New-York tribune., 1908-03-15

by the faint light,
THE man and the girl stood before the pool; the
still water reflected the stars
This is the place" Baraka said. DO you see
anything?"
4 see water and a wall of rock" the man an
swered L have been here alone by day. l know
this place. There is nothing here and there IS no
way up the wall.
Baraka laughed softly. The secret could not
have been kept by my fathers for fourteen genera
tions if it was so easy to find out, she said The
way is not easy; but know it
Lead" replied the traveller Il will follow
No., returned the girl. Will go a little way
down the gorge and watch, while YOU go IN -,
The man did not trust her. How could he tell
but that she had brought him to bush where ne
was to be murdered for the sake OF his money and
his good weapon? The rubies were real, so TAR as
he could tell, but they might be only bait tie
.Listenl'' said Baraka AT the other side Of the
pool there is place where the from this spring
flows away under the rock. That IS the passage.
Il I'VE seen the entrance, answered the ira Eeler
1T is so small that dog could not swim through 1t
1T looks 50. But it is 50 deep that one can walk
through it easily with ones head above water. 1t
is not more than fifty steps long. That IS how L
found it. for one dav | wandered here alone IN the
morning for shade. when the air was like fire; and
being alone bathed in the clear pool to cool myself
and | found the way and brought back the stones,
which | have hidden ever since. For If my father
and brothers know that | have seen the treasure
they will surely kill me, because the women must
never learn the secret. You see" she laughed
little am the first of who has known 1t since
many generations, and have already betray yed 1t to
you! They quite right to Kill when We find 1t
out
This is an idle tale said the traveller Go into
the pool before me. and | shall believe and follow
YOU under the rock. | will not so and leave YOU
here
You are not very brave though YOU are so hand
some If they come and find me here, they VIII Kill
me first"
You say it but do not believe it. think there
is deep hole in the passage, and that L shall ship
into it and be drowned, for man could SWIM IN
such a place | have but one life, and do not care
to lose it in a water rats trap. You must so IN
and lead the way If YOU wish to trust YOU
Baraka hestated and looked at him. " How can
| do this before you?' she asked
Il will not go alone, the man answered, for he
expected foul play =" Do YOU Will.
THE girl took from her head the large cotton cloth
with which she veiled herself and folded it and
laid it down the rock by the pool; then let her
tunic of thin white Woolen fall to the ground
round her feet and stepped out of it. and folded 1t
also and laid it beside her veil and she stood up tail
and straight young Egyptian goddess III the
starlight. clothed only in the plain shirt without
sleeves which the women of her country wear night
and day; and the traveller saw her cream white
near him in the soft gloom, and heard her slip
off her light shoes
Il will go before YOU" she said: and she stepped
into the pool and walked slowly through the water
The traveller followed her he was for he
unwilling to leave behind him anything he valued
and what he had mostly in the pockets of his
coat, and could not be much hurt by water Even
his pressed herbs and flowers would dry again, his
cartridges quite waterproof, his letters
imperViOus case, and his money in coin.
When he entered the pool ne took his revolver from
its place and held It above the water in front of
him he With his other hand he carried
the sack he had brought, which one of those
that are made of Bokhara carpet and are meant to
sling 4 camel
Baraka almost up to her neck IN the water
when She reached the other side of the pool;
moment later she isappeared under the rock. and
the traveller bent his knees To shorten himself for
there room only for his head above the surface