when the old man had finished his tale o'donell and delancy thanked him for the relation adding at the same time that they had never heard anything half so wonderful then as it was very late they all retired to rest next morning o'donell awoke very early and looking round the cave he perceived the bed of leaves on which the old man had lain to be empty the rising he went out of the cave the sky was covered with red fiery clouds except those in the east whose edges were tinged with the bright rays of the morning sun as they strove to hide its glory with their dark veil of vapours now all beauty and radiance by the golden line of light which sreaked their gloomy surface beneath this storm portending sky and far off to the westward rose two tremendous rocks whose sumits were enveloped with black clouds rolling one above another with an awful magnificence well suited to the land of wilderness and mountain which they canopied gliding along in the air between these two rocks was a chariot of light and in the chariot sat a figure the expression of whose countenance was that of the old man armed with the majesty and might of a spirit o'donell stood at the mouth of the cave watching it till it vanished and then calling delancy he related the circumstance to him [8] some years after this alexander went out one morning in search of the fruit on which they subsisted noon came and he had not returned evening and still no tidings of him o'donell began to be alarmed and set out in search of him but could no where find him one whole day he spent in wandering about the rocks and mountains and in the evening he came back to his cave weary and faint with hunger and thirst days weeks months passed away and no delancy apeared o'donell might now be said to be truly miserable he would sit on a rock for hours together and cry out alexander alexander but receive no answer except the distant echoing of his voice among the rocks sometimes he fancied it was another person answering him and he would listen ernestly till it dyed awey then sinking into utter despair again he woul sit till the dews of night began to fall when he would retire to his cave to pass the night in unquiet broken slumbers or in thinking of his beloved commander whom he could never see more in one of these dreadful intervals he took up a small parcel and opening it he saw lying before him two locks of soft culy hair shing like—burnished gold he gazed on them for a little and thought of the words of those who gave them to him—take this then that you may rember us when you dewll with only the wild beast of the desert and the great eagle of the mountain he burst into a flood of tears he wrung his hands sorrow and in the anguish of the moment he wished that he could once more see them and the mighty warrior king their father if it cost him his life just at that instant a loud clap of thunder shook the roof of the cave a sound like the rushing of the wind was heard and a mighty genius stood before him i know thy wish cried he with a loud and terrible voice and i will grant it in 2 months time thou returnest to the castle wence thou camest hither and surrenderest thyself into my power o'donell promised that he would and instantly he found himself at the door of the old castle and in the land of his birth he pursued his journey for three days and on the 3. day he arrived at the mountain which overlooked the city it was a beautiful evening in the month of september and the full moon was shedding her traquil light on all the face of nature the city was lying in its splendour and magnificence surrounded by the broad stream of the guadima the palace was majestically towering in the midst of it and all its pillars and battlements eemed in the calm light of the moon as if they were transformed into siver by the touch of a fairys wand o'donell staid not long to contemplate this beautiful scene but decending the mountain he soon crossed the fertile plain which led to the city and entering the gates he quickly arrived at the palace without speaking to any one he entred the iner court of the palace by a seecret way with which he was acquainted and then going up a flight of steps and crossing a long gallery he arrived at the kings private apartment the door was half open he looked and beheld 2 very handsome young men sitting together and reading he instantly recgonized them and was going to step forward when the door opened and the great duke entred o'donell could contain himself no longer but rushing in he threw himself at the feet of his grace o'donell is this you exclaimed the duke it is my most noble master answered o'donell almost choking with joy the young princes instantly embraced him while he almost smothered them with [9] caresses after a while they became tranquil and then o'donell at the request of the duke related all his adventures since he parted with them not omiting the condition on which he was now in the palace when he had ended a loud voice was heard saying that he was free from his promise and might spend the rest of his days in his native city sometime after this as o'donell was walking in the streets he met a gentleman who he thought he had seen before but could not recolect where or under what circumstances after a little conversation he discovered that he was alexander delancy that he was now a rich merchant in the city of paris and high in favour with the emperor napoleon as may be suposed they both were equally delighted at the discovery they ever after lived hapily in their seperate cities and so ends my little tale.