Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-03-05

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peaceful state of mind, among her ca
lnellas and roses at Mentone? Her
world had been, in this short time,
IeInolded, reconstructed; where once
nad Dloomed a garden, now yawned a
chasm: and the psychological earth
quake had left her dizzy. That Ma
homed, now wrought to a kind Of Ber-
serk rage, might begin reprisals at
once, did not alarm her; indeed, her
Keeling was rather of dull, aching in
olIerence. Nothing mattered now.
But Ryanne and George were keenly
allve to the danger, and both agreed
mat Fortune must go no farther.
Ryanne, under his bitter raillery and
seeming scorn for sacred things, Dos
sessed latent magnanimity, 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 viii you do?'
Take my medicine" grimly.
"Ryanne, you are Offering the cow
ardly part to mel"
you fool, it's the girl. What do
l care about the rest Of it? You're
as brave as a lion. When you put NJ
your fists the other night, you solved
that puzzle for yourself. For Gods
sake, do it while I have the courage
to let you! Don't you understand? 1
n CyfTs7
blood, and Mahomed can have it drop
by drop. Go and go quickly! He will
give you food and water
You go. She knows you better
than me-"
But will she trust me as she will
you? Percival, old top, Mahomed will
never let me go till he's taken his
pound of flesh. Fortune!" Ryanne
called. Fortune, we want you'll"
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
a time like this You two go. des-
perately.
Fortune shook her head. "AlI or
none of us; all or none of us, 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.
He had not studied his white man
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 a barrier over
which none of them would pass vol
UNFAIRLY. So much for pride as the
Christian dogs knew it. Pride is a
fine buckler; none knew that better
than Mahomed himself; but a wise
man does not wear it at all times.
What is it 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.
>.
looked at MahOmed with all the pride
of her race. 1T is not because you
wish me to be free; it is because you
wish to see one Of my companions
made base in my eyes. I will not have
it,"
"The will Of Allah!" He could not
repress the fire of admiration in his
IN, Il h01
the erect, slender figure, the scorn
upon her face, and the fearlessness in
her great, dark eyes. Such a 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
him; his pagan heart softened; not
from pity, but from the respect which
one brave person gives free-handed to
another.
Mahomed was not a bad man, nei-
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 it
from within. Had the courier re-
turned with the Holy Yhiordes, it is
not impossible that he would have lib
Grated them all. But now he dared
not; he was not far enough away. To
Bagdad, then, and as swiftly as the
exigencies of desert travel would per-
nit. One beacon Of hope burned in
bis breast The Pasha might be de-
posed, and in that case he could i'm
mediately dispose of his own goods
and chattels and seek new pastures.
1t would come hard, doubly hard, since
he never could regain the position he
was to lose.
Nine hundred pounds English, and
a comfortable fraction over; the vel
low-haired dog would have nothing