The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-11-30

acter OF q man whose life had been
passed in the peacefulest environ
ments. And to kill him without the
least conjunction, too. TO strike a
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
sigh. Deity, the Arab rebandaged
the prisoners mouth. So be 1t. He
had had his chance for freedom; now
he should drink to the bottom of the
bitter cup, along with the others. He
had no real enmity against George;
he was simply one Of the pawns in
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 subject
him to the utmost mental agony; to
break him physically, too; to pay him
back pound for pence; to bruise, to
hurt, to rack him, that was all Ma.
homed desired.
George made no further effort to
free himself, nor apparently to bestir
himself about the future. Somewhere
in the fight, presumably as he fell
against the table, he had received a
crushing blow in the small ribs; and
when Mahomed threw him back, he
tainted for the second time in his life.
He reclined Imply in the corner of
the carriage, the bosom of his shirt
bullying open; for the thrifty Arabs
had purloined 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
~, 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 1t 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;
and while he possessed a smattering
Of the tongue, his head ached too
sharply for him to sense q word.
Later, a camel coughed. Camels? And
where were they taking him upon a
camel? Bagdad? Impossible: there
were too many white men following
the known camelways. He groaned
little, but the sound did not reach the
ears Of his captors. To ride camel
under ordinary conditions was pain
full affair; but to straddle the ungainly
brute, dressed az he was, in swal-
low.tail and paper-thin pumps, did not
promote any pleasurable thoughts.
They would In all truth kill him be.
fore they got through. Hang the rug!
And doubly hang the man who had
sold 1t to himl
| His whilom friend, conscience, came
back and gibbered at him. Once he
said: Don't do It'll" and now she was
saying quite humanity: II 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 5ere,
miad was that II 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
perverseness, probably. And where
was 1t. since he was now certain that
Mahomed had 1t not? 1t was Ry.
anne; Ryanne, smooth and plausible
Of tongue. Not being satisfied with q
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 of. His feet stung under the
/ renewed flow Of blood. He waited for
them to liberate his hands, but the
CALLING rope was not disturbed. II
was evident that the natives still en-.
tertained some respect for his fighting
ability. Next, they boosted him, flung
leg here and leg there; then came
a lurch backward, the recurrence OF
the pain in his side, and he knew that
he was upon the back Of camel, des.
ert-bound. There were stirrups, and
as life began to spread vigor once
! more through his legs, he found the
steel. The straps were too short, and
in time the upper turn of the steel
chafed his insteps., He eased himself
by riding sidewise, the proper way
i to ride a camel, but with constant
straining to keep his balance without
the use Of his hands. Fortunately.
they were not travelling very fast, 9th.
erwise, what with the stabbing pains
In his side, produced by the unvarying
dog.tret, he must have fallen. He
was miserable, yet defiant; tears Of
anger and pain filed his eyes and
burned down his cheeks in spite of
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