The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-01-25

100 AiSeta t3S Al lIS SdNus LIS SOIL n t
dora crushed under his shoulders
What with the bruises visible, tn
rents In his coat, the open shirt
soiled, crumpled, collarless, he IL
Vited pity; only none came from tn,
busy Arabs. AS he slept, a frowl
gathered upon his face and remainet
/ there.
When he came back from hi
Troubled dreams, bowl Of rice
thinned by hot water, was given him
He cleaned the bowl. not because ht
was hungry, but because he knew tha
somewhere along this journey he
would need strength; and the recur
ring fury against his duress caused
him to fling the empty bowl at the
head of the camel-boy who had
brought it. The boy ducked, laugh
| ing. George lay down again Let
them cut his throat if they wanted to;
it was all the same to him. Again he
slept, and when he.was roughly and
forcibly awakened, he sat up with a
snarl and looked about.
His head was clear now, and he
began to take notes. He counted
ten, eleven. twelve camels, a car
van IN truth, prepared for long and
continuous journey. There were three
pack-camels, laden with wood, tents,
and such cooking utensils as the fru-
gal Arab had need Of. Certainly Ma
homed was a rich man, whether he
owned the camels or hired them for
the occasion. Upon one of the beasts
they We're putting up MAMMAL, can
opy used to protect women from the
sun While riding. One Arab, taller,
more robust than the others, moved
hitler and thither authoritativeIy.
Wound about his tarboosh or fezswas
bright green cufia, signifying that
the Wearer had made the pilgrimage
to Holy Mecca. This individual
George assumed to be Mahomed him
self. And he recognized him as the
beggar over whom he had stumbled
two nights gone. Pity he hadn't
known, and pitched him into the Nile
when he had the chance
Mahomed completed his directions,
and walked leisurely toward George,
but his attention was not directed
toward him. A short distance away,
at Georges left, was a man, stretched
out as if in slumber. Over his inert
figure Mahomed watched. He drew
back his foot and kicked the sleeping
nan soundly, smiling amiably the
while; a kick, which, had Mohamed's
DOT been cased in western leather,
must have stove in the sleeper's ribs.
Strange, the victim did not stir. Ma
loned shrugged, and returned to the
business Of breaking camp.
George was keenly interested in |
his man who could accept such a
lick apparently without feeling or re
eminent. He stood up for better
lew. One glance was sufficient. 1t
vas Ryanne, the erstwhile affable
eyanne of the reversible cuffs: his
eet and hands still in bondage, his
lothes torn, his face battered and
ruised like sailors of a Sunday
forming on shore-leave. The sight of
.yanne frightened him considerably.
Though he was singularly free from
ne spirit of malevolence, he was, new
rtheless, human enough to subscribe
, that unWritten and much denied
reed that the misery Of one man rec
nciIes another to his. And here was
such as misery loved; here
as man worse off than himself,
hose prospects were a thousand
mes blacler. Poor devil! And here
3 was, captive of the men he had
ronged and beaten and robbed. AS (
zen through Georges eyes, Ryanne's
lt1ook was not a pleasant thing to
But oh! the fight this (
Re must have been! # it had taken {
We natives to overcome him, how
any had it taken to beat Ryanne
to such a shocking condition? He t
as genuinely sorry for Ryanne, but s
his soul he was glad to see him. Y
ne white man could accomplish '
thing in the face Of these odds: but i
70 white men, that was a different +
after. Ryanne, once he got his legs, {
rcng, courageous, resourceful, Ry- b
ne would get them both out of it Y
mellow And il Ryanne i
dn't the rug, who the dickens had? y
The tumble of questions that rose a
his mind, seeking answers to the Il
Idle OF Yhiordes rug, subsidized even
they rose. The bundle to the far +;
le of Ryanne stirred. He had, in his ii
neral survey of s5Hs scene. barely +
q glance upon it, believing it to II
a conglomeration of saddle-bags "
ade of wool and eotton1 and blan- il
IS, It stirred again. George stud F
It with peculiar sense of detach- 81
mt. A woman; a woman in what n
1 but recently been a smart Paris w
tailor-made street-dress. The B
man, rubbing her eyes, bore her NJ
t up painfully to q sitting posture. g.
g was white. All the blows Of the F
lit past were as nothing in com N
'ison with this invisible one which a,