The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-02-06
More and more puzzled, admitted she

was right.
~ knew" she said, with an eagerness in
which pleasure and pain were mingled
"Thy face proclaimeth thy country. I
know thy people Yea, one is-but never
mind, that Is too fast. Listen! Art thou
going to remain with the robbers, the Bed
ouins?"
Baruk came creeping back again, teclar-
ing she would be missed and he slain.
Thou shalt go straight to paradise, Ba-
ruk," she replied soothingly. "Just one
little space more, " and he went away again.
Now art thou going to stayt'
Not If can help it," | blurted, almost
without knowing what said.
THAT is good" she said with little
rocking motion of delight. There is not
time to tell everything now. II thou goest
take me with thee. Let them not keep me
to do their will. Pollution-that is it. Thou
wilt save me, and will love thee forever
Listen. was performing the pilgrimage,
they captured the caravan and slew my
father. There was one-but there is no
time to tell it. 1t was Amood Sim that
was wicked, and now know he has been
punished because his palace is in ashes. A
battle perchance, Vert thou in it?"
l answered in the affirmative, getting
ever deeper involved in the mysteries sur
rounding this strange woman.
And didst thou see one there like thy
self? Hush, hushv'
Baruk came again, saying he would risk
his life for us no longer.
Good Baruk, thou wilt not die" said
my companion. "One turn more-one lit.
tie turn. That is it. The night is cool Thy
mind will be at ease"
Thou wilt have me speared like goat. =
he demurred. Nevertheless he left us once
more,
There IS another caravan coming" pur-
sued my companion breathlessly. II heard
it from Baruk. Let us join IT, Trust Ba-
ruk for his love of gold. will trust thee
in honor of thy people" And she was
lost in the darkness like shadow.
returned to my place and presently got
word with Baruk.
"What is this strange thing that the In.
dian princess sayeth?" asked, putting my
mouth close to his ear, for there was need
of dead secrecy.
Nay, / am not a Magician" he an
swered, with the oily evasiveness of the
oriental who is chary about committing
himself
"lIet us have no pretense of ignorance, :"
l said, feigning anger. What do they
meanP'
My lord frighteneth me-"
The voice Of Suleiman was heard calling
for some one, and in the same instant the
fires leaped up, shedding a fitful, lurid
light on the scene. If we were caught con
sulting, our lives would not be worth 1O
minutes purchase. .t
Look here, Baruk," | said, II am thy
friend. What is the state of affairs? Tell
1t clearly"
May never be in such position again. 8
treachery and cruel lances. What is our
bloodS Nothing. What is the spoil and
the price OF these women? Everything.
Yet we talk of that which, were it known,
would make us dead men on the spot"
My thoughts were exactly like his, but q
woman had asked my aid, and could not
refuse it..
Freedom Is more than life, - said, with
an audacity that was not entirely genuine
I'VE must not be timorous. Now, look
you, ! am n stranger. Thinkest thou
came here TO rob? We help ourselves, good
Baruk, in helping the Indian princess"
'Shc hath untold riches; she can recon.
pense," murmurcd Baruk. Yet perchanc,
when she was safe she would forget u.s."
And IL thou remainest here, art not thoj
a bondsnan foreverf Nay, who is to hinder
these fellows from taking thee out into the
desert and stripping thee naked and leav-
ing thee so that when the wolves We're done
with thy bones they would be the sport of
the windssa
There is much in what thou sayest"
Suleiman was calling again and more i'm
patiently than before.
II will speak with thee again." whispered
Baruk huuledly. at is not safe now"
And he disappeared.
Sauntering carelessly back to the fires,
which burned red and low now, threw
myself on the ground to ruminate on all
had just heard
We were riotously merry There was an
abundance, indeed superabundance, of
food wine flowed like water in the rainy
season, and the coffee and tobacco were the
best on earth.
Suleiman, rising presently, went to see
that the ladies were being properly attend
cd and came back praising the wondrous
nocility of the Indian princess. Ismoked,
looking up at the brightness of Orion, and
taid nothing. But in my heart was the
luivering eXultation of the schemer who
has important business on hand and knows
that failure is death.
My next move was to enlighten Tabal. 1t
was done in a few words, for now that the
heavens were bright the chance of private
talk was small. But Tabal quickly UNDER
stood all and fervently swore a vow of
fealty. To Tabal's mind there was but one
serious difficulty in our project of escape.
1--WE 20 with the caravan to Mecca" he
said.>
"Assuredly; it will do us all good"
"But thou art not of our religion. Think
what that meaneth."
~ am better Mohammedan than thy
self, good Tabal. There will not be in the
great mosque more devout hadii than
him whom thou callest Christian. Are we
not brothers2 Did not thy father put the
Hight of the Koran into my soul2 Dost
thou think am careless about getting to
heaven1 Tabal, | will do the pilgrimage as
follower of the prophet"
Tabal was convinced, and we parted to
ignore each other very studiously for the
rest Of the night.
Near the dawn, when the world was
black and men were heavy, Baruk returned
to me- He had got over his wavering and
was ready for the most desperate exploit
"We will put on the green turban lthe
badge or sign Of such as have performed
the pilgrimage to Meccal together, Baruk,"
] said joyfully, after listening to his prom
Use of help Now, tell me the name of
our princess"
They call her Rance
"A pretty name," l remarked. "Let us
make her happy" Therefore as briefly
and minutely as was possible with words
gave himself instructions both for Rance
and for himself. Fortunately the simple
ity of the plan of attack enabled us to
make our arrangements with confidence
and tolerable accuracy.
With the first blink of light we were on
the lookout for the caravan, but the day
had worn well into the afternoon before
our scouts brought word it was at the
mouth of the defile. At the intelligence
that it was coming we settled down in our
hiding place az still us dead men, the horses
being kept some distance behind IesC they
should neigh and betray us. Tabal and /
had many unsupported thoughts, but as il
would be unwise to express them and il
was impossible to communicate with
either Rance or Baruk we could only wal.
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