Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1913-03-27
By
Harold MacGrath
Copyright 1911 BY Bobb.-M.rrir con0,r,

Copyright 1911 by BobbsMerriu Company
tive and clean-Tved; and the Injustice
or an unprovoked assault added Il
physical prowess a full measure o.
nervous energy. Il was quasi Homer
nc; a modern young gentleman in eve
ming dress holding off for several min
,utes five sleek, sinewy, unhamperet
Arabs. But the days of the gods were
mo more; and no quick-witted goddess
cast veil across the eyes of the
Arabs. No; George had to shift fol
himself. Suddenly there came a gen
,eral rush from the center Of the room
into one Of the right-angular corners
The subsequent snarl Of legs and
arms. was not unlike that seen upon
the football field. George was the
man with the ball. And then tc
George came merciful darkness. The
conjunction, as in astronomy, of two
planets in the same degree of the 70
diac--meaning Georges head and the
stucco-wall-gave the Arabs complete
mastery of the field of battle.
From the opposite side of the room
came the voice of the referee:
Curses Of Allah upon these white
dogs! How they fight" And Ma
ihomed peered down into the corner.
One by one the Arabs got up, each
examining his honorable wounds
George alone remained unmoved, quiet
and disinterested, under the folds OF
the tattered burnouse.
'Ts he dead?" demanded Mahomed
mo, my father. His head hit the
wall"
Hasten, then. Bind his feet and
hands and cover his eyes and mouth.
We have but little time"
, There was a long way to go. and
Mahomed was too wise and cautious
to congratulate himself at this early
stage. George was thereupon trussed
up like a Christmas fowl ready fo1
the oven. They wrapped him up in
the burnouse and carried him out tc
the closed carriage in waiting. NoI
one in the street seemed curious. Nc
one in the English-Bar deemed it nee.
Iessary 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
ther than the outskirts Of the city
force him to send back to the hotel
g. duly credited messenger for the
rug, after which he would turn George
drift, with tho reasonable assurance
hat the young man would find some
me to guide him back to the hotel.
After a while he observed that George
had recovered and was grimly fighting
he imprisoning ropes.
"You will need your strength" in
OhpNoSu "dhOhCu 6SuIly. IL IdhS
he cloth from your mouth, will you
promise not to cry out?" There was
IN affirmative nod, and Mahomed I'M
led the bandage. Listen. l mean
you no harm. If you will send to the
lotel for the Holy Yhiordes, you will
De liberated the moment it is put into
ny hands"
"'Go to the deuce!" snapped George.
still dizzy. The fighting mood hadn't
by any means. you
know where 1t is better than l." So
his was Mahomed?
"Fool!" cried the other, shaking
George roughly.
easy there! I had the rug, but
Il was stolen this afternoon" He was
very weak and tired. And II had
It, shouldn't give 1t to you" with
renewed turbulence; land 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