The Bolivar County Democrat., 1915-12-04

little place, and the Europeanized
sneik who had owned 1t had a Inc.
though somewhat rocco. taste in fur
nishing took all In during those
moments Of suspense. Everything de-
| pended on whether my surmise was
true, and Fehmet was In the German
governments employment. II he were
not. ] stood seif-conyicted as a spy
and forger.
To my immense relief Fehmet Ell.
fendi handed me back my papers with
| low bow.
Il am delighted to meet you. Herr
Won Elsmer." he said. so Herr Won
Martin has placed you in charge OF
| my work, l understand"
There was a note of resentment in
the words, and hastened to explain.
Hardly that. I-akim. I am. in fact.
nominally your coadjutor in this work.
| OF course we place implicit confidence
In you, but you will readily realize
that, II anything happened to you. the
| benefits to humanity which are to re-
suit from your Investigations may be-
come lost or--public."
As spoke could see the suspicion
and distrust die out of his face.
| Where are you staying. Herr Won
Elsner?" he asked.
! AT the hotel"
But you must take up your quar-
tiers with me-" he cried. "A man
gets lonely here-a white man among
these niggers" In color he was a
| pale lemon. You must move this af-
| ternoon. Stay with me and ! will
send a man to the hotel for your bag
gage. Ayesha."
He clapped his hands, and good
looking Arab girl entered the room.
She was perhaps seventeen years OF
age; she was clothed in flowing robe
OF white. ovcrlaid with bright yel-
low silk shawl. Upon her wrist were
bracelets Of hammered copper.
Bring raki!" he ordered. and added
| in Arabic instructions for certain
man to get my baggage from the
wharf.
mo. from the hotel" blurted out.
Then, as he corrected himself.
cursed my impudcnt tongue. Our con-
versation had been carried on in Ger
| man, and | saw at once that Fehmet
had been trying to discover whether
| I understood Arabic. However. 1t was
| too late to offer any explanations. and
after all it was not of the highest
| significance.
The baggage ;-rriyed. and by that
time Fehmet had drunk himself into
condition Of amiability upon raki
He showed me my room. he insisted
that l should remain his guest until
the work was completed. and his
tongue, unloosed. betrayed the man
to be what his aspect proclaimed him.
/ cannot set down the things he
| told me. or his manner of life In So
cotra. I gathered that he had lived
in many tropical parts of the world.
and that 1t was his hobby to visit such
places where he could give free vent
to his uncivilized instincts. He told
me that Mohammedanism was sham
and Christianity delusion. that there
was no life beyond the body. and that
the "master-man," as he phrased 1t.
lived solely for pleasure. He pointed
a thumb at Ayesha as she entered
with the dinner.
mo matter where a man goes. he
is not too old or ugly to find sweet
heart" he said with a leer. THAT
man Mohammcd, who brought up your
baggage. had agreed to buy her from
her father. He was saving up for a
flock of goats when persuaded her
father to let her work for me. be-
lieve Mohammed hates me on that
account. 1t is a great happiness. Herr
Won Elsmer. to have ,or servant d
man who hates you and is afraid OF
YOU Mohammed would kill me like
dog ii he dared. but before go il
is who am going to kill Mohammc
like a dog. That is what call the fas'
cination of life-to feel yourself free
from all restraint. to impose your will
upon the slayish lesser minds. such
as Mohammed's."
! saw the Arab man. who came In
tC clear away the dishes, cast lance
: of malignant hate upon Fehmet. and
it occurred to me that. if anything
went wrong with my plans. l might
find an unexpected ally there.
He drank raki all that evening until
bedtime. took the precaution tc
place chair against the door of my
room, and slept with my revolver un
der my pillow. But the house was per
fectly silent. except for the snoring
Of the Egyptian. and in the morning
ho was the same sullen animal that
had encountered on the previous
day.
} After breakfast. when he hai
thawed out little. he took me intt
his laboratory. which was bette'
equipped than I had expected. There
~as a large table. ON which he hat
laid out his specimens. his micro
: scopes, test tubes and slides. Upor
, the floor concoction OF broth wal
: boiling over an alcohol lamp. Their
was cold jellied bouillon in a larg'
jar. which, he informed rue. he him
self had prepared.
"Ayesha can't jelly bouillon." he 81
, planned. Curse the little devil. SOM
day | nhali take a whip to her. Blu
It will be q fine feast. Herr Won Els
mer-a devils feast, and. II It prove
. successful, as l have no doubt. w
shall hold a banquet In London"
. He handed mo = cigar and begal
fussing with the slides. Present.!
Y he turned to me abruptly.
|. You are acquainted with my plans