Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-08-01


Ended WIRE a Sin!:-
him of Hallowe'ens and the tubs witt
the bobbing apples. One thing was
certain: he would kill this pagan the
very first opportunity. Rather q
startling metamorphosis IN the char
acter of a man whose life had been
passed in the peacefulest environ
ments. And to kill him without the
least conjunction. too. To strike
man who couldn't help himself!
"Hey there!' he yelled. Help for
white mani" After such treatment
he considered it anything but dishon-
orable to break his parole. And where
was Ryanne? "Help!"
Mahomed swung his arm round
Georges neck, and the third cry be,
gan with gurgle and ended with i
sigh. Deity, the Arab rebandaget
the prisoners mouth. So be ii. He
had had his chance for freedom; nov
he should drink to the bottom Of tbs
bitter cup, along with the others. HI
had no real enmlty against George;
he was simply one Of the pawns il
the game he was playing. But now he
saw that there was danger in liberat
ing him. The other! Mahomed ca
ressed his wiry beard. To sutjec'
him to the utmost mental agony; to
break him physically, too; to pay hin
back pound for pence; to bruise, to
hurt, to rack him, that was all Ma
homed desired.
George made no further effort t.
free himself, nor apparently to bestil
himself about the future. Somewhere
in the fight, presumably as he fel?
against the table, he had received {
crushing blow in the small ribs; anC
when Mahomed threw him back, ne
tainted for the second time in his life.
He reclined Imply in the corner c.
the carriage, the bosom OF his shirt
bulging open; for the thrifty Arabs
had pur!oned the pearl-studs, the
gold collar-buttons, and the sapphire
cuff-links. And consciousness re
turned only when they lifted him out
and dropped him inconsiderately into
the thick dust of the road. He stirred
again at his bonds, but presently lay
still. The pain in his side hurt keen
ly. and he wasn't sure that the rib
was whole. What time had passed
since his entrance to the English.Bar
was beyond his reckoning, but he
knew that it was yet in the dark Of
night, as no light whatever penetrated
the cloth over his eyes. That he was
somewhere outside the city he was
assured by the tang Of the winter
wind. He heard low understandable;
OF the tongue, his head ached too
sharply for him to sense a word.
Later, camel coughed. Camels? And
where were they taking him upon a
camel? Bagdad? Impossible: there
were too many white men following
the known cam el-ways. He groaned Q
little, but the sound did not reach the
ears Of his captors. To ride came.
under ordinary conditions was q pain.
full affair; but to straddle the ungainly
brute, dressed as he was, in a swal-
low-tail and paper-thin pumps. did moi
promote any pleasuTable thoughts
They would in all truth kill him be
fore they got through. Hang the rug!
And doubly hang the man who had
sold it to him
His whilom friend, conscience, came
back and gibbered at him. Once he
said: Don't do it," and now she was
saving quite humanity: Il told you
sol" Hadn't she warned him? Hadn't
she swung her red lantern under his
very nose? Well, she hoped he was
satisfied. His reply to this brief jere-
miad was that if ever he got his hands
upon the rug again, he would hang
on till the crack Of doom, and con-
science herself could go hang. Mere
pcrverseness, probably. And where
was it. since he was now certain thar
Mahomed had it not? 1t was Ry-
anne; Ryanne, smooth and plausible
of tongue. Not being satisfied with a
thousand pounds, he had stolen 1t
again to mulct some other simple,
trustful person. George, usually SO
unsuspicious, was now quite willing
to believe anything Of anybody.
He felt himself being lifted to his
feet. The rope round his ankles was
thrown off. His feet stung under the
renewed flow Of blood. He waited for
them to liberate his hands, but the
CALLING rope was not disturbed. 1t
was evident that the natives still en-
tertained some respect for his fighting
ability. Next, they boosted him, hung
a leg here and leg there; then came
a lurch backward, the recurrence Oh
the pain in his side, and he knew that
he was upon the back OF camel, des-
ert-bound. There were sirrups, ana
as life began to spread yigor once
more through his legs. he found the
steel. The straps were too short, ana
in time the upper turn of the steel
chafed his insteps. He eased himself
I