The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-04-12
MARIE VAN WORST
caen~e1 sy Mx0oes,Mmeu oanemv
~ RAY WALTERS

CONTINUED
Peace be with you, F'atou Anni,.'
said the older of the Bedouins.
Are you a 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
Halnmet Abou, "and the victorious are
always brothers,
What do you want with me?" she
asked. thinking OF the neIpiessness OF
the village.
Hammet Abou pointed to the hut.
You have a white captive in there.
II he alivef"
What is that to you. son of dog2"
THE mother of many sons is wise,"
said Hammet Abou portentously, but
she does not know that this man car
ries 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.
Il do not fear it," she said tran
GULLY. I'VE have had corn and oil In
plenty. He is sacred"
For the first time she looked at his
companion, tall and slender and evil
IDENTIFY younger.
You favor the coward Franks" she
said in a high voice. you have come
to fall upon us in our desolation."
She was about to raise the peculiar
wall which would have summoned to
her all the women of the village. The
dogs 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
mis- companion, Hammet Abou said
"Fatou Ami, 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 fill with the figures of
women, their beautifully colored
robes fluttering 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 Ami. Your men are twenty
mics 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 flercely,
take us to the captive, Fatou Ami"
Fatou Ami did not stir. She
pulled aside the veil from her witt
cred face, so that her great eye
looked out at the two men. She saw
her predicament, but she was a 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 the Evil Eye! He was
dying, anyway-he would not live
twenty-four hours. She knew th'
for her ninety years of life had see.
many eyes close on the oasis under
the hard blue skies.
To the taller of the two Bedouins
she said in Arabic:
"Fatou Ami is nearly one hundred
years old. She has borne twenty chill
dren, she has had fifty grandchildren;
she has seen many wives, many brides
and many mothers. She does not be-
lieve the sick man has the Evil Eye.
She Is not afraid of your fifty armed
men. Fatou Ami is not afraid. AL
lah is great. She will not give up the
Frenchman because Of fear, nor will
she give him up to any man. She
gives him to the women of his people,
With dignity and majesty and with
great beauty of carriage, the OLD wom-
an turned and walked toward her hut
and the Bedouins followed her.