far eastern province on the Persian frontier.

"But why should the coming of the Roman so trouble you, my
Odhainat?" she asked. "We are neither Jew nor Christian that we
should fear his wrath, but free Palmyreans who bend the knee
neither to Roman nor Persian masters."

"Who WILL bend the knee no longer, be it never so little, my
cousin," exclaimed the lad hotly, "as this very day would have
shown had not this crafty Rufinus--may great Solomon's genii dash
him in the sea!--come with his cohort to mar our measures! Yet
see--who cometh now?" he cried; and at once the attention of the
young people was turned in the opposite direction as they saw,
streaming out of the great fortress-like court-yard of the Temple
of the Sun, another hurrying throng.

Then young Odhainat gave a cry of joy.

"See, Bath Zabbai; they come, they come"! he cried. "It is my
father, Odhainat the esarkos,[1] with all the leaders and all the
bowmen and spearmen of our fahdh armed and in readiness. This day
will we fling off the Roman yoke and become the true and
unconquered lords of Palmyra. And I, too, Must join them," he
added.

[1] The "head man," or chief of the "fahdh," or family.


But the young girl detained him. "Wait, cousin," she said; "watch
and wait. Our fahdh will scarce attempt so brave a deed to-day,