The King's Talisman — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

114 THE KING'S TALISMAN. «< Al-Bassa, you are the very man I seek;” and then turn- ing to the place from which he had first appeared, he gave a low whistle, which soon brought two more men to his assistance. ‘“What means this? Why am I, the king’s counselor, thus stopped on my way?” ‘Tt is because you are the king’s counselor,” fuoonically: ‘replied the man who held him. ‘© And does the king send for me thus?” asked the coun- selor, while he trembled at every joint. ‘¢ He has sent for thee, and the sooner he sees your coun- tenance, the better he will be pleased.” ‘‘Then tell Modad I will attend him as soon as possible. I must first repair to my dwelling; then I will make such haste as I can.” ‘’Oh, good counselor, the king has given us directions not to put you to that trouble. We will conduct you at once to his presense.” Al-Bassa’s heart sank within him at this announcement, and with all his lately accumulated courage, he found his spirits fast drooping before the calamity that now threat- ened him. He thought not of resistance against the three men who now surrounded him, and without a struggle he suf- fered himself to be led away. In the next square from that of Dilotus, stood a still more splendid column which rose above the remains of the lamented Merolboth. Its base wasa huge marble mauso- leum, elaborately carved with inscriptions and emblems, and as Al-Bassa’s eyes fell upon the towering pile, he in- stinctively prayed that the spirit of the good departed king might come now to his assistance. Hardly had the three messengers and their victim ap- proached the monument, when a dusky form was seen to glide forth from its base and stand in their way. As they came near to the strange object which had thus Eomichbooks:co m