nd see," he answered sadly.

As he spoke Ithobal himself appeared followed by certain evil-looking
savages. Having greeted Metem courteously he turned to the Hebrew
soldiers in the cages and asked them which of their number was most
prepared to die.

"I, Ithobal, who am their leader," said Aziel.

"No, Prince," replied Ithobal with a cruel smile, "your time is not yet.
Look, there is a man who has been wounded; to put him out of his pain
will be a kindness. Slaves, bear that Jew to the edge of the rock,
and--as the prince will wish to study a new mode of death--bring his
cage also."

The order was obeyed, Aziel being set down upon the very verge of the
cliff. Close to him a spur of granite jutted out twenty feet or so from
the edge. At the end of the spur a groove was cut and over this groove,
suspended by a thin chain from a pole, hung a wedge of pure crystal
carefully shaped and polished. While Aziel wondered what evil purpose
this stone might serve, the slaves had fastened a fine rope to the cage
containing the wounded Hebrew soldier and secured its end. Then they set
the rope in the groove of the granite spur, and pushed the cage over the
edge of the cliff, so that it dangled in mid-air.

"Now I will explain," said Ithobal. "This is a method of punishment that
I have borrowed from those followers of Baal who worship the sun, by
means of which Baal claims his own sacrifice, and none are guilty of the
victim's blood. You see yonder crystal--well, at any appointed hour, for
it can be hung as you will, the rays of the sun shining through it cause
the fibres of the grass rope to smoke and smoulder till at length they
part and--Baal takes his sacrifice. Should a cloud hide the sun at the
appointed hour, then, Baal having spared him, the victim is set free.
But, as you will note, at this season of the year there are no clouds.

"What, Prince, have you nothing to say?" he went on, for Aziel had
listened in silence to the tale of this devilish device. "Well, learn
that it depends upon the lady Elissa yonder whether or not this fate
shall be yours. Send now and pray her to save you. Think what it will be
to hang as at this moment your servant hangs over that yawning gulf of
space, waiting through the long hours till at last you see the little
wreaths of smoke begin to curl from the tinder of the cord. Why! before
the end found them I have known men go mad, and, like wolves, tear with
their teeth at the wooden bars.

"