The Armourer's Apprentice — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

: ‘ a ,) OOS «is ve a * 9 - - “ ¢ 4 "a ft ed. * | ss o8 ‘ * - “Shs . * - f : - . oe Tess So, howtie low, Sir Stephen and Giaffa ‘permitted themselves to be led away by the fierce Saracen soldiers, They were taken toa room in the high _ turret, where, having been supplied with a ‘) plenteous hanquet, they were left alone, the door being securely barred and bolted on _ the outside. No sooner were they alone than Sir _ Stephen grasped Giaffa’s hand and said— . “Believe me, my noble Giaffa, I deeply lament the loss thou hast sustained ? “Speak not of her,” said the Saracen, in a steady voice. “She died as I would have . her die—loving and noble to the last. I + shall meet her again. Think not of me. My hope in life hathgone. Yours must be seen to; and how can I better prove my love to my lost one than by helping to tear another victim from the grasp of this tyrant? {J know—thanks to the religion I now have learned—that I shali meet her again in heaven. The pang of death is over. Let us think what we can do to save the lady Alice.” “What can we do? Here we are as aah prisoners. This Sir Bidulph de Boischene, Zi or Almanzor, as he chooses to call himself, -. holds sway over this sheik, whose once vigorous brain hath grown weak and dull from age.” “Aye! I understood now one or two _ whispers I heard amongst the guard as we passed through them, All is explained to me now, “What mean you, Giaffa? Keep me not in suspense, but speak at once.’ “The whole of the soldiers here are ready to mutiny against the sheik.” aos “Impossible! They are bound to him by == oaths.” bi ““Which they care nothing for. He hath ever been a cruel tyrant. He would kill or torture man, woman, and child for his own pleasure. No man dared grow wealthy under hisrule. See my own case. , J grew rich, and he ruined me—worse than that. — But let that pass. This Almanzor, the _ Iinglish renegade, hath managed to bribe the soldiers to his side. Who they will proclaim sheik when they have killed Mahomed I know not—perhaps Almanzor. You say he is a great warrior ?” “Indeed he is! He hath made a great fame, which his own black deeds have spoiled. i “Then he will be sheik. The Old Man of the Mountain likes such men.” _ “Tf we are in the castle when that takes place we are but dead men.” “True; but I have ahope that we shall - mot be in the castle. I know every turn, every nook and cranny of this place. Z : . Ow yee .— - ee ‘ a ns a ae A ” Stee © = a Ag 8 ; a = e han , Ve i saat 47 ~ x4 2* Ae Xa Sg ae od ae > we ry of ty” be! F ‘. ' _ - , a ; . QuE | ARMOURER'S APPRENTICE, fe t 3 Come! follow me. We will see if we can | Us, Listen,” make our way to the » women’s “quai te TS, and by some stratagem effect the release Of the lady Alice. Then we mustescape.” “*j am willing to follow you, and ente into any desperate deed which san Alice.” x a “Then keep still for a moment. See t nays your dagger isready; we may want it.” The Saracen glided round the room, until at last he came to what appeared | be aslab of preyish marble let into the floor, but, upon touching it, it flew open, i and revealed a flight of stone stairs. They descended these, and found them- selves in & secret passage, which they yo traversed with caution until they came O. a door, so cunningly hidden In the wall, that Sir Stephen would never have noticec 3 it had it not been for his companion, —§—— “Be careful,’ whispered Giaffa, as he placed his finger on his lip. “ This room — may be inhabited. If it be, and we are discovered, we are lost.” “Go on—I will be cautious,” replied Sir Stephen, as he clutched his dagger. a Noiselessly the Saracen pushed back the door, but had not opened it an inch when ~ the sound of whispering yoices fell npong their ears. The room was evidently occupied by a | number of people, but they stood in suck position that our hero and his companion a | were unable to make out who they were. a But there was one voice they could 1 not mistake. It was that of Sir ‘Bidulph, and the words he spoke were these— “Tis well! Allis arranged. The sheik T kill to-night, and you proclaim me sheik ~ in his stead. Here is the authority of the Old Man of the Mountain for this deed. My daughter shall wed my lieutenant, Kadagar. The coffers of Mahomed shall be — opened unto you all. As for this necro- mancer and hisslave—thezr doom as death: I r aah Ne i ete ae ee ey fae Si cvind 4 ‘ : ‘ ma Se > f 45. s ) - 4 CHAPTER XIII. THE PLOT TO ASSASSINATE THE SHEIK— THE STRUGGLE WITH THE OFFICERS 0] THE HAREM—A NARROW ESCAPE—SI BIDULPH MAEES AT DIEco S AS they heard. the terrible words both started back. if “Be cautious,” whispered Stephen Bs “ this may be of the greatest wiebea boo (E(o) “S