The Irish standard., 1912-12-21
menI me temporary paralysis le1l
him. Crouching. he ran over to Ry-
anne and shook him.

The broken line OF camels bobbed up
and down oddly.
IL, "Are you white meni" he called.
f. Eyes" said deep. resonant voice.
And stop where you are: there's no
hurry"
THANK God!" cried George. at the
verge Of breakdown.
what the devil Flanagan,
here's white man In 4 dress.suit!
God save us!" The speaker laughed.
Eyes. white man; and there's q
white woman in the camp back there.
white woman! Great God, don't you
understand? A white woman!" George
flutched the man by the foot desper-
ktely. "A white woman!"
The man kicked Georges hand away
and slashed at his camel. Flanagan.
and you. Williams, get your guns in
shape. This doesn't look good to me,
twenty miles from the main gamelieh.
4 told you 1t was odd, that fire. Live
", now!"
George ran after them, staggering.
Twice he fell headlong. But he
laughed as he got up; and 1t wasn't
4 exactly human laughter, either. When
he reached camp he saw Mahomed
and the three strangers, the latter
with their rifles held menacingly. For
tune stood before the flap Of her tent,
bewildered at the turn in their affairs.
Behind the leader of the newcomers
= was Ryanne, and he was talking rap.
idly.
{ WELL" the leader demanded of Ma
homed, what have you got to say
tor yourself?"
-. "Nothingl" 80" 81,
!: "Take carel It wouldn't come hard
! to put a bullet into your ugly hide.
You can't abduct white women these
days. you beggarl Well. what have
you to say?"
q Mahomed folded his arms; his ex-
preston was calm and unafraid. But
down in his heart the fires of hell
were raging. If only he had brought
his rife from the tent; even knife;
and one mad moment If he died for it!
Add he had been gentle to the girl;
! 10 had withheld the lash from the
men: he had not put into action a
single plan arranged for their misery
and humiliation! Truly his blood had
turned to water, and he was worthy
Of death. The white man, always and
ever the white man won in the end
To have come this far, and then to be
cheated out Of his revenge by chance!
Kismet! There was but one thing left
for him to do, and he did it. He spoke
hurriedly to his head-boy. The boy
without hesitation obeyed him. He
ran to the racing-camel, applied a
kick, flung on the saddle-bags, stuffed
dates and dried fish and two water
bottles into them, and waited. Ma
homed walked over to the animal an6
mounted.
"stop!" The white man leveled hi,
rifle. Get down from there!"
= Mahomed, as II he had not heard
). kicked the camel with his heels. The
beast lurched to its feet resentfully
iMahomed picked up the guiding-rope
which served as bride, and struck
the camel across the neck.
3. Click! went the hammer Of the rifle,
! and Mahomed was at that moment
very near death. He gave no heed.
y mo, MOI" cried Fortune, pushing up
the barrel. Let him go. He was
kind to lie. after his fashion"
Mahomed smiled. He had expected
this, and that was why he had gone
about the business unconcernedly.
What do you say?" demanded the
stranger Of Ryanne,
;Ryanne, having no love whatever
for Mahomed, shrugged.
. "Humph!' And you?" to George.
= "Oh, let him co."
&, :; '"All right, Two to one. on with
you, them" to Mahomed. But wait!
\ What about these beggars Of yours?
What are you going to do with them?"
:, ''They have been paid. They can
Il 90 back"
The moment the camel felt the sand
under his pads. he struck his gait
eastward. And when the mists and
shadows crept in behind him and his
rider, that was the last any Of them
ever saw Of Mahomed- -Gebel, keeper
i of the Holy Yhiordes in the Pashas
palace at Bagdad.
NOV. then," = said the leader Of the
Strange caravan. my name Is Ack-
ermann. and mine is carpet-caravan.
n from Khuzistsn. bound for. Smyrna.
How may / help your"
II. Take US as far as Damascus," an.
swered Ryanne. I'VE can get on from
I there well enough"
What's your manner" directly.
~Rvanns."
s ~,