Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-22
TON, ID. c., JUNE %, 1919.
. IRISH

What time was II? Was 1t still
Midnight or was it well on toward
morning? Before he wasted what lit
tie strength he had. he decided to
wait for light. After what seemed
hours and hours, the square of blue
lightened and the velvet blackness
took on deep, foggy gray Morn
ing was approaching.
He now began to struggle He
would swell his muscles. then relax
them suddenly, recalling the skill in
this direction of a prestidigitator he .
had once seen at the vaudeville. BY
the time the outside world had turn
ed yellow he had gained an inch or
so at the wrists; but. in opposition
to this. the rope had frightened around
his elbows. This phenomenon con-
WINGED him that he was trussed up
in a single coil Of rope several yards
long. Somewhere. then, there ought
to be a weak spot. He rested his
arms and began wriggling his feet.
He had lost considerable blood. His
left shoulder was damp and soggy
with it. and whenever he moved his
head his neck burneds and the hair
pulled. He was grateful for one
thing-they had not gagged him; he
could get plenty of air into his lungs.
But this fact added new worry to
those already accumulated-his cap
tors did not care whether he yelled
for help or not. He was dreadfully
thirsty. He would have exchanged all
his sovereigns for a dipper OF cold
water.
The four walls of the cellar began
to take form, to stand out distinctly.
and he could see about What he saw
troubled him. He was an old hand
in the psychology OF cellars. This
was under deserted house. Where?
Was he across the way from Nine.
Rene's or had he been carried to an
other part of the town? While the
clay was damp. there were no visible
signs of moisture. Thus he reasoned
that he was nowhere near the Nile.
BY the time it was fiI1l morning he
could pull one foot up as far as his
knee, but beyond that not an inch.
nor could he free the foot. The rogues
had made a very good job of 1t.
Naturally there came a period Of
self-reviling. He had been warned
against prowling off by himself at
night, especially here on the threshold
Of the orient. But ne would do IT.:
and there he was a prisoner with a
battered head and burning thirst.
What were they holding him for
ransom? Pity thay hadn't broken his
fool head completely. The
Ajax! He sucked in his cheeks for
at three that afternoon. and from the
looks OF things 1T was going to sail
without william Grogan. He forgot
his caution, forgot how little strength
he possessed, and fought his bonds as
tiger fights the hunting net. Snarl-
ing and cursing, he sawed his feet
and pulled at his wrists. He desisted
quickly enough. The sparks began
to fly again and the full food of pain
returned. He sank back against the
pillar, gasping.
What fool! What a fool"
He had promised Ruth faithfully to
return to the hotel as soon as the
fights were over. He had broken his
promise; and she was all alone. He
began hiccoughing. as much in rage
as in pain.
Far above a door closed carelessly.
William raised his head. listening
tensely and trying to strangle the
hiccoughs. But the sound OF foot
steps did not follow the banging Of
the door. 1t might have been the
wind. Yet. even as he was about to
accept this as q solution, the door
leading into the cellar swung on its
stiff hinges and a small Arab boy
came down the stone steps. He wore
kind Of smock. ragged and dirty;
his legs and feet were bare. and prob
ably had been since the hour of his
birth. Perched rakishly on the top
OF his shaven poll was a dilapidated
fec minus the tassel. the stem OF
which stood up like that Of an apple.
He was sore-eyed but hyless, his par
ticular bevy Of flies having rebelled.
doubtless. against the possibility OF
being immured in darkness. The Cairo
fly is a Arm believer in sunshine.
The boy carried loaf Of bread un-
der one arm and a water jar under
the other. The water jar was like
those william had often admired on
the heads Of the graceful balancing
Egyptian women. The boy approach
ed William and stared: his glance was