River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-11-13


OF him the Arab boat had pushed into
a. sandy cove, and the Italians, un-
certain which to pursue, hesitated,
and then ran forward, waist-deep
through the surges, in pursuit of
Lane. AS he ran he heard the spit
or bullets past his head and the re-
port OF rifles. Then, just as he began
10 anticipate his fate, he heard the
crackle of musketry from along the
shore, and, turning, saw a party of
White-robed Arabs rise from the de-
preston in which they had lain con-
cealed and pour in a furious volley
upon the Italians. Three sailors fell;
after moment of INDIGESTION the rest
turned tail and ran back into the sea,
launching their boat under a CALLING
fire and pulling away toward the bat
tleship.
A moment later Paul was surround
ed by the exultant tribesmen.
Horses were brought up, and, at
sign from the yelled woman, Paul
was placed upon the back of scrub
pony and the troop started at quick
pace into the interior The low fringe
of mangrove and acacia bushes which
lined the shore quickly gave way to
waste of sand into which the horses
legs sank to the fetlock They jour
neyed onward without a pause for
hours; the coast sank into the dis
lance behind the rolling dunes; soon
the wilderness of the Sahara sur
rounded them. But Pauls heart beat
high in ecstacy, for though a vallain-
disappearing Arab rode on each side
of him, armed to the teeth and occa-
! sionally venting his feelings in an ex-
pressive gesture with his long knife,
before him rode Mademoiselle. He
could not be mistaken Presently he
would disclose himself She had not
recognized him.
But at last she did. For, turning
where a small cluster of dying palms
gave unfulflled promise of an oasis
and riding back to her escort, she
paused and gazed into his face. He
saw her start, saw the quick flush OF
blood dye her cheeks and recede
again. then with an expression of
sublime contempt, she rode past him,
issued an order to the Arabs, and
the whole party veered sharply to the
right and headed for blue ridge OF
mountains which, as they progressed,
resolved itself into an oasis of palm
trees and ultimately disclosed the
well-ordered tents of the Turkish
army. They rode in late In the after
noon.
Paul was taken to the tent of the
commander, Fethev Pasha. He had
expected to meet a half-savage no
mad; he encountered instead a stall
wart, welI-groomed Turk, in the prime
of life, seated at a small camp table,
on which were spread number of
official-looking documents. An or
derby stood at his side and an armed
guard on either side of the captive.
Mademoiselle had disappeared
After a long, excited colloquy, in
which the bronzed boatmen figured in
the main, Fethev Pasha addressed
Paul first i'll Italian, then in French,
at last in English.
Your business here" he in
quired
Il am a traveller" answered Paul;
and the commander smiled.
"The accusation is" resumed the
Turk. chat you leaped from the deck
of a passenger steamer in order to
head our boat into the path of an
Italian cutter. Unless you can ex-
plain your business somewhat bet
ter" He smiled expressively.
Shame kept Paul silent The COM
mander, looking at him, smiled more
and more blandly.
"Yau have no Witnesses" he asked.
''The law of Mohammed prescribes
that three witnesses must give evil
dence in capital cases. Only two have
testified against you-the two boat
men" He issued an order to his
servant who went out of the tent,
leaving Paul standing deiantIy be-
tween the two rigid soldiers. Pres
emily the tent door was brushed aside
and the girl entered with the orderly.
At the sight of her Paul weakened for
the first time. The fear of imminent
death became reality, the terror of
that eternal silence, in which they
would be sundered forever, appalled,
him. His knees trembled and an icy
sweat dripped from his forehead.
The girl stood beside Fethev Pasha
imperiously; it was evident that even
here she dominated the situation. And
then began a strange argument be-
tween the pair. Though it was car
ried on in German, of which Paul un-
derstood hardly word, its tenor was
as clear as though English had been
the medium. 1t was evident that Fe-
thew had decreed PauIs death and
that Mademoiselle was pleading for
him. Hope kindled into joy again All
was not lost; this purposeless. wild
adventure might yet bear fruit for
him
Presently Fethev, with a shrug of
his shoulders, turned to Paul and adj
dressed him in English again.
Our third witness refuses to tes-
tify," he said.
But you can testify against your
SELF" says the Siberia. Now, since
your memory is evidently poor, my
friend, it needs to be refreshed. And
IL confess that 1 am curious con-
| corning the motives which induced
you to leap into shark-infested waters.
You will have an opportunity of re-
Numbering"
He signed to the soldiers and spoke
/