The Carlisle independent., 1915-10-07
CHAPTER xxI-continued.

CHAPTER xxi-continued
 It wae rare for the caravan to pass by BeHi Medinet The old woman s superstition foresaw danger in this visit. Her veil before her face. her gnaried old fingers held the fan with which she had been flaming Sabron. She went out to the strangers. Down by the we'll a group of girls in gar ments of blue and yellow. with earthen bottles on their heads, stood staring at Beni Medinet's unusual visitors
 Peace be with you, Fatou Ami. " said the older of the Bedouins.
 Are you cousin or brother that you know my name?" asked the an cient woman
 Everyone knows the name of the oldest woman in the Sahara" said Hammet kbou. "and the victorious are always brothers"
 What do you want with mel" she asked, thinking of the helplessness of the village.
 Hammet Abou pointed to the hut
 You have a white captive in there. Is he alive!''
 What is that to you, son of a dog?"
 The mother of many sons is wise, " said Hammet Abou portentously. but she does not know that this man car rfes the Evil Eye. His dog carries the Evil Eye for his enemies. Your people have gone to battle. Unless this man is cast out from your village, your young men, your grandsons and your sons will be destroyed"
 The old woman regarded him calmly
 T do not fear it." she said tram luilIy. We have had corn and oil in plenty. He is sacred"
 For the first time she looked at his companion. tall and slender and evi- dentiy younger.
 You favor the coward Franks" she said in a high voice. You have come to fall upon us in our desolatiop"
 She was ab put to raise the peculiar wall which would have summoned to her all the women of the village The cogs of the place had already begun to show their noses, and the villagers were drawing near the people under the palms. Now the young man began to speak swiftly in language that she did not understand. addressing his comrade. The language was so curious that the woman. with the cry arrested on her lips, stared at him. Pointing to his companion. Hammet Abou sid:
 Fatou Anni, this great lord kisses your hand. He says that he wishes he could speak your beautiful Ian. guage. He does not come from the enemy; he does not come from the French. He comes from two women of his people by whom the captive is beloved. He says that you are the mother of sons and grandsons, and that you will deliver this man up into our hands in peace"
 The narrow fetid streets were be- ginning to i'll with the figures of women, their beautifully colored robes fiuttering in the light. and there were curious eager children who came running. naked save for the bangles upon their arms and ankles.
 Pointing to them. Hammet Abou said to the old sage:
 See. you are only women here. Fatou Anni. Your men are twenty miles farther south. We have a cara van of fifty men all armed. Fatou Ami. They camp just there, at the edge of the oasis. They are waiting. We come in peace, old woman; we come to take away the Evil Eye from your door; but if you anger us and rave against us, the dogs and women of your town will fall upon you and destroy every breast among you.'
 She began to beat her palms to- gether, murmuring:
 Allah! Allah"
 'Hush," said the Bedouin fiercely, "take us to the captive, Fatou Anni."
 Fatou Anni did not stir. She pulled aside the veil from her with sred face, so tLat her great eyes )okcd out at the two men, She saw fer predicafnent, but she was 6 subtle Oriental. Victory had been in her camp and in her village; her sons and grandsons had never been vanquished Perhaps the dying man in the hut would bring he Evil Eye! He was dying. anyway-he would not live twenty-four hours. She knew this, sor her ninety years of life had seen many eyes close on the oasis under the hard blue skies.
 To the taller ot the two Bedouins sAe said In Arabb