Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-11
CHAPTER XI-Continued.

to the rapid fall In temperature and tn
resultant condensation of surface mois
ture taken up by the air. But 1t sooi
passes. If there is a moon. the land
scape becomes radiant etching In blacl
and silver: even when the moon Is alb
sent. the light Of the stars makes travel
ing safe. Therefore. the time at War
den's disposal was limited. So many
shrewd eyes watched the Mia Moullah'
dwelling that If success were to attent
the coup it must be carried out during
the forty minutes of darkness.
And there was much to be done in thai
brief period. AS soon the rapidly ad
vancing gloom permitted. Warden and tne
girl crossed the open space in the center
of which stood the moullah's abode. The
Englishman was so brOnZed by exposure
to the elements that the hood of a Dur
nous was scarcely needed to conceal MS
face The young negresS. comely statue
of ebony draped In white cotton was SC
terror-StriCken that she offered the most
serious obstacle to Warden's project But
that could not be helped. He depended
on her to draw those ferret eyes of him.
self for the precious moment he
needed. After that, he trusted utterly to
his own resources.
There was no trouble at the entrance
TO the compound. The guards were
Moors recruited from the seaboard prov
inces. well paid hirelings whom the Blue
Man could safely order to kill any OBJ
noxious members of his own tribe. Were
they Arabs. they might have suspected
Warden.s accent. but the patois they used
was almost unintelligible among the
desert folk. So Warden spoke with a
harsh distinctness.
Go. one of YOU" he said land tell the
glorious successor of the prophet that
the daughter Of Benz Kali awaits his
pleasure
The chief man among the guards came
OF fhar
fell on the shrinking form by the side
of this stalwart Bedawi.
IT'S WELL" he said. Even now the
holy one asked why she tarried- Who
art thou. brother?
What. then. must the renowned son of
Mahmoud suffer further delay?" cried
Warden. even more loudly.
He risked a good deal. because some
there are gutturals in the nomadic lam
euage of northern Africa that no Euro
pean throat can reproduce.
But his fearlessness was justified. A
snarling voice reached them where they
stood.
Bring the girl hither." it growled. and
the two were allowed to pass instantly.
Warden's heart throbbed little faster
he half dragged the covering negress
across the courtyard. She knew what
was going to happen. and had been
coached as TO her behavior. but she was
only child. and her fear was great for
her father and herself. She could not be-
neve that this gaunt Christian. the man
whom she had seen working daily among
the Mia MouIlahs slaves. could really &C.
complish the task he had undertaken. So
she whimpered with fright. and would
have run back shrieking If Warden had
not caught her arm and whispered a few
. words Of encouragement
The prophets habit of concealing HIM
self as much as possible from his ad-
herents was now more helpful than a
to pass day and night in meditation.
None had ever seen him eat or sleep. To
carry out this pose he seldom appeared
from behind the thick mats which yelled
the front Of the room he occupied.
A lamp was burning within. When
Warden lifted a corner of one Of the mats
he saw a grotesque and ghoulish-looking
figure seated cross-legged on a praying
carpet. Two red-rimmed. glittering black
eyes gazed fxedly at him. and a hand
sought under a cushion for a weapon.
since none dared to pass that screen
without direct instructions. Warden
turned quickly and pushed the girl for
ward.
'Beni Kali was slow in fulfilling your
wishes. o worthy of honor he ex-
claimed. bowling low yet advancing the
while, and never relaxing his grip on the
unhappy negress. Her manifest reluc-
Man appreciated the rough ways of an
Arab.
There are means to make him speedy"
he chuckled. rising
That was what Warden wanted. In
raising himself the mOullah was momen-
tarily off his guard. In the next instant
he was lying with his face on the. floor:
a strong hand was across his mouth
pulling his head back until his neck was
almost dislocated while the blade of a
sharp knife rested most suggestively
across his throat.
Turn the lamp low" said Warden to
the girl. His voice was quiet and reas-
suring. but she was so completely un-
nerved that she nearly put out the light.
which would have been awkward. Hap
PLY she avoided that blunder.
Now listen. you dog muttered War
den. slightly relieving the tension on the
Blue Mans spinal column. DO as 1 bid
and l shall spare your life. Say but q
word. utter the least cry. save as direct.
and your head will leave your miserable
body Do you understand sug?"
He used the concluding epithet purpose
ly. 1t is more opprobriOus in Arabic than
its English equivalent cur" 1t showed
how fully he was the victor in this uneX-
pected strife and he emphasized the
warning with a more decided pressure of
the sharp blade in the region of the jugu-
lar vein The moullah could not have
been more at his mercy were lie man.
acled He was fiat on the ground. spra WI
Ing with arms and legs like some ugl,
frog. and Warden's right knee was jam
med in the small Of his back. There was
naught to be done but yield, and, when
permitted to speak. lie murmured humbly
that be would obey.
Say 'Seyyid.' you swine!'' said the
Englishman.
"Seyyid!" gurgled the other.
Pay heed then" continued Warden
with grim earnestness that left nc
doubt In his hearers mind that he would
not hesitate to slit a throat If need be
The least alteration of my commands
shall forfeit thy life. Call the leader OF
ha oYI mud TOLL INfy tn no,
Benz Kali. who is to be admitted alone
bring into the compound the three bes
camels you possess with store of foo6
and water for journey. Benz Kali is t.
come at once. and the camels are to ht
0oady within ten minutes. Shout now-ht
will hear thee"
Thus far the conditions did not sounC
onerous. and the Blue Man Complied will
them to the fraction of syllable. AT
anxious. heart-searChing five minutes fol
lowed Warden did not fail to impress OF
the ouaking wretch In his grasp that ht
was receiving more clemency than he de
served and warned him sternly agans
ever again treating a European with con
tumely. He could feel the thrill of NOR
tai terror that shook the moullah. wher
he learnt the identity of his assailant. i
was good that the tyrant should know
what fear was, yet the time passed will
leaden feet until Benz Kali, more thar
doubling that the Seyyids scheme hat
failed lifted mat and thrust an awe
stricken countenance within. The girl ut
tered a cry of relief at the sight Of he
father. but Warden sienced her with