Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 108 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

i la TE a EET. lites | ee A, RT set Tie, | : : : _——~ oe ee ee ite oe ———— eee But, while we are ecstasizing over the horses —forgive us, for we love a beautiful horse—Fy- zoul Abdallah is reading over his letter again and chuckling immensely at the news it con- tains. It reads: “Father of the faithful Wahabees; the Christian lord they call the Jeweled Prince is within sight of Dereeyah, and has sent Haroun the Pearl-Dealer as his embassador to ask an audience to ransom the white girl who has just arrived. He has a numer- ous company with him, but they are not white de I have given him permission to come into the city and we will quarter him in the court below the old palace, where we can pick his bones when he eep.”’ The king was so much pleased with the last sentence that he read it over aloud to Seyd, re- marking: : ‘“‘Nubar Al Hayzari is a wise man. This Lord of the Jewels has been spying round our coasts long enough. Now he has run his head into the lion’s mouth, and we will see if he gets out so ily. Have you seen his caravan, Seyd?” ‘No, dread lord; but Haroun’s people say that they have enough guns to arm all our ” s. Fyzoul Abdallah smiled his most evil smile, as he observed: ‘“‘Guns are no uso to sleepers, and if they eT we shall have the weapons—eh, Seyd yd laughed heartily in the shrill, unnatural tones of his class, and the king turned away to walk back to his summer castle; when his eye was caught by the glitter of arms at the out- skirts of his own park coming directly toward the castle. ‘‘ Who is it dares come in, that way?” he an- grily asked Seyd. The black stared that way, as much amazed as his master. He knew that the wateri pools lay there and that access to the roy stud from that direction was a matter punish- able with death. There, however, plain and unmistakable in the sun was the glitter of arms; and a crowd of camels and men on horseback could be seen rapidly advancing over the undu- lating green park, while the whole of Fyzoul’s stud, huddled into a confused mob, was gal- loping away from before the advancing cara- van. The king stamped his foot with fury, and his countenance lowered till it looked per diabolical. He snapped his fingers at Seyd, and the black understood the signal, for he ran off to the palace, whence a groom galloped out a moment later, leading a caparisoned Arab horse, which he gave to the king. é, Full of anger at the audacious intrusion, Fy- zoul Abdallah called to his horse, and away it went like an arrow from the bow, as swift and almost as smooth, bearing the king up to the front of the incoming caravan. CHAPTER IX. THE DUKE’S VISIT. Fyzovut ABDALLAH was unarmed. It had not occurred to him that be was in any sort of danger in his own capital, and his guards ht to be within easy call. When he halted in front of the caravan, therefore, it was with the tone of an absolute and angry despot that he shouted: ‘‘Stop, sons of burnt fathers! How dare ye enter my park? Back, all of you, if you don’t want to be made food for crows!” _— To his intense surprise and incredulous amazement, the people in the caravan kept right on as if they had not heard him; and the wings on each si e rode past him and lapped in behind, when he found self surrounded by a circle of armed men, and confronted by a littering figure on a white dromedary, that + at once recognized from previous description as the “ Lord of -— 7 a Arabic sobri- t for the Duke of Diamantina, vt was the duke himself, with his habitual slight smile and lazy courtesy, who addressed the king in good Arabic, marked with the prey accent, as Fyzoul Abdallah per- ceiv ‘* All the world has heard of the glory and riches of Sultan ul, whose name is the ter- ror of Arabia. I have come all the way from the other side of the earth to behold him, and am happy at last.” Fyzoul’s face underwent several changes of expression while the duke was speaking, for he began to realize that he was, for the time be- ing, in the power of this singular man. But he was too much a master of dissimulation not to end with a smovth countenance and the re- mark: ““My brother is very welcome. We have heard of the jewels of my_ brother, und the reality exceeds the tale. My brother must come to my house, that we May eat salt to- gether.” Diamantina smiled and waved his hand. “Beit so. Ihave brought a few little hum- ble ts for my brother, which I will show him when we are home.” eats intelligence delighted the king, who was ofall things avaricious’, and he turned his | ' | The Duke of Diamonds, ee ee horse and rode back to the palace as good-hu- moredly as if he had never been angry, and dismounted at the gate, where he cordially welcomed in the duke and his retinue. ‘‘But how comes it, my brother,” he asked, as they stood there, “‘that you came this way instead of by the city as I had ordered?” His tone was uliar, and nov Unmenacin as he said this; but Diamantina looked straigh into his eyes, as he answered: ‘Because I am a ~ myself, in my own land, and I have never asked the Padishah him- self for an audience. I take no words from ministers ; I talk to my brother kings face to face. The glance of Fyzoul fell before his, and the Arabian looked uneasily round him. The fact was he was almost alone in his palace, servants and guards having gone down with the minis- ter, Nubar al Hayzari, into the city, on purpose to decoy the duke and his escort into a trap of some sort. Even while he was talking, he could hear the bustle made by their hasty return, and in the meantime he was absolutely in the power of this imposing stranger. ‘The duke seemed not uninclined to make him feel this, for he continued: “‘ My brother received a white slave to-day, stolen from her own and my people, by Haroun the pearl-dealer. I hope that my brother wi allow me to give a ransom for her.” Fyzoul waved his hand, loftily. ““We will see, we will seo. I have a fancy for a white wife, who is not a Georgian or Cir- cassian.” ‘* Nevertheless,” remarked the duke, tranquil- ly, “‘my brother will sell her to me. Sultan zoul knows what are jewels. Iwill give him this saber for the girl.” The king’s eyes glittered with avarice as he looked at the saber the other took from a slave and showed him, for the bilt and scabbard were of gold, and blazed with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. ‘That were indeed a present fit for one king to give another,” he remarked, in his most oily manner, but Diamantina only smiled his usual quiet and unruffled smile, as he waved the slave back with the saber. ‘*In my land, kings never give arms to their friends. We have a saying that a sharp blade cuts friendship. Ihave a robe of honor for m brother, but my arms are for barter for g that my brother has.” He had taken his seat unbidden, on the divan by the king’s side, at the upper end of the hall, and Dom Gil, with Clarence and some thirty men of the yacht’s crew, all armed to the teeth, were penal near by in the hall when Nubar al zari, pee and breathless entered the hallin haste, followed by a crowd of excited Arabs, with naked swords in their a and stopped in mute astonishment at the e duke sat close to faa and never deign- ed to turn his head as the Arabs entered. He knew, from his guide, that firearms were scarce in the city, owing to the isolation of the Nedjed, and he could trust to Dom Gil not to allow hi to be surprised. ‘** My brother is a great king and he will send for the white woman,” remarked the Duke of i tina, in his most a tones; but the quick ear of Fyzoul Abdallah caught the click of pistol-locks all round him, as the Brazilian’s retinue edged in closer round him. Two great drops of sweat rolled down the king’s forehead, and he answered, in a con- it Be it as you will. Tell Nubar al Hayzari, ‘*Be it as you . Tell Nu a i and he will bas the order.” Diamantina beckoned to his little black slave, who handed him a piece of paper, covered with Arabic words, together with an ink-horn of true Arabian fashion. _ ‘My brother’s signet on this order will bring a ical he said, quietly, ‘‘and the saber is For a moment Fyzoul Abdallah looked round like a hunted animal seeking a way to escape, but met only stern, impassive faces, and hands thrust into broad sashes on pistol butts. Then he gave a heavy sigh and took off his signet ring, with which he stamped the paper, after a hasty perusal. It was an order, ready i calling for the slave just purchased of Haroun, the rl-merchant. The duke handed it to Dom Gil, who at once stalked over to where Nubar and the guards, completely dumbfounded, stood hesitating whe- ther to fight or not. The long snky Brazilian spo waved the paper before him an e aloud: “Put up your swords. I have an order from Sultan Fyzoul.” The sound of their master’s name had a magi- cal effect on the Arabs, for Nubar bowed his face to the earth immediately and the rds sheathed their swords in silence as Dom Gil con- tinued: : ‘* My master, the wy he Jewels, has come to visit his brother, the mg of Dereeyah. My master’s men will guard the king while they are talking over a treaty between their king- doms. the meantime conduct me where th order telis you,” mr TL EE ’ LR Ry — = = Nubar al Hayzari placed his hands on his head in token of obedience and preceded Dom Gil from the room, while the iain turned to the king and resumed their interrupted conver- sation as if at home on his yacht. “My brother is very kind to me, and I should like much to see his horses. Will Sul- tan Fyzoul give orders to have them dis- played?” he king rly assented, for he was proud of his stud an mene to be on horseback once more. He flattered himself they could not trap him a second time. The duke made no objection as the king rose and went out of the castle, when he called to his grooms to bring out the horses; and as for Clarence Hart, the American could not kee back a cry of delight and wonder as the beauti- ful creatures were trotted out for inspec- tion. Fyzoul Abdallah noticed it and an evil smile crossed his face as he asked the duke whether his friend ** would not like to try one of the horses.”’ Clarence, when the words were interpreted to him, positively trembled with eagerness, but Diamantina laid his hand softly on the young man’s shoulder as he said in English: **My dear sir, do not think of it. Wehavea delicate game to play; and I would not like to lose you. Yousballride one of these horses, but not now. They wish to entice you away and hold you for a hostage.” To the king he said coolly in Arabic: ‘*This is my servant. In my country, none ride but the king.” ‘Then let us both ride, my brother,” was the crafty response, ‘‘I will tell them ‘to saddle Al Sabok and Hamama forus. They are the flower of the stud.” The duke made no objection, and at a si from Fyzoul the grooms led forward a y stallion with black points whose grace and symmetry exceeded anything the other had ever seen before. This was Al Sabok (the Swift), who, if bis looks belied him not, was the king of all horses. Beside him was a mare, equally beautiful, but of a delicate bluish y, who went by the title of Hamama (the ove.) ) Diamantina looked at her keenly and then re- marked to Fyzoul: ‘Your mare is not as good as your horse. She has had her shoulder sprained, for I see the old mark of a blister.” For a moment Fyzoul looked ashamed, not ef the trick, but of being found out; then he said harshly to the groom: 3 ** Fool, that’s not Hamama, I mean. It was Al Kader (the Clever One) that I bid thee bring. Saddle quickly.” This time it was a chestnut horse much lik Al Sabok that came forward, but here again the duke’s eye critically examining the animal saw the streaks of the g-iron inside the off hock. Hesaid nothing, however, till the king courteously waved him forward, saying: **Mount, my brother. Al Kader is a swallow for d, a goat for his sure feet.” “‘ Nevertheless,” answered the duke, suiti the action to the word, ‘‘ I would rather try Sabok.” And in a moment he was in the saddle. Fyzoul Abdallah’s face contorted itself into a hideous writhing smile of demreemnet malig- nity as he slowly mounted Kader, for he saw that his plan was discovered, but he made no remark as the duke rode out into the park, sehr Clarence Hart in command of the ple of the yacht, gathered around the hall lear oa. while their camels were lying down out- side. The king noticed with wonder the bright mitrailleurs on the saddles of some of camels, He understood their use at once, for the Persians have used camel guns called zam- boureks for more than a century, but the pecu- liar shape of the Gatling puzzled him. ‘* What are those, my brother?” he asked. The duke made a quiet signal to the nearest man who stood by his kneeling camel’s side, and instantly the gun was slewed round on its swivel and pointed into the park. ‘““Would the sultan like to see my killing machines ”” asked the Brazilian, languidly. “* Let him put his whole army out in the ait. and I can mow them down like grass with those my guns. See that tree yonder. My man shall we it down.” ee Eee en e pointed out the tree 6 artilleryman, to whom he spoke in Hindostanee, and the man saluted respectfully, pointed his gun, and turn- ed the crank of the already loaded machine. The effect on the sultan was complete. He | saw the steady stream of bullets go slapping into the little tree with a ceaseless flow till toppled and fell, and his face turned of a gray oatiar as he said, falteringly: “This is the work of Eblis. You area mighty ithe duke sto the firing with one of his silent signals. Pped . “That is only to show you what I can do if I am attacked. Here comes my officer with the woman, I see,” Dom Gil was indeed coming back, 0)(0)@) <€oim cS (E (E(0)