The Redwood gazette., 1901-06-26
Confined from last week.


Continued from last week.
me cnasseur saluted took the paper.
bowed with! certain Ianguid easy
grace that camp life never cured him!
Of and went He knew that the man
who should take the news Of his treas
ure's loss to the Emir Hderim would,
| q thousand to one, perish BY every
torture desert cruelty could frame,
despite the cover of the white banner
Chateauroy looked after him as he
and his horse passed from the French
camp in the full, burning tide Of noon.
8 If the Arabs kill him, he thought,
Il will forgive Ilderim five seasons Of
+ rebellion. Z
The chasseur, as he had been hidden,
never drew rein across the scorching
plateau. At last, ere he reached the
Bedouin tents, he saw the sheik and
a party Of horsemen returning from q
lforaging quest and in ignorance as
| vet of the abduction of Djelma He
gallopeds straight to them and halted
across their line Of march, with the
! folds of the little white flag futtering
In the sun The Bedouins drew bridle,5
and Hderim advanced alone. He was
a magnificent man Of middle age, with
the nobIest type Of the eagle eyed,
aquiline desert beauty.
"A glance Of recognition flashed from.
him on the soldier who had so often
crossed swords with him, and he waved
back the scroll with dignified courtesy
Read It me.
It was read. Bitterly, blackly shame
ful, the few brutal words were. They
netted him as an eagle is melted in a
shepherds trap.
The moment that he gave a sign Of
advancing the captive's life would pay
the penalty; il he merely remained in
arms, without direct attack, she would
be made the marquis mistress and
abandoned later to the army The
only terms on which he could have.
herrestored were instant submission to
the imperial rule and personal homage
Of himself and all his Djouad to the
marquis, as the representative Of
France homage In which they should
confess themselves dogs and the sons
Of dogs. So ran the messass Of peace
The chasseur read on to the end
calmly. Then he lifted his gaze and
looked at the emir He expected Sc
swords to be buried in his heart.
With wild, shrill yell the Bedouins
Whirled their naked sabers above theilf
heads and rushed down on the beares
Of this shame to their chief and theil
tribe. The chasseur did not seek to
defend himself. He sat motionIess.
I He thought the vengeance just
The sheik raised his sword and sign.
+ ed them back as he pointed to the
white folds Of the flag. Then his voice.
rolled out like thunder over the still
ness Of the plains:
Eut that you trust yourself to my
honor / would rend you limb from
limb. Go back to the tiger who rules
you and tell him that as Allah liveth /
{ will fall on him and smite him as he
hath never been smitten. Dead or liv-s
ing, 81 will have back my own. If he
take her life, will have 10000 lives to-
answer it. If he deal her dishonor,
will light such q holy war through the
length and breadth Of the land that his
nation shall be driven backward like
choked dogs into the sea and perish
from the face Of the earth for ever
more. And this swear by the law
and the prophet!'
The menace rolled out, imperious as
a monarch's. thrilling through the des-
ert hush. The chasseur bent his head
as the words closed. His own teeth
were tightly clinched, and his face was
dark.
sEmir, listen to one word" he said
briefly Shame has been done to me
as to you. Had / been told what
words bore they had never been
] brought by my hand. You know me-
You have had the marks Of my steel.
as I have had the marks Of yours
j Trust me in this, sidi 50 | pledge you
my honor that before the sun sets she
shall be given back to you unharmed
or will return here myself. and your
tribe shall slay me in what fashion
they will SO alone can she be saved
uninjured. Answer, will you have faith
u in me ~
. .3ss You are a great warrior. Such men
do not lie. Go, and if she be borne to
me before the sun is half way sunk
toward the west all the branches of
the tribes Of lderim shall be as your
brethren and bend as steel to your
bidding. If not as God is mighty
not one man IN your host shall live toI
tell the tale. =
The chasseur bowed his head to his
horses name, then without / a word
wheeled round and sped back across |
the plain. When he reached his own
cavalry camp, he went straightWay to
his chief What passed between them
none ever knew. The interview was
brief; it was possibly as stormy.
Pregnant and decisive 1t assuredly