Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-02-12

stage. George was thereupon trussed
up like a Christmas fowl ready for
the oven. They wrapped him up in
the burnouse and carried him out to
the closed carriage in waiting. No
one in the street seemed curious. No
one in the English-Bar deemed it nee
essary to be. Whatever happened in
this resort had long been written in
the book of fate. Had a white man
approached to inquire what was going
on, Mahomed would have gravely
whispered that it was a case of
plague they were hurrying away to
prevent interference by the English
authorities.
Once George was snug inside the
carriage, it was driven off at a run
toward the tombs of the caliphs. AS
the roads were not the levelest, the
vehicle went most Of the way upon
two wheels. Mahomed sat beside his
victim, watchful and attentive His
intention was to take him no far
Their than the outskirts Of the city,
force him to send back to the hotel
a duly credited messenger for the
rug, after which he would turn George
adrfft, with the reasonable assurance
that the young man would find some
one to guide him back to the hotel.
After while he observed that George
had recovered and was grimly fighting
the imprisoning ropes.
you will need your strength" in
terposed Mahomed gently IF l take
the cloth from your mouth, will you
promise not to cry out?" There was
an affirmative nod, and Mahomed I'M
tied the bandage. Listen. l mean
you no harm. If you will send to the
! hotel for the Holy Yhiordes, you will
be liberated the moment it is put into
my hands"
'Go to the deuce!" snapped George,
still dizzy. The fighting mood hadn't
! evaporated, by any means. "You
know where it is better than To- So
this was Mahomed?
'Fool!" cried the other, shaking
George roughly.
easy there! I had the rug, but
it was stolen this afternoon" He was
very weak and tired. "And if I had
it, I shouldn't give it to you,' with
renewed turbulence; "and you may
put that in your water-pipe and smoke
it,
Mahomed, no longer pacific, struck
George violently upon the mouth. He,
on his part, was unknightly enough to
attempt to sink his teeth in the bru-
tai hand. Queer fancies fit through a
mans head in times like this; for the
ineffectuality of the bite reminded
him of Hallowe'ens and the tubs with
the bobbing apples. One thing was
certain: he would kill this pagan the
very first opportunity. Rather a
startling metamorphosis in the char
acter of man whose life had been
passed in the peacefulest environ
ments. And to kill him without the
least conjunction. too. To strike a
man who couldn't help himself!
'Hey there!" he yelled. "He1p for
a white man!' After such treatment
he considered it anything but dishon-
orable to break his parole. And where
was Ryanne? "Help!"
Mahomed swung his arm round
Georges neck, and the third cry be-
gan with gurgle and ended with a
sigh. Deity, the Arab rebandaged
the prisoners mouth. So be it. He
had had his chance for freedom; now
he should drink to the bottom of the
bitter cup, along with the others. He
! had no real enmity against George;
he was simply one of the pawns in
the game he was playing. But now he
saw that there was danger in liberat-
ing him. The other! Mahomed ca
ressed his wiry beard To subject
him to the utmost mental agony; to
break him physically, too; to pay him
back pound for pence; to bruise, to
hurt, to rack him, that was all Ma
homed desired.
George made no further effort to
free himself, nor apparently to bestir
himself about the future. Somewhere
in the fight, presumably as he fell
against the table, he had received a
crushing blow in the small ribs; and
when Mahomed threw him back, he
tainted for the second time in his life.
i liz 4OC1111C0 4A1hp1y III IAO OOAAASA "
the carriage, the bosom of his shirt
bullying open; for the thrifty Arabs
had purloined the pearl-studs, the
gold collar-buttons, and the sapphire
cuff-links. And consciousness re-
turned only when they lifted him out
and dropped him inconsiderately into
the thick dust of the road. He stirred
| again at his bonds, but presently lay
still. The pain in his side hurt keen
~, and he wasn't sure that the rib
was whole. What time had passed
since his entrance to the English-Bar
was beyond his reckoning, but he
knew that it was yet in the dark Of
night, as no light whatever penetrated
the CLOTH over his eyes. That he was
somewhere outside the city he was
assured by the tang of the winter
wind He heard low voices-Arabic;
and while he possessed a smattRrin0