The Washington times., 1918-12-22
CHAPTER YIN.
Northby Pasha Takes a Hand

- RORTHBY PASHA was through. All
M the intricacies Of this ingenious
> problem had been tried out By
means of familiar equations. and between
the hour Of the first report from Alex
andrfa until the departure Of Mr.. Jessun
from the GoveFnorat he had formulated q
plan more or less definite to entrap Cap
tain Conrad Won HengeL
This consisted in part in watching the
railroad stations, the main roads and the
placing Of large part of the force Of his
available men into the native quarter Of
the town. The documents in the Mosque
of Hasaneyn were, Of course, to play q
part in Won Hengel's plan to have the
Black Stone acknowledged here in Cairo
as the original Kaba Stone Of Mecca. With
this accomplished and q number Of follow
ers obtained among the wardens OF the
mosques OF the city, anything new
Nationalist revolt in Egypt-might be &C
complished.
But Northby Pasha had not counted upon
the extraordinary rapidity Of Won HengePs
movements. He had not thought that the
German could have gotten into the city
before he had laid his snares to catch him.
And even given that hypothesis, the Hasa
neyn was the most carefully guarded
mosque in Cairo. its warden most jealous
Of its traditions and sacred character. Un-
less in some manner Won Hengel could
have already gotten into communication
with Add Er-Rahhmaan, 1t would be some
days before the German officer could reach
the Nazir and by that time all the ramt-
hcations of the Intelligence Bureau would
be upon the watch to nip the plot in the
bud and to catch red-handed the arch con-
spirator and take his precious emblem.
Northby Pasha had already been pre-
pared for Alan Jessup. The American was
a colorless person with more money than
brains, and in this crisis, somewhat
alarmed at the damage his careless hos
pitality may have done. had run for cover
and immunity. But the interview with
Jessup had somewhat changed the Of
fcer's point Of view.
When he had first come into the Gov
ernorat he seemed quite supine and more
than half asleep. But as the interview had
proceeded Mr. Jessup had seemed to show
q livelier interest IN the revelations Of the
intelligence officer. And his show Of con-
triton and his desire to atone for a dan
gerous situation largely Of his own max
ing. II not entirely genuine, were adj
mirably dissembled.
1t was with an object that he had taken
Alan Jessup so completely into his con-
fidence. II the man were sincere his pres
ence in Cairo was essential to the capture
Of Won Hengel, for no other person, except
an American girl Jessup mentioned. could
identify the man. And II, as Northby
Pasha more than half suspected, Mr.. Jes-
sup were less stupid than he appeared, he
could be made useful. But II, under Mr.
Jessups leisurely guise, there was some
motive which had not yet appeared, the
full condolences Of their interview would
soon make the police officer aware Of IT,
At any rate, he was a stranger in Cairo
and until tried out in Northby Pasha's
alembic, was an object Of suspicion, and
so. following his usual custom in leaving
nothing to chance he had detailed several
of his best men to follow Mr.. Jessup to
Shepherds hotel with instructions to
keep him in sight until the hour Of an ap-
pointed interview upon the morrow.
Thus 1t was that the arrival Of Daoud's
assistant, Osman Khali. late that night.
out of breath with running, caused some
commotion at the Governorat and resulted
in an audience with Northby Pasha, who
In amazement-and some inward COM
Functions as to his own belated part In
the affair-listened to what the messenger
had to say as to Mr.. Jessup's extraordi-
nary attack upon the door of the Nazir and
the explanation of it.
Now fully aware Of the importance Of
the message, Northby Pasha questioned