The Washington times., 1910-11-05
The Shadow of the Sphinx

lowing. day to give the emir the bliss
OF gazing into my eyes
Does this harangue raise a smile *
derislonZ II perhaps loses I'm the crar.s-
lation the sublime courtesy, If not the
exaggeration Of the East.
l made swift to reply as best / could,
leaving TO Said's ingenuity the task or
Shaping my blunt. tired words of thanks
INTO sufficiently ornate phrases.
With another bow. the sheik stopped
as though To kiss my hand in farewell.
Luckily, from observation. had already
learned enough Of the Orients quaint,
complicated etiquette to make me with
dfaW my hand from his before II could
reach his lips and 10 touch my fingers
again 10 my own mouth.
Civility having been satisfied, Haiz
Withdrew Jack Penn had looked en-
with q grin OF genuine fun at the brief
colloqUy- But / somehow did not share
his amusement For one thing, my head
thrObbed abominably. For another,
had been foolish enough to take a per-
lectiy Illogical, petulant dislike 10 the
- ave, courteous stranger. II was q
sick mans fancy, the sudden prejudice
or mine Yet I stared after him with
a scowi.
street Of black goat-hair tents. some
forty PAGES beyond. I saw him turn
swiftly and favor US with a lightning
quick glance, that II read faces
aIight mingled IN u suspicion. dislike
end an ill-concealed contempt In a
fash, as he say was sfill looking after
him, this expression changed to immobll-
ny and he STROBE out OF sight among
the tents.
had other and more interesting
things 10 think of than the possible
aversion in a Bedouin's face. So l
query:
well. why didn't Reyes come back
with you? Isn't he here?"
No. Hes
WrongE cried. sick with disappoint-
menti that my journey across the
world has all been for nothing2 1 was
sure he
Keep cool. old chap" laughed Penn.
MS fever Of yours has given your
nerves an edge you could shave with
Old Keyes has been here, and he'll be
back He's gone ahead with a guard
and bunch Of servants TO dig and bur
row In some measly ruins ebout twenty
rive miles south Of here. Left last
week some time They expect him back
any day now. Wen have 10 rest and
loaf around here till ne returns. No
use chasing farther after him when
out So
You're right After twenty-five wears.
one day more or less ought not TO
count. I suppose. The rest won't hurt
me. either; How did you get on with
the emir2'
Fine and good. said and were
ushered into a point that looked Ike a
WoOdshed from the outside Inside II
was Ike a $500 copy OF the Arabian
Nights A lot Of folks In the merriest
sat on the ground There was a gold
cloth divan and big man with q face
like a statue sitting on It"
The emir."
fours, and gives me the tip 20 do the
same. But I didn't see any fun In play
ing turtle 50 kept on standing. Then
Said hands him line OF talk in Arabic.
and the old man answers in a kind OF
Arabic that compares with Said's mr. n
the way StradivariuE compares with a
horse fiddle They jabbered q while
and everyone had coffee, and the ennir
kissed my hand-silly custom. that-and
when I got up 20 20 everybody rose ana
bowed. Say! These Redouins are won
ders. They're white men I thought al
Arabs were coons- There were a couple
OF girls"
Not IN the audience chamber, sure
no. On the way there. stunning
lockers they were I gave them the
eye, and Said nearly threw a TT Re
said we were liable TO be lynched II We
tried any freshness with girls here.
Says the BedOuins resent any insult or
flirting with their daughters"
Look here, Jack broke IN, you're
an awfully good chap. But II I ever
travel anywhere with you again I'll get
a double life insurance policy first"
Don't rub IL in" he pleaded ssTU
try to keep out OF mischief But how
was I to know Bedouin girls didn't ike
70 be stared at? American girls don't
exactly scream when a man signals 'ern
a glance Of admiration Why Should
these2 Besides. they weren't vefIed and
kept locked up behind lattices ike the
fat Cairo beauties"
We'll" 1 suggested. don't bother 10
argue II out Just take my tfo and
leave them alone. I've read Of the yay
Bedouins guard their women. They
give them more freedom, much more
than any other Oriental woman gets
But it's not healthful for outsiders TO
break in on that freedom. Now. let's
have supper and turn in. %
You need all the rest that's coming
to you." commented Penn, eyeing me
anSiously. You're as lean as an Arab,