Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-21

lips.
1t was little enough refreshment'
but 1T was something, and she was not
afraid, which made a difference. Just
as she had drawn the edge OF her shirt
down and round her ankles again, the
man turned on his side suddenly, and
then rose to his feet. For an instant
he glared at her, and she saw that
his blue eyes were bloodshot and
burning; then he picked up the heavy
camel bag, and began to make MS
way round what had been the beach OF
the pool, towards the passage through
which they had entered, and which
was now a dry cave, wide below. mar
rows at the top, and between six or
seven feet high. He trod carefully
and tried his way, for he feared the
quicksand, but he knew that there
was none in the passage, since he had
walked through the water and had
felt the way hard under his feet. In
a few moments he disappeared under
the rock.
Baraka knew what he meant to do;
he was going to try to dig through the
dam at the entrance to let the water
in. even if he could not get out; but
she did not move, for in that narrow
place and in the dark she could not
have helped him. She sat and waited.
BY and by he would GENE ort, drenched
with sweat and yet parching with
thirst, and he would glare at her hor-
ribly again; perhaps he would be mad
when he came out and would kill her
because she had brought him there.
After some time she heard a very
faint sound overhead, and when she
looked up the vulture was gone from
HIS pinnacle. She wondered at this,
and her eyes searched every point
and crevice of the rock as far as she
could see, for she knew that the evil
bird could only have been frightened
bird nor beast, hlt only man, she
could not believe that any human be
ing could find a foothold near to
where 1t had perched.
For some seconds, perhaps for a
whole minute, she saw nothing, though
she gazed up steadily, then she saw
that a small patch of snowy white was
moving slowly on the face of the cliff
at some distance above the place
where the vulture had been. She bent
her brows in the effort to see more
by straining her sight, and meanwhile
the patch descended faster than 1t
seemed possible that a man could
climb down that perilous steep. Yet
it was a man, she knew from the first,
and soon she saw him plainly, in his
loose shirt and white turban, and with
a long gun slung across his back.
l. -
1utting pinnacle where the vulture had
sat, and she saw his black beard; still
nearer by few feet and she knew
him, and then her glance darted to
the mouth of the cave, at the other
end of which the man she loved was
toiling desperately alone in the dark
to pierce the dam of earth and stones.
Tt was only 4 glance. in a second OF
time, but when she looked up the
black-beared man had already made
another step downwards. Baraka
measured the distance. IF he spoke
loud now she could understand him.
She knew him we'll, and she knew why
he had come, with his long gun. He
was her fathers brothers son, to
whom she was betrothed: he was
Saad, and he was risking his life to
come down and kill her and the man
whom she had led to the ruby mines
for loves sake.
He would come down till he was
within easy range. and then he would
wait till he had fair chance at them,
when they were standing still. and she
knew that he was a dead shot The
travellers revolver could never carry
as far as the long gun. Baraka was
sure. and Saad could come quite near
with safety, since he seemed able to
climb down the face of a fat rock
where there was not foothoId for a
cat. He was stall descending. he was
getting very rear: if the traveller were
not warned he might come out of the
cave unsuspiciously and Saad would
shoot him. Saad would wish to shoot
him first, because OF his revolver, and
then he would kill Baraka at his
leisure. If he fired at her first the
traveller would have a chance at him
while he was relOading his old gun
She understood why he had not killed
her yet. if indeed he wanted to. for it
was barely possible that he loved her
enough to take her alive
HlltI nGSttd ing ICI a lew moments,
not from fear but in doubt, she gath
cred herself to spring, and made a
dash like an antelope along the sand
for the mouth of the cave. for she
knew that Saad would not risk vast
ing his shot on her while she was run
ming. She stopped Just under the
shelter of the rock and called inward:
"Saad is coming down the rock with
his gum" she cried. Load your
weapon,"
When she had given this warning
she went out again and stood before
he mouth of the cave with her back
10 it. Saad was on the rock, not so
feet above the ground, at the other
side of the natural wall. but looked
IS if even he could get no farther
Town. He was standing with both his
reels on 4 ledge so narrow that more
han half the length of his brown feet
TODD over it; he was leaning back,
lat against the slipping cliff. and he