The Washington times., 1918-08-18

anu Oul IhC OohulCS ludI luc duk6l8 were
trying to keep alight in spite of the winds
of space. l though. Of the strange thing
that we had witnessed.
Common sense, after reviewing the an
swers which the Bronze Hathor had given
to Halliday's questions, told me that the
Kabyle heard nothing, and yet the way in
which he listened made our lips dry and
sent the blood pounding madly through our
heads. The girl said that he had been
following a sound for three days; yet. al
though we should have laughed at such a
notion, we did not laugh. The sand pre-
vents one from laughing at many things In
the desert. From the little grains Of sand
Allah weaYes the shrouds for the desert
dead, and it is not easy to scoff when one
Is lying in what might be ones death
cloak
fell asleep at last, but 1t seemed as II
had only been asleep few minutes when
Sundance gripped my arm and shook me
till l lifted myself up A moon with the
face Of a pale virgin peeped over the
dunes, and as l sat and rubbed my eyes
Halliday pointed to the west
Look" he cried, they are trying to
get away from US! They have struck their
tent ana Sneaked away!
In the dim light I could see the one
camel bearing the Bronze Hathor and near
1t the figure Of the blind Kabyle and the
slave woman, and sleep left me immedL
ately. HurriedIy, Sundance and put our
water bags on the sick camel, and away
we went after the three. We had made a
bargain with that girl. who had eyes like
black diamonds swimming In Lacrima
Christi, and we were mighty anxious to
keep her to It,
Gee. If we had missed them," gasped
Sundance "Oh. gee."
We prodded the snarling camel and set
out after them, and all the wonder and
mystery of the world seemed to be In the
desert that morning. BY the turban Of
Mohammed. it was a wondrous morn, II
was hours before dawn, and as we plunged
forward we had feeling that 1t was on a
morn like that one that Adam first rose
up to view the earth. The dunes seemed
to be squat things that watched US as we
threshed through the sand, and the groans
Of the camel bored into a silence that was
tremendous.
The east paled as we plodded on; Il
changed from light chrome to glowing
crimson; then the sun rose up and flung
shadow lengths Of a hundred yards in
front OF US. And away in front Of US was
the other camel and the three. The Bronze
Hathor was riding. the slave woman walked
beside the camel, and before them walked
the blind Kabyle. And although we were
two hundred yards behind him when tNe
sun famed up out Of ElErg, we felt tFat
he was listening as he hurried forward
Ay, it's a fact! Sometimes sit here in
the white sunlight and run the mental hlm
Of that morning before my eyes, and
thrill as l see again the listening Kabyle
at the head Of that little procession in the
desert. His head was thrust forward like
the head Of a cheetah, and every little
muscle Of his old, lean body seemed to
send out the information that he was
listening.
Look at him." muttered Sundance For
the love of God. look at him!"
And | looked and prodded the snarling
camel Once in a long while common
"ense would thrust up her head and say
that the desert was empty. that the blind
Kabyle ives a madpan. and we knew moth
ing Of the Flowing Sands Of Keash outside
the story told by the marabout, but ten
thousand scraps of knowledge that came
from the sand and the dry winds would
fall upon common sense, and we would
plunge forward with quickened footsteps
All through that hot forenoon we fol-
lowed them. Wowi wowi wowi wasn't 1t
blazing morningI The sun bored into
our backs with ten thousand hot needles,
and the glare blinded US. Every chrome
colored rock that rammed itself up through
the sand splintered the sunbeams and flung
them in our scorched faces.
It was nearly midday when we managed
to get abreast of the camel On which the
Bronze Hathor sat like a statue of Isis.
She was Fate on a snarIing, slouching
beast that We cursed beneath our breath
as we 1ogged our own sick animal in an
effort to keep close to him That mad race
was beginning to tell upon us.
The girl glanced at us, and we sUnirmed
beneath the flashing eyes as If they were
razor-edged scimitars
"You are still following fools?" she
cried.
I'VE must follow. gasped Halliday.
I'VE must, we must"
Go back and mind your own business"
she cried. This has nothing to do with
you
Hasn't it," growled Halliday What
do you know?" Then he wet his lips and
turned on her fercely I'VE heard the
story from the marabout in the Courtyard
Of the Green Tiles!" he cried I'm the
Courtyard of the Mosque at Ell Aliel
Ahmed"
GO back!" cried the Bronze Hathor
60 back. fool May Allah curse you II
you follow in our tracks"
Then the blind Kabyle opened his mouth
Is if he had been stirred by the mention
Of the word "A4ah." and he cried aloud:
"La Ilaha lila Tlahui' La Ilaha lila
IlahuI"
go back" shrieket the girl
Never" roared Su Idance. 'Never!"
The Kabyle was going forward at Jog
and 10 uvaS HStnUiD0 40 liGton.
ng! Listening! And the only sounds
hat We could hear were the grnnting OF