Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-05-31

world had been. in this short time
! remOlded. reconstructed: where once
had blOomed a garden. now yawned a
| chasm and the psychological earth
quake had left her dizzy. That Ma
! homed. now wrought to kind of Der
scrk rage, might begin reprisals at
once, did not alarm her: indeed. her
feeling was rather of dull, aching in
difference. Nothing mattered now.
But Ryanne and George were keenly
alive to the danger. and both agreed
that Fortune must go no farther.
RyanEe. under his bitter raillery and
seeming sc0rn for sacred things. pos
sessed latent maEnanimity. and it
now pushed UP through the false lay
ers. Jones, It's my funeral Go tell
her You two can find the way back
to the canal. and once there you will
have no trouble. Don't bother your
head about me-
But what Will you do?"
Take my medicine" grimlv
"Ryanne, you are offering the COW
ardly part to mel"
You fool. it's the girl. What do
| care about the rest of 1t? You're
as brave as lion. When you put up
your fists the other night. you solved
that puzzle for yourself. For Gods
sake. do it while have the courage
TO let you! Don't you understand? |
love that girl better than my heart 8
blood. and Mahomed can have II drop
by drop. Go and go quickly! He will
give you food and water"
You so. She knows you better
than me-"
But will she trust ne as she will
you? Percival, old top. Mahomed VIII
never let me go till he's taken his
pound OF flesh. Fortupe!" Ryanne
called. Fortune. We want you!"
She appeared at the flap OF the tent.
Jones here will go back with you.
Go. both OF you. before Mahomed
changes his mind
Miss Chedsoye. he is wrong. He's
the one to go. He was hurt worse
than | was. Pride doesn't matter at
time like this. You two CO." des-
perateIy
Fortune shook her head. "All or
none Of us; all or none OF u.s." she re-
peated.
And Mahomed, having witnessed
and overheard the scene. laughed. a
laughter identical to that which had
struck the barmaid's ears sinisterly.
II hnI ctn tAI
without gathering some insight into
his character. Neither OF these men
was poltroon. And when he had
made the offer, he knew that the con-
ditions would erect barrier over
which none OF them would pass vol
unfairly. So much for pride as the
Christian dogs knew 1t. Pride is a
fine buckler: none knew that better
than Mahomed himself; but wise
man does not wear 1t at all times.
What is 1T to be?" he demanded
of Fortune.
What shall | say to him."
Whatever you will" Ryanne was
tired. He saw that argument would
be Of no use.
"All or none Of u.s." And Fortune
looked at Mahomed with all the pride
of her race. 1T Is not because you
wish me to be free; IL is because you
wish to see one Of my companions
made base in my eyes. l will not have
it,"
Tire will OF Allah" He could not
repress the fire Of admiration in his
own eyes as they took in her beauty,
the erect, slender figure, the scorn
upon her face. and the fearlessness In
her great. dark eyes. Such woman
might have graced the palace of the
Great Caliph. He had had In mind
many little cruelties to practice upon
her, that he might see the men writhe.
impotent and helpless to aid her. But
in this tense and dramatic scene. a
sense Of shame took possession of
from pity. but from the respect which
one brave person gives free-handed to
another.
Mahomed was not a bad man, mel
Their was he a cruel one. He had been
terribly wronged, and HIS eastern way
had but one angle Of vision: to avenge
himself. believing that revenge alone
could soothe his outraged pride and
re-establish his honor as he viewed II
from within. Had the courier re-
turned with the Holy Yhiordes. 1t is
not impossible that he would have lib
Ill l. l..
not: he was not far enough away. To
Bagdad. then. and as swiftly as the
exigencies of desert travel would per