St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-08
CHAPTER XIV.
THE HOUSE OF s1DI HAzAM.

1t was about 9 o'clock. Musketry, music,
shouting, all had suddenly ceased. The
crowd had begun to dispense; some went
back to Tripoli, others to the oasis of Men
chic and the neighboring villages. In an
hour the plain of Soung-Ettelate would be
silent and empty. Tents would be folded
up. camps would be raised, negroes and
Berbers were already on the road to the diff
ferent Tripolitan districts, while the Senou-
sists were off towards the vilayet of Ben
Ghazi to join the concentration of the ca
liph's forces.
The doctor, Pierre and Luigi were the
only people that did not leave the place
during the night. Ready for all that might
happen since the disappearance of Point
Pescade, each of them had chosen his post
of observation at the base of the walls of
Sidi Hazams house.
Point Pescade had given tremendous
leap, as Matifou held the pole up at arms
length. and fallen on the parapet of one of
the terraces at the foot of the minaret which
commanded the different courtyards of the
house.
| On that dark night no one within or with
out had noticed him. He was not even OBJ
served from the skifa in the second court
yard. in which were few Khouans. some
of whom were asleep while others were on
the watch by order of the moqaddem.
Point Pescade, be it understood, had
really no definite plan. The interior ar
rangement of the house was unknown to
him, and he did not know in what part the
girl was detained, nor if she was alone OF
kept out of sight, nor if he had sufficient
strength to help her escape. Hence he
must act little at a venture; and this is
what he thought:
''Anyhow, by force or stratagem, I must
reach Sava Sapdorf. If she cannot come
with me Immediately, if cannot get heI
away tonight. she must be told that Pierre
Bathory is alive, that he is here at the foot
of these walls, that DR.. Antekirtt and his
companions are ready to help her, and that
if her escape must be delayed she must not
yield to any threats! Imay of course be
found out beforn l reach her! But then
must take care of that"
Pescade's first care was to unwind slen-
der-knotted cord that he had hidden under
his clowns dress; then he tied one end of
this round the angle of one of the battle
ments and threw over the other so that it
hung down to the ground. This was only a
measure of precaution, good one never
theless. And when he had finished Pes
cade, before going farther, lay down on his
stomach and remained motionless. If he
had been seen the terrace would soon be in
vaded by Sid Hazam's people, and then he
would have to use the cord on his own &C
count. instead of that of Sava Sandorf, as
he intended.
Complete silence reigned in the moqad-
denis house. AS neither Sidi Hazam mol
Sarcany, nor any of their people, had takeI
part in the feast of the storks, the door OF
the zaouiya had not been opened since sun
rise.
After waiting some minutes Point Pes
cade moved toward the angle from which
arose the mnaret. The staircase which lei
to the upper part of this minaret evidently
ran down to the ground in the first court
yard. In fact door opening on to the ter
race gave admission to the stairs leading tt
the rooms below.
This door was shut from the inside, no
with key, but with bolt that it would b.
impossible to slip back from the outside un
less hole were made through the wood.
This labor Point Pescade would have at
tempted, for he had in his pocket a many
bladed knife, a precious present from the
doctor, of which he could make good use.
But that would be long, and perhaps noisy,
task.
1t was unnecessary. Three feet above the
terrace window in the form of loophole
was small Point Pescade was not large.
Besides, he was not like a cat who can
elongate herself to pass through where there
seems to be no passage? And so he tried,
and after some squeezing of the shoulders
he found himself IN the minaret.
'Cape Matifou could not have done that~
he thought.
Then feeling his way round, he returned
to the door, and unbolted it, so that it re-
manned unfastened in case he had to return
by the same road.
AS he went down the winding stairs of
the minaret. Point Pescade glided rather
than stepped, so that his weight would not
cause the wooden stairs to creek. AT the
bottom he fonnd second door. Itwas shut;
but he had only to push it for it to open.
The door opened on to gallery OF little
columns, by which access was given to a
certain number of rooms. After the COM
plete darkness of the minaret, the gallery
seemed light to Pescade; but there was no
light in the interior, and not a sound.
In the center of the courtyard was basin
of running water surrounded by large pots
of shrubs, pepper-trees, palms, laurel-roses,
and cacti the thick foliage forming clump
of verdure round the edge.
Point Pescade stole round this gallery like
a wolf, stopping before each room. II
seemed they were inhabited. Not all OF
them, however; but behind one of he doors
he distinctly heard the murmur of voice he
knew.
1COnninued next Sunday.