The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-09-18

to TWenty-third street, stared up at
the lofty height of the Metropolitan tower, and
laughed.
If you had been close enough you perhaps
would have noted that it was queer, mirthless
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 tent in the middle of the Arabian
desert with thirty murderous Arabs squatting on
the ground around him and monotonously whet-
ting the long knives with which they would cut
him into small pieces. Could you blame him for
a feeling of friendness for that cold, ruthless
granite which he caressed?
Missionary Hank tells it 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 a 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 hot days
ride, and as darkness fell we were suddenly
aroused by courier from another of our camps
with the news that the Aneza, warlike and muir
derous tribe, had attacked and carried off several
women and children.
THAT was a 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. 1t
must have been near midnight when was awak-
ened by the sound of hoofs. / imagined our own
men returning and paid attention until the
flap of the tent was laid back and five strange
Arabs entered. Each held a long knife, and be-
fore 1 could roll off my blanket these knives
were forming a circle within an inch of my
throat / lay still.
Silently more and more men entered the tent,
all with the long desert knives. l knew then
they were the Aneza. They had learned OF the
departure of 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 pillage and murder. Stealthily they crept
about the tent examining our 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, few
gifts that served to remind me of pleasant memo
ries among the tribes in which I 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 couple of saddles. But
all the while l could have doubt from their
men, and l doubted not their actions when my
nationality and my mission should be discovered.
Zone huge black fellow seemed to be the
leader. Then, for the first time in the fare Of
torch he carried, they seemed to notice that my
skin white. In an instant the discovery
created the greatest excitement. Several lunged
forward with their knives, as though to cut it
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 it is needless to say l was
frightened. / knew the ferocity Of these wild
All this time but little attention had been paid
to my presence. l might be native of the des-
actions that they were hunting for gold. They
were convinced the party was well supplied with
money and proposed to have it. They were de-
termined that score. and they held life worth
less.