Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1913-03-27


but his feet sank too deeply in tn,
pale sand; he could only plod. HI,
must touch her or hear her voice
otherwise he stood upon the brink o.
madness. There was no doubt in hi.
mind now; he loved her, loved her a.
deeply and passionately as any sto
ried knight loved his lady; loved hel
without thought Of reward, unselfish
ly, with great and tender pity, for un
consciously he saw that she, like he
was all alone, not only here in the
desert, but along the highways where
men set up their dwellings.
Mahomed, having an eye upon all
things. though apparently seeing only
that which was under his immediate
concern, saw the young mans inten.
ton, and more, read the secret in his
face. He was infinitely amused
There were two Of them, so it seemed.
Quietly he slipped in between George
and the girl, and his movement freed
Georges mind Of it's bewilderment.
Unhesitatingly, he flung himself upon
the Arab. striving to reach the lean,
brown throat. Mahomed, strong and
unwearied. having no hand in the &C.
tual warfare, thrust George back so
vigorously that the young man lost
his balance and fell prone upon the
sand. He was so weak that the fall
stunned him. Mahomed stepped for.
ward, doubtless with the generous i'm.
pulse to prove that in the matter of
kicks he desired to show no partial.
ity, when a hand caught at his bur.
mouse. He paused and looked down.
1t was the girl.
Don't! A brave man would not do
that"
Mahomed, moved by some feeling
that eluded immediate analysis
turned about. 1t was time to be off
II he wished to reach Serapeum the
following night. Pursuit he knew to
be out Of the question, since who
was there to know that there was any.
thing to pursue? But many miles in.
tervened between here and his desti.
nation. He dared not enter Serapeum
in the daytime. Lying upon the canal.
bank as it did, the possibility Of en-.
counterinig a stray white man con.
fronted him. Every camel-way fire.
quented by Europeans must Of ne
eessity be avoided, every town Of any
size skirted, and all the while he must
keep parallel with known paths or be-
come lost himself. Not to become
lost himself, that was his real con.
Germ. The caravan was provisioned
for months, and he knew Asia-Minor
as we'll as the lines upon his palms.
There were sand-storms, too; but
against these blfghting visitations he
would match his vigilant eye and the
instinct Of the camels. The one way
n which these peculiar storms might
distress him lay in the total oblitera-
ion Of the way-signs, certain rocks,
certain hills, without the guidance of
which, like a good ship bereft of its |
compass. he might fall away from his |
course, Notwithstanding that he would |
lways travel toward the sun.
And there was also the vital ques-
ion Of water; he must measure the |
ime between each we'll, each oasis.
10, then, aside from these dangers
With which he felt able to cope, there
las one unforeseen: the chance meet
ng with wandering caravan headed
y white men in search of rugs and
arpets. These fools were eternally
uniting about the wastes Of the
world; they were never satisfied un-
ess they were prowling into countries /
Vhere they had no business to be, were
lways breaking the laws of the Ca
Iphs and the Koran.
The girl was beautiful in her pale,
oreign way; beautiful as the star OF
he morning, as the first rose Of the
Persian spring; and he sighed for
he old days that were no more. She
would have brought a suItan's ransom
n the markets. But the accused
were everywhere, and these
ickly IL handsome white women were
more to them than their hearts blood;
Why, he had never ceased to wonder.
BUT upon this knowledge he had
udppSu OuI LIS pidu vi tOftuic III 10
ard to Ryanne. The idea of selling
'ortune had dimly formed in his
lind, while his blood had burned in
niger; but today's soberness showed
i'm the futility Of such procedure.
lie would have to make the best Of a
polish move; for the girl would
ventually prove an encumbrance. At
ny rate, he would wiring one white
mans heart till 1t beat dry in his
reast. That her health might be I'll.
ned, that she might sicken and die,
n no manner aroused his pity. This
tribute was destined never to be
Weakened in Mahomed's heart.
The kisweh, the kisweh, always the
ioly Yhiordes; that he must have,
ven If he had to forego the pleasure
4 breaking Ryanne. He was too old
D start life anew; at least, too old