crouched a huge leopard. her pet.
In earnest converse with her was q man
OF royal bearing, who, nevertheless, was
looking at her with the adoring eyes Of
9 slave.
Maciste did not know who this regal
couple were But any Carthaginian could
have told him at q glance that the woman
was sophonisba. daughter of Hasbrubal
and that the man was her affianced
husband, Massinissa. King OF Numidia-
The Ethiope's sharp ears told him that
the mob leaders, overcoming their awe.
were breaking into the garden in pursuit
OF him There was no time TO lose. He
sprang forward and. dropping on his
knees before the, amazed Sophonisba,
thrust the child into her arms
Take herr he begged. hoarsely; take
her. and protect her. for 1 am run to
earth. and can't guard her. Save and you
shall be savedr" he ended. quoting the
taIIsman rings inscription.
Moved by a sudden impulse OF pity
perhaps not averse to letting Massinissa
see that she was gentle of heart-the
princess took Cabiria from the kneeling
Ethiop and vanished with her into the
palace. At almost the same instant the
mob burst into the garden
Seize him. roared one OF their lead
ers. pointing at Maciste. There Is the
infideI who robbed Moloch! Where Is
the child he stole?''
Before his followers could scatter
through the garden in search OF CabIria,
King MassInissa spoke:
Il know Of no child he said. This
Ethiop came here alone
Two of the guards Of the temple leaped
at Maciste. As a man brushes a brace
of romping puppies from his path. Maciste
bowled over the two soldiers. Then, toss
ing his leopard skin mantle across his
mighty shoulders. he strobe majestically
toward the gates, saying:
Lead ont"
The CarthaginIans treated Maciste as
their Phillistine ancestors had treated
Samson Of old. BY a great chain they
bound him TO one OF the city -four mills
and forced him to grind their grain
Fulvius meantime made his way to
Rome. There he Joined the war neet
that was about to sail against Carthage.
II was disastrous expedition. For Archl-
modes by means of his famous sun mir
rors set the whole Roman feet afire.
Fulvius. floating on a charred spar was
hNT ha ant ~ hA ghnraG n
Sicily. There several farm hands CHANGED
to find his senseless body. They carried
him TO their master. Batto.
On Fulvius' finger was Batto's talisman
ring. Batto saw II, asked questions and
learned that his beloved little daughter
had not persisted in the earthquake nor
at Moloch's altar.
All Fulvius could tell Batto was that
Cabiria had been alive in Macists's keep
Ing when the patrician himself fed from
Carthage. and that Maciste was also in
flight. He promised to search for her
should he ever find opportunity to visit
Carthage again.
But ten years dragged by before that
opportunity came. During those ten years
Rome crouched in its lair. licking the
Zrievous wounds of its lost Carthage war
and planned a new campaign During
those years. too. SophonIsOa had guarded
AldhAuk a VI
her. and remaining her ELISA" SOphon-
sba had not married Massinissa. The
after had been beaten in battle by Sy-
ohax, King OF Cirta. and Hasdrubal, who
rad no use for a loser. had broken OF
he betrothal and bestowed Sophonisba's
hand on SyphaX.
Massinissa. in rage at his rejection.
low Joined forces with Rome. vowing
vengeance against both Hasdrubal and
SyphaX. He had loved Sophonisba. and
lie still loved her. He swore to win her
rom Syphax and to punish Hasdrubal.
Rome could help him to his revenge, so
lie became Rome's ally.
And now, a new Roman army invaded
carthage: an army led by the crafty
Scipio Africanus. At Scipio's
ide marched Massinissa. And on scipIo's
PERSONAL STAN was Fulvius AxilIa.
Because Fulvius knew Carthage. the
eneral sent him into the city as a spy. /