Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-07-17
T h g u a ilv
Short Story
1 DANGEROUS JOURNEY.
BY James Brafna I'd.

] was IN Egypt before the fanatioaf
outbreak of 1882 When trouble ~
that kind is coming those who are7o-
"A the secret either know nothf-e
about il or have only vague spz7t@
ions I heard some ugly rumorz az d,
what was about To happen. bur di5
not know how much dependence coul5
be placed upon them To ali outward
appearances everything was moving
on as usual
was obliged to 60 to Isualfa an
business. 10 I had known the co7a-
ton Of the people of the country
should not have trusted myself 7r+
Of Port Said where Europeans vpra
mparatively safe To make 31ur-
ney into the interior was madness. hint
Z did not know it Indeed. 7 only real
ized that under the circumstances r
would rather not 90. A matter Of or
binary gain and being murdered were
the alternatives.
/ went on night train Being some
what Iinical about my diet I took u.f-r
ME hamper filled with as succulenf
eatabIes as / could get together and
on the top placed q box Of cigars from
which only few Of the weeds had
been taken, Z got into my compar+-
=
rack and settled myself for a journey
Being in a smoking compartment / ft
a cigar.
The compartment was dusd with
natives, 7 being the only European
in IT, This in itself was not en-
aging The train had hardly got un-
der way when an old Arab sbelk sit
ting opposite me leaned forward aud
calmly took my cigar from between
my lips and placing 1t between his
own, smoked it himself.
To have resented the Insult would
have been equivalent 10 inviting the
man TO stab me. I therefore paid no
attention to him and, taking news
paper from my pocket began to read
that is. I pretended TO read, but 7
had no idea Of what was on the sheet
before me. my mind being taken up
with the IA ct that I was in a com
partmeut with seven Arabs and ut
terly at their mercy My ewes an
peared to be fixed upon the paper. but
] was casting quick gIances Eidewiss
at the natives and knew by their chat
ter and occasional looks at me that
I was the subject of their converse
ton
Then lucky thought occurred TO
nae. I reached up 10 the rack got my
box of cigars from my hamper. took
out one for myself and handed the
box TO the sbeik who had robbed me
of the one I had been smoking. He
took it. appropriated a handful OF the
contents and passed il to the others.
who did the same, and the box was
returned 90 nae empty.
Notwithstanding my peace Offering
expected every moment to feel cold
steel entering my vitals Most Of the
Arabs wore long knives where they
couId be seen, and I knew not what
other weapons they had concealed AS
for me, j was unarmed, and even II !
bad been armed my opponents were
seven TO one.
i cannot describe the agony Of that
night. expecting, as / did death auE
moment The Arabs In my c0mparG-
ment paid 40 attention to anything
that was going on iu the rest Of the
train bat I had q vague feeling that
something very important might be
going on. i can't account for this
feeling. for j heard no sound 10 pro-
duce 81. I emily knew that I felt that
there was murder in the air.
Finally their looks and acts were Sc
suspicious that I bethought myself Of
some other way similar 10 my offer OF
cigars To Placate them. Then my
luncheon occurred TO me. Reaching
up again to the rack, 7 brought down
my hamper. opened It aud displayed
the aatables Every mans eyes were
on them but not q man moved to
touch any Of them. I offered the
hamper 50 The man who sat next me-
but he declined. In turn I handed It
TO every man in the compartment,
but though they ali looked With eager
eyes upon the viandss not g man
would accept 81 morsel.
AT first I was astonished at this
Then j remembered that no Arab VIII
break bread with an enemy.
The moment this occurred 10 me
knew I was doomed, I put uT hamper
back ON the rack and wrapping my
self in my 0vercoat, lay back ia ms
seat. with my eyes closed, 20 await
whatever was in store for me
7 heard q great deal Of wrausIins
on the part Of the Arabs, but
thought / would rather rely On my
weakness than on being prepared for
resistance that would be useless. 50
] did not open my eyes. Presently !
felt . hand on my arm Thinking my
time had come, / looked, and IhsFs
was the sheik who had taken NV cigar
from my mouth holding ouE piece
of dry bread. I took fl and. biting
from it, chewed vigorously.
A food of relief and joy seemed 70
have poured over me I knew from
that moment was safe. Reaching up
for INV hamper. I took Sc down ana
handed il 10 the she5E. He helpea
himself. then passed II around 90 ina
others, each man parraklng pHs1l-
fully of the contents.
Now that they had broken bread
with me ANA 7 having 10 more s7 teaE