The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-12-11

black and brown and white men; not
soldiers Of fortune, like Ryanne, but
their camp-followers. In short, 1t was
there (and Ryanne still felt a dull
shame of it, that Wallace, carrying
the final instructions Of the enterprise,
had found him. sleeping of the effects
Of a shabby rout Of the night before.
1t was there also that he had heard
of the history and the worth Of the
Yhiordes rug and the possibility Of its
theft. He laughed. To have gone upon
an adventure like that; with nothing
but the fumes of wine in his head!
For a few pieces Of gold he might
enroll under his shady banner three
or four shining lights who would IN
dertake the disposal Of Percival. Not
that he wished the young man any
harm-no; but business was business,
and In some way or another he must
be made to vanish from the sight and
presence of men for at least two
months.
AS for Major Callahan's unforeseen
danger, the devil could look out for
that.
Ryanne consulted his watch, a cheap
but trustworthy article, costing a dol
lar, not to be considered as an avail
able asset. He would give 1t away
later in the day; for he had decided
that while he was In funds there would
be wisdom in the purchase of a fine
gold Longines. A good watch, as ev-
cry one knows, is always as easily
converted into cash as a London bank
note, providing, Of course, one Is
lucky enough to possess either. Many
watches had he left behind, In this
place or in that; and often he had
exchanged the ticket for a small bottle
with a green neck. Wherever fortune
had gone against him heavily at cards,
there he might find his latest watch.
And another good idea, he unused,
as he swung the time-piece into his
v%est-pocket, would be to add the splen.
dor Of a small white stone to his mod
est scarf. There Is only one we'll
defined precept among the sporting
fraternity; when flush, buy jewelry.
Not to the cause of vanity, not at all;
but precious stones and gold watches
constitute a kind of reserve-fund
against the evil day. When n has
money In the pocket the hand Is quick
and. eager to find 1t. But jewelry is
protected by a certain quality of
caution; 1t is not too readily passed
over bars and gaming-tables. While
the pawnbroker stands between the
passion and the green-baize, there's
food for thought.
Having settled these questions to
his satisfaction, there remained but
one other, how to spend his time. 1t
would be useless to seek the English
Bar before noon. Might as we'll ram
BILE through the native town and the
bazaars. He might pick up some little
curio to give to Fortune. So he
beckoned to an idle driver, climbed in
TO the carriage, and was driven off as
if empires hung upon minutes.
Ryanne never wearied Of the ba-
zaars Of Cairo. They were to him no
less enchanting than the circus-pa-
rades Of his youth. In certain ways,
they were not to be compared with
those in C2nstantinople and Smyrna;
but, on tx other hand, there was
more light. more charm, more color.
Perhaps the magic nearness of the
desert had something to do with it,
the rainless skies, the overcoming
suggestions of antiquity. His lively
observation, his sense Of the pictur-
esque and the humorous, always close
to the surface, gave him that singular
impetus Which makes man a prowler.
This gift had made possible his sue
cess in old Bagdad. Some years be-
fore he had prowled through the mar
row city streets, had noted the wind
ings, the b~lind-alleys, and had never
forgotten. Faces and localities were
written indelibly upon his memory.
One rode to the bazaars, but walk
ed through them or mounted donkeys.
Ryanne preferred his own legs. So
| did Mahomed. Once, SO close did he
! come that he could have put his two