Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-03-21
The Argus Daily Story
Haia, the Albino-By Clarissa Maclxie.
Copyrighted 1911. by Associated Literary Bureau

Now, Mr.. Hanford, 1t is your turn )
to spin a yard" remarked Professor
Trayle one evening as the steamship
Neptune. with party of tourists, was
skirting the African coast
DO, James," urged Mrs. Hanford. as
the seven tourists drew their chairs
into close proximity. II know positive
" that you had an adventure with that
albino dragoman you hired at Cairo"
IAN albino dragoman?" laughed Ar
thur Clayton. I'VE gods. what a sight!
Was your man Egyptian. Arabian.
MussuIman or Christian?"
HE was not exactly an albino; he
was very fair and light haired, was he
not, JamesT questioned Mrs. Hanford.
referring to her husband. who was
listening with a smile of amusement.
Light headed" he corrected. "Hafia
had an Egyptian mother, an Arabian
father. The mother was Christian
and the father a Mohammedan; Hafia
was an out and out heather and is now
for all know"
"That is not all Of your story" pro-
tested Miss Emeline Gray. THAT saw
ors too much of tabloid fiction"
at isn't much of a story" admitted
| Mr. Hanford reluctantly. Indeed,
don't understand how Harriet got the
idea there was a story connected with
Hafia."
81 never suspected there was until
saw you kicking him down the steps of
the hotel" retorted Mrs. Hanford quiet
ly, and amid the laugh that followed
Mr.. Hanford began his story.
"Well, Haia, the heather, came to
me the first day we arrived in Cairo
and, after assuring me that he was the
most efficient interpreter and guide be-
tween the Red sea and the Atlantic
ocean. he produced innumerable tat
tered bits of paper that he swore were
recommendations from former patrons,
and as did not care to examine them
was compelled to take him at his
own valuation.
"Of course; I was mainly interested
in the excavations around Naua Belaks
and Hafia professed to have been born
in the very shadow Of the Mana pyra-
mids, so 1 was confident that our ex-
petition would be accomplished with
out mishap, as he was doubtless well
acquainted with the vicinity.
1 These pyramids are a half days
journey to the east of Cairo. and on
the morning. of our start my dragoman
appeared with two camels, and soon
we were leaving the city streets be-
hind and rocking over the sandy road
| ho ov1t n
the Arabian desert.
Master remarked Hafia to me a
few hours later as we ate luncheon
beside a little spring Of water, 4 have
been thinking that there is a pretty
pyramid much nearer than that OF
Naua, where there are no excavations
being made and where all is peace an6
quietness instead of dirt and disorder
One could sleep refreshingly there
"'Haha,' 1 said sternly, we so to in
vestigate, to observe, to discover, moi
to sleep. We shall sleep when we re
turn to Cairo. Remove the luncheon
and let US be on our way
with i'll grace my albino dragomal
tossed the remains of our meal int,
tb , sand and brought my camel to it
knees before me. We rode on in 81
lence for several hours. Instead of tn
cheerful conversation which had light
ened the burden of the sandy journe.
we maintained an unbroken silence
for Hafia was sulking openly, and
i was out of patience with him and be
= ginning to have serious doubts as t
Il his integrity.
"'You said it was half days jour
ney,' I exclaimed at last. 1t is nov
!. o'clock and we are still in the desert
az came the long way. master
growled Hafia moodily.
why did you do that2' demand
ed, thoroughly angry.
"Hafia shrugged his shoulders.
have forgotten the short way. Besides
it is rough and infested with robbers
| "'How soon shall we arrive a
NauaP
| "'In an hour, master. but will ques
| ton this caravan
| Approaching US across the sun bath
| ed sand was a string of some ten or
dozen ragged looking camels. who's
. riders were the dirtiest and most ras
d | Cdlly lOL L u SecH III
4 day.
4 Don't let them know we are alone
II Hafa.' 1 warned him. They look lik
II robbers
\ "Hafa rolled one of his queer ligh
J colored eyes toward me as he nodde
reassuringly. He held a few minutes
low toned conversation with the lea(
IL ers of the caravan, and then. dismiss
ing them with a rough spoken wore
he turned and watched them as the
disappeared behind US through tn
golden sunset haze.
"'When the first star has risen "
shall see the pyramid of Naua. master
said Hafa good naturally. and froI
that moment he chartered on wit
high spirits until / had almost forgo
ten his morose fit
Just after the sun had set an
while the swift twilight was fallini
plotting out distant oasis OF nearh
sand dune. / thought | heard the so
padding OF camel hoofs passing us Q
the sand. and / strained my eyes
he left and saw as through a thiC
gray veil a shadowy caravan of me
and camels passing Us. In an instsl
Jf they were out of sight ahead of US. al