The Jasper news., 1918-01-10

0'> 80 SouhS NliSu lue buNuBt.
1T Is dark in here. You cannot see.
Wait. l will have her brought out in
the sunlight" And he commanded the
two warriors who watched the girl to
cut the bonds from her ankles and
lead her forth for inspection.
Malbihn and Jensen evinced no
eagerness, though both were fairly
bursting with it, not to see the girl,
but to obtain possession of her. They
cared not If she had the face Of q mar
moset or the figure of pot bellled 10
vudoo himself. All that they wished
to know was that she was the girl
who had been stolen from the sheik
several years before They thought
that they would recognize her for such
If she were indeed the same. But even
so, the testimony of the runner Kovu-
doc had sent to the sheik was such as
to assure them that the girl was the
one they had once before attempted
to abduct.
AS Merlem was brought forth from
the darkness of the huts interior the
two men turned, with every appear
ance of disinterestedness, to glance Mt
her. 1t was with difficulty that NAL
bihn suppressed an ejaculation Of as
constituent. The girls beauty fairly
took his breath from him. But in
stantly he recovered his poise and
turned to Kovudoo.
"Well?' he said to the old chief.
as she not both young and good
looking?" asked Kovudoo.
"She is not DID," replied Malbihn.
"But, even so, she will be a burden.
We did not come from the north after
wives. There are more than enough
there for u.s."
Merlem stood looking straight at the
white men. She expected nothing from
them-they were to her as much enc
mics as the black men. She hated and
feared them all. Malblhn spoke to her
in Arabic.
1--WE are friends" he said. would
you like to have us take you away
from here?"
Slowly and dimly, as though from q
great distance, recollection of the once
familiar tongue returned to her.
II should like to go Free" she said,
"and go back to Korak."
"You would like to so with usf'
persisted Malbihn.
mo-" said Meriem.
Malbihn turned to Kovudoo. "She
does not wish to go with u.s." he said
you are men," returned the black
Can you not take her by force?"
ut would only add to our troubles y
replied the Swede. mo. Kovudoo, we
do not wish her, though, If you wish
to be rid of her, we will take her away
because Of our friendship for you"
Now, Kovudoo knew that he had
made u sale. They wanted her. So he
commenced to bargain, and in the end
the person of Meriem passed from the
possession of the black chieftain into
that of the two Swedes In considera.
ton of six yards of American, thres
empty brass cartridge shells and 6
shiny new jackknife from New Jersey
And all but Meriem were more thar
pleased with the bargain.
Kovudoo stipulated but q single con
dition, and that was that the Euro
peans were to leave his village anC
take the girl with them as early thu
next morning as they could get start
ed. After the sale he did not hesitate
to explain his reasons for this demand
, He told them of strenuous attempts
, of the girls savage mate to rescue her
and suggested that the sooner they go
/, her out OF the country the more likel!
they were to retain possession Of her
Y Merlem was again bound and placed
:. under guard, but this time In the ten
Z of the Swedes. Malbihn talked to her
v trying to persuade her to accompan!
a them willingly. He told her that the.
e would return her to her own village
n but when he discovered that she woult
rather die than go back to the oil
d sheik he assured her that they woul'
l. not take her there-nor, as a matte
y of fact, hud they any intention of s.
doing