The King's Talisman — page 160: what you’re looking at

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

THE KINGS TALISMAN. 451. “Not yet, not yet, my son,” Abdah Nazor returned. “* There is yet time for that.” Hardly had the old man spoken, when there was a quick movement in the crowd near him, and a loud voice ex- claimed: “Seize him! Seize him! In the king’sname be it done!” and in a moment more a stout soldier sprang forward and caught the dervise by the wrist. Abdah Nazor shook off the hand that was lard upon him with a strength that few would have thought him possessed of, and raising his voice he cried, while a dozen more sol- diers pressed hard upon him: ** Citizens of Petra, will you stand by and see my gray hairs brought down in disgrace? Will you bow your necks willingly to a yoke which the coward tyrant would fasten upon you? Back, soldier—back, I say, or it may be the worse for thee.” The officers and soldiers of the king had surrounded the old man, and some half-dozen had set upon Noureddin, of whom they had thought to make an easy capture, but in this they were mistaken, for the youths sword flew from its scabbard, and with a look of defiance and determination that made his assailants start back, he raised his weapon, and etood his ground. ‘Touch me not,” he cried, bending his flashing eyes sternly upon those before him. ‘‘I myself will see the king in a moment when he desires it not. I ama citizen, andI — will maintain a citizen’s right.” The manner of the two men had by this time drawn the eager crowd more closely about them, and the soldiers had begun to tremble for their own safety, but still they kept their positions around the proscribed men, and watched their opportunity for seizing them and making their way through the crowd. ‘Citizens of Petra,” again exclaimed Abdah Nazor, in a (ete) Gomicbooks