The Red Cloud chief., 1913-09-18

surface car over to Broadway. went
to Twenty.third street. stared up at
the lofty height OF tho Metropolitan tower and
laughed.
II you had been close enough you perhaps
would have noted that 1t was a queer, mrthless
little laugh. Then the Rev. Mr. Hanks went over
close to the stone rise OF the great building and
patted It.. He had reason to. 1t was that build.
Ing that had saved his life three months before
as he sat In a tent In the middle of the Arabian
desert with thirty murderous Arabs squatting
the ground around him and monoOnously whet-
ting the long knives with which they would cut
him into small pieces. Could you blame him for
a feeling Of frendlness for that cold. ruthless
granite which he caressed?
Missionary Hank tells 1t thus Il had been
working among them for three years--the desert
Arabs" he began. I'D learned their language
and their customs, and was practically one OF
them. riding and pitching my tent and working
with them like brother And they were broth.
ers worthy OF the name, those wild free men
to whom honor Is the first consideration. New
York could take many lesson from them In
morals and In respect toward women,
"One night we pitched camp after a hot days
ride. and as darkness fell were suddenly
aroused by n courier from another OF our camps
with the news that the Aneza, a warlike and mur.
derous tribe had attacked and carried OF several
women and children
"That was q 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
In the dark. and was the only man left in our
camp.
II crawled into my tent and went to sleep It
must have been near midnight when was awak
ened by the sound Of hoofs. imagined our own
men returning and paid attention until the
nap OF the tent was laid back and Ave strange
Arabs entered. Each held long knife, and be-
fore could roll of my blanket these knives
were forming circle within an inch OF my
throat lay still.
SILENTLY more and more men entered the tent,
all with the long desert knives. I 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 pllage and murder Steathily they crept
about the tent examining luggage. They
broke open my chest and tumbled out upon the
blanketed ground the few treasured books pos
sessed, the trinkets had saved as mementoes OF
my journeys through the wild regions a few
gifts that served to remind me Of pleasant memo.
ries among the tribes In which had passed
months Of pleasurable labor.
The gaudy trinkets Of American manufacture
they pounced upon like children turned loose In
toy shop, They were quick to appropriate ex.
ira blankets. boots and a couple OF saddles. But
all the while could have doubt from their
men. and ! doubted not their actions when my
nationality and my mission should be discovered
"One huge black fellow seemed to be the
leader. Then, for the first time. In the flare OF
torch he carried, they seemed to notice that my
skin was white, In instant the discovery
created the greatest excitement. Several lunged
forward with their knives, though to cut 1t
short right there. but the chief waved them back.
ert for all the attention they bestowed upon me-
The search over they gathered around more
closely Meantime II Is needless to say ! was
frightened. knew the ferocty OF these wild
All this time but little attention had been paid
to my presence. ! might be a native of the des.
actions that they were hunting for gold They
we're convinced the party was we'll supplied with
money and proposed to have 1t. They were de-.
termined on that score. and they held life worth.
less.