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diff --git a/42963-0.txt b/42963-0.txt index d26cd0f..9a77432 100644 --- a/42963-0.txt +++ b/42963-0.txt @@ -1,37 +1,4 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Weird Orient, by Henry Iliowizi - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Weird Orient - Nine Mystic Tales - -Author: Henry Iliowizi - -Illustrator: William Sherman Potts - -Release Date: June 17, 2013 [EBook #42963] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WEIRD ORIENT *** - - - - -Produced by Suzanne Shell, Sam W. and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 42963 *** Transcriber's Note @@ -6357,364 +6324,4 @@ the middle of a paragraph. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Weird Orient - Nine Mystic Tales - -Author: Henry Iliowizi - -Illustrator: William Sherman Potts - -Release Date: June 17, 2013 [EBook #42963] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WEIRD ORIENT *** - - - - -Produced by Suzanne Shell, Sam W. and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - -Transcriber's Note - -This book contains some Hebrew text which has been transliterated, and -is identified with + signs, e.g. +KB"H+. - - - - - The - Weird Orient - - Nine - Mystic Tales - - - BY - HENRY ILIOWIZI - - Author of "In the Pale," "Jewish - Dreams and Realities," etc. - - - PHILADELPHIA - HENRY T. COATES AND COMPANY - 1900 - - - Copyright 1899 by HENRY ILIOWIZI. - All rights reserved. - ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL, - LONDON. - - - - - [Illustration: "Touch me not." - Page 22.] - - - - -PUBLISHERS' PREFACE. - - -In introducing to the general public a writer who has heretofore been -known chiefly among the people of his own race, his publishers may -perhaps be permitted to say a word. Rabbi Iliowizi is a Hebrew of pure -lineage, the son of a zealous member of the Chassidim, a Kabbalistic -sect numbering over half a million members in Russia, Roumania and -Gallicia, but rarely met with in this country. He passed his infancy -and boyhood in the Russian provinces of Minsk and Moghileff, and in -Roumania, growing to manhood and receiving his education at -Frankfort-on-the-Main, Berlin and Breslau, where he qualified himself -for a theological career. After six years of study in Germany, he -spent some four years more perfecting his training in modern languages -and in Arabic and Hebrew in London and Paris, under the auspices of -the Anglo-Jewish Association and the Alliance Israelite Universelle, -as a preparation to take charge of one of the outlying mission -stations maintained by these affiliated societies in the Orient, where -they support some fifty schools for the benefit of their oppressed -co-religionists. After a prolonged service in Morocco, engaged in the -educational work of the two societies, Mr. Iliowizi lived for a year -at Gibraltar, and then came to America to devote himself to the -ministry of the Jewish Church, and is now the spiritual head of a -large congregation of his own people. - -Mr. Iliowizi has hitherto contributed principally to the literature of -his race, being known among Jews by several works; most widely, -perhaps, by a volume of stories of Russian life, under the title of -"In the Pale," recently published by the Jewish Publication Society of -America for its subscribers. In the series of Eastern tales, -comprising the present book, which appeals to a larger audience, he -has the special advantage, not only of a lengthened residence among -Eastern peoples, but that he is himself of an Oriental race, of a -heredity highly tinctured by the tenets of one of its most mystical -sects, and personally is of a strongly Semitic type of mind, tempered -by the maturing of his powers in the clear atmosphere of the New World -intellectual life. He has, therefore,--or ought to have,--exceptional -facilities for interpreting to the West the mind and heart of the -East. - -Whoever has lived long in the Orient,--and Morocco is essentially -Eastern in its atmosphere, even if geographically it might possibly be -otherwise classed,--cannot but realize the subtle and inexpressible -influence that so strongly pervades its life, and which, often as it -has been spoken of, is so hard for the Occidental mind fully to -understand or appreciate. It is the "call of the East," as Mr. -Kipling happily puts it, and of which his British soldier sings in -such realistic fashion: - - "An' I'm learnin' 'ere in London what the ten-year sodger tells; - 'If you've 'eard the East a-callin', why you won't 'eed nothin' else.' - No! you won't 'eed nothin' else - But them spicy garlic smells - An' the sunshine an' the palm trees an' the tinkly temple-bells!" - -The mystery of the great desolate desert stretches, with their -overpowering solemnity of deadly silence, has from time immemorial -exercised a most powerful influence upon the imagination of those who -frequent them; and their optical illusions are often so curious and so -startling as to afford easy explanation of the legends of hidden and -phantom cities, such as are told here and elsewhere, and indeed of -much else beside. Stories similar to "Sheddad's Palace of Irem," and -that of the vanishing city of the Peri in "The Croesus of Yemen," are -frequently met with. - -The gloominess of the mountain regions, especially that of the -Sinaitic Peninsula, has also had a profound influence in giving color -to the legendary lore of the middle Orient; and this combination of -desert and mountain influences perhaps largely accounts for what is -distinctively peculiar in the mysticism of the East, and for much that -will be found in this book. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - I. The Doom of Al Zameri, 17 - - II. Sheddad's Palace of Irem, 53 - - III. The Mystery of the Damavant, 89 - - IV. The Gods in Exile, 119 - - V. King Solomon and Ashmodai, 161 - - VI. The Croesus of Yemen, 199 - - VII. The Fate of Arzemia, 253 - - VIII. The Student of Timbuctu, 287 - - IX. A Night by the Dead Sea, 327 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - -By WILLIAM SHERMAN POTTS. - - - PAGE - I. "_Touch me not!_" (page 22) Frontispiece - - II. "_Determined to penetrate into - the seemingly impenetrable - wonderland of the Damavant._" 92 - - III. "_Like a thunderbolt striking to - the centre of a hurricane, the - demon shot down._" 173 - - IV. "_There sprung, like Iris from the - clouds, a smiling Hebe._" 323 - - - - -THE WEIRD ORIENT. - - -The nine tales which follow have a history which is itself not without -interest. The materials have been accumulated during a residence of -many years at Tetuan, Morocco, varied by excursions to places in the -interior where semi-barbarous life may be seen in its pristine -crudeness. In Tetuan I had somewhat exceptional opportunities of -getting into the heart of native life and thought, and I am under -obligations also for contributions received from a venerable -story-teller at Tangier, who had been assistant librarian at the -_Kairouin_ of Fez, the only university of the Moorish Empire. The -tales themselves have been for centuries floating through the -legendary lore which plays so large a part in the intellectual -cloudland of the gorgeous East; my part has been to put them into -English dress, with scrupulous adherence to their substance and, as -far as may be, to their native costume. - -Tetuan is a typical Oriental town, beautiful from a distance, -disappointing at a closer inspection, but not devoid of that classic -atmosphere which invests ancient cities in the East with a spiritual -something unfelt in modern centres of culture. Situated at the foot of -the Beni Hosmar, a bold peak of the northern branch of the Atlas -range, it has a population of about twenty thousand souls, is enclosed -by a dilapidated wall, boasts of some fine homes built by wealthy -Tetuani, has a separate _mellah_ for its unfavored Jews, some European -dwellings and cultivated gardens for foreign consuls, a large unclean -square as a market-place, chronically infested by packs of mongrel -dogs fed by Moslem women, and something of an official residence -within the moss-capped walls of a stronghold spoken of as the -_Casbah_. The rest is covered by the Moorish quarter, a bewildering -labyrinth of unpaved, unswept alleys, crooked lanes, the white, -flat-roofed, unwindowed houses often meeting each other overhead, thus -creating dingy tunnels which are utilized as bazaars, with wretched -holes to right and left reserved for sundry wares and offices--the -usual conditions of Moslem towns. - -Unattractive as such a conglomeration of semi-barbarous retreats must -appear, neither Pegasus nor the muses would pass them with -indifference. As the descendants of the Moors expelled from Hispania -by their Catholic Majesties, the Tetuani show a degree of refinement -unknown elsewhere in Barbary, and with it survives a taste for higher -things of which poetry is not the least. Tetuan's intellectual -atmosphere is so generally recognized that the present Emir-al-Mumemin -(sole ruler of the true faithful) sent his heir apparent, Hassan, to -be educated at the _Casbah_ by a _taleb_ chosen from the local -aristocracy, in preference to the unfathomed wisdom stored in the wise -heads of the _Kairouin_ at Fez. The minstrel, the fluent story-teller, -the poetic historian, and the fine performer on the double-stringed -_gimreh_, are not unfamiliar figures in Tetuan, provided one knows how -to approach them, which is not so hard as it is to overcome their -reluctance to unbosom themselves before the infidel. Great as is the -Moor's cupidity, it pales before his abhorrence of the foreign -intruder who presumes to pry into his jealously guarded sanctuaries. -Touch him on a point concerning his nebulous legends and traditions -and, like the turtle, he draws in his head, and that is the last you -will see of him, unless you strike the sensitive chord of national -pride by speaking grandiloquently of non-Mussulman heroes and literary -triumphs. Even then Moslem passiveness proves often an immovable -inertia. It has been found possible to provoke the garrulity of the -_taleb_, _adool_ and _fukie_, respectively representing our lawyer, -notary, and man of letters; but there are two characters in Morocco -whom no whirlwind will move to dispute the infidel's claim to a -superior culture, and they are the all-knowing _kadi_ and the _emin_, -the judge and the priest, both deriving their unquestioned authority -from al Koran, and thus cherishing a supreme contempt for the wisdom -of the faithless inspired by the cunning devil. The idea is as old as -Islam that what the Koran reveals not, Allah alone knows. - -After many rueful failures to get at the sources of Barbary's -folklore, the author of this book conceived the idea, which happily -met with some success, of creating a social focus sufficiently -attractive to ensnare unwary stragglers of infallible Islamism, such -as itinerant students, beggars, story-tellers and pilgrims, who, being -strangers in the place, might be induced by liberal treatment and a -little policy to impart some glimpses of the precious lore so dear to -one who had set his heart on the acquisition of so promising a -treasure. Did the _Arabian Nights_ and the other works we know exhaust -the vast resources of the Orient's mysteries? Without betraying his -ultimate purpose, the author called a meeting of the foreign -residents, all good friends or acquaintances, and submitted the scheme -of opening a Casino for mutual sociability and the reception of worthy -strangers, sometimes of high rank, who not infrequently cross the -Strait of Gibraltar to see life as it must have been in the -patriarchal age. The suggestion was received with acclamation; the -meeting, nineteen souls in all, organized itself into a body of -subscribing members; officers were elected, rules formulated, and a -liberal subscription list enabled the chairman to proceed at once to -carry out the project, everyone wondering why the thing had never been -thought of before. It took some weeks to perfect matters, when the -pleasure-house was opened with proper ceremony. The windows of the -commodious building looked on the market-place, the Casino being about -a hundred paces from the gate of the _Casbah_, and the institution -soon became an object of talk and wonder, it being the first of its -kind in the tedious annals of Tetuan. - -Only a few days after the opening the members experienced the -undelightful surprise of finding one of their distinguished friends, -the Spanish Vice-consul, a stately hidalgo of high lineage, afflicted -by the thirst of Tantalus, with a hydrophobic aversion to water as the -proper means of appeasing it. The cavalier could neither be asked to -resign nor could he be expelled, without creating an unpleasant -sensation, but his drunkenness threatened the very life of the resort. -What was to be done? A secret meeting called for the purpose of -dealing with the problem ended in a unanimous sigh of despondency. But -help was near at hand. Diepo, the caterer, who realized that his -prospects were on the brink of ruin, devised a way out of the dilemma. -Under the pretext that the annoying pest of insects, flying and -creeping, required some remedy, the shrewd caterer prepared a -substance that stuck to one like the Evil One, spread it freely on -large sheets of brown paper, and distributed them judiciously where -they would best serve his purpose. Once in his hazy condition, the -chivalrous Vice-consul was quick in satisfying Diepo's most sanguine -anticipations, picking up by a variety of zigzag evolutions almost -every sticker, and covering himself with the viscous stuff from head -to foot, until the stifled giggle of those present gave way to roars -of laughter. A coarse _jellab_ had to be thrown around the frame of -the inebriate, to take him home without exposure to the ridicule of -outsiders. If the incident did not cure the disgraced representative -of Spanish chivalry of his thirst, it at least rendered it impossible -for him to return to the circle he had scandalized; and as to Diepo's -stratagem, it was commended as a measure devised for self-preservation. - -An unexpected triumph for the Casino was the application of three -prominent Moslems for membership, each one, in days bygone, having -been attached to some embassy the Caliph of the Lord now and then -sends to one or another of the European courts. To the manifold -diversions afforded by the institution belonged a sagacious parrot who -astonished the noble Moors by receiving them with the _Muezzin's_ cry: -"_La illaha, il Allah, Mohammed Ressul Allah!_" This confession of -Islam, that there is no God but God, and that Mohammed is His Prophet, -would have edified the Mussulmans, had not the frivolous bird -accompanied his exclamation with screams of profane laughter. At first -puzzled by the unaccountable frivolity of the bird, the most -ingenuous of the Moslems finally solved the riddle by recognizing -therein an expression of felicity the creature derived from uttering -the sacred formula. - -Gratuitous music was furnished by an Italian who blew the trombone; by -a French teacher who played the violin; by a Hebrew who gave wind to a -pipe of reeds; and by a Spaniard who harped on the strings of a -colossal bass-viol. In course of a few months the members of the -Casino entertained visitors not alone from Europe and many quarters of -Barbary, but from the more distant Orient, the most of them coming by -the way of Tangier, sometimes called the "white city of the dark -continent." But nothing advertised and dignified that institution more -than the standing offer of twenty-five pesetas to him who should, upon -a fixed evening, regale its members with the most interesting tale, -subject to the critical verdict of three judges, the decision to be -sustained or rejected by a majority of votes. The tale was not to be -wholly fictitious, but should either turn around some historic event, -or be based on some popular tradition or legend current in the lands -of the rising sun. In a country where, thanks to nature's bounty, a -peseta is sufficient to supply a numerous family with food for days, -the prize held out as an inducement proved an object of keen -competition. Once a month the competitors were given the opportunity -of displaying their story-telling talents, and on one occasion a -_fukie_ of Fez, a Jew of Yemen, another one of Jerusalem, and a Parsee -of Bombay, claimed the attention of the interested auditors, in their -endeavors to secure the coveted prize. - -Such were the beginnings of this work; it contains in substance all -the tales for which prizes were awarded, but it is only fair to state -that the Parsee was the one to whom the author is mostly indebted for -the mass of his material. Yakoub Malek was a very original eccentric, -of a nature deep, generous, ardent and visionary. A Parsee by birth, -Malek exchanged his Zoroastrian creed for Buddha's ideals, only to -show a later preference for Islam. Driven by a restless temperament, -he traversed Asia throughout its length and breadth, and crossed the -whole north of Africa for the avowed purpose of seeking an audience -with the Pope in Rome, his object being to be initiated into the -mystery of the Catholic Church. Like Marco Polo, Malek was the most -observing of travellers, and his adventures embraced encounters with -monstrous brutes, communion with spirits in the desert of Gobi, -hairbreadth escapes from cyclonic storms, shipwrecks, venomous -reptiles, cannibals and banditti. In the Western hemisphere Malek -would pass for a transcendental spiritualist, claiming, as he did, to -hold intercourse with the spirits of his parents, especially with that -of his father. One dark evening he startled his auditors by producing -a human finger, all dried and shrivelled. He had taken it off -stealthily from the right hand of his father's dead body, after the -vultures had denuded it of flesh, it being the religious custom of the -Parsees to expose their dead to the voracity of that carrion bird, for -which purpose, as is well known, their "towers of silence" are -constructed. That singular rite has its origin in the Zoroastrian idea -that earth is holy and must not be polluted by the decay of human -flesh.--"As often as I long to see my father, I hold this bone closed -in my right hand and shut my eyes, when lo! I see him rise from the -realms of the invisible, ready to commune with me in whispers audible -to my soul," asserted the Oriental with a mystic glow in his eye. - -His ćsthetic quality betrayed itself in his glowing descriptions of -Balbec and Tadmor, of the prodigious monuments of Egypt, and the -temples and palaces of India. Of his vivid power to portray what his -memory retained, or his imagination conceived, the subjoined rhapsody, -taken as he gave it, may convey an idea. "I see him there, Shah Jahán, -in Jáhnáhád, the Delhi of his fiat, exalted on his throne of thrones, -a blaze of jewelled splendors, set in mockery of the peacock's -feathers, but fairer than that fairest bird, the Moghul's emblem of -star-dotted majesty. Great Akbar's Empire is his, and India's -wealth.--Poor Moghul! From Agra's lovelier court, thy favored home, -the courier speeds to drown thy happiness in gloom. She is no more who -owned thy heart. Thy sweetest Empress, Mumtaza Mahal, the Orient's -loveliness and grace, succumbed to throes which mothers know. The babe -survived her. Delhi mourns. Shah Jahán hurries to his seat of woe. How -dismal looks the city of imperial gardens! How sepulchral its palace -of grandeurs nowhere seen, never heard of, vast and noble, too grand -for man, not unfit for gods!--Death darkens the world, darkens Shah -Jahán's glorious throne-hall. Here his incomparable mate lies cold in -death, crowned and sceptred, as though called to rule in the nether -world, a queen among the dead. All mourn and weep, but the true sorrow -is thine, poor Jahán, with melancholy as thy only friend, thy hope the -grave. That wondrous sepulchre of thine, reared to crown thy love; -there it stands, thy resting-place and hers, the _Taj_, the monumental -blossom of the world, beyond expression beautiful." - -Yakoub Malek was a mystic adventurer, and his narrative mystified his -audience. But for that delightful dreamer this book would never have -seen light. His passing out of sight, with an echo that rings in the -ear forever, charmed by a voice that enchanted the soul, suggests the -career of those prophetic wizards who, having stirred the world with -the fire of their breath, departed this life, leaving song and -prophecy to vibrate in the air to the end of time. Should that -picturesque wanderer ever come across these pages, he will have to -forgive the liberties the author has taken with his rhapsodic style -not less than with the version in certain parts of his narrative. Not -everything the dreamy Orient is ready to accept will meet with equal -credence, or even with tolerance, in the sobered Occident. Yet enough -has been retained in these tales to draw the reader from his realistic -surroundings into those weird realms where, unrestrained by the laws -of sublunar existence and the limitations of mortality, the spirit is -allowed to roam in the vast, unencumbered by matter, unhindered by -time and space. - - Henry Iliowizi. - Philadelphia, April, 1900. - - - - -THE DOOM OF AL ZAMERI. - - -Nothing is known in nature which, in awful impressiveness, compares -with the overpowering scenery forever associated with God's revelation -to man. That arm of the Indian Ocean called the Red Sea bifurcates -into the westerly gulf of Suez and the easterly one of Akabah, and the -triangular peninsula thus formed embraces the region that bears the -name of the sky-consecrated Mount Sinai. He who, from an overtopping -height, once surveys those prodigies of this globe's eternal -framework, pile on pile, varied by solitary peaks raising their heads -above the clouds, amidst a confusion of innumerable gorges, _wadys_ -and ravines, the red of the stupendous mass interspersed with -porphyry and greenstone, will, apart from their spiritual -reminiscences, bear the impression to the end of his days that he has -been in the very heart of creative omnipotence. About the entire -system there is such a ghostly air, such a terrific frown, as is -recalled by no other chain of crests and cliffs, however bold or -life-deserted. If the bleaker rocks that encompass the basin of the -Dead Sea are more deterring, those of Horeb are of a thrilling -sublimity; and if this is true in broad daylight, night invests them -with an inexpressible mystic awe, intensified by an inexplicable -rumbling and roaring not unlike distant thunder. But all other -feelings are merged in the one of terror when, as it sometimes -happens, a heavy thunderstorm breaks over the wilderness of Sinai. -Rendered impervious by a rarely disturbed aridity, the barren rocks -retain little more water than would the glazed incline of a pyramid, -so that the mountain torrents rush down with cyclonic impetuosity, -uprooting trees and sweeping off settlements, with no trace left of -what man and nature combine to produce. - -It was in one of those spasmodic storms that, in the year 1185 after -Mohammed's flight from Mecca, a muffled figure moved cautiously in the -heart of a cloudburst which was accompanied by blinding flashes of -lightning and such thunderbolts as shook the very bedrock of the -mountainous desolation. The Bedouin's watch-fires, nightly seen all -along the gentler acclivities, vanished before the elemental fury; and -though the plain of al-Rahe opened before him, the lonely wanderer -turned his face toward Jebel Musa, or Mount of Moses, betraying his -anxiety to remain unrecognized. Wind and rain forced the man to seek -shelter somewhere, but he seemed to prefer a dark hollow to the sure -hospitality of the Arab's tent. From the heights the torrents came -roaring like waterfalls, carrying along piled up masses of uprooted -tamarisks, palm-trees, struggling sheep and goats; even bowlders were -swept down like pebbles. - -While stopping for a moment, irresolute as to the direction he should -take, the muffled figure discerned a human form stranger than his own, -whelmed by the flood and on the point of being either engulfed or -crushed to death by the wreck-encumbered torrent. With a rush which -endangered his life, the mysterious wanderer caught hold of the -forlorn victim, tearing him out of the destructive tide, and as it -happened landing him near a cave which he had not before seen. "Touch -me not!" cried the rescued creature in a voice that startled his -preserver. Yet compared with the rest of his individuality, the voice -was the least appalling of his features. There stood a bare-headed -being, bent with age, pale as a ghost, lean as starvation, wrinkled as -a shriveled hag, shaggy as a bear, his beard descending to his knees, -and his hair to his waist. Death stared from his eyes, misery from his -face; in all an image of hopelessness, tottering toward the grave. -Barely strong enough to drag his limbs, the wretch waddled into the -rayless hole, whining and groaning. - -The weather's inclemency would have hardly induced the other to divide -the cave with one whose aspect suggested the tenant of the graveyard, -but the tramp of approaching horses left no time for reflection. Like -a shadow the muffled figure disappeared just in time to escape the -notice of two Mamlooks on horses, who, perceiving the hole, drew in -the reins with an oath: "Allah tear the devil!--If it were not for my -poor horse I would crawl into that black pit to get out of this -infernal tempest.--See this cataract! Why, this beats the Nile!--And -the hawk we are looking for may as well be leagues out of this -wilderness as within it. If we do not hurry to Wady-Feiran, the fever -will settle in my belly. I feel cold about the heart," said one of the -horsemen. - -"Give up the thousand purses set on Ali Bey's head?" asked his fellow. - -"Give up the chase of the devil!--The slave-Sultan is not within these -black reaches, I say, and we are fools to follow our noses until the -breath is out of our stomachs," answered the other impatiently. - -A red zigzag flash tore the clouds; the crash threw the horses on -their haunches. Had not the astounded Mamlooks scampered off like the -wind, the lightning would have revealed to them the object of their -hunt, Egypt's celebrated Sheykh el-Beled, a title tantamount to the -power and dignity of Caliph. Such was Ali Bey who, at the close of a -career of adventure and romance, was a fugitive in the wilds, with a -price set by his enemies upon his head. - -"The bloodhounds have lost the spoor of the game, and if my messengers -reach Acre safely, my friend Daher will be out in force; but where -hide till then?" thought Ali Bey, and proceeded to close up the -entrance to his retreat by a pile of rubbish near at hand, darkness -favoring the operation. - -"Unless there are snakes in this hole, I shall have an hour's rest," -said Ali to himself, having completed the hiding wall. A moaning -ululation in the dark reminded him of the other presence he had -enclosed with himself, and his alarm was not lessened by the sudden -glimmer of a something which broke the gloom of the den. Coming as it -did from the deep of the hollow, it could not be mistaken for a flare -of lightning from without. Another glimmer left no doubt as to its -source. - -Ali Bey was not a man to quail before anything another man could face; -but here was a phenomenon to stop the pulsation of the stoutest heart. A -burning jewel, not in the palsied hand of a decrepit dotard, but in the -hold of one in the prime of manhood, who resembled the other as closely -as a heifer does its dam. Who was he? A son of the former? Or had there -occurred the miracle of instantaneous rejuvenescence? Or was it Satan -bent on some diabolical performance?--"Man or demon, good or evil power, -whoever thou art, I demand of thee in Allah's name to unfold thy mystery -to me. Art thou he whom I saved from the fury of the elements? He was -nearer a hundred than thirty years; nearer death than life. Thou lookest -like him, but couldst be his grandchild as to age and vigor. Art thou -and he the same? Or art thou an illusion,--peradventure the spirit of -this mountain? If thou art a spirit, thou knowest who I am; if thou art -human I charge thee to speak to Ali Bey, the Sheykh el-Beled of Egypt, -who is waiting for assistance to defeat the conspiracies of his -enemies," spoke Ali with the firmness of despair. - -"Sheykh el-Beled," answered the one spoken to in a tone as changed as -his form, "there is less of spirit in me than in thee, yet am I less -human than man ever was, deathless yet mortal, tossed about on the -ocean of time from age to age, century to century, cycle to cycle, -millennium to millennium; denied the peace of soul, the comfort of -hope, the blessing of prayer, the nepenthe of oblivion, yea, the rest -of the grave. Tremble not at the sound of my name. I am _Al Zameri_, -the accursed roamer of the times, doomed since the making of the -golden calf to begin, rejuvenated after a lapse of every hundred -years, anew my unblest career,--homeless, godless, hopeless, shunned, -feared and hated!" - -"Al Zameri!" ejaculated Ali, who had moved some steps backward -horrified. - -"That is my name; credulity couples it with sin, greed, famine, war, -inundations, hurricanes and pestilence. While thou art within the -reach of my breath, warned by instinct, no man will do thee harm," -promised the wretched wanderer. - -"Allah confound the devil!--Thou wouldst have perished in the flood -if I had not rescued thee; there must be a hidden purpose in the -accident of our meeting. Born a slave, destiny has given me the power -to defy and defeat the Caliph of Islam. My sword has made me sole -ruler over the empire on the banks of the Nile. In open battle I fear -no foe; it is conspiracy and the assassin's dagger that I am fleeing, -and thy thwarting my pathway, or my thwarting thine, means something -to me, Al Zameri. I am in the hand of Allah, the most merciful.--But -speak, thou man of immortal woe, how didst thou provoke the anger of -thy people's God? Why was the golden idol fashioned? Why by thee? What -has been thy experience since?--For few are the Prophet's words in his -reference to thy transgression in the Koran," resumed Ali, making the -best of his unique acquaintance. - -"Sheykh el-Beled, thy kindness, not thy service, requires my -acknowledgment. Thy succor was wasted on a man whom perdition would -not have. For three thousand years death shuns me as ruthlessly as I -long to hug it. My tale is a nightmare of three millenniums, taking -me back to ancient Egypt, where I, a Hebrew, was born into abject -slavery. My hot blood resented the taskmaster's rod. In a moment of -rage I struck back one of my tormentors, blow for blow, and was with -other rebels doomed to dig in one of Pharaoh's copper mines on the -coast of Akabah in the valley of Semud. Here many of the Egyptian -idols were fashioned, and here I learned the secret of the priests, -who caused metallic forms to utter sound, to articulate oracular -speech. Certain instruments were skilfully inserted into the interior -of the idol, and the priest manipulated them to the great wonderment -of the populace, who lay prostrate before their all-knowing, warning -or blessing gods. The fraud was guarded by the loss of the tongue that -betrayed it. - -"I was young and strong when the joyous tidings penetrated our penal -colony, that a man of God had afflicted Egypt with plague after -plague, insisting that the Israelites be freed from bondage, and we -soon read Egypt's doom in the face of our taskmaster. We conspired, -made a desperate break for liberty, and marked our track with the -blood of those who offered resistance. Love for parents long missed -impelled me to disdain danger. Disguised as an Egyptian, I was -determined to steal into the land of the Pharaohs, when one night my -progress was stopped by a manifestation in the desert, which filled me -with consternation. A pillar of lurid flame, having its base on earth, -advanced eastward with a rotatory motion, its upper end obeying a -force among the stars. It was a glowing meteor, enormous in volume, -endless in height, and terrible to behold, setting earth and heaven on -fire, and bathing the desert in fearful glory. As I hurried to get out -of the pillar's reach, lest I be consumed, I fell in with the vanguard -of my liberated brethren in the rear of their fiery guide. What I saw -and heard thrilled me with awe. A power greater than Osiris lowered -Egypt to the dust, and that was the God of my people. My father was no -more; I embraced my aged mother and one surviving sister, and we wept -for joy. - -"Before I had been an hour in the great camp, which extended over -many miles, the cry ran from lip to lip, 'We are pursued! The -Egyptians are at our heels!' Terror and confusion seized the enormous -multitude, men, women and children acting like maniacs, while a throng -of lusty fellows, myself among them, pressed on to see what the Man of -God was going to do. We found him in company of Aaron and Hur, his -countenance beaming, as though it had concentrated the blaze of the -flaming pillar to reflect it in a milder beam. He was Moses, the son -of Amram. In his hand a staff, his gray beard and curly locks setting -off a face of manly firmness, tempered by feminine grace and a -visionary dreaminess, his eyes turned fixedly where the top of the -fire-pillar lost itself in azure. As if in compliance with his tacit -prayer, the prodigious beam swerved from its forward course, wheeled -backward to the right, and thus transferred its base from the front of -the moving camp to its rear, interposing its volume between the -pursuer and the pursued. It was the second watch of the night; we were -within a short hour of the Yam-Mitzrayim, the Egyptian Sea,[1] and a -dense fog left us in doubt as to the distance of the enemy behind us. -The suspense was unbearable, and Moses was besieged by the rebellious -and the craven, who rent the air with reproaches and appeals. He spoke -a few words of encouragement, asking the people to faithfully await -the salvation of the Lord, but his voice was drowned in the -vociferation of the threatening crowd. - - [1] The Red Sea, among the Hebrews, was "the Sea of Egypt." - -"At a hint from Aaron five thousand armed men of the tribe of Levi -threw themselves between the great leader and the clamoring mob. It -was a critical moment. The undaunted chief spread out his hands in -prayer. - -"The third watch of the night came with a freezing gale; it raised the -fog and revealed a sea lashed by the fury of the growing tempest. It -was dawn when the leader, inspired from On High, struck the flood with -his staff. The waters rose high, broke, scattered in dust, rose again, -tumbled, divided up, and froze, leaving a broad highway dry as the -shore. With his brother the leader entered the depth followed by the -people, till the whole multitude found themselves between the icy -walls, emerging on the opposite shore happy and jubilant. - -"Just now the blush of morning in the east was eclipsed by a wave of -effulgence west of the Sea of Egypt, and as we turned our eyes thither -we were amazed to behold the burning pillar replaced by a sun-crowned -power that illumined the heavens with his dazzling panoply and his -sword of many flames. That presence sealed the doom of the Egyptians. -In their impetuous onward rush they plunged into the jaws of death. -The miraculous road was not meant to give them passage; and no sooner -were they in the heart of the dry abyss than, by a touch of the -leader's staff, the frozen walls, melted by the sun-crowned power, -gave way to the devouring sea, burying Egypt's mighty army. The air -shivered with the multitudinous shout of joy sent up by our myriads of -grateful fugitives. Song, dance and praise commemorated the great -event, to be shortly followed by one greater than anything I know of -in the annals of man. - -"Ah, let me come to the cause of my doom! What happened between the -crossing of the Red Sea and the Day of Revelation is on record, but -eternity will not efface the picture burned into my memory of what I -have, thousands of years ago, witnessed in this wilderness of Zin. - -"After a short encampment hereabout, the leader, he the chief of -chiefs, made it known that in three days the Majesty Divine would -reveal Himself and His truth on the top of Sinai, the interval to be -spent in purifying preparations. - -"As though all the earthquakes and thunders of the ages were to spend -their furious energy within the space of one daybreak, a convulsed -earth and a bursting firmament roused a terrified people from their -sleep, summoning them to gather at the foot of the fire-belching, -quaking, night-shrouded mountain, there to receive the first -commandments of the Torah, the Law of the world. They obeyed the -summons, but succumbed to the supernatural manifestations. Himself -unseen, the voice of the leader was heard from the thick of the -clouds, communing with Omnipotence, the blasts of mighty trumpets -intermingling with the bellowing, rumbling and growling of the roused -elements. Suddenly a profound silence superseded the universal -agitation. Clearly stood out the apex of the mountain, clear spread -the horizon; and ear, heart and soul were entranced by the ineffable -melody of utterance which came floating from the empyrean. Like the -symphony of an angelic chorus, the Ten Commandments vibrated -throughout the ethereal spaces, reclaiming the people from their -torpor, to be overawed by a wonder exceeding anything they had yet -seen. With a background of azure, and the three summits of the -Sinaitic range as base, there spread in the clear infinite blue the -likeness of inexpressible Majesty in the transcendental shape of a -sovereign, crowned with supernal glory,--compassion and benign grace -radiating from His dimly discernible features; in His hand an open -scroll, covering half the firmament, and showing the Decalogue in -sunny splendor, each letter proving but the reflex of a yet grander -copy visibly set in stars far back in the deepest heavens. - -"A season of tumultuous rejoicing followed the closing of that -soul-thrilling scene, and the emancipated slaves abandoned themselves -to indulgences bordering on license. In the whirl of excitement nobody -noticed the absence of the venerated prophet, who had not been seen -nor heard from since the Day of Revelation, and his family and closest -associates were as ignorant of his whereabouts as the rest of the -people. But when a whole month had passed by without a token of the -prophet's being or doing, the craven-hearted mass took umbrage, -fearing they had been deserted both by Moses and his God. Aaron was -called upon to allay their apprehensions, but he proved unequal to the -exigency. Pressed to supply them with a power to worship, and somebody -to lead them, instead of bidding them to have patience and wait, in a -moment of weakness he yielded, suggesting that all the golden -ornaments of the women be delivered to him, that he might fashion for -them a god. If the High-priest hoped that the women would not -sacrifice their jewelry, he was soon undeceived. And I was at hand to -lure him into the most heinous of human transgressions. - -"Herein centres the enormity of my guilt. Aaron could have never -fulfilled his promise had not an evil spirit prompted me to offer him -my service in moulding for him a golden calf after the pattern of -Egypt's idolatry. Doubting my ability to materialize what I proposed, -he gave his assent, and my experience in metal work enabled me to -produce a golden calf with the trick of articulating words. - -"When the people saw the image and heard it declare itself their god, -they went wild with delight, Aaron himself catching the infection. An -altar was built, a feast proclaimed, sacrifices offered, and the -masses delivered themselves up to orgies. - -"The riot of debauch was broken up by the unexpected arrival of the -prophet. With his countenance shining like the sun, he rushed down -from the mountain, dropped and shattered the tablets, which bore the -Commandments he had received from the hand of God, and reduced the -idol to powder which he scattered to the winds. Aaron exonerated -himself by pointing to the madness of the people, and to me as the -real culprit.--'This Azazel has brought the great sin on the head of -the people,' cried he, his eye fixed in fierce hatred on my detested -self. What could I advance in extenuation of my devilish authorship? - -"Severe punishment was meted out. Four thousand prominent offenders -fell under the sword, but I was singled out for a special fate as a -warning to coming ages. 'Al Zameri shall not die; Al Zameri shall -henceforth wander like Cain, shunned, feared, cursed and hated; Al -Zameri shall, at the lapse of a hundred years, revisit the scene of -his crime, shall be restored to his present condition, and thus go on -and on, until time shall wipe out the memory of his evil deed,' was -the verdict I heard. The prophet spoke it under the spell of -inspiration, and I was set free.[2] - - [2] This legend of the Wandering Jew, which so far as I am - aware has never before been printed, except for some few - references in the Koran, is probably the precursor of the one - currently familiar among Christians, and it will be seen - places the date of the crime that entailed perpetual - punishment at some 1500 years earlier. To my mind it - possesses much the greater psychological interest. The Koran - says: - - "And in like manner al Zameri also cast in what he had - collected, and he produced unto them a corporeal calf which - lowed. And al Zameri and his companions said, This is your - god and the god of Moses.... Moses said unto al Zameri, What - was thy design, O Zameri? He answered, I knew that which they - knew not, wherefore I took a handful of dust from the - footsteps of the messenger of God, and I cast it into the - molten calf; for so did my mind direct me" (Surah 20). - - The presence, and especially the touch, of the outcast is - supposed to entail disaster, of which he is bound to warn - those with whom he is brought into contact; and it is - therefore that Al Zameri cries out to his rescuer (page 22) - "Touch me not." The reference in the Koran is, "Moses said, - Get thee gone; for thy punishment in this life shall be, that - thou shalt say unto those who shall meet thee, Touch me not" - (Surah 20). - - The roaming Al Zameri has in Oriental folklore a counterpart - in the wandering Cain, who also is supposed to live forever. - -"And free I was, and free I am to roam forever like a mad beast, -driven hither by the fury to be transformed at the appointed hour into -the young man that I was when malicious folly stamped me as the -outcast of the human race. - -"That same hour I conceived an irrepressible impulse to seek the vast, -the void, the desert, the jungle, the swamp,--the unlighted cavern, -the place of graves, the ruin,--evading the blessed haunts of man, -abhorring sunshine and courting darkness. Daylight blinds me as it -does the owl; the sight of gold confounds, its touch burns me. The -ferocious beast flees at my approach; the serpent hisses and writhes -away. However teeming the region with animal life, however vocal with -the song of bird, my passing turns it into a soundless, lifeless wild. -I speed with the wind, sweep with the storm, welcome the lightning's -flare, the thunder's growl, rage with the elements, curse with the -fiends of black Abaddon. The tiger's den is my shelter, my pillow a -coil of venomous reptiles. I throw myself into the jaws of the lion, -swallow the essence of poison,--it does not avail me. Death is in -league with all creation against me. If I try to end my misery by -falling into a chasm, I am lighter than air. Water will not drown me, -fire will not burn me, steel will cut my flesh but spares my life, -and my dread is life--time--time, endless, hopeless, hateful -years,--decades, cycles, millenniums! Such is the sky-ruled destiny of -Al Zameri!" - -"Horrible is thy fate! Thine is hell on earth, O, son of guilt, who -didst ingraft on the race an evil growth,--the worship of gold! Ah, -the glittering fetich! What crimes are not traceable to his glossy -fascinations!--But the potency of prayer, the tear of remorse dear to -Allah the most merciful, the King of the Day of Judgment, are they -denied thee?" inquired Ali Bey. - -"Prayer, prayer, man's inward heaven, the unction of life, the solace -of the soul,--prayer, the heart-feeding stream, with God as its -fountainhead and influx, swelled by springs unrevealed and currents -vainly searched," exclaimed Al Zameri, striking the palms of his hands -together with a clap of pain;[3] "prayer would just as readily -commingle with my being as Eden's blessed rivers with the flames of -hell. What heaven and earth reveal of the wonderful and holy is -deterring to me, whom neither the sublime nor the beautiful inspires, -filled as I am with doubt as to whether there be mercy ample enough to -cover my guilt. - - [3] The familiar Oriental gesture expressing painful emotions - is to throw the arms wide apart, and bring the palms of the - hands together with a distinct, and often resounding, clap; - then clasping the hands, tremulous with the stress of - feeling. - -"Yea, once,--but once,--long before the Orient felt the Roman's iron -grip, my lips, prompted by the whisper of a cherub, stammered prayer; -and with that inspiration died my feeble hope, leaving a seething -caldron in a heart of flint. Ah, from my gloom of hell I had a glimpse -of paradise.--Thou hast heard of Balbec's ancient glories, of which -her magnificent ruins tell; I saw her in her palmy days, a city of -palaces for merchant princes to dwell in, the rival of Tyre, Tadmor -and Damascus. Perched on the side of the Anti-Libanus, high above the -fertile plain of Sahlat-Ba'albec, and encircled by groves and gardens -watered by the valley's never-failing spring of Ra'as-el Ayn, Balbec -gloried in rearing great monuments, while the temples dedicated to her -gods stood among the marvels of the world. Whatever was precious, -useful, or ornamental, was to be had in the bazaars of Balbec. -Caravans carried invaluable treasures through her gates, and the -royalties she levied enabled her to display a princely munificence in -her domestic affairs. With Syria's fluctuating fortunes, Balbec -realized every change, but her deadliest enemy was the earthquake's -fearful visitation. Often did I wish to see creation sink in chaos, -and myself engulfed in the universal wreckage; but my attempt to find -death in one of Balbec's catastrophes, instead of bringing -deliverance, brought heaven within my touch, with redoubled anguish as -the sequel. Satan has his sport with Al Zameri. - -"My memory is aglow as I recall the day of lurid skies, an atmosphere -saturated with oppressive vapors, an ominous fluttering of birds, and -a spasmodic rumbling, as of explosions underground. Too familiar with -the symptoms to misunderstand the nature of the impending disturbance, -I was thankful to be near Balbec, in whose ruins I hoped to be buried. -Quick as my limbs could carry me, I hurried to the doomed city, and -entered it through one of her gates, which gave me a full view of her -famous Great Temple. Terror distracted the multitude, who rushed -about, tumbling one against the other, and bellowing like frightened -cattle. Repeated shocks opened gaping crevices in the ground, -swallowing houses and closing over man and brute. Down came monumental -shafts of skilful workmanship; buildings of massive masonry were -either lying in heaps, the graves of their inmates, or stood cracked, -ready to tumble at the next upheaval. Death was lurking everywhere. -Little affected by the wrecks around me, my only thought was to corner -death where escape was wellnigh impossible, and I rushed up the grand -flight of steps, which took me to the eastern portico of the -stupendous edifice, landing me in a large, hexagonal space. It had the -dimensions of a court,--which it was not, but a vestibule with one -main entrance and two side-doors to the great court, a peristyle -circumscribed by columns of artistic chiselling, back of which were -numerous recesses adorned by statues of gods. With no one to question -my intrusion into the sacred fane, I stood undetermined and -purposeless, when a subterraneous force shook the rock-built -foundation of the entablature, which descended with a crash, wrecking -the fine statuary by the weight of the fragments. A scream of horror -drew me irresistibly in the direction of the voice that uttered it, -where, behind a pedestal, I saw a damsel stretched on the floor -writhing in convulsions. Bending over the form and raising it from the -ground, I held in my arms a being too perfect to be mortal, too -substantial to be divine. She was unhurt, except for fright, and, -bearing her to the open quadrangle of the peristyle, I seated myself -on the floor, allowing her head and shoulders to rest on my lap. 'Art -thou the goddess to whom this temple is dedicated?' breathed I. In -answer a pair of eyes opened wide, to my indescribable confusion, eyes -that would tame the tiger and charm the hydra; but they soon closed -again. - -"Sheykh, I have seen Sisygambis, Persia's imperial mistress, the dame -of Darius, her cheek shaming the jewelled tiara meant to grace -majesty. On the tide of the Cydnus, on a galley, carved, gilded, and -inlaid with ivory, gliding to the rhythmic stroke of polished oars, -under sails of silk, I saw Cleopatra reclining on the deck, in the -shade of a star-spangled canopy, arrayed as Venus, in the midst of -voluptuous music, with her women dressed as nymphs, and little boys as -Cupids; she moved me no more than did a score of others famed for -beauty in their time. But stirred and stricken was I by the matchless -damsel chance had thrown in my way, and there I sat intoxicated by a -quaff from some heavenly spring thitherto unknown to me. 'If thou wert -mine, eternity! what would it matter to me whether the heavens favor -me or curse?' muttered I half audibly. - -"Once more her opened eyelids laid bare the fountains of bliss, and -once more I asked, 'Art thou that one whom the denizens of Balbec -worship?' - -"Like one waking from a vision she raised her head, raised herself, -rose to her height a majestic figure, and, looking down to me with an -expression of awe, she answered my question with a question: Whether I -was one of the gods to whose worship her father had consecrated her? -'I am the priestess of chaste Istar. Only a god could save me as thou -didst,' cried the maiden, sinking prostrate before me. - -"A momentary rocking of the entire structure left but few of the -remaining columns erect. The others brought down the Corinthian -capitals and the heavy entablature with a tremendous fall, and the -great court was one mass of _debris_ scattered in every direction. - -"The eastern portico being barred by a confused pile of broken -columns, the only escape left open was the western end, and hither I -carried the fainting priestess, issuing with my burden from the wreck, -and finding myself before another building still more beautiful and -not yet greatly injured. This was Balbec's Temple of the Sun, a -blossom of architecture and sculpture, profusely ornamented by figures -of gods and heroes, and finished with a great lavishness of skill and -art. - -"It was the end of the day, and anxious to shun observation I labored -up the stately stairway to seek a refuge in the safer place, not on -my own account but for the sake of the precious creature in my charge. -Through a lofty portal I reached two staircases to my right and left, -each one leading to the upper story, which was the Temple proper. Here -I stopped to take breath, the burden having proved too much for me, -and here again I had to look into those open eyes that beamed -unutterable things for me.--'Save me, save me, and I will praise and -worship thee, god of the sun,' whispered the deluded creature. - -"'Be undeceived, fair ministress, I am no god but a man of flesh and -blood and untold woes, woes unknown to any mortal but myself,' said I. - -"'Thou no god, and a man of untold woes?--Thou art unlike any mortal -in look, and who sent thee hither to save me, all others having -deserted this fane, priest and priestess fleeing for life? Surely thou -art more than mortal, thus to face death undeterred?' - -"'Let not a guilt-encumbered fugitive practice deception on thee, -ministress of Istar. Thou art right, alas! I am not mortal; but cursed -to wander and suffer, because of a great sin committed thousands of -years ago,' cried I, and briefly enlightened her as to my nature and -my doom. Tender compassion radiated from her immaculate countenance -as, seizing my hand with a hold that thrilled my frame with ravishing -delight, she spoke these words: - -"'O, let me alleviate thy suffering by sharing thy misery, poor, -erring man, who didst offend Zicara and his progeny! Yea, I will pray -in thy behalf!--Hear me, Zicara, the all-powerful, and thou, Ea, the -holder of life and knowledge, the ruler of the abyss, the king of the -rivers and gardens, the mate of Bahu, who begot Bal Merodach,--hear me -and restrain the seven evil spirits from besetting Al Zameri, but send -the good ones to placate his conscience, that he have rest and peace, -after an atonement long and awful! Yea, my life for his, Zicara, if -propitiation cannot otherwise be had, since he has imperilled his life -for mine!' - -"Even while these fervid words dropped from the sweet lips of the -kneeling supplicant, the roving mania seized me deliriously. I turned -my face toward the nearest exit, but felt my garment caught by the -hands that had been folded in prayer.--'Flee not hence before I kiss -the hands which brought me succor,' cried the maiden passionately -stirred. Burning kisses covered my hands; a tingling woe permeated the -core of my being; I kissed the head, the cheek, the mouth of the one -in the wide world, who had offered to share my fate, had offered her -life for mine. But adamantine chains could not check my madness to -fly; I broke away from her embrace, whose lamentations cut into my -heart. - -"A pack of hell-hounds yelping at my heels would have added little to -the mad pace that carried me to the dreary haunts of the -mountains,--the wailing of the girl, and her image, following me as -new fuel to feed the fire of despair. Broken by overwhelming -wretchedness, I fell where a steep rock barred my way, and then, after -a chain of tearless cycles, I wept,--yea, and prayed for mercy,--ah! -to be delivered as it may please Him, whom I displeased! - -"With sleep came a figure clad in supernatural brightness,--'Matatron -the messenger of grace, who spreads man's prayers before the Throne, -speaks to thee, Al Zameri! Between thy prayer and His Mercy stands a -world of evil, fostered by the fetich of thy making. Thou hast seduced -the people chosen to redeem mankind. When the race shall deem the -chase of gold a thing as base as rapine, as vile as lust,--then will -the fever of thy soul abate. Till then live on, the symbol of -insatiate greed, a living Sodom, weltering in the fetid pool of -spiritual stagnancy!'" And Al Zameri was silent, burying his wretched -face in his hands. - -"Truly, gold in itself is not an evil; it is the root of the world's -evil, the leprosy of the heart, incurable as the lung's consumption -that reddens the cheek while it drains the life, and thy guilt in -reference thereunto is as dark as thy punishment is great," spoke Ali. -"I am that country's lord where I have been slave; courage has done -much for me, but gold the most,--yea, and the worst to make woman -foul, and man her villain. Here Mammon is the king of kings. Ali Bey -is a fugitive from assassins bought for gold, and Islam's Caliph -depends for sovereign ease and safety less on valor and loyalty than -on the bribe. Thou hast raised gold to be an idol, on whose altars -man's heart, his honor and his peace, and woman's virtue, are too -often sacrificed. Therefore, run thy course, Al Zameri; fulfil great -Allah's decree, that man take heed lest in His just anger He drown -this world in a boiling flood of liquid gold!" - -A few stones removed from the entrance of the cave enabled the cursed -roamer to slip out like a phantom, and with him passed the storm, -leaving a chill around the heart of the Bey. - -"Allah akbar! This meeting forebodes Ali's downfall, I fear. It is my -evil star that caused the wretch to thwart my way," said Ali Bey to -himself. Subsequent developments proved his presentiment prophetic; in -an ambush placed for his destruction, the celebrated Sheykh met his -death. - - - - -SHEDDAD'S PALACE OF IREM. - - -Sheddad and Sheddid, the sons of Ad and the grandsons of Uz, acquired -great fame in Hadramaut, where they saw light in Ahkaf, a region of -deserts bordered by deserts, desolate as Hejaz, sterile as Tehamah, -burning as Dahna "the red," frightful as Gobi, and less explored than -Sahara. The ancient Hebrews spoke of Hadramaut as _Hazarmaveth_, the -"court of death," and this sepulchral name is fully accounted for by -its black rocks, which here and there show head above the sifting -sand-ridges, like so many colossal coffins in the midst of the -gloomiest of graveyards. Here the tribe of Ad not alone prospered, but -accomplished things forever memorable in tale and song. - -While traversing the desert of Han-Hai Marco Polo reports to have seen -ghostly apparitions; and heard them speak, calling people by their -names, and startling the drivers of the caravan by such strange -noises as the tramp of horses, the beating of drums, and the blowing -of trumpets and other musical instruments. The Oriental counts those -spectral manifestations in the deserts as one of the many aspects of -the world's spiritual mystery, and the ancient Arab never entered a -waste in the dark without this propitiatory expression of confidence -uttered with the solemnity of prayer: "I fly for refuge unto the -prince of this region, that he may protect me against the foolish of -his domain." - -It is the Bedouin's conviction that countless ages before the creation -of Adam myriads of Jinn or genii were created of fire, and enjoyed the -blessings of this world under successive rulers who bore the generic -name of Suliman. These airy creatures, however, being of inferior -quality, are not alone subject to mortal wants, like eating, drinking -and propagating, but are corruptible and perishable; so that when -their wickedness provoked Allah's anger, he ordered Eblis to drive -them into the most inhospitable deserts, where they are kept in rigid -seclusion, but not without a certain latitude of action. For they are -permitted to exercise their potential energies, and indulge their -various inclinations for good or for evil, some being malignant, -others beneficent. The fairy-like Peri, the gigantic Div, and the -sinister Tacwins or fates, are referred to in the Koran, which fact -renders doubt in their existence out of the question. - -Now, the secret of Ad's power, which enabled him to flourish and -multiply in the heart of desolation, was a host of Jinn placed at his -command by his father Uz, the son of Aram, who was the son of Shem, -one of Noah's three offspring. With superhuman agents to carry out his -designs, Ad conceived the idea of building the most stupendous palace -on earth in the wilderness of Aden, and he intimated the project to -his older son Sheddad. Sheddad's imagination was set aflame, but the -vastness of the scheme rendered its realization somewhat doubtful, the -nature of the resources notwithstanding. - -"Thy plan, father, surpasses in magnitude that of the Tower of Babel, -but my ambition would surround the grandest palace under the heavens -with a garden like unto Paradise, provided thy means are ample enough -to do it," said the firstborn of Ad. - -"Palace and garden shall rise by invisible hands!" exclaimed Ad -boastfully, and proceeded with the sketching of his design on the -sand. - -The palace was to be reared on a plateau as high as the highest land -of Yemen, should have sufficient accommodation for his progeny -multiplied a thousandfold, and its surpassing feature was to be a hall -of superb magnificence, with room for the throne of a king to stand in -the midst of his court and his warriors, the grand edifice to be -enwreathed by a garden like Eden, and to be accessible and visible -only at the royal bidding. - -Ad's fabulous dream was again improved upon by his inventive son, who -proposed to have a city of princely dwellings cluster around the -palace, the garden to surround the whole, and to be enclosed by a wall -with stately portals. The additional feature commended itself to Ad, -but the execution of the scheme was accompanied by an element of -danger of which its projectors were unaware, and which proved fatal -to its originator. Believing the hour ripe for the work to begin, Ad -repaired one dark night, unaccompanied, to the dismal region to set -himself aright with the potent instruments he had depended on for the -actualization of his dream. Whether unnerved by the dismal dreariness -of the desert, or confused by an instinctive dread of the supernatural -machinery to be set in motion, the conjuror uttered the wrong formula, -and the sequel was appalling. For instead of the beaming spirits he -expected to bow to him, a hideous legion wagged their tails, having -descended on him like a tempest, frowning and grinning, their eyes -darting fury and hatred. Ad had unwittingly disturbed the dreaded -Tacwins, who would have torn him to pieces but for the mystic signet -he held in his hand, the talisman which, in a later age, enabled -Solomon to capture Ashmodai and rule over myriads of genii. The terror -of the moment, however, paralyzed the heart of the unfortunate wizard. -Ad was found dead, and was greatly mourned by his family and the tribe -that bore his name. - -Undeterred by the tragic end of his father, Sheddad, now the -acknowledged head of his tribe, and the owner of the potent seal, took -his brother Sheddid into the secret, asserting it to be their filial -duty to complete at all hazard what their sire had begun. Sheddid was -not of the adventurous type; he preferred the ease of the tent to -enterprises fraught with danger, and besought his brother to desist -from an attempt which had already proved fatal, declaring himself -content to be simply one of the tribe. Sole master of the situation, -however, Sheddad burned with impatience to see his dazzling vision -assume the form of reality; and wholly reckless as to danger, -proceeded to act in the manner planned by his father and himself. He -proved more successful than Ad in putting himself in communication -with the friendly Jinn subject to his will, and astonished them with -the sketch he drew of what he meant them to accomplish for him; for by -this time the previous outline was even more expanded, and his -commands were set forth with irrevocable authority. - -"You are required to build for me a city never to be equalled, still -less to be excelled, by anything art or skill may attempt to produce; -it is to be the home of a people a thousand times more numerous than -the tribe of Ad, and its crowning marvel is to be my palace,--of a -splendor befitting a king of kings, and of an amplitude to afford room -for a great court and an army.[4] Grounded on a rocky foundation on a -level with Yemen's highlands, the city's walls and dwellings shall be -white as alabaster, but the palace shall be of onyx, trimmed with gold -and set with gems. Twelve gorgeous halls shall be named after the -signs of the zodiac, all opening upon one grander than them all, -beneath a dome lucent as the firmament, illumined by a sun, a moon, -and scintillating stars, moving at the king's will around his throne -that shall blaze with what is most precious and brilliant in those -jewels which rival the lustre of the constellations. Vaults for -treasures, apartments for feasting, pavillions for ease, recesses for -love, grottoes for coolness, cisterns for bathing, colonnades for -pleasure, balconies for survey, and seats for delight, shall make my -palace inimitable for all time. And city and palace shall be embedded -in an Eden of foliage, blossom and fruit, animated by birds of -lustrous plume and sweetest song. Tax your skill to build more perfect -than I know to ask for, but never less; and let your magic make the -retreats inaccessible without the pleasure of the king," closed -Sheddad, inwardly sorry that his inventive faculty lagged behind his -vaulting ambition to be unexcelled in grandeur and glory. - - [4] The Koran has this reference to the Palace of Irem, - showing that it was already a tradition before the time of - Mohammed: - - "Hast thou not considered how the Lord dealt with Ad, the - people of Irem, adorned by lofty buildings, the like whereof - hath not been erected in the land?" (Surah 89; "The - Daybreak.") - - That Sheddad, having planted a garden in imitation of the - heavenly paradise, had been smitten by lightning on his way - hither, is another variation of the widely known legend. - -"Master of the potent seal," replied the chief of the shining files, -"thy behest is our concern. In eleven nights Sheddad shall stamp our -work with his approval." Elevated in his own estimation to the rank of -a king of kings, and conscious of a power equal to that of a god, it -required but a slight incentive for Sheddad's vanity to overleap -itself, and infernal Eblis was at hand to furnish it. In the guise of -an angel, the devil bewildered the architect of Irem by saluting him -as a god.--"Born of a woman, thine is the homage due to a prince of -the skies, before whom spirits bow, exalted Sheddad!" spoke the -Satanic deceiver with a profound salaam, and rose on his mighty wings -to vanish in the void of the desert. - -After this Sheddad would not have been astonished to hear the stars -proclaim his majesty, but he was surprised when, having listened to -his marvellous tale of the city the Jinn would build for him, Almena, -his favorite wife, beheld an evil omen in the fact that, in his plan -of sumptuous building, Sheddad had neglected to provide for the -worship of the only true God. - -"How could Sheddad forget him who created the heavens and the earth, -the stars and the spirits, and whose just wrath wiped out the people -in the time of our ancestor Noah? God's temple ought to rise high -above thy palace, or it will not stand, even according to the prophecy -of Hud, thy uncle, whose words were confirmed by signs from On High," -expostulated Almena. "Woman, thy Sheddad is a god, and shall be -worshipped because of his potency, and the favors he may bestow on -those who shall please him. A heavenly power paid me homage before I -entered this tent, and in eleven nights the tribe of Ad will see the -wonder of the world. My palace shall be their temple, my throne their -altar, thyself their goddess, and Sheddad their god!" cried the -infatuated chief. - -Almena was a frail daughter of Eve, and Sheddad's picture of their -prospective divinity, sustained as it was by an angel's confirmation, -converted her to share her husband's madness. The thoughts that -occupied them during the day came in weird visions during the -night,--throngs kneeling in adoration before them, burning incense and -wafting expiatory invocations, and kings hurrying from the ends of the -earth to receive their crowns and sceptres from Sheddad's grace. On -the tribe, it was deemed best that their chief's godship should burst -as a revelation. - -While the tribe of Ad were soundly asleep in their tents, a man and a -woman slipped cautiously out of the encampment. They were mounted on -two fast dromedaries, and glided like spectres into the heart of the -desert, buried in night and silence. Once more Eblis played his -infernal trick on the deluded Sheddad, now in company of his bewitched -Almena, by a renewed mock-adoration offered as by a winged cherub. For -it is hardly necessary to state that the infatuated couple were on -their way to the abode of their future felicities. They had not been -riding many hours before the level, blank face of the waste softened -into undulations scantily covered with that vegetation which the camel -alone is capable of digesting,--its gastric capacities being almost -equal to that of the ostrich,--and the outlook indicated rising -ground. A stretch had to be crossed punctuated by black rocks in -ever-increasing number, until the wilderness looked a stony maze of -dismal projections worn smooth by the grinding sands, ever moving -with the gusts of hot air; and the East indicated daybreak when -Sheddad and Almena ascended a height from which they could survey a -vast horizon, bordered on the south-east by sea, but presenting -otherwise the sterility of Arabia Deserta. A curious and perplexing -paralysis of speech deprived them of the interchange of sentiments, -and an uphill advance of a mile or so brought them before an arched -portal of imposing stateliness, opening on a great city, half-hidden -from view by the sylvan and floral wealth of an Eden. - -Husband and wife exchanged a look of amazement, strangely debarred -from an audible articulation of feeling just when there was so much to -be wondered at. There being nobody to hinder, no one to welcome them, -Sheddad and Almena tied their brutes to the glittering handles of the -brazen gates, and proceeded to take sovereign possession of what they -considered their indisputable domain. The ascending avenue before them -might have been called "The Vista of Enchantment." Sinuous in its -course, its moss-bedded windings were bordered by crystal rivulets -which came down, broken by impediments, in bounding cascades, the -water teeming with fish of tints recalling the changeful blushes of -Aurora. Towering trees shaded, with their intertwining crowns of -delicious leafage, a tropical exuberance of lesser growths weighed -down with luscious fruit or glowing and sparkling with soft colors -forming part of a delightful disorder of shrubs and vines, climbing, -winding, crawling, hanging and blooming, but receding here and there -to uncover the placid mirror of a lake limpid as beryl, or a spring of -the coolest and purest liquid, all approachable by a hundred -intercrossing pathways, lined and so softly carpeted that the -unsandaled foot paced as on a silken rug of the finest texture. Here -the bulbul's note was drowned in a concert of rival warblers, whose -melodies were as sweet as their feathers were coruscant. - -With ravenous greed Sheddad and Almena surrendered to the garden's -temptations, swallowing great quantities of precious fruit, but -feeding a hunger that seemed to grow with its glutting; nor did the -cooling drink they greedily imbibed allay their parching thirst. But -the whetted appetite rendered the sensuous enjoyment resistlessly -fascinating; and, the choice of the food being seemingly unlimited, -husband and wife would have abandoned themselves altogether to -physical indulgence, had not an overpowering sight burst on them, like -a vision from a suddenly opened heaven. - -They were on the point of ascending a terrace laid out with all the -arts of magic, and enwreathed with all the bounties of nature, when -they reached the entrance to an enormous square, superbly enclosed by -what appeared a score of palaces blended in one mass of variegated -splendors, the one at the opposite end overtopping the others by a -dome which blazed in the sun's radiance, as though set with -carbuncles. Symmetrically proportionate to the size of the grand space -ran a depression defined by a line of artistic shafts of alabaster, -capped with globes of burnished gold studded with gems, and rising -majestically above a grove of enameled green, thick with odoriferous -bloom. In the heart of the depression was a basin filled with a -rushing water as transparent as the sky, and enlivened by star-dotted -swarms of the finny tribes. It was an azure stream in an Elysian -garden, in the heart of a succession of edifices far beyond the limits -of human resources and ingenuity. Except for the feathered musicians, -and the zephyr which stirred the air and foliage, not a sound was -heard, nor a creature to be seen. The overawing majesty of an -architecture that dwarfed pantheons into monuments of man's vain -endeavor to imitate the inimitable, and the gorgeousness which could -not be thought of without remembering the limitations of earthly art -and treasures however great, justified to himself Sheddad's conceit -that he was more than human, a consciousness now at last fully shared -by Almena. Still unable to express their wonderment in words, they -resorted to gestures and grimaces, as though the tale of Babel was to -have a sort of counterpart in the story of Sheddad's palace of Irem. -And their wonder rose in intensity as, entering the left wing of the -palace by a sublime portico, the lofty vaulted spaces, communicating -by exquisitely carved arches, imparted the illusion that the ceilings -were as high as heaven and sparkled with real stars. - -An implied welcome was extended to them in the first apartment by a -banquet set in a begemmed service of golden vessels,--dainties and -beverages fit for gods. Hours busily spent at the sumptuous board did -neither appease their hunger nor quench their thirst. Every morsel and -every quaff sharpened the craving for more. When they succeeded in -tearing themselves from the table's inexhaustible dishes, their -progress through the palatial spaces consumed more time than they were -aware of, the fascinations being as varied as they were marvellous. -For incomputable as was the wealth, and lavish the ornamental art -bestowed on each and every room traversed, their main charm lay in the -optic illusions, causing Sheddad and his companion to laugh with -amusement and wonder, to scream with astonishment, or to shudder with -horror. - -Yielding to a woman's inquisitiveness, Almena was always a little in -advance of her husband, always eager to be yet more surprised, and her -eagerness was fully gratified. Once when a scream of laughter brought -Sheddad to his wife's side, he found that what she had mistaken for -clear water, rippled by a breeze, was indeed the solid floor of a long -green archway, imparting the illusion of a stream flowing under cover -of beautiful trees; Almena had prepared to cross it, with her sandals -off, and her skirts raised, imagining the water to wave gently in a bed -of golden sand. Here, again, she recoiled with terror from the glaring -eyes of a crouching lion, ready to fly at her in a rage; there she -stood paralyzed at the sight of the deadly _rukta_, rolled up in a coil -on an imperial divan, with her fangs pointed, and her eyes glaring. In -this manner the most formidable species of the animal kingdom faced -them in threatening postures throughout the entire palace, often -environed by their natural conditions, always in a pose of aggressive -ferocity. Yet all this notwithstanding, Sheddad affected the lofty -bearing of a god in his realm; strode haughtily along the mysteriously -echoing halls, the echoes of which ere long mixed with strains of music -sweet beyond expression. Drawn by the swelling harmonies, they -descended a stately flight of stairs landing on a platform whence, -descending another flight, they beheld themselves at the extreme end of -an enormous cavern bathed in a translucent haze of an unearthly -luminousness. The muffled rumble of a distant waterfall blended -enchantingly with waves of melody that floated incomprehensibly through -the weird mazes of the honey-combed hollow extending endlessly in -cavernous, inaccessible spaces, passes and galleries. Availing -themselves of conveniently protruding stepping-stones, the explorers -ventured into the nethermost ranges, fairly brightened by the reflex of -a stalactitic display, grotesque in shape, bulky in size, and -indefinable in color, every known hue blending into a magic play of -ever-changing spectra, and suggesting the idea that the palace above -was the blossom of which the underground masses were the roots. Here -they stood bewitched by the symphonies they could not account for, and -by a scenery human genius may dream of, but never imitate. - -While divided between the delights of the ear and the charm of the -eye, Sheddad and Almena lost no sight of a crystal barrier behind -which flowed a clear water alive with luminous fish, and through which -they had a glimpse of things above, recognizing it to be the bed of -the rushing stream that flowed in the court of the palace, fed by -unexplorable cisterns, and discharging its volume into an unsounded -abyss. As they advanced the wonders multiplied. Fluted pillars of -snowy alabaster, draped and marvellously traced by invisible hands; -towering shafts of white, red, amber and blue; hanging balconies of -gossamer lightness, trimmed with scarfs finer than the Indian shawl; -canopies bristling with numberless crystals of every tint and shape; -cataracts petrified in the act of precipitation; grottoes, fountains, -streamlets and cascades, with a myriad other exhibitions of magic art, -filled subterraneous spaces of unmeasured magnitude. - -Progressing through irregular archways and winding passages, Sheddad -and Almena were lost in the labyrinth. Remembering, however, that the -crystal basin ran along the grand court above, Sheddad followed its -length and discovered a way to an ascent which took them to a broad -stairway. This was the entrance from below to a colonnade of -astonishing height and dimensions, covering the entire width of the -court, and having at both extremes grand flights of steps, leading up -to the wing of the palace crowned by the blazing dome. - -If the son of Ad and his consort marveled at what they had seen -hitherto, they felt stupefied as ascending they stood before a golden -arch wrought in imitation of the rainbow, revealing the all-outshining -throne-hall, rising high above the lofty throne. Four tigers erect on -their haunches held up with their forepaws the seat of majesty, a -gorgeous divan bedecked with priceless jewels, under a lofty canopy -shaded by tapestries of matchless fabric and embroidery. To the right, -suspended from the roof of the canopy, hung the sceptre, a mace -incrusted with brilliants; to the left the crown, of dazzling -splendor; above the throne sun, moon, and stars were scattered within -the concave of the dome, while the twelve adjoining halls similarly -represented the signs of the zodiac, thus completing a startling -illusion of the heavens. - -As though driven by an irresistible force, Sheddad, with the firm step -of a king, advanced to take possession of his throne, Almena watching -him with a throbbing heart. Nine steps had to be ascended before the -seat could be reached. The aspirant to godship thought he felt the -deadly breath of the tigers, whose distended claws and furious eyes -threatened destruction, but he nerved himself and ascended the royal -seat. Simultaneously with his touch upon the throne the crown -descended on his head, the sceptre flew into his hand, while a mantle -of radiance clothed his frame. Sheddad felt that he was a god, for his -coronation was confirmed by the immediate action of sun, moon and -stars, which began to move in their respective orbits, shedding mellow -light, and filling the spaces with sweet strains. - -From his exalted seat Sheddad had for the first time an extended view -of his dominion, and he realized that what he had seen thus far was -but the heart of the whole, which seemed unbounded in extent and -unapproachable in magnificence. It was manifest that palace and court -formed the focus of a great city, spreading in many directions in -avenues shaded by trees and cooled by delicious springs, placid lakes, -playing fountains, and bubbling streamlets. Why should he lose a -moment to reveal himself to his tribe as their god and lead them -hither triumphant in confirmation of his godship? Who on earth was -mightier than he? - -He rose. The sceptre slipped from his hand, the crown from his head, -the mantle from his shoulders. Everything stood still. The song died. -A dimness spread around him. The eyes of the tigers glared viciously. -He stood by the side of his wife. They joined hands, hurried down and -out into the open air to find that it was twilight and sultry. Surely -the garden was less green, the flowers less fresh, the air less balmy, -and the water less transparent than before. The song of the birds had -changed into a melancholy chirrup, and their eyes glowed with -threatening fierceness. From the water of the basin the fish pierced -the royal pair with their fiery eyes, and the breeze moved lamenting -through the corridors and trees. With a woman's instinct of impending -danger, Almena led the way out of the court; but the garden was -plunged in a mist, which made impossible a quick exit from the sylvan -entanglements. While trying to strike the main avenue, they fell in -with their dromedaries browsing contentedly in the thick of the most -exquisite shrubbery, with neither saddle nor rope available for use. -The brutes looked unaccountably shaggy; they turned to run at the -approach of their master, and did not stop until they had passed the -gateway of which Sheddad was in quest. Here the saddles were found, -shabby and mouldy, were placed where they belonged, the camels having -submitted to the goad, and the homeward journey began. - -A deep sigh escaped Almena's breast as the distance widened between -them and the enchanted city, and when she found words she began -solemnly: "Sheddad, what is it we have seen and passed through? Cold -runs my blood when I think of the place; and dost thou mean to -re-enter it as our permanent home?" - -"Thou art a woman, or thou wouldst know that what Sheddad conjured out -of naught, Sheddad will as master rule and own. Are not those spirits -subject to my will?" was the imperious answer. - -"Thou wilt bear patiently with thy Almena, my lord; but are not the -looming cities and splendid gardens often seen in the haze of the -desert the dread of the lured Arab, who, mistaking them for fertile -oases, rushes to destruction? Verily, the wiles of Eblis are -numberless, and thy great palace is destitute of the sacred place to -prove it a work of the friendly Jinn. Thy father's end be thy warning, -O, light of mine eyes!" cried the woman appealingly. - -"Art thou the wife of Sheddad, or of Sheddid? Let woman be timid, but -no man be craven. The signet on my finger scorns infernal traps. Thou -hast seen me on the awful throne destined to be the worship of -nations, and thou art to share in the divine sovereignty of thy -Sheddad.--But, O, Almena, why is thy voice so unlike the one I have -ever heard since the days of our youthful love? It sounds as though -thou art speaking to me from the hollow of a cave," spoke the son of -Ad uneasily. - -"Thou hast taken this question from my lips, my lord; for thy speech -is so unfamiliar to my ear that, were I not near thee, I should -mistake it for an echo heard in the mountains of Yemen," confessed the -daughter of the desert. - -There was no time for another remark. The air swarmed with thousands -of lurid Cupids, each one holding a tiny harp under his left arm. -Flocking together, they interlocked in such a fashion as to form a -stupendous arch, perfect in shape and burning like a crescent cut from -the effulgent sun. On the top of the curve alighted one larger than -his compeers, his outstretched arms pointing a glittering tiara in the -direction of Sheddad, whose advance was greeted with voluptuous -strains: - - "Hail, our chief, thy sceptre sway! - Rule Irem, Sheddad, we obey! - Thy seal bade spirits be thy thralls, - Hail, god of Irem's magic halls!" - -With the dying of the choral apostrophe, the treacherous vision -conjured by Eblis to dispel Almena's intuitive fear of something -dreadful to come faded away. The sure-footed dromedaries picked their -way among the bleak rocks and the sand ridges, with not a glimmer to -break the darkness nor a syllable to spur them on. Sheddad and Almena -continued silent under the overpowering spell of the sight, which -soared before their mental vision long after it had vanished to the -eye. - -Daybreak found them near a solitary cliff known for the brackish -water, oozing from one of its cracks, and the scanty browsing nearby -fit for camels. Turning to his fresh water supply to appease his -thirst, Sheddad found the water-skin not only empty, but as dry as an -old hide, while the figs he held in reserve were mouldy and hard as -stone. Almena had the same experience. Unaccountable as appeared this -discovery, it was less of a surprise than the cadaverous aspect of -husband and wife, as they looked into each other's faces in full -daylight. "Thou dost not look like thyself, my lord; there is neither -blood in thy veins nor a beam of life in thine eye," cried the -startled mate of the aspiring god. - -"And thou hast described thy own looks, O, Almena.--It is but the -withering of our mortal substance before our beings are impregnated -with immortal virtue," assumed Sheddad with an air of supreme -indifference, in which, however, his heart failed to share. Almena's -ghastly countenance, once the seat of radiant beauty, struck a chord -of unexpressed pain in the heart of her besotted consort. - -The consternation of the tribe of Ad, on learning that a dead pair -mounted on two bulky _delools_[5] was on the point of entering their -encampment, may be imagined. The news was brought by some Arabs, who, -perceiving the approach of the strangers, made a sally, but hurried -back with the horrifying alarm, "The dead are coming!" Whoever could -run took to his heels, leaving the infirm old and the helpless young -to face the ghosts, who entered the settlement and took possession of -the largest tent, the one just vacated by Sheddid, who was among the -first to deny himself the enjoyment of the uninvited visitors. - - [5] A _delool_ is a dromedary trained and used as a saddle - animal, and not as a burden carrier. - -"If we have undergone a change, so has this place and all things -hereabout in but a few days; our young camels have grown large and -fat,--and who is this sleeping child?" asked Sheddad, pointing to a -half-naked maiden stretched on a mat upon the ground.--"Can this be -our Chaviva?" - -"Our daughter!" exclaimed the mother hysterically, recognizing in the -girl of seven the child of two years. "Either we see wrong or things -are wrong," added the woman, greatly troubled. - -"Neither this nor that; we are not the same, our sight is not the -same, but the world around us is the same, only that we see it -magnified, as higher beings must see; else how could the powers above -take cognizance of what is going on below?" argued Sheddad with -self-approving plausibility. - -While Almena waited for her child to waken, Sheddad proceeded to -investigate the neighborhood with the view of gathering an audience to -whom to reveal himself. In vain did the hapless old men and women -hide themselves from the searching eye of the cadaverous chief; he -ferreted them out and warned them to beware of his wrath. "Inform the -tribe, and let Sheddid know, that Sheddad and Almena have dwelt in the -land of the spirits as god and goddess, and that I am come to take you -into an Eden of endless felicities, if you only say, 'Lead on, -Sheddad.'" - -"Hast thou not dwelt with the dead all that time?" asked a trembling -crone. - -"No, daughter of the noble tribe; during the five days we have been -away----" - -"Five years!" interrupted a chorus of voices. "For five years have -Sheddad and Almena been missed and mourned as lost," supplemented the -aged female to the unspeakable consternation of his godship. He had -spent years, instead of hours, in the magic palace, and everything -contributed to confirm the astounding fact. Yet, however amazed, -Sheddad's faith in his superhumanity was so deeply rooted that the new -revelation occurred to him as but another evidence of his supernatural -destiny. To continue for five years without regular food and sleep -was to him a most striking proof of his transmutation, while the many -years that passed like so many hours attested the blessedness of the -seat he had created. - -The one man of the tribe, who was most concerned and least delighted -with Sheddad's return from what he believed to be the real beyond, was -his own brother Sheddid, who wished himself a thousand miles away from -the spot; not that he was jealous of the rights attaching to his -brother's primogeniture, but because he shuddered at the thought of -meeting him, to say nothing of his aversion to the conjurer's -chimerical projects. However, having nerved himself to the emergency, -Sheddid faced his brother with the question whether he was determined -to lead his people into a realm whence they would return like him, -looking more dead than alive.--"An evil influence sways thy heart, O, -my brother. The children of Ad are happy, why tempt them into a snare -spread by Eblis?" - -Sheddad replied with a glowing outline of the Eden in store for them -who would follow him. "That ye may all be convinced of the truth my -words contain, this coming eve a mist shall rise from the bosom of -Hadramaut, and with it shall ascend the image of the palace and city -embedded in gardens like unto Paradise. Remain in the waste ye who -love it; but ye who prefer the marble habitation, the cool walk, the -cooler spring, the crystal bath, the delicious fruit, the mellow -sunshine, the sights of wonder, and the rule of the world, to the dark -tent, the scanty meal and the arid region,--are welcome to share them -with Sheddad," cried he with godlike benignity. - -This offer was received with a wild shout by the fiery children of the -desert, and the promised mirage was expected with intense interest. -Retiring to his tent, the mighty wizard summoned the chief of the Jinn -and charged him with the task of conjuring up the picture of the -Palace of Irem. Sunset was the signal for every eye to turn toward the -desert. With nightfall came a pellucid silveriness, which transformed -the wilderness into an atmospheric canvas whereon rose, looming in -perfect outline and majestic proportions, the city, palace and -gardens of Irem. Wild joy yielded to a sober sense of awe before him -who thus proved his claim to worshipful reverence.--"Lead us, divine -Sheddad," was the cry, followed by the taking down of tents and the -loading of camels, the whole tribe being seized by the one passion, to -possess and inhabit the grandest and happiest of cities. Sheddid was -obliged to choose between remaining behind or going with the tribe, -and he threw in his lot with the multitude, his evil forebodings -notwithstanding. - -The march was opened with dance and song, Sheddad and Almena leading -the motley caravan; but soon voices other than human began to disturb -the pregnant silence of the dismal waste. Sheddad's name was heard -articulated to the accompaniment of heart-chilling laughter. As if -goaded by demons to madness, the camels grew vicious, throwing women -and children from their backs and trampling them to death, so that -everybody hoped for day to deliver them from terror. But there was no -break in the night, although it seemed as long as three nights in one; -and when light finally broke on the caravan it came so suddenly that -it almost blinded the confused Arabs. And with it came a noise from On -High, a noise like that of a myriad roaring lions, growing, swelling -and reverberating till heaven appeared in uproar,--earth trembling, -the desert glowing like a furnace, the sands rising and whirling like -a cyclone of ignited gases, and exploding in vitriolic sheets of fire. -Man and brute tried to bury their heads in the burning sands. The -catastrophe was too terrible for flesh to survive. In his agony -Sheddad felt the signet slip from his finger. Struck deaf and dumb, -the son of Ad perished with his entire following, the cyclonic fire -consuming them flesh and bone. Only those whom weakness or the love of -little ones detained behind remained to build up again the almost -annihilated tribe of Ad. - -Such was the punishment of Sheddad for his aspiration to godship. His -name lives in Arabia's legendary lore. Down to this day Allah -preserves the city and palace as a monument of divine retribution, and -numerous are the tales of straying pilgrims or lost Bedouins, who -have been favored with a glimpse of it. Among these is Kalabah who, -having lost himself in the desert while in search of a camel, suddenly -found himself before the gate of a dazzling city. He entered it, but -was so overawed by the dead stillness therein that he fled its -precincts in horror, taking with him an invaluable stone as a memento. -This he showed to the Caliph Madwigah in confirmation of his -adventure,--as is duly recorded. - - - - -THE MYSTERY OF THE DAMAVANT. - - -As a somewhat distant offshoot of the Elburz the Damavant is a -solitary pile, of imposing proportions, generally admitted to be -Persia's most graceful mountain. Seen from a vantage point in Tehran, -cloud-crowned Damavant appears to be the real shoulder of sky-bearing -Atlas, losing its head in ether and its foot in a forest of the -semi-tropical varieties, dense to the degree of inaccessibility. The -wild beast is here at home; the tiger, bear, wolf, panther and wild -boar, finding in these jungles an abundance of food, a safe retreat, -and a cool spring to satisfy thirst. While the gentler slopes are -covered by extensive, fruit-bearing orchards, there are crests and -hollows in the Elburz system which the eagle's eye alone has seen, -and there are peaks which, but for the sinuous furrows cut by the wild -torrents after heavy showers, no human foot could ever ascend. Spirits -are believed to haunt the caves and impenetrable thickets of those -mountains, a belief sustained by mocking echoes and multiple -reverberations started by the least noise; and the simple Iranian folk -look up to him with awe, who dares sojourn above the settled line of -demarcation dividing the earthly from the unearthly. The history of -religion, poetry and superstition is inextricably intertwined with the -weird mystery which hangs over the unapproachable heights and deeps of -mountains. - - [Illustration: "Determined to penetrate into the seemingly - impenetrable wonderland of the Damavant." - Page 92.] - -It was through a bewildering gorge, which heavy rain transforms into -the bed of a wild torrent, that, in the year 410 of the Hegira, two -men of note, preceded by four experienced mountain-climbers, were -toiling uphill determined to penetrate into the seemingly impenetrable -wonderland of the Damavant's south-easterly acclivity. The attempt -implied hard work and great risk, and the wonder of it was that one -of those two men betrayed the unmistakable signs which indicate high -age. Clothed in the habit of a dervish, the white-headed climber -assisted his infirmity by a strong staff, but now and then had to be -helped over an impediment by the brawny arms of the vigilant -attendants. His companion, who was a much younger and stronger man of -dignified bearing, wore the garb of nobility and the air of command, -leaving no doubt as to his being one in power and authority. At every -step he took in advance his eye reverted to the decrepit figure back -of him. "The return will be easier," said he to the older man with a -sympathetic smile. - -"Thou hast spoken truth; the return is the easiest part; the coming -hither, and the _being_, that is the trouble," answered the other, his -luminous face marked by the deep furrows of age and sorrow. - -"With Mahmud of Ghaznin out of thy mind, Firdusi, would that still be -thy mood?" inquired the younger man in a soft voice. - -"Mahmud's court is the sea of evil which swallowed my island of -happiness. Whom did I murder that I should be a footsore fugitive -like the blood-stained son of Adam?" cried the old man in a faltering -tone, having stopped to take breath. - -"Thy ethereal spirit has murdered grossness, giving this world a -foretaste of Eden. Thy _Shah-Namah_ is the song of the skies, and -Eblis, who revels in discord and confusion, took vengeance on thee by -poisoning Mahmud's mind, O, Firdusi.--Thy own version shows not that -thy enemy is Mahmud, but his envious treasurer. It shall end well, -however. Nasir Lek's message will not leave Mahmud unmoved," said the -younger man, who was the Governor of Kohistan, a friend of the Sultan -of Ghaznin, and a boundless admirer of Persia's famous poet, Firdusi. - -"May Allah bless thy kindness; yea, it shall end well; it is well that -things here come to an end,--or with poverty to sting, with oppression -to harass, and the dread of the executioner's axe to torture one, life -were a hell without redemption. Ah, I have emptied the cup of -bitterness to its dregs! But it cannot now last long; my human frame's -time of final crumbling has been nearly reached. May Firdusi's misery -be Mahmud's pillow!" cried the poet, turning his liquid eyes -heavenward. - -By this time the men had ascended to a height of over nine thousand -feet above the sea level, and Tehran spread far away, like a patch -covered with all kinds of mushrooms. The sun was near the end of his -course and the golden flood turned the vast reaches into a magic -picture of light and shade, under a dome suffused with rippled waves -of translucent purple, crimson, silver and gold. With their faces -turned toward the East, the Moslems knelt and lay prostrate in prayer. -This done, the escort was ordered to await their lord's return where -they stood, and the two men soon disappeared in a labyrinth of crags, -rocks, loose bowlders, and heaps of stone, with no vestige of -vegetation. Firdusi had the question at his tongue's end, how could a -sentient being live in so inhospitable a region, in a temperature so -freezing that it chilled him to his marrow? But he said nothing. The -cold grew with the dreariness of the surroundings, and now they -plunged into a sea of dense fog, still climbing higher and higher, the -younger assisting his older friend. At last Nasir brought forth a horn -to which he gave wind. The blast reverberated with appalling effect, -followed by a profound silence. There was no answer. Another blast -startled the echoes of the mountain a thousandfold, ringing like -muffled drums, and lo! there came a note in response,--a shrill note -like that of a whistle. - -"We are welcome, and thou wilt be rewarded for thy toil, Firdusi," -said Nasir. - -"He is thy mystery of the Damavant," observed the poet skeptically. - -"Thou wilt face a man who might pass for the spirit of this mountain; -as to his occult power, thou shalt thyself be judge," suggested Nasir. - -"Is one permitted to ask him questions?" inquired Firdusi. - -"Ask nothing until his revelations are spread before thee; thou wilt -have little to ask. The juggler's art has often amused me, but -Almazor's alembic has almost translated me from one state of being to -another.--There he is; say nothing; he knows my purpose, and will read -thy mind," said the lord of Kohistan nervously. - -Firdusi, looking in vain for the outlines of a human form, almost fell -into the arms of a something that wore a cloak, was very long-bearded, -very tall, very attenuated and pale as the moon, the pallor being -enhanced by a whiteness of hair which rivaled new-fallen snow. The -only dark feature in the hermit's face was one glaring eye hemmed in -by a cavernous socket, the other orb being sightless and covered with -skin like the rest of the countenance. - -Almazor could indeed pass as a prince of ghosts rather than a creature -held alive by the circulation of warm blood, and his speaking by -pantomime added to the awe inspired by his inscrutable nature. He -stood in the curve of a semi-circular enclosure before an aperture -that was not large enough for a man to enter without crouching low. - -Without a salaam or any ceremony, Almazor turned and slipped like a -serpent into the gaping hole of the rock, the others following him. -It was brighter within than without, although there was nothing in -sight to account for the brightness. The nimbleness with which the -fleshless hermit ascended and descended steep and winding galleries, -bridges, and tunnels, leading now up now down into the core of the -mountain, was less surprising than the lightness with which the men -behind him kept up the pace, as though carried by a force beyond the -law of gravitation. Their impression grew that the top of Damavant -could not be very far above them when the speechless guide stopped in -a brightly illumined space of considerable size and height, irregular -as caves are, but beautified by a long vista, slanting upward not -unlike a funnel of polished silver, at the upper end of which shone, -in its fullest circumference, the broad disk of the full moon. A -stalagmite of pure crystal sparkled in the moonlight like a reflector, -affording seats for perhaps a score of people; at its foot stood the -bowl of an unusually large chibouque, its green stem hanging like a -snake over the back of the glittering divan, and a box of sandal-wood -completed the equipment of the magic laboratory. - -The opening of the sandal-wood box brought to light a strange herb, -cut and dried like tobacco, but diffusing a sense-blunting odor; and -being put into the fire-bowl of the chibouque and ignited, the -mysterious herb filled the space with a golden smoke and a somnolent -atmosphere. Mechanically complying with a motion of the hermit's hand, -Firdusi seated himself next to the chibouque, turned his eyes in the -direction of the moon's shining disk and, before he knew it, had the -mouthpiece of the pipe between his lips. As the smoke followed the -smoker's breath, and rose in puffs and ringlets above his head, he -lost consciousness of his environment, and realized a sense of bodily -expansion, as though his frame was undergoing a transmutation from the -solid to the ethereal form. At the same time the lunar orb assumed -prodigious dimensions, swelling, spreading, and changing from a -mottled globe to a continent of glaring peaks and black abysses, its -enormous bulk seeming to draw nearer and nearer the beholder, who felt -that, by an unaccountable process, he was being translated from one -world to another. Utterly and willingly helpless, Firdusi allowed -himself to be tossed and twirled lightly, and his next sensation was -of alighting on massive ground brilliantly illumined. - -In his most daring flights of imagination the poet had never dreamed -of the possibility of such a sight as the lunar world presented to his -eyes. The height he stood upon dwarfed the forest of pointed pinnacles -around, and afforded him an insight into numberless pits as black as -the surface was dazzling,--if this name be applicable to an endless -agglomeration of spires, turrets, crests, rocks, crags, precipices, -varied by bottomless abysses, the whole torn, broken, wrenched, -twisted by tremendous agencies into most fantastic shapes--a terrific -waste of awful confusion and eternal silence. The death of death ruled -here supreme. Glass of all shades and no shade; masses of all colors -and no color; fissures, clefts and chasms of all forms and no form, -with none of the elemental conditions which create and further life, -characterized the appalling desolation. How and wherefore did this -come to be? A sea of once molten ores, tossed about and blown upon by -interstellar forces, and chilled into iron rigidity while sweeping -through a freezing zone, hangs forever in radiant gloom, the celestial -mirror of the sun's unebbing light, when his face is turned away from -our globe, thought the poet; and his eye swept afar in search of -relief from the fierce light not less than from the abysmal deeps -buried in darkness. - -With the sigh of an uneasy heart, Firdusi looked up to the source of -the unendurable effulgence. The blackness of the infinite space on -high was intensified by the enormity of the flaming sphere, convulsed -by fiery oceans in tempestuous agitation, upshooting, breaking and -bursting, like furious billows hurled one against another by battling -hurricanes. - -While the beholder compared this aspect of the sun with his milder -face as seen from the earth, the stormy fire-ball began to sink -visibly. Night hurried from the opposite heaven to swallow his last -ray. He disappeared, as if devoured by a monster, leaving no trail to -mark his march through the black dome of the universe. Overawed by the -stupendous phenomenon, Firdusi closed his eyes in fervent prayer, -praising Allah the Most Merciful. A more pleasing sight was another -sphere which now rose in distinct outlines above the black horizon, -much larger than the moon as seen from below, and as much sweeter, -presenting a figured disk of beautiful shadings, zones and fields of -color approaching those most familiar to the human eye. How gracious -He who gave man that blessed world, said the poet to himself, and -feasted his eyes on its configurations, which grew more distinct as -the globe rose higher, mildly radiant and sublimely impressive. - -There was no possibility of discerning distinctly one thing from -another, but Firdusi's poetic fancy endeavored to locate the blue -oceans, to recognize the green zones, and trace the mountain ranges -and the great deserts. And as the world wherein man is king and slave, -saint and sinner, angel and demon, happy and wretched, grew more and -more glorious in ascent, the suffering bard, feeling in his grief the -woes of the race, allowed his tears to flow before speech came to his -relief. - -"The Universe is thy secret, Power Divine, but O, for that peace which -dwells with Thee alone, that sight which reveals the great mystery, -and the life which knows no beginning, no withering, and no end! Who -am I, and wherefore thrown on that shore of time, that isle of space, -to struggle with a myriad myriads of my like, toiling and sighing, -with death as the dark end of a dark nightmare? If man must perish -like the worm, then happy the worm who knows not his misery. Alas, in -shreds scattered are the golden webs of hope here. Who knows that my -dreams of Paradise are less illusory? That splendid world has much to -sweeten life made bitter by the serpent in the human breast. Why is -man so akin to the brute? Am I a spirit fallen, sent yonder to atone, -and by atonement to be redeemed? Or am I risen from things below the -worm to my present state, and progressing toward a higher,--ay, -perchance the highest life and form, like Him who traced my pathway -through the vale of sorrow and the shadow of death? Or are the worm -and I but infinitesimal incidents in endless time and space, called -forth by a cruel fate to wriggle in agony and sink into everlasting -night? Power Divine, forbid this black thought from blighting the last -flower of hope, lest chaos swallow what is bright and sane in this -little world of mine." - -As though responsive to the mood of the bard, the terrestrial globe -began to undergo a phenomenal change. Lurid and livid hues overspread -its luminous shadings with frightful velocity, rushing in like an -ever-thickening pall, and giving the appearance of a red ball engulfed -in a cloud of cinders, with black space as the background. But the -moon, although obscured by the darkening of her superior luminary, did -not remain in total obscurity. The reason of which became manifest to -Firdusi the moment he sent his eyes elsewhere to account for the -shimmer. What he beheld was too much for him to contemplate without a -shudder of reverential awe, a consciousness of nothingness in face of -the sublime eternal; and yet it was but a glimpse of the starry -heavens. For every blinking star visible to the eye from sublunar -ground there shone now a score of constellations, clusters of wheeling -spheres, the nearest of which exceeded the rainbow in circumference, -transcending it in brilliancy. The interstellar darkness acted as a -frame to set off the glowing galaxies, so that the empyrean suggested -the idea of an ethereal tree, spreading its sun-bespangled crown -throughout immensity. - -And the vast grew vaster, and the depths deeper, and the wonders -multiplied, as host after host emerged from the bosom of infinity, -wheeling and circling in celestial grandeur, stirring boundless ether -with soul-enravishing strains. Firdusi's great heart thawed in -felicity; from his eyes rolled the tear of rapture, not unmixed with a -blunted sense of pain, springing from a lingering apprehension that it -was all but a vain vision. To his ear the music of the spheres spelt -man's inscrutable destiny, his real woes, his elusive hopes, his -unrealized dreams, and his dark end. But there was a healing solace, -an intuitive appeasement in the heavenly exhibition, so that the -poet, realizing the balm of faith, muttered resignedly: - -"Power Divine, infinite as are Thy eternal glories, even I am -interwoven in Thy impenetrable design, whatever Thy purpose. In Thy -perfection Thou hast created no being to be forever imperfect, or to -utterly perish after a ray of Thy intelligence has once irradiated his -mind." - -Firdusi's lips trembled as he lisped this conviction. His hand moved -instinctively toward his eyes, which were veiled by a dimness that -made everything swim vaguely before his vision. The sense of coming -down headlong from another world made his weak frame writhe in -convulsions of horror. When he opened his eyes he found himself in the -arms of his friend, Nasir. - -Great as was the poet's creative faculty, it required some time for -him to recall his original situation, especially since the cave -presented nothing of its previous features. There was neither a bright -vista nor a moon to look at, but a dingy hole out of which they had to -grope their way, with no hermit to lead them. When they issued from -the mountain's mystery it was broad daylight; they had stayed therein -the whole night. Soon the attendants answered the call of Nasir's -horn, and the descent was made in perfect silence. They arrived before -the gates of the palace simultaneously with a courier, who, springing -from his saddle, respectfully delivered a package to the ruler of -Kohistan. "It is Mahmud's answer to my appeal in thy behalf, Firdusi," -observed Nasir with a beaming countenance, "and I know not the Sultan -of Ghaznin if the devil triumphed this time." - -They were no sooner within the Governor's residence than Nasir broke -the seal of the message to learn its purport, and he read as follows: - -"In the name of the only true, most merciful God! From Mahmud of -Ghaznin to his friend Nasir Lek of Kohistan, in behalf of Abul Casim -Mansur Firdusi. Peace and friendly greetings. God alone is great. May -truth and mercy prevail. - -"As thy soul hath spoken, so hath my heart answered, moved by the -pleadings of thy fairness. Yea, there is no sweeter singer than -Firdusi, and the blame of his wrong is mine to the extent of having -lent mine ear to the slander of his enemies, whose mischievous head, -Hassan Meimendi, has fallen under the blow of the executioner's axe. -The all-knowing Allah never errs, but how can a ruler of nations -escape error when misled by them whom he believes to be just, wise and -true? Once enlightened, Mahmud will neither withhold the prize nor the -honor due to him who glorified Iran's immortal heroes, inspiring the -sons to emulate their sires. However great, the dead were dead -forever, but for the bard whose magic wand reclaims them from the dust -to robe them in unfading splendor, and Persia's national song was -forced to wait the coming of Firdusi. - -"As God is merciful, the singer of the _Shah-Namah_ shall hereafter -have no other grievance than the remembrance of a past wrong. A load -of gold larger than the one promised shall be delivered at his -bidding; and if sympathetic regrets expressed by his whilom friend and -sovereign will give him solace, Mahmud of Ghaznin herewith conveys -his sorrow for his unworthy treatment of Abul Casim Mansur Firdusi, -who is welcome at my court, welcome as far as my rule extends." - -Bent, sad and silent, did Firdusi listen to the message of the monarch -who had blasted his happiness, the tear alone betraying his -inexpressible heartache. The generous host understood the cause of his -friend's grief. The author of Iran's great epopee and of _Yusuf_ and -_Zuleikha_ had little to expect of this life, fear, want and -homelessness having been his share at an age when the laurel crown -ought to have graced his head in a home of ease and plenty. He had -survived his only son, and was separated from his only daughter. And -that vision of stars soaring, as it did, before his fiery imagination, -served but to intensify his melancholy. On earth his career was -drawing to its close, what was there to hope for beyond the grave? - -Nasir took alarm at the change he perceived in the face and manner of -his friend, whose look was suggestive of approaching dissolution. -"Thou art in need of refreshment, after the exhausting ascent," said -the host sympathetically. - -"Let me, I pray thee, abstain from taking food until the craving -demands it, lest it choke me, being overfull," replied the poet with -ill-suppressed emotion. - -Having appeased his own hunger by a meal served by slaves, Nasir -surprised his friend by asking him in a tone less reproachful than -anxious, "So, have the good tidings not broken thy gloom, O, Firdusi, -nor the mystery of the Damavant added to thy spiritual wealth, thy -ethereal dreams?" - -"Thou art good, and I ought to be happy in my magnanimous friend, but -happiness ever frowned at my courting, and fled never to return. -Friend, I stand on the brink of my grave, with precious years wasted -in undeserved disgrace, unmitigated wretchedness.--Ah, and that vision -revealed to me in the recesses of the Damavant! If thou knowest its -nature thou canst draw thy conclusions," returned Firdusi deeply -moved, adding: "Thy hermit is more than thou dreamest of him." - -"That is what I looked for thee to say; but Almazor is a secret -bequest of my father, and that horn of mine is the only signal he will -respond to; otherwise he is not to be found, and Tehran knows no more -of him than thou didst before I led thee thither. He is the mystery of -the Damavant, more ghost than man, living no one knows how, a spirit -among spirits, unaffected by hunger, thirst or cold," explained Nasir -with impressive earnestness. - -"A great secret and a precious heirloom all in one," mused Firdusi. - -"Thou hast said it; my father's father blew the horn I sounded -yester-night, and saw peradventure the things thou and I have seen," -continued Nasir. - -"Those are sights to unhinge reason," asserted the poet. - -"What thou hast seen is thy secret, O, Firdusi, and thou hast been -vouchsafed no more than thy spirit can assimilate. Strange were the -words thou hast spoken in the trance caused by the smoke of the -mysterious herb, as it passed through thy system. That herb crops up -where no earthly plant can exist, in a spring which is half liquid and -half vapor, warm when everything around is frozen, and cold when the -sun's heat beats against it like the deadly simoom. Invisible in -daylight, the herb betrays itself at rare intervals in the dead of the -darkest night by its phosphorescent nature. From my father I have it -that, infused into the human frame in any manner, the mind will see -whatever it is capable of grasping. Under its influence I had a -glimpse of paradise, a clime and a region impossible to describe," -imparted the host confidingly. - -A transient smile flitted over the poet's countenance as his eyes met -those of his communicative friend, and then rang a voice deep, -sonorous, fluent and suave, conjuring before the entranced hearer -sights appalling to think of, illuminated horrors rolling in ether, a -world of dismal deserts, dead mountains and black abysses: petrified -chaos grinning in the face of a burning and seething sun. But when, -passing from the lunar desolations to the empyrean hosts, the master -of epic melody gave full play to his inspired genius, bidding the -stars to march forth as he had seen them before the spirit's eye, -Nasir fell into an ecstasy of delight, sinking on his knees, weeping, -and kissing the hands of the white-headed singer he so loved and -revered, and crying: "And all this fails to make thee happy, divine -Firdusi!" - -In this enthusiastic exclamation of his devoted admirer the poet heard -a reproach. Is not faith, blind faith, preferable to endowments which -engender doubt? He had had his share of fame and favor, but proved too -frail to accept trials with the resignation enjoined by Islam. Revolt -against Allah's unsearchable decree is unworthy of the true believer. -Zarathustra lay prostrate in adoration before the sun, because to his -mind the Universe reveals nothing grander as a symbol of divine -Omnipotence; how much deeper ought he to be impressed who has -witnessed the sublime progress of a billion suns in the midst of their -countless planets and satellites? - -"Thy words are not meant as a reprimand, yet am I startled at what -they imply," spoke Firdusi in a deliberate tone. "Even at my age -theories may be revised, and new conclusions reached. Though -fire-worshippers are the heroes of my _Shah-Namah_, my faith is that -of the Prophet. But alas! how banish doubt which steals into one's -head like the demon of insanity? If we must have a theory let us build -on the postulate that life and death point to harmonizing relations. -The self-evident relation of the tiniest blade of grass to the great -sun is not clearer than that of the rain-drop to the cloud and the -ocean, and both prove that of the human soul to the universal Spirit. -If the outer world reveals to us little more than the form of things, -a glimpse into their inner nature is granted us in our inner world of -thought and inspiration. When land and sea, mountain and valley, field -and desert, lake and river, tree and blossom, fish, brute, bird and -insect,--when the elements of earth and the stars of heaven, are -recognized as the visible manifestations of an impenetrable design, -with man as the crowning work in this nether creation, and God as the -All-in-All, the All-above-All throughout the Universe, then does the -soul pass from her inner world into the supernatural domain, -inspiration passes into revelation, and the mind's peace and the -heart's felicity insure a foretaste of heaven; the dissonance of doubt -succumbs to the harmony of faith, and the rain-drop, long lost in the -dark cracks and crevices of the rugged rock, bounds forth in a crystal -spring, rushes into the rivulet, the river, eager to mix with the -ocean's vast." - -Whether Nasir understood his friend's metaphysics or not, he was the -last to question a man's ideas, whose superior wisdom he never -doubted. Moslem friendship is kindred to Bedouin hospitality, and -Nasir, who had received the poet with all the marks of distinction, -made arrangements to signalize his departure in royal form. After a -feast given in his honor to the notables of the province, the famous -bard, mounted on a fine dromedary, followed by another one loaded with -valuable presents, and escorted by a magnificent cavalcade, issued -hopefully from Tehran's gate, accompanied by his loyal friend. - -"If Allah's mercy grants me the joys of paradise, I will pray that -Nasir Lek share them with me, unless thy meed be above mine, who am -less generous than thou," were Firdusi's last words of gratitude, -addressed to his magnanimous host. - -On reaching Tus, the place of his birth, Firdusi found that the -Sultan's promised gold had not arrived, and he was greatly troubled, -lest Mahmud's apologies were intended as a snare spread for his -destruction. His apprehension was not allayed by hearing incidentally -a child in the street lisp a verse of the pungent satire in which he -taunts Mahmud as the base-born son of slaves. The trend of the lines -was, that had that potentate's progenitors been of noble blood, -instead of cheating him of the prize he had promised for the -_Shah-Namah_, he would have set a crown of gold on his aged head. - -Heart-wringing self-compassion moved the decrepit man to tears. His -grievance is the plaint of Iran, breathed by innocents into the ears -of sympathetic mothers. Once more he lived through the fearful moments -of his life; the hours of that night when daybreak was to see him -trampled under the feet of Mahmud's elephants, because he had resented -the Sultan's meanness in sending him sixty thousand pieces of silver -instead of gold, _dirhems_ in lieu of _dinars_, as agreed; the moment -when, fleeing from the wrath of the tyrant, he sought a refuge at -Mazenderan, where Kabous, the prince of Jorjan, durst not harbor him -for fear of the implacable persecutor; and that most painful of hours -when El Kader Billah, the Caliph of Baghdad, at first delighted with -the genius of the fugitive, asked him to depart when Mahmud of Ghaznin -demanded his extradition. Whelmed with grief, the broken man returned -to his daughter's home to die in her arms, resigned to the inscrutable -decree of destiny. - -Just as Firdusi's body was carried out through one gate of Tus, the -camels which bore the Sultan's gold entered the city through another. -His daughter refused to accept it, but an aged relative remembered his -cherished wish to see his native place improved by public works, -especially a healthy and plentiful supply of water. To comply with the -poet's generous wish, the treasure was taken and invested for the -benefit of his lamenting townsmen, whose descendants have during the -successive centuries continued to celebrate the passing of Iran's -immortal singer. - - - - -THE GODS IN EXILE. - - -The year 1492 was a dark one for the sons of Shem. The fall of Granada -and the expulsion of the Jews from Spain are events more generally -commemorated than the equally dramatic episode which wound up with the -tragic death of Bajazid, the dashing caliph of Damascus, surnamed -Yildirim--"the thunderbolt." At no time of the year is the Moslem -world so deeply stirred as during the month Shawall, the fifteenth day -of which marks the official opening of the great yearly pilgrimage to -Mecca. The Haj is the name of the leading caravan which carries the -Sultan's gift for Mohammed's shrine, that holds the black stone given -by an angel to Abraham. No animal in creation has so many devout eyes -concentrated on its unbeautiful outlines as the dromedary which -conveys, under a canopy of green silk, the gorgeously embroidered -covering for the walls of the Kabah. This _Kiswa_, as it is called, is -made of black brocade, and its magnificent golden border spells divine -utterance culled from the gems of the Koran. Exceeding it in -costliness is a smaller curtain sent along for the Kabah's doors which -swing in a frame of silver and gold. - -Even in our days that train starts from Damascus with great ceremony, -is accompanied by the municipal dignitaries led by the Pasha, and -escorted by a regiment in military pomp. No Moslem eye will miss the -opportunity of witnessing the _muhmil_, or silken canopy, as it swings -on the camel's back, shielding the sacred vesture of the most sacred -of Islam's fanes, so that along the line of the procession the immense -concourse of the faithful throng every available spot, from the -terraced roof down to the gutters of the ill-paved, sinuous lanes. - -Such is the religious signal for hundreds of thousands to start for -the centre of Moslem devotion from every quarter and corner as far as -the crescent is revered, to fulfil the duty of adoring the object of -the Prophet's worship. For he who has kissed that heavenly stone is -not alone cleansed of all his sins, but is thereafter distinguished by -the surname of Hajj. - -The departure of the Haj in the year of the discovery of the New World -was one of unprecedented commotion. It was known that a great army was -being concentrated and hurriedly drilled, and that Bajazid was on the -point of taking the field himself, having gained signal triumphs in -his repeated wars with Christian powers. That he appeared in his great -mosque on the day of the Haj, and, surrounded by his bodyguard, -followed the muhmil out of the city's confines, was interpreted as an -ominous sign of impending danger. The Caliph's countenance was -scrutinized with great anxiety by those who caught sight of it, and -somber deductions passed from lip to lip. As if to confirm the popular -apprehensions, as Bajazid re-entered the city, a yelling saint, -looking more like a satyr than a human being, emerged nobody knew -whence, and, planting himself in the way of the white steed which -carried the Commander of the faithful, cried: "Bajazid, Bajazid, the -stars are against thee. Woe! Woe! Damascus! I see thee and thy sister -cities swim in blood, thy treasures plundered, thy beauty rifled, thy -daughters outraged, with none to avenge thee! Woe! Woe! Woe!" A -terrible frown darkened the brows of the hitherto invincible Caliph, -but nobody dared lay a hand on the prophet of evil, who was allowed to -lose himself in the next grove unmolested. The saint is only an -instrument in the hand of Allah, and before the people had -sufficiently recovered from their consternation to exchange a word -about the fateful prophecy, a courier came tearing along the straight -way of the city; another one was close behind, and another, their -horses panting for breath. These events were followed by a sleepless -night and feverish activity in the palace. Couriers were speeding to -and fro; regiments were moving; batteries were mounted, and the -graying dawn saw the Sultan at the head of a division marching out of -his citadel never to return. - -From the hand of fate Bajazid was to drink the dregs of the bitter -cup. Like stubble before the fire, everything withered before the -all-engulfing devastation of Timur's unconquerable host. Having swept -nations and races before him, that celebrated Tartar conqueror made -short work of Bajazid's mighty army. In the province of Angora host -encountered host, the Caliph sustained a crushing defeat, his army was -shattered, and the dreaded "thunderbolt" was himself among the -prisoners in the hands of a merciless foe. With other cities, -beautiful Damascus experienced the wrath of the Tartar's beastly -nature. An indiscriminate slaughter of the population was followed by -pillage, and whatever could not be plundered and taken off was -delivered to the flames. The Caliph's fate was sad in the extreme. -Dragged along by the conqueror as a trophy in an iron palanquin, which -looked more like a cage than aught else, death, more gracious than the -savage Tartar, finally delivered Bajazid from a life of humiliation -and torture. - -The wizard who had foretold the downfall of the Caliph and the ruin -of populous cities was never hereafter seen within the broad circuit -of Damascus, a region exceeding in the exuberance of its semi-tropic -verdure and panoramic landscape the beauty of Granada's famous valley -in its palmy days of Moorish rule. The fatalistic principle of Islam -precludes spying into the inscrutable decrees of Allah, whose will is -fate from which there is neither appeal nor escape. Why then waste a -moment in identifying an oracle whose prophecies pass through him as -water passes through a pipe? It is impious to search into the -unsearchable. - -There were two young men on the scene, however, whose antecedents -account for that mad impetuosity with which they stormed onward in -pursuit of the oracular saint as soon as it was possible for them to -elude the eyes of the crowd. One was Damon Mianolis, a young Greek, -who had inherited from his father an avidity for the occult science of -astrology; the other was Selim Ebn Asa, a youthful Moslem, who had -enabled Damon to witness in disguise the departure of the Haj. -Damon's father was a physician, but had a secret laboratory, and had -spent a fortune in attempts at fathoming the mysteries of alchemy and -astrology. Damon had been early initiated into those mystic arcana, -had learned to cast the horologue, but was wofully disappointed in the -matter of extracting gold from other substances, and gave up the hope -of ever discovering the elixir of life. The physician's death had put -his son in possession of an extensive practice among his -fellow-Christians, and Selim's friendship was due to the Moslem's -ambition to acquire a knowledge of French, which Damon spoke fluently. - -The intimate relation of the two young men led to free discussions of -the merits of their respective creeds, with the result that each one -believed a little more in his friend's and a little less in his own -scheme of salvation. The heavenly city built of gold and precious -stones, with twelve gates and glittering streets, through which flows -the river of life, bordered on its banks by the tree of life, which -bears twelve sorts of fruits and leaves of healing virtue, was pointed -to by Damon as the pattern of Mohammed's paradise of which Selim made -much in his effort to convert his friend. Selim meant to astonish -Damon by referring to those pavilions of pearls in which the houris -dwell retired, each pearl sixty miles in dimension; but was met by the -even more astonishing promise of St. John that "the days shall come -when there shall be vines which shall have each ten thousand branches, -and every one of these branches shall have ten thousand lesser -branches, and every one of these branches shall have ten thousand -twigs, and every one of the twigs shall have ten thousand clusters of -grapes, and every one of these clusters shall bear ten thousand -grapes, and every one of these grapes being pressed shall yield two -hundred and seventy-five gallons of wine, and when a man shall take -hold of one of those sacred branches, another one shall cry out 'I am -the better branch; take me and bless the Lord.'"[6] - - [6] _Cf._ Irenćus, Book V., Chap. 33. - -This left the youthful Moslem little to boast of in the concern of -paradisial blessedness, and he was totally overwhelmed by a vivid -picture of Dante's elaboration of hell. What impressed Selim, however, -most profoundly was Damon's familiarity with the heavenly -configurations, and his pretended ability to read future events. The -fact is that the late Mianolis had shortly before his death predicted -Bajazid's overthrow and captivity, and Selim had received a hint of -the prediction. No sooner, therefore, had the saint's lamentation -fallen on their ears than the young men exchanged a significant look, -and the next instant both were on the track of the retreating -soothsayer. In but a very few minutes Selim realized the impossibility -of his overtaking the fleeing man, whose feet scarcely touched the -turf; but not so Damon, who taxed his energies to their uttermost to -keep the winged fugitive in sight. Not a living soul crossed them as -they hurried onward, the saint leading through a maze of entangling -thickets on pathways of his own,--the other following almost out of -breath, determined not to give up the chase. - -In this way miles had been traversed before Damon noticed that they -were at the foot of Anti-Lebanon, and that Selim was not behind him. -The ascent had to be made, or the game would have been lost in a -moment. From an elevation of several hundred feet Damon's eye was -fascinated by the superb view of Damascus, set in a garland of groves, -bushes and gardens, distance enhancing the charm of the exquisite -panorama. Along the banks of Abana, in the heart of a sea of verdure, -rose a grand vision of terraced roofs, surmounted here and there by -swelling domes, towering minarets, tipped with gilded crescents, -glittering like burnished scythes from the thick foliage of blooming -parks. An area of thirty miles in circuit spread like a dream, with a -variance of grouping and shading, and a charm of blended tints such as -are rarely vouchsafed to the eye even in regions of renowned -picturesqueness. - -Damon had never before seen Damascus in such a wreath of glory; but -the few seconds the sight exacted of his attention frustrated his -efforts to locate the wizard's retreat, who had disappeared as though -dissolved in air. At the same time a feeling of exhaustion rendered a -further ascent impossible, coupled with a somnolence which stole and -gained upon the youth, until, succumbing to the spell, he lay -stretched on the grass under a tree, lost in oblivion. Re-appearing on -the scene as suddenly as he had vanished, the haggard, half-naked -wizard waved his crooked staff over the sleeper's head, drew a circle -around him, pointed southward, and vanished as before. On returning to -consciousness Damon bit his tongue to assure himself that he was -really awake; his hand dashed across his eyes,--it was no vision. He -felt deathly cold, although his touch left no doubt that he was robed -in fur, his head, hands and feet covered by the same material. It was -night, and he in an air-ship, under stars he had never seen ere this, -and sweeping with great speed through a world of mountains of ice and -frozen seas, an icy desolation buried in dense fogs. Before him sat -the controlling aeronaut, white as frost and silent as death; to his -right sat a female in black, with eyes closed and the countenance of a -corpse; to his left sat none else but the saint as he had seen him in -the street of Damascus, with no evidence of being in the least -affected by the intense cold. Damon suspecting that it was a dream -within a dream, closed his eyes tightly to continue his slumber when -he heard a voice addressing him thus: "Son of Mianolis the Wise, know -that thou art in the chariot of Auster, hurrying toward the great ice -regions of the south with me, thy sire's friend, and this dame, the -Witch of Endor, on whose grave thou hadst taken thy rest this last -day, thus disturbing her spirit that soars over the tomb of the body -which held it when alive. Evil would have befallen thee but for my -interposition in thy behalf, and I am indebted to thy father for -revelations in the stars and in the realms of nature, which give me -foresight and power over spirits. What thou shalt see to-night was the -awe of thy ancestors and of those who gave rise to the mightiest -progeny on earth; but hold thy breath, lest the frost congeal thy -blood, and be not alarmed even if mountains quake and oceans burst," -was the wizard's reassuring information. - -Even before the last word had been spoken an enormous column of lurid -flame and livid smoke upshot from the heart of an immense mountain, -and in a continuous flow lost itself in the clouds, a deluge of fire -ascending and descending with the tremendous crack and reverberation -of thunder. "That southernmost volcano shall mark for generations to -come the extreme limit of human penetration into the forbidding -regions of ice; the other facing it to eastward burns no more, but is -likewise an insurmountable barrier set by nature against the intrusion -of man into regions reserved for the dethroned gods. They shall in -future years be respectively known and shunned as 'Mount Erebus' and -'Mount Terror'" volunteered the wizard as an explanation, but further -mystifying the already confused aeronaut. On the highest peak of -Terror the chariot alighted, and a puff of Auster's breath dissolved -the mists around a group of crystal palaces, trimmed with gold, roofed -with silver, clustering around an all-outshining, sky-towering edifice -reaching up to an ethereal height, overarched by a blazing span of -transcendental rainbowed glories, blending into golden haze below, and -an indefinable silvery twilight above.--"Asgard," were the first -syllables uttered by the Witch of Endor. - -Yes, it was Odin's celestial Court[7] where, from his throne, he -surveyed heaven and earth, and yon was He exalted high above all -others, on his shoulders the ravens Hugin and Munin, who, in ancient -times, daily traversed the world to report the happenings among the -mortal race, and at his feet the two wolves Friki and Geri, whom Odin -feeds with the meat set before him, mead alone being sufficient for -him who feeds all creatures. - - [7] In his narrative Malek, from whom this tale is derived, - contrasted the Greek gods with those "barbaric gods of the - north, who dwell in twilight, build their palace of the - rainbow, hunt the wild boar, and fling winged thunder at - their adversaries," and the function he assigned to each - power seemed to leave no doubt that he referred to Odin's - Court, so that I have supplied the names that he did not use. - The Orient contains many surprises, and it appealed to me as - one of them to find a Mohammedan Parsee familiar with Norse - mythology as a tradition of the East. Malek, however, always - claimed that the Parsees are the best educated people in the - East. - -Overpowering as was the presence of Odin on his throne, another -spectacle forced itself on Damon's vision. In front of Valhalla's -portal, an entrance as wide as the entire hall, a desperate struggle -was raging between redoubtable combatants, who struck at each other -with appalling fury. The broad arena was already strewed with numerous -bodies cut to pieces. A relentless frenzy appeared to have seized -those who were still engaged in the exterminating feud, while the gods -looked on with complacence, as though the deathful affair was a mere -tournament. When the battle was over there was but one hero left, and -he bleeding from many wounds. Presently there came a blast from a horn -in Valhalla, which sent a breath of animation through the bulky bodies -of the slaughtered. Their wounds closed, their severed limbs knitted -and healed, their eyes opened, their frames quivered, straightened and -pulsated with life. They rose, picked up their weapons, and -straightway repaired to the festive hall where throngs of shining -elves attended on them with food and drink. Damon knew then that these -were the immortal heroes who, having fallen in battle, were permitted -to dwell among the gods, partaking of the meat of Shrimnir, the -ever-reviving boar, and of the mead of the she-goat Heidrun. What -looked like a fierce battle was simply an amusement. - -The feast was rudely interrupted by a note of alarm sounded by -Heimdall, the sleepless sentinel of Odin's Court. Heimdall's business -is to make the round of the borders of heaven to prevent intruders -from ascending by the way of Bifrost, that is the bridge built of the -rainbow's light which links earth to Odin's ethereal Court. He is -especially anxious to intercept the mischievous giants who are ever on -the alert to annoy the powers of Asgard. As Heimdall's ears are so -fine that he hears growing of the grass and of the wool on a sheep's -back, it is no wonder that his warning of impending danger startled -the gods. Thialfi, Thor's inseparable attendant and the swiftest -messenger of Asgard, was forthwith despatched northward, whence, -according to Heimdall's information, the storm was coming, while the -gods and the heroes made ready for the emergency, whatever it might -be. Invincible Thor, whose terrific hammer, Miölnir, splits mountains, -and returns to the hand of the god when hurled against a foe, girded -himself with his belt, which redoubles his terrors, and put on his -iron gloves to render the shock of his mallet irresistible. - -They soon beheld Thialfi returning all astounded, with tidings which -made Thor's veins swell with rage.--"A burning sun, O great Odin, -accompanied by a host of gods, goddesses, and their dependents, carry -with them hitherward a city of supernal palaces, and will be upon us -before thy will can be heard in council," reported Thialfi. Almost -simultaneous with these words fell the first beam of a golden flood on -the brilliant domes and towers of Asgard. Night fled to the darkest -recesses of Antarctic gloom; the snow softened; the icebergs glittered -like mountains of jewels; whale, dolphin and sea-lion gamboled with -delight, but the black elves, who dread the sun, were turned by -myriads into stones. Of vegetable life there was not as much as a -blade of grass to be seen; not a withered leaf, nor a dry shrub to -greet the radiant orb. In his all-knowing wisdom Odin exclaimed: "It -is the Olympian Thunderer who comes this way; if it means peace we -shall open our hall to welcome him; should it mean war, it will be thy -task, Thor, to drive him hence with ruin." Quick as thought did -Phoebus suspend his blazing chariot in mid-heaven, eastward of Mount -Erebus, which, crowned with light and glory, was instantaneously -turned into an Olympus by the fiat of creative powers. Phoebus caused -the earth to thaw; Pan called forth a garden of Hesperian richness; -Ceres conjured up a crop of golden grain where glaciers had been -slowly grinding their way for numberless cycles; the fire-spitting -Erebus smiled like May, garlanded by Flora, every god and goddess -contributing his or her share to create an Elysium in the most dreary -of ice-buried deserts. - -In less time than it takes to tell it, Jupiter established himself in -a manner which left in Odin no doubt that the whilom sovereign of -Olympus had come to stay. Thor burned for action, but Odin restrained -his impetuous son, reminding him that if he had the rock-blasting -mallet to hurl, so had the Olympian chief something to send in return, -which it might be wise to avoid if possible. First the most guileful -schemer of Odin's Court was to be employed to ascertain the real -purpose of the thunderer's arrival; and this was the malicious Loki, -one of the hostile giants, who had succeeded in securing a foothold in -Asgard. - -Loki's nature may be judged by his three offspring; they are the wolf -Fenris, the Midgard serpent, and Hela, that is death. Fenris could not -be allowed to roam at large; but to chain him was a problem the gods -alone could solve. Every kind of chain having been tried in vain, the -mountain spirits were required to fashion one that should not yield -like cobweb to the teeth of the horrid monster. It was made of the -beards of women, the noise of the cat's paw, the breath of fishes, the -roots of stones, the spittle of birds, and the sensitiveness of bears; -it was as pleasant to the touch as a silken cord, and was named -Glupnir. With this fetter on his neck Fenris was rendered harmless. -His twin, the Midgard serpent, is so enormous that her length is -thrown around the earth like a belt, she holding her tail in her -mouth. Hela dwells in Elvidnir, a black hall in dark Niffleheim. She -feeds on hunger, cuts her food with starvation, decks her bed with -misery, employs slowness as her maid, delay as her servant; her -threshold is precipice, her tapestries burning anguish. The father of -this precious triplet was not a little pleased to be thus honored with -the important embassy to the sovereign of the Olympian dynasty, -especially since the message was but little short of an ultimatum. -Loki's mind was not of a frame to be surprised at anything, or -intimidated by any display of might; but the stream of blinding light -he had to face, as he turned toward the point of his destination, -caused his eyes to water, wholly unused as he was to a splendor which -made Asgard's rainbow pale, as does the moon before the rising sun. -Whether it was for a purpose or by chance, Phoebus darted his rays -with piercing penetration, focussing them on the visage of Odin's -envoy, and his chariot, a master work of Hephćstus, forged of -glittering metal, and set with resplendent gems, moved in an orbit -with an ever-widening periphery. Winged Mercury met Loki half way, -bade him stop by a wave of his Caduceus, and required him to give an -account of his mission. Satisfied with the answer, Mercury led the way -to the gate of clouds guarded by the goddess Seasons, and Loki soon -found himself in the radiant palace of Jupiter than which there could -be nothing loftier and more glorious under the stars. Here the deities -meet in council in the assembly hall of their chief, and here they -indulge the divine feast of ambrosia and nectar served by the -ineffably lovely goddess Hebe, while Apollo delights the immortals -with the ravishing strains of his lyre, accompanied by the song of the -nine Muses. - -Ushered into the awful presence of the Olympian thunderer, Loki beheld -himself in the midst of a galaxy of deities, whose various attributes -and aspects would have astonished him had they not been eclipsed by -the overpowering grandeur of the son of Saturnus, who, enthroned in -supernal majesty, with the Ćgis, shining like the sun before him, and -his thunder-speeding eagle next to him, formed a striking contrast to -Odin's dimmer environments. - -At the sight of Loki, Apollo struck his lyre, the Muses joined their -heavenly voices to swell the melody, and Hebe served to all the food -and drink of the gods, including Odin's envoy in the divine -conviviality. But ambrosia and nectar affected Loki's palate so -differently from the meat of the boar Shrimnir and the mead of the -she-goat Heidrun that the first quaff of the new beverage made his -facial muscles contract and distend in so ludicrous a fashion that the -vast hall resounded with the laughter of the Olympians. Loki did not -like the idea of being made the butt of ridicule, but, though stung to -the quick, joined in the merriment at his expense, there being no hope -for vengeance thus far. Required to state the purport of his message, -he began thus: - -"It is Odin's wish that peace prevail betwixt his Court and thine, O -mighty Chief, and I am sent to remind thee, that when Alfadur had -doomed thy rule and his in Midgard, a new order having risen with a -new time, the compact was that thou withdraw to the fields swept by -Boreas, the Valkyrior kindling the north lights for thy benefit, and -he, undeterred by severer cold and longer night, should settle in this -drearier end of earth, where Day returns but for a double month, -allowing Night and Frost to rule supreme. What means thy coming hither -with such consuming heat, such pomp as make Odin's bleak retreat -unbearable, unless he strive to hold by force what is his by treaty? -In substance this is Odin's message. As guests he welcomes thee and -thine with all Valhalla has to entertain, and honors powers akin to -him in weal and woe, who had tasted the bitters of dethronement and -exile. But if thy purpose be to fix a permanent abode within the -bounds of Odin's hitherto undisputed empire, war will be the outcome; -and war with Asgard means chaos and the end." - -The thunderer shook his locks; his eagle's eye flashed fire. Among the -superior gods the face of Mars glowed like a meteor. Minerva assumed -a menacing air, and the others gave evidence of a stern determination -to go to the bitter end in whatever part they were able to sustain the -right and dignity of their challenged head. But Jupiter, inclined -toward conciliation if possible, dismissed Loki with earnest mien, -promising his answer should reach Odin forthwith. And forthwith -Mercury was at Loki's heels, and proceeded with him to Asgard, where -Odin gave ear to Jupiter's reply thus conveyed. - -"Great Odin, the cloud-compelling power who wields the thunderbolt, -but whose old sovereignty has been lamentably curtailed, deplores his -condition and thine. True, when the empire over Midgard had to be -abandoned in favor of Alfadur's anointed, the extremities of earth -alone afforded refuge from the universal spread of those hateful -inspirations which, like a deluge, submerged the better -world,--synagogue, church, or mosque supplanting those pantheons of -art, poetry and beauty, which, in the golden age of dream and fable, -song, dance and free love, made man as happy as an unbridled child. -When the time had come for our stern trials, it is remembered that, -to render our banishment bearable, thou hast benignly agreed to let -the Olympian dynasty retreat northward of the habitable world, thou -and thine being more seasoned to endure the severer rigors of this -inclement zone. But whither flee from the ever-swelling might of the -cross and the crescent? Not satisfied with the conquest of blessed -Midgard, their votaries dare penetrate the very extremes of the frigid -north, and the cross may be seen where neither wolf nor vulture can -breathe. Yea, the western hemisphere, hitherto unknown to the world, -is being discovered, and ere long will bristle with the spires of a -myriad churches. This extreme alone seems forever barred against the -intrusion of man, its terrors bringing death to him;--night, frost and -sterility are here in league against mortal flesh. Necessity forced -upon our father the resolution to seek once more a new home where, -undisturbed by the detestable symbols of new creeds, we may continue -with as much comfort as powers inalienable insure for us. Jupiter -sends thee peace, O, mighty Odin, not that he shrinks from war, or -heeds threats, but because of his benign temper--unless provoked, when -his wrath would prove too much even for the giants on whom Asgard has -a watchful eye. For it is he who made Saturnus disgorge his progeny, -and holds him chained in the deeps of Erebus." - -Mercury's bold language came near to costing him his head. Thor was -restrained with difficulty by his father from sending his hammer -against the brazen front of Jupiter's messenger, who was, however, -allowed to depart unmolested. There was great commotion in Valhalla, -and Odin sent his last word to the intruders requiring them to vacate -the invaded heights forthwith, or Asgard would proceed to expel them -by force. Thialfi imparted this warning to the Olympians and was -dismissed with scorn. Heimdall's horn, Giallar, summoned all the Gods -and heroes to battle, while Thor held his mallet in readiness to do -fearful execution. - -Odin's terrific frown was the signal given for the engagement; it -isolated the hostile encampment, giving it the appearance of an -illumined island in an ocean of dense night. The moments of suspense -were being utilized on both sides to call in and muster all the -reserves available. Nobody was happier than the mischievous Loki, who -was charged to communicate by the roots of the Ygdrasil tree with the -inhabitants of Jotunheim, it being the place where those prodigious -giants live, the glove of one of whom Thor had once mistaken for a -cavern wherein he spent a night, and was disturbed in his sleep by the -snoring of the colossus that shook him like an earthquake. - -Should those Jotuns be slow in coming, Loki was to rouse Ymir from his -rest, Ymir the terrific giant Frost, whose blood is the seas, whose -body forms the earth, whose bones are the mountains, whose skull is -the heavens, whose brains are the clouds and what they discharge in -the shape of rain or snow, and whose eyebrows supplied the material -for the making of Midgard, the habitable portion of the globe. Ymir -sleeps under the Ygdrasil tree whose branches extend to every quarter -of the universe, while its three roots connect Asgard with Niffleheim -and Jotunheim. Ymir's disturbed slumbers make the earth quake and -shudder; his awaking would bring about the end of things. Loki's -malice had never been more gratified, he having thus far been an -unwelcome presence among the gods of Asgard, who had even once gone to -the trouble of slaying him for treason to Baldur; but Loki had another -life to spare, and here he was bustling, busier than ever before. - -Neither were they on Erebus idle. The response to Odin's threatening -scowl was an intensified light and such a heat as began to dissolve -whatever had remained frozen as stone since Time outspread his wings. -Phoebus assumed the terrors of a bursting hell, so that whatever life -there was in the sea buried itself deep under its surface. With a due -appreciation of his dreadful adversaries, Jupiter arrayed himself in -his most appalling panoply, and called on Tartarus to bring to light -the pack of Titans prominent among whom were Cottus, Briareus and -Gyes, each one having a hundred hands and fifty heads, well known as -the subduers of Saturnus, who indulged the unpaternal habit of -feasting on his own offspring. Useless to add, the other Olympians -were prepared for the fray, but they waited for the aggressive deed to -come from Asgard. - -It came like a dart of lightning. Enraged by the consuming heat, Thor -aimed a fatal blow at the sun's fiery steeds, hoping to shatter at one -stroke the entire team. With its unfailing accuracy Miölnir struck the -glowing chariot. Phoebus had a narrow escape, holding tightly the -reins; the horses reared wildly, bleeding from many wounds, which -closed, however, by virtue of their deathless substance. But as the -mallet, by its nature, returned to Thor's grasp, the god roared like a -hundred lions; it was a red-hot mass of metal and could not be handled -before another fling had passed it through a fathom's depth of a -glacier's icy bed. By the time Thor was ready to renew his experiment -he felt himself lifted off his feet and hurled headlong into an abyss -back of Asgard. Such was the effect of a lightning bolt sent by -Jupiter's hand, who had ascended the azurean height of his citadel -whence he caused an ominous thunder-cloud to overshadow the Court of -Odin. Though dazed by the blasting shock and the fall, Thor was on his -feet, and from a cliff, which he quickly ascended, winged his hammer -with unerring precision against the cloud-enshrouded tower of Erebus. -Miölnir was met half way by another fulmination of the Olympian -thunderer, and the collision of the missiles reverberated like the -crack of doom. - -Not less fierce was the engagement of the other powers on both sides, -who, without deploying into battle array, strove with prodigious -might, the one stunning or hurting the other. Malicious Loki, hugely -amused to see the whilom invincible Thor wheel through the air and -land ignominiously in a chasm, assumed the colossal proportions of the -giant race to which he virtually belonged, making effective use of his -enormous limbs. Having picked out Mars as his target, he aimed an -iceberg at the Olympian war-dog who was inflicting terrible punishment -on the gods and heroes of Asgard; but Neptune was at hand with a -tremendous billow of tepid water warmed by Phoebus; it struck the -frozen mass, deflecting it from its fatal course, so that there was at -once a great splash and a harmless crash. - -The battle continued to rage along the line, the elements of fire, -water, wind and earth being wielded with whelming impetuosity. Between -Thor and Jupiter the duel was incessant, with no turn in favor of -Odin's most redoubtable combatant. In the general confusion Loki threw -himself with a force on the enemy's flank, endeavoring thus to attack -the gate which he had been permitted to enter as Odin's messenger. -From his cloudy height the Olympian chief discerned the move of the -perfidious strategist, brandished one of his forked lightning-bolts, -and Asgard beheld with amazement one of its mightiest hurled into -oblivion. - -Odin surveyed the situation, and recognized the hopelessness of the -struggle, even if Ymir could be caused to budge and the giants of -Jotunheim arrived in time. Where Thor failed who could succeed? And -the dreaded Titans were likely to appear on the scene at any moment. -Thialfi was, therefore, directed to recall Thor, and ask the Olympians -to suspend hostilities, pending the consideration of a peaceful -settlement. The brightening of the atmosphere around Asgard indicated -Odin's change of mind. Jupiter agreed to a truce, and Phoebus relaxed -the severity of his unbearable heat. Odin declared himself willing to -withdraw his Court to the extreme south, provided the Olympians would -not follow him thither. Jupiter swore the irrevocable oath attested by -the river Styx, that there shall be no further encroachments -hereafter, come what may. And Mercury was instructed to convey -peaceful greetings to Odin. "Let our brother know that we properly -appreciate his magnanimous offer to withdraw further south; that we -reluctantly waged war against a kindred power dethroned by Him who is -above all enthroned. No, not thus shall we part, mailed in threatening -panoply, with grim war bristling and sullen. Festive joy, cordial -intercourse and divine conviviality shall mark the season of our -conciliation. Great Odin and his Court are to be honored in this -hall. Since man has ceased to pay us worshipful homage, our own -felicity be our sole care." In response to this effusion of friendship -Odin signified his pleasure by ordering his black elves, to whose -skilful workmanship Thor was indebted for his wonderful hammer, to -throw an arched span of gold over the hollow which separated the -mountains of Terror and Erebus. But the long-nosed, dirty little -artificers durst not face Phoebus, whose glare brought them death; -wherefore the blazing chariot of the sun-god made room for Aurora -Australis, when the bridge rose like a vision, competing with the -rainbow in multicolored brilliancy. For once Vulcan confessed surprise -at the exquisite mastery in metal work in which he had thought himself -unrivalled, while Pluto was amazed at the lavishness of the precious -material, which he knew to be limited in quantity. Once more did -Heimdall sound his horn, this time to proclaim the opening of the -grand feast in which all the gods, goddesses, heroes and dependencies -of Asgard were required to participate. - -On their side the Olympians were neither to be eclipsed in splendor -nor outdone in all that goes to make a feast of gods. Robed in -supernal glory, each god and goddess, surrounded by their retinues, -wore the symbols of their respective powers and attributes, but stood -overawed by the transcendent magnificence of their chief, whom no -mortal eye could behold without being consumed. From his throne above -the clouds, surrounded by his family, who shone like stars, Jupiter -beheld Odin issue from Valhalla, mounted on his eight-legged steed, -Sleipnir, who could leap over mountains. Him followed Frigga and -Freya, his wife and daughter, the one as beautiful as Iris, the other, -who stood for love, blushing like sweet Aurora, escorted by Thor and -his inseparable attendant, Thialfi. Like a stream of radiant gold, -flowed behind them a host of sunny elves, diminutive creatures, -stirring the air with weird music. In their wake, leading another host -of those unsightly elves clad in burnished brass, and blowing sonorous -instruments of the same metal, came Frey in a chariot drawn by the -boar Gullinbursti, along with Heimdall bestriding his horse, Gulltopp. -The train's rear was taken up by a great number of inferior gods, -heroes and mountain giants, as well as their colossal frost -companions. - -Gratifying his mischievous nature, Cupid perched himself on the main -entrance guarded by Seasons, and as this goddess opened it to admit -Odin and his cortege, a shower of love's arrows descended on the -unsuspicious powers of Asgard, who were received by Pluto and Neptune, -and led into the assembly hall of Jupiter's palace. Here the Olympian -dynasty were found standing, except Jupiter and Juno, who likewise -rose, while Venus, wearing the Cestus which imparts ineffable grace to -the wearer, welcomed the head of Asgard and escorted him to a lofty -throne at the left hand of her father. A sweet fragrance was diffused -among the star-like assembly by a heavenly smile from Jupiter, who was -at once captivated by the eyes of Freya, the goddess of love. Odin -found it impossible to make a secret of his enchantment by Venus, -while Thor had no eye for anyone but Hebe. Heimdall found in Juno the -crown of sweetness, Thialfi bowed to Diana, and Frey paid his tender -respects to Minerva. The other deities selected their partners in -accordance with their natural bent of mind, or destined appointment in -the divine economy. - -Without, the subordinate attendants grouped themselves harmoniously, -so that no sooner were the strains of Apollo's lyre heard, accompanied -by the enravishing song of the Muses, than the broad spaces between -the dwellings of the gods teemed with the airy dancers. Elf, nymph, -naiad, satyr and dryad abandoned themselves to the spell of Apollo's -music. This was only a faint reflex of what was doing in the -star-illumined hall of the Olympian thunderer. Here the celestial food -and beverage were being offered by Hebe, after the first grand march -of the superior gods. Odin, who never tasted of Shrimnir's flesh, and -indulged in but drink of the mead of the she-goat Heidrun, now emptied -a capacious goblet of nectar handed him by Hebe, at the same time that -one was given to Thor. The head of Asgard's Court found it hard to -swallow the strange liquid, so unlike mead, and, unable to retain it, -ejected it in a manner to bring up the Olympian host and his entire -house. As to Thor, the unspeakable drink and the mirth provoked by his -ludicrous grimaces enraged him to such an extent that, but for the -subduing charm of Hebe's look, he would have dashed his mallet against -the very throne which filled gods with awe. Good nature prevailed, -however, and as the refreshments passed around, the hilarity grew at -the cost of Asgard. - -Now struck Terpsichore her instrument, the graces joining to swell the -strains which cause the gods to move in rhythmic measure. Looked at -from the vantage ground occupied by Damon, the divine spectacle -resembled a scattered constellation, the stars moving in pairs, then -grouping in clusters, then spreading in lines, straight and curved, -then forming in circles, then breaking up to renew and multiply the -harmonious evolutions. There appeared nothing to intercept the -minutest detail of the celestial scene, and Damon was intoxicated with -felicity, ear and eye being equally ravished. While the feast was at -its height, Erebus shook with a convulsion which reminded Jupiter of -the summons he had sent to Tartarus, and that the Titans had access to -the upper world by way of the lava-vomiting mountain. At the same -instant Heimdall gave the alarm, his ear having recognized the tramp -of the Jotuns for whom Odin had sent his son, Hermond the Nimble. -Quick as were the gods in rushing to arms, and in manning every -strategic and vulnerable point, they were not quick enough to prevent -a collision between Briareus on one side and Skrymir on the other, -each one sustained by his gigantic followers, who tore up glaciers and -made icebergs fly as flakes of snow driven by a storm. As if by a -tacit understanding, Thor and Jupiter combined their terrific -instruments of destruction, hurling them from opposite directions at -the monstrous combatants, who heaped Pelion on Ossa in their furious -efforts to crush each other. Briareus disappeared like a flash in the -womb of Erebus, drawing his companions after him; the Jotuns took to -their heels as fast as their gigantic limbs could carry them. - -But there was no clearing of the atmosphere. The mountains trembled, -the air grew oppressive and seemed saturated with fetid gases. A -moment's ominous quiet was broken by another far-reaching convulsion, -followed by a crack which terrified the gods and threw Damon out of -his seat deep down into a chasm. The womb of Erebus opened wide. A -deluge of fire burst from the bowels of the earth, melting glaciers -and causing frozen seas to boil. Heaven glowed like a furnace, and -Damon beheld with terror a stream of liquid metal pour down in a -cataract from a height above his head. His attempt to flee from -destruction proved his limbs to be of lead; he could not budge. He was -going to be buried under fathoms of molten ore. Once more he tried to -get to his feet, the glowing metal bursting on him from every side. In -growing terror he grasped for something to assist him in his struggle -for life, striking out right and left. His numbness gave way; his -limbs softened in their joints, and a vitalizing energy enabled him to -raise his head. What did he see? A full-rounded moon shedding a -silver flood on a slumbering landscape, glorified by a weird maze of -far-away dazzling white, varied by domes and spires of other hues. It -was neither Asgard nor the heavenly city built by Hephćstus; it was -Damascus, oblivious of her impending doom. Damon was grateful to be -here, conscious of the fact that the wizard he had followed had but -sported with him. Yet what he had seen was worth the sacrifice. How -much greater the God of infinity, how much holier than they of Asgard -and Olympus, He with whom a myriad galaxies count for naught as He -sways the boundless Universe by the breath of His mouth! - - - - -KING SOLOMON AND ASHMODAI. - - -It is well known that after Solomon had succeeded his father David as -ruler over Israel he had a vision wherein the Lord gave him the choice -between riches and wisdom, and that the youthful monarch gave wisdom -the preference. In recognition of this he was not alone endowed with -an understanding heart, but was given the means of acquiring great -wealth, such as enabled him to build the most gorgeous of temples and -the most sumptuous of palaces. The secret of Solomon's power was his -possession of the Omnipotent Name engraved on his signet-ring, the use -of which he was to learn by an accident. - -The first great problem Solomon was called upon to solve was how to -build God's Temple in compliance with the unaccountable injunction not -to employ iron implements in cutting, fitting or smoothing the -materials of the sacred edifice. This prohibition implied the -existence of a rock-splitting instrument of which neither the King nor -his wisest counselors had any knowledge. Eldad the lonely dweller of -the sacred caves, the reader of the stars, the wanderer of the desert, -the recorder of traditions, Eldad, who at the age of one hundred and -nineteen years had no wrinkle on his face, preserving his faculties in -all their strength by means of the occult sciences, this wizard who -was the engraver of the Ineffable Name on the King's ring, was -summoned to appear before His Majesty to answer this question: - -"Thou knowest, O, Eldad, that I am to build the House of God with -materials unprepared by the use of any iron implement; no doubt -Providence has provided the means for the raising of His Sanctuary; my -advisers have failed to give me light on the mystery; should it be -beyond thy power to enlighten me on this matter, I shall not know -whither to turn for the solution of the difficulty," spoke the King. -To whom Eldad replied: "Know, O King, that in the beginning of things, -as creation was nearing its completion, before the sun of the sixth -day had withdrawn his last mellow beam from the earth, fourteen -additional wonders were called into being, things which the -foreknowledge of the All-knowing destined to play a part in this -nether world. They are, the mouth of the earth that swallowed Korah -and his rebellious followers; the mouth of the fountain known as -Miriam's Well, the unfailing spring whose flow accompanied Israel -through the desert, joining in the hymn of praise; the mouth of the -brute that spoke to Balaam, after the heathen prophet had beaten it -three times, he not having seen the angel that deterred it from -advancing; the multicolored rainbow which symbolizes God's mercy to -frail man; the manna, Israel's food for forty years; the staff -wherewith Moses performed all his miracles; the two sapphires out of -which the tablets of the Law were cut; the gems that spelt the Ten -Commandments; the letters of the alphabet; the sepulchre of Moses -never seen by a mortal eye; the ram destined to be the substitute of -Isaac when on the point of being sacrificed; the first pair of tongs, -without which no iron could ever be forged; the spirits, both good and -evil, the Sabbath having begun before bodies could be formed for some -souls, thus left forever disembodied; and the _Shamir_, a worm not -larger than a grain of barley, but stronger than rock, which it splits -by the mere touch. The _Shamir_, O, King, is the only might in -creation to do the work in accordance with the divine behest. Those -priceless gems of which the tablets and the letters thereon are cut -have been fashioned by the _Shamir_." - -"That _Shamir_ shall be in my power, O, Eldad, it being there for the -building of God's house, as it was there to materialize His immutable -Word. But tell me who on earth claims possession of that wonderful -creature? Is it to be had by trade, purchase, strategy, or force?" -cried the King, deeply agitated. - -"King, beyond what I have told thee my knowledge goes not. The abyss -says: It is not in me, and the ocean says: I own it not. Hitherto the -_Shamir_ has been beyond the reach of human eye. Whether it can be -had, the future will tell. Here my wisdom ends," concluded the hoary -wizard, withdrawing from the royal presence. It was late in the -evening when the King retired to a restless bed. Light and fitful as -were his slumbers, his mind was haunted by weird visions of desolate -scenes, cliffs infested with fierce carrion birds, and chasms teeming -with venomous reptiles. The first blush of the morning found the -monarch on one of his gilded balconies from which he surveyed the -floral glories of his exuberant gardens, inhaling the odoriferous -breezes of the peaceful morrow. Nature stood in her loveliness, and -animate creation seemed to breathe peace. Suddenly there was a scream -of pain in one of the towering clusters of green, and the next instant -two specimens of the feathered tribes dropped at the feet of the King. -In the talons of a carnivorous fowl was closed the tender wing of a -trembling dove as white as snow. Moved by the impulse of pity, the -King had his strong grip on the neck of the obscene bird of prey, -relieving the other, but not before the victim's wing was broken. -Great as was the anger of the King to see the poor dove bleeding and -helpless, his astonishment was greater at the instantaneous -transformation of the ferocious fowl in his grasp; fowl no more but -demon, black and mighty, swelling to enormous proportions, and -beseeching the royal captor to set him free.--"Whatever thou biddest -me I will do, O, master, the ring on thy finger giving thee power over -Ashmodai and his legions, to which I belong doing service as -commanded," stated the dark agent submissively. - -"And what cause underlies thy vicious onslaught against so pure a -creature as this dove?" asked Solomon, the revelation breaking on him -that his signet-ring invested him with a power akin to omnipotence. - -"A symbol of purity, the dove comes under the ban of us who are of -Ashmodai's dark legion,"[8] explained the fiend with unreserved -candor. - - [8] Talmudic angelology assigns to Ashmodai the inferior rank - of presiding over the evil demons under the rule of Samaël - +Ashmedai malkha rabah deshiday+; while Matatron is the - recognized chief of the infinite hosts teeming throughout the - universe, holding at the same time the office of benign - intercession between man and Supreme Grace, and Synadalphon - is the next in power, standing on earth with his head - reaching to the highest cherubim +Malakh ehad 'omed baaretz - vero'sho magya' etzel hehayot Syndalphon shemo+. Like Samaël - and Lilith, Ashmodai impersonates evil in a variety of - manifestations. Neither Dumah, the prince of the winds and - the custodian of the dead, nor Rohab, the lord of the ocean, - are to be degraded to the rank of Ashmodai who dwells in the - clouds but depends for his sustenance on what the earth - produces. It is to be remarked, however, that the Rabbis take - the dark and the bright powers to represent physical forces - co-existent with creation +keshebiqesh KB"H livroth ha'olam, - barah kat shel malakey hasharet+. This idea is sustained by - the additional assertion that the creative energy is - incessant, Omnipotence calling forth daily new ministers to - carry out His inscrutable designs. +Nivrayn malakhey hasharet - nahar dinur, mikol dibur sheyatzah mipi KB"H nivrah malakh.+ - -"Thou shalt not go hence before I learn of thee who treasures the -_Shamir_," said Solomon firmly, assuming the demon to know something -about it. - -"What art thou seeking of me, O, master, who am one of inferior rank -bending to the will of our chief Ashmodai, the mighty spirit of this -world? Him thou art to question, because he is the one to satisfy thy -demand," replied the demon. "Describe his retreat to me and its -approaches, and thou shalt go free," commanded the son of David. - -"He is to be found where no creature of flesh and blood can long -endure; it is not heaven; neither is it earth; in the heart of the -Orient, on the highest peak of the highest mountain range, a hollow -summit crowned with eternal snow, holding under seal before a recess -of frozen crystal the purest spring under the heaven to give him -drink, that is Ashmodai's retreat. Hither he descends from his -cloud-vested realm, scans the seal to assure himself that no impurity -has polluted his delicious beverage, when, having quenched his thirst, -he re-seals the fountain, gives audience to his court, who flock -hither to receive their orders, and, refreshed by slumber, re-ascends -to control the elements and survey the work of his active host," was -the information, which insured the demon's release. - -In earnest consultation with his general Benaiah, Solomon matured the -plan for the attack of Ashmodai's retreat, and ere long a -well-equipped expedition of a few picked men headed by that undaunted -warrior, departed secretly. The haunt of the demoniac chief was not -only far to the south-east of the Holy Land, but it was so located -that in order to approach it the adventurers had to cross deserts, -traverse pestiferous swamps infested with scorpions and dragons, ford -wild rivers, and bridge over chasms, only to see themselves in a -labyrinth of stupendous rocks, supermounted by a chain of sky-towering -peaks lost in dense fogs. Benaiah's eagle eye swept the clouded -outlines of the snow-capped heights, trying in vain to locate the spot -to be invaded. The impenetrable curtain of shifting fogs precluded -accurate observation, and for once the dashing general felt that he -was more in need of daring and of patience than of strategy. Retiring -with his men to a cave at the base of the mountain, Benaiah took a -position which commanded the loftiest point of the summit, hoping that -something would occur to betray the object of his quest. Benaiah was -struck by the contrast of the frowning mountain-crest on one hand, -and the sun's pure effulgence on the other. As he had his eyes riveted -on the broken summit, the dense mass of fog darkened perceptibly. A -noise as of a boisterous sea repelled by a rocky shore was the -precursor of a tempest and an earthquake which convulsed the entire -region within and without, thunder and lightning adding to the uproar. -The eternal snows on the crest rose pulverized by the fury of a -chaotic storm,--a hurricane intermixed with flashes of red fire,--the -whole reducing itself within a few seconds to a funnel-shaped -whirlwind, revolving with furious speed, its pivot centred in a hollow -betwixt mighty cliffs, rendered visible by the convulsive phenomenon. -Benaiah knew what it meant, and he was confirmed in his assumption -that Ashmodai was descending by observing the same disturbance a few -hours later when the demon re-ascended to his airy empire. - - [Illustration: "Like a thunderbolt striking to the centre of a - hurricane, the demon shot down." - Page 173.] - -Like a good strategist, the general took a little time to study the -situation. The ascent of the mountain had to be made with great -care, and the proceedings of the chief demon observed from as near a -station as was compatible with safety. The climbing was attended with -much toil and great danger, but the point was reached, the ground -surveyed, and a hiding place secured in a recess barred by a wall of -solid ice. Here everything was held in readiness for the next step. - -If Ashmodai's descent startled the adventurers from a distance, -nearness to the spot of his landing filled them with dismay, the -atmospheric and subterranean agitation threatening to sweep them out -of their hiding place. Like a thunderbolt striking to the centre of a -hurricane, the demon shot down, unsealed his well, plunged his lips in -the beryl fluid, drawing up a great quantity, and then sealed it up -again. He was hardly ready when the table-land around him was thick -with files of demons, who arrived to report what had been -accomplished, and to take orders for new tasks. They were all chiefs, -of various ranks, each one having legions to carry out his behests. -From the reports and the schemes discussed it was clear that they -represented three kinds of spirits as to their relation to -mankind--of hostility, friendliness, and neutrality. There was a -division of labor,--hostile, benevolent, and neutral. - -It is impossible to say how the daring band of interlopers would have -fared at the hands of the terrible chief and his demonic army had not -Benaiah possessed the Omnipotent Name to shield him from discovery. As -matters stood the demons, unconscious of any unwelcome presence, -departed, leaving Ashmodai to take his accustomed slumber, after which -he darted up like a flash, with the phenomenal accompaniment of -elemental disturbance as before. Now came Benaiah's opportunity. -Without touching the seal on the cover of the well, the contents were -drawn out through a hole skilfully bored beneath the surface of the -liquid. This done, the hole was carefully closed, and another one was -bored on the opposite side at a higher level, through which wine was -poured to fill the emptied well. With every trace removed to avoid -suspicion, and every detail ready for the emergency, Benaiah waited -patiently for the next day when everything passed off as before, -except the astonishment of the dreaded power when he found that his -well contained wine instead of water. Doomed by destiny to fall into -the trap set for him, and urged by a parching thirst, Ashmodai took -but little time to consider the advisability of drinking the -intoxicating beverage, balancing Scriptural texts _pro_ and _con_, and -soon deciding to try its effect on his semi-ethereal nature. This was -just what Solomon and his general had counted on. Ashmodai had -scarcely dismissed his military Council when the wine began to do its -work; he felt as he had never felt before, and he discussed with -himself the singular mood into which he found himself plunged, in what -way he could not account for, the sensation being wholly new in his -superhuman experience. Sleep was on him, and there he lay, stretched -out as helpless as a senseless block. Benaiah was at hand with a chain -rendered resistless by the Omnipotent Name engraved upon its links. -Slipping it around the waist and the neck of the prince of demons, his -potency was disposed of. Ashmodai's consternation when awakened words -cannot describe. A roar of rage darkened all nature, shook the -mountains to their foundation, and horrified all his legions who fled -to hide themselves in the deepest chasms, even in the bowels of the -earth and under the waters of the sea. For a moment Benaiah lost his -speech, while his companions fell prostrate on the ground. The demon -assumed every shape of horror to overawe the enemies of his freedom. -In a few moments he gave himself the deterring shapes of all that is -monstrous and deadly in nature, from the enraged tiger to the hissing -serpent whose bite is death; all in vain.--"In the Name of the Most -High, I, Benaiah, chief of King Solomon's army, do herewith command -thee, Ashmodai, mighty Prince of genii, to follow me to the seat of -the wisest King, who needs thy aid to build the Temple of God." - -The conjuration conquered all resistance, and the demon was led off -disarmed and humiliated. Realizing the hopelessness of gaining -anything by violence, Ashmodai feigned submissiveness, assumed the -form and manner of a most polished and affable courtier, and, ushered -into the presence of the King, charmed His Majesty by discourse of -things far above the comprehension of ordinary men. - -"Thou art to deliver to me the _Shamir_ so that God's House be built -without the use of iron implements," said Solomon to Ashmodai. - -"The _Shamir_ is not in my keeping, great King; the spirit of the -ocean has entrusted it to the fowl Awza that it be preserved forever -in a state of perfection," replied Ashmodai, adding, "and no man can -come near that bird." - -"Tell me where Awza breeds her young," commanded the King. - -"South of the great desert there is a mountain with a towering cliff -and walls so steep and smooth that a spider has difficulty to climb -it. On the top of that rock is the nest of Awza, a fowl with claws of -steel and eyes of fire, swift as the swallow, larger than the vulture, -and fiercer than the eagle," answered the demon. - -Again Benaiah was placed at the head of an expedition, and many were -the hardships before the solitary pile rose before the eyes of the -indomitable general. There was neither a bird to be seen nor a nest. -The head of the precipitous rock was so high above the clouds that -there seemed no possibility of scaling it. But Benaiah was full of -resources and had anticipated the difficulty by bringing with him a -pair of pigeons. Having left a man with the female bird this side of -the mountain, the general made a detour for the opposite side with the -male, tied a cord to his foot, and allowed him to rise. Guided by his -instinct, the pigeon soon soared above the rock, descending to join -his mate. This accomplished, a heavier cord was trailed over, followed -by a still heavier rope strong enough to lift a man. This man was -Benaiah who, in the dark of night, was hauled up by his attendants. -Awza was thus to be circumvented. - -Great was the general's joy when he found himself before the nest -occupied by its fledglings, Awza being happily away in search for -food. A transparent stone is laid securely over the nest. Awza -arrives, finds her fledglings imprisoned, hungry, and crying. With -motherly tenderness she hurries to split the stone by applying the -_Shamir_. Benaiah's great chance is come. From behind a bowlder he -bursts forth and frightens the bird; she drops the invaluable worm. -Benaiah pounces upon it like an eagle. The male bird is soon on the -spot. A desperate struggle ensues between the enraged birds and the -daring Benaiah. He is armed against iron claws, and is not deterred by -fiery eyes. He has the trophy and he holds it, placing it in due time -at the feet of his master, to the great surprise of Ashmodai. Thus is -the building of God's Temple proceeded with, the _Shamir_ splitting -and fitting the materials. - -Solomon's thirst for wisdom grew with his growing consciousness of the -painful limitations as regards its acquisition by man, and Ashmodai -availed himself of the King's avidity for knowledge in the hope of -throwing him off his guard. He taught him the secrets of the vegetable -and mineral kingdoms, and gave him the clue to intercourse with animal -creation, including the mind-reading faculty. As a final achievement -he suggested the weaving of a prodigious air-float large enough to -transport the King on his throne, an army fully equipped, and a host -of spirits. On this air-ship, sixty miles square, Solomon, ever -accompanied by Ashmodai, traversed great distances, soaring above the -clouds, higher than the eagle, and looking down on earth like a god. -Woven by genii of the most subtile essences of nature, the texture of -that air-island was of azurean translucency, green-blue in color, -floating in the sun's radiance like a rippled sea bathed in gold. - -But the marvel of the marvelous equipage was its circular pavilion -vast in extent and fashioned of rainbow-tints, which photographed, -enormously magnified, whatever came within the range of the eye that -controlled its course, laying bare the mysteries of land and ocean, -and revealing the multifarious activities of the spirit-world under -the rule of Ashmodai. Here Solomon's wonder-throne, ascended by seven -steps, each one guarded by a pair of magnificent animals chosen from -the respective species of the lion, the elephant, the tiger, the bear, -the serpent, the antelope, and the eagle, stood on a dais, lofty and -brilliant, eclipsed only by the monarch's crown which rivaled the sun -in splendor. Solomon began to believe that he was really more than -human, and Ashmodai lost no chance to swell the autocrat's overbearing -vanity. Solomon was so delighted with his triumph over the chief of -demons and the deep secrets he had wrested from him, that he -indefinitely deferred setting him free long after the Temple had been -dedicated with grand ceremony, and, thanks to rock-bursting _Shamir_, -cargoes of gold were pouring into the royal treasury. - -One early morning the sovereign of the richest kingdom upon earth bade -the winds raise and waft his imponderable encampment toward the rising -day, he being enthroned in his pavilion with Ashmodai at his feet. Up -soared the magic float, lighter than air, transparent as ether, and -stronger than adamant, hurrying eastward as an undulating firmament, -suffused with purple and gold. The soundless vast above, coupled with -the radiant flood that broke from the East, and the amazing -kaleidoscope of animal and spirit life startlingly reflected by the -walls of the glowing pavilion, overawed the mind of the most daring -of kings, who exclaimed: "How great the all-powerful God, in whose -infinity we are not more than an atom in the universe of matter!" - -"Great King, thy head is the microcosm of the immensity whose -contemplation overpowers thee. The heavens hide nothing which man -cannot own if he but knew how," said Ashmodai with a pull at his -chain. - -"Thou art speaking riddles, potent spirit. Give me certainty that my -grave is not the end, and thy chains shall be broken," cried Solomon. - -"King, disembodied thou art my like, spirit of the everlasting Source, -unchanged by change, but for the time dimmed, because engrossed with -what is unethereal here. Yet even in thy mortal coil I can give thee, -if restored to liberty, by virtue of thy signet-ring, a glimpse of -things above thy highest dreams, provided thou wilt give me leave to -stimulate thy spiritual essence for the transmutation by harmony such -as, at thy bidding, I can cause my spirits to produce," promised -Ashmodai. - -"Then let the air vibrate with melody such as will fit my grosser -substance for thy suggested change," commanded Solomon, thoughtlessly. - -At this the atmosphere trembles with the voices of a myriad chorus, -throwing the King into an ecstasy of delight, ravishing his soul and -causing his tears to flow. In his ecstatic transport the monarch bids -Ashmodai to come within the reach of his hand; a touch breaks the -chains of the wily demon, another movement of the hand delivers to him -the signet-ring--and then--the symphony sounds like the hissing of -twenty thousand serpents, night swallows the rays of the sun, a burst -as of a hundred batteries shakes the firmament, a tremendous pillar of -lurid flame shoots up into the height of azure, from its core darts -forth a bundle and vanishes beyond the sea;--it is Solomon whom, by -the might of his regained breath, Ashmodai has hurled to the end of -earth,[9] allowing him to fall unhurt; the ring the demon drops into -the deep. All this is the work of a moment, after which the atmosphere -is clear and bright, the hissing ceases, and Solomon is on his -throne,--that is it is Ashmodai in the guise of Solomon robed in -royalty to mock the power of the castaway autocrat. - - [9] The old version of the Talmud has it thus: "Solomon sent - Benaiah to bring him the Shamir from Ashmodai, and he threw - him out of his kingdom." +Shlomo shalakh leBenayahu lehavi - lo haShamir meAshmedai vehashlikhu mimalkhuto+ - -Who could be wise enough to unmask the fraudulent usurper? Who would -blame a spirit for avenging an outrageous humiliation? The court was -informed that the chief of demons had escaped, and everything went on -as before, including the tender attention due to the inmates of the -royal harem. - -Poor Solomon picked himself up in a far distant land, astonished and -confused. His memory failed him; he stood transformed in face and -form, and only darkly remembered that he had been a king somewhere. -From his situation he could well infer that he had had some foolish -dream of pomp and lordship. In reality he was a homeless beggar, -shattered in health and unsound in mind. Starvation forced him to beg -for bread, and vagabonds were his bed-fellows in the wretched -retreats open to the outcasts of humanity. His hours were divided -between waking and dreaming; sane moments were followed by invasions -of melancholy. Sometimes he doubted that his name was Solomon, that -the world around him was real. A hard time was in store for the -befooled wise man. Slowly the faculty of memory returned, and the -singular circumstances which placed him where he found himself rose -clearly before his recollection. - -However, the knowledge of things immaterial which Solomon had acquired -by his intimate intercourse with Ashmodai afforded him some help and -comfort during his long wanderings from place to place,--unhonored, -often the target of ridicule to such as heard him descant on his -Solomonic pretensions. Great was his pain on hearing one day a strange -traveller speak of the real Solomon's wisdom, his glorious rule, and -the uncounted wealth that reached him by land and sea. "Can it be that -I am mad? If Solomon reigns in Jerusalem, who am I?" asked of himself -the confounded beggar king, and prayed humbly that he might be -enlightened as to the nature of his condition. His pride was broken. - -One late afternoon the royal wayfarer arrived, tired and hungry, -before the gate of an inhospitable city. At first the unfriendly -inhabitants denied him admission, but on hearing him claim the title -of Solomon the Wise, they allowed his majesty to enter, convinced that -they had a madman before them. Beyond this their hospitality did not -extend. With a crust of bread as his supper, the unpitied monarch -found no softer couch than the turf of a roofless enclosure, with many -animals as his companions. The night was cold, and the situation -tormenting for a starved man who had nothing wherewith to cover -himself. After a few hours of restless slumber, Solomon felt his limbs -so badly cramped that he was obliged to rise and walk to keep his -blood in circulation. In the dimness of a clouded moon Solomon came -near an old mare full of bruises, and so emaciated that one had no -difficulty in counting her ribs. Solomon's experience rendered him -accessible to sympathy with life in misery, and he derived sad -consolation from the sight of other creatures who were even more -wretched than he. He reflected that man is the source of great -torments and wretchedness here below in inflicting pain on creatures -entrusted him by a kind Providence. - -It was about midnight when the royal beggar rose again to renew his -walk, finding it impossible to drown his worry in oblivious sleep. The -moon shone brightly, and the deep silence held the weird landscape in -magic repose, forming a strong contrast with the agitation suppressed -in the king's bosom. Presently familiar notes fell on Solomon's ear; -it was the speech of the ill-fated mare, who spoke words of sorrow to -her inexperienced family, giving them her maternal advice, now that -her end was near. With bated breath the man listened to the story of a -life-long agony, recited by a creature of the noblest species under -human control. - -"Yes, I have often been whipped and kicked by my cruel master. Ah, -hunger, too, and thirst,--the heat by day and the cold by night, I -endured; toiling, toiling under the rod, and now that I am old he has -turned me out that I perish unsheltered, unfed. Too weak am I to -drive off the flies which torture me, and death will not come. Once I -was led to believe that we horses had an advantage over the animals -that are slaughtered for food. The sight of a victim's blood shed by -the carnivorous lust of man made me shudder. I have seen the head of -the fowl twisted off, have seen lambs swim in their blood, have seen -the calf taken for slaughter from the side of her dam who rent the air -with lamentation, have seen cattle felled by the deadly club in the -hand of gluttonous man. And have I not, in my younger days, been used -in the chase? Mounted on me, my master, in company of his like, -thought it great sport to unleash a pack of bloody hounds in pursuit -of a frightened hare, fox, or deer. Hunted down, the agonized -creatures fell, to be torn to pieces. Man is our devil, helpless, dumb -animals that we are. Enough is there in nature to glut his hunger. The -hen supplies him with her eggs, the cow with her milk and with butter -and cheese, and the lamb with its wool; while we carry him and his -burdens, multiply his strength in battle, and gratify his love of -pomp and pleasure. Honey, fruits, mushrooms, and a variety of grains -and vegetables should protect animate creation from his deathful -greed." - -"There will be a dead fellow to-morrow," said a lusty colt made hot by -his dam's tale of woe. "That master of thine will not long be master -of mine; one kick of my hind legs will do for him; let him try it with -me; he won't whip me a second time." - -"Child, never try it, if thou lovest me," cried the intelligent, but -much-abused mare. "A vicious horse, as they brand one who resents -abuse, is sure to get his double share of torture; I have tried it and -had the worst of it. Kick once your master and his vengeance will take -years to bleed you to death." - -"But I won't stand it. I will kick right and left, break windows, -bones, vehicles, break whatever comes in my way, and break myself if -it must be. They will be kept busy watching my legs; I won't stand -it," answered the colt determinedly. - -"Thou mayest as well kick against a rock and have thy hind legs -broken, or throw thyself into a millpond and be drowned, as seek -revenge by hurting thy master. We are not unavenged, however. Nature, -our common mother, does not allow her offenders to go unpunished. If -man would simply be content to live on what the animal and vegetable -kingdoms freely give him, he would be a much happier, tamer, healthier -and nobler being. Chase and slaughter create that ferocious temper -which revels in bloodshed, so that his own kindred bleed, victims of -his atrocity. Child, I, too, have revolted in my time. Exasperated by -the cuts of a whip in the hand of a miscreant, I once made a wild -break for deliverance, fled madly through the street, dashed against -everything in my way,--dashed against a throng of men, women and -children, who tried vainly to escape,--did all the harm I could, and -landed bruised and breathless among the terrified children in an open -schoolyard, killing one and hurting others. Thereafter I was treated -as the savage beast, was kicked in and out of time, my legs being -fettered and my head held fast by a chain tied to the wall. When -employed, the bit in my mouth was cruelly tight; and that was all I -gained. A higher will must have decreed this to be our lot," concluded -the starving mare, lowering her head mournfully. - -Solomon, whom the equine group had not noticed, approached and -astonished them by addressing them in the language they so well -understood. The luckless mare raised her head, and her glazed eyes -flashed as the soft voice of the king uttered this: - -"Thou art right, Oh, noble creature, in charging thy master with -unkindness and ingratitude toward thy high-spirited race that has -rendered him invaluable service. Yea, man is as yet a child and a -slave of habit, but will in due time rise to an understanding of his -duties toward the myriad lives around him, not created for wanton -abuse or ruthless destruction. Indeed, he pays dearly for the -gratification of his lower instincts, the benign Creator having meant -him to be prompted by the gentler, deeper, sweeter qualities of his -being. The day will come when he will shudder at the idea of -sustaining his life by the immolation of others, when the flesh-eater -will be seen in the same light as the cannibal.--My name is Solomon, -and in my kingdom they called me The Wise, but my wisdom fails to -enlighten me why things are as they are when they could be so much -better. Believe me, man has tortures of body and soul, and has, like -you, his devil to plague and circumvent him. Holy Writ contains -beautiful words in praise of the horse, he, armed with thunder, nobler -than the lion, fearless as the eagle, graceful as the zebra, strong as -the wave, quick as the wind, the pride of the warrior, the pleasure of -the prince, the seat of the king. Once restored to power, I will -remember the burden of thy grievance, faithful mare, and thy race will -be benefited as far as my will shall prevail." - -The horses were pleased with the sympathetic words of their -distinguished friend, and the ambitious colt offered to carry him as -far as he wished. Solomon had plenty of leisure to explain the -difficulty into which he had been plunged by the wiles of Ashmodai, -and that he was sure of restoration the moment he could enter the -gates of his beloved Jerusalem. - -"May thy wisdom, thy kindness and thy kingdom spread far and wide, -Oh, King! so that my helpless offsprings be spared the torments that I -have endured during the length of my days!" prayed the mare, with a -tremor which betrayed extreme weakness. The next instant saw the poor -brute tremble, stagger, fall and expire. - -If Solomon had counted on an easy triumph over his formidable -adversary, his arrival at Jerusalem, after years of untold hardships -and trials, undeceived him. The city showed every indication of great -prosperity; the kingdom stood firmly established, and the brilliance -of the royal Court had no rival in the gorgeous Orient. Embassies came -to pay the homage of princedoms and empires near and far, bringing -presents of rare animals, gold, costly products, and precious stones, -and they departed overawed by the superhuman wisdom of Israel's mighty -ruler, who amazed the ambassadors not alone by addressing each one in -his native language but by showing a minute acquaintance with their -secret matters of state, and by reading their hidden thoughts. The -envoys reported to their sovereigns that a demi-god had come to reign -over an earthly kingdom. - -For a shabby mendicant to overthrow a power of Ashmodai's devices and -resources was indeed a business to make even a Solomon despair of -success. - -Having entered the city, the beggar-king sought the haunts of the -paupers without breathing a syllable as to his identity, lest Ashmodai -be alarmed by his presence, which was a circumstance to be feared. -Solomon the beggar knew that he looked so unlike Solomon the Wise that -he long hesitated to approach his whilom faithful Benaiah, who, -innocent of the demon's fraud, continued as dashing and as loyal as -ever before. The attempt at an interview resulted in the general's -throwing a silver coin to get rid of the importunate beggar, who dared -accost him as though he was his equal. In his despondency Solomon -turned his back on his endeared capital, roamed about for many days -distracted with grief, until, having caught sight of the sea, he fell -prostrate on the shore, prayed in great humility, wept and fell -asleep. He had a dream in which Eldad, who had died during his -wanderings, appeared to him in the guise of an angler, unloosening a -large fish from his hook which he presented to the dreamer. A scream -in the air startled Solomon from his sleep, and a slap on his cheek by -some cold thing brought him to his feet. Before him lay a fish in -contortions, above him two birds were soaring, one higher than the -other, who, in their fight for the prey, evidently had allowed it to -drop on the sleeper's face. Parched with thirst and stung by hunger, -Solomon tore the fish open, when, lo! the ring, Eldad's gift, the -all-controlling charm, was there. No sooner was it on the King's -finger than an appalling earthquake shook the shore, while from the -heart of God's city burst a prodigious pillar of smoke and flame, -losing itself in the deep azure. Useless to add that this was the -trail of Ashmodai's precipitous flight, who, immediately apprised of -his adversary's triumph, fled as fast as he could, spreading -consternation as he went. - -Solomon by this time had enough experience with the chief of demons to -last him for the rest of his life; yet nothing else but Ashmodai's -subsequent vengeance was the cause of his falling from grace in after -years, so that the wisest of ancient kings not alone forfeited the -power vested in the Omnipotent Name, but closed a glorious career so -ingloriously that he died an object of pity to some of his subjects -and of hatred to the rest. Having secured the means of building the -Temple without the aid of ordinary implements, he would have acted -wisely in dismissing the chief of invisible hosts instead of detaining -him unjustly, and preying into mysteries not intended for man. -Solomon's aspiration to be more than human, while it gratified his -vanity, brought on eventually his ruin, while his mind was never at -ease, even under the constant guardianship of the "Heroic Sixty," his -close bodyguard. - - Note.--"We also tried Solomon, and placed on his throne a - counterfeit body; afterward he turned unto God and said, O - Lord, forgive me, and give me a kingdom which may not be - obtained by any after me; for thou art the bestower of - kingdoms. And we made the wind subject to him; it ran gently - at his command whithersoever he directed, and we also put the - demons in subjection under him, and among them such as were - every way skilled in building, and in diving for pearls." - (Koran, Surah 38.) - - The Talmudic version of Solomon's temporary dethronement runs - thus:--Conscious of the fact that the stability of his - kingdom depended on the signet on his finger, Solomon had but - one trusty concubine named Amina whom he entrusted with the - invaluable jewel during moments when the body's natural - functions rendered its removal obligatory, it bearing the - ineffable Name. One day Sakhar, a malicious demon, appeared - to Amina in the shape of Solomon, possessed himself of the - ring, usurped the throne, transformed or deformed the real - monarch, and ruled the land to suit himself, altering the - laws, and doing all the mischief a devil is capable of doing. - In the meantime Solomon, distracted by the incident, and - wholly unknown to his court, wandered about, depending on - alms for subsistence. This misadventure of the wise king was - brought about by an image of himself made for worship at his - order by another devil to comfort his favorite wife, Jerada, - the beautiful princess of Sidon, whose father had fallen - during the siege of that city by Solomon's army. As soon as - the worship of the image ceased, the devil fled the palace - and threw the signet into the sea. A fish swallowed the - thaumaturgic ring, was caught, and providentially fell into - Solomon's hand, thus possessing him of the omnipotent charm - which enabled him to recover his kingdom. As to Sakhar, he - was caught, a stone was tied around his neck, and he was - ruthlessly thrown into the lake of Tiberias. Sakhar standing - for the Hebrew noun _sheker_--falsehood, and Amina for - _emunah_,--faith or firmness, the deeper sense of the - allegory needs no further elucidation. Among the most - familiar legends which cluster around Solomon's rule is that - of his green carpet woven of silk and of a magnitude - sufficiently ample not alone to hold his throne, but an army - of men to his right hand and a host of spirits to his left. - At the king's command the winds transported the entire - equipment, slow or fast, according to his majesty's pleasure, - while the royal head was shaded by an enormous flock of birds - on the wing. Countenance is given to this fable in the - Koran,--"And his armies were gathered together unto Solomon, - consisting of genii, and men, and birds." (Surah, 27.) - - - - -THE CROESUS OF YEMEN. - - -Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, is one of the noblest cities of Arabia -Felix, and is said to rival beautiful Damascus in many of her -exquisite features. The Imam of Yemen who ruled in the beginning of -this century could claim rank among the most whimsical princes who -ever sat on a throne. He was a man of weak intellect, strong passion, -boundless vanity, and a religious enthusiasm entirely foreign to his -subjects, who are indifferent followers of Mohammed. That eccentric -Commander of the Faithful conceived the singular fancy that he was -animated by the soul of the last Prophet, and he suited his conduct to -his conceit, there being no one to dispute his ludicrous presumption. -He dressed in green, sermonized his people in the style of the Koran, -read _surahs_ of his own creation, raved of his nocturnal visits to -heaven, descanted on visions and revelations vouchsafed to him, and -scrupulously arranged his household in imitation of Mohammed's, not -forgetting the seventeen wives of the founder of Islam, including an -Ayesha, who was the power behind the Imam's throne, being the flower -of his harem. - -The most important person who stood next to the Imam in power, and -above him in wisdom, was the great Kadi, or judge, Omar, who presided -over the supreme court of Sanaa, and was in fact the walking code and -cyclopćdia of Yemen. What he did not know only Allah and His Prophet -could reveal. The wise Kadi had no doubt at all that the Imam was a -spiritual duplicate of the true Prophet, and he received in -recognition the proud title of the "Lion of God," reminiscent of -Mohammed's most devoted champion who fought his battles, and died -sword in hand. - -Omar plied his legal profession so well, had so many questions of -justice and equity referred to him from every quarter of the land, -that he rose to be the wealthiest Moslem of Sanaa, exceeded in his -opulence by one man only, and that was the renowned Ben Abir, surnamed -"The Croesus of Yemen." Ben Abir was no Moslem, but a Hebrew, and one -who feared nothing so much as the remote likelihood of slighting his -faith. - -The Imam's ruling passion for prophetic honors was equalled by his -unprophetic mania for building monumental structures with an -extravagance which drained his treasure. Lacking the vast resources of -the Caliph of Estamboul, the prince of Yemen nevertheless aspired to -rival the head of the faithful in the monumental magnificence of his -great capital; and immense sums were lavished on the embellishments of -a city which was meant to dazzle even the strangers who had wondered -at the imperial palaces of the mighty Sultan himself. The drawback was -the limited revenues of the Imam's domains, and the shrewd Kadi, -forestalling the danger of a royal recourse to his riches, was -instrumental in causing his master to draw on Ben Abir for large sums, -in return for titles and privileges which enabled the misused -Israelite to indemnify himself in a measure for advances he never -expected to see returned. Unlimited in the extent of his commercial -enterprises, and furnished with as many military escorts as he chose -to ask for, Ben Abir's caravans carried loads of silk, cotton, -hardware, weapons and trinkets as far as Hadramaut, Hejaz and Nejd, -fearless of the dangers of the Tehamah and the deathful simoons of the -arid desert; and they returned to the seashore with tons of coffee, -packs of gum, ostrich feathers, dyes and pearls, which foreign vessels -carried to distant lands. To all this Ben Abir added the breeding of -the finest Arabian horses, such as are only found in Nejd, and it -became a current saying that whatever the Croesus of Yemen touched -turned into gold. - -Now, it happened that, previous to the closing celebration of the -Ramadhan Fast, Ben Abir presented his sovereign with one of his -choicest Nejdi stallions, of spotless white and a most fiery temper, -caparisoned in the most approved fashion. Delighted with the gift, the -Imam showed his appreciation by mounting the spirited animal on the -solemn occasion brought about by the sacrificial ceremony which marks -the close of the Fast. As ill-luck would have it, a distracted saint, -who had just issued from his cave looking more like a chimpanzee than -a human being, threw himself in the way of the stallion with a yell -that frightened both horse and rider. Snorting and balking in recoil -from the object of terror, the high-spirited creature reared and fell -backward injuring the Kadi, who was behind, and landing the second -edition of the Prophet on a rock, with a broken leg and a dislocated -jaw as mementos of the inauspicious incident. Somebody had to be -burdened with the blame, and the Kadi realized his opportunity. As -soon as sufficiently recovered from his own hurts to sit in judgment, -Omar declared Ben Abir guilty of high treason for having tempted the -Imam to mount a mad horse, and condemned him to perish by -decapitation, unless he should ransom his life for a fabulous sum, -which was named, with the additional condition that it be paid in -solid gold. Within twenty-four hours the gold was in the hands of the -Imam's treasurer, and Ben Abir was a poor man. - -When Ayesha, the flower of the royal harem, who was of Hebraic origin, -heard of the Kadi's sentence, she appealed to her prophetic lord's -conscience against the flagrant injustice. The Imam was moved to the -extent of offering to return a small portion of the robbery, provided -the Hebrew would enter the mosque. Ben Abir would not listen to the -thought of such treason to the God of his fathers, and had a brave -wife to sustain him in his trial, with two children, one an ineffably -charming maiden, to comfort him. Nor was he entirely destitute, his -commercial credit remaining good. - -In one of the mountain ranges of Yemen one Friday afternoon, as the -sun began to approach the rim of the horizon, a small caravan made a -halt. The dromedaries were freed from their burdens and allowed to -browse, and a dark tent was stretched for the use of the master of the -caravan. On a matting on the ground a rug was spread and a few pillows -were put thereon for the ease of a middle-aged person who, -dismounting from his horse, took possession of the transient -resting-place. As soon as he found himself within the tent he washed -himself with water drawn from the nearest spring, changed his -garments, brought forth a silver lamp, which he filled with oil, a -silver flask full of wine, and a goblet of the same metal. With -nightfall the lamp illumined the tent, and the inmate stood lost in -prayer, with his face turned to the east. A blessing uttered over the -wine was followed by a frugal meal, and the rest of the evening was -spent in study of sacred lore. At the entrance to the tent, near a -spear struck into the soil, stood a black sentry, while at a distance -the camel drivers made themselves comfortable for the night. The lord -of the caravan was Ben Abir, his sentinel was Ibraeem, a freed slave, -who, having been treated kindly by his master in his happier days, -would not desert him now that fortune declined to smile on him. - -The night was very dark, and would have been voiceless but for the -sighs and moans of the dromedaries, who seemed audibly to commiserate -one with another upon the hardships of life. About midnight the -silence was unbroken, the discontented animals having buried their -sense of trouble in dreamless sleep. At this hour Ben Abir was roused -by his faithful attendant, who informed him of a great marvel that was -to be seen before the tent. A heap of gold cropped up from the ground, -each coin scintillating like a star. "Rise, O, master! Allah sends -thee a treasure," cried the devoted slave. - -"What is it thou art raving of, O, Ibraeem!--art thou dreaming?" said -Ben Abir. - -"Indeed I am wide awake, O, master!--step forth and trust to thine own -senses if thou doubtest mine; here is the hoard Allah would have thee -take," insisted Ibraeem. - -As Ben Abir peered out of his tent to convince himself of Ibraeem's -illusion, he saw with amazement a golden pile of coin, the pieces -glowing like lupine eyes in the dark. This is a temptation of the evil -one, thought the scrupulous Israelite, who would not have touched pelf -on his Sabbath for the wealth of the Indies. - -"Touch not a piece of this hoard, Oh, Ibraeem!--if thou fearest -Allah, and wouldst not disobey Ben Abir. If the treasure is to be -mine, it will remain where it is till after my Sabbath; if it be not -mine, the breaking of my holy day will not save it for me. What is to -be, will be. Go to sleep," closed the pious Yemenite, and retired to -his couch, Ibraeem, after a little natural hesitation, doing likewise. -What right, after all, had he to question the deep wisdom and deeper -faith of his generous master? - -But sleep would not return to Ben Abir. Through the coarse goat hair -texture that made up the covering of his tent the glittering mass -stared at him like so many living eyes, and he felt a chill run -through the marrow of his bones. While he was at a loss to explain how -the glare of the hoard penetrated the opaque material of his tent, a -new wonder diverted his attention. An inclined plane, broad as a -valley and smooth as glass, stretched down from the deep heavens with -both ends lost, one among the starry configurations, the other in the -unfathomed abysses of the nether world. The only irregularity in the -sweep of the prodigious highway was a terrace which made a connecting -link between the upper and the lower part of the plane. In the heart -of the terrace shone the hoard which a while before had been seen -before the tent. - -Ben Abir doubted not that there was an evil design back of this -marvelous display, but he felt safe in the consciousness of his firm -loyalty. His feeling of safety, however, was somewhat shaken by a -terrific detonation, like the eruption of a volcano. It was the signal -for a numberless host to ascend towards the terrace, who, dividing and -subdividing, started to march up in frowning armies to the sound of -wailing notes,--clarions and clashing cymbals mixing with a chaos of -noise produced by all the instruments of music known. The vanguard was -made up of a serried division of vicious gholes whose march resembled -more the dance of droll harlequins than the pace of warriors. At their -heels came a vast herd of monstrous bipeds, with head, tail and hoofs -of the boar, making the air shudder with their hideous grunts, and -piercing the sable of night with their grim eyes. Next followed a -division of bipedal beasts, rolling fiery eyeballs, striking their -sides with tails like those of lions, and rending the atmosphere with -roars of fury. Back of these came bounding an enormous pack of -bellowing hell-hounds, each one a Cerberus, armed with the deadly -teeth and claws of the tiger. Close behind tramped an appalling herd -of deformities, hunch-backed elephants, with raised trunks that were -hissing serpents, and tusks which reached down to the ground tearing -up fragments of rock and hurling them against the terrace with -diabolic fury. The rear was taken up by a grisly multitude of animated -skeletons, who yelled, grinned, laughed, danced,--drawing up and -thrusting out their bony limbs with wriggling motion, and varying the -infernal performance by a series of somersaults. Back of all burst a -deluge of red fire which shot with raging impetuosity among the -hellish monsters, who instead of being deterred appeared to derive -strength from the consuming element. But fierce as was the rush -against the terrace, beyond its outer limits the demons could not -pass. - -Meanwhile, on the upper extension of the celestial highway there was -a quick mustering of radiant squadrons, and an array of embattled -lines which extended beyond the remotest galaxies. The summons had -gone forth to be ready for the infernal invader, and the denizens of -the stars responded in unnumbered myriads. Signals flashed from height -to height, and save the warning note of a trumpet faintly heard now -and then, the pregnant silence of the ethereal combatants contrasted -strangely with the fiendish defiance of the howling goblins. - -The moments of suspense were intensified by the swelling of the hoard -to amazing dimensions; not that the coins multiplied, but they grew in -size and in lustre, until each one resembled the solar disk. It was no -more a pile, but a pyramid, of gold set in a frame of thickening -darkness. - -A peal of thunder from on high was the sign for the encounter. Like a -sea of lightning, the radiant vanguard swept adown the terrace with a -mien so dreadful and weapons so deterring that the black divisions -fled in horror before the blasting might that shook the deeps to the -foundation. - -With all his attention concentrated on the engagement, Ben Abir had -not seen that a cherub stood before him one of those precious disks in -his hand, until the apparition spoke. "So much is thine, O, righteous -Ben Abir! the rest will come," were the mystic words of the benign -power. - -Ben Abir could not accept the gift without stretching his arms to -their full length, and found it impossible to hold it the moment his -hands closed round the edge of the fiery wheel. Finding the priceless -treasure was slipping from his grasp he called for Ibraeem to help. - -"What is it thou wouldst have me do for thee, master?" asked the -attendant when roused from his sound sleep. - -"Have I called thee, Ibraeem? Yes, I did call thee; but it was all a -dream, a dream as awful as the vision of Jacob in the wilderness.--How -far advanced is the night? Is there anything left of the golden -hoard?" inquired Ben Abir. - -"The camels are astir, and the east is gray, but the gold is all -gone, master,--all gone. Had we taken it, thou wouldst again be the -Croesus of Yemen," said the simple-minded Ibraeem, regretfully. "We -ought to have taken it, ought we not?" - -"It is well that we kept our hands from it; it was a temptation held -out by the evil one, Ibraeem, who lures man into error. What is to be -will be.--Let me be alone for a little space; I am somewhat -perturbed," concluded Ben Abir, who wished to think over his unearthly -vision. - -With eyes closed, the Hebrew endeavored to recall the dark and bright -phantoms of the night, pondering what it all might mean. And that -hoard, which his humble servant had witnessed and referred to, had -been too tangible a reality to be transferred to the domain of the -spectral. - -The radiant flood-gates of heaven's light-oceans opened wide. The -Orient was ablaze with the glories of an early sunrise, which had been -initiated by waves of gilded crimson; and Arabia Felix rose from a -transcendental dream to bathe in dew as brilliant as the pearls of -Halool and Katar. The air vibrated with the joyous notes of the -feathered freebooters; there were the finch, the lark and the thrush -to lead in the matin concert, and the beautifully-crested hoopoe, on -whom Solomon bestowed a golden crown for services rendered him in the -desert and for messages carried between His Majesty and Belkeys, the -Queen of Sheba. Sweet was the scent of the air, and the sparkling dew -was as yet unabsorbed by the glowing heat of the rising day. - -Ben Abir issued from his tent to feel that nature donned her festal -robes in honor of the Sabbath blessed of the Lord. Was it not his -over-soul that made him realize the holiness of God's creation? How -different the world looked to him on week-days. But think of whatever -he might, before his mental gaze still soared his vision undispelled -by the cheer of sunshine and life. His heart throbbed with prophetic -apprehension. Who was wise enough to enlighten him? - -However, the day was passed in worship and study; and at the sight of -the first three stars in the firmament, the scrupulous Ben Abir bade -his farewell to the Sabbath by the blessing uttered over a cup of -wine; and, lantern in hand, proceeded to search the spot whereon the -golden hoard had been seen on the previous night. One gold piece only -he found on turning up the sand with the tip of his sandal, but it was -enough to make his heart flutter, conscious that the coin in his hand -was not of human make. Returning to his tent, the precious piece was -deposited on a pillow with a trembling hand, when lo! the thing began -to dilate and grow in brilliance, until it reached the size and shape -of the golden disk he had in his vision received from an angel's hand. -Ben Abir bit his thumb to assure himself that he was awake. Was it not -another illusion? To the touch it was an ordinary coin; to the eye it -had the form of a mighty targe of burnished gold. "It is mine, and I -shall keep it as the secret and talisman of my life, a gift of the -Most High, blessed be He!" whispered the loyal Israelite, and the -mysterious coin was carefully wrapped up and put away. - -The early dawn of the first day of the week found Ben Abir's caravan -winding its way amidst a wilderness of tropic vegetation and scattered -rocks; but the tide of fortune still turned against him. Torrents of -rain impeded the march of his camels and damaged the goods he depended -on for the success of his journey. While the dromedaries were in the -act of crossing a bridge the span gave way and three of the poor -brutes went down never to rise again; and to complete his ruin, fire -broke out at the caravansary where he had hoped to find refuge from -the weather's inclemencies, and he had good cause to be grateful even -for escape from death in the flames that consumed the remnant of his -merchandise, largely secured on credit. The Croesus of Yemen found -himself on the brink of poverty, a ruined man with a crowd of -creditors to lodge him in one of Sanaa's abominable prisons. He knew -the Kadi who would speak the sentence, and he prepared to face the -inevitable, trusting that something would happen to render his painful -situation bearable. - -There lived at this time another person in Sanaa who actually -rejoiced at the disgrace and impoverishment of Ben Abir; and this -contrary both to his own temper, and to the popular sympathies with a -man who in his better days alleviated human misery to the best of his -ability. That exception was Hayem Cordosa. The cause of the ill -feeling in Cordosa's breast was an unhappy, one-sided romance, which -had driven his son, Menahem, to desperation. Until a certain morning -that youth had but one dream, and that was knowledge. It was the -fateful moment when he chanced to meet in the street an exquisitely -lovely boy mounted on a pony in charge of a black man. The child's -silken locks were darker than the jet black face of his attendant, his -complexion was like milk and blood, his lips reminded one of the red -coral, his teeth of the purest pearl, while his eyes suggested the -dreams of angels in realms of ineffable felicity. A few questions put -to the slave brought the information that infinitely fairer than the -child was his elder sister Estrelia. In the glow of his loyal -admiration Ibraeem, who had the child in charge, portrayed to the -interested youth a maiden who was more beautiful than the Peri of -Yemen. So great was her beauty that her pellucid witchery shone -through her veil, while her perfect form would have been envied by the -graces of antiquity. Ibraeem did not think that he exaggerated matters -by assuring Menahem that Estrelia's loveliness illumined the -apartments of her privacy, and that her eyes would enchant the deadly -_rukta_. If the youth had any doubt about it, the cherub-like -sweetness of her little brother dispelled the doubt. - -Menahem was not a youth to be despised. His fidelity to principle was -as great as his learning in sacred literature was deep. He felt -justified in offering his heart to Ben Abir's daughter, but met with a -rebuff, and became desperate. The erstwhile cheerful youth grew -gloomy, courted seclusion, brooded on vengeance; and finally resorted -to the extremity of deserting his faith, to the great sorrow of his -scrupulously religious parents. It was a mad step, but there was -method in the madness. The apostate put himself under the protection -of Omar, and the learned Kadi presented him to his royal master as a -convert to Islam; the Imam received him with favor, assured him of a -seat in Paradise, and made him his cup-bearer. Menahem was where he -wished to be, but Cordosa hated the house of Ben Abir. - -It was during the last trip of the fallen Croesus of Yemen that the -convert took an opportunity to speak to the Imam of the maiden who had -driven him mad, and he spoke of her as the "luminous Peri of Yemen, -whose radiant beauty enlightens Ben Abir's home." - -Under ordinary circumstances there was not a thing within the -boundaries of his dominion the Imam would hesitate to lay hand on if -he deemed its possession desirable. In this especial case the -remembrance of a broken leg and dislocated jaw seemed to justify any -step calculated to afford some recompense for those injuries which -gave the aspirant to prophetic veneration a hideous aspect. When -consulted in the matter, the Kadi failed to see it in any other -light--"Thou art the blessed re-birth of the last prophet, the prince -of this great land, and there is no power in the heavens to interfere -with thy right, O, commander of the faithful! when thou seest fit to -save a soul from perdition. As to the increase in thy harem beyond the -number consecrated by the will of Mohammed, thy servant will be -grateful for any of thy Houris, if thou deignest to transfer her to -the humbler home of thy devoted Kadi," was Omar's suggestion. - -Had the secret remained among its originators and been carried out -promptly, the fate of Estrelia would have been sealed; but the removal -of one from the Imam's harem put Ayesha on her mettle. She suspected a -new arrival, and, having fathomed the mind of Yemen's lord, she was -alarmed at the prospect of being eclipsed by superior charms, thus -forfeiting her hitherto undisputed rule; and she lost no time in -apprising the right persons of Estrelia's imminent danger. Thus did it -come to pass that when, led by the apostate, the minions of the prince -descended on Ben Abir's unprotected home, they had to report that -their nocturnal invasion had been a failure. The "luminous peri of -Yemen" had been warned in time. - -For a man already under the pressure of great trials to return from a -ruinous trip, and be greeted by the news of his child's disappearance, -is an experience more readily imagined than described. The last -visitation was too whelming even for the Job-like resignation of Ben -Abir. His only comfort was his wife's assurance that Estrelia was not -in the seraglio of the Imam. She had been carried away by two men in -disguise through a back door, barely escaping the grasp of the vandals -who knocked for admission in the front. The mother was so -panic-stricken that she failed to remember the names of the persons -who had come to the rescue of her child, and she had not heard from -them since; but she felt sure that everything would turn out right. - -In his brighter days Ben Abir would have invoked the power of his -sovereign to effect the restitution of his daughter, but matters had -changed, and circumstances dictated prudence on his part. Imam and -Kadi were alike interested in his ruin. To search quietly, wait -patiently, hope and pray, were the only ways and means compatible with -his safety. Besides, there were impatient creditors to be appeased and -starvation at the door. The princely home had to be disposed of, but -this afforded small relief. Whatever he touched, success was his -adversary. "If I made it my business to bury the dead, not a death -would for years occur in the city of Sanaa," remarked the disappointed -man to his wife. The last trinket had been sold to keep the wolf away -from the door, and now hunger stared his wife and child in the face. -The devoted Ibraeem did his utmost to relieve the want of his master's -family, but his fidelity was more of a comfort than a support. With -the pride of a man who would rather die than appeal for help, Ben Abir -yet had finally to yield to the entreaties of a starving wife. There -remained but one thing for him to do, a bitter pill for him to -swallow, and he acted like a man. Twice a year it was Cordosa's -business to lead a caravan to one of Yemen's ports to exchange Arabian -products for merchandise imported for the markets of the peninsula. -What he did not do on his own account he did on commission for others. -The leading merchants of Sanaa charged him with the purchase of their -wares, and their commissions were all entered in a book to be referred -to in due time. - -The resources of Ben Abir having been exhausted, he bethought himself -of the precious coin he had sewed up in the hem of his coarse mantle, -and he resolved to ask Cordosa to invest it for him in whatever way he -should deem profitable. Curbing his pride he sought an interview with -his enemy, made a frank statement of his pinching indigence, and -requested Cordosa to buy for the only piece of gold he had in the -world anything that could be sold in Sanaa. Ben Abir's sad plight and -frankness moved Cordosa's heart, who not alone promised to do his best -in the matter of business, but insisted on relieving the distress of -the fallen man's family. The reconciliation was complete, and the -generous commissioner set out on his journey, accompanied by the best -wishes of Ben Abir, and those who expected his return with more than -usual interest. - -The six long lines of dromedaries of Cordosa's caravan, each file -held together by a hair rope, were preceded by a snow-white donkey of -the best breed in Hasa, good luck being insured by that philosophic -animal who gave Balaam a lesson. To the left of the sagacious -quadruped rode the regular guide, a Bedouin who felt at home in the -trackless waste; to the right, astride of a fine steed, was the -_Karawan-Bashi_,--the caravan commander,--a gorgeous display of gaudy -trimmings, trappings, jingling bells and tassels, in which, however, -he was greatly eclipsed by the leading ass. At the _Bashi's_ left side -dangled a sword of Damascus, sheathed in a scabbard; and his warlike -temper was formidably impressed on all whom it concerned by a spear of -unusual length. Behind these three leaders, varying in their capacity, -on his horse came Cordosa, the master of the caravan. Between the -guide and the _Karawan-Bashi_ there was a tacit understanding to while -away the monotony of the trip by tales of adventure in the desert, -which they told with startling vividness, each one managing to pose as -the hero of some thrilling episode. - -After the usual number of days, and the accidents incidental to a -journey through inhospitable regions, Cordosa reached the point of his -destination. Here the unexpected happened to the experienced -commissioner. Following his memoranda, he left no detail of business -unattended to, except the order of Ben Abir, which he had omitted to -enter on his book. As the caravan was on the point of proceeding -homeward, Cordosa remembered Ben Abir's request, and felt guilty of -neglect. Full of self-reproach, he turned to the _Karawan-Bashi_ and -required him to hurry to the bazaar and buy for the gold piece he gave -him anything he thought profitable or useful. The order was carried -out to the letter, to the great mortification of Cordosa. The -_Karawan-Bashi_ happened to meet a sailor, who had a cage full of -Angola cats for sale, and proposing to strike a bargain, offered the -gold piece in exchange for the feline colony, was taken at his word, -and thus possessed himself of the freaky live-stock. The sailor's tale -was brief. The animals had kept a large vessel free of mice, the ship -had foundered, the seaman saved the cats. He had nothing to live on. -It was a straight story. The vendor had the gold and Cordosa the cats. -The only thing to be done was to take the feline company along. - -Again the unexpected happened to Cordosa. For many days everything -went on without a hitch, when the _Karawan-Bashi_ and the guide -informed him that the high-land they were traversing was entirely -unknown to them, and that they did not know how they had come into it. -"What I see around me I have never before seen, and I have led a -hundred caravans athwart the width and breadth of Yemen," asserted the -most experienced guide, and the _Bashi_ shook his head significantly. - -"And have you perceived the singular fact, that though the country -hereabout resembles the garden of Eden, we have this long day not seen -a single sign of life," said Cordosa, not undisturbed in his mind. - -"Allah achbar! what sea is it there we are drawing nearer to?" asked -the _Bashi_ in alarm.--"A big water in the mountain!" - -"By the beard of the Prophet, how can a big water climb up a -mountain?" ejaculated the astonished guide. - -"What you see is no water, but a heavy fog, which looks like water," -corrected Cordosa, much surprised however at the phenomenal denseness -of the cloud. - -"True, it is a fog; but I have never seen one that looked so much like -a rolling tide threatening to engulf us. Everything that is alive -seems to have fled before we entered this region," observed the guide, -apprehensively. - -And a strange fog it was, which rolled forward like a tidal wave, and -ere long buried the caravan in a cloud so dense that one could not see -his own feet, and the men became alarmed lest they go down unwarned -over the brink of some precipice. The camels were allowed to grope -their way, the guide having given up the idea of guiding; and the long -string of animals progressed slowly amidst a flood of vapor with -nothing to vary the nerve-trying suspense for fully an hour. -Everything and everybody was soaked by the moisture; the air did not -stir, and the stillness was oppressive. At last there was a rift in -the hitherto impenetrable mass; and when a breeze lifted the fog, -Cordosa rubbed his eyes to assure himself of being awake. - -"Dost thou see what I see?" asked he of the _Karawan-Bashi_. - -"And what dost thou see, O, man, who hast traversed the Red Desert?" -asked in turn the _Bashi_ of the guide. - -"I see, high up, a city of marble palaces with roofs of silver and -balconies of gold, as glorious as Balbec and Chilminar," cried the -guide, enthusiastically. - -"That is what I see; we have been lured into the domain of the genii, -and harm will betide us if we fail to evade their crafty wiles," -answered the _Bashi_, nervously. - -"If we do not flee the malicious _Div_ will hurl us into one of those -bottomless chasms which swarm with venomous serpents," warned the -guide. - -"Try we to retrace our course, or the bird of prey and the hyena will -pick the flesh from our bones," said the _Bashi_, in a mood of dark -prophecy. - -"Is it not God who rules this world and the stars? How can you be -sure that evil will befall us if we enter that place? We are men of -faith and stout hearts, and I propose that we proceed toward that -dazzling city, no matter who they be who inhabit it," was Cordosa's -fearless proposition. - -"Thou shalt not find me craven if there be danger to face. The point -of this spear has been buried in the body of the lion, and this heel -has bruised the head of the _rukta_; if there be the evil one, I will -face him," exclaimed the _Karawan-Bashi_. - -"Neither is thy guide of the stuff that shrinks before spectres, -however monstrous. Let us know them who have built that marvelous -city," cried the guide heroically, and toward the city the caravan -advanced. - -It was that hour of the day when the lengthened shadows indicate the -descent of the glowing orb, but the striking absence of bird or insect -in a quarter where every inducement for their presence was to be seen -in abundance gave the surroundings an air of desolation, and produced -the sensation experienced by him who suddenly lights on a corpse. A -broad avenue shaded by treble lines of orange trees in blossom, -diffusing delicious odors, led up to a high portal giving admission to -a vast enclosure walled by gray stones perfectly fitted by masterful -hands, a fortress looking as new as though the masons had just given -it the finishing touch. The wall was not high enough to hide the -gorgeous edifices within; but the wayfarers pricked their ears in vain -to catch a sound of life, the quiet being that of the graveyard. "This -is a dead city," observed the guide, in the hope of shaking the -courage of Cordosa; "peradventure the desolate city built by the son -of Ad." - -"They are not dead at night who are dead during the day," added the -_Karawan-Bashi_, with a similar object in view. - -"God is strong enough to afford us protection against all evil powers. -Here may be a mystery we are destined to solve. Knock at the gate for -admission," ordered Cordosa peremptorily. - -"_Allah illaha il Allah!_" cried the _Bashi_, seized with a fit of -unflinching heroism; "I will knock at the gate with my scabbard, be -the place under the rule of grim Monkir; the faithful need not be -afraid of the creatures of Eblis." - -The rap on the gate gave forth a hollow sound in response, yet the -gateway opened with a jar, revealing a scene at which the intruders -gazed with amazement. Sheddad's garden of Irem could hardly equal the -vernal luxuriance which hid the foundations of the wonderful -buildings. Scattered here and there, among delightful flower-beds and -thick clusters of the luscious vine, stood groups of fairies -motionless, so handsome that their cheeks rivaled the rose in -sweetness. They were all barefooted, their little feet resembling -those of children. For headgear they wore crowns of golden hair; their -garb was a transparent gauze, shining like moonlight, and bespangled -with gold, and they were all armed with spears of that precious metal. -Awful was their silence, their expression yet showing an intense -anxiety to utter speech. The gate slammed to with its jarring note as -soon as the last camel was within the precincts, and the Yemenites -shuddered at the realization of their being locked in a dead city. -Overcome by the awe of the surroundings, Cordosa exclaimed: "Great -Lord, protect us!" Hereupon the whole mountain experienced a tremor, -shared by the life-like fairies, who appeared to shiver at the mention -of the Supreme. - -It being sunset, Cordosa directed the _Bashi_ and the guide to take -the caravan to the nearest khan, and the next moment the travellers -entered a caravansary, compared to which the Asaad Pasha of Damascus -is but an insignificant hostelry. They found the gate ajar, and within -there was plenty of provender, and a playing fountain to quench the -thirst of man and brute. A sumptuous divan furnished with the most -costly rugs of silk, and such seats as are only reserved for caliphs, -tempted the Arabs to rest their weary limbs, while the odors of savory -viands betrayed the neighborhood of a culinary institution of the -highest order. Following the scent they entered a prodigious banquet -hall of imperial splendor. On low tables a royal feast was set in -glittering crystal under covers of gold. On the right side of each -service lay a golden rod not unlike the sceptre of a king. Scores of -fairies stood around in the attitude of attendants eager to serve, but -stiff and lifeless as mummies, dead beauty radiating from their faces -of immaculate purity. - -Hunger yielded to temptation, and the _Bashi's_ example was followed -by the others, except Cordosa who, lost in wonder, would not avail -himself of the magnificent hospitality impliedly offered by beings who -to all appearances were dead; if not dead then strangely enchanted for -some unaccountable purpose. - -Neither had the others time to appease the cravings of their -appetites; for no sooner was the first dish uncovered than a -multitudinous rustling, tripping and squeaking caused the astonished -guests to turn their eyes toward the door, when lo, and behold!--thick -swarms of silvery mice came rushing and tumbling one over the other, -and, flying up the limbs of the horrified men, as squirrels are often -seen to run up trees, they devoured in the twinkling of an eye -whatever had been laid bare to their voracity. The sumptuous banquet -was turned into a scene of horror and disgust, the more so since the -pests seemed heedless of those who were present, and callous to the -blows which were dealt them with the golden rods that were apparently -there for that purpose. "Bring the cats hither," commanded Cordosa. -And as the cage was brought forth and opened the cats leapt forth like -tigers wild for prey. But nimble as pussy is, the agility of her game -left her without a chance to do mischief. Quick as the vermin had -appeared, they much more quickly disappeared, as though the swarms had -been nothing but flitting shadows. - -Before it was possible to restore the animals to their cage, Cordosa -and his subordinates were not only startled by the sudden animation of -the fairies in the banquet hall, but a muffled roar, as of a -victorious army without, made them feel instinctively that a great -change had come over the dwellers of the magic city. It was a tumult -that stirred the air far and wide, was echoed and re-echoed, until -the hills were vocal with the ringing vibrations of countless voices, -and before a question could be asked, in marched a legion of those -admirable creatures, who but a little before had been seen in a state -of inanimation. Arraying themselves in military form, they presented -arms and made a profound salaam in evident honor of Cordosa, thus -acknowledging his title to their respect. With that unfailing -politeness, which is the exquisite quality of the refined Oriental, -the Hebrew begged to be informed why he was made the object of this -distinguished attention. "Because thou hast broken the spell which for -many hundred years held the denizens of this city enthralled by -enchantment," was the answer. - -There was a genial affability in the demeanor of the child-like -representatives of the city's population, so that the fear of their -being malicious genii vanished, and a confiding intercourse took the -place of shrinking suspicion. The story they told of their origin and -subsequent enchantment is one of romance, necromancy, and dire -vengeance. It is briefly as follows: - -Lilithiana, the Peri-Queen of the mountains of Yemen, had, in ages -gone by, been wooed by the then two mighty magicians of Africa, known -as El Akbor and Metemhagi. El Akbor was dreaded as the master of all -the rodent species, which he had often sent on expeditions of -destruction to avenge wrongs or to satisfy malice. There was no escape -from the instruments of his ire. Persons and property were bitten, -torn, and destroyed according to his order. The only power he feared -was Metemhagi, who ruled all the feline tribes, and could be appealed -to against the plague his rival was in a position to inflict. Long and -assiduous was the courtship of the twain necromancers, and the -love-contest closed with Lilithiana's declared preference for -Metemhagi. - -The Peri-Queen controlled the untold wealth hidden in the mountains of -her domain, was mistress of all the genii within the bounds of her -empire, and concluded to build an enchanted city accessible to none -but her progeny. A host of her aerial subjects received orders to -carry out their Queen's behest, and the city of marble, silver and -gold was the result of one hour's workmanship. Hither the queenly Peri -retired with her mortal adorer, and an impenetrable zone of cloud was -thrown around the region that had the weird city as its centre. - -Lilithiana was not long to enjoy her marital felicity. Her intimacy -with a mortal deprived her of the power over Yemen's genii; and the -angel, who centuries before had expelled her from Paradise for a -slight trespass, descended to inform her that her sin would be visited -on her guiltless offspring, her own punishment being exile and -separation from her dear ones. Aware of the Peri's fall and disgrace, -El Akbor assumed the deterring form of a monstrous rat and, embracing -his opportunity, threw himself among the genii of Lilithiana's realm -during a dance in the moonlight. The shock transformed them into a -swarm of silvery mice, and the magician having thus gained power over -them, uttered another incantation, causing the whilom airy beings to -raven with an insatiate hunger. This gluttony made them the terror of -Lilithiana's descendants, who were doomed hereafter to live only from -sunset to sunrise, held by witch-craft the rest of the time in a -death-like trance. - -Metemhagi's devotion to his fairest of consorts made it impossible for -him to part with her whose tender passion for him had caused her fall -and banishment, and his absence enabled the diabolical Akbor to -accomplish his purpose. Informed of the outrage, Metemhagi hurried to -the spot as fast as the fleetest tiger could carry him, but found that -the spell was to last until, prompted by a higher power, the intrusion -of man with that feline species of whom the rodents are in terror -should break the magic thrall, and restore matters to their original -condition. This having happened, the disenchantment of the enthralled -inhabitants of the superb city was followed by that of the genii who -had been changed to mice. Lilithiana's return to majesty came next. -Widowed and humiliated, she had hovered for centuries on the borders -of her beloved empire till Cordosa's arrival in her city changed the -aspect of things, and she was the Peri-Queen once more. - -Hitherto the nocturnal revelers could not indulge their feast without -beating off the pestilent vermin with one hand while eating with the -other; it was the first time that the banquet was being enjoyed in -daylight, and without the use of the erstwhile indispensable weapon. -The viands served appeared as inexhaustible as the multitudes who -entered the dining hall to pay their respects to Cordosa, regale -themselves, and file off again. Nor was music wanting to enliven -conviviality. The charming attendants ravished the souls of the throng -with song so sweet that the strangers had difficulty to prevent their -eyelids from closing, lulled into obliviousness by the dulcet melody. -At last Cordosa alone remained awake; the rest had succumbed to the -irresistible charm of the bewitching voices. The honors showered on -Cordosa were worthy of a great deliverer. In a palanquin of the most -precious metal, studded with brilliant jewels, seated on cushions -softer than air, he was carried through the festively decked -boulevards and paradisial gardens, among dazzling palaces and amid the -joyous ovations of jubilant crowds. - -And as soon as the sun had withdrawn his last mellow beam from the -crests of the mountains, unearthly splendors burst over the magic -city. The spectacle was one of ghostly awe and august magnificence. A -splendid illumination shed a flood of light on towering edifices and -their resplendent decorations. In a second, grand triumphal arches -spanned every highway, woven of the Orient's most exuberant foliage, -flowers and blossoms, each one strewed thickly with the delicate -petals of all the roses in creation, and the delighted denizens were -transfigured in the reflex of the weird effulgence. Expectation sat -visible on every face, and the reason became manifest when the faint -vibration of a dreamy music came floating on the balmy breeze from the -lower end of the main boulevard. The disenchanted genii celebrated -their deliverance, and prepared to welcome their Peri-Queen, whose -time had come to return from her banishment to rule, surrounded by -those whose image kept her lover's memory green. The event was to be -commemorated by a transcendent jubilee. - -The Queen's cavalry opened the triumphal entry with a division of -diminutive and luminous horsemen, armed with golden spears, mounted on -tiny zebras not larger than kittens, and blowing trumpets not unlike -the calyx of the white lily. In an instant their files flew up the -first triumphal arch, with no more effort than a bird makes when he -hops from one twig to another. From their lofty position they watched -the advance of the Queen's artillery, a glittering train of golden -cannon, mortars and howitzers, on silver carriages, pulled by little -white elephants whose drivers in lustrous uniform swelled the chorus -by bugles which varied the harmony with great effect. An inclined span -thrown by the vanguard to the top of an arch served as a road to an -elevated platform, where the ordnance was put in position, loaded and -pointed in every direction of the compass. Beneath came the body of -the great army, battalion on battalion, ascending and occupying in -succession arch after arch, until the vernal displays bristled and -blazed with the gorgeousness of the shining host. A translucent haze -like a veil of atomized jewels floated in the atmosphere, reflecting -the hues of the rainbow; and a thousand bands accompanied a chorus as -numerous as the voices of the entire army and population. - -Cordosa's tears flowed freely; the symphony proved too much for his -heart. The pageant around him looked like a dream of blessed -childhood. He had neither time to feel nor to think. The chorus sang -the prelude to the entrance of the Peri-Queen. Wrapped in a cloud as -intensely bright, as though the moon's light had been concentrated -within a radius of a few leagues, Lilithiana entered the gate of her -own city. Jubilant hurrahs greeted her and reverberated a thousandfold -throughout the hills. As the queenly train drew nearer, Cordosa -discerned in the heart of the mass of light a gliding chariot drawn by -twelve fiery steeds as white as the blaze around them. In reclining -ease Lilithiana rested on pillows of gossamer apparently filled out -with light. Her golden hair hung like a beam of mild sunshine, leaving -a countenance free, which with its star-like eyes left no hope for -mortal beauty to equal it. Of lesser witchery yet unmatched by flesh -however fair were her nine attending nymphs, who in another equipage -rode behind their mistress, each one holding a bag full of precious -coin. The glorious pageant closed with a division of brilliantly -mounted guards on stags with golden hoofs and antlers. - -What was the sensation of Cordosa on perceiving that the Peri-Queen -had her eyes riveted upon him. Before the spot he occupied her chariot -stopped. Without alighting from her royal seat, Lilithiana spoke thus -to the astonished man: - -"Not so much to thee, O, Cordosa, do we owe our restoration, and our -children their disenchantment, as to the righteous Ben Abir whose -faith and reverence frustrated the designs of the evil one. Temptation -lured him in vain, and trials failed to weaken his trust in Eternal -Justice. Yet hast thou done thy share to deepen his misery. Why knows -he not where his daughter hides? Art thou not afraid of retribution? -Lead his child to his heart. And behold!--these nine bags of gold are -destined for him. Take them hence and deliver them untouched as his -meed for virtues rare among men. His cause is in higher hands; they -who injured him will suffer." - -The air was rent with cries of applause, and the triumphal chariot -proceeded onward. Filing down from the arches, the army stood in -marching order, and followed in grand parade. The discharge of -artillery shook the air; the musicians played, and the pageant moved -on and out of sight, except the column of moonlight, which faded -slowly in the hazy distance. The palatial buildings burst out with -radiance from within, and the happy crowds abandoned themselves to -feasting and dancing. - -Cordosa's first business now was to load the dromedaries with the -treasure intended for Ben Abir. At the khan he found it almost -impossible to awaken his men. When the _Karawan-Bashi_ finally opened -his eyes, he looked stupid as an ox and talked as if he had lost his -senses. The guide was similarly affected. The Arabs seemed deaf and -dumb, and Cordosa felt alarmed at their state of torpitude. When all -his efforts to raise them failed, he bethought himself of the fountain -and grasped a vessel with the intention of throwing cold water on the -dull company. But the fountain was gone. Cordosa turned toward the -door of the superb Divan, where they had spent hours on the previous -day; there was neither a hall nor a door to be seen, and a sudden -dimness had made all things uncertain. Still more disturbed by the -startling situation, Cordosa tried to grope his way into the room of -whose nearness he was sure, but, instead of striking one of the -cushioned seats, he struck his head against the bark of a tree. -Awaiting once more some unexpected change he strained his eyes to -discern some object; and failing in the effort, knelt down to -ascertain the nature of the ground he was on. Cold sand, gravel, and -wet grass apprised him of surroundings other than those he had -supposed to be about him. While fear was gaining on him, a passing -wind raised the fog, and his astonished eye was sweeping in vain in -search for the enchanted--or disenchanted--city. - -The sun was just throwing out his multicolored couriers to inform -continents of his coming. A further effort to awaken his men proved -successful, and Cordosa's next care was to discover whether the cats -were in their cage, and whether the gold bags made a part of what he -doubted not was a dream's phantom. His consternation was great when he -found the cage empty, and counted nine bags full to overflowing of the -precious metal. Calling on the _Karawan-Bashi_ and the guide, he -thought it was time to proceed homeward. "We have dreamed long -enough," said he for a purpose. - -"Yes, master, there must be some tricksy _Div_ hereabout; I have a -jumble in my head. I could swear by Allah that we have been in a grand -city and have witnessed queer things," said the _Bashi_, with a yawn. - -"By the beard of the Prophet, _Bashi_, the demon has blown something -of that sort into my own brain," asserted the guide. The others said -nothing. The caravan pursued its way, and Cordosa had his eyes on the -camels that bore the enormous treasure. Sanaa was reached in safety. -None of the men noticed the disappearance of the cats. - -Immediately after his arrival Cordosa dispatched two trusty persons -to his country retreat, and they returned with a third in a disguise -which rendered identification impossible. He then sent for Ben Abir -and insisted on being informed as to how he had come into possession -of the mysterious coin that he had given him to invest. Filled with -unutterable wonder at what he heard, Cordosa emptied one bag of gold -after the other, asking each time whether the pile he had refrained -from touching on the specified Friday eve had been as large as the one -before him. Not before the contents of the ninth bag had been added to -the heap, did Ben Abir exclaim, "So large, and not larger." - -"Then take all this, and be once more the Croesus of Yemen, O, -righteous Ben Abir!" cried Cordosa, and supplemented his words by the -tale of the phantom city. It was Ben Abir's turn to be overwhelmed by -astonishment. "And now has thy time come to be perfectly happy," added -Cordosa, knowing the contrary to be the case. - -"Alas, Ben Abir's happiness will never, never return!--My -daughter,--my daughter!" lamented the disconsolate father. - -"Even thy daughter returns with thy fortune," said Cordosa, and -disappeared through the door, which led to his private apartments. -Another minute and the lost Estrelia lay sobbing in her father's arms. -Ben Abir was a happy man, but the other felt that he owed his friend -an explanation, which was substantially as follows. - -When the jealous Ayesha had learned of the Imam's intention to glorify -his harem by the incomparable loveliness of Ben Abir's daughter, she -lost no time in warning Cordosa of the maiden's danger. Knowing that -his recreant son was at the bottom of the infamous scheme, he felt -himself called upon to frustrate it. But once in possession of the -girl, whose charms had lost him his son, Cordosa hoped against hope to -effect a change in her feelings toward the desperate Menahem. The plan -did not work. Estrelia detested the youth who had worshipped her, but -was told that her safety required her removal to a hiding place. -Cordosa was maturing a new plan when the supernatural incidents of his -last journey left him no choice. The Peri-Queen must be obeyed, lest -misfortune betide his house. - -Cordosa asked Abir's forgiveness, pointing to the great anguish of -heart the love affair had caused him. The Croesus of Yemen, -recognizing the higher hand that fashioned his destiny, would not have -his friend refer to it hereafter. "I would to God I could heal thy -wound, O, kind-hearted Cordosa. My gratitude and sympathy are thine, -and if a part of this hoard will give thee ease, be it thine also," -replied Ben Abir. - -But Cordosa would not entertain the thought of being rewarded for -services he had rendered accidentally, while Lilithiana's warning not -to touch the gold was fresh in his memory. - -As the two much tried men were considering the best way of conveying -the treasure quietly to the house of its owner, Ibraeem knocked at the -door. When admitted, the man could scarcely speak for excitement. "The -Imam is dead!" cried the liberated slave out of breath. - -"The Imam dead!--Who killed him?" asked Cordosa, sure that death had -not come peacefully,--else why that commotion? - -"He killed both the Imam and the Kadi," supplemented Ibraeem, "He ran -amuck." - -"Who is he?" asked Ben Abir with pardonable impatience. - -"Menahem Cordosa," breathed the slave, betraying a delicacy of feeling -slaves are not credited with. Cordosa grew faint, and was caught in -the arms of Ben Abir. - -"Menahem Cordosa an assassin!" mourned the stricken parent. "It is -well that it ended as it did," added Cordosa, having recovered his -composure. "Take your hoard, friend, and may thy house prosper." - -"Dost thou remember to have ever seen this heap of coin?" asked Ben -Abir, seeing Ibraeem's eyes fascinated by the shining pile. - -"That is the gold we saw that Friday eve before thy tent," replied -Ibraeem. - -"Yes, Ibraeem, and then I told thee that what is to be will be. This -all goes to our house, thine not less than mine, faithful Ibraeem, who -shall live to the end of thy days with the Croesus of Yemen," said the -grateful Ben Abir. - - - - -THE FATE OF ARZEMIA. - - -In the ninth year of his rule Chosroes Nushirvan, the conqueror of -kingdoms, sat one day on his gem-incrusted throne, surrounded by all -the symbols of earthly majesty. The room was the famous, -star-bespangled hall of state in his celebrated palace at Ctesiphon, -his capital, an edifice so large that on this occasion the entire -division of his dreaded "fifty thousand golden spears" were required -to draw a cordon around its enclosure in the heart of that splendid -city on the bank of the Tigris. Dazzling jewels, exquisite art, weird -magnificence, and incalculable wealth characterized the imperial -scene. The golden throne stood on a prodigious carpet of silk, -embroidered in imitation of a semi-tropical garden,--plant, leaf and -blossom being artistically reproduced in gems of all hues, from the -emerald to the sparkling diamond and sapphire. The vaulted hall -represented a miniature firmament adorned with golden spheres -responding by an operation of machinery to the motions of the planets -and the signs of the zodiac. Chosroes was enclosed in a brilliant coat -of mail, and his hand rested on a sword bedecked with jewels of untold -value. His crown was so heavy that in order to sustain its priceless -weight, a golden chain held it suspended over the head of Iran's -invincible lord. On a lower seat at his right hand sat the venerable -_Zarathustrotema_, the primate of all the sun-worshippers, the -high-priest of the high-priests; while before the throne stood in -servile attitude the chiefs and servitors of his court, prepared to -sink prostrate at the nod of the autocrat. - -As many eyes as there were in the hall threw furtive glances at the -contracted brows of the arbitrary monarch, whose discordant mood was -evident. Whether it was anger, melancholy, or despair, remained to be -seen; there was no beam in his face to relieve the gloom. Why that -ill-humor on a day dedicated to festive joy? For it was the seventh -day after the birth of a royal babe, the day set for the naming and -blessing of his new-born child. But the mighty lord of Iran had for -six days and nights been stirred by the vivid picture of a dream which -caused his blood to run cold as often he recalled its horrifying -incidents. His vision was unlike that of Nebuchadnezzar, who saw a -human form fashioned of various metals shattered by a fragment of -rock. Chosroes thought that he was roaming through one of his -delightful gardens, teeming with singing birds and delicious fruits, -musing over the great victories he had won, and the hoards which -filled his vaults with enormous wealth, enabling him to rival the -Great Mughul in the luxuries of his court. His only worthy enemy was -Rome, and even her power seemed to bend to his will. Might, pomp, -royal ease and love were his,--what remained for him to attain but the -rule of the entire world? "First Rome, then India!" cried he. But lo! -what is that? A grim _tower of silence_ so near his marble palace, -how did it come there? He had never seen it there ere this. The towers -of silence, where the fire-worshippers expose their dead to be denuded -of flesh by carrion vultures, earth being too sacred to be polluted by -the decay of human flesh, are usually located in remote groves, -preferably on hills haunted by the carnivorous bird; here was one in -the vicinity of the royal palace,--since when?--and by whose order -built? - -Chosroes turned his eyes toward the top of the dismal building to -account for the voracious swarm of vultures that circled around it, as -though a corpse had been there deposited, and great was his horror to -see the flock make towards him. In his confusion he tore a twig from a -tree to beat off the pest; blood flowed from the tree thus wounded; -the obscene swarm disappeared, the tower vanished, and when he looked -at the twig in his hand, he soon accounted for its great weight by -finding it to be a sceptre of gold, adorned by leaves of resplendent -stones. Then he became conscious of a ravening hunger, which to -satisfy, Chosroes put forth his arm to pick the nearest fruit; his -touch petrified it into a transparent jewel. Repeated attempts had the -same result. Tormented by hunger, the king sent his eye in every -direction in the hope of help. Redoubled terror seized him on -perceiving that the entire garden turned into a wilderness of blinding -glitter. A lamenting breeze passed through the lifeless masses of -stiffened green frozen into stone,--tree, fruit and blossom fiercely -reflecting the glare of the sun. The wind was the only thing that -moved, whining like a ghost that passed to eternal perdition. Thirst -followed hunger; the deluded victim turned to a cool spring to find -the precious liquid therein crystalized into solid diamonds. - -"_Ahura-Mazda_, if this be an evil work of the _devas_, then send -_Vohu Mano_, _Ashem_ and _Armaiti_ to lead me into thy light! O, thou -who didst create my being in accordance with thy wisdom!" prayed the -humbled Shah, consumed by the double torment of hunger and thirst. - -A diabolical laugh made the nightmare hideous; it came from a -monstrous shape hidden behind a tree, a winged dragon with the head -of a man, the head of one in the royal family. Recoiling from that -frightful apparition, Chosroes tried to flee, but was intercepted by -the same flock of carrion fowl who, returning, lighted on him like so -many fiends, lifting him bodily from the ground, and carried him to -the funereal grating on the top of the tower of silence, which seemed -to have again cropped up from the ground. The agony of being torn to -pieces roused him from the horrid nightmare, breathing heavily and -trembling all over. - -The first object that met his eyes was the court master-of-ceremonies, -who, with arms folded and head inclined, informed his majesty of a new -royal birth. Shirin, the envied and most favored sultana of his -thousands of wives, had the selfsame night been delivered of a female -child, as beautiful as is the blushing cheek of _Arustra_. The -coincidence of a child's birth with what he could not help accepting -as a portent of some catastrophe to come was not to be dismissed by a -Zarathustrian to whom the whole universe was one vast battlefield -contested by the hostile armies of Ormuzd the good, and Ahriman the -evil. Yet instead of consulting the wisdom of the Magi, high-priests -unerring in their interpretations of dreams and casting of nativities, -Chosroes had concluded to wait until the seventh day after the -confinement when it is the custom of the votaries of Zarathustra to -have the child named by a priest, and its horoscope cast. That there -might be no preconcerted deception practiced by the shrewd Magi, a -secret order had been issued by the king to three different -fire-temples, far apart, for the head of the local priesthood to -report at court on a day named, and the Zarathustrotema received a -call of a similar nature. Thus did it come about that the throne-hall -of Chosroes Nushirvan wore that awful solemnity of pregnant suspense -which passed down from the head of the empire to those who stood -uninformed and powerless at the foot of his throne. - -"Know thou, great head of Iran's light-worship, whom Ahura-Mazda -illumined, that my calling thee hither has a high purpose to be -presently divulged. From the fire-temples of Ardashir and Kanjak I -had the wisest _dasturs_ summoned to appear before me this day to read -the stars in behalf of a little daughter to be named Arzemia. Chosroes -Nushirvan ordains it that his daughter's horoscope be cast this hour -by three of the wisest Magi, each one unknown to and unenlightened by -the other. Thy presence, Zarathustrotema, shall wisdom add to wisdom, -should some deep remain unfathomed," spoke the ruler in a nervous -voice. - -Hereupon a venerable priest was ushered into the royal presence. After -paying the proper homage, the Magian unrolled a parchment bedecked -with hieroglyphics, drew various lines thereon with a rod in his hand, -then, with his eyes turned toward the zodiacal figures set in motion -on the firmament of the hall, he began: - -"The god-stars under whose auspices thy new-born child came to this -world show me a field of light on a background of impenetrable night. -I see a career of strength and beauty, beams of sunshine swallowed by -seas of darkness. The god-stars favor Arzemia, O king, with more than -woman's grace and royal fame. Among immortal queens thy daughter will -stand high; but length of years _Mazda_ denies her; lest she rule and -build, like Semiramis, Ninevehs, Babylons, hanging gardens, and towers -piercing the skies. With her, Iran's might and fame will blossom new, -but there is a floating chaos back of all,--red lightning, bleeding -armies, wrecked kingdoms and fallen thrones. The god-stars reveal an -era of triumph, drawing up one of crime, tears, woe, blood and ruin." - -The next horoscoper assumed the air of one entranced by the -adumbrations of his dark prophecy, which ran thus: "The powers of -_Angro Maniyush_ stand arraigned against the seed of Chosroes -Nushirvan. Born under Cleopatra's constellation, the child named -Arzemia will exceed Egypt's enchantress in the quality which makes -woman sovereign, and the witchery which makes kings her slaves. A dark -veil hides the rest; let it remain unlifted.--Iran's destiny breaks on -my vision in streaks of splendor dimmed by thunder-clouds rising from -the eternal abyss." - -"Arzemia's fate," cried the third prophet of evil, "is intertwined -with that of the Sasanian dynasty. Like Tadmor's queen, she will rule -over a mighty empire in combat with one yet mightier. But not like -Zenobia's will be the end of her career. Trembling seizes me as I -behold Iran's great tragedy, which _Ahura-Mazda_ wrote in the book of -fate, preceded by an era of triumphs unequalled in the Orient's tale. -In the distance I hear the evil spirits whisper things to come, which -my lips shall not articulate. Why conjure night while the sun is at -his zenith?--Rome is not thy deadliest foe, O, Chosroes Nushirvan; -beware of a serpent in thy bosom." - -The echo of "in thy bosom" vibrated in the monarch's ear, the silence -of the throne-hall being unbroken by a breath, so fearful was the -impression left by the weird astrologers. With ill-disguised alarm -Chosroes turned his look on the face of the Zarathustrotema, whose -mien betrayed evidence of anxiety. - -"Why sees the one not what the other sees, the god-stars being there -unchanged? They prophesy a queenship like three others and -unlike,--where the congruity? Lift up the veil, that certainty dispel -all doubt. If Persia's downfall be decreed on high let the horoscope -be unambiguous; give me truth," commanded the autocrat. - -"When, since Zarathustra's blessed age, did _Ahura-Mazda_ bestow of -his purest light on a mortal, O, king of kings? The god-stars -foreshadow our fate, they do not unequivocally foretell it; and man -may well be grateful for the doubt that leaves hope to feed his -dreams. Horoscopy shows that the zodiacal signs under which Arzemia -beheld light indicate qualities of sovereignty common to those three -famous queens, leaving much unsolved to cherish bright probabilities. -Benign _Mazda_, lest impending evil mar the joy of the happier hour, -withholds the secrets of futurity from our eye. Let not, I beseech -thee, future events overcast thy glorious horizon. Proceed with thy -triumphant march, while we, guardians of the sacred fires, pray for -the success of thy arms. If fall we must, then let us fall great. Let -thine empire grow with Arzemia, her mind be irradiated by the wisdom -of Zarathustra, and her heart be stirred by the emulation of -Babylon's immortal queen," closed the primate of Iran appealingly. - -With an irrepressible presentiment dominating his being, Chosroes -sought relief in the vortex of a reckless activity, and his still -swelling tide of fortune began to weaken the apprehension that he was -laboring under the frown of unauspicious god-stars. His cupidity -seemed to grow with the incessant influx of treasure sent by the -chiefs of his victorious armies, largely engaged against the forces of -the Roman emperor, Heraclius, and nothing was too costly which tended -to gratify his fondness for display. - -The dreaded auxiliaries of the Persian army were several cohorts of -drilled elephants. Each division of troops had its elephantine -accompaniment, but the fifty thousand "golden spears" relied for -effective pioneer work on fifty of those prodigious tramplers led by a -white mammoth called Mahmud, the same who, in times bygone, carried -the Ethiopian king, Abraba, when he invaded Mecca. Mahmud was elevated -to the rank of a general, and he acted his part with a dignity and a -foresight worthy of a distinguished strategist. His command was -trained to follow their chief in all he did, to eject volumes of water -and mud, stored up for the purpose in their capacious receptacles, -into the eyes of the enemy; to use the proboscis to good advantage, to -crush out life and to break the serried files of an advancing foe. -Mahmud's onslaughts paved the way for many a victory, and no officer -of Iran's great army enjoyed more consideration and affection than -that intelligent brute. Whether at home or in the camp, Mahmud's -quarters and attendants were as sumptuous as those of the other -generals, while his gold-bestrewed robe was of the finest silk, and -embroidered with precious stones. - -With this inbreaking engine, of a resistless momentum, as a wedge for -an enormous host, swelled by new levies and animated by dashing -generals, Chosroes Nushirvan not only wrested Asia Minor from the -Roman grip, but had his banner carried as far as Libya, Egypt and -Carthage. In the ample vaults of his white palace the insatiate king -received and hoarded the spoils of nations, exhibiting only valueless -trophies for the edification of the populace and a disaffected -nobility. In his domestic relations the lord of Iran was an unjust -father, a tyrant, a poltroon, and a pompous braggart, owing his power -and prestige to the bravery of his generals; but conspiracy was -lurking where he least suspected it. - -The stir and clash of armies and the overthrow of kingdoms did not -disturb the early childhood of Arzemia, who, in the retreats of the -imperial harem, blossomed into adorable maidenhood, endowed with -talents of the highest order and a thirst for knowledge seldom heard -of in Oriental courts. Infatuated with his charming daughter, Chosroes -lavished treasures in surrounding her with all the luxuries of a -queen, and provided a staff of wise heads to imbue her with the -essence of Zarathustrian, not less than secular, wisdom. At the age of -sixteen Arzemia astonished the court by her appearance at her father's -side in the hall of audience. Robed in a purple dress, with a blaze of -gems in the shape of a heart on her left breast, and a sparkling -tiara on her head, the enthroned princess looked more like a goddess -than a maiden prematurely developed. To the courtiers at the foot of -the throne she appeared an image of a dream, perfect in form, -ineffably beautiful, and divinely self-sufficient, her eyes darting -those arrows which strike the incurable wound. - -It was a great gala day. Among the trophies laid before the throne, -was the true cross brought by the famous general who had taken -Jerusalem; and a slip-shod envoy from the interior of Arabia was to be -heard,--the main object, however, being the debut of Shirin's adorable -daughter. - -"Is it homage or tribute that thou bringest hither from my slaves in -Arabia?" asked Chosroes of an uncombed Bedouin in sluttish habit. - -In lieu of answer, the Arab impassively delivered a missive in -writing, and gave no sign that the splendor of the scene overawed him. -Translated, the message read: "In the name of the most merciful God! -Mohammed, son of Abdallah and apostle of God, to Chosroes Nushirvan, -king of Persia--" - -"Hold, fool! What do I hear! Does a savage slave of the desert dare -put his name before mine in writing?" cried the autocrat in great -anger, seizing the document and tearing it to pieces.--"Get this dog -out of my sight, and write to my satrap in Yemen that there lives a -madman in Medina who claims to be a prophet; if he cannot cure him, -let him send me his head." - -With this incident closed a scene that had been fraught with vast -consequence for Iran, and with not less significance for Arzemia. -Henceforth visions different from those that haunted her brain in the -harem's privacy invaded her imagination. There had been eyes in the -hall of a glow and a sympathy so passionately contagious that the -entire being seemed irrevocably absorbed in that enchanting look. It -was a woman's first passion, which she was unable to analyze. Before -that event her active spirit, if not engaged in fathoming the -mysteries of Zarathustra, delighted in the weaving of fantastic -tissues, with heroes and heroines as the forerunners of her future -greatness. Destined by the god-stars to wear a crown, what, with Iran -as her heritage, could prevent her from eclipsing the achievements of -Semiramis? The entire world then lay prostrate at her feet; kings and -Cćsars would worship her. Why not rather be a goddess than the mate of -a mortal, even if he be a Ninus, an Antony, or an Odenatus? Why not -shine like blessed _Mithra_, who illumines the heavens unmated? "Be -one man's inferior companion rather than the awe and adoration of the -great world? This was thy folly, ill-fated Cleopatra, and thine, -nobler Zenobia; but the child of Derceto proved herself worthy of her -divine mother, and Arzemia shall not be less than Semiramis, with no -Ninus to divide her empire," were the last words of a reverie -overheard by Shirin. And the sultana thought it high time to draw the -budding maiden into the open world. Her period of childhood was ended. - -"Thou knowest, my lord, that our child's angelic beauty is far -exceeded by the brilliancy of her mind; that she has mastered the -languages spoken by the great nations, and the wisdom taught by the -Magi; but since, obeying thy behest, I cautiously gave her some -intimation of her horoscope, I perceive a change in her demeanor which -gives me much concern. Seeking the lonely haunts of our gardens, -Arzemia acts as though she held communion with spirits, discoursing on -the hollowness of love, and dreaming of a superhuman destiny reserved -for her by the god-stars. _Ahura-Mazda_ has granted us the blessed -child to cheer our later years. Our daughter is a harp strung to charm -discord and to scatter gloom, not to be untuned by disuse. May the -fearful _devas_ pass her, who roams in realms too visionary to be -safe!" prayed the scheming sultana, sure of her game. - -"What wouldst thou have me do, Shirin? Give her in marriage to the man -whom Chosroes honors most?" asked the father imperiously, early -marriage being compatible with Zarathustra's moral teachings. - -"Not now, my lord; let the child see the court, the court see her, -before the question of love is broached," suggested the emboldened -sultana. - -"Sultana, it was my pleasure that exalted thee above the fairest of -my harem, and thy son above his brothers; it is love's triumph, and -thy daughter, favored by the god-stars, shall be favored more than -ever princess was. Arrayed like _Arustra_, she shall receive her first -homage at my side," promised the autocratic sire. And so did Shirin -once more triumph over her rivals in royal grace. - -Thus drawn into publicity at her mother's initiative, Arzemia dazzled -the court with her houri-like graces not less than her imperial -bearing. Here it was, however, that the girl's heart received the -winged arrow from love's unerring bow, shattering all foregone -imaginings as a spire smitten by lightning. It was as though a curtain -had risen to reveal a magic scene with one fascination greater than -all the others--and he a man whose like could well account for love -like Zenobia's, and madness like Cleopatra's. In frame but little -above the average, otherwise a figure reminiscent of the war-god whom -the Olympians feared; unhandsome, but imposing; complexion olive, nose -aquiline, eyes deep, black, flashing but mild; chin hidden by a beard, -raven black; heavy hair and mustache harmonizing with the beard; -thick, arched eyebrows; a curling, sensuous lip; shapely feet, -shapelier hands; the whole in the attire of a Persian general. Such -was Shahrbaraz to whose talents Chosroes was largely indebted for his -most valuable conquests. Covered with glory, cumbered with royal -favors, flattered by the courtier, idolized by the army, and lionized -by the people, the general had hardly anything to wish for when -Arzemia's eye met his; then all other ambitions paled before the one, -all-devouring passion to kneel in tender worship before her who looked -so much more divine than human. - -That was Arzemia's day of destiny, and it did not close without an -incident which alarmed both king and court. The cause was a sealed -document found before the celebrated grand portal of Chosroes -Nushirvan's white palace, warning the monarch that a plot was ripe to -overthrow him by a sudden blow, and that the bodyguard was implicated -in the nefarious conspiracy. Prompt action was urgent, and Chosroes, -frightened out of his wits, summoned his bravest general to take -temporary charge of his capital and palace. Shahrbaraz pledged himself -to continued vigilance until the conspirators should be brought to -grief--"Within the walls of Ctesiphon are twelve thousand golden -spears; twenty-five thousand more are within the courier's call; let -not thy peace be disturbed, oh, my sovereign; Shahrbaraz will not -sleep," spoke the resourceful strategist with an inward laugh, and -proceeded to arrange matters to suit himself. - -Unaware of the cause which stirred the authorities of the court, the -people wondered at the feverish activity of the military. Large bodies -of troops moved out, larger ones moved into the fortifications of the -splendid city, so that with the descent of night every access to the -palace was under strong guard, and Ctesiphon presented the aspect of a -besieged place, prepared to repel an aggressive enemy. What was going -to happen that night? - -As to Arzemia, untouched by this wave of commotion, she abandoned -herself to an overmastering passion, burning to the core of her fiery -nature; and, succumbing to the fever of her soul, she fled the -confinement of her sumptuous bed-chambers to seek the cooling breeze -in the garden, a separate enclosure within the royal park. It was -night, and the darkness was hardly broken by the thin crescent of the -new moon, when the princess nimbly picked her way to a sequestered -nook on a terrace whence in daylight an extensive view of the -pleasure-ground was afforded. Here in a recess was an arbor furnished -exquisitely, and here, in the posture of supplication, the maiden -invoked the help of Zarathustra's revealed Power--_Ahura-Mazda_. - -"Thou, eternal _Ahura-Mazda_, the god of gods, the creator of light, -who furtherest throughout all space the good and the true, the holy -and the beautiful,--and ye bright ministers, who yearn to do his -bidding,--if what I feel as fire burning in my heart is love by heaven -kindled, then let no barrier stand between the one for whom I burn and -me,--yea, no longer than the time required for two wind-lashed flames -to rush together and melt in one celestial blaze. Messengers of -_Ahura-Mazda_, my message carry to him whom fate has named my lord; -bend ye walls, be deaf ye watchmen, that he who loves Arzemia fly -hither unhindered!" - -There had been a mysterious gleam on the lower balconies of the -palace; it flared up, vanished, reappeared again, and once more; and -then nothing was seen or heard save at the postern of the garden, -where the signal must have been looked for and understood. Swift as a -hind there sped from the mazes of the darkened palace a human figure -athwart the semi-tropic thickets of the grounds, admitted another one -through the rear-gate, whispered a few syllables, and returned to the -white pile of a thousand apartments hushed in perfect silence. The -intruder, obviously informed of the whereabouts of his object, glided -like a ghost toward Arzemia's retreat, and stood enchanted by the -voice which articulated the essence of his highest felicity. Hardly -did the last word die on her lip when the problematic person sank on -his knees and, inclining his head as in adoration, spoke in a tone -thrilling with passion, "Divine child, whom _Ahura-Mazda_ graces with -the light of his countenance, grant me the privilege to worship at -thy feet, an humble supplicant, my heart being thine, my soul -thine--forever thine." - -The frightened maiden would have screamed for help had not the voice -she heard recalled a succession of notes that were still ringing in -her ears. In a second she realized what she trembled to believe -possible. - -"And who art thou, most daring of men, who fearest not to invade the -inviolable privacy of Chosroes Nushirvan's daughter?" cried the maiden -in fluttering apprehension, dreading the realization of her prayer. - -"Forgive! I am not what I was before thine eye smote me with madness -to be thy votary--thy slave,--or not to be at all," was the answer. - -"_Ahura-Mazda!_ thou the man whom Iran honors--thou, Shahrbaraz?" -cried the girl. - -"Thy servitor, thy slave in eternity," was the appealing reiteration. - -"The auspicious god-stars brought thee hither. Oh! but humble not -Arzemia in thus humbling thyself; the god-stars have linked our fates -and, come what may, I am thine, yea, and thou art mine in eternity!" -exclaimed the enraptured maiden. - -"My heaven!" was the laconic ejaculation of the great soldier who, -leaping to his feet, embraced her rapturously, pressing her to his -heart. - -As if in hymeneal sympathy with love's delicious union, the bulbul -poured forth a stream of soul-stirring song, the sweet cadence calling -forth responsive notes from the thick of sylvan recesses. Tears flowed -from the eyes of Arzemia and fell on the face of her lover, who raised -her like an infant in his mighty arms, covering her cheeks with -passionate kisses. - -"Thy tears of bliss will make the angels weep in paradise, sweet -goddess," whispered Persia's world-renowned hero. - -"The bulbul!--I never heard the bulbul sing so sad, so sweet, so -prophetic; ah! it seems to sigh and weep and speak to my heart of -things words cannot express! Some spirit moves it to move our hearts," -breathed Arzemia with emotion. - -"Thou art creation's sympathetic harp, responsive to spiritual -harmonies lower natures fail to realize; the bird's melody is to me an -unmeaning song, but in thy voice I hear _Mazda's_ music which moves -the heavenly spheres," said Shahrbaraz softly. - -"It is bliss to receive tribute from the lip of love; but what a thing -am I, compared with thee, Iran's pride, who smote the Roman and took -his holy city! Who has done a greater deed? If the armies of Chosroes -were thine, wouldst thou not conquer the world?" - -"I have conquered earth and heaven, star of my felicity; thou being -mine, what remains in all the worlds to wish for? To smite the Roman -and take his holy city was less an achievement than to come near to -thee, the pearl of beauty, reached at greater hazard than he faces who -dives into the ocean's abyss in quest of treasure," affirmed the -general. - -"Alas, thou art right! O, gods!--Thy life, thy dear life--shouldst -thou be found at this hour with me at this place! Dearest, what power -enabled thee to pass the guards, whose heads would answer for thy -presence where the king alone has right?--Go hence, O, my soul's -adorer, my heart's adored, go hence, lest the _devas_ thwart our -happiness! I hear the friendly spirits whisper--depart," urged -Arzemia, awaking to the danger that beset her lover under the -circumstances. - -"Thy prayer, child of light, that bade the walls to bend and the -watchmen to be deaf,--yea, and love, whom Orpheus followed to the -world of shades, have leveled my pathway hither, fearless of fate. -They who enter heaven laugh death to scorn. Thy presence renders me -invulnerable to mortal steel. Ah! waste no second, cherub, in the -thought of death or danger," cried Shahrbaraz ardently. - -"Forbid it, _Ahura-Mazda_, that Iran's glory be smitten by a -treacherous hand!--Yet play not with the envious fates, lest they grow -jealous of Arzemia's bliss, who would no heaven take for what is here -on earth," cried the girl appealingly. - -"Let all thy cares henceforth be mine, divine Arzemia. My 'golden -spears' hold every fort and gate, and have no will but that of thy -Shahrbaraz, who could be king this hour were he inclined. To come near -thee I had to act my part unfair or fair; love knows no scruples. A -scheme devised by me and taken seriously by the king gave me control -of Ctesiphon and court," explained the strategist. - -"The god-stars rule that I be queen one day and thou my king; my Ninus -thou, I thy Semiramis, with Rome and Iran prostrate at our feet!--Ah, -there a light!" exclaimed the girl in alarm, her eyes having caught a -glimmer in the palace. - -"It is the signal for me to begone," said Shahrbaraz, and a moment -later the postern closed behind him, having given and received the -kiss that is a taste of Elysian rapture. - -The clandestine intercourse between the greatest general and the -fairest princess of Iran was thus carried on for a time, when -revolutionary changes threw Ctesiphon into confusion. Chosroes -Nushirvan's court was a hotbed of intrigue, and his harem a seething -caldron, overflowing with all the vices and evils engendered by -arbitrary rule. Among the host of jealous females under the roof of -the palace, Shirin, the Christian sultana, had the upper hand, having -charmed her lord to the extent of disinheriting and imprisoning -Kavadh, the legitimate heir to the throne, in favor of her son -Mardanshah. But a turn of the wheel gave Kavadh the reins of -government, and his first act was to drag his wretched father into his -vaults of uncounted treasures, and let him perish there of hunger. -Seventeen brothers were next executed to insure the rule of the -monstrous parricide. These fearful crimes were inspired less by -vengeance than--who would have dreamed it?--by Kavadh's vehement -passion for Shirin. But the distracted sultana recoiled with loathing -from the murderer of her husband and her son, and when the miscreant -resorted to force he held a bleeding corpse in his arms, the sultana -having ended her life by a self-inflicted wound. Arzemia was her only -surviving child, and Shahrbaraz knew how to provide for the safety of -his worshipped princess. Shortly after Kavadh fell. - -During the chaotic conditions which followed the fall of Kavadh, -Shahrbaraz matured a plot for the usurpation of Iran's sovereignty. -Sustained by his fifty thousand golden spears, and favored by -Arzemia's friends, the dashing general entered Ctesiphon in triumph, -and had himself crowned in the palace of the voluptuous Chosroes. When -it transpired that Arzemia not alone favored the usurper, but was -going to be wedded to him in the imperial fire-temple, her many -suitors combined in organizing a conspiracy, headed by Faruch-Zad, the -mighty satrap of Khorassan, who was desperately in love with the -princess. Shahrbaraz was assassinated on the day set for his wedding, -his body was mutilated and dragged by an ass through the streets of -Ctesiphon. Arzemia's horror was scarcely exceeded by her sorrow and -her vengeance; and her opportunity was not slow in coming, being -called to the succession of her father's throne, when Faruch-Zad urged -his suit with obtrusive audacity. Policy forced her to smile on the -man she hated, while her armies were engaged in the fateful struggle -against the now all-conquering hordes of overflowing Islam. Impatient -of delay and tortured by uncertainty, the satrap of Khorassan resolved -to take by force what was denied him by favor. But the queen's -friends learned of the plot; Faruch-Zad's followers were overpowered -at the portal of the palace, and he was arraigned as a traitor before -the one whose hatred for him could hardly be surpassed by his love for -her. Arzemia blessed the gods for the chance thus afforded her to -avenge the murder of Shahrbaraz. She apostrophized the culprit with -bitter contumely, and had him executed under most cruel circumstances. - -Faruch-Zad was not dead an hour when tidings from the battlefield -spread consternation in the court. The golden lances, long held to be -invincible, sustained a crushing defeat at the hands of Islam's -votaries, and among the slain was Mahmud, the intelligent elephant, -who bled to death through a wound struck at the extremity of his -trunk. Mahmud's fall was generally accepted as prophetic of worse -things to follow, and Arzemia, seeing her empire crumbling, turned to -the Magi for an ungarbled version of her horoscope which was kept for -reference in the royal archives. With fatalistic resignation the -youthful queen listened to the dark prophecies associated with her -birth, and insisted on having her father's dream read to her, it -having been kept on record with the documents of her nativity. Deeply -impressed by the fearful purport of her sire's vision on the night of -her coming into this world, and remembering its ghastly realization in -subsequent developments, Arzemia exclaimed resignedly, "It is -_Ahura-Mazda's_ immutable decree that Iran's ancient glories fade with -me at whose birth the god-stars frowned. Were it not better for -Arzemia not to have been born?" - -The queen had hardly uttered these words when an ominous noise in the -royal courtyard caused her armed guard to rush toward the entrance of -the palace. Here they were met by a desperate band of conspirators led -by a relative of Faruch-Zad. The encounter was short and decisive. -Arzemia fell into the hands of the avenger of the dead satrap, was -tortured with refined cruelty, and put to death ignominiously. - -Thus perished the noblest and most virtuous sovereign lady of one of -the greatest empires which succumbed to the sword of Islam. - - - - -THE STUDENT OF TIMBUCTU. - - -At the close of the year 1578 the slave-markets of Mauritania were -glutted to their uttermost, and for once the price of a male slave was -less than that of a donkey. This overstock of human ware was due to -the thousands of prisoners who had survived the fateful battle fought -in the neighborhood of Al-Kesar Kebir, on the banks of the Elmahassen, -between the invading army of Dom Sebastian, the youthful, overbearing -monarch of Lusitania, and the host of Muley Abd-al-Melek, the -formidable Emir-al-Mumemin, the Commander of the true believers, the -_Seedna_ or lord of the Moorish Empire.[10] - - [10] This battle and the fate of Dom Sebastian as narrated in - this tradition agrees with historical fact. - -The Moslem's cruelty to his Christian slaves rose in proportion to -the latter's decline as marketable articles, and fanaticism revelled -in the daily spectacle of crusaders doomed to immurement, because of -their refusing to embrace Islam by uttering the _Fatha_. The irony of -the historic whirligig showed itself in the fact that the Catholic -Auto-da-fč had its counterpart in the frightful doom of a king and an -army led by the flower of his nobility, who, barely a hundred miles -from the coast of their kingdom, had to choose between apostasy or -being immured alive for the edification of the vengeful Moor. The -wretches were compelled to prepare their own graves, usually cells in -the city's wall, one Christian bricking up his fellow only to be in -turn entombed alive himself. - -A melancholy distinction was reserved for the royal zealot, Dom -Sebastian, who had encountered crushing defeat and humiliation. With -less than half of his smitten chivalry and valiant soldiers he saw -himself in the power of an inexorable foe, himself wounded and in -chains pining in the vile dungeon of Mequinez, one of the Sultan's -capitals, the others being Fez and Morocco. After the obsequies of the -unmourned _Seedna_, who had died on the field of battle, his son and -successor, having been proclaimed Sultan, and crowned in the holy -shrine of Mulai Edris at Fez, proposed to celebrate his coronation by -the entombment alive of the Christian king who had invaded his -father's empire, notwithstanding the warning of the late _Shereef_ -that the unjust inroad would surely land the aggressors in ruin. His -Majesty furthermore remembered the treacherous proceeding of -Sebastian, who, at the end of the decisive battle, had caused a white -flag to be displayed, but had broken the truce by throwing himself -with fifty of his knights into the thick of the Moorish ranks, causing -slaughter and consternation, and resulting in the death of the late -Sultan. - -But the strongest motive of the young _Shereef's_ dire vengeance was -the unaccountable loss of his sire's priceless crown, which Muley -Abd-al-Melek was in the habit of carrying with him whithersoever he -went, wearing it on solemn occasions. Muley had worn the crown upon -his head while the great battle was being fought, after which that -invaluable symbol of imperial grandeur was not to be found. The crown -was an heirloom traced back to the great Caliphat of Omar, whose -victorious general Saad had acquired it with the enormous treasures of -the Chosroes. It was worn by Chosroes Nushirvan in the throne-hall of -his grand palace in Madayn, the capital of ancient Persia, and its -incalculable value had been further enhanced by a rare jewel which the -Emperor Heraclius had sent Omar as a present. - -Such were the cumulative incentives to one of the most cruel -executions devised by human atrocity. And the tortures also inflicted -by order of the new _Seedna_ on his most loyal attendants, such as the -_Mul-el-Ma_, who satisfies His Majesty's thirst when in camp from a -gazelle-skin; the _Mul Attai_, who prepares the royal tea and serves -it; and the most important _Mul M'dul_, the keeper and holder of the -_Shereef's_ red umbrella, left the mystery unsolved. - -The inhabitants of Mequinez, who since times immemorial furnished the -bulk of the Emperor's most devoted servitors, tingled with -excitement, and the entire population turned out to witness the burial -of a live Christian monarch. From the portal of the imperial mosque -issued a train of chosen notables, long-bearded _Kadis_ robed in white -flowing raiments, wearing white turbans, red sandals, the _delill_ or -prayer book suspended from the belt by a cord of silk; _talebs_, the -doctors of law; _emins_, the ministers of the mosque; _adools_, the -public notaries; and a train of _fukies_, the all-moving luminaries at -whose feet the rising generation of the faithful drink in truth and -wisdom. They were joined at the city's gate by another cortege, -grotesque and dismal enough to match the gruesome processions of the -Inquisition. This was made up of happy juveniles, who struck tom-toms, -rent the air with the blare of infernal horns, and accompanied the -music with ludicrous grimaces and comical dances, to the great delight -of a sympathetic crowd, who swelled the chorus to the pitch of mad -vociferation. A hideous negro, broad-shouldered, tall and massive, his -frame clothed tightly in black, his eyes blinking dismally from -circles of red, with a pointed hat to add several feet to his unusual -height, impersonated Azrael the angel of death. Behind this caricature -came a donkey whereon was seated the woeful representative of outraged -Christian royalty, bare-headed, dressed in a black _jellab_, holding -in his right hand a human skull,--a picture of terror and anguish. -This was Dom Sebastian, riding to his sepulchre, on his right Monkir, -to his left Nakir,--the demons of livid hue, who wake the dead to -question him about his faith, and beat him with clubs if unable to -stand the examination. The rear of this group was occupied by Eblis, -grotesquely attired in red and armed with the implements of hellish -torture. A throng of naked, filthy saints ran along howling and -spitting at the whilom majesty of Portugal, relegating his soul to the -deepest pit, and praying Allah to show no mercy to the Christian dog. -Having passed out of the city's gate, the procession advanced along a -tortuous road, winding among well-fostered gardens, protected by an -outer and much lower wall, toward the spot where a cell about six -feet high, but barely wide enough to enclose a human body, stood open -in the main wall for the death by suffocation and for the dreamless -rest of the fallen king. Too weak to dismount unassisted, Sebastian -was rudely handled by Monkir and Nakir, who raised him from his seat, -lifted him to the level of the cell, and pushed him inside, turning -him with a twist so that the fanatic spectators had a full view of his -face. Three wooden bars held the victim against the dead wall. - -All eyes were now turned in the direction of the mosque, whence the -signal for the closing up of the king's grave was to be given by the -firing of a gun and the hoisting of a flag. The ghastly ceremony was -so timed that the bricking up of the living tomb coincided with the -hour of prayer, so that the boom of cannon and the appearance of the -flag streaming to the breeze, was answered by a score of muezzins from -the tops of their minarets, who called; "_Allah akbar, Allah -akbar_,--God is great, and Mohammed is his Prophet!" The multitude -fell prostrate in the dust, sending the _fatha_ eastward to Mecca: -"Praise be to God, the Lord of all creatures, the most merciful, the -King of the Day of Judgment! Thee do we worship, and of Thee do we beg -assistance. Direct us in the right way, in the way of those to whom -Thou hast been gracious, not of those against whom thou art incensed, -nor of those who go astray." - -The echoes of the _Sulhama_ having expired in the air, the faithful -rose from their posture of adoration, and the supreme Kadi of the land -read this decree: "Hear me, ye worshippers of the true God! The -Christian there had planned the downfall of our nation and the -uprooting of Islam; but Allah willed it otherwise, decreeing that we -deal with him as he meant to deal with us. Our late Seedna--may Allah -grant him the joys of paradise--died in his coat of mail, combating -that infidel dog, who came as a foe and acted as a traitor, dishonoring -his flag. Therefore did our Emir-al-Mumemin decree that he perish -ignominiously, like the other slaves who would not recite the _fatha_. -May Allah wither the right hand of our Seedna's enemies.--There is no -God but God, and Mohammed is his Prophet!"--Slowly bricks and mortar -closed up the open side of the upright tomb. One hour later there was -no cell to be seen, but a plain wall hiding a monarch quickly choking -to death, while the barbarians returned jubilant to the city. - -Under the rule of Muley Zidan, a firman, bearing the Grand Vizier's -signature, was placarded in every mosque of his domain, promising him -who should be instrumental in restoring the lost crown to the ruling -dynasty not alone high honors, but the option of leading home as wife -any maiden of the empire, from the daughter of the first Sultana down -to any damsel within the confines of Mauritania, and the assurance was -given that there would be no inquiry as to how the lucky finder had -come into possession of the imperial diadem. - -As time lent distance to the disastrous crusade and its tragic -sequels, a spontaneous crop of tales and legends transferred the -former memorable event into the realm of romance. Down to this day the -rustic folk of Lusitania look forward to the return of Dom Sebastian, -whom they believe to dwell among the Moors in the somnolent state of -Barbarossa, while among the tribes of Western Barbary it is popularly -current that, owing to unknown causes, the great battle is -periodically fought over, always at new moon, the phantom armies -engaging each other on the banks of the Elmahassen, and the combat -winding up with the historic rout of the crusaders. - -Indeed the foolhardy invasion would read like the myth of the -Argonauts, had the outcome turned out less crushing to the -adventurers. For a youthful king, in the twenties, and of limited -resources, to embark on a career of conquest remote from his base of -supply, the coveted prize being a warlike empire much larger than the -kingdoms of Spain and Portugal combined, an empire which Christendom -learned to fear, is so daring an adventure that, but for its -unquestioned reality, it could pass as a bit of chivalrous fiction. -And the circumstances under which the last encounter took place, the -death of the Sultan, the loss of the crown, and the terrible fate of -the prisoners, tend much to invest the event with a halo of the mystic -and the ghostly. - -However, the legendary evolution of that desperate struggle near -Al-Kesar Kebir may be traced back to the adventures of a student from -Timbuctu, who arrived at Fez at the beginning of the sixteenth -century. That was the time when the Fazzi had good cause to boast of -cherishing one of the greatest centres of learning in the world. From -the valley of the Nile, from the banks of the Congo and the Niger, -from populous Europe, darkest Africa, and farthest Asia, the youth of -the opulent without distinction of creed and race flocked to the halls -of the Kairouin to cull the honey dropping from the lips of -inspiration, especially the dimly revealed arcana that teach how to -read the signs of the stars. - -The Kairouin was then, and is in diminished lustre now, four -institutions in one,--the highest school, the largest mosque, the -greatest library, and the most hospitable caravansary in the vast -regions traversed by the Atlas Mountains. Within the precincts of the -Kairouin hundreds of poor students found then not only free shelter -and tuition but also food and garments, the cost being defrayed from -the ample bequest of the philanthropic Fatma, the original -benefactress of that curious university. It embraced a miniature world -of the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, the faithful -and the infidel, the good and the bad; was the home of every Moslem -who had none other; and, among its many good things, was distinguished -for an atmosphere of tolerance, peace and cordiality. Even to-day the -president of the Kairouin, the _Mokaddun_, whose office is hereditary, -treats all as equals, the prince and the beggar having the same right, -and that is to take life easy,--very easy. Instances of nervousness -from overwork have never been heard of in the Kairouin. Once -matriculated, the student is not expected to pass examinations, and is -a privileged character, his presence in the city being a source of -revenue to its inhabitants. For it should be remembered that among -those who come to the Kairouin in quest of wisdom are the sons of the -wealthiest _sheykhs_, nobles, and merchants from all the habitable -lands which skirt the sands of the Sahara, young lords wrapped in soft -silks, bestriding Arabian steeds magnificently caparisoned, followed -by retinues of slaves to cater to their physical wants, and harems to -beguile their ennui. Nor is, in the chase of romantic diversion, the -beautiful Fazzi neglected; the people being inclined to connive at the -trivial transgressions of the future pillars of Moslem scholarship. -Thrifty parents know how and when to be absent when the young lords -from Insala, Nubia, Tunis, Tripoli, Egypt, Taradunt, or Timbuctu are -sure to mark their transit through apartments of supposed inviolable -privacy by a trail of gold-sand. Such are the traditions of the -Kairouin, realized down to this day. - -But the student of Timbuctu with whom this tale is concerned was in -every way an exception. He disdained luxury, spurned the delights of -the harem, consorted with nobody, had but one aged slave to wait on -him, dwelt in a tent on a rock in the outskirts of the city, and spent -his days among the piles of old books and manuscripts treasured on the -shelves of the Kairouin's subterranean library. In the bazaars he was -known for years as the student who paid for his purchases in silver -or in gold, without ever waiting for the change. He was not handsome. -His most remarkable feature was a face strikingly reminding one of the -owl's, with orange eyeballs which glowed like living topaz stones. He -wore an expression which, once caught, haunted one like an apparition. -His white-haired attendant was dumb and moved like an automaton of -bronze, leaving one in doubt as to whether he was really a creature of -flesh and blood. All that was known about that strange student was -that he had come with the great caravan from Timbuctu, that his name -was Omeyya, and that he devoted his whole time to researches in works -of the occult sciences, such, for instance, as alchemy and astrology, -supplementing his inquiries with practical experiments, assisted by -his automatic attendant. His was a personality whom the Fazzi liked -much less than they feared. Omeyya was left severely alone, but this -was just the condition which seemed to suit him. His unique appearance -and singular individuality had their origin in his exceptionally -romantic birth, and in a career even stranger than his beginning. He -grew up as the adopted child of the renowned sibyl Kadijah, whose -abode was a cavern near Timbuctu, and who was more shunned than sought -by the people of her quarter. To the simple folk Kadijah was known as -the "owl-witch,"--rarely met, and then usually during the dusky hour -before and after sunset, still more rarely at night; ever in a hurry, -with her hair-covered arms flapping like the wings of a scared -ostrich. She was in very truth like a hairy owl; weazen-faced, the -extremities of her body resembling claws while her face bore every -resemblance to that of the owl, orange eyeballs and a nose so pointed, -hooked, and beak-like that it partly covered the thin curl of her -upper lip. Only in extreme cases of distress did the people of -Timbuctu resort to her for help, and her manner of meeting emergencies -inspired them with awe. Her most potent specific was the likeness of a -long-necked, heron-like bird, crudely drawn with charcoal on a bit of -leather, and hung on the breast of the afflicted patient. The cure was -assured. - -In Kadijah's sombre abode Omeyya came to his consciousness of life, -nursed with motherly solicitude, and was later initiated into the -secrets of her dark arts. One day, the boy having risen to mature -youth, the owl-witch startled him by offering to inform him as to the -mystery of his life. - -"Thou knowest not who thou art, my son, and my approaching end -requires me to let nothing stand between thee and the truth concerning -thy legitimate parents. In this place Naďma, the daughter of Moadh, -then recognized the strongest arm of Timbuctu, gave thee birth. Thy -father's name was Abu Sofian, the heir of Abu Thaleb, whom Moadh had -slain in a family feud. When of age, and strong enough to avenge his -father's death, Sofian burned to run a steel through Moadh's heart, -vengeance being his only thought and prayer. From the flat roof of his -mother's home Sofian had a clear view of his foe's terraced -habitation, and thither he daily sent his imprecations, determined to -break into it at the first opportunity, and make an end of the fierce -homicide. The outbreak of a fire in the immediate neighborhood of -Moadh's house gave the daring youth his chance. Armed with a deadly -weapon, he succeeded in slipping unnoticed into the _Saalemlik_ -(reception room) of the hated man. Missing his object here, the son of -Abu Thaleb made a dash for the _Haremlik_, resolved to strike down the -head of the house in the inviolable seclusion of his wives. His rush -was checked by the appearance of a tiny, jewelled, alabaster hand, -that swept a silken curtain aside,--and there stood revealed above the -frame of a screen a Houri of charms so enchanting that the lad was not -sure that he was awake. 'Comest thou to save me from the flames? They -are out to watch the fire, and my sire commanded me to await his -return; he is a fearful man to be disobeyed,' spoke the girl in -excitement; but her voice melted Sofian's heart, and made his eyes to -swim. - -"'Fairy of the sun, disguise thy beauty in a man's _jellab_ and turban -that I may save thee, even if I die in the attempt,' replied Sofian -with great presence of mind; and the girlish figure disappeared, to -return as that of a stately youth. - -"'My name is Naďma, and if thou wilt be the light of mine eyes and -the breath of my life, I will be the dust for thy feet to tread upon,' -said the metamorphosed maiden, and, favored by the general confusion, -they gained the street unobserved. Under Sofian's roof the same day -Naďma became his wife; but Timbuctu was too small for Moadh's rage, -grief and shame, and the young lovers guarded their secret so well -that many weeks passed by before the city was in a furor at the news -of the elopement. - -"Moadh summoned his kindred to assist him in avenging the outrage; but -Sofian was not to be found napping. An armed force of his kith and kin -guarded his house day and night against an attack by surprise, while -his girl-wife was delivered to my keeping in case of defeat. There was -a siege and an assault, and, in the hand to hand struggle that ensued, -Moadh met his death at the hand of Sofian, who was in turn mortally -stabbed by one of the avengers. The youthful widow remained in my -charge, and here thou wast born, thy mother having had nobody to -return to or appeal to for protection. Sorrow, shame and remorse -caused her to shun the sight of man, so that she would never venture -out in daytime, lest someone recognize her and do her harm; for she -was hated of all her relatives. - -"She did not remain long in my keeping. In an evil hour she left her -safe refuge to bask in the morning sun, only to fall an easy prey to -the rapacity of marauding Bedouins who, having attacked and plundered -the city, lighted on her as they passed this way. My arts could not -rescue her, Omeyya, and the daughter of Moadh has changed hands many -times since,--a slave or a mistress, just as it suits her master's -fancy. This happened nineteen years ago, when thou hadst become my -charge, yea, and my comfort. - -"In my youth I was loved by a man of the black arts, and of him I -inherited the secret of Egypt's great mystery, the land of his birth. -He knew much, but not enough to escape death, the inexorable reaper, -whose approach I also now feel. To-morrow I shall be no more, and this -hollow shall be my sepulchre. Bury me as a son would his -mother.--Under that stone thou wilt find gold to sustain thee for the -length of thy days. Yet shalt thou depart hence to seek a brighter -life, greater wealth, higher station, and the happiness of love,--yea, -and thy mother,--in the famous city on the River of Pearls, provided -thou wilt act as thou art bidden. This unlighted hole, Omeyya, hides -Egypt's great mystery, which is hereafter to be in thy trust.--Take -this rod from my hand and describe in mid-air the sign of the crescent -from right to left toward the eastern wall," commanded the witch. - -Omeyya did as he was bidden. In answer the silvery crescent loomed up -on the bleak rock, with its horns gradually lengthening downward until -it completed the shape of an oval door opening to an arched space, -brilliant with dazzling light. In the heart of the vault thus revealed -there stood, perched on a block of onyx, a large heron, white as snow -from its crop down, the rest of the plumage sky-blue traversed by -lines of hieroglyphics in relief set in jewels of every hue with a -predominance of the ruby and the amethyst. The scintillant -hieroglyphics were irregularly scattered over the body of the mystic -bird, thicker along the wings and thickest around the breast and the -gracefully elongated neck; the eyes in the beautiful head were of -topaz, and the long bill of burnished gold, pointed with black -diamonds. Of a deep lapis-lazuli color was the heron's tail, spreading -to the dimensions of the peacock's and furnishing a field for -star-like configurations set in sparkling pearls, emeralds, sapphires, -beryls, chrysolites, carbuncles, sards, and a variety of the jasper -and the ligure, while the black of his legs was likewise relieved by -kabbalistic lines in rare gems. - -"By the genii of Amenti, the masters who fashioned thee in the -beginning to be the symbol and oracle of Osiris, O, Phoenix! I adjure -thee to accept this youth in my stead as thy favorite, and to answer -his call as soon as he shall decipher the emblems that move the -spirits of thy mystery," screamed the sibyl, vociferously. - -Omeyya's eyes dilated in amazement. The bird's inanimate form gave -signs of life. Ruffling his great plumes, he displayed a blaze of -variegated gems, flashing like so many brilliant stars. From his -feather train issued a haze of golden orange, changed into a flame of -carmine, which consumed the bird and left the place to its previous -dinginess. - -"Mark me well, for death is upon me!--The rod in thy hand holds the -key to the mystery thou art to unriddle in Fatma's great school, -during a period of strict abstinence from carnal pleasures. For -thirty-seven months thou shalt drink the dew of the morning, shalt -bathe at new moon in the River of Pearls, sleep within canvas-walls, -so that thy nature be untainted and thou worthy of the power the -revealed arcana insure for thee," exclaimed the sibyl, never to speak -again. With the last word her shrivelled frame fell lifeless to the -ground. - -Omeyya suspected that the rod contained something to be studied. On -examining it in full light he found the upper end, looking like a -carved handle, to be a closing stopple removable by a turn. From the -hollow of the rod he pulled forth a rolled up papyrus. The unrolling -of the document proved it to be much larger than it at first -appeared, and Omeyya looked with concentrated attention at the -life-like picture of the phoenix it represented, the shining -hieroglyphics being startlingly reproduced. Having reverently buried -his foster-mother and possessed himself of the hoard, Omeyya abandoned -the gloomy abode of his boyhood, earnestly resolved to comply most -scrupulously with the directions of the sibyl. - -When we meet Omeyya at the Kairouin of Fez he is at the close of his -probationary period, and we need not be surprised to see him one new -moon's eve on the bank of Elmahassen, rod in hand, ready to test the -occult science acquired during years of assiduous application. - -It is a cloudy night, and Omeyya strains his eyes to catch a glimpse -of the tiny crescent. "Spirit of Kadijah, assist me," prayed Omeyya, -and his rod described an imaginary crescent in face of the real one, -now gleaming through a fleecy cloud. Like the flash of a search-light, -there broke forth a radiance in the crown of a cedar-tree, focussing -upon a nest upon which sat the shining phoenix. - -"Bird of Osiris,--worship of Heliopolis! if I am as worthy of thy -masters' favor as I have been successful in fathoming the mystic lore -which commands thy presence, then let me see the encounter of those -armies which years and years ago fought their last battle in this -valley, so that I may learn what has become of Abd-al-Melek's crown," -spoke the student of Timbuctu, circumscribing the area by a sweep of -his rod. - -A prolonged scream was the bird's response, and its thousandfold echo -a rumbling and stamping, a tramping and clattering, like that of heavy -cavalry and artillery, followed by muffled hurrahs, and the neighing -of horses. In the hazy twilight of the new-born moon Omeyya surveyed -from a convenient elevation the inrushing of column after column, on -horse, on foot, accompanied by trains of ammunition. It was a foreign -army in the act of occupying strategic points. Wild cheers rent the -air at the sight of a royal train that emerged from the distance, a -youthful king at the head of a compact force of mounted cavaliers -armed to the teeth. No sooner had the kingly commander surveyed the -ground than he ordered a bridge of boats to be thrown across the -river. The bulk of the army formed into two divisions, one fortifying -the position occupied while the other hurried across the water to do -likewise on the other side. It was a scene of feverish activity. - -During the precipitous preparations in this part of the valley, a -Moslem host burst forth from the shades of the groves, gardens and -thickets up and down the stream, bore up with the speed of the wind, -deployed into frowning lines of battle--having caused a force of -horsemen to ford the stream--and faced the foe on both sides of the -water. Surrounded by a formidable bodyguard, appeared the Commander of -the true faithful, whose pavilion was pitched at the foot of the hill -on which Omeyya stood, in the midst of the minor pavilions of His -Majesty's ministers. The soul of Moslem inspiration was the Shereef -Abd-al-Melek, mounted on a white horse, his crown showing him to be -the imperial centre of force. At a motion of his hand the Court's Emin -gave the signal for battle by the cry: "_La illaha il Allah!_" But -before the echoes answered the call, a dashing body of Portuguese -cavalry broke into the advance lines of the Moors, and the fierce -onslaught was backed up by a discharge of artillery, which mowed down -great numbers of the true believers. - -"Hamdillah!--Destroy the enemy of the faithful!" thundered the Sultan, -and the rush of his host was like the roar of the forest swept by the -storm. Outnumbered three to one, Dom Sebastian's lines were broken -into upon every side. Yet the brave Christians not only held their -ground, but threw their entire phalanx of foot soldiery against the -enemy's left wing with such an impetus as drove it back toward the -royal pavilion, spreading consternation and confusion. Abd-al-Melek, -who had watched the action with intense concern, on seeing his forces -hurled backward raved like a madman, smote with his scimitar whoever -came within its reach, cursed his men, and wound up by tearing the -crown from his head and flinging it into the tide of the river. For a -moment the issue was doubtful, but the Christians fell as grass -struck by the scythe. Presently a white flag was raised in Sebastian's -quarter, which induced the Moors to slacken their fury, when the -desperate king dashed against their ranks with as many of his knights -as were yet alive. The enraged Moslems made short work of the king's -devoted band, slaughtered as traitors, and the victory was proclaimed -by the Emin from a pile built of Christian heads. From this unique -minaret the _Sulhama_ stirred the echoes of the valley: "_Allah akbar! -Allah akbar!_" Prostrate on their faces the host offered up prayer; -all except the _Shereef_, whose head sank until the chin touched his -breast, and when assistance came it was too late. Abd-al-Melek was -dead; and dead night ruled, the phantom hosts dissolving as they had -come. Omeyya's heart throbbed in hope and suspense. What will day -reveal to him in the river's tide? - -Early dawn found the student on the spot he had held during the -eventful night. "_Bismillah! Arrahmani! Arrahimi!_" exclaimed Omeyya, -blessing the "all-merciful God" for his wonderful success. For in the -slime of the bed, about four feet under the surface of the eddying -current, his eye distinctly discerned the precious object. In a moment -Omeyya plunged into the water and emerged therefrom with the tiara of -Abd-al-Melek. The achievement was dazzling enough to turn a young -head, but Omeyya had passed through a probation which left him in full -control of his passions. - -Although successful beyond his most sanguine expectations, Omeyya -returned to Fez in a mood of profound sadness, having nobody on earth -to share with him the golden anticipations inseparable from the -treasure in his trust, and the incalculable possibilities latent in -the potency of his magic rod. Though sobered by the earnest researches -of years, Omeyya's thoughts involuntarily reverted to the prize to -which his find entitled him. He had a claim on the _Seedna's_ own -daughter, but it behooved him to ascertain whether the first maiden of -the empire was a covetable acquisition; secondly, whether, considering -the _Shereef's_ chronic inclination to silence annoying pretenders by -putting them out of the way, it were prudent to proceed without -adequate safeguards. - -Full of golden reveries, the youthful wizard drifted the following day -into the enclosed bazaar where the Fazzi, after the yearly arrival of -the _Akabah_, or the great caravan from Timbuctu, gathered to take a -look at the exhibited wares of fair human flesh. It was the -slave-dealer's paradise. The square market-place had but one gate and -embraced many concerns within its confines, but the chief business was -the disposition of slaves by auction or by private bargain. Under a -roof of rough boards supported by rude posts, men, women and children -were being stripped of their clothing and examined like -cattle,--teeth, eyes, mouth, nostrils, chest, arms and legs. The -agility of the slaves was tested by a free application of the whip, -making them jump high, and their strength by the lifting of heavy -weights. Handsome females were treated with more consideration. Bids -were made, accepted, or declined. The most of the human chattels were -black, and dressed to set off their forms to advantage. - -Among the few whites there was a woman for whom the owner asked a -fabulous price, and scornfully rejected a bid of twenty-five -doubloons, although that was the highest amount that had ever been -offered for a slave above thirty years of age. She was not on open -exhibition like the others who shared her fate, but screened by a -canvas stretched before her in a corner, behind which the prospective -purchaser was allowed to make his examination. The one who had last -availed himself of this privilege and had just come out from behind -the partition, was a negroid Moslem, whose green caftan of silk -bespoke his descent from the Prophet, while the soft rich folds of his -satin shawl gracefully wound around his upper frame, like his -capacious girth, suggested the enjoyment of an ample revenue, with -little work and less worry. He was likewise a student at the Kairouin, -but his researches were entirely confined to the mystery centred in -woman, and the bags of gold-sand he had brought along from Tafilet -enabled him to pursue his ardent work with much assiduity. - -"What is the age of thy gazelle?" inquired the lineal descendant of -Mohammed. - -"It is a gazelle from Jannat al Ferdaws, who are ever young and sweet, -like the blossoms of the Tuba-tree," replied the slave-dealer volubly. - -"If she were a virgin thy comparison would pass, but she has been -somebody's love, and must have seen at least thirty Ramazans," -observed the holy connoisseur of the fair sex. - -"She will see thirty more years and yet be more beautiful than one of -twenty. She is worth her weight in gold," asserted the slave-dealer. - -"Will a pound of gold-sand buy her?" asked the scion of the Prophet. - -"One hundred doubloons will take Naďma," cried the master of the -slave. - -"Naďma!" echoed a voice nearby. "Naďma--is that thy slave's name?" -asked Omeyya eagerly, who had been a witness of the progressing -transaction. - -"That is her name, Cid, as sweet as herself," returned the cunning -dealer. - -"I will pay the price if thou canst satisfy me as to her place of -birth, her pedigree, and her antecedents," promised Omeyya without -hesitation. - -"What thou askest of me I cannot do. We buy and exchange slaves as we -trade in other things, never bothering our heads as to whence they -come, or who they are. What matters it? I traded for Naďma in Tenduf; -she might have come thither from Timbuctu by Tandeng, an oasis in the -desert, rich in salt, and fertilized by wholesome springs," said the -merchant hypothetically. - -"She is mine; let the _taleb_ write out the legal transfer," said -Omeyya, without so much as a look at the object of his purchase. A -murmur of surprise passed around among the onlookers. The saint of the -green caftan departed in disgust. In a few minutes the document was -produced and signed, the price paid, and Omeyya, trembling all over, -led off the slave, whom he felt must be his mother. Brought to his -tent, he caused her to remove her _kaik_ or face cover, made her sit -on a pillow, threw himself on his knees before her, looked into her -beautiful countenance, then kissed her hands and spoke: "Let thy -first answer to my first question be plain and brief.--If thy father's -name was Moadh of Timbuctu; if thy husband was Sofian the son of Abu -Thaleb of the same city; if thy friend was the owl-witch Kadijah; if a -child was born to thee in her cave and his name was Omeyya,--then -speak the word that I may praise Allah's great mercy." - -"What spirit imparted to thee the tale of my woe, master?" cried the -woman, in a thrilling tone; "thou must be a descendant of the -all-knowing Prophet!" - -"No! Is it not enough that I am thy child?" answered Omeyya, with an -outburst of tears; and there was a pathetic moment beyond the reach of -words. - -It is again new-moon. Naďma is mistress of an elegant home, is waited -on by slaves, moves among hangings of silk, on the softest of Moorish -rugs; her eyelids are painted with kohl, her finger nails with henna; -her harem opens on a courtyard pervaded by the odoriferous scent of -the mandragora and the blossom of the orange, cooled by the splash -and play of fountains, and animated by storks, who are sacred birds -in Morocco as elsewhere. Mother and son have by this time unbosomed -themselves to each other, and both are confident that the culmination -of things will be equal to their expectations. - -Once more Omeyya is alone in the dead of voiceless night, under -cloud-obscured stars. He has been waiting since before the sun had -withdrawn his last beam from the picturesque panorama afforded by the -sight of the Western Mecca and its wreath of groves and gardens, -spreading on the slopes of the valley through which flows the -Wad-el-Jubar. Omeyya stood on the height crowned by Mulai Ismael's -bastion, whence the view of Fez is as perfect as that of the palace -grounds. As night closed over the city and the green tops of Mulai -Edris--the famous mosque, striking because of its all-overtopping -golden globe,--faded in deepening twilight, Omeyya heard the -nightingale at her best, and his soul was well attuned for the amorous -cadence. Now the crescent soared in relief on heaven's mystic -tapestry, but a later hour was to evolve the vision of Egypt's -mystery. At the right moment the potency of Omeyya's rod raised up the -bird. Over court and palace broke a white radiance, and in its core -hung the heron on wing in mid-heaven. - - [Illustration: "There sprung, like Iris from the clouds, a smiling - Hebe." - Page 323.] - -"Bird of Osiris, worship of Heliopolis! by the invisible masters who -fashioned thee I demand to let me behold her whom destiny has decreed -to be my consort." - -Omeyya was frightened on seeing the phoenix fade, as if offended by -his command; but in its stead there sprung, like Iris from the clouds, -a smiling Hebe; back of her rose in imperial majesty Muley Zidan and -his foremost Sultana.--"_Hamdillah!_" cried Omeyya, falling on his -face to praise Allah "the most merciful, the King of the Day of -Judgment!" When he rose there were the stars above him and the silvery -crescent, while the valley of the River of Pearls rang with the trill -of a thousand nightingales. - -The next morning the streets of Fez were filled with the cries of the -Sultan's heralds, calling on him, who was entitled to the great prize, -to come forth and obtain it.--"Bring the crown and obtain thy -reward!" was the cry heard in street and bazaar, no one knowing what -it meant. - -But Omeyya suspected that something had happened in the palace, and he -felt that his triumph was assured. What he learned later was this. -That same night the _Shereef_, the _Shereefa_, and their daughter -Rehamina, had a vision which they imparted to each other the following -morning. They had all seen the same thing, and the coincidence could -only be explained in one way. Abd-al-Melek's crown had been found. The -Sultan's criers were sent out to assure the happy finder of his prize. -Thus doubly reassured, Omeyya presented himself before the -Emir-al-Mumemin who, it need hardly be told, was greatly impressed by -the student's tale. - -"What thou hast seen, son, is not the phoenix of Osiris, but the image -of Allah's dazzling cock, who each morning chants to delight the ear -of the true God, when all the fowls of his kind join in his melodious -praise. By no less a miracle than the help of the bird, whom our -Prophet saw in the skies, could the crown of Abd-al-Melek be -restored," concluded the Seedna, piously. - -In the presence of the great _Divan_, Omeyya produced the crown; and -here in the throne-hall his betrothal to Rehamina was solemnly -confirmed. In due time there was a royal wedding, after which Muley -Zidan found Omeyya not only to be worthy of his lovely daughter, but -of his highest esteem and fullest confidence as the wisest counselor -in his _Divan_. - - - - -A NIGHT BY THE DEAD SEA. - - -Othman Ibn Saad was for many years a name for which that of _Eblis_ -was substituted because of his dare-devil exploits in highway robbery, -which prompted the Ottoman Government to set a price on his head. The -chief of Kerak was especially interested in Othman's capture, offering -to double the reward, but no claimant appeared on the scene; while -every week added new outrages to the long list of the brigand's -incredible perpetrations. Again and again had the armed men been on -the track of the dreaded _Eblis_ only to discover too late, after a -hot but fruitless chase, that the object of their hunt had posed the -while as their informer, guide, or delightful boon-companion, filling -their ears with tales of the blood-curdling atrocities of the robber. - -Othman had the means of personating Greek, Turk, Jew, Armenian,--any -officer, dervish, saint, beggar, foreign gentleman--yes, or woman; and -even resorted to the guise of the devil, wherefore his sobriquet of -_Eblis_. It was the study of his life, and he plied his trade with -surprising dexterity and hardihood. Tall, wiry, of tawny complexion, -flashing eye, an iron grip, black hair, short beard, easy manner, and -ostentatiously scrupulous in matters appertaining to the mosque, it -never occurred to those who had met him in friendly intercourse, that -his hands reeked with the blood of murder committed with the least -possible compunction. - -What puzzled the authorities was the contradictory descriptions given -of the bandit by such as had the good fortune, having met with him, to -escape his murderous rapacity; and as well the unaccountable -coincidence of his having shed blood at two distant spots at the same -hour. This was a point in favor of the popular conclusion that the -terrible highwayman was an incarnation of the devil, who held court -in some dismal recess on the shores of the Dead Sea, a fit abode for -the dark designs of Satan. The inference was further strengthened by -the fact that Othman's crimes were invariably associated with the -gloomiest nights in the valley of the Jordan, that he dealt with -Moslem and infidel alike without a shade of partiality, and treated -his victims with fiendish malice. - -The pseudo _Eblis_, however, in reality rejoiced in the comforts of a -snug home in the Plain of Engedi, where a small hamlet finds -sustenance in the scanty vegetation of the cheerless oasis, hemmed in -by the bleakest of wildernesses made up of mountains which look as -though they have passed through fire,--of pestiferous marshes, rugged -cliffs, deep gorges, a rocky beach, or little vales covered with -saline incrustations, all forming the frame to the most depressed and -deadest of seas on the face of the earth. The region is sufficiently -bleak, miasmatic and impregnated with sulphur to have suggested to -Milton his infernal "sights of woe, regions of sorrow, doleful -shades, where peace and rest can never dwell, hope never comes that -comes to all." - -Othman's plain habitation was kept neat by a devoted wife, and -enlivened by an affectionate son, Yezed, a boy in the early twenties, -who fed on the Koran's revelations imparted to him, with traditional -embellishments, by the _muezzin_ of the small mosque, the only public -building of the settlement. With an eye to business, Othman had -established his headquarters here, but extended his operations as far -as his fleet horse could carry him during the darker hours, on -pathways known to him alone. - -A cultivated patch of grain and vegetables, a cow, a few sheep and a -couple of asses, were supposed to supply the necessaries of Othman's -household. There was little about the robber's life to stir the envy -of his neighbors, except this fiery steed _El Barak_, so named in -allusion to the lightning speed of the Prophet's horse that carried -him from heaven to heaven, up to the throne of Allah. El Barak was a -lamb in the hands of his master or Yezed, but a terror to strangers -whose approaches the brute resented with a ferocious fury. That the -horse had been taught to dash against people and trample them down -nobody suspected. - -Othman was the most pleasant of neighbors, bothered himself about -nobody's business, and was counted among the most harmless of the -villagers, deriving a small revenue from his ability to act as guide -to such as were curious to explore the mysteries of the desolation -around the Dead Sea. This was the plausible reason for the keeping of -El Barak. - -But the time had arrived when the secret could no longer be withheld -from Yezed. The son had to be familiarized with his father's business, -and the mettle of the lad had to undergo a test. Was he worthy of his -sire? Yezed knew whole surahs of the Koran by heart, and delighted his -mother's ear with their recitation. The youth was a dreamer, the -muezzin having stocked his memory with the most fabulous of Islam's -traditions. Othman did not like his son's visionary spirit, but there -was hope in Yezed's great fondness for horses and his expressed wish -to own one of El Barak's temper. His wish was gratified. A powerful -courser was Yezed's pleasant surprise on his twenty-first birthday, -and the Arabs of Engedi began to suspect that Othman was a much richer -man than he appeared. In a few weeks Yezed bestrode his horse like the -experienced horseman he in fact already was, and was asked by his -father to accompany him to a place he intended to visit the coming -evening. A dervish had passed through the village during the day and -had casually told the people that a party of foreigners would pass -some miles south of Engedi, their object being to see Jebel Usdum, a -towering ridge of rock-salt extending many miles, its crystalline -crest sparkling like diamonds in the beam of tropical sunshine, and -looking fantastically weird in the face of the moon. Othman was alert -to the opportunity, and the departing sun threw its mellow ray on two -riders, who had just issued from Engedi. They soon left the fertile -stretch behind them and advanced between the lifeless tide of the -melancholy sea on one side and the barren, dreary range of cliffs on -the other. - -The ebbing daylight gave the sterile outlook an air of inexpressible -gloom, a leaden haze having gathered on the sea which looked more like -a vast basin of stagnant oil than water with not a stir of life to -break the deadly silence except the hoof-beat of the horses. Othman, -who thus far had not uttered a word, suddenly stopped his horse, threw -a side glance at Yezed who likewise drew in his reins, so that the -horsemen faced each other. Yezed's imagination had been enkindled by -the sight of the sinking orb; he thought of the unfading glories of -_Jannat al Naďm_, the Prophet's Garden of Delight. - -"Yezed, I am thinking that thou hast passed thy twenty-first year and -art as helpless as a child; thou hast no ambition, not a wish to fire -thee to a manly deed. If I died this coming night what would become of -thee and thy mother?" began Othman, eying the unsophisticated youth -sharply. - -"Yezed wished to own a horse, his father made him happy,--what else -shall Yezed wish? If one is happy he has no wish. Thou die to-night? -Why should it come to pass? But even while thou art alive Yezed is -willing to work for his mother and his father, who should live for -pleasure and for prayer," answered the son contentedly. - -"Ah, Yezed knows too little of this world, has no desire to be rich -and strong, that is why he has no other wish. What joy is it to spend -one's days in such a waste as this?" cried Othman, disappointed at his -son's indifference to things for which he had no use. "Does not this -region look like a place good for the dead?" - -"Yes, good to remind the wicked of their doom and the just of their -reward. What of that? Are we not happy even in this unfriendly valley? -Not where we live but _how_--is not this the sum of Islam? The joys of -mortal flesh what are they when put in contrast with felicities not to -be expressed in words?" asked Yezed. - -"If Allah meant us not to enjoy this world, why are there so many good -things which the weak and the poor cannot have?" was Othman's -question. - -"Let Allah in his wisdom answer that; we must be content and resigned -wherever we be, whatever our lot, lest we forfeit eternal bliss," -replied Yezed piously. - -"Thou art soaring above the gate of _Jannat al Naďm_," said Othman -ironically. "Who has been there to assure us that it is more than a -fable?" - -"God has revealed the truth to Mohammed, and he to his followers, and -we have it from them; and as the sun is bright, the moon is blessed, -and the stars are the work of Allah, so is the Koran His word, and the -Prophet His messenger, and _Jannat al Naďm_ the paradise of the -faithful, and _Jehennam_ one of the seven divisions of hell wherein -the wicked curse the day of their birth," affirmed Yezed emphatically, -and stormed Othman's ear by a rhapsody on the blessedness of the -prophet's paradise. - -"Those who shall pass the bridge _al Sirat_,--a span thrown over the -midst of hell, finer than a hair and sharper than the edge of a razor, -beset on each side with briars and hooked thorns,--will, refreshed -from the cistern of Mohammed, enter the abode of bliss never to leave -it again. _Jannat al Naďm_ is under the throne of God; its earth is as -fine as wheat flour, as odoriferous as musk, and shines like saffron; -its stones are pearls and jacinths; the walls of its dwellings are of -gold, as also are the trees,--all of gold, one of which, called -_Tuba_, blooms in the palace of Mohammed, with a branch reaching to -the habitation of every true believer. _Tuba_ is full to repletion -with dates, grapes, and a great variety of other fruits of enormous -size, having the taste of anything the blessed who eat may wish to -enjoy. Silken garments, magnificent horses ready bridled and -caparisoned to ride upon, are there, bursting from the fruits of that -pregnant tree, which is so prodigious that the fleetest racer could -not pass the entire length of its shade in a hundred years. From the -roots of _Tuba_ spring all the rivers and springs of paradise,--water, -wine, milk and honey affording variety. Seventy-two immortal virgins -of ravishing loveliness and free from mortal impurities will receive -each faithful in a tent of pearls, jacinths, and emeralds; eighty -thousand servants will await his orders; each meal will be served in -dishes of gold by three hundred attendants, each one offering a -different dish, and the last morsel being as palatable as the first. -Robed in garments of silk and brocade, and crowned with diadems of -priceless jewels, the Elect will rejoice in the company of those -black-eyed paradisial maidens called houris, on couches interwoven -with golden threads standing on silken rugs and set with precious -stones. Israfil, the greatest musician of the universe, will lead a -chorus of those houris for the enravishment of the faithful, and the -trees will make their heavenly bells, of which they are full, ring in -response to a sweet breeze wafted from Allah's throne. What, then, do -all joys here below amount to?"[11] - - [11] _Cf._ the Koran (Surahs 13, 47 and 55). - -Othman's eyes were riveted on the countenance of the enthusiastic -youth, but his mien betrayed not the displeasure of his faithless -heart. What could he expect of a lad who raved of fables meant for -fools? How divulge to him the secret, which would in an instant -shatter all his air castles? And how will it impress him? - -"Answer me, son, art thou a coward?" asked the brigand, in a changed -voice. "By my troth, thou speakest like a woman, yet art thou sired by -a man who defies Eblis." - -"What Mohammed taught me and his _imams_ that I speak of, father; -Yezed is a woman's child, but no woman; nor am I a coward. Set me a -task, however hazardous, it shall be done," returned the youth, in a -tone of challenge. - -"That is my son's true self," resumed Othman, pleased with Yezed's -outburst of manly temper. "There is a task for thee to do this coming -night, and it is not one for a craven to meddle with. Son, this world -is made up of masters and of slaves; the few command, the multitudes -obey. That Yezed take rank among the masters is his father's wish; -wilt thou be guided by his advice?" - -"Whatever Othman Ibn Saad tells his Yezed to do, that he will do," -replied Yezed. - -"Will he face danger without shrinking?" was the searching question of -the father. - -"If the deed is in accord with Moslem duty," returned the son. - -"Is there any wrong in slaying those who hate us,--those we -hate,--those Mohammed hated?" continued Othman, insinuatingly. - -"No; whomever the Prophet hated no Mussulman can love. Yes, it was his -will that infidels be converted by the sword, if it must be. To shed -blood is fearful, however, except it be he whose flesh ought to be -torn by the fiends and bitten by the serpents of _al Hawiyat_, there -being no deeper place in hell. Yes, him I would this moment stab to -the heart, and cast his carcass to the dogs," cried Yezed, in a voice -which boded no good for the object of his detestation. - -"And who is _he_ thou art speaking of," inquired the father, delighted -with the anger of his righteous offspring. "He must be indeed wicked -whom Yezed hates." - -"I am speaking of him whose black deeds are matched by his black name, -Eblis, the highway murderer of men and women, ripe for Monkir's club, -and eternal perdition," asseverated Yezed, with flashing eyes and -clenched fists. - -In speechless consternation the eyes of the older rested on the -younger man. He, who had ruthlessly driven cold steel through the -heart of many a victim, felt a chill of horror run through his veins -at the deathful hatred he had thus engendered in the unsuspicious soul -of his own child. Othman twisted the head of El Barak toward the last -glow of the western heaven, looked thither for a moment, as though -lost in wonder, then, turning round all composed, said in an -undertone: "Why, Yezed, that is the very man we are to intercept this -night. A great price has been set on his head, and my information -makes it certain that we will be in a position to waylay him, if we -use our time and arms well. This is the task I referred to. Is Yezed -prepared to share his father's daring exploit?" - -"Yezed will follow whithersoever his father leads him, and face death -in the name of Allah; there is no craven blood in Othman's faithful -son," answered the youth. - -"Thou art the lion's whelp," closed Othman, and spurred his horse to -ascend a gorge which in the rainy season gives passage to a mountain -torrent down to the dead water, but which was perfectly dry now. The -path followed by El Barak with ease was narrow, steep and -neck-breaking, a yawning gulf suggesting dreadful possibilities to the -right, while to the left rose masses of blackened rock, overshadowing -the horsemen by hanging projections which threatened to fall with -terrific effect. - -After a ride of about an hour through deepening twilight, Othman -turned into a narrow break of the mountain, shot out of his saddle, -bade his horse wait, and told Yezed to do as he did. The youth obeyed -without a word, and followed his father who, nimble as a cat, began to -climb up an almost perpendicular wall to a considerable height, and -slipped into a hole scarcely big enough for an average human body to -pass through without difficulty. Once within, Othman put his head out -to encourage Yezed who, unfamiliar with the footholds so well known to -his guide, despaired of performing a feat perilous even for an acrobat -to attempt. Down came the end of a rope for Yezed to take hold of. It -was dense night when the form of the lad disappeared in the interior -of the rocky nest. - -There was already a light, and Yezed was struck with wonder at the -spacious hollow before him. High and dry and clean, it was irregular -in shape, sloping down toward a narrowing deep which startled the -imagination of the youth. Who could tell the mystery of that black pit -which seemed to breathe like the mouth of a sleeping giant? Yes, a -gentle breeze proceeded from the mountain's heart, saturated with a -something that made Yezed feel uneasy. - -Other surprises diverted Yezed's attention. What looked like a niche a -few feet above their heads, was soon reached by stepping on a loose -bowlder, and the young man's wonderment was not small to see in the -light of a lantern in his father's hand, a wardrobe of various -costumes, masks, bearded and unbearded, jack-boots, many uniforms, and -a regular armory of weapons and ammunition. That was not all. Several -leather bags were brought to light from under a tiger skin, and -Yezed's eyes dilated at the precious contents of each and all, as -Othman opened them as a surprise for his true-hearted offspring. -Costly watches, costlier jewels, rings, bracelets, necklaces, strings -of pearls, taken from murdered women; breastpins of every description, -gold and silver money, made up a treasure to feed the avarice of a -nabob. "If Yezed asks whose is all this? I will answer it is all -Yezed's," said huskily the brigand. - -He scarcely breathed the few words when a puff from the black hole put -out the light, followed by a moan, a deep sigh and a light rumbling. -Othman held his breath. Yezed heard nothing more, but his pulse -throbbed nervously. What could he say? He had portentous feelings but -no thoughts; it all seemed like a dream. - -The light was again burning. "It is all right," said Othman, -reassured, and nothing further happened to confirm his suspicion that -something had been astir in the unexplored deep. "The one who shall -attempt to get the fruit of my life must have the nerve to perish in -the attempt. Now, to business, Yezed. Here are this suit and mask for -thee, and this thy armor. My panoply is here; don't be disturbed; the -devil must match the devil. Hurry, the minutes count; the game will -not wait for us." Saying this, Othman amazed his son by transforming -himself into the blackest demon the youth had ever dreamt of in fancy. -The veritable Eblis could not look more deterring than the desperado -in his black mask with red eyes, red mouth, long, hooked nose, a -pointed beard, pointed shoes and tight leg coverings in one garment, a -coat ending in a cow's tail, black gloves which doubled the length of -his fingers, and a red spear with many points completed the equipment. - -"Thou art too slow, son, for an expedition which requires haste not -less than courage," said the robber, and actually pushed the youth -into a strange garb, adjusted his mask, and threw a belt with pistols -around his waist. "Ready!" was the signal, and Othman burst forth from -the wall like a bomb from the mouth of a gun fired from the embrasure -of a fort. Yezed would not stay behind and found it much easier to get -down than up the steep. - -Othman was now the real Eblis and his impetuosity seemed to wing El -Barak. Fear and pride spurred Yezed to keep pace with his father. It -was one of those nights when the moon is late in rising, and the -outlines of the robber as a devil astride of a fiery courser filled -his child with horror. Through night and desolation they sped onward, -the father leading, the son close behind, with not a sound to vary the -awful monotony. They had covered several miles when Othman's -experienced ear informed him that his game was near at hand. He -discerned the petrified figure of Lot's wife, a pillar of salt forty -feet high, and distinctly heard the tramp of the approaching -travellers. - -"Thy first chance, Yezed, to show thyself a hero or a dastard. Here we -leave our horses; thou wilt plant thyself in the way of the beasts; I -will strike like thunder; if it prove too much for me, stab and fire; -if I hold to, fight; if I give it up, run. I fall on them with the cry -of Eblis! Having finished them, our horses will carry us home before -the moon is out," whispered the bandit, thrilling with excitement. - -For the first time in his experience did Yezed feel the fighting lust -of his sire who was burning for the deadly encounter. If they -succeeded in capturing or slaying the scourge of the Jordan's plain, -their names would be on everybody's lips, including the Caliph of -Estamboul. A lantern in the hand of a horseman afforded a clear view -of the travelling company, made up of an armed escort of two -civilians, having between them a foreigner on horseback, accompanied -by an armed servant. With a yell that made the air shudder, Othman -fell on the group, unhorsing one and striking the other with the -ferocity of a savage brute. But the brigand was caught in a snare laid -for his ruin. It was the Chief of Kerak who had conceived the idea of -entrapping "Eblis" by spreading the rumor of the impending arrival of -a travelling company in the quarter where they had good reasons to -expect his attack. Three athletic Arabs stood by their Chief, but -Othman was not a bird to be caught and carried off. His red spear held -them at bay, but it was not possible for him to escape. He fired, was -fired at, bled from many wounds, but fought like a wounded bear, the -Arabs closing around him. "Give it to them," he cried in desperation. -In answer several shots struck the struggling group from a distance. -Three of the five fell never to rise; Othman was one of the three, -stretched lifeless by a bullet from the weapon of his Yezed. The son -had killed his father, and realizing the nature of the tragedy and the -peril of his situation, he made a rush for his horse, and vanished in -the darkness of night, with none to give him chase. - -Whither flee? In his present apparel he durst not seek his home, even -if he had better news to bring than the slaughter of his father by his -own hand. To get his clothing he must retrace his way to that -frightful hole in the rock which he had gladly left in the earlier -hour of the night. He dreaded the thought of it, but it had to be; the -problem being how to find the way thither? - -It was fortunate for Yezed that, in his precipitous flight, he had -mounted El Barak in mistake for his own horse, and the sagacious -animal carried him instinctively to the right spot, halting beneath -the entrance of the hollow to which his dead master had ascended so -often, especially after successful robberies. "Allah akbar," sighed -poor Yezed, as he got out of his saddle and prepared to reach the -black nest. There was the rope inviting him to ascend. It was a -horrible nightmare. So much had happened in a few short hours! Could -anything worse befall him? Come what might, that hollow must be -entered. He drew himself up, entered the cave, struck a light, threw -off his disguise, put on his plain garments, fell on his face and wept -bitterly. The pelf and the jewels will they revive his father who had -fallen by his hand?--The pelf and the jewels--horrid thought! It -flashed upon his mind like an inspiration.--Great Allah! Eblis--his -father was himself that terrible impersonation,--a murderer! How could -he doubt it? Did not everything point to the reality of that fact? -"Allah akbar. Yezed is the most miserable of sons," murmured the -unhappy youth. - -But hark! Yes, there was a sigh,--and another,--and a groan, and now a -hoot,--and then a howl ascending from that unfathomed black mouth of -the hollow, which stared at him like the vicious eye of a Cyclops. The -blood froze in his veins. Once more a puff of wind, as of a whiff from -a monstrous gullet, left him in rayless darkness. But more appalling -than the dense obscurity was the faint glimmer of a hazy shimmer which -stole up from the deep, a phosphorescent illumining of the sepulchral -gloom, just bright enough to make the shades visible. Terror drove -Yezed to the verge of madness. Might not at any moment some apparition -break out upon him through that animated gap? Seizing a loaded gun -near by, Yezed emptied its contents into the outlet. The instantaneous -response was a terrific burst of the mountain, which sent Yezed -wheeling through the air with fragments of rock as great as pyramids. -That he was not crushed was not so much a wonder as that he landed on -top of a mountainous pile unhurt. New events threw previous happenings -into the shade. - -By this time it took a great deal to astonish Yezed, but his position -of vantage placed under his survey a somewhat dim panorama, more -beautiful than anything he had ever hoped to see this side of _Jannat -al Naďm_. Through the shifting mists of an uncertain gloom the eye -swept over a plain of tropic luxuriance on the shore of a lake as -placid and limpid as the purest azure. As though ignited by a flash of -lightning, sprang a blaze from lamps without number, giving -distinctness to rich and noble forms of vegetation, studded here and -there by fruit-bearing trees thick with blossom, or loaded with those -Hesperian apples which rival sunshine in glow. From the shades of a -majestic grove flowed the ineffable notes of the bulbul. Fragrant -bowers stood decked with the vine's exuberant foliage and cumbered -with the clusters that produce the golden juice. Sparkling fountains -played in the light of the mystic illumination. A lofty arcade, -mocking the rainbow by a myriad multicolored lights, glowed like a -curved horizon, covering a great stretch of green meadow, and making -day for the fish, which swarmed in the transparent water. Underneath -the arcaded bow was room enough for armies to pass each other, or to -parade in military array. - -Indeed the cymbal, fife and timbrel were heard, and a vast multitude -of a strange race overflowed the entire plain, moving toward the -arcade as the centre of attraction. It was a half-naked mass of -brutified humanity, wild and salacious, the sexes intermingling with -revolting indecency. At their head strode a ferocious biped, his hair -long, straight and matted, his eyes bloodshot, his visage tattooed, -his lips dyed,--chin, teeth and cheekbones of the gorilla, and limbs -sinewy like the buffalo's. In his grasp swayed a huge club; his breast -was covered by a shield, his shins by plates of bronze, and he -remained no secret to Yezed the moment his beastly cry was heard. - -"Hear Nimrod the Huntsman speak, children of Sodom! The mighty sons of -Anak and those of the Rephaim, the sky-born, are coming to help us -build the tower yonder in defiance of Him who has drowned our sires -because of their having lived as we do, and because of their refusing -to worship Him as thralls. We shall build higher than His mountains, -and then scorn His rage. Yes, we shall climb above His clouds, laugh -at His floods, and storm His heaven. Who is He to be feared? He seized -the power, the winds and the thunderbolt, and treats beings like -Himself with cruel outrage." - -The dehumanized masses yelled, leaped, made horrid faces, distorted -their bodies, swore blasphemously, and supplemented their blasphemies -by such abominable excesses as caused Yezed to turn away his eyes in -disgust. Bestial females rivaled with one another in winning their -male brutes by intoxicating drinks, which they made them swallow in -great quantities, drinking themselves until they reeled with -inebriation. Wild dancing and lewd gesticulations were the prelude to -the indulgence of nameless vices, and this was the opening of a -Saturnalia of lust and riot. - -"The Anakim, the Rephaim, make room for the heroes!" thundered Nimrod -the Huntsman. Hereupon the Sodomites divided into two parallel lines, -leaving a road free to the triumphal arcade, which burned like a vault -of fire. Issuing from a shaded avenue, an army of hideous giants, -swollen with vanity and bristling with arms of every description, -advanced in two separate columns toward the blazing arcade where they -were to be received and regaled. Their powerful chests were shielded -by plates of bronze; so were their knees and down the shins. They wore -hides of beasts, the chief one a lion's skin. As they came in sight of -the immense vault their chief caused them to break up and pass through -a series of evolutions to the vociferous acclaim of the drunken -multitude. Nimrod was at hand to extend Sodom's welcome to the -warriors. - -"Thou mighty leader of the invincible sons of giants, who durst storm -heaven to dethrone Him who revels in outrage, we welcome thee and -thine, we, the Sodomites, who welcome none, except it be to mutilate -or slay the fools who trust our honor. For know, O chief, that in our -midst the stranger gets stones to feed his hunger, mud to quench his -thirst, and a bed to sleep on, which must fit his length; if he be too -long we cut his limbs; if he be too short we stretch them to suit our -measure. Force is our law, valor our God, plunder our business, and -license our pleasure. What He above loves we hate, and what He hates -we love. We injure the innocent, respect no woman's virtue, roast the -brute alive that He may fume and fret, who is our common foe, our -tyrant. That you might join us in the work of raising that tower to a -height far above His clouds we called you hither. Let Him send another -deluge to drown us,--we shall defy His hereafter as we did hitherto, -and make His clouds break against the top of that pile. But whatever -work be ours to do, let this hour be given to feasting and pleasure, -drinking, dancing and loving." - -What Yezed heard next was a myriad shriek of terror. As if the lake -had been a caldron of oil, its volume rose in a tremendous flame, -heaving toward the clouds, and in its conflagration the shores were -soon involved. A general upheaval of rock, brought about by an -impelling force from below, in its recoil dropped the bed of the lake -deep under its shores, creating a gulf buried in fire. Streams of the -consuming element shot up from a hundred cracks, crevices and chasms -opened by the disturbance, wiping out whatever had life and breath. -Swallowed by the fiery billows were the licentious revellers, no -vestige remaining to tell of the illumined Eden, which but a few -minutes before had been a scene of unspeakable depravity. The whole -dissolved itself into a black smoke, pregnant with deathful odors, -like the fetid exhalation that hung over the catastrophe of Sodom and -Gomorrah. Yezed alone escaped, and his trembling heart recognized -Allah's justice and mercy. On every side sulphurous damps, thick night -and the silence of death enclosed him. - -Where was he? How shall he ever get down from the towering pile upon -which he had been dropped by some mysterious power? What will there be -around him when day shall rise on the devastation? Ah,--if it all were -but a nightmare, including his father's death in the guise of the -devil? But the night seemed endless, as though day would never come -again, and the position was one of horrid suspense and miserable -discomfort. To cap the climax of Yezed's unparalleled mishaps, there -soared before him the bleeding figure of his father in the attire of -Eblis, just as he had seen him hurry to his doom. "Thy hands are -clean, O, my son! but I am doomed to swim forever in a pool of blood, -the life-stream of the hearts I pierced!" came wailing to his ears -upon the passing breeze as the apparition faded from his vision, -chilling the boy to the centre of his being. - -Yezed attempted to speak, but found his tongue paralyzed; he tried to -express himself by signs, but his arms and fingers were lame. -Gathering all his strength, he threw his frame in the direction in -which he had seen Othman depart, and he struck his head against a -stone. How did the stone come here? There had been nothing there -before. Yezed rose to his feet; there was no smoke to be seen. He -thrust out his arms sideways and struck against a wall. There was no -wall before. "Allah, great Allah, is not this the hollow where I -changed my clothing!" So it was. Why not make a light? It was made, -and, lo! there was the sequestered nest, there the armory and the -singular wardrobe, there the treasure of the dead brigand, and there -the fearful black hole which graciously hid those mysteries he had -witnessed. Yezed shook with chill. He felt that it was the dead of -night, and had overwhelming feelings to control. What remained of the -nightmare as an unescapable reality was horrible to dwell upon. Shall -he ever return to the infernal hollow again? No, never! never! Why -stay one second longer than necessary in the mouth of hell? Trembling -and shivering, Yezed crawled out of the accursed cave, lowered himself -to the ground, found the noble El Barak awaiting him patiently, threw -his arms around the neck of the faithful brute and lamented bitterly. -The horse neighed gently, as though he, too, understood his new -master's great sorrow. - -Seated in the saddle, Yezed allowed the intelligent animal to take its -own course, and was shortly before daybreak landed before his mother's -habitation. There was weeping and wailing in the widowed house. Yezed -decided to divulge the whole truth to his friendly master, the -muezzin. The holy man shuddered as he listened to his pupil's tale, -but advised secrecy, lest widow and orphan be thrown into prison as -accessories to the numerous crimes of the guilty Othman. He took great -care, however, to inform himself about the location of the interesting -cave, and was ere long in a position to turn his back upon the humble -villagers of Engedi, not without inducing the widow and her son to -follow him to a happier place. - - - - -Transcriber's Note - -Repeated half titles have been deleted. - -This book contains archaic spelling, e.g. meed meaning reward, targe -meaning shield. There are also some variations in spelling, e.g. Allah -akbar and Allah achbar both appear. Further, both American and British -spelling is used, including appearances of shriveled and shrivelled, -revelers and revellers, and marvelous and marvellous. In all cases, -these are preserved as printed. - -Minor punctuation errors have been repaired. Hyphenation has been made -consistent. - -The following have been considered as printer errors, and amended: - - Page 23--in amended to is--The slave-Sultan is not within - these black reaches, ... - - Page 37, footnote 2--24 amended to 22--... Al Zameri cries - out to his rescuer (page 22) ... - - Page 210--seried amended to serried--... was made up of a - serried division ... - - Page 220--were amended to where--Menahem was where he wished - to be, ... - - Page 220--Iman amended to Imam--... within the boundaries of - his dominion the Imam ... - - Page 266--ot amended to of--Each division of troops had its - elephantine accompaniment, ... - - Page 279--world-renowed amended to world-renowned--... - whispered Persia's world-renowned hero. - - Page 308--briliiant amended to brilliant--... an arched - space, brilliant with dazzling light. - - Page 309--licure amended to ligure--... and a variety of the - jasper and the ligure, ... - - Page 315--sycthe amended to scythe--... the Christians fell - as grass struck by the scythe. - - Page 319--Jannet amended to Jannat--It is a gazelle from - Jannat al Ferdaws, ... - - Page 324--Emil-al-Mumemin amended to Emir-al-Mumemin--... - Omeyya presented himself before the Emir-al-Mumemin ... - - Page 332--excep amended to except--... except this fiery - steed _El Barak_, ... - - Page 343--Yedez amended to Yezed--... and told Yezed to do as - he did. - - Page 348--eel amended to feel--... did Yezed feel the - fighting lust ... - -The frontispiece illustration has been moved to follow the title page. -Other illustrations have been moved where necessary so they are not in -the middle of a paragraph. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Weird Orient, by Henry Iliowizi - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WEIRD ORIENT *** - -***** This file should be named 42963-8.txt or 42963-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/2/9/6/42963/ - -Produced by Suzanne Shell, Sam W. and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - -</pre> - +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 42963 ***</div> </body> </html> diff --git a/42963.txt b/42963.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a6a2f8b..0000000 --- a/42963.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6719 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Weird Orient, by Henry Iliowizi - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Weird Orient - Nine Mystic Tales - -Author: Henry Iliowizi - -Illustrator: William Sherman Potts - -Release Date: June 17, 2013 [EBook #42963] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WEIRD ORIENT *** - - - - -Produced by Suzanne Shell, Sam W. and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - -Transcriber's Note - -This book contains some Hebrew text which has been transliterated, and -is identified with + signs, e.g. +KB"H+. - - - - - The - Weird Orient - - Nine - Mystic Tales - - - BY - HENRY ILIOWIZI - - Author of "In the Pale," "Jewish - Dreams and Realities," etc. - - - PHILADELPHIA - HENRY T. COATES AND COMPANY - 1900 - - - Copyright 1899 by HENRY ILIOWIZI. - All rights reserved. - ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL, - LONDON. - - - - - [Illustration: "Touch me not." - Page 22.] - - - - -PUBLISHERS' PREFACE. - - -In introducing to the general public a writer who has heretofore been -known chiefly among the people of his own race, his publishers may -perhaps be permitted to say a word. Rabbi Iliowizi is a Hebrew of pure -lineage, the son of a zealous member of the Chassidim, a Kabbalistic -sect numbering over half a million members in Russia, Roumania and -Gallicia, but rarely met with in this country. He passed his infancy -and boyhood in the Russian provinces of Minsk and Moghileff, and in -Roumania, growing to manhood and receiving his education at -Frankfort-on-the-Main, Berlin and Breslau, where he qualified himself -for a theological career. After six years of study in Germany, he -spent some four years more perfecting his training in modern languages -and in Arabic and Hebrew in London and Paris, under the auspices of -the Anglo-Jewish Association and the Alliance Israelite Universelle, -as a preparation to take charge of one of the outlying mission -stations maintained by these affiliated societies in the Orient, where -they support some fifty schools for the benefit of their oppressed -co-religionists. After a prolonged service in Morocco, engaged in the -educational work of the two societies, Mr. Iliowizi lived for a year -at Gibraltar, and then came to America to devote himself to the -ministry of the Jewish Church, and is now the spiritual head of a -large congregation of his own people. - -Mr. Iliowizi has hitherto contributed principally to the literature of -his race, being known among Jews by several works; most widely, -perhaps, by a volume of stories of Russian life, under the title of -"In the Pale," recently published by the Jewish Publication Society of -America for its subscribers. In the series of Eastern tales, -comprising the present book, which appeals to a larger audience, he -has the special advantage, not only of a lengthened residence among -Eastern peoples, but that he is himself of an Oriental race, of a -heredity highly tinctured by the tenets of one of its most mystical -sects, and personally is of a strongly Semitic type of mind, tempered -by the maturing of his powers in the clear atmosphere of the New World -intellectual life. He has, therefore,--or ought to have,--exceptional -facilities for interpreting to the West the mind and heart of the -East. - -Whoever has lived long in the Orient,--and Morocco is essentially -Eastern in its atmosphere, even if geographically it might possibly be -otherwise classed,--cannot but realize the subtle and inexpressible -influence that so strongly pervades its life, and which, often as it -has been spoken of, is so hard for the Occidental mind fully to -understand or appreciate. It is the "call of the East," as Mr. -Kipling happily puts it, and of which his British soldier sings in -such realistic fashion: - - "An' I'm learnin' 'ere in London what the ten-year sodger tells; - 'If you've 'eard the East a-callin', why you won't 'eed nothin' else.' - No! you won't 'eed nothin' else - But them spicy garlic smells - An' the sunshine an' the palm trees an' the tinkly temple-bells!" - -The mystery of the great desolate desert stretches, with their -overpowering solemnity of deadly silence, has from time immemorial -exercised a most powerful influence upon the imagination of those who -frequent them; and their optical illusions are often so curious and so -startling as to afford easy explanation of the legends of hidden and -phantom cities, such as are told here and elsewhere, and indeed of -much else beside. Stories similar to "Sheddad's Palace of Irem," and -that of the vanishing city of the Peri in "The Croesus of Yemen," are -frequently met with. - -The gloominess of the mountain regions, especially that of the -Sinaitic Peninsula, has also had a profound influence in giving color -to the legendary lore of the middle Orient; and this combination of -desert and mountain influences perhaps largely accounts for what is -distinctively peculiar in the mysticism of the East, and for much that -will be found in this book. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - I. The Doom of Al Zameri, 17 - - II. Sheddad's Palace of Irem, 53 - - III. The Mystery of the Damavant, 89 - - IV. The Gods in Exile, 119 - - V. King Solomon and Ashmodai, 161 - - VI. The Croesus of Yemen, 199 - - VII. The Fate of Arzemia, 253 - - VIII. The Student of Timbuctu, 287 - - IX. A Night by the Dead Sea, 327 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - -By WILLIAM SHERMAN POTTS. - - - PAGE - I. "_Touch me not!_" (page 22) Frontispiece - - II. "_Determined to penetrate into - the seemingly impenetrable - wonderland of the Damavant._" 92 - - III. "_Like a thunderbolt striking to - the centre of a hurricane, the - demon shot down._" 173 - - IV. "_There sprung, like Iris from the - clouds, a smiling Hebe._" 323 - - - - -THE WEIRD ORIENT. - - -The nine tales which follow have a history which is itself not without -interest. The materials have been accumulated during a residence of -many years at Tetuan, Morocco, varied by excursions to places in the -interior where semi-barbarous life may be seen in its pristine -crudeness. In Tetuan I had somewhat exceptional opportunities of -getting into the heart of native life and thought, and I am under -obligations also for contributions received from a venerable -story-teller at Tangier, who had been assistant librarian at the -_Kairouin_ of Fez, the only university of the Moorish Empire. The -tales themselves have been for centuries floating through the -legendary lore which plays so large a part in the intellectual -cloudland of the gorgeous East; my part has been to put them into -English dress, with scrupulous adherence to their substance and, as -far as may be, to their native costume. - -Tetuan is a typical Oriental town, beautiful from a distance, -disappointing at a closer inspection, but not devoid of that classic -atmosphere which invests ancient cities in the East with a spiritual -something unfelt in modern centres of culture. Situated at the foot of -the Beni Hosmar, a bold peak of the northern branch of the Atlas -range, it has a population of about twenty thousand souls, is enclosed -by a dilapidated wall, boasts of some fine homes built by wealthy -Tetuani, has a separate _mellah_ for its unfavored Jews, some European -dwellings and cultivated gardens for foreign consuls, a large unclean -square as a market-place, chronically infested by packs of mongrel -dogs fed by Moslem women, and something of an official residence -within the moss-capped walls of a stronghold spoken of as the -_Casbah_. The rest is covered by the Moorish quarter, a bewildering -labyrinth of unpaved, unswept alleys, crooked lanes, the white, -flat-roofed, unwindowed houses often meeting each other overhead, thus -creating dingy tunnels which are utilized as bazaars, with wretched -holes to right and left reserved for sundry wares and offices--the -usual conditions of Moslem towns. - -Unattractive as such a conglomeration of semi-barbarous retreats must -appear, neither Pegasus nor the muses would pass them with -indifference. As the descendants of the Moors expelled from Hispania -by their Catholic Majesties, the Tetuani show a degree of refinement -unknown elsewhere in Barbary, and with it survives a taste for higher -things of which poetry is not the least. Tetuan's intellectual -atmosphere is so generally recognized that the present Emir-al-Mumemin -(sole ruler of the true faithful) sent his heir apparent, Hassan, to -be educated at the _Casbah_ by a _taleb_ chosen from the local -aristocracy, in preference to the unfathomed wisdom stored in the wise -heads of the _Kairouin_ at Fez. The minstrel, the fluent story-teller, -the poetic historian, and the fine performer on the double-stringed -_gimreh_, are not unfamiliar figures in Tetuan, provided one knows how -to approach them, which is not so hard as it is to overcome their -reluctance to unbosom themselves before the infidel. Great as is the -Moor's cupidity, it pales before his abhorrence of the foreign -intruder who presumes to pry into his jealously guarded sanctuaries. -Touch him on a point concerning his nebulous legends and traditions -and, like the turtle, he draws in his head, and that is the last you -will see of him, unless you strike the sensitive chord of national -pride by speaking grandiloquently of non-Mussulman heroes and literary -triumphs. Even then Moslem passiveness proves often an immovable -inertia. It has been found possible to provoke the garrulity of the -_taleb_, _adool_ and _fukie_, respectively representing our lawyer, -notary, and man of letters; but there are two characters in Morocco -whom no whirlwind will move to dispute the infidel's claim to a -superior culture, and they are the all-knowing _kadi_ and the _emin_, -the judge and the priest, both deriving their unquestioned authority -from al Koran, and thus cherishing a supreme contempt for the wisdom -of the faithless inspired by the cunning devil. The idea is as old as -Islam that what the Koran reveals not, Allah alone knows. - -After many rueful failures to get at the sources of Barbary's -folklore, the author of this book conceived the idea, which happily -met with some success, of creating a social focus sufficiently -attractive to ensnare unwary stragglers of infallible Islamism, such -as itinerant students, beggars, story-tellers and pilgrims, who, being -strangers in the place, might be induced by liberal treatment and a -little policy to impart some glimpses of the precious lore so dear to -one who had set his heart on the acquisition of so promising a -treasure. Did the _Arabian Nights_ and the other works we know exhaust -the vast resources of the Orient's mysteries? Without betraying his -ultimate purpose, the author called a meeting of the foreign -residents, all good friends or acquaintances, and submitted the scheme -of opening a Casino for mutual sociability and the reception of worthy -strangers, sometimes of high rank, who not infrequently cross the -Strait of Gibraltar to see life as it must have been in the -patriarchal age. The suggestion was received with acclamation; the -meeting, nineteen souls in all, organized itself into a body of -subscribing members; officers were elected, rules formulated, and a -liberal subscription list enabled the chairman to proceed at once to -carry out the project, everyone wondering why the thing had never been -thought of before. It took some weeks to perfect matters, when the -pleasure-house was opened with proper ceremony. The windows of the -commodious building looked on the market-place, the Casino being about -a hundred paces from the gate of the _Casbah_, and the institution -soon became an object of talk and wonder, it being the first of its -kind in the tedious annals of Tetuan. - -Only a few days after the opening the members experienced the -undelightful surprise of finding one of their distinguished friends, -the Spanish Vice-consul, a stately hidalgo of high lineage, afflicted -by the thirst of Tantalus, with a hydrophobic aversion to water as the -proper means of appeasing it. The cavalier could neither be asked to -resign nor could he be expelled, without creating an unpleasant -sensation, but his drunkenness threatened the very life of the resort. -What was to be done? A secret meeting called for the purpose of -dealing with the problem ended in a unanimous sigh of despondency. But -help was near at hand. Diepo, the caterer, who realized that his -prospects were on the brink of ruin, devised a way out of the dilemma. -Under the pretext that the annoying pest of insects, flying and -creeping, required some remedy, the shrewd caterer prepared a -substance that stuck to one like the Evil One, spread it freely on -large sheets of brown paper, and distributed them judiciously where -they would best serve his purpose. Once in his hazy condition, the -chivalrous Vice-consul was quick in satisfying Diepo's most sanguine -anticipations, picking up by a variety of zigzag evolutions almost -every sticker, and covering himself with the viscous stuff from head -to foot, until the stifled giggle of those present gave way to roars -of laughter. A coarse _jellab_ had to be thrown around the frame of -the inebriate, to take him home without exposure to the ridicule of -outsiders. If the incident did not cure the disgraced representative -of Spanish chivalry of his thirst, it at least rendered it impossible -for him to return to the circle he had scandalized; and as to Diepo's -stratagem, it was commended as a measure devised for self-preservation. - -An unexpected triumph for the Casino was the application of three -prominent Moslems for membership, each one, in days bygone, having -been attached to some embassy the Caliph of the Lord now and then -sends to one or another of the European courts. To the manifold -diversions afforded by the institution belonged a sagacious parrot who -astonished the noble Moors by receiving them with the _Muezzin's_ cry: -"_La illaha, il Allah, Mohammed Ressul Allah!_" This confession of -Islam, that there is no God but God, and that Mohammed is His Prophet, -would have edified the Mussulmans, had not the frivolous bird -accompanied his exclamation with screams of profane laughter. At first -puzzled by the unaccountable frivolity of the bird, the most -ingenuous of the Moslems finally solved the riddle by recognizing -therein an expression of felicity the creature derived from uttering -the sacred formula. - -Gratuitous music was furnished by an Italian who blew the trombone; by -a French teacher who played the violin; by a Hebrew who gave wind to a -pipe of reeds; and by a Spaniard who harped on the strings of a -colossal bass-viol. In course of a few months the members of the -Casino entertained visitors not alone from Europe and many quarters of -Barbary, but from the more distant Orient, the most of them coming by -the way of Tangier, sometimes called the "white city of the dark -continent." But nothing advertised and dignified that institution more -than the standing offer of twenty-five pesetas to him who should, upon -a fixed evening, regale its members with the most interesting tale, -subject to the critical verdict of three judges, the decision to be -sustained or rejected by a majority of votes. The tale was not to be -wholly fictitious, but should either turn around some historic event, -or be based on some popular tradition or legend current in the lands -of the rising sun. In a country where, thanks to nature's bounty, a -peseta is sufficient to supply a numerous family with food for days, -the prize held out as an inducement proved an object of keen -competition. Once a month the competitors were given the opportunity -of displaying their story-telling talents, and on one occasion a -_fukie_ of Fez, a Jew of Yemen, another one of Jerusalem, and a Parsee -of Bombay, claimed the attention of the interested auditors, in their -endeavors to secure the coveted prize. - -Such were the beginnings of this work; it contains in substance all -the tales for which prizes were awarded, but it is only fair to state -that the Parsee was the one to whom the author is mostly indebted for -the mass of his material. Yakoub Malek was a very original eccentric, -of a nature deep, generous, ardent and visionary. A Parsee by birth, -Malek exchanged his Zoroastrian creed for Buddha's ideals, only to -show a later preference for Islam. Driven by a restless temperament, -he traversed Asia throughout its length and breadth, and crossed the -whole north of Africa for the avowed purpose of seeking an audience -with the Pope in Rome, his object being to be initiated into the -mystery of the Catholic Church. Like Marco Polo, Malek was the most -observing of travellers, and his adventures embraced encounters with -monstrous brutes, communion with spirits in the desert of Gobi, -hairbreadth escapes from cyclonic storms, shipwrecks, venomous -reptiles, cannibals and banditti. In the Western hemisphere Malek -would pass for a transcendental spiritualist, claiming, as he did, to -hold intercourse with the spirits of his parents, especially with that -of his father. One dark evening he startled his auditors by producing -a human finger, all dried and shrivelled. He had taken it off -stealthily from the right hand of his father's dead body, after the -vultures had denuded it of flesh, it being the religious custom of the -Parsees to expose their dead to the voracity of that carrion bird, for -which purpose, as is well known, their "towers of silence" are -constructed. That singular rite has its origin in the Zoroastrian idea -that earth is holy and must not be polluted by the decay of human -flesh.--"As often as I long to see my father, I hold this bone closed -in my right hand and shut my eyes, when lo! I see him rise from the -realms of the invisible, ready to commune with me in whispers audible -to my soul," asserted the Oriental with a mystic glow in his eye. - -His aesthetic quality betrayed itself in his glowing descriptions of -Balbec and Tadmor, of the prodigious monuments of Egypt, and the -temples and palaces of India. Of his vivid power to portray what his -memory retained, or his imagination conceived, the subjoined rhapsody, -taken as he gave it, may convey an idea. "I see him there, Shah Jahan, -in Jahnahad, the Delhi of his fiat, exalted on his throne of thrones, -a blaze of jewelled splendors, set in mockery of the peacock's -feathers, but fairer than that fairest bird, the Moghul's emblem of -star-dotted majesty. Great Akbar's Empire is his, and India's -wealth.--Poor Moghul! From Agra's lovelier court, thy favored home, -the courier speeds to drown thy happiness in gloom. She is no more who -owned thy heart. Thy sweetest Empress, Mumtaza Mahal, the Orient's -loveliness and grace, succumbed to throes which mothers know. The babe -survived her. Delhi mourns. Shah Jahan hurries to his seat of woe. How -dismal looks the city of imperial gardens! How sepulchral its palace -of grandeurs nowhere seen, never heard of, vast and noble, too grand -for man, not unfit for gods!--Death darkens the world, darkens Shah -Jahan's glorious throne-hall. Here his incomparable mate lies cold in -death, crowned and sceptred, as though called to rule in the nether -world, a queen among the dead. All mourn and weep, but the true sorrow -is thine, poor Jahan, with melancholy as thy only friend, thy hope the -grave. That wondrous sepulchre of thine, reared to crown thy love; -there it stands, thy resting-place and hers, the _Taj_, the monumental -blossom of the world, beyond expression beautiful." - -Yakoub Malek was a mystic adventurer, and his narrative mystified his -audience. But for that delightful dreamer this book would never have -seen light. His passing out of sight, with an echo that rings in the -ear forever, charmed by a voice that enchanted the soul, suggests the -career of those prophetic wizards who, having stirred the world with -the fire of their breath, departed this life, leaving song and -prophecy to vibrate in the air to the end of time. Should that -picturesque wanderer ever come across these pages, he will have to -forgive the liberties the author has taken with his rhapsodic style -not less than with the version in certain parts of his narrative. Not -everything the dreamy Orient is ready to accept will meet with equal -credence, or even with tolerance, in the sobered Occident. Yet enough -has been retained in these tales to draw the reader from his realistic -surroundings into those weird realms where, unrestrained by the laws -of sublunar existence and the limitations of mortality, the spirit is -allowed to roam in the vast, unencumbered by matter, unhindered by -time and space. - - Henry Iliowizi. - Philadelphia, April, 1900. - - - - -THE DOOM OF AL ZAMERI. - - -Nothing is known in nature which, in awful impressiveness, compares -with the overpowering scenery forever associated with God's revelation -to man. That arm of the Indian Ocean called the Red Sea bifurcates -into the westerly gulf of Suez and the easterly one of Akabah, and the -triangular peninsula thus formed embraces the region that bears the -name of the sky-consecrated Mount Sinai. He who, from an overtopping -height, once surveys those prodigies of this globe's eternal -framework, pile on pile, varied by solitary peaks raising their heads -above the clouds, amidst a confusion of innumerable gorges, _wadys_ -and ravines, the red of the stupendous mass interspersed with -porphyry and greenstone, will, apart from their spiritual -reminiscences, bear the impression to the end of his days that he has -been in the very heart of creative omnipotence. About the entire -system there is such a ghostly air, such a terrific frown, as is -recalled by no other chain of crests and cliffs, however bold or -life-deserted. If the bleaker rocks that encompass the basin of the -Dead Sea are more deterring, those of Horeb are of a thrilling -sublimity; and if this is true in broad daylight, night invests them -with an inexpressible mystic awe, intensified by an inexplicable -rumbling and roaring not unlike distant thunder. But all other -feelings are merged in the one of terror when, as it sometimes -happens, a heavy thunderstorm breaks over the wilderness of Sinai. -Rendered impervious by a rarely disturbed aridity, the barren rocks -retain little more water than would the glazed incline of a pyramid, -so that the mountain torrents rush down with cyclonic impetuosity, -uprooting trees and sweeping off settlements, with no trace left of -what man and nature combine to produce. - -It was in one of those spasmodic storms that, in the year 1185 after -Mohammed's flight from Mecca, a muffled figure moved cautiously in the -heart of a cloudburst which was accompanied by blinding flashes of -lightning and such thunderbolts as shook the very bedrock of the -mountainous desolation. The Bedouin's watch-fires, nightly seen all -along the gentler acclivities, vanished before the elemental fury; and -though the plain of al-Rahe opened before him, the lonely wanderer -turned his face toward Jebel Musa, or Mount of Moses, betraying his -anxiety to remain unrecognized. Wind and rain forced the man to seek -shelter somewhere, but he seemed to prefer a dark hollow to the sure -hospitality of the Arab's tent. From the heights the torrents came -roaring like waterfalls, carrying along piled up masses of uprooted -tamarisks, palm-trees, struggling sheep and goats; even bowlders were -swept down like pebbles. - -While stopping for a moment, irresolute as to the direction he should -take, the muffled figure discerned a human form stranger than his own, -whelmed by the flood and on the point of being either engulfed or -crushed to death by the wreck-encumbered torrent. With a rush which -endangered his life, the mysterious wanderer caught hold of the -forlorn victim, tearing him out of the destructive tide, and as it -happened landing him near a cave which he had not before seen. "Touch -me not!" cried the rescued creature in a voice that startled his -preserver. Yet compared with the rest of his individuality, the voice -was the least appalling of his features. There stood a bare-headed -being, bent with age, pale as a ghost, lean as starvation, wrinkled as -a shriveled hag, shaggy as a bear, his beard descending to his knees, -and his hair to his waist. Death stared from his eyes, misery from his -face; in all an image of hopelessness, tottering toward the grave. -Barely strong enough to drag his limbs, the wretch waddled into the -rayless hole, whining and groaning. - -The weather's inclemency would have hardly induced the other to divide -the cave with one whose aspect suggested the tenant of the graveyard, -but the tramp of approaching horses left no time for reflection. Like -a shadow the muffled figure disappeared just in time to escape the -notice of two Mamlooks on horses, who, perceiving the hole, drew in -the reins with an oath: "Allah tear the devil!--If it were not for my -poor horse I would crawl into that black pit to get out of this -infernal tempest.--See this cataract! Why, this beats the Nile!--And -the hawk we are looking for may as well be leagues out of this -wilderness as within it. If we do not hurry to Wady-Feiran, the fever -will settle in my belly. I feel cold about the heart," said one of the -horsemen. - -"Give up the thousand purses set on Ali Bey's head?" asked his fellow. - -"Give up the chase of the devil!--The slave-Sultan is not within these -black reaches, I say, and we are fools to follow our noses until the -breath is out of our stomachs," answered the other impatiently. - -A red zigzag flash tore the clouds; the crash threw the horses on -their haunches. Had not the astounded Mamlooks scampered off like the -wind, the lightning would have revealed to them the object of their -hunt, Egypt's celebrated Sheykh el-Beled, a title tantamount to the -power and dignity of Caliph. Such was Ali Bey who, at the close of a -career of adventure and romance, was a fugitive in the wilds, with a -price set by his enemies upon his head. - -"The bloodhounds have lost the spoor of the game, and if my messengers -reach Acre safely, my friend Daher will be out in force; but where -hide till then?" thought Ali Bey, and proceeded to close up the -entrance to his retreat by a pile of rubbish near at hand, darkness -favoring the operation. - -"Unless there are snakes in this hole, I shall have an hour's rest," -said Ali to himself, having completed the hiding wall. A moaning -ululation in the dark reminded him of the other presence he had -enclosed with himself, and his alarm was not lessened by the sudden -glimmer of a something which broke the gloom of the den. Coming as it -did from the deep of the hollow, it could not be mistaken for a flare -of lightning from without. Another glimmer left no doubt as to its -source. - -Ali Bey was not a man to quail before anything another man could face; -but here was a phenomenon to stop the pulsation of the stoutest heart. A -burning jewel, not in the palsied hand of a decrepit dotard, but in the -hold of one in the prime of manhood, who resembled the other as closely -as a heifer does its dam. Who was he? A son of the former? Or had there -occurred the miracle of instantaneous rejuvenescence? Or was it Satan -bent on some diabolical performance?--"Man or demon, good or evil power, -whoever thou art, I demand of thee in Allah's name to unfold thy mystery -to me. Art thou he whom I saved from the fury of the elements? He was -nearer a hundred than thirty years; nearer death than life. Thou lookest -like him, but couldst be his grandchild as to age and vigor. Art thou -and he the same? Or art thou an illusion,--peradventure the spirit of -this mountain? If thou art a spirit, thou knowest who I am; if thou art -human I charge thee to speak to Ali Bey, the Sheykh el-Beled of Egypt, -who is waiting for assistance to defeat the conspiracies of his -enemies," spoke Ali with the firmness of despair. - -"Sheykh el-Beled," answered the one spoken to in a tone as changed as -his form, "there is less of spirit in me than in thee, yet am I less -human than man ever was, deathless yet mortal, tossed about on the -ocean of time from age to age, century to century, cycle to cycle, -millennium to millennium; denied the peace of soul, the comfort of -hope, the blessing of prayer, the nepenthe of oblivion, yea, the rest -of the grave. Tremble not at the sound of my name. I am _Al Zameri_, -the accursed roamer of the times, doomed since the making of the -golden calf to begin, rejuvenated after a lapse of every hundred -years, anew my unblest career,--homeless, godless, hopeless, shunned, -feared and hated!" - -"Al Zameri!" ejaculated Ali, who had moved some steps backward -horrified. - -"That is my name; credulity couples it with sin, greed, famine, war, -inundations, hurricanes and pestilence. While thou art within the -reach of my breath, warned by instinct, no man will do thee harm," -promised the wretched wanderer. - -"Allah confound the devil!--Thou wouldst have perished in the flood -if I had not rescued thee; there must be a hidden purpose in the -accident of our meeting. Born a slave, destiny has given me the power -to defy and defeat the Caliph of Islam. My sword has made me sole -ruler over the empire on the banks of the Nile. In open battle I fear -no foe; it is conspiracy and the assassin's dagger that I am fleeing, -and thy thwarting my pathway, or my thwarting thine, means something -to me, Al Zameri. I am in the hand of Allah, the most merciful.--But -speak, thou man of immortal woe, how didst thou provoke the anger of -thy people's God? Why was the golden idol fashioned? Why by thee? What -has been thy experience since?--For few are the Prophet's words in his -reference to thy transgression in the Koran," resumed Ali, making the -best of his unique acquaintance. - -"Sheykh el-Beled, thy kindness, not thy service, requires my -acknowledgment. Thy succor was wasted on a man whom perdition would -not have. For three thousand years death shuns me as ruthlessly as I -long to hug it. My tale is a nightmare of three millenniums, taking -me back to ancient Egypt, where I, a Hebrew, was born into abject -slavery. My hot blood resented the taskmaster's rod. In a moment of -rage I struck back one of my tormentors, blow for blow, and was with -other rebels doomed to dig in one of Pharaoh's copper mines on the -coast of Akabah in the valley of Semud. Here many of the Egyptian -idols were fashioned, and here I learned the secret of the priests, -who caused metallic forms to utter sound, to articulate oracular -speech. Certain instruments were skilfully inserted into the interior -of the idol, and the priest manipulated them to the great wonderment -of the populace, who lay prostrate before their all-knowing, warning -or blessing gods. The fraud was guarded by the loss of the tongue that -betrayed it. - -"I was young and strong when the joyous tidings penetrated our penal -colony, that a man of God had afflicted Egypt with plague after -plague, insisting that the Israelites be freed from bondage, and we -soon read Egypt's doom in the face of our taskmaster. We conspired, -made a desperate break for liberty, and marked our track with the -blood of those who offered resistance. Love for parents long missed -impelled me to disdain danger. Disguised as an Egyptian, I was -determined to steal into the land of the Pharaohs, when one night my -progress was stopped by a manifestation in the desert, which filled me -with consternation. A pillar of lurid flame, having its base on earth, -advanced eastward with a rotatory motion, its upper end obeying a -force among the stars. It was a glowing meteor, enormous in volume, -endless in height, and terrible to behold, setting earth and heaven on -fire, and bathing the desert in fearful glory. As I hurried to get out -of the pillar's reach, lest I be consumed, I fell in with the vanguard -of my liberated brethren in the rear of their fiery guide. What I saw -and heard thrilled me with awe. A power greater than Osiris lowered -Egypt to the dust, and that was the God of my people. My father was no -more; I embraced my aged mother and one surviving sister, and we wept -for joy. - -"Before I had been an hour in the great camp, which extended over -many miles, the cry ran from lip to lip, 'We are pursued! The -Egyptians are at our heels!' Terror and confusion seized the enormous -multitude, men, women and children acting like maniacs, while a throng -of lusty fellows, myself among them, pressed on to see what the Man of -God was going to do. We found him in company of Aaron and Hur, his -countenance beaming, as though it had concentrated the blaze of the -flaming pillar to reflect it in a milder beam. He was Moses, the son -of Amram. In his hand a staff, his gray beard and curly locks setting -off a face of manly firmness, tempered by feminine grace and a -visionary dreaminess, his eyes turned fixedly where the top of the -fire-pillar lost itself in azure. As if in compliance with his tacit -prayer, the prodigious beam swerved from its forward course, wheeled -backward to the right, and thus transferred its base from the front of -the moving camp to its rear, interposing its volume between the -pursuer and the pursued. It was the second watch of the night; we were -within a short hour of the Yam-Mitzrayim, the Egyptian Sea,[1] and a -dense fog left us in doubt as to the distance of the enemy behind us. -The suspense was unbearable, and Moses was besieged by the rebellious -and the craven, who rent the air with reproaches and appeals. He spoke -a few words of encouragement, asking the people to faithfully await -the salvation of the Lord, but his voice was drowned in the -vociferation of the threatening crowd. - - [1] The Red Sea, among the Hebrews, was "the Sea of Egypt." - -"At a hint from Aaron five thousand armed men of the tribe of Levi -threw themselves between the great leader and the clamoring mob. It -was a critical moment. The undaunted chief spread out his hands in -prayer. - -"The third watch of the night came with a freezing gale; it raised the -fog and revealed a sea lashed by the fury of the growing tempest. It -was dawn when the leader, inspired from On High, struck the flood with -his staff. The waters rose high, broke, scattered in dust, rose again, -tumbled, divided up, and froze, leaving a broad highway dry as the -shore. With his brother the leader entered the depth followed by the -people, till the whole multitude found themselves between the icy -walls, emerging on the opposite shore happy and jubilant. - -"Just now the blush of morning in the east was eclipsed by a wave of -effulgence west of the Sea of Egypt, and as we turned our eyes thither -we were amazed to behold the burning pillar replaced by a sun-crowned -power that illumined the heavens with his dazzling panoply and his -sword of many flames. That presence sealed the doom of the Egyptians. -In their impetuous onward rush they plunged into the jaws of death. -The miraculous road was not meant to give them passage; and no sooner -were they in the heart of the dry abyss than, by a touch of the -leader's staff, the frozen walls, melted by the sun-crowned power, -gave way to the devouring sea, burying Egypt's mighty army. The air -shivered with the multitudinous shout of joy sent up by our myriads of -grateful fugitives. Song, dance and praise commemorated the great -event, to be shortly followed by one greater than anything I know of -in the annals of man. - -"Ah, let me come to the cause of my doom! What happened between the -crossing of the Red Sea and the Day of Revelation is on record, but -eternity will not efface the picture burned into my memory of what I -have, thousands of years ago, witnessed in this wilderness of Zin. - -"After a short encampment hereabout, the leader, he the chief of -chiefs, made it known that in three days the Majesty Divine would -reveal Himself and His truth on the top of Sinai, the interval to be -spent in purifying preparations. - -"As though all the earthquakes and thunders of the ages were to spend -their furious energy within the space of one daybreak, a convulsed -earth and a bursting firmament roused a terrified people from their -sleep, summoning them to gather at the foot of the fire-belching, -quaking, night-shrouded mountain, there to receive the first -commandments of the Torah, the Law of the world. They obeyed the -summons, but succumbed to the supernatural manifestations. Himself -unseen, the voice of the leader was heard from the thick of the -clouds, communing with Omnipotence, the blasts of mighty trumpets -intermingling with the bellowing, rumbling and growling of the roused -elements. Suddenly a profound silence superseded the universal -agitation. Clearly stood out the apex of the mountain, clear spread -the horizon; and ear, heart and soul were entranced by the ineffable -melody of utterance which came floating from the empyrean. Like the -symphony of an angelic chorus, the Ten Commandments vibrated -throughout the ethereal spaces, reclaiming the people from their -torpor, to be overawed by a wonder exceeding anything they had yet -seen. With a background of azure, and the three summits of the -Sinaitic range as base, there spread in the clear infinite blue the -likeness of inexpressible Majesty in the transcendental shape of a -sovereign, crowned with supernal glory,--compassion and benign grace -radiating from His dimly discernible features; in His hand an open -scroll, covering half the firmament, and showing the Decalogue in -sunny splendor, each letter proving but the reflex of a yet grander -copy visibly set in stars far back in the deepest heavens. - -"A season of tumultuous rejoicing followed the closing of that -soul-thrilling scene, and the emancipated slaves abandoned themselves -to indulgences bordering on license. In the whirl of excitement nobody -noticed the absence of the venerated prophet, who had not been seen -nor heard from since the Day of Revelation, and his family and closest -associates were as ignorant of his whereabouts as the rest of the -people. But when a whole month had passed by without a token of the -prophet's being or doing, the craven-hearted mass took umbrage, -fearing they had been deserted both by Moses and his God. Aaron was -called upon to allay their apprehensions, but he proved unequal to the -exigency. Pressed to supply them with a power to worship, and somebody -to lead them, instead of bidding them to have patience and wait, in a -moment of weakness he yielded, suggesting that all the golden -ornaments of the women be delivered to him, that he might fashion for -them a god. If the High-priest hoped that the women would not -sacrifice their jewelry, he was soon undeceived. And I was at hand to -lure him into the most heinous of human transgressions. - -"Herein centres the enormity of my guilt. Aaron could have never -fulfilled his promise had not an evil spirit prompted me to offer him -my service in moulding for him a golden calf after the pattern of -Egypt's idolatry. Doubting my ability to materialize what I proposed, -he gave his assent, and my experience in metal work enabled me to -produce a golden calf with the trick of articulating words. - -"When the people saw the image and heard it declare itself their god, -they went wild with delight, Aaron himself catching the infection. An -altar was built, a feast proclaimed, sacrifices offered, and the -masses delivered themselves up to orgies. - -"The riot of debauch was broken up by the unexpected arrival of the -prophet. With his countenance shining like the sun, he rushed down -from the mountain, dropped and shattered the tablets, which bore the -Commandments he had received from the hand of God, and reduced the -idol to powder which he scattered to the winds. Aaron exonerated -himself by pointing to the madness of the people, and to me as the -real culprit.--'This Azazel has brought the great sin on the head of -the people,' cried he, his eye fixed in fierce hatred on my detested -self. What could I advance in extenuation of my devilish authorship? - -"Severe punishment was meted out. Four thousand prominent offenders -fell under the sword, but I was singled out for a special fate as a -warning to coming ages. 'Al Zameri shall not die; Al Zameri shall -henceforth wander like Cain, shunned, feared, cursed and hated; Al -Zameri shall, at the lapse of a hundred years, revisit the scene of -his crime, shall be restored to his present condition, and thus go on -and on, until time shall wipe out the memory of his evil deed,' was -the verdict I heard. The prophet spoke it under the spell of -inspiration, and I was set free.[2] - - [2] This legend of the Wandering Jew, which so far as I am - aware has never before been printed, except for some few - references in the Koran, is probably the precursor of the one - currently familiar among Christians, and it will be seen - places the date of the crime that entailed perpetual - punishment at some 1500 years earlier. To my mind it - possesses much the greater psychological interest. The Koran - says: - - "And in like manner al Zameri also cast in what he had - collected, and he produced unto them a corporeal calf which - lowed. And al Zameri and his companions said, This is your - god and the god of Moses.... Moses said unto al Zameri, What - was thy design, O Zameri? He answered, I knew that which they - knew not, wherefore I took a handful of dust from the - footsteps of the messenger of God, and I cast it into the - molten calf; for so did my mind direct me" (Surah 20). - - The presence, and especially the touch, of the outcast is - supposed to entail disaster, of which he is bound to warn - those with whom he is brought into contact; and it is - therefore that Al Zameri cries out to his rescuer (page 22) - "Touch me not." The reference in the Koran is, "Moses said, - Get thee gone; for thy punishment in this life shall be, that - thou shalt say unto those who shall meet thee, Touch me not" - (Surah 20). - - The roaming Al Zameri has in Oriental folklore a counterpart - in the wandering Cain, who also is supposed to live forever. - -"And free I was, and free I am to roam forever like a mad beast, -driven hither by the fury to be transformed at the appointed hour into -the young man that I was when malicious folly stamped me as the -outcast of the human race. - -"That same hour I conceived an irrepressible impulse to seek the vast, -the void, the desert, the jungle, the swamp,--the unlighted cavern, -the place of graves, the ruin,--evading the blessed haunts of man, -abhorring sunshine and courting darkness. Daylight blinds me as it -does the owl; the sight of gold confounds, its touch burns me. The -ferocious beast flees at my approach; the serpent hisses and writhes -away. However teeming the region with animal life, however vocal with -the song of bird, my passing turns it into a soundless, lifeless wild. -I speed with the wind, sweep with the storm, welcome the lightning's -flare, the thunder's growl, rage with the elements, curse with the -fiends of black Abaddon. The tiger's den is my shelter, my pillow a -coil of venomous reptiles. I throw myself into the jaws of the lion, -swallow the essence of poison,--it does not avail me. Death is in -league with all creation against me. If I try to end my misery by -falling into a chasm, I am lighter than air. Water will not drown me, -fire will not burn me, steel will cut my flesh but spares my life, -and my dread is life--time--time, endless, hopeless, hateful -years,--decades, cycles, millenniums! Such is the sky-ruled destiny of -Al Zameri!" - -"Horrible is thy fate! Thine is hell on earth, O, son of guilt, who -didst ingraft on the race an evil growth,--the worship of gold! Ah, -the glittering fetich! What crimes are not traceable to his glossy -fascinations!--But the potency of prayer, the tear of remorse dear to -Allah the most merciful, the King of the Day of Judgment, are they -denied thee?" inquired Ali Bey. - -"Prayer, prayer, man's inward heaven, the unction of life, the solace -of the soul,--prayer, the heart-feeding stream, with God as its -fountainhead and influx, swelled by springs unrevealed and currents -vainly searched," exclaimed Al Zameri, striking the palms of his hands -together with a clap of pain;[3] "prayer would just as readily -commingle with my being as Eden's blessed rivers with the flames of -hell. What heaven and earth reveal of the wonderful and holy is -deterring to me, whom neither the sublime nor the beautiful inspires, -filled as I am with doubt as to whether there be mercy ample enough to -cover my guilt. - - [3] The familiar Oriental gesture expressing painful emotions - is to throw the arms wide apart, and bring the palms of the - hands together with a distinct, and often resounding, clap; - then clasping the hands, tremulous with the stress of - feeling. - -"Yea, once,--but once,--long before the Orient felt the Roman's iron -grip, my lips, prompted by the whisper of a cherub, stammered prayer; -and with that inspiration died my feeble hope, leaving a seething -caldron in a heart of flint. Ah, from my gloom of hell I had a glimpse -of paradise.--Thou hast heard of Balbec's ancient glories, of which -her magnificent ruins tell; I saw her in her palmy days, a city of -palaces for merchant princes to dwell in, the rival of Tyre, Tadmor -and Damascus. Perched on the side of the Anti-Libanus, high above the -fertile plain of Sahlat-Ba'albec, and encircled by groves and gardens -watered by the valley's never-failing spring of Ra'as-el Ayn, Balbec -gloried in rearing great monuments, while the temples dedicated to her -gods stood among the marvels of the world. Whatever was precious, -useful, or ornamental, was to be had in the bazaars of Balbec. -Caravans carried invaluable treasures through her gates, and the -royalties she levied enabled her to display a princely munificence in -her domestic affairs. With Syria's fluctuating fortunes, Balbec -realized every change, but her deadliest enemy was the earthquake's -fearful visitation. Often did I wish to see creation sink in chaos, -and myself engulfed in the universal wreckage; but my attempt to find -death in one of Balbec's catastrophes, instead of bringing -deliverance, brought heaven within my touch, with redoubled anguish as -the sequel. Satan has his sport with Al Zameri. - -"My memory is aglow as I recall the day of lurid skies, an atmosphere -saturated with oppressive vapors, an ominous fluttering of birds, and -a spasmodic rumbling, as of explosions underground. Too familiar with -the symptoms to misunderstand the nature of the impending disturbance, -I was thankful to be near Balbec, in whose ruins I hoped to be buried. -Quick as my limbs could carry me, I hurried to the doomed city, and -entered it through one of her gates, which gave me a full view of her -famous Great Temple. Terror distracted the multitude, who rushed -about, tumbling one against the other, and bellowing like frightened -cattle. Repeated shocks opened gaping crevices in the ground, -swallowing houses and closing over man and brute. Down came monumental -shafts of skilful workmanship; buildings of massive masonry were -either lying in heaps, the graves of their inmates, or stood cracked, -ready to tumble at the next upheaval. Death was lurking everywhere. -Little affected by the wrecks around me, my only thought was to corner -death where escape was wellnigh impossible, and I rushed up the grand -flight of steps, which took me to the eastern portico of the -stupendous edifice, landing me in a large, hexagonal space. It had the -dimensions of a court,--which it was not, but a vestibule with one -main entrance and two side-doors to the great court, a peristyle -circumscribed by columns of artistic chiselling, back of which were -numerous recesses adorned by statues of gods. With no one to question -my intrusion into the sacred fane, I stood undetermined and -purposeless, when a subterraneous force shook the rock-built -foundation of the entablature, which descended with a crash, wrecking -the fine statuary by the weight of the fragments. A scream of horror -drew me irresistibly in the direction of the voice that uttered it, -where, behind a pedestal, I saw a damsel stretched on the floor -writhing in convulsions. Bending over the form and raising it from the -ground, I held in my arms a being too perfect to be mortal, too -substantial to be divine. She was unhurt, except for fright, and, -bearing her to the open quadrangle of the peristyle, I seated myself -on the floor, allowing her head and shoulders to rest on my lap. 'Art -thou the goddess to whom this temple is dedicated?' breathed I. In -answer a pair of eyes opened wide, to my indescribable confusion, eyes -that would tame the tiger and charm the hydra; but they soon closed -again. - -"Sheykh, I have seen Sisygambis, Persia's imperial mistress, the dame -of Darius, her cheek shaming the jewelled tiara meant to grace -majesty. On the tide of the Cydnus, on a galley, carved, gilded, and -inlaid with ivory, gliding to the rhythmic stroke of polished oars, -under sails of silk, I saw Cleopatra reclining on the deck, in the -shade of a star-spangled canopy, arrayed as Venus, in the midst of -voluptuous music, with her women dressed as nymphs, and little boys as -Cupids; she moved me no more than did a score of others famed for -beauty in their time. But stirred and stricken was I by the matchless -damsel chance had thrown in my way, and there I sat intoxicated by a -quaff from some heavenly spring thitherto unknown to me. 'If thou wert -mine, eternity! what would it matter to me whether the heavens favor -me or curse?' muttered I half audibly. - -"Once more her opened eyelids laid bare the fountains of bliss, and -once more I asked, 'Art thou that one whom the denizens of Balbec -worship?' - -"Like one waking from a vision she raised her head, raised herself, -rose to her height a majestic figure, and, looking down to me with an -expression of awe, she answered my question with a question: Whether I -was one of the gods to whose worship her father had consecrated her? -'I am the priestess of chaste Istar. Only a god could save me as thou -didst,' cried the maiden, sinking prostrate before me. - -"A momentary rocking of the entire structure left but few of the -remaining columns erect. The others brought down the Corinthian -capitals and the heavy entablature with a tremendous fall, and the -great court was one mass of _debris_ scattered in every direction. - -"The eastern portico being barred by a confused pile of broken -columns, the only escape left open was the western end, and hither I -carried the fainting priestess, issuing with my burden from the wreck, -and finding myself before another building still more beautiful and -not yet greatly injured. This was Balbec's Temple of the Sun, a -blossom of architecture and sculpture, profusely ornamented by figures -of gods and heroes, and finished with a great lavishness of skill and -art. - -"It was the end of the day, and anxious to shun observation I labored -up the stately stairway to seek a refuge in the safer place, not on -my own account but for the sake of the precious creature in my charge. -Through a lofty portal I reached two staircases to my right and left, -each one leading to the upper story, which was the Temple proper. Here -I stopped to take breath, the burden having proved too much for me, -and here again I had to look into those open eyes that beamed -unutterable things for me.--'Save me, save me, and I will praise and -worship thee, god of the sun,' whispered the deluded creature. - -"'Be undeceived, fair ministress, I am no god but a man of flesh and -blood and untold woes, woes unknown to any mortal but myself,' said I. - -"'Thou no god, and a man of untold woes?--Thou art unlike any mortal -in look, and who sent thee hither to save me, all others having -deserted this fane, priest and priestess fleeing for life? Surely thou -art more than mortal, thus to face death undeterred?' - -"'Let not a guilt-encumbered fugitive practice deception on thee, -ministress of Istar. Thou art right, alas! I am not mortal; but cursed -to wander and suffer, because of a great sin committed thousands of -years ago,' cried I, and briefly enlightened her as to my nature and -my doom. Tender compassion radiated from her immaculate countenance -as, seizing my hand with a hold that thrilled my frame with ravishing -delight, she spoke these words: - -"'O, let me alleviate thy suffering by sharing thy misery, poor, -erring man, who didst offend Zicara and his progeny! Yea, I will pray -in thy behalf!--Hear me, Zicara, the all-powerful, and thou, Ea, the -holder of life and knowledge, the ruler of the abyss, the king of the -rivers and gardens, the mate of Bahu, who begot Bal Merodach,--hear me -and restrain the seven evil spirits from besetting Al Zameri, but send -the good ones to placate his conscience, that he have rest and peace, -after an atonement long and awful! Yea, my life for his, Zicara, if -propitiation cannot otherwise be had, since he has imperilled his life -for mine!' - -"Even while these fervid words dropped from the sweet lips of the -kneeling supplicant, the roving mania seized me deliriously. I turned -my face toward the nearest exit, but felt my garment caught by the -hands that had been folded in prayer.--'Flee not hence before I kiss -the hands which brought me succor,' cried the maiden passionately -stirred. Burning kisses covered my hands; a tingling woe permeated the -core of my being; I kissed the head, the cheek, the mouth of the one -in the wide world, who had offered to share my fate, had offered her -life for mine. But adamantine chains could not check my madness to -fly; I broke away from her embrace, whose lamentations cut into my -heart. - -"A pack of hell-hounds yelping at my heels would have added little to -the mad pace that carried me to the dreary haunts of the -mountains,--the wailing of the girl, and her image, following me as -new fuel to feed the fire of despair. Broken by overwhelming -wretchedness, I fell where a steep rock barred my way, and then, after -a chain of tearless cycles, I wept,--yea, and prayed for mercy,--ah! -to be delivered as it may please Him, whom I displeased! - -"With sleep came a figure clad in supernatural brightness,--'Matatron -the messenger of grace, who spreads man's prayers before the Throne, -speaks to thee, Al Zameri! Between thy prayer and His Mercy stands a -world of evil, fostered by the fetich of thy making. Thou hast seduced -the people chosen to redeem mankind. When the race shall deem the -chase of gold a thing as base as rapine, as vile as lust,--then will -the fever of thy soul abate. Till then live on, the symbol of -insatiate greed, a living Sodom, weltering in the fetid pool of -spiritual stagnancy!'" And Al Zameri was silent, burying his wretched -face in his hands. - -"Truly, gold in itself is not an evil; it is the root of the world's -evil, the leprosy of the heart, incurable as the lung's consumption -that reddens the cheek while it drains the life, and thy guilt in -reference thereunto is as dark as thy punishment is great," spoke Ali. -"I am that country's lord where I have been slave; courage has done -much for me, but gold the most,--yea, and the worst to make woman -foul, and man her villain. Here Mammon is the king of kings. Ali Bey -is a fugitive from assassins bought for gold, and Islam's Caliph -depends for sovereign ease and safety less on valor and loyalty than -on the bribe. Thou hast raised gold to be an idol, on whose altars -man's heart, his honor and his peace, and woman's virtue, are too -often sacrificed. Therefore, run thy course, Al Zameri; fulfil great -Allah's decree, that man take heed lest in His just anger He drown -this world in a boiling flood of liquid gold!" - -A few stones removed from the entrance of the cave enabled the cursed -roamer to slip out like a phantom, and with him passed the storm, -leaving a chill around the heart of the Bey. - -"Allah akbar! This meeting forebodes Ali's downfall, I fear. It is my -evil star that caused the wretch to thwart my way," said Ali Bey to -himself. Subsequent developments proved his presentiment prophetic; in -an ambush placed for his destruction, the celebrated Sheykh met his -death. - - - - -SHEDDAD'S PALACE OF IREM. - - -Sheddad and Sheddid, the sons of Ad and the grandsons of Uz, acquired -great fame in Hadramaut, where they saw light in Ahkaf, a region of -deserts bordered by deserts, desolate as Hejaz, sterile as Tehamah, -burning as Dahna "the red," frightful as Gobi, and less explored than -Sahara. The ancient Hebrews spoke of Hadramaut as _Hazarmaveth_, the -"court of death," and this sepulchral name is fully accounted for by -its black rocks, which here and there show head above the sifting -sand-ridges, like so many colossal coffins in the midst of the -gloomiest of graveyards. Here the tribe of Ad not alone prospered, but -accomplished things forever memorable in tale and song. - -While traversing the desert of Han-Hai Marco Polo reports to have seen -ghostly apparitions; and heard them speak, calling people by their -names, and startling the drivers of the caravan by such strange -noises as the tramp of horses, the beating of drums, and the blowing -of trumpets and other musical instruments. The Oriental counts those -spectral manifestations in the deserts as one of the many aspects of -the world's spiritual mystery, and the ancient Arab never entered a -waste in the dark without this propitiatory expression of confidence -uttered with the solemnity of prayer: "I fly for refuge unto the -prince of this region, that he may protect me against the foolish of -his domain." - -It is the Bedouin's conviction that countless ages before the creation -of Adam myriads of Jinn or genii were created of fire, and enjoyed the -blessings of this world under successive rulers who bore the generic -name of Suliman. These airy creatures, however, being of inferior -quality, are not alone subject to mortal wants, like eating, drinking -and propagating, but are corruptible and perishable; so that when -their wickedness provoked Allah's anger, he ordered Eblis to drive -them into the most inhospitable deserts, where they are kept in rigid -seclusion, but not without a certain latitude of action. For they are -permitted to exercise their potential energies, and indulge their -various inclinations for good or for evil, some being malignant, -others beneficent. The fairy-like Peri, the gigantic Div, and the -sinister Tacwins or fates, are referred to in the Koran, which fact -renders doubt in their existence out of the question. - -Now, the secret of Ad's power, which enabled him to flourish and -multiply in the heart of desolation, was a host of Jinn placed at his -command by his father Uz, the son of Aram, who was the son of Shem, -one of Noah's three offspring. With superhuman agents to carry out his -designs, Ad conceived the idea of building the most stupendous palace -on earth in the wilderness of Aden, and he intimated the project to -his older son Sheddad. Sheddad's imagination was set aflame, but the -vastness of the scheme rendered its realization somewhat doubtful, the -nature of the resources notwithstanding. - -"Thy plan, father, surpasses in magnitude that of the Tower of Babel, -but my ambition would surround the grandest palace under the heavens -with a garden like unto Paradise, provided thy means are ample enough -to do it," said the firstborn of Ad. - -"Palace and garden shall rise by invisible hands!" exclaimed Ad -boastfully, and proceeded with the sketching of his design on the -sand. - -The palace was to be reared on a plateau as high as the highest land -of Yemen, should have sufficient accommodation for his progeny -multiplied a thousandfold, and its surpassing feature was to be a hall -of superb magnificence, with room for the throne of a king to stand in -the midst of his court and his warriors, the grand edifice to be -enwreathed by a garden like Eden, and to be accessible and visible -only at the royal bidding. - -Ad's fabulous dream was again improved upon by his inventive son, who -proposed to have a city of princely dwellings cluster around the -palace, the garden to surround the whole, and to be enclosed by a wall -with stately portals. The additional feature commended itself to Ad, -but the execution of the scheme was accompanied by an element of -danger of which its projectors were unaware, and which proved fatal -to its originator. Believing the hour ripe for the work to begin, Ad -repaired one dark night, unaccompanied, to the dismal region to set -himself aright with the potent instruments he had depended on for the -actualization of his dream. Whether unnerved by the dismal dreariness -of the desert, or confused by an instinctive dread of the supernatural -machinery to be set in motion, the conjuror uttered the wrong formula, -and the sequel was appalling. For instead of the beaming spirits he -expected to bow to him, a hideous legion wagged their tails, having -descended on him like a tempest, frowning and grinning, their eyes -darting fury and hatred. Ad had unwittingly disturbed the dreaded -Tacwins, who would have torn him to pieces but for the mystic signet -he held in his hand, the talisman which, in a later age, enabled -Solomon to capture Ashmodai and rule over myriads of genii. The terror -of the moment, however, paralyzed the heart of the unfortunate wizard. -Ad was found dead, and was greatly mourned by his family and the tribe -that bore his name. - -Undeterred by the tragic end of his father, Sheddad, now the -acknowledged head of his tribe, and the owner of the potent seal, took -his brother Sheddid into the secret, asserting it to be their filial -duty to complete at all hazard what their sire had begun. Sheddid was -not of the adventurous type; he preferred the ease of the tent to -enterprises fraught with danger, and besought his brother to desist -from an attempt which had already proved fatal, declaring himself -content to be simply one of the tribe. Sole master of the situation, -however, Sheddad burned with impatience to see his dazzling vision -assume the form of reality; and wholly reckless as to danger, -proceeded to act in the manner planned by his father and himself. He -proved more successful than Ad in putting himself in communication -with the friendly Jinn subject to his will, and astonished them with -the sketch he drew of what he meant them to accomplish for him; for by -this time the previous outline was even more expanded, and his -commands were set forth with irrevocable authority. - -"You are required to build for me a city never to be equalled, still -less to be excelled, by anything art or skill may attempt to produce; -it is to be the home of a people a thousand times more numerous than -the tribe of Ad, and its crowning marvel is to be my palace,--of a -splendor befitting a king of kings, and of an amplitude to afford room -for a great court and an army.[4] Grounded on a rocky foundation on a -level with Yemen's highlands, the city's walls and dwellings shall be -white as alabaster, but the palace shall be of onyx, trimmed with gold -and set with gems. Twelve gorgeous halls shall be named after the -signs of the zodiac, all opening upon one grander than them all, -beneath a dome lucent as the firmament, illumined by a sun, a moon, -and scintillating stars, moving at the king's will around his throne -that shall blaze with what is most precious and brilliant in those -jewels which rival the lustre of the constellations. Vaults for -treasures, apartments for feasting, pavillions for ease, recesses for -love, grottoes for coolness, cisterns for bathing, colonnades for -pleasure, balconies for survey, and seats for delight, shall make my -palace inimitable for all time. And city and palace shall be embedded -in an Eden of foliage, blossom and fruit, animated by birds of -lustrous plume and sweetest song. Tax your skill to build more perfect -than I know to ask for, but never less; and let your magic make the -retreats inaccessible without the pleasure of the king," closed -Sheddad, inwardly sorry that his inventive faculty lagged behind his -vaulting ambition to be unexcelled in grandeur and glory. - - [4] The Koran has this reference to the Palace of Irem, - showing that it was already a tradition before the time of - Mohammed: - - "Hast thou not considered how the Lord dealt with Ad, the - people of Irem, adorned by lofty buildings, the like whereof - hath not been erected in the land?" (Surah 89; "The - Daybreak.") - - That Sheddad, having planted a garden in imitation of the - heavenly paradise, had been smitten by lightning on his way - hither, is another variation of the widely known legend. - -"Master of the potent seal," replied the chief of the shining files, -"thy behest is our concern. In eleven nights Sheddad shall stamp our -work with his approval." Elevated in his own estimation to the rank of -a king of kings, and conscious of a power equal to that of a god, it -required but a slight incentive for Sheddad's vanity to overleap -itself, and infernal Eblis was at hand to furnish it. In the guise of -an angel, the devil bewildered the architect of Irem by saluting him -as a god.--"Born of a woman, thine is the homage due to a prince of -the skies, before whom spirits bow, exalted Sheddad!" spoke the -Satanic deceiver with a profound salaam, and rose on his mighty wings -to vanish in the void of the desert. - -After this Sheddad would not have been astonished to hear the stars -proclaim his majesty, but he was surprised when, having listened to -his marvellous tale of the city the Jinn would build for him, Almena, -his favorite wife, beheld an evil omen in the fact that, in his plan -of sumptuous building, Sheddad had neglected to provide for the -worship of the only true God. - -"How could Sheddad forget him who created the heavens and the earth, -the stars and the spirits, and whose just wrath wiped out the people -in the time of our ancestor Noah? God's temple ought to rise high -above thy palace, or it will not stand, even according to the prophecy -of Hud, thy uncle, whose words were confirmed by signs from On High," -expostulated Almena. "Woman, thy Sheddad is a god, and shall be -worshipped because of his potency, and the favors he may bestow on -those who shall please him. A heavenly power paid me homage before I -entered this tent, and in eleven nights the tribe of Ad will see the -wonder of the world. My palace shall be their temple, my throne their -altar, thyself their goddess, and Sheddad their god!" cried the -infatuated chief. - -Almena was a frail daughter of Eve, and Sheddad's picture of their -prospective divinity, sustained as it was by an angel's confirmation, -converted her to share her husband's madness. The thoughts that -occupied them during the day came in weird visions during the -night,--throngs kneeling in adoration before them, burning incense and -wafting expiatory invocations, and kings hurrying from the ends of the -earth to receive their crowns and sceptres from Sheddad's grace. On -the tribe, it was deemed best that their chief's godship should burst -as a revelation. - -While the tribe of Ad were soundly asleep in their tents, a man and a -woman slipped cautiously out of the encampment. They were mounted on -two fast dromedaries, and glided like spectres into the heart of the -desert, buried in night and silence. Once more Eblis played his -infernal trick on the deluded Sheddad, now in company of his bewitched -Almena, by a renewed mock-adoration offered as by a winged cherub. For -it is hardly necessary to state that the infatuated couple were on -their way to the abode of their future felicities. They had not been -riding many hours before the level, blank face of the waste softened -into undulations scantily covered with that vegetation which the camel -alone is capable of digesting,--its gastric capacities being almost -equal to that of the ostrich,--and the outlook indicated rising -ground. A stretch had to be crossed punctuated by black rocks in -ever-increasing number, until the wilderness looked a stony maze of -dismal projections worn smooth by the grinding sands, ever moving -with the gusts of hot air; and the East indicated daybreak when -Sheddad and Almena ascended a height from which they could survey a -vast horizon, bordered on the south-east by sea, but presenting -otherwise the sterility of Arabia Deserta. A curious and perplexing -paralysis of speech deprived them of the interchange of sentiments, -and an uphill advance of a mile or so brought them before an arched -portal of imposing stateliness, opening on a great city, half-hidden -from view by the sylvan and floral wealth of an Eden. - -Husband and wife exchanged a look of amazement, strangely debarred -from an audible articulation of feeling just when there was so much to -be wondered at. There being nobody to hinder, no one to welcome them, -Sheddad and Almena tied their brutes to the glittering handles of the -brazen gates, and proceeded to take sovereign possession of what they -considered their indisputable domain. The ascending avenue before them -might have been called "The Vista of Enchantment." Sinuous in its -course, its moss-bedded windings were bordered by crystal rivulets -which came down, broken by impediments, in bounding cascades, the -water teeming with fish of tints recalling the changeful blushes of -Aurora. Towering trees shaded, with their intertwining crowns of -delicious leafage, a tropical exuberance of lesser growths weighed -down with luscious fruit or glowing and sparkling with soft colors -forming part of a delightful disorder of shrubs and vines, climbing, -winding, crawling, hanging and blooming, but receding here and there -to uncover the placid mirror of a lake limpid as beryl, or a spring of -the coolest and purest liquid, all approachable by a hundred -intercrossing pathways, lined and so softly carpeted that the -unsandaled foot paced as on a silken rug of the finest texture. Here -the bulbul's note was drowned in a concert of rival warblers, whose -melodies were as sweet as their feathers were coruscant. - -With ravenous greed Sheddad and Almena surrendered to the garden's -temptations, swallowing great quantities of precious fruit, but -feeding a hunger that seemed to grow with its glutting; nor did the -cooling drink they greedily imbibed allay their parching thirst. But -the whetted appetite rendered the sensuous enjoyment resistlessly -fascinating; and, the choice of the food being seemingly unlimited, -husband and wife would have abandoned themselves altogether to -physical indulgence, had not an overpowering sight burst on them, like -a vision from a suddenly opened heaven. - -They were on the point of ascending a terrace laid out with all the -arts of magic, and enwreathed with all the bounties of nature, when -they reached the entrance to an enormous square, superbly enclosed by -what appeared a score of palaces blended in one mass of variegated -splendors, the one at the opposite end overtopping the others by a -dome which blazed in the sun's radiance, as though set with -carbuncles. Symmetrically proportionate to the size of the grand space -ran a depression defined by a line of artistic shafts of alabaster, -capped with globes of burnished gold studded with gems, and rising -majestically above a grove of enameled green, thick with odoriferous -bloom. In the heart of the depression was a basin filled with a -rushing water as transparent as the sky, and enlivened by star-dotted -swarms of the finny tribes. It was an azure stream in an Elysian -garden, in the heart of a succession of edifices far beyond the limits -of human resources and ingenuity. Except for the feathered musicians, -and the zephyr which stirred the air and foliage, not a sound was -heard, nor a creature to be seen. The overawing majesty of an -architecture that dwarfed pantheons into monuments of man's vain -endeavor to imitate the inimitable, and the gorgeousness which could -not be thought of without remembering the limitations of earthly art -and treasures however great, justified to himself Sheddad's conceit -that he was more than human, a consciousness now at last fully shared -by Almena. Still unable to express their wonderment in words, they -resorted to gestures and grimaces, as though the tale of Babel was to -have a sort of counterpart in the story of Sheddad's palace of Irem. -And their wonder rose in intensity as, entering the left wing of the -palace by a sublime portico, the lofty vaulted spaces, communicating -by exquisitely carved arches, imparted the illusion that the ceilings -were as high as heaven and sparkled with real stars. - -An implied welcome was extended to them in the first apartment by a -banquet set in a begemmed service of golden vessels,--dainties and -beverages fit for gods. Hours busily spent at the sumptuous board did -neither appease their hunger nor quench their thirst. Every morsel and -every quaff sharpened the craving for more. When they succeeded in -tearing themselves from the table's inexhaustible dishes, their -progress through the palatial spaces consumed more time than they were -aware of, the fascinations being as varied as they were marvellous. -For incomputable as was the wealth, and lavish the ornamental art -bestowed on each and every room traversed, their main charm lay in the -optic illusions, causing Sheddad and his companion to laugh with -amusement and wonder, to scream with astonishment, or to shudder with -horror. - -Yielding to a woman's inquisitiveness, Almena was always a little in -advance of her husband, always eager to be yet more surprised, and her -eagerness was fully gratified. Once when a scream of laughter brought -Sheddad to his wife's side, he found that what she had mistaken for -clear water, rippled by a breeze, was indeed the solid floor of a long -green archway, imparting the illusion of a stream flowing under cover -of beautiful trees; Almena had prepared to cross it, with her sandals -off, and her skirts raised, imagining the water to wave gently in a bed -of golden sand. Here, again, she recoiled with terror from the glaring -eyes of a crouching lion, ready to fly at her in a rage; there she -stood paralyzed at the sight of the deadly _rukta_, rolled up in a coil -on an imperial divan, with her fangs pointed, and her eyes glaring. In -this manner the most formidable species of the animal kingdom faced -them in threatening postures throughout the entire palace, often -environed by their natural conditions, always in a pose of aggressive -ferocity. Yet all this notwithstanding, Sheddad affected the lofty -bearing of a god in his realm; strode haughtily along the mysteriously -echoing halls, the echoes of which ere long mixed with strains of music -sweet beyond expression. Drawn by the swelling harmonies, they -descended a stately flight of stairs landing on a platform whence, -descending another flight, they beheld themselves at the extreme end of -an enormous cavern bathed in a translucent haze of an unearthly -luminousness. The muffled rumble of a distant waterfall blended -enchantingly with waves of melody that floated incomprehensibly through -the weird mazes of the honey-combed hollow extending endlessly in -cavernous, inaccessible spaces, passes and galleries. Availing -themselves of conveniently protruding stepping-stones, the explorers -ventured into the nethermost ranges, fairly brightened by the reflex of -a stalactitic display, grotesque in shape, bulky in size, and -indefinable in color, every known hue blending into a magic play of -ever-changing spectra, and suggesting the idea that the palace above -was the blossom of which the underground masses were the roots. Here -they stood bewitched by the symphonies they could not account for, and -by a scenery human genius may dream of, but never imitate. - -While divided between the delights of the ear and the charm of the -eye, Sheddad and Almena lost no sight of a crystal barrier behind -which flowed a clear water alive with luminous fish, and through which -they had a glimpse of things above, recognizing it to be the bed of -the rushing stream that flowed in the court of the palace, fed by -unexplorable cisterns, and discharging its volume into an unsounded -abyss. As they advanced the wonders multiplied. Fluted pillars of -snowy alabaster, draped and marvellously traced by invisible hands; -towering shafts of white, red, amber and blue; hanging balconies of -gossamer lightness, trimmed with scarfs finer than the Indian shawl; -canopies bristling with numberless crystals of every tint and shape; -cataracts petrified in the act of precipitation; grottoes, fountains, -streamlets and cascades, with a myriad other exhibitions of magic art, -filled subterraneous spaces of unmeasured magnitude. - -Progressing through irregular archways and winding passages, Sheddad -and Almena were lost in the labyrinth. Remembering, however, that the -crystal basin ran along the grand court above, Sheddad followed its -length and discovered a way to an ascent which took them to a broad -stairway. This was the entrance from below to a colonnade of -astonishing height and dimensions, covering the entire width of the -court, and having at both extremes grand flights of steps, leading up -to the wing of the palace crowned by the blazing dome. - -If the son of Ad and his consort marveled at what they had seen -hitherto, they felt stupefied as ascending they stood before a golden -arch wrought in imitation of the rainbow, revealing the all-outshining -throne-hall, rising high above the lofty throne. Four tigers erect on -their haunches held up with their forepaws the seat of majesty, a -gorgeous divan bedecked with priceless jewels, under a lofty canopy -shaded by tapestries of matchless fabric and embroidery. To the right, -suspended from the roof of the canopy, hung the sceptre, a mace -incrusted with brilliants; to the left the crown, of dazzling -splendor; above the throne sun, moon, and stars were scattered within -the concave of the dome, while the twelve adjoining halls similarly -represented the signs of the zodiac, thus completing a startling -illusion of the heavens. - -As though driven by an irresistible force, Sheddad, with the firm step -of a king, advanced to take possession of his throne, Almena watching -him with a throbbing heart. Nine steps had to be ascended before the -seat could be reached. The aspirant to godship thought he felt the -deadly breath of the tigers, whose distended claws and furious eyes -threatened destruction, but he nerved himself and ascended the royal -seat. Simultaneously with his touch upon the throne the crown -descended on his head, the sceptre flew into his hand, while a mantle -of radiance clothed his frame. Sheddad felt that he was a god, for his -coronation was confirmed by the immediate action of sun, moon and -stars, which began to move in their respective orbits, shedding mellow -light, and filling the spaces with sweet strains. - -From his exalted seat Sheddad had for the first time an extended view -of his dominion, and he realized that what he had seen thus far was -but the heart of the whole, which seemed unbounded in extent and -unapproachable in magnificence. It was manifest that palace and court -formed the focus of a great city, spreading in many directions in -avenues shaded by trees and cooled by delicious springs, placid lakes, -playing fountains, and bubbling streamlets. Why should he lose a -moment to reveal himself to his tribe as their god and lead them -hither triumphant in confirmation of his godship? Who on earth was -mightier than he? - -He rose. The sceptre slipped from his hand, the crown from his head, -the mantle from his shoulders. Everything stood still. The song died. -A dimness spread around him. The eyes of the tigers glared viciously. -He stood by the side of his wife. They joined hands, hurried down and -out into the open air to find that it was twilight and sultry. Surely -the garden was less green, the flowers less fresh, the air less balmy, -and the water less transparent than before. The song of the birds had -changed into a melancholy chirrup, and their eyes glowed with -threatening fierceness. From the water of the basin the fish pierced -the royal pair with their fiery eyes, and the breeze moved lamenting -through the corridors and trees. With a woman's instinct of impending -danger, Almena led the way out of the court; but the garden was -plunged in a mist, which made impossible a quick exit from the sylvan -entanglements. While trying to strike the main avenue, they fell in -with their dromedaries browsing contentedly in the thick of the most -exquisite shrubbery, with neither saddle nor rope available for use. -The brutes looked unaccountably shaggy; they turned to run at the -approach of their master, and did not stop until they had passed the -gateway of which Sheddad was in quest. Here the saddles were found, -shabby and mouldy, were placed where they belonged, the camels having -submitted to the goad, and the homeward journey began. - -A deep sigh escaped Almena's breast as the distance widened between -them and the enchanted city, and when she found words she began -solemnly: "Sheddad, what is it we have seen and passed through? Cold -runs my blood when I think of the place; and dost thou mean to -re-enter it as our permanent home?" - -"Thou art a woman, or thou wouldst know that what Sheddad conjured out -of naught, Sheddad will as master rule and own. Are not those spirits -subject to my will?" was the imperious answer. - -"Thou wilt bear patiently with thy Almena, my lord; but are not the -looming cities and splendid gardens often seen in the haze of the -desert the dread of the lured Arab, who, mistaking them for fertile -oases, rushes to destruction? Verily, the wiles of Eblis are -numberless, and thy great palace is destitute of the sacred place to -prove it a work of the friendly Jinn. Thy father's end be thy warning, -O, light of mine eyes!" cried the woman appealingly. - -"Art thou the wife of Sheddad, or of Sheddid? Let woman be timid, but -no man be craven. The signet on my finger scorns infernal traps. Thou -hast seen me on the awful throne destined to be the worship of -nations, and thou art to share in the divine sovereignty of thy -Sheddad.--But, O, Almena, why is thy voice so unlike the one I have -ever heard since the days of our youthful love? It sounds as though -thou art speaking to me from the hollow of a cave," spoke the son of -Ad uneasily. - -"Thou hast taken this question from my lips, my lord; for thy speech -is so unfamiliar to my ear that, were I not near thee, I should -mistake it for an echo heard in the mountains of Yemen," confessed the -daughter of the desert. - -There was no time for another remark. The air swarmed with thousands -of lurid Cupids, each one holding a tiny harp under his left arm. -Flocking together, they interlocked in such a fashion as to form a -stupendous arch, perfect in shape and burning like a crescent cut from -the effulgent sun. On the top of the curve alighted one larger than -his compeers, his outstretched arms pointing a glittering tiara in the -direction of Sheddad, whose advance was greeted with voluptuous -strains: - - "Hail, our chief, thy sceptre sway! - Rule Irem, Sheddad, we obey! - Thy seal bade spirits be thy thralls, - Hail, god of Irem's magic halls!" - -With the dying of the choral apostrophe, the treacherous vision -conjured by Eblis to dispel Almena's intuitive fear of something -dreadful to come faded away. The sure-footed dromedaries picked their -way among the bleak rocks and the sand ridges, with not a glimmer to -break the darkness nor a syllable to spur them on. Sheddad and Almena -continued silent under the overpowering spell of the sight, which -soared before their mental vision long after it had vanished to the -eye. - -Daybreak found them near a solitary cliff known for the brackish -water, oozing from one of its cracks, and the scanty browsing nearby -fit for camels. Turning to his fresh water supply to appease his -thirst, Sheddad found the water-skin not only empty, but as dry as an -old hide, while the figs he held in reserve were mouldy and hard as -stone. Almena had the same experience. Unaccountable as appeared this -discovery, it was less of a surprise than the cadaverous aspect of -husband and wife, as they looked into each other's faces in full -daylight. "Thou dost not look like thyself, my lord; there is neither -blood in thy veins nor a beam of life in thine eye," cried the -startled mate of the aspiring god. - -"And thou hast described thy own looks, O, Almena.--It is but the -withering of our mortal substance before our beings are impregnated -with immortal virtue," assumed Sheddad with an air of supreme -indifference, in which, however, his heart failed to share. Almena's -ghastly countenance, once the seat of radiant beauty, struck a chord -of unexpressed pain in the heart of her besotted consort. - -The consternation of the tribe of Ad, on learning that a dead pair -mounted on two bulky _delools_[5] was on the point of entering their -encampment, may be imagined. The news was brought by some Arabs, who, -perceiving the approach of the strangers, made a sally, but hurried -back with the horrifying alarm, "The dead are coming!" Whoever could -run took to his heels, leaving the infirm old and the helpless young -to face the ghosts, who entered the settlement and took possession of -the largest tent, the one just vacated by Sheddid, who was among the -first to deny himself the enjoyment of the uninvited visitors. - - [5] A _delool_ is a dromedary trained and used as a saddle - animal, and not as a burden carrier. - -"If we have undergone a change, so has this place and all things -hereabout in but a few days; our young camels have grown large and -fat,--and who is this sleeping child?" asked Sheddad, pointing to a -half-naked maiden stretched on a mat upon the ground.--"Can this be -our Chaviva?" - -"Our daughter!" exclaimed the mother hysterically, recognizing in the -girl of seven the child of two years. "Either we see wrong or things -are wrong," added the woman, greatly troubled. - -"Neither this nor that; we are not the same, our sight is not the -same, but the world around us is the same, only that we see it -magnified, as higher beings must see; else how could the powers above -take cognizance of what is going on below?" argued Sheddad with -self-approving plausibility. - -While Almena waited for her child to waken, Sheddad proceeded to -investigate the neighborhood with the view of gathering an audience to -whom to reveal himself. In vain did the hapless old men and women -hide themselves from the searching eye of the cadaverous chief; he -ferreted them out and warned them to beware of his wrath. "Inform the -tribe, and let Sheddid know, that Sheddad and Almena have dwelt in the -land of the spirits as god and goddess, and that I am come to take you -into an Eden of endless felicities, if you only say, 'Lead on, -Sheddad.'" - -"Hast thou not dwelt with the dead all that time?" asked a trembling -crone. - -"No, daughter of the noble tribe; during the five days we have been -away----" - -"Five years!" interrupted a chorus of voices. "For five years have -Sheddad and Almena been missed and mourned as lost," supplemented the -aged female to the unspeakable consternation of his godship. He had -spent years, instead of hours, in the magic palace, and everything -contributed to confirm the astounding fact. Yet, however amazed, -Sheddad's faith in his superhumanity was so deeply rooted that the new -revelation occurred to him as but another evidence of his supernatural -destiny. To continue for five years without regular food and sleep -was to him a most striking proof of his transmutation, while the many -years that passed like so many hours attested the blessedness of the -seat he had created. - -The one man of the tribe, who was most concerned and least delighted -with Sheddad's return from what he believed to be the real beyond, was -his own brother Sheddid, who wished himself a thousand miles away from -the spot; not that he was jealous of the rights attaching to his -brother's primogeniture, but because he shuddered at the thought of -meeting him, to say nothing of his aversion to the conjurer's -chimerical projects. However, having nerved himself to the emergency, -Sheddid faced his brother with the question whether he was determined -to lead his people into a realm whence they would return like him, -looking more dead than alive.--"An evil influence sways thy heart, O, -my brother. The children of Ad are happy, why tempt them into a snare -spread by Eblis?" - -Sheddad replied with a glowing outline of the Eden in store for them -who would follow him. "That ye may all be convinced of the truth my -words contain, this coming eve a mist shall rise from the bosom of -Hadramaut, and with it shall ascend the image of the palace and city -embedded in gardens like unto Paradise. Remain in the waste ye who -love it; but ye who prefer the marble habitation, the cool walk, the -cooler spring, the crystal bath, the delicious fruit, the mellow -sunshine, the sights of wonder, and the rule of the world, to the dark -tent, the scanty meal and the arid region,--are welcome to share them -with Sheddad," cried he with godlike benignity. - -This offer was received with a wild shout by the fiery children of the -desert, and the promised mirage was expected with intense interest. -Retiring to his tent, the mighty wizard summoned the chief of the Jinn -and charged him with the task of conjuring up the picture of the -Palace of Irem. Sunset was the signal for every eye to turn toward the -desert. With nightfall came a pellucid silveriness, which transformed -the wilderness into an atmospheric canvas whereon rose, looming in -perfect outline and majestic proportions, the city, palace and -gardens of Irem. Wild joy yielded to a sober sense of awe before him -who thus proved his claim to worshipful reverence.--"Lead us, divine -Sheddad," was the cry, followed by the taking down of tents and the -loading of camels, the whole tribe being seized by the one passion, to -possess and inhabit the grandest and happiest of cities. Sheddid was -obliged to choose between remaining behind or going with the tribe, -and he threw in his lot with the multitude, his evil forebodings -notwithstanding. - -The march was opened with dance and song, Sheddad and Almena leading -the motley caravan; but soon voices other than human began to disturb -the pregnant silence of the dismal waste. Sheddad's name was heard -articulated to the accompaniment of heart-chilling laughter. As if -goaded by demons to madness, the camels grew vicious, throwing women -and children from their backs and trampling them to death, so that -everybody hoped for day to deliver them from terror. But there was no -break in the night, although it seemed as long as three nights in one; -and when light finally broke on the caravan it came so suddenly that -it almost blinded the confused Arabs. And with it came a noise from On -High, a noise like that of a myriad roaring lions, growing, swelling -and reverberating till heaven appeared in uproar,--earth trembling, -the desert glowing like a furnace, the sands rising and whirling like -a cyclone of ignited gases, and exploding in vitriolic sheets of fire. -Man and brute tried to bury their heads in the burning sands. The -catastrophe was too terrible for flesh to survive. In his agony -Sheddad felt the signet slip from his finger. Struck deaf and dumb, -the son of Ad perished with his entire following, the cyclonic fire -consuming them flesh and bone. Only those whom weakness or the love of -little ones detained behind remained to build up again the almost -annihilated tribe of Ad. - -Such was the punishment of Sheddad for his aspiration to godship. His -name lives in Arabia's legendary lore. Down to this day Allah -preserves the city and palace as a monument of divine retribution, and -numerous are the tales of straying pilgrims or lost Bedouins, who -have been favored with a glimpse of it. Among these is Kalabah who, -having lost himself in the desert while in search of a camel, suddenly -found himself before the gate of a dazzling city. He entered it, but -was so overawed by the dead stillness therein that he fled its -precincts in horror, taking with him an invaluable stone as a memento. -This he showed to the Caliph Madwigah in confirmation of his -adventure,--as is duly recorded. - - - - -THE MYSTERY OF THE DAMAVANT. - - -As a somewhat distant offshoot of the Elburz the Damavant is a -solitary pile, of imposing proportions, generally admitted to be -Persia's most graceful mountain. Seen from a vantage point in Tehran, -cloud-crowned Damavant appears to be the real shoulder of sky-bearing -Atlas, losing its head in ether and its foot in a forest of the -semi-tropical varieties, dense to the degree of inaccessibility. The -wild beast is here at home; the tiger, bear, wolf, panther and wild -boar, finding in these jungles an abundance of food, a safe retreat, -and a cool spring to satisfy thirst. While the gentler slopes are -covered by extensive, fruit-bearing orchards, there are crests and -hollows in the Elburz system which the eagle's eye alone has seen, -and there are peaks which, but for the sinuous furrows cut by the wild -torrents after heavy showers, no human foot could ever ascend. Spirits -are believed to haunt the caves and impenetrable thickets of those -mountains, a belief sustained by mocking echoes and multiple -reverberations started by the least noise; and the simple Iranian folk -look up to him with awe, who dares sojourn above the settled line of -demarcation dividing the earthly from the unearthly. The history of -religion, poetry and superstition is inextricably intertwined with the -weird mystery which hangs over the unapproachable heights and deeps of -mountains. - - [Illustration: "Determined to penetrate into the seemingly - impenetrable wonderland of the Damavant." - Page 92.] - -It was through a bewildering gorge, which heavy rain transforms into -the bed of a wild torrent, that, in the year 410 of the Hegira, two -men of note, preceded by four experienced mountain-climbers, were -toiling uphill determined to penetrate into the seemingly impenetrable -wonderland of the Damavant's south-easterly acclivity. The attempt -implied hard work and great risk, and the wonder of it was that one -of those two men betrayed the unmistakable signs which indicate high -age. Clothed in the habit of a dervish, the white-headed climber -assisted his infirmity by a strong staff, but now and then had to be -helped over an impediment by the brawny arms of the vigilant -attendants. His companion, who was a much younger and stronger man of -dignified bearing, wore the garb of nobility and the air of command, -leaving no doubt as to his being one in power and authority. At every -step he took in advance his eye reverted to the decrepit figure back -of him. "The return will be easier," said he to the older man with a -sympathetic smile. - -"Thou hast spoken truth; the return is the easiest part; the coming -hither, and the _being_, that is the trouble," answered the other, his -luminous face marked by the deep furrows of age and sorrow. - -"With Mahmud of Ghaznin out of thy mind, Firdusi, would that still be -thy mood?" inquired the younger man in a soft voice. - -"Mahmud's court is the sea of evil which swallowed my island of -happiness. Whom did I murder that I should be a footsore fugitive -like the blood-stained son of Adam?" cried the old man in a faltering -tone, having stopped to take breath. - -"Thy ethereal spirit has murdered grossness, giving this world a -foretaste of Eden. Thy _Shah-Namah_ is the song of the skies, and -Eblis, who revels in discord and confusion, took vengeance on thee by -poisoning Mahmud's mind, O, Firdusi.--Thy own version shows not that -thy enemy is Mahmud, but his envious treasurer. It shall end well, -however. Nasir Lek's message will not leave Mahmud unmoved," said the -younger man, who was the Governor of Kohistan, a friend of the Sultan -of Ghaznin, and a boundless admirer of Persia's famous poet, Firdusi. - -"May Allah bless thy kindness; yea, it shall end well; it is well that -things here come to an end,--or with poverty to sting, with oppression -to harass, and the dread of the executioner's axe to torture one, life -were a hell without redemption. Ah, I have emptied the cup of -bitterness to its dregs! But it cannot now last long; my human frame's -time of final crumbling has been nearly reached. May Firdusi's misery -be Mahmud's pillow!" cried the poet, turning his liquid eyes -heavenward. - -By this time the men had ascended to a height of over nine thousand -feet above the sea level, and Tehran spread far away, like a patch -covered with all kinds of mushrooms. The sun was near the end of his -course and the golden flood turned the vast reaches into a magic -picture of light and shade, under a dome suffused with rippled waves -of translucent purple, crimson, silver and gold. With their faces -turned toward the East, the Moslems knelt and lay prostrate in prayer. -This done, the escort was ordered to await their lord's return where -they stood, and the two men soon disappeared in a labyrinth of crags, -rocks, loose bowlders, and heaps of stone, with no vestige of -vegetation. Firdusi had the question at his tongue's end, how could a -sentient being live in so inhospitable a region, in a temperature so -freezing that it chilled him to his marrow? But he said nothing. The -cold grew with the dreariness of the surroundings, and now they -plunged into a sea of dense fog, still climbing higher and higher, the -younger assisting his older friend. At last Nasir brought forth a horn -to which he gave wind. The blast reverberated with appalling effect, -followed by a profound silence. There was no answer. Another blast -startled the echoes of the mountain a thousandfold, ringing like -muffled drums, and lo! there came a note in response,--a shrill note -like that of a whistle. - -"We are welcome, and thou wilt be rewarded for thy toil, Firdusi," -said Nasir. - -"He is thy mystery of the Damavant," observed the poet skeptically. - -"Thou wilt face a man who might pass for the spirit of this mountain; -as to his occult power, thou shalt thyself be judge," suggested Nasir. - -"Is one permitted to ask him questions?" inquired Firdusi. - -"Ask nothing until his revelations are spread before thee; thou wilt -have little to ask. The juggler's art has often amused me, but -Almazor's alembic has almost translated me from one state of being to -another.--There he is; say nothing; he knows my purpose, and will read -thy mind," said the lord of Kohistan nervously. - -Firdusi, looking in vain for the outlines of a human form, almost fell -into the arms of a something that wore a cloak, was very long-bearded, -very tall, very attenuated and pale as the moon, the pallor being -enhanced by a whiteness of hair which rivaled new-fallen snow. The -only dark feature in the hermit's face was one glaring eye hemmed in -by a cavernous socket, the other orb being sightless and covered with -skin like the rest of the countenance. - -Almazor could indeed pass as a prince of ghosts rather than a creature -held alive by the circulation of warm blood, and his speaking by -pantomime added to the awe inspired by his inscrutable nature. He -stood in the curve of a semi-circular enclosure before an aperture -that was not large enough for a man to enter without crouching low. - -Without a salaam or any ceremony, Almazor turned and slipped like a -serpent into the gaping hole of the rock, the others following him. -It was brighter within than without, although there was nothing in -sight to account for the brightness. The nimbleness with which the -fleshless hermit ascended and descended steep and winding galleries, -bridges, and tunnels, leading now up now down into the core of the -mountain, was less surprising than the lightness with which the men -behind him kept up the pace, as though carried by a force beyond the -law of gravitation. Their impression grew that the top of Damavant -could not be very far above them when the speechless guide stopped in -a brightly illumined space of considerable size and height, irregular -as caves are, but beautified by a long vista, slanting upward not -unlike a funnel of polished silver, at the upper end of which shone, -in its fullest circumference, the broad disk of the full moon. A -stalagmite of pure crystal sparkled in the moonlight like a reflector, -affording seats for perhaps a score of people; at its foot stood the -bowl of an unusually large chibouque, its green stem hanging like a -snake over the back of the glittering divan, and a box of sandal-wood -completed the equipment of the magic laboratory. - -The opening of the sandal-wood box brought to light a strange herb, -cut and dried like tobacco, but diffusing a sense-blunting odor; and -being put into the fire-bowl of the chibouque and ignited, the -mysterious herb filled the space with a golden smoke and a somnolent -atmosphere. Mechanically complying with a motion of the hermit's hand, -Firdusi seated himself next to the chibouque, turned his eyes in the -direction of the moon's shining disk and, before he knew it, had the -mouthpiece of the pipe between his lips. As the smoke followed the -smoker's breath, and rose in puffs and ringlets above his head, he -lost consciousness of his environment, and realized a sense of bodily -expansion, as though his frame was undergoing a transmutation from the -solid to the ethereal form. At the same time the lunar orb assumed -prodigious dimensions, swelling, spreading, and changing from a -mottled globe to a continent of glaring peaks and black abysses, its -enormous bulk seeming to draw nearer and nearer the beholder, who felt -that, by an unaccountable process, he was being translated from one -world to another. Utterly and willingly helpless, Firdusi allowed -himself to be tossed and twirled lightly, and his next sensation was -of alighting on massive ground brilliantly illumined. - -In his most daring flights of imagination the poet had never dreamed -of the possibility of such a sight as the lunar world presented to his -eyes. The height he stood upon dwarfed the forest of pointed pinnacles -around, and afforded him an insight into numberless pits as black as -the surface was dazzling,--if this name be applicable to an endless -agglomeration of spires, turrets, crests, rocks, crags, precipices, -varied by bottomless abysses, the whole torn, broken, wrenched, -twisted by tremendous agencies into most fantastic shapes--a terrific -waste of awful confusion and eternal silence. The death of death ruled -here supreme. Glass of all shades and no shade; masses of all colors -and no color; fissures, clefts and chasms of all forms and no form, -with none of the elemental conditions which create and further life, -characterized the appalling desolation. How and wherefore did this -come to be? A sea of once molten ores, tossed about and blown upon by -interstellar forces, and chilled into iron rigidity while sweeping -through a freezing zone, hangs forever in radiant gloom, the celestial -mirror of the sun's unebbing light, when his face is turned away from -our globe, thought the poet; and his eye swept afar in search of -relief from the fierce light not less than from the abysmal deeps -buried in darkness. - -With the sigh of an uneasy heart, Firdusi looked up to the source of -the unendurable effulgence. The blackness of the infinite space on -high was intensified by the enormity of the flaming sphere, convulsed -by fiery oceans in tempestuous agitation, upshooting, breaking and -bursting, like furious billows hurled one against another by battling -hurricanes. - -While the beholder compared this aspect of the sun with his milder -face as seen from the earth, the stormy fire-ball began to sink -visibly. Night hurried from the opposite heaven to swallow his last -ray. He disappeared, as if devoured by a monster, leaving no trail to -mark his march through the black dome of the universe. Overawed by the -stupendous phenomenon, Firdusi closed his eyes in fervent prayer, -praising Allah the Most Merciful. A more pleasing sight was another -sphere which now rose in distinct outlines above the black horizon, -much larger than the moon as seen from below, and as much sweeter, -presenting a figured disk of beautiful shadings, zones and fields of -color approaching those most familiar to the human eye. How gracious -He who gave man that blessed world, said the poet to himself, and -feasted his eyes on its configurations, which grew more distinct as -the globe rose higher, mildly radiant and sublimely impressive. - -There was no possibility of discerning distinctly one thing from -another, but Firdusi's poetic fancy endeavored to locate the blue -oceans, to recognize the green zones, and trace the mountain ranges -and the great deserts. And as the world wherein man is king and slave, -saint and sinner, angel and demon, happy and wretched, grew more and -more glorious in ascent, the suffering bard, feeling in his grief the -woes of the race, allowed his tears to flow before speech came to his -relief. - -"The Universe is thy secret, Power Divine, but O, for that peace which -dwells with Thee alone, that sight which reveals the great mystery, -and the life which knows no beginning, no withering, and no end! Who -am I, and wherefore thrown on that shore of time, that isle of space, -to struggle with a myriad myriads of my like, toiling and sighing, -with death as the dark end of a dark nightmare? If man must perish -like the worm, then happy the worm who knows not his misery. Alas, in -shreds scattered are the golden webs of hope here. Who knows that my -dreams of Paradise are less illusory? That splendid world has much to -sweeten life made bitter by the serpent in the human breast. Why is -man so akin to the brute? Am I a spirit fallen, sent yonder to atone, -and by atonement to be redeemed? Or am I risen from things below the -worm to my present state, and progressing toward a higher,--ay, -perchance the highest life and form, like Him who traced my pathway -through the vale of sorrow and the shadow of death? Or are the worm -and I but infinitesimal incidents in endless time and space, called -forth by a cruel fate to wriggle in agony and sink into everlasting -night? Power Divine, forbid this black thought from blighting the last -flower of hope, lest chaos swallow what is bright and sane in this -little world of mine." - -As though responsive to the mood of the bard, the terrestrial globe -began to undergo a phenomenal change. Lurid and livid hues overspread -its luminous shadings with frightful velocity, rushing in like an -ever-thickening pall, and giving the appearance of a red ball engulfed -in a cloud of cinders, with black space as the background. But the -moon, although obscured by the darkening of her superior luminary, did -not remain in total obscurity. The reason of which became manifest to -Firdusi the moment he sent his eyes elsewhere to account for the -shimmer. What he beheld was too much for him to contemplate without a -shudder of reverential awe, a consciousness of nothingness in face of -the sublime eternal; and yet it was but a glimpse of the starry -heavens. For every blinking star visible to the eye from sublunar -ground there shone now a score of constellations, clusters of wheeling -spheres, the nearest of which exceeded the rainbow in circumference, -transcending it in brilliancy. The interstellar darkness acted as a -frame to set off the glowing galaxies, so that the empyrean suggested -the idea of an ethereal tree, spreading its sun-bespangled crown -throughout immensity. - -And the vast grew vaster, and the depths deeper, and the wonders -multiplied, as host after host emerged from the bosom of infinity, -wheeling and circling in celestial grandeur, stirring boundless ether -with soul-enravishing strains. Firdusi's great heart thawed in -felicity; from his eyes rolled the tear of rapture, not unmixed with a -blunted sense of pain, springing from a lingering apprehension that it -was all but a vain vision. To his ear the music of the spheres spelt -man's inscrutable destiny, his real woes, his elusive hopes, his -unrealized dreams, and his dark end. But there was a healing solace, -an intuitive appeasement in the heavenly exhibition, so that the -poet, realizing the balm of faith, muttered resignedly: - -"Power Divine, infinite as are Thy eternal glories, even I am -interwoven in Thy impenetrable design, whatever Thy purpose. In Thy -perfection Thou hast created no being to be forever imperfect, or to -utterly perish after a ray of Thy intelligence has once irradiated his -mind." - -Firdusi's lips trembled as he lisped this conviction. His hand moved -instinctively toward his eyes, which were veiled by a dimness that -made everything swim vaguely before his vision. The sense of coming -down headlong from another world made his weak frame writhe in -convulsions of horror. When he opened his eyes he found himself in the -arms of his friend, Nasir. - -Great as was the poet's creative faculty, it required some time for -him to recall his original situation, especially since the cave -presented nothing of its previous features. There was neither a bright -vista nor a moon to look at, but a dingy hole out of which they had to -grope their way, with no hermit to lead them. When they issued from -the mountain's mystery it was broad daylight; they had stayed therein -the whole night. Soon the attendants answered the call of Nasir's -horn, and the descent was made in perfect silence. They arrived before -the gates of the palace simultaneously with a courier, who, springing -from his saddle, respectfully delivered a package to the ruler of -Kohistan. "It is Mahmud's answer to my appeal in thy behalf, Firdusi," -observed Nasir with a beaming countenance, "and I know not the Sultan -of Ghaznin if the devil triumphed this time." - -They were no sooner within the Governor's residence than Nasir broke -the seal of the message to learn its purport, and he read as follows: - -"In the name of the only true, most merciful God! From Mahmud of -Ghaznin to his friend Nasir Lek of Kohistan, in behalf of Abul Casim -Mansur Firdusi. Peace and friendly greetings. God alone is great. May -truth and mercy prevail. - -"As thy soul hath spoken, so hath my heart answered, moved by the -pleadings of thy fairness. Yea, there is no sweeter singer than -Firdusi, and the blame of his wrong is mine to the extent of having -lent mine ear to the slander of his enemies, whose mischievous head, -Hassan Meimendi, has fallen under the blow of the executioner's axe. -The all-knowing Allah never errs, but how can a ruler of nations -escape error when misled by them whom he believes to be just, wise and -true? Once enlightened, Mahmud will neither withhold the prize nor the -honor due to him who glorified Iran's immortal heroes, inspiring the -sons to emulate their sires. However great, the dead were dead -forever, but for the bard whose magic wand reclaims them from the dust -to robe them in unfading splendor, and Persia's national song was -forced to wait the coming of Firdusi. - -"As God is merciful, the singer of the _Shah-Namah_ shall hereafter -have no other grievance than the remembrance of a past wrong. A load -of gold larger than the one promised shall be delivered at his -bidding; and if sympathetic regrets expressed by his whilom friend and -sovereign will give him solace, Mahmud of Ghaznin herewith conveys -his sorrow for his unworthy treatment of Abul Casim Mansur Firdusi, -who is welcome at my court, welcome as far as my rule extends." - -Bent, sad and silent, did Firdusi listen to the message of the monarch -who had blasted his happiness, the tear alone betraying his -inexpressible heartache. The generous host understood the cause of his -friend's grief. The author of Iran's great epopee and of _Yusuf_ and -_Zuleikha_ had little to expect of this life, fear, want and -homelessness having been his share at an age when the laurel crown -ought to have graced his head in a home of ease and plenty. He had -survived his only son, and was separated from his only daughter. And -that vision of stars soaring, as it did, before his fiery imagination, -served but to intensify his melancholy. On earth his career was -drawing to its close, what was there to hope for beyond the grave? - -Nasir took alarm at the change he perceived in the face and manner of -his friend, whose look was suggestive of approaching dissolution. -"Thou art in need of refreshment, after the exhausting ascent," said -the host sympathetically. - -"Let me, I pray thee, abstain from taking food until the craving -demands it, lest it choke me, being overfull," replied the poet with -ill-suppressed emotion. - -Having appeased his own hunger by a meal served by slaves, Nasir -surprised his friend by asking him in a tone less reproachful than -anxious, "So, have the good tidings not broken thy gloom, O, Firdusi, -nor the mystery of the Damavant added to thy spiritual wealth, thy -ethereal dreams?" - -"Thou art good, and I ought to be happy in my magnanimous friend, but -happiness ever frowned at my courting, and fled never to return. -Friend, I stand on the brink of my grave, with precious years wasted -in undeserved disgrace, unmitigated wretchedness.--Ah, and that vision -revealed to me in the recesses of the Damavant! If thou knowest its -nature thou canst draw thy conclusions," returned Firdusi deeply -moved, adding: "Thy hermit is more than thou dreamest of him." - -"That is what I looked for thee to say; but Almazor is a secret -bequest of my father, and that horn of mine is the only signal he will -respond to; otherwise he is not to be found, and Tehran knows no more -of him than thou didst before I led thee thither. He is the mystery of -the Damavant, more ghost than man, living no one knows how, a spirit -among spirits, unaffected by hunger, thirst or cold," explained Nasir -with impressive earnestness. - -"A great secret and a precious heirloom all in one," mused Firdusi. - -"Thou hast said it; my father's father blew the horn I sounded -yester-night, and saw peradventure the things thou and I have seen," -continued Nasir. - -"Those are sights to unhinge reason," asserted the poet. - -"What thou hast seen is thy secret, O, Firdusi, and thou hast been -vouchsafed no more than thy spirit can assimilate. Strange were the -words thou hast spoken in the trance caused by the smoke of the -mysterious herb, as it passed through thy system. That herb crops up -where no earthly plant can exist, in a spring which is half liquid and -half vapor, warm when everything around is frozen, and cold when the -sun's heat beats against it like the deadly simoom. Invisible in -daylight, the herb betrays itself at rare intervals in the dead of the -darkest night by its phosphorescent nature. From my father I have it -that, infused into the human frame in any manner, the mind will see -whatever it is capable of grasping. Under its influence I had a -glimpse of paradise, a clime and a region impossible to describe," -imparted the host confidingly. - -A transient smile flitted over the poet's countenance as his eyes met -those of his communicative friend, and then rang a voice deep, -sonorous, fluent and suave, conjuring before the entranced hearer -sights appalling to think of, illuminated horrors rolling in ether, a -world of dismal deserts, dead mountains and black abysses: petrified -chaos grinning in the face of a burning and seething sun. But when, -passing from the lunar desolations to the empyrean hosts, the master -of epic melody gave full play to his inspired genius, bidding the -stars to march forth as he had seen them before the spirit's eye, -Nasir fell into an ecstasy of delight, sinking on his knees, weeping, -and kissing the hands of the white-headed singer he so loved and -revered, and crying: "And all this fails to make thee happy, divine -Firdusi!" - -In this enthusiastic exclamation of his devoted admirer the poet heard -a reproach. Is not faith, blind faith, preferable to endowments which -engender doubt? He had had his share of fame and favor, but proved too -frail to accept trials with the resignation enjoined by Islam. Revolt -against Allah's unsearchable decree is unworthy of the true believer. -Zarathustra lay prostrate in adoration before the sun, because to his -mind the Universe reveals nothing grander as a symbol of divine -Omnipotence; how much deeper ought he to be impressed who has -witnessed the sublime progress of a billion suns in the midst of their -countless planets and satellites? - -"Thy words are not meant as a reprimand, yet am I startled at what -they imply," spoke Firdusi in a deliberate tone. "Even at my age -theories may be revised, and new conclusions reached. Though -fire-worshippers are the heroes of my _Shah-Namah_, my faith is that -of the Prophet. But alas! how banish doubt which steals into one's -head like the demon of insanity? If we must have a theory let us build -on the postulate that life and death point to harmonizing relations. -The self-evident relation of the tiniest blade of grass to the great -sun is not clearer than that of the rain-drop to the cloud and the -ocean, and both prove that of the human soul to the universal Spirit. -If the outer world reveals to us little more than the form of things, -a glimpse into their inner nature is granted us in our inner world of -thought and inspiration. When land and sea, mountain and valley, field -and desert, lake and river, tree and blossom, fish, brute, bird and -insect,--when the elements of earth and the stars of heaven, are -recognized as the visible manifestations of an impenetrable design, -with man as the crowning work in this nether creation, and God as the -All-in-All, the All-above-All throughout the Universe, then does the -soul pass from her inner world into the supernatural domain, -inspiration passes into revelation, and the mind's peace and the -heart's felicity insure a foretaste of heaven; the dissonance of doubt -succumbs to the harmony of faith, and the rain-drop, long lost in the -dark cracks and crevices of the rugged rock, bounds forth in a crystal -spring, rushes into the rivulet, the river, eager to mix with the -ocean's vast." - -Whether Nasir understood his friend's metaphysics or not, he was the -last to question a man's ideas, whose superior wisdom he never -doubted. Moslem friendship is kindred to Bedouin hospitality, and -Nasir, who had received the poet with all the marks of distinction, -made arrangements to signalize his departure in royal form. After a -feast given in his honor to the notables of the province, the famous -bard, mounted on a fine dromedary, followed by another one loaded with -valuable presents, and escorted by a magnificent cavalcade, issued -hopefully from Tehran's gate, accompanied by his loyal friend. - -"If Allah's mercy grants me the joys of paradise, I will pray that -Nasir Lek share them with me, unless thy meed be above mine, who am -less generous than thou," were Firdusi's last words of gratitude, -addressed to his magnanimous host. - -On reaching Tus, the place of his birth, Firdusi found that the -Sultan's promised gold had not arrived, and he was greatly troubled, -lest Mahmud's apologies were intended as a snare spread for his -destruction. His apprehension was not allayed by hearing incidentally -a child in the street lisp a verse of the pungent satire in which he -taunts Mahmud as the base-born son of slaves. The trend of the lines -was, that had that potentate's progenitors been of noble blood, -instead of cheating him of the prize he had promised for the -_Shah-Namah_, he would have set a crown of gold on his aged head. - -Heart-wringing self-compassion moved the decrepit man to tears. His -grievance is the plaint of Iran, breathed by innocents into the ears -of sympathetic mothers. Once more he lived through the fearful moments -of his life; the hours of that night when daybreak was to see him -trampled under the feet of Mahmud's elephants, because he had resented -the Sultan's meanness in sending him sixty thousand pieces of silver -instead of gold, _dirhems_ in lieu of _dinars_, as agreed; the moment -when, fleeing from the wrath of the tyrant, he sought a refuge at -Mazenderan, where Kabous, the prince of Jorjan, durst not harbor him -for fear of the implacable persecutor; and that most painful of hours -when El Kader Billah, the Caliph of Baghdad, at first delighted with -the genius of the fugitive, asked him to depart when Mahmud of Ghaznin -demanded his extradition. Whelmed with grief, the broken man returned -to his daughter's home to die in her arms, resigned to the inscrutable -decree of destiny. - -Just as Firdusi's body was carried out through one gate of Tus, the -camels which bore the Sultan's gold entered the city through another. -His daughter refused to accept it, but an aged relative remembered his -cherished wish to see his native place improved by public works, -especially a healthy and plentiful supply of water. To comply with the -poet's generous wish, the treasure was taken and invested for the -benefit of his lamenting townsmen, whose descendants have during the -successive centuries continued to celebrate the passing of Iran's -immortal singer. - - - - -THE GODS IN EXILE. - - -The year 1492 was a dark one for the sons of Shem. The fall of Granada -and the expulsion of the Jews from Spain are events more generally -commemorated than the equally dramatic episode which wound up with the -tragic death of Bajazid, the dashing caliph of Damascus, surnamed -Yildirim--"the thunderbolt." At no time of the year is the Moslem -world so deeply stirred as during the month Shawall, the fifteenth day -of which marks the official opening of the great yearly pilgrimage to -Mecca. The Haj is the name of the leading caravan which carries the -Sultan's gift for Mohammed's shrine, that holds the black stone given -by an angel to Abraham. No animal in creation has so many devout eyes -concentrated on its unbeautiful outlines as the dromedary which -conveys, under a canopy of green silk, the gorgeously embroidered -covering for the walls of the Kabah. This _Kiswa_, as it is called, is -made of black brocade, and its magnificent golden border spells divine -utterance culled from the gems of the Koran. Exceeding it in -costliness is a smaller curtain sent along for the Kabah's doors which -swing in a frame of silver and gold. - -Even in our days that train starts from Damascus with great ceremony, -is accompanied by the municipal dignitaries led by the Pasha, and -escorted by a regiment in military pomp. No Moslem eye will miss the -opportunity of witnessing the _muhmil_, or silken canopy, as it swings -on the camel's back, shielding the sacred vesture of the most sacred -of Islam's fanes, so that along the line of the procession the immense -concourse of the faithful throng every available spot, from the -terraced roof down to the gutters of the ill-paved, sinuous lanes. - -Such is the religious signal for hundreds of thousands to start for -the centre of Moslem devotion from every quarter and corner as far as -the crescent is revered, to fulfil the duty of adoring the object of -the Prophet's worship. For he who has kissed that heavenly stone is -not alone cleansed of all his sins, but is thereafter distinguished by -the surname of Hajj. - -The departure of the Haj in the year of the discovery of the New World -was one of unprecedented commotion. It was known that a great army was -being concentrated and hurriedly drilled, and that Bajazid was on the -point of taking the field himself, having gained signal triumphs in -his repeated wars with Christian powers. That he appeared in his great -mosque on the day of the Haj, and, surrounded by his bodyguard, -followed the muhmil out of the city's confines, was interpreted as an -ominous sign of impending danger. The Caliph's countenance was -scrutinized with great anxiety by those who caught sight of it, and -somber deductions passed from lip to lip. As if to confirm the popular -apprehensions, as Bajazid re-entered the city, a yelling saint, -looking more like a satyr than a human being, emerged nobody knew -whence, and, planting himself in the way of the white steed which -carried the Commander of the faithful, cried: "Bajazid, Bajazid, the -stars are against thee. Woe! Woe! Damascus! I see thee and thy sister -cities swim in blood, thy treasures plundered, thy beauty rifled, thy -daughters outraged, with none to avenge thee! Woe! Woe! Woe!" A -terrible frown darkened the brows of the hitherto invincible Caliph, -but nobody dared lay a hand on the prophet of evil, who was allowed to -lose himself in the next grove unmolested. The saint is only an -instrument in the hand of Allah, and before the people had -sufficiently recovered from their consternation to exchange a word -about the fateful prophecy, a courier came tearing along the straight -way of the city; another one was close behind, and another, their -horses panting for breath. These events were followed by a sleepless -night and feverish activity in the palace. Couriers were speeding to -and fro; regiments were moving; batteries were mounted, and the -graying dawn saw the Sultan at the head of a division marching out of -his citadel never to return. - -From the hand of fate Bajazid was to drink the dregs of the bitter -cup. Like stubble before the fire, everything withered before the -all-engulfing devastation of Timur's unconquerable host. Having swept -nations and races before him, that celebrated Tartar conqueror made -short work of Bajazid's mighty army. In the province of Angora host -encountered host, the Caliph sustained a crushing defeat, his army was -shattered, and the dreaded "thunderbolt" was himself among the -prisoners in the hands of a merciless foe. With other cities, -beautiful Damascus experienced the wrath of the Tartar's beastly -nature. An indiscriminate slaughter of the population was followed by -pillage, and whatever could not be plundered and taken off was -delivered to the flames. The Caliph's fate was sad in the extreme. -Dragged along by the conqueror as a trophy in an iron palanquin, which -looked more like a cage than aught else, death, more gracious than the -savage Tartar, finally delivered Bajazid from a life of humiliation -and torture. - -The wizard who had foretold the downfall of the Caliph and the ruin -of populous cities was never hereafter seen within the broad circuit -of Damascus, a region exceeding in the exuberance of its semi-tropic -verdure and panoramic landscape the beauty of Granada's famous valley -in its palmy days of Moorish rule. The fatalistic principle of Islam -precludes spying into the inscrutable decrees of Allah, whose will is -fate from which there is neither appeal nor escape. Why then waste a -moment in identifying an oracle whose prophecies pass through him as -water passes through a pipe? It is impious to search into the -unsearchable. - -There were two young men on the scene, however, whose antecedents -account for that mad impetuosity with which they stormed onward in -pursuit of the oracular saint as soon as it was possible for them to -elude the eyes of the crowd. One was Damon Mianolis, a young Greek, -who had inherited from his father an avidity for the occult science of -astrology; the other was Selim Ebn Asa, a youthful Moslem, who had -enabled Damon to witness in disguise the departure of the Haj. -Damon's father was a physician, but had a secret laboratory, and had -spent a fortune in attempts at fathoming the mysteries of alchemy and -astrology. Damon had been early initiated into those mystic arcana, -had learned to cast the horologue, but was wofully disappointed in the -matter of extracting gold from other substances, and gave up the hope -of ever discovering the elixir of life. The physician's death had put -his son in possession of an extensive practice among his -fellow-Christians, and Selim's friendship was due to the Moslem's -ambition to acquire a knowledge of French, which Damon spoke fluently. - -The intimate relation of the two young men led to free discussions of -the merits of their respective creeds, with the result that each one -believed a little more in his friend's and a little less in his own -scheme of salvation. The heavenly city built of gold and precious -stones, with twelve gates and glittering streets, through which flows -the river of life, bordered on its banks by the tree of life, which -bears twelve sorts of fruits and leaves of healing virtue, was pointed -to by Damon as the pattern of Mohammed's paradise of which Selim made -much in his effort to convert his friend. Selim meant to astonish -Damon by referring to those pavilions of pearls in which the houris -dwell retired, each pearl sixty miles in dimension; but was met by the -even more astonishing promise of St. John that "the days shall come -when there shall be vines which shall have each ten thousand branches, -and every one of these branches shall have ten thousand lesser -branches, and every one of these branches shall have ten thousand -twigs, and every one of the twigs shall have ten thousand clusters of -grapes, and every one of these clusters shall bear ten thousand -grapes, and every one of these grapes being pressed shall yield two -hundred and seventy-five gallons of wine, and when a man shall take -hold of one of those sacred branches, another one shall cry out 'I am -the better branch; take me and bless the Lord.'"[6] - - [6] _Cf._ Irenaeus, Book V., Chap. 33. - -This left the youthful Moslem little to boast of in the concern of -paradisial blessedness, and he was totally overwhelmed by a vivid -picture of Dante's elaboration of hell. What impressed Selim, however, -most profoundly was Damon's familiarity with the heavenly -configurations, and his pretended ability to read future events. The -fact is that the late Mianolis had shortly before his death predicted -Bajazid's overthrow and captivity, and Selim had received a hint of -the prediction. No sooner, therefore, had the saint's lamentation -fallen on their ears than the young men exchanged a significant look, -and the next instant both were on the track of the retreating -soothsayer. In but a very few minutes Selim realized the impossibility -of his overtaking the fleeing man, whose feet scarcely touched the -turf; but not so Damon, who taxed his energies to their uttermost to -keep the winged fugitive in sight. Not a living soul crossed them as -they hurried onward, the saint leading through a maze of entangling -thickets on pathways of his own,--the other following almost out of -breath, determined not to give up the chase. - -In this way miles had been traversed before Damon noticed that they -were at the foot of Anti-Lebanon, and that Selim was not behind him. -The ascent had to be made, or the game would have been lost in a -moment. From an elevation of several hundred feet Damon's eye was -fascinated by the superb view of Damascus, set in a garland of groves, -bushes and gardens, distance enhancing the charm of the exquisite -panorama. Along the banks of Abana, in the heart of a sea of verdure, -rose a grand vision of terraced roofs, surmounted here and there by -swelling domes, towering minarets, tipped with gilded crescents, -glittering like burnished scythes from the thick foliage of blooming -parks. An area of thirty miles in circuit spread like a dream, with a -variance of grouping and shading, and a charm of blended tints such as -are rarely vouchsafed to the eye even in regions of renowned -picturesqueness. - -Damon had never before seen Damascus in such a wreath of glory; but -the few seconds the sight exacted of his attention frustrated his -efforts to locate the wizard's retreat, who had disappeared as though -dissolved in air. At the same time a feeling of exhaustion rendered a -further ascent impossible, coupled with a somnolence which stole and -gained upon the youth, until, succumbing to the spell, he lay -stretched on the grass under a tree, lost in oblivion. Re-appearing on -the scene as suddenly as he had vanished, the haggard, half-naked -wizard waved his crooked staff over the sleeper's head, drew a circle -around him, pointed southward, and vanished as before. On returning to -consciousness Damon bit his tongue to assure himself that he was -really awake; his hand dashed across his eyes,--it was no vision. He -felt deathly cold, although his touch left no doubt that he was robed -in fur, his head, hands and feet covered by the same material. It was -night, and he in an air-ship, under stars he had never seen ere this, -and sweeping with great speed through a world of mountains of ice and -frozen seas, an icy desolation buried in dense fogs. Before him sat -the controlling aeronaut, white as frost and silent as death; to his -right sat a female in black, with eyes closed and the countenance of a -corpse; to his left sat none else but the saint as he had seen him in -the street of Damascus, with no evidence of being in the least -affected by the intense cold. Damon suspecting that it was a dream -within a dream, closed his eyes tightly to continue his slumber when -he heard a voice addressing him thus: "Son of Mianolis the Wise, know -that thou art in the chariot of Auster, hurrying toward the great ice -regions of the south with me, thy sire's friend, and this dame, the -Witch of Endor, on whose grave thou hadst taken thy rest this last -day, thus disturbing her spirit that soars over the tomb of the body -which held it when alive. Evil would have befallen thee but for my -interposition in thy behalf, and I am indebted to thy father for -revelations in the stars and in the realms of nature, which give me -foresight and power over spirits. What thou shalt see to-night was the -awe of thy ancestors and of those who gave rise to the mightiest -progeny on earth; but hold thy breath, lest the frost congeal thy -blood, and be not alarmed even if mountains quake and oceans burst," -was the wizard's reassuring information. - -Even before the last word had been spoken an enormous column of lurid -flame and livid smoke upshot from the heart of an immense mountain, -and in a continuous flow lost itself in the clouds, a deluge of fire -ascending and descending with the tremendous crack and reverberation -of thunder. "That southernmost volcano shall mark for generations to -come the extreme limit of human penetration into the forbidding -regions of ice; the other facing it to eastward burns no more, but is -likewise an insurmountable barrier set by nature against the intrusion -of man into regions reserved for the dethroned gods. They shall in -future years be respectively known and shunned as 'Mount Erebus' and -'Mount Terror'" volunteered the wizard as an explanation, but further -mystifying the already confused aeronaut. On the highest peak of -Terror the chariot alighted, and a puff of Auster's breath dissolved -the mists around a group of crystal palaces, trimmed with gold, roofed -with silver, clustering around an all-outshining, sky-towering edifice -reaching up to an ethereal height, overarched by a blazing span of -transcendental rainbowed glories, blending into golden haze below, and -an indefinable silvery twilight above.--"Asgard," were the first -syllables uttered by the Witch of Endor. - -Yes, it was Odin's celestial Court[7] where, from his throne, he -surveyed heaven and earth, and yon was He exalted high above all -others, on his shoulders the ravens Hugin and Munin, who, in ancient -times, daily traversed the world to report the happenings among the -mortal race, and at his feet the two wolves Friki and Geri, whom Odin -feeds with the meat set before him, mead alone being sufficient for -him who feeds all creatures. - - [7] In his narrative Malek, from whom this tale is derived, - contrasted the Greek gods with those "barbaric gods of the - north, who dwell in twilight, build their palace of the - rainbow, hunt the wild boar, and fling winged thunder at - their adversaries," and the function he assigned to each - power seemed to leave no doubt that he referred to Odin's - Court, so that I have supplied the names that he did not use. - The Orient contains many surprises, and it appealed to me as - one of them to find a Mohammedan Parsee familiar with Norse - mythology as a tradition of the East. Malek, however, always - claimed that the Parsees are the best educated people in the - East. - -Overpowering as was the presence of Odin on his throne, another -spectacle forced itself on Damon's vision. In front of Valhalla's -portal, an entrance as wide as the entire hall, a desperate struggle -was raging between redoubtable combatants, who struck at each other -with appalling fury. The broad arena was already strewed with numerous -bodies cut to pieces. A relentless frenzy appeared to have seized -those who were still engaged in the exterminating feud, while the gods -looked on with complacence, as though the deathful affair was a mere -tournament. When the battle was over there was but one hero left, and -he bleeding from many wounds. Presently there came a blast from a horn -in Valhalla, which sent a breath of animation through the bulky bodies -of the slaughtered. Their wounds closed, their severed limbs knitted -and healed, their eyes opened, their frames quivered, straightened and -pulsated with life. They rose, picked up their weapons, and -straightway repaired to the festive hall where throngs of shining -elves attended on them with food and drink. Damon knew then that these -were the immortal heroes who, having fallen in battle, were permitted -to dwell among the gods, partaking of the meat of Shrimnir, the -ever-reviving boar, and of the mead of the she-goat Heidrun. What -looked like a fierce battle was simply an amusement. - -The feast was rudely interrupted by a note of alarm sounded by -Heimdall, the sleepless sentinel of Odin's Court. Heimdall's business -is to make the round of the borders of heaven to prevent intruders -from ascending by the way of Bifrost, that is the bridge built of the -rainbow's light which links earth to Odin's ethereal Court. He is -especially anxious to intercept the mischievous giants who are ever on -the alert to annoy the powers of Asgard. As Heimdall's ears are so -fine that he hears growing of the grass and of the wool on a sheep's -back, it is no wonder that his warning of impending danger startled -the gods. Thialfi, Thor's inseparable attendant and the swiftest -messenger of Asgard, was forthwith despatched northward, whence, -according to Heimdall's information, the storm was coming, while the -gods and the heroes made ready for the emergency, whatever it might -be. Invincible Thor, whose terrific hammer, Mioelnir, splits mountains, -and returns to the hand of the god when hurled against a foe, girded -himself with his belt, which redoubles his terrors, and put on his -iron gloves to render the shock of his mallet irresistible. - -They soon beheld Thialfi returning all astounded, with tidings which -made Thor's veins swell with rage.--"A burning sun, O great Odin, -accompanied by a host of gods, goddesses, and their dependents, carry -with them hitherward a city of supernal palaces, and will be upon us -before thy will can be heard in council," reported Thialfi. Almost -simultaneous with these words fell the first beam of a golden flood on -the brilliant domes and towers of Asgard. Night fled to the darkest -recesses of Antarctic gloom; the snow softened; the icebergs glittered -like mountains of jewels; whale, dolphin and sea-lion gamboled with -delight, but the black elves, who dread the sun, were turned by -myriads into stones. Of vegetable life there was not as much as a -blade of grass to be seen; not a withered leaf, nor a dry shrub to -greet the radiant orb. In his all-knowing wisdom Odin exclaimed: "It -is the Olympian Thunderer who comes this way; if it means peace we -shall open our hall to welcome him; should it mean war, it will be thy -task, Thor, to drive him hence with ruin." Quick as thought did -Phoebus suspend his blazing chariot in mid-heaven, eastward of Mount -Erebus, which, crowned with light and glory, was instantaneously -turned into an Olympus by the fiat of creative powers. Phoebus caused -the earth to thaw; Pan called forth a garden of Hesperian richness; -Ceres conjured up a crop of golden grain where glaciers had been -slowly grinding their way for numberless cycles; the fire-spitting -Erebus smiled like May, garlanded by Flora, every god and goddess -contributing his or her share to create an Elysium in the most dreary -of ice-buried deserts. - -In less time than it takes to tell it, Jupiter established himself in -a manner which left in Odin no doubt that the whilom sovereign of -Olympus had come to stay. Thor burned for action, but Odin restrained -his impetuous son, reminding him that if he had the rock-blasting -mallet to hurl, so had the Olympian chief something to send in return, -which it might be wise to avoid if possible. First the most guileful -schemer of Odin's Court was to be employed to ascertain the real -purpose of the thunderer's arrival; and this was the malicious Loki, -one of the hostile giants, who had succeeded in securing a foothold in -Asgard. - -Loki's nature may be judged by his three offspring; they are the wolf -Fenris, the Midgard serpent, and Hela, that is death. Fenris could not -be allowed to roam at large; but to chain him was a problem the gods -alone could solve. Every kind of chain having been tried in vain, the -mountain spirits were required to fashion one that should not yield -like cobweb to the teeth of the horrid monster. It was made of the -beards of women, the noise of the cat's paw, the breath of fishes, the -roots of stones, the spittle of birds, and the sensitiveness of bears; -it was as pleasant to the touch as a silken cord, and was named -Glupnir. With this fetter on his neck Fenris was rendered harmless. -His twin, the Midgard serpent, is so enormous that her length is -thrown around the earth like a belt, she holding her tail in her -mouth. Hela dwells in Elvidnir, a black hall in dark Niffleheim. She -feeds on hunger, cuts her food with starvation, decks her bed with -misery, employs slowness as her maid, delay as her servant; her -threshold is precipice, her tapestries burning anguish. The father of -this precious triplet was not a little pleased to be thus honored with -the important embassy to the sovereign of the Olympian dynasty, -especially since the message was but little short of an ultimatum. -Loki's mind was not of a frame to be surprised at anything, or -intimidated by any display of might; but the stream of blinding light -he had to face, as he turned toward the point of his destination, -caused his eyes to water, wholly unused as he was to a splendor which -made Asgard's rainbow pale, as does the moon before the rising sun. -Whether it was for a purpose or by chance, Phoebus darted his rays -with piercing penetration, focussing them on the visage of Odin's -envoy, and his chariot, a master work of Hephaestus, forged of -glittering metal, and set with resplendent gems, moved in an orbit -with an ever-widening periphery. Winged Mercury met Loki half way, -bade him stop by a wave of his Caduceus, and required him to give an -account of his mission. Satisfied with the answer, Mercury led the way -to the gate of clouds guarded by the goddess Seasons, and Loki soon -found himself in the radiant palace of Jupiter than which there could -be nothing loftier and more glorious under the stars. Here the deities -meet in council in the assembly hall of their chief, and here they -indulge the divine feast of ambrosia and nectar served by the -ineffably lovely goddess Hebe, while Apollo delights the immortals -with the ravishing strains of his lyre, accompanied by the song of the -nine Muses. - -Ushered into the awful presence of the Olympian thunderer, Loki beheld -himself in the midst of a galaxy of deities, whose various attributes -and aspects would have astonished him had they not been eclipsed by -the overpowering grandeur of the son of Saturnus, who, enthroned in -supernal majesty, with the AEgis, shining like the sun before him, and -his thunder-speeding eagle next to him, formed a striking contrast to -Odin's dimmer environments. - -At the sight of Loki, Apollo struck his lyre, the Muses joined their -heavenly voices to swell the melody, and Hebe served to all the food -and drink of the gods, including Odin's envoy in the divine -conviviality. But ambrosia and nectar affected Loki's palate so -differently from the meat of the boar Shrimnir and the mead of the -she-goat Heidrun that the first quaff of the new beverage made his -facial muscles contract and distend in so ludicrous a fashion that the -vast hall resounded with the laughter of the Olympians. Loki did not -like the idea of being made the butt of ridicule, but, though stung to -the quick, joined in the merriment at his expense, there being no hope -for vengeance thus far. Required to state the purport of his message, -he began thus: - -"It is Odin's wish that peace prevail betwixt his Court and thine, O -mighty Chief, and I am sent to remind thee, that when Alfadur had -doomed thy rule and his in Midgard, a new order having risen with a -new time, the compact was that thou withdraw to the fields swept by -Boreas, the Valkyrior kindling the north lights for thy benefit, and -he, undeterred by severer cold and longer night, should settle in this -drearier end of earth, where Day returns but for a double month, -allowing Night and Frost to rule supreme. What means thy coming hither -with such consuming heat, such pomp as make Odin's bleak retreat -unbearable, unless he strive to hold by force what is his by treaty? -In substance this is Odin's message. As guests he welcomes thee and -thine with all Valhalla has to entertain, and honors powers akin to -him in weal and woe, who had tasted the bitters of dethronement and -exile. But if thy purpose be to fix a permanent abode within the -bounds of Odin's hitherto undisputed empire, war will be the outcome; -and war with Asgard means chaos and the end." - -The thunderer shook his locks; his eagle's eye flashed fire. Among the -superior gods the face of Mars glowed like a meteor. Minerva assumed -a menacing air, and the others gave evidence of a stern determination -to go to the bitter end in whatever part they were able to sustain the -right and dignity of their challenged head. But Jupiter, inclined -toward conciliation if possible, dismissed Loki with earnest mien, -promising his answer should reach Odin forthwith. And forthwith -Mercury was at Loki's heels, and proceeded with him to Asgard, where -Odin gave ear to Jupiter's reply thus conveyed. - -"Great Odin, the cloud-compelling power who wields the thunderbolt, -but whose old sovereignty has been lamentably curtailed, deplores his -condition and thine. True, when the empire over Midgard had to be -abandoned in favor of Alfadur's anointed, the extremities of earth -alone afforded refuge from the universal spread of those hateful -inspirations which, like a deluge, submerged the better -world,--synagogue, church, or mosque supplanting those pantheons of -art, poetry and beauty, which, in the golden age of dream and fable, -song, dance and free love, made man as happy as an unbridled child. -When the time had come for our stern trials, it is remembered that, -to render our banishment bearable, thou hast benignly agreed to let -the Olympian dynasty retreat northward of the habitable world, thou -and thine being more seasoned to endure the severer rigors of this -inclement zone. But whither flee from the ever-swelling might of the -cross and the crescent? Not satisfied with the conquest of blessed -Midgard, their votaries dare penetrate the very extremes of the frigid -north, and the cross may be seen where neither wolf nor vulture can -breathe. Yea, the western hemisphere, hitherto unknown to the world, -is being discovered, and ere long will bristle with the spires of a -myriad churches. This extreme alone seems forever barred against the -intrusion of man, its terrors bringing death to him;--night, frost and -sterility are here in league against mortal flesh. Necessity forced -upon our father the resolution to seek once more a new home where, -undisturbed by the detestable symbols of new creeds, we may continue -with as much comfort as powers inalienable insure for us. Jupiter -sends thee peace, O, mighty Odin, not that he shrinks from war, or -heeds threats, but because of his benign temper--unless provoked, when -his wrath would prove too much even for the giants on whom Asgard has -a watchful eye. For it is he who made Saturnus disgorge his progeny, -and holds him chained in the deeps of Erebus." - -Mercury's bold language came near to costing him his head. Thor was -restrained with difficulty by his father from sending his hammer -against the brazen front of Jupiter's messenger, who was, however, -allowed to depart unmolested. There was great commotion in Valhalla, -and Odin sent his last word to the intruders requiring them to vacate -the invaded heights forthwith, or Asgard would proceed to expel them -by force. Thialfi imparted this warning to the Olympians and was -dismissed with scorn. Heimdall's horn, Giallar, summoned all the Gods -and heroes to battle, while Thor held his mallet in readiness to do -fearful execution. - -Odin's terrific frown was the signal given for the engagement; it -isolated the hostile encampment, giving it the appearance of an -illumined island in an ocean of dense night. The moments of suspense -were being utilized on both sides to call in and muster all the -reserves available. Nobody was happier than the mischievous Loki, who -was charged to communicate by the roots of the Ygdrasil tree with the -inhabitants of Jotunheim, it being the place where those prodigious -giants live, the glove of one of whom Thor had once mistaken for a -cavern wherein he spent a night, and was disturbed in his sleep by the -snoring of the colossus that shook him like an earthquake. - -Should those Jotuns be slow in coming, Loki was to rouse Ymir from his -rest, Ymir the terrific giant Frost, whose blood is the seas, whose -body forms the earth, whose bones are the mountains, whose skull is -the heavens, whose brains are the clouds and what they discharge in -the shape of rain or snow, and whose eyebrows supplied the material -for the making of Midgard, the habitable portion of the globe. Ymir -sleeps under the Ygdrasil tree whose branches extend to every quarter -of the universe, while its three roots connect Asgard with Niffleheim -and Jotunheim. Ymir's disturbed slumbers make the earth quake and -shudder; his awaking would bring about the end of things. Loki's -malice had never been more gratified, he having thus far been an -unwelcome presence among the gods of Asgard, who had even once gone to -the trouble of slaying him for treason to Baldur; but Loki had another -life to spare, and here he was bustling, busier than ever before. - -Neither were they on Erebus idle. The response to Odin's threatening -scowl was an intensified light and such a heat as began to dissolve -whatever had remained frozen as stone since Time outspread his wings. -Phoebus assumed the terrors of a bursting hell, so that whatever life -there was in the sea buried itself deep under its surface. With a due -appreciation of his dreadful adversaries, Jupiter arrayed himself in -his most appalling panoply, and called on Tartarus to bring to light -the pack of Titans prominent among whom were Cottus, Briareus and -Gyes, each one having a hundred hands and fifty heads, well known as -the subduers of Saturnus, who indulged the unpaternal habit of -feasting on his own offspring. Useless to add, the other Olympians -were prepared for the fray, but they waited for the aggressive deed to -come from Asgard. - -It came like a dart of lightning. Enraged by the consuming heat, Thor -aimed a fatal blow at the sun's fiery steeds, hoping to shatter at one -stroke the entire team. With its unfailing accuracy Mioelnir struck the -glowing chariot. Phoebus had a narrow escape, holding tightly the -reins; the horses reared wildly, bleeding from many wounds, which -closed, however, by virtue of their deathless substance. But as the -mallet, by its nature, returned to Thor's grasp, the god roared like a -hundred lions; it was a red-hot mass of metal and could not be handled -before another fling had passed it through a fathom's depth of a -glacier's icy bed. By the time Thor was ready to renew his experiment -he felt himself lifted off his feet and hurled headlong into an abyss -back of Asgard. Such was the effect of a lightning bolt sent by -Jupiter's hand, who had ascended the azurean height of his citadel -whence he caused an ominous thunder-cloud to overshadow the Court of -Odin. Though dazed by the blasting shock and the fall, Thor was on his -feet, and from a cliff, which he quickly ascended, winged his hammer -with unerring precision against the cloud-enshrouded tower of Erebus. -Mioelnir was met half way by another fulmination of the Olympian -thunderer, and the collision of the missiles reverberated like the -crack of doom. - -Not less fierce was the engagement of the other powers on both sides, -who, without deploying into battle array, strove with prodigious -might, the one stunning or hurting the other. Malicious Loki, hugely -amused to see the whilom invincible Thor wheel through the air and -land ignominiously in a chasm, assumed the colossal proportions of the -giant race to which he virtually belonged, making effective use of his -enormous limbs. Having picked out Mars as his target, he aimed an -iceberg at the Olympian war-dog who was inflicting terrible punishment -on the gods and heroes of Asgard; but Neptune was at hand with a -tremendous billow of tepid water warmed by Phoebus; it struck the -frozen mass, deflecting it from its fatal course, so that there was at -once a great splash and a harmless crash. - -The battle continued to rage along the line, the elements of fire, -water, wind and earth being wielded with whelming impetuosity. Between -Thor and Jupiter the duel was incessant, with no turn in favor of -Odin's most redoubtable combatant. In the general confusion Loki threw -himself with a force on the enemy's flank, endeavoring thus to attack -the gate which he had been permitted to enter as Odin's messenger. -From his cloudy height the Olympian chief discerned the move of the -perfidious strategist, brandished one of his forked lightning-bolts, -and Asgard beheld with amazement one of its mightiest hurled into -oblivion. - -Odin surveyed the situation, and recognized the hopelessness of the -struggle, even if Ymir could be caused to budge and the giants of -Jotunheim arrived in time. Where Thor failed who could succeed? And -the dreaded Titans were likely to appear on the scene at any moment. -Thialfi was, therefore, directed to recall Thor, and ask the Olympians -to suspend hostilities, pending the consideration of a peaceful -settlement. The brightening of the atmosphere around Asgard indicated -Odin's change of mind. Jupiter agreed to a truce, and Phoebus relaxed -the severity of his unbearable heat. Odin declared himself willing to -withdraw his Court to the extreme south, provided the Olympians would -not follow him thither. Jupiter swore the irrevocable oath attested by -the river Styx, that there shall be no further encroachments -hereafter, come what may. And Mercury was instructed to convey -peaceful greetings to Odin. "Let our brother know that we properly -appreciate his magnanimous offer to withdraw further south; that we -reluctantly waged war against a kindred power dethroned by Him who is -above all enthroned. No, not thus shall we part, mailed in threatening -panoply, with grim war bristling and sullen. Festive joy, cordial -intercourse and divine conviviality shall mark the season of our -conciliation. Great Odin and his Court are to be honored in this -hall. Since man has ceased to pay us worshipful homage, our own -felicity be our sole care." In response to this effusion of friendship -Odin signified his pleasure by ordering his black elves, to whose -skilful workmanship Thor was indebted for his wonderful hammer, to -throw an arched span of gold over the hollow which separated the -mountains of Terror and Erebus. But the long-nosed, dirty little -artificers durst not face Phoebus, whose glare brought them death; -wherefore the blazing chariot of the sun-god made room for Aurora -Australis, when the bridge rose like a vision, competing with the -rainbow in multicolored brilliancy. For once Vulcan confessed surprise -at the exquisite mastery in metal work in which he had thought himself -unrivalled, while Pluto was amazed at the lavishness of the precious -material, which he knew to be limited in quantity. Once more did -Heimdall sound his horn, this time to proclaim the opening of the -grand feast in which all the gods, goddesses, heroes and dependencies -of Asgard were required to participate. - -On their side the Olympians were neither to be eclipsed in splendor -nor outdone in all that goes to make a feast of gods. Robed in -supernal glory, each god and goddess, surrounded by their retinues, -wore the symbols of their respective powers and attributes, but stood -overawed by the transcendent magnificence of their chief, whom no -mortal eye could behold without being consumed. From his throne above -the clouds, surrounded by his family, who shone like stars, Jupiter -beheld Odin issue from Valhalla, mounted on his eight-legged steed, -Sleipnir, who could leap over mountains. Him followed Frigga and -Freya, his wife and daughter, the one as beautiful as Iris, the other, -who stood for love, blushing like sweet Aurora, escorted by Thor and -his inseparable attendant, Thialfi. Like a stream of radiant gold, -flowed behind them a host of sunny elves, diminutive creatures, -stirring the air with weird music. In their wake, leading another host -of those unsightly elves clad in burnished brass, and blowing sonorous -instruments of the same metal, came Frey in a chariot drawn by the -boar Gullinbursti, along with Heimdall bestriding his horse, Gulltopp. -The train's rear was taken up by a great number of inferior gods, -heroes and mountain giants, as well as their colossal frost -companions. - -Gratifying his mischievous nature, Cupid perched himself on the main -entrance guarded by Seasons, and as this goddess opened it to admit -Odin and his cortege, a shower of love's arrows descended on the -unsuspicious powers of Asgard, who were received by Pluto and Neptune, -and led into the assembly hall of Jupiter's palace. Here the Olympian -dynasty were found standing, except Jupiter and Juno, who likewise -rose, while Venus, wearing the Cestus which imparts ineffable grace to -the wearer, welcomed the head of Asgard and escorted him to a lofty -throne at the left hand of her father. A sweet fragrance was diffused -among the star-like assembly by a heavenly smile from Jupiter, who was -at once captivated by the eyes of Freya, the goddess of love. Odin -found it impossible to make a secret of his enchantment by Venus, -while Thor had no eye for anyone but Hebe. Heimdall found in Juno the -crown of sweetness, Thialfi bowed to Diana, and Frey paid his tender -respects to Minerva. The other deities selected their partners in -accordance with their natural bent of mind, or destined appointment in -the divine economy. - -Without, the subordinate attendants grouped themselves harmoniously, -so that no sooner were the strains of Apollo's lyre heard, accompanied -by the enravishing song of the Muses, than the broad spaces between -the dwellings of the gods teemed with the airy dancers. Elf, nymph, -naiad, satyr and dryad abandoned themselves to the spell of Apollo's -music. This was only a faint reflex of what was doing in the -star-illumined hall of the Olympian thunderer. Here the celestial food -and beverage were being offered by Hebe, after the first grand march -of the superior gods. Odin, who never tasted of Shrimnir's flesh, and -indulged in but drink of the mead of the she-goat Heidrun, now emptied -a capacious goblet of nectar handed him by Hebe, at the same time that -one was given to Thor. The head of Asgard's Court found it hard to -swallow the strange liquid, so unlike mead, and, unable to retain it, -ejected it in a manner to bring up the Olympian host and his entire -house. As to Thor, the unspeakable drink and the mirth provoked by his -ludicrous grimaces enraged him to such an extent that, but for the -subduing charm of Hebe's look, he would have dashed his mallet against -the very throne which filled gods with awe. Good nature prevailed, -however, and as the refreshments passed around, the hilarity grew at -the cost of Asgard. - -Now struck Terpsichore her instrument, the graces joining to swell the -strains which cause the gods to move in rhythmic measure. Looked at -from the vantage ground occupied by Damon, the divine spectacle -resembled a scattered constellation, the stars moving in pairs, then -grouping in clusters, then spreading in lines, straight and curved, -then forming in circles, then breaking up to renew and multiply the -harmonious evolutions. There appeared nothing to intercept the -minutest detail of the celestial scene, and Damon was intoxicated with -felicity, ear and eye being equally ravished. While the feast was at -its height, Erebus shook with a convulsion which reminded Jupiter of -the summons he had sent to Tartarus, and that the Titans had access to -the upper world by way of the lava-vomiting mountain. At the same -instant Heimdall gave the alarm, his ear having recognized the tramp -of the Jotuns for whom Odin had sent his son, Hermond the Nimble. -Quick as were the gods in rushing to arms, and in manning every -strategic and vulnerable point, they were not quick enough to prevent -a collision between Briareus on one side and Skrymir on the other, -each one sustained by his gigantic followers, who tore up glaciers and -made icebergs fly as flakes of snow driven by a storm. As if by a -tacit understanding, Thor and Jupiter combined their terrific -instruments of destruction, hurling them from opposite directions at -the monstrous combatants, who heaped Pelion on Ossa in their furious -efforts to crush each other. Briareus disappeared like a flash in the -womb of Erebus, drawing his companions after him; the Jotuns took to -their heels as fast as their gigantic limbs could carry them. - -But there was no clearing of the atmosphere. The mountains trembled, -the air grew oppressive and seemed saturated with fetid gases. A -moment's ominous quiet was broken by another far-reaching convulsion, -followed by a crack which terrified the gods and threw Damon out of -his seat deep down into a chasm. The womb of Erebus opened wide. A -deluge of fire burst from the bowels of the earth, melting glaciers -and causing frozen seas to boil. Heaven glowed like a furnace, and -Damon beheld with terror a stream of liquid metal pour down in a -cataract from a height above his head. His attempt to flee from -destruction proved his limbs to be of lead; he could not budge. He was -going to be buried under fathoms of molten ore. Once more he tried to -get to his feet, the glowing metal bursting on him from every side. In -growing terror he grasped for something to assist him in his struggle -for life, striking out right and left. His numbness gave way; his -limbs softened in their joints, and a vitalizing energy enabled him to -raise his head. What did he see? A full-rounded moon shedding a -silver flood on a slumbering landscape, glorified by a weird maze of -far-away dazzling white, varied by domes and spires of other hues. It -was neither Asgard nor the heavenly city built by Hephaestus; it was -Damascus, oblivious of her impending doom. Damon was grateful to be -here, conscious of the fact that the wizard he had followed had but -sported with him. Yet what he had seen was worth the sacrifice. How -much greater the God of infinity, how much holier than they of Asgard -and Olympus, He with whom a myriad galaxies count for naught as He -sways the boundless Universe by the breath of His mouth! - - - - -KING SOLOMON AND ASHMODAI. - - -It is well known that after Solomon had succeeded his father David as -ruler over Israel he had a vision wherein the Lord gave him the choice -between riches and wisdom, and that the youthful monarch gave wisdom -the preference. In recognition of this he was not alone endowed with -an understanding heart, but was given the means of acquiring great -wealth, such as enabled him to build the most gorgeous of temples and -the most sumptuous of palaces. The secret of Solomon's power was his -possession of the Omnipotent Name engraved on his signet-ring, the use -of which he was to learn by an accident. - -The first great problem Solomon was called upon to solve was how to -build God's Temple in compliance with the unaccountable injunction not -to employ iron implements in cutting, fitting or smoothing the -materials of the sacred edifice. This prohibition implied the -existence of a rock-splitting instrument of which neither the King nor -his wisest counselors had any knowledge. Eldad the lonely dweller of -the sacred caves, the reader of the stars, the wanderer of the desert, -the recorder of traditions, Eldad, who at the age of one hundred and -nineteen years had no wrinkle on his face, preserving his faculties in -all their strength by means of the occult sciences, this wizard who -was the engraver of the Ineffable Name on the King's ring, was -summoned to appear before His Majesty to answer this question: - -"Thou knowest, O, Eldad, that I am to build the House of God with -materials unprepared by the use of any iron implement; no doubt -Providence has provided the means for the raising of His Sanctuary; my -advisers have failed to give me light on the mystery; should it be -beyond thy power to enlighten me on this matter, I shall not know -whither to turn for the solution of the difficulty," spoke the King. -To whom Eldad replied: "Know, O King, that in the beginning of things, -as creation was nearing its completion, before the sun of the sixth -day had withdrawn his last mellow beam from the earth, fourteen -additional wonders were called into being, things which the -foreknowledge of the All-knowing destined to play a part in this -nether world. They are, the mouth of the earth that swallowed Korah -and his rebellious followers; the mouth of the fountain known as -Miriam's Well, the unfailing spring whose flow accompanied Israel -through the desert, joining in the hymn of praise; the mouth of the -brute that spoke to Balaam, after the heathen prophet had beaten it -three times, he not having seen the angel that deterred it from -advancing; the multicolored rainbow which symbolizes God's mercy to -frail man; the manna, Israel's food for forty years; the staff -wherewith Moses performed all his miracles; the two sapphires out of -which the tablets of the Law were cut; the gems that spelt the Ten -Commandments; the letters of the alphabet; the sepulchre of Moses -never seen by a mortal eye; the ram destined to be the substitute of -Isaac when on the point of being sacrificed; the first pair of tongs, -without which no iron could ever be forged; the spirits, both good and -evil, the Sabbath having begun before bodies could be formed for some -souls, thus left forever disembodied; and the _Shamir_, a worm not -larger than a grain of barley, but stronger than rock, which it splits -by the mere touch. The _Shamir_, O, King, is the only might in -creation to do the work in accordance with the divine behest. Those -priceless gems of which the tablets and the letters thereon are cut -have been fashioned by the _Shamir_." - -"That _Shamir_ shall be in my power, O, Eldad, it being there for the -building of God's house, as it was there to materialize His immutable -Word. But tell me who on earth claims possession of that wonderful -creature? Is it to be had by trade, purchase, strategy, or force?" -cried the King, deeply agitated. - -"King, beyond what I have told thee my knowledge goes not. The abyss -says: It is not in me, and the ocean says: I own it not. Hitherto the -_Shamir_ has been beyond the reach of human eye. Whether it can be -had, the future will tell. Here my wisdom ends," concluded the hoary -wizard, withdrawing from the royal presence. It was late in the -evening when the King retired to a restless bed. Light and fitful as -were his slumbers, his mind was haunted by weird visions of desolate -scenes, cliffs infested with fierce carrion birds, and chasms teeming -with venomous reptiles. The first blush of the morning found the -monarch on one of his gilded balconies from which he surveyed the -floral glories of his exuberant gardens, inhaling the odoriferous -breezes of the peaceful morrow. Nature stood in her loveliness, and -animate creation seemed to breathe peace. Suddenly there was a scream -of pain in one of the towering clusters of green, and the next instant -two specimens of the feathered tribes dropped at the feet of the King. -In the talons of a carnivorous fowl was closed the tender wing of a -trembling dove as white as snow. Moved by the impulse of pity, the -King had his strong grip on the neck of the obscene bird of prey, -relieving the other, but not before the victim's wing was broken. -Great as was the anger of the King to see the poor dove bleeding and -helpless, his astonishment was greater at the instantaneous -transformation of the ferocious fowl in his grasp; fowl no more but -demon, black and mighty, swelling to enormous proportions, and -beseeching the royal captor to set him free.--"Whatever thou biddest -me I will do, O, master, the ring on thy finger giving thee power over -Ashmodai and his legions, to which I belong doing service as -commanded," stated the dark agent submissively. - -"And what cause underlies thy vicious onslaught against so pure a -creature as this dove?" asked Solomon, the revelation breaking on him -that his signet-ring invested him with a power akin to omnipotence. - -"A symbol of purity, the dove comes under the ban of us who are of -Ashmodai's dark legion,"[8] explained the fiend with unreserved -candor. - - [8] Talmudic angelology assigns to Ashmodai the inferior rank - of presiding over the evil demons under the rule of Samael - +Ashmedai malkha rabah deshiday+; while Matatron is the - recognized chief of the infinite hosts teeming throughout the - universe, holding at the same time the office of benign - intercession between man and Supreme Grace, and Synadalphon - is the next in power, standing on earth with his head - reaching to the highest cherubim +Malakh ehad 'omed baaretz - vero'sho magya' etzel hehayot Syndalphon shemo+. Like Samael - and Lilith, Ashmodai impersonates evil in a variety of - manifestations. Neither Dumah, the prince of the winds and - the custodian of the dead, nor Rohab, the lord of the ocean, - are to be degraded to the rank of Ashmodai who dwells in the - clouds but depends for his sustenance on what the earth - produces. It is to be remarked, however, that the Rabbis take - the dark and the bright powers to represent physical forces - co-existent with creation +keshebiqesh KB"H livroth ha'olam, - barah kat shel malakey hasharet+. This idea is sustained by - the additional assertion that the creative energy is - incessant, Omnipotence calling forth daily new ministers to - carry out His inscrutable designs. +Nivrayn malakhey hasharet - nahar dinur, mikol dibur sheyatzah mipi KB"H nivrah malakh.+ - -"Thou shalt not go hence before I learn of thee who treasures the -_Shamir_," said Solomon firmly, assuming the demon to know something -about it. - -"What art thou seeking of me, O, master, who am one of inferior rank -bending to the will of our chief Ashmodai, the mighty spirit of this -world? Him thou art to question, because he is the one to satisfy thy -demand," replied the demon. "Describe his retreat to me and its -approaches, and thou shalt go free," commanded the son of David. - -"He is to be found where no creature of flesh and blood can long -endure; it is not heaven; neither is it earth; in the heart of the -Orient, on the highest peak of the highest mountain range, a hollow -summit crowned with eternal snow, holding under seal before a recess -of frozen crystal the purest spring under the heaven to give him -drink, that is Ashmodai's retreat. Hither he descends from his -cloud-vested realm, scans the seal to assure himself that no impurity -has polluted his delicious beverage, when, having quenched his thirst, -he re-seals the fountain, gives audience to his court, who flock -hither to receive their orders, and, refreshed by slumber, re-ascends -to control the elements and survey the work of his active host," was -the information, which insured the demon's release. - -In earnest consultation with his general Benaiah, Solomon matured the -plan for the attack of Ashmodai's retreat, and ere long a -well-equipped expedition of a few picked men headed by that undaunted -warrior, departed secretly. The haunt of the demoniac chief was not -only far to the south-east of the Holy Land, but it was so located -that in order to approach it the adventurers had to cross deserts, -traverse pestiferous swamps infested with scorpions and dragons, ford -wild rivers, and bridge over chasms, only to see themselves in a -labyrinth of stupendous rocks, supermounted by a chain of sky-towering -peaks lost in dense fogs. Benaiah's eagle eye swept the clouded -outlines of the snow-capped heights, trying in vain to locate the spot -to be invaded. The impenetrable curtain of shifting fogs precluded -accurate observation, and for once the dashing general felt that he -was more in need of daring and of patience than of strategy. Retiring -with his men to a cave at the base of the mountain, Benaiah took a -position which commanded the loftiest point of the summit, hoping that -something would occur to betray the object of his quest. Benaiah was -struck by the contrast of the frowning mountain-crest on one hand, -and the sun's pure effulgence on the other. As he had his eyes riveted -on the broken summit, the dense mass of fog darkened perceptibly. A -noise as of a boisterous sea repelled by a rocky shore was the -precursor of a tempest and an earthquake which convulsed the entire -region within and without, thunder and lightning adding to the uproar. -The eternal snows on the crest rose pulverized by the fury of a -chaotic storm,--a hurricane intermixed with flashes of red fire,--the -whole reducing itself within a few seconds to a funnel-shaped -whirlwind, revolving with furious speed, its pivot centred in a hollow -betwixt mighty cliffs, rendered visible by the convulsive phenomenon. -Benaiah knew what it meant, and he was confirmed in his assumption -that Ashmodai was descending by observing the same disturbance a few -hours later when the demon re-ascended to his airy empire. - - [Illustration: "Like a thunderbolt striking to the centre of a - hurricane, the demon shot down." - Page 173.] - -Like a good strategist, the general took a little time to study the -situation. The ascent of the mountain had to be made with great -care, and the proceedings of the chief demon observed from as near a -station as was compatible with safety. The climbing was attended with -much toil and great danger, but the point was reached, the ground -surveyed, and a hiding place secured in a recess barred by a wall of -solid ice. Here everything was held in readiness for the next step. - -If Ashmodai's descent startled the adventurers from a distance, -nearness to the spot of his landing filled them with dismay, the -atmospheric and subterranean agitation threatening to sweep them out -of their hiding place. Like a thunderbolt striking to the centre of a -hurricane, the demon shot down, unsealed his well, plunged his lips in -the beryl fluid, drawing up a great quantity, and then sealed it up -again. He was hardly ready when the table-land around him was thick -with files of demons, who arrived to report what had been -accomplished, and to take orders for new tasks. They were all chiefs, -of various ranks, each one having legions to carry out his behests. -From the reports and the schemes discussed it was clear that they -represented three kinds of spirits as to their relation to -mankind--of hostility, friendliness, and neutrality. There was a -division of labor,--hostile, benevolent, and neutral. - -It is impossible to say how the daring band of interlopers would have -fared at the hands of the terrible chief and his demonic army had not -Benaiah possessed the Omnipotent Name to shield him from discovery. As -matters stood the demons, unconscious of any unwelcome presence, -departed, leaving Ashmodai to take his accustomed slumber, after which -he darted up like a flash, with the phenomenal accompaniment of -elemental disturbance as before. Now came Benaiah's opportunity. -Without touching the seal on the cover of the well, the contents were -drawn out through a hole skilfully bored beneath the surface of the -liquid. This done, the hole was carefully closed, and another one was -bored on the opposite side at a higher level, through which wine was -poured to fill the emptied well. With every trace removed to avoid -suspicion, and every detail ready for the emergency, Benaiah waited -patiently for the next day when everything passed off as before, -except the astonishment of the dreaded power when he found that his -well contained wine instead of water. Doomed by destiny to fall into -the trap set for him, and urged by a parching thirst, Ashmodai took -but little time to consider the advisability of drinking the -intoxicating beverage, balancing Scriptural texts _pro_ and _con_, and -soon deciding to try its effect on his semi-ethereal nature. This was -just what Solomon and his general had counted on. Ashmodai had -scarcely dismissed his military Council when the wine began to do its -work; he felt as he had never felt before, and he discussed with -himself the singular mood into which he found himself plunged, in what -way he could not account for, the sensation being wholly new in his -superhuman experience. Sleep was on him, and there he lay, stretched -out as helpless as a senseless block. Benaiah was at hand with a chain -rendered resistless by the Omnipotent Name engraved upon its links. -Slipping it around the waist and the neck of the prince of demons, his -potency was disposed of. Ashmodai's consternation when awakened words -cannot describe. A roar of rage darkened all nature, shook the -mountains to their foundation, and horrified all his legions who fled -to hide themselves in the deepest chasms, even in the bowels of the -earth and under the waters of the sea. For a moment Benaiah lost his -speech, while his companions fell prostrate on the ground. The demon -assumed every shape of horror to overawe the enemies of his freedom. -In a few moments he gave himself the deterring shapes of all that is -monstrous and deadly in nature, from the enraged tiger to the hissing -serpent whose bite is death; all in vain.--"In the Name of the Most -High, I, Benaiah, chief of King Solomon's army, do herewith command -thee, Ashmodai, mighty Prince of genii, to follow me to the seat of -the wisest King, who needs thy aid to build the Temple of God." - -The conjuration conquered all resistance, and the demon was led off -disarmed and humiliated. Realizing the hopelessness of gaining -anything by violence, Ashmodai feigned submissiveness, assumed the -form and manner of a most polished and affable courtier, and, ushered -into the presence of the King, charmed His Majesty by discourse of -things far above the comprehension of ordinary men. - -"Thou art to deliver to me the _Shamir_ so that God's House be built -without the use of iron implements," said Solomon to Ashmodai. - -"The _Shamir_ is not in my keeping, great King; the spirit of the -ocean has entrusted it to the fowl Awza that it be preserved forever -in a state of perfection," replied Ashmodai, adding, "and no man can -come near that bird." - -"Tell me where Awza breeds her young," commanded the King. - -"South of the great desert there is a mountain with a towering cliff -and walls so steep and smooth that a spider has difficulty to climb -it. On the top of that rock is the nest of Awza, a fowl with claws of -steel and eyes of fire, swift as the swallow, larger than the vulture, -and fiercer than the eagle," answered the demon. - -Again Benaiah was placed at the head of an expedition, and many were -the hardships before the solitary pile rose before the eyes of the -indomitable general. There was neither a bird to be seen nor a nest. -The head of the precipitous rock was so high above the clouds that -there seemed no possibility of scaling it. But Benaiah was full of -resources and had anticipated the difficulty by bringing with him a -pair of pigeons. Having left a man with the female bird this side of -the mountain, the general made a detour for the opposite side with the -male, tied a cord to his foot, and allowed him to rise. Guided by his -instinct, the pigeon soon soared above the rock, descending to join -his mate. This accomplished, a heavier cord was trailed over, followed -by a still heavier rope strong enough to lift a man. This man was -Benaiah who, in the dark of night, was hauled up by his attendants. -Awza was thus to be circumvented. - -Great was the general's joy when he found himself before the nest -occupied by its fledglings, Awza being happily away in search for -food. A transparent stone is laid securely over the nest. Awza -arrives, finds her fledglings imprisoned, hungry, and crying. With -motherly tenderness she hurries to split the stone by applying the -_Shamir_. Benaiah's great chance is come. From behind a bowlder he -bursts forth and frightens the bird; she drops the invaluable worm. -Benaiah pounces upon it like an eagle. The male bird is soon on the -spot. A desperate struggle ensues between the enraged birds and the -daring Benaiah. He is armed against iron claws, and is not deterred by -fiery eyes. He has the trophy and he holds it, placing it in due time -at the feet of his master, to the great surprise of Ashmodai. Thus is -the building of God's Temple proceeded with, the _Shamir_ splitting -and fitting the materials. - -Solomon's thirst for wisdom grew with his growing consciousness of the -painful limitations as regards its acquisition by man, and Ashmodai -availed himself of the King's avidity for knowledge in the hope of -throwing him off his guard. He taught him the secrets of the vegetable -and mineral kingdoms, and gave him the clue to intercourse with animal -creation, including the mind-reading faculty. As a final achievement -he suggested the weaving of a prodigious air-float large enough to -transport the King on his throne, an army fully equipped, and a host -of spirits. On this air-ship, sixty miles square, Solomon, ever -accompanied by Ashmodai, traversed great distances, soaring above the -clouds, higher than the eagle, and looking down on earth like a god. -Woven by genii of the most subtile essences of nature, the texture of -that air-island was of azurean translucency, green-blue in color, -floating in the sun's radiance like a rippled sea bathed in gold. - -But the marvel of the marvelous equipage was its circular pavilion -vast in extent and fashioned of rainbow-tints, which photographed, -enormously magnified, whatever came within the range of the eye that -controlled its course, laying bare the mysteries of land and ocean, -and revealing the multifarious activities of the spirit-world under -the rule of Ashmodai. Here Solomon's wonder-throne, ascended by seven -steps, each one guarded by a pair of magnificent animals chosen from -the respective species of the lion, the elephant, the tiger, the bear, -the serpent, the antelope, and the eagle, stood on a dais, lofty and -brilliant, eclipsed only by the monarch's crown which rivaled the sun -in splendor. Solomon began to believe that he was really more than -human, and Ashmodai lost no chance to swell the autocrat's overbearing -vanity. Solomon was so delighted with his triumph over the chief of -demons and the deep secrets he had wrested from him, that he -indefinitely deferred setting him free long after the Temple had been -dedicated with grand ceremony, and, thanks to rock-bursting _Shamir_, -cargoes of gold were pouring into the royal treasury. - -One early morning the sovereign of the richest kingdom upon earth bade -the winds raise and waft his imponderable encampment toward the rising -day, he being enthroned in his pavilion with Ashmodai at his feet. Up -soared the magic float, lighter than air, transparent as ether, and -stronger than adamant, hurrying eastward as an undulating firmament, -suffused with purple and gold. The soundless vast above, coupled with -the radiant flood that broke from the East, and the amazing -kaleidoscope of animal and spirit life startlingly reflected by the -walls of the glowing pavilion, overawed the mind of the most daring -of kings, who exclaimed: "How great the all-powerful God, in whose -infinity we are not more than an atom in the universe of matter!" - -"Great King, thy head is the microcosm of the immensity whose -contemplation overpowers thee. The heavens hide nothing which man -cannot own if he but knew how," said Ashmodai with a pull at his -chain. - -"Thou art speaking riddles, potent spirit. Give me certainty that my -grave is not the end, and thy chains shall be broken," cried Solomon. - -"King, disembodied thou art my like, spirit of the everlasting Source, -unchanged by change, but for the time dimmed, because engrossed with -what is unethereal here. Yet even in thy mortal coil I can give thee, -if restored to liberty, by virtue of thy signet-ring, a glimpse of -things above thy highest dreams, provided thou wilt give me leave to -stimulate thy spiritual essence for the transmutation by harmony such -as, at thy bidding, I can cause my spirits to produce," promised -Ashmodai. - -"Then let the air vibrate with melody such as will fit my grosser -substance for thy suggested change," commanded Solomon, thoughtlessly. - -At this the atmosphere trembles with the voices of a myriad chorus, -throwing the King into an ecstasy of delight, ravishing his soul and -causing his tears to flow. In his ecstatic transport the monarch bids -Ashmodai to come within the reach of his hand; a touch breaks the -chains of the wily demon, another movement of the hand delivers to him -the signet-ring--and then--the symphony sounds like the hissing of -twenty thousand serpents, night swallows the rays of the sun, a burst -as of a hundred batteries shakes the firmament, a tremendous pillar of -lurid flame shoots up into the height of azure, from its core darts -forth a bundle and vanishes beyond the sea;--it is Solomon whom, by -the might of his regained breath, Ashmodai has hurled to the end of -earth,[9] allowing him to fall unhurt; the ring the demon drops into -the deep. All this is the work of a moment, after which the atmosphere -is clear and bright, the hissing ceases, and Solomon is on his -throne,--that is it is Ashmodai in the guise of Solomon robed in -royalty to mock the power of the castaway autocrat. - - [9] The old version of the Talmud has it thus: "Solomon sent - Benaiah to bring him the Shamir from Ashmodai, and he threw - him out of his kingdom." +Shlomo shalakh leBenayahu lehavi - lo haShamir meAshmedai vehashlikhu mimalkhuto+ - -Who could be wise enough to unmask the fraudulent usurper? Who would -blame a spirit for avenging an outrageous humiliation? The court was -informed that the chief of demons had escaped, and everything went on -as before, including the tender attention due to the inmates of the -royal harem. - -Poor Solomon picked himself up in a far distant land, astonished and -confused. His memory failed him; he stood transformed in face and -form, and only darkly remembered that he had been a king somewhere. -From his situation he could well infer that he had had some foolish -dream of pomp and lordship. In reality he was a homeless beggar, -shattered in health and unsound in mind. Starvation forced him to beg -for bread, and vagabonds were his bed-fellows in the wretched -retreats open to the outcasts of humanity. His hours were divided -between waking and dreaming; sane moments were followed by invasions -of melancholy. Sometimes he doubted that his name was Solomon, that -the world around him was real. A hard time was in store for the -befooled wise man. Slowly the faculty of memory returned, and the -singular circumstances which placed him where he found himself rose -clearly before his recollection. - -However, the knowledge of things immaterial which Solomon had acquired -by his intimate intercourse with Ashmodai afforded him some help and -comfort during his long wanderings from place to place,--unhonored, -often the target of ridicule to such as heard him descant on his -Solomonic pretensions. Great was his pain on hearing one day a strange -traveller speak of the real Solomon's wisdom, his glorious rule, and -the uncounted wealth that reached him by land and sea. "Can it be that -I am mad? If Solomon reigns in Jerusalem, who am I?" asked of himself -the confounded beggar king, and prayed humbly that he might be -enlightened as to the nature of his condition. His pride was broken. - -One late afternoon the royal wayfarer arrived, tired and hungry, -before the gate of an inhospitable city. At first the unfriendly -inhabitants denied him admission, but on hearing him claim the title -of Solomon the Wise, they allowed his majesty to enter, convinced that -they had a madman before them. Beyond this their hospitality did not -extend. With a crust of bread as his supper, the unpitied monarch -found no softer couch than the turf of a roofless enclosure, with many -animals as his companions. The night was cold, and the situation -tormenting for a starved man who had nothing wherewith to cover -himself. After a few hours of restless slumber, Solomon felt his limbs -so badly cramped that he was obliged to rise and walk to keep his -blood in circulation. In the dimness of a clouded moon Solomon came -near an old mare full of bruises, and so emaciated that one had no -difficulty in counting her ribs. Solomon's experience rendered him -accessible to sympathy with life in misery, and he derived sad -consolation from the sight of other creatures who were even more -wretched than he. He reflected that man is the source of great -torments and wretchedness here below in inflicting pain on creatures -entrusted him by a kind Providence. - -It was about midnight when the royal beggar rose again to renew his -walk, finding it impossible to drown his worry in oblivious sleep. The -moon shone brightly, and the deep silence held the weird landscape in -magic repose, forming a strong contrast with the agitation suppressed -in the king's bosom. Presently familiar notes fell on Solomon's ear; -it was the speech of the ill-fated mare, who spoke words of sorrow to -her inexperienced family, giving them her maternal advice, now that -her end was near. With bated breath the man listened to the story of a -life-long agony, recited by a creature of the noblest species under -human control. - -"Yes, I have often been whipped and kicked by my cruel master. Ah, -hunger, too, and thirst,--the heat by day and the cold by night, I -endured; toiling, toiling under the rod, and now that I am old he has -turned me out that I perish unsheltered, unfed. Too weak am I to -drive off the flies which torture me, and death will not come. Once I -was led to believe that we horses had an advantage over the animals -that are slaughtered for food. The sight of a victim's blood shed by -the carnivorous lust of man made me shudder. I have seen the head of -the fowl twisted off, have seen lambs swim in their blood, have seen -the calf taken for slaughter from the side of her dam who rent the air -with lamentation, have seen cattle felled by the deadly club in the -hand of gluttonous man. And have I not, in my younger days, been used -in the chase? Mounted on me, my master, in company of his like, -thought it great sport to unleash a pack of bloody hounds in pursuit -of a frightened hare, fox, or deer. Hunted down, the agonized -creatures fell, to be torn to pieces. Man is our devil, helpless, dumb -animals that we are. Enough is there in nature to glut his hunger. The -hen supplies him with her eggs, the cow with her milk and with butter -and cheese, and the lamb with its wool; while we carry him and his -burdens, multiply his strength in battle, and gratify his love of -pomp and pleasure. Honey, fruits, mushrooms, and a variety of grains -and vegetables should protect animate creation from his deathful -greed." - -"There will be a dead fellow to-morrow," said a lusty colt made hot by -his dam's tale of woe. "That master of thine will not long be master -of mine; one kick of my hind legs will do for him; let him try it with -me; he won't whip me a second time." - -"Child, never try it, if thou lovest me," cried the intelligent, but -much-abused mare. "A vicious horse, as they brand one who resents -abuse, is sure to get his double share of torture; I have tried it and -had the worst of it. Kick once your master and his vengeance will take -years to bleed you to death." - -"But I won't stand it. I will kick right and left, break windows, -bones, vehicles, break whatever comes in my way, and break myself if -it must be. They will be kept busy watching my legs; I won't stand -it," answered the colt determinedly. - -"Thou mayest as well kick against a rock and have thy hind legs -broken, or throw thyself into a millpond and be drowned, as seek -revenge by hurting thy master. We are not unavenged, however. Nature, -our common mother, does not allow her offenders to go unpunished. If -man would simply be content to live on what the animal and vegetable -kingdoms freely give him, he would be a much happier, tamer, healthier -and nobler being. Chase and slaughter create that ferocious temper -which revels in bloodshed, so that his own kindred bleed, victims of -his atrocity. Child, I, too, have revolted in my time. Exasperated by -the cuts of a whip in the hand of a miscreant, I once made a wild -break for deliverance, fled madly through the street, dashed against -everything in my way,--dashed against a throng of men, women and -children, who tried vainly to escape,--did all the harm I could, and -landed bruised and breathless among the terrified children in an open -schoolyard, killing one and hurting others. Thereafter I was treated -as the savage beast, was kicked in and out of time, my legs being -fettered and my head held fast by a chain tied to the wall. When -employed, the bit in my mouth was cruelly tight; and that was all I -gained. A higher will must have decreed this to be our lot," concluded -the starving mare, lowering her head mournfully. - -Solomon, whom the equine group had not noticed, approached and -astonished them by addressing them in the language they so well -understood. The luckless mare raised her head, and her glazed eyes -flashed as the soft voice of the king uttered this: - -"Thou art right, Oh, noble creature, in charging thy master with -unkindness and ingratitude toward thy high-spirited race that has -rendered him invaluable service. Yea, man is as yet a child and a -slave of habit, but will in due time rise to an understanding of his -duties toward the myriad lives around him, not created for wanton -abuse or ruthless destruction. Indeed, he pays dearly for the -gratification of his lower instincts, the benign Creator having meant -him to be prompted by the gentler, deeper, sweeter qualities of his -being. The day will come when he will shudder at the idea of -sustaining his life by the immolation of others, when the flesh-eater -will be seen in the same light as the cannibal.--My name is Solomon, -and in my kingdom they called me The Wise, but my wisdom fails to -enlighten me why things are as they are when they could be so much -better. Believe me, man has tortures of body and soul, and has, like -you, his devil to plague and circumvent him. Holy Writ contains -beautiful words in praise of the horse, he, armed with thunder, nobler -than the lion, fearless as the eagle, graceful as the zebra, strong as -the wave, quick as the wind, the pride of the warrior, the pleasure of -the prince, the seat of the king. Once restored to power, I will -remember the burden of thy grievance, faithful mare, and thy race will -be benefited as far as my will shall prevail." - -The horses were pleased with the sympathetic words of their -distinguished friend, and the ambitious colt offered to carry him as -far as he wished. Solomon had plenty of leisure to explain the -difficulty into which he had been plunged by the wiles of Ashmodai, -and that he was sure of restoration the moment he could enter the -gates of his beloved Jerusalem. - -"May thy wisdom, thy kindness and thy kingdom spread far and wide, -Oh, King! so that my helpless offsprings be spared the torments that I -have endured during the length of my days!" prayed the mare, with a -tremor which betrayed extreme weakness. The next instant saw the poor -brute tremble, stagger, fall and expire. - -If Solomon had counted on an easy triumph over his formidable -adversary, his arrival at Jerusalem, after years of untold hardships -and trials, undeceived him. The city showed every indication of great -prosperity; the kingdom stood firmly established, and the brilliance -of the royal Court had no rival in the gorgeous Orient. Embassies came -to pay the homage of princedoms and empires near and far, bringing -presents of rare animals, gold, costly products, and precious stones, -and they departed overawed by the superhuman wisdom of Israel's mighty -ruler, who amazed the ambassadors not alone by addressing each one in -his native language but by showing a minute acquaintance with their -secret matters of state, and by reading their hidden thoughts. The -envoys reported to their sovereigns that a demi-god had come to reign -over an earthly kingdom. - -For a shabby mendicant to overthrow a power of Ashmodai's devices and -resources was indeed a business to make even a Solomon despair of -success. - -Having entered the city, the beggar-king sought the haunts of the -paupers without breathing a syllable as to his identity, lest Ashmodai -be alarmed by his presence, which was a circumstance to be feared. -Solomon the beggar knew that he looked so unlike Solomon the Wise that -he long hesitated to approach his whilom faithful Benaiah, who, -innocent of the demon's fraud, continued as dashing and as loyal as -ever before. The attempt at an interview resulted in the general's -throwing a silver coin to get rid of the importunate beggar, who dared -accost him as though he was his equal. In his despondency Solomon -turned his back on his endeared capital, roamed about for many days -distracted with grief, until, having caught sight of the sea, he fell -prostrate on the shore, prayed in great humility, wept and fell -asleep. He had a dream in which Eldad, who had died during his -wanderings, appeared to him in the guise of an angler, unloosening a -large fish from his hook which he presented to the dreamer. A scream -in the air startled Solomon from his sleep, and a slap on his cheek by -some cold thing brought him to his feet. Before him lay a fish in -contortions, above him two birds were soaring, one higher than the -other, who, in their fight for the prey, evidently had allowed it to -drop on the sleeper's face. Parched with thirst and stung by hunger, -Solomon tore the fish open, when, lo! the ring, Eldad's gift, the -all-controlling charm, was there. No sooner was it on the King's -finger than an appalling earthquake shook the shore, while from the -heart of God's city burst a prodigious pillar of smoke and flame, -losing itself in the deep azure. Useless to add that this was the -trail of Ashmodai's precipitous flight, who, immediately apprised of -his adversary's triumph, fled as fast as he could, spreading -consternation as he went. - -Solomon by this time had enough experience with the chief of demons to -last him for the rest of his life; yet nothing else but Ashmodai's -subsequent vengeance was the cause of his falling from grace in after -years, so that the wisest of ancient kings not alone forfeited the -power vested in the Omnipotent Name, but closed a glorious career so -ingloriously that he died an object of pity to some of his subjects -and of hatred to the rest. Having secured the means of building the -Temple without the aid of ordinary implements, he would have acted -wisely in dismissing the chief of invisible hosts instead of detaining -him unjustly, and preying into mysteries not intended for man. -Solomon's aspiration to be more than human, while it gratified his -vanity, brought on eventually his ruin, while his mind was never at -ease, even under the constant guardianship of the "Heroic Sixty," his -close bodyguard. - - Note.--"We also tried Solomon, and placed on his throne a - counterfeit body; afterward he turned unto God and said, O - Lord, forgive me, and give me a kingdom which may not be - obtained by any after me; for thou art the bestower of - kingdoms. And we made the wind subject to him; it ran gently - at his command whithersoever he directed, and we also put the - demons in subjection under him, and among them such as were - every way skilled in building, and in diving for pearls." - (Koran, Surah 38.) - - The Talmudic version of Solomon's temporary dethronement runs - thus:--Conscious of the fact that the stability of his - kingdom depended on the signet on his finger, Solomon had but - one trusty concubine named Amina whom he entrusted with the - invaluable jewel during moments when the body's natural - functions rendered its removal obligatory, it bearing the - ineffable Name. One day Sakhar, a malicious demon, appeared - to Amina in the shape of Solomon, possessed himself of the - ring, usurped the throne, transformed or deformed the real - monarch, and ruled the land to suit himself, altering the - laws, and doing all the mischief a devil is capable of doing. - In the meantime Solomon, distracted by the incident, and - wholly unknown to his court, wandered about, depending on - alms for subsistence. This misadventure of the wise king was - brought about by an image of himself made for worship at his - order by another devil to comfort his favorite wife, Jerada, - the beautiful princess of Sidon, whose father had fallen - during the siege of that city by Solomon's army. As soon as - the worship of the image ceased, the devil fled the palace - and threw the signet into the sea. A fish swallowed the - thaumaturgic ring, was caught, and providentially fell into - Solomon's hand, thus possessing him of the omnipotent charm - which enabled him to recover his kingdom. As to Sakhar, he - was caught, a stone was tied around his neck, and he was - ruthlessly thrown into the lake of Tiberias. Sakhar standing - for the Hebrew noun _sheker_--falsehood, and Amina for - _emunah_,--faith or firmness, the deeper sense of the - allegory needs no further elucidation. Among the most - familiar legends which cluster around Solomon's rule is that - of his green carpet woven of silk and of a magnitude - sufficiently ample not alone to hold his throne, but an army - of men to his right hand and a host of spirits to his left. - At the king's command the winds transported the entire - equipment, slow or fast, according to his majesty's pleasure, - while the royal head was shaded by an enormous flock of birds - on the wing. Countenance is given to this fable in the - Koran,--"And his armies were gathered together unto Solomon, - consisting of genii, and men, and birds." (Surah, 27.) - - - - -THE CROESUS OF YEMEN. - - -Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, is one of the noblest cities of Arabia -Felix, and is said to rival beautiful Damascus in many of her -exquisite features. The Imam of Yemen who ruled in the beginning of -this century could claim rank among the most whimsical princes who -ever sat on a throne. He was a man of weak intellect, strong passion, -boundless vanity, and a religious enthusiasm entirely foreign to his -subjects, who are indifferent followers of Mohammed. That eccentric -Commander of the Faithful conceived the singular fancy that he was -animated by the soul of the last Prophet, and he suited his conduct to -his conceit, there being no one to dispute his ludicrous presumption. -He dressed in green, sermonized his people in the style of the Koran, -read _surahs_ of his own creation, raved of his nocturnal visits to -heaven, descanted on visions and revelations vouchsafed to him, and -scrupulously arranged his household in imitation of Mohammed's, not -forgetting the seventeen wives of the founder of Islam, including an -Ayesha, who was the power behind the Imam's throne, being the flower -of his harem. - -The most important person who stood next to the Imam in power, and -above him in wisdom, was the great Kadi, or judge, Omar, who presided -over the supreme court of Sanaa, and was in fact the walking code and -cyclopaedia of Yemen. What he did not know only Allah and His Prophet -could reveal. The wise Kadi had no doubt at all that the Imam was a -spiritual duplicate of the true Prophet, and he received in -recognition the proud title of the "Lion of God," reminiscent of -Mohammed's most devoted champion who fought his battles, and died -sword in hand. - -Omar plied his legal profession so well, had so many questions of -justice and equity referred to him from every quarter of the land, -that he rose to be the wealthiest Moslem of Sanaa, exceeded in his -opulence by one man only, and that was the renowned Ben Abir, surnamed -"The Croesus of Yemen." Ben Abir was no Moslem, but a Hebrew, and one -who feared nothing so much as the remote likelihood of slighting his -faith. - -The Imam's ruling passion for prophetic honors was equalled by his -unprophetic mania for building monumental structures with an -extravagance which drained his treasure. Lacking the vast resources of -the Caliph of Estamboul, the prince of Yemen nevertheless aspired to -rival the head of the faithful in the monumental magnificence of his -great capital; and immense sums were lavished on the embellishments of -a city which was meant to dazzle even the strangers who had wondered -at the imperial palaces of the mighty Sultan himself. The drawback was -the limited revenues of the Imam's domains, and the shrewd Kadi, -forestalling the danger of a royal recourse to his riches, was -instrumental in causing his master to draw on Ben Abir for large sums, -in return for titles and privileges which enabled the misused -Israelite to indemnify himself in a measure for advances he never -expected to see returned. Unlimited in the extent of his commercial -enterprises, and furnished with as many military escorts as he chose -to ask for, Ben Abir's caravans carried loads of silk, cotton, -hardware, weapons and trinkets as far as Hadramaut, Hejaz and Nejd, -fearless of the dangers of the Tehamah and the deathful simoons of the -arid desert; and they returned to the seashore with tons of coffee, -packs of gum, ostrich feathers, dyes and pearls, which foreign vessels -carried to distant lands. To all this Ben Abir added the breeding of -the finest Arabian horses, such as are only found in Nejd, and it -became a current saying that whatever the Croesus of Yemen touched -turned into gold. - -Now, it happened that, previous to the closing celebration of the -Ramadhan Fast, Ben Abir presented his sovereign with one of his -choicest Nejdi stallions, of spotless white and a most fiery temper, -caparisoned in the most approved fashion. Delighted with the gift, the -Imam showed his appreciation by mounting the spirited animal on the -solemn occasion brought about by the sacrificial ceremony which marks -the close of the Fast. As ill-luck would have it, a distracted saint, -who had just issued from his cave looking more like a chimpanzee than -a human being, threw himself in the way of the stallion with a yell -that frightened both horse and rider. Snorting and balking in recoil -from the object of terror, the high-spirited creature reared and fell -backward injuring the Kadi, who was behind, and landing the second -edition of the Prophet on a rock, with a broken leg and a dislocated -jaw as mementos of the inauspicious incident. Somebody had to be -burdened with the blame, and the Kadi realized his opportunity. As -soon as sufficiently recovered from his own hurts to sit in judgment, -Omar declared Ben Abir guilty of high treason for having tempted the -Imam to mount a mad horse, and condemned him to perish by -decapitation, unless he should ransom his life for a fabulous sum, -which was named, with the additional condition that it be paid in -solid gold. Within twenty-four hours the gold was in the hands of the -Imam's treasurer, and Ben Abir was a poor man. - -When Ayesha, the flower of the royal harem, who was of Hebraic origin, -heard of the Kadi's sentence, she appealed to her prophetic lord's -conscience against the flagrant injustice. The Imam was moved to the -extent of offering to return a small portion of the robbery, provided -the Hebrew would enter the mosque. Ben Abir would not listen to the -thought of such treason to the God of his fathers, and had a brave -wife to sustain him in his trial, with two children, one an ineffably -charming maiden, to comfort him. Nor was he entirely destitute, his -commercial credit remaining good. - -In one of the mountain ranges of Yemen one Friday afternoon, as the -sun began to approach the rim of the horizon, a small caravan made a -halt. The dromedaries were freed from their burdens and allowed to -browse, and a dark tent was stretched for the use of the master of the -caravan. On a matting on the ground a rug was spread and a few pillows -were put thereon for the ease of a middle-aged person who, -dismounting from his horse, took possession of the transient -resting-place. As soon as he found himself within the tent he washed -himself with water drawn from the nearest spring, changed his -garments, brought forth a silver lamp, which he filled with oil, a -silver flask full of wine, and a goblet of the same metal. With -nightfall the lamp illumined the tent, and the inmate stood lost in -prayer, with his face turned to the east. A blessing uttered over the -wine was followed by a frugal meal, and the rest of the evening was -spent in study of sacred lore. At the entrance to the tent, near a -spear struck into the soil, stood a black sentry, while at a distance -the camel drivers made themselves comfortable for the night. The lord -of the caravan was Ben Abir, his sentinel was Ibraeem, a freed slave, -who, having been treated kindly by his master in his happier days, -would not desert him now that fortune declined to smile on him. - -The night was very dark, and would have been voiceless but for the -sighs and moans of the dromedaries, who seemed audibly to commiserate -one with another upon the hardships of life. About midnight the -silence was unbroken, the discontented animals having buried their -sense of trouble in dreamless sleep. At this hour Ben Abir was roused -by his faithful attendant, who informed him of a great marvel that was -to be seen before the tent. A heap of gold cropped up from the ground, -each coin scintillating like a star. "Rise, O, master! Allah sends -thee a treasure," cried the devoted slave. - -"What is it thou art raving of, O, Ibraeem!--art thou dreaming?" said -Ben Abir. - -"Indeed I am wide awake, O, master!--step forth and trust to thine own -senses if thou doubtest mine; here is the hoard Allah would have thee -take," insisted Ibraeem. - -As Ben Abir peered out of his tent to convince himself of Ibraeem's -illusion, he saw with amazement a golden pile of coin, the pieces -glowing like lupine eyes in the dark. This is a temptation of the evil -one, thought the scrupulous Israelite, who would not have touched pelf -on his Sabbath for the wealth of the Indies. - -"Touch not a piece of this hoard, Oh, Ibraeem!--if thou fearest -Allah, and wouldst not disobey Ben Abir. If the treasure is to be -mine, it will remain where it is till after my Sabbath; if it be not -mine, the breaking of my holy day will not save it for me. What is to -be, will be. Go to sleep," closed the pious Yemenite, and retired to -his couch, Ibraeem, after a little natural hesitation, doing likewise. -What right, after all, had he to question the deep wisdom and deeper -faith of his generous master? - -But sleep would not return to Ben Abir. Through the coarse goat hair -texture that made up the covering of his tent the glittering mass -stared at him like so many living eyes, and he felt a chill run -through the marrow of his bones. While he was at a loss to explain how -the glare of the hoard penetrated the opaque material of his tent, a -new wonder diverted his attention. An inclined plane, broad as a -valley and smooth as glass, stretched down from the deep heavens with -both ends lost, one among the starry configurations, the other in the -unfathomed abysses of the nether world. The only irregularity in the -sweep of the prodigious highway was a terrace which made a connecting -link between the upper and the lower part of the plane. In the heart -of the terrace shone the hoard which a while before had been seen -before the tent. - -Ben Abir doubted not that there was an evil design back of this -marvelous display, but he felt safe in the consciousness of his firm -loyalty. His feeling of safety, however, was somewhat shaken by a -terrific detonation, like the eruption of a volcano. It was the signal -for a numberless host to ascend towards the terrace, who, dividing and -subdividing, started to march up in frowning armies to the sound of -wailing notes,--clarions and clashing cymbals mixing with a chaos of -noise produced by all the instruments of music known. The vanguard was -made up of a serried division of vicious gholes whose march resembled -more the dance of droll harlequins than the pace of warriors. At their -heels came a vast herd of monstrous bipeds, with head, tail and hoofs -of the boar, making the air shudder with their hideous grunts, and -piercing the sable of night with their grim eyes. Next followed a -division of bipedal beasts, rolling fiery eyeballs, striking their -sides with tails like those of lions, and rending the atmosphere with -roars of fury. Back of these came bounding an enormous pack of -bellowing hell-hounds, each one a Cerberus, armed with the deadly -teeth and claws of the tiger. Close behind tramped an appalling herd -of deformities, hunch-backed elephants, with raised trunks that were -hissing serpents, and tusks which reached down to the ground tearing -up fragments of rock and hurling them against the terrace with -diabolic fury. The rear was taken up by a grisly multitude of animated -skeletons, who yelled, grinned, laughed, danced,--drawing up and -thrusting out their bony limbs with wriggling motion, and varying the -infernal performance by a series of somersaults. Back of all burst a -deluge of red fire which shot with raging impetuosity among the -hellish monsters, who instead of being deterred appeared to derive -strength from the consuming element. But fierce as was the rush -against the terrace, beyond its outer limits the demons could not -pass. - -Meanwhile, on the upper extension of the celestial highway there was -a quick mustering of radiant squadrons, and an array of embattled -lines which extended beyond the remotest galaxies. The summons had -gone forth to be ready for the infernal invader, and the denizens of -the stars responded in unnumbered myriads. Signals flashed from height -to height, and save the warning note of a trumpet faintly heard now -and then, the pregnant silence of the ethereal combatants contrasted -strangely with the fiendish defiance of the howling goblins. - -The moments of suspense were intensified by the swelling of the hoard -to amazing dimensions; not that the coins multiplied, but they grew in -size and in lustre, until each one resembled the solar disk. It was no -more a pile, but a pyramid, of gold set in a frame of thickening -darkness. - -A peal of thunder from on high was the sign for the encounter. Like a -sea of lightning, the radiant vanguard swept adown the terrace with a -mien so dreadful and weapons so deterring that the black divisions -fled in horror before the blasting might that shook the deeps to the -foundation. - -With all his attention concentrated on the engagement, Ben Abir had -not seen that a cherub stood before him one of those precious disks in -his hand, until the apparition spoke. "So much is thine, O, righteous -Ben Abir! the rest will come," were the mystic words of the benign -power. - -Ben Abir could not accept the gift without stretching his arms to -their full length, and found it impossible to hold it the moment his -hands closed round the edge of the fiery wheel. Finding the priceless -treasure was slipping from his grasp he called for Ibraeem to help. - -"What is it thou wouldst have me do for thee, master?" asked the -attendant when roused from his sound sleep. - -"Have I called thee, Ibraeem? Yes, I did call thee; but it was all a -dream, a dream as awful as the vision of Jacob in the wilderness.--How -far advanced is the night? Is there anything left of the golden -hoard?" inquired Ben Abir. - -"The camels are astir, and the east is gray, but the gold is all -gone, master,--all gone. Had we taken it, thou wouldst again be the -Croesus of Yemen," said the simple-minded Ibraeem, regretfully. "We -ought to have taken it, ought we not?" - -"It is well that we kept our hands from it; it was a temptation held -out by the evil one, Ibraeem, who lures man into error. What is to be -will be.--Let me be alone for a little space; I am somewhat -perturbed," concluded Ben Abir, who wished to think over his unearthly -vision. - -With eyes closed, the Hebrew endeavored to recall the dark and bright -phantoms of the night, pondering what it all might mean. And that -hoard, which his humble servant had witnessed and referred to, had -been too tangible a reality to be transferred to the domain of the -spectral. - -The radiant flood-gates of heaven's light-oceans opened wide. The -Orient was ablaze with the glories of an early sunrise, which had been -initiated by waves of gilded crimson; and Arabia Felix rose from a -transcendental dream to bathe in dew as brilliant as the pearls of -Halool and Katar. The air vibrated with the joyous notes of the -feathered freebooters; there were the finch, the lark and the thrush -to lead in the matin concert, and the beautifully-crested hoopoe, on -whom Solomon bestowed a golden crown for services rendered him in the -desert and for messages carried between His Majesty and Belkeys, the -Queen of Sheba. Sweet was the scent of the air, and the sparkling dew -was as yet unabsorbed by the glowing heat of the rising day. - -Ben Abir issued from his tent to feel that nature donned her festal -robes in honor of the Sabbath blessed of the Lord. Was it not his -over-soul that made him realize the holiness of God's creation? How -different the world looked to him on week-days. But think of whatever -he might, before his mental gaze still soared his vision undispelled -by the cheer of sunshine and life. His heart throbbed with prophetic -apprehension. Who was wise enough to enlighten him? - -However, the day was passed in worship and study; and at the sight of -the first three stars in the firmament, the scrupulous Ben Abir bade -his farewell to the Sabbath by the blessing uttered over a cup of -wine; and, lantern in hand, proceeded to search the spot whereon the -golden hoard had been seen on the previous night. One gold piece only -he found on turning up the sand with the tip of his sandal, but it was -enough to make his heart flutter, conscious that the coin in his hand -was not of human make. Returning to his tent, the precious piece was -deposited on a pillow with a trembling hand, when lo! the thing began -to dilate and grow in brilliance, until it reached the size and shape -of the golden disk he had in his vision received from an angel's hand. -Ben Abir bit his thumb to assure himself that he was awake. Was it not -another illusion? To the touch it was an ordinary coin; to the eye it -had the form of a mighty targe of burnished gold. "It is mine, and I -shall keep it as the secret and talisman of my life, a gift of the -Most High, blessed be He!" whispered the loyal Israelite, and the -mysterious coin was carefully wrapped up and put away. - -The early dawn of the first day of the week found Ben Abir's caravan -winding its way amidst a wilderness of tropic vegetation and scattered -rocks; but the tide of fortune still turned against him. Torrents of -rain impeded the march of his camels and damaged the goods he depended -on for the success of his journey. While the dromedaries were in the -act of crossing a bridge the span gave way and three of the poor -brutes went down never to rise again; and to complete his ruin, fire -broke out at the caravansary where he had hoped to find refuge from -the weather's inclemencies, and he had good cause to be grateful even -for escape from death in the flames that consumed the remnant of his -merchandise, largely secured on credit. The Croesus of Yemen found -himself on the brink of poverty, a ruined man with a crowd of -creditors to lodge him in one of Sanaa's abominable prisons. He knew -the Kadi who would speak the sentence, and he prepared to face the -inevitable, trusting that something would happen to render his painful -situation bearable. - -There lived at this time another person in Sanaa who actually -rejoiced at the disgrace and impoverishment of Ben Abir; and this -contrary both to his own temper, and to the popular sympathies with a -man who in his better days alleviated human misery to the best of his -ability. That exception was Hayem Cordosa. The cause of the ill -feeling in Cordosa's breast was an unhappy, one-sided romance, which -had driven his son, Menahem, to desperation. Until a certain morning -that youth had but one dream, and that was knowledge. It was the -fateful moment when he chanced to meet in the street an exquisitely -lovely boy mounted on a pony in charge of a black man. The child's -silken locks were darker than the jet black face of his attendant, his -complexion was like milk and blood, his lips reminded one of the red -coral, his teeth of the purest pearl, while his eyes suggested the -dreams of angels in realms of ineffable felicity. A few questions put -to the slave brought the information that infinitely fairer than the -child was his elder sister Estrelia. In the glow of his loyal -admiration Ibraeem, who had the child in charge, portrayed to the -interested youth a maiden who was more beautiful than the Peri of -Yemen. So great was her beauty that her pellucid witchery shone -through her veil, while her perfect form would have been envied by the -graces of antiquity. Ibraeem did not think that he exaggerated matters -by assuring Menahem that Estrelia's loveliness illumined the -apartments of her privacy, and that her eyes would enchant the deadly -_rukta_. If the youth had any doubt about it, the cherub-like -sweetness of her little brother dispelled the doubt. - -Menahem was not a youth to be despised. His fidelity to principle was -as great as his learning in sacred literature was deep. He felt -justified in offering his heart to Ben Abir's daughter, but met with a -rebuff, and became desperate. The erstwhile cheerful youth grew -gloomy, courted seclusion, brooded on vengeance; and finally resorted -to the extremity of deserting his faith, to the great sorrow of his -scrupulously religious parents. It was a mad step, but there was -method in the madness. The apostate put himself under the protection -of Omar, and the learned Kadi presented him to his royal master as a -convert to Islam; the Imam received him with favor, assured him of a -seat in Paradise, and made him his cup-bearer. Menahem was where he -wished to be, but Cordosa hated the house of Ben Abir. - -It was during the last trip of the fallen Croesus of Yemen that the -convert took an opportunity to speak to the Imam of the maiden who had -driven him mad, and he spoke of her as the "luminous Peri of Yemen, -whose radiant beauty enlightens Ben Abir's home." - -Under ordinary circumstances there was not a thing within the -boundaries of his dominion the Imam would hesitate to lay hand on if -he deemed its possession desirable. In this especial case the -remembrance of a broken leg and dislocated jaw seemed to justify any -step calculated to afford some recompense for those injuries which -gave the aspirant to prophetic veneration a hideous aspect. When -consulted in the matter, the Kadi failed to see it in any other -light--"Thou art the blessed re-birth of the last prophet, the prince -of this great land, and there is no power in the heavens to interfere -with thy right, O, commander of the faithful! when thou seest fit to -save a soul from perdition. As to the increase in thy harem beyond the -number consecrated by the will of Mohammed, thy servant will be -grateful for any of thy Houris, if thou deignest to transfer her to -the humbler home of thy devoted Kadi," was Omar's suggestion. - -Had the secret remained among its originators and been carried out -promptly, the fate of Estrelia would have been sealed; but the removal -of one from the Imam's harem put Ayesha on her mettle. She suspected a -new arrival, and, having fathomed the mind of Yemen's lord, she was -alarmed at the prospect of being eclipsed by superior charms, thus -forfeiting her hitherto undisputed rule; and she lost no time in -apprising the right persons of Estrelia's imminent danger. Thus did it -come to pass that when, led by the apostate, the minions of the prince -descended on Ben Abir's unprotected home, they had to report that -their nocturnal invasion had been a failure. The "luminous peri of -Yemen" had been warned in time. - -For a man already under the pressure of great trials to return from a -ruinous trip, and be greeted by the news of his child's disappearance, -is an experience more readily imagined than described. The last -visitation was too whelming even for the Job-like resignation of Ben -Abir. His only comfort was his wife's assurance that Estrelia was not -in the seraglio of the Imam. She had been carried away by two men in -disguise through a back door, barely escaping the grasp of the vandals -who knocked for admission in the front. The mother was so -panic-stricken that she failed to remember the names of the persons -who had come to the rescue of her child, and she had not heard from -them since; but she felt sure that everything would turn out right. - -In his brighter days Ben Abir would have invoked the power of his -sovereign to effect the restitution of his daughter, but matters had -changed, and circumstances dictated prudence on his part. Imam and -Kadi were alike interested in his ruin. To search quietly, wait -patiently, hope and pray, were the only ways and means compatible with -his safety. Besides, there were impatient creditors to be appeased and -starvation at the door. The princely home had to be disposed of, but -this afforded small relief. Whatever he touched, success was his -adversary. "If I made it my business to bury the dead, not a death -would for years occur in the city of Sanaa," remarked the disappointed -man to his wife. The last trinket had been sold to keep the wolf away -from the door, and now hunger stared his wife and child in the face. -The devoted Ibraeem did his utmost to relieve the want of his master's -family, but his fidelity was more of a comfort than a support. With -the pride of a man who would rather die than appeal for help, Ben Abir -yet had finally to yield to the entreaties of a starving wife. There -remained but one thing for him to do, a bitter pill for him to -swallow, and he acted like a man. Twice a year it was Cordosa's -business to lead a caravan to one of Yemen's ports to exchange Arabian -products for merchandise imported for the markets of the peninsula. -What he did not do on his own account he did on commission for others. -The leading merchants of Sanaa charged him with the purchase of their -wares, and their commissions were all entered in a book to be referred -to in due time. - -The resources of Ben Abir having been exhausted, he bethought himself -of the precious coin he had sewed up in the hem of his coarse mantle, -and he resolved to ask Cordosa to invest it for him in whatever way he -should deem profitable. Curbing his pride he sought an interview with -his enemy, made a frank statement of his pinching indigence, and -requested Cordosa to buy for the only piece of gold he had in the -world anything that could be sold in Sanaa. Ben Abir's sad plight and -frankness moved Cordosa's heart, who not alone promised to do his best -in the matter of business, but insisted on relieving the distress of -the fallen man's family. The reconciliation was complete, and the -generous commissioner set out on his journey, accompanied by the best -wishes of Ben Abir, and those who expected his return with more than -usual interest. - -The six long lines of dromedaries of Cordosa's caravan, each file -held together by a hair rope, were preceded by a snow-white donkey of -the best breed in Hasa, good luck being insured by that philosophic -animal who gave Balaam a lesson. To the left of the sagacious -quadruped rode the regular guide, a Bedouin who felt at home in the -trackless waste; to the right, astride of a fine steed, was the -_Karawan-Bashi_,--the caravan commander,--a gorgeous display of gaudy -trimmings, trappings, jingling bells and tassels, in which, however, -he was greatly eclipsed by the leading ass. At the _Bashi's_ left side -dangled a sword of Damascus, sheathed in a scabbard; and his warlike -temper was formidably impressed on all whom it concerned by a spear of -unusual length. Behind these three leaders, varying in their capacity, -on his horse came Cordosa, the master of the caravan. Between the -guide and the _Karawan-Bashi_ there was a tacit understanding to while -away the monotony of the trip by tales of adventure in the desert, -which they told with startling vividness, each one managing to pose as -the hero of some thrilling episode. - -After the usual number of days, and the accidents incidental to a -journey through inhospitable regions, Cordosa reached the point of his -destination. Here the unexpected happened to the experienced -commissioner. Following his memoranda, he left no detail of business -unattended to, except the order of Ben Abir, which he had omitted to -enter on his book. As the caravan was on the point of proceeding -homeward, Cordosa remembered Ben Abir's request, and felt guilty of -neglect. Full of self-reproach, he turned to the _Karawan-Bashi_ and -required him to hurry to the bazaar and buy for the gold piece he gave -him anything he thought profitable or useful. The order was carried -out to the letter, to the great mortification of Cordosa. The -_Karawan-Bashi_ happened to meet a sailor, who had a cage full of -Angola cats for sale, and proposing to strike a bargain, offered the -gold piece in exchange for the feline colony, was taken at his word, -and thus possessed himself of the freaky live-stock. The sailor's tale -was brief. The animals had kept a large vessel free of mice, the ship -had foundered, the seaman saved the cats. He had nothing to live on. -It was a straight story. The vendor had the gold and Cordosa the cats. -The only thing to be done was to take the feline company along. - -Again the unexpected happened to Cordosa. For many days everything -went on without a hitch, when the _Karawan-Bashi_ and the guide -informed him that the high-land they were traversing was entirely -unknown to them, and that they did not know how they had come into it. -"What I see around me I have never before seen, and I have led a -hundred caravans athwart the width and breadth of Yemen," asserted the -most experienced guide, and the _Bashi_ shook his head significantly. - -"And have you perceived the singular fact, that though the country -hereabout resembles the garden of Eden, we have this long day not seen -a single sign of life," said Cordosa, not undisturbed in his mind. - -"Allah achbar! what sea is it there we are drawing nearer to?" asked -the _Bashi_ in alarm.--"A big water in the mountain!" - -"By the beard of the Prophet, how can a big water climb up a -mountain?" ejaculated the astonished guide. - -"What you see is no water, but a heavy fog, which looks like water," -corrected Cordosa, much surprised however at the phenomenal denseness -of the cloud. - -"True, it is a fog; but I have never seen one that looked so much like -a rolling tide threatening to engulf us. Everything that is alive -seems to have fled before we entered this region," observed the guide, -apprehensively. - -And a strange fog it was, which rolled forward like a tidal wave, and -ere long buried the caravan in a cloud so dense that one could not see -his own feet, and the men became alarmed lest they go down unwarned -over the brink of some precipice. The camels were allowed to grope -their way, the guide having given up the idea of guiding; and the long -string of animals progressed slowly amidst a flood of vapor with -nothing to vary the nerve-trying suspense for fully an hour. -Everything and everybody was soaked by the moisture; the air did not -stir, and the stillness was oppressive. At last there was a rift in -the hitherto impenetrable mass; and when a breeze lifted the fog, -Cordosa rubbed his eyes to assure himself of being awake. - -"Dost thou see what I see?" asked he of the _Karawan-Bashi_. - -"And what dost thou see, O, man, who hast traversed the Red Desert?" -asked in turn the _Bashi_ of the guide. - -"I see, high up, a city of marble palaces with roofs of silver and -balconies of gold, as glorious as Balbec and Chilminar," cried the -guide, enthusiastically. - -"That is what I see; we have been lured into the domain of the genii, -and harm will betide us if we fail to evade their crafty wiles," -answered the _Bashi_, nervously. - -"If we do not flee the malicious _Div_ will hurl us into one of those -bottomless chasms which swarm with venomous serpents," warned the -guide. - -"Try we to retrace our course, or the bird of prey and the hyena will -pick the flesh from our bones," said the _Bashi_, in a mood of dark -prophecy. - -"Is it not God who rules this world and the stars? How can you be -sure that evil will befall us if we enter that place? We are men of -faith and stout hearts, and I propose that we proceed toward that -dazzling city, no matter who they be who inhabit it," was Cordosa's -fearless proposition. - -"Thou shalt not find me craven if there be danger to face. The point -of this spear has been buried in the body of the lion, and this heel -has bruised the head of the _rukta_; if there be the evil one, I will -face him," exclaimed the _Karawan-Bashi_. - -"Neither is thy guide of the stuff that shrinks before spectres, -however monstrous. Let us know them who have built that marvelous -city," cried the guide heroically, and toward the city the caravan -advanced. - -It was that hour of the day when the lengthened shadows indicate the -descent of the glowing orb, but the striking absence of bird or insect -in a quarter where every inducement for their presence was to be seen -in abundance gave the surroundings an air of desolation, and produced -the sensation experienced by him who suddenly lights on a corpse. A -broad avenue shaded by treble lines of orange trees in blossom, -diffusing delicious odors, led up to a high portal giving admission to -a vast enclosure walled by gray stones perfectly fitted by masterful -hands, a fortress looking as new as though the masons had just given -it the finishing touch. The wall was not high enough to hide the -gorgeous edifices within; but the wayfarers pricked their ears in vain -to catch a sound of life, the quiet being that of the graveyard. "This -is a dead city," observed the guide, in the hope of shaking the -courage of Cordosa; "peradventure the desolate city built by the son -of Ad." - -"They are not dead at night who are dead during the day," added the -_Karawan-Bashi_, with a similar object in view. - -"God is strong enough to afford us protection against all evil powers. -Here may be a mystery we are destined to solve. Knock at the gate for -admission," ordered Cordosa peremptorily. - -"_Allah illaha il Allah!_" cried the _Bashi_, seized with a fit of -unflinching heroism; "I will knock at the gate with my scabbard, be -the place under the rule of grim Monkir; the faithful need not be -afraid of the creatures of Eblis." - -The rap on the gate gave forth a hollow sound in response, yet the -gateway opened with a jar, revealing a scene at which the intruders -gazed with amazement. Sheddad's garden of Irem could hardly equal the -vernal luxuriance which hid the foundations of the wonderful -buildings. Scattered here and there, among delightful flower-beds and -thick clusters of the luscious vine, stood groups of fairies -motionless, so handsome that their cheeks rivaled the rose in -sweetness. They were all barefooted, their little feet resembling -those of children. For headgear they wore crowns of golden hair; their -garb was a transparent gauze, shining like moonlight, and bespangled -with gold, and they were all armed with spears of that precious metal. -Awful was their silence, their expression yet showing an intense -anxiety to utter speech. The gate slammed to with its jarring note as -soon as the last camel was within the precincts, and the Yemenites -shuddered at the realization of their being locked in a dead city. -Overcome by the awe of the surroundings, Cordosa exclaimed: "Great -Lord, protect us!" Hereupon the whole mountain experienced a tremor, -shared by the life-like fairies, who appeared to shiver at the mention -of the Supreme. - -It being sunset, Cordosa directed the _Bashi_ and the guide to take -the caravan to the nearest khan, and the next moment the travellers -entered a caravansary, compared to which the Asaad Pasha of Damascus -is but an insignificant hostelry. They found the gate ajar, and within -there was plenty of provender, and a playing fountain to quench the -thirst of man and brute. A sumptuous divan furnished with the most -costly rugs of silk, and such seats as are only reserved for caliphs, -tempted the Arabs to rest their weary limbs, while the odors of savory -viands betrayed the neighborhood of a culinary institution of the -highest order. Following the scent they entered a prodigious banquet -hall of imperial splendor. On low tables a royal feast was set in -glittering crystal under covers of gold. On the right side of each -service lay a golden rod not unlike the sceptre of a king. Scores of -fairies stood around in the attitude of attendants eager to serve, but -stiff and lifeless as mummies, dead beauty radiating from their faces -of immaculate purity. - -Hunger yielded to temptation, and the _Bashi's_ example was followed -by the others, except Cordosa who, lost in wonder, would not avail -himself of the magnificent hospitality impliedly offered by beings who -to all appearances were dead; if not dead then strangely enchanted for -some unaccountable purpose. - -Neither had the others time to appease the cravings of their -appetites; for no sooner was the first dish uncovered than a -multitudinous rustling, tripping and squeaking caused the astonished -guests to turn their eyes toward the door, when lo, and behold!--thick -swarms of silvery mice came rushing and tumbling one over the other, -and, flying up the limbs of the horrified men, as squirrels are often -seen to run up trees, they devoured in the twinkling of an eye -whatever had been laid bare to their voracity. The sumptuous banquet -was turned into a scene of horror and disgust, the more so since the -pests seemed heedless of those who were present, and callous to the -blows which were dealt them with the golden rods that were apparently -there for that purpose. "Bring the cats hither," commanded Cordosa. -And as the cage was brought forth and opened the cats leapt forth like -tigers wild for prey. But nimble as pussy is, the agility of her game -left her without a chance to do mischief. Quick as the vermin had -appeared, they much more quickly disappeared, as though the swarms had -been nothing but flitting shadows. - -Before it was possible to restore the animals to their cage, Cordosa -and his subordinates were not only startled by the sudden animation of -the fairies in the banquet hall, but a muffled roar, as of a -victorious army without, made them feel instinctively that a great -change had come over the dwellers of the magic city. It was a tumult -that stirred the air far and wide, was echoed and re-echoed, until -the hills were vocal with the ringing vibrations of countless voices, -and before a question could be asked, in marched a legion of those -admirable creatures, who but a little before had been seen in a state -of inanimation. Arraying themselves in military form, they presented -arms and made a profound salaam in evident honor of Cordosa, thus -acknowledging his title to their respect. With that unfailing -politeness, which is the exquisite quality of the refined Oriental, -the Hebrew begged to be informed why he was made the object of this -distinguished attention. "Because thou hast broken the spell which for -many hundred years held the denizens of this city enthralled by -enchantment," was the answer. - -There was a genial affability in the demeanor of the child-like -representatives of the city's population, so that the fear of their -being malicious genii vanished, and a confiding intercourse took the -place of shrinking suspicion. The story they told of their origin and -subsequent enchantment is one of romance, necromancy, and dire -vengeance. It is briefly as follows: - -Lilithiana, the Peri-Queen of the mountains of Yemen, had, in ages -gone by, been wooed by the then two mighty magicians of Africa, known -as El Akbor and Metemhagi. El Akbor was dreaded as the master of all -the rodent species, which he had often sent on expeditions of -destruction to avenge wrongs or to satisfy malice. There was no escape -from the instruments of his ire. Persons and property were bitten, -torn, and destroyed according to his order. The only power he feared -was Metemhagi, who ruled all the feline tribes, and could be appealed -to against the plague his rival was in a position to inflict. Long and -assiduous was the courtship of the twain necromancers, and the -love-contest closed with Lilithiana's declared preference for -Metemhagi. - -The Peri-Queen controlled the untold wealth hidden in the mountains of -her domain, was mistress of all the genii within the bounds of her -empire, and concluded to build an enchanted city accessible to none -but her progeny. A host of her aerial subjects received orders to -carry out their Queen's behest, and the city of marble, silver and -gold was the result of one hour's workmanship. Hither the queenly Peri -retired with her mortal adorer, and an impenetrable zone of cloud was -thrown around the region that had the weird city as its centre. - -Lilithiana was not long to enjoy her marital felicity. Her intimacy -with a mortal deprived her of the power over Yemen's genii; and the -angel, who centuries before had expelled her from Paradise for a -slight trespass, descended to inform her that her sin would be visited -on her guiltless offspring, her own punishment being exile and -separation from her dear ones. Aware of the Peri's fall and disgrace, -El Akbor assumed the deterring form of a monstrous rat and, embracing -his opportunity, threw himself among the genii of Lilithiana's realm -during a dance in the moonlight. The shock transformed them into a -swarm of silvery mice, and the magician having thus gained power over -them, uttered another incantation, causing the whilom airy beings to -raven with an insatiate hunger. This gluttony made them the terror of -Lilithiana's descendants, who were doomed hereafter to live only from -sunset to sunrise, held by witch-craft the rest of the time in a -death-like trance. - -Metemhagi's devotion to his fairest of consorts made it impossible for -him to part with her whose tender passion for him had caused her fall -and banishment, and his absence enabled the diabolical Akbor to -accomplish his purpose. Informed of the outrage, Metemhagi hurried to -the spot as fast as the fleetest tiger could carry him, but found that -the spell was to last until, prompted by a higher power, the intrusion -of man with that feline species of whom the rodents are in terror -should break the magic thrall, and restore matters to their original -condition. This having happened, the disenchantment of the enthralled -inhabitants of the superb city was followed by that of the genii who -had been changed to mice. Lilithiana's return to majesty came next. -Widowed and humiliated, she had hovered for centuries on the borders -of her beloved empire till Cordosa's arrival in her city changed the -aspect of things, and she was the Peri-Queen once more. - -Hitherto the nocturnal revelers could not indulge their feast without -beating off the pestilent vermin with one hand while eating with the -other; it was the first time that the banquet was being enjoyed in -daylight, and without the use of the erstwhile indispensable weapon. -The viands served appeared as inexhaustible as the multitudes who -entered the dining hall to pay their respects to Cordosa, regale -themselves, and file off again. Nor was music wanting to enliven -conviviality. The charming attendants ravished the souls of the throng -with song so sweet that the strangers had difficulty to prevent their -eyelids from closing, lulled into obliviousness by the dulcet melody. -At last Cordosa alone remained awake; the rest had succumbed to the -irresistible charm of the bewitching voices. The honors showered on -Cordosa were worthy of a great deliverer. In a palanquin of the most -precious metal, studded with brilliant jewels, seated on cushions -softer than air, he was carried through the festively decked -boulevards and paradisial gardens, among dazzling palaces and amid the -joyous ovations of jubilant crowds. - -And as soon as the sun had withdrawn his last mellow beam from the -crests of the mountains, unearthly splendors burst over the magic -city. The spectacle was one of ghostly awe and august magnificence. A -splendid illumination shed a flood of light on towering edifices and -their resplendent decorations. In a second, grand triumphal arches -spanned every highway, woven of the Orient's most exuberant foliage, -flowers and blossoms, each one strewed thickly with the delicate -petals of all the roses in creation, and the delighted denizens were -transfigured in the reflex of the weird effulgence. Expectation sat -visible on every face, and the reason became manifest when the faint -vibration of a dreamy music came floating on the balmy breeze from the -lower end of the main boulevard. The disenchanted genii celebrated -their deliverance, and prepared to welcome their Peri-Queen, whose -time had come to return from her banishment to rule, surrounded by -those whose image kept her lover's memory green. The event was to be -commemorated by a transcendent jubilee. - -The Queen's cavalry opened the triumphal entry with a division of -diminutive and luminous horsemen, armed with golden spears, mounted on -tiny zebras not larger than kittens, and blowing trumpets not unlike -the calyx of the white lily. In an instant their files flew up the -first triumphal arch, with no more effort than a bird makes when he -hops from one twig to another. From their lofty position they watched -the advance of the Queen's artillery, a glittering train of golden -cannon, mortars and howitzers, on silver carriages, pulled by little -white elephants whose drivers in lustrous uniform swelled the chorus -by bugles which varied the harmony with great effect. An inclined span -thrown by the vanguard to the top of an arch served as a road to an -elevated platform, where the ordnance was put in position, loaded and -pointed in every direction of the compass. Beneath came the body of -the great army, battalion on battalion, ascending and occupying in -succession arch after arch, until the vernal displays bristled and -blazed with the gorgeousness of the shining host. A translucent haze -like a veil of atomized jewels floated in the atmosphere, reflecting -the hues of the rainbow; and a thousand bands accompanied a chorus as -numerous as the voices of the entire army and population. - -Cordosa's tears flowed freely; the symphony proved too much for his -heart. The pageant around him looked like a dream of blessed -childhood. He had neither time to feel nor to think. The chorus sang -the prelude to the entrance of the Peri-Queen. Wrapped in a cloud as -intensely bright, as though the moon's light had been concentrated -within a radius of a few leagues, Lilithiana entered the gate of her -own city. Jubilant hurrahs greeted her and reverberated a thousandfold -throughout the hills. As the queenly train drew nearer, Cordosa -discerned in the heart of the mass of light a gliding chariot drawn by -twelve fiery steeds as white as the blaze around them. In reclining -ease Lilithiana rested on pillows of gossamer apparently filled out -with light. Her golden hair hung like a beam of mild sunshine, leaving -a countenance free, which with its star-like eyes left no hope for -mortal beauty to equal it. Of lesser witchery yet unmatched by flesh -however fair were her nine attending nymphs, who in another equipage -rode behind their mistress, each one holding a bag full of precious -coin. The glorious pageant closed with a division of brilliantly -mounted guards on stags with golden hoofs and antlers. - -What was the sensation of Cordosa on perceiving that the Peri-Queen -had her eyes riveted upon him. Before the spot he occupied her chariot -stopped. Without alighting from her royal seat, Lilithiana spoke thus -to the astonished man: - -"Not so much to thee, O, Cordosa, do we owe our restoration, and our -children their disenchantment, as to the righteous Ben Abir whose -faith and reverence frustrated the designs of the evil one. Temptation -lured him in vain, and trials failed to weaken his trust in Eternal -Justice. Yet hast thou done thy share to deepen his misery. Why knows -he not where his daughter hides? Art thou not afraid of retribution? -Lead his child to his heart. And behold!--these nine bags of gold are -destined for him. Take them hence and deliver them untouched as his -meed for virtues rare among men. His cause is in higher hands; they -who injured him will suffer." - -The air was rent with cries of applause, and the triumphal chariot -proceeded onward. Filing down from the arches, the army stood in -marching order, and followed in grand parade. The discharge of -artillery shook the air; the musicians played, and the pageant moved -on and out of sight, except the column of moonlight, which faded -slowly in the hazy distance. The palatial buildings burst out with -radiance from within, and the happy crowds abandoned themselves to -feasting and dancing. - -Cordosa's first business now was to load the dromedaries with the -treasure intended for Ben Abir. At the khan he found it almost -impossible to awaken his men. When the _Karawan-Bashi_ finally opened -his eyes, he looked stupid as an ox and talked as if he had lost his -senses. The guide was similarly affected. The Arabs seemed deaf and -dumb, and Cordosa felt alarmed at their state of torpitude. When all -his efforts to raise them failed, he bethought himself of the fountain -and grasped a vessel with the intention of throwing cold water on the -dull company. But the fountain was gone. Cordosa turned toward the -door of the superb Divan, where they had spent hours on the previous -day; there was neither a hall nor a door to be seen, and a sudden -dimness had made all things uncertain. Still more disturbed by the -startling situation, Cordosa tried to grope his way into the room of -whose nearness he was sure, but, instead of striking one of the -cushioned seats, he struck his head against the bark of a tree. -Awaiting once more some unexpected change he strained his eyes to -discern some object; and failing in the effort, knelt down to -ascertain the nature of the ground he was on. Cold sand, gravel, and -wet grass apprised him of surroundings other than those he had -supposed to be about him. While fear was gaining on him, a passing -wind raised the fog, and his astonished eye was sweeping in vain in -search for the enchanted--or disenchanted--city. - -The sun was just throwing out his multicolored couriers to inform -continents of his coming. A further effort to awaken his men proved -successful, and Cordosa's next care was to discover whether the cats -were in their cage, and whether the gold bags made a part of what he -doubted not was a dream's phantom. His consternation was great when he -found the cage empty, and counted nine bags full to overflowing of the -precious metal. Calling on the _Karawan-Bashi_ and the guide, he -thought it was time to proceed homeward. "We have dreamed long -enough," said he for a purpose. - -"Yes, master, there must be some tricksy _Div_ hereabout; I have a -jumble in my head. I could swear by Allah that we have been in a grand -city and have witnessed queer things," said the _Bashi_, with a yawn. - -"By the beard of the Prophet, _Bashi_, the demon has blown something -of that sort into my own brain," asserted the guide. The others said -nothing. The caravan pursued its way, and Cordosa had his eyes on the -camels that bore the enormous treasure. Sanaa was reached in safety. -None of the men noticed the disappearance of the cats. - -Immediately after his arrival Cordosa dispatched two trusty persons -to his country retreat, and they returned with a third in a disguise -which rendered identification impossible. He then sent for Ben Abir -and insisted on being informed as to how he had come into possession -of the mysterious coin that he had given him to invest. Filled with -unutterable wonder at what he heard, Cordosa emptied one bag of gold -after the other, asking each time whether the pile he had refrained -from touching on the specified Friday eve had been as large as the one -before him. Not before the contents of the ninth bag had been added to -the heap, did Ben Abir exclaim, "So large, and not larger." - -"Then take all this, and be once more the Croesus of Yemen, O, -righteous Ben Abir!" cried Cordosa, and supplemented his words by the -tale of the phantom city. It was Ben Abir's turn to be overwhelmed by -astonishment. "And now has thy time come to be perfectly happy," added -Cordosa, knowing the contrary to be the case. - -"Alas, Ben Abir's happiness will never, never return!--My -daughter,--my daughter!" lamented the disconsolate father. - -"Even thy daughter returns with thy fortune," said Cordosa, and -disappeared through the door, which led to his private apartments. -Another minute and the lost Estrelia lay sobbing in her father's arms. -Ben Abir was a happy man, but the other felt that he owed his friend -an explanation, which was substantially as follows. - -When the jealous Ayesha had learned of the Imam's intention to glorify -his harem by the incomparable loveliness of Ben Abir's daughter, she -lost no time in warning Cordosa of the maiden's danger. Knowing that -his recreant son was at the bottom of the infamous scheme, he felt -himself called upon to frustrate it. But once in possession of the -girl, whose charms had lost him his son, Cordosa hoped against hope to -effect a change in her feelings toward the desperate Menahem. The plan -did not work. Estrelia detested the youth who had worshipped her, but -was told that her safety required her removal to a hiding place. -Cordosa was maturing a new plan when the supernatural incidents of his -last journey left him no choice. The Peri-Queen must be obeyed, lest -misfortune betide his house. - -Cordosa asked Abir's forgiveness, pointing to the great anguish of -heart the love affair had caused him. The Croesus of Yemen, -recognizing the higher hand that fashioned his destiny, would not have -his friend refer to it hereafter. "I would to God I could heal thy -wound, O, kind-hearted Cordosa. My gratitude and sympathy are thine, -and if a part of this hoard will give thee ease, be it thine also," -replied Ben Abir. - -But Cordosa would not entertain the thought of being rewarded for -services he had rendered accidentally, while Lilithiana's warning not -to touch the gold was fresh in his memory. - -As the two much tried men were considering the best way of conveying -the treasure quietly to the house of its owner, Ibraeem knocked at the -door. When admitted, the man could scarcely speak for excitement. "The -Imam is dead!" cried the liberated slave out of breath. - -"The Imam dead!--Who killed him?" asked Cordosa, sure that death had -not come peacefully,--else why that commotion? - -"He killed both the Imam and the Kadi," supplemented Ibraeem, "He ran -amuck." - -"Who is he?" asked Ben Abir with pardonable impatience. - -"Menahem Cordosa," breathed the slave, betraying a delicacy of feeling -slaves are not credited with. Cordosa grew faint, and was caught in -the arms of Ben Abir. - -"Menahem Cordosa an assassin!" mourned the stricken parent. "It is -well that it ended as it did," added Cordosa, having recovered his -composure. "Take your hoard, friend, and may thy house prosper." - -"Dost thou remember to have ever seen this heap of coin?" asked Ben -Abir, seeing Ibraeem's eyes fascinated by the shining pile. - -"That is the gold we saw that Friday eve before thy tent," replied -Ibraeem. - -"Yes, Ibraeem, and then I told thee that what is to be will be. This -all goes to our house, thine not less than mine, faithful Ibraeem, who -shall live to the end of thy days with the Croesus of Yemen," said the -grateful Ben Abir. - - - - -THE FATE OF ARZEMIA. - - -In the ninth year of his rule Chosroes Nushirvan, the conqueror of -kingdoms, sat one day on his gem-incrusted throne, surrounded by all -the symbols of earthly majesty. The room was the famous, -star-bespangled hall of state in his celebrated palace at Ctesiphon, -his capital, an edifice so large that on this occasion the entire -division of his dreaded "fifty thousand golden spears" were required -to draw a cordon around its enclosure in the heart of that splendid -city on the bank of the Tigris. Dazzling jewels, exquisite art, weird -magnificence, and incalculable wealth characterized the imperial -scene. The golden throne stood on a prodigious carpet of silk, -embroidered in imitation of a semi-tropical garden,--plant, leaf and -blossom being artistically reproduced in gems of all hues, from the -emerald to the sparkling diamond and sapphire. The vaulted hall -represented a miniature firmament adorned with golden spheres -responding by an operation of machinery to the motions of the planets -and the signs of the zodiac. Chosroes was enclosed in a brilliant coat -of mail, and his hand rested on a sword bedecked with jewels of untold -value. His crown was so heavy that in order to sustain its priceless -weight, a golden chain held it suspended over the head of Iran's -invincible lord. On a lower seat at his right hand sat the venerable -_Zarathustrotema_, the primate of all the sun-worshippers, the -high-priest of the high-priests; while before the throne stood in -servile attitude the chiefs and servitors of his court, prepared to -sink prostrate at the nod of the autocrat. - -As many eyes as there were in the hall threw furtive glances at the -contracted brows of the arbitrary monarch, whose discordant mood was -evident. Whether it was anger, melancholy, or despair, remained to be -seen; there was no beam in his face to relieve the gloom. Why that -ill-humor on a day dedicated to festive joy? For it was the seventh -day after the birth of a royal babe, the day set for the naming and -blessing of his new-born child. But the mighty lord of Iran had for -six days and nights been stirred by the vivid picture of a dream which -caused his blood to run cold as often he recalled its horrifying -incidents. His vision was unlike that of Nebuchadnezzar, who saw a -human form fashioned of various metals shattered by a fragment of -rock. Chosroes thought that he was roaming through one of his -delightful gardens, teeming with singing birds and delicious fruits, -musing over the great victories he had won, and the hoards which -filled his vaults with enormous wealth, enabling him to rival the -Great Mughul in the luxuries of his court. His only worthy enemy was -Rome, and even her power seemed to bend to his will. Might, pomp, -royal ease and love were his,--what remained for him to attain but the -rule of the entire world? "First Rome, then India!" cried he. But lo! -what is that? A grim _tower of silence_ so near his marble palace, -how did it come there? He had never seen it there ere this. The towers -of silence, where the fire-worshippers expose their dead to be denuded -of flesh by carrion vultures, earth being too sacred to be polluted by -the decay of human flesh, are usually located in remote groves, -preferably on hills haunted by the carnivorous bird; here was one in -the vicinity of the royal palace,--since when?--and by whose order -built? - -Chosroes turned his eyes toward the top of the dismal building to -account for the voracious swarm of vultures that circled around it, as -though a corpse had been there deposited, and great was his horror to -see the flock make towards him. In his confusion he tore a twig from a -tree to beat off the pest; blood flowed from the tree thus wounded; -the obscene swarm disappeared, the tower vanished, and when he looked -at the twig in his hand, he soon accounted for its great weight by -finding it to be a sceptre of gold, adorned by leaves of resplendent -stones. Then he became conscious of a ravening hunger, which to -satisfy, Chosroes put forth his arm to pick the nearest fruit; his -touch petrified it into a transparent jewel. Repeated attempts had the -same result. Tormented by hunger, the king sent his eye in every -direction in the hope of help. Redoubled terror seized him on -perceiving that the entire garden turned into a wilderness of blinding -glitter. A lamenting breeze passed through the lifeless masses of -stiffened green frozen into stone,--tree, fruit and blossom fiercely -reflecting the glare of the sun. The wind was the only thing that -moved, whining like a ghost that passed to eternal perdition. Thirst -followed hunger; the deluded victim turned to a cool spring to find -the precious liquid therein crystalized into solid diamonds. - -"_Ahura-Mazda_, if this be an evil work of the _devas_, then send -_Vohu Mano_, _Ashem_ and _Armaiti_ to lead me into thy light! O, thou -who didst create my being in accordance with thy wisdom!" prayed the -humbled Shah, consumed by the double torment of hunger and thirst. - -A diabolical laugh made the nightmare hideous; it came from a -monstrous shape hidden behind a tree, a winged dragon with the head -of a man, the head of one in the royal family. Recoiling from that -frightful apparition, Chosroes tried to flee, but was intercepted by -the same flock of carrion fowl who, returning, lighted on him like so -many fiends, lifting him bodily from the ground, and carried him to -the funereal grating on the top of the tower of silence, which seemed -to have again cropped up from the ground. The agony of being torn to -pieces roused him from the horrid nightmare, breathing heavily and -trembling all over. - -The first object that met his eyes was the court master-of-ceremonies, -who, with arms folded and head inclined, informed his majesty of a new -royal birth. Shirin, the envied and most favored sultana of his -thousands of wives, had the selfsame night been delivered of a female -child, as beautiful as is the blushing cheek of _Arustra_. The -coincidence of a child's birth with what he could not help accepting -as a portent of some catastrophe to come was not to be dismissed by a -Zarathustrian to whom the whole universe was one vast battlefield -contested by the hostile armies of Ormuzd the good, and Ahriman the -evil. Yet instead of consulting the wisdom of the Magi, high-priests -unerring in their interpretations of dreams and casting of nativities, -Chosroes had concluded to wait until the seventh day after the -confinement when it is the custom of the votaries of Zarathustra to -have the child named by a priest, and its horoscope cast. That there -might be no preconcerted deception practiced by the shrewd Magi, a -secret order had been issued by the king to three different -fire-temples, far apart, for the head of the local priesthood to -report at court on a day named, and the Zarathustrotema received a -call of a similar nature. Thus did it come about that the throne-hall -of Chosroes Nushirvan wore that awful solemnity of pregnant suspense -which passed down from the head of the empire to those who stood -uninformed and powerless at the foot of his throne. - -"Know thou, great head of Iran's light-worship, whom Ahura-Mazda -illumined, that my calling thee hither has a high purpose to be -presently divulged. From the fire-temples of Ardashir and Kanjak I -had the wisest _dasturs_ summoned to appear before me this day to read -the stars in behalf of a little daughter to be named Arzemia. Chosroes -Nushirvan ordains it that his daughter's horoscope be cast this hour -by three of the wisest Magi, each one unknown to and unenlightened by -the other. Thy presence, Zarathustrotema, shall wisdom add to wisdom, -should some deep remain unfathomed," spoke the ruler in a nervous -voice. - -Hereupon a venerable priest was ushered into the royal presence. After -paying the proper homage, the Magian unrolled a parchment bedecked -with hieroglyphics, drew various lines thereon with a rod in his hand, -then, with his eyes turned toward the zodiacal figures set in motion -on the firmament of the hall, he began: - -"The god-stars under whose auspices thy new-born child came to this -world show me a field of light on a background of impenetrable night. -I see a career of strength and beauty, beams of sunshine swallowed by -seas of darkness. The god-stars favor Arzemia, O king, with more than -woman's grace and royal fame. Among immortal queens thy daughter will -stand high; but length of years _Mazda_ denies her; lest she rule and -build, like Semiramis, Ninevehs, Babylons, hanging gardens, and towers -piercing the skies. With her, Iran's might and fame will blossom new, -but there is a floating chaos back of all,--red lightning, bleeding -armies, wrecked kingdoms and fallen thrones. The god-stars reveal an -era of triumph, drawing up one of crime, tears, woe, blood and ruin." - -The next horoscoper assumed the air of one entranced by the -adumbrations of his dark prophecy, which ran thus: "The powers of -_Angro Maniyush_ stand arraigned against the seed of Chosroes -Nushirvan. Born under Cleopatra's constellation, the child named -Arzemia will exceed Egypt's enchantress in the quality which makes -woman sovereign, and the witchery which makes kings her slaves. A dark -veil hides the rest; let it remain unlifted.--Iran's destiny breaks on -my vision in streaks of splendor dimmed by thunder-clouds rising from -the eternal abyss." - -"Arzemia's fate," cried the third prophet of evil, "is intertwined -with that of the Sasanian dynasty. Like Tadmor's queen, she will rule -over a mighty empire in combat with one yet mightier. But not like -Zenobia's will be the end of her career. Trembling seizes me as I -behold Iran's great tragedy, which _Ahura-Mazda_ wrote in the book of -fate, preceded by an era of triumphs unequalled in the Orient's tale. -In the distance I hear the evil spirits whisper things to come, which -my lips shall not articulate. Why conjure night while the sun is at -his zenith?--Rome is not thy deadliest foe, O, Chosroes Nushirvan; -beware of a serpent in thy bosom." - -The echo of "in thy bosom" vibrated in the monarch's ear, the silence -of the throne-hall being unbroken by a breath, so fearful was the -impression left by the weird astrologers. With ill-disguised alarm -Chosroes turned his look on the face of the Zarathustrotema, whose -mien betrayed evidence of anxiety. - -"Why sees the one not what the other sees, the god-stars being there -unchanged? They prophesy a queenship like three others and -unlike,--where the congruity? Lift up the veil, that certainty dispel -all doubt. If Persia's downfall be decreed on high let the horoscope -be unambiguous; give me truth," commanded the autocrat. - -"When, since Zarathustra's blessed age, did _Ahura-Mazda_ bestow of -his purest light on a mortal, O, king of kings? The god-stars -foreshadow our fate, they do not unequivocally foretell it; and man -may well be grateful for the doubt that leaves hope to feed his -dreams. Horoscopy shows that the zodiacal signs under which Arzemia -beheld light indicate qualities of sovereignty common to those three -famous queens, leaving much unsolved to cherish bright probabilities. -Benign _Mazda_, lest impending evil mar the joy of the happier hour, -withholds the secrets of futurity from our eye. Let not, I beseech -thee, future events overcast thy glorious horizon. Proceed with thy -triumphant march, while we, guardians of the sacred fires, pray for -the success of thy arms. If fall we must, then let us fall great. Let -thine empire grow with Arzemia, her mind be irradiated by the wisdom -of Zarathustra, and her heart be stirred by the emulation of -Babylon's immortal queen," closed the primate of Iran appealingly. - -With an irrepressible presentiment dominating his being, Chosroes -sought relief in the vortex of a reckless activity, and his still -swelling tide of fortune began to weaken the apprehension that he was -laboring under the frown of unauspicious god-stars. His cupidity -seemed to grow with the incessant influx of treasure sent by the -chiefs of his victorious armies, largely engaged against the forces of -the Roman emperor, Heraclius, and nothing was too costly which tended -to gratify his fondness for display. - -The dreaded auxiliaries of the Persian army were several cohorts of -drilled elephants. Each division of troops had its elephantine -accompaniment, but the fifty thousand "golden spears" relied for -effective pioneer work on fifty of those prodigious tramplers led by a -white mammoth called Mahmud, the same who, in times bygone, carried -the Ethiopian king, Abraba, when he invaded Mecca. Mahmud was elevated -to the rank of a general, and he acted his part with a dignity and a -foresight worthy of a distinguished strategist. His command was -trained to follow their chief in all he did, to eject volumes of water -and mud, stored up for the purpose in their capacious receptacles, -into the eyes of the enemy; to use the proboscis to good advantage, to -crush out life and to break the serried files of an advancing foe. -Mahmud's onslaughts paved the way for many a victory, and no officer -of Iran's great army enjoyed more consideration and affection than -that intelligent brute. Whether at home or in the camp, Mahmud's -quarters and attendants were as sumptuous as those of the other -generals, while his gold-bestrewed robe was of the finest silk, and -embroidered with precious stones. - -With this inbreaking engine, of a resistless momentum, as a wedge for -an enormous host, swelled by new levies and animated by dashing -generals, Chosroes Nushirvan not only wrested Asia Minor from the -Roman grip, but had his banner carried as far as Libya, Egypt and -Carthage. In the ample vaults of his white palace the insatiate king -received and hoarded the spoils of nations, exhibiting only valueless -trophies for the edification of the populace and a disaffected -nobility. In his domestic relations the lord of Iran was an unjust -father, a tyrant, a poltroon, and a pompous braggart, owing his power -and prestige to the bravery of his generals; but conspiracy was -lurking where he least suspected it. - -The stir and clash of armies and the overthrow of kingdoms did not -disturb the early childhood of Arzemia, who, in the retreats of the -imperial harem, blossomed into adorable maidenhood, endowed with -talents of the highest order and a thirst for knowledge seldom heard -of in Oriental courts. Infatuated with his charming daughter, Chosroes -lavished treasures in surrounding her with all the luxuries of a -queen, and provided a staff of wise heads to imbue her with the -essence of Zarathustrian, not less than secular, wisdom. At the age of -sixteen Arzemia astonished the court by her appearance at her father's -side in the hall of audience. Robed in a purple dress, with a blaze of -gems in the shape of a heart on her left breast, and a sparkling -tiara on her head, the enthroned princess looked more like a goddess -than a maiden prematurely developed. To the courtiers at the foot of -the throne she appeared an image of a dream, perfect in form, -ineffably beautiful, and divinely self-sufficient, her eyes darting -those arrows which strike the incurable wound. - -It was a great gala day. Among the trophies laid before the throne, -was the true cross brought by the famous general who had taken -Jerusalem; and a slip-shod envoy from the interior of Arabia was to be -heard,--the main object, however, being the debut of Shirin's adorable -daughter. - -"Is it homage or tribute that thou bringest hither from my slaves in -Arabia?" asked Chosroes of an uncombed Bedouin in sluttish habit. - -In lieu of answer, the Arab impassively delivered a missive in -writing, and gave no sign that the splendor of the scene overawed him. -Translated, the message read: "In the name of the most merciful God! -Mohammed, son of Abdallah and apostle of God, to Chosroes Nushirvan, -king of Persia--" - -"Hold, fool! What do I hear! Does a savage slave of the desert dare -put his name before mine in writing?" cried the autocrat in great -anger, seizing the document and tearing it to pieces.--"Get this dog -out of my sight, and write to my satrap in Yemen that there lives a -madman in Medina who claims to be a prophet; if he cannot cure him, -let him send me his head." - -With this incident closed a scene that had been fraught with vast -consequence for Iran, and with not less significance for Arzemia. -Henceforth visions different from those that haunted her brain in the -harem's privacy invaded her imagination. There had been eyes in the -hall of a glow and a sympathy so passionately contagious that the -entire being seemed irrevocably absorbed in that enchanting look. It -was a woman's first passion, which she was unable to analyze. Before -that event her active spirit, if not engaged in fathoming the -mysteries of Zarathustra, delighted in the weaving of fantastic -tissues, with heroes and heroines as the forerunners of her future -greatness. Destined by the god-stars to wear a crown, what, with Iran -as her heritage, could prevent her from eclipsing the achievements of -Semiramis? The entire world then lay prostrate at her feet; kings and -Caesars would worship her. Why not rather be a goddess than the mate of -a mortal, even if he be a Ninus, an Antony, or an Odenatus? Why not -shine like blessed _Mithra_, who illumines the heavens unmated? "Be -one man's inferior companion rather than the awe and adoration of the -great world? This was thy folly, ill-fated Cleopatra, and thine, -nobler Zenobia; but the child of Derceto proved herself worthy of her -divine mother, and Arzemia shall not be less than Semiramis, with no -Ninus to divide her empire," were the last words of a reverie -overheard by Shirin. And the sultana thought it high time to draw the -budding maiden into the open world. Her period of childhood was ended. - -"Thou knowest, my lord, that our child's angelic beauty is far -exceeded by the brilliancy of her mind; that she has mastered the -languages spoken by the great nations, and the wisdom taught by the -Magi; but since, obeying thy behest, I cautiously gave her some -intimation of her horoscope, I perceive a change in her demeanor which -gives me much concern. Seeking the lonely haunts of our gardens, -Arzemia acts as though she held communion with spirits, discoursing on -the hollowness of love, and dreaming of a superhuman destiny reserved -for her by the god-stars. _Ahura-Mazda_ has granted us the blessed -child to cheer our later years. Our daughter is a harp strung to charm -discord and to scatter gloom, not to be untuned by disuse. May the -fearful _devas_ pass her, who roams in realms too visionary to be -safe!" prayed the scheming sultana, sure of her game. - -"What wouldst thou have me do, Shirin? Give her in marriage to the man -whom Chosroes honors most?" asked the father imperiously, early -marriage being compatible with Zarathustra's moral teachings. - -"Not now, my lord; let the child see the court, the court see her, -before the question of love is broached," suggested the emboldened -sultana. - -"Sultana, it was my pleasure that exalted thee above the fairest of -my harem, and thy son above his brothers; it is love's triumph, and -thy daughter, favored by the god-stars, shall be favored more than -ever princess was. Arrayed like _Arustra_, she shall receive her first -homage at my side," promised the autocratic sire. And so did Shirin -once more triumph over her rivals in royal grace. - -Thus drawn into publicity at her mother's initiative, Arzemia dazzled -the court with her houri-like graces not less than her imperial -bearing. Here it was, however, that the girl's heart received the -winged arrow from love's unerring bow, shattering all foregone -imaginings as a spire smitten by lightning. It was as though a curtain -had risen to reveal a magic scene with one fascination greater than -all the others--and he a man whose like could well account for love -like Zenobia's, and madness like Cleopatra's. In frame but little -above the average, otherwise a figure reminiscent of the war-god whom -the Olympians feared; unhandsome, but imposing; complexion olive, nose -aquiline, eyes deep, black, flashing but mild; chin hidden by a beard, -raven black; heavy hair and mustache harmonizing with the beard; -thick, arched eyebrows; a curling, sensuous lip; shapely feet, -shapelier hands; the whole in the attire of a Persian general. Such -was Shahrbaraz to whose talents Chosroes was largely indebted for his -most valuable conquests. Covered with glory, cumbered with royal -favors, flattered by the courtier, idolized by the army, and lionized -by the people, the general had hardly anything to wish for when -Arzemia's eye met his; then all other ambitions paled before the one, -all-devouring passion to kneel in tender worship before her who looked -so much more divine than human. - -That was Arzemia's day of destiny, and it did not close without an -incident which alarmed both king and court. The cause was a sealed -document found before the celebrated grand portal of Chosroes -Nushirvan's white palace, warning the monarch that a plot was ripe to -overthrow him by a sudden blow, and that the bodyguard was implicated -in the nefarious conspiracy. Prompt action was urgent, and Chosroes, -frightened out of his wits, summoned his bravest general to take -temporary charge of his capital and palace. Shahrbaraz pledged himself -to continued vigilance until the conspirators should be brought to -grief--"Within the walls of Ctesiphon are twelve thousand golden -spears; twenty-five thousand more are within the courier's call; let -not thy peace be disturbed, oh, my sovereign; Shahrbaraz will not -sleep," spoke the resourceful strategist with an inward laugh, and -proceeded to arrange matters to suit himself. - -Unaware of the cause which stirred the authorities of the court, the -people wondered at the feverish activity of the military. Large bodies -of troops moved out, larger ones moved into the fortifications of the -splendid city, so that with the descent of night every access to the -palace was under strong guard, and Ctesiphon presented the aspect of a -besieged place, prepared to repel an aggressive enemy. What was going -to happen that night? - -As to Arzemia, untouched by this wave of commotion, she abandoned -herself to an overmastering passion, burning to the core of her fiery -nature; and, succumbing to the fever of her soul, she fled the -confinement of her sumptuous bed-chambers to seek the cooling breeze -in the garden, a separate enclosure within the royal park. It was -night, and the darkness was hardly broken by the thin crescent of the -new moon, when the princess nimbly picked her way to a sequestered -nook on a terrace whence in daylight an extensive view of the -pleasure-ground was afforded. Here in a recess was an arbor furnished -exquisitely, and here, in the posture of supplication, the maiden -invoked the help of Zarathustra's revealed Power--_Ahura-Mazda_. - -"Thou, eternal _Ahura-Mazda_, the god of gods, the creator of light, -who furtherest throughout all space the good and the true, the holy -and the beautiful,--and ye bright ministers, who yearn to do his -bidding,--if what I feel as fire burning in my heart is love by heaven -kindled, then let no barrier stand between the one for whom I burn and -me,--yea, no longer than the time required for two wind-lashed flames -to rush together and melt in one celestial blaze. Messengers of -_Ahura-Mazda_, my message carry to him whom fate has named my lord; -bend ye walls, be deaf ye watchmen, that he who loves Arzemia fly -hither unhindered!" - -There had been a mysterious gleam on the lower balconies of the -palace; it flared up, vanished, reappeared again, and once more; and -then nothing was seen or heard save at the postern of the garden, -where the signal must have been looked for and understood. Swift as a -hind there sped from the mazes of the darkened palace a human figure -athwart the semi-tropic thickets of the grounds, admitted another one -through the rear-gate, whispered a few syllables, and returned to the -white pile of a thousand apartments hushed in perfect silence. The -intruder, obviously informed of the whereabouts of his object, glided -like a ghost toward Arzemia's retreat, and stood enchanted by the -voice which articulated the essence of his highest felicity. Hardly -did the last word die on her lip when the problematic person sank on -his knees and, inclining his head as in adoration, spoke in a tone -thrilling with passion, "Divine child, whom _Ahura-Mazda_ graces with -the light of his countenance, grant me the privilege to worship at -thy feet, an humble supplicant, my heart being thine, my soul -thine--forever thine." - -The frightened maiden would have screamed for help had not the voice -she heard recalled a succession of notes that were still ringing in -her ears. In a second she realized what she trembled to believe -possible. - -"And who art thou, most daring of men, who fearest not to invade the -inviolable privacy of Chosroes Nushirvan's daughter?" cried the maiden -in fluttering apprehension, dreading the realization of her prayer. - -"Forgive! I am not what I was before thine eye smote me with madness -to be thy votary--thy slave,--or not to be at all," was the answer. - -"_Ahura-Mazda!_ thou the man whom Iran honors--thou, Shahrbaraz?" -cried the girl. - -"Thy servitor, thy slave in eternity," was the appealing reiteration. - -"The auspicious god-stars brought thee hither. Oh! but humble not -Arzemia in thus humbling thyself; the god-stars have linked our fates -and, come what may, I am thine, yea, and thou art mine in eternity!" -exclaimed the enraptured maiden. - -"My heaven!" was the laconic ejaculation of the great soldier who, -leaping to his feet, embraced her rapturously, pressing her to his -heart. - -As if in hymeneal sympathy with love's delicious union, the bulbul -poured forth a stream of soul-stirring song, the sweet cadence calling -forth responsive notes from the thick of sylvan recesses. Tears flowed -from the eyes of Arzemia and fell on the face of her lover, who raised -her like an infant in his mighty arms, covering her cheeks with -passionate kisses. - -"Thy tears of bliss will make the angels weep in paradise, sweet -goddess," whispered Persia's world-renowned hero. - -"The bulbul!--I never heard the bulbul sing so sad, so sweet, so -prophetic; ah! it seems to sigh and weep and speak to my heart of -things words cannot express! Some spirit moves it to move our hearts," -breathed Arzemia with emotion. - -"Thou art creation's sympathetic harp, responsive to spiritual -harmonies lower natures fail to realize; the bird's melody is to me an -unmeaning song, but in thy voice I hear _Mazda's_ music which moves -the heavenly spheres," said Shahrbaraz softly. - -"It is bliss to receive tribute from the lip of love; but what a thing -am I, compared with thee, Iran's pride, who smote the Roman and took -his holy city! Who has done a greater deed? If the armies of Chosroes -were thine, wouldst thou not conquer the world?" - -"I have conquered earth and heaven, star of my felicity; thou being -mine, what remains in all the worlds to wish for? To smite the Roman -and take his holy city was less an achievement than to come near to -thee, the pearl of beauty, reached at greater hazard than he faces who -dives into the ocean's abyss in quest of treasure," affirmed the -general. - -"Alas, thou art right! O, gods!--Thy life, thy dear life--shouldst -thou be found at this hour with me at this place! Dearest, what power -enabled thee to pass the guards, whose heads would answer for thy -presence where the king alone has right?--Go hence, O, my soul's -adorer, my heart's adored, go hence, lest the _devas_ thwart our -happiness! I hear the friendly spirits whisper--depart," urged -Arzemia, awaking to the danger that beset her lover under the -circumstances. - -"Thy prayer, child of light, that bade the walls to bend and the -watchmen to be deaf,--yea, and love, whom Orpheus followed to the -world of shades, have leveled my pathway hither, fearless of fate. -They who enter heaven laugh death to scorn. Thy presence renders me -invulnerable to mortal steel. Ah! waste no second, cherub, in the -thought of death or danger," cried Shahrbaraz ardently. - -"Forbid it, _Ahura-Mazda_, that Iran's glory be smitten by a -treacherous hand!--Yet play not with the envious fates, lest they grow -jealous of Arzemia's bliss, who would no heaven take for what is here -on earth," cried the girl appealingly. - -"Let all thy cares henceforth be mine, divine Arzemia. My 'golden -spears' hold every fort and gate, and have no will but that of thy -Shahrbaraz, who could be king this hour were he inclined. To come near -thee I had to act my part unfair or fair; love knows no scruples. A -scheme devised by me and taken seriously by the king gave me control -of Ctesiphon and court," explained the strategist. - -"The god-stars rule that I be queen one day and thou my king; my Ninus -thou, I thy Semiramis, with Rome and Iran prostrate at our feet!--Ah, -there a light!" exclaimed the girl in alarm, her eyes having caught a -glimmer in the palace. - -"It is the signal for me to begone," said Shahrbaraz, and a moment -later the postern closed behind him, having given and received the -kiss that is a taste of Elysian rapture. - -The clandestine intercourse between the greatest general and the -fairest princess of Iran was thus carried on for a time, when -revolutionary changes threw Ctesiphon into confusion. Chosroes -Nushirvan's court was a hotbed of intrigue, and his harem a seething -caldron, overflowing with all the vices and evils engendered by -arbitrary rule. Among the host of jealous females under the roof of -the palace, Shirin, the Christian sultana, had the upper hand, having -charmed her lord to the extent of disinheriting and imprisoning -Kavadh, the legitimate heir to the throne, in favor of her son -Mardanshah. But a turn of the wheel gave Kavadh the reins of -government, and his first act was to drag his wretched father into his -vaults of uncounted treasures, and let him perish there of hunger. -Seventeen brothers were next executed to insure the rule of the -monstrous parricide. These fearful crimes were inspired less by -vengeance than--who would have dreamed it?--by Kavadh's vehement -passion for Shirin. But the distracted sultana recoiled with loathing -from the murderer of her husband and her son, and when the miscreant -resorted to force he held a bleeding corpse in his arms, the sultana -having ended her life by a self-inflicted wound. Arzemia was her only -surviving child, and Shahrbaraz knew how to provide for the safety of -his worshipped princess. Shortly after Kavadh fell. - -During the chaotic conditions which followed the fall of Kavadh, -Shahrbaraz matured a plot for the usurpation of Iran's sovereignty. -Sustained by his fifty thousand golden spears, and favored by -Arzemia's friends, the dashing general entered Ctesiphon in triumph, -and had himself crowned in the palace of the voluptuous Chosroes. When -it transpired that Arzemia not alone favored the usurper, but was -going to be wedded to him in the imperial fire-temple, her many -suitors combined in organizing a conspiracy, headed by Faruch-Zad, the -mighty satrap of Khorassan, who was desperately in love with the -princess. Shahrbaraz was assassinated on the day set for his wedding, -his body was mutilated and dragged by an ass through the streets of -Ctesiphon. Arzemia's horror was scarcely exceeded by her sorrow and -her vengeance; and her opportunity was not slow in coming, being -called to the succession of her father's throne, when Faruch-Zad urged -his suit with obtrusive audacity. Policy forced her to smile on the -man she hated, while her armies were engaged in the fateful struggle -against the now all-conquering hordes of overflowing Islam. Impatient -of delay and tortured by uncertainty, the satrap of Khorassan resolved -to take by force what was denied him by favor. But the queen's -friends learned of the plot; Faruch-Zad's followers were overpowered -at the portal of the palace, and he was arraigned as a traitor before -the one whose hatred for him could hardly be surpassed by his love for -her. Arzemia blessed the gods for the chance thus afforded her to -avenge the murder of Shahrbaraz. She apostrophized the culprit with -bitter contumely, and had him executed under most cruel circumstances. - -Faruch-Zad was not dead an hour when tidings from the battlefield -spread consternation in the court. The golden lances, long held to be -invincible, sustained a crushing defeat at the hands of Islam's -votaries, and among the slain was Mahmud, the intelligent elephant, -who bled to death through a wound struck at the extremity of his -trunk. Mahmud's fall was generally accepted as prophetic of worse -things to follow, and Arzemia, seeing her empire crumbling, turned to -the Magi for an ungarbled version of her horoscope which was kept for -reference in the royal archives. With fatalistic resignation the -youthful queen listened to the dark prophecies associated with her -birth, and insisted on having her father's dream read to her, it -having been kept on record with the documents of her nativity. Deeply -impressed by the fearful purport of her sire's vision on the night of -her coming into this world, and remembering its ghastly realization in -subsequent developments, Arzemia exclaimed resignedly, "It is -_Ahura-Mazda's_ immutable decree that Iran's ancient glories fade with -me at whose birth the god-stars frowned. Were it not better for -Arzemia not to have been born?" - -The queen had hardly uttered these words when an ominous noise in the -royal courtyard caused her armed guard to rush toward the entrance of -the palace. Here they were met by a desperate band of conspirators led -by a relative of Faruch-Zad. The encounter was short and decisive. -Arzemia fell into the hands of the avenger of the dead satrap, was -tortured with refined cruelty, and put to death ignominiously. - -Thus perished the noblest and most virtuous sovereign lady of one of -the greatest empires which succumbed to the sword of Islam. - - - - -THE STUDENT OF TIMBUCTU. - - -At the close of the year 1578 the slave-markets of Mauritania were -glutted to their uttermost, and for once the price of a male slave was -less than that of a donkey. This overstock of human ware was due to -the thousands of prisoners who had survived the fateful battle fought -in the neighborhood of Al-Kesar Kebir, on the banks of the Elmahassen, -between the invading army of Dom Sebastian, the youthful, overbearing -monarch of Lusitania, and the host of Muley Abd-al-Melek, the -formidable Emir-al-Mumemin, the Commander of the true believers, the -_Seedna_ or lord of the Moorish Empire.[10] - - [10] This battle and the fate of Dom Sebastian as narrated in - this tradition agrees with historical fact. - -The Moslem's cruelty to his Christian slaves rose in proportion to -the latter's decline as marketable articles, and fanaticism revelled -in the daily spectacle of crusaders doomed to immurement, because of -their refusing to embrace Islam by uttering the _Fatha_. The irony of -the historic whirligig showed itself in the fact that the Catholic -Auto-da-fe had its counterpart in the frightful doom of a king and an -army led by the flower of his nobility, who, barely a hundred miles -from the coast of their kingdom, had to choose between apostasy or -being immured alive for the edification of the vengeful Moor. The -wretches were compelled to prepare their own graves, usually cells in -the city's wall, one Christian bricking up his fellow only to be in -turn entombed alive himself. - -A melancholy distinction was reserved for the royal zealot, Dom -Sebastian, who had encountered crushing defeat and humiliation. With -less than half of his smitten chivalry and valiant soldiers he saw -himself in the power of an inexorable foe, himself wounded and in -chains pining in the vile dungeon of Mequinez, one of the Sultan's -capitals, the others being Fez and Morocco. After the obsequies of the -unmourned _Seedna_, who had died on the field of battle, his son and -successor, having been proclaimed Sultan, and crowned in the holy -shrine of Mulai Edris at Fez, proposed to celebrate his coronation by -the entombment alive of the Christian king who had invaded his -father's empire, notwithstanding the warning of the late _Shereef_ -that the unjust inroad would surely land the aggressors in ruin. His -Majesty furthermore remembered the treacherous proceeding of -Sebastian, who, at the end of the decisive battle, had caused a white -flag to be displayed, but had broken the truce by throwing himself -with fifty of his knights into the thick of the Moorish ranks, causing -slaughter and consternation, and resulting in the death of the late -Sultan. - -But the strongest motive of the young _Shereef's_ dire vengeance was -the unaccountable loss of his sire's priceless crown, which Muley -Abd-al-Melek was in the habit of carrying with him whithersoever he -went, wearing it on solemn occasions. Muley had worn the crown upon -his head while the great battle was being fought, after which that -invaluable symbol of imperial grandeur was not to be found. The crown -was an heirloom traced back to the great Caliphat of Omar, whose -victorious general Saad had acquired it with the enormous treasures of -the Chosroes. It was worn by Chosroes Nushirvan in the throne-hall of -his grand palace in Madayn, the capital of ancient Persia, and its -incalculable value had been further enhanced by a rare jewel which the -Emperor Heraclius had sent Omar as a present. - -Such were the cumulative incentives to one of the most cruel -executions devised by human atrocity. And the tortures also inflicted -by order of the new _Seedna_ on his most loyal attendants, such as the -_Mul-el-Ma_, who satisfies His Majesty's thirst when in camp from a -gazelle-skin; the _Mul Attai_, who prepares the royal tea and serves -it; and the most important _Mul M'dul_, the keeper and holder of the -_Shereef's_ red umbrella, left the mystery unsolved. - -The inhabitants of Mequinez, who since times immemorial furnished the -bulk of the Emperor's most devoted servitors, tingled with -excitement, and the entire population turned out to witness the burial -of a live Christian monarch. From the portal of the imperial mosque -issued a train of chosen notables, long-bearded _Kadis_ robed in white -flowing raiments, wearing white turbans, red sandals, the _delill_ or -prayer book suspended from the belt by a cord of silk; _talebs_, the -doctors of law; _emins_, the ministers of the mosque; _adools_, the -public notaries; and a train of _fukies_, the all-moving luminaries at -whose feet the rising generation of the faithful drink in truth and -wisdom. They were joined at the city's gate by another cortege, -grotesque and dismal enough to match the gruesome processions of the -Inquisition. This was made up of happy juveniles, who struck tom-toms, -rent the air with the blare of infernal horns, and accompanied the -music with ludicrous grimaces and comical dances, to the great delight -of a sympathetic crowd, who swelled the chorus to the pitch of mad -vociferation. A hideous negro, broad-shouldered, tall and massive, his -frame clothed tightly in black, his eyes blinking dismally from -circles of red, with a pointed hat to add several feet to his unusual -height, impersonated Azrael the angel of death. Behind this caricature -came a donkey whereon was seated the woeful representative of outraged -Christian royalty, bare-headed, dressed in a black _jellab_, holding -in his right hand a human skull,--a picture of terror and anguish. -This was Dom Sebastian, riding to his sepulchre, on his right Monkir, -to his left Nakir,--the demons of livid hue, who wake the dead to -question him about his faith, and beat him with clubs if unable to -stand the examination. The rear of this group was occupied by Eblis, -grotesquely attired in red and armed with the implements of hellish -torture. A throng of naked, filthy saints ran along howling and -spitting at the whilom majesty of Portugal, relegating his soul to the -deepest pit, and praying Allah to show no mercy to the Christian dog. -Having passed out of the city's gate, the procession advanced along a -tortuous road, winding among well-fostered gardens, protected by an -outer and much lower wall, toward the spot where a cell about six -feet high, but barely wide enough to enclose a human body, stood open -in the main wall for the death by suffocation and for the dreamless -rest of the fallen king. Too weak to dismount unassisted, Sebastian -was rudely handled by Monkir and Nakir, who raised him from his seat, -lifted him to the level of the cell, and pushed him inside, turning -him with a twist so that the fanatic spectators had a full view of his -face. Three wooden bars held the victim against the dead wall. - -All eyes were now turned in the direction of the mosque, whence the -signal for the closing up of the king's grave was to be given by the -firing of a gun and the hoisting of a flag. The ghastly ceremony was -so timed that the bricking up of the living tomb coincided with the -hour of prayer, so that the boom of cannon and the appearance of the -flag streaming to the breeze, was answered by a score of muezzins from -the tops of their minarets, who called; "_Allah akbar, Allah -akbar_,--God is great, and Mohammed is his Prophet!" The multitude -fell prostrate in the dust, sending the _fatha_ eastward to Mecca: -"Praise be to God, the Lord of all creatures, the most merciful, the -King of the Day of Judgment! Thee do we worship, and of Thee do we beg -assistance. Direct us in the right way, in the way of those to whom -Thou hast been gracious, not of those against whom thou art incensed, -nor of those who go astray." - -The echoes of the _Sulhama_ having expired in the air, the faithful -rose from their posture of adoration, and the supreme Kadi of the land -read this decree: "Hear me, ye worshippers of the true God! The -Christian there had planned the downfall of our nation and the -uprooting of Islam; but Allah willed it otherwise, decreeing that we -deal with him as he meant to deal with us. Our late Seedna--may Allah -grant him the joys of paradise--died in his coat of mail, combating -that infidel dog, who came as a foe and acted as a traitor, dishonoring -his flag. Therefore did our Emir-al-Mumemin decree that he perish -ignominiously, like the other slaves who would not recite the _fatha_. -May Allah wither the right hand of our Seedna's enemies.--There is no -God but God, and Mohammed is his Prophet!"--Slowly bricks and mortar -closed up the open side of the upright tomb. One hour later there was -no cell to be seen, but a plain wall hiding a monarch quickly choking -to death, while the barbarians returned jubilant to the city. - -Under the rule of Muley Zidan, a firman, bearing the Grand Vizier's -signature, was placarded in every mosque of his domain, promising him -who should be instrumental in restoring the lost crown to the ruling -dynasty not alone high honors, but the option of leading home as wife -any maiden of the empire, from the daughter of the first Sultana down -to any damsel within the confines of Mauritania, and the assurance was -given that there would be no inquiry as to how the lucky finder had -come into possession of the imperial diadem. - -As time lent distance to the disastrous crusade and its tragic -sequels, a spontaneous crop of tales and legends transferred the -former memorable event into the realm of romance. Down to this day the -rustic folk of Lusitania look forward to the return of Dom Sebastian, -whom they believe to dwell among the Moors in the somnolent state of -Barbarossa, while among the tribes of Western Barbary it is popularly -current that, owing to unknown causes, the great battle is -periodically fought over, always at new moon, the phantom armies -engaging each other on the banks of the Elmahassen, and the combat -winding up with the historic rout of the crusaders. - -Indeed the foolhardy invasion would read like the myth of the -Argonauts, had the outcome turned out less crushing to the -adventurers. For a youthful king, in the twenties, and of limited -resources, to embark on a career of conquest remote from his base of -supply, the coveted prize being a warlike empire much larger than the -kingdoms of Spain and Portugal combined, an empire which Christendom -learned to fear, is so daring an adventure that, but for its -unquestioned reality, it could pass as a bit of chivalrous fiction. -And the circumstances under which the last encounter took place, the -death of the Sultan, the loss of the crown, and the terrible fate of -the prisoners, tend much to invest the event with a halo of the mystic -and the ghostly. - -However, the legendary evolution of that desperate struggle near -Al-Kesar Kebir may be traced back to the adventures of a student from -Timbuctu, who arrived at Fez at the beginning of the sixteenth -century. That was the time when the Fazzi had good cause to boast of -cherishing one of the greatest centres of learning in the world. From -the valley of the Nile, from the banks of the Congo and the Niger, -from populous Europe, darkest Africa, and farthest Asia, the youth of -the opulent without distinction of creed and race flocked to the halls -of the Kairouin to cull the honey dropping from the lips of -inspiration, especially the dimly revealed arcana that teach how to -read the signs of the stars. - -The Kairouin was then, and is in diminished lustre now, four -institutions in one,--the highest school, the largest mosque, the -greatest library, and the most hospitable caravansary in the vast -regions traversed by the Atlas Mountains. Within the precincts of the -Kairouin hundreds of poor students found then not only free shelter -and tuition but also food and garments, the cost being defrayed from -the ample bequest of the philanthropic Fatma, the original -benefactress of that curious university. It embraced a miniature world -of the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, the faithful -and the infidel, the good and the bad; was the home of every Moslem -who had none other; and, among its many good things, was distinguished -for an atmosphere of tolerance, peace and cordiality. Even to-day the -president of the Kairouin, the _Mokaddun_, whose office is hereditary, -treats all as equals, the prince and the beggar having the same right, -and that is to take life easy,--very easy. Instances of nervousness -from overwork have never been heard of in the Kairouin. Once -matriculated, the student is not expected to pass examinations, and is -a privileged character, his presence in the city being a source of -revenue to its inhabitants. For it should be remembered that among -those who come to the Kairouin in quest of wisdom are the sons of the -wealthiest _sheykhs_, nobles, and merchants from all the habitable -lands which skirt the sands of the Sahara, young lords wrapped in soft -silks, bestriding Arabian steeds magnificently caparisoned, followed -by retinues of slaves to cater to their physical wants, and harems to -beguile their ennui. Nor is, in the chase of romantic diversion, the -beautiful Fazzi neglected; the people being inclined to connive at the -trivial transgressions of the future pillars of Moslem scholarship. -Thrifty parents know how and when to be absent when the young lords -from Insala, Nubia, Tunis, Tripoli, Egypt, Taradunt, or Timbuctu are -sure to mark their transit through apartments of supposed inviolable -privacy by a trail of gold-sand. Such are the traditions of the -Kairouin, realized down to this day. - -But the student of Timbuctu with whom this tale is concerned was in -every way an exception. He disdained luxury, spurned the delights of -the harem, consorted with nobody, had but one aged slave to wait on -him, dwelt in a tent on a rock in the outskirts of the city, and spent -his days among the piles of old books and manuscripts treasured on the -shelves of the Kairouin's subterranean library. In the bazaars he was -known for years as the student who paid for his purchases in silver -or in gold, without ever waiting for the change. He was not handsome. -His most remarkable feature was a face strikingly reminding one of the -owl's, with orange eyeballs which glowed like living topaz stones. He -wore an expression which, once caught, haunted one like an apparition. -His white-haired attendant was dumb and moved like an automaton of -bronze, leaving one in doubt as to whether he was really a creature of -flesh and blood. All that was known about that strange student was -that he had come with the great caravan from Timbuctu, that his name -was Omeyya, and that he devoted his whole time to researches in works -of the occult sciences, such, for instance, as alchemy and astrology, -supplementing his inquiries with practical experiments, assisted by -his automatic attendant. His was a personality whom the Fazzi liked -much less than they feared. Omeyya was left severely alone, but this -was just the condition which seemed to suit him. His unique appearance -and singular individuality had their origin in his exceptionally -romantic birth, and in a career even stranger than his beginning. He -grew up as the adopted child of the renowned sibyl Kadijah, whose -abode was a cavern near Timbuctu, and who was more shunned than sought -by the people of her quarter. To the simple folk Kadijah was known as -the "owl-witch,"--rarely met, and then usually during the dusky hour -before and after sunset, still more rarely at night; ever in a hurry, -with her hair-covered arms flapping like the wings of a scared -ostrich. She was in very truth like a hairy owl; weazen-faced, the -extremities of her body resembling claws while her face bore every -resemblance to that of the owl, orange eyeballs and a nose so pointed, -hooked, and beak-like that it partly covered the thin curl of her -upper lip. Only in extreme cases of distress did the people of -Timbuctu resort to her for help, and her manner of meeting emergencies -inspired them with awe. Her most potent specific was the likeness of a -long-necked, heron-like bird, crudely drawn with charcoal on a bit of -leather, and hung on the breast of the afflicted patient. The cure was -assured. - -In Kadijah's sombre abode Omeyya came to his consciousness of life, -nursed with motherly solicitude, and was later initiated into the -secrets of her dark arts. One day, the boy having risen to mature -youth, the owl-witch startled him by offering to inform him as to the -mystery of his life. - -"Thou knowest not who thou art, my son, and my approaching end -requires me to let nothing stand between thee and the truth concerning -thy legitimate parents. In this place Naima, the daughter of Moadh, -then recognized the strongest arm of Timbuctu, gave thee birth. Thy -father's name was Abu Sofian, the heir of Abu Thaleb, whom Moadh had -slain in a family feud. When of age, and strong enough to avenge his -father's death, Sofian burned to run a steel through Moadh's heart, -vengeance being his only thought and prayer. From the flat roof of his -mother's home Sofian had a clear view of his foe's terraced -habitation, and thither he daily sent his imprecations, determined to -break into it at the first opportunity, and make an end of the fierce -homicide. The outbreak of a fire in the immediate neighborhood of -Moadh's house gave the daring youth his chance. Armed with a deadly -weapon, he succeeded in slipping unnoticed into the _Saalemlik_ -(reception room) of the hated man. Missing his object here, the son of -Abu Thaleb made a dash for the _Haremlik_, resolved to strike down the -head of the house in the inviolable seclusion of his wives. His rush -was checked by the appearance of a tiny, jewelled, alabaster hand, -that swept a silken curtain aside,--and there stood revealed above the -frame of a screen a Houri of charms so enchanting that the lad was not -sure that he was awake. 'Comest thou to save me from the flames? They -are out to watch the fire, and my sire commanded me to await his -return; he is a fearful man to be disobeyed,' spoke the girl in -excitement; but her voice melted Sofian's heart, and made his eyes to -swim. - -"'Fairy of the sun, disguise thy beauty in a man's _jellab_ and turban -that I may save thee, even if I die in the attempt,' replied Sofian -with great presence of mind; and the girlish figure disappeared, to -return as that of a stately youth. - -"'My name is Naima, and if thou wilt be the light of mine eyes and -the breath of my life, I will be the dust for thy feet to tread upon,' -said the metamorphosed maiden, and, favored by the general confusion, -they gained the street unobserved. Under Sofian's roof the same day -Naima became his wife; but Timbuctu was too small for Moadh's rage, -grief and shame, and the young lovers guarded their secret so well -that many weeks passed by before the city was in a furor at the news -of the elopement. - -"Moadh summoned his kindred to assist him in avenging the outrage; but -Sofian was not to be found napping. An armed force of his kith and kin -guarded his house day and night against an attack by surprise, while -his girl-wife was delivered to my keeping in case of defeat. There was -a siege and an assault, and, in the hand to hand struggle that ensued, -Moadh met his death at the hand of Sofian, who was in turn mortally -stabbed by one of the avengers. The youthful widow remained in my -charge, and here thou wast born, thy mother having had nobody to -return to or appeal to for protection. Sorrow, shame and remorse -caused her to shun the sight of man, so that she would never venture -out in daytime, lest someone recognize her and do her harm; for she -was hated of all her relatives. - -"She did not remain long in my keeping. In an evil hour she left her -safe refuge to bask in the morning sun, only to fall an easy prey to -the rapacity of marauding Bedouins who, having attacked and plundered -the city, lighted on her as they passed this way. My arts could not -rescue her, Omeyya, and the daughter of Moadh has changed hands many -times since,--a slave or a mistress, just as it suits her master's -fancy. This happened nineteen years ago, when thou hadst become my -charge, yea, and my comfort. - -"In my youth I was loved by a man of the black arts, and of him I -inherited the secret of Egypt's great mystery, the land of his birth. -He knew much, but not enough to escape death, the inexorable reaper, -whose approach I also now feel. To-morrow I shall be no more, and this -hollow shall be my sepulchre. Bury me as a son would his -mother.--Under that stone thou wilt find gold to sustain thee for the -length of thy days. Yet shalt thou depart hence to seek a brighter -life, greater wealth, higher station, and the happiness of love,--yea, -and thy mother,--in the famous city on the River of Pearls, provided -thou wilt act as thou art bidden. This unlighted hole, Omeyya, hides -Egypt's great mystery, which is hereafter to be in thy trust.--Take -this rod from my hand and describe in mid-air the sign of the crescent -from right to left toward the eastern wall," commanded the witch. - -Omeyya did as he was bidden. In answer the silvery crescent loomed up -on the bleak rock, with its horns gradually lengthening downward until -it completed the shape of an oval door opening to an arched space, -brilliant with dazzling light. In the heart of the vault thus revealed -there stood, perched on a block of onyx, a large heron, white as snow -from its crop down, the rest of the plumage sky-blue traversed by -lines of hieroglyphics in relief set in jewels of every hue with a -predominance of the ruby and the amethyst. The scintillant -hieroglyphics were irregularly scattered over the body of the mystic -bird, thicker along the wings and thickest around the breast and the -gracefully elongated neck; the eyes in the beautiful head were of -topaz, and the long bill of burnished gold, pointed with black -diamonds. Of a deep lapis-lazuli color was the heron's tail, spreading -to the dimensions of the peacock's and furnishing a field for -star-like configurations set in sparkling pearls, emeralds, sapphires, -beryls, chrysolites, carbuncles, sards, and a variety of the jasper -and the ligure, while the black of his legs was likewise relieved by -kabbalistic lines in rare gems. - -"By the genii of Amenti, the masters who fashioned thee in the -beginning to be the symbol and oracle of Osiris, O, Phoenix! I adjure -thee to accept this youth in my stead as thy favorite, and to answer -his call as soon as he shall decipher the emblems that move the -spirits of thy mystery," screamed the sibyl, vociferously. - -Omeyya's eyes dilated in amazement. The bird's inanimate form gave -signs of life. Ruffling his great plumes, he displayed a blaze of -variegated gems, flashing like so many brilliant stars. From his -feather train issued a haze of golden orange, changed into a flame of -carmine, which consumed the bird and left the place to its previous -dinginess. - -"Mark me well, for death is upon me!--The rod in thy hand holds the -key to the mystery thou art to unriddle in Fatma's great school, -during a period of strict abstinence from carnal pleasures. For -thirty-seven months thou shalt drink the dew of the morning, shalt -bathe at new moon in the River of Pearls, sleep within canvas-walls, -so that thy nature be untainted and thou worthy of the power the -revealed arcana insure for thee," exclaimed the sibyl, never to speak -again. With the last word her shrivelled frame fell lifeless to the -ground. - -Omeyya suspected that the rod contained something to be studied. On -examining it in full light he found the upper end, looking like a -carved handle, to be a closing stopple removable by a turn. From the -hollow of the rod he pulled forth a rolled up papyrus. The unrolling -of the document proved it to be much larger than it at first -appeared, and Omeyya looked with concentrated attention at the -life-like picture of the phoenix it represented, the shining -hieroglyphics being startlingly reproduced. Having reverently buried -his foster-mother and possessed himself of the hoard, Omeyya abandoned -the gloomy abode of his boyhood, earnestly resolved to comply most -scrupulously with the directions of the sibyl. - -When we meet Omeyya at the Kairouin of Fez he is at the close of his -probationary period, and we need not be surprised to see him one new -moon's eve on the bank of Elmahassen, rod in hand, ready to test the -occult science acquired during years of assiduous application. - -It is a cloudy night, and Omeyya strains his eyes to catch a glimpse -of the tiny crescent. "Spirit of Kadijah, assist me," prayed Omeyya, -and his rod described an imaginary crescent in face of the real one, -now gleaming through a fleecy cloud. Like the flash of a search-light, -there broke forth a radiance in the crown of a cedar-tree, focussing -upon a nest upon which sat the shining phoenix. - -"Bird of Osiris,--worship of Heliopolis! if I am as worthy of thy -masters' favor as I have been successful in fathoming the mystic lore -which commands thy presence, then let me see the encounter of those -armies which years and years ago fought their last battle in this -valley, so that I may learn what has become of Abd-al-Melek's crown," -spoke the student of Timbuctu, circumscribing the area by a sweep of -his rod. - -A prolonged scream was the bird's response, and its thousandfold echo -a rumbling and stamping, a tramping and clattering, like that of heavy -cavalry and artillery, followed by muffled hurrahs, and the neighing -of horses. In the hazy twilight of the new-born moon Omeyya surveyed -from a convenient elevation the inrushing of column after column, on -horse, on foot, accompanied by trains of ammunition. It was a foreign -army in the act of occupying strategic points. Wild cheers rent the -air at the sight of a royal train that emerged from the distance, a -youthful king at the head of a compact force of mounted cavaliers -armed to the teeth. No sooner had the kingly commander surveyed the -ground than he ordered a bridge of boats to be thrown across the -river. The bulk of the army formed into two divisions, one fortifying -the position occupied while the other hurried across the water to do -likewise on the other side. It was a scene of feverish activity. - -During the precipitous preparations in this part of the valley, a -Moslem host burst forth from the shades of the groves, gardens and -thickets up and down the stream, bore up with the speed of the wind, -deployed into frowning lines of battle--having caused a force of -horsemen to ford the stream--and faced the foe on both sides of the -water. Surrounded by a formidable bodyguard, appeared the Commander of -the true faithful, whose pavilion was pitched at the foot of the hill -on which Omeyya stood, in the midst of the minor pavilions of His -Majesty's ministers. The soul of Moslem inspiration was the Shereef -Abd-al-Melek, mounted on a white horse, his crown showing him to be -the imperial centre of force. At a motion of his hand the Court's Emin -gave the signal for battle by the cry: "_La illaha il Allah!_" But -before the echoes answered the call, a dashing body of Portuguese -cavalry broke into the advance lines of the Moors, and the fierce -onslaught was backed up by a discharge of artillery, which mowed down -great numbers of the true believers. - -"Hamdillah!--Destroy the enemy of the faithful!" thundered the Sultan, -and the rush of his host was like the roar of the forest swept by the -storm. Outnumbered three to one, Dom Sebastian's lines were broken -into upon every side. Yet the brave Christians not only held their -ground, but threw their entire phalanx of foot soldiery against the -enemy's left wing with such an impetus as drove it back toward the -royal pavilion, spreading consternation and confusion. Abd-al-Melek, -who had watched the action with intense concern, on seeing his forces -hurled backward raved like a madman, smote with his scimitar whoever -came within its reach, cursed his men, and wound up by tearing the -crown from his head and flinging it into the tide of the river. For a -moment the issue was doubtful, but the Christians fell as grass -struck by the scythe. Presently a white flag was raised in Sebastian's -quarter, which induced the Moors to slacken their fury, when the -desperate king dashed against their ranks with as many of his knights -as were yet alive. The enraged Moslems made short work of the king's -devoted band, slaughtered as traitors, and the victory was proclaimed -by the Emin from a pile built of Christian heads. From this unique -minaret the _Sulhama_ stirred the echoes of the valley: "_Allah akbar! -Allah akbar!_" Prostrate on their faces the host offered up prayer; -all except the _Shereef_, whose head sank until the chin touched his -breast, and when assistance came it was too late. Abd-al-Melek was -dead; and dead night ruled, the phantom hosts dissolving as they had -come. Omeyya's heart throbbed in hope and suspense. What will day -reveal to him in the river's tide? - -Early dawn found the student on the spot he had held during the -eventful night. "_Bismillah! Arrahmani! Arrahimi!_" exclaimed Omeyya, -blessing the "all-merciful God" for his wonderful success. For in the -slime of the bed, about four feet under the surface of the eddying -current, his eye distinctly discerned the precious object. In a moment -Omeyya plunged into the water and emerged therefrom with the tiara of -Abd-al-Melek. The achievement was dazzling enough to turn a young -head, but Omeyya had passed through a probation which left him in full -control of his passions. - -Although successful beyond his most sanguine expectations, Omeyya -returned to Fez in a mood of profound sadness, having nobody on earth -to share with him the golden anticipations inseparable from the -treasure in his trust, and the incalculable possibilities latent in -the potency of his magic rod. Though sobered by the earnest researches -of years, Omeyya's thoughts involuntarily reverted to the prize to -which his find entitled him. He had a claim on the _Seedna's_ own -daughter, but it behooved him to ascertain whether the first maiden of -the empire was a covetable acquisition; secondly, whether, considering -the _Shereef's_ chronic inclination to silence annoying pretenders by -putting them out of the way, it were prudent to proceed without -adequate safeguards. - -Full of golden reveries, the youthful wizard drifted the following day -into the enclosed bazaar where the Fazzi, after the yearly arrival of -the _Akabah_, or the great caravan from Timbuctu, gathered to take a -look at the exhibited wares of fair human flesh. It was the -slave-dealer's paradise. The square market-place had but one gate and -embraced many concerns within its confines, but the chief business was -the disposition of slaves by auction or by private bargain. Under a -roof of rough boards supported by rude posts, men, women and children -were being stripped of their clothing and examined like -cattle,--teeth, eyes, mouth, nostrils, chest, arms and legs. The -agility of the slaves was tested by a free application of the whip, -making them jump high, and their strength by the lifting of heavy -weights. Handsome females were treated with more consideration. Bids -were made, accepted, or declined. The most of the human chattels were -black, and dressed to set off their forms to advantage. - -Among the few whites there was a woman for whom the owner asked a -fabulous price, and scornfully rejected a bid of twenty-five -doubloons, although that was the highest amount that had ever been -offered for a slave above thirty years of age. She was not on open -exhibition like the others who shared her fate, but screened by a -canvas stretched before her in a corner, behind which the prospective -purchaser was allowed to make his examination. The one who had last -availed himself of this privilege and had just come out from behind -the partition, was a negroid Moslem, whose green caftan of silk -bespoke his descent from the Prophet, while the soft rich folds of his -satin shawl gracefully wound around his upper frame, like his -capacious girth, suggested the enjoyment of an ample revenue, with -little work and less worry. He was likewise a student at the Kairouin, -but his researches were entirely confined to the mystery centred in -woman, and the bags of gold-sand he had brought along from Tafilet -enabled him to pursue his ardent work with much assiduity. - -"What is the age of thy gazelle?" inquired the lineal descendant of -Mohammed. - -"It is a gazelle from Jannat al Ferdaws, who are ever young and sweet, -like the blossoms of the Tuba-tree," replied the slave-dealer volubly. - -"If she were a virgin thy comparison would pass, but she has been -somebody's love, and must have seen at least thirty Ramazans," -observed the holy connoisseur of the fair sex. - -"She will see thirty more years and yet be more beautiful than one of -twenty. She is worth her weight in gold," asserted the slave-dealer. - -"Will a pound of gold-sand buy her?" asked the scion of the Prophet. - -"One hundred doubloons will take Naima," cried the master of the -slave. - -"Naima!" echoed a voice nearby. "Naima--is that thy slave's name?" -asked Omeyya eagerly, who had been a witness of the progressing -transaction. - -"That is her name, Cid, as sweet as herself," returned the cunning -dealer. - -"I will pay the price if thou canst satisfy me as to her place of -birth, her pedigree, and her antecedents," promised Omeyya without -hesitation. - -"What thou askest of me I cannot do. We buy and exchange slaves as we -trade in other things, never bothering our heads as to whence they -come, or who they are. What matters it? I traded for Naima in Tenduf; -she might have come thither from Timbuctu by Tandeng, an oasis in the -desert, rich in salt, and fertilized by wholesome springs," said the -merchant hypothetically. - -"She is mine; let the _taleb_ write out the legal transfer," said -Omeyya, without so much as a look at the object of his purchase. A -murmur of surprise passed around among the onlookers. The saint of the -green caftan departed in disgust. In a few minutes the document was -produced and signed, the price paid, and Omeyya, trembling all over, -led off the slave, whom he felt must be his mother. Brought to his -tent, he caused her to remove her _kaik_ or face cover, made her sit -on a pillow, threw himself on his knees before her, looked into her -beautiful countenance, then kissed her hands and spoke: "Let thy -first answer to my first question be plain and brief.--If thy father's -name was Moadh of Timbuctu; if thy husband was Sofian the son of Abu -Thaleb of the same city; if thy friend was the owl-witch Kadijah; if a -child was born to thee in her cave and his name was Omeyya,--then -speak the word that I may praise Allah's great mercy." - -"What spirit imparted to thee the tale of my woe, master?" cried the -woman, in a thrilling tone; "thou must be a descendant of the -all-knowing Prophet!" - -"No! Is it not enough that I am thy child?" answered Omeyya, with an -outburst of tears; and there was a pathetic moment beyond the reach of -words. - -It is again new-moon. Naima is mistress of an elegant home, is waited -on by slaves, moves among hangings of silk, on the softest of Moorish -rugs; her eyelids are painted with kohl, her finger nails with henna; -her harem opens on a courtyard pervaded by the odoriferous scent of -the mandragora and the blossom of the orange, cooled by the splash -and play of fountains, and animated by storks, who are sacred birds -in Morocco as elsewhere. Mother and son have by this time unbosomed -themselves to each other, and both are confident that the culmination -of things will be equal to their expectations. - -Once more Omeyya is alone in the dead of voiceless night, under -cloud-obscured stars. He has been waiting since before the sun had -withdrawn his last beam from the picturesque panorama afforded by the -sight of the Western Mecca and its wreath of groves and gardens, -spreading on the slopes of the valley through which flows the -Wad-el-Jubar. Omeyya stood on the height crowned by Mulai Ismael's -bastion, whence the view of Fez is as perfect as that of the palace -grounds. As night closed over the city and the green tops of Mulai -Edris--the famous mosque, striking because of its all-overtopping -golden globe,--faded in deepening twilight, Omeyya heard the -nightingale at her best, and his soul was well attuned for the amorous -cadence. Now the crescent soared in relief on heaven's mystic -tapestry, but a later hour was to evolve the vision of Egypt's -mystery. At the right moment the potency of Omeyya's rod raised up the -bird. Over court and palace broke a white radiance, and in its core -hung the heron on wing in mid-heaven. - - [Illustration: "There sprung, like Iris from the clouds, a smiling - Hebe." - Page 323.] - -"Bird of Osiris, worship of Heliopolis! by the invisible masters who -fashioned thee I demand to let me behold her whom destiny has decreed -to be my consort." - -Omeyya was frightened on seeing the phoenix fade, as if offended by -his command; but in its stead there sprung, like Iris from the clouds, -a smiling Hebe; back of her rose in imperial majesty Muley Zidan and -his foremost Sultana.--"_Hamdillah!_" cried Omeyya, falling on his -face to praise Allah "the most merciful, the King of the Day of -Judgment!" When he rose there were the stars above him and the silvery -crescent, while the valley of the River of Pearls rang with the trill -of a thousand nightingales. - -The next morning the streets of Fez were filled with the cries of the -Sultan's heralds, calling on him, who was entitled to the great prize, -to come forth and obtain it.--"Bring the crown and obtain thy -reward!" was the cry heard in street and bazaar, no one knowing what -it meant. - -But Omeyya suspected that something had happened in the palace, and he -felt that his triumph was assured. What he learned later was this. -That same night the _Shereef_, the _Shereefa_, and their daughter -Rehamina, had a vision which they imparted to each other the following -morning. They had all seen the same thing, and the coincidence could -only be explained in one way. Abd-al-Melek's crown had been found. The -Sultan's criers were sent out to assure the happy finder of his prize. -Thus doubly reassured, Omeyya presented himself before the -Emir-al-Mumemin who, it need hardly be told, was greatly impressed by -the student's tale. - -"What thou hast seen, son, is not the phoenix of Osiris, but the image -of Allah's dazzling cock, who each morning chants to delight the ear -of the true God, when all the fowls of his kind join in his melodious -praise. By no less a miracle than the help of the bird, whom our -Prophet saw in the skies, could the crown of Abd-al-Melek be -restored," concluded the Seedna, piously. - -In the presence of the great _Divan_, Omeyya produced the crown; and -here in the throne-hall his betrothal to Rehamina was solemnly -confirmed. In due time there was a royal wedding, after which Muley -Zidan found Omeyya not only to be worthy of his lovely daughter, but -of his highest esteem and fullest confidence as the wisest counselor -in his _Divan_. - - - - -A NIGHT BY THE DEAD SEA. - - -Othman Ibn Saad was for many years a name for which that of _Eblis_ -was substituted because of his dare-devil exploits in highway robbery, -which prompted the Ottoman Government to set a price on his head. The -chief of Kerak was especially interested in Othman's capture, offering -to double the reward, but no claimant appeared on the scene; while -every week added new outrages to the long list of the brigand's -incredible perpetrations. Again and again had the armed men been on -the track of the dreaded _Eblis_ only to discover too late, after a -hot but fruitless chase, that the object of their hunt had posed the -while as their informer, guide, or delightful boon-companion, filling -their ears with tales of the blood-curdling atrocities of the robber. - -Othman had the means of personating Greek, Turk, Jew, Armenian,--any -officer, dervish, saint, beggar, foreign gentleman--yes, or woman; and -even resorted to the guise of the devil, wherefore his sobriquet of -_Eblis_. It was the study of his life, and he plied his trade with -surprising dexterity and hardihood. Tall, wiry, of tawny complexion, -flashing eye, an iron grip, black hair, short beard, easy manner, and -ostentatiously scrupulous in matters appertaining to the mosque, it -never occurred to those who had met him in friendly intercourse, that -his hands reeked with the blood of murder committed with the least -possible compunction. - -What puzzled the authorities was the contradictory descriptions given -of the bandit by such as had the good fortune, having met with him, to -escape his murderous rapacity; and as well the unaccountable -coincidence of his having shed blood at two distant spots at the same -hour. This was a point in favor of the popular conclusion that the -terrible highwayman was an incarnation of the devil, who held court -in some dismal recess on the shores of the Dead Sea, a fit abode for -the dark designs of Satan. The inference was further strengthened by -the fact that Othman's crimes were invariably associated with the -gloomiest nights in the valley of the Jordan, that he dealt with -Moslem and infidel alike without a shade of partiality, and treated -his victims with fiendish malice. - -The pseudo _Eblis_, however, in reality rejoiced in the comforts of a -snug home in the Plain of Engedi, where a small hamlet finds -sustenance in the scanty vegetation of the cheerless oasis, hemmed in -by the bleakest of wildernesses made up of mountains which look as -though they have passed through fire,--of pestiferous marshes, rugged -cliffs, deep gorges, a rocky beach, or little vales covered with -saline incrustations, all forming the frame to the most depressed and -deadest of seas on the face of the earth. The region is sufficiently -bleak, miasmatic and impregnated with sulphur to have suggested to -Milton his infernal "sights of woe, regions of sorrow, doleful -shades, where peace and rest can never dwell, hope never comes that -comes to all." - -Othman's plain habitation was kept neat by a devoted wife, and -enlivened by an affectionate son, Yezed, a boy in the early twenties, -who fed on the Koran's revelations imparted to him, with traditional -embellishments, by the _muezzin_ of the small mosque, the only public -building of the settlement. With an eye to business, Othman had -established his headquarters here, but extended his operations as far -as his fleet horse could carry him during the darker hours, on -pathways known to him alone. - -A cultivated patch of grain and vegetables, a cow, a few sheep and a -couple of asses, were supposed to supply the necessaries of Othman's -household. There was little about the robber's life to stir the envy -of his neighbors, except this fiery steed _El Barak_, so named in -allusion to the lightning speed of the Prophet's horse that carried -him from heaven to heaven, up to the throne of Allah. El Barak was a -lamb in the hands of his master or Yezed, but a terror to strangers -whose approaches the brute resented with a ferocious fury. That the -horse had been taught to dash against people and trample them down -nobody suspected. - -Othman was the most pleasant of neighbors, bothered himself about -nobody's business, and was counted among the most harmless of the -villagers, deriving a small revenue from his ability to act as guide -to such as were curious to explore the mysteries of the desolation -around the Dead Sea. This was the plausible reason for the keeping of -El Barak. - -But the time had arrived when the secret could no longer be withheld -from Yezed. The son had to be familiarized with his father's business, -and the mettle of the lad had to undergo a test. Was he worthy of his -sire? Yezed knew whole surahs of the Koran by heart, and delighted his -mother's ear with their recitation. The youth was a dreamer, the -muezzin having stocked his memory with the most fabulous of Islam's -traditions. Othman did not like his son's visionary spirit, but there -was hope in Yezed's great fondness for horses and his expressed wish -to own one of El Barak's temper. His wish was gratified. A powerful -courser was Yezed's pleasant surprise on his twenty-first birthday, -and the Arabs of Engedi began to suspect that Othman was a much richer -man than he appeared. In a few weeks Yezed bestrode his horse like the -experienced horseman he in fact already was, and was asked by his -father to accompany him to a place he intended to visit the coming -evening. A dervish had passed through the village during the day and -had casually told the people that a party of foreigners would pass -some miles south of Engedi, their object being to see Jebel Usdum, a -towering ridge of rock-salt extending many miles, its crystalline -crest sparkling like diamonds in the beam of tropical sunshine, and -looking fantastically weird in the face of the moon. Othman was alert -to the opportunity, and the departing sun threw its mellow ray on two -riders, who had just issued from Engedi. They soon left the fertile -stretch behind them and advanced between the lifeless tide of the -melancholy sea on one side and the barren, dreary range of cliffs on -the other. - -The ebbing daylight gave the sterile outlook an air of inexpressible -gloom, a leaden haze having gathered on the sea which looked more like -a vast basin of stagnant oil than water with not a stir of life to -break the deadly silence except the hoof-beat of the horses. Othman, -who thus far had not uttered a word, suddenly stopped his horse, threw -a side glance at Yezed who likewise drew in his reins, so that the -horsemen faced each other. Yezed's imagination had been enkindled by -the sight of the sinking orb; he thought of the unfading glories of -_Jannat al Naim_, the Prophet's Garden of Delight. - -"Yezed, I am thinking that thou hast passed thy twenty-first year and -art as helpless as a child; thou hast no ambition, not a wish to fire -thee to a manly deed. If I died this coming night what would become of -thee and thy mother?" began Othman, eying the unsophisticated youth -sharply. - -"Yezed wished to own a horse, his father made him happy,--what else -shall Yezed wish? If one is happy he has no wish. Thou die to-night? -Why should it come to pass? But even while thou art alive Yezed is -willing to work for his mother and his father, who should live for -pleasure and for prayer," answered the son contentedly. - -"Ah, Yezed knows too little of this world, has no desire to be rich -and strong, that is why he has no other wish. What joy is it to spend -one's days in such a waste as this?" cried Othman, disappointed at his -son's indifference to things for which he had no use. "Does not this -region look like a place good for the dead?" - -"Yes, good to remind the wicked of their doom and the just of their -reward. What of that? Are we not happy even in this unfriendly valley? -Not where we live but _how_--is not this the sum of Islam? The joys of -mortal flesh what are they when put in contrast with felicities not to -be expressed in words?" asked Yezed. - -"If Allah meant us not to enjoy this world, why are there so many good -things which the weak and the poor cannot have?" was Othman's -question. - -"Let Allah in his wisdom answer that; we must be content and resigned -wherever we be, whatever our lot, lest we forfeit eternal bliss," -replied Yezed piously. - -"Thou art soaring above the gate of _Jannat al Naim_," said Othman -ironically. "Who has been there to assure us that it is more than a -fable?" - -"God has revealed the truth to Mohammed, and he to his followers, and -we have it from them; and as the sun is bright, the moon is blessed, -and the stars are the work of Allah, so is the Koran His word, and the -Prophet His messenger, and _Jannat al Naim_ the paradise of the -faithful, and _Jehennam_ one of the seven divisions of hell wherein -the wicked curse the day of their birth," affirmed Yezed emphatically, -and stormed Othman's ear by a rhapsody on the blessedness of the -prophet's paradise. - -"Those who shall pass the bridge _al Sirat_,--a span thrown over the -midst of hell, finer than a hair and sharper than the edge of a razor, -beset on each side with briars and hooked thorns,--will, refreshed -from the cistern of Mohammed, enter the abode of bliss never to leave -it again. _Jannat al Naim_ is under the throne of God; its earth is as -fine as wheat flour, as odoriferous as musk, and shines like saffron; -its stones are pearls and jacinths; the walls of its dwellings are of -gold, as also are the trees,--all of gold, one of which, called -_Tuba_, blooms in the palace of Mohammed, with a branch reaching to -the habitation of every true believer. _Tuba_ is full to repletion -with dates, grapes, and a great variety of other fruits of enormous -size, having the taste of anything the blessed who eat may wish to -enjoy. Silken garments, magnificent horses ready bridled and -caparisoned to ride upon, are there, bursting from the fruits of that -pregnant tree, which is so prodigious that the fleetest racer could -not pass the entire length of its shade in a hundred years. From the -roots of _Tuba_ spring all the rivers and springs of paradise,--water, -wine, milk and honey affording variety. Seventy-two immortal virgins -of ravishing loveliness and free from mortal impurities will receive -each faithful in a tent of pearls, jacinths, and emeralds; eighty -thousand servants will await his orders; each meal will be served in -dishes of gold by three hundred attendants, each one offering a -different dish, and the last morsel being as palatable as the first. -Robed in garments of silk and brocade, and crowned with diadems of -priceless jewels, the Elect will rejoice in the company of those -black-eyed paradisial maidens called houris, on couches interwoven -with golden threads standing on silken rugs and set with precious -stones. Israfil, the greatest musician of the universe, will lead a -chorus of those houris for the enravishment of the faithful, and the -trees will make their heavenly bells, of which they are full, ring in -response to a sweet breeze wafted from Allah's throne. What, then, do -all joys here below amount to?"[11] - - [11] _Cf._ the Koran (Surahs 13, 47 and 55). - -Othman's eyes were riveted on the countenance of the enthusiastic -youth, but his mien betrayed not the displeasure of his faithless -heart. What could he expect of a lad who raved of fables meant for -fools? How divulge to him the secret, which would in an instant -shatter all his air castles? And how will it impress him? - -"Answer me, son, art thou a coward?" asked the brigand, in a changed -voice. "By my troth, thou speakest like a woman, yet art thou sired by -a man who defies Eblis." - -"What Mohammed taught me and his _imams_ that I speak of, father; -Yezed is a woman's child, but no woman; nor am I a coward. Set me a -task, however hazardous, it shall be done," returned the youth, in a -tone of challenge. - -"That is my son's true self," resumed Othman, pleased with Yezed's -outburst of manly temper. "There is a task for thee to do this coming -night, and it is not one for a craven to meddle with. Son, this world -is made up of masters and of slaves; the few command, the multitudes -obey. That Yezed take rank among the masters is his father's wish; -wilt thou be guided by his advice?" - -"Whatever Othman Ibn Saad tells his Yezed to do, that he will do," -replied Yezed. - -"Will he face danger without shrinking?" was the searching question of -the father. - -"If the deed is in accord with Moslem duty," returned the son. - -"Is there any wrong in slaying those who hate us,--those we -hate,--those Mohammed hated?" continued Othman, insinuatingly. - -"No; whomever the Prophet hated no Mussulman can love. Yes, it was his -will that infidels be converted by the sword, if it must be. To shed -blood is fearful, however, except it be he whose flesh ought to be -torn by the fiends and bitten by the serpents of _al Hawiyat_, there -being no deeper place in hell. Yes, him I would this moment stab to -the heart, and cast his carcass to the dogs," cried Yezed, in a voice -which boded no good for the object of his detestation. - -"And who is _he_ thou art speaking of," inquired the father, delighted -with the anger of his righteous offspring. "He must be indeed wicked -whom Yezed hates." - -"I am speaking of him whose black deeds are matched by his black name, -Eblis, the highway murderer of men and women, ripe for Monkir's club, -and eternal perdition," asseverated Yezed, with flashing eyes and -clenched fists. - -In speechless consternation the eyes of the older rested on the -younger man. He, who had ruthlessly driven cold steel through the -heart of many a victim, felt a chill of horror run through his veins -at the deathful hatred he had thus engendered in the unsuspicious soul -of his own child. Othman twisted the head of El Barak toward the last -glow of the western heaven, looked thither for a moment, as though -lost in wonder, then, turning round all composed, said in an -undertone: "Why, Yezed, that is the very man we are to intercept this -night. A great price has been set on his head, and my information -makes it certain that we will be in a position to waylay him, if we -use our time and arms well. This is the task I referred to. Is Yezed -prepared to share his father's daring exploit?" - -"Yezed will follow whithersoever his father leads him, and face death -in the name of Allah; there is no craven blood in Othman's faithful -son," answered the youth. - -"Thou art the lion's whelp," closed Othman, and spurred his horse to -ascend a gorge which in the rainy season gives passage to a mountain -torrent down to the dead water, but which was perfectly dry now. The -path followed by El Barak with ease was narrow, steep and -neck-breaking, a yawning gulf suggesting dreadful possibilities to the -right, while to the left rose masses of blackened rock, overshadowing -the horsemen by hanging projections which threatened to fall with -terrific effect. - -After a ride of about an hour through deepening twilight, Othman -turned into a narrow break of the mountain, shot out of his saddle, -bade his horse wait, and told Yezed to do as he did. The youth obeyed -without a word, and followed his father who, nimble as a cat, began to -climb up an almost perpendicular wall to a considerable height, and -slipped into a hole scarcely big enough for an average human body to -pass through without difficulty. Once within, Othman put his head out -to encourage Yezed who, unfamiliar with the footholds so well known to -his guide, despaired of performing a feat perilous even for an acrobat -to attempt. Down came the end of a rope for Yezed to take hold of. It -was dense night when the form of the lad disappeared in the interior -of the rocky nest. - -There was already a light, and Yezed was struck with wonder at the -spacious hollow before him. High and dry and clean, it was irregular -in shape, sloping down toward a narrowing deep which startled the -imagination of the youth. Who could tell the mystery of that black pit -which seemed to breathe like the mouth of a sleeping giant? Yes, a -gentle breeze proceeded from the mountain's heart, saturated with a -something that made Yezed feel uneasy. - -Other surprises diverted Yezed's attention. What looked like a niche a -few feet above their heads, was soon reached by stepping on a loose -bowlder, and the young man's wonderment was not small to see in the -light of a lantern in his father's hand, a wardrobe of various -costumes, masks, bearded and unbearded, jack-boots, many uniforms, and -a regular armory of weapons and ammunition. That was not all. Several -leather bags were brought to light from under a tiger skin, and -Yezed's eyes dilated at the precious contents of each and all, as -Othman opened them as a surprise for his true-hearted offspring. -Costly watches, costlier jewels, rings, bracelets, necklaces, strings -of pearls, taken from murdered women; breastpins of every description, -gold and silver money, made up a treasure to feed the avarice of a -nabob. "If Yezed asks whose is all this? I will answer it is all -Yezed's," said huskily the brigand. - -He scarcely breathed the few words when a puff from the black hole put -out the light, followed by a moan, a deep sigh and a light rumbling. -Othman held his breath. Yezed heard nothing more, but his pulse -throbbed nervously. What could he say? He had portentous feelings but -no thoughts; it all seemed like a dream. - -The light was again burning. "It is all right," said Othman, -reassured, and nothing further happened to confirm his suspicion that -something had been astir in the unexplored deep. "The one who shall -attempt to get the fruit of my life must have the nerve to perish in -the attempt. Now, to business, Yezed. Here are this suit and mask for -thee, and this thy armor. My panoply is here; don't be disturbed; the -devil must match the devil. Hurry, the minutes count; the game will -not wait for us." Saying this, Othman amazed his son by transforming -himself into the blackest demon the youth had ever dreamt of in fancy. -The veritable Eblis could not look more deterring than the desperado -in his black mask with red eyes, red mouth, long, hooked nose, a -pointed beard, pointed shoes and tight leg coverings in one garment, a -coat ending in a cow's tail, black gloves which doubled the length of -his fingers, and a red spear with many points completed the equipment. - -"Thou art too slow, son, for an expedition which requires haste not -less than courage," said the robber, and actually pushed the youth -into a strange garb, adjusted his mask, and threw a belt with pistols -around his waist. "Ready!" was the signal, and Othman burst forth from -the wall like a bomb from the mouth of a gun fired from the embrasure -of a fort. Yezed would not stay behind and found it much easier to get -down than up the steep. - -Othman was now the real Eblis and his impetuosity seemed to wing El -Barak. Fear and pride spurred Yezed to keep pace with his father. It -was one of those nights when the moon is late in rising, and the -outlines of the robber as a devil astride of a fiery courser filled -his child with horror. Through night and desolation they sped onward, -the father leading, the son close behind, with not a sound to vary the -awful monotony. They had covered several miles when Othman's -experienced ear informed him that his game was near at hand. He -discerned the petrified figure of Lot's wife, a pillar of salt forty -feet high, and distinctly heard the tramp of the approaching -travellers. - -"Thy first chance, Yezed, to show thyself a hero or a dastard. Here we -leave our horses; thou wilt plant thyself in the way of the beasts; I -will strike like thunder; if it prove too much for me, stab and fire; -if I hold to, fight; if I give it up, run. I fall on them with the cry -of Eblis! Having finished them, our horses will carry us home before -the moon is out," whispered the bandit, thrilling with excitement. - -For the first time in his experience did Yezed feel the fighting lust -of his sire who was burning for the deadly encounter. If they -succeeded in capturing or slaying the scourge of the Jordan's plain, -their names would be on everybody's lips, including the Caliph of -Estamboul. A lantern in the hand of a horseman afforded a clear view -of the travelling company, made up of an armed escort of two -civilians, having between them a foreigner on horseback, accompanied -by an armed servant. With a yell that made the air shudder, Othman -fell on the group, unhorsing one and striking the other with the -ferocity of a savage brute. But the brigand was caught in a snare laid -for his ruin. It was the Chief of Kerak who had conceived the idea of -entrapping "Eblis" by spreading the rumor of the impending arrival of -a travelling company in the quarter where they had good reasons to -expect his attack. Three athletic Arabs stood by their Chief, but -Othman was not a bird to be caught and carried off. His red spear held -them at bay, but it was not possible for him to escape. He fired, was -fired at, bled from many wounds, but fought like a wounded bear, the -Arabs closing around him. "Give it to them," he cried in desperation. -In answer several shots struck the struggling group from a distance. -Three of the five fell never to rise; Othman was one of the three, -stretched lifeless by a bullet from the weapon of his Yezed. The son -had killed his father, and realizing the nature of the tragedy and the -peril of his situation, he made a rush for his horse, and vanished in -the darkness of night, with none to give him chase. - -Whither flee? In his present apparel he durst not seek his home, even -if he had better news to bring than the slaughter of his father by his -own hand. To get his clothing he must retrace his way to that -frightful hole in the rock which he had gladly left in the earlier -hour of the night. He dreaded the thought of it, but it had to be; the -problem being how to find the way thither? - -It was fortunate for Yezed that, in his precipitous flight, he had -mounted El Barak in mistake for his own horse, and the sagacious -animal carried him instinctively to the right spot, halting beneath -the entrance of the hollow to which his dead master had ascended so -often, especially after successful robberies. "Allah akbar," sighed -poor Yezed, as he got out of his saddle and prepared to reach the -black nest. There was the rope inviting him to ascend. It was a -horrible nightmare. So much had happened in a few short hours! Could -anything worse befall him? Come what might, that hollow must be -entered. He drew himself up, entered the cave, struck a light, threw -off his disguise, put on his plain garments, fell on his face and wept -bitterly. The pelf and the jewels will they revive his father who had -fallen by his hand?--The pelf and the jewels--horrid thought! It -flashed upon his mind like an inspiration.--Great Allah! Eblis--his -father was himself that terrible impersonation,--a murderer! How could -he doubt it? Did not everything point to the reality of that fact? -"Allah akbar. Yezed is the most miserable of sons," murmured the -unhappy youth. - -But hark! Yes, there was a sigh,--and another,--and a groan, and now a -hoot,--and then a howl ascending from that unfathomed black mouth of -the hollow, which stared at him like the vicious eye of a Cyclops. The -blood froze in his veins. Once more a puff of wind, as of a whiff from -a monstrous gullet, left him in rayless darkness. But more appalling -than the dense obscurity was the faint glimmer of a hazy shimmer which -stole up from the deep, a phosphorescent illumining of the sepulchral -gloom, just bright enough to make the shades visible. Terror drove -Yezed to the verge of madness. Might not at any moment some apparition -break out upon him through that animated gap? Seizing a loaded gun -near by, Yezed emptied its contents into the outlet. The instantaneous -response was a terrific burst of the mountain, which sent Yezed -wheeling through the air with fragments of rock as great as pyramids. -That he was not crushed was not so much a wonder as that he landed on -top of a mountainous pile unhurt. New events threw previous happenings -into the shade. - -By this time it took a great deal to astonish Yezed, but his position -of vantage placed under his survey a somewhat dim panorama, more -beautiful than anything he had ever hoped to see this side of _Jannat -al Naim_. Through the shifting mists of an uncertain gloom the eye -swept over a plain of tropic luxuriance on the shore of a lake as -placid and limpid as the purest azure. As though ignited by a flash of -lightning, sprang a blaze from lamps without number, giving -distinctness to rich and noble forms of vegetation, studded here and -there by fruit-bearing trees thick with blossom, or loaded with those -Hesperian apples which rival sunshine in glow. From the shades of a -majestic grove flowed the ineffable notes of the bulbul. Fragrant -bowers stood decked with the vine's exuberant foliage and cumbered -with the clusters that produce the golden juice. Sparkling fountains -played in the light of the mystic illumination. A lofty arcade, -mocking the rainbow by a myriad multicolored lights, glowed like a -curved horizon, covering a great stretch of green meadow, and making -day for the fish, which swarmed in the transparent water. Underneath -the arcaded bow was room enough for armies to pass each other, or to -parade in military array. - -Indeed the cymbal, fife and timbrel were heard, and a vast multitude -of a strange race overflowed the entire plain, moving toward the -arcade as the centre of attraction. It was a half-naked mass of -brutified humanity, wild and salacious, the sexes intermingling with -revolting indecency. At their head strode a ferocious biped, his hair -long, straight and matted, his eyes bloodshot, his visage tattooed, -his lips dyed,--chin, teeth and cheekbones of the gorilla, and limbs -sinewy like the buffalo's. In his grasp swayed a huge club; his breast -was covered by a shield, his shins by plates of bronze, and he -remained no secret to Yezed the moment his beastly cry was heard. - -"Hear Nimrod the Huntsman speak, children of Sodom! The mighty sons of -Anak and those of the Rephaim, the sky-born, are coming to help us -build the tower yonder in defiance of Him who has drowned our sires -because of their having lived as we do, and because of their refusing -to worship Him as thralls. We shall build higher than His mountains, -and then scorn His rage. Yes, we shall climb above His clouds, laugh -at His floods, and storm His heaven. Who is He to be feared? He seized -the power, the winds and the thunderbolt, and treats beings like -Himself with cruel outrage." - -The dehumanized masses yelled, leaped, made horrid faces, distorted -their bodies, swore blasphemously, and supplemented their blasphemies -by such abominable excesses as caused Yezed to turn away his eyes in -disgust. Bestial females rivaled with one another in winning their -male brutes by intoxicating drinks, which they made them swallow in -great quantities, drinking themselves until they reeled with -inebriation. Wild dancing and lewd gesticulations were the prelude to -the indulgence of nameless vices, and this was the opening of a -Saturnalia of lust and riot. - -"The Anakim, the Rephaim, make room for the heroes!" thundered Nimrod -the Huntsman. Hereupon the Sodomites divided into two parallel lines, -leaving a road free to the triumphal arcade, which burned like a vault -of fire. Issuing from a shaded avenue, an army of hideous giants, -swollen with vanity and bristling with arms of every description, -advanced in two separate columns toward the blazing arcade where they -were to be received and regaled. Their powerful chests were shielded -by plates of bronze; so were their knees and down the shins. They wore -hides of beasts, the chief one a lion's skin. As they came in sight of -the immense vault their chief caused them to break up and pass through -a series of evolutions to the vociferous acclaim of the drunken -multitude. Nimrod was at hand to extend Sodom's welcome to the -warriors. - -"Thou mighty leader of the invincible sons of giants, who durst storm -heaven to dethrone Him who revels in outrage, we welcome thee and -thine, we, the Sodomites, who welcome none, except it be to mutilate -or slay the fools who trust our honor. For know, O chief, that in our -midst the stranger gets stones to feed his hunger, mud to quench his -thirst, and a bed to sleep on, which must fit his length; if he be too -long we cut his limbs; if he be too short we stretch them to suit our -measure. Force is our law, valor our God, plunder our business, and -license our pleasure. What He above loves we hate, and what He hates -we love. We injure the innocent, respect no woman's virtue, roast the -brute alive that He may fume and fret, who is our common foe, our -tyrant. That you might join us in the work of raising that tower to a -height far above His clouds we called you hither. Let Him send another -deluge to drown us,--we shall defy His hereafter as we did hitherto, -and make His clouds break against the top of that pile. But whatever -work be ours to do, let this hour be given to feasting and pleasure, -drinking, dancing and loving." - -What Yezed heard next was a myriad shriek of terror. As if the lake -had been a caldron of oil, its volume rose in a tremendous flame, -heaving toward the clouds, and in its conflagration the shores were -soon involved. A general upheaval of rock, brought about by an -impelling force from below, in its recoil dropped the bed of the lake -deep under its shores, creating a gulf buried in fire. Streams of the -consuming element shot up from a hundred cracks, crevices and chasms -opened by the disturbance, wiping out whatever had life and breath. -Swallowed by the fiery billows were the licentious revellers, no -vestige remaining to tell of the illumined Eden, which but a few -minutes before had been a scene of unspeakable depravity. The whole -dissolved itself into a black smoke, pregnant with deathful odors, -like the fetid exhalation that hung over the catastrophe of Sodom and -Gomorrah. Yezed alone escaped, and his trembling heart recognized -Allah's justice and mercy. On every side sulphurous damps, thick night -and the silence of death enclosed him. - -Where was he? How shall he ever get down from the towering pile upon -which he had been dropped by some mysterious power? What will there be -around him when day shall rise on the devastation? Ah,--if it all were -but a nightmare, including his father's death in the guise of the -devil? But the night seemed endless, as though day would never come -again, and the position was one of horrid suspense and miserable -discomfort. To cap the climax of Yezed's unparalleled mishaps, there -soared before him the bleeding figure of his father in the attire of -Eblis, just as he had seen him hurry to his doom. "Thy hands are -clean, O, my son! but I am doomed to swim forever in a pool of blood, -the life-stream of the hearts I pierced!" came wailing to his ears -upon the passing breeze as the apparition faded from his vision, -chilling the boy to the centre of his being. - -Yezed attempted to speak, but found his tongue paralyzed; he tried to -express himself by signs, but his arms and fingers were lame. -Gathering all his strength, he threw his frame in the direction in -which he had seen Othman depart, and he struck his head against a -stone. How did the stone come here? There had been nothing there -before. Yezed rose to his feet; there was no smoke to be seen. He -thrust out his arms sideways and struck against a wall. There was no -wall before. "Allah, great Allah, is not this the hollow where I -changed my clothing!" So it was. Why not make a light? It was made, -and, lo! there was the sequestered nest, there the armory and the -singular wardrobe, there the treasure of the dead brigand, and there -the fearful black hole which graciously hid those mysteries he had -witnessed. Yezed shook with chill. He felt that it was the dead of -night, and had overwhelming feelings to control. What remained of the -nightmare as an unescapable reality was horrible to dwell upon. Shall -he ever return to the infernal hollow again? No, never! never! Why -stay one second longer than necessary in the mouth of hell? Trembling -and shivering, Yezed crawled out of the accursed cave, lowered himself -to the ground, found the noble El Barak awaiting him patiently, threw -his arms around the neck of the faithful brute and lamented bitterly. -The horse neighed gently, as though he, too, understood his new -master's great sorrow. - -Seated in the saddle, Yezed allowed the intelligent animal to take its -own course, and was shortly before daybreak landed before his mother's -habitation. There was weeping and wailing in the widowed house. Yezed -decided to divulge the whole truth to his friendly master, the -muezzin. The holy man shuddered as he listened to his pupil's tale, -but advised secrecy, lest widow and orphan be thrown into prison as -accessories to the numerous crimes of the guilty Othman. He took great -care, however, to inform himself about the location of the interesting -cave, and was ere long in a position to turn his back upon the humble -villagers of Engedi, not without inducing the widow and her son to -follow him to a happier place. - - - - -Transcriber's Note - -Repeated half titles have been deleted. - -This book contains archaic spelling, e.g. meed meaning reward, targe -meaning shield. There are also some variations in spelling, e.g. Allah -akbar and Allah achbar both appear. Further, both American and British -spelling is used, including appearances of shriveled and shrivelled, -revelers and revellers, and marvelous and marvellous. In all cases, -these are preserved as printed. - -Minor punctuation errors have been repaired. Hyphenation has been made -consistent. - -The following have been considered as printer errors, and amended: - - Page 23--in amended to is--The slave-Sultan is not within - these black reaches, ... - - Page 37, footnote 2--24 amended to 22--... Al Zameri cries - out to his rescuer (page 22) ... - - Page 210--seried amended to serried--... was made up of a - serried division ... - - Page 220--were amended to where--Menahem was where he wished - to be, ... - - Page 220--Iman amended to Imam--... within the boundaries of - his dominion the Imam ... - - Page 266--ot amended to of--Each division of troops had its - elephantine accompaniment, ... - - Page 279--world-renowed amended to world-renowned--... - whispered Persia's world-renowned hero. - - Page 308--briliiant amended to brilliant--... an arched - space, brilliant with dazzling light. - - Page 309--licure amended to ligure--... and a variety of the - jasper and the ligure, ... - - Page 315--sycthe amended to scythe--... the Christians fell - as grass struck by the scythe. - - Page 319--Jannet amended to Jannat--It is a gazelle from - Jannat al Ferdaws, ... - - Page 324--Emil-al-Mumemin amended to Emir-al-Mumemin--... - Omeyya presented himself before the Emir-al-Mumemin ... - - Page 332--excep amended to except--... except this fiery - steed _El Barak_, ... - - Page 343--Yedez amended to Yezed--... and told Yezed to do as - he did. - - Page 348--eel amended to feel--... did Yezed feel the - fighting lust ... - -The frontispiece illustration has been moved to follow the title page. -Other illustrations have been moved where necessary so they are not in -the middle of a paragraph. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Weird Orient, by Henry Iliowizi - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WEIRD ORIENT *** - -***** This file should be named 42963.txt or 42963.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/2/9/6/42963/ - -Produced by Suzanne Shell, Sam W. and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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