The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-02-05
for thy good deeds, Ibrahim," chuckled

/ ap' NhJ Soou chuck LED
Suleiman.
Chuttels and ladies' were lowered the lot
ter not without difficulty, for three wer.
timid and the fourth rebelious, but Sulei
man, who was experienced and expeditions
In such matters, had soon the whole four
as he expressed it, in Ibrahim's bosom be.
low. Then slipping down ourselves and
hurriedly forming circle about our spoiIs
we thrust and cut u way to tho compara.
tive quiet of an orchard, where the moods
were loaded and the ladies provided with
lltters, This care was taken that they might
depreciate as little as possible in value.
We had not finished when dense volumes
OF smoke were seen ascending from the
castle.
What the Bedouin leaves the flames
Will have, remarked one OF the men n
minute later as a great blaze lit up the
sky.
"Idiotsr' growled Sulemman. who in
tehueu TO go BACK Tor more plunder, and in
the next breath, Mother Of the prophet
listen to the roaring and the rushingl Our
kindred will be about us like clouds of
hornets 1t is time to be away"
If we wished to hold our own. II was
time. So, mounting in the light of tbe
burning pile, we made off with all speed
1t was not easy to escape from that
whirlpool OF destruction and keen our
plunder intact AT the start we had to
| hght our way step by step, and at times
| the handling was SO rough and the odds So
heaNy that II seemed we must lose all we
mad captured. But we kept we'll together.
and partly by strategy, partly by "A free and
active use of steel, we got out at last with
no more serious mishap than the loss of a
little blood. To that we were by this timc
accustomed, and it did not hurt our spirite
| though one man, evidently recent addition
to the bnnd, made much ado about a counle
OF broken ribs till he was laughed and bnl-
lied out of his complaints.
We made straight for the desert as our
safest retreat, never drawing rein All the
sun was well up and we were once more
alone linen we halted to refresh ourselves
with some of the good things provided bv
Amood Sim. But before there was either
eating Or drinking Suleiman drew IN IN,
band and made a little speech
I'VE have with us four princesses as
beautiful as the morning and as soft as the
dove, ;" he said, making Il salaam toward
the iitters. I'VE value the gifts of heaven,
and my purpose in speaking is to let it be
known that, by my life, the man who layetl,
profane finger on these fair ones shall die
the death of dog. Yet is there much to
comfort us. We shall feast, my merry ones
Yea eat and drink in honor of our victories
There is sweet SAVIOR already in NV nos
trils. Here are rivers of the wine of Sbiraz
and bread baked in the ovens of Amood
Heaven protect him in his adycrsity!p
The company applauded and fell merrily |
to eating and drinking; the men sauntted
on the ground beside their horses, the wom- |
en- chastely withdrawn in their litters and |
attended by the obsequious Baisfk
The meal was not over when SuleIman |
and lbrahim were discussing our next |
movement. Much was said in low voice |
about pilgrims and caravans and the pccu- |
MARY value of ladies such as we happened |
to possess, and, though Ibid not hear all.
yet by putting two and two together un- |
derstood that more robberies were in the |
wind. In short, the pious of the Moslem |
world were then making the annual pill |
grltnage, and &e were bent on relieving |
them oil some OF their superhuors wealth. |
The caravan on which we were anxious |
to bestow our attentions was the one that, /
starting from 1umen, proceeds by the
mountain course to Taft. As we knew al
most TO a day the date at which it would
appear we could post ourselves satisfactori-
ly and await its coming with composure
The place of reception was in the heart of |
the mountains in II deep and ugly defiIe
where two cnmels could scarcely walk
abreast and a caravan could be harred with
impunity. We rode hard, gained our posi-
tion in good time, hid like foxes among the
rocks and prayed that the had would not
tarry. While waiting their arrival had
an experience that would be worth for
tune to a story teller.
The sun bad set, and the night had closed
in rather dark. | had been attending to
my mare and was returning to my com
panions, when Baruk, siding up with an
air of profound mystery, whispered that
the Indian princess wished to have speech
with me
"Hnt beware how thou gocst, . he said.
"A score OF lances would be sheathed in
thy body if thoa vert caught talking to
her in secret"
HANhni Do .lln ,,.,.nt ,,.itlt mo Rn1nll, p,V