The Washington times., 1919-02-09
CHAPTER XVIII (Continued).
The Long Trail.

4HE dromedarieS were SLOW ana SulIeu
Daoud's plans nicely, for it was dark
i before they entered Yambu and dis
mounted before a coffee house in the suk
or market place, long structure open at
the sides, the roof of matched date leaves
supported by heavy poles. Inside was
raised platform of wood upon which sat the
customers, crossIegged, smoking their
pipes and engaged in conversation. This
sort of a job suited Daoud Effendi like a
glove, and it was not long before he was
engaged in conversation with his nearest
neigbbor, the Sheriff of a tribe from up
Medineh way, who had come down with a
cameItrain of goods which were to be
shipped to Suez.
AbdulIah Sadi was tall and very slender,
but he carried himself with an air OF au-
thority. Indeed, from the attention given
his remarks, one would gather that he was
q person of some note in the neighborhood.
So good an impression did Daoud make
mon him that the Sheriff even insisted
upon paying for the coffee. As Christians
were. of course. looked upon with, suspl-
cion in this neighborhood, Alan's incognito
was preserved by the simple expedient OF
saving that he was a Sulaymani, Pilgrim
from the East, who spoke no Arabic Daoud
kept his ears open and even Alan was
aware of an undercurrent of excitement
among the coffee drinkers. Even as they
sat. a religious procession passed in the
street outside. Men were beating drums
and playing on hautboys, and crowd OF
men and women following, bearing
meshals. Daoud questioned and the con-
versation was given to Alan afterward.
ais it a moolid, Sheriff Sadi?"
sadi smiled and then grew grave at
once.
Curious things are happening in FL He
iaz" he muttered. EARLY this morning a
sambuk arrived, bearing strangers who
have been received by the governor. They
come from Cairo, learned men from FL
Azhar, bearing a message to Medineh."
And what is their message, what their
mission?"
.eWho knows? But it is said they are OF
the Oolama. Whatever their mission,
these people will listen. The governor has
called upon the Nizam which escorts them
in safety"
Escorts them-where"
Upon their pilgrimage to the Holy City"
"Ah. They have already left them"
"Not vet. Tomorrow night, they say
Tonight there are prayers in the mosque,
where I shall go presently
Would it not be possible for me to &C.
company you?'
"Assuredly, Effendi, and the Sheykh'-
indicating Alan.
..Tbe Sheykh Abbas is weary" Daoud
broke in. He will prefer to retire at once,
if a sleeping place may be found for him"
Alan saw the two men get up and fol-
lowed their example, moving toward the
street. In a moment DaOud found the op-
portunity to tell Alan what had happened,
advising him to go to the wakalah nearby,
where there were empty rooms, and await
his return. To this plan Alan assented
grudgingly, realizing at last that his dis
guise was far from perfect and that if a
curiosity developed as to his identity, he
might be stoned by the fanatic Believers.
So he watched them move away in the di-
rection in which the procession had gone
and strolled out into the bazaar, the friend
" shadows of which were better suited to
his situation.
His feet more than once turned toward
the mosque, the madneh of which he could
see rising at the edge of the town, and
every impulse urged him there. But he
had learned prudence. The mere fact that
he had come straight upon the trail of the
Stone was luck enough for the present.
There wouldn't be any bungling of the job
this time And so after a while he found
his way TO the wakalah and assured of his
own safety, lay down on mat by a win
dow, through which a cooling breeze from
the sea entered the room.
Outside all was quiet again. The moon
had risen and shed its pale beams over the
fat roofs of the town, identifying with its
soft effulgence what must by daylight be
Unspeakably squalid and ugly. Now and
g