Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-09-18

Twenty-third street, stared up at saA
the lofty height Of the Metropolitan tower. and
laughed.
&c you had been close enough you perhaps
onld have noted that it was queer, mrrhless
TITLE laugh Then the Rev Mr. Hanks went over
close to the stone rise OF the great building aud
patted it. lie had reason to- 1t was that build
ing that had saved his life three months before
he sat 10 a tent in the middle of the Arabian
desert with tairty murderous Arabs squatting on
the ground around him and monotonously whet,
ting the long knives with which they would cut
him into snail pieces. Could You blame him for
feeling Of friendliness for that cold, ruthless
Gsanite which he Caressed?
Missionary Hank tells it thus: 4 had been
working among them for three years-the desert
Arabs ne began, I'D learned their language
and their customs. and l was practically one Of
'hem riding and pitching my tent and working
With them like brother And they broth
arS worthy OF the name those wild free men
70 whom honor is the first consideration. New
York could take many a lesson from them in
morals and In respect toward women
One night pitched camp after a hot days
ride. and darkness fell were suddenly
aroused by a courier from another of cur camps
with the news that the Aneza, a warlike and muir
derous tribe had attacked aud carried off several
women and children.
That 4 signal for all our able-bodied men
to ride to the other camp and try to recover the
kidnapped women and children. In five minutes
The beat Of the hoofs of the ponies had died out
n the dark and ! the only man left in our
camp.
L crawed into my tent and went to sleep. 1t
must have been near midnight when was awak-
ened by the sound Of hOOfs. | imagined our own
men returning and paid no attention until the
iap Of the tent laid back and five strange
Arabs entered. Each held long knife and be
fore | could roll of my blanket these knives
we're forming a circle within inch Of my
throat I lay still.
Silently more and more men entered the tent
ali with the long desert knives. knew then
they were the Aneza. They had learned of the
departure OF our men. and had slipped into the
camp to steal in their absence.
For time not word came from the lips of
this ferOCious desert band of marauders bent
upon piiiage and murder, Stealthily they crept
about the tent examining our luggage They
broke open my chest and tumbled out upon the
hianketed ground the few treasured books pos
sessed. the trinkets | had saved as mementoss OF
my journeys through the wild regions a few
stfts that served TO remind me OF pleasant memo
RES among the tribes in which | had passed
months OF pieasurable labor.
The gaudy jriGketS of American manufactures
they pounce5 upon like children turned loose in
n toy shop They were quick to appropriate ex-
tCa blankets. boots and couple OF saddles But
all the while | could have no doubt from their
men. and [ doubted not their actions when my
nationality aud my mission should be discovered
One huge black fellow seemed 20 be the
leader- Then. for the first time IN the fare OF
a torch be carried they seemed to notice that my
SKIN was white In instant the discovery
created the greatest excitement. Several luuged
forward with their knives. though TO cut it
snort right there but the chief waved them back
TT Tor Oil me attention they bestowed upon me
The search over, they gathered around more
closely. Meantime it is needless to say
frightened knew the ferocity of these wild
All this time but little attention had been paid
70 my presence 7 might be a native of the des
actions that they were hunting for gold. They
were convinced the party was well supplied with
money aGd proposed TO have it, They were de
5efmned "n that score, and they held life worth
less