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T'T-TFC STT WV ca^r
The Armorer of Tyre.
By SYLVAYUS COBB, Jr.
of Gio trembled
Thg stout heart .
Jne heard the near and still
slightly as he
r, p Jper approach of the pursuers, for in
baste to make sure of the boat he
had not thought of providing for the
n rorpnrv that had thus ari-en in his
em i P MP** he must, even though
Si sentry had to be overcome by force,
J r'be had s-t his life against the
u’ eked plan of the king, and he would
Lr now be balked by a hireling arm.
he spoke he pushed both the girls
of him within the portal,
tEXtuiming to the soldier, he said :
and
Of course you will not detain us?”
“1 roust detain the girls,” firmly re
plied ttie sentry, as he lowered the
Ljnt of his spear.
* Very wel —then be it so,” uttered
Gio wiih his lips almost closed. “Come
you'back, my children.”
The soldier rook this a'l in good faith,
and raising the point of his weapon,
he stared as though he would have
stepped Pack, when *iio, with a single
bound, caught him in his powerful em
brace and dashed down through the
jra^e towards the water.
8 “Follow, follow 1” he shouted to the
girls, and on the next moment he had
burled the ill-fated sentry into the
water.
Close at hand was a small boat pull
ing only two oars, and into this Gio
at once hastened Marina and Esther,
and then casting off the painter he
leaped in himself, seized the oars, and
darted off. Just as he cleared the
landing steps he had the satisfaction
of seeing the soused sentry clamber
safely out of his hath, but ere the lat
ter could reach his javelins—for which
weapons he at once made his way—
the object of his wrath was skipping
over the water far out of his reach.
It was too dark to distinguish ob
jects upon the landing from the point
Gio had now reached, but yet he knew
from the sounds that came through
the air that his pursuers had arrived
at the gate; for amid various oaths
and execrations he could hear hurried
calls for a b at, and he knew, too, that
the dip of his own oar-blades could be
distinctly made out by those upon the
shore.
“They are preparing to follow us,”
muttered he, as he leaned further back
at his oars.
“But they can’t overtake us now,”
hopefully remarked Esther.
“1 don’t know. There are some swift
barges at the landing, and if they have
hands enough to man the oars they
may yet give us a hard pull.”
For a few moments nothing more
was said, but at length Esther re-
narked :
“Surely I see not how they could
have tracked us thus, for no one could
have seen us coming over the houses.”
“Simple enough,” returned Gio.
“There were two parties of them when
they left our home, and of course one
of them would naturally start for that
gate. Ah, there starts a barge 1”
A heavy plash of oars at the landing
was now plainly heard, and Gio set
himself more firmly to his task. He
had only a quarter of a mile to clear,
but even that gave him more time
upon the water than he desired. The
sweat rolled from his brow in trinkling
streams, and his broad chest heaved
beneath the exertion he was putting
forth. Esther and Marina set together
in the stern of .the boat, where they
watched with anxious gaze their stout
guardian, and ever and anon they
would cast their eyes back towards the
point from whence they had come.
One furlong only now lay between
them and the shore, but the dim out
lines of the barge could be plainly dis
tinguished through the gloom, and the
dusky forms of her oarsmen loomed up
above her bows. Ahead, the shore
stretched along with its clear line of
white, breaking foam, beyond which
lay the goal.
“Esther,” said Gio, as the barge came
nearer, “stand up and see if you can
count the number of our pursuers.”
The girl placed her hand upon
Marina’s shoulder for sifpport, and
alter gazing in the given direction for
a few moments, she replied :
“I can see them distinctly. There
are seven—six at the oars and one
steering.”
The armorer made no further re
mark. but with a few more strokes his
boat slid high upon the sand.
“Now for your lives!” he shouted.
“Leap! Mind not the water.”
Esther caught Marina by the hand
ami jumped from the boar. The barge
had already struck upon«the sand, but
her depth was such that she remained
.vet some ten or fifteen feet from the
shore.
“Bun, run !” cried Gio. “Keep the
shore and stop not till you reach that
tall pillar that stands nearest the
sea.”
l he girls obeyed, and while yet he
had been speaking the armorer had
leaped back to where the sea had
thrown up ^ long line of rocks, and
snatching up two of such a size as he
could wield wi. h precision he stood h s
*\ rou ! ui - One of them he hurled with
a11 bis might at the head of his near
est pursuer, and he had the satisfac
tion of seeing his mark sink beneath
the deadly missile. This was a game
Gio had often played, and in all Tyre
he had not his match at stoning.
The advancing party stopped an in
stant as one of their number thus un
expectedly fell, b>'t ere they exactly
realized the cause, another met the
same fate.
“By the great Apollo,” cried one of
the soldiers, “the fisherman is stoniDg
us!”
“Stand back!” shouted Gio,
men started to rush forward’
same time drawing his heavy
as the
at the
sword;
“he who opposes me rushes upon his
own death!”
“Ye gods! ’tis no fisherman. ’Tis
Gio, as I’m alive J” exclaimed the fore
most of the assailants.
“ ’Tis Gio,” returned the armorer
“and ye who know him best will best
know how to act.”
If there was one man above another
whom the soldiers of Tyre respected
and loved, that man was Gio, their un
rivalled armorer, and more than that,
none knew better how to u*e the
weapons he made than he himself.
Yow, howsoever brive a man may be,
there is something experienced in
coming in contact with a universally
acknowledged superior that may never
be felt in any other contest, and more
especially when t hat superior is one in
whose superiority you have ever felt a
pride.
With these feelings the soldiers hesi
tated, and the officer who stood fore
most spoke:
“Gio,” said he, “we are all officers of
iustice now, for we hold a warrant
from the king for your own arrest and
also that ot the daughter of Kison
Ludim, so you see we must take you.
You have already slain two of our
number, but of course further resist
ance will be useless. One of those was
toe fair Marina, I think, who started
off along the shor* ?”
“It was,” murned Gio; “and have
sworn to protect with my life ”
“But we must obey the king.”
“And I must keep my oath.”
“Then you will not surrender ?”
“NVver I”
“Then your blood be on your own
head.”
During this colloquy Gio had been
gradually working his way between
the soldiers and the point towards
which the girl* had fled. There were
now five opposed to him, and he had
some doubts about being able to cope
safely with them all. For a single
moment he considered, and then turn
ing suddenly about, he ran with all his
might towards the point where the top
of a towering marble pillar was pic
tured against the sky. The king’s
messengers were somewhat taken
aback by this movement, but quickly
recovering themselves, they followed
in pursuit; but Gio outran them at
such a rate that in a few moments he
was lost to them in the darkness.
The armorer had a point in view
other than to run away, for no sooner
did he ascertain that the night had
dropped its veil between himself and
his pursers, than he turned short to
the left and ensconced himself behind
a heap of mouldering ruins, where he
armed himself with two large, sharp
stones, and awaited the approach of
the unsuspecting soldiers.
At length thgy came puffing along.
Gio rose to a most favorable posture,
and as soon as he was sure of his mark
he hurled forth one of his missiles. A
man fell upon the sands. Again the
parly stopped in consternation, and
another fell.
There were now three left, and again
drawing his sword, the armorer sprang
forward quickly.
“Yow stay your steps and live!”
shouted he, in tones that turned to the
roar of the roused lion. “I fight for
innocence against the wiles of wicked
ness; and were there ten thousand
kings against me, they should take me
or my charge only after I was dead.
Back! Who dies first? Which of ye
wishes it, let him advance but a single
step and the fate is his!”
“Gio,” said one of the soldiers, while
he recoiled a step, “you know that
from this moment your life is forfeit
ed. Deliver up to us the Lady Marina
and the king ttill give you a free par
don.”
The armorer laughed a hitter laugh
as the man thus spoke, but in a mo
ment more he advanced a step, and
raising his ponderous sword, he ut
tered :
“Back to your boat, and if the king
wants me let him take me, and let me
tell you this : were I now alone—with
none*to care for but myself—I would
o-o with you a prisoner to the king;
but the daughter of Kison Ludim he
have. That is enough. JSow
cannot
‘‘Bv the °Teat Olympus!” cried he of
the soldiers who had before spoken,
“we might as well die here as to die by
the hands of the executioner, for
Manen will not brood such cowardly
defeat. Will you follow me?
“Yes ” returned his two companions.
“Then brace your swords and on!
The moment these words * left the
speaker's lips Gio dashed like a tiger
upon his opponents. He waited not for
their onset, but he made it himself,
and at the first stroke one of his antag
onists fell. The two remaining sol
diers shrank not back now, for they
had entered the den and they dared
not turn. They struck at the armorer,
but-one sword he dodged and the other
he broke—then he of the broken sword
fell. The solitary soldier leaped quick
ly back crying for quarter.
“Take your life and go,” returned
Gio, as he dropped the point of his
weapon, “and if you reach the king,
tell him how fared your party, and tell
him, too, that he can find me any time
after to-morrow.”
“I shall not go to Tyre again,” re
turned the soldier. “Anywhere in
Phoenicia I can find quarters, but to
return would be sure death I”
‘ As you please*” said Gio, “only mind
that you follow not me.”
With these words the armorer turned
and followed in the steps of the girls,
leaving the lone soldier to dispose of
himself as he might think proper.
CHAPTER IV.
THE RUINED
TEMPLE—THE
HERCULES.
PRIEST OP
During the time that Gio had been
engaged against his pursuers, the
moon had been gradually rising, and,
as the fleecy clouds began to fly away,
surrounding, and even distant objects
fell upon the sight. In the distance,
upon its rock-bound island,lay the sleep
ing city of Tyre, with the moonbeams
just dancing upon its marble walls and
gilded spires, while far away beyond
lay the widespread sea. But on the
shore where parted the armorer and
the soldier, stretching back to the dis
tance of a mile, was spread out a scene
of peculiar interest. Burnt and black
ened walls, cracked and tumbling, and
toppling upon their foundations—huge
columrs of marbleand granitestanding
against the sky, and others lying along
on the brick and mortar strewn ground,
tell upon the sight in strange confu
sion. Here and there some massive
temple, which the destroyer had not
been able to touch, still maintained its
sacred front, though the wild vine and
green moss had been slowly creeping
over it. Occasionally, as the eye swept
the scene, a fisherman’s hut would ob
trude itself, showing that amid the
crumbling relics of the past humanity
still held its home.
Here lay old Tyre, and as she thus
dwelt within the solemnity of the
memories that clung to her decaying
monuments, she presented a strange
contrast to the city of her children
that now stood in magnificent power
upon the opposite isle.
Oh, what a grandeur there Is in the
speaking stones of ancient ruins! The
smooth, unlettered marble speaks a
language peculiarly its own—a lan
guage made powerful from its very
mysterious silence. The falling walls
are nothing but carved and fashioned
stones, but, oh, what thrilling tales
have been whispered in their now
locked up ears. But above all, they
tell to us in thunder tones the solemn
truth, earthly power hangs only upon
fading, ending moments; and from the
decay of mortality and its works the
mind irresistibly wanders away to that
God with whom alone dwells all that
can outlast destroying time.
Upon a bank formed by the soft moss
that had grown over a thick slab, just
at the foot of a towering column sat
the fair Marina and the faithful Es
ther. Words may have passed between
them, but now they seemed to rest in
silent anxiety, for they had sat there
long, and waited for their guide, and
now that the moon had risen and he
came not, they began to feel anxious,
for the bright beams would ere long re
veal them to any one who might be
passing that way.
At length, as they had almost be
come chilled through by tbe damp
coolness of the atmosphere, they were
startled from their anxiety by the ap
pearance of Gio, and with a simultane
ous cry of delight, they both sprang to
their feet.
“You are not hurt,father? ’exclaimed
Esther, as she laid her hand affection
ately upon his arm.
“Yo,no, child.”
“But how did you escape them?”
“Who?”
“The men in the barge.”
“Y^ver mind, Esther, answered the
rmor
armorer, with a shudder; “suffice it for
you to know that I am safe, and that
in my own safety you, too, are i-afe.”
“But I thought I heard the clang of
steel for a moment just before you
came.”
“Have you not heard it oft in my
shop?”
“¥es, father.”
“Then the clang was to some pur
pose. Come, follow me, for the point
of our destination lies not far from
here.”
Thus saying, Gio turned his steps to
the leit around the huge pillar, and
struck off through a labyrinth of
fluted columns, which appeared to have
once supported the arcade that sur
rounded an extensive piazza. When
he had passed these, the way opened to
a narrow street, which he followed to
the right for a few steps; and then
crossing again to the left, he passed
through a wide apperture in a massive
marble wall, beyond which was a wide
spread scene of magnificent desolation.
Huge slabs, prostrate columns, broken
vases,shafts and capitals; elaborately
ornamented archives, freezes and cor
nices, with here and there long rows of
marble seats, and nearly in the center
of all a huge porphyry pedestal marked
the spot-as one of more than common
note. Here, in fact, had stood the vast
temple of Hercules, that god being the
titular deity of the Tyrians. Upon the
pedestal just mentioned once srood the
famous oracle of Hercules (a temple
and oracle of tbe same name were now
in the island city), and now here Gio
stopped and gazed about him as if to
assure himself that no waicht-rs were
near.
“Here we wait for one who will give
us conduct,” said the armorer, “and one
against whose power even Mapen
dare not raise a single jewel of his
crown.”
As Gio spoke he stamped thrice with
his heavy foot upon the Mosaic pave
ment where he stood, and while yet tbe
girls waited curiously for the result of
this strange movement, a low rumbling
was heard beneath them, and in a mo
ment more the huge mass that formed
the pedestal moved some three feet,
with a sort of rotary motion, from the
place where it stood; then a wide slab
was lifted till its edge leaned against
the removed body, and as Marina
started back in wonder, a human being
ascended and stood by them. It was a
man as tall and powerful as was Gio
himself, and evidently disgui-ed, for
his form was enveloped in a sort of ca
pacious toga, and a long strip of white
cloth W8s drawn around his head and
passed twice around under the chin,
thereby leaving only the center of tLe
face visible.
‘Iv’e waited for you,” said this
strange appearance.
“I’ve c<>me as quickly as pos-ible,” re
turned Gio.
“Well, never mind; comedown.”
Gio took Marina, by the hand and
followed the new guide down the mar
ble steps which had been revealed by
the removal of the pedestal, Esther
bringing up t he rear. The apartment
thus arrived at was quite capacious
and fitted up in a style of splendor
quite remarkable, to say the least; and
from the various symbols that adorned
the walls and.columns it must have
been, during the being of the vast
temple above, a secret resort of the
priests of the oracle.
“Here, my daughters,” said the
stranger, ‘ you can remain in peace
and safety. Here are provisions in
plenty, and every night you will be
visited by a servant who will attend to
your wants, and s pply your lamp with
oil.”
While tbe mar speaking he re
moved the banda from his head and
face, and in so doing revealed a flowing
white beard and hair. Marina gazeu
for a moment upon him, and then,
clasping her hands together, she fell
upon her knees and bent her head
towards the pav ment.
She was in the presence of Balbec,
the chief priest of the temple of Her
cules, a man than whom none other
was more honored, and at the same
time more feared, in all Tyre.
“Arise, my child,” said Balbec, as he
extended his h j .nd to assist her; “you
have nothing to fear. It may seem
strange that I should thus leave my
sacred office to aid the, but the gods
have so willed it und I must obey.”
‘ Oh, what strange fate is mine !” mur
mured M arina, as she gazed with tremb-
ling awe up into the face of the all
powerful priesr. •
“Thy fate is yet hidden, my child,”
returned he; “but thy destiny is cast,
nevertheless.”
“Then read it to me. Let me know
the end of all this,” urged Marina, in
anxious tones.
“Yay, nay,” said Balbec. “Though
the gods of our people reveal to their
chosen servants some of the future, yet
the Universal God, to whom all other
gods do homage, has made mortals
after his own will and purpose, and
from them he hides what he sees fit.
For thine own happiness seek not too
deeply into the future, which a wiser
than myself has hidden from th< e.”
“Forgive me if I have sinned,” ejac
ulated Marina. “To you, in whom all
Tyre trusts, I may safely look with
confidence. But I shall not be confined
here long?”
“My child,” returned the chief priest,
“there is a dark storm-cloud rising
over Tyre. That storm shall ere long
burst, and when its fury has passed
away you shall return to your home.
Seek no more.”
Strange and mysterious felt the
daughter of Ludim. She knew that
she lived and moved, but wherefore
she knew not. Strange resuBs
were hanging upon her destiny,
and momentous events were linked
with her future, She felt herself to be
in the hands of a power she could
neither withstand nor comprehend.
The heir of the Tyrian'crown and
sceptre had sought her hand, and he
would have forced her to become his
bride. The king, too, aimed at the
same end, and to escape them both she
had given herself into the care of him
who had brought her hither. Why
was all this? Why had her father been
removed, except that she might become
a more easy prey to the unaccountable
desire of the king? All, aU was as
dark and inexplicable as the center of
high Olympus, and she found that she
might have as well tried to pas.
through the adamantine larriers of
the resistless mount as to fmt e * re k
a solution to the mysteries that en
veloped her.
“Come, Gio,’ said Balbec, as he
wound the wide coil once mure about
his head; “it is time that we were
going.”
“You speak truly, Balbec,” returned
the armorer, and then, turning to the
two girls, he assured them that thev
had nothing tofe>r, and that their
wants should be well cared for.
“And you, Esther,” he continued,
“will serve your companion as she may
desire, for the time may come when
you wid thank me for giving you the
office.”
“I thank you air ady,” said Esther,
with sparkling eyes; ‘ for it is a pleas
ure to me thus to serve one who both
deserves and needs it.”
Gio thanked his « hi’d with a kiss,
and Marina then threw her arms about
her kind friend’s neck. Tnis little
sunbeam of sympathy illuminated
somewhat the darkness before the po< r
fugitive, for while tbe light of a pure
friendship was in In r path she had at
least something worili living for.
Shortly afterwards Balbec and Gio
bade the girls once more to be of good
cheer, and then ascending the s eps
they passed out upon the pavement
above. By a means kn..wn only to
those two men who now stood there,
the pedestal was moved back to its
place, and then they turned to
wards the sea. Yone save them
selves know of the strange connection
that esisted between the high chief
priest of the great Tyrian temp e and
the stalwart armorer of Tyre—one
standing as the “cliiefest” man of all
the city, in that he was the sacred in
terpreter of the gods, and the chosen
servant of Hercules—rhe other but a
simple artisan, who labored humbly
and hard for his daily bread.
Balbec and tHo g?iined the boat and
put forth for the island; but when
they entered the city it was by the
southern gate, when a simple word
from the former gave them instant
passage by the sentinel.
CHAPTER V.
THE PRISONER.
Upon a slightly raised throne of
ivory, inlaid with gold and precious
stones, sat Mapen, King of Tyre. By
his side stood Prince Phalis, over
whose features the marks of dissipa
tion h id already been plainly laid. A
few steps in front of the throne stood
the sentim 1 who had been on post at
the southern gate on the previous eve
ning, and around him were a dozen
soldiers, while back of the throne were
ranged in the most exact order a score
of attendant-.
The king’s countenance was dark and
lowering, and as he clutched with ner
vous grip the hilt of a small dagger
that was confined within his jeweled
girdle, one might have seen that an
emotion of more than ordinary import
was rankling his soul. The soldiers
stood trembling before the monarch,
and as they met his flashing glances
they cowered as before some raving
beast.
“Slave!” cried the king, addressing
the aforementioned sentinel, who stood .
cringing like a whipped cur, “was it by
your p st that these people passed?”
“A man and two girls, sire.”
“And had you not arms ?”
“I had, sire; but the man was power
ful, and he seized me unawares. I
stoutly refused the girls passage, but
he overcame me. I know now it must
have been the armorer, for no oth*r
man in Tyre could have done what he
did ?”
“Then the man and the girls put off
from your landing?”
“Yes, sire—toward the coast.”
“And were they not almost imme
diately followed?’
“Yes, sire; by seven of the soldiers.”
“Phalis,” continued the king, turning
to his s<*n, “have you sent messengers
to the coast ?”
“Yes,” returned the prince, “I sent
them early this morning. They should
have returned by this time.”
‘Then we will wait for raFim,” said
Mapen. And then, turning to one of
the officers who had command of the
soldiers, he continued : “Now take that
vile, slave away and confine him. We
will consider whether his life is worth
the saving.”
As the king thus spoke the poor
sentinel was led away. He knew
Mapen too well t > think of asking for
pardon, or to attempt further explana
tion, for he knew that the simplest cir
cumstance might deciftfe his fate.
For some time after the culprit was
led away a strict silence was main
tained about the throne; but at length
a sudden stir was heard without, and
in a moment more a messenger rushed
breathlessly into the royal presence.
‘How now, sirrah !” exclaimed the
king. “Are you one who has been
upon the coast this morning ?”
*1 am, sire.”
‘And found you the soldiers who
went thirher last night?”
“All but one,’’returned the messen
ger, trembling with the weight of the
fearful news he bore.
“Ha! and why have they not re-