The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1913-03-07


time enough to make injuries after
the scrimmage. Intrepidly, as Here.
ward the wake, as Busy d'Ambois,
as Porthos in the cave Of Loeb Maria,
George fought. He wasn't a trained
athlete; ne hadn't any science; he
was simply ordinarily tough and &C
tive and clean-lived; and the Injustice
Of an unprovoked assault added to
physical prowess a full measure Of
nervous energy. 1t was quasi Homer
ic: modern young gentleman in eve.
ming dress holding off for several min
utes five sleek, sinewy, unhampered
Arabs. But the days of the gods were
no more; and no quick-witted goddess
cast veil across the eyes of the
Arabs. No; George had to shift for
himself. Suddenly there came a gen.
eral rush from the center of the room
into one of the right-angular corners,
The subsequent snarl Of legs and
arms was not unlike that seen upon
the football field George was the
man with the ball. And then to
George came merciful darkness. The
conjunction, as in astronomy, Of two
planets in the same degree of the 10
diac-meaning Georges head and the
stucco-wall-gave the Arabs complete
mastery of the field Of battle.
From the opposite side Of the room
came the voice Of the referee:
Curses Of Allah upon these white
dogs! How they fight" And Ma
homed peered down into the corner.
One by one the Arabs got up, each
examining his honorable wounds.
George alone remained unmoved, quiet
and disinterested, under the folds of
the tattered burnouse.
rs he dead?" demanded Mahomed.
mo, my father. His head hit the
WALL"
| Hasten. then. Bind his feet and
hands and cover his eyes and mouth
We have but little time"
ThereIwas a long way to go, and
Mahsmaawas too wise and cautious
to congratulate himself at this early
stage. George was thereupon trussed
up like al Christmas fowl ready for
the oven. They wrapped him up in
the burnoase and carried him out to
the closed carriage in waiting. No
one in thelstreet seemed curious. No
one in the English-Bar deemed 1t nee.
essary to be. Whatever happened in
this resort had long been written in
the book Of fate. Had white man
approached to inquire what was going
on, Mahomed would have gravely
whispered that 1t was case OF
plague they were hurrying away to
prevent interference by the English
authorities.
Once George was snug inside the
carriag he, it was driven off at a run
toward the tombs of the caliphs. AS
the roads were not the levelest, the
vehicle went most Of the way upon
two wheels. Mahomed sat beside his
victim, watchful and attentive. His
intention was to take him no far.
Their than the outskirts of the city,
force him to send back to the hotel
duly credited messenger for the
rug. after which he would turn George
adrift, with the reasonable assurance
that the young man would find some
one to guide him back to the hotel.
After a while he observed that George
had recovered and was grimly fighting
the imprisoning ropes.
"You will need your strength" in.
terposed Mahomed gently. IF | take
the cloth from your mouth, will you
promise not to cry OUT" There was
an affirmative nod, and Mahomed un-
tied the bandage. Listen. / mean
YOU no harm. II you will send to the
hotel for the Holy Yhiordes, you will
be liberated the moment it is put into
my hands
go to the deuce!" snapped George
still dizzy. The fighting mood hadn't
evaporated, by any means. "You
know where 1t is better than l." So
this was Mahomed?
"Fool!" cried the other, shaking
George roughly.
Easy there! / had the rug, but
it was stolen this afternoon" He was
very weak and tired. "And if l had
1t, I shouldn't give 1t to you," with
renewed turbulence; "and you may
put that in your water-pipe and smoke
| It."
Mahomed, no longer pacific, struck
George violently upon the mouth. He
on his part, was unknightly enough to
attempt to sink his teeth in the bru
/ tai hand. Queer fancies fit through a
mans head in times like this; for the
Intellectually Of the bite reminded
him OF Hallowe'ens and the tubs with
the bobbing apples. One thing was
certain: he would kill this pagan the
very first opportunity. Rather 9
startling metamorphosis in the char
acter Of man whose life had beer
passed in the ,peacefulest environ
ments. And to kill him without thu
least conjunction. too. To strike q
man who couldn't help himself!
"Hey there!" he yelled. Help fol
| q white mani" After such treatment
M eonsiAaPAd II ANYTHING h,,t diahnn