Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27

WI ny fOH 1dTS6nuelll, WIZ. udHu-
ed him back his gun with polite
German bow, and closed the door be-
hind him.
CHAPTER XXI.
| Moonlight in the Egyptian desert,
the terrifying simplicity of great
spaces, the feeling Of eternity and
the endless distance between world
and world. Moonlight going to waste
in floods of silver, for lack Of some
thing to make shadows of, If it had
not been for a group of tents which
formed the encampment of tribe Of
desert gipsies, the Graghas, the moth
er tribe of the Romanys.
Outside the tents, crouched in a
| circle, chin on hand, were the heads
| of families and their chief wives, not
yelled like the women of the Bed
| aween, but taking their places on an
equality with the men, yelled in their
own black hair, heavily ornamented
from chin to breast with chains and
| coins. The white garments of the
men made a marked contrast to the
dark robes of the women; otherwise
there was curiously little difference.
All were equally absorb in watch
ing the movements of kneeling fig
ure in the center of the circle. An
| elderly man, hawk-nosed, white beard
ed, who traced with wandering fin
ger the silver sand, stopping from time
to time to throw handful of beans
into the air and to note how they
fell about the figures he had traced.
/ Then all movement ceased, and he
crouched and gazed, rigid as stone,
but not more motionlessly than the
| figures around him.
| At last woman broke the silence
Speak, 0 Sheik See you the books
or do the spells of the accursed one
who hath brought such evil days on
our tribe still prevail against the
reaching of his spirit by thine?"
my spirit has gone forth over the
world came the answer, "but by the
knowledge stolen from the books his
spirit evadeth mine."
A groan went up from all the cir
Gle, speaking of heartfelt misery, but
1t was silenced by the voice of the
old man.
yet one cometh, for my spirit met
him approaching, out Of the land of
fog, on ship of fire, such as brought
soldiers to Khartoum, but many times
larger-and behold he hath knowl-
edge of the books. There is hatred in
| his heart towards the accursed one,
and great sorrow for evil wrought.
He seeks us that he may take ven
geance and right wrongs-a young
man, but great Bey among his own
people. He will guide us to the &C
cursed one-if he finds us, for of that
he is not certain, leaving all to
chance, as did the captains of the
host, they sent to Khartoum what
time the holy one was slain"
The old man neld up his hand to
quiet the murmurs Of satisfaction
which ran round the circle. But we
will leave 1t not to chance. Daoud
and Dashin, who have the gift OF
tongues, shall go down to the sea
where the ships of fire come to the
shore. They shall meet the Bey and
make easy his path through the des
ert, so that he shall make
easy our path to the &C
cursed one. have spoken-nay.' he
went on, as an afterthought. "before
the image leaves my mind let Daoud
and Dashin approach, that they may
see what manner of man is the Bey
SO that when he leaves the fire shiI
they may know him."
! At this, two young men, whose dark
faces had looked on English lanes
/ stepped into the center of the circle
and knelt down by the old sheik. He
poured water into little hollow he
had made in the sand, then took the
mems hands in his, and for a space
all three gazed into the little pool.
"You will know him again?" he ask
ed. His face will not vanish from
your minds?"
I'm crowd of ten thousand We
would know him. they answered.
/ go tbs WE'LL said the sheik, rising
to his feet. "Sleep now till the moor
sinks into the desert, and with the
first red ray that paints the eastern
sky let We hasten to the world of wa
ters'
And so it came to pass that wher
Lord Ancestor and Williams, his val
ct, stepped off the gang plank a
Port Said, two natives came forward
out of the crowd and made obeis
ance.
''We are the servants of the Be,
who seeketh our tribe in the desert
that the books may be restored am
|. vengeance and justice be done to tn,
s'SSoA oSu olS WIZ li0II uSCu luGIu u
work evil, bringing much tribulatiol
to our people, till such time as the,
shall regain them" They translated
their tongue in their own way. no
having been long enough in Englan.
to speak it colloquially.
Lord Ancestor was too staggered b,
surprise to reply; but his valet, VIII
had not heard what was said inter
) fered officiously: Run away, now
His lordship cawnt be bothered b
, the likes Of you The baggage is al
, arraigned for" Daoud and Dashi
, turned on the little valet with sue
murderous fury in their eyes that h
: stepped back behind his master 70
protection
| Don't be damned fool, Williams
Don't you know gentleman whe
) you see one, even If he is not weal
: ing top hat? Go and look after tn
| baggage. Good Lord!' he thought |
! himself, "how long shall we rule ns
, tive races when the labor party rule
) England?"
is that son of his sister the ser,
: ant Of the Bey?' asked Daoud.
. Lord Ancestor nodded.