Warren sheaf., 1905-11-23
Copyright. 1904. by the Bobbs-r1errin Company

must be told to explain her presence
before Athor, that made her cover her
crimson face at last. Kenkenes silenc-
ed the protests Of his gallantry and.
drawing her hands away, lifted her
face on the tips Of his fingers and
waited.
While they stood thus Deborah, ex
hausted and praying, staggered into
the inclosure.
"Rachelv' she painted. 'The serving
men-thou art pursued" The fat cou-
rier, purple of countenance and breath
ing hard, appeared in the opening.
Rachel shrank against Kenkenes, and
Deborah dropped on her knees between
the pair and the servitor.
"Out Of the way, hag!' the man puff
ed. LET me at yon slave. Outy' He
struck at Deborah with short mace,
but Kenkenes caught his arm and
thrust him aside.
"Go-go back to the camp" he said
to the old woman. mo harm shall be-
fall Rachel" Raising her. he put her
behind him and advanced toward the
courier. & a 's Z - .sI,gs a ais5@17g, -: i.
Hast thou words with me?" he said
coolly .. ':What wilt thou?''
'The girl. Give her up!'
=, NAY, but thou art peremptory. What
wilt thou with herr"
'For the harem of the Pharaoh's
chief adviser" the man retorted.
The blood in Kenkenes' veins seemed
to become molten; flashes Of fierce light
blinded him, and his sinews hardened
into iron. lie bounded forward and Lis
fingers buried themselves in soft and
heated flesh. ....
The first glimmer Of reason through
his murderous insanity was the con-
sciOusness Of rain Of blows upon his
head and shoulders and blackening
face settling back to the earth before
him.
He released his grip OH the throat of
the strangling servitor and flung off
his other assailants. For 4 moment,
stunned by the hard usage at the hands
Of the reinforcing men, he staggered
and seemed about to succumb. The
men pursued him to finish their work,
but, as he eluded them, it seemed that
third person-a woman all in white
with extended arms-came into their
view.
Kenkenes saw the foremost, Il tall
Nubian in II striped tunic, stop i'll his
tracks, and the second, smaller and
1irvbf l,,pf ola Fn1l ;Nsv
Immediately behind, bumped against
his fellow.
Mouths agape, eyes staring, they
stood and marveled: The strange pres
ence, they discovered at once, was
neither human being nor an appari-
ton. 1t was stone-a statue.
''Sacrilege" the first exploded. "a
a-by Amen, it is the slave herself!"
In the little pause kenkenes recov-
cred himself, but he knew he gave Ra-
chel to her fate IL the pair ovescame
him. He caught her hand, and with
the whispered word Rum hed with
her toward the front Of the cliff facing
the Nile. 1t WAS desperate chance
for escape, but he seized It,
Immediately they were pursued and
at the brink Of the hill overtaken. The
stake was too large for the young art
ist to risk it's loss by adhering to the
unwritten rules of combat. He re-
leased Rachel, wh;rled about and, as.
the foremost descended on him, ducked,
seized the man about the middle and
pitched him head first down into the |
valley. The second, the tall Nubian
that wore the striped tunic, halted, dis !
mayed, and Kenkenes, catching Ra-
chefs hand, prepared to descend, but
she checked him with cry, ''Lookr
His eyes followed her ohtstretched
arm. At regular intervals along the
Nile the distant figures of men were
seen posted. Escape was cut off. He
to the top Of the cliff and led
Rachel out of view from the river.
The second man retreated and ragged
from afar The sculptor turned up the.
shingly slope toward the sun white
ridge Of higher hills inland. Here he
would hide with Rachel till his strength