The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-12-18

you get the rug, 50 long as you do get
it,"
mo, effendi." Mahomed smiled.
"A little rough work wouldn't Gis-
turb you?"
mo, 1t would not"
well, then, listen to me. Suppose
you arrange to take my friend Jones
into the desert for a little trip. Be
his dragoman for a while. In fact,
kidnap him, abduct him, steal him.
You a hold him In ransom for the
rug and a nice little sum Of money
besides"
Can they do such things these days
in Cairo?"
why not?"
Truly, why not" Mahomed sat
thoughtfully studying the outrageous
prints on the cracked walls. , Had he
dared he would have laughed. And
he had thought this dog cunning be-
yond all his kind! 81 agree. But the
arrangements l must leave to you.
Bring him here at nine o'clock to-
hiSAIb uS SOhlll1uSQ, ISoLluS dSlOoo
the table impressively, land 1 will
give you one hundred pounds Eng
lish."
Ryanne quickly assumed the express
sion needed to meet such splendid
news. 81 say, Mahomed, that Is pretty
square, after what has passed between
u.s."
1T is nothing" CALAMITY.
If Ryanne laughed in his sleeve, Ma
homed certainly found ample Dol In
his for such silent and figurative each
innations. He knew very well that
Ryanne had received a goodly sum for
his adventure. No man took his life
in his hand to cancel an obligation
which was not based upon disinterest.
ed friendship; and already the man
had %disavowed any such quality. Also,
he had not been a seller of rugs him
self, or guardian of the Yhiordes all
these years, without having had some
contact with collectors. Why, II there
was one person dear at this moment
to Mahomo' El-Gebel's heart, it was
this man sitting opposite. And he
wanted him far more eagerly than the
rug; only, the rug must be regained,
for it's loss was a passport into para
disc; and he wasn't quite prepared to
be received by the houris.
"Mr. Jones, then, shall be here
promptly at nine" declared Ryanne,
beckoning the barmaid. What will
you have?"
Mahomed shook his head. His two
companions, gathering the significance
Of the gesture, likewise declined
"A smoke, then"
A smiling negative.
Beware Of the Greek bearing gifts"
laughed Ryanne. "All right. You
won't mind If I have a beer to the sue.
cess Of the v%enture?"
"No effendi."
Ryanne drank the lukewarm bev.
erage, while Mahomed toyed with his
turquoise ring, that sacred badge Of an
honorable pilgrimage to Holy Mecca.
1.-THE young lady. effendi; she was
very pretty. Your sister," casually In,
quired Mahomed.
"Oh, no. She is a young lady I met
at the hotel the other day"
The liar! thought the Moslem, as he
recalled the light In Ryanne's eyes
and the tenderness Of his smiles. Ap'
%parently, however, Mahomed lost in.
terest directly. AT nine o'clock to-
night, then, this collector will arrive
to become my gusst?"
"By hook or crook" was the an
swer. I'll have him here Cash upon
delivery, as they say"
Cash upon delivery" Mahomed re.
peated, the phrase being familiar to
his tongue.
Frankly, I want this man out Of the
way for a while"
"Ah!"
"Yes. I want a little revenge for the
way he has treated me"
$50 it is revenge?" softly. Traitor
Gus to both sides.
and when I get him here"
Leave the rest to me-"
Good. I'm off, then. Take him to
Bagdad. 1t will be an experience for
him. But when you get him there.
keep an y out for the Shah Abbas in
the Pasha's work-room."
The affair had gone so smoothly
that Ryanne's usual keenness fell be-
low the mark; faulty was the word.
There had been so many twists to the
morning that his abiding distrust Of
every one became, for the time being.
edgeless. The trick of purloining the
cable had keyed him high; the subse-
quent meeting of Fortune had de-
pressed him. And besides, he was too
anxious to be rid Of Jones to consider
the possibilities Of Mahomed's state
Of mind.
He got up. paid his score. turned a
Jest for the amusement Of the bar