Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-10-04


understand? A white Woman!' George
clutched the man by the foot desper-
ately. "A white woman!"
The man kicked Georges hand away
and slashed at his camel. Flanagan,
and you, Williams. get your guns in
shape. This doesn't look good to me,
twenty miles from the main gamelieh.
l told you it was odd, that fire. Live
ly, now!"
George ran after them, staggering.
Twice he fell headlong. But he
laughed as he got up; and 1t wasn't
exactly human laughter, either. When
he reached camp he saw Mahomed
and the three strangers, the latter
with their rifles held menacingly. For
tune stood before the flap Of her tent.
bewildered at the turn in their affairs.
Behind the leader of the newcomers
was Ryanne, and he was talking rap
idly.
WELL the leader demanded of Ma
homed, what have you got to say
for YOURSELF"
"Nothing!"
Take care! 1t wouldn't come hard
to put a bullet into your ugly hide.
You can't abduct white women these
days, you beggar! Well, what have
you to say?"'
Mahomed folded his arms; his ex-
preston was calm and unafraid. But
down in his heart the fires of he'll
were raging. If only he had brought
his rife from the tent; even a knife;
and one mad moment If he died for i'll!
And he had been gentle to the girl;
he had withheld the lash from the
men; he had not put into action a
single plan arranged for their misery
and humiliation! Truly his blood had
turned to water, and he was worthy
of death. The white man, always and
ever the white man won in the end
To have come this far, and then to be
cheated out of his revenge by chance!
Kismeti There was but one thing left
for him to do, and he did it. He spoke
hurriedly to his head-boy. The boy
without hesitation obeyed him. He
ran to the racing-camel, applied a
kick, flung on the saddle-bags, stuffed
dates and dried fish and two water
bottles into them, and waited. Ma
homed walked over to the animal ant
mounted.
"Stop!" The white man leveled his
rife. Get down from there!"
| Mahomed, as if he had not heard
kicked the camel with his heels. The
beast lurched to its feet resentfully
MahOmed picked up the guiding.ropC
which served as a bride, and strucl
the camel across the neck.
Click! went the hammer of the rife
and Mahomed was at that momen
very near death. He gave no heed.
mo, mol" cried Fortune, pushing W
the barrel. Let him 60. He wal
kind to me, after his fashion"
Mahomed smiled. He had expected
this, and that was why he had gont
about the business unconcernedly.
What do you say?" demanded tn,
stranger of Ryanne. - a.
Ryanne, having no love whateve
for Mahomed, shrugged.
"Humph! And you?" 10 George.
ooh, let him CO."
"All right. Two to one. on witt
you, then" to Mahomed. But wait
What about these beggars Of yours
What are you going to do with them?
"They have been paid. They cal
30 back"
The. moment the camel felt the san,
under his pads, he struck his gal
eastward. And when the mists an,
shadows crept in behind him and hi
rider, that was the last any of then
ever saw of Mahomed-El-Gebel, keepe
of the Holy Yhiordes in the Pasha'
palace at Bagdad.
Now, then" said the leader of tn
strange caravan, my name is AcE
ermann, and mine is a carpet-caravar