第77章 The Flight to Emesa(2)

Come, Flame, be not afraid, Flame.Where I go, you can come," and Masouda thrust her way through the bushes and over the edge of the cliff, talking to the snorting horse and patting its neck.

A minute more, and they were scrambling down a mountain ridge so steep that it seemed as though they must fall and be dashed to pieces at the bottom.Yet they fell not, for, made as it had been to meet such hours of need, this road was safer than it appeared, with ridges cut in the rock at the worst places.

Down they went, and down, till at length, panting, but safe, they stood at the bottom of the darksome gulf where only the starlight shone, for here the rays of the low moon could not reach.

"Mount," said Masouda."Princess, stay you on Flame; he is the surest and the swiftest.Sir Wulf, keep your own horse Smoke;your brother and I will ride those of the soldiers.Though not very swift, doubtless they are good beasts, and accustomed to such roads." Then she leapt to the saddle as a woman born in the desert can, and pushed her horse in front.

For a mile or more Masouda led them along the rocky bottom of the gulf, where because of the stones they could only travel at a foot pace, till they came to a deep cleft on the left hand, up which they began to ride.By now the moon was quite behind the mountains, and such faint light as came from the stars began to be obscured with drifting clouds.Still, they stumbled on till they reached a little glade where water ran and grass grew.

"Halt," said Masouda."Here we must wait till dawn for in this darkness the horses cannot keep their footing on the stones.

Moreover, all about us lie precipices, over one of which we might fall.""But they will pursue us," pleaded Rosamund.

"Not until they have light to see by," answered Masouda, "or at least we must take the risk, for to go forward would be madness.

Sit down and rest a while, and let the horses drink a little and eat a mouthful of grass, holding their reins in our hands, for we and they may need all our strength before to-morrow's sun is set.

Sir Wulf, say, are you much hurt?"

"But very little," he answered in a cheerful voice; "a few bruises beneath my mail--that is all, for Lozelle's sword was heavy.Tell us, I pray you, what happened after we rode away from the castle bridge.""This, knights.The princess here, being overcome, was escorted by the slaves back to her chambers, but Sinan bade me stay with him awhile that he might speak to you through me.Do you know what was in his mind? To have you killed at once, both of you, whom Lozelle had told him were this lady's lovers, and not her brothers.Only he feared that there might be trouble with the people, who were pleased with the fighting, so held his hand.

Then he bade you to the supper, whence you would not have returned; but when Sir Wulf said that he was hurt, I whispered to him that what he wished to do could best be done on the morrow at the wedding-feast when he was in his own halls, surrounded by his guards.

" 'Ay,' he answered, 'these brethren shall fight with them until they are driven into the gulf.It will be a goodly sight for me and my queen to see.' ""Oh! horrible, horrible!" said Rosamund; while Godwin muttered:

"I swear that I would have fought, not with his guards, but with Sinan only.""So he suffered you to go, and I left him also.Before I went he spoke to me, bidding me bring the princess to him privately within two hours after we had supped, as he wished to speak to her alone about the ceremony of her marriage on the morrow, and to make her gifts.I answered aloud that his commands should be obeyed, and hurried to the guest-castle.There I found your lady recovered from her faintness, but mad with fear, and forced her to eat and drink.

"The rest is short.Before the two hours were gone a messenger came, saying that the Al-je-bal bade me do what he had commanded.

" 'Return,' I answered; 'the princess adorns herself.We follow presently alone, as it is commanded.'

"Then I threw this cloak about her and bade her be brave, and, if we failed, to choose whether she would take Sinan or death for lord.Next, I took the ring you had, the Signet of the dead Al-je-bal, who gave it to your kinsman, and held it before the slaves, who bowed and let me pass.We came to the guards, and to them again I showed the ring.They bowed also, but when they saw that we turned down the passage to the left and not to the right, as we should have done to come to the doors of the inner palace, they would have stopped us.

" 'Acknowledge the Signet,' I answered.'Dogs, what is it to you which road the Signet takes?' Then they also let us pass.

"Now, following the passage, we were out of the guest house and in the gardens, and I led her to what is called the prison tower, whence runs the secret way.Here were more guards whom I bade open in the name of Sinan.

They said: 'We obey not.This place is shut save to the Signet itself.'

" 'Behold it!' I answered.The officer looked and said: 'It is the very Signet, sure enough, and there is no other.'

Yet he paused, studying the black stone veined with the red dagger and the ancient writing on it.

" 'Are you, then, weary of life?' I asked.'Fool, the Al-je-bal himself would keep a tryst within this house, which he enters secretly from the palace.Woe to you if he does not find his lady there!'

" 'It is the Signet that he must have sent, sure enough,' the captain said again, 'to disobey which is death.'

'Yes, open, open,' whispered his companions.