The Armourer's Apprentice — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

| “Be it So. a swear you shal! depart out | understand,” said the pretended Ben 1 : iets Is ‘of this city in safety. Now speak.” “Ti I speak wrongly, or falsely, stop me eu, ~ and I will go no further.” A care! A traitor is near thee.” — * And thou art the man!” cried the terr- “Be it so; but ifI find you do not tell me truly of the past Vl make thy future short.” ER AL agree. Hark! The voices speak to me acain,” said Sir Stephen. “ Take care, take sea? | | fied Mahomed, seizing his dagger. ~, ‘eried Almanzor. But at that moment the curtains were Sait apart, and a man dressed and look- like an Arab entered the-apartment. n spite of his disguise Sir Stephen at once knew him as his deadly foe, Sir _ Bidulph. | “ How is this ?” he cried, quickly. ‘“ Doth the follower of the prophet—the great ‘seraski of that potentate, the Old Man of the Mountain, grant audiences with stran- gers, without having those near to protect him? By the beard of the prophet, was it not well? How know ye what this fellow and his slave yonder may mean? Who and what is he ?*- “Thy zeal, Almanzor, and love of mehath moved you too far,’ replied Mahomed, proudly. “This isa great philosopher, who hath torn great and mighty secrets from nature; he hath conversed with the stars of a night, and discovered the mysteries of the earth. He hath some secret to reveal, which he says must be told to me alone.” ‘‘ By our prophet, I see treason in this! 1" “Am not I almost a brother? Have we not sworn to love one another even as if we had sprung from the same father? How, then, could such bond be, if I am not to know the inmost secrets thee. of thy heart even as thou dost mine?: Speak, O Mahomed Abu! Arenot those the terms on which I became thy convert and seraskir ! ?? Had Sir Stephen not known the cruel Sir | ; Bidulph exauen his disguise this speech _ would have tol him at once that his most deadly foe was before him, Before Mahomed could reply Sir Stephen, well acting the part of Ben Hzra, stepped forward, and bowing low, said—~ “Oh! great and mighty Sheik Mahomed, I pray thee to let thy seraskir remain with If he be so near and dear to thee, _ purely the Fates who spins the threads - Sir Bidulph, impetuously. secret, in Heaven's name—I mean by the of all men’s lives will permit him to know the secret.” “he gecrot—what secret?” exclaimed “Tf there -be a Holy Prophet—let us learn it. Surely it - can be told without this juggléry.” “ Scoff not at geet which thou dost not oe ee ie Oo % e-em t gp eR SG a en ie AOL Ore ee ‘ oe Wath?) @ wade Ae, ee . . —_ - he ‘ A mt 7 , : "y : oy “hs mht "2 7 ra % es ‘ wre # cag Sud) ” iis . ~ re 7 ‘ j . a a y* ? ' 4 Pe j 2 j - .f . - be a - - 7 a / & 4 " J Se On: ; = t “ ~ ; as p } ’ “ f - ms » a 1 ae i c ; Ls = , of re Pam | ‘ ~- Lb» ¥ TT...4 , 7 .¥ y a , +, : ~~. : r _ oa a ae : _- he? ’ “ » " : ae . o a 7 : ‘, . By 4 hy ! as ’ "3 4, ; ° - ¢ THE ARMOURER'S APPRENTICE, es Tn solemnly. “Ifit should please you, mos powertful Sheik Mahomed Abu, I wall: com mence my incantations; if not I aepare i peace, according to the oath that thou didst give me by the faith of yon fore- fathers.” “Let it proceed, venerable sage,” ried the sheik. “I will know my fate.” ie “To do this I must make certain preter tions,” replied Stephen Sternhold. ~ on b “Do what thou wilt, order what thou wilt, ae use dispatch,” ‘replied the sheik. Be. Sir Stephen pretended to examine the room carefully, although he had had it © most accurately described by Giaffa, who knew every part of the Moorish stronghold, and had given his master most comple ¥ directions how to act. Pausing at a small alcove, over which | hung gold-embroidered curtains, he de bs clared that that place would do. Then at his orders Giaffa drew @ divan or rae fF across the entrance to the alcove, ane arranged the curtains in such a nae that only a small opening above the bs of the couch could be seen by the spectators, the back of the couch being towards then | | In this aperture a crystal mirror was fixed, and at Sir Stephen’s command two silver incense burners were brought into , the apartment; these he filled with differ- ent rich spices, and having lit them, placed — one in the alcove sand the other close y the side of Mahomed Abu, atte ‘ Then he placed Giaffa on the couch in the alcove so that he was completely con- — cealed from the others, and waving ue hands over him commanded him to sleep. Then he stole gently back to the side of the sheik, and speaking in a whisper,said— “O, most powerful Sheik Mahomed, 4M am to tell you the future it would be as “ well that I should at first tell you something of the past. Know that { or everything which takes place in thesa oH r lives there is a reason—everything whit a happens is but the effect of some ca 20 5 therefore if we can discover the cause and remove it in time, the effect is also removed. I know not what danger threatens yo LF All I have been able to discover is hat ies : very great danger does threaten you, and ~ cannot be averted without very great trouble. But now, by the aid of the magic art, we will try to find the cause of this it ‘ threatened danger. If we do that, even: ig we see not the danger, we may, by reinov- ing or remedying the cause, overt the danger.” “Thou speakest the words of wisdom, Proceed,” | “First let me warn thee that dow mu not make the slightest ROWE, Nita ks comicbooks