Mexico Missouri message., 1910-01-06
copNR/clf7 1907 eY <:N4RIoV cRFNFoR0

kept by my fathers for IA generations
IL it were SO easy to find out" she
said. "The way is not easy, but l
know it."
Lead" replied the traveller. 'T viii
follow"
mo-" returned girl. II 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 Ine 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 a bait. He shook
his head.
Listen" said Baraka. AT the other
side of the pool there is a 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. ut is so small
that dog could not swim through it."
ut looks so. But 1t 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
l 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,
II 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 your under
the rock. l will not go and leave you
here"
"You are not very brave, though you
are 80 handsome! If they come and
find me here, they will kill me first"
You say it, but do not believe it.
1 think there is a deG1 hole in the
passage and that A.slp into it
and be drowned, IT, 9 4$qn could
swim in such a pl9 . ASSnpt one
life, and do not q 81 % 8: in a
water-rat's trap. n ~ - q and
lead the way if you NO S,baS Aust
you" caee 1
Baraka hesitated and lcontiers- al.
"How can l do this MIME z"
she asked. t-west- x
II will not go alone" Test IN n.
swered, for he suspected are ! ~.
do as you will" 1E3
The girl took from her head tie
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 of her light shoes.
II will go before YOU" she said;
and she stepped into lhe 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 pock-
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 camel.
Baraka was almost up to her neck
j in the water when she reached the
other side of the pool; moment
, later she disappeared under the rock
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
/ shoa feet sank very little. There
/ was plenty of air, for the gentle
! draught followed him from the en-
| trance and chilled the back of hi:
! neck. which had got wet; yet I
! seemed hard TO breathe, and as h'
! made his way forward his imagins
ton pictured the death he must di'
a If the rock should fall in behind him
I He was glad that the faint odor of Ba
raka's wet hair came to his nostrill