The Washington times., 1919-02-23

what they said, and their fury told him
what they meant. Rather curiously he
noted that those in the front rank nearest
him pushed their very breasts against the
bayonets of the Nizam, until dark blotehes
showed upon their white garments.
Won Hengel raised his arm again and
the soldiers pushed the crowd back again
with the barrels Of their rifles.
Would you kill this Christian dog and
lose the Kaba Stone forever? Think mo-
ment He is yours by right and under the
law, for 1t is so written. But !, Sheykh
Omar Hilal, Of Yuntah and Kurun, who
have brought the Stone to you, by the win
Of Allah, demand that you be at peace.
This man must speak. He must tell Us
where he has put the Kaba stonG."
Let him speak then-throw the Chris
tian to US that We may make him speak"
NO" thundered Won Hengel TO me he
shall speak-to me only, who an Tie guard
ian of the Sacred Stone. II he win not
Won Hengel paused significantly win
give him to you to do with as you please.T
Another cOmmOtion enSued, less violent
than the first, but Won Hengel waved his
arms, the soldiers showed, and at last the
throng gave ground and broke up into
groups, scattered over the sand and stood
still. gesticulating wildly, while they cast
baleful looks in Alan's direction.
His situation seemed indeed quite hope
less, for Ali Agha and some OF the Sherifs
and Sheykhs had lined up before him, star
ing venomously. They wouldn't have been
a pretty lot to look at even under more
favorable conditions, but Alan was quite
sure that he had never seen such a villain
Gus looking lot Of cut-throats in the whole
course of his existence. The scene at
Yambu yesterday. with its stTutting
sheykhs and Mussulmans and their protrud-
ing weapons and their fierce mustachios,
was amusingIy like opera-bouffe. and more
than once he had smiled at' the mock
tragic atmosphere in which these people
lived. But he had to confess. as he lay
there, that the beggars that were staring
at him seemed undeniably in earnest.
Cruelty they fingered the hilts Of their
jambiyahs, each Of them believing, as Alan
was aware, that the personal reward Of
killing this Christian desecrator and bias
phemer was high place IN Paradise with
many yeleeds and hoOreeyehs. His chance
of escape seemed rather hopeless.
What Won Hengel was going to do now
he could not imagine Try and pump him
about the whereabouts of the Kaba Stone,
perhaps, offering him freedom If he re-
vealed its hiding place. That Alan would
not tell, because he now knew enough Of
Won Hengel and Of the character Of the
mob of pilgrims to believe that their prom
ises were not worth considering, and that
they meant to kill him whether he rs-
vealed his secret or not.
As he lay there he glanced about him at
the spot on which he lay. The rock was
almost fat on top and shelved down BY
lodges to the base of the amphitheatre, IF.
teen feet below. But upon the other side
IT fell away sheer into a rocky cleft sixty
or seventy feet deep, thickly carpeted with
underbrush. This tiny gorge, below the
level Of the camping ground. cut sharply
to the left and joined the wadi at its lower
end
The thought of rolling over the edge oc-
CURED to him, but a glance along the line
of rocks visible just beyond showed him
that it meant sure death if he tried it. And
he soon saw that delectable possibility re-
moved when Won HengeI himself brought
ropes and fastened him securely to pro-
iecting crag beside him. This chance de-
stroyed, Alan resigned himself to the In
evitable.
Won Hengel harangued the Sheykhs for
a while, and Alan was much relieved when
they removed their fingers from their poign-
ards and retired some distance away and
ordering their shebuks sat and began smok-
ing. Indeed, he was also gratifed to see
that the people in the amphitheatre below
had disintegrated into groups around their
camp fires and were now awaiting food and
drinking their coffee The Sheykh Omar
Hilal again had assumed command Of the
situation.
Alan watched him keenly for a moment
or two as he paced up and down the rock,
stopping from time to time and peertng
keenly out across the desert. Once he
mounted the rock beside Alan to gain
greater height, but evidently satisfied with
the result of his observations, climbed
down again and lighted a cigarette. But
his face had worn a worried look, which
he tried to conceal under a cool smile OF
triumph. as he seated himself tailOr-fashiOn
lust opposite Alan's head and began to
question him.
CuAPTEP xxi