Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-03-06

i'm terribly.
IF l give you the rug" i~nterposec
Fortune, will you promise freedom
o us all?"
Mahomed stepped back. n~onplussed.
He hadn't expected any information
from this quarter
81 have the rug" declared Fortune
calmly, though she could scarcely
hear her own voice, her heart beat
so f~uriously.
"You have it," Mahomed was con-
fused. Here was a turn in the road
upon which he had set no calculation.
All three Of them!
"Yes. And upon condition that you
liberate us all, l will put it into your
hands. But 1t must be my writing
this time"
A white mar would have blushed
under the reproach Of her look. Ma
homed smiled amiably, pleased over
his c~leverness. Where Is the kis-
weh2"
"The kisweh?"
1.-THE Holy Yhiordes. Where is it,"
That l refuse to tell you. Your
word Of honor first, to bind the bar
gain"
Ryanne laughed. 1t acted upon Ma
homed like a goad. He raised the
whip, and had Ryanne's gaze swerved
the part Of an inch, the blow would
have fallen.
"You laugh?" snarled Mahomed.
why, yes. A bargain with your
honor makes me laugh"
"And your honor" returned Ma
homed fiercely. He wondered why he
held his hand. ri have matched trick
cry against trickery. My honor has
not been called. l fed you, l gave
you drink; in return you lied to me,
| %dishonored me in the eyes of my
| friends, and one Of them you killed"
1T was my life or his exclaimed
Ryanne, not relishing the recital OF
this phase. TT was my life or his;
and he was upon my back"
Fortune shuddered. Presently she
laid her hand upon Mahomed's arm.
Would you take my word of honor?"
Mahomed sought her eyes. Yes.
| read truth in your eyes. Bring me
the rug, and my word of honor to you,
you shall go free"
But my friends?"
Zone Of them" Mahomed laughed
unpleasantly. 1t was an excellent idea.
zone Of them shall go free with you.
It will be fol' you to choose which,
Now, you dog, laugh, taught" and the
tongue Of the kurbash bit the dust
within an inch of Ryanne's feet.
What shall / do?" asked Fortune
miserably.
Accept" urged Ryanne. "f you
are afraid to choose n or the other
of us, Jones and l will spin coin"
81 agree" said George, very unhap'
Ply.
Have you any paper. Jones?"
George searched. He found the
dance-card tn the ball at the hotel. In
another pocket he discovered the little
pencil that went with 1t.
"You write" said Mahomed to For
tune.
81 intend to-" Fortune took the card
and pencil and wrote as follows:
Mother: Horace, Mr.. Jones and | are
prisoners of the mar who owned the
rug which you will find in the large
steamer.roll. Give it to the courier
who brings this card. And under nc
circumstances set spies upon his
track" In French she added: I'VE
are bound for Bagdad. In case Mo
named receives the rug and we are
not liberated, wire the embassy al
!. Constantinople and the consulate a
Bagdad. FORTUNE"
I She gave It to Mahomed.
/ Read 1t out loud" he commanded
| While he spoke English iuently, h
could neither read nor write 1t in an!
, serviceable degree. The note he hat
J given to Fortune had been written b!
a friend of his in the bazaars who hat
, upon a time lived in New York. For
J tune read slowly, slightly flushing al
: she evaded the French script.
"That will do" Mahomed agreed.
q He shouted for one Of the boys
: bade him saddle the hagin or racing
: camel, which of all those twelve, alon
e was his, and be off to Cairo. The BIO,
0 dipped his bowl into the kettle, at
e greedily, saddled the camel, and fv
t minutes later was speeding bac
toward Cairo at a gait that woul
y bring him there late that night.
Fortune and George and Ryann
!, watched him till he disappeared beloV
r a dip and was gone from view. !
the minds OF the three watchers tn
same question rose: would he be to
late? George was cheerful enoug
~thereaftsr, but his cheerfulness wa
not OF tie infectious kind.
y AT noca the caravan was once NOR
upon itA way. Ryanne was able
y ride. TIE fumes Of whatever dru
had becn administered to him ha
finally evsporated, and he fell onl
d bruised. old, dishetrtened. An ev
Q dav fol- him when he had set fort
for Bag9hd in quest Of the rug. II
1. was confident that thsre would ba n
e rug awaiting the courier, and <hs
would be Mahomed's procedure whe
the BOY returned empty-handed va
not dimcuIt 70 imagine. MahoEie
,. was right; so far hot'or had not ~
a tared into Tho cnntaHs- According :