The King's Talisman — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

18 ; THE KING'S TALISMAN. aught that could tend to implicate him unfavorably. So without further hesitation he said to the eunuchs: ‘‘Your silly fright of Eblis came nigh rendering your journey fruitless; but as it is, the man you seek stands be- fore you. Now tell me what the king desires of me?” ‘“Do you speak the truth, sir?” asked the eunuch, gaz- ing with a sort of. wonder upon the young man. ‘Tam Noureddin, the son of Ali Kinah, the corn-seller. - Now answer my question.” «That we cannot do, master, for the king has not given to us further instructions than merely to call you to his presence.” ‘¢'Then lead on, and I will follow you,” replied Noured- din, as he placed his javelin back into its becket, and re- turned his sword to its scabbard. Modad had been upon the throne of Petra for thirteen years, and during that time he had established a character for tyranny and a revengeful disposition, which led the peo- ple to be very careful how they crossed him. Merolboth, the former king, left his people no heir to his throne, and upon his death, his only brother, Modad, succeeded him; but in his reign he had shown none of those kingly virtues which characterized the sway of Merolboth. Noureddin — knew the king’s disposition too weil to disobey his sum- mons, and consequently he resolved to accompany his zuides to the royal palace, wondering what could be want- ing of one like himself, who had never been within the pal- ace walls, and who had never come under the eye of the monarch. It was nearly dark when the youth and his guides reached the entrance of the narrow, rugged pass that led into the city, but a word from the eunuch procured a passage by the soldiers who guarded the way, and without further molest- ation they passed on. Perhaps the earth does not. afford another such awe and wonder-inspiring spectacle, taken with Eomicbooks