Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-01-30


Jones here will go back with you.
Go, both Of you, before Mahomed
changes his mind"
Miss Chedsoye, he is wrong. He's
the one to 60 He was hurt worse
than / was. Pride doesn't matter at
a time like this. You two &c" des.
perately
Fortune shook her head. "All or
repeated
And Mahomed, having witnessed
and overhead the scene, laughed
a laughter identical to that which
had struck the bar-maid's ears
sinisterly. He had not studied
his white man without gather
ing some insight, into his character.
Neither of these men was a poltroon.
And when he had made the offer, he
knew that the conditions would erect
a barrier over which none of them
would pass voluntarily. So much for
pride as the Christian dogs knew 1t.
Pride is a fine buckler; none knew
that better than Mahomed himself;
but wise man does not wear 1t at
all times.
what is it to be-" he demanded Of
Fortune.
What shall say to him?"
whatever you will Ryanne was
tired. He saw that argument would
be of no use.
'All or none of u.s. And Fortune
looked at Mahomed with all the pride
Of her race ut is not because you
wish ME to be free; it is because you
wish to see one of my companions
made base in my eyes. l will not
have it!H
'"The will of Allah!'s He could not
repress the fire Of admiration in his
own eyes as they took in her beauty,
the erect, slender figure, the scorn up,
or her face, and the fearlessness in
her great, dark eyes. Such woman
might have graced the palace Of the
Great Caliph He had had In mind
many little cruelties to practice upon
her, that he might see the men writhe
impotent anu helpless to aid her. But
in this tense and dramatic scene, a
sense of shame took possession of him,
his pagan heart softened; not from
pity, but from that respect which one
brave person gives free-handed to an
other.
Maho1ned was not a bad man, neith-
er was he a cruel one. He had been
terribly wronged, and his eastern way
had but one angle of vision: 10
avenge himself believing that re-
venge alone could soothe his outraged
pride and reestablish his honor as he
viewed it from within. Had the cour-
Ter returned with the Holy Yhiordes,
it is not impossible that he would
have liberated them all. But now he
dared not; he was not far enough
away To Bagdad, then, and as swift
ly as the exigencles Of desert travel
would permit One beacon Of hope
burned in his breast The pasha
might be deposed, and in that case he
could Immediately dispose Of his own
goods and chattels and seek new pas.
lures. It would come hard, doubly
hard, since he never could regain the
position he was to lose. s@
Nine hundred pounds English, and
a comfortable fraction over; the yell
low haired dog would have nothing In
the end for his pains. 1t would be
what the Feringhi called a good joke
A week passed. Christmas. And
not one of them recalled the day. Per-
haps it was because years had passed
since that time when it meant any
thing to them. The old year went out
a-lagging: neither did they take note
of this. Having left behind civiliza-
ton, customs and habits were for
gotten.
Sometimes they rode all uay and all
night, sometimes but half day, and
again, when the water was sweet, they
rested the day and night. Never a
human being they saw, never a cara
van met or crossed them. In this
week, the secret marvels of the desert
became theirs. They saw it CLEAN
and waver and glitter under skies OF
brass, when the north wind let down
and breeze came over from the
Perian gulf. They saw 1t covered
with the most amazing blues and
greys and greens. They saw it under
the rarest azure and stately fleet OF
billowy clouds; under the dawn, I'M
der the set of sun, under the moon and
stars; and unfailingly the intermin-
able reaches Of sand and rock and
scrubby bush, chameleon-like, read
justed it's countenance to each change
in the sky. George, who was poet
without the gift Of expression, never
ceased to find new charms; and moth
ing pleased his fancy more than to
see the cloud-shadows scud away
across the sands. Once, toward the
latter end of day, Fortune cried out
and pointed Far away, palely yet dis
tinctly, they saw an ocean liner. She
stood out against the following sky
as magic lantern picture stands out
upon the screen, and faded similarly.
1t was the one and only mirage they
saw, or at least noticed.
Once another caravan, composed
wholly of Arabs, passed. What hope
the prisoners had was instantly snuff
fed out. Before the strangers came
within hailing, Mahomed hustled his
.captives into his tent and swore he
would kill either George or Ryanne il
they spoke He forgot Fortune, how
ever. AS the caravan was passing she
screamed. Instantly Mahomed clap
ped his hand roughly over her mouth.
The sheik of the passing caravan look
ed keenly at the tent, smiled grimIy
and passed on. What was it to him
that white. woman lay in yonder
TENT Eis one, emotion was Of envy