The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-11-19

LEAD, replied the traveller. VIII
i follow" mi :r
mo" returned girl. 81 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 an ambush where he was to be
murdered for the sake OF his money
and his good weapon? The rubies
were real, so far as he could tell, but
they might be only bait. He shook
his head. s:,r
Listen said Baraka. "At the other
side of the pool there is place where
the water from This spring flows away
under the rock. That is the passage. "
Il have seen the entrance" an
swered the traveller. 1T is so small
that dog could not swim through it,
ut looks So But it is SO deep that
one can walk through it easily, with
ones head above water. 1t is not more
than so steps long. That is how |
found it, for one day wandered here
alone in the morning for shade, when
the air was like fire; and being alone
| bathed in the clear pool to cool my
self, and | found the way and brought
back the stone, which | have hidden
ever since. For if my father and
brothers know that l have seen the
treasure they will surely kill me, be-
cause the women must never learn the
secret. You see," she laughed little,
Il am the first of us who has known
it, since many generations. and | have
already betrayed it to you! They are
quite right to kill us when we find
it OUT"
This is an idle tale said the trav-
eler. go into the pool before me and
will believe and follow you under
the rock. / will not go and leave you
here"
You are not very brave, though you
are so handsome! If they come and
find me here, they will kill me first"
You say it, but | do not believe it.
l think there is deep hole in the
passage and that l shall slip into it
and be drowned, for no man could
swim in such place. | have but one
life, and | do not care to lose it in a
WATERWAYS trap. You must go in and
lead the way if you wish me to trust
you"
Baraka hesitated and looked at him.
"How can | do this before you?"
she asked.
Il will not go alone" the man an
swered, for he suspected foul play.
DO as you will
The girl took from her head the
large cotton cloth with which she
yelled herself, and folded it and laid
it down on the rock by the pool; then
she let her outer tunic of thin white
wooden fall to the ground round her
feet and stepped out of it, and folded
it also, and laid it beside her veil, and
she stood up tall and straight as a
young Egyptian goddess in the star
light, 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
arms 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 as he
was, for he was unwilling to leave
behind him anything he valued, and
what he had was mostly in the peck
cts of his coat. and could not be
much hurt by water. Even his
pressed herbs and flowers would dry
again, his cartridges were quite wa
terproof, his letters were in an i'm
pervious case, and his money was in
coin. When he entered the pool he
took his revolver from its place and
he held it above the water in front of
him as he went on. With his other
hand he carried the sack he had
brought, which was one of those that
are made of Bokhara carpet and are
meant to sling on a camel.
Baraka was almost up to her neck
in the water when she reached the
other side of the pool; moment
later she disappeared under the rock,
and the traveller bent his knees to
shorten himself for there was only
room for his head above the surface,
and he held up his revolver before his
face to keep the weapon dry, and also
to feel his way, lest he should strike
against any jutting projection of the
stone and hurt himself. He counted
the steps he took, and made them as
nearly as possible of equal length. He
felt that he was walking on perfectly
smooth sand, into which his heavily
shod feet sank very little. There
was plenty of air, for the gentle
draught followed him from the en-
trance and chilled the back Of his
neck. which had got wet; yet 1t
seemed hard to breathe, and AZ he
made his way forward his magma
ton pictured the death he must die |
IL the rock should fall in behind him.
He was glad that the faint odor OF Ba- |
raka's wet hair came to his nostrils |
in the thick darkness. and 1t was very |
pleasant to hear her voice when she