Evening star., 1896-07-18

son of offal who endeavored to betray me
into the hands of the Roumis?" he cried
eXultingly. II have kindied the lights Of
knowledge at the fambeau of prophecy
and 1 vowed that l would ere many moons
seek vengeance"
Il have anticipated this thy wrath ever
hands upon me- she answered, with q
ccntemptuous toss of her pretty head But
the daughter of the cadi of Ideles craveth
not mercy from a servant of Ebiis."
Darest thou insult me, wenchT' he
cried. pale with passion. and starting up as
If to strike her. Thou art the child of the
man who would have given me into the
hands of the Spahis for the sake of the two
taSS of gold offered for my head. l will
II turn his good offices by sending him to-
morrow a present he will perhaps appre-
ciate. the present of thine own hands. He
viii then be convinced that Abdul-Melik
knoweth how to repay those who seek to
iE jure him"
"Dost thou intend to strike Off NV
hands?' she gasped. pale as death, never
theless making a strenuous effort to re-
main calm.
AT sunrise the vultures will feast upon
thee, and thine hands will be on their way
to ldeleS, he answered, a sinister smile
playing about his hard mouth
''Malec hath already set his curse upon
thee" she said. land by each murder thou
committest so thou Greatest for thyself a
fresh torture in Al-Hawiyat, where thy
food Will be offal and thou will slake thy
failer captive into thine hands, having
journeyed to Tilouat to see my father 8
mother. who was dying; but thinkest thou
.,a., .hat l lear thee. No. she added. with
flashing eyes. Though the people dread
thee as the great and powerful chief, I de-
sp,se thee and all thy miserable parasites
II thou smitest Off mine hands it is hut
the same punishment as thou hast meted
out 10 o,herS OF my sex. Thou art after
aii. mere coward who maketh war upon
women" p
Silence. jader' he cried. in a tumult Of
passion, and, turning to the men hes,6a
him. commanded: Take her away. securs
her alone till dawn, and then let her hands
De struck on and brought to me-"
PART II.
Roughly the men dragged her awav. h,t
ere she went she cast at us a look of
naughty scornfulness. and. Struggling her
shoulders. treated this terrible mandate
with ineffable disdain.
The 1ade's hands shall be sent to her
1ather, the cadi. as souvenir Of the in
terest he taketh in my welfare" the
sheikh muttered aloud. Her tongue will
| never again utter rebuke or insult. yerilv.
Allah hath delivered into my hands a wea-
pom to use against mine enemies"
I uttered eager words Of intercession
pointing out the cruelty Of taking her
young life. but he only laughed derisivelv
and was compelled to sit beside him whiis
the other captives were questioned and in
| spected.
That night 1 sought repose in a shed thai
had been erected in q portion of the ruins
but found sleep impossible. The defiantIv
beautiful face of the young girl who was to
die ut dawn kept recurring to me with tan
talizing vividness, and at length 1 rose. de-
termined, If possible, to save her. Noise
lessly l crept out, my footsteps muff1ed hv
the sand, saddled one Of Abdul -Melik's own
horses. and without attracting the noticn
of either sentry on duty at each end of the
encampment, 1 entered the ruin where.
&C ntined to an iron ring in the masonry by