The King's Talisman — page 38: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE KING'S TALISMAN. | 29 king’s lips the affair bore an entirely different coloring of detail, it being made to appear that the gold and jewels were for the payment of a debt of long standing, and that the maiden, who was to go under his protection, was the aflanced bride of the Khaibarite king. “Yet,” said Noureddin, as the king closed, ‘‘I see not why some of your experienced officers might not perform this mission much better than myself.” ‘*] have no officer whom I can trust, that is at all ac- quainted with the mountain passes, and I dare not send the equipment over the desert. I have heard of your dexterity and address, and if you perform this mission satisfactorily, you shall receive a high station as your reward, for I de- sire to gather around me all the most deserving of my sub- jects.” The king half averted his face from the steady gaze of his young auditor during the latter part of his remark, and Noureddin instantly saw the cowardly disposition with which he had to deal. | He was more than ever confirmed in the belief of the eunuch’s statement, and he knew, also, that there was no use in questioning Modad further, for the monarch could give no clear reason for this extraordinary choice of an am- bassador, and our hero had no desire to excite his suspicions as to his own designs and feelings. The king placed in Noureddin’s hand the letters that were to be delivered to the neighboring monarch, and as the young man placed them within the folds of his shirt, Modad sald: | ‘-<T believe you have now your full instructions. I desire that you will keep along the western pass of the Hedjaz, and follow the foot of the mountain as far as possible, which I suppose may be kept until within a few leagues of Khat- bar. The maiden whom you are to protect is of a timid nature, and she desires that she may see no one but her at- Gcomicbooks (Eo)