Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-08-02

ried knight loved his lady; loved her
without thought of reward, unsclfish.
Iy, with great and tender pity, for IN
consciously he saw that she, like he,
was all alone, not only here in the
desert, but along the highways where
men set up their dwellings.
Mahomed, having an eye upon all
things, though apparently seeing only
that which was under his immediate
concern, saw the young mans inten-
ton, and more, read the secret in his
face. He was infinitely amused.
There were two Of them, so it seemed.
Quietly he slipped in between George
and the girl, and his movement freed
Georges mind of its bewildcrment.
Unhesitatingly, he flung himself upon
the Arab, striving to reach the lean,
brown throat. Mahomed, strong ard
unwearied, having no hand in the ac-
tual warfare, thrust George back so
vigorously that the young man lost
his balance and fell prone upon the
sand. He was so weak that the fall
stunned him. Mahomed stepped fer
ward, doubtless with the generous I'M
pulse to prove that in the matter OF
kicks he desired to show no partial.
ity, when a hand caught at his bur
mouse. He paused and looked down.
1t was the girl.
Don't! A brave man would not dc
that"
Mahome6, moved by some feeling
that eludcd immediate analysis,
turned about. 1t was time to be off,
If he wished to reach Serapeum the
following night Pursuit he knew TO
be out OF the question, since who
was there to know that there was any
thing to pursue? But many miles i'll
tervened between here and mis- desti-
nation. He dared not enter SeraDeum
in the daytime. Lying upon the canal
bank as 1t did, the possibility Of On.
counterinig q stray white man cen.
fronted him. Every camel-way fire.
quented by Europeans must Of nc.
cessiiy be avoided, every town Of any
size skirted, and all the while he must
keep parallel with known paths or be.
come lost himself Not to become
lost himself, that was his real con
Germ. The caravan was proVisioncd
for months, and he knew Asia-Minor
IS well as the lines upon his palms.
There were sand-storms, too; but
against these blighting visitations he
would match his vigilant eye and the
instinct of the camels. The one way
in which these peculiar storms might
distress him lay in the total ohlitera-
ton Of the way-signs, certain rocks,
certain hills, without the guidance OF
which, like a good ship bereft Of It's
compass, he might fall away from his
course, Notwithstanding that he would
always travel toward the sun.
And there was also the vital qucs-
ton Of water; he must measure tho
time between each we'll, each oasis.
So, then, aside from these dangers
with which he felt able to cope, there
was one unforeseen: the chance meet
ing with a wandering caravan headed
by white men in search Of rugs ard
carpets. These fools were eternally
hunting about the wastes Of tho
world; they were never satisfied un-
less they were proving into countries
where they had no business to be, were
always breaking the laws Of the ca
liphs and the Koran.
The girl was beautiful in her pale,
foreign way; beautiful as the star Of
the morning, as the first rose OF the
Persian spring; and he sighed for
the old days that were no more. Sho
would have brought sultan's ransom
in the markets. But the accurscd
Feringhi were everywhere, and these
sickly il handsome white women were
more to them than their hearts blood;
why, he had never ceased to wonder.
But upon this knowledge he had
mapped out his plan Of torture In re.
gard to Ryanne. The idea OF selling
Fortune had dimly formed in his
mind, while his blood had burned in
anger; but today's soberness showed
him the futility Of such a procedure.
He would have to make the best Of Il
foolish move; for the girl would
eventually prove an encumbrance. AT
any rate, he would wiring one white
mans heart till it beat dry in his
breast. That her health might be I'll,
ined, that she might sicken and die,
In no manner aroused his pity. This
attribute was destined never to be
awakened in Mahomed's heart.
The kisweh, the kisweh. always the
Holy Yhiqrdes; that he must have,
even If he had to forego the pleasure
Of breaking Ryanne. He was too OLD
to start life anew; at least, too old
to stir ambition He had welded au-
thority too many years to surrender il
lightly; he had known too long his
golden-flaked tobacco, his sherbet,
his syrupy coffee. the pleasant loaf
ing in the bazaars with his merchant
friends. To return to the palace, To