The Elbert County tribune., 1913-01-10

I
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 therel"
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 across the neck.
Click. went the hammer OF the rife,
and Mahomed was at that moment
very near death. He gave no heed.
No. mol" 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 your" to George
"Oh, let him co.
"All right. Two to one. Off with
you. then" to Mahomed. But waitI
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 I
shadows crept in behind him and his
rider, that was the last any of them |
ever saw of Mahom ed Ell 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 help your"
Take us as far as Damascus" an
swered Ryanne. I'VE can get on from |
there well enough"
whats your name?" directly.
"Ryanne"
"And yours?"
Fortune Chedsoye"
"Next?"
Jones"
The humorous bruskness put kind |
OF spirit into them all, and they an
swered smilingly
"Ryanne and Jones are, familiar
enough, but Chedsoye is a new one
Here, you!" whirling suddenly upon
the boys who were pressing about.
He volleyed some Arabic at them, and
they dropped back. We'll, I've heard
some strange yarns myself in my
time. but this one beats them all.
Shanghaied from Cairo! Humph! If
some one had told me this. anywhere
else but here, I'd have called him a
Bagdad alone and got away with that
Yhiordes! 1t must have been the
DEVILS own of job"
1T was" replied Ryanne laconically.
He did not know this man Acker-
mann; he had never heard of him;
but he recognized a born leader OF
men when he saw him. Gray-haired,
lean, bearded, sharp of word, quick
of action, rude; he saw in this carpet
hunter the same indomitable qualities
of the ivory-seeker. you did not
stop at Bagdad?" he asked, after the
swift inventory.
mo. l came direct. l always do"
grimly. Better turn in and sleep;
we'll be on the way at dawn. sharp"
"Sleept Ryanne laughed.
"Sleep?" echoed George
Fortune shook her head
well, an hour to let the reaction
wear away" said Ackermann But
mt IN IN,
and you won't find me an easy one,"
with a humorous glance at the girl.
I'VE are all very happy to be bossed
by you," she said.
Twenty days" Ackermann mused
You're plucky young woman. No
| hysterics?"
Not even sigh of discomfort" put
in George. "If 1t hadn't been for her
pluck, we'd have gone to pieces just
from worry. Are you Henry Acker-
mann, of the Oriental Company in
Smyrna?"
Yes; why?"
I'm George P. A. Jones. of Morti-
mer & Jones. New York. I've heard
of you; and God bless you for this
nights work!"
Mortimer & Jones? You don't sayi
Well. If this doesn't beat the Dutch!
Why. If you're Robert E. Jones' boy.
I'll sell you every carpet In the pack at
cost" He laughed; and 1t was laugh
ter good to hear. dry and harsh though
1t was. Your dad was a fine gentle
man, and one of the best judges of
his time. You couldn't fool him a
knot. He wrote me when you came
into this world of sin and tribulation.
Didn't they call you Percival Algernon,
or something like that?"
They dld!" And George laughed.
too.