Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1912-03-13

manner a rabble springs out Of the
very cobbles of Alexandria's streetsf
Men, women, naked children and yap-
ping pariah dogs, fellaheen, Arabs; Be-
douins from the desert, 'NubiaIsf
Greeks, Levantines-the fugitive had
not covered two-score yards ere mob
of such composition was swapping at
his calves.
Turning and twisting, lodging and
doubling, shifting this gratuitous en-
emy full in the face, treating the next
as he had the limb of the law (aRd
leaving both howling), he seized the
first opening and swung into narrDw
back-way, leading inland from the wa
terfront.
He ran as seldom he had run be-
fore, straining and laboring, stumbling,
recovering and plunging onward. And,
by the gods, wasn't 1t hot! The
khamsin raved and tore like spirit
of hell-fre through that narrow alley,
turning it into a miniature inferno.
But in the course Of some minutes.
the end Of the tunnel came in view;
a lighted rift between house walls,
giving upon the Illuminated street be-
yond. The sight brought forth fresh
burst of speed from ORourke He
dashed madly out Of the alley,
stumbled and ran headlong into a
strolling Greek, who grappled with
him, at first In surprise and then IN
resentment, while the clamor Of the
pursuing rabble shrilled loud ad
near and ever nearer.
Exhausted as he was, the Irishmsa
struggled with little skill before fe
mastered his own surprise; and IN tpe
end saw his flnis written along rbe
blade of thin, keen knife which TIP
Greek mad whipped from the folds h
his garments and jerked threateningE
above his head.
1t was falling when O'Rourke saw
it. In another breath he had been
stabbed. Unexpectedly the Greek
shrieked, dropped the knife as thouh
it had turned suddenly white-hot IA
his hands, and leaped back from
ORourke, nursing broken wrist;
while voice as sweet as the singing
of angels rang in the fugitive's ears.
though the spirit OF its melody was
simple and crude enough.
"O'Rourke, be all tn powers! Tb
masther himself! Glory, ye beggar,
tits sorry 1 am that didn't split tie
ugly face of ye wild me sthicK!
This way, yer honor! Come
wild mel"
Blindly enough (indeed the word
was all awhirl about him) O'Rourke,
his arm grasped by a strong and coaH-
dent hand, permitted himself to be
swung to the right and across the
street. In a thought blackness again
was all about him, but the hand
gripped his arm, hurrying him onward;
and he yielded blindly to its guidance
without power, for that matter, TO
question or to object; what breath
he had he sorely needed. And as blind
ly he stumbled on for perhaps another
hundred yards, while the voice OF the
rabble made hideous the night be-
hind them. Hardly, indeed, had the
two whipped into the mouth OF tho
back-way ere it was choked by q
swarm of pursuers. But-"Nfvtr
fear!" said the voice at his side.
"'Tis ourselves that'll outwit than.
Here, now, yer honor, do ye
go straight on widout sthoppin' orrn
We come to an iron dure in a dead waI
at the end av this. Knock there
vance, count tin, and knock again.
I'll lead 'em away and be wild ye again
in brace av shakes!"
Benumbed by fatigue ard exhans-
tion, O'Rourke obeyed. He was aware
that his preserver with wild wheop
had darted aside into cross-alley, bar
hardly aware of more. Mechanically
he blundered on until brought up by
a wall that closed and made Guide
sac Of the way.
With trembling hands he felt befoae
him, fingers encountering the smooth.
cool surface of sheet Of metal. THIS.
then, was the door. AS carefully rs
he could he knocked, counted ten, and
knocked again-whi.e the mob ths6
had lusted fer his blood trailed ef
down the siue alley in frantic PURSUE
Of his generous preserver. And f
heard wish a smile, the latter's shrA
defiant u.sh yeils Turing them further
upon the false scent.
"If It's not Danny" gasped the al
yenturer, then myselfs not the
O'Rourke! Bless the lad!"
But as he breathed this benedicticn
the iron door swung inwards and he
stumbled across the threshold, hah-
fainting, hardly conscious that ne had
done more than pass from open night
to the night OF an enclosed space. his
foot caught on some obstruction and
he went to his knees with cry that
was a cross between sob and
groan; and incontinently fell full
length upon an earthen floor, his head
-. b;c pontino q if his