The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-03-26
HAFIA,
the AlbinO
A Story Of a Narrow
Escape
BY clarissa Mackie

Neptune, with party Of tourists, was
xkirting the African coast.
do, James" urged Mrs. Hanford, al
the seven tourists drew their chair:
into close proximity. Il know positive
ly that you had an adventure with thai
albino dragoman you hired at Cairo"
IAN albino dragoman?n laughed Ar
thur Clayton. Eye gods, what sight
Was your man Egyptian, Arabian
Mussulman or ChristianT'
HE was not exactly an aIbino; ht
was very fair and light haired, was ht
not. JamesT' questioned Mrs. Hanford
referring to her husband, who was
listening with smile Of amusement
"Light headed he corrected. "Hafs
had an Egyptian mother, an Arabian
father. The mother was a Christian
and the father a Mohammedan; Haf1a
was an out and out heather and is now
FOR all ! know"
"That is not all Of your story" pro
tested Miss Emeline Gray. 'srhat saw
ors too much of tabloid fiction"
ut isn't much of story" admitted
Mr. Hanford reluctantly. Indeed,
don't understand how Harriet got the
idea there was a story connected with
Hafia."
81 never suspected there was until !
saw you kicking him down the steps Of
the hotel" retorted Mrs. Hanford quiet
| ly, and amid the laugh that followed
Mr.. Hanford began his story.
well, Hafia, the heather, came to
me the first day we arrived In Cairo
and, after assuring me that he was the
most efficient interpreter and guide be-
tween the Red sea and the Atlantic
ocean, he produced innumerable tat
tered bits Of paper that he swore were
recommendations from former patrons,
and as l did not care to examine them
l was compelled to take him at his
own valuation.
"Of course. ! was mainly interested
in the excavations around Naua Belaks
and Hafla professed to have been born
in the very shadow of the Mana pyra-
mids, SO l was confident that our ex-
petition would be accomplished with
out mishap, as he was doubtless well
acquainted with the vicinity.
These pyramids are half days
journey to the east Of Cairo, and on
the morning of our start my dragoman
appeared with two camels, and soon
we We're leaving the city streets be-
hind and rocking over the sandy road
most fho uo&orxu0rlyC ouH 1xx& 5000
the Arabian desert
Master, remarked Hafia to me a
few hours later as we ate luncheon
beside little spring Of water, I have
been. thinking that there is a pretty
pyramid much nearer than that of
Naua, where there are no excavations
being made and where all is peace and
quietness instead Of dirt and disorder.
One could sleep refreshingly there
Hafia,' said sternly, we so to in
vestigate, to observe, to discover, not
to sleep. We shall sleep when we re-
turn to Cairo. Remove the luncheon
and let US be on our way
with III grace my albino dragoman
tossed the remains Of our meal into
the sand and brought my camel to its
knees before me. We rode on in ST.
lence for several hours. Instead OF the
cheerful conversation which had light
ened the burden of the sandy journey
we maintained an unbroken silence,
for Hafia was sulking openly, and
was out Of patience with him and be-
cr4nnfn0 ~ hove oar{o... Aa,-t.&~ ~. l..
his integrity.
"'You said 1t was a half days jour
ney,' l exclaimed at last. It is now
8 o'clock and we are still in the desert
81 came the long way. MASTER
growled Hafia modify.
why did you do thatY demand
ed, thoroughly angry.
'Hafia shrugged his shoulders. I
have forgotten the short way. Besides,
It Is rough and infested with robbers.
".How soon shall we arrive at
Nauar
I'm an hour, master. but I will ques-
ton this caravan.
Approaching us across the sun bath
ed sand was a string Of some ten or
dozen ragged looking camels, whose
riders were the dirtiest and most ras-
cally looking lot I'd seen in many
day.
Don't let them know we are alone,
Hafia.' | warned him. They look like
robbers
'Hafia rolled one Of his queer light
eolored eyes toward me as he nodded
reassuringly He held few minutes
low toned conversation with the lead
ers OF the caravan, and then, dismiss
ing them with a rough spoken word,
he turned and watched them as they
disappeared behind us through the
golden sunset haze
When the first star has risen we
shall see the pyramid of Naua, master
said Hafia good naturally, and from
that moment he chartered on with
high spirits until had almost forgot
tea his morose at.
Just after the sun had set and
while the swift twilight was falling,
plotting out distant oasis or nearby
sand dune, | thought l heard the soft
padding of camel hoofs passing us on
the sand, and | strained my eyes to
the left and saw as through a thick
gray veil shadowy caravan Of men
and camels passing US. In an instant
they were out Of sight ahead OF us, and
] believed the vision to have been an
haIlucination Of sight and hearing, so
| did not mention the matter to Hafia,
and afterward was glad that did
not
"All at once dark shape doomed out
of the twilight, and Just above IL
saw the dim ulster Of the first star.
"'The Pyramid" l exclaimed.
"'Have spoken the truth. masterr
demanded Hafia proudly.
eyes, Hafia. Is there not a camp
nearby where the expedition in charge
of the excavations have their quar-
tiers? would speak with the great
man in charge. have letters Of in
PRODUCTION. and l would spend the
night in his camp
There was an instant's hesitation,
and then Hafa's voice came soft and
velvety through the semidarkness.
"'The camp of the learned men lies
a half mile beyond the pyramid. 1t is
on high slope far above the sand
deas.'
Never mind. All, some Of them
must be here now. There Is a light
within the pyramid
"Afterward ! learned that the light
was small lantern carried up the out
side Of the edifice to guide US on the
way.
Let US get on here and see If Pro-
fessor Georges is inside
That is q sat idea Of the MASTER
assented Haha eagerly, and he slipped