University of Toronto Schools - Twig Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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THE T W I G Guizante nodded quickly. Ten thousand crowns were his! A man once lived far from the city he called his own, yet he had not forgotten that city. Still he worked for her advance -when she paid him well. Finally he de- sired too much. lf he could kill his land's greatest enemy, the reward would be great. But this man forgot that others before him had attempted this forgot that other lands enemy's death. He besides his own had spies. And so he died, a wiser man-drink Guizantef' Borgia had come to a swift and terrible life. His unsheathed poniard menaced Guizante's throat. Trembling, the Venetian drained the cup. Borgia relaxed again. He smiled coldly. Coward-you would have died quicker by the knife. Guizante you are doomed. 'iBut you yourself drank of it. You will die too, shrieked the other. I think not. The poison for my death you bought from Thomas IVIerlone, practiser in mysteries. I have used him myself. Spies. spies Guizante. You have been watched for a year since I found the seal of the Venetian ambassador in your papers. Oh yes, I al- ways have the papers of those who profess friendship to me examined. You lived for a year Guizante so that I might intercept your correspondence with Venice-and find a cause for war. Your purpose has been achieved. I no longer need you alive. Borgia poured out some wine into another cup. He sipped it. Very good wine indeed, he remarked reflectively. Now to call my guard. Noble emissary, your house has been surrounded for an hour. The last came to Guizante as through a rumbling haze. Strange lights whirled be- fore his eyes. Wraiths danced in his brain, mocking, shrieking. He felt a sudden un- bearable pain. Then, nothing. His body no longer seemed his own. He felt himself slipping to the floor-and ten thousand crowns lost, lost. 53 But how? Guizante never knew. He did not smile now. . . . Borgia spoke to the captain of his guard who had entered. 'iThis fool has died of his own poison. Carry him outside. He was so desirous of poisoning me he did not reckon that I might have had him poisoned! Yes, the same wine he attempted to use in killing me killed him-justice, eh? Look-that orange Guizante was eating. Poisoned by servants bribed by my spies-good Thomas Merlone supplied the ingredient. He treated them all and C-uizante was ever partial to oranges. The Duke sat down again at the table. He picked up the poison cup, found the catch and operated the false bottom. He gazed silently at the trace of white powder that adhered to it. He sighed. 'iAnd the same good Thomas Nlerlone who supplied me, sold Guizante powdered sugar for poison. The Demagogue RALPH STURGEON Talk, talk, talk, Is cheap, so very cheap: Echoes in a void of thought. The orator arises- Stately he moves through The noisy throng-oh senseless words! He mounts the rostrum. Such poise, and power Of thought expressed In flowing speech Clear-cut, and eloquent: The quibblers pause, Intent upon each syllable, Swaying to the mastery of tongue. An artist with his words: His thoughts at once are theirs. A demagogue is born.

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THE TWIG Thomas Edward Lawrence GEOFFREY M. C. DALE. N AUGUST l5th, l888, there was born at Tremadoc in North Wales, one of the most romantic and enigmatical charac- ters in history-the late T. E. Lawrence. From his early childhood he showed that he was no ordinary individual. He took a very great interest in Archaeology which is un- usual in most young children, by the time he was thirteen years old he was an actual expert in otptery of the Middle Ages, and before he entered the University he had visited and studied most of the mediaeval castles and fortresses in England and He attended the City of Oxford School, where he distinguished himself by France. breaking every rule and regulation which in- terfered with his freedom of action. When he left the High School, he entered Jesus College, Oxford, to read for History. At the end of his three-year course, he decided to submit a thesis in addition to his other papers. He chose as his subject, 1'-l-he ln-- fluence of Europe, and supplemented his knowledge of French and English fortifica- tions by a visit to Syria and Palestine, where he not only studied castles, but also acquired some familiarity with Arab dialects. ln l909, chiefly on the strength of his thesis, he was awarded a First Class Honours Degree in History. From I9IO to l9l4, he accom- panied various British Museum expeditions to Syria, Egypt, and Palestine, during which he increased his knowledge of Archaeology, and learned much about the language and the customs of the Arabs. The outbreak of the War in l9I4 found him studying at Oxford. He triecl to join the Officers Training Corps at Oxford, but was rejectedg the O. T. C. at London also refused him. Finally, however, he secured a position in the Geographic Department of the General Staff at Whitehall. His work was to make maps of Suria, Belgium, and France, and he enjoyed this immensely. But in I9 l 5, because of this experience with the Arabs, he was sent out to the Arab Bureau at Cairo, with the rank of Second-Lieutenant. Early in l9l6, under the leadership of the Sheriff of Mecca, the Arabs had rebelled against Turkeyg but a few early reverses had discouraged them, and revealed their need of a capable leader. ln October, Lawrence found such a man in Fiesal, the son of the Sheriff. Since the former had made himself extremely unpopular at Cairo by criticising the inefficiency of his superiors, he had little difficulty in obtaining a liason- officership at l:iesal's camp. Lawrence and Fiesal together formed an almost perfect leadership. Much could be written of his campaigns and adventures with his Arab friends, and of his Spartan endurance of heat, hunger, thirst, and weariness, but it is impossible to do so here. It can only be said that his specialty was harassing the Turks by am- bushing columns of troops, and blowing up trains and bridges. He blew up seventy- nine bridges in all, and was always sorry that he could not make his total a full eighty. His explosive exploits won him the nick- name Emir Dinarnitf' but to the Arabs in general he was known as Aurans. The Arabs had for Lawrence a blind, half-super- stitious devotion. He swept from success to success, and brought the revolt to a triumphant conclusion when his forces occupied Damascus on the 30th of Septem- ber, l9l8. Lawrence's great organizing ability, coupled with subtle tact and dip- lomacy, enabled him to set up an Arabian Provisional Government, and to restore law and order in the city in the short space of twelve hours-a truly remarkable achieve- ment. He stayed in the city until the British, led by Allenby, arrived. The latter approved of all that Lawrence had clone there, and relieved him of all his respon-