The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-09-11

Laila's hut that Laila's father should
bring her to meet us in the dusk, in very
great secrecy, by the bank of the river.
In the gray twilight she came down. A
dahabiah was passing, and in it was
foreigner, very great prince, and Amer
lean prince of great wealth and wisdom.
l remember his name even. Perhaps the
effendi knows him. He was Cyrus P.
Quackenboss, and he came from Cincin-
natl"
81 have not the honor" answered,
smiling at this very unexpected Western
instrusion.
"Well, anyhow" my Copt continued,
dahabiah, and made the American prince
understand how the matter stood. He
was very kind. We were brother Chris
tians. He took Laila on board, and
promised to deliver her safe to her aunt
at Karnak, so that the Sheikh might not
know where the girl was gone, nor send
to fetch her. And the counsel l took
next day with my brother was this. In
the dead of night 1 rose up from my hut,
and put mask of white linen over the
whole of my face, to conceal my features,
and stole out alone, with thick stick in
my hands, and went to the Sheikh's
house, down by the bank of the river.
81 broke into the Sheikh's room by
the flat rooted clubhouse that led to his
window, and 1 locked the door; and
there before the Sheikh could arouse his
household, l beat him, blow for blow,
within an inch of his life, in revenge for
my own beating, and because of his in
justice to trying to take my Laila from
me. The Sheikh was a powerful man,
with muscles like iron, and he grappled
me hard, and tried to wrench the stick
from me, and bruised me about the body
by t1inging me on the ground; and l was
weak with my beating, and very sore all
over. But still, being by nature strong
young man, very fierce with anger, l
fought him hard, and got him under in
the end, and thwacked him till he was
black and blue as myself was, one mass
of bruises from head to foot with my
cudgeling. Then, just as his people sue
ceeded in forcing the door, l jumped out
of the window upon the fiat rooted out
house and leaped lightly to the ground,
and darted like a jackal across the open
cotton fields and between the plots of
doura to my own little hut on the out
skirts of the village 1 reached there
painting, and knew the Sheikh would kill
me for my daring.
Next morning, early, the Sheikh sent
to arrest me. He was blind with rage
and with effect of the blows, his face was
and his cheeks purple. by the beard of
the Prophet, Athanasio,' he said to me,
hitting me hard on the cheek-my name
is Athanasio, effendi, after our great pa
triarch-'your blood shall flow for this,
Won doc of a Christian
81 cast myself down, like a slave on
the ground before him-though hated
him like sin; for it is well to abase ones
self in due time before the face of author
ity. Besides, by that time Laila was
safe, and that was all | cared about.
Suffer for what, o my SheikhP l cried,
as though | knew not what he meant.
What have done to Your EXcellency?
Who has told you evil words concerning
your poor servant"
I" Take him away! roared the Sheikh
to three strong Arabs. Garry him OH
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