The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-09-13


and then collapsed, topping over not
among his oarsmen, but across the gun
vale of the craft. Before hand couI9
be lifted 70 prevent, the dead Arab ana
the girl were plunged into the sea-
A cry Of horror went up from the Amer
leans, and something surprisingly hAe
shout Of triumph from the aDductors.
Even as Brewster poised for the spring
into the water a flying form shot past
him and into the sea with resoundlhS
splash The man that fired the shot nao
reckOned cleverly, and he was carry ms
out the final details Of an inspired plan
The Arabs position as he stood IN tIle
boat was such as TO warrant the sailors
belief that he could fall no other way
than forward, and that meant over the
side Of the boat. With all this clearly
in mind he had shot straight and true
and was his way TO the water almost
the two toppled overheard.
Monty Brewster was in the water an
instant later, striking out for the spot
where they had disappeared, little to
the left Of the course in which his boat
was running There was a rattle Of fire
arms, with curses and cheers, but he paid
no heed to these sounds. He was length
or two behind the sailor, praying with all
his soul that one or the other might sue
coed In reaching the white robes that
still kept the surface OF the water. his
crew was backing water" and straining
every muscle to bring the boat around
sharp for the rescue.
The sailors powerful strokes brought
him to the spot first, but not IN time to
clutch the disappearing white robes Just
as he reached out an arm to grasp the
form Of the girl she went down. He did
not hesitate a second, but followed
Peggy had fallen from the dead Arab 3
embrace, and that worthy already was
al the bottom Of the sea- She was nan
conscious when the shot came, but the
plunge into the cold water revived her.
Her struggles were enough to keep her
up for few moments, but not long
enough for the swimmers to reach her
side She felt herself going down and
down, strangIing. smothering, dying Then
something vise-like clutching her arm and
she had the sensation Of being Jerked up
ward violently.
The sailor fought his way to the sur
face with the girl, and Brewster was at
his side in an instant. Together they
supported her until one of the boats
came up. and they were drawn
over the side to safety. By this time the
abductors had scattered like sheep with
out a leader, and as there was no further
object in pursuing them the little Amerl-
can fleet put back for the yacht IN great
haste Peggy was quite conscious when
carried aboard by the triumphant Brew
ster. The words he whispered TO her as
she lay in the bottom of the boat were
enough to give her life
The excitement on board the Filter was
boundless Fear gave way to joy, and
where despair had for a moment reigned
supreme, there was now the most insane
delight Peggy was bundled below and
into her berth, DR.. Lotless attending her,
assisted by all the women on board
Brewster and the sailor, drenched but
happy, were carried on the shoulders OF
enthusiastic supporters to a place where
hot toddies were to be had before blan-
kets.
The next morning he proposed TO hunt
for the sheik and offered to lead an as
sauIt in person An Investigation was
made and government officials tried TO
call Mohammed to account, but he had
fed to the desert and the search was
fruitless.
Brewster refused TO accept a share of
the glory of Peggy's rescue, pushing Con
roy forward as the real hero But the
sailor insisted that he could not have
succeeded without help-that he was com
pleteIy exhausted when Monty came 70
the rescue Peggy found 1t hard to thank
him gently while her heart was so dan
gerously near the riot point. and her
words of gratitude sounded pitifully weak
and insufficient
1T would have been the same had any
body else gone to her rescue" he unused
dejectedIy. 'She cares for me with the
devotion Of a sister and that's all. Peggy.
Peggy" he moaned, eff you could only
love me, Td-Td-Oh, well, there's no use
thinking about it, She will love some
one else. Of course, and-and be happy,
too. If she'd appear only one tenth as
grateful TO me to COnrOy I'd be salts
fed He had the luck to be first, that's
all. but God knows 1 tried to do it,
Peggy was not herself for several days
after her experience. and the whole party
felt distinct relief when the yacht
finally left the harbor and steamed of to
the west. A cablegram that came the
day before may have had something to
do with Brewster's depression. but he
was not the sort to confess it, 1t was
from Swearengen Jones Of Butte. Mont.
and there was something sinister in the
Iaconic admonition- 1t read:
Brewster. U. S. Consulate. Alexandria: Have
a good time while good times last. JONES.
His brain was almost bursting with
the hopes and fears and uncertainties
that crowded it far beyond its ordinary
capacity. 1t had come to the point. it
seemed to him, when the brains of
dozen men at least were required TO
operate the affairs that were surging into
his alone The mere fact that the end Of
his year was less than two months Off.
and that there was more or less uncer-
tainty as to the character Of the end,
was sufficient cause for worry, but the
new trouble was infinitely harder to en-
dure. When he sat down to think over
his financial enterprises his mind treach-
erously wandered on to Peggy Gray, and
then everything was hopeless He re-
called the courage and confidence that
had carried him to Barbara Drew with
declaration of love-tO the stunning,
worldly Barbara-and smiled bitterly
when he saw how basely two allies were
deserving him in this hour OF love for
Peggy Gray. For some reason he had
felt sure Of Barbara; for another reason
he saw no chance with Peggy. She was
not the same sort-she was different. She
was-well. she was Peggy.
Occasionally his reflections assumed the
Importance of calcula tons His cruise
was sure to cost S2OO. 900. a princely sum.
but not enough. Swearengen Jones and
his cablegrams did not awe him to a
great extent. The spending Of the million
had become a mania with him now and
he had regard for consequences. His
one desire, aside from Peggy, was to in
crease the cost of the cruise. They were