Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-03-20


Kismet! There was but n thing left
for him to do, and he did II. He spoke
hurriedly to his head-boy. The boy
without hesitation obeyed him. He
ran to the racing-camel, applied a
kick, flung on the saddle-bags, stuffed
dates and dried fish and two water
bottles into them, and waited. Ma
homed walked over to the animal and
mounted.
Stop" The white man leveled his
rife. Get down from there!"
Mahomed, as If he had not heard,
Kicked the camel with his heels. The
beast lurched to its feet resentfully.
Mahomed picked up the guiding-rope
which served as a bride, and struck
the camel n the neck.
Click! went the hammer Of the rife,
and Mahomed was at that moment
very near death. He gave no heed.
mo, mo-" cried Fortune, pushing up
the barrel. Let him go. He was
kind to me, after his fashion"
Mahomed smiled. He had expected
this, and that was why he had gone
about the business ~unconcernedly.
What do you say?" demanded the
stranger of Ryanne.
Ryanne, having no love whatever
for Mahomed, shrugged.
"Humph! And you?" to George.
ooh, let him 60"
"All right. Two to one. Off with
you, them" to Mahomed. "But wait!
What about these beggars Of yours?
What are you going to do with them?"
"They have been paid. They can
go back"
The moment the camel felt the sand
under his pads. he struck his gait
eastward. And when the mists and
shadows crept in behind him and his
rider, that was the last any Of them
ever saw Of Mahomed-El-Gebel, keeper
of the Holy Yhiordes In the Pasha's
palace at Bagdad.
Now, then" said the leader Of the
strange caravan, my name Is Ack-
ermann, and mine is a carpet-caravan,
in from Khuzistan, bound for Smyrna.
How may l help your"
Take us as far as Damascus" an
swered Ryanne. 1--WE can get on from
there we'll enough"
What's your name?" directly.
"Ryanne."
"And yours?"
Fortune Chedsoye."
"Next?"
Jones'"
The humorous bruskness put a kind
OF, spirit into them all, and they an
swered smilingly.
"Ryanne and Jones are familiar
enough, but Chedsoye is a new n
Here, you'll" whirling suddenly upon
the boys who were pressing about.
He volleyed some Arabic at them, and
they dropped back. well, I've heard
some strange yarns myself in my
time, but this one beats them all
Shanghaied from Cairo! Humph! II
some one had told me this, anywhere
else but here, I'd have called him a
liar. And you, Mr.. Ryanne, went into
Bagdad alone and got away with that
Yhiordes! 1t must have been the
devils own of a job"
ut was" replied Ryanne laconically
He did not know this nan Acker
mann; he had never heard Of him
but he recognized a born leader O.
men when he saw him. Gray-haired
lean, bearded, sharp Of word, quicl
Of action, rude; he saw in this carpet
hunter the same indomitable qualities
Of the ivory-seeker. You did no
stop at Bagdad?" he asked, after tn
swift inventory.
mo. l came direct. l always do,
J, grimly. Better turn in and sleep
we'll be on the way at dawn, sharp.
= Sleep Ryanne laughed.
Sleep" echoed George.
Fortune shook her head.
well, an hour to let the reactio
t wear away" said Ackermann. "Bu
you've got to sleep. I'm boss nov
d and you won't find me an easy one.
with a humorous glance at the girl.
1--WE are all very happy to be bose
by you," she said.
Twenty days." Ackermann muse'
You're a plucky young woman n
D. hysterics?"
mot ever a sigh Of discomfort" pl
a. in George. "Tf 1t hadn't been for h
y pluck, we'd have gone to pieces Jul
from worry. Are you Henry Acke
mann, of the Oriental Company
d Smyrna?"
yes; why?"
I'm George P. A. Jones, of Nor
re mer & Jones, New York. I've heal
of you; and God bless you for tn
nights work."
ut Mortimer & Jones? You don't ga,
III Well, &c this doesn't beat the Dutcl
ut Why, IL you're Robert e. Jones be
e; I'll sell you every carpet in the pack
Il cost" He laughed; and 1t was laug
4; ter good to hear, dry and harsh thou
he 1t was. your dad was a fine gent
a man, and one Of the best judges
ry his time. You couldn't fool him
ad knot. He wrote me when o car
by into this world Of sin and tribulatit
nd Didn't they call you Percival Algern'
Id. or something like that?"
be They did" And George laugh
ri too.