The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-13

/ tOoA Lalid on DOard, ana promised to deliver
her safe to her aunt at karnak, SO that the
skeIkh might not know where the girl was
! gone, nor send TO fetch her. And the couu-
sci took next day with my brother was
this. In the dead Of night | rose up from
my hut and put mask Of white linen over
the whole OF my face, with thick stick in
my hands, aud went 30 the Sheikb's house,
down 10y the bank of the river
II broke into the sheikh's room by the
fiat rooted Clubhouse that led to his window
and locked the door; and there, before the
Sheikh could rouse his household, l beat
him, blow for blow, within an inch of his
HE, IN revenge for my own beating, and
because OF his injustice in trying to take my
, Lalla from me. The sheikk was a Dower~
full man, with muscles like iron, and he
grappled me hard. and tried TO wrench the
sick from me, aud bruised me about the
body by tiinging me on the ground: and /
was weak with my boating, and very sore
all over. But still, being by nature a strong
young man, very fierce with anger,
fought him hard, ard got him under in
the end, aud thwa sked him till he was as
black and blue as / myself was-cne mass
OF bruises from head to foot, with my
cudgeling Then, just as his people sue
ceeded in forcing the door, | jumped out of
the window upon the fat rooted clubhouse
and leaped lightly to the ground. and durted
like jackal across the open cotton fields
and between the plots OF doura to my own
little hut on the outskirts OF the village.
reached there painting, and 1 knew the
sheikh would kill me for my daring.
Next morning early, the sheikh sent to
arrest me. He was blind vita rage and
with effect of the blows his face was ivid
and his checks purple. BY the beard of the
prophet, Athenasio,' he said to me, hitting
me hard on the cheek-my name is AthaIa-
sio, eifendi. after our great patriarch
your blood shall flow for this, you dog of
a Christian.
II cast myself down, like slave, on the
ground before him-though | hated him like
sin; for 1t Is well to abase ones self in due
time before the face of authority. Besides,
by that time Laila was safe, and that was
all | cared about. Suffer for what, o my
sheikhF l cried, as though l knew not what
he meant. What have done to your ex-
cellency? Who has told you evil words
concerning your poor servantY
:" Take him away! roared the sheikh to
the three strong Arabs. Garry him off to
be tried before the cadi at Assiout.'
For even in Ismail's days, you see,
effendi, before the English came, the sheikh
himself would not have dared to put me TO
death untried. The power of life and death
lay with tie cadi at Assiout.
80 they took me TO Assiout, into the
mosque of Ali, where the cadi sat at the
seat of judgment, and arraigned me before
him a week later. There the sEeikh ap-
peared, and bore witness against me.
Those who spoke for me pleaded that,
as the sheikh himself admitted, the
man who broke into his room and
banged him SO hard had bis face
covered with linen cloth. How then,
could the sheikh. in the hurry ana dark
ness, be sure he reconized mes Perhaps it
wag some other. who took this means TO ruin
me. But the sheikh, for his part, swore by
Allah, and by the holy stone of the Kaaba
at Mecca, that he saw me distinctly, and
know it was /. The moonlight through the
window revealed my form TO him. And
who else in the village but me had grudge
against his justices
1.-THE Cadi was convinced. The cadi gave
judgment. l was guilty of rebellion against
the sheikh and against ul-Islam, and, being
a dog of a Christian, unworthy even to live.
his Judgment was that after three
days time / should be beheaded in the
prison court of ASsiout.
''You may guess, effendi, whether or not
| was anxious. But Laila was safe; and to
save my girl from that wrstchis harem l
was ready, for my part, to endure anything.
Two nights long l lay awake and thought
strange things by myself in the whitewashed
cells Of the Jail at Assiout. The governor
of the prison, who was a European-au
Italian, he called himself-and a Christian
of Roum, of thoee who obey the pope, was
very kind indeed to me. He knew me be,
fore (for | had worked in his field and
was sorry when told him the tale about
Lsila. But what would you have? 1t was
the law of Islam. He could not prevent it.
=, ION the third evening my brother came
round to the prison to see Lne. My poor old
father, he said. was dying at home with
grief. They didn't expect he would live
TIL morning. And Laila, too had stolen
back from Karnak unperceived, aud was
hiding in the village. She wished to see
me just once before | died.
Would the gov ornor give me leave to go
home just that one night, to bid farewell TO
Laila and to my dying father.
Now, the governor, excelleucy, was a
very humane man. And th ough be was a
Christian of ROum. not a Cop5 like US. he
was kind to the Copts as his brother Chris
tians. He popdered awhile to himself, and
roped his mustache thus; then he said to
me:
'Athanasio, you are an honest man: the
execution is fixed for by the clock to-mor-
row morning II give you leave to go
home to your father tonight, will you
pledge me your word Of honor before st.
George and the saints, to return before Z?
"'Efendi,,' said. kissing his feet, you
are indeed good man. | swear by the
mother OF tfOQ ana all COe BdlHDS UlaL dwell
in heaven, that il you let me 60 will come
back again full hour before the time fixed
for the execution And | meant it, too, for
l only wished before died to say good-by
once more to Laila.
well, the governor took me secretly into
his own house, and telling me many tim Z
over that he trusted to my honor, and
would lose hls place if it were known he had
let me go, he put me forth with my brother,
by his own private door, making me swear
on no account to be late for the execution.
"As soon as / got outside l said to my
brother, Tell me, SIrgeh, at whose hou Sc is
LailaF
And my brother answered and smiled,
Laila Is still at Karnak, where we sent her
for safety, and our father is well. But l
have plan for your escape that | think
will serve you
Never!' l cried, horror struck, If l
am to break my word of honor to the gov
ernor Of the prison
THAT isn't it, he made reply. I have
plan of my own which l will proceed in
words to make clear to YOU
What happended next would be long to
relate. effendi." But l noticed that the
fellah's eyes twinkled as he spoke. ike one
who passes over of set purposes an impor-
tant episode. IAN l need tell you now is
that the whole night through the good
governor lay awake, wondering whether or
not | would come home to time, and blam-
ing himself in his heart for having given
such leave TO mere condemned criminal
Still effendi, though but am poor, l am
a mvn of honor. AS the clock struck In