The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 16, 1901, Page 8

SUNDAY CALL. of America stie in curls of Ing 5 e t =« shot forth ks ng she ground her te signs; stately and m Roman maiden X by the head v vement ¢ murmured r white teeth heart as he i to a Ro- 1 gave re cruel tears streame de said she. *“If 3 end to my sword and kill ma that T will raise you to the 1 said he, “an 1l ¥ou be 1 is here?” piles driven into legions would e bave been saying to and calling to he said, “Do ¥ prisoners? falls, g0 their i —vou will stay with v Ke t ve you mear me; it ess try to escape, for the empy S0 you shall be rstand this, if vou hold to your life and aughing. ' asked Andrada. that 1T i do what he pleases with a matter of indifference with you is it equally indiffer- 1l is the same—everything— 2! vou do not “speak why should your eyes be y toward that tower? E aiting for a signal from the Xoma Y you: and when vou run quickly e steps which lead to Longinus . hide yourself there, you think is blind, complete- ted to the neck -and as she seized on the 2 and bent it like a again to that tower e bealn with whips—do you A escaped like an eel, leavin of her black hair in Andradas hand: ng herself up, she cried: At Rome Rome y«¢ r chains and b ached a umphal chariot: you shall be whipped, and you shall bow your head lower than you have made me bow mine.” So saving. she darted off like an arrow to rejoi with the prison- ers in his charge Andrada shrugged her shoulders. “‘She will have to die,” said she, “but it would really be a pity; for though she is a viper, she is a very charming one. She must be slowly tortured to death, and she will higs to the last! Yes, she must die, though only by my hand; she comes of a noble Bt B R P | DRINKTO THE— NOBLE HERO~TRAJAN- “something is burning near of the Roman legion, which w. in the obscurit, ve Decebal Andrada stocd before him, I S & large stone, on which biirned a small oil flickering and smoking. L B 5 can_do nothing He has had time for re- flecticn, but his bearing is obstinate and s well as we, he knows that the Romans are too powerful against us. Shall I show you what I have prep and ycur warrior: and let its light wine and oil, on sacks of ric But at the e seated, while aning against with Longinus. Into the flames and the lurid light shone on the prison of Longinus; he shuddered as the crackling of the fire and the cries of the suffering reached his ears. his prison-door opened and in the r xtreme end of the “I have come to sav to vou, Longinus, father is willing even now to et you free if you will but prevail on us the territory as far of ail the re- be spared; approaching with glared out upon her in the darkne eyes of Faps the eyes of for the hilt and none other and the lives touch her brown skin.” oners shall shall be given back to you.” “I do not hear your words, for my ears by the groans of my fellow- poigrard in her wai myself must it in its place, shs from her hiding are you here?” this very évening diers, who are her prizone; he will have our sol- “By what right drada stood, c are stopped fixedly on t countrymen. ¢ “They must die’ or they would betray us, but vou—you will live!” ot accept gifts at the hands ce be made, shall we not be 1 have been compelled to forbid Fausta visiting yousthese past days.” “She is a slave.” “She is mine; from the hands of my father. and yet I know she seeks nity to betray us.” 'And they call that liking in this coun- 1 was but screenin my eyes from the replied the girl. ed Andrada mockjngly. , take this br: r in the triumphal you say I am to take part.” Fausta seized the bracelet, flung it on the ground and crushed it under her san- dal. “‘On that day it will be the conqueror recompense me,” have stolen which shall ‘ame morning Longinus received from the hands of Faust. phial, which he concealed in the his toga, and had dra him and embr; thank her. from his cares; me,"” she said, for having perm ““Trajan is sacrificing me,” from slavery “‘One does n of an enemy, , be flung to nd I will crush her under my ! where can I now fly?— ts me and,will bind me to that I may witness the fun- re and hear the groans 6f agony. So saying, she covered small hands and ran procession “which wn the voung girl “I allow you to embrace 1 received her as a gift himself who life: 1 like hes Andrada smiled. “Worthy pupil of such but an opport a master—'One does not accept gifts from Go and bring Bicilis to me.” While Fausta crept outside, murmuring softly the name of Bicilis, Decebal, his n his band, called to An- “My child, you are brave? I You have but to imagine you are ay ing on the battle fiewd. the Dacians will be put to death, some time Longinus regarded the on—it seemed as eyes from it—then he sud- »aled it in his mantle. Fausta had found a hiding-place in the he would not be an eye- terrivle spectacle; and al- though Andrada questioned Bicills very severely as to her whereabouts, he would not betray her retreat. The Dacian women flung the prisoners an enemy!" Our cause is we phial of poi: not detach hi if he could Ardrada smiled. -**As one loves a mortal enemy—as the eagle loves the gazelle,” “as the sun loves a drop of rain, voluptuously before and Andrada, who will walk bhe! triumphal car in chains, an chains, and T will bruise ms beat her with the Wb with which * and here the young in her hands and sobbed. “Poer Andrada,” cried Longinus. head resting drada thus: d I shall hold which he embr drinking it up.” Night desc ery, and a “Yes, my father.” . “No longer can we defend the town.” “Then we must bur T ni ded on the smoking butch- &lirl hid her face oft wind carried across the lain, clouds of .ashes bearing a si ing, nauseous odor. n it to the ground, “And what shall we do If we find our- > selves surrounded by tne enemy - * lere is your precious goblet of gold, and in that corner the Graught which will procure for us the last sleep, my father.” ~You have thought even of this? And I, who had dreamed of another future for you?~I had noped to induce Trajan to make you his wife; there was a time when he would have been but too happy to pur- chase peace at such a price.” “Think you that Decebal's daughter would gain value in her ow eyes by be- coming a Roman empress? No, my father: it is y to dle, and I will not survive you. Decebal sighed heavily as Bicllis en- tered. “Longinus gave this writing to his guard,” said he. Decebal opened and read: “You are lost, Decebal; the enemy Is in your house.” Decebal held out the writing in silence to Bicil, wio, smiling, said He seems o forget that you are no craven coward, :‘.Ht_] that you can count on your faithful allies. here is but that little serpent Fausta who could betray us; she should have been burned with the rest.”” & “‘She shall yet die, my father,” said An- rada. Bicilis cast a look of hatred on Andrada, though it fell unremarked, her eyes being fixed on the ground. We have enough prowisions in the town,” said Decebal. ““We can defend ourselves for a time against the Romans and their insatiable thirst for conquest ; but what gain we by holding out? Sooner or later we must surrender.” His somber countenance was bent toward the earth as he twisted his beard nervously with his hand. 0 “They will not find man s when they do arrive,” said” Arasions “‘after the men have ‘perished then the women will, with their flaming torches. set fire to Saramisegethusa; for this all is prepared.” Steps were suddenly heard approaching the cave and a warrior was visible in ,“," distance. Decebal shaded his eyes with his hand—the better to look into the ligh ascertaining who was nearing him. cried, “Bato! what brings you here? Are you the bearer of evil tidings " “Longins is dead, my lot Decebal sprang from his s “Ye: my e dead; with hial in his hand g p,\udr:um recognized a phi‘nlr: hich she ly carried abou roD T s past mysterious! murmured the ona « F L § “r».ff-'.qm rose to his feet: his face was with anger; his beard seemed eve )’Hlf!"l" . aight from passion. C and show it to Kl\sv,F;um\—¢ " erfed he. as soon as they approach,” cried he. “My lord, would this be pruden 1 Bato. ““Fhe time for prudence has passed sald Decebal huskily: and, showing him the writing, he said Bat hook “They think Bato shoc Yy Gtk weaken us Lok tale & fidence,” o s every or account th: counts on avery ourselve Bicilis who still as a morsel of “And our wo . wome an knows An- 05S5essor : 3 pThen Andrada aroused herself. “Trajan 1s a mighty Emperor, fan rere to be Andrada In the gray tated tru even for came wild shou while a clashing est gate of the er of the bla approach f arms was heard . The Rox of the r gaulting the town on t ts side: the same Their fury had redoun when the morning light had brought their view the head of Long drada- still looked down from t of the tower. She saw her father giving his orders with his habitual cool sel he fie t as y s Romans, a3 \ stones and javelins were showered upon them from the heights of the ramparts. At one of the gates she percelv at another, Bicilis. The bright sun shon In all his glory on a grandiose spectacle the hand-to-hand and vloody strife: the young maiden, silent and solitary, near to the headless body of Longinus! Suddenly a gliding, graceful figure crept along and drew near to Bicilis. After e changing a few words with him, it ¢ appeared and made its way to the neare. gate. Andrada felt the hot biood bounc ing in her templ breathless, watched the traitre: n instant a ward the gate was for 1 the Re entered in dense m rada ap her two hands to and forth a shrill cry, ! a bi prey—a second, y 1 time, and rushed to the leading the tower. But, a was a at the bottom of eps and had been fastened from the outs “Fau ried she, biting her lips w. her until the blood flowed looked around her; the staircase wa scure, but she perceived a stone which was loose and had fallen away. Could she raise it? S ning her arms and with the force of an Amazon, she lifted it above her head and flung it again the door. The door shook, but the hinges did not yield. A second effort was more successful and the wood of the door shiv- ered into splinters. Then Andrada scized two ches and lighting them at th smoldering ashes, forced herself a pass amid the throng. On women, only waiting b . flung the torches to right and lef house to house—with the cry of rada! Andrada!” Soon the streets were a of flame, enveloping the Roman as- sailants. Decebal heard the cry. and looking back, perceived the troops of his enemy breaking in on every side amidst Continued on Page Nine.