The Armourer's Apprentice — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

, i | » 3 » F*. = > ¢ . Be - at . eas 4's Loe * ah. ,% ce _ comfort, man; thou wilt have news of thy _ ladylove before long.” | | _ “I have had news of her,” said Sir Stephen, sadly—“ news too terrible to re- _ late here.” _ “Ha! say youso. Come, then, my faith- ful knight, we will retire to my private cabinet. There will I hear your news, and - adyise upon itat once. It would ill become _ me to sit here and be mirthful when one I _ love so well is sad. Come, Sir Stephen, _ who knows but what I may find some way _ to bring balm to your mind ?” , Boating the way to another apartment _ the king demanded the news. : _. “YT have heard, sire, that Sir Bidulph de _ Boischene is about to sell sweet Alice to our fierce enemy, the Sheik Mahomed Abu.” “How does the villain dare to traffic in Christian blood! Sella Christian to a Sara- cen?” _ _ “Such is the news that I have heard, and _ from a source I am bound to believe.” _ “And what is the source?” demanded the king “It need be good indeed.” nN? “tt is from Giaifa, whose history you have _ heard. He,in spite of all dangers, hath - Managed to enter the sheik’s palace, and _ therein heard the news. More, this base, false wretch, unworthy alike of the title of knight and gentleman, hath changed his _ religion and become Moslem. He hath not only disguised himself in the dress of these _ accursed infidels, but has darkened his com- _ plexion so that he may pass for a Bedouin 1 Mead, and the sheik hath made him his chief _ warrior and confidential adviser.” _ _ “If I can ever seize the renegade his life #5 shall answer for his crimes, What would you have me do?” “We have now a treaty for some two - weeks with Saladin,” said Sir Stephen. “Yes, worse luck. Our brother, Philip of _ France, would have it so.” “Grant me then, my liege, leave of ab- _ sence from the any I will, with Giaffa, _ in a disguise which he has prepared, make my way to this Sheik Mahomed Abu, and learn what hath happened to Alice.” “Take heed, Sir Stephen. This Sheik Mahomed is one of the most cruel and trea- _ cherous of these infidels. He is a near _ kinsman to the terrible Old Man of the Mountain, and we know how that cruel assassin hath so trained his people that | _ the believe in doing his will they do the of Heayen. With them murder is no me—each subtle art to steal away life is own to them, Secret poisoning, stab- _ bing’in the dark, strangulation—it matters _ not—they murder as by magic.” All this I know, sire, and am ready to é “I - - > : . . »* r . , d r » . \ . 7 ; el ; = “a 4, ts ‘ & a — : _ ' ™, - , ‘ z gh a j iJ ss ; ; = 1* a Ave, 2 pte | SIR STEPHEN'S CO! - i ie ’ PS eae 4 ’ : P ny ¢ ' 72. bs . | ' - ° ’ us ISSION. ‘ \ 31 ' good cause for thy sorrow, which is more | face. All I ask is that you will send me, as _ than most people who sigh can say. Be of | it were, on some commission to the King of France, so that, if there be spies in the camp, they may bemislead as to my destina- tion. The commission I shall not execute, but having attained some distance from the camp will seek out some secret place, and there put on the disguise which I must wear to penetrate into the court of this sheik. Jf I escape uninjured { will return within two weeks. If not,sire, you, should a chance offer, revenge my death.” “That willl. When do you start on this most perilous mission ?” “Instantly the banquet is over, and the sentinels placed for the night.” “‘{ftis well; now let us return. Before all I will give you the commission to France.” When they returned to the banquet Sir Stephen did all that hc couldto appear gay, and pledged his neighboursin deep draughts of wine. | “ Methinks, sire, you have dispelled Sir | Stephen’s prief,” said one. “Aye! that have I. I have done so by the means most welcome to a bold spirit. I have given him a commission of danger— a secret one. Come,Sir Stephen, thou must be on thy way. Thou wilt see Philip of France; bear him my message, and then forward to the place thou knowest of. One bumper to the success of Sir Stephen, my nobles and knights, and then we break up the banquet, for to-morrow must see us busy strengthening the trenches. Come’ to the success of the brave Sir Stephen!” > “To the success of Sir Stephen!” cried the knights, as they held their golden gob- | lets aloft, and then drank deep of the rich Burgundy. A few minutes afterwards and our hero found himself alone with Giaffa in his tent. “Have you all things ready, Giafia ?” demanded Sir Stephen. “ All! The horses are saddled. The dis- ises are at the hut of a Jewish shep- kad, built in a secret place in the moun- tains. There we can leave our horses and arms.” “Tt is well; lef us at once to horse and quit the camp before day dawn.” Silently they set to work, and before the ruddy light of morning had tinged the waves of thesea they were a long way from the camp. It was dangerous travelling, for although the Christian armies had driven most of the Saracen population into the walled cowus, yet bands of shepherds who had by the war been deprived of their livelihood, bad formed themselves into bands which pat- rolled the country doing all kinds of mis- chief, both to friends and foes. © Eomichoo (E(0) G