Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-26

endeavoring to stanch the flow of blood from
cruel wounds.
Clarke" he said gently, cant we do
something for him? I'm afraid he's hurt
pretty badly"
The fallen man turned his head toward
him and family smiled. NO." he said, an
swering for himself, "you can do nothing.
Three times the mob fighting Sid Suleyman
thrust me through. Please let me talk
while l may"
He accepted another drink of brandy and,
seeming strengthened by it, raised his head
a little higher on the sheik's knee.
Clarke" he said, "you and have not
been friends, nor could we ever be; but you
are an honorable man. There is no use in
pretense. For twenty years the people of
my mother have waited for me to take what
was mine. You know it! The throne was
mine!"
He was interrupted by fit of coughing
and doubled over with spasmodic pains.
Dick was still holding the doubled folds of
the burnoose over his wounds. "You may
regard the jihad as right or wrong; but it
does not matter now. To me it was right.
1t was my only inheritance. l fought it as
best 1 could You whipped me; but you
will admit after l am gone that no civiliza-
ton of yours could have fought more hon.
orable fight. l am that unfortunate thing
in which conflicts mixture of heritage from
free born Kings, different religion than
yours and the training of your people. My
only memory of mother is that of bright
clad figure rolling in agony down these steps.
am the Prince who played at the fountain!'
He lifted a hand strengthened by his pas
sion and gestured to his side and out to the
glowing mass of color through which blue
and golden drops of water like stream of
gorgeous jewels were dropping into the basin.
Il am he who was carried over the wall,
and the Berber woman who saved me and
died in my arms, weak in body but not in
will, imposed upon me the pledge that l
should return from your cold and heartless
London to take my place upon the throne
of my people!"
He twisted his body, seeking an instant's
respite from the pain which was. tearing at
him as wolf tears at its victim. Charlotte
handed another cushion to Dick and he
pushed it .ader Buhammei.
Thanks" he said, that is better" and
then, as if eager to waste none of his scant
time, went on:
mo one knows what sacrifice the pow
erty stricken tribes of my people made to
support and assist me, their last great hope.
have been accused of many things that are
not true. 1 never gambled franc in all my
life dwelt obscurely in the Latin Quarter
of Paris that l might husband the money
sent me and with it buy arms. No man
studied more faithfully than in your uni
versities and none more devoutly prayed to
Allah that might be fitted for my task. l
have sacrificed neither faith nor honor to
gain my end. was not even responsible for
the act of that fanatic who, maddened in
his hope for the faith attempted to kill Cap
tain Whitney on Mount Zalag. 1t was full
month before l knew of the occurrence. My
only act of violence for which am ashamed
was in striking faithful man, the one who
holds me-dying and who unfortunately
recognized me all too soon, and say, dying,
that l can find no mistake of mine unless it
was the mistake of love-and in love there
can be no mistake"
Those around him stirred restlessly, and
the Kaid, looking up, saw that Charlotte's
eyes were filled with tears.
"And you, Mr.. Marshall, l want you to
know that for no great length of time did
bear malice. You followed your belief, even
as l have always followed mine. Life is not
long enough to harbor personal enmities."
lie was seized with another violent fit of
~ coughing which left him almost uncon-
scious of his surroundings, and again they
stimulated the fitfully glowing spark of life.
The Kaid shook his head at this, signifying
49, 4 L 4 Il