The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-11-04
The Shadow of the Sphinx

7 bands passed, and had maintained a
scout outlook to report their approach.
! Foreigners were not popular in the Su-
| dan at that time
1 had had little trouble i'm tracing the
whereabouts Of Prof. Keyes up-country.
/ He was one OF the few white men, since
Gordon. who had the faculty OF win
ming the trust OF the Arabs. He hal
often visited their country. spoke sew
eral Of their dialects. and was at home
! in a half score Bedouin tribes.
Just now, we learned. he was guest
of BasTaoul, the emiT Of the mighty FL
Kanah tribe of Bishareen Bedouins.
! This tribe advancing slowly and by
easy stages from its oasis in the Bisha-
reen desert, was also on its way 70 the
! front We had been told its general
route, and were now following IT, In
another day or two we hoped to come
I Up with the professor. Meantime, we
were enjoying the wonderland through
which we were journeying.
While lunChing that day Jack an
| nOunced that he was going TO brave
/ the mock terror Of the crocodiles by
/ bath in the river. Said could not dis
suade him from the idea. The only
| argument that carried weight. ard al
! last convinced Penn, was Said's asSur-
ance that a bath in the warm, miasmic
| stream would almost certainly bring or
bad attack of the dreaded mile
| fever"
An hour later we reached the rude
]
| ley, the Sudanese transport themselves
and their cattle from one bank to the
| other. IL was long and tedious work 70
J shin our eQuiDment and ponies across in
the cranky, leaking barge. Seven trips
I were needed. for we dared not overload
the craft. The frayed ferry rope had
worn our palms raw before we had nm
ished.
4 II did not add largely to my own
/ pleasure nor that Of Said 20 watch two
or three huge crocOdiles swim with lazy
! ease abreast Of the boat never once
/ taking their round, hdless eyes from US.
I and accompanying US with the patient
! alertness Of a watch dog
| They wait" answered Said. cryptic
ally. when I asked him their reason FOR
sticking TO US
/ Penn laughed in amused derision.
/ Suppose we play Jonah and throw
! over old Said TO appease them, ne suS-
! gested- Then We HaHoi ne Drohe
off suddenly, pointing 10 the opposite
shore there's a measly Arab footing
my saddle-bagsr
/ I'VE were on our seventh trip. The
I boat had been laden TO the gunWales.
] Nothing had been left on the farther
/ shore save few bundles Of impedimen-
to that could not be piled on earlier
! One Of these bundles. at the base Of the
| high bank. was in the hands OF native
! who. regardless OF Jacks shouts was
! calmly turning out its contents on the
/ little beach and sorting them over
Penn Negan furiOusly 20 toss ashore
I our ca-gC In minute or so the barge
/ was empty. Said and I. on shore were
trying to restore the tossed heap to or
/ der
/ The last package was scarcely out Of
/ the boat before Jack, with a mighty tug
/ on the rope. had sent the clumsy barge
/ out into midstream. He was pulling.
hand over hand, for the bank we had
Come back I ordered. There may
1 be others behind him. Come back for
your rife. anyhow"
But he was deaf 10 my call. All the
righteous wrath which ever possesses
Il the travelling American when anyone
Hampers with his baggage had taken full
u hold on him. Before now we had learned
70 our cost that wandering Arabs love
nothing better than 70 prey upon for
eigrers. Penn was evidently resolved 70
rescue hts saddle-bags and thrash the
desDoiler-
The boat was gone. I could only wait
and watch, in the hope that the thief
was alone, and not Straggler from
4 some band cut of from our view by the
clifr-Iike hank I was more inclined 20
fear thish because the Arab did not bolt
at Jacks approach. but calmly contln-
: ued his work OF selecting such articles
as appealed TO his fancy.
With a last tug Penn brought the boat
| to shore and sprang out AS he did SO
! the native raised his head and yelled a
shr1ll sentence in Arabic Jack coughi
| him by the neck and was shaking MN
to and fro with a jerky force thdl
made his victim Wabble like spineleSs
: | maTiOnette. With a final shove Penn
flung the GREATNESS, exhausted Arab
| against the walls of the bank and cool
ly set to work throwing his rescued
| baggage into the barge.
AS his TASK was nearly complete
saw a turbaned head bob over the toI
J of the bank. Another and then another
, That shrill yell had brought aid at last
I shouted TO Jack. but the strong oresz'
T / made my warning CRY unlnteill6lDl
| Penn locked across inquiringlyr tneI
went on with his work.
He did not even understand my eN
I cited gesture as 1 pointed 70 the banA
I above him.
Snatching up our only rife and swing
ing it to my shoulders by its bando
lier, l jumped into the water Holdlnt
5 | to the Sagging, wet terry-rOpe and pull
ling myself along, hand over hand,
+ struck out for the opposite shore
= had sense enough, in my mad haste e
Z splash nOiSily as / went, IN the nope o.
soaring off crOCOdiles Nevertheless,
lcOnfess I was frightened Not at thu
probable scrimmage with natives on the
I farther shore. but at the possible rusf
I Of a dark body through the warm
green waters below me, a snap of enOr
nous jaws, and
NV feet touched bottom Just as Jack
. turning his head from his astOnisheC
I gaze at my approach, noted the LITTLE
e group Of Bedouins who had gathered OF
the knoll above him. think they wer'
as much interested In my race witt
}, death as he was. and that this diversion
I had delayed the attack.
e What on earth-?' Penn began
. but I cut him short.
Into the boatr' / shouted. Quick
Instinctively he obeyed. His move
), ment broke the spell Of silent curiosit.
= that held the natives; The thief o.
T. the ground recovered his breath sufh
% | GENTLY to grasp another sentence in gut
u tural Arabic. The effect was electrical
: | A dozen weapons flashed out Dow
., the steep slope swarmed his comrades.
i, 1 leaped for the boat to cast off TIL
Z PROSTATE native made a grab for m,
ankles Down I went across the gun
IT : 49, 80