The National tribune., 1897-05-20

tramontaine," or north wind, blows, the
people close their mort hern doors and win
dows and open those on the south. When
the parehing srocco sweeps up from the
south like breath of deyouring flame, they
close their southern doors and open those to
the north.
As Ida and her guards approached the
first of these honses feeble voice called:
Peace and the blessings of the Prophet
be upon ye, brethren. Halt little and
give me the news. How goes it with the
valiant Abdul, your Aga?"
They looked in the direction of the voice,
aud saw n swathed and bandaged man rise
up little and painfulyfrom couch spread
for him on the porch, where he could be
famed by the northern breezes.
Ever-biest name Of AlIah,n said one of
the guards as they reined up; "is that
lbrahiin's ghost or himself? / thought they
buried him day before yesterday"
May, it is Ibrahim, himself, still in the
flesh, praise be Allah and his Prophet" :"
said the man. "And though l am sorely
stricken, l shall with Allahs help live, and
be worse plague to these Cretan dogs than
ever. hear that the fight hath gone against
ye."
ut hath. We ran into hornets nest of
those accursed wolfsh shepherds, in lair on
the hill before Dramia. They snarled and
bit at us savagely, and followed us even
till we reached the plain. They were led
by a beautiful she-devil who they think one
OF the saints pictured on the walls of their
idolatrous churches, and come down TO help
them. Bnt Allah flung her into our hands,
and we have her here with u.s."
lbrahim gave Il start as he looked more
closely at Ida and exclaimed:
BY Mahomet's beard, that is Ida Kali
makis But how came she among the shep-
herds? / took her myself from the farm,
and left her IN Aga Yusefs hands. 1t was
her lover, raging like q tiger, that gave me
these wounds 1t was the merest trick that
saved him.. was in the act of Staying hm
when he succeeded in getting in his blow.
Verify, ye have prize in her, but Murad
Pasha will claim her as his booty. He sets
great store by her."
Strong emotions swept through Ida as
she gazed on the wan and wastedsform of
one who, only short time before, she had
seen in ali the vigor of cruel, intolerant, un-
scrupulous manhood. His face was drawn
and pain-wracked, and its deathly pallor
was III startling contrast with his jet-black
beard. The strong hands, of the touch of
which she had shuddering remembrance,
were now thin and bloodless. Her ven
geance had come quickly upon him at least,
and it had been Basil's hand that dealt it,
She hated him for the hurts he had given
Basil, and fiercely longed for some oppor-
tunity to send him to his grave. She cared
more for that than what might befall her
self.
The Aga of the spahis rode up, exchanged
salutations, and took off his fez to wipe the
perspiration from his shaven crown.
I'VE have had Sheytoun's own time with
those jackals," he said angrily. They
have beaten us back, and have lost several
ood men. Mehemet ben Eek would be
very wrosh with me, but / have brought
him prize that he may think worth more
than the men we have lost. Is she not
beauty? Crete hath not her equal. And
thou shouldt have seen her fight. She
flashed through the trees like the ligh ming,
and from wherever she went came yeIls and
storm of bullets"
"Ay, know her WE'LL" returned Ibrahim.