The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-09-05

Ryanne laughed weakly.
Said George soberly: what con-
temptible thing?" He remembered
Mahomed's words in regard to Ry-
anne as the latter lay insensible in
the sand.
Ryanne, quick to seize the oppork3
! nifty of solving, to his own advantage.
the puzzle for George, and at the same
time guiding Fortune away from a
topic, the danger of which she knew
nothing, raised hand 'I bribed Ma
homed to kidnap you, Jones. Don't
be impatient. You laughed at me
"hen laid before you the prospectus
OF the United Romance and Adven-
ture Company. l wished to prove to
you that the concern existed. And so
here is your adventure upon approval
| ! thought, of course, you still had tha
rug. Mahomed was to carry Won into
! the desert for week, and by thar
time you would have surrendered the
rug, returned to Cairo, the hero of a
fuli-hedged adventure. Lord! what a
mess OF it I've made. l forgot, next
to this bally rug, Mahomed loved me-"
The hitherto credulous George had
OF late begun to look into facts in.
stead OF dreams, He did not believe
. word of this amazing confession, de-
spite the additional testimony of For
tune. relative to Ryanne's statements
made to her in the bazaars.
THE bitter bitten" was GEORGES
sole comment.
Ryanne breathed easier.
Why not tell Mahomed at once.
ana have him send a courier back for
the rug" suggested Fortune.
BY Jove, that clears up everything.
/ Wen do it Immediately. George felt
better than he had at any stage of the
adventure. Here was a simple way
out of the difficulty.
Softly" said Ryanne. LET us
come down to the lean facts. If that
rug is in your room, Fortune. your
mother has discovered it long before
now. She will turn it over to your
estimable uncle. None of US will ever
see it again, I'm thinking. The Major
knows that Jones gave me a thousand
! pounds for it." Struck by a sense of
| impending disaster, Ryanne began to
tumble in his pockets. Gone! Every
shilling of it gone! "He's got that,
too; Mahomed; the cash you gave me,
Jones. Wait a moment; don't speak;
things are whirling about some. Over
nine hundred pounds; every shilling
of it. We mustn't let him know that
I've missed it. I've got to play weak
IN order to grow strong. But
they will at least start up row as
to your whereabouts, Fortune"
NO." thoughtfully; mo, l do not
think they will"
The undercurrent was too deep for
George He couldn't see very clearly
| tlst then. The United Romance and
Adventure Company; was that all?
WAS there not something sinister
tehind that name, concerning him? He
looked patiently from the girl to the
adyenturer.
! Ryarne stared at the yellow desert
| beyond. His brain was clearing rap
| ! Under the stimulus of thought.
II himself did not believe that they
| 7 Id send out search-parties either
! : him or for Fortune. He could not
z. them what had given Fortune her
| / ei!ef; but he realized that his own
as based upon the recollection Of
tat savage mood when he had thrown
| Gown the gauntlet. Now they would
{ ccept it. He had run away with For
| time as he had boldly threatened to
q. The mother and her precious
| \
! York without him. He had made a
! tne middle of it all. But for a glass
tf wine and a grain too much of con-
| dence, he had not been here this day.
Mahomed, himself astir by this
time, came over to the group, leisure.
! i. The three looked like conspira-
| tors to his suspicious eye, but unlike
Conspirators they made no effort to
separate because he approached He
understood: as yet they were not
fraid of him. That was one of the
reasons he hated white men; they
could seldom be forced to show fear,
lyen when they possessed it. Well,
these three should know what fear
was before they saw the last of him.
btC CdIItSu huT UdSI, d COW ulUG, whip,
which he twirled idly, even sugges-
/ lively. First, he came to George.
| IF you have Yhiordes, there is still
a chance for you. Cairo is but fifty
miles away. Bagdad is several hun
cred" He drew the whip caressingly
through his fingers.
IT do not lie," replied George, tru-
culent sparkle in his eyes. II told
you that l had 1t not. 1t was the
TRUTH"
A ripple of anxiety passed over Ma
! bomed's face. "And your" turning
upon Ryanne, with suppressed savage
ness. How he longed to lay the lash
upon the dog!
Don't look at me-" answered Ry-
anne waspishly. eff had it l should
not be here" All, for bit Of his old
strength! He would have strangled
Mahomed then and there. But the
drug and the beating had weakened
him terribly.
eff give you the rug" interposed
Fortune, twill you promise freedom
to us ALP"