The Armourer's Apprentice — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

it any az Seer shousandl sequins for atl capture of these two men —aye! c 2ad or allve. ? ne “How now, good uncle?” sneered De Courcy. “You seem strangely moved. To . ny thinking twenty Saracens would not be w roreh the price.” “Saracens, boy!” cried Sir Bidulph ; “ hese were no Saracens, but spies from the » English army. ‘The magician was no ‘oth er than StephenSternhold, the armourer’s Bapeentice, and his companion, the slave Giaiia “Impossible!” cried De Courcy, turning : pale ; “He dare not venture hither.” “Dare not? He hath no coward’s blood in his veins. He hath carried off the lady Alice—how I know not, nor can I guess. rE He will bring down all Coeur de Lion’s forces us. Look to the walls send forth eee: q Ben ‘to scour the country. He who brings t ack the fugatives shall be rewarded. Go and change the watchword from ‘Shaban’ unto the name of the chief fast ‘Ramadan,’ f for here I swear never to feast until I have ts led. this Sir Stephen Sternhold, but will lis on the commonest fare until I have a sfied my revenge. Break up the feast, and let the castle be once more searched. vie 2 to it well,and remember the reward.” | 0 ice More was a close search made, bnt shout succes. - fife st as they had concluded the search of e e of the towers, Giaffa placed his hand on ur hero’s arm and moticned him to draw “ e did g0, and Giaffa, having let the rest e the room, gently closed the door. * “Bist! we are safe here at present,” he whi ered ; “put I know not how long we m LV so.” er at aa are right. Here we shall have time to ‘thi nk and work out our plans.” ~ CHAPTER XIV. ORD DE courcy CAUGHT IN A TRAP —THE ESCAPE FROM THE CASTLE—KING RI ae READS THE KING OF FRANCE i AI : aSBON. i TAFTA and our hero remained in con- ao cealment until the disturbance in the “cast e seemed to have quieted down, and len they determined at once to try to sce ne at any risk. § Softly they stole from the room, and e rep! ee the passages until Giaffa was 4 LJ i is » AW . “THE ESCAPE FROM THE CASTSE. pC suddenly at fault, and declared that in the dark he had lost his wa * We must go on,” gaid Sir Stephen, im- patiently. “If we were to retreat now it > would be useless.” “True; but I cannot tell arnieh of these doors we should pass,” replied Giaffa. “Then we must take the first one, and risk all,” said Stephen, and, suiting the action to the word, he pushed open a door and walled boldly into the apartment. He had scarcely advanced a pace when he perceived by the light of the lamp which burned on a table that a man was sleeping } on a couch. | “We are wrong. We must retreat,” whispered Gisffa—“ we must retreat.” Low as this was said, it aroused the sleeper, who sprang from the couch, and, seizing his sword, sprung upon our hero. But be had mistaken his man. In two minutes Sir Stephen had wrested his sword from his grasp, and flung him back heavily on the couch. Keep silent, or I will kill you as -you deserve,” said Stephen Sternhold. “You surely would not murder me?” whined the abject De Courcy. “It would be but justice,” replied Sir Stephen, as he leaned over him. “Do you know me ?” “Yes; you are Stephen Sternhold.” “And ‘what mercy do you deserve at my hands? None! Yet I would not rob a coward of his life. Keep still and I will not kill you; but if you attempt to move, that moment you die. Now slip of your garments.” Siently and not without some trembling ~ the coward knight obeyed, As qnickly as he removed his garments our hero put them on. This done, he armed himself with the weapons of De Courcy, and in every way tried to represent him. “ Now, Giaffa,” said Stephen when all was , com leted, “bind this fellow hand and foot.” With oreat skill but little gentleness this was done, “Gag him, so that he cannot utter a sound. Ab! bravely done. Now, Alger- non De Courcy, can you hear?” ; The khight signed to show that he could. “Tell Sir Bidulph that I have discovered his secret—that I overheard the conversa- tion he had with you, just before the murder of the sheik, and know the day will come when I shall meet him face to face, and force the confession 6. his treachery. from his own black heart. If you are wise you will repent in time. Confess your gut, & and reveal all your wicked secrets to dang and plead for mercy. Richard is aetcit as well as just, and. may forgive Gomichoo <S (E(@)