Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 103 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

ee within his power; he would like to exhibit him to the gaping crowd in the public square and give the pater e, multitude a chance to exult over the downfall of the man who, on the sea, had laughed to scorn the power of Algiers.” ‘Yes, yes!” exclaimed El Tokar, rubbing his hands gleefully as he spoke, as though already he was gloating over and enjoying the scene of triumph. ‘‘ Well, I can hardly blame the Dey,” the pris- oner added. ‘‘ It would be too bad to miss such a raree show.” ‘* True, true; you will k then?” cried the eam Man, eagerly, not able to repress his de- ight, aT h, yes, P’ll speak.” ‘‘ Your companion—” ce Yes. ? ‘‘ Ts the Greek pirate?” ** No, no more than I am,” replied the captive, laughing in the face of the paftied Moor. ‘* Beware! Remember the stranglers!” ‘Bah! I laugh at your threats! Call in your murderers! A man can die but once!” CHAPTER XVI, THE RIVALS. Straicur for the palace of the Frenchwoman the renegade rode with his beautiful captive. Although he haé fully sueceeded in his expe- dition, yet the mind of Selim was ill at ease. True the girl was helpless in his power, yet there had been altogether too muc publicity attending the capture. She had loudly pro- claimed in the hearing of the soldiers that she was the daughter of the oe rere minister of war, El Boro, and although he had attempted to weaken the force of the announcement b quietly stating that she was a harmless mad- woman, yet the odds were great that some cun- a dog of a trooper would take it into his b to seek out El Boro and tell him of the strange adventure on the sands. But, as well as though he was her second self, the renegade knew the character of his mistress; her orders were at all hazards to bring the Eng- lish girl to the beyond the walls of the city, and Selim knew that it was as much as his life was worth to attempt to disobey. Yet on the other hand, by obeying he took upon him- self the bold of braving the anger of the posrental El Boro; something not lightly to be curred, for the stern minister of war was a dangerous man when roused to action. ren e wasin a dilemma; was his mistress, the Frenchwoman, powerful enough to protect him from the rage of El Boro, or would he, the humble instrument, be sacrificed in the event of open war between the man whose daughter he had stolen and the woman whose orders he had so faithfully obeyed? Selim, like a prudent man, kept his own counsel and said nothing to his companions of his fears, but a hundred times during the short ride from the beach to the palace he cursed the evil chance which had so nee nf connected him with the abduction of the gir], ‘“* By my head!” muttered Seli , as the walls of the palace rose fair before him, “I think that I had better ask leave of absence and decamp for awhile until_this affair blows over, other- wise I fear that I may suffer. My lady is pow- erful; El Boro is powerful, too, and in the event of a desperate quarrel there is no telling who would get the best of it or how it might end. Decidedly I will transfer my precious person elsewhere for a short time.” And as the renegade came to this wise con- clusion he drew rein in front of the palace. All was in readiness to receive him; the gates opened instantly and after the party passed through closed with a hollow a Now surely was the hapless girl completely helpless in the power of herenemy. What arm strong enough to tear her from the gripe of this female tiger, with the paws of velvet and claws of steel? An apartment had been prepared for the re- ose of the maid and she was at once placed in it. The luxury-loving Frenchwoman had not troubled herself to remain awake to await the arrival of her prey, so fully confident was she that the renegade would succeed in his enter- prise. rose late, and on the morn- The Gulnare usuall ing succeeding the ory arrival she was later than ever, much to Selim’s disgust, for he was ug betimes, eager to relate the success of his mission, receive his reward and be gone, for with every new minute he feared to hear the angry hand of El Boro knocking loudly at the rate. At last the Frenchwoman arose; performed her toilet, which took some time, for Gulnare The Lion of the Sea. was not as yous as she once was, and to ef- r face the marks of old Father Time’s withering hand required skill, care and patience. Then she breakfasted—no careless, hasty meal, for the Frenchwoman was an epicure by nature; and all this time Selim was cooling his heels in the anteroom and swearing under his breath in a most ferocious manner. Every now and | then, too; he would saunter to the window which commanded a view of the road to Algiers and glance nervously out of it, as if he expect- | ed to see the dark minister of war at the head of a powerful force riding straight, with hostile | intent, toward the palace. At last the Frenchwoman was graciously pleased to indicate that she was ready to re- | ceive him, and the renegade hastened to her presence. Gulnare listened with languid indifference to | En | | 13 — ee —- J * | fact, as, with her angry, envious eyes, she look- ed a the fresh young beauty of the peerless ish girl. ncertain truly would be her power over the fickle heart of the turbaned ruler of Algiers if this matchless woman chose to exercise her fas- cinations. “Well, young lady, no doubt you are sur- prised at the strange situation in which you find Ay = f 7 Gulnare at length remarked. ‘Il am.’ ‘What is your name?’ ‘**Cleora Craven.” ‘*'You are the daughter of El Boro, the rene- gade Englisbman?” ‘‘T am his daughter,” Cleora replied, her lips trembling, for the word renegade applied to her father pained her much, for she knew that he _ deserved the title. his story of the expedition, and when he ex- | ‘*Do you know that your father has destined pressed his fears that some one of the soldiers you for a most vile purpose?’ asked Gulnare, might hasten to El Boro and inform him of the circumstance she laughed in contempt. ‘Well, well!” she exclaimed, ‘‘what if he pe know that I have had his daughter carried O ‘**He may be mad enough to attempt by force to take her from you,” Selim suggested. bluntly. ‘* No; I do not know it.” ‘* He intends that you shall become an inmate of the Dey’s harem. Your father is minister of war, and has been the chief counselor of the Dey, but he finds his power is on the wane, and in order to find new favor with his royal mas- ‘You are right; he would be mad to attempt | ter he sacrifices you.” such a thing!” she replied, haughtily. wish an English girl to wait upon me and this rey pleases me and that is all there is about it. ‘Might not my lord, the Dey, be disp that you should select the daughter of his chief counselor?” the renegade said, humbly. ‘*The Dey is my slave, and it is not the first time I have stretched out my hand to brush a rival from my path!” Selim perceived that the Frenchwoman was bent upon carrying out her p , and that remonstrances would only provoke her anger -and so prudently he abstained, but with grea tact he presented his petition for a short leave of absence. No one’s fool was the imperious Gulnare, and therefore at once she guessed the reason why Selim desired to go. **So, so, you are afraid!” she exclaimed. “Oh, no, Master Selim; I cannot spare you; you are too useful tome. Besides, in this mat- ter, if E] Boro is more powerful than I think he is, and I find that he is likely to gain the advan- tage over me, why, I can easily enough retreat from m tion by i him the girl, swear- ing that you were to b The renegade trembled from head to heel and his face became deathly white. *“Oh, most powerful mistress!” he cried, ‘surely you would not sacrifice your faithful servant? ‘Faithful?’ she replied, in contempt; ‘‘and you wish to desert me in the moment of dan- ger!” Selim was about to stammer out an excuse, but the Frenchwoman stopped him with an im- perious wave of her hand. ‘*Knough!” she cried; ‘‘ you can take your choice; Pe and join El Boro and see if he is powert enough to protect you from my an- ‘* Oh, noble mistress!” he exclaimed, ‘‘ not for the world would I encounter your resentment. I merely wished for a few days to attend to some business along the coast—’ ‘* And give time for this affair to blow over!” she interrupted, quickly. ‘‘ No, no; in this mat- ter you are either for or against me; there can be no middle course.” The eve saw that he wasin a trap, and so resolved to put a good face upon the matter. ‘*Oh, no, most noble mistress; I will follow thy fortunes and seek to serve no other.” ‘ Wisely decided!” she exclaimed, with a toss of her imperious head; “‘ and new, bring in the girl and let me see what she is like.” Selim withdrew, to find the maid in her prison apartment, calm and self-possessed; no trace of agitation in her manner, no fear upon her face. A ome and dauntless heart had this English girl. ‘You are to follow me,” announced the offi- cer, briefly. | The maid inclined her head; resistance in such a case was fruitless; besides, now she would learn the reason why this outrage upon her liberty had been committed. Selim conducted the girl at once to the apart- ment of the Frenchwoman, and Gulnare, re- | clining upon her soft couch, Jooked with eager eyes upon the marvelous beauty of the maid. Yes, indeed, she was beautiful. Even the | jealous tiges-cat of a woman had to admit the | te leased | ame in the matter, and allowing him to seize rs as a Victim.” | ‘** You are wrong; he has no such p se in _ view!” Cleora replied, firmly, although this ac- cusation, now for the second time repeated to her ears, troubled her greatly. ‘*Oh, of course, silly child, he has not unfold- ed his plans to you, but I know them well enough, and therefore I have attempted to save you from a fate which, to an honest English girl, must be worse than death. You can re- main here with me. Noone will know that you are here. I need a companion, and you s live like a princess.” ‘* And who are you?’ asked the girl, a peculiar look in her large eyes. ‘‘f am Gulnare, the Queen of the Harem,” re- plied the Frenchwoman, Aen ‘*Oh! and you are afraid that I will take your place!” exclaimed Cleora, in scorn. Before the enraged Frenchwoman could open her mouth to reply, an attendant came hastily into the room. ‘*' Your highness, an armed body of men are at the gate!” he cried. CHAPTER XVII. A STERN DEMAND. AN expression of joy passed rapidly over the face of the English girl. An armed force knock- ing at the gate of her prison—did not that mean release? Transient as was the expression it did not es- pee, 6 the keen eyes of the Frenchwoman, and it only served to inflame the anger which burned in her heart the more. The same thought which had come to the girl had also oovurttal to her. Had El Boro learned thus quickly the whereabouts of his daughter and come in arms to claim her? ‘‘He would not dare!” she murmured to her- self, but then the reflection at once came: did she really know how much the minister of war would dare if his rage was excited? El] Boro, on two or three occasions, had shown iers that he held his life as lightly as tho he valued it not at a pin’s fee, and what would be more likely to enrage him to madness than this gross outrage? The Frenchwoman had paid but little atten- tion to Selim’s story, and had laughed at the idea of El] Boro daring to attempt to invade her palace; but, if the minister of war really had come—if he had come with armed men deter- mined to force an entrance, and Gulnare knew well enough how blindly the average Moslem soldier obeyed the orders of his leader! No mat- ter if she was the favorite of the Dey, in Algiers one might bask in the smiles of fortune one day and be driven forth in disgrace the next; if he had come, determined to have his daughter at any cost, how could she oppose him, what force had she to meet El Boro and his ruthless body- ard? for the personal following of the minis r of war was noted throughout Algiers as be- ing composed of desperadoes of every nation, men who boasted that they held their lives as lightly as they did the money in their purses. There were fifteen or twenty men attached to the palace, supposed to be soldiers, for they wore swords and carried arms, but they were holiday troops, no match for E] Boro’s stalwart bravos. As cunning as she was bold, the Frenchwoman saw that if the armed force was indeed El Boro’s men the time had come to act upon the maxim of the crafty Greek, Lysander, ‘‘ When CORMICOOO SS} (c@) = = CE Ee ae ee —— ———— =e eee SS eT Et SS oe oe ee Ss ee —= EE ee =e Ss “2 =. _ =? ee ee an — —— Saas ==: Sabo F se —_ ase? “Stee F “2.473 *.f > =e &