Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-29

he was too occupied with his own thoughts
to force conversation; so they rode side by
side for several miles without saying any
thing, while overhead the stars began to
die out and the stiffness that presages the
day increased until they alone of all the
silent world seemed alert and alive.
They came to a wayside cuba where
everything was still and ghostly and the
road wound through dense masses of
acaciaS, and, almost as the echoes thrown
from the front of the square squat building
died away, heard low order from the road
side, saw shadowy forms spring into action
and come rushing toward them.
Dick felt for his pistol, not knowing what
to expect in this strange somnolent land;
but the Kaid, catching the movement,
smiled and spoke:
mot an attack, Captain" he said. lust
some of my men who will accompany us and
have been waiting for us to arrive. They
compose my bodyguard. | sent them on
here last night because didn't care to have
the news too widely scattered that we were
going out of the city. In Morocco one never
can tell how news is disseminated"
The two score horsemen fell in behind.
Sidi Suleyman spurred his horse forward
and in Arabic reported, "All here, sir"
THE Kaid dismissed him with a nod and
he dropped back into the rear guard. The
American began to admire the excellent dis
cipline, and at the same time pondered over
the character of the silent man by his side,
who rode so unfalteringly, had SO little to
say, and yet carried with him sense of
absolute self confidence and command. He
had an instant's home longing as he thought
of the time when he had led his own troopers
the far u,ecfarro deserts before the
sun came up to light the way, and YEARLY
regretted that his lines had ever led him
away from them and into this foreign coun-
try, where everything seemed unreal and
untrustWOrthy, where the even trend of his
life and affections had been upset by a
chance meeting which had robbed him of
cOntentment and rest.
He looked back at the men behind They
appeared tall and robust They wore red
fezes and their cafes wrapped loosely round
them and their red silken transparencies, as
they futtered, twisted, and writhed in the
air, barely concealed the gorgeousness of
their embroidered collars. They looked half
visionary; but the soft thunder of their
horses hoofs pounding over the road dis
PEELED the illusion that they were other than
caparisons, the long, loosely held reins, the
scarcely be thrown, were all unlike those of
the western cavalrymen he had been accus-
toned to lead, and yet there was about
them something of fierce sleeping vigor that
made him question whether they would not
prove formidable in a fight. He half
wished that he might see them tested. He
half wished that he might see them draw
the heavy sabers by their sides or pull from
their girdles the curved daggers whose bare
hits protruded.
The Kaid turned and looked at him, and,
as if divining his thought, remarked,
They're good soldiers in their way. Fight
to the end. Bad for discipline, however"
But you are making them come to the
drill, after all, observed the officer, hoping
to lead the Kaid on to speak.
"Yes and no" he replied. sometimes
l think there are only few of them who
don't hate me. Other times l think they
do try to please; but trust none save Sidi
Suleyman, who has been tested"
He dropped his head forward and rode on,
giving such plain evidence that he did not
care to talk further that Whitney again left
him to himself. The sky in the east had
become filled with sudden light, which
brought out the long patches of red, white,
and yellow flowers covering the immense
plain over which they rode, and where