The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1915-09-24
CONTINUED from last week.)

For three weeks now Victoria Custer
had been a prisoner of Sheik Ibn AS
wad. but other than the ordinary hard.
ships Of African travel she had expert
enced nothing OF which she might COM
plain.
She had even been permitted to ride
upon n of the few donkeys that still
survived. and her food was as good as
canny old sheik knew that the better
the condition of his prisoner the better
the price she would bring at the court
Of the sultan Of Fulad.
Abul Mukarram. Ibn Aswnd's right
hand a staggering young Arab
from the rim Of the Sahara, had cast
covetous eyes upon the beautiful pris-
Oner. but the old shiek delivered him.
self Of a peremptory mo" when his
lieutenant broached a proposal to him
Then Abul Mukarram. baked in his
passing desire. found the thing grow,
ing upon him until the idea Of possess.
ing the girl became a veritable obses
sion with him.
Victoria. from necessity. had picked
IN enough of the language Of the sons
Of the desert to be able to converse
with them, and Abul Mukarram often
rode at her side. feasting his eyes upon
her face and figure the while be at
tempted to tngratiate himself into her
esteem by accounts Of his prowess.
but when at last be spoke Of love the
girl turned her flushed and angry face
away from him and. refining in her
donkey. refused to ride farther beside
him.
lbn Aswad from afar witnessed the
alteration. and when be rode to Vic
toria's side and learned the truth OF
the matter he berated Abul Mukarram
boundly. ordering him to the rear OF
the column ond placed another Arab
over the prisC~er.
Thereafter lie venOmOus looks which
the d~iscr>dited Abul cast upon Vic
tOria Oftentimes caused her to shud-
der. for she knew that she had made
q cruel and %tnplacable enemy of the
man.
Ibn Aswad had given her but a hint
of the fate which awaited her, yet it
had been sufficient to warn her that
death were better than the thing she
was being dragged through the jungIes
to suffer.
Every waking minute her mind was
occupied with plans for escape. yet not
m presented itself which did not Of.
fer insuperable obstacles.
Even had she been able to leave the
camp undetected, how long could she
hope to survive in the jungle? And
should by some miracle her life be
spared v for months. of what avail
would that be? She could no more
have retraced her way to Lord Grey
stokes ranch than she could have laid
a true course upon the trackless ocean.
The horrors of the march that pass
ed daily in hideous review before her
left her sick and disguised. The cruel
~ beaten slaves who carried the great
burdens Of ivory, tents and provisions
brought tears to her eyes.
The brutal massacres that followed
the forcible entrance into each sue.
ceeding village wrung her heart and
reused her shame for these beasts In
human form who urged on their say.
age and cowardly Manyuema canni-
balls to commit nameless excuses
against the covering prisoners that fell
Into their hands.
But at last they came to a village
where victory failed to rush forward
and fall into their arms. Instead,
they were met with sullen resistance.
Ferocious, painted devils fought then
stubbornly every inch Of the way. until
Ibn Aswad decided to make a detouI
and pass round the village rather than
sacrifice more Of his followers.
In the confusion Of the fight and the
near retreat which followed Abul Mu.
karram found the opportunity he had
been awaiting. The prisoners, includ'
ing the white girl, were being pushed
ahead Of the r%etreating raiders. while
the Arabs and Nanyuema brought ur