The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-18
THE TIMES WASHINGTON. SUNDAY. NOVEMBER 49, 1900
are concealing something. You must tell


''Vivien. my girl, come here and stand by
me. Archie. this is no ordinary case
Vivien and l will deal with you with ell
fairness, only we must know the absolute
truth
Il meant to tell you some days ago,
said Archie, fixing his eyes on my face
but somehow l could not get the pluck
The whole thing is so horrible, and the
burden on my conscience SO great. that
am overcome by CHASTITY fear. / cannot
fight against it,
We'll. speak, l said, with Impotence.
1T is the queerest thing on earth" he
said. slowly. 1T has half Stunned me
Though I consider myself pretty tough, the
whole thing has knocked the pluck clean
out of me-
He paused to wet his dry lips, and con-
tinued:
You know we were in the Mediterranean
cruising about for six weeks?
I'VE were Just about to come home, when
Fletcher, who was always up to lark.
suggested that We should go through the
Canal down to Jeddah, and then on to
Mecca. to see the pilgrims. They would be
all there, as it was the twelfth month OF
the Mohammedan year. l did not mind,
so we went. We left the yacht at Jeddah,
and went on to Mecca. The place was one
mass of pilgrims. They were on their way
to the Kaaba. the oblong stone building
within the great Mosque. You have heard
of it, of course, and also of the famous
lava-like Black Stone, to which all Mos
lens turn in their prayers. 1t was in the
northeast corner of the building. The place
was in sort of uproar, for 1t is part of
the faith of every good Moslem to kiss that
stone olce in the course of his life. Well,
DR.. Kennedy, you would scarcely believe it,
but Fletcher, when he got into the midst
of this throng seemed to turn quite mad
He lost his head, and insisted that we
should go and see the whole show. He
intended to kiss the Black Stone, If he
could. OF course. l know that We should
run into the most fearful danger, and did
my best to dissuade him, but nothing would
do; go he would. He said to me:
| You may stay away, old boy; you are
engaged to be married, and perhaps ought
to consider your life little bit, but with
me it is different. When / want a lark,
| must have it at all risks. / am going;
you can please yourself.
| ''Of course, l didn't relish running the
risk of being torn to pieces. but l wasn't
the fellow to see him start off alone, so at
last / agreed to go with him. We put on
| the hiram, the wooden thing worn by the
Arabs round the waist and shoulders, got
some sandals, and went bareheaded with
the crowd of pilgrims to the Mosque. We
Joined the procession and managed to get
right inside. and Jack got inside the Kaaba
and went up to the northeast corner OF the
| building and kissed the Black Stone. He
told me afterward that il is quite worn
| away with the kisses of millions Of human
| beings. l missed him in the crowd, and
just as l was looking round to see where
| he could have got to, l noticed one of the
Mueddirs, or priests. watching me closely,
and when his eyes met mine, can tell you
shuddered. From the moment he singled
| me out he seemed never to take his gaze
away, and l shall not, to my dying day,
| forget the expression of cruel, fierce sus-
picion that was stamped on his face, which
| was rendered hideous by being deeply pit
| ted with smallpox.
Well, Jack turned up, and we got out
all right; and Jack, poor fellow! was in
the best of spirits. He said 1t was the
biggest lark he had ever enjoyed. and he
did nothing but laugh at my fears. told
him about the priest. and said / was GER
tain we had been discovered, but he made
| nothing of it.
When We got out we were in an awful
crowd. and our donkeys could scarcely
move. We had just cleared the thickest
OF The mob, and I was hoping We were
| safe, when l noticed the priest who had
already observed me In the Mosque, de-
tach himself from the crowd and move
swiftly toward us. 1t was now nearly dark
1 saw that he wanted to speak, and. not
knowing why did it, refined in my donkey.
He came up to my side. In his left hand he
held A parchment scroll and az 7 took II
I saw his right hand steal down IN bis holt
There was the fash Of steel In an instant
l should have been stabbed 7 do not Lnou
what came over me; there was ringing
in my ears and NV head seemed N s,,ir
leant quickly over the donkey and nlnng-
ed my long hunting-kpife with all INV force
into the mans heart He foil ritbout a
groau. 1 touched lack nm Tho am W.
galloped madly and for our lives Tho moh
followed us. but we OUTRAGED them and at
last their bowls and shouts grew fainter
and fainter behind us. We reached Jeddab
in safety got nm hoard and s,oorad .,,.., |
with ali nossibIe sneed
why In the name of ueoven did rou
kill him Archieo. cid Ia.L - ~ -, ~
He would have killed ne ~ wa haa M.
killed him was my ren,v b,,, uhiio
spoke there was dead we;oht. a, ,,,
heart and wherever 7 turned saar,ad -
see the diving ewes of tho man and IN basr
the thud of his body as be ION n ~
ground. NV
Have Won on. tho .a-obr,o,+ T..
into your hand?' continued Iact p''
Il had He took n from mo and onenod
It. / had some writing nm n In arab;o
which We couId hotb road and sna,t LII,
oonied II mt in Eng,ish va ~ q.
As he spoke Archie nroduced fror, he
pocketbook a niece of narcbmont and an
old envelope. and read as follows.
1.-The Vengeance nj Mobom.t ror., ,o, |
the two infidels and unbeIjeyers VIII hava
profaned the Prophet Their dave are nm
bered. and before the sun rise IN tho Eas |
tiya! Of dAIKnrh.n In ~ -
Dsul Heppeb tbev will ho No -, =,