Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-03-14

An Adventure in Algeria
BY Vim. Murray Graydon. :
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| are, ne salu. Inc NahtA iTOH NHici
YOU shall take the first rich pickings
il all goes well. Hitherto il has beer
regarded as inaccessible; no human
hand or foot dared TO tempt its peril'
until last month, when Baron Kirsh
the intrepid sportsman"
II know him by reputei interrupted
Matthew Quin, who had just returned
from New Guinea. And he"
He was looking for big game. and
emerged in the valley, and was there
for few hours. He tells me that the
place abounds with wonderful birds
panthers, boar, smaller animals and
perhps a lion or two that have wan
dered down from the Atlas"
1T sounds all right" said Quin.
"What we want is a concession. and
think / can get it from the present
governor of Milianah, Gen. Changer.
nier."
4 fortnight later Quin was beneath
sunny Algerian skies. He stood one
morning by the battlemenfed wall
that surrounds Milianah, looking down
into dizzy gulf. Behind him the little
valley town, its white walls contrast
| ing wildly with the green gardens.
TO drink the native wine and to
| smoke the sweet native tobacco, to chat
with French soldiers and fezzed Arabs
that was all Quin had TO do at pres
ent. For he waited the return OF Gen.
Changarnier from 0ran. and mean
while he passed as a simple English
tourist, on pleasure and sightseeing
bent.
Another person, who had come there
before Quin, shared that part of the
parapet. He stood about 20 yards
away-a lean, wiry man, with a. ragged
black beard, with yellow skin drawn
tightly over high cheekbones. He was
reading a letter. which he presently
tore to fragments and dropped into the
gulf below him.
The shower of paper futtered down
like snowfiakes, spreading wider and
wider apart. One bit, as chance wouloI
have it, was snatehed by a puff OF
wind and sucked for many yards along
the face of the cliff, until finally i'll
landed on top of the parapet, in front OF
Quin's very eyes.
lie stared ineredulously at the
stamped design-a purple giraffe
which the three-eornered fragment
bore. His face darkened with sudden
anxiety and suspicion. He gazed al
the bits of paper floating below him
and then glanced quickly round in
time to see the stranger disappear from
the wall
"sylya's figure!" he muttered. "Iil
he is really here | shall need to be Gun.
ming and vigilant."
The discovery threatened serious
complications. The purple giraffe was
the trademark of rival firm of wild
animal dealers-Moss q Crawlev. OF
Liverpool and Antonio Silva was Their
agent. He was a Portuguese. an un.
scrupuloas and treacherous fellow. and
more than once in the past he had
matched craft for craft with Quin, who
usually came off best, and had thus
incurred the others bitter hatred.
Quin sought long and vainly for the |
man who had destroyed the letter on |
the parapet. Night had fallen when he |
started back. and as he was picking |
his way across the dark sok, or market |
place, 10 take the steep road to Mill.
anah, cloak was thrown over his
head from behind and frightened about |
his neck so that he could make no out. |
cry.
lie was dragged short distance TO a |
tent of gunny-bags. where his limbs |
were tied with cords and a gag was |
thrust between his teeth. Then, the |
cloak having been removed from his
head, he found himself in the presence |
Of four greasy, sinister-faced Arabs Of |
the lowest class. who proceeded to rob |
hun Of everything on his person, in
Guiding Baron kirsh's chart. Three OF |
the ruilians presently went away. leav |
ing the fourth to keep guard over the
prisoner.
Why he was detained. now that his |
pockets had been rified. was more than
Quin could fathom. And then OF a |
sudden the startling truth burst upon
him.
This is Antonio Silva's work. he
told himself. "He is lodging at 81 |
Marquerite's, and he hired the Arabs to |
do his bidding-to steal the chart and
put me out of the way. Without doubt |
they are taking me into the interior. to |
sell me as a slave to some she'll |
Heaven help me to escape from their
clutches"
Hours passed and the sun was high
when the little party halted. The cap |
tive's limbs were unbound. and he was |
relieved Of the painful gag The hood
Of the burnoose was lifted, and he saw
that he was in wild place Of rocks !
and bushes. He was glad to get a |
handful Of dates and a draught Of |
brackish water from goatskin.
Meanwhile the Arabs. who also par
took Of food, slightly relaxed their
vigilance. The mule. advancing by
inches as it cropped the heritage. |
stepped on a concealed serpent or scor-
pion and was instantly bitten. n