until further orders is hereby required. Your services shall be employed as there may be occasion. I must now seek a few hours recuperation.”
“That evil enemy of the Lord, an imperial counselor!” observed Bruno aside. “Perhaps I can find means to enlighten his highness of the error of his ways in that respect; and I doubt whether the infidel Solomon can long sustain himself in an exalted station from which the counsel of the Lord has long banished his race to be the despised of mankind.”
Solomon retired, as invited, to the quarters occupied by Don Abraham. Nicolas and Lord Zawis withdrew together, and Bishop Bruno also sought his resting place, but not to sleep. During several hours he penned a lengthy epistle to Rome, and giving in full detail a narration of the eventful day’s deliberations he earnestly sought for specific instructions, even for the minute particulars that he explained. The dispatch was entrusted to a dark-robed brother before daylight, and this messenger speedily and cautiously retired from the camp. “The Jew shall remember this day,” was Bruno’s last exclamation.
Early next morning Valens received sealed orders, and together with Pietro and a few troopers almost as wild looking as the depredators around, departed on his mission. The party traveled rapidly fora few miles. In fact the evidences of pillage abounded on every hand. Not a dwelling remained unransacked; the population apparently had fled. Some stray cattle and other domestic creatures wandered around aimlessly, as if in wonder, totaily untended.
