The Armourer's Apprentice — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

oe ee then, 18 it that we find you all,” said Giaffa. iy shrieks arose from the harem, and after a empty as you see them now. he heard the news. escaped from the castle. be doubled, and he who captures tho 4 | hundred sequins. these women to escape shall lose his head.” 3: Where ate the women of the harem ?” é We dij _ thundered forth Sir Bidulph. - “We know not,” replied Giaffa. were guarding the harem, when suddenly loud eries came from the ‘castle. At first we thought that we would rush forth and . ascertain the cause, but on second thoughts determined to remain at our posts.” “Your post is outside yonder door, How, ou here ?” “Be patient, oh! my lord, and I will tell °s Suddenly wild time we determined toenter, We did so to find the apartments in confusion, and as ‘Waiting women—ladies—all gone! Whither I know not. = “How can they have escaped?” ex- claimed Sir Bidulph, stamping with rage. } cannot tell,” said one of the Saracens. “Tet the castle be searched.” “Ave let the castle be searched. I wished to give the ladies this pretty little present,” said Sir Bidulph, as he flung the head contemptuously upon the fleor. “Go, slaves, and bring hither ali the wine you can find. Let a banquet be spread here. Yo-night we will rejoice and commemorate our success. To-morrow shall see us drive the Crusaders out of Palestine.” Sir Stephen and Giaffa snatched up a couple of torches, and, to conceal their proper character, cried out louder than the others— “‘Search—search—search !” Away they went, through halls and hand- some apartments, upstairs and downstairs, but nof a sign could they find of the ladies of the harem. Walls were sounded, hangings dragged down—in fact, every niche and corner searched, and still no ladies could be found. So the searching party returned to the hall, where they found Sir Bidulph seated on the chief divan as the Sheik Almanzor. By his side, on a lower divan, reclined the Lord de Courcy; or, according to his new BS title, Kadagar, chief seraskir or general to the sheik, and around these were clustered the highest persons in the castle. A banquet such as had hitherto been seen im these halls were spread before the sheik, who constantly honoured the guests with some new and valuable present, such as a large diamond, ruby. or emerald taken from the treasury of the late sheik. “So the birds have flown!” he cried when “They cannot have Let all the guards English beauty shall haye a reward of a fie who permits one of THE ARMOURER'S APPRENTICE. a ae “J like not this,” oats De deg te 7, loomily. “I fear much that there: | 138 een some threachery.” va “Treachery! Who would dare © ty j and deceive me?” roared the new shei ye “No one, no one!” all replied; “We Ww all be true to you unto the death.” “You hear, nephew? ‘They swear che are true. Methinks no one who valued life would try to deceive me.” ) “T say not that these brave noite 3) would,” replied De Courcy, “ but a a strangers here,” As Stephen and Giaffa heard this they scarcely could conceal a start. “Strangers! What mean you ” demand ; od Sir Bidulph de Boischene, fiercely, = “JT mean the magician and his followens How know we that they have not ai od in this work ?” ‘By Heaven! in the confusion I had ors gotten them. Bring them hither instantly, but treat them with all consideration, for they are not common men. How could they know of the sheik’s manner of death? How know that Alice was here, and th rH Zayda had been carried off by the sheil nts These men haye dealings with the spi world, and may be able to reveal the futur _ to us. They shall remain our prisoners) but shall be well treated. Ah! what is that ?” he continued, as one of the soldi hurried into the room and threw himself a : his master’s feet. “Speak! fellow, Where e are the prisoners ?” “Gone, my lord.” ‘ “Gone! Where have they cutee ‘Hos yt could they have fled? They were imprisoned | in the turret, as ordered by the shei¥.” They were, indeed, my lord, and a proper cuard was set at the door of the prison, Those men swear that no one has passec them, and they are as faithful to your i % ship as any.” “There must be some other way out 0 of the apartment!” cried Sir Bidulph. “None of which we know or can fin trace. They must have gone by the sot or magic, and carried off the ladies with them.” a ip : “ Carried off the ladies with them!” cried Sir nS Yo “Now by my beard! I begin to see through this. How came t > i knaves into the castle ?” An officer of the guard, trembling with 4 fear, related how the supposed magicians had arrived. Ray “This man, this Giaffa—whose wife Zayda was carried off — was he like as magician’s slave ?” ne A murmur arose amongst the guard, and at least a dozen voices declared he was. G49 ' “Fire and fury!” yelled Sir Bidulph, a he leaped from the divan; “I Racer a sich ri cS comicboo ‘cor nN