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


from within. Had the courier re-
turned with the Holy Yhiordes, it ia
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
init. One beacon of hope burned In
his breast. The Pasha might be de-
posed, and In that case he could im'
mediately dispose of his W 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
l~ow.haired dog would have nothing
in the end for his pains. 1t would be
what the Feringhi called a good joke.
A week passed. Christmas. And
not one of them recalled the day
Perhaps 1t was because years had
passed sincetthat time when 1t meant
anything to them. The old year went
out a-lagging! neither did they take
note of this. Having left behind civil
lization, customs and habits were for
gotten.
Sometimes they rode all day and all
night, sometimes but half a day, ant
again, when the water was sweet, they
rested the day and night. Never a
human being they saw, v a cara
van met or crossed them. In this
week, the secret marvels Of the desert
became theirs. They saw it CLEAN
and waver and glitter under skies OF
brass, when the north wind let down
and a breeze came over from the Per
sian Gulf, They saw 1t covered with
the most amazing blues and greys and
greens. They saw 1t under the rarest
azure and a stately fleet OF billowy
clouds; under the dawn, under the set
of sun, under the moon and stars;
and unfailingly the tnterminable
reaches of sand and rock and scrubby
bush, chameleon-like, readiusted Its
countenance to each change In the
sky. George, who was a poet without
the gift of expression, never ceased
to find new charms; and nothing
pleased his fancy more than to see the
cloud-shadows scud away across the
sands. Once, toward the latter end
of day, Fortune cried out and pointed
Far away, palely yet distinctly, they
saw an ocean liner. She stood out
against the y~ellowing sky as a magic
lantern picture stands out upon the
screen. and faded similarly. 1t was
the one and only mirage they saw, OF
at least noticed.
Once another caravan, composed
wholly Of Arabs, passed. What hope
the prisoners had was instantly
snuffed out. Before the strangers
came within hailing, Mahomed hustled
his captives into his tent and swort
he would kill either George or Ryannt
IL they spoke. He forgot Fortune
however. AS the caravan passed she
screamed. Instantly Mahomed clappet
his hand roughly over her mouth. The
sheik Of the passing caravan looked
keenly at the tent, smiled grimly ant
passed on. What was 1t to him that {
white woman lay in yonder tent? Hi
one emotion was Of envy. After THU
the prisoners became apathetic.
Upon the seventh day, they wit
messed the deserts terrifying anger
The air that had been cool, suddenl!
grew still and hot; the blue allow
began to fade, to assume a dusty, cop
perish color. The camels grew rest
less. Quickly there rose out Of thu
horizon saffron clouds, approaching
| with incredible swiftness. Littlt
} whirlwinds of sand appeared her
! and there, rose and died as IL 70
want of air. Mahomed veered the cal
: ayan toward a kind Of bluff compose'
: of sand and precipitous boulders. Al
: the camels were made to kneel. TIL
boys muff1ed up their mouths an
noses, and Mahomed gave instrut
T lions to his captives. Fortune burie
e her head in her coat and nestled dow
beside her camel, while George an
] Ryanne used their handkerchief
George left his camel and sought Fol
tunes side, found her hand and hel
1t tightly. He scarcely gave thought I
what he did. He vaguely meant t
encourage her; and possibly he did.
The storm broke. The sun becam
? obscured. Pebbles and splinters @
rock sang through the pail OF whiriiA
! sand. A golden tone anveloped tn
, little gathering.
Had there been no natural protet
! ton, they must have ridden on, blint
: ly and desperately, for to have N
NAMED still in the open would hav
, been to await their tombs. 1t spen
|, its fury in half IN hour; and tn
, clearing air became cold again. TIL
! caravan proceeded. The hair Of el
! cry one was dimly yellow, their face
and their garments.
(To BE CoNTINUED.)
Australia Would Save Birds.
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