The King's Talisman — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

THE KING'S TALISMAN. 1857 CHAPTER XVII. THE MESHES OF THE NET GROW CLOSER. On the following morning the king was early astir, and ere he was dressed he had received a report from him who had been sént to intercept Abdah Nazor. ‘‘And saw you nothing of this old man, Ahab?” ‘Not even his shadow, sire. But one living soul in the streets, save my own party, did my eyes rest upon, and that was the centurion whom you sent me for, and whom I oyer- took on his return home.” ‘‘ Mizar,” said the king, turning to the servant who had brought him the intelligence of the old dervise’s where- abouts, ‘‘are you sure that it was Abdah Nazor whom you saw at the pass?” ‘<Yes, sire. I know him well, and I saw his features distinctly by the light of the officer’s torch, as he examined the party.” «Party, said you, Mizar?” ‘‘T told thee, last night, he had companions.” «¢ Ay, I remember now; though thou didst make mention of a party, the presence of this old soothsaying traitor so absorbed mie, that I gave it no note. But what was this party?” | ‘Some party of your own, I should say, your majesty, for there were a dozen of your own eunuchs.” «¢ And did they enter the pass from the eastward?” ‘‘ Yes, sire.” <¢So soon) so soon!” murmured the king to himself, as he turned away from his servants and paced thoughtfully across the apartment, ‘‘'Ten of them, you said, Mizar?” Eomicbooks (ef o)